Cheese and eggs

Ingredients:

Eggs , whipped– five

Milk – about one and half cups

Cheese ,grated – about one cup

Pepper powder – a tsp

Jeera or cumin seeds powder – about half a tsp

Coriander powder – about a quarter tsp

A dollop of butter

Method:

Add half the butter to a hot pan, then add the eggs and keep stirring so that they do not stick to the sides of the pan add the milk and mix it to a creamy consistency,now add the grated cheese,pepper powder,jeera and coriander powder to it and mix well,taking care not to get it lumpy.

 Pour this egg mixture to a greased baking dish and bake in a hot oven for five to seven minutes or till the top turns a golden colour.

French toast

This dish is sooo very easy to prepare….takes me back to my childhood days…..was our special dish during the summer vacations.My son calls it meetha bread and is a big hit even in lunch boxes.

Ingredients:

Eggs – three

Bread – about five or six slices

Milk – a cup

Sugar – about four tbspns

Salt a pinch

Butter for toasting the bread

Cinnamon powder – one tsp (optional)

Method:

Dissolve the sugar and salt in the milk,then add the eggs and whisk well after every addition.

When the tawa is hot ,add a dot of butter onto it,then dip the bread slices into the egg and milk mixture and toast the bread well on both the sides adding a little butter.

Cinnamon powder can be sprinkled on the toasted bread. Tastes delicious when served warm or cold.

Butter  egg

Ingredients:

Eggs – three

Oil / butter – a tsp

Milk – about half a cup

Pepper & salt to taste

Method:

Add the beaten eggs to the hot oil or butter and keep stirring so that it does not stick to the sides of the pan.  Add a dash of pepper and salt and the milk and mix well and remove it from the fire when it is still creamy and smooth and resembles butter. Serve it with warm butter toasted bread for a hearty breakfast.

Adai

This is a nutritious and power packed dish ,delicious to taste and easy to make.This is my grandma’s recipe and she never used any specific measures to cook.It  was always  a little bit of this ,a handful of that ,a dash of this, a pinch of that and so on and so forth.It has rubbed on me in a formidable way and please do accommodate me in this matter.

Ingredients & method :

Half a cup each of – channa dal,urad dal,tuvar dal,boiled rice,raw rice and moong dal.(wash and soak together for about three hours .)

Dry red chilles  - about three

Grind the above to a coarse paste and leave it overnight.

Add salt, Asfotida/hing  - about a quarter tsp , Chopped onions – one   - to the above batter and prepare them like dosas on a hot tawa  and serve with chutney.

Bon Appetit!!!!

Pesarattu

Ingredients:

Green gram dal – one cup

Raw rice – a hand ful

Ginger – one inch piece

Green chillie – one or two

Hing / asfotida – about half a tsp

Salt

Onion chopped – one

Oil

Method:

Wash and soak the green gram and rice in plenty of water for about three to four hours.Then grind them to a slightly coarse paste adding the ginger ,green chillie and hing to it.add salt and leave it overnight.Add the chopped onions to the batter and mix well.

Heat a tawa and prepare the pesarattu just like the way you prepare the dosas. Serve with chutney and upma.

Bon Appetit!!

Oats dosa

Ingredients:

 Oats – two cups

Raw rice – half a cup

Curd – one cup

Green chillie – one or two according to your fire power

Salt

Method:

Grind together the oats , rice and curd along with the green chillie to a smooth paste and leave it overnight. Add the salt to I and mix well. Prepare like you would the normal dosa, serve with  the chutney of your choice.

Bon Appetit !!

Dhokla

Another easy and favourite dish of mine is the dhokla.Though I’m not aware if it is prepared this way originally.But this is the way I prepare it and it hardly takes time.

Ingredients:

Besan/gram flour/channa flour – one cup

Curd – one cup

Oil – one tsp

Eno/fruit salts – one heaped tsp

Salt to taste

One tsp sugar dissolved in one-fourth cup of water

Mustard seeds - - half a tsp

Curry leaves – two or three

Green chillie split – one

Fresh coriander leaves – a few

Method:

Grease a microwavable dish and keep aside. In another bowl add the besan and the curd and mix well to a smooth consistency avoiding any lumps. To this add the oil and eno and mix well. The dough will seem to froth and rise, continue  mixing while adding the salt and turmeric powder to this. Pour it out into the greased bowl and cook it in the microwave for about two to three minutes.

