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Showing posts from February, 2011

North Indian cuisine-------Instant Rava Dhokla

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This is a very famous,healthy snack in northern part of India especially Gujrath and Rajastan.It requires a very negligible amount of oil.My mother used to prepare gram flour dhokla(khaman dhokla) for evening snack and we used to love it.for that we required dhokla packet or the dhokla flour.Rava dhokla is very easy and any time we can prepare.My aunt(my mom's sister) used to prepare this snack and i learned from her. Ingredients: 1/2 cup medium semolina(rava/soji) 1/2 tbsp chickpeas/gram flour(besan) 1/2 cup curd/yogurt 1-1/4 cup warm water salt 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1-2 green chili and 1"ginger paste(optional) 1/4 tsp black pepper powder(optional) 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp oil 1 tsp sugar(optional) 1/2 tsp eno fruit salt/baking soda seasoning: 1 tbsp oil 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 tsp sesame seeds pinch of hing red chili flakes/1 cut green chili(optional) curry leaves(optional) garnishing: coriander leaves finely choppe

Palak Huli/Coconut Sambhar

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This is our Mangalore style sambhar.Originally we prepare this sambhar with a special green leaves called Basalle leaves,which to get it here is little difficult.So i use Palak instead.For mangaloren this is really a very special sambhar.try it you may also love it. Ingredients: 1 bunch of Palak 1/2 onion 1/2 cup toor dal 1tsp thick tamarind extract 1 small tomato/1/2 big tomato 1/2-3/4 cup coconut  salt 2" jaggery curry leaves oil garlic For sambhar masala 1/2-3/4 cup coconut 4-6 red chilies 1/2 tsp jeera(cumin seeds) 1/2 tsp urad dal 1 tsp coriander seeds 1/8 tsp mustard seeds hing 1/4 tsp methi seeds Method: First clean and wash Palak neatly and chopp it and keep aside.Now wash toor dal 2-3times,add sufficient water needed to cook toor dal.Cook palak and toor dal in pressure cooker.I add little salt,turmeric powder ,1green chili and little jaggery in the palak while cooking ,so that salt is absorbed by the palak and dal and they are cooked properly.

Stir Fry[North Indian cuisine]--------Capsicum sabzi(dry curry)

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This is a very easy and quick sabzi to prepare ,which taste good too.goes with chapati/rotti very well. Ingredients: 1 Capsicum cut lengthwise 0.5-1 Alu cut lengthwise 1 big onion cut lengthwise  1 tomato cut lengthwise 1-2green chili(optional) 1" ginger 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp red chili powder 1 tsp jeera powder 1/2 tsp chat masala salt sugar(little) coriander leaves seasoning: 2 tsp oil 1/2 tsp mustard 1/2 tsp jeera(cumin seeds) Method: Take oil in a pan,when oil becomes hot add mustard and jeera.when mustard starts spluttering add green chili,ginger, alu and turmeric powder.stir for a 1 minutes and cover the lid.let the alu cook for 2 minutes.Instead of Alu  you can use carrot and peas also. Now add onion and capsicum ,fry till onion turns little brown.add salt,sugar and red chili powder.stir and close the lid for 3-5 minutes and let the capsicum cook completely.Now add jeera powder(home made jeera powder is best) and chat masala.stir for 3 more mi

Vermicelli upma [Karnataka Cuisine Special]

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This is one of  the healthy,tasty and easy breakfast/snack,wThis is one hich is quite a filling too.we can make it 3-4 types and all tastes good. Ingrediends: 2 cup roasted/plain Vermicelli 1/2 big onion 1 cup of mixed veggies(carrot,peas,beans,capsicum finely chopped) 1" ginger 1-2 green chillies 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp gram masala/sambhar powder/vangibhath powder salt 1 tomatoes oil 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 tsp urad dal 1/2 tsp cashew pieces 1 red chili curry leaves coriander leaves 1/4 cup fresh coconut(optional) lemon juice  1st Method: Roast Vermicelli (if the Vermicelli is plain type ) adding 1tsp of ghee. When the Vermicelli becomes light brown color remove from the pan and keep aside. In the same pan take 1tsp ghee and 1 tsp oil.when the oil becomes hot add seasoning ingredients.when mustard start spluttering add onion,capsicum ,ginger,green chili and turmeric powder. Fry till onion turns light brown.now add all the cooked veggies,tomatoes a

[Diwali Special]------Chakuli(Chakli/Murkku)

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This is a must snack for  Diwali in my mom's house.My dad likes chakuli a lot.And now whenever these grandchildren demand for it my mom prepares it.there are many ways of preparing chakuli,today i am going to share rice and urad chakuli.My mom also makes just rice flour chakuli which is also very tasty. Try and enjoy this Delicious chakuli . Ingredients: 4 cup rice flour 1 cup urad dal flour 1/4 cup kaddle phutani(dalia/roasted channa dal) 1 tbsp red chili powder salt as per taste 1 tsp sesame seeds 1 tsp jeera(cumin seeds)optional oil for frying 1 stick butter Method Melt the butter in microwave for 20seconds. Grind the chutney dal into nice powder. Mix both the flour and just make the flours warm. Now mix all the ingredients in big kneading bowl and knead into a dough adding sufficient water. the dough should not be very hard and it should not be very watery and sticky.cover the dough with wet tissue so that dough should not be dried while making it. Now take

Karnataka Special---------Vegetable Bhath(rice)

