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.