THE CHEF and HER KITCHEN

Mysore Masala Dosa comes in my top 5 breakfast varieties on any given day. It is a must for me to have Masala Dosa for breakfast in my favorite joints during my trips to Bangalore. The crisp crust with a soft interior is the key for a good Masala dosa and it is served in that way in Bangalore and if you have ever tasted Masala dosa in Bangalore it is not easy for you to like the masala dosa in any other place and it's the same case with me.I do not like thin masala dosa unless it is a paper masala dosa. Even in Mumbai most of the udupi joints prepare the masala dosa very thin which I am not really fond of,I give them a miss and prepare Masala Dosa at home. But Mumbai street food takes the humble South Indian Masala Dosa to a different level with the addition of various masalas and vegetables and the way they play with the ingredients by mashing them on the dosa and the way it is served really impressed me - it is really fun to watch the way they use the masher to mix the ingredients.

Now let me explain what the key difference between a regular Mysore Masala Dosa and the Mumbai style Masala Dosa. In Mysore Masala Dosa, a spicy garlic chutney is smeared on dosa and is stuffed with potato curry where as in Mumbai style Mysore Masala Dosa - an extra component of additional vegetables with spices like Pav bhaji masala or garam masala gives a new dimension to it. Also the dosa is prepared thin compared to the regular masala dosa.

I thoroughly enjoy this Mumbai style Mysore Masala Dosa and I recommend you all to try this at least once and I am sure you would thank me for introducing you to this delicious Mumbai street style dosa.

Check out other Dosa varieties from the streets of Mumbai:

Schezwan Dosa
Spring Dosa
Pav Bhaji Dosa
Masala Uthappam | Uthappam topped with spicy alu masala
Mumbai style Mysore Masala Dosa.

If you are interested in other dosa recipes,check out more varieties here.

Mumbai Mysore Masala Dosa Recipe:

Yields 6-8 dosas

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine: South Indian Fusion | Category: Breakfast/Snacks

Ingredients:

2-3 cups Dosa batter
1/4 cup chopped Coriander leaves

Butter and Oil, to roast

for Potato Stuffing:
2 medium Potatoes,boiled and mashed
1 small Onion,finely chopped
2 Green chillies, chopped
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
a sprig of Curry leaves,chopped
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
a pinch of Asafoetida(Hing)
Salt to taste
2 tsp Oil

for Vegetable filling:

3/4 cup of mixed finely chopped vegetables(tomato,onion,capsicum,cabbage)

1/4 cup of grated vegetables(carrot and beetroot)

1/4 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Pav Bhaji masala
1/4 tsp Red chili powder

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

for Red Garlic Chutney:
3-4 Byadige Red chillies
7-8 Garlic Pods
Salt to taste

Method:

to prepare Potato filling:

Heat oil in a kadai/pan and crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds and then add asafoetida.

Add finely chopped green chillies and curry leaves and fry until they wilt.
Now add chopped onions and fry well until they turn translucent.

Add turmeric powder to it and mix.Add nicely mashed potatoes and salt to it and mix it properly. Keep it ready.

to prepare Red Garlic chutney:

Soak red chillies in hot water for 10-15 mins.Drain them and grind with garlic pods and salt to a fine paste.Add water if needed while grinding.

to prepare Veg filling:

Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add finely chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent.
Add grated carrots and beetroots and finely chopped capsicum and fry on high heat for 1-2 mins.
Now add chopped cabbage and quickly fry for another minute.The crunchiness of vegetables is to be maintained and hence do not over cook the vegetables.
Add red chili powder, garam masala, pav bhaji masala and salt to it and mix well and switch it off and keep the mixture ready.

to make Dosa:

Keep the masalas- potato masala and mixed vegetable mixture ready. Make the tawa ready for preparing dosa,keep the stove on medium flame and pour a ladle full of batter in the middle of the pan and spread in a circular motion to form a 7-8 " THIN dosa and pour some oil (1 tbsp roughly) all over the edges and in the center cover it with a lid.
Add 1 tsp butter, 1 tsp red garlic chutney, 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and 2-3 tbsp prepared potato filling and 2-3 tbsp prepared vegetable stuffing mixture.
Mix and spread them using a spoon or spatula or the masher according to your convenience. Level the mixed stuffing using the spatula. Keep the flame on HIGH and let it roast for another minute until it turns golden brown and crispy. Do not over roast it as it will be difficult to fold it as shown.

Roll the dosa carefully to form a roll.
Remove it from the tawa and cut it into 3-4 pieces using a pizza cutter or sharp edge of spatula or knife.You can even cut it diagonally.

Serve it with Coconut chutney and Sambar. Check out other side dishes for Idli/dosa here.

Notes:

You can basically use any dosa batter recipe to prepare this dosa but make sure you spread the dosa very thin.

Do not miss any component in the recipe to enjoy the taste of this fusion dosa.

Also do not skip Pav bhaji masala in the recipe which lends a nice taste to the dosa.

I did not have beetroot on that day and hence I did not add it.

Usually all the vegetables and spices are added directly on the dosa along with potato mixture,garlic chutney,butter and is mashed directly on the tawa. The tawa and the heat plays a major role when comes to home made dosas and hence we cannot do it easily as the street hawkers do, I suggest you to lightly saute the vegetables ahead which not only makes it cook faster but also makes the job easier. If you want to have fun you can still try that method.

Technorati Tags: mumbai style mysore masala dosa recipe, dosa varieties in mumbai, mumbai street style dosa recipes, dosa recipes, fusion dosa recipes, fusion recipes, breakfast recipes, mysore masala dosa in mumbi style

I use various varieties of greens- green/red amaranth, methi, palak and dill leaves regularly in my cooking and I make it a point to use them at least 3-4 times a week to pair with my Jowar bhakris.I prepare either stir fry or dal with red and green amaranth but methi and palak are very versatile greens and can be used for various preparations-snacks,dal,stir fry,curries,gravies,rotis,parathas etc. However, if I want to serve the greens with bhakris,I prefer it in the form of either a simple stir fry or Saag.
This is a typical Maharasthrian style preparation of greens,you can adapt this recipe to prepare any greens stir fry.It is called as 'Methichi Bhaji' in Marathi.Usually Maharashtrians do not add any tempering in the greens and keep the garlic to dominate the flavor in the stir fry.I just love this simple stir fry and I sometimes add soya chunks or fried mini urad vadis to it, to add a nice bite to them.

Fenugreek leaves Stir fry | Methichi Bhaji Recipe:
Serves 2-3
Preparation time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 35 mins
Recipe Cuisine:Maharasthra - Indian | Recipe Category: Side dish for Rice/Roti

Ingredients:

1 big bunch Fenugreek leaves/Methi
15-20 Soya Chunks(optional)

1 big Onion,roughly chopped

4-5 Green chillies,finely chopped

5-6 Garlic pods

2 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Clean the fenugreek leaves and wash them properly and soak it in salted water for 8-10 mins.Chop the leaves finely along with tender stalks.
Boil water in a small pot and add soya chunks and boil them for 4-5 mins until they are done.Drain them and cool them slightly,squeeze the extra water from it and drop them in normal water and squeeze them again and repeat it one more time.If you are using big soya chunks,chop them into small pieces roughly and ignore it if you are using mini soya chunks.
Heat oil in a kadai and add chopped garlic and fry until they turn slight brown in color.
Add chopped onions and green chillies and fry for few mins until onions turn pink.
Add squeezed soya chunk pieces and stir fry for 2 mins.
Now add the chopped methi leaves and fry for 10-12 mins until the amaranth is cooked.Take care that you would not over cook the greens,they taste best when they are cooked right.You can initially cover it slightly for 2-3 mins and then remove it later and fry it with out lid.

Serve it hot with Roti/Rice/Jowar Bhakri/Bajra Bhakri.

Notes:

You can use green amaranth leaves or red amaranth leaves or spinach and follow the same process.
I usually do not add any seasonings in the oil as I like the garlic flavor to dominate in the recipe.You can reduce the garlic if you are not a big fan of it.
I like to keep this recipe simple as it tastes best as it is and I love to eat this with Jowar or Bajra Bhakris.
Use only tender stems of the greens for this recipe.Chop them roughly.
The addition of soya chunks is entirely optional,I like to add them as they give a nice bite in the curry.They absorb the flavors beautifully too.