In the meantime, heat oil in a small ladle and add the mustard seeds , split green chilli and the curry leaves, when the seeds crackle add it to the water in which the sugar has been dissolved.

Once the dhokla is done remove it from the bowl onto a serving dish , cut it into chunks and drizzle the seasoned water onto it and garnish with a few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves and serve with tomato sauce.

Bon Appetit!!!

 

Semiya / vermicelli upma

Ingredients:

Semiya / vermicelli roasted – one cup

Onion sliced thin – one

Tomato sliced  - one (optional)

Green chillie slit – one/two

Curry leaves for seasoning – a few

Mustard seeds – a tsp

Channa and urad dal mixed – a tsp

Salt to taste

 Oil/ ghee

Method:

Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and the dals to the hot oil,  once      the dal is roasted add the onions, green chillies and sauté.

Now add the roasted semiya / vemicilli and mix well with the onion and seasoning. Add about one and a half cups of warm water to it and add salt to taste. Cover and let the semiya cook for just a few minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chutney or sauce

Aval upma

Aval /poha is also known as beaten rice.

Ingredients:

Aval – a cup

Onion chopped – one

Green chillies slit – one or two

Peanuts – about a tsp

Channa and urad dal mixed – a tsp

Chilli powder – half a tsp

Dhania / coriander powder – about half a tsp

Turmeric powder – less than half a tsp

Coriander leaves chopped – two tspns

Mustard seeds – a tsp

Oil / ghee

Method:

Wash and keep the poha aside. When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and as soon as they began to crackle, add the peanuts and the dals and roast to a light golden.

Next add the chopped onions and green chillies and sauté.

Now add the chillie,coriander and turmeric powder to it and mix well till they blend with the onions and chillies,then add the chopped coriander leaves and salt to taste.

Once they have been mixed well ,add the poha and turn it around carefully as they can be mashed up if done in a hurry.Once the masalas and the poha has been blended ,serve it hot with  tomato sauce.

Bon Appetit!!!    

The above recipe is the basic poha preparation that can be modified with a combination of vegetables like grated carrots and beetroot,along with mango ginger root or with grated mangoes too.

The options are immense if you are ready to explore and experiment.

Kichri upma

Ingredients:

Sooji/rava/semolina roasted  – about half a cup

Semiya / vermicelli roasted – about half a cup

Onion chopped – one large

Tomato chopped – one

Green chillies – one or two

Coriander chopped – about a tbspn

Ginger and garlic paste – about  half a tsp

Cashew nut – one tsp

Peanut – half a tsp

Channa and urad dal – half a tsp

Clove – two or three

Cinnamon – about a cm

Saunf /soambu/aniseeds – just a pinch

Fresh grated coconut – about two tbspns

Salt to taste

Oil / ghee

Warm water – about one and half cups

Method:

Add the mustard seeds,clove and cinnamon stick to the hot oil and once the mustard seeds start crackling add the ginger garlic paste and fry till it turns gold ,then add the cashewnuts,peanuts,the channa and the urad dals and fry till a little golden.

Next add the onions and the aniseeds  and sauté,then add the tomato and green chillies and fry well.To this add the sooji and semiya and fry well.

Now add the warm water and salt to it.Add the coriander and the grated coconut to this when it is almost done and mix well.

Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce.

Bon Appetit!!!

Idli upma

One of the most easiest dish to be prepared  from leftover idlis.

Ingredients:

Idlis crumbled with the hands to resemble bread crumbs

Mustard seeds – a tsp

Curryleaves for seasoning  - a few

Dry red chilles , halved and deseeded – two

Turmeric powder – less than half a tsp

Salt to taste

 Oil for seasoning

Method:

Add the curry leaves,mustard seeds and the dry red chillies to the hot oil.When the crackling is done add the crumbled idlis,turmeric powder and salt and mix well.Your idli upma is ready in no time .serve it either hot or cold with sugar or tomato sauce.

Bon Appetit!!

 

Upma

  Whoever would have thought that the humble upma would be internationally renowned one day? Well it has arrived and how!

