Mirchi ka salan

Mirchi ka salan/green chilly curry is an traditional side-dish for hyderabadi biriyani, though sometimes it is served with roti too.  I made an exception and served it with kal dosa... hmmm... the ultimate combo was very nice..spice lovers must give a try.  I used bhavnagiri chilly, some five to ten numbers (as for the first try, i wanted the curry to be mildly spicy.. if u want an hotter one, u can try with more numbers)

Ingredients required

For the masala paste

• 2 tsp peanuts
• 1 tsp till/sesame seeds
• 4 tsp grated coconut
• 1 tsp whole jeera/cumin seeds
• 1 tsp whole dhanya
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon
• 3-4 mint leaves
• 2 green cardamon
• 2-3 cloves

For temper

• 3 tsp oil
• 1 tsp rai/mustard seeds
• 1 bayleaf, crushed
• 2 whole cloves
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 1 cup chopped onions (which is later blended into paste)
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

others

• 5-6 big chillies (as indicated in pic following method)
• 1 tsp salt
• Oil, for shallow frying

Method

In a kadaai, roast all ingredients for masala and blend them into fine paste, keep aside.  

In the very same kadaai, heat oil and add ingredients for temper one by one.

Add onion paste and saute till they turn golden brown, later add ginger-garlic paste

Now add in blended masala paste and salt,  keep stirring on lower flame such that raw smell of masala fades away.

Meantime, take chillies, slit them into two vertically.  Deseed them, and shallow fry them (though traditional recipe calls for deep-frying) till they turn white moist.

Now add this fried chilly to our sizzling curry.  Serve hot with paranthas.

Hmm.... veryyy yummyy

Phool makhana ki kheer

I think u wont be needing an introduction to phool makhana as already post of phool makhana curry is posted previously.  So let us see how to make nutritious kheer/ payasam.

Ingredients required

• 1 cup phool makhana/lotus seed
• Half litre milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp cardamon powder
• 1/4 cup ghee roasted almond pieces

Method

In a deep vessel, add milk and phool makhana.  Heat under simmer flame till phool makhana gets cooked.  Now, mash the phool makhana with help of any utensil, (for instance, daal masher) such that phool makhana gets incorporated into milk very well.

Now add in cardamon powder, sugar, condensed milk, stir continously.

Garnish with almond pieces and serve hot... hmm.. it was very tasty... :)

I enjoyed it!!!!1

Banana and dates smoothie

  Smoothies are blended paste from fresh fruits.  Sometimes, they can be flavoured with honey, vanilla or choclate.  Additionally milk/cream can also be added to enhance its consistency.  Here is used soy milk, thereby making it more nutritious...

Ingredients required

• Soy milk- half cup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 Banana (which can be frozen, optionally)
• 4-5 deseeded black dates
• 1 tsp honey

Method

Grind all above into smooth paste and serve chilled.

I am just reminded of brittania slogan  EAT HEALTHY, THINK BETTER :) tin tin ti tin

Soya dosa

Soya dosa is an typical pondicherry dish.  The traditional methodology involves combining soya milk with wheat flour with other dry spices.  But, there are also shortcuts like substituting soya beans for urad dal in regular dosa batter or using soya flour with wheat aata to creat instant soya dosas... I tried the traditional version and it came out good..

Ingredients required

• One cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup wheat flour
• 1/4 cup rice flour (optional)
• 1 tsp shahjeera
• 1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
• 1/2 tsp hing/perungayam
• 7-8 curry leaves
• Water, as required

Method

In a vessel, add in all ingredients till it resembles the consistency of dosa batter like follows

Pour the batter on pre-heated tawa.  Cook on both sides and serve with chutney of ur choice

 I served it with onion chutney

Soy milk

Soy milk is most nutritious drink made by blending the soya beans and straining the liquid left behind.  These are easily available in packets, and there are also machines used in making them called soy milk maker that are found abundant in Asian homes.  These soy milk can be flavoured and had as such.  They are also used in making smoothies, dosas etc.  So, let us learn how to make soy mik at home...

Ingredients required

• 200 gm soya beans
• Water, as required
• Fine muslin cloth (to filter)

Method

Soak soya beans for about 12 hours.  Wash them, and heat at moderate flame for ten to fifteen minutes.  This is done to destroy any harmful enzymes, if present.  Then blend it in blender along with 2 cups water and filter using cheese cloth/muslin cloth.  This process will exactly resemble the coconut milk extraction.

After extraction, heat the milk till boiling point and again for five to ten minutes on simmer flame.  Remove, cool and refrigerate.  You can store for three days...

