Onion Pakoda

Who doesn’t like fried items? I know too much oil… fat…. cholesterol etc etc. I think it’s ok to have it once in a while when they are made delicious!! This is one of my dad’s favorite. My Dad always asked me to make onion pakoda for him. He likes to eat with his mixture and puffed rice, which we call it “khara Mandakki”. My dad now says that he misses my onion pakoda and says mom doesn’t do that well.:) Well, I know that’s a lie, as I learnt this to make from my mom.

After coming here, this has become a famous appetizer, which I generally make during our potlucks and most of you have already enjoyed and appreciated it. I am glad that it turns out well every time I make them. I think key ingredient for this is dill and also they way you mix the besan with onions.

Here you go with the recipe…. Perfect for winter!!!!!

Ingredients:

1 big onion cut into slices

6 finely chopped green chilies

1 cup finely chopped cilantro

1 cup finely chopped dill (optional)

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (optional)

1/2 teaspoon rice flour

3 to 4 teaspoon besan/gram flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Water to mix

Oil to deep fry

- In a medium size-mixing bowl, add onions, green chilies, cilantro, dill, and cumin seeds.

- Mix it well with rice flour, now add 1 spoon of besan at a time and start mixing it. Sprinkle little water a little and make sure you don’t add too much water or too much besan. Onions contains water, so after sometime it leaves out water.

- The mixture should be thick and you should see more of onions and battered with besan.

- Add salt and mix it well.

- Heat the oil in a frying pan and start putting the mixture in oil one by one.

- Just drop it in oil and it will get the shape of the onion.

- Fry it until turned golden brown.

- Make sure you take them out on paper towel to take out oil.

Serve it hot with tomato ketchup.

Alu Gobi

Yet another Punjabi dish which is very popular in North India. Alu Gobi can be made in two varieties that is dry or with gravy. I like dry the most. I tried this for the first time in my kitchen after eating it in one of my close Punjabi friend’s house. P cooks awesome Alu Gobi and I tried to follow her recipe.

Once I had been to P’s house and she was about to make Alu gobi. I said wow, I like it! And I helped her cutting gobi and alu. I learnt the whole process of making alu gobi watching her.  Sometimes it’s good to watch someone making the dish rather than trying all by yourself with a recipe from the Internet. The key when you are making alu gobi dry is you got to cook it in low flame and keep stirring it every two minutes.

I love going to her place as I get to eat her tasty alu gobi and play with her lovely kids, whom I basically call my kids!! :)

Ingredients:

1 cup of Gobi cut into chunks

1 cup of Potatoes cut into cubes

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon mango powder

1 finely chopped tomatoes

1 finely chopped onion

2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2 finely chopped green chilies

5 curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons of oil

Pinch of asafetida

1 small cup finely chopped cilantro

-       Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard, cumin seeds and once they splutter add curry leaves, green chilies, ginger, garlic and asafetida. Sauté it for 1 minute.

-       Add onions and fry until they are golden brown add turmeric powder and add tomatoes and mix well and close the lid. Let it cook in low flame for 2 minutes.

-       Now in a small bowl with 2 teaspoons of water add coriander, red chili, mango powder and salt. Mix it well and add the mixture of water into the pan. (To avoid the masala getting burnt, I mix it with water)

-       Cook until the oil gets separated.

-       Now add the potatoes and gobi and mix well.

-       Don’t add water, as Alu gobi is tasty if it is dry. Close the lid and cook it in low flame.

-       Keep sautéing every 2 minutes so that it doesn’t get stuck to pan.

-       Once done, garnish with cilantro.

Serve it hot with chapatti

Unlimited thoughts

Vegetable Soup

I have to tell you all that I make this soup very often these days. As it is very easy to make and I never run out of any item required for this soup. I really don’t know how usually the regular vegetable soup is made. But this one is my all time favorite as I learnt it from a dear friend of mine.

One day I was on his doorstep and I could smell nice aroma of the spices, mint, and garlic. I was there just for few minutes to drop off few things and not intended to go into the house.