Upma is made from semolina , poha / beaten rice , vermicelli etc.

I personally prefer upma that is made without roasting the semolina. It resembles the porridge and is tasty and filling.

Upma

Ingredients:

Semolina/rawa – one cup

Onion thinly sliced – one

Tomato chopped – one

Green chilli split /sliced open – one /two

Curry leaves for seasoning - a few

Mustard seeds – one tsp

Channa and urad dal for seasoning – one tsp mixed

Coriander leaves chopped – two tspns

Salt to taste

Oil/ghee – use judiciously

Method:

Roast the rava in a hot kadai with a tspn of ghee .(The roasting of the rava is optional /according to your preference.)

 Once the oil is hot add the curry leaves and mustard seeds. As the seeds crackle add the dals and roast to a light golden, then add the onions and green chillies and sauté.

Next add the tomatoes and fry till the oil separates and floats up. Now add the required quantity of water, salt and the chopped coriander leaves .When the water bubbles add the rava to it gradually, stirring all the time while adding the rava to avoid formation of lumps. Mix well and remove from fire and serve hot.

 Some like it hot, some like it cold …..Just like the old nursery rhyme. Some like it with sugar, chutney or tomato sauce.

     Bon Appetit!

Chutney

There are different varieties of chutneys too and they also differ from region to region.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

Coconut grated – about  one cup

Green chilli – one ( according to your fire power)

Fresh ginger – about one cm long

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped – about two tspns

Salt to taste

Mustard seeds – one tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Channa and urad dal mixed – about a quarter tsp

Method:

Grind together the coconut,green chillie,ginger and a little salt to a fine paste.Then add the chopped coriander and grind it just a little.

Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds ,curry leaves and the dals and fry till the dal turns a light golden ,now garnish the chutney with the seasoning and serve.

This is served for idlis,dosas,uthappams,adais,paniyarams,pongal,vadas etc.

Bon Appetit!

Tomato chutney

Ingredients:

Tomatoes – 100 gms

Shallots – 50 gms

Coconut – about 2 tbspns

Tamarind – just about the size of a pea

Green chillies – 2 nos

Channa and urad dal mix – about  2 tspns

Salt to taste

Oil – about a tbspn

Method:

To the hot oil add the dals and roast them till light golden ,then add the split green chillies and diced shallots and sauté.

Then add the sliced tomatoes to it and fry till the oil seperates.Next add the grated coconut and the tamarind and sauté for a few minutes and add the salt .

Remove from fire  and let it cool.When cool ,grind to a smooth consistency and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Coriander Chutney

Ingredients:

Coriander – 100 gms

Tomato – 50 gms

Shallots – 50 gms

Green chillies – 2 nos

Grated coconut – about 2 tbspns

Tamarind – about the size of a pea

Channa and urad dal – about a tspn each

Salt to taste

 Oil for frying

Method:

To the hot oil add the dals and fry to a light golden,then add the diced shallots,split green chillies and sauté,to that add the diced tomatoes and fry well.Now add the chopped coriander,tamarind and the grated coconut to it.

Remove from fire and cool.grind it to a smooth paste and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Grinding of chutneys always takes me back in time to my grandma’s kitchen.I was around five or six years old and used to score with my grandma when compared to my cousins because I used to hand around her kitchen do all the odd chores for her.Well,to be frank I was sortof  an expert when it came to grinding chutneys…..never understood until many years later ….. I was told that I was the official chutney grinder of the family.Those days there were no mixies or wet grinders…..there were only those huge grinding stones.I used to have a small moda for myself to be seated when I was grinding.

Well…it so happened that all my cousins were upset with me and wanted to get back  due to the above reasons and the privileges that I had due to it.

One day an older cousin called me to grind the ‘chutney’ and since it was to be for a puja I was not supposed to taste it.Feeling very important I started to grind the stuff and was busy with it for almost three- quarters of an hour when the same cousin brought all the other cousins with her and to my horror and shock started appling the ‘chutney’ to their hair.

I let out such a shriek that it brought the entire family there and all I could say was – ‘chutney’.Everybody burst out laughing when they realized what had happened.But I was not amused.The so called ‘chutney ‘ that I was given to grind was nothing but a mixture of amla,reetha shikakai ans so on.....i was so furious that it was the last time i ground any chutneys for my grandma.

