Dosa Batter

I did not like the ready made ones they sell here in the indian stores, so called up so many people and got each ones version and finally made it.
1 Cup Urad Dal or Udhi pappu(without the husk)
3 Cups Sona Masuri Rice (Uncooked,any variety except basmati)
1 tbsp Fenugreek Seeds(helps in fermentation)
1 Cup Cooked Rice or Murmura or Puffed Rice

Soak urad dal,Unccoked Rice,Fenugreek Seeds overnight or for atleast 8 hours.Grind all the ingredients with minimum water.Transfer the batter into a vessel and make sure its half empty, as the quantity will increase.Cover with a cloth and keep it in a place where there is enough sunlight.If you live in a place which is very cold, place it in the oven.Some frens advised me to preheat it i was afraid the taste will change so just placed it in the oven.The quantity will double in 12 hours.You can refrigerate this batter and use it for a week.

Sunni Undalu

This sweet is very good for health.It gives you lot of strength.Good to eat one everyday.Its very simple and fast to make.It took me around 30 mins to make it.

Ingredients

1 Cup Urad Dal(Minapappu or Udhi pappu)

1 Cup Sugar

3/4th Cup Ghee.

Actually all the above ratio depends on your taste.If you dont like it to be sweet you can decrease.

Dry roast the urad dal till golden brown on low flame.Be carefull that you should not burn it else it will not be tasty.Actual taste comes from how you roast the urad dal.When you are done keep aside and let it cool.Meantime grind sugar into a powder and put it on a wide mouthed vessel.Grind the roasted urad dal to a powder and mix well.Add ghee and make it into round balls.Ghee will help in holding the dal and sugar together.

1 Cup(rice cup) Urad dal makes 6 sunni undalu.You can increase the quantity accordingly.

Chicken Curry

This is my first non veg dish.I always had an aversion to cleaning the non veg.But finally made it today.It came out very well.I am sure you can try this.

Ingredients

1 Baby Chicken

3 medium Onions

Coriander

2 Green Chillies

2 Tsp Grated cocunut Cocunut

Grind below spices with mortar and pestle

1/2 Inch Cinammon Stick

2 Cardomoms

2 Clove

Marination

1/2 tsp Jeera Powder

2 tsp Ginger garlic paste

2 tsp Garam Masala

2 tsp Dhania Powder

1 Tsp Lemon

Red Chillie Powder

Soak the chicken in Water and add Turmeric and Lemon and clean well.For marination add all the marination ingredients and mix well and keep aside.Meantime Grind Onions,green chillies,cocunut and Coriander into a coarse paste.Saute this paste,1 tsp ginger garlic paste till it becomes light brown.Add the Chicken pieces with the remaining contents and mix well.Cook on low flame for 5 minutes.You can add spices,chillie powder,Garam Masala depending on your taste.Add 1 1/2 cups water and mix well in regular intervals for 10 minutes.Add salt to taste.

Aloo Tikki

Ingredients

3 Potato(Boiled and Mashed)

1 Cup Peas(Boiled or Frozen)

2 Slices Bread

Lemon Juice

Garam Masala

Oil for shallow frying

Chillie Powder

Jeera Powder

Green Chillies

Preparation

Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok and fry the bread so that its a little hard and grind it.Grind Green Chillies and Peas to a little Coarse Level.Mix potatoes,Chillies and peas paste,Jeera powder,Chillies Powder,Garam Masala,Lime Juice,bread Powder(Keep half of it aside too),Salt to taste.

Make the paste into a small ball and flatten them in the shape of cutlet and place it on bread powder and shallow fry till golden brown.

Masala Papad

Thursday we usually have only fruits in the night so i decided to make some snacks in the evening.I made Masala Papad and Carrot Kheer

Ingredients
Papad
Onions ,Tomatoes finely chopped(chop them as small as you can)
Sev
Salt
Chillie Powder/Green Chillies finely Chopped

Garam Masala a Pinch
Lime Juice
Preparation.
Mix the tomatoes(While chopping remove the pulp ),Onions,Salt,Chillie Powder,Garam Masala,Lime Juice and Keep aside for 5 mins.Apply a lil oil on the papad on both sides.Microwave the papad for 30 s and reverse the papad and microwave for 30 s.If you are worried abt tht oil.you can place a tissue on the plate and place the papad and microwave.Spread the Mixture on the Papad and spread evenly and then add Sev.Serve immediately.