Onion chutney

Ingredients required

To be blended

• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 2 tsp thick tamarind extract
• 7-8 garlic pods
• 3-4 broken red chillies
• 1 tsp salt

To  temper

• 3 tsp oil 
• 1 tsp rai/mustard seeds

Method

Add all ingredients to be blended in a blender and grind into fine paste.  Meanwhile, heat oil in kadaai, add mustard seeds/rai, let the seeds crackle.  Add the blended paste and cook the paste (as raw onion is blended, and there is a need to cook them) on simmer flame till raw smell fades away. Serve hot with any dosa..

Condensed milk

Ever thought about making condensed milk at home??? yes, it is possible and there is nothing so wonderful than making ur own condensed milk and using them in desserts....

Ingredients required

• 2-3 cups milk powder
• 3-4 tsp butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup water 
• Electric blender, of course :)

Method

In a blender, take water, butter and sugar.  Beat it thoroughly till butter and sugar dissolves

Now add in milk powder.  When adding milk powder, be careful to add in batchwise, like adding one cup of milk powder and blending.  After sometime, add another cup and blend such that milk powder gets incorporated into fluid very well.  

Now, our condensed milk is ready.  Store in air tight container and refrigerate!!

Carrot poriyal

Carrot poriyal is an common side-dish for lunch ,this nutritious supplement is topped with grated coconut and other dry spices.  I added a touch of fenugreek leaves too!! hmm... it was sooo yummyyy....

Ingredients required

To temper

• 1/2 tsp rai/mustard seeds
• 3-4 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• 1/4 tsp whole dhanya
• 1/4 tsp methi/venthayam
• 2-3 green chillies, broken
• 2-3 tsp finely chopped onions
• 4 tsp finely chopped methi/fenugreek leaves

other

• 2 cups finely grated carrot
• 4 tsp grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

In a kadaai, heat oil and add ingredients for temper one by one.

Add in grated carrots.  Cover the kadaai and cook, by sprinkling water occasionally.  When carrots are almost done, sprinkle grated coconut and serve

Milagu cauliflower fry

Cauliflower is blooming nowadays and i can find it more frequently here @ hydi... Eversince the price went reasonably low, my father-in-law makes a point of buying more gobi ... and  yes, my refrigerator is flooded with cauliflowersss :)  :)  Thinking to make more gobi dishes... this post is a dry side-dish of cauliflower with peppercorns and other dry spices, thus making an excellant combo with paruppu saadham, keerai saadham, sambhar etc.  Go ahead and try ... its so simple....

Ingredients required

To temper

• 4 tsp oil
• 1 tsp rai/mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp broken urad dal
• 1 tsp chana dal
• 8-10 whole dry red chillies
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp hing/perungayam
• 2-3 tsp of finely chopped onions
• 2 tsp coarsely crushed peppercorns

other

• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

In a kadaai, heat oil and add ingredients for temper one by one

Now, throw in cauliflower florets and cover the kadaai.  

Sprinkle water now and then and cover cooked till cauliflower is done.  Sprinkle salt.  If wanted add pepper powder (if u need more other than tempering, which completely suits ur taste buds) and serve hot with rice and dal.

 

Malaai gobi matar

Ingredients required

For the gravy base

• one cup of finely chopped onions
• one cup of finely choppped tomatos
• one slit green chilly
• 1 tsp Everest subzi masala
• 1 tsp Everest garam masala
• 1/4 tsp haldi/turmeric
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp dhanya powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tsp khoya

other

• 1 cup of cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup of green peas
• 1/4 cup milk cream

Method

In a kadaai, saute all ingredients for gravy base, like onions, tomatos, green chilly, all spice powders and khoya.  Saute till tomato becomes mushy, cool and blend into paste

In a separate pan, add gravy base along with cauliflower and green peas.  Cook  them till the cauliflower are three fourth done, at this juncture add cream.

Simmer the flame for 5-10 minutes and serve hot with paranthas

Chungdi jhola

Chungdi jhola is a spicy gravy based on prawns with different flavour of spices.  This, being an oriyan dish is known for its dark red colour (which comes because of dominant presence of tomato and garlic) and is flavoured with garam masalas.  So moving to recipe

Ingredients required

For the gravy base

• 3-4 tomatos, finely chopped
• 10-15 garlic pods
• 2 bay leaves, crushed
• 2-inch piece of cinnamon, crushed
• 1 tsp of red chilli powder
• 1 tsp dhanya powder
• 1 tsp salt

other

• 1/2 kg prawns, cleaned, deshelled and deveined
• 8-10 tsp of mustard oil
• 2 tsp of Everest garam masala

Method

In a kadaai, saute all ingredients for gravy base, without adding oil.  Saute till tomato gets completely mushy, which will take around fifteen minutes in simmer flame. Cool for sometime and blend into puree.

In separate pan, heat mustard oil and shallow fry prawns for fifteen minutes

After sometime, add garam masala and stir-fry the prawns

Add in pureed gravy base and cook till prawns are done.  Serve hot with parathas