SPICY GOBI BITES

  This recipe is from my kitchen and my own creation. I wanted to make a simple cauliflower recipe which is spicy and tasty, but do not contain any sauce and that’s how I attempted this dish.  This can be had as an appetizer or a snack or even had as a side dish for naan or roti. I fried the marinated gobi and tossed it in a spicy thick gravy. The dish turned out awesome. If any of your family members do not like the soy sauce or the tomato sauce then this can be a perfect alternative to gobi manchuria. Try this and I am sure it won’t let you down. There is no rule to follow the same recipe, try adding your own ingredients to suit your taste.
INGREDIENTS

• Cauliflower florets                 1 cup
• Maida                                     1 Tsp
• Corn flour                               1 Tsp 
• Rice flour                               2 Tsp
• Red chilly powder                  1 tsp
• Onion                                     1 small 
• Tomato                                  1 small 
• Onions, carrots, capsicum     1 cup julienned
• Green chilies                         2 julienned
• Ginger Garlic paste               1 Tsp
• Sugar                                    1 tsp
• Salt                                       to taste
• Lemon juice                         1/2 Tsp
• Oil                                         for deep frying
• Ginger                                   1 Tsp( julienned)

PROCEDURE
In a bowl add the maida, rice flour, corn flour, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, sugar, salt, lemon juice. Add enough water and make a thick paste. Now add the gobi florets. Mix well. Cover with a lid and let marinate for 1/2 an hour.
Now heat oil in a pan and deep fry the gobi till deep brown and crisp.
Cube the onion and tomato and grind to a paste. In another pan add 2 Table spoons of oil and add the grind onion and tomato paste. Fry till the raw flavor is removed, and the paste leaves the oil and turns golden brown. Now add a pinch of salt, julienned veggies, chilies, ginger. Fry for another minute (the veggies should remain crisp) and add the fried gobi. Toss till all the gobi gets the coating of the gravy. Now remove into a serving dish and top with some raw veggies. Serve hot.   

SATIN ROSE FLOWER WALL DECORATIVE

While I was searching YouTube I came by a video detailing the making a rose flower out of a tissue paper. I followed the same thing in making these small roses out of the satin ribbons. After making a bunch of different color roses I pasted them on a small cake base. You can use different colored and different sized ribbons. Make a couple of them and hang them on your wall.

ORANGE PEEL FLOWERS

Orange peel is usually discarded or some times dried and powdered and used in face pack. Here I used the orange peel to make this wall art. Cut the peel into your favorite shape, peel off all of the white  layer . Dry the pieces in shade until all the moisture is removed and the pieces turn brittle. If the pieces are dried in sun the color of orange peel changes so dry them in shade.  Now paste them on a cardboard. You can even paint the pieces with different colors. This natural orange color stays for a longer time if the pieces are given a coating of clear varnish or clear nail polish.  

TRAY WITH NEWS PAPERS

Here I made a tray with news papers. I rolled a bunch news papers into cylinder. Roll them into a thick cylinder and paste the edges. Cover this cylinder with a colored paper. Make 20 of these cylinders and stack 5 of them and paste them on a cardboard. Each stack of 5 cylinders should be pasted individually and dried thoroughly before assembling the tray. Use the try as a napkin holder or mail holder.  

VEGGIE FRIED RICE WITH STIR FRIED VEGGIES

A simple rice recipe which is so tantalizing and so light is fried rice. Although this is an authentic preparation from China, many Asian countries adapted it by varying the ingredients used and to suit the tastes of people living there. Indian fried rice, Japanese fried rice, Thai fried rice, Chinese fried rice etc.  The basic ingredients used in fried rice are pepper, soy sauce and vinegar. Keeping these ingredients the same a large number of varieties of fried rice can be made. Add veggies of your choice, eegs, paneer, tofu, mushrooms, chilly sauce, tomato sauce, chicken, fish, prawns…………and the list goes on and on……. As the name itself suggests the cooked rice is stir fried with other ingredients. Unlike the biryani or the pulav which are very lavish and heavy, fried rice is very light and moreover it doesn't contain any masala. So this turns out to be a favorite for many people. Usually fried rice served in Indian restaurants is accompanied with a gravy curry and a raita. Well any curry or sabzi goes well with this. Today I am going to present a simple fried rice recipe with stir fried vegetables.
VEGGIE FRIED RICE
INGREDIENTS

• Cooked rice                      3 cups
• Vegetables                       1 cup
• Salt                                   to taste
• Soy sauce                         1/4 tsp
• Vinegar                             a few drops
• Pepper powder                1 tsp
• Sesame oil                         3 Tsp

PROCEDURE
Cook the rice and keep aside for it to cool completely. While cooking add a tablespoon of oil and each grain of rice will be separate after cooking. See that there are no lumps in the rice.
Any vegetables of your choice can be used. Don’t go for veggies which become too mushy. Usually potatoes and onions are also avoided in fried rice. Here I used carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, French beans, green chillies. Green chillies are again optional.
Chop all the veggies into very small pieces. Do not cook or blanch the veggies. The crunch in the veggies should remain even after cooking, so avoid pre cooking. Heat a large non stick pan. Pour in the oil. Heat the oil and add all of the veggies except green chillies. Stir fry for a minute on a medium high flame. Add the salt and the green chillies. Fry for one more minute and when the veggies turn a little bit soft add the cooked and cooled rice. Mix well and fry for another two minutes. Finally drizzle a few drops of soy sauce, vinegar and add the pepper powder. Mix well and increase the flame to high. Fry for half a minute and remove onto a serving plate. Serve hot with any curry and raita……the Indian way.       