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This Recipe my Mava(Mom's brother)used to prepare in his restaurant.We all used to love it.Every day one special bhath used to be there in his Restaurant.Now also i just miss that very much.I try to make the same one with their secret ingredients.achieved little bit near to that. Ingredients: 2 cup Sonamasuri rice 1 cup of mixed veggies(potato,peas,beans,carrot,cauliflower,beetroot---) 1/2 big onion 1/2 tsp garlic finel cut 1/2 tsp ginger finely cut coriander leaves 1-2 green chili cut lengthwise 1 big tomato salt oil ghee 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp sambhar powder 1/2 tsp garam masala seasoning ingredients: 1/2 tsp mustard seeds red chili curry leaves 1/2 tsp jeera 1/2 urad dal 1 tsp cashew pieces 1 tej patta 1/2 tsp saunf(fennel seeds) METHOD: This bhath you can prepare two ways.one way is to cook rice and veggies seperetly in cooker and then make a gravy and add rice. Other way of preparing bhath is as follows; First take a cooker(pan type is

Akki(Rice Flour) Roti [Karnataka Cuisine Special]

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                             This one of the famous Breakfast dish which people from Bangalore -Mysore do at home often.you need some particular technique and a bit practice to prepare thin,crispy-soft(that means perfect)rotti.I came a long way  and  now i am little better in making good ones.This takes little time to cook,but everybody in my house loves it.My daughter like it very much with just benne(butter). Ingredients: 2 cup Rice flour  1 1/2 cup water salt oil 1/2 big onion finely cut coriander leaves finely cut 1 grated carrot 1-3 green chili 1" ginger Method: In a pan boil water ,put salt and little oil in it.when water start boiling add rice flour and mix it immediately. Stir continuously so that lumps won't be formed. when it becomes like a ball,switch off and

Veggie Puffs

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One of my all time Bakery product was  Bangalore's Iyengar bakery Veggie Puffs.In India preparing Puffs at home is little difficult.My grandma used to prepare very tasty puffs.She used to make mixed veggie sabzi(dry curry) and outer covering is just like samosa dough.But that time oven was not there so she used to fry like samosa.Here in USA making Puffs are like very easy.buy puff-pastry sheets and prepare curry and fill it and bake it.good for the parties. Ingredients: 1 packet puff-pastry sheet 2 big alu(potato's) 1 medium onion mixed veggies(like carrot,beans,corn,peas,beat root---finely cut) coriander leaves 1" ginger 1-3 garlic cloves(optional) salt 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp garam masala 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1 -2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp chat masala 1 tbsp oil 1/2 tsp mustard 1 tsp jeera(cumin seeds) Method: Thaw the puff-pastry sheets at least for 30 minutes or 1 hour before keep it in the refrigerator. By that time prepare filling. In

Easy/quick Bread Sandwich

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This is a very easy,fast to make bread sandwich which kids mostly like to eat. you can make this with lots of variations. few of them i sharing here. From last few weeks this is my daughter's favourite. Ingredients: 2 sandwich white bread  ghee/butter ketchup 1tsp of finally cut onions 1tsp finally cut tomato's 1 tsp finally cut capsicum(bell pepper)   1tsp grated carrot little salt coriander leaves green mint/avocado chutney(refer nacho recipe)(optional) grated cheese 1st Method: To prepare Mint chutney grind together bunch of Mint leaves,1/2 bunch of coriander leaves,1 tsp jeer(cumin seeds),2-4 green chili,1" ginger and salt into smooth paste.finally add lemon juice in it. Method to prepare Sandwich: mix all the veggiee's in a bowl add salt and coriander leaves. You can use sandwich maker for this or you can do it just like that.  toast Bread on hot griddle/tava.i put ghee to toast Bread,you can use butter too. take this two toasted bread.spr

Kids special food for picky eaters

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Now a days kids (from 1-12 yrs)whenever you ask don't want to eat any healthy food.They take hours together to finish the food.wants TV while eating the food and they think by eating their food they are making some favour to us.its like they eating for our sake. So now a days i try all sort of tricks so they should eat by their own choice. I want to share some of these kids food which they may like to eat and which is healthy too. so you also try with your kids and any other new recipes you know please suggest me too. This group of recipes is dedicated to all the moms who wants their kids to eat healthy. kids keep changing their taste every few days.for some days they will like some food(that will be very favourite )then after a while they will be bored with that.  you may not spend much time thinking about your own nutrition,but you certainly need to consider that of your child.Every children's are different,so be guided by your own  child's appetite.try to make you

Onion Dosa

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When very little of your dosa batter remaining(just 1-2 tbsp)then this is the best dosa to make and one days breakfast will be done.this comes very crispy and taste good too. Ingredients: 1-2 tbsp dosa batter 1/2 cup Rice flour 1/2 cup chiroti rava 1/4 cup Miada(all-purpose flour) 1/4 cup urad dal(optional) salt little sugar little 1-3 green chili(optional) 1"ginger curry leaves coriander leaves 1/2 big onion cut into very small pieces Method: Mix all the flour and 1-2 cup water in batter with hand beater.No lumps should be there. Add salt ,sugar,ginger,chili,curry leaves,coriander leaves and onion in the batter. mix the batter thoroughly. Heat the griddle,once the griddle is hot pour the batter on the griddle.spread like masala dosa. Pour oil on the dosa and leave it for 3minutes. when the dosa turns brown color ,turn over the dosa and leave it for 1 more minutes. Now remove from the griddle and serve the dosa with green chutney/sambhar/chutney pudi. Enjo