Ugadi pachadi

A sweet and sour pachadi or chutney made of tantalizing ingredients like raw mango, tamarind, jaggery and neem flowers.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tsp neem flower
• 4 tsp chrushed jaggery (gur) 
• One small lemon size ball of tamarind made into thick tamarind water (imli) 
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds(rai dana) 
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped raw mango (kachcha aam) 
• 1 c water

How to make ugadi pachadi:

• First add the raw mango pieces to the tamarind water and bring it to boil.
• Boil it till mango pieces are tender
• Now to this add jaggery and let it cook till it melts and blends into the mixture
• Remove from heat and keep aside
• Now in a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds let them splutter, add neem flower and fry till light brown
• Now add chilli powder and salt
• Mix well
• Take this neem flower tadka and add it to the tamarind and mango juice
• Serve in small quantities as an accompaniment to the main course food.

Bombay Pavbhaji

Most popular snack – a mixture of various vegetables are boiled, mashed and cooked with a spicy masala and served with butter fried pav.

Bombay Pavbhaji

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 25 minutes
Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS:

• Potatoes, boiled and mashed4 medium
• Tomatoes, chopped 4 medium
• Onions, chopped 2 medium
• Green capsicum, chopped deseeded1 medium
• Cauliflower, grated 1/4 small
• Green peas, shelled 1/4 cup
• Ginger, chopped 1 inch piece
• Garlic 8-10 cloves
• Oil 3 tablespoons
• Green chillies, chopped 3-4
• Pav bhaji masala 1 1/2 tablespoons
• Salt to taste
• Butter 3 tablespoons
• Pav 8
• Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1/4 cup
• Lemons, cut into wedges 2

METHOD:

Boil green peas in salted water till soft, drain, mash lightly and set aside. Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste. Heat oil in a pan and add three fourth quantity of onions. Sauté till light brown. Add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Stir-fry for half a minute.

Add half the quantity of tomatoes and cook on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring continuously or till oil separates from the masala. Add capsicum, mashed peas, cauliflower, potatoes and one and half cups of water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for ten minutes, pressing with back of the spoon a few times, till all the vegetables are completely mashed. Add Pavbhaji Masala, salt and remaining tomatoes. Cook on medium heat for two minutes, stirring continuously.

Heat half of the butter in a thick-bottomed pan or a tawa. Slice pav horizontally into two and pan fry in butter for half a minute, pressing two or three times or till pav is crisp and light brown. Garnish the bhaji with chopped coriander leaves, remaining butter and serve hot with pav accompanied with remaining chopped onion and lemon wedges.

Kasmiri Paneer Masala

Cottage cheese cooked with mushrooms and babycorns in yogurt gravy

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 15-20 minutes
Servings : 4

Kasmiri Paneer Masala

INGREDIENTS:

• Cottage cheese (paneer), cubed 200 grams
• Button mushrooms, quartered fresh6-8
• Baby-corns, 1 inch pieces (optional)3-4
• Oil 2 tablespoons+ to deep fry
• Whole dry red chilli 3-4
• Cinnamon 1 inch piece
• Green cardamoms 5
• Yogurt 1 1/2 cups
• kashmiri masala 1 teaspoon
• Fennel seeds (saunf) 1/2 teaspoon
• Dry ginger powder (soonth) 1/2 teaspoon
• Ginger julienne2 inch piece
• Salt to taste
• Sugar 1 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
• Dry coconut (khopra), flaked 2 tablespoons
• Peanuts, roasted 3 tablespoons
• Fresh coriander leaves 2 tablespoons
• Clove 5

METHOD:

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add mushrooms and baby corns and sauté for three to four minutes. Drain and keep aside. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry paneer cubes. Dip them in water. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add whole red chillies, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms, yogurt, Kashmiri masala, fennel seeds and dry ginger powder. Sauté for a minute.

Add ginger julienne and cook. Add salt, sugar, red chilli powder and stir. Drain the paneer cubes from the water. Add mushrooms, paneer cubes and baby corns and cook for two to three minutes. Transfer into a serving dish. Garnish with coconut flakes, roasted peanuts and chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

shivaji……….. 😛

South Indian special — Rava Dosia RECIPE

Rava dosa is a favourite recipe in our house. I make this once every two weeks. There are different versions in the measurements of riceflour, sooji and maida and I have tried many. Somehow I am comfortable with this version as it is quick and easy to make. It tastes delicious with sambar and chutney.