TIPS

• The veggies should be as small as possible, so they become soft in less than a minute of frying.
• Chilly sauce or tomato sauce can be used to enhance the taste.
• Ajinamoto can be used to enhance the taste.
• Veggies like broccoli, spring onions can also be used.
• Usually a tsp of ginger garlic paste can be used if you are making fried rice with chicken, sea food, any non vegetarian.
• White pepper powder is generally used, but you can go for black pepper powder also.
• Use sesame oil or olive oil as they give the dish a better flavor. 

STIR FRIED VEGGIES
INGREDIENTS

• Vegetables                        2 cups
• Oil                                     4 Tsp
• Salt                                   to taste
• Green chillies                    1
• Red chilly powder             1 tsp
• Tomato sauce                   2 Tsp
• Garam masala                    1/2 tsp
• Coriander, jeera powder  1/2 tsp

PROCEDURE
Wash and cut all the veggies into large 1 inch cubes. Deseed the firm red tomatoes and cube them also. Here I have used, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, French beans, onions.  Slit the green chilly and deseed it. Cut it into long thin slices.
Heat oil in a pan and add the potatoes and carrots first as they take a longer time to cook. Fry them on a slow flame covered for a minute. When they are half cooked add French beans and the cauliflower pieces. Again cook them for a minute with the lid on. Now remove the lid and add the remaining veggies onions and bell peppers. Stir fry all the veggies on a medium flame for another 2 minutes. At this moment add some more oil if needed. Fry them till all the veggies are soft, but should retain their crunch. Finally add the tomatoes, green chilies, salt,  garam masala, coriander and jeera powders. Fry for one more minute till the tomatoes turn soft. Now add the tomato sauce and a spoonful of water. Mix well and remove into a serving dish. Serve hot with any rice or Indian bread.
TIPS

• Tofu or paneer cubes can also be added. 
• To decrease the preparation time blanch the potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, beans in hot water for a minute and use them. You can also microwave them for a minute and use.
• Red and yellow bell peppers can also be used.
• Ajinamoto can also be added to increase the taste.
• Do not over cook the veggies, they should retain the crunch.

PALAK ONION PAKODA

  

Spinach is the tastiest leafy veggie and this when used to make the tasty jhatpata  pakodas not only increases the taste, but also infuses health into fried pakodas. I like the pakodas to be extra tastier so I added onions also.
INGREDIENTS

• Palak                      1 cup finely chopped
• Onions                   1 finely chopped
• Gram flour              1 cup
• Rice flour                2 Tsp
• Green chillies         1 chopped finely
• Salt                         to taste
• Red chilly powder   1/2 tsp
• Oil                           for deep frying

PROCEDURE
Combine all the ingredients and add enough water to make a thick mixture. The mixture should not be too watery, keep it crumbly. Too much water make the pakodas absorb more oil. So watch and add the water.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the pakodas in small batches. Keep the flame medium. If the flame is too high the pakodas don’t cook from the inside. On the other side if the flame is too low they absorb more oil and become too hard.

TIPS

• Usually I use a whole bunch of palak. Blanch the Palak leaves for 2 minutes in hot water and then chop the leaves and use them. This way you can use more of palak. Alternately you can chop the palak and micro wave for a minute and use. In this method extra water is not required to make the pakoda batter. Add flour and onions into the soft palak till you get a thick mixture.
• Simple palak pakodas without onions also tastes good.
• Use a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste to enhance the taste.

PESARATTU

Pesarattu is a purely Andhra signature Dosa. Although it is a heavy breakfast, no one can give up  because of its taste. This is surely the best tasty dosa.  There is no long soaking or fermentation required like the normal dosas(made with urad dal and rice). Whole moong dal( green gram dal) is soaked in water for a couple of hours, grinded along with ginger and chilies, the batter is used to make dosas which are cooked on a slow flame to golden perfection. Usually pesarattu-upma is a perfect combination, but today I am presenting the recipe for Onion stuffed pesarattu.  There is also another best pesarattu which is called MLA Pesarattu. This has the special potato stuffing inside the dosa. For now enjoy the onion pesarattu with chutneys of your choice.
INGREDIENTS

• Whole moong dal(green gram)   3 cup
• Rice                                           1/4 cup
• Salt                                            to taste
• Ginger                                        1 inch piece
• Jeera                                         1 Tsp
• Onion                                         2 Large
• Carrot                                       1 large
• Green chilies                             2
• Coriander leaves                       2 Tsp( finely chopped)
• Oil                                             to make the dosa