I do miss my grandma and above all I do really miss the stone grinder.

Idli

Ingredients :

Basic rice batter

Oil – about a tsp

Method:

Heat water in the idli cooker,in the mean time add just a few drops of oil or smear the oil with your fingers on to the idli mould.

Mix the batter well with the spoon or ladle and spoon out the batter onto the moulds.Once the water is boiling place the moulds in the cooker and let it steam for about five minutes.To check if the idlis are done you can either insert a skewer in it or use you finger tips dipped in water to touch the top of the idlis.If they are soft and bounce back and do not crackup the idlis are done.

Remove the moulds from the cooker and let it cool for awhile before you remove it from the moulds and serve them.

They can be served with sambhar,chutney or idli podi aka.gun powder with gingelly oil or ghee.

 Bon Appetit!

Sambhar

Sambhar as such can be prepared using a wide variety of vegetables such as carrots,potatoes, onions / shallots,French beans ,broad beans,brinjals ,drumsticks ,radishes,turnips,knolkhol,cabbage etc …the list goes on.

Ingredients:

Vegetable of your choice ,diced – a cup

Shallots,diced – about ten

Tomato ,diced – one

Coriander leaves  - a few sprigs for garnishing

Curry leaves – a few

Tamarind – about the size of a marble,wased and soaked in warm water

Chilli powder – a half tsp

Coriander powder – a quarter tsp

Sambhar powder – a heaped tsp

Asfotida – a quarter tsp

Turmeric powder – a half tsp

Salt to taste

Mustard seeds – a half tsp

Jeera /cumin seeds – a quarter tsp

Methi seeds – a pinch

Oil for seasoning

Cooked Tuvar dal

Method:

1.     To the heated kadai add a tsp of oil,and when its hot add the curry leaves and mustard seeds.Once the seeds starts to crackle add the jeera / cumin seeds and the methi seeds to it.* the methi seeds should not get burnt or black,if it does the sambhar would taste bitter. So please empty the seasoning and redo it again.*

2.   Once the seasoning is done add the shallots and sauté  till they tirn pink ,then add the tomatoes and fry them well.Now add the vegetable of your choice and all the powders to it and mix well.

3.   To this add the salt and a little water.Squeeze the tamarind that’s in the warm water to extract the juice and add this juice to the vegetables and let it simmer for awhile.

4.   Now add the dal to this vegetable mixture ,add a cup of water if required.Once the vegetables are tender remove from flame ,garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with a biiiiiig smile.

 

Sambhar is served with rice ,pongal,idlis,dosas….etc.

Bon Appetit!

Sambhar Dal

This dish is basically the same  in almost all types of sambhars ….the difference being the vegetables that are added in it.

Ingredients:

Tuvar dal – half a cup

Garlic – about two cloves

Curry leaves – a few

Shallots – two or three sliced

Tomato – a quarter, diced

Turmeric powder – half a tsp

Salt – half a tsp

 Oil – half a tsp.

Method:

Wash the dal well,a few times,add all the ingredients to it and pressure cook it for a few whistles.

Now the basic dal for sambhar is ready.

This dal is also consumed as such after seasoning it with cumin seeds ( jeera) and dry red chillies or chilli flakes along with steamed rice and ghee.

Bon Appetit!

Idli Podi   - aka – Gun powder

  This is not the exact way of doing it,but I prefer this method as I can add the ingredients I prefer .This recipe was given to me by my sister and she called it emergency podi. I use this all the time since I can make it in a matter of minutes and it is also a favourite for my family and friends.So here goes

Ingredients:

Sambhar powder – about three tbspns

Asfotida/hing  - about half a tsp

Raw rice – one tspn

Garlic – about three cloves,lightly crushed

Curry leaves – a few sprigs

Channa dal – about one tbspn

Urad dal – about one tbspn

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat a small kadai and when it is hot add a tsp of oil. Then add the curry leaves,garlics,channa and urad dals,raw rice and roast them until a light golden shade. Now add all the powders to it and mix well.Take it off the heat ,add salt and let it cool.

Once cool,dry grind it into a fine or coarse powder as you wish.

Bon Appetit!