Carrot Kheer

Yesterday i made carrot curry and it took me an hour trying to reduce the sweetness.Finally i couldn't succeed,i wanted to take the sweetness to my advantage so thought of making carrot kheer from Priyas blog.I made a small change by substituting sugar with honey to make it healthier.
Ingredients

• Carrots chopped
  Cardamom Powder
• Milk
• Honey

Microwave/Boil the carrots in Milk.Grind the carrots into a Paste.Add paste,Cardamom powder,Honey to boiling milk and mix well.Serve Cool.The quantities depend on how concentrated you like each of the ingredients.

Aloo Kurma

Ingredients

• 4 Medium Potatoes Boiled and Cut into cubes
• 2 Finely Chopped Tomatoes
• 1 Big Finely Chopped Onion
• 2 Tsp Dhania Powder
• 1 Tsp Garam Masala
• 2 Tsp Grated cocunut
• 1 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• Chillie Powder
• 2 Cardomams

Preparation

Heat Oil in a wok and Saute Onions until golden Brown.Add ginger Garlic Paste,Grated Cocunut and fry for a minute.Add Tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are mushy.Add Red Chillie Powder, Garam Masala,Dhania powder,Turmeric and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the Boiled Potatoes and mix all the contents well.Add 2 Cups Water,Elaichi ,Salt to taste and cook covered till you get the desired consistency.Garnish with Coriander.You can have it with Nimakayi Pulihora.

Semiya payasam

Ingredients

• 2 Measures Vermicelli(Semiya)
• 12 Measures Milk
• 1/2 Measure Sugar
• Ghee
• Cashew Nuts and Raisins
• Elaichi

Preparation

Roast Cashew Nuts and Vermicelli in Ghee till light brown.Boil Milk and keep stirring and add Elaichi,Sugar,Vermicelli and mix well.Make sure there are no lumps of Vermicelli and its cooked..You can add more sugar depends on how sweet you would like it to taste.Garnish with Cashews and Raisins.

Serve Hot or Cold.If you are serving Cold add a little cold milk and mix well.

Nimmakayi Pulihora

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Cooked Rice
• 2 Tsp channa Dal
• 2 Tsp Urad Dal
• 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
• 4 Tsp Ground Nuts
• 2 Tsp Turmeric
• 4 Green Chillies
• 2 Red Chillies
• Curry Leaves
• Coriander
• 2 Lemon
• 3 tsp Oil

Preparation

Add 1 tsp Oil and fry the ground nuts and keep aside.Heat Oil in a wok and add Cumin Seeds,Mustard Seeds,Curry Leaves,Urad Dal,Channa Dal,Red Chillies and mix well.Then add the ground Nuts ,Green Chillies,Turmeric and mix well.

When you cook the rice you can add a little Ghee so that the Rice is not sticky.Meantime Cool the Cooked Rice in Wide Mouthed Vessel and add the Mixture and mix well.Add Lemon Juice and Salt to taste.Make sure the seasoning is evenly spread on the Rice.You can have it with Aloo Kurma.Very Easy and fast to make.

I never knew cooking was so easy :).

Vinayaka Chavithi

Vinayaka Chavithi subhakankshalu

The festive atmosphere in pune is truly electrical and one can see long queues and people visiting different mandals to see various idols and amazing decoration and lighting extravaganza.

Also this is my first festival after i got married.I prepared Semiya Payasam,Nimmakayi Pulihora,Aloo Kurma,Pappu,Rasam.For a starter in Cooking it was a great achievement.