I prefer to prepare Pulao or Fried rice varieties for a one pot meal as they are not only easy to make but also allow us to use many vegetables in a single dish.Fried rice is very quick to make if we have left over rice handy.I prepare various fried rice varieties apart from the famous Indo-Chinese Veg fried Rice and Indian style Fried rice.I plan to post some other varieties soon.

I learnt this recipe from my MIL a few years back.When she mentioned that she would prepare fried rice for lunch, I had no clue that she would make this version of fried rice.I had thought that she would prepare Chinese style fried rice(that was the only fried rice I was aware of in those days) and I was surprised to see the Indian style fried rice and I really liked the taste of this masaledar Indian fried rice.Later when I tasted the famous Tawa Pulao in Mumbai I realized that her fried rice tastes something similar to Mumbai's Tawa Pulao.You can try this Indian style fried rice for your kids by keeping the spices minimal.This is a nice lunch box option and also a good way to use vegetables in our diet.

If you are interested check out mix vegetable rice recipes like Indo-Chinese Vegetable Fried rice,Mixed Vegetable Pulav,Tawa Pulao and Coconut Milk Vegetable Pulav in my blog.

Indian Style Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:40 mins | Total time:50 mins

Cuisine:North Indian | Category:Rice-MainCourse

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice

1 medium Carrot,peeled finely chopped

10-12 French Beans,finely chopped

1 small Capsicum,finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh/frozen Green peas

2-3 tbsp Cabbage,finely chopped

1 large Onion,finely chopped

1 large Tomato,finely chopped

1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Home made Garam masala or 1 tsp store bought Garam masala

1/2 tsp roasted Cumin powder

3/4 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Bay leaf

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves,to garnish

1 1/2 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp Ghee/Butter

Method:

Wash and soak rice for 10 mins.Cook it in rice cooker or pressure cooker with 2 cups of water until done.gently fluff it with fork and spread it on a wide plate to cool completely.
Heat oil and ghee/butter together in a thick kadai/pan and crackle cumin seeds.Add bay leaf and fry for half a minute.
Add chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent.Add ginger-garlic paste and fry well for a minute.
Now add finely chopped carrots,french beans and green peas and fry them for 2 mins and cover it cook on low flame for 4-5 mins until they are half cooked and taste still crunchy.
Add cabbage,tomato and capsicum and fry again for 2-3 mins.You should maintain the crunch of all the vegetables.Let the tomato become slightly mushy.
Add turmeric powder,red chili powder,garam masala and coat the vegetables with the masalas and fry for a minute.
Add the cooked and cooled rice and enough salt and gently mix so that the rice would not break.Mix and let it cook for 2-3 mins on low flame,stir it occasionally.
Now add chopped coriander and mix well.

Serve it hot with Onion-Tomato raita or Tomato sauce and chips/papad.

Notes:

You can even use pav bhaji masala instead of garam masala in the recipe.
Add 1 tsp lemon juice to the rice at the end and mix well,it is optional.I like it with out lemon juice.
You need to cool the rice completely otherwise it will become mushy.
I use home made Garam masala which is quite strong and hence use less quantity.If you are using stor bought masala increase the masala according to your taste buds.
It is important to maintain the crunchiness of vegetables for a good fried rice.

Technorati Tags: indian style vegetable fried rice, veg fried rice recipe, north indian pulao recipes, lunch box recipes, easy pulao varieties

Thalipeeth is a flat bread made up of Bhajani,which is basically a flour mix of various grains and pulses.Bhajani(thalipeeth flour) is easily available in Mumbai and is used to prepare thalipeeth and chakli varieties.I use bhajani for thalipeeth but if you do not have it you can make thalipeeth with various flours available in your pantry. I have mentioned my instant bhajani proportions too in the recipe. I have posted another Mahrasthrian thalipeeth variety- Sabudana Thalipeeth recipe earlier which tastes delicious too.

In Karnataka, we prepare Masala Akki rotti, Ragi Rotti which is prepared in a similar way like thalipeeth.Hence it was easily adapted in our menu and I usually prepare it for breakfast or dinner. To my surprise TH has become a fan of Thalipeeth after he tasted it in a famous Maharasthrian joint in Mumbai.There,the Thalipeeth is deep fried instead of shallow fry and hence it tastes even better.Thalipeeth is usually paired with spiced curd and pickle,which makes it a complete meal.As it is made up of mixed flours it is healthy and also quite heavy, so a couple of thalipeeth should be sufficient for a meal.

Check out similar rotti/thalipeeth varieties in my blog.

Thalipeeth Recipe:

Serves: 2-3 | Yields: 7-8 Thalipeeth

Prep time:10 mins | Cook time:20 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine: Mahrasthrian - Indian | Category: Breakfast/Snacks

Ingredients:

2 cups Bhajani (instant version recipe follows)

2 Onions,finely chopped

1 tsp Green chili paste

2 tbsp Chopped Coriander seeds

1/4 cup coarsely ground Groundnuts(optional)

1 tbsp Sesame seeds

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp roasted Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

Salt to taste

Oil,to roast

for quick Bhajani(Thalipeeth flour),I used:

1/2 cup Jowar flour

1/2 cup Bajra flour

1/4 cup Rice flour

1/4 cup Ragi flour

1/4 cup Besan(Chickpea flour)

1/4 cup wheat flour

Method:

In a big bowl combine all the flours,if you are using bhajani add it to the bowl.
Add finely chopped onions, green chili paste, chopped coriander, sesame seeds, ground nut powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and salt and mix well.
Add water to it and knead it to a soft dough,I usually use warm water to knead the dough.It should be smoother than the chapati dough.The dough would be slightly sticky because the combination of various flours.
Grease a plastic sheet and take a small orange sized ball and pat it to form a 4-5" diameter disc of 1/2" thickness.You need to wet your hands for easy spreading.Slightly press the edges with your fingers to give a nice circle.Make few holes in between.
Transfer it carefully on to a hot tawa and pour oil in the holes and also around the edges and cover it with lid.You can smear some water on top of the thalipeeth,this will make sure that the thalipeeth would not get dry.
Let it roast it on medium flame for 2-3 mins,once it is brown at the edges turn to the other side and roast again.
Repeat the same for the remaining dough to make thalipeeth.

Serve it hot with Mango Thokku, spiced Curd and salad.

Notes:

We get Bhajani easily in Mumbai,I use it most of the time and if I don't have it I mix the flours in the above mentioned proportion.Basically you can use all the flours in your pantry.
If you want to make bhajani(thalipeeth flour) at home,dry roast 1 cup Jowar grains,1 cup Bajra grains,1/2 cup rice,1/2 cup wheat grains,1/4 cup Chana dal,1/4 cup Urad dal,2 tbsp Coriander seeds and 1 tbsp Cumin seeds separately until they are aromatic and cool them and grind it in a mixer or get it done in a flour mill.
The addition of ground nut powder is completely optional but I recommend to use it for an extra taste.
You can add finely chopped vegetables like cabbage,methi leaves,spinach leaves or grated vegetables like cucumber,bottle gourd,radish to make thalipeeth.

Technorati Tags: thalipeeth recipe, maharasthrian thalipeeth recipe, bhajani thalipeeth recipe, maharashtrian recipes, breakfast recipes, bhajani recipes, mixed flour thalipeeth, thalipith recipe, maharasthrian breakfast recipes

There are rare instances when I have left over rice at home and if I have it, I usually turn it into a variety rice or fried rice.While the most common rice variety with the left over rice is the Talimpu Annam (Seasoned Rice or Phodnicha Bhaat),I like to prepare this garlic rice as well.One can prepare it with fresh rice but make sure it is cooled nicely.In fact my mom always prepares this with fresh rice and she used to pack it for my lunch box.This recipe requires lot of garlic and if you are a garlic lover I am sure you will love this rice.

Typically for South Indian rice varieties, we use either Sona masuri rice or equivalent varieties like Ponni or Surti Kolam etc based on the availability in that area.However I do not suggest Basmati rice for few south Indian recipes as it does not bring out the exact taste of rice.For south Indian rice varieties the rice needs to be soft and fluffy and should not have any fragrance and hence Basmati rice is not ideal for a few Rice based preparations.