PROCEDURE
Soak the moong dal  and rice for about 3 hours and grind to a fine paste. This should be same as the thick dosa batter. Add the salt and keep aside. While grinding you can add green chilies, ginger  to enhance the taste.
Finely chop the onions, green chilies, ginger. Grate the carrot and keep aside.
Heat the dosa tava. Pour a ladle full of the batter and spread into a circle just like the normal dosas.
Top the dosa with the onions, jeera, ginger, jeera, green chilies, grated carrot. Pour a spoonful of oil along the edges of the dosa and cook for about 4 minutes on a medium flame.
When the dosa turns golden brown fold it into the middle and serve with chutney of your choice. Do not flip the dosa.
TIPS

• Alternately grind the green chilies and ginger along with the moong dal, add the jeera and make plain dosas. These also tastes awesome.
• You can also grind the dal without soaking. These dosas also tastes good.
• Add a bit of more oil than the regular dosas.

LAUKI HALWA

The goodness of the veggie(bottle gourd) combined with the sweetness of the sugar, milk and crunchiness of the nuts forms a perfect dessert called lauki halwa. Many may be new to making this halwa, but this is also prepared the same way as the carrot halwa is made. Green color can be added to make the dish colorful, but I haven’t used. This simple tasteful awesome dish is perfect for any occasion. Next time you make a dessert prepare this to surprise your loved ones.
INGREDIENTS

• Bottle gourd                        1 medium
• Sugar                                    2 cups
• Milk                                      2 cups
• Dry fruits of ur choice          3 Tsp
• Ghee                                    1/4 cup
• Cardamom powder               1/2 tsp
• Green color                          a pinch(optional)

PROCEDURE
Peel the lauki and discard the soft layer inside the vegetable. Grate the lauki and squeeze out the water from it. Measure the grated lauki. It should be exactly 2 cups. Adjust the sugar accordingly. The lauki to sugar ratio should be 1:1.
Heat a pan and add a table spoon of ghee. Roast the dry fruits and keep them aside. In the same ghee fry the grated lauki. When the lauki looses its raw flavor add the milk and color if you like( here I haven't used the color). There is no perfect measure for milk. Increase or decrease according to your taste. I prefer more milk and this way you can decrease the amount of ghee as the milk evaporates and forms khoya.
Cook on a medium flame stirring intermittently. When the milk totally evaporates add the sugar . Keep stirring and add a table spoon of ghee at a time. When the halwa forms a lump add the cardamom and fried dry fruits. Remove and serve hot. 

KASHMIRI DUM ALOO

I love the Kashmiri recipes. Every dish is creamy textured with wonderful colors and aroma. Nuts and dry fruits are used in almost every dish. The slightly sweeter taste in the curries makes them special. The costliest spice,Saffron(widely grown in Kashmir) is also used in many of the dishes. It not only gives the great color but also infuses great aroma into the dish.  Kashmiri dum aloo is one such dish which goes well with all Indian breads, fried rice etc. The deep fried baby potatoes are delicately cooked in onion and nuts gravy along with the curd and cream paste to attain a perfect taste. The cashew badam paste enhances the taste even more and make every one a fan of the dish. Here I give the recipe for the Kashmiri dum aloo. I made small variations to cut down the calories but made sure the taste remains the same. 
INGREDIENTS

• Baby potatoes                    1/4 kg
• Onion                                  1 large
• Cashew and badam             1/4 cup
• Curd                                   1/4 cup
• Salt                                     to taste
• Red chilly powder               1/2 tsp
• Paprika                                1/2 tsp(for color)        
• Coriander                            1 tsp
• Jeera                                  1/2 tsp
• Cardamom                           2
• Cloves                                 3
• Cinnamon                           2 small pieces
• Bay leaves                           1 large
• Pepper corns                      4 
• Oil                                       4 Tsp
• Sugar                                   1 tsp
• Coriander leaves                 2 Tsp( finely chopped)
• Cream                                 3 Tsp

PROCEDURE
PREPREPARATION:
Take very small potatoes, preferably baby potatoes. If you do not get the baby potatoes I give you a trick. Take the larger potatoes and cut them with the water melon scooper( it is just like small ice cream scoop with sharp edge). Boil these potatoes till soft but not too mushy. Retain the skins, prick them with fork all over. Keep them aside.
Dry roast the coriander seeds and jeera. Powder them along with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns.
Traditionally the boiled potatoes are deep fried in hot oil till golden brown. But I prefer less calories so I pop the boiled potatoes in 300degree oven for 30 minutes and they are done. Alternatively marinate the boiled potatoes in oil, salt, turmeric, garlic powder mixture for 20 minutes and fry them in a nonstick pan with 3 table spoons of oil till golden brown and crisp.
Chop the onions and fry them in a tablespoon of oil till golden brown and grind this into a paste
Similarly soak the cashews and badam for a hour in hot water, remove the skins on almonds and grind both of them to a fine paste.
Now comes the actual preparation:
Take 4 Table spoons of oil in a pan and heat it. Add the bay leaves. Now add the onion paste and cashew- badam paste. On a low flame cook them for 2 minutes. Now add the dry spice powder, potatoes and little bit of water. Cover and cook on a slow flame for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and add the salt and chilly powder, sugar, paprika. Mix well and add the well beat curds. Mix thoroughly so that the curds do not split. When the curds mix well with the potatoes adjust the gravy consistency you want and switch off the flame. Finally add the cream and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and serve hot with any Indian bread or rice.  
TIPS

