Dal Makhani

Dal Makhni is a punjabi dish which is nutritious and high in protein.This rich creamy textured dal is slow cooked for hours on charcoal or tandoor.Here is my version of this wonderful dish,is one of the favourite of my family...so enjoy.

Ingredients:
Whole Urad dal-1cup
Rajma/red kidney beans-1/4cup
Ginger garlic paste-2tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
Bayleaf-1
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Cumin powder-1/2tsp
Chillipowder-1tsp
Dhaniyapowder-2tsp
Garammasala-1/2tsp
Salt to taste
Kasoori methi powder-1tsp
Onion-1,finely chopped
Tomatoes-3,finely chopped or grinded
(or you can use ready tomato puree-1/2cup)
Butter-1tbsp
Oil-1tbsp
Fresh cream-4tbsp or to taste
Fresh coriander for garnishing

Method:
1.Wash and soak dals in clean water for 5-6hrs.
2.Cook the dals in pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.
3.Heat a oil in a pan,add cumin and bay leaf,when they begi to splutter
add onions and cook until golden brown,now add gingergarlic paste cook for
2-3 minutes,then add chopped tomatoes or tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4.Add all powders,butter,salt and cooked dals and cook on a medium low flame for
20-30minutes.
5.Now add cream cook for 2 minutes and garnish with fresh coriander.
6.Serve hot with chappati,naan or rice.

Coconut Chutney

As many of you may agree with me you can't beat thick,spicy fresh coconut chutney when it comes to chutneys,each household have their own version,some like to add lemon juice or curds for sourness,few people like only ginger and chillies in  their chutney.As a kid I grown up eating this chutney which my grand mother and my mother used to grind this chutney with  their hands in traditional stone grinder(rubbuva gundu or gundukallu).For this chutney my mother always gets compliments whenever she prepares it,I prefer chutney over Sambhar with dosa or idli so this is my family version of coconut chutney,hope you like it.

Ingredients:
Freshly grated coconut-1 cup
Green chillies-2-3
Ginger-1" piece,crushed
Garlic-2 small cloves
Tamarind pulp-2tsp
Coriander-2tbsp
Curryleaves-2-3leaves
Puffed channa-1tbsp
Salt to taste


For Tadka:
Oil-2tsp
Mustard-1tsp
Urad dal-1tsp
Dry chillies-2-3
Hing-pinch


Method:
Grind all the above ingredients into fine paste adding little water.
Heat oil add mustard when they begin to splutter add urad dal,.hing and chillies fry until golden brown and add to the above chutney.
This tasty delicious chutney goes with dosa,idli and with many more dishes...enjoy

Chinese Fried Noodles

Ingredients:
Oil-2tbsp
Garlic,finely chopped-2 large cloves
Ginger-1"piece,finely chopped
Onion-1 medium,finely chopped
Mixed veggies-1cup or more
(Carrot,beans,cabbage,capsicum and babycorn)
Black pepper-1tsp or to taste
Vinegar-1tsp
Soy sauce-2-3 tsp
Boiled noodles-2cups(I have used 2 packets of maggie,
you can use any noodles of your choice)
Spring onions-1 stalk,finely chopped for garnishing

Method:
1.Heat oil in a wok,add ginger,garlic and onion fry until onions become transparent.
2.Add veggies and fry on a medium high flame,add salt ,pepper,vinegar and soy sauce and fry until veggies become little crunchy.
3.Add boiled noodles and mix on a high flame thoroughly,serve hot..

Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients:
Gobi/Huvukosu/Cauliflower-1 small
Maida/all purpose flour-1/2cup
Cornstarch-3tbsp
Salt-1/4tsp
Pepper powder-1/2tsp
Oil for deep frying
Water to make batter


For sauce
Oil-1tbsp
Onion-1medium,finely chopped
Garlic-3large cloves,finely chopped
Green chillies-1,finely chopped
Tomato ketchup-2tbsp
Red chilli sauce to taste
Vinegar-1tsp
Soy sauce-2tsp
Water-4tbsp
Cornstarch-2tsp
Salt to taste
Spring onions-1 stalks,finely chopped for garnishing


Method:
1.Wash and cut gobi into bite size florets,pat the florets dry with paper towel.
2.In a bowl mix flour,cornstarch,salt and pepper with water into not so thick
or not so thin batter(it should be like dosa batter)
3.Heat oil in a kadai,dip the florets in the batter and deep fry them until golden
brown and crisp and keep it aside.

