Ridge Gourd Dip For Dosa, Idly / Peerkangai Chutney / Peerkangai thogial

Preparation time: 10 mins
Quantity: Serves 3

Ingredients:

• Ridge Gourd - 1 Long
• Onion - 1 Medium
• Tomato - 1 Medium
• Green Chillies - 3
• Rock Salt - To taste
• Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind pulp - 1/2 tsp (optional)

To Temper:

• Oil - For tempering
• Curry Leaves - 1 strand
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard - 1/2 tsp
• Asafetida - 1/4 tsp

Method:

• Remove the skin of Ridge gourd and roughly chop them into medium / small pieces
• Chop Onion and Tomato roughly
• Heat Oil in a pan and add green chillies and fry for a min. Add Onions and Fry until translucent.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook till it becomes soft
• Add chopped ridge gourd and add very little water and cook covered for 3-4 mins or until the ridge gourd becomes soft.
• Allow the mixture to cool and transfer it to a grinding jar.
• Add salt, asafetida, and tamarind pulp and grind them all to a fine paste.
• Heat a oil for tempering and add, mustard seeds, urad dal, asafetida, and curry leaves.
• Add the tempering to the ground paste.
• Serve with Idly, Dosa, white rice.

Beetroot aloo tikki

Preparation Time 20 minutes

Quantity serves 4

Ingredients

• Beetroot - 1 big
• Potatoes - 2 medium 
• Onion - 2 medium
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste 
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp
• Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
• Corn flour - 1 tsp
• Bread slices - 4
• Sooji / rava - to coat patties 
• Water - to cook veggies

Method

• Peel and boil beetroot and potatoes with salt and water. Cook until half done,  strain water, and grate it. 
• Grate onions and add to grated beet and potatoes 
• Add all the spices one by one and mix well 
• Add corn flour and crumbled bread and mix well 
• Leave aside for 5 minutes so that the bread will absorb the moisture and the dough will be easy to shape into patties 
• Make patties of desired shape and size
• Roll them over the Sooji and coat all over 
• Shallow fry in a hot pan 
• Serve hot with ketchup 

My Notes

• You can also shallow fry without coating in sooji
• If there is more moisture in the dough add few more bread slices. It will help to bind the dough well and make them into desired shapes.

Potato Cheese Balls

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Quantity: Serves 3

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3 large boiled and mashed

Fresh green peas - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1 medium chopped

Spring Onion – 1 strand

Chilly sauce – 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Pepper Powder – ½ tsp

CornFlour - 2 tblsp

Water – ¼ cup

Breadcrumbs - 1 cup

Mozarella Cheese - cut into small cubes

Oil - for Deep Frying

Method:

• Boil potatoes, peel and mash them finely.
• Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add onions, peas and spring onion leaves and stir until the peas gets soft.
• Add Chilly sauce, salt, pepper and stir well. Finally add mashed potatoes and mix well. Turn down the flame and allow it to cool.
• Make a thin batter using corn flour and water. Keep aside.
• Cut cheese into small cubes and keep aside.
• Make the potato mixture into balls and insert the cheese cube in middle of the ball. Ensure that the cheese is not seen outside.
• Dip it in the corn flour batter and roll it in the bread crumbs.
• Deep fry them in hot oil and serve hot with ketchup

My notes:

• Make sure the corn flour batter is thin. It is just to bind the bread crumbs.
• Heat the oil in high flame and once the oil is ready, turn the flame to medium. Else the balls will be burnt and become dark brown.
• If you do not have bread crumbs handy, you can just crumble few rusk pieces and use it, though it tastes little different.
• Easy way to make bread crumbs is to put bread in a pop up toaster and crumble them.

