Palak Paratha

Ingredients:
Filling
Half a bunch- Palak (Washed and drained)
2- Boiled Potatoes

Tempering:
1/2 tsp- Hing (asafoetida)
1/4 tsp- red chilli powder
1 tsp- coriander powder
2 tsp- oil

Masala paste :
2 tsp- Cumin seeds
1 inch- Ginger
3-4 - Green chillies (according to spice levels)
1 inch- cinnamom
3-4 - cloves
2 - cardamoms
salt to taste

Paratha
2 cups- whole wheat flour
3 tbsp- oil
Sufficient amount of water to knead the flour into a smooth dough

Process:
Make the paratha dough just like the way you would for making roti. For the roti recipe, click here.
Knead it really well for 15-20 mins into a smooth dough. The Paratha dough has to be really soft with good elasticity. Smear the dough with 3 tbsp of oil and allow it to sit for minimum 30 mins.


Pictoral

1. Boil the spinach and squeeze out the water. Make it into a fine paste.
Meantime boil the potatoes separately, remove the skin and smash them.
Heat oil in a small pan, add the tempering ingredients.Then the ground paste of masalas. Fry them for 2 mins until the raw flavor of the spices goes away. Now add the spinach paste and saute them until the moisture content gets evaporated. Add this to the smashed potatoes. Give it a good mix and make small spinach balls out of it.

2. Make equal number of small dough balls of the paratha.

3. Roll out the dough ball to a small radius enough to cover the spinach filling.

4. Cover the spinach filling without any tear.

5. Dust the roll with enough flour.

6. Spread it out evenly in thickness with your hand. This prevent from tear and spill out.








7. Then use a rolling pin to roll it out big and thin.

8. Place the paratha on a heated tava. Flip it after a couple of seconds.

Wait until both the sides of the paratha are cooked and apply ghee. Serve it hot with fresh cream or yogurt.

Pineapple Rasam

I know, it's been quite a long time since I actually got down to update my blog. The reason being obvious. People like me who live in places to holiday, end up holidaying at home. Yes, I had been to India and my loving home. The anguish of 22 hours flight vanished on gulping down two of my mom made dosa's. And thats what you exactly call "Heaven". More on my India trip and  new recipes will follow in the blogs to come. But for now, here's an authentic South Indian recipe with a fruit twist from my friend's (Deivanai) kitty- Pineapple Rasam.

You might call it a sweet and sour soup, a tangy rasam, a new fusion..whatever..it is definitely one of a kind. So unique and so different.

Ingredients:

Half cut ripe pineapple- pureed (Blend it after cutting it into pieces)

1- tomato

2 tablespoon- Boiled toor dal

2 tsp- Rasam powder 

1 tsp- Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp- turmeric powder

1/4 tsp- tamarind paste

3 cups- water

Salt to taste

For tempering:

1 tsp- Mustard seeds

1 tsp- Cumin seeds

5-6- Curry leaves

1/4 tsp- Hing (asafoetida)

1 tablespoon- Oil

chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves for garnishing

Process:

1. Pour oil and add the tempering ingredients. 

2. Once they splutter, add the diced tomatoes and pineapple puree. 

3. Pour 2-3 cups of water. Add the boiled toor dal and give it a mix.

4. Add all the above said spice powder- rasam, red chilli and turmeric. 

5. Add the tamarind paste and salt and bring it to a good boil. Adjust water as per the desired consistency level.

6. Bring down the heat to low and allow the rasam to simmer for 15- 20 mins. 

7. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve it with hot rice and ghee.

Plantain bajji/ vazhakkai bajji

An irresistible party snack item which is a favorite among all age groups.  Hot bajjis are a must during  rainy days with a smoking hot cup of tea.

Ingredients:
2- plantain/ vazhakkai
1 cup- Besan
1/4 cup- Rice flour or maida
1/2 tsp- red chilli podwer
1/4 tsp- asafoetida (hing)
1/4 tsp- turmeric powder
2 pinches of baking soda
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry
Enough water to make the batter thick

Servings: 6-8

Process:
1. Peel the skin of the plantain and slice them into thin (not extremely thin) pieces length wise.
2. Make a batter with the above said ingredients in water sufficient enough to make it into a thick one.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in medium flame.
4. Once the oil is hot enough, dip the plantain slices in the batter, coat them with it and drop them in oil one by one.
5. Fry them until they are cooked or turn into golden brown in color.
6. Transfer them into a paper towel to remove the excess oil.

Serve them with green chutney or  tomato sauce.

