I am sure paneer dishes are favorite among children.  Relish the kadai paneer  recipe which I have detailed below.

Ingredients

Paneer – 250 grams ( cut into into medium sized cubes)

Onion – 2 cups (finely chopped)

Tomato – 2 cups (cut into small cubes)

Dahi – 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tps

Capsicum – 1/2 cup

Baby corn – 1/2 cup (cut into small pieces)

Butter – 1 Tsp

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder – 2 tsp

Dhania  powder -1 tsp

Turmeric powder -1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

kasuri methi – 1 tsp

Chopped coriander – 1 tsp ( for garnishing)

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Procedure

- Use  a thick bottomed  pan for this preparation.  For any kadai preparations use thick bottomed pan to avoid burning)

-Heat the pan,  add 1 tsp of  butter and season jeera in it.  Once the spluttering is over add the finely chopped onion and fry till it is golden brown.

-Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw flavor vanishes.  Now add 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp dhania powder,  2 tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder  and cook till the raw flavor vanishes.

-Add 2 cups of chopped tomato and cook for 5 minutes.  After that add 1 cup of  dahi,  1/2 cup capsicum,  1/2 baby corn , the required amount of salt , 1/2 tsp sugar and the 1/2 cup of water .  Let this mix boil for about 5 minutes.  The baby corn and capsicum will get half cooked by this time.

-Add paneer cubes and leave the vessel closed for 2 minutes.  At last add kasuri methi .  Bring it to boil.  Switch off the stove.  Garnish it with coriander before serving.

It is an excellent side dish for roti , naan  chapathi  & kulcha.

Parrupu podi

Ingredients

Channa Dhal – 1 cup

Thoor Dhal – 1 Cup

Red Chilies – 10 nos

Black pepper – 1 TSp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Salt- 1tsp

Curry leaves – 10-15 leaves

Oil – 1 tsp

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Procedure

-Dry fry Channa Dhal and thoor dhal till they are golden brown.

-Again Dry fry pepper. Once it starts spluttering just put the chilies and fry it for two minutes.

-Now wash the curry leaves and spread it on a dry cloth. Allow it to dry. Apply 1 tsp of oil in the pan and fry it untill it turns dark green in colour.

-Grind the dhal which you have fried along with pepper and asafoetida into a fine powder along with salt.

-Finally add the fried curry leaves.

This podi is very tasty when taken with hot rice with one spoon of ghee. This podi can be stored for at least a period of month, since we don’t add any oil to it , it will remain fresh for a longer period.

GARLIC POWDER

The procedure and ingredients is same as that of paruppu podi. The only addition we make is 10-15 flakes of garlic.

Fry the garlic in 1 tsp of oil in a pan untill it is golden brown and starts giving out aroma.

After making the paruppu podi finally add the garlic flakes and once again powder it.

Why go to restaurant to have punjabi chole ? Give a try at home.

Ingredients

Boiled chick peas – 1 cup( 250 gms appx)

Onion – 1 no (large in size)

Tomatoes – 4 nos (large in size)

Bay leaves – 2 nos

Green chilies – 2-nos

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Jeera powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder -1 tsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Sugar -1 tsp

Aamchur ( Mango powder) – 1/2 tsp

Chenna masala powder  – 1 tbl spoon

Lemon and chopped coriander -  for garnishing purpose

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Procedure

-Soak the channa over night for about 8 hours. Pressure cook it by adding salt and Tea bags. Once it is cooked the colour of the channa would have changed to little bit brown.

-Chop the onion into small pieces. Talk half of the minced onion and grind with half of the boiled channa and 2 green chillies. Make this paste before putting the pan on the stove.

- Now take a wide thick bottomed pan. Add 3 tbl spoons of oil. Saute the bay leaves, add the remaining minced onion, ginger garlic paste and fry till the onion is golden brown. Add little salt for the onion to get cooked faster. Once the onion is cooked add the channa paste and fry it for 5 to 7 minutes. Be little careful so that it doesn’t get burned at the bottom.

-In the mean time grind the tomatoes into fine paste.

-Now add coriander powder – 1 tsp, jeera powder – 1/2 tsp, turmeric powder -1 tsp, red chilly powder – 1 tsp, sugar -1 tsp, aam chur – 1/2 tsp and channa masala powder – 1 tbl spoon. Cook for 5 minutes. Now add the tomato paste and cook for about 5- 7 minutes or till the raw flavor of tomato vanishes.

-Add the remaining chole and required amount of salt and allow the mix to boil for about 5 minutes. Switch off the stove. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

-Serve it with a piece of lime and chopped raw onion.

This is an excellent side dish for roti, naan and kulcha.