Baby Potatoes and Capsicum cooked in spinach gravy

Preparation time: 20 mins
Quantity: Serves 3

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes – 5-6 nos

Capsicum – 1 medium

Palak leaves – ½ cup

Tomato – 1 medium

Onion – 1 Big

Green chillies – 1

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Cashews – 3-4 nos

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Jeera powder – ½ tsp

Dhania powder – ½ tsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Kasuri methi – ½ tsp (optional)

Fresh cream – 2 tbsp (optional)

Saunf / Sombu – ¼ tsp

Butter / oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

• Boil baby potatoes with little salt and keep aside.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add chopped onion, tomatoes, spinach leaves, green chillies, cashew and fry until onions and tomatoes are cooked and spinach leaves become tender.
• Allow it to cool and grind it to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
• Heat oil or ghee in the same pan and sauté saunf. When it splutters, add chopped onions and fry until onions become translucent.
• Add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell leaves. Add the capsicum cut into cubes and fry for a min.
• Add the ground paste and add little water to it.
• Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, jeera powder and dhania powder, salt to it and allow it to boil for 2 mins. 
• Add the boiled and peeled potatoes to the mixture and cook for 2 mins.
• Crush kasuri methi and add it to the gravy. Turn the flame down and Add fresh cream
• Serve with ghee rice or jeera rice or any roti.

My notes:

• You can add colored capsicum to make a colorful and flavorful gravy
• Adding fresh cream is optional, however, it gives a rich taste to the gravy.
• Do not skip adding cashews as, it blends the veggies well with the gravy.
• Do not overcook capsicum. It tastes good when its crunchy.

Vegetable Biryani

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Quantity : serves 4

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1 Cup
Oil – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1 big (thinly sliced)
Mixed veggies – 1 cup (diced carrots, beans, potato, capsicum, peas)
Turmeric powder  -1/4 tsp
Red Chilly powder – 1 tsp
Biryani masala powder – 1 tsp
Salt – To taste
Curd – 2 tbsp
Red food color – 1 pinch (optional)

To grind:

Tomato – 1 big
Garlic – 3-4 cloves
Mint Leaves – 10 strands
Green chillies – 2

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds / Soambu – ½ tsp
Bay leaf – 1
Star anise - 1

Preparation:

• Grind the items under the table “To grind” to a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a cooker and add the items for tempering.
• Add sliced onions and fry until they turn translucent.
• Add the veggies, turmeric powder, chilly powder, biryani masala powder, salt and give a stir
• Add the ground paste and mix well.
• Add curd and food color mixed with water
• Add the rice and stir well
• Add 2.5 cups of water and pressure cook until 3 whistles.
• Serve hot with onion raita

Paruppu Usili

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Quantity : serves 4

Ingredients:

Beans -1 cup (Chopped) 

Salt - to taste

Water - to cook dal

To grind:
Channa Dal - 1/4 cup
Dried Red Chillies - 3
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida / Hing - a small pinch
Toor Dal - 1/4 cup

To temper:Oil - 1 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 strand

Preparation:

• Soak Toor Dal and Channa Dal overnight and grind it to a coarse paste along with red chilies and salt.
• Cut beans into small pieces and boil it with some water and little salt. Once, the beans become soft, drain the water and keep aside.
• Put the ground mixture in a idly pan and steam it for 5 minutes (No whistle required)
• Crumble the steamed dal with hands into fine pieces.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add the items for tempering.
• Add the crumbled dal and cooked beans and give a stir.
• Serve with Rice and Sambhar 

My notes:

• This recepie goes well with veggies like beans / cluster beans / vaazaipoo (plantain flower) / cabbage. But beans and cluster beans are the commonly used veggies for this.
• Adjust salt accordingly as both dal and the veggie is cooked with salt.

