Eggplant Masala Curry

This curry is made from the big brinjal, eggplant. This dish is ery easy to make and good to relish with roti or pulav.

Ingridients:-
1 egg plant
1 large potato
2 large tomatoes
1 Bell pepper green
2 large Onions
Dhani powder
Chillie powder

1. Cut egg plant,potatoes, peppers into med size peices and set aside. Microwave potatoes for 5 mins. Cut one Tomato lengthe wise and the other into smaller peices.
2. Take oil in a pan, once hot add garlic. Then add chopped onion. Fry for a min.
3. Add small tomato peices. and fry for another min. Add some dhania powder. Let it cool and then grind to a smooth paste.
4. Take oil in a pan and add eggplant and peppers. Let them fry and cook on low flame for 10 mins. Later add potatoes. Once all the veggies are cooked, add the gravy paste.
5. Add salt and let the veggies cook for 2 mins in the gravy, add some water it required.
6. Remove from heat, serve hot with jeera rice, pulav or roti.

Idli Vada Combo

This is a unique Idli Vada combo breakfast recipe. I saw this preperation in my mother in law's house. This is made out of Idli batter only and cooked slowly in a round kadai or 'Ginni'. So this is called 'Ginni Rotti'. This has a beautiful golden outer cover like a Vada and it is crispy and inside is like Idli. So if you have ever wanted to eat Idli and Vada combination this is one preperation to try. And guess what you have have both idli (with no idli cooker or stand) and Vada (with not much oil) . hope you enjoy the recipe!

Ingridients:-

Idli Batter (Should be of thick consistency)

Oil - 2 tbspn for each rotti

Round Kadai

1. Take a round Kadai and add 1-2 tbspn oil in it. Allow to become hot for 2 mins

2. Take 3 Spatula's of Idli batter and put in the kadai. As you put you should hear the sound of oil trying to fry the batter. This means the oil is hot, this way you will get a good golden color.

3. Once the batter is added, turn the heat to low. Place a lid on the kadai and let the rotti cook slowly.
4. Leave the kadai to cook on slow flame for around 8-10 mins.
Check it once after 5 mins to see that its doing good.

5. After 10 mins turn the rotti to the other side.
6. Leave it for another 5 mins and take off from heat.

Serve the Idli-Vada combo with Peanut chutney or tomato pickle as you like it.

Ragda Pattis

I love chaat items and particularly liked this one when I ate this at my friend Sunanda's place. The ragda recipe is with green dry chana.. Try it and hope you enjoy!

Ingridients:-

Dry green chana - 2 cups

Potatoes - 2 big

Onion - 1 big chopped

Tomato - optional

Green chillies, Ginger

Lemon juice

Chaat Masala

Butter and Oil

For Ragda:-

1. Soak the green chana over night and pressure cook them for 3 whistles.

2. Take butter in a pan and add chopped onions, green chilli and ginger paste, and fry for a min. Then add tomato and fry for another min, then add the cooked green chana.

3. Add chaat masala, salt.

The key is to fry the chaat in hot pan, so that you get the good flavour

For Pattis:-

1. Pressure cook potatoes and mash them well. Add salt, chillie powder, peas(if you like)

2. Add little garam masala if you like it spicy (I do not add though)

3. Add little amchur powder if you like it little sour.

4. Now to hold the patti together you can add bread crumbs or very litle maida as you like. But if you potatoes are starchy enough you dont need to add anything. I generally add only potatoes.

5. So make round balls and flatten them to the shape you desire, Round, Oval or even heart shaped if you have called friends home to make it fancy:-)!

6. Deep fry in oil on med flame till they are golden brown.

Ragda Pattis:-

Take 2 patties and pour some ragda on it. Add more onion if you like, top it with fresh coriander and enjoy with your friends and family.

Dahi Vada

This recipe is made same as regular vada and we soak the vada in water for some time and then masala dahi so that it sinks in well into it. Then garnish it with you favourite chutney / boondi to relish.