My last post was roti. So I thought of posting the all time favourite side dish “GOBI MANCHURIAN”

Ingredients

Gobi (cauliflower )  – 1 medium size

Maida (all purpose flour) – 3/4 cup

Corn flour – 1 tbl spoon

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Vinegar 1/2 tsp

Chopped green chillies – 1tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbl spoon

finely chopped onion and bell pepper – 1 cup

Ajinomoto – 1/4 tsp

Soya sauce – 2 tbl spoon

Tomato sauce – 2-3 tbl spoon

Oil- for deep frying gobi

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Procedure

-Cut Gobi into small petals .  soak it in salt water for 10 minutes.  Drain the water and half cook the gobi by adding a small amount of water and salt.

-Make a thick paste using maida, corn flour, salt, 1/2 tbl spoon ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tsp viniger, 1 tsp chilli powder.  Toss the gobi in the paste and deep fry.  Drain the oil and set aside.

- Now in a pan   apply 2 tbl spoon of oil.  Saute chopped onion, capsicum, ginger garlic paste for few minutes.  Once the onion becomes tender add 2-3 tbl spoon tomato sauce, 2 tbl spoon soya sauce and ajinomoto.

-Now add the fried gobi and saute it for few minutes till it becomes dry.  Garnish it with coriander  and spring onions.

If you are going to make it in large quantities,  keep the fried gobi  separate and the gravy portion separate.  Just saute it before serving.  This the preparation I do at home which gives the typical taste as that of hotel.

I am sure roti is a all time favourite breakfast,  especially  with a perfect side dish.  It is very simple to make soft and delicious rotis.

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour – 2 cups

Water ( luke warm) – 3/4 cup

Salt – 1/4 tsp (to taste)

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Procedure

Preparation of the dough

-Mix the wheat flour and salt together in fairly a large and broad bowl.  Make a well in the middle and add the water little by little and keep mixing it until the dough is moist enough to be gathered into a rough mass.

-Continue mixing the flour until  it becomes a  non sticky kneadable  dough. Keep kneading the dough until it becomes  smooth, silky and elastic in nature ( if you press the dough lightly in the finger tip it will bounce back).

-Allow the dough to rest for atleast 1/2 an hour.  Cover it with a wet cloth to avoid drying of the upper layer.

Preparation of Roti

-Divide the dough into small balls of lemon size.  Using rolling pins flatten the dough evenly in round shape.

-Preheat a cast-iron tawa over medium heat.  Place the rolled dough on the palm of one hand and flip it over on the tawa.  When the colour changes on the top and bubbles appear,  turn it over.  When both sides are done,  use kitchen tongs to remove the chapati from the skillet.

-Hold the chapathi over the medium flame and it will puff up immediately.  Turn quickly to flame- bake the other side.  Do this several times,  till the edges are well cooked.

-Remove the roti from the flames.  Also remove the steam from the roti using both the hands to prevent hardening of roti.  To keep the rotis warm as they are cooked,  place them in a towel-lined bowl and and fold over the sides of the bowl.  Serve hot,  either completely dry or topped with a small amount of ghee or butter

Mysore Rasam

Ingredients

Tamarind – small lemon size
Tomato – 1 big in size
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 tsp along with water

To fry and grind

Coriander seeds – 2 tsp, Thoordhal – 1 tsp, ChennaDhal – 1 tsp, Red Chilies – 4 (or 6, if u need a spicy rasam)Nos, Black pepper – 1/2 tsp, Methi seeds- 1/4 tsp, Asafoetida -1/4 tsp. Roast the above in a spoon of ghee or oil. Add 1/2 tsp of jeera and Coconut – 1 Tbl spoon, grind it to a smoot powder.

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For Seasoning

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Procedure

-Strain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Instead of putting the tomato as pieces you grind the tomato and add the puree. This will enhance the color of the rasam.

-Add turmeric powder and salt and allow it to boil for about 5 to seven minutes till the raw smell of tamarind vanishes. Now add the powder you prepared.

-Smash the cooked thoor dhal and add it along with its water & allow the rasam to boil just for a minute.

-Add coriander leaves, saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

Lime Mysore Rasam

Instead of adding the tamarind in the beginning add the lime juice at last, as you did for the lime rasam.

Brinjal Mysore Rasam

Slit the small brinjals into four without fully cutting them.

Cook the brinjal in tamarind water and repeat the same procedure.

This is a very simple variety of kootu made out of cucumber and  chenna dhal.

INGREDIENTS

Cucumber – 2 cups ( chopped into small pieces in the form of cubes)

Chenna Dhal – 2 tbl spoons

Grated coconut – 2 tbl spoons

Cumin(jeera) seeds – 1 tsp

Red chillies – 2 nos (to taste)

Salt – 1/2 tsp ( to taste)

Raw rice – 1/2 tsp

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PROCEDURE

-Pressure cook the chenna dhal and cucumber by adding 1/2 cup of water, salt and one pinch of turmeric powder.  Just allow three whistles and lower the flame for 2 minutes.