• Curd should be fresh so that the curry tastes awesome.
• Generally the skin on the baby potatoes is very thin so they are served with skins on. If you are using the larger potatoes you can remove the skin.
• If you do not have the watermelon scooper you can cut the potatoes into large chunks.
• Usually tomato is not used in the gravy as it has the tendency to split the curds. 

VEGETABLE KOFTA CURRY

A perfect recipe for all occasions, which goes well with all Indian breads and rice is kofta curry. Koftas are the deep fried dumplings made with single vegetable or a combination of different veggies. The name comes combined with the veggie name or the ingredient used such as potato kofta, lauki kofta, cabbage kofta, palak kofta, malai kofta and so on. Here I give a simple vegetable kofta recipe where the deep fried vegetable dumplings are cooked in a tomato onion gravy with mild masala.    
INGREDIENTS
KOFTAS

• Boiled potatoes                       2 small
• Boiled carrots                          2 small
• Boiled peas                             1/4 cup
• Shredded cabbage                  1/4 cup
• Paneer                                    3 Tsp grated
• Ginger garlic paste                 1 tsp
• Gram flour                               3 Tsp
• rice flour                                 2 Tsp
• Cashews                                 5 finely chopped
• Green chilies                          2 finely chopped
• Salt                                         to taste
• Oil                                          for frying koftas

GRAVY

• Onion                                     1 large
• Tomatoes                               2 large
• Ginger garlic paste                 2 tsp
• Jeera                                      1 tsp
• Cream                                     2 Tsp
• Cashew paste                         2 Tsp
• Sugar                                       1 tsp
• Coriander powder                   1/4 tsp
• Red chilly powder                   1 Tsp
• Jeera powder                         1/4 tsp
• Garam masala                          1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves                     2 Tsp
• Salt                                         to taste
• Turmeric                                 1/4 tsp
• Oil                                          3 Tsp

PROCEDURE
Mash the boiled potatoes, carrots, peas. Alternatively you can grate the boiled veggies. Now mix the shredded cabbage, paneer into the mashed veggies. Add some salt, Chopped chilies, cashew nuts, some coriander leaves, 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste, gram flour and rice flour. Mix well. You can also use some raisins if you like the taste. Make small balls and deep fry them in hot oil and keep aside.
Chop the onion and blanch the tomatoes. Remove the skin on the tomatoes and grind the onions and tomatoes to fine paste.
In a pan heat 3 table spoons of oil and add the ginger garlic paste. When it is done add the tomato- onion paste. Fry till the mixture oozes out the oil. Add the cashew paste and fry for another minute. Slowly add the dry spice powders one after another……. salt, chilly powder,turmeric, jeera powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder. Add the fried koftas, cream and coriander leaves and mix gently. Switch off the flame and serve immediately with roti or nan or rice.
TIPS

• Alternatively bake the koftas instead of deep frying to reduce the calories.
• Do not let the koftas soak in gravy for long time. Combine the gravy and koftas just before serving.
• Whole milk can be added instead of cream.

RAJMA MASALA

Rajma masala is one of the best signature dishes from North India. This spicy kidney bean curry is a best side dish for roti or chapathi. The high fiber and rich protein red kidney beans are cooked in a a tangy onion-tomato sauce combined with the delicate masalas to give an authentic Punjabi flavor. This goes well with almost any Indian bread or flavored rice.
INGREDIENTS

• Rajma                   2 cups
• Onions                  1 large
• Tomato                 1 large
• Jeera                    1 tsp
• Salt                       to taste
• Turmeric               a pinch
• Oil                         2 Tsp
• Ginger                   1/2 inch piece
• Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
• Red chilly powder    1 tsp
• Coriander leaves     2 Tsp (chopped)
• Garam masala          1/2 tsp
• Cream                     2 Tsp(optional)

PROCEDURE
Soak the rajma overnight or preferably 8 hours.  Pressure cook these till soft. Remove rajma from water and keep aside. Finely chop the onions, tomatoes, ginger. In a pan add the oil and heat. When it is heated add the whole jeera, ginger, turmeric. Add the onions and sauté for two minutes. When the onions turn  golden brown add the tomatoes. When the tomatoes also turn soft and the mixture turn mushy add the boiled rajma. Mash some of the rajma and mix well. Now add the salt, chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala. Add a cup of water and cook(preferably water from cooked rajma). Cook on a slow flame for about 15 minutes by stirring intermittently. When the desired consistency  is reached add the cream and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and serve hot with any Indian bread.  This goes well with fried rice also.