Ingridients:-
Urad Daal
Curd
Green chillies
Ginger
Jeera powder
Coriander

1. Soak Urad daal for 3-4 hours, take off water and grind to a smooth thick paste
2. Make Vadas with a hole in between. Take a lump of the batter and place it on the left hand which is wetted with water. Make a hole with your right finger. Take the vada back in your right hand and drop it into the hot oil.
3. Once the vada is ready and a little cool, drop it into a bowl of water. peirce with a tooth pick to make sure that the vada is ready to soak.
4. After 10 mins or so, transfer the vadas to soak in butter milk.
5. Take ginger, green chillies, jeera and blend them well. Add salt to it. Do not make this too spciy, else you cannot enjoy the dish.
6. Once you masala curd is ready and you are ready to serve the dahi vadas, take off the vadas which are soaking in buter milk, add the curd at the top, add corinader at the top. Chillie powder if you like (if you have not added green chillies earlier).

Add Tamarind chutney over this if you like or Boondi and enjoy the dish.

Uthappam

The uthappam is made from the Idli batter itself. It is best to use 1-2 days old idli batter, so that it might have become a little sour and it will give a good sour taste to all the spices we will add to it.

I particularly like uthappam's because when you call your friends home ..like more than 10 people this is the most easiest and quick appetizer you can make and enjoy with your friends. You can make them in all FUN shapes and add all your favourite veggies on top of it.

Ingridients:-

Idli Batter (Please refer to my Idli recipe for the same)

Onion - finely chopped

Greeen chillies
Ginger - very finely chopped

Fresh Coriander

Your favo veggies (Optional) - capcicum, carrot, olives

1. Add little jeera to the idli batter. The batter should be thick only so that you can shape it easily.

2. Mix chopped, onions, gren chillies, ginger, coriander and all your veggies.

3. Take one spatula of the idli batter and spread it in the desired shape on the heated pan.

4. Add all veggie mix on the top soon after that, so that they sink in easily.

5. Turn over and fry for some time.

Take off heat and decorate well. Enjoy with Sause or Coconut chutney/

Pullattu - Instant Dosa

This is a instant dosa recipe. It is called 'Pullattu'. At home we call it 'kalipina dosa'.. instant dosa. It is made out of basic stuff which is available at home and does not need any preparation as in regular dosa. It is sour and spicy. Hope you enjoy it!


Ingridients:-

Rice Flour - 1 cup
Sooji - 1/2 cup
Maida - 1 cup
Sour curd - 1 cup
Green chillies- 2 finely chopped
Jeera - 1 tspn (optional)

1. Mix the ingridients to a dosa consistency. Add Salt

2. Take one spatula of batter and spread it in a round shape on a hot pan. Put some oil on the sides.

3. This dosa takes a little longer than other to fry. This is a little thicker than other regular dosas.

4. After 2 mins reverse to the other sideand fry for another min.
Ensure that the heat is on Med flame for these dosas.



Serve hot with Ginger / Tomato / Lime pickle. Enjoy!

Mashed Eggplant curry - Vankai Pachadi

This dish is made out of the big round purple eggplant. There are 2 version you can make

One south indian with green chillies, curry leaves and no garam masala. This we call it as 'Vankai Pachadi'. The other north indian version baingan bhartha with garam masala and dry chillie powder and no curry leaves.

Here is the recipe for vankai pachadi..

Ingridients:-

One big Eggplant

One big onion - chopped

2 tomatoes - optional / one lemon

Peas - 1 cup - optional

Fresh Coriander - optional

1. Wash and clean the eggplant and wipe it dry. Apply oil on its skin. Place it in a microwavable plate and microwave it for 6-8 mins.

2. Let it cool completely. Once cooled, you can take off the skin with hand. Peel off if required.

3. Now take some oil in a pan. Season with mustard seeds urad daal, chana daal, turmeric and hing. Once they sputter add add curry leaves and green chillies

4. Add onions now and fry till golden brown. (you can add ginger garlic at this point, but optional)

5. Add tomatoes chopped now. Let it cook for 5 mins. This step is optional. If you do not add tomatoes then you can squeeze a lemon after step 6.

6. Add the mashed eggplant.

7. Mix well and top it with peas if you like. You can add fresh coriander also if you like.

As said the baingan bhartha version, season with turmeric, jeera and dry red chillies in step 3. Add tomato puree and add peas. Add garam masala and chillie powder if required.

Upma

This is a very simple recipe, a quick tiffin/ breakfast to make if you have no time in the morning. Preperation time is jsut 10 mins:-).

