Gulab Jamun

Gulab jamun is a dessert which is popular throughout the India.The dough consists mainly of milk solids often including double cream and flour in a sugar syrup flavored with cardamom seeds and rosewater or saffron.

Every one likes gulab jamuns.Gulab jamuns with ice-cream is a good combination to have.Actually my husband likes gulab jamuns very well and never made it before,and this is the first time I have made it and it came well with good taste.

Ingredients

• 1 cup khova/milk powder
• 1/2 cup maida
• 2 tsp butter/oil
• 2 cups sugar(if you want excess syrup increase by a cup)
• 1 cup water(if you increase sugar quantity increase water also)
• 1/4 tsp cooking soda/baking soda
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• oil for deep frying

Directions to Cook

For preparing gulab jamun

• Knead milk powder,butter,maida and soda and quickly shape into soft balls by applying little oil to your hands if needed.
• Heat oil on a medium flame.
• Fry the jamuns till golden brown over a low to medium flame.Dont over heat the oil,maintain a constant temperature.
• Drain the jamuns and soak in the warm sugar syrup.

For Sugar Syrup

• The syrup should be made little earlier and kept warm.
• Mix sugar,water and cardamom powder and mix it.
• Now keep it on the stove at medium flame for 10-15mins until sugar is all dissolved in water.Do not overheat.
• Soak the jamuns in the syrup and leave it for over night for better results.

Note

You can also buy directly the gulab jamun mix.

Senagapappu Payasam/Chana dal Payasam/Bengal gram Payasam

Ingredients

• 1 cup Bengal gram/sengapappu
• 1 cup jagerry/bellam
• 1/2 cup sabudhana
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tsp ghee
• Cashew nuts
• Kissmiss
• Badams
• Grated coconut/Cut coconut into small pieces
• Cardamom powder

Directions to cook

• Soak the bengal gram for atleast 30mins.Pressure cook the bengal gram till its cooked,do not over cook.
• Heat ghee in a kadai and toast sabudhana until light brown.
• Add milk to sabudhana and cook it well by stirring in between.
• Now add the bengal gram and jagerry to this mix and stir it slowly for 15mins without burning.
• Heat ghee in a pan and toast cashew nuts,kismiss,badam coconut pieces untill light brown.
• Add these to the payasam.
• Finally add cardamom powder,stir it and simmer another 5mins.
• Serve it hot/cold.
• Easy to make during festival times.

Tip

• In this we can also add semolina instead of sabudhana.

Pulihora/Tamarind Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup tamarind paste(thick paste)
• 6 whole red chillies
• 6 green chillies
• 2 tsps urad dal
• 2 tsps chana dal
• 1/4 cup ground nut
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp hing
• curry leaves
• 1/4 cup oil
• salt to taste

Directions to cook

• Heat oil in a pan on medium flame,add mustard seeds and fry till it cracles.
• Add urad dal,chana dal,peanuts,red chillies and fry till light golden brown.
• Add green chillies,curry leaves,hing,turmeric,tamarind pulp,salt and cook it for 10mins on medium flame.
• When the mixture becomes thick,turn of the heat.
• Add rice,mix it well and serve with good curd.

Tip

The rice should not be too soft,each grain of the cooked rice should be seperate and rice should be cold.After cooking the rice remove the rice into a plate and let it cool,before adding the tamarind paste and other ingredients to the rice.

Pav Bhaji

Most of the time we see left over vegetables in our fridge and we dont know what to do some times with those vegetables.Most of the time we do mixed vegetable curry and to make it different or to have some snacks its easy to have pav bhaji. Pav bhaji is a fast food item for maharastrians and is mostly popular in all metropolitan cities in India.Pav in Marathi means bread.Bhaji is a term for curry and vegetable dish.Pav bhaji consists of the bhaji(a potato based curry)and the pav,garnished with coriander and chopped onions.

We can also prepare pav in our house only,but I never prepared pav in my house.I want to try it and surely I will post the receipe in my blog after trying.

