Paneer Wraps

Ingredients:

Paneer 100 gms

Chapatis 2

Mint Chutney 2 tsp

Capsicum 1 small

Tomatoes 2 medium

Carrot 1 medium

Chopped coriander 1tsp

Fresh Lettuce Leaves 4 small

Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp

Red Chilly Powder 1tsp

Coriander Powder 1tsp

Jeera Powder 1tsp

Garam Masala 1tsp

Sugar 1tsp

Salt to taste 

Olive Oil 2 tsp

Process:

1) Wash and cut all the vegetables into small pieces separately.

2) wash and cut Paneer into small cubes.

3) Heat a pan, add Olive oil and add Paneer cubes. Fry them till golden brown color. 

4) Add all spices except sugar and fry for 2 mins. Now add all the chopped vegetables and season it with salt. Cook for 3 to 4 mins with covered lid. Stir occasionally.

5) Add sugar and mix well. Sprinkle fresh coriander and let this mixture cool completely.

6) Heat the Chapatis  on tawa. Apply Mint chutney on one side, place two Lettuces leaves in the centre and place the Paneer mixture on these leaves . Roll the Chapatis into a wrap and serve hot.

Happy Cooking!
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Chamadumpa Avakaya - Colocasia/Arbi Pickle

I have tried something new with Chamadumpa(Colocasia/Arbi) this time. Fry and gravy curries are made commonly at my place. But this time I tried pickle and it was a soooooooooooper hit!! Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

1/2 Kg Chamadumpalu(Arbi)
3/4th Cup Red Chilly Powder
1/2 Cup Salt
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/4 Cup Roasted Methi Powder
2 Tbps Mustard Powder
4 Tbps Lemon Juice
1 Cup Cooking Oil 

Chamadumpa Avakaya - Arbi Pickle

Process:

1.  Wash and clean Chamadumpalu(Arbi). Pressure cook with a little water up to three whistles.
2. While the pressure escapes from the cooker, prepare the masala. Take a wide vessel, make sure it is completely dry. Mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly and keep it aside.
3.  Once the pressure is escaped from the cooker, strain the cooked Chamadumpalu(Arbi) and pour some cold/tap water. Peel the skin and keep them aside.
4. Take a Kadai, add 3-4 Tbps of Cooking oil and heat it. Once the oil is hot put the Arbi and fry. Fry them till they turn golden brown.
5. Once it's done, add the masala that was prepared and mix well. Cook it for 1 min and then turn off the stove. Now add the remaining oil and mix well. Let it cool. Now add the Lemon Juice and mix it well.
6. Check the seasoning and adjust it accordingly.  Bottle it, leave it for one day before consuming. Serve it with steaming hot Rice and Ghee.

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Undrallu

Happy Vighna Niva:raka Chathurthi! Today I made Undrallu which is my most favorite dish. Here is the recipe for yummy Undrallu.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Senaga Pappu (Chana Dal)
2 cups Rice Rawa
1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Coconut
1 tbsp Ghee
4 Cups Water
Salt to taste

Yummy Undrallu

Process:

1. Wash and soak Chana dal for 10 mins. Drain water and keep it aside.
2. Take a wide vessel and boil water in it. Add Chana Dal and cook for 2- 3 mins. Dal should be semi-cooked.
3. Add Ghee, Salt, Freshly Grated Coconut and Rice Rawa and mix well. See to it there are no lumps. Cook for 2-3 mins on low flame. Turn off the stove and cover it with lid and keep it aside for some time. Let the mixture cool for sometime.
4. Once the mixture is warm enough to handle. Apply a few drops of Ghee on your palm and make round balls.
5. Place these Rice balls in Idli plate or a steam cooker and cook for 10 to 12 mins.
6. Yummy, hot Undrallu are ready to serve. Serve them hot with Sambar or Allam Chutney.

Happy Cooking!
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Sabudana (Sago) Kichidi

Sabudana (Sago) Kichidi - The most famous Maharashtrian dish. This is one of my favorite breakfast recipe. It's the most easy and tasty dish. I learned this recipe from my friend. Try this recipe, I'm sure you will love it!

Ingredients:
2 Cups Sabudana (Sago)
1 Cup Water
1 Medium Potato (Finely Chopped)
2-3 Green Chillies (Finely Chopped)
1/2 Cup Roasted Peanut Powder (Coarse)
1/4 Tbsp Jeera
2 Tbsp Ghee
Few Curry Leaves
2 Tbsp Coriander Leaves
1 Tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

Sabudana Kichidi

Process:
1. Wash and soak Sabudana (Sago) overnight.