Ingridients:-
Sooji / Bombai Rava - 1 cup
Ginger - small peice finely chopped
Jeera - 1 tspn
Carrrot - finely chopped
Peas
Curry leaves
Green Chillies
Lime

1. Fry rava in a pan for 2 mins and set aside
2. Take a pan and add 2 tspn oil. Season with mustard seeds, jeera and hing. Once they sputter add ginger and green chillies. After 30 sec, add curry leaves.
3. Add all your favo veggies at this point. I usually add carrots and peas.
4. Now add 2 cups water and bring it to boil.
5. Add salt at this point
6. Now add the rava with constant stirring to ensure no lumps are present.
7. Reduce the flame to low now and close the lid and let the upma cook for 2 mins.
8. Take off from heat. Mix well. Leave it for 2 mins and then squeeze a lime into it and mix well. This will give a good punch to ginger and chilli flavour. You upma is ready to eat now!

Upma is a great dish for tiffins. Try it with coconut chutney or lime pickle.

Capsicum masala

This is one of my favo recipes and the recipe I am proud of!! I tasted this in a restaurant and was so excited with this, came home and tried it the very next day!!

Ingridients:-

1. Capcicum - 2 big ones. cut them in long thin slices
2. Once big Onion - chopped
3. Fresh tomatoes - 3 chopped
4. Dhaniya - 1 tbspn
5. Fresh Coconut - optional
6. Tej patta, small peice dal chini

1. Cut capcicum in thin long slices and microwave for 2 mins. Take oil in a pan and add the capcicum peices. Fry for 2 mins and keep aside.

2. Fry dhania and grind to a fine powder.

3. Take oil in a pan and add jeera, turmeric powder and add onion. 4. After frying for a minute, add tomatoes and fry for another minute.

5. Now add dhaniya powder, chillie powder and fresh coconut (optional).

6. Now allow to cool and grind this mixture in a fine paste. you should get a bright orange color. If not then it means you have not added enough tomato. Chop and add one more to the paste and grind.

7. Now take oil and add tej patta and dal chini in it. Once it leaves the spices (after a min) add the orange mixture and fry the mixture for a min.

8. Now add the capsicum peices and add little water and cook for 2 mins

9. Remove from heat and serve with chapati or naan.

Garden Veggie Omlette

I used to order the garden veggie omlett everytime I used to go to IHOP or Denny's and my husband loves it. I recently say it while a chef was making it and realized it is very easy and tried it at home. Basically you will need a small edged good pan to easily be able to make this. You can use all your favourite veggies in it and here is the recipe for it.

Ingridients:-
2 eggs beaten
Veggies finely cut - onion, bellpeppers, musrooms, olives, broccoli, jalepenos etc
Your favourite cheese - I used cheddar cheese.
Salt to taste

1. Take some oil in a small edged pan. Add all your veggies and fry them for a min. Add little salt.
2. Beat the eggs and add salt to it as well.
3. Once the veggies fry add the egg beat to it. You will see that the egg beat goes down the veggies and sits at the bottom
4. Give a min for the egg to cook. After a min turn it around slowly and turn it back in 30 sec
5. Now add cheese it in and fold the omlett. Now all the veggies and the cheese is inside you omlett. Serve hot and enjoy your breakfast!

Majjiga Pulusu

This is another quick dish, typical south indian. I prepare this dish when I do not have time to pressure cook toor daal to make sambar:-). This dish is also comparable to kadi which is made in north india.
Majjiga - butter milk Pulusu - sour sambar.
I like this majiga pulusu if the curd is a little sour and esp 2-3 days old. This along with ginger and green chillies gives a great flavour and good for digestion also.

Ingridients:-
Sour curd - 2 cups
Besan - 2 tb spn

Green chillies - 5 pcs

Fresh coconut - few peices

Bottlegourd - big peices

Dhania - fry 2 tbspn

Mustard seeds - 2 tspn

For masala paste:-

Grind mustard seeds, dhania, green chillies, ginger and coconut and keep aside

1. Take oil in a pan and season with mustard seeds, hing and turmeric powder.

2. Add bottle gourd peices and add some water to cook

3. Take besan and add some water in another vessel. Make sure no lumps are there

4. Once the veggies cook, add the masala paste made.

5. Add the besan now. You will see that as soon as you add besan the pulus becomes thick. Add some water to dilute.

6. Finally when the veggies are cooked and the masal is also mixed well, add curd and mix well.

7. Take off heat in 2 mins.

Serve with hot rice and papad.