Stuffed Masala Bhindi/ Stuffed Okra (lady finger)

Okra, bhindi or otherwise sweetly called lady finger is a versatile vegetable. Its healthy a vegetable as long as you retain the nutrition value without over frying or slicing them small. Well, now thats tricky as okra tastes best when deep fried. Here's the solution that not just brings out the taste of this vegetable but also retains its nutrition and is easy to make. Great as party food!

Ingredients:

1 pound okra washed and dried

1 tsp- Besan/ Bengal gram powder

1 tsp- amchur powder/ dry mango powder (available at all India grocery stores)

2 tbsp- Ready made sambhar masala powder  (If you are running out of sambhar masala, you can substitute it by making  a mix of 1 tsp- red chilli powder, 1/8 tsp- hing, 3/4 tsp- coriander powder, 1/4 tsp- turmeric powder)

Salt to taste

Oil 

Servings- 7-8

Process:

1. Wash and dry the okra. Cut the stalk of okra and make a lengthwise slit.

2. Make a mix of the sambhar masala, amchur powder, besan and salt. Amchur is for the tangy taste and besan is the binding agent)

3. Now stuff each okra with this mixture (handle the okras delicately while stuffing them- this is the only time consuming part of the preparation)

4. Meanwhile preheat your oven at 400 F.

5. Grease your baking tray with some oil and place the okras on the tray.

6. Spray oil on top of the okras. (This is to get the deep oil fry effect)

7. Place the tray in oven and allow it to bake for 30 mins or until the okras get cooked.

8. Switch of the oven and turn the sides (flip) of the okras and allow it to be in the oven for another 20-30 mins.

Now instead of baking, you can do the traditional way of frying the okras in oil. You can also saute some green peppers (capsicum) and mix with this baked/ fried okras for more flavor. 

Serve it with rice or roti or just snack it away!

Soy Chunk Rice

One of my favorite main course dish. It's simple and easy to make and an absolute yummm!

Ingredients:
1 cup- Basmati Rice (cooked)
1/4 cup- Soy chunks
1/2 cup- Mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, beans etc)
1 tsp- chopped ginger
5- green chillies
1 tsp- turmeric powder
1/2 tsp- asafoetida (hing)
1/2 tsp- Black pepper (optional)
4- cloves
1- bay leaf
1tsp- fennel seeds (saunf)
2 tbsp- tomato ketchup
Coriander leaves (cilantro) to garnish.

Servings- 2

Process:
1. Soak the soy chunks in one cup warm water for 30 mins. After that pour and squeeze out the excess water from chunks.
1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan.
2. Add hing, fennel seeds, bay leaf and cloves and saute them for a minute.
3. Add ginger and green chillies and fry them for couple of seconds.
4. Add the mixed veggies, salt and pepper and saute them until the veggies are cooked.
5. Now, add the soaked soy chunks, cover and cook it for 5 mins so that the chunks can absorb the flavor.
6. After that add rice and the tomato ketchup and give it a good mix.
7. Fry the rice for couple of mins in medium- low flame.
8. Garnish it with some chopped cilantro.

Serve it hot with Gobi manchurian or some other spicy/ tangy side dish.

Semiya Upma/ Vermicelli

Ingredients:

1 Cup- Vermicelli (semiya)

1 tsp- Ghee

1 1/2 - 2 cups- water

1 tsp- mustard seeds

1tsp- channa dal

1/ 2 tsp- urud dal

4-5- curry leaves

4- finely chopped green chillies

1 tsp- chopped ginger

1- small tomato

1 cup- mixed vegetables (optional)

1/2 tsp- turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Servings- 2

Process:

1. Heat the ghee and add the vermicelli and fry them in medium heat until they turn into light brown in color and keep them aside.

2. Heat oil in another pan and crackle mustard seeds, add curry leaves, channa dal and urud dal and saute them until they turn pink. Then add ginger and chopped green chillies and sute them for a minute more. 

3. Add diced tomatoes, turmeric and salt and saute them until tomatoes turn soft. 

4. To increase the nutrition value, add some mixed veggies like french beans, peas, carrots etc and fry them until they are cooked. (This step is optional)

5. Now add water to this and allow it to boil. 

6. Once the water starts boiling, add the fried vermicelli bit by bit with your right hand and simultaneously stir the mixture with your left hand.

7. If you think the water is all gone and vermicelli is still uncooked, add more water accordingly.

8. Give it good stir until the vermicelli is cooked completely.

Serve it hot with coconut or coriander chutney.