Rice batter

 This basic batter  with a slight modification in ingredients is used for Idlis,Dosas,Paniyarams,Uthappams……

Ingredients:

Boiled rice – one cup

Urad dal – a quarter of a cup

Methi seeds – one heap tsp

Method:

Wash the rice well and soak it in water for about two hours.  Wash the urad dal along with the methi seeds and soak it it in water for about an hour.

Grind the urad dal with enough water until it almost doubles in quantity and is smooth.Grind the rice until it is slightly coarser (like that of fine sooji )than the urad dal batter.

Mix both,the rice batter aswell as the urad dal batter together with some salt.Leave it overnight and use it the next morning.

This batter is used to make the Idlis.

For the dosas, you have to add just a fistful of raw rice to the boiled rice when soaking it and the rice should be ground to a smooth consistency.

For Paniyarams , you add a tbspn of chutney dal powder (pottu cudalai) with a tsp of sugar to the basic idli batter.

Butter chicken masala

Ingredients:

Boneless breast of chicken ,diced – 250 gms

Curd – 2 tbspns

Tomatoes  blanched and chopped – 3 nos

Onions , minced – 2 nos

Garam masala  - 1 – 2 tspns

Chilli powder – 1- 2 tspns

 Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Cream – 100gms

Butter – 1- 2 tspns

 Ghee – 1-2 tspns [ use all oils and fats judiciously please]

Fresh coriander chopped – 2 tbspns

Salt to taste

Basic gravy

Method :

1.Marinate chicken in curd with salt ,chilli powder and a little garam masala for about half an hour.

2.Heat oil and fats in a kadai and lightly fry the chicken ,when done remove from kadai and keep aside.

3.Fry the onions till it turns pink then add all the remaining masala powders , salt and mix well.

4.Add the blanched and chopped tomatoes and fry till the oil seperates.Now add the fried chicken toit and mix well.

5.Add the required quantity of the basic gravy,add a little water and then the cream .

6.leave it to simmer for a few minutes,garnish with fresh,chopped coriander and serve warm with steaming naans / rotis.

Bon Apetit!

Basic Gravy

This gravy can be prepared in a large quantity and can be stored in the fridge for a week at  the most. This can be used as the basic for most north indian gravies like chicken tikka masala,butter chicken masala,aloo matar masala…..etc…..

 Ingredients :

Large onions  - 500 gms,pureed in the mixer

Tomatoes  -  250 gms , pureed

Ginger and garlic paste – 50 gms

Cashew  - 2 tbspns

Poppy seeds – 2 tspns

Cucumber seeds – 1 tbspn

Dalda / ghee – 2 tbspns [ used judiciously would be a wiser option]

Oil – 100 ml

Methi leaves – half a tbspn

Chilli powder – 1 tbspn

Coriander powder – three- fourths of a tbspn

Turmeric – 1 tspn

Bay leaves – around 3 nos

Garam masala – 1 tbspn

Salt to taste

Method :

1. Soak cashew,poppy seeds and cucumber seeds in a little water and grind to a fine paste.

2.Heat  oil and dalda / ghee in the kadai ,add the methi and bay leaves,and then the ginger – garlic paste and fry till a light golden .

3. Add the onion puree and fry well, then add the tomato puree and fry till the oil comes above .

4. Add the masala powders and mix well.Now add the ground cashew paste to it,then add the salt .

5.  Let  it simmer for a while until the desired consistency ,then add the remaining methi leaves to it and set aside.

Now your basic gravy is ready and you can prepare any dish you choose in just a few minutes.

·       I add a few tspns of vinegar when I grind the ginger and garlic paste ,it is not a must but optional.

·       Almonds can also be added to the white paste that is to be ground.

Bon Apetit !

Koftas

 These cabbage koftas are super easy to make and tasty too that even the children who are really choosy about cabbage like these.

Ingredients:
  cabbage grated/minced - one cup
  onions minced -one large
  egg - one
  chillies are optional
  cornflour - one 
                                               salt,pepper powder ,oil for frying
 
Method:
1). Add all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Form small balls and fry when the oil is hot.
 *Can be served hot or cold.Cheese can be added if required in the dough before forming the balls.
*For those who do'nt add egg,maida can be added with just a sprinkle of water to form the dough.

Bon Apetit!