Masoor Dal Tadka

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Masoor Dal – 1 cup

Onion – 1 medium

Tomato – 1 medium

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Dhania powder – ½ tsp

Jeera powder  -1/4 tsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Asafetida  - 1 pinch

Salt – to taste

Kasuri methi  -1/2 tsp

Oil / clarified butter – 1 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Water  - To cook dal

Preparation:

• Pressure cook Masoor Dal with enough water for 2 – 3 whistles
• Heat oil / ghee in a pan and saute Jeera, Red chillies and allow it to splutter.
• Add thinly chopped onions and fry until translucent.
• Add roughly chopped tomatoes, Dhanaia powder, Turmeric powder, jeera powder, garam masala, chilli powder, salt and give a stir.
• Add little water so that the onions and tomatoes cook finely.
• Add the cooked dal and stir well.
• When the masala and dal is blended well, add kasuri methi and stir.
• Put off the flame and serve hot with steamed rice.

Potato Tomato Masala for Poori, Chapathi and Dosa

Preparation time: 15 mins

Quantity: Serves: 3

Ingredients:

Potato – 2 (Big Size) Chopped into medium sized cubes
Onion - 1 (Big Size) Chopped in to thin slices
Dhania Powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

Salt - to taste

Water - 1/2 cup

To make a paste:

Onion - 1 roughly chopped
Tomatoes - 2 roughly chopped
Garlic - 6 cloves
Red Chillies – 5-6

To temper:

Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafetida - a tiny pinch

Curry leaves - a small sprig

Preparation:

• Grind the above said ingredients in table 2 and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add saute the onions till translucent.
• Add the ground paste, Salt and stir for a while.
• Then add the potatoes and simmer the flame. Allow the potatoes to get cooked in the gravy. 
• Ensure that the potatoes don’t overcook. It should be soft, but not mushy.
• Finally, temper the above said ingredients with some oil and add it to the potato mixture.
• Serve hot with Roti, Dosa, or Poori

Paneer Tikka (Stove Top)

Preparation Time : 20 Minutes

Quantity: 4 small Skewers


Ingredients:

To Marinate:

• Paneer -200 grams sliced
• Tomato - 1 Medium
• Onion - 1 Medium
• Capsicum - 1 Medium
• Red Capsicum & Yellow Capsicum - 1/2 cup sliced
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Beaten Curd - 1/4 cup
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Tandoori masala / Chat Masala powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Preparation:

• Add all the ingredients under the "To Marinate" table and marinate the paneer & veggies for 15 minutes.
• In a stove, Place a tawa and place the panner slices and shallow fry until the sides turn brown.
• Shallow fry Capsicum slices, Onion and Tomato in Tawa. The veggies should retain its crunchiness and should not be over cooked.
• Arrange the veggies and the Paneer slices in a skewer and serve hot with Green chutney.

Coconut Thogial / Coconut paste for rice / Thengai thogial

Preparation time: 5 Minutes

Quantity : 1 big cup

Ingredients:

• Coconut – 1 small
• Urad Dal – 2 tbsp
• Asafetida – ½ tsp
• Dry Red chillies – 5 or 6
• Rock salt – to taste
• Tamarind - 1 small piece (optional)
• Water – to grind
• Oil – To saute

Preparation:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add urad dal, red chillies, asafetida and fry until the dal becomes slightly brown. Remove from flame and allow it to cool.
• In a mixer jar, add grated / chopped coconut, fried dal mixture, Tamarind, salt and dry grind it once.
• Add little water and grind again to a smooth paste.
• Serve with plain rice, rasam and any simple curry. 

My notes:

• The ground paste can be a little coarse, if you want to enjoy the coconut flavor completely.
• The thogial can be little thicker than the chutney consistency.
• You can also add 2 cloves of garlic to the oil while frying dal and grind it with the coconut. 

