Oct 30, 2009

CAPSICUM WITH CHICKPEA FLOUR




























Capsicum -- 5/6
Oil -- 4 tablespoons
Mustard seeds -- 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -- 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoetida -- 1 pinch
Chickpea flour (besan) -- 4 tablespoons
Semolina (sooji) -- 1 teaspoon (optional)
Chilly Powder -- 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar -- 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste


Cut capsicum into big pieces. Small pieces will make it watery.

Heat oil in pan and add mustard seeds. When the mustard is crackling add turmeric powder and asafoetida, followed by the capsicum.

Cook capsicum on medium flame. Don't cover the pan as it will make them soggy. Keep spooning the capsicum for uniform cooking.

Once the colour of the capsicum changes lower the heat and add all the remaining ingredients.

Mix nicely until the chickpea flour is coated evenly and fry on low heat for about 2-3 minutes, or until you get a nice aroma of the chick pea flour.
Ready to serve.

AVALAKKI VAGGARANE (BEATEN RICE WITH TEMPERING)





























Beaten rice (paper thin) -- 4 cups
Coconut -- 1/2 cup (grated)
Salt -- to taste
Sugar -- 2 teaspoons

Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons
Urad daal -- 1 teaspoon
Pea nut -- few
Coriander seeds -- 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds -- 1/4 teaspoon
Red chillies -- 5 (or to taste)
Curry leaves -- few
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida -- 1/8 teaspoon

Onion -- 1 small (chopped finely)(optional)
Coriander leaves -- 1 small bunch (chopped finely)


Mix coconut with salt and sugar in a wide bowl.

Heat oil in a small pan. Add urad daal and peanut. Fry until urad dal and peanuts turn slightly brownish.

Add coriander and cumin seeds, and broken red chilles. Fry for minute on low flame so that the chillies turn crisp.

Now put in the curry leaves followed by turmeric and asafoetida after a moment. Fry it for another minute on low flame. Pour it over the coconut.

Mix all the ingredients nicely. Crush the curry leaves and chillies(only if you like it spicy).
(Sprinkle a little water if u like to swallow your food without much of chewing job. But it is more tasty with out water.)

Its time for the beaten rice to go into the bowl. Add the beaten rice and mix it with the tempering nicely.

finally the onion and coriander leaves are to be mixed with the beaten rice. Garnish with coconut or coriander leaves and serve.

Can be accompanied by sev or any other mixture.

BRINJAL (EGGPLANT) IN COCONUT GRAVY




























Brinjal (eggplant) -- 8-10 small
Oil -- 4 tablespoons
Mustard seeds -- 1 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves -- few
Onion -- 2 medium
Garlic -- 8 cloves
Jaggery -- 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

for THE GRAVY
Coconut oil -- 2 teaspoons
Coconut -- 1 cup (grated)
Coriander seeds -- 2 tablespoon
Red chillies -- 8-10
Poppy seeds -- 2 teaspoon
Tamarind -- to taste


Wash and slice brinjals length wise into 1 cm thick slices.
Slice onions finely.
Heat oil in a pan and mustard seeds.

When Mustard seeds start crackling add turmeric powder, garlic cloves and curry leaves. Stir for 1 minute.


Put in sliced onions and fry until the onions are cooked.

Add brinjal to the pan. Cover and cook on low flame until cooked but firm.

Heat coconut oil in a small pan and fry coriander seeds , red chillies and poppy seeds together (put them in in that order). Cool it.

Grind together all these ingredients with coconut and tamarind for gravy.

Add this paste to the cooked brinjal and mix it. Season it with salt jaggery. Add water if required.

Bring it to boil. Serve hot with roti/chapati.

Oct 28, 2009

BRINJAL PALYA (EGGPLANT WITH SPICY POWDERED LENTILS)




























Brinjal (eggplant) -- 15 small
Oil -- 4 tablespoons
Mustard seeds -- 1 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves -- few
Sugar -- 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Palya powder -- 3 tablespoons
Fresh coconut grated -- 3-4 tablespoons

Wash and cube brinjals into 1" cubes.

Heat oil in a pan and mustard seeds.

When Mustard seeds start crackling add turmeric powders and curry leaves. Stir for 1 minute.

Add brinjal to the pan. Sprinkle sugar and salt and cover and cook on low flame until cooked but firm.

Add palya powder to the cooked brinjal and mix it. Let the flavors blend for about 2 minutes on low flame. Finally mix the coconut and serve.

PALYA POWDER



























Chana daal -- 1 cup
Urad daal -- 1/4 cup
Coriander seeds -- 3 tablespoon
Red chilies -- 10 -15
Sesame seeds -- 4 teaspoon

Dry roast all the ingredients till crisp and make a coarse powder. Store it in a airtight container.