VEGETABLE CUTLETS(100th POST)

One of the best and easy to make snack with lots of vegetable goodness and healthy to eat without counting the calories is pan fried vegetable cutlet. Unlike other snacks which contain one or two veggies, these veggie cutlets contains lot and lots of vegetables and so these are very healthy. This is a very good recipe for kids who do not eat all veggies as curries. Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with mild masala these cutlets tastes awesome. Its fun for kids to give different shapes for their own cutlets. These wonderful mouthwatering cutlets can be made in a jiffy if all the veggies are cooked and kept ready. These can either be deep fried or shallow fried. Here I give the recipe for the shallow fried mixed vegetable cutlets.
INGREDIENTS

• Boiled potatoes                 1 large
• Boiled carrots                    1 large
• Boiled green peas              1/2 cup
• Finely chopped cabbage    1/2 cup
• Finely chopped palak         1/2 cup
• Finely chopped onion        1 small
• Bread                                 2 slices
• Bread crumbs                     1/4 cup
• Green chillies                      2 chopped
• Red chilly powder              1/2 tsp
• Salt                                    to taste
• Coriander                          2 Tsp(chopped)
• Garam masala                   1/4 tsp(optional)
• Ginger garlic paste           1/2 tsp(optional)
• Oil                                    for shallow frying

PROCEDURE
Boil the potatoes, carrots and green peas. Peal the potatoes and carrots and mash them. Finely chop all other veggies. Heat a pan and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the ginger garlic paste. When it is done add the chopped onions. When the onions turn transparent add the chopped cabbage, chopped green chilies and chopped palak. When the veggies turn soft and dry add the boiled and mashed veggies. Add the salt and cover with lid. Wait for a minute and then add the garam masala and the coriander leaves. Remove from fire and let cool.

Mash the fresh soft bread and mix it with the cooked mixture. Now add the bread crumbs. Mix well. The mixture should be soft but should be able to made into patties. At this stage you can add some more bread crumbs or can also add corn flour if the mixture is too soft. Now smear your palms  with oil and make small cutlets with the mixture. Set aside.

Coat each cutlet with bread crumbs to enhance the taste. Now heat a tava and shallow fry with oil. The cutlets can be had with any sauce or ketchup.

TIPS

• Any veggies which suite your taste can be used. Don’t use veggies with excess water. If you do want to use them, squeeze out excess water and use( bottle gourd, Zucchini etc)
• The cutlets can also be used as patties for vegetable burgers.
• The cutlets can also be deep fried instead of shallow fry.
• Coat the culets with some oil and bake these in an oven.      

WHEAT FLOUR DOSA

  Making the regular dosas is a elaborate procedure with soaking, grinding and fermenting. But if you want to eat jathpata dosas with simple procedure these wheat flour dosas are the best. These simple healthy dosas are very soft and smooth and they just melt in your mouth. On a lazy evening when I am not in a mood to prepare heavy tiffins I make these. These also form a good breakfast or a dinner in the night. Any chutney goes well with them. 
INGREDIENTS

• Wheat flour                    2 cups
• Rice flour                       3 Tsp
• Butter milk                     1 cup
• Salt                                 to taste
• Jeera                             1 Tsp
• Chilly powder                 1 tsp
• Onion                             1 small finely chopped
• Water                             3 cups
• Green chilies                  2
• Oil                                  for frying dosas

PROCEDURE
In a blender add the wheat flour, rice flour, buttermilk, water,salt, chilly powder. Blend all the ingredients. This way you can make the batter smooth without any lumps. Take the batter into a bowl and add the jeera and finely chopped onions and green chilies. The batter should look like the below figure. The batter should be thinner than the regular dosa batter. Adjust the water to get the right consistency. 

Keep the batter aside for at least half an hour. Take a tava and heat it. Smear some oil on the tava and pour a ladle full of the batter into a circle on the edges of the tava and then fill the pockets with some more batter. Don’t try to spread the batter with ladle like the regular dosas.   

Pour  a spoonful of oil along the edges of the dosas. When the dosa turns to golden brown flip it and fry it on the second side also. Remove and serve with any chutney.
TIPS

• These dosas will be smooth and soft, if you want to be crisp increase rice flour quantity.
• Sour buttermilk will enhance the taste of the dosas.

DOSA AAVAKAYA

Next to the mango aavakaya, Dosa aavakaya is another famous traditional delicacy from Andhra. Unlike the traditional mango aavakaya which is pickled for year long this dosa aavakaya can be stored for 1-2 months only, but the taste will be so awesome  and tempting that it will be completed in days. The  deseeded cucumber pieces with the skins on  are combined with the salt, red chilly powder, mustard powder and oil to make a Ghatu Ghatu dosa aavakaya. The skin on the cucumber keeps the pieces crisp for a longer time and the skin is lightly tart which when absorbs the mustard and oil gives a great taste to the dish.   
INGREDIENTS

• Yellow cucumber( dosakaya)             1 large
• Salt                                                    1+1/2 Tsp
• Red chilly powder                              2 Tsp
• Mustard powder                                1/4 Tsp
• Oil                                                      1/4 cup
• Turmeric                                            1/2 tsp

PROCEDURE
Wash and wipe the cucumber. Now remove the seeds and cut it into small pieces. Retain the skin as the pieces remain crunchy for a longer time if the skin is retained.(Note: Here I removed the skin)

Now add the remaining ingredients one after other into the pieces and mix well. The mixture looks like the below figure.