Rava Dosa

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups semolina (sooji, rava)
• 1/2 cup rice (chawal) flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• salt (namak) to taste
• 1 inch ginger (adrak)
• 4 green chillies
• 10-12 curry leaves (kari patta)
• 1/4 cup coconut (narial) (scraped)
• 12 cashewnuts
• 2 tblsp
• peppercorns
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tblsp vegetable fat (ghee)
• refined oil (tel) to fry

METHOD:

• Blend rava, rice flour and buttermilk to make a thin batter, add asafoetida
  and required salt. Stand the batter for at least 6 hours.
• Wash and finely chop the ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Chop the
  coconut and cashew nut into very small bits.
• Crush the peppercorns and cumin seeds. Heat the ghee and roast peppercorn
  and cumin seeds in it and add to the batter.
• Mix the chopped greens, coconut and cashew into the batter. Stir well.
• Grease a non-stick tawa, smear little oil. Pour a ladle full of the batter
  and spread by swirling the tava.
• Pour a tablespoon oil around and on the dosa.
• Cook till it is crisp and golden in color. Remove and serve hot.

shivaji……….. 😛

Hyderabadi special– Biryani Nawabi Recipe

Biryani Nawabi gets its name because of the liberal use of the dry fruits like raisins, apricot, almonds, cashew nuts and sunflower seeds.

INGREDIENTS:

• 750 grams Basmati rice
• 1 kg Mutton
• 5-6 medium Onions
• 1 tblsp Ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tblsp Garam masala
• 6 nos. Red chillies
• 1 cup Curds
• 2 nos. Cinnamon
• 6 nos. Cardamom powder
• 1 tblsp Shahjeera
• 10 nos. Black peppercorns
• 1 tblsp Turmeric powder
• 2 pinches Saffron
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 10 nos. Apricot
• 1 tblsp Almonds
• 1 tblsp Cashew nuts
• 1 tblsp Sunflower seeds
• 1 tblsp Raisins

METHOD:

• Heat 5 tbsp ghee and fry the almonds, cashew nuts, chironji, raisins, apricots (halved) till light brown in colour.
• Fry the onions till crisp.
• Grind the fried onions and chillies to a fine paste.
• Marinate the meat in beaten curds, ginger-garlic paste, onion-chilli paste, turmeric powder and salt for 1 1/2 hours.
• Heat 2 1/2 tblsp ghee and saute the marinated meat till it is dry and oil leaves the sides of the pan.
• Heat 2 tblsp ghee and fry the cinnamon, cardamom, shahjeera and black pepper till the seeds start spluttering.
• Add the drained rice and saute for 4-5 minutes.
• Add warm water. The level of water should be 1 1/2 inches above the rice level.
• Add salt as per taste. Cook till rice is done.
• Spread on a plate and remove the cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves.
• To Assemble
• Take a heavy bottomed pan and line it with ghee.
• Add the prepared mutton and sprinkle garam masala over it.
• Cover with cooked rice and dot with ghee.
• Make deep holes in the rice and add the saffron (soaked in 1/2 milk) and sprinkle fried nuts and onions.
• Cover the pan and seal the edges with dough.
• Heat a tawa and place the pan on top and cook on a very low flame for 20-25 minutes.
• Mix and serve hot garnished with chopped mint leaves.

shivaji……….. 😛

South Indian special– UPMA

Another beautiful breakfast item of south india “UPMA”

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Sooji/Rawa
• 1 Onion (chopped)
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 2 Cups water
• 1 tsp Urad Dal
• 2 Green chilies (chopped)
• 1/4 tsp Ginger(chopped)
• 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp Mustard seed
• Curry leaves
• 8 Cashew nuts
• Salt to taste

How to make Upma:

• Roast rawa in a dry skillet on low flame until it starts to give off a distinct aroma. Take it out.

• Heat ghee in the same and add cumin seeds, curry leaves, mustard, urad dal and cashew nuts .

• Now add chopped greed chilli, ginger, onions and cook again for 3 minutes.

• Now add salt, roasted sooji and water. • Stir well and cover it. • Upma is ready. Serve it with pickle.

South Indian special — Sambar Idli

Most of south india like Idli Sambar in Breakfast…
Wat’s ur favorite..Breakfast..??

Idli Sambar recipe..

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Moong dal
• 1/4 cup Thoor dal
• 5 Drumsticks(11/2 inch pieces)
• 1 Carrot (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 Medium size brinjal (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 Potato (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 2 Green chillies
• 1 Medium size tomato
• 1 Medium size onion
• 1 Coriander powder
• 1/2 Chilli powder
• 1/4 Turmeric powder
• Salt for taste

For Tempering:

• 2tbsp Oil
• 1 Chopped onion(chopped)
• 1tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/2tsp Urad dal
• 3 Curry leaves

Method:

1. In a pressure pan fry the moong dal for 6-7 mts.
2. Add the thoor dal,vegetables,chopped tomato,chopped onion,green chillies.
3. Pressure them till 2 whistle.Then, open the pan & add coriander powder,chilli powder,turmeric powder,salt & cook for 5 mts.
4. Now,in a tempering vessel pre-heat the oil & splutter the mustard seeds,urad dal, curry leaves.
5. Add the onion & fry the till gloden brown & add to the sambar.
6. Sambar is ready serve with Idly & Dosa.