Garlic Rice Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Rice Varieties - Main Course

Ingredients:

1 cup Raw Rice (Sona masuri or equivalent)

18-20 small Garlic pods

8-10 Cashew nuts,slit into halves

4-5 Red chillies,broken

8-10 Black Pepper corns,coarsely ground

juice of 1/2 Lemon(optional)

a sprig of Curry leaves

1 tbsp Chana dal

1 tsp Urad dal

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp Ghee

Salt to taste

Method:

Cook Rice and spread it in a plate to let it cool down and make sure that the rice grains stay separate.You can use 2 1/4 cups of water for 1 cup of sona masuri and cook it in pressure cooker or rice cooker.
Heat oil and ghee in a deep kadai/pan and crackle mustard seeds.
Add chana dal, urad dal and cashew nuts and fry until they turn slight golden in color.
Now add garlic pods and fry until they turn slightly brown.You do not need to fry until crisp,the garlic pods should be soft but cooked well.
Add red chillies,curry leaves and freshly ground pepper powder and fry again for a minute.
Switch off the flame and add the tempering to the spread cooled rice.Add salt and lemon juice(if adding) to it and mix it nicely.Now taste it and adjust the seasoning according to your wish.

Serve it with Chips/Fryums.

Notes:

I have mentioned standard Indian size garlic pods in the recipe.If you are using the big sized ones reduce the number to 6-8 pods and slice them into fat bits,do not slice them thin.
Use spicy variety red chillies as the main spice we used here is red chillies.Also use freshly ground coarse pepper corns,it is added for the flavor.
This rice tastes nice if it is prepared spicy.But you can prepare it according to your spice levels.
I mentioned lemon juice as optional but it balances the taste,so I recommend to use it.But add it accordingly to balance the flavors of rice.
You can even use left over rice to prepare this.
Do not use Basmati rice for this rice,use sona masuri or ponni or surti kolam or any equivalent variety to prepare this.

Technorati Tags: garlic rice recipe, south indian rice varieties, lunch box recipes, left over rice recipes, poondu sadam, vellullipaya annam, rice varieties, tellagadda annam, andhra recipes

I am a big fan of Andhra style Pacchadis which is usually mixed with hot rice and ghee.Ideally Pacchadis are prepared in a stone mortar, as in the olden days and hence these kind of pacchadis are called 'Roti Pacchadis', where 'roti' stands for 'stone mortar' in telugu. Pacchadis can be prepared with various vegetables, greens and dals and the texture should be very thick and slightly coarse unlike the chutneys we prepare for the breakfast items. Today I am sharing a simple Pacchadi recipe with Tomatoes and coriander - Tomato Kothimeera Pacchadi which serves as a nice combination with rice.

Check out other Andhra style roti Pacchadi recipes here.

Tomato Kothimeera Pacchadi | Tomato Coriander Chutney for Rice:

Serves 4-5

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:15 mins | Total time: 25 mins

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Pacchadis-Accompaniments

Ingredients:

3-4 large ripen Tomatoes,roughly chopped

a small bunch of Coriander leaves(roughly 1.5 cups)

2 tbsp Urad dal

1 tsp Cumin seeds

5-6 Red chillies

a small cherry size Tamarind

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

to temper:

1 tsp Oil/Ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad dal

a sprig of Curry leaves

1 Red chili,broken

a pinch of Asafoetida

Method:

Clean the coriander leaves and retain tender stems along with the leaves and chop it roughly.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai and add urad dal and roast until it turns slight red in color.Remove and keep the urad dal aside.
In the same pan add cumin seeds and red chillies and fry them until they are roasted and remove them aside.
Now in the same pan add chopped tomatoes and fry for a minute and cover it and cook until it turns pulpy.It takes 4-5 mins.
Add chopped coriander leaves along with the tender stems and tamarind to it and fry for another 3-4 mins until the mixture becomes slightly dry.Cool the mixture slightly.
Grind roasted urad dal with roasted red chillies,cumin seeds and salt to a coarse powder.Add cooled tomato - coriander mixture and grind it to a coarse paste.I usually do it in whipper mode to get slight coarse and pulpy pacchadi.
Heat oil/ghee in a small tempering pan and crackle mustard seeds and add urad dal and red chillies,curry leaves and asafoetida and fry until they wilt and add this tempering to the pacchadi.

Serve it with hot steamed rice and ghee.

Notes:

You can store it in refrigerator for 2-3 days in an air tight container.
If you are preparing this chutney for Idli or Dosa,grind the chutney to a smooth paste instead of coarse paste.
If you find the pacchadi very tangy add a pinch of sugar or jaggery while grinding the chutney.

Technorati Tags: tomato kothimeera pacchadi, pacchadi varieties for rice, andhra pacchadi recipes, tomato pacchadi for rice, chutney varieties for rice, chutneys, tomato coriander chutney, tomato recipes, coriander recipes, andhra recipes

'Batata Poha' or 'Potato Poha' is a typical Mahasthrian breakfast variety which is very popular along with 'Kanda Poha',which means 'Onion Poha'.'Batata' in Marathi means 'Potato' where as 'Kanda' means 'Onion', which I got to know only after coming to Mumbai. Maharasthrians have profound love for Potatoes,which is used as the main ingredients for many recipes like Batata vada, Sabudana Khichdi, Batata poha and also as a base for many cutlets and fillings. If you are preparing this for festivals like Janmashtami, you can avoid onion in the recipe.

Poha is a very common breakfast at my place, we prepare various varieties of Poha in our house like Lemon Poha,Coconut Poha,Tamarind Poha,Coriander Poha.'Kanda Poha' is very similar to the south Indian variety of 'Lemon Poha' with minor variations in the tempering part. I got introduced to 'Batata Poha' only after coming to Mumbai and has become our favorite on weekends. As it has both potatoes(batata) and onions(kanda) it is called 'Kanda Batata Poha'.I usually prefer to prepare poha when I want to prepare something quick or have not planned my breakfast ahead. Yes, I plan my breakfast ahead as it is the most important meal of the day.You can check lots of options for Breakfast varieties in my blog here.

Check out various Poha varieties in my blog here.

Batata Poha | Aloo(Potato) Poha Recipe:
Serves 2
Prep time:10 mins+soaking time | Cooking time:15 mins | Total time: 25 mins
Cuisine: Indian | Category : Breakfast/Snacks

Ingredients:

2 cups Poha(flattened Rice/atukulu)

2 Potatoes,diced or sliced thin

1 large Onion,thinly sliced

2-3 tbsp Peanuts,roasted and skinned

5-6 Green Chillies,slit

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

8-10 Curry leaves

2 tbsp chopped Coriander

juice of 1 small Lemon

1 tsp Sugar(optional,see notes)

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak poha in enough water(just add up to the level of poha) for 8-10 mins.As I have a slight medium thick variety it did not take much time.If you are using thick variety soak it with little more water and also for long time,say 15-20 mins.
Pressure cook potatoes and peel the skin and dice it into pieces.If you want you can avoid this step and add thinly sliced potatoes in the tempering directly,but it takes bit longer to cook.You can prepare either ways.
Heat oil and crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
Add cut green chillies,curry leaves and fry for a minute,add sliced onions and fry until they are crisp and pink.
Add boiled and diced potatoes and fry well.If you are using raw potatoes,add finely chopped potatoes along with onions and cover it cook until they are done,it takes bit longer time.
Add turmeric powder,salt and poha and give a good stir until everything is mixed properly.
Add roasted and skinned groundnuts,lemon juice,chopped coriander and sugar(if using) just before removing from stove and mix well.

Serve it hot with chips/sev/chiwda/sliced cucumber and lemon wedges.

Notes:

If thick variety of poha is used you need to soak in more water for 20 mins and drain off excess water before using in the recipe.
You can add potatoes either directly in the tempering and cook along with onions,it is a bit longer process or you can use boiled and chopped potatoes in tempering which is a quick process.If you are using them in tempering,chop them fine as they will cook faster.I like the bite of soft potato cubes in poha,hence I boil it ahead and use it.If you want crunchy potatoes you can fry them until crisp separately and add to poha at the end.
If you want you can even add green peas along with potatoes in the recipe.I suggest if you add peas avoid peanuts in the recipe,use either one of them.
You can avoid potatoes and prepare poha just with onions,which is called Kanda Poha(Onion Poha).
You can even avoid onions in the recipe and make only with potatoes.
The addition of sugar is entirely optional,it adds a typical Maharasthrian touch to poha.