Ingredients

• 8 pavs(we can buy pav from super markets)
• butter to fry it to light brown.

For Bhaji

• 1 capsicum
• 3 onions
• tomatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 cup cauliflower
• 3-5 potatoes
• 1/2 cup beans
• 1/2 cup cabbage
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp pav bhaji masala
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• water
• small pieces of lemon
• coriander leaves

Directions to Cook

• Boil potatoes seperately till done.
• Peel the skin and mash the potatoes and keep it aside.
• Finely chop all the vegetables.
• Pressure cook the vegetables except onions,tomatoes and capsicum till well done.
• Mash them coarsely after draining.
• Heat butter in a kadai.
• Add ginger garlic paste,capsicum,onion,tomatoes and fry for 2-3 mins till very soft.
• Add pavbhaji masala,coriander powder,chilli powder,salt,sugar,turmeric powder and leave it for 2mins.
• Add mashed potatoes and other vegetables.
• Add water if needed and let it boil.
• Simmer till gravy is thick,stirring in between.
• Add lemon juice and mix it well.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

For pavs

• Slit pavs into two halves leaving one edge attached(it looks like an open book)
• Apply butter and roast open on a pan till hot and soft with surface crisp on both sides.
• Serve hot with bhaji,piece of lemon and chopped onions.

Methi Paratha

Ingredients

For dough

• 4 cups wheat flour
• salt to taste
• water

Directions to Prepare

Mix the dough well and keep it aside for 20mins -30mins.

For making the stuff

• bunch of methi/fenugreek leaves(finely chopped)
• 2 green chillies(finely chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp oil
• salt to taste
• butter/ghee(optional)

Directions to Cook

• Wash the methi leaves thoroughly with water.
• Chop the leaves finely.
• Heat oil in kadai,add mustard seeds,cumin seeds and leave it till the mustard seeds cracle.
• Add the chopped methi leaves,ginger garlic paste,green chillies and saute.
• Cover with a lid and allow it to cook in their own water for 10 mins till it becomes soft.Stir in between.
• Add salt,coriander powder,chilli powder,turmeric powder and mix well.
• Allow it to cook for some more time until the water is completely evaporated.
• To make the paratha.Take the chapathi dough and make it into medium size dumplings.
• Roll the dough into round size.Ensure that the edges are thin while the middle portion is thick.
• Now take the stuffing and keep it in the middle of the roll and close the edge to make it into a dumpling.
• Roll the dumpling again to spread the stuff evenly.Similar to a thick pizza crust/roti.
• Put the roll/paratha on the pan and cook it.
• Add little ghee/butter on both sides of paratha.
• Serve hot with any sour pickle and curd.

Tip

If you don't feel like having time/if you feel you are not good in making a stuffes paratha,then knead all the raw ingredients along with the wheat flour and make it to a paratha.

But,trust me stuffed parathas tastes good compared to the paratha that is made by mixing the methi in the dough.

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients

• 250 gms paneer
• 2 onion(puree)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tomatoes(puree)
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp cashew nut paste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• fresh cream
• salt to taste
• coriander leaves

Directions to cook

• Cut paneer in cubes and fry.Soak them in warm water so that they become soft.
• Heat oil/butter in a kadai and add the onion puree and saute till they turn light brown in color.
• Add ginger garlic paste to the above paste and saute it for sometime.
• Add chilli powder,coriander powder,turmeric powder,salt,cashew nut paste,garam masala powder,tomato puree and leave it for sometime.
• Add the soaked paneer cubes,little water and allow it to cook till the gravy becomes semi-solid.
• Finally garnish it with fresh cream and coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with plain rice/roti/fried rice/biryani.