Mirchi Bajji

This is a easy to prepare snack which is spicy and i just love them!!! This snack is made out of indian peppers and chicpea flour.

The key to this recipe is the filling inside the mirchis. There are many kinds of fillings you can do and some of the below are my favos.

Filling 1:-
This is the most traditional the way we make at home
Grind the below:-
Soaked tamarind
Jeera
Fried dhania
Salt

Filling 2:-
Mash boiled popatoes
Jeera powder
chopped noins
Salt

Filling 3:-
Grind all the below:-
Coconut
Putnaala Pappu (Dalia)
Garlic

For Batter:-
1. Take 1 cup besan and add water to make it to tick sambaar consistency.
2. Add salt
3. Add ajwain (if making for filling 1). for other kinds of killing it will not jell well.

Preperation:-
1. Choose Big chillies and cut open only one side of the chillie and ensure all the white seeds are taken out.
2. Fill the filling and seal it properly. If using filling one, ensure that you apply little only as it is strong enough
3. Take oil in a thick bottom deep pan. Heat oil till it hot. Switch to med flame now.
4. Now dip the chillies in batter and drop them in hot oil.
5. Fry them nicely for 2 mins. till golden brown
6. Take them off heat and drop them in a vessel with tissue paper for it to absorb all the extra oil.

Enjoy it hot!!

If used filling 3 add onion on the top and sqeeze lemon also before eating

Curry Puffs

This is a very simple dish to make especially in USA because you have the pufff sheets readily avaiable. I learnt to make curry puffs from my husband when we first met:-)....
The key to make good curry puffs is the filling inside. I like to keep it simple and yet tasty.

Filling:-
Potatoes - 2 big ones
Onions - chopped
Capcisum (optional)
Beans (optional)

1. Cut potatoes into small peices. Cut onions as usual into small peices. If using capcisum cut them also into very small peices. same with beans
2. Microwave your veggies (except onions) for 4 mins
3. Fry onions in oil till golden brown
4. Add cooked veggies and fry for a min
5. Add Salt and chilie powder

Puffs:-
1. Take the puff sheets and get it to room temperature
2. cut into 4X2 peices.
3. Place the filling
4. fold and seal

Microwave as per instructions on the puff sheets.

Aloo Paratha

I just looovveee aloo parathas... add ghee generously over it eat it with pickle / curd and the feeling takes me to an whole different world!! This is a very simple dish to make and its very quick to make...

Ingridients:-

All purpose flour - 2 cups

Popatoes - 1 big potato

1. Boil popatoes and mash them.

2. Add the boiled popatoes to all purpose flour directly. Add salt, little turmeric powder. Add little chillie powder also. You can add little jeera also if you like. (i do not add jeera)

3. Mix well and make the chapati roll.

4. Take a small ball. Roll over to a circular shape

5. Place the circular paratha on the hot pan. change the flame to med now.

6. fry both sides. Add lil oil while frying

Take off the parathas as you make them and serve them hot with ghee / butter, curd and your favo pickle.

Pesarattu

This is the most traditional south indian break fast recipe. This is made out of green moong daal.

The key to this recipe is to make it crisp and nice add a little rice also when you make the batter. You can make the pesarattu thin and crisp then!!

Ingridients:-

1. Moong daal - green - pesalu - 2 cups (soak them over night to get sprouts)

2. Rice - 1/2 cup soak over night

3. Green chillies

1. Grind all the three above to a fine paste and thick consistency.

2. Cut ginger, coriander and onion and mix them and keep ready.

3. Heat the pan and when hot reduce to med flame

4. Now take one spatula of the batter and spread it quickly over the pan into a circular shape

5. add little oil. you can use ghee also for frying. I use ghee so that the dish gets special flavour (like for festivals esp)

6. Turn over after a min and turn back. Add the onion mix, roll it over and take off heat

7. Serve with Coconut chutney and ginger pickle also (if you like)

Gobi Manchurian

This is a very simple and quick snack to make when you are expecting friends home and i am sure they will looovee it!!!
Ingridients:-
Gobi
Chikpea flour, Corn Flour
Tomato Sause