Technorati Tags: batata poha recipe, kanda batata recipe, poha recipes for janmashtami, poha recipe, maharasthrian breakfast recipes, breakfast poha recipes, atukula recipes for krishna jayanti, aloo poha

'Mukkalu' in Telugu literally means 'Pieces' and 'Pulusu' means 'Stew'. In Mukkala Pulusu, we use various vegetables which are chopped into big chunks, cooked in tamarind extract and spiced up slightly.It is usually paired with Mudda pappu(mashed plain toor dal) and papds/fryums which is the ideal combination.While a few add some rice flour mixed in water to thicken this pulusu, I usually prefer to add some toor dal as it not only thickens the pulusu, it also adds to the taste.

Usually Pulusu would be prepared with a combination of leftover vegetables but I usually buy various vegetables in small quantities to prepare this pulusu.I love this dish very much and hence I prepare it more often than I prepare sambar.

Though the ingredients that we add in Pulusu and sambar are similar,the taste of pulusu is totally different from Sambar.We add less quantity of toor dal and more vegetables in pulusu unlike Sambar where we add more quantity of toor dal and less vegetables. Pulusu is very tangy,spicy and slightly sweet compared to sambar.

Mukkala Pulusu | Andhra Style Mixed Vegetable Stew Recipe:

(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Toor dal

1 very big lemon sized Tamarind

2 tbsp grated Jaggery

1 1/2 tbsp Sambar powder or 1 tsp Red chili powder

5-6 Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Vegetables:

1 Drumstick,cut into 1 1/2" pieces

7-8 Pumpkin pieces of 1" cubes

7-8 Bottle gourd pieces of 1" cubes

1 Carrot,cut into big chunks

1 small Sweet Potato,cut into big chunks

5-6 French Beans,cut into 1 1/2" pieces

1 Onion,cut into 8 quarters

1 Tomato,cut into 8 quarters

2 light colored Green chillies,slit

(other optional vegetables - potatoes,brinjal,ladies finger,raw papaya,winter melon)

to temper:

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

2 Red chillies

a sprig of Curry leaves

a pinch of Asafoetida

Method:

Pressure cook toor dal for 3 whistles until done.Mash the toor dal nicely and keep it aside.
Soak tamarind in water for 10-15 mins and remove tamarind pulp and keep it aside.Add 1 cup of water to it.
Add chopped vegetables(chop the vegetables in big chunks),slit green chillies,onions,tomatoes,few curry leaves to the tamarind pulp and add salt and turmeric powder and pressure cook for one whistle.
After the pressure drops down add cooked dal to the boiled vegetables and add grated jaggery,salt and sambar powder(or red chili powder) and cook for few more minutes until you get the required consistency..The consistency should neither be very thick nor very thin.
Meanwhile heat oil in a small tadka pan and crackle mustard seeds,red chillies,curry leaves and asafoetida and fry well and add this to the boiling Pulusu(stew).

Serve it hot with rice and papad/Curd chili/fryums.You can serve it with cooked and mashed toor dal(mudda pappu).

Notes:

I usually add vegetables like drumsticks,pumpkin,bottlegourd,beans,carrot,sweet potato which I strongly recommend to use them as they impart a nice flavor to the stew.But you can add other vegetables like brinjal,ladies finger,winter melon,potatoes too in the recipe.If you are using ladies finger I would suggest to saute them in oil before you boil it with other vegetables.
Few do not add toor dal in the recipe,in that case you can thicken then pulusu/stew with a tbsp of rice flour(which is mixed in water) and boil it along with pulusu until you get desired consistency.But I always prefer to add the dal to thicken instead of rice flour mixture.It is your wish,but do not add more amount of toor dal as it will change the taste of it.
We use more amount of tamarind pulp in the recipe,so adjust the jaggery and salt according to your taste buds.
You can add red chili powder or sambar powder or a mix of both in the recipe.
Always cut vegetables into big chunks for this pulusu.

Technorati Tags: mukkala pulusu, dappalam recipe, mixed vegetable stew, andhra dappalam, kadambam pulusu, south indian recipes, andhra style pulusu, mixed vegetable pulusu

Sandwiches are one of the easiest breakfast options.At our place, I prefer the grilled sandwich varieties whereas TH prefers fresh sandwich and hence most of the time I end up preparing a fresh Vegetable sandwich and pack it for him and grill the same for me. I prefer making fresh sandwiches for parties as they can be cut into ribbon size or bit sized sandwiches which are great to serve as finger food.They are not only easy to prepare but also looks inviting too.

Coming to today's post,Cucumber sandwich recipe is very simple and even a kid can prepare it.I make it in two ways- sometimes using cream cheese and sometimes using hung curd and I love both the versions.As the hung curd version is more healthy I prefer to use it more often and I also reduce the butter content for a regular sandwich. When I prepare for parties or pack for lunch box I give a good coat of butter though otherwise the sandwich becomes soggy.

Check out Mumbai style Vegetable sandwich recipe here.

Cucumber Sandwich Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:nil | Total time:10 mins

Cuisine: International | Category: Breakfast/Appetizers

Ingredients:

6 Bread slices

1 large Cucumber

1/2 cup Hung Curd or Sour cream

1/3 cup Mint leaves,finely chopped

1/2 tsp Pepper Powder

1/2 tsp Chili flakes (optional)

Butter,softened

Salt to taste

Method:

To prepare hung curd you can hand thick yogurt in a muslin cloth for 3-4 hrs.Add 1/2 tsp lemon juice to it and beat lightly.
Mix the hung curd (or sour cream) with salt, pepper powder, chili flakes and chopped mint leaves and keep it ready.
Peel the cucumber and slice them thinly in a slicer either horizontally to get thin discs or vertical to get thin strips.Alternatively if you have good knife skills slice them thinly.
Apply butter generously to one side of bread and repeat for all the bread slices.
Now apply a coat of sour cream mixture liberally on the butter ladened bread slices.

Arrange the sliced cucumber pieces evenly on one slice and cover it with another bread slice.Repeat the same to prepare other 2 sandwiches.
Press the sandwich slightly with your hands and cut the edges of the sandwich using a serrated knife.
Cut into halves or strips or bite sized pieces.

Serve it with the remaining sour cream/tomato ketchup.

Notes:

You can use Cream cheese instead of sour cream or hung curd in the recipe.
Mixed dried herbs can be used instead of mint leaves in the recipe.
If you like cheese,line a cheese slice on cucumbers while making the sandwich.

Technorati Tags: cucumber sandwich recipe, cucumber cream cheese sandwich, sandwich recipes, cucumber sour cream sandwich, easy sandwich recipes, sandwich recieps for parties, bite size sandwich recipes, breakfast sandwich recipes, no cook sandwich recipes

When it comes to basic spices and pastes used for cooking, I never purchase them. I usually prepare the basic spice powders like cumin powder, coriander powder, Garam masala etc and various south Indian masala powders at home. I have not still ventured into the preparation of various masalas like Pav bhaji masala, Chole masala, Kitchen king masala etc at home as I am a bit lazy in preparing them. But I will definitely try recreating the same masalas at home one day and would love to post them in my blog.

I always wonder why some one would buy these basic powders like cumin powder and coriander powder while the preparation of the same is very simple and easy and does not take much time. More over the freshness, fragrance of these home made powders is not at all comparable to the store bought powders. Roasted Cumin powder is a very important basic spice in Indian kitchen as it plays an important role in day to day curries and gravies and also plays a key role in Indian Chaats.

This is a simple recipe which I am posting for Beginners. It doesn't need much effort to prepare this Cumin powder at home and it will definitely enhance the taste of your food.

If you are interested check out the preparation of other spice powders at home:

Homemade Roasted Cumin powder:

Shelf life:1-2 months

Grinding time:2 mins | Roasting time:5 mins | Total time:7 mins + cooling time

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Spices - Kitchen Basics

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Cumin seeds(Jeera)

Method:

Clean the cumin seeds and dry roast in a pan over medium flame until you get a nice aroma and they start turning nice brown in color by stirring it occasionally. Take care that you do not turn them black otherwise it will give bitter taste to powder. They will also start popping once they turn the brown color. Switch off and let it cool.
Grind it into a powder in mixer or spice grinder. I do not grind it to a very fine powder, I keep it slightly coarse as it adds a nice taste to chaats or any other curries. If you want you can grind it to a fine powder or keep few bits of cumin seeds here and there.
Allow the powder to cool for sometime and store it an air tight glass container.