Cover the mixture with a lid and keep it aside for 1 day in a dark and dry place. By the next day you see the oil coming to the top of the bowl. Now the yummy dosa aavakaya is ready to have with hot rice and a spoonful of ghee.
Adjust the salt and chilly powder and store for a month.
TIPS

• If you do not have the mustard powder, dry roast the mustard seeds and grind to a fine powder. Sieve the grind powder to get fine and soft powder.
• You can store the mustard powder in a refrigerator to retain the aroma.
• Add a less oil at first as the cucumber pieces oozes out water by the second day.

GINGER PICKLE

Ginger Pickle

Ginger pickle is one of the simple pickles to make. This pickle has a perfect blend of sweet, sour and spice. The exotic flavored fresh ginger root combines with the Sweet jaggery, tamarind and chilly powder to make a tantalizing pickle. This ginger pickle preparation is different from the ginger chutney preparation. The pickle can be refrigerated for upto 4 months. As this goes well with almost any breakfast and even rice, I am sure your family will finish it with in a month.   
INGREDIENTS

• Ginger root                 100 grams
• Jaggery                        1/4 cup grated
• Tamarind                      big lemon size ball
• Red chilly powder        1/4 cup
• Salt                               3 Tsp
• Oil                                1/2 cup

PROCEDURE
Clean the ginger and cut it into very small pieces. Dry them thoroughly so that moisture is not there. Soak the tamarind and extract juice. Now boil the tamarind juice, the same way as you do for the tamarind rice. Don’t make the tamarind juice too thick.
Now heat oil in a pan and fry the ginger pieces for about two minutes to golden brown color. Now remove the ginger pieces and cool them. Also cool the tamarind juice and oil. In a blender add the ginger pieces, tamarind juice, jaggery, chilly powder, salt. Grind to a fine paste. Add oil little by little while grinding. Now the ginger pickle is ready. If the oil is less, add more of the oil. Make sure the oil is heated and cooled before adding.

TOMATO CHUTNEY

Chutneys and pickles are a part in everyday South Indian meal. While the Pickles are prepared once or twice a year and stored, Chutneys are made on a everyday basis and can also be stored for a day or two. These are made fresh with almost all of the veggies. My Mom used to make curries, dals and stews for the morning lunch and chutneys in a stone motor and pestle for the evening dinner. These spicy chutneys goes well with steamed rice and ghee. Of all the everyday chutneys, tomato chutney is very easy to make, yet delicious to eat.   
INGREDIENTS

• Ripe red tomatoes                    4
• Green chillies                             4
• Coriander                                  5-6 sprigs
• Oil                                             2 Tsp
• Chana dal, urad dal                   1/2 Tsp each
• Mustard seeds                          1/4 Tsp
• Tamarind                                   1/2 inch piece
• Turmeric                                    a pinch
• Sugar                                         1 tsp
• Salt                                            to taste

PROCEDURE
In a pan add one tablespoon of oil and heat it. Add the dals and the mustard seeds. When the mustard crackles remove the tadka and keep aside. In the same pan add the remaining oil. Add the tomatoes, green chilies, salt, sugar, turmeric and tamarind. Cover and cook for  two minutes. Remove the lid, cook till the tomatoes become soft and all the moisture is evaporated. Let the mixture cool completely.
Now in a blender add the fried dals, green chilies from the tomato mixture and the coriander. Blend them well. When they all form a fine paste, add the tomato mixture and pulse the blender once or twice. One thing is sure, chutneys made in stone motor with pestle in the traditional way taste awesome. Now remove the chutney into a bowl. Serve with hot rice and ghee.

SIMPLE AND SPICY BIRYANI

Biryani is a lavish exotic flavorful dish which is loved by every one. The general procedure for making the biryani is very elaborate with cooking the rice, masala paste, vegetable mixture in layers on a slow flame till all the flavors mingle with rice making a rich aromatic dish called Biryani. Here I give a simple and my version of biryani. This procedure may be different from the traditional way of making the biryani but I am sure the taste will be great.
INGREDIENTS