Chana Masala

Ingredients

• 3 cups of chana/chickpeas
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 red chilli
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chana masala/pav bhaji masala powder
• oil
• salt to taste
• water as required
• coriander leaves - for garnish

Directions to Cook

• Soak chickpeas in water overnight or atleast for 6hrs.
• Take them in a pressure cooker,add little salt and water and pressure cook them until they are just tender.Take care not to overcook.
• Drain the water and seperate one cup of cooked chickpeas.Blend these seperated ones into thick,smooth paste with little water.
• Heat oil in a kadai,add and toast cumin and mustard seeds and red chillies.
• When seeds start to pop,add chopped onions,and cook until translucent.
• Add green chillies,turmeric powder,chilli powder,salt,coriander powder to the onions and leave it for 2mins.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until thne tomatoes turn to soft.
• Press with spatula and mash them.
• To this tomato puree,add the cooked chana,pureed chickpeas paste,chana masala powder and required water,stir to combine.
• Leave it on a low flame until the curry thickened.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rice/roti/puri.

Tip

We can also add little lime juice before eating to have a good taste.

Half-Fried eggs

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 slices of bread
• salt
• butter

Directions to Cook

• Toast the bread using butter.
• Break the eggs on the preheated pan(do not beat the eggs).
• Apply butter around the eggs and sprinkle salt for taste.
• Fry the eggs spread only on one side.
• Serve hot with coffee.

karapusa

Ingredients

• 2 cups besan flour(senagapindi)
• 2 cups rice flour
• water as required
• 2 tsp cumin seeds(crushed)
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

Directions to cook

• Take a bowl and mix besan flour and rice flour,add water little by little to make a soft dough,just soft enough that it is pressed through easily with the janthikalu/chakali press.
• Heat the oil in the kadai.Take the janthikalu/chakali press and use the disc with smallest holes.Fill half of the press ith the dough and once the oil is hot,reduse to medium flame and using circular motin,press the jantikalu gottam to make concentric layers of the dough.Make sure the frying has to be done on medium flame to achieve that golden color and crispness.
• When the sev(karapusa) turns a golden color,turn over to the other side and let it also cook to a golden brown.Use a slotted ladle to remove onto an absorbent paper and cool.Repeat the same process till the rest of the dough is done.
• Take cumin seeds powder,chilli powder,salt and mix the three.
• Now mix this powder to the sev well.
• Cool completely before storing in an air tight metallic container.

Note: You can also mix chilli powder,salt and vaamu/ajwain powder(instead of jeera powder) in the dough itself.

Lenthil soup/Mild sambar/Pappu Charu

Ingredients

• 1 cup toor dal(kandipappu)
• 1 no tomato sliced
• 1 no onion sliced
• 3 green chillies
• Big lemon sized tamarind(soak in water to extract the pulp)
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp chilly powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste
• water as required

For Seasoning

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 red chillies
• 1 tsp urad dal
• curry leaves
• 3 no garlic cut into small pieces/crush the cloves
• coriander leaves

Directions to Cook

• Cook toor dal with 2 cups of water and mash it smooth.set aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
• Add cumin seeds,red chillies,urad dal,curry leaves and garlic,leave till it turns light brown.
• Add onions,green chillies,tomato and saute till they become soft.
• Add salt,chilly powder,turmeric powder and mix it well.
• Add turmeric juice and mashed dal to the above and let it boil for 15-20mins.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.
• Eat along with papad/any fried curry.

Note:Add some vegetables like brinjal,okra etc to have a different taste.

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Gobi manchurian

Ingredients

• 1 medium cauliflower
• 4 tsp maida
• 1 tsp corn flour
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp soya sauce
• 3 tsp tomato sauce
• 1 no onion finely chopped
• 2 no green chillies finey choppedoil as required
• salt to taste
• water as required
• coriander leaves

Directions to Cook

• Wash and cut gobi .
• Take a bowl and put maida,corn flour,salt,ginger garlic paste and water to make it a fine paste.
• Dip the gobi florets in the paste and deep fry until golden brown,set aside.
• Heat oil in apan and add onions,green chillies,salt and ginger garlic paste and leave it for 2mins.
• Now add soya sauce and tomato sauce and mix it well.
• Now add gobi and mix it well.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot directly/with fried rice.