Use it in Chaats, Gravies and Curries as mentioned in the recipe.

Notes:

Use a clean and dry spoon always or keep a spoon in the container itself.
Do not turn the cumin seeds black otherwise it will give bitter taste to powder.
I always prepare in small quantities so that the freshness of the spice would not be lost.
This much quantity would easily be sufficient for a month for me. But it depends on the family size and usage as well.

Technorati Tags: roasted cumin poder, jeera powder, how to make jeera powder, kitchen basics, Indian kichen essentials

I have been exposed to various Maharashtrian dishes as I stay in Mumbai hence I have adapted many Maharastrian recipes in my daily cooking. I think that Maharashtrian style cooking is very similar to that in Karnataka and it is just that its a bit more spicy. As we do not eat much spicy food or masalas in our regular diet, I reduce the quantum of masalas drastically in the recipes.

I have tasted Kala vatana which is Black Peas,only after shifting to Mumbai and DH who is a big fan of Kala chana loved this Kala vatana too and hence it became quite regular in our diet.Black peas is slightly harder than the regular peas and hence it takes more time to cook and also holds up its shape and gives a nice bite even after it is cooked.Ironically these black peas do not look black in color,they are slightly brownish with a green tint,I really wonder why they call this black peas(kala vatana).

Kala Vatana Usal is also called as Kala Vatana Amti or Kala Vatana Sambar in Maharasthra.Usually this Kala vatana gravy is paired with Malvani Vade or Kombdi Vade,which is again a Mahasthrian special.Kombdi Vade is basically a mixed flour puri with few spices and dals and is usually paired with non vegetarian curries, but for vegetarians this Kala Vatana Curry pairs up nicely with the Kombdi Vades.I will post those vades sometime later.

If you are interested look into these traditional Maharasthrian recipes in my blog.

Kala Vatana Usal | Black Peas Curry Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time: 50 mins | Total time: 1 hr + soaking time

Cuisine: Maharashtra-Indian | Category: Side dish

Ingredients:

1 cup Kala Vatana(black peas)

2 medium Onions,1 sliced and 1 finely chopped

1 Tomato,chopped

1/2 cup grated fresh Coconut

3-4 Garlic pods

1/2" Ginger,chopped

1 tbsp Kala masala/Goda masala or 1/2 tsp Garam masala(see notes)

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Coriander leaves,to garnish

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Method:

Clean and wash kala vatana(black peas) and soak them in water for 8-9 hrs or overnight.
Rinse the peas again and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles and simmer for 10-12 mins.Black peas takes more time to cook compared to other peas,keep this in mind while cooking it.
Heat 2 tsp oil and add sliced onion and ginger and garlic and fry for 2 mins until it turns slight brown in color.Add grated coconut to it and fry for a couple of minutes until the coconut turns slight red in color..Cool the mixture and grind to a fine paste.
Heat the remaining oil and add chopped onions and fry well until they turn pink in color.
Add chopped tomatoes to it and fry well.Now add ground paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder and red chili powder and fry until the gravy leaves the oil in the sides.It takes around 5-6 mins as the masala is already cooked.
Add boiled black peas and fry for a minute along with masala.Add enough water(roughly 2 cups) and salt and boil it for 10-12 mins over low- medium flame.You can adjust the consistency according to your requirements.I prefer to keep it thick for rotis/vades and slightly thin for rice.
Add chopped coriander leaves at the end.

Serve it hot with roti/Malvani(Kombdi)Vade/puris or rice.I have served it with Bagara rice.

Notes:

You need to use Maharasthrian Kala masala for its authentic taste,but if you do not have it you can use Garam masala to it.Also apart from adding garam masala you also need to add 1 tsp fennel seeds,1 tbsp khus khus and 1-2 dagad phool(black stone flower) and 2 strings of mace while frying onion masala and grind along with it.
You can follow the same recipe for yellow peas or Kala chana(black chickpeas),matki(moth bean) sprouts or Moong(whole moong) sprouts.I love all the versions.
You can even sprout the black peas and use in the recipe instead of just soaked ones.
Black peas takes more time to cook compared to other peas,keep this in mind while cooking it.

Technorati Tags: kala vatana curry, kala vatana usal recipe, black peas curry, maharashtrian kala vatana sambar, maharasthrian usal recipes, side dish for bhakris, vatana usal

Bagara Rice or Bagara Chawal or Bagara Annam is a simple Hyderabadi rice recipe which can be prepared in a jiffy with not much of extra work.'Bagar meaning tempering, is basically an easy peasy plain Biryani recipe without any vegetables and masala powders.Bagara rice is also a popular rice dish in weddings or functions in Hyderabad apart from the famous Vegetable Dum Biriyani.

This Bagara Rice pairs up beautifully with spicy curries like Bagara Baingan , Mirchi ka Salan, Kala Chana masala or any spicy gravy.It is ideal to prepare these kind of simple rice varieties when you are making elaborate menu during parties as it is quick to prepare and reduces the effort.

Check out other Hyderabadi specials in my blog:

Hyderabadi Bagara Rice Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time:40 mins

Cuisine: Hyderabadi - Indian | Category: Rice | Pulav

Ingredients:

1 heaped cup Basmati Rice

1 big Onion, finely sliced

2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
12-15 Cashew nuts ,split into halves(optional)
8-10 Mint leaves(optional)

3/4" Cinnamon

3-4 Cloves

2-3 Green Cardamom

1-2 Bay leaves

1 tsp Shahjeera (black cumin seeds)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp Ghee

Method:

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 10 mins.Do not wash more than twice as it looses its fragrance.
Heat oil and ghee in a thick kadai/pan(or cooker) and fry cashew nuts until they turn golden in color and remove them and keep aside.In the same oil add shahi jeera and let them crackle.
Add cloves,green cardamom,cinnamon and bay leaves and fry them for a minute.Slighly open the cardamom pods before adding so that they do not splutter.
Add thinly sliced onions and fry until they become translucent and then add ginger-garlic paste and fry well.
Add drained basmati rice and fry well for a couple of minutes until its dry,do this step carefully as the rice might get broken.
Add 2 cups of water and let it come to a boil and add salt and mint leaves and cover it and let it simmer for 12-15 mins until done.If you are preparing it in cooker,pressure cook for 1 whistle and simmer it for 5-7 mins.
When the pressure drops,gently fluff it up using a fork and add fried cashew nuts and mix.
Garnish with fried onions(optional) and cashew nuts.

Serve it hot with Bagara Baingan | Mirchi ka Salan | Kala Chana masala or any spicy gravy and raitha,papad.I served it with Kala Vatana Curry.

Notes:

Mint leaves are optional in the recipe.I usually add it if I have them otherwise I ignore adding them.
This is a mild spiced rice recipe which pairs well with any spicy curry.
You can add vegetables like carrots,peas,potatoes,beans,capsicum and make vegetable pulao following the same recipe.
The addition of ghee enhances the flavor of rice and pulaos,hence do not skip it.
You can add 1-2 green chillies,slit along with onions.However it is optional.

Technorati Tags: bagara rice,hyderabadi recipes, hyderabadi rice, kushka rice, biryani rice recipes,hyderabadi veg recipes, easy pulao recipes, simple rice varieties for gravies, bagara annam, combination with mirchi ka salan, bagara baingan combination

On a daily basis, I prepare north Indian curries with various vegetables to pair with my phulkas or bhakris.I find it boring to eat the same combination of vegetables in the curries and hence end up trying it with new combinations or flavors.I have successfully adapted broccoli into my Indian cooking and have tried using broccoli in various curries,stir fries, parathas, tikki etc. I prepare Aloo Broccoli Sabzi in a way largely similar to how I prepare Aloo Gobi sabzi with few modifications and I must say it tastes delicious.

If you are interested, check out other Broccoli recipes which I adapted into my Indian cooking successfully - Broccoli Tikkis , Broccoli stir fry . Check out other Broccoli recipes here.