Spicy Kadala Curry/ black chickpea curry

Ingredients:

1 cup- Black Chickpeas soaked overnight or for minimum 8 hours

1 tsp- Turmeric powder

1 1/2 tsp- Red chilli powder

2 tsp- Coriander powder

1/2 tsp- Garam masala

1 tsp- shredded ginger

4- Green chili

1 tsp- jeera

1/2 cup- shredded coconut

2 - Dried red chilli

2- medium size tomatoes

1/2 tsp- hing/ asafoetida 

1 tbsp- oil

Salt to taste

Finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) for garnishing

Servings- 5

Process:

1. Pressure cook black chickpeas in 2 cups of water along with the first 6 ingredients, 2 green chillies and salt for 5 whistles and allow the pressure to go down on its own.

2. Meanwhile dry roast coconut and dried red chillies and blend them into a smooth paste in a mixer.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add hing and jeera, after jeera crackles, add the remaining green chillies and cut tomatoes and saute them until tomatoes turn soft and it starts leaving oil.
4. Now add the entire cooked black chickpeas and the coconut paste.
5. Add salt. cover and cook the gravy for 5-6 mins.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve it with roti, rice or any other kerala food like dosa and puttu. 

Kerala Sambhar (Vegetable and lentil soup)

Ingredients:
2 cup- vegetables of your choice (brinjal, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, okra etc)
1 cup- toor dal
1 tsp- asafoetida
1 tsp- turmeric powder
1tsp- red chilli powder
1 tsp- coriander powder
1tsp- tamarind paste/ soaked tamarind water (lemon size)
4- 5 cups- water
salt to taste

Sambhar Masala:
3tbsp- Coriander seeds
3 tsp- channa dal
1 tsp- fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
5-6 - dried red chilli
7-8- curry leaves
1/4 cup- shredded coconut

Seasoning:
2 tsp- oil
1 tsp- mustard seeds
4-5 - curry leaves

Servings: 6-8

Process:
1. Pressure cook toor dal in 3 cups of water with pinch of asafoetida (hing), turmeric and salt added to it, approx for 4-5 whistles. Let the pressure go on its own and give the boiled dal a good mix.
2. Cut the vegetables bite size and boil them them in 2-3 cups of water with turmeric, red chilli and coriander powder and salt until they get soft.
3. Meanwhile in another pan, pour a bit of oil to fry all the masala ingredients. Once oil is hot, add the ingredients one by one and sauté them for couple of mins. Add the coconut to the end and fry them until they turn brown. After its cooled down, blend them pouring enough water to make it into a fine paste.
4. Pour dal and the sambhar masala paste to the vegetables and allow it to simmer for couple of mins.
5. Add tamarind paste/ soaked tamarind water, cover and cook for another 2-3 mins and switch off the stove.
6. Separately in another pan, heat oil, splutter mustard and then add curry leaves and asafoetida (hing) .Add this seasoning to the sambhar.

Serve hot with rice and ghee.

                                                        

Soy Chunks Masala

Soy Chunks is a versatile substance made from defatted Soy flour. It's quick to cook and full of proteins and contains no fat.

 Ingredients:
1 Cup- Soya chunks (Soak it in warm water for 30 mins )
1- Large Potato
1- Medium size green pepper (Capsicum)
2- medium size tomatoes
1 tsp- red chilli powder
1 tsp- cumin powder
1/2 tsp- turmeric powder
1tsp- jeera
1/2  tsp- asafoetida (hing)
1 tbsp- Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasoori methi)
1tsp- garam masala
1/2 a cup milk or fresh cream (Vegans can use plain soy milk)
1 tbsp- oil
1 tsp- lemon juice (optional)

Servings: 4-5

Process:
1. After the soy chunks are soaked in water, squeeze out the excess water from them.
2. Cut the potatoes and pepper bite size.
3. Heat the oil, add asafoetida (hing) and jeera.
4. After jeera crackles, add the tomatoes and the spice powders- turmeric, cumin, red chilli and salt.
5. Add the potatoes after the tomatoes get thoroughly cooked in the spice powders.
6.Cover and cook the potatoes.
7. When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the green peppers, cover and cook it again until the peppers turn soft.
8. Now add the dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) and garam masala.
9 Pour water according to desired consistency of the gravy and allow it to simmer for couple of mins.
10. Pour milk and cook for another 2 mins or until the gravy thickens.

Add lemon juice if required. Serve it with roti or any indian bread or rice.