Garlic, Ginger
Capcisum
Onion

Gobi florets preperation:-
1. Cut Gobi into big florets
2. Micro wave them for 4 mins so that they are almost cooked. (but not cooked fully). This is key step, so that your gobi is cooked and tastes good.
3. Prepare the batter now:-
Take 3 portions of corn flour and one portion of besan. If you do not have corn flour redaily availabe, i add rice flour 1 portion and 1 portion besan.
Add water to make sambar consistency paste
Add chillie powder, garam masala (little - optional).
Add freshly grounded ginger garlic paste
4. Now dip the gobi cooked florets in this batter and deep fry in oil.
Gobi manchuri:-
5. Cup capcusim and onion into 1 inch long thin peices.
6. Take oil in pan. Add garlic, Capsicum and onion and tomato sause when hot. fry on high flame.
7. Add the gobis. Add lil salt again, add chillie powder if you like it spicy.
Take off heat and enjoy the dish hot with fried rice and coke:-)

Chinese Fried Rice

I tried to understand the difference between all these different kinds of fried rices i have been reating around now a days. I seemed to have cracked the chinese fried rice recipe... so here is it

Ingridients:-

1. Soya sause

2. Rice - cooked and dry already

3. Egg

4. Your favo veggies - must haves are peepods, carrot and peas. I add baby corn and musrooms as well.

1. Take a Wok and add some oil.

2. On high flame add egg and fry it and keep it to the side of the wok.

3. Add your veggies nowand fry them to the other side

4. Add rice nowin the middle and add lots of soya sause

5. mix all the things in your Wok now. Add more soya sause to get the good brown color you want.

6. If you want your fried rice spicy, then chillie flakes as you are mixing all things in your Wok.

Thats all you need to do, if you have rice ready, making fried rice is a matter for just 5 mins and enjoy the grest dish with your favo veggies and i love to have coke on my dinner table:-)!

Vada - regular

This a very simple quick item you can make for festivals.

Ingridients:
Urad Daal - 1 cup
Onion - 1 chopped (Optional)
Green Chillies - few chopped fine

Soak the Urad Daal for 4 hrs. Grind to a fine paste Do not add water much. The batter should be thick

In the urad paste add finely chopped green chillies and onion and salt.

Heat oil in a pan

Take water in a small bowl. Wet your left palm and take a lump of the urad paste and put in on te left palm, make a hole in the small ball and take it in the right hand and put it in oil.

Fry in oil in medium heat till the vadas are golden brown

Saggubiyyam semiya paayasam

This is the most typcal dish in andhra for any special occasion. Any festival, guests at home, birthday or even exam result:-)

Ingridients:-

Semiya - 1 cup

Sabudaana - 1/2 cup

Milk - 3 cups

Sugar - 1.5 cups

Kaju and Kissmiss

1. Soak Sabudaana for half and hour and wash and keep aside.

2. Take 2 cups water in a kettle and cokk sabudaana.

3. Fry Semiya in ghee till nice smell comes.

4. Add to boiling Sabudaana.

5. Once the Semiya and sabudaana is cooked take off from heat

6 Heat Milk and add sugar to it. Once mil boils add the cooked semiya and sabudaana

7. Fry Kaju and kismiss in ghee and add to the the milk

Serve hot or cold.

Chekkara Pongali (Sweet Pongal)

This is a sweet dish usually done in every house on Sankrathi.

Ingridients:-
Moong Daal - 1 cup
Rice - 1 cup
Jaggerry - 1 cup
Ghee - 0.5 cup
Kaju and Kishmiss
Elaichi - few

1. Mix rice and moong daal and pressure cook them
2. Finely grate Jaggery. Finely grind elaichi
3. Heat ghee in a pan and add cooked rice and daal
4. Add jaggery and elaichi powder
5. Fry kaju and kissmiss in ghee and add them to the pongal

Serve hot.

Zuchinni Masala

I recently tried this recipe. Actually here in bentonville its hard to

find all indian vegetables. So make a dish from whatever you get:-) and to my surprise zuchinni seems to be good vegetable I could use to regular subzi. here is a very simple recipe to a great spicy dish!!

Ingridients:-

Zuchinni - 3

Potatoes - 2 big ones

Tomatoes - 2 finely chopped

Onion - 1 big one finely chopped

1. Cut zuchinni into half circles. Cut potatoes into meduim peices

2. Take oil in a pan and add ginger and garlic (freshly chopped). Add turmeric, zeera and onion.

3. Once onions are golden brown add zuchinni and potatoes. After fring for 2 mins add tomatoes and some water Let the vegetables cook

4. Add little garam masala, salt and once cooked, serve hot with rice.