But the greedy chef in me was dying to know what was cooking in his kitchen ;). Slowly with my nose raised and eyebrows joined I asked him what is that smell? Poor guy thought the smell was bad. I should have asked him nice aroma, what are you cooking? ;) I must say he is such a sweet heart, he said that he was making vegetable and black beans soup with mint leaves from their backyard. He also offered me soup to taste. I was not hesitant and said yeah sure. Yummy!!! it was so good and I asked him how did you make it. He was very happy to share the recipe and I didn’t waste any time to make the soup for the next day dinner. It turned out pretty good. Many thanks to you “SB” :)

Ingredients:

1 cup thinly sliced carrot

1 cup tomato cut into small cubes

1 cup potatoes cut into small cubes

1 cup thinly sliced onions

1 cup mushrooms cut into chunks

1 cup broccoli cut into chunks

1 thinly sliced onion

1 cup black beans

2 teaspoons garlic

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 mint leaves

5 curry leaves

2 green chilies

1 small cup finely chopped cilantro

4 cups of water

2 teaspoons of olive oil

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)

2 teaspoons of salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Pinch of asafetida

        

- Soak black beans overnight and cook it with pinch of salt. Keep it aside. OR canned black beans also can be used.

- Heat a deep pan with oil, add mustard, curry leaves, garlic, asafetida and green chilies. Sauté for a minute.

- Add onions and fry until they are cooked.

- Add all the veggies and mix well. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes.

- Now add the cooked black beans along with the stock or canned black beans after washing it thoroughly.

- Add salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, coriander powder and water. Mix well and bring it to boil.

- Add sugar, lemon juice and mint leaves and keep stirring.

- Add cilantro at the end.

Serve it hot…. ummmm yummy!!!

Crazy time in the lake

Punjabi Rajma Curry

This Punjabi style Rajma curry is very nutritious with proteins and tastes delicious. Rajma can be enjoyed with rice or chapatti. It’s very popular dish in North India. I made this curry first time after I came to US. In India I used to have it only in restaurants or any Punjabi friend’s place. Now rajma has become a part of my pulses list when I go grocery shopping.

There are loads of Rajma recipes out there on the Internet. I followed my favorite website vahrehvah.com on you tube for this particular dish. Just added one additional ingredient, which is mango powder, as I really like the taste of sourness that it gives to the curry.

Ingredients:

1 cup Rajma

2 finely chopped tomatoes

1 finely chopped onion

2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon grated ginger

3 green chilies        

6 curry leaves

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

3/4 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon mango powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder (clove, cinnamon, cardamom)

1/2 teaspoon kasthuri methi powder

1 teaspoon butter

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 small cup finely chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons of oil

Pinch of asafetida

-  Cook rajma separately with a pinch of salt and keep it aside. Make sure it doesn’t get mashed. (I cook it in pressure cooker for one whistle)

-  Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard, cumin seeds and once they splutter add curry leaves, green chilies, ginger, garlic and asafetida. Sauté it for 1 minute.

-  Add onions and fry until they are golden brown. Add turmeric powder and add tomatoes and mix well and close the lid. Let it cook in low flame for 2 minutes.

-  Now in a small bowl with 3 teaspoons of water add coriander, red chili, mango powder and salt. Mix it well and add the mixture of water into the pan. (To avoid the masala getting burnt, I mix it with water)

-  Now add the rajma along with the stock and cook in low flame and bring it to boil.

-  Turn off the heat and add butter to add the flavor.

-  Garnish with cilantro at the end.

Optional: Lemon Juice while serving, as mango powder would have already given sour flavor.

Serve it hot with Puri, chapatti or Rice

Fall colors

Diwali time.... Holige

Diwali and sweets always go hand in hand. I love to celebrate Diwali because of two things; one lighting dia’s all over the house and the other is eating as many sweets as you want. V’s favorite part of Diwali is bursting crackers.

One home made sweet, that mom makes during Diwali is Holige. I always used to watch mom making Holige. I helped her with cutting vegetables or cleaning dishes in kitchen. But never tried the tougher ones. Last year we were in India for Diwali and didn’t miss anything. But this year I tried making Holige all by myself with mom’s instructions. This is very similar to Kadabu that I made during Ganesha festival. Here there is no deep-frying. Instead need to stuff the dal paste in maida dough and make it like parata. Again, it wasn’t easy task. It took time, but I am happy with the end result.