Vegan Banana Muffins

They are incredibly easy to make with just handful of ingredients required and a great healthy breakfast to go.

Ingredients:

1. 3- Ripe bananas
2. 2 ½ cup- Whole wheat flour
3. 1 tsp- salt
4. 1 tsp- baking soda
5. ½ a cup-Canola oil

Servings- 10-12 Muffins

Process:

1. Blend together the sugar, thee bananas and the canola oil. (Blend them one by one if its not a powerful blender). The mixture should be smooth and nice without any lumps.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl- salt, baking soda and flour. Mix them without any lumps.
3. Now, pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients.
4. The consistency of the mixture should not be too thick or thin.
5. 
   Now transfer them into muffin tin. Line it with paper liners.
6. Take a spoonful of the mixture into each case of the tin and fill it up.
7. Preheat the oven at 370 and keep it ready.
8. Place the muffin tin in the oven and check them after 15 – 20 mins.
9. Insert a tooth pic in the middle of couple of muffins and it should come out clean.
10. Simple and delicious muffins are ready.   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Baked plantain/ vazhakai

Ingredients:

1. 3- Raw Plantain
2. 1 tsp- Red chilli powder
3. 1 tsp- salt
4. ½ a tsp- turmeric powder
5. 1 tbsp- oil

Process:

1. Slice the plantains thin after peeling the skin
2. Add turmeric, red chilli, salt and a teaspoon of oil on to the sliced plantains and coat them well with the spices.
3. Meanwhile, preheat your oven at 370 and spray oil on the baking dish.
4. Place the plantain slices on the baking dish and bake it in the oven to 20-30 mins (This time entirely depends from oven to oven) The idea is to bake the plantain slices until they are crispy yet soft.

   

   After getting baked

   A traditional way of cooking them would be deep frying the plantain slices in oil instead of baking them. Can be eaten as sacks or with yogurt and rice.

Ginger and Spring Onion Fried rice

Ingredients:

1 cup- long grain/ jasmine or basmati rice
½ a cup grated ginger
1 cup- cut spring onions
Vegetables (optional)- carrots, green peppers, cabbage, french beans
2 tbsp- Soy Sauce
2 tbsp- All purpose/ stir fry sauce
1 tsp- chilli sauce
1 tsp- vinegar (optional)
1tsp- black pepper powder
1 tsp- Salt
2 cups- water
4 tbsp- olive/ vegetable oil

Servings- 2-3

Process:
1.Boil rice with a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of oil.
2.Refrigerate the rice for a minimum of 5-6 hours or the best would be overnight.
3.Pour remaining amount of oil in a heavy bottomed pan and heat it until it starts leaving smoke.
4.Add ginger and saute them for about 30 seconds, Add the veggies and saute them for another 2 mins.
5.Break the refrigerated rice, fluff them up and add it to the pan.
6.Pour all the sauces, salt and pepper. Give it a good mix.
7.Fry the rice for about 3 mins.
8.Add the spring onions and mix them well.

Easy Cauliflower (Gobi) Manchurian

Ingredients:

½ a medium size cauliflower
5 tbsp- All purpose flour (Maida)
1 tbsp- powdered bread crumbs
½ tsp- black pepper powder
½ tsp- salt
Oil to deep fry
water

Sauce:
1 green pepper (Capsicum)
1 red pepper
½ a bunch spring onion
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp- Soy Sauce
2tbsp- tomato ketchup
2 tbsp- Stir fry sauce
½ a tsp- white vinegar
½ a tsp- salt
1 tsp- black pepper powder
1 cup- water
3 tbsp- oil

Servings: 4-5

Process:

Step 1: Sauce

1.Cut the peppers cube size.
2.Heat oil, add the grated ginger and saute them for a minute, add the cut peppers and cook them covered till they turn soft but crunchy.
3.Add all the sauces except vinegar.
4.Add salt, pepper and water and cook them covered for 3-4 mins.
5.Adjust water according to the consistency required.
6.Add vinegar and some chopped spring onions.

Step 2: cauliflower fry

1.Cut the cauliflower into medium size florets. Wash and pat them dry.
2.Make a paste of the all purpose flour, powdered bread crumbs,salt and pepper.
3.Add water enough to make a smooth paste.
4.Heat oil in medium flame.
5.Once oil is hot enough, dip each floret into the paste, coat it well and deep fry them in oil untl they are golden brown in color.
Step 3: Add the fried cauliflower into the sauce and coat them well with the sauce. Garnish with rest of the spring onions.

Serve it with noodles or fried rice.