Aloo Broccoli Sabzi Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Side dish - Main Course

Ingredients:

2 medium Potatoes,boiled

1 small Broccoli,cut into florets

1 medium Onion,finely chopped

2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala or 1 tsp Kitchen King masala

1/2 tsp Amchur powder

3/4 tsp Red chili powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt to taste

1.5 tbsp Oil

Method:

Peel the boiled potatoes and cut into big cubes.
Par boil the broccoli florets in hot water for 3-4 mins until they are half cooked.
Heat oil in a kadai/pan and crackle cumin seeds and add chopped onions and fry well until they turn slight pink in color.
Add ginger-garlic paste and fry until the raw smell disappears.
Now add cubed potatoes and par boiled broccoli florets and fry well for 7-8 mins until the potato cubes turn golden in color and also becomes slightly crisp.Prick a fork into broccoli florets to check whether they are done or not,if they are not done cover it cook for another 2-3 mins.
Add all the masalas like red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala(or kitchen king masala), turmeric powder, amchur powder and salt and mix well and cover it and cook for 2-3 mins.

Serve it hot with Rice / Rotis / Chapatis or Pulaos.

Notes:

You can even add tomato along with onions in the recipe.I like to prepare this dry and hence I do no prefer tomatoes in the recipe.
You can apply a layer of tomato ketchup on a roti and place this curry in the center lengthwise and wrap into a roll and give your kids.You can sprinkle some chaat masala on the curry if like when making the rolls.

Technorati Tags: aloo broccoli sabzi, broccoli recipes, potato and broccoli curry, broccoli stir fry, Indian broccoli recipes, side dish for rotis, north indian curries

I rarely find good Avocados here in Mumbai and whenever I get an opportunity to source them from Bangalore, I never miss that chance. Recently, I got hold of a few avocados which were sent by my mom from Bangalore.While I mostly use Avocados to prepare my favorite Butterfruit Milkshake or Guacamole, I reserved a few this time to experiment something new. Avocados have a natural buttery taste and makes the dish really rich and hence it worked beautifully even in this pasta recipe.I have combined the avocado with tomato to reduce the dominance of the buttery taste of avocado as TH is not very fond of it.You would not not miss cheese in the recipe as the sauce feels rich due to the avocado.The recipe is quite similar to any pesto recipe minus the nuts and cheese.

Check out other Pasta recipes in my blog, if you are interested:

Creamy Avocado Pasta Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 cups of Pasta(any shape would do,I used fettucine)

1 Onion,finely chopped(optional)

1-2 Garlic pods,finely chopped

1/2 tsp Red chili flakes

1/2 tsp Pepper corns

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt to taste

Avocado Sauce:

1 small Avocado or 1/2 big Avocado

1 large ripen Tomato

1-2 Garlic pods

1/2 tsp freshly ground Pepper

1 tbsp dried Basil or 1/4 cup fresh Basil leaves

2-3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

To Cook Pasta:

Cook the pasta according to the instructions of your package or follow this procedure:
Bring water to boil in a big pot (filled to its half) and add salt,1 tsp olive oil and pasta and cook over medium flame for 10-12 mins until al dente(cooked and tender to teeth).
Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of water for later usage.you can even give a cold bath to the pasta by running it under fresh tap water which helps in keeping the pasta separate.

To prepare Avocado Sauce:

Mark a cross on tomato and bring water to a boil and add the tomato to it and boil for 2 mins and remove the tomato.After it cools down,peel the skin and roughly chop it and keep it aside.
In a mixer add scooped avocado, chopped tomato, basil leaves or dried basil, garlic pods, pepper, olive oil, ground pepper, salt and griund to a smooth paste.
Now check for the taste and adjust the salt and pepper for the pesto.We will add salt and pepper even to the pasta,so keep that in mind and adjust the seasonings.

To prepare Avocado Pasta:

Heat olive oil in a wide bottomed pan and fry sliced garlic until slight brown and add thinly sliced onions and fry until they are pink and soft.
Add cooked pasta and mix well until all the pasta is covered with the sauce and is warm.Now add red chili flakes,salt and pepper and mix well.
Dish it out to the serving platter and serve with the generous portion of Avocado sauce.Drizzle extra Olive oil and some pepper and dried basil on top.As we are using Avocado in the recipe it is not advised to heat the sauce,just serve the sauteed pasta with the freshly made sauce.

Serve it immediately.I also served it with some sauteed bell peppers as I like the bite of vegetables in my pasta.

Notes:

To make sauteed peppers - heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan,add finely chopped 1 garlic pod and add 1/2 chopped onion and 1 cup chopped colored bell peppers and saute them for 2-3 mins.Season it with salt and pepper.You can even add some Italian herbs and red chili flakes if you want.
As we are using Avocado in the sauce it is not advised to heat the sauce,just serve the sauteed pasta with the freshly made sauce.
You can use any pasta variety for this like Penne,Fusili,Sphagetti etc.
Do not add more garlic pods as the flavor will dominate the avocado sauce.

Technorati Tags: creamy avocado pasta recipe, pasta recipes, avocado recipes pesto recipes, healthy pasta recipes, kid friendly pasta recipes, butter fruit recipes, pasta varieties, veg pasta dishes, pasta recipes with home made pesto, different pasta recipes, how to make pasta at home

When I think of Paratha, the first and foremost that comes to my mind is Aloo ka Paratha (Stuffed Potato Paratha aka Alu Paratha). Among all the Paratha varieties, I like this classic Aloo Paratha the most .I don't like the thinly rolled, lean looking parathas which we get in south,in fact it doesn't give any satisfaction of eating a Paratha.I love the parathas when it is made in typical Punjabi style-where the Parathas are made plumpy and loaded with fresh and simple spices.However, I do not add more butter or ghee to the parathas as the Punjabi's do,but if you are not bothered about calories, you can go a bit easy on ghee/butter,it tastes really delicious.I was amazed to see how my Punjabi friend served the ghee roasted Aloo parathas with a tub of butter on the breakfast table.

The mixture of mashed potatoes makes the Aloo paratha extremely soft and the fresh spices and butter/ghee add an extra taste to it.I like to add coarsely crushed coriander seeds instead of coriander powder to the potato stuffing and also use larger quantities of ginger and green chillies in the recipe as I am fond of that masaledar taste.

Check out other Stuffed Parathas recipes:

Aloo Paratha | Aloo ka Parantha Recipe:

Yields 6 parathas

Prep time:30 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time:1 hour

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Flat Bread(Paratha) – Main Course

Ingredients:

for dough:

1 1/2 cups Wheat flour

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

Water,to mix

for filling:

2 big Potatoes,boiled and peeled
1 medium Onion,finely chopped(optional)

2-3 Green chillies,finely chopped

1 tsp grated Ginger

2 tbsp chopped Coriander

1 tsp Amchur(dried mango) powder

1 tsp Coriander seeds,coarsely pounded

1 tsp roasted Cumin powder

Salt to taste

Wheat flour,for rolling

Ghee and Oil,to roast parathas

Butter,to serve

Method:

to make dough:

In a bowl add wheat flour and add required salt and 1 tsp oil and mix well.
Add little water(if needed) and knead it into a smooth and soft dough.The dough should be slightly softer than the regular chapati dough for parathas as it will not only make easy to stuff the filling it will help in easy and even rolling of parathas.
Apply oil on top of the dough and cover it and keep it aside for at least half an hour.

to make filling:

Grate the boiled potatoes and put it in to the bowl.
Add finely chopped green chillies,onion,grated ginger,chopped coriander and mix well.
Add amchur powder, salt, coarsely ground coriander seeds and cumin powder and mix well and keep it ready.

to make paratha:

Pinch the dough and take a big size lemon sized dough and place the dough in your left hand palm.
Dip your right hand fingers in the flour and try to make a cup shape(which can hold 3-4 tbsp filling) out of the dough by moving your fingers pressing with the thumb in the center.Take care that the edges should be slightly thinner and in the center it should be thick.

Fill the cup with 3-4 tbsp filling and seal the two sides of the dough(it would look like Karanji now) and gently press the corners to get a big round ball out of it.See the pictures for better idea.

If you stuff the filling in the dough in this way you will get evenly filled paratha and it also forms like pocket.If you find all the above process bit difficult,you can easily roll a 3" circle out of the dough and place the filling in the center and pleat the dough and seal it by gathering the dough around the edges.

Slightly flatten the dough(stuffed with filling) with hands and dip it in the wheat flour and gently roll it to a 6" disc of 1/2" thickness.You should not apply more pressure while rolling,so roll it gently.If you apply pressure the stuffing would come out.
Flip it on to a hot tawa and fry it until you see bubbles.