1. Rice                         1 cup
2. Water                      2 cups
3. Vegetables              2 cups(chopped potatoes, carrots, green peas, beans,cauliflower)
4. Bay leaves                2
5. Star anise                 2( anasapuvvu in telugu)
6. Bread croutons         10
7. Fried cashews          10
8. Salt                          to taste
9. Onions                     1 Medium
10. Tomato                    1 large
11. Oil                            1/2 cup
12. Ghee                        2 Tsp
13. Cashews                   10
14. Ginger                      1 inch piece
15. Garlic                        4 cloves
16. Cardamom                 2 
17. Cinnamon                 2 small pieces
18. Cloves                      4
19. Khus khus                2 Tsp( gasagasalu)
20. Fresh coconut         1/4 cup
21. Jeera                       1 Tsp
22. Coriander seeds       2 tsp
23. Turmeric                  1/2 tsp
24. Red chilies               6
25. Sugar                       1 Tsp
26. Curd                        2 Tsp
27. Coriander leaves     3 Tsp chopped

PROCEDURE
Here I give the recipe I make every time. It is quite different from the basic recipe but tastes very yummy.
Wash and cook the rice with little salt and ghee and let it cool. If you are using basmati rice use only one cup of water.
Cook the vegetables of your choice along with some salt and keep aside. The size of the vegetables purely depends on you taste.
Now take a blender and add all the ingredients  from #8 to # 24. Grind them to a fine paste.
Now take a wide pan and add the oil and ghee. Add the bay leaves, star anise  and then the ground paste. Cook on a slow flame till the mixture oozes out oil and is completely fried, turns to golden brown. Now add  curd and salt just enough for the masala( rice and veggies already have salt in them ).
Add the vegetables and cook for five minutes. Now and rice into the masala and mix well. Now decrease the flame to very low and cover the pan with a tight lid. Cook for about 5 minutes till all the masala flavor infuses into the rice and veggies.
Finally add the coriander leaves, bread croutons, fried cashews.
Serve hot with raita and curry of your choice.
TIPS

• Increase the amount of ghee if you like.
• Do not over cook the veggies as they further cook in masala.
• The amount of the spices can be varied depending on your taste.
• If you like the fried onions you can even add them.
• Now a days you find the soy chunks used in biryani. Add them if you like.
• Alternatively the masala mix with veggies and rice can be arranged in layers and kept in oven on a low flame for about 20 minutes. And this Tastes awesome.
• Add saffron mixed in milk to enhance the color and aroma.

MANGO COCONUT CHUTNEY

 Mango coconut chutney is one delicious chutney which has perfect blend of all the tastes in it.  Sweetness from the coconut combines with the  sour mangoes, spicy chilies, crunchy tadka and gives the chutney a fabulous taste. Normally the coconut chutney is prepared now and then, but when it is the mango season raw sour mangoes are combined with coconut to make delicious and flavorful chutney.
INGREDIENTS

• Grated coconut                1 cup
• raw mango pieces            1/2 cup
• Green chilies                    3
• Red chilies                        3
• Urad dal, chana dal           1Tsp each
• Mustard seeds                  1/2 Tsp
• Coriander                          3-4 sprigs
• Hing                                  1/4 tsp
• Salt                                   to taste
• Oil                                    2 Tsp

PROCEDURE
Choose the mango which is sour and is hard. Peel the mango and cut into pieces. Also grate fresh coconut and keep it aside.
Cut the green chilies also.
Now heat oil in a pan and the dals, mustard, hing, turmeric, green chilies and red chilies. When the dals turn golden brown remove and let cool.
Now grind 3/4 of the tadka, chilies, coriander, mango pieces. Now add the grated coconut and pulse till every thing is mixed well. Now remove it into a dish and add the remaining tadka and mix well.
The mango coconut chutney is ready to be served with hot rice.   

GAVVALU/SWEET SHELLS

Gavvalu, this is a pure authentic sweet from South India. The shape is just like the sea shells, so is the name gavvalu….. sweet shells. These are made with maida. The small maida balls are rolled on a wooden tool used for making the gavvalu. Then these are fried in ghee or oil to golden brown and the dropped in thick sugar or jaggery syrup. The sweet syrup coats the fried crunchy shells and forms the best tasty evening snacks.

INGREDIENTS

• Maida                 2+1/2 cups
• Ghee                  3 Tsp
• Oil                      for deep frying
• Jaggery or sugar 1+1/2 cups
• Water                 for making dough and sweet syrup

PROCEDURE
In a large mixing bowl add the maida and ghee. Mix the two to form a crumbling mixture. Now add the water and form a dough same as the puri dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Add a couple of table spoons of oil while kneading if needed. Cover and  leave the dough for about half an hour.
 
Now if you have the wooden block which is used for making the shells use it. Or else use a fork or a grater. Take a small portion of the dough and roll on the wooden block or the back side of the fork. Form all the dough into small shells. See the figure below. In the mean time make the sweet syrup. In a large pan add the jaggery or sugar and a cup of water. I use half of the sugar and half of jaggery. Use any one which suits your taste. Boil the syrup on a high flame. The consistency of the syrup should be thick. In a small bowl take some water and add a drop of the syrup. The syrup should solidify and form a softball. This is what we call the vundapakam in telugu.  Add the cardamom powder and decrease the flame to very minimum.
Deep fry the shells in hot oil on a medium flame to golden brown. The frying process takes about 4 minutes. Do not fry on a high flame. Now add the fried shells into the syrup. Keep stirring for 2 minutes till the syrup solidifies and the remove onto a plate. When they are completely cooled they can be stored in a air tight container.

