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:-)!