Turn it and apply oil/ghee and fry and then turn and apply oil/ghee on the other side.Roast until you get golden colored slightly crisp parathas.Mine got bit over roasted as I was doing multitasking at that time.
Fry the parathas on both sides until you get crisp brown patches on both sides.

Serve them piping hot with a blob of butter and Aam ka Achar/Mirch ka Achaar or Mixed Vegetable Achar , curd/masala dahi and sliced onions.

Notes:

You can even do a combination of mashed boiled aloo and gobi or gobi and mooli(radish) in the recipe.
Aloo can be replaced with grated paneer or grated and squeezed gobi or radish and follow the same recipe,it tastes nice too.
I like to add coarsely crushed coriander seeds instead of coriander powder to the potato stuffing and also use more quantity of ginger and green chillies in the recipe as I am fond of that taste.
You can also try adding coarsely crushed dry pomegranate seeds(anardana) for a different taste.

Technorati Tags: aloo paratha recipe, punjabi aloo paratha, how ot make alu paratha, potato stuffed paratha, stuffed paratha recipes, paratha stuffing ideas, easy paratha recipes, dhaba style stuffed parathas

As mentioned in my earlier Schezwan Dosa post I am here posting another famous Dosa variant - Spring Roll Dosa from the streets of Mumbai. Spring Roll Dosa got its name as Dosa is filled with the same filling which we use for Chinese Spring rolls and is cut in a similar way as the Spring rolls are cut and served. I am though not a big fan of this Spring roll dosa and prefer the Schezwan dosa over this.

As this is one of the more popular Fusion Dosa varieties, I wanted to document it in my blog so that it would be useful for those who love this Spring Dosa. I usually do not prefer to add noodles to the filling and hence I avoided it but if you like you can go ahead and add them - it is known as Chinese Chopsuey Dosa. If you love Indo-Chinese you would definitely love this Spring roll dosa, give this a try for your guests and I am sure they would be impressed with this.

Check out other Dosa fusion recipes in my blog.

Schezwan Dosa
Pav Bhaji Dosa
Masala Uthappam | Uthappam topped with spicy alu masala
Mumbai style Mysore Masala Dosa.

If you are interested in other dosa recipes,check out more varieties here.

Spring Dosa | Spring Roll Dosa Recipe:

Yields 6 dosas

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine: South Indian + Chinese Fusion | Category: Breakfast/Snacks

Ingredients:

2-3 cups Dosa batter

Butter and Oil, to roast

for Vegetable filling:

1.5 cups of mixed julienned vegetables(carrot,capsicum,cabbage,french beans,spring onions)

1 small Onion,thinly sliced

4-5 Garlic pods, finely sliced

1" Ginger, thinly sliced
1 tsp Tomato sauce

3/4 tsp Soya sauce
3/4 tsp Red chili sauce or Green chili sauce
1 tsp Vinegar
1/4 tsp Black Pepper powder

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

Method:

to prepare Veg filling:

Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add thinly sliced garlic,ginger and fry until they turn light golden brown in color.Add sliced onions(or spring onion whites) and fry until they turn translucent.
Add julienned carrots, french beans and capsicum and fry on high heat for 1-2 mins.
Now add julienned cabbage and spring onion greens and quickly fry for another minute.The crunchiness of vegetables is to be maintained and hence do not over cook the vegetables.
Add tomato sauce, chili sauce, soya sauce, vinegar, pepper powder and salt and mix well and switch it off.

to make Dosa:

Make the tawa ready for preparing dosa,keep the stove on medium flame and pour a ladle full of batter in the middle of the pan and spread in a circular motion to form a 9 " THIN dosa and pour some oil (1 tbsp roughly) all over the edges and in the center cover it with a lid.
Add 1 tsp butter and spread and keep the flame on HIGH and let it roast for another minute until it turns golden brown and crispy. Do not over roast it as it will be difficult to fold it as shown.
Place the prepared vegetable mixture in one corner as shown in the picture and roll it to the end.
Remove it from the tawa and cut it diagonally using a pizza cutter or sharp edge of spatula or knife.

Serve it with Coconut chutney and Sambar. Check out other side dishes for Idli/dosa here.

Notes:

You can basically use any dosa batter recipe to prepare this dosa but make sure you spread the dosa very thin.

You can add boiled noodles at the end to the filling if you like.

I did not have Spring onions at that moment so I avoided it. But add it for extra taste.

Technorati Tags: spring roll dosa recipe, how to make spring roll dosa, chinese chopsuey dosa, mumbai dosa varieties, dosa recipes, street style dosa recipe, spring dosa, dosa with spring vegetables, fusion dosa recipes, indo chinese recipes

Ugadi is being celebrated on the 31st of March this year. Ugadi is considered as the start of a new year and among the few key festivals that we celebrate every year. While the preparation of 'Ugadi Pacchadi', a mix of jaggery, salt, chopped raw mango, tamarind juice, chilli and neem flower, essentially 6 key flavours is a must, we also prepare an elaborate menu on this day. The preparations for that have already started, so I thought I will highlight a few options for Ugadi Menu spread across various categories.

Check here to find out how to make Ugadi Pacchadi for Ugadi.

Traditional Sweet Varieties:

Sundal & Stir fry varieties:

Vada/Snack varieties:

Dal/Stew/Rasam Varieties(All Varieties-ONE each):

Kheer/Payasam Varieties:

Rice Varieties:

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While Coconut chutney is the most preferred option for Idli and Dosa varieties at our place, at times I run out of coconut and so I do try preparing other kinds of chutneys at home. I have posted an Onion Chutney recipe earlier which is prepared with a combination of ground dry coconut and onion and is sautéed nicely- which helps to store it in refrigerator for up to a week. I just love having that chutney with various dishes like Billakudumulu(rice rava tikkis), Dosa or even Chapati. When I have small onions known as shallots at hand, I do not miss making this easy Onion chutney and also another version of raw onion chutney called "Ulli Karam", which I plan to post later.

Coming to today's post - Onion Chutney, it is a very simple chutney recipe which goes nicely with Idli and Dosa varieties. This recipe is very similar to my Tomato-Onion Chutney except that in this version, I avoided tomato and followed the same recipe. This chutney comes handy when we do not have any other ingredients for the usual chutneys as it has very basic ingredients which are available in our pantry always.

Check out other chutney varieties for Breakfast items:

Onion Chutney for Idli/Dosa Varieties:

Serves 2-3

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins | Total time: 20 mins

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Chutney for Breakfast - Accompaniments

Ingredients:

15-20 small Shallots or 2 Onions

4-5 Red chillies

2 tsp Urad dal

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

3/4 tsp Tamarind Pulp

Salt to taste

1 tbsp. Oil

to temper:

1 tbsp. Oil/Ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seed

a sprig of Curry leaves

Method:

Cut the ends of shallots and soak them in water for 10 mins. This helps to remove their skins very easily. Remove the skin of shallots and cut them into 2-3 pieces if they are bit large. If you are using regular onion, cut into medium chunks.
Heat 1/2 tsp oil and add cumin seeds, red chillies and urad dal and fry until urad dal changes its color to slight red and red chillies should turn dark brown in color, take care that you do not burn them. Remove it and keep it aside.
Heat remaining oil in the same pan and add shallots and fry them until they turn slight brown in color. This might take some 4-5 mins. Add soft tamarind at the end and mix well, if you are using tamarind pulp add it while grinding.Cool them a bit.
Grind roasted urad dal,red chllies and cumin seeds with salt to a coarse powder.
Add sautéed shallots(onion chunks) and tamarind pulp and grind it to a smooth or coarse chutney according to your preference. Add little water if required while grinding. Remove the chutney to a bowl.
In the same pan heat 1 tbsp. ghee/oil and crackle mustard seeds and add curry leaves and fry for some time and add this tempering to the chutney and mix well.

Serve it with Idli and Dosa varieties.

Notes:

You can add 2-3 roughly chopped tomatoes and fry along with onions and grind together to make tomato-onion chutney.
You can also 2-3 garlic pods while sautéing onions which adds a nice flavour to the chutney.

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I have been preparing simple pulaos for lunch on weekends these days as per the instructions of DH. He does not like me slogging in the kitchen during weekends and hence asks me to prepare a simple pulao kind of meal.Even I find it very easy to prepare the pulaos rather than a whole sabzi-dal fare.I usually serve pulao with raitas, papad and salad.I wanted to try the Aromatic Kashmiri style Dahi Baingan recipe from such a long time and I am glad I tried it.I liked the usage of the spices in this recipe which is quite different from the usual ones and more over it is No-Onion-No-Garlic recipe and no chopping and grinding required for the masala.It is a very quick and easy recipe but completely packed with aromas.