Quick Gotsu

Preparation time: 10 mins
Quantity: Serves 4


Ingredients:

• Onion – 1 big (Chopped)
• Tomato – 1 big (Chopped)
• Brinjal – 3 medim (cut into small pieces)
• Green chillies – 3-4
• Moong dal – ¼ cup
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Dhania powder – 1 tsp
• Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Asafetida – ½ tsp
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Curry leaves & coriander - for garnishing
• Salt – To taste
• Water – To cook dal
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Preparation:

• In a non stick pan, add oil and allow mustard seeds to splutter.
• Add split green chillies, curry leaves, asafetida and give a stir.
• Add onions and fry until translucent.
• Add Tomatoes and cook until it becomes soft.
• Add the sliced brinjals and cook until the colour changes slightly.
• Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhania powder and mix well.
• Wash the moong dal and put it in a pressure cooker with 1 glass of water.
• Add the cooked masala mixture to the pressure cooker and close the lid and cook for 2 whistles. (After the first whistle, slow down the flame and wait until the 2nd whistle is out on its own)
• After the pressure is released, Add salt & lime juice to the cooked mixture and garnish with coriander leaves.
• This is a quickly done side dish for any tiffin item such as idly, dosa, pongal, upma.

My notes:

• Do not add salt in the beginning as it will take time for the dal to cook.
• You can add tamarind juice instead of lime juice also.
• This tastes good even without adding lime juice or tamarind juice, as it gets the sourness from the tomato used.

Gobi Manchurian

Preparation time: 20 mins
Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• Gobi / Cauliflower – 1 medium sized floret
• Maida – ¼ cup
• Corn flour – 2 tbsp
• Pepper powder – ½ tsp
• Capsicum – 1 small (Optional)
• For the Manchurian sauce:
• Finely chopped ginger – 1 inch
• Finely chopped garlic – 2 cloves
• Finely chopped onion – (The white part of spring onion) 2-3
• Red chilli sauce – 2 tbsp
• Tomato sauce – 1 tbsp
• Soya sauce – 1 tsp
• Ajinomoto – ¼ tsp
• Salt – To taste
• Water – as required
• Oil – to fry
• Spring Onion – For garnishing

Preparation:

• Take bite sized florets and put them in boiling water with ½ tsp of salt and turmeric powder added to it. Allow it to parboil and strain the water.
• Make a batter using maida, corn flour, salt and pepper powder. The batter should be slightly thick and not too runny.
• Add the parboiled florets in the batter and coat them well. Let it marinate for 5 minutes.
• Heat oil in a frying pan and once it is hot, fry the marinated florets until golden brown and keep aside.
• In a Nonstick pan, add 2 tbsp oil and add the chopped garlic and ginger and give a quick stir.
• Add finely chopped onions and fry until translucent.
• Add thinly cut capsicum and quickly give a stir. Capsicum should retain its crunchiness and should not be over cooked. This is purely optional and you can make Gobi Manchurian without capsicum as well.
• Add Chilli sauce, Tomato sauce, soya sauce, salt, Pepper powder, ajinomoto and mix well.
• Mix ½ tsp of corn flour in 2 tbsp of water and add this to the sauce. You can adjust this accordingly to make the Gobi Manchurian semi gravy.
• Add the deep fried cauliflower florets to the Manchurian sauce and toss well to ensure all the florets are coated well in the sauce.
• Garnish with finely chopped spring onion (Green part) and Stir well for a minute.
• Serve hot with any Fried rice or pulao

Gobi 65 / Fried Gobi

Preparation time – 15 mins
Quantity – Serves 4

Ingredients:

Cauliflower / Gobi – 1 big flower

Oil – For deep frying

Cilantro / Coriander – For garnishing

For the batter:

Maida – 1 cup

Corn flour – 2 tbsp

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Dhania powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Chilli sauce – ½ tsp

Soya sauce – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Ajinomoto – a pinch (Optional)

Water – to make the batter

Preparation:

• Take bite sized florets and put them in boiling water with ½ tsp of salt and turmeric powder added to it. Allow it to parboil and strain the water.

• Make a batter using the ingredients mentioned in the above table. The batter should be slightly thick and not too runny.

• Add the parboiled florets in the batter and coat them well. Let it marinate for 15 minutes.

• Heat oil in a frying pan and once it is hot, fry the marinated gobi until golden brown.

• Garnish with fresh coriander and Serve hot with tomato ketchup or with fried rice.

 My notes:

• Do not overcook the florets while boiling them.