-Grind the coconut, jeera , raw rice and red chillies into a fine paste,  by adding little water.

- Add this paste to the cooked cucumber and allow it to boil for 2 minutes.

-Season it with 1/2 tsp mustard, 1/4 spoon asafoetida and fresh curry leaves.

This a very tasty kootu.  Because of its mild nature kids will like it.  It also serves as a side dish to chapathi.

( We all know that cucumber is a watery vegetable. When cooked by adding water it becomes all the more watery.  Don’t drain the excess water.  Instead use it for grinding the coconut paste.  Its nutritious value will be preserved. As far as possible never drain the water used for cooking the vegetables.  All the nutrients will be lost)

Serves 6 Hands-On Time: 20m Total Time: 1hr 00m

Lentils, kale (borecole), sweet potatoes and canned tomatoes blend to make a hearty soup that’s full of fiber and antioxidant vitamins A and C. Kale adds Vitamin K and, surprisingly, calcium to the mix.

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 4 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons
* 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained
* 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
* 1/2 cup brown lentils
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (ajwain or omam)
* Kosher salt (rock salt) and black pepper
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (cheese) (1 ounce; optional)

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Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, for 5 minutes.

2. Add 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir in the sweet potatoes, kale, lentils, thyme, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Spoon into bowls and top with the Parmesan, if using.

* This recipe is the courtesy of Mrs Hema Sridhar, my cousin residing at US.

It is a famous kanidika preparation. I tasted this gojju in one of my friends house Mrs. Swarna who hails from Bangalore , but settled at Delhi. The taste was so good. I got the method of preparation from her which I am going to present it to you now. This brinjal – capsicum gojju.

Ingredients

Required Vegetables

Tender Brinjal – 100 gms

Capsicum -100 gms

Tomato – 100 gms

Chop all the vegetables into small square pieces.

To prepare the Gravy

Tamarind – small lemon size

Chutney Dhal (pottukadalai) – 1 teaspoon

Mustard – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Grated coconut – 1 handful

Red chillies – 2-3 nos ( accoring to taste)

For seasoning

Oil -1 table spoon

Mustard -1 tsp

Methi – 1/2 tsp ( you can season it with whole  methi or if you use methi powder then make it to 1/4 spoon )

Red Chillies – 1 nos

Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Asafoetida(Hing or perumkayam)  – 1/2 tsp

Procedure

– Strain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cup of water and add the chopped vegetables, one pinch of turmeric powder , salt  and cook them.

-In a dry pan allow the mustard to splutter.  Set asside.  Add one tsp of oil to the pan fry the chutney dhal ,red chillies  and coconut just for 2 minutes.  Allow it to cool and grind it along with mustard and turmeric powder into a fine paste.

- Add this paste to the tamarind – veg gravy and just allow it froth. If you prefer add one small bit  of jagarrey to enhance the taste.

- Season it with mustars , methi, red chillies, curry leaves and hing.

Mouth watering gojju is ready.  It can be served along with raw rice, venpongal, idli , dosa and chapathi.

It is a mixture of vegetables and a variety of legumes  like chenna(konda kadalai) , whole mung dhal( pachai payaru) and  lobia (karamani).

INGREDIENTS

Chopped  Vegetables – 1 cup

Soaked legumes – 1 cup

Small lemon size tamarind

Vegetables used for this preparation are ash gourd (pooshanikai), red pumpkin (parangikari) carrot,  bringal, plantain, mochai parrupu.   Cut all these vegetables into small square pieces.

Soak the legumes overnight.

TO FRY AND GRIND

Chenna dhal – 1 tsp

Urud dhal – 1 tsp

Pepper – 1/4 tsp

Red Chillies – 6 nos

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Edible oil – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbl spoon

FOR SEASONING

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Broken urud dhal -1/2 tps

Fresh curry leaves – 10 – 15 nos

Grated coconut – 1 tsp

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PROCEDURE

-Strain the tamarind with a cup of water.  Cook the vegetables in the tamarind water.  Pressure cook the legumes by adding salt to it.

-Add 1 tsp of  of oil to the pan and fry all the ingredients to be ground except coconut, till they are golden brown. Allow it to cool and grind into  a smooth paste along with coconut.

-Add this paste to the tamarind – vegetable mixture and bring it to boil.  Let it boil for about 2 minutes.  Keep stirring  it continuously to avoid burning at the bottom.  Season it with mustard, urud dhal, curry leaves.  Dry fry the coconut and sprinkle over it.

Very tasty and spicy kadalai kootu  is ready.  It can be had with plain rice.  It is also an excellent side dish for chapathi and dosa.