MealMaker/Nuggets Curry

Ingredients

• 100 gms Mealmaker
• 2 Medium Sized Potato
• 3 Tomatoes finely chopped
• 2 Onions finely chopped
• 2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
• Turmeric
• Red Chillie Powder
• 2 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 tsp Dhania Powder

Preparation

Soak the mealmakers in boiling water and keep aside for 30 mins.Squeeze the water out from the mealmakers and fry in a pan with little oil and add turmeric and mix well so that all the water is evaporated.

In a pressure cooker splutter mustard seeds,cumin seeds.Saute onions till they are soft and add ginger garlic paste,Turmeric and mix well.Add Tomatoes(you can also use tomato puree) and cook till they become nearly a paste.Its the tomatoes which actually add to the gravy.Add Dhania Powder and Gharam masala.

Add potatoes(cut into medium size) and the meal maker and mix well and add water(i used the same water i squezed out initially from the meal maker i felt all the nutrients will go away) till the contents are submerged .Pressure cook for 6 whistles.

When the pressure is down cook on medium flame till your desired consistency.If you feel the gravy is too less you can add some curd,Chillie powder,Dhania powder.Mix well and cook for 5 mins.Add Salt to taste.

I made it with Peas Pulao .You can also have it with Roti.

Aloo Muttar Curry

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Peas
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Grated Cocunut
• Onions
• Chillie Powder
• Turmeric
• Cumin Seeds
• Mustard Seeds
• Ginger Garlic Paste

Preparation

Heat Oil in a wok and splutter Cumin seeds,Mustard Seeds.Saute onions till they are soft and add grated Cocunut,ginger garlic paste and mix well till the raw smell of the cocunut goes(If you have a mixie you can mix onions,ginger garlic,Onions into a paste and fry).Add Turmeric ,Potatoes,Peas,Carrot,Tomatoes and Chillie Powder and Mix well.

Pour water till all the vegetables are under water and pressure cook.

When Cool heat on a stove and add a little gharam masala powder and cook on low flame till how concentrated you want the gravy to be.Add Salt to Taste.Gravy of the curry depends on the onions and cocunut paste.

Palak Dal

Ingredients

• Palak
• Garlic
• Toor Dal
• Tamarind
• Green Chillies
• Turmeric
• Onions
• Cumin Seeds
• Curry Leaves
  

Preparation

Pressure Cook Dal,Palak,Chillies,Turmeric,Garlic,Onions(Keep some aside for Tadka).When it cools mix well.Heat oil in a wok and add cumin seeds,Curry Leaves.Saute onions till soft and add the Palak dal and a little tamarind juice and cook for 5 minutes.Add Salt to taste.Palak Dal is ready.

Potato/Aloo Fry

Ingredients

• 3 Potatoes
• 1 Onions
• Curry Leaves
• Cumin Seeds
• 2 pieces Finely chopped Garlic
• Red chillie Powder
• Turmeric

Preparation
Boil Potatoes and make sure they dont become too soft.Heat oil in a wok and splutter Cumin Seeds,Mustard Seeds and Curry Leaves .Saute Onions,Garlic till they become soft and add turmeric,chillie Powder.Add the potatoes and fry well till they become a little crispy.Add Salt to taste.Another option is you can cut the potatoes into small pieces and add them directly and Deep Fry.I made this along with Palak Dal and Rice.

Beetroot Fry

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Grated Beetroot
• 1/4 Cup Grated Cocunut
• 2 Onions
• 4 Green Chillies
• 2 teaspoons Channa Dal
• Turmeric
• Curry Leaves
• Cumin Seeds
• Mustard seeds

Preparation

Soak Channa dal in water for 5 minutes and drain the water.Heat oil in a wok and splutter channa Dal,cumin seeds,Mustard Seeds and Curry Leaves.Saute finely chopped onions and chillies till golden brown.Add Turmeric,Grated cocunut, to the onions and mix well and add the grated beetroot and mix well.Cover the pan witha lid and cook till the beetroot leaves its raw smell.Serve with hot Rotis.Its very healthy and feels very light in the stomach at night.You may need to add more chillies depending on your spice level.Beetroot will need a lil more chillies than the normal vegetables as the beetroot gives a sweet taste.