Soaked Sabudana

2. Take a non-stick kadai. Add Ghee, Jeera, finely chopped Green Chillies, Potato, and saute for 2-3 mins on medium flame.

Chopped Potatoes

3. Once Potato pieces turn transparent, add soaked Sabudana (Sago) and mix well. Cover it with lid and cook for 2 mins. Add Salt, mix well and cook further with covered lid till the Sabudana (Sago) turns transparent. Keep stirring occasionally.

Sabudana (Sago) with Potatoes

 4. Finally add Roasted Peanut Powder and mix well. Add a teaspoon of sugar and mix well.

Yummy Sabudana Kichidi

5. Yummy Sabudana (Sago) Kichidi is ready to serve. Serve Hot.

Happy Cooking!
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Aloo Paratha - Make them the Easy Way!

Aloo ka Paratha - An Authentic North India Recipe, which is everyone's most favorite food in my house. Earlier, I used to make these Parathas in the traditional way by filling the Whole Wheat dough with Potato stuffing. But, recently I made some changes to the way I cook my parathas and they turned out much better than the regular ones...thin, soft and tasty. This saves a lot of time too. So here is the most simplest way of making Aloo Parathas :)

Ingredients:

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 Large Potatoes (Boiled)
1 Tbsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1/2 Tbsp Jeer Powder
2 Tbsp Fresh Coriander, Mint and Green Chillies Paste (Optional)
Salt to Taste
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
2-3 Tbsp Ghee for Frying Parathas

Aloo Ka Paratha with Curds n Mango Pickle

Process:
1. Peel and mash boiled Potatoes. Add Salt, Red Chilli Powder, Jeer Powder, Coriander Powder and Coriander-Mint & Green Chillies paste and mix well.

Mashed Potatoes with other ingredients for stuffing

2. Add Whole Wheat Flour to this mixture and little salt to adjust the taste of the flour and mix well.

Aloo Mixture with Whole Wheat Flour

3. Add water in little quantities while mixing the dough. Add 1 Tbsp Cooking oil and mix the dough well and cover it a wet muslin cloth and keep it aside for 10 mins.

Aloo Paratha Dough

4. Make small round balls from the dough and press them slightly to flatten in your palms. Dust in Whole Wheat Flour and roll gently until it is about 1mm thick.
5. Heat a Tawa till the smoking point and reduce the flame to low. Now fry the parathas. When cooked half way, turn it over and spread a few drops of Ghee then flip it over to the other side and again spread some drops of Ghee and cook till you see the dark brown or golden brown patches on the paratha.

Yummy Aloo Paratha with Curds n Mango Pickle

6. Yummy Aloo Parathas are ready to serve. Serve them hot with Curds and Pickle of your choice.

Wasn't this Simple!!!

Happy Cooking.
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Bottle Gourd(Anapakaya/Kaddu/Lauki) Halwa

Yesterday was last SravanaSukravaaram and I was tired of same old sweets and I was telling my neighbor I wanted to make something different this time. I could not think of anything easy and different. She suggested that I can try Bottle Gourd Halwa. I liked the idea because it was more than a a couple of years I haven't made this halwa. I know its very easy and simple to make.  So here I made the Halwa :)

Ingredients:

3 Cups Grated Bottle Gourd (Anapakaya/Surakaya/Kaddu/Lauki)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Cardamom(Elachi) Powder
1/2 Cup Nuts n Raisins (I used Almonds n Cashewnuts)
4 Tbsp Ghee
Green Food Color (optional)

Yummy Bottle Gourd(Anapakaya/Kaddu/Lauki) Halwa

Process:

1. Take a wide non-stick pan, add 2 tablespoon Ghee, fry Nuts and Raisins till golden brown and keep them aside.
2. In the same pan add the remaining Ghee, grated Bottle Gourd and stir fry for 1 min. Cover it with lid and cook on low flame for 15 to 20 mins stirring occasionally.
3. Remove the lid and increase the flame to medium and cook till it becomes transparent and all the natural water evaporates.
4. Mix Green Food Color in two tables of water and stir it well with the cooked Bottle Gourd.
5. Add Sugar and cook till the sugar comepletely melts on low flame.
6. Finally add Cardamom Powder and fried Nuts and Raisins.
7. Yummy, yummy Bottle Gourd Halwa is ready to serve. Tastes best when served hot or warm.

Yummy Halwa - Close up look!