Bisibele bath

This upma is fast to make as the rava is used with out roasting.
It requires a little more oil and very tasty to eat.






























Rava (Semolina) -- 1 cup
Oil -- 4 tablespoon
Urad dal -- 1 teaspoon
Cashew nuts -- 8-10(optional)
Mustard seeds -- 1 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida powder -- a pinch
Green chillies -- 2-3 slit
Curry leaves -- few
Fresh Ginger -- 1/4", grated

Onion -- 1 large, sliced
Tomato -- 2, chopped

Coriander leaves -- small bunch, chopped
Sugar -- 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice -- 1/2 teaspoons (optional)
salt to taste


Heat oil in a pan and add urad dal and cashew nuts. When the they begin to brown add mustard seeds.

When Mustard seeds start crackling add asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger and green chilles. Stir for 1 minute.

Add onion and fry untill it is cooked. Add tomato and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Now pour 2 cups of water into this pan and bring it too boil.

When the water begins to boil lower the heat to minimum and slowly pour the rava into the water. Keep stirring the mixture all the time so that the lumps are not formed.

Sprinkle sugar,salt and coriander leaves on top. Squeeze the lemon juice.

Mix everything together and and cook it covered on low flame for 5 minutes.
Serve hot.

LEMON RICE




























Rice -- 1 cup
Oil -- 2 tablespoons
Urad dal -- 1 teaspoon
Chana dal -- 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds -- 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder -- a pinch
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 teaspoon
Green chillies -- 3/4, slit
Curry leaves -- few
Lemon -- 1 medium
Sugar -- 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste


Cook the rice using 2 cups of water.

Heat oil in a pan and add urad dal and chana dal. When the dals begin to brown add mustard seeds.

When Mustard seeds start crackling add asafoetida and turmeric powders, green chillies and curry leaves. Stir for 1 minute.

Now add cooked rice to the pan. Sprinkle sugar and salt on the rice. Squeeze the lemon juice on the top.

Mix everything together and and leave it on very low flame for 5 minutes. Ready to serve.

Oct 27, 2009

MASALA DOSA





























for dosa

refer DOSA


POTATO FILLING

Potato -- 6-8 medium
Onion -- 4-5 medium
Oil -- 2 tablespoons
Urad dal -- 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds -- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 teaspoon
Green chilles -- 4-5, slit
Curry leaves -- few
Lemon -- 1 medium
Sugar -- 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Prepare dosa batter as explained in DOSA


Pressure cook the potatoes till cooked but firm. Peel and chop them into small cubes.

Slice onion into thin slices.

Heat oil in a pan and add urad dal. When the dal begins to brown add mustard seeds.
When Mustard seeds start crackling add turmeric powders and curry leaves green chilles. Stir for 1 minute.

Now add cooked onion to the pan. fry onions till they are light brown. now add potato to the pan. Sprinkle sugar and salt and squeeze the lemon juice on the top.
Now mix everything together and and leave it on very low flame for 5 minutes.

Heat the dosa pan (tawa) on medium flame. Take the dosa batter and spread it on the hot pan.

Sprinkle some chutney powder (or palya powder ) on the dosa, Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Now uncover the pan , spriknle 1 or 2 teaspoons of oil and place the filling in the center.










Now fold the dosa from one side over the filling and then the other side on the first fold. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

SPICY CHICKPEA SALAD









Chick peas  --  2 cups
Onion  --  1 large
Capsicum  --  1 small
Tomato  --  2  large
Olive oil  -- 1/2 teaspoon
Italian seasonings -- 1/2 teaspoon
Red chili powder -- 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
Salt to taste

Soak chickpeas for 6-8 hours. Drain and pressure cook it with water and salt.

Chop onion,capsicum and tomatoes finely.




In a salad bowl mix the olive oil, seasonings, chili powder and the chopped vegetables. Add salt only if required. Remember that the chickpeas are already cooked with salt.

Mix the chickpea to the vegetable mixture and serve.

Oct 25, 2009

DOSA

Dosa rice -- 2 cups
Split Black gram (Urad daal) -- 1 cup
Split chick pea (chana daal) -- 1 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds (methi) -- 2 teaspoons
Beaten rice (poha) -- 1 tablespoons (optional)
salt to taste.


Wash rice and urad dal, add chana dal and methi and soak for 6-8 hours. Grind it to a smooth paste and leave it overnight for fermentation.

Next morning mix salt and the batter is ready to make dosa.


To make dosa,
Spread one spoonful(big serving spoon) of batter on a lightly oiled hot griddle. Choose a spoon which has a little flat bottom.
Cover and cook for a minute. turn the dosa and cook for another minute.

Serve hot with chutney and sambhar.