coconut chutney

Ingredients

• 1 full coconut
• 1/4 cup of chana dal and groundnut(mixed)
• 3 green chillies
• small lemon sized tamarind
• salt to taste
• water as required

For the Tempering

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp urad dal
• curry leaves
• 1 red chilly broken into pieces

Method

• Grate the coconut or cut into small pieces.
• Dry roast the groundnuts,chana dal and green chillies/Add little oil and roast these three ingredients till they turn to little brown.
• Allow them to cool and put them into the blender and blend it to a fine powder.
• Add coconut,tamarind and salt with little water and grind it to a fine paste.keep it aside.
• For tempering heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,urad dal,curry leaves and red chilies and stir it well until the mustard seeds cracle.
• Pour the tempering over the cuhtney and mix it well.
• Serve with any breakfast like idli/dosas/upma etc..

Peanut Chutney

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain peanuts/groundnutsin(with or without skin,as preferred)
• 2 green chillies
• 2 red chillies
• curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp oil
• small lemon sized tamarind
• salt to taste
• water as required

Directions to Prepare

• Dry roast the groundnuts and green chillies in a kadai (stirring frequently) till they give off a gentle cooked aroma.
• Allow to cool completely and then grind the peanuts and chillies to a coarse powder.
• Add tamarind,salt and water to the above powder and make it to a fine paste.
• For seasoning,heat oil in a pan.Once hot,add the mustard seeds and once they splutter,add cumin seeds,red chillies,curry leaves and urad dal and let it turn to golden brown.
• Pour over chutney into this and serve with idlis or dosas.

Beerakaaya,senagapappu(Ridge gourd/turai,chanadal) curry

Ingredients

• 250gms Ridge gourd
• 100gms chana dal
• 1 no tomato
• 1 no onion
• 3 no green chillies
• 2 no red chillies
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• curry leaves
• salt as required
• 3 tsp oil
• kothimeera

Directions to Cook

• First wash and soak chana dal for atleast half an hour.
• Peel and cut Ridge gourd into small pieces of 1".
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds,cuminn seeds,red chillies and curry leaves.
• Add sliced onions,green chillies and fry till they are soft.
• Add tomatoes to it and leave it for 2mins.
• Add salt,turmeric powder,chilli powder,ginger garlic paste and coriander powder and mix it well.
• Drain chana dal to the above and saute it well till the water evaporates.
• Add ridgegourd pieces and mix it well.
• Cover it cook on slow flame for 10mins.
• Add a cup of water and cook till the ridgegourd and chana dal become soft and cooked.
• Add garam masala,mix well and remove fire.
• Add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

This curry goes well with rotis/white rice.

Onion Chutney

Ingredients

For Chutney

• 6 no(medium size)onions
• 5 tsp chana dal
  
• 3-4 chillies(increase your quantity as needed)
  
• pinch of tamarind
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

For Tempering

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1-2 red chillies
• 1 tsp oil
• curry leaves
• coriander leaves

Method

• Dry roast the chana dal until it turns to little brown.
• Roast the green chillies also.
  
• (Optional)You can roast the onions in little oil/You can use the raw onions directly.
• Cool the chana dal and put it in a blender and blend it finely.
• Add onions,green chillies,salt,tamarind and sugar to the above mixture and mix it to a fine paste.
• Heat the oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds,cumin seeds,urad dal,red chillies and curry leaves.
• Add tempering to the chutney and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve with idli/dosa/vada.
  

Brinjal chutney/Eggplant chutney

Ingredients

• 1 no bringal(big one)
• 3 tbsp chana Dal
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp urad Dal
• 2 no red chillies
• 2 no green chillies
• curry leaves
• coriander leaves/cilantro
• pinch of tamarind
• turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil

Directions

• Apply oil on all sides of the eggplant.Roast it directly on the flame till the skin is charred.
• Once it cools down,peel the skin and mash the eggplant.
• Take some oil in a kadai and heat it.
• Now roast the chana dal,green chillies and cool it.
• Put the chana dal,green chillies and tamarind to the blender and blend it finely.
• Add eggplant,turmeric powder,sugar and salt to the chana dal powder and blend it to a fine paste.
• Heat the oil in a pan,splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds,urad dal,curry leaves and red chillies and add it to the chutney.Garnish it with cilantro.
• Serve with rice/idli/dosa.