Hope you all will like it.

Ingredients:

1 cup toor dal

2 cup jaggery

1 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 cup Maida or All purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup water

Oil to spray on pan

-       First mix Maida or all-purpose flour with pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons oil and water. Make dough with more water and keep it aside.

-       Cook toor dal in big kadai with 3 cups of water and turmeric powder. Once dal is getting cooked remove the stock to a container, which can be used to make rasam.

-       Add jaggery and mix well. Jaggery will melt with dal.

-       Add cardamom and stir well.

-       Turn off the heat and once it cools down, grind it in blender and make it fine paste.

-       Don’t add additional water. The paste should be harder so that it will easy to do the filling.

-       Once the paste is ready, keep it aside in a bowl.

-       Make small circular shapes from the dough (similar like puri)

-       Place the jaggery paste in the middle and close it such that you get round shape and press it as big as chapatti.

-       Make sure it is done slowly as the paste shouldn’t come out of the dough.

-       Heat the tava and spray oil and place them. Turn upside down slowly until turned golden brown.

Serve it hot with ghee.

Simple Spinach Dhal

It’s been a long time, I made anything with spinach. I remember in Bangalore whenever my mom used to take spinach from the vendor. I used to avoid going into the kitchen. Guess why!!! Mom would ask my help to clean and chop it. My god I hated that part, as it would be muddy and mixed up with some other greens.

Well one thing I love being here is vegetables are so fresh and especially spinach is very clean and I wash it once, it will be ready to use!! This is one simple and quick dish that I make which goes well with rice or chapatti. I make chapatti almost every alternative day and I have to make a different curry to go with it.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of spinach finely chopped

1/2 cup Dhal (Moong or Toor Dal)

2 green chilies

2 red chilies

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

6 curry leaves

4 clove of garlic

1 teaspoon oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pinch of turmeric powder

Pinch of asafetida

-       Cook dal along with green chilies and keep it aside.

-       Heat oil in a deep pan, add mustard, cumin and curry leaves. Once they splutter add red chilies, garlic, turmeric and asafetida.

-       Add spinach and mix well.

-       Spinach cooks pretty fast, then add cooked dal and mix well.

-       Add salt and lemon juice at the end.

-       Cook for 2- 3 minutes.

Serve it hot with rice or chapatti.

Sea Scape

Vegetable Pulav

Pulav is one such dish, which always reminds me of my childhood days “Sunday’s brunch”. Getting up late in the morning, watching cartoon… jungle book on TV. Playing with dad and brother for a while. Taking nice head bath for half an hour. And then comes the favorite part of Sunday… mom made yummy hot pulav with raita… My mouth is watering even today.

As kid I loved pulav so much. My mom is expert in making pulav. I know I try to put the same ingredients as she puts. But don’t get the same flavor. I tried and tried making pulav for a while now. Everyone one who tastes it says “yummy”. So I making an effort to share the recipe and hope you all try it and it turns out to be yummy!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup carrot cut in cubes

1 cup thinly sliced beans

1 cup tomato cut in cubes

1 cup potatoes cut in cubes

1 cup thinly sliced cabbage

1 cup thinly sliced onions

1 cup bell pepper cut in cubes (Optional)

1 cup Gobi cut in big pieces

1 cup peas

1 cup coconut

1 cup cilantro

3 cloves

2 cardamoms

1 stick cinnamon

2 bay leaves

6 green chilies

2 teaspoons of thin sliced garlic

2 teaspoons of grated ginger

2 teaspoons salt

1 ladle of vegetable oil

2 cups of raw rice

4 cups of water

-       Heat the oil in a cooker or a deep pan.

-       Add mustard, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon.

-       Once they splutter, add onion and sauté until they turn brown.

-       Add tomatoes, carrot, beans, potatoes, gobi, cabbage, bell pepper, peas and sauté them well.

-       While the vegetables are cooking, make a fine paste of coconut, cilantro, chilies, garlic, ginger and salt in a blender.

-       Add the paste into the cooked vegetables and mix well.