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Palak(Spinach) Sweet Corn Rice

Ingredients:
1 Cup Raw Rice
2 Cups Water
1 Bunch Fresh Palak (Spinach)
1/2 Cup Sweet Corn Kerenals
3 Green Chillies
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger
2 Tbsp Ghee/Cooking oil
1/2 Inch Cinnamon
2 Green Cardamom (Elachi)
3 Cloves
1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
1/2 Tsp Jeera Powder (I used MTR brand)
Salt to Taste

Palak Sweet Corn Rice

Process:
1. Wash rice and keep it aside in a strainer to drain the water completely.
2. Soak, wash and finely shred Palak Leaves and keep them aside.
3. Take a Pressure Cooker, heat Ghee or Cooking oil and add Whole Garam Masala (Cinnamon, Cardamom & Cloves) and fry for a min or till u get the aroma.
4. Add slit Green Chillies, Ginger, Jeera Powder, Garam Masala Powder and saute for 2 mins. Now add shredded Palak Leaves and fry till the water is almost evaporated.

Palak & Corn in Pressure Cooker

 5. Add Raw Rice and mix well. Add Salt and 2 cups Water and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles.

Palak Corn & Raw Rice

6. Once the pressure is escaped, mix gently and dish out in a Cassarole.
7. Serve hot with Tomato Sauce or any Chutney of your choice.

Palak Sweet Corn Rice

Happy Cooking!
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Paravaannam - Rice Kheer/Payasam

Today is first Friday of Sravanamaasam. I made Paravaannam - Rice Kheer/Payasam. It's also called Annam Payasam or Paramannam. Whatever the name is...It's the most yummy and easiest sweet liked by everyone in my family. This is offered as Naivedyam to Perumal and Thayar during most of our festivals. Here is the recipe for my version of Paravaannam.

Ingredients:
100 gms Raw Rice
1 ltr Milk
3/4 Cup Grated Jaggery
3 Tbsp Ghee
1/2 Cup Nuts n Raisins
1 Tbsp Cardamom Powder

Paravaannam Ready for Naivedyam

Process:

1. Heat a Pressure Cooker, add 1 Tbsp Ghee and fry Nuts n Raisins and keep them aside. Add remaining Ghee, add washed Rice and fry till brown color stirring occasionally.
2. Add 3/4 ltr Milk to the Rice and bring to a boil on medium flame. Reduce the flame to low and cook up to 3 whistles.
3. Once the pressure is escaped, turn on the flame to low and add the remaining Milk. Bring it to boil by stirring occasionally and once the Milk is almost reduced to 1/4 turn off the flame and add grated Jaggery. Mix well and keep the flame on low and cook further till the jaggery completely melts.
4. Add Nuts n Raisins and Cardamom Powder and mix well.
5. Paravaannam - Rice Kheer/Payasam is ready to offer as Naivedyam. Serve hot or warm.

Paravaannam Ready to Serve

PS: To avoid Milk from splitting after adding Jaggery, add a pinch of Cooking Soda and mix well.

Happy Cooking!
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Aloo Mutter (Potato Green Peas Gravy)

Aloo Mutter is our family's most favorite sabzi. Potatoes and Green Peas cooked in tangy Tomato gravy with mild spices is a perfect gravy curry. It's very easy to make. Try it out!

Ingredients:
2  Big Potatoes
2 Tomatoes Chopped
1/2 Tomato Puree
1/2 Cup Green Peas (I used Safal Frozen Green Peas)
1 Small Carrot(Optional)
1 Tbsp Jeera
1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
3 Green Chillies (Slit Long)
1 Inch Ginger (Grated)
1 Tsp Jeera Powder
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/2 Tsp Red Chilly Powder
Few Curry Leaves
2 Tbsp Chopped Coriander
1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to Taste
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil

Aloo Mutter

Process:
1. Wash, peel and cut Potatoes into cubes. Pressure Cook Potato cubes, Tomatoes, finely chopped Carrot,  Green Peas with a pinch of Turmeric Powder up to 2 Whistles.
2. Take a Non-Stick Kadai or wok, add Cooking Oil, Jeera, Mustard Seeds, slit Green Chillies, grated Ginger and fry for 2 mins. Add fresh Curry Leaves and fry for one more minute.
3. Now add Tomato puree, Coriander Powder, Jeera Powder, Garam Masala and cook for 2-3 mins stirring occassionally.
4. Once the pressure is escaped from cooker, transfer the cooked vegetables into the wok and mix well.
5. Add Red Chilly Powder and cook further for 2-3 mins with covered lid. Stir occasionally.
6. Once the gravy is cooked to the desired consistency, add chopped Coriander leaves and serve hot with Phulkas or Chapatis.

Happy Cooking!
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