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients:

To Prepare The Dough

• 4 cups of wheat flour
• Salt
• Water

Directions To Prepare

Mix the dough well and keep it aside for 20mins - 30mins.

For making the Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg potatoes
• 4 chillies
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Coriander leaves

Directions To Cook

• Boil the potatoes,peel off the skin and grate the potatoes.
• Grate chillies/cut them into very small pieces.
• Take oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds,cumin seeds fry them.
• Add grated potatoes,chillies,coriander powder mix it well and leave it for 5mins - 10mins.
• Cut coriander leaves very thinly.
• Add lime juice,coriander leaves and mix it well.
• Take chapathi dough and make it into medium size dumplings.
• Roll the dough into round size. Ensure that the edges are thin while the middle portion is thick.
• Now take the stuffing and keep it in the middle of the roll and close the edges to making it into a dumpling.
• Roll the dumpling again to spread the stuff evenly.Similar to a thick pizza crust/roti.
• Put the roll/paratha on the pan and cook it
• Add little ghee/butter on both sides of paratha.
• Serve hot with any pickle and curd.

Gobi Aloo kurma

Ingredients:

• 1/4 kg Gobi
• 1/4 kg Aloo
• 1 onion grated
• 1 tomato finely sliced
• 2 green chillies
• 1 red chilli
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tbsn turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tbsp cumin seeds
• curry leaves
• coriander leaves

Directions To Cook:

• Take oil into pan/khadai.
• Add tempering agents like curry leaves,mustard seeds,cumin seeds.
• Add grated onions,green chillies,turmeric powder,chilli powder,coriander powder.
• After it turns brown add tomatoes to it.
• Add cauliflower and leave it for 2mins.
• Add aloo and leave it for another 5mins.
• Add water to it and let it cook till the water is compeletly boiled.
• Add coriander leaves.
• serve with roti/rice.

Mixed vegetable curry

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Carrot ( cut into medium size)
• 1/2 cup Potatoes(cut into medium size)
• 1/2 cup tomatoes
• 1/2 cup batani
• 1/2 cup clustred beans(cut into medium size)
• 1/2 cup indian broad beans(cut into medium size)
• 1/2 cup cauli flower
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp corriander powder
• 1/4 tbsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tbsp turmeric powder
• curry leaves
• Corriander leaves
• oil
• 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
• Salt to taste
• water

Directions to cook

• Take oil into a pan.
• Add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,curry leaves for tempering.
• Add chopped onions,green chillies,salt,turmeric powder,chilli powder and cook it until the onions turn into brown colour.
• Add tomatoes and leave it for 3mins.
• Add all vegetables to it,cover it and leave it for 5mins.
• Add water and leave until it is cooked well.
• Garnish with corriander.
• Serve with roti/rice.

Chilli Corn

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow capsicum
• 1 green capsicum
• 1 cup baby corn
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 Chillies
• 1 Red chillies
• 1 tbsp Chilli powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander powder
• pinch Turmeric Powder
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves
• Curry leaves

Directions To Cook:

• Cut the baby corn into small round pieces and boil.
• Cut yellow and green capsicum into medium size.
• Take oil into a pan/kadhai.
• Add tempering agents and allow it to fry.
• Add onions,chilles,ginger garlic paste,salt,chilli powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder and cook in a slow flame until the onions changes it color.
• Add yellow and green capsicum and leave it for 3mins.
• Add little water and let it cook for some time.
• Add baby corn and cook until the water is completely absorbed.
• Garnish with corainder leaves and serve hot.
• goes well with rice,chapati/roti.

Note:

After cutting the capsicum wash them again in a little salt water and drain the water completely by squeezing the capsicum.