'Hing' or 'Asadoetida' plays a key role in the flavor and the freshly ground fennel powder and dry ginger powder add a unique flavor to it.We liked it so much that I have prepared it on two consecutive weekends.It would be ideal to serve it with Saffron rice or mild flavored Pulaos.After a small internet search to peek into minute details of the recipe,I found that this recipe belongs to Kashmiri Pandit Cuisine,I am not going into further depth of detailing the cuisine now.

I love Brinjals and especially the long purple shiny ones tempts me to buy whenever I spot them in the markets.These long purple eggplants are ideal to prepare Begun Bhaja, Aloo Baingan, Achari Baingan ,Baingan Bharta ,Vangi Bhath and now even this Dahi Baingan added to the list. Give your regular raita a miss and try this Kashmiri Dahi Baingan to pair with your pulaos,it is definitely a treat to the taste buds.

Kashmiri Dahi Baingan Recipe:

recipe source: Sanjeev Kapoor

Serves 4-5

Prep time:5 mins + soaking time | Cooking time:25 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine: Kashmiri -India | Category: Side dish - Main Course

Ingredients:

4-5 large long purple Brinjals

2 cups fresh Curd

1 tbsp Fennel seeds(Saunf)

1.5 tsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Dry Ginger powder

1/2 tsp Asafoetida (use 1/4 tsp if it is stronger one)

2-3 Green Cardamoms,powdered

Salt to taste

2-3 tbsp Mustard Oil

3 tbsp Water

Method:

Dry roast fennel seeds and powder them in a mortar and pestle.
Whisk the Curd nicely.
Cut Brinjals into thick 1" pieces and immerse them in salted water for 15-20 mins.This will remove the bitterness of brinjals if it is there.
Collect all the spices - fennel seed powder, asafoetida, red chili powder, cardamom powder, dry ginger powder in a small cup and add 3 tbsp water to it and mix well.

Heat mustard oil in a kadai/pan to its smoking point and switch off the flame for a minute.Again switch it on and add the mixed spice paste and fry it gently over low flame for a minute until the masala is roasted and leaves the oil.Take care not to burn the masala.

Slightly squeeze the brinjal pieces and add and mix well and fry for 3-4 mins until the masala mixture coats the brinjal pieces nicely.

Cover it and cook over low flame for 12-15 mins until the brinjals are cooked nicely.If needed cook for bit long.
Add salt to the cooked brinjals and mix well.

Remove the kadai from the flame and leave it aside for half a minute.Add beaten curd to it and mix well and bring the kadai back on the flame.This step is essential as there are chances that the curd might curdle when added to the hot kadai on flame.

Stir it gently and cover it cook on low heat for 3-4 mins until it comes to a slight boil.Keep stirring occasionally and cook on low flame.If you cook for longer the curd will curdle.You should switch off the flame immediately when you see it has started boiling otherwise the curd will curdle in a fraction of seconds.Mine was about to curdle as I was doing multi tasking at that time,so please be cautious in this step.

Serve it hot with Saffron Rice or Pulaos or Biryanis or Rotis. I served it with Paneer Pulao, papad and salad.

Notes:

I used 1/4 tsp Asafoetida as I used the stronger rock variety,powder it and use.
I usually immerse the eggplants in water for sometime as it will remove the bitterness from brinjals if anything is there.
I even tried it with out cardamom powder too even it tasted nice.So you can prepare it with or with out cardamom powder.

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I usually add Paneer to many of my Pulao Varieties as DH is a die hard fan of paneer. Most of the paneer pieces though find its way into his plate and the less preferred veggies like carrots etc would end up in mine- not fair right!!!What if I prepare Pulao with only Paneer in it,both of us would then have to share the paneer pieces and enjoy the meal thoroughly. Well that's how this Paneer Pulao came into existence in my house.I prepare this Pulao just like my usual Vegetable Pulao with minor changes and I replace the vegetables with Paneer.I like to add green peas to this pulao as it goes really well with paneer and helps balance the texture and flavors of pulao.I always grind fresh masala for the pulao along with the addition of spices directly while tempering helping make the pulao taste better.In my opinion, this taste cannot be replicated by the addition of Garam masala and hence I suggest you to try this process once and I am sure you would be hooked on to it.

I usually saute the soft Paneer variety and immerse in warm water and cook along with rice for the paneer pulao. This helps the paneer stays soft and absorb the flavors well after it is cooked.Frozen Paneer is not recommended as it makes the paneer rubbery after it is cooked,instead of frozen paneer I suggest you to try with fresh home made paneer.I had paired it with Kashmiri dahi Baingan,papad and salad and it was a perfect lunch on our weekend.

If you are interested check out other Pulao varieties in my blog - Methi Pulao, Vegetable Pulao, Mint Pulao, Tawa Pulao, Peas Pulao and Spicy Corn Pulao.

Paneer Pulao | Paneer Pulav Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:15 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time:45 mins

Cuisine:North Indian | Category:Pulao Varieties - Main Course

Ingredients:

1 heaped cup Basmati Rice

150 gms Homemade Paneer (Cottage cheese) (or store bought) ,cut into cubes

1/3 cup fresh/frozen Green Peas

1 Onion,finely sliced

juice of 1/2 Lemon

2 Green Cardamoms ,slightly slit

2 Cloves

1/2" Cinnamon

1 Bay leaf

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp Butter/Ghee

2 cups Water

to grind:

2 Cloves

1/2" Cinnamon

1-2 Marathi Moggu

4-5 Garlic pods

3/4" Ginger

10-12 Mint leaves

2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

3-4 Green chillies

Method:

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 10-15 mins.
Grind all the ingredients mentioned under 'to grind' in whipper mode to a coarse paste.Do not make it into a smooth paste,it will make the paneer pulao green.Just pulse it for a couple of time until you get coarse mixture.

Heat oil and ghee together in a pan(or pressure cooker) and add cubed paneer pieces and fry them for few minutes until they turn golden on one side.Turn them over and fry on the other side too until golden color.Drop them in warm water until its usage,this will make it soft.
In the same oil add bay leaf,green cardamom,cloves and cinnamon and fry for a minute.

Add sliced onions and fry until they turn translucent.
Now add fresh/frozen peas and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the ground masala and fry for 2-3 mins
Add soaked and drained basmati rice and fry gently for a couple of minute until the moisture in the rice evaporates.Do this process gently taking care that the rice does not get broken.

Slightly squeeze the paneer pieces and add to the rice and mix it gently.
At this point you can follow any of the following 3 methods.
option-1:If you are using pressure cooker you can add 2 cups of water,salt and lemon juice and pressure cook it for 1 whistle and simmer it for 5-6 mins.
option-2:If you want to prepare in kadai add 2 cups of boiling water,salt and lemon juice and cover it and cook for 10-12 mins until done.
option-3:Transfer all the rice mixture into the rice cooker and add 2 cups of hot water,salt and lemon juice and cook it until done.I always follow this process while making pulaos and biryanis as they come out perfect in rice cooker.

Do not get tempted to open the lid immediately after it is done.Leave it for 10 mins,this helps the rice to absorb all the flavors and stay fluffy.

Using a fork fluff the rice gently.

Serve it hot with a gravy of your choice or Raita and papad.I served it with Kashmiri Dahi Baingan.

Notes:

You can even add paneer pieces in the end after the rice is cooked,but I prefer to cook it along with the rice and masalas so that it absorbs flavors well.
Use fresh paneer,the frozen variety is not suitable for pulaos as they become rubbery after they get cooked.
For a south Indian touch you can add 1/3 cup grated coconut while grinding the masala for pulao.
Marathi Moggu gives a nice flavor to puloas,however it is optional as it is not easily available everywhere.

Check out other paneer recipes in my blog:

Kadai Paneer - Restaurant style
Paneer Butter Masala - Restaurant style!!
Paneer Modak Peda
Paneer Tikka
Paneer Bhurji
Paneer Jalfrezi
Paneer Sabzi | Simple Paneer Curry
Palak Paneer
Paneer Makhani/Paneer Makhanwala
Grilled Corn-Palak Paneer | Makai Palak Paneer
Matar Paneer

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