For sauce
1.Heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and onion and fry until they become translucent.
2.Add green chillies and fry,now add tomato ketchup,chilli sauce,vinegar and soy sauce
add cornstarch mixture(mix corntarch with cold water) and salt to taste.
3. Allow the sauce to become little thick,now add fried gobi florets and mix until all the florets are coated nicely with the sauce on high flame for 2minutes.
4.Take out of the flame and garnish with chopped spring onions,serve hot with any chinese
preparation or simply with fried noodles..enjoy

Molake Hurulikaalina Saaru/Sprouted Horsegram Sambhar

Hi friends after a long break I am back with more delicious recipes,hope you enjoy...
This rustic saaru is a very healthy and full of flavours.In olden days horse gram is used to feed cattle's and horses,It is always considered as a poor men food.The horse gram is boiled in larger quantities overnight and they used to strain the liquid and separate the horse gram and given as feed for animals and the stock is used prepare nice saaru,eaten along with ragimudde and rice..
 
Ingredients:

Sprouts of horse gram-2cups
Onion-1big
Ginger-2"piece
Garlic-4-5cloves
Coconut-1cup
Cinnamon-1"stick
Cloves-4
Hulisarina pudi/ Sambhar powder-3tsp
Tomatoes-3 medium


For tempering:
Butter/ghee/oil-1tbsp
Mustard-1/2tsp
Onion-1small,roughly chopped


Method:
1.Grind all the ingredients except sprouts adding little water into fine paste.
2.Heat Butter in a pressure cooker,add mustard when they begin to splutter,add onions and fry until they are blackish brown.
3.Now add sprouts and fry for 1minute and add grinded paste along with 2-3 cup of water and salt to taste,pressure cook until 3-4 whistles.
4.When it is completely cooled,open the lid and strain the stock out of sprouts with colander.

5.Serve separately with steaming rice and ghee..yummyyyyyyyyyy
It also goes excellently with ragi mudde(ragi ball)

Easy Sambhar

Sambhar as you all know is a typical South Indian dish and is a everyday staple food in every household in South India.Sambhar is mixture of lentils and vegetables cooked with spices and tamarind.Each state in the South prepares it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and environment.There are so many variations and methods to prepare sambhar,but I find this method very easy ,quick and tasty...You can use any veggies of your choice or you can prepare only any one or two vegetables together like doodhi,ridgegourd,drumstick,Snakegourd,potatoes with onions to name a few. You can use as much as veggies you like.


Ingredients:
Toor Dal/Tuvar/Togari bele-1cup
Turmeric-1/4 tsp
Green Chilles-2,slited
Sambhar powder-1 1/2tsp( any brand, I use Mtr sambhar powder)
Tamarind-small lemon sized
Tomato-1 big
Onion-1,sliced
Few Curry Leaves
Salt to taste
Fresh or desicated coconut-1tbsp
Jaggery-1tsp(optional)
Oil-1tsp
Drumstick-1,peeled and chopped into 3inch pieces
Carrot-1,cut into roundels
Indian Brinjal-2,cut into lenthwise pieces
Okra-2(optional)
Potato-1medium sized
Beans-5-6,cot into 2halves
For tempering:
Oil/Ghee-2tsp
Dry red chillies-2
Hing-1/4tsp
Methi seeds-4-5 seeds
Mustard-1/2tsp
Curry leaves-few

Method:
1.Chop all the vegetables into chunky size pieces.Wash and rinse tamarind in warm water for 15minutes,squeeze the juice from pulp and keep it aside.Wash toordal and rinse for 15-20minutes in water.
2.Boil 2/1/2cup -3cups of water in a pressure cooker pan,when it begin to boil add rinsed toordal,turmeric and all the above ingredients including vegetables,tamarind juice and sambhar powder,close the lid and whistle,pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.Wait for pressure to release.Open the lid and add jaggery and boil for
few minutes.
3.Heat oil or ghee in a small tadka pan,add mustard,wait until it splutters then add methi,hing,dry chillies and curry leaves fry for second and add this to sambhar.
This sambhar goes well with steaming rice,dosa,idli or vada.