• You can add a pinch of red food color to attain the color of the dish as served in restaurants.

• Adjust Chilli powder & Chilli sauce according to taste.

• You can also add ginger garlic paste to the batter. However, I did not use them when i made.

• If the batter is too runny, then it will not coat the florets properly.

White Sauce

Preparation Time - 15 Minutes
Quantity – 1 Bowl

Ingredients

• Milk – 2 Cups
• Refined flour / Maida – 2 tbsp
• Butter – 1 tbsp
• Garlic – 2 pieces
• Onion – 1 big piece
• Bay leaf – 1
• Clove – 1
• Salt – To taste
• Oregano Seasoning – According to taste
• Italian seasoning - According to taste
• Cheese – 2 cubes / 2 tsp

Preparation

• Heat Butter in a pan and add Maida to it. Fry it until the colour changes slightly.
• Add crushed garlic and give a stir.
• Pour milk to the pan and stir well without forming any lumps. Allow it to boil for 1 minute.
• Make a tikka like formation of Clove, Bay leaf, Onion piece (in the same order) and put it in the boiling milk mixture.
• Once the milk mixture starts to thicken, add the cheese and seasonings as per taste.
• Remove the Onion, clove and bay leaf pieces.
• Add Salt and give a stir.
• Add little water if the sauce gets too thick.
• Put it in an Air Tight container and refrigerate it.
• This sauce can be used with any pasta / Italian cooking.

Paneer Capsicum & Sweet Corn Subzi

Cooking Time: 20 Mins

Quantity: Serves 3

Ingredients:

• Paneer – 150 Grams
• Sweet Corn kernels – 1 Cup
• Capsicum / Bell Pepper – 1 (Cut into medium pieces)
• Onion – 3 Medium Size (Roughly Chopped)
• Tomato – 2 Medium Size (Roughly Chopped)
• Fresh Cream – 2 tbsp.
• Kasuri Methi – 1 tsp.
• Butter – 1 tsp.
• Oil – 1 tsp.
• Saunf – ½ tsp.
• Red Chilly powder – 1 tsp.
• Cumin Powder – ½ tsp.
• Garam Masala – ½ tsp.
• Salt – To Taste

Preparation:

• Heat Oil in a pan and add fry roughly chopped Onions and Tomato for 2 mins. Allow it to cool and grind it to a paste. Keep aside.
• In Boiling Water, add ¼ tsp. of salt and add the sweet corn kernels and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. Once it is done, strain the water and keep aside.
• Heat Butter in a pan and add saunf for tempering.
• Add Capsicum and cook for a minute. The capsicum should retain its crunchiness.
• Add the ground Onion Tomato paste, Boiled corn kernels, Red Chili powder, Cumin Powder, Garam Masala, salt and cook for a minute.
• Add water if the gravy becomes very thick.
• Now add the paneer cubes to the gravy and give a stir.
• Turn Down the flame and add fresh cream, crushed Kasuri methi and stir well.
• Serve hot with any Roti / Naan.

Lemon Rice

Cooking time 5 minutes
Quantity serves 4

Ingredients
Cooked rice - 2 bowls
Lemon - 2 (Medium Size)
Salt - To taste

For Tempering
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Split Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Split Channa Dal 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 3 nos (Split into halves)
Cashew nuts - 6-7 (Broken into small pieces)
Curry Leaves - 1 strand
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafetida - 1/4 tsp

Preparation

• Heat Oil in a pan and add the items listed in the table "For tempering" one by one and remove from flame.
• Put the cooked rice in a mixing bowl and add 1/2 tsp oil, Salt as required and add the tempering mixture to it.
• Squeeze the lemons on the rice and mix well. Adjust the quantity of lemon juice according to taste.
• Serve hot with Potato Fry

My Notes:

• Adding little bit of oil to the rice will ensure that the rice does not get sticky 
• Do not mix the rice after adding every ingredient as it will make the rice granules to break