-       After 2-3 minutes add washed rice into the cooker and add the water and close the lid.

-       After one whistle, turn of the cooker.

-       Once the pressure cools down, open the lid and mix the rice well with vegetable.

-       If required can add ghee for taste.

Serve it hot with Cucumber Raita 

Spicy Eggplant-Yennegayi

Like I have told before, eggplants are my favorite and I like to cook them very often. This dish is basically called Yennegayi in North Karnataka and eggplant is cooked in oil with all the spices.

We have to use round eggplants and slit them in the middle into four pieces. But you shouldn’t cut them completely. The paste that we grind need not be fine paste. Two important things to make this dish tasty are oil and chilies. Since the eggplants are cooked in oil and spicy paste filling, it will be tender and spicy. I love this dish with rice and yogurt. 

This dish can be made in various styles. My mom uses fried gram dhal instead of peanuts and some of you might cut the eggplants long and cook in water with less oil to make it like gravy. Another method would be, you can deep-fry the eggplants and then do the filling.

Well my version is more like Andhra style, as I learnt this dish from a friend of mine who is from Hyderabad, India.

Ingredients:

8-10 round small Eggplants

5-6 green/ red chilies

2 teaspoons of chopped garlic

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 onion

1 cup of peanuts

4 cloves

1/2" cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard

2 cups of grated dry coconut

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon of tamarind paste

1 teaspoon crushed jaggery

2 teaspoon Dhania powder

1/2 teaspoon chilly powder

10 curry leaves

1 cup of cilantro

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup vegetable oil

-Roast peanuts and keep it aside.

-Roast clove, cinnamon, chilies, poppy seeds, garlic, 1/2 onion, salt and coconut with 1/2 teaspoon oil.

-Grind all the roasted ingredients along with tamarind, jaggery, dhania powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder in a blender and make it paste by adding little water.

-Take the eggplants, which are cut into slits and fill the paste into it.

-Heat a pan with a cup of oil, add mustard and curry leaves. Once they splutter add onions and fry them until golden brown.

-Place the eggplant filled with paste into the pan one by one.

-Keep turning the eggplant to cook on either side and until turns brown.

-Add the remaining paste and little water depending on the consistency of the gravy and close the lid. (Water can be avoided if you want it to be cooked only in oil)

-Cook it with low flame until the oil gets separated from eggplant.

-Garnish with cilantro.

Serve it hot with roti’s, chapathi or rice.

Toor dal Kadabu

Ganesha Festival is very popular festival in India. We worship Lord Ganesha and offer him variety of food. I tried to make Ganesha’s favorite kadabu. Well in the name of GOD we get to eat all the dishes I make on this day. I always watched mom making this kadabu and I used to love this sweet and used to wait for this festival. It is made only during this festival.

This time I am missing home and mom so much. I couldn’t resist myself in trying making this kadabu for the first time. I took good amount of effort, time and patience to do this sweet. Trust me it was all worth, kadabu came out just like my mom used to make. Although her love and touch was missing… :(. She taught me how to make this over the phone and I followed it step by step.

I am very eager to share the recipe with you all and hoping you find this interesting and try it in your kitchen!!

Ingredients:

1 cup toor dal

2 cups of jaggery

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cardamom

Oil to deep fry

1 cup Maida or All purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup water

-       First mix maida or all-purpose flour with pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon oil and water. Make soft dough like chapatti dough and keep it aside.

-       Cook toor dal in big kadai with 3 cups of water and turmeric powder. Once dal is getting cooked remove the stock to a container, which can be used to make rasam/soup

-       Add jaggery and mix well. Jaggery will melt with dal.

-       Add cardamom and stir well.

-       Turn off the heat and once it cools down, grind it in blender and make it fine paste.

-       Don’t add additional water. The paste should be harder so that it will easy to do the filling.

-       Once the paste is ready, keep it aside in a bowl.

-       Make small circular shapes from the dough (similar like puri)

-       Place the jaggery paste in the middle and close it either side by pressing the sides.

-       Make 5 at a time and keep it aside.

-       Heat the oil in deep frying pan and deep-fry one by one.

Serve it hot with ghee.