TIPS

• Can add a pinch of baking soda while making the dough to get crisper shells.
• Making the syrup and frying the shells should be done simultaneously to get perfect sweet shells.
• Half and half of the sugar and grated jaggery can be used if you like the taste.

CHEGODILU

Chegodilu is a popular evening snack from Andhra. Almost every sweet shop in South India sells this snack. It is fun watching children keeping these chegodilu on all their fingers as finger rings. As these are made with rice flour and some times with maida, they are good for health. These crunchy  snacks has a irresistible taste and you can keep on munching one after another, at least a thirty at a time. Moong dal or sesame seeds or cumin seeds are added for an extra flavor and taste. 
INGREDIENTS

• Rice flour                          2 cups
• Water                               1 cup
• Red chilly powder             1/2 tsp
• Salt                                   to taste
• Ajwain/til seeds/jeera     1Tsp
• Mong dal                            2 Tsp
• Oil                                     for deep frying
• Turmeric                           a pinch
• Ghee                                 2 Tsp

PROCEDURE
Boil water in a large pan.  If you are using moong dal soak dal for 1 hour and use it.  In the boiled water add ajwain or til seeds or moong dal. Add the salt, turmeric, chilly powder and 2 table spoons of ghee. Now switch off the flame and slowly add the rice flour by mixing simultaneously. Form a dough as the chapathi dough. Leave the dough for 15 minutes. The amount of flour to water ratio vary depending on the absorption capacity of the flour. Adjust the flour accordingly to form a stiff yet soft dough.

Now grease your palms with some oil and take a small portion of dough and form it into a string. You can do it on a flat clean surface. Now join the edges of the string  to form a round.

After making all the rounds deep fry the chegodilu on a medium flame. Fry them in small batches so that all of them fry evenly and attain same color.

TIPS

• Ajwain or til or jeera or moong dal, any one or a combination of any two ingredients can be used depending on your taste.
• Using ghee while mixing the dough enhances the taste.
• Keep the chegodilu a little bit thicker while rolling as they shrink after frying.

CURRY LEAF POWDER/KARIVEPAKUPODI

Karivepakupodi / Curryleaf Powder

A healthy and delicious powder which goes well with hot rice is Curry leaf powder. The flavor of the herb is very tempting. But when ever it is used in curries, every one removes it. It has great digestive properties. Besides it is good for growing healthy hair. My Mom used to make this flavorful delicious spice powder and we used to have this every day in hot rice and ghee. This is one of the best home medicines for children who have a poor appetite. Once you try this, I am sure you will certainly become a fan of it.
INGREDIENTS

• Curry leaves            1/2 cup
• Chana dal                2 Tsp
• Urad dal                   1 Tsp
• Jeera                       1/2 Tsp
• Coriander seeds       1 Tsp
• Salt                           to taste
• Red chilies               5-6

PROCEDURE
Wash the curry leaves and dry the completely. See that there is no moisture on the leaves. Now dry roast all the ingredients, except salt, on a slow flame. Roast them individually till every thing turns golden brown and the curry leaves are crisp. Cool all the ingredients and blend them to a fine powder. This goes well with hot rice or idly or upma. Be sure you serve it with a spoonful of ghee or oil.
TIPS

• All the Ingredients can be roasted in a table spoon of oil also. This way enhances the taste but the podi has lesser shelf life.

 

MANGO DAL

   

Mango dal is one of the best dals which is loved by every one.  When it is summer mango dal is a must every week in every South Indian home. The sourness of the mangoes combined with the spicy chilies make a unique delicacy in your meal. Mango dal combined with the gummadi vadiyalu tastes heavenly. This simple dish is made as any other dal.
INGREDIENTS

• Raw sour green mango                     1
• Toor dal                                            1 cup
• Green chilies                                    2
• Oil                                                    1 Tsp
• Chana dal                                         1 tsp
• Urad dal                                            1 tsp
• mustard seeds                                  1/2 tsp
• Red chilly powder                             1/2 tsp
• Hing                                                  a pinch
• Salt                                                   to taste
• Coriander                                       2-3 sprigs
• Curry leaves                                    4-5

PROCEDURE
Wash and peel the mango. Cut into a thin slices. If the mango is very sour then half of the mango is enough. Put the mango slices and green chilies in one bowl and toor dal with 2 cups of water in another bowl . Pressure cook both of these till soft. Now cool toor dal and mango. Combine them and mash thoroughly. Add the red chilly powder and the salt. Heat a pan and add the oil and the tadka ingredients(urad dal. chana dal, mustard, hing, red chilies, curry leaves). When the tadka is done pour it into the dal mixture. Finally add the chopped coriander and mix well. Now the dal is ready to have with hot rice and ghee.
TIPS

• Toor dal doesn't cook if cooked along with mango slices, because of the sourness, so cook them separately.