Chole curry n Roomali roti

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup channa(chickpeas) soaked overnight
1 medium size potato(peeled n chopped into cubes)
1" cinnamaon
3 elaichi
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp mustard
1 big onion chopped fine
1 1/2 tomato pureed
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp jeera pwd
1 1/2 tbsp chilli pwd
1 tsp amchur pwd
3 green chillis slit
2 tbsp kasuri methi leaves
few curry leaves
few cilantro leaves

Method:

Take the soaked channa n the potato pcs n put it in a pressure pan with enough water and pressure cook for upto 2 or 3 whistles.Remove once the pressure comes down...strain away the water from the channa n potato pcs n reserve both of them seperately.

Take some of the boiled channa n grind to a paste n keep aside.

Heat oil in a deep bottom pan, to this add the cinnamon n elaichi,jeera n mustard seeds(be careful not to burn them).

Then add the chopped onions,green chillis n curry leaves.

Once they start turning transparent add turmeric and ginger garlic paste.

Mix once the raw smell dissappears add the coriander pwd,jeera pwd,chilli pwd and amchur pwd and salt.

Next add the tomatoe puree mix n cover with a lid for 3-5 mins.

Remove lid n mix u will notice oil oozing out then add the boiled channa n potato pcs.

Next add the reserved water according to ur required gravy consistency approx 1 1/2 cups and also add the pureed channa paste n mix.

Mix check for salt n spice level and cover with the lid so that the channa absorbs the flavours from the gravy.

Remove lid after 10 mins and then add the crushed kasuri methi leaves.

Let the water evaporate until u get the required gravy consistency.

Remove n garnish with lime juice n cilantro leaves.

Roomali roti:
For rommali roti i just followed Sanjay thumma's video on home made roomali roti.
So here is his link to the video...

http://72.3.253.187/vahrehvah/popvideo.php?recipe_id=2981

i followed the video as it is and they turned out perfect,Thnaks to the vah chef.

Mooli Paratha(Raddish Paratha)

Radish is:

Low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium, Copper and Manganese

The nutritional value of radish makes it ideal for:

Maintaining optimum health
Weight loss





Ingredients:

1/2 of a big white radish
1 small onion chopped fine
3 green chillies chopped fine
1/4 tsp jeera pwd
1/4 tsp chaat masala
1/4 tsp garam masala pwd
1 tsp chilli pwd
few chopped cilantro leaves
salt

Method:

Grate the raddish add some salt,put it into a bowl n cover with a plastic cling wrap or a tight lid because it gives out a strong unique smell.

Prepare a soft piable chapathi dough by adding 2 cups wheat flour,pinch of salt n tsp of oil n 1 cup luke warm water.

Now take the grated raddish take little bit of it in ur palm n squeeze it hard until it leaks out all the water,repeat the process for the rest of the raddish.

Immediately add the onions,green chillies,cilantro n the masala along with chilli pwd.(raddish oozes out water very fast so be fast with it or before making each paratha just squeeze out the excess water).

Now take a lemon size ball off the chapathi dough n roll it into a small puri,with a thick centre n thinner edges.

Put a Tbsp of the grated raddish stuffing in the centre of the puri,and bring all the ends togeather n twist n flatten.

Dust it with some flour n keep rolling it like a chapathi,If u see bubbles just prick it with a fork,once u get the desired thickness put it on a hot tawa/pan.

Cook on both sides until u see brown spots on it add tsp of oil or butter.

Serve with cool cucumber n onion raita and hot pickle of ur choice.

For other versions or to get a more clear view see the recipe in this video.

http://showmethecurry.com/2008/10/23/muli-paratha-radish-stuffed-indian-bread/

Note:u will need to squeeze out all the water from the raddish otherwise it will wet ur chapathi dough n u will not be able to roll out the chapathis.

Andhra Special Pessarattu-Upma

Pesarattu made from soaked whole mung beans has a greenish hue, while yellow coloured Pesaralu, made from peeled mung beans, gives a fine golden yellow tint to the dosa when roasted. Both these forms are famous in Andhra Pradesh, and are typically served with chutney made from ginger and tamarind.

Upma pesarattu is a favourite in Andhra Pradesh, especially in coastal Andhra and East Godavari and West Godavari.






Ingredients

1 cup whole moongdal(pesarapappu)
1/2 cup raw rice
2 tsp grated ginger
1 big onion chopped fine
3 green chillies chopped fine
1 tsp jeera
3 dry red chillies
pinch of turmeric
salt

Method:

Soak the rice n moong dal along with dry red chillies overnight.

Just 1 hr before making the dosa grind the soaked ingredients with pinch of turmeric into a smooth paste(it should be of the same flowing consistency like the regular dosa batter)Add salt to this .

Chop the onion n green chillies finely,to this add the jeera n grated ginger n keep aside.

Prepare regular upma n keep aside

Heat a pan,Cut a onion into half dip one half in oil n rub this onion with oil on the pan.

Now pour a laddle full of the batter onto the centre of the pan,and spread it just like we do for regular dosa.

Sprinkle some oil onto the dosa,n spread the onion mixture onto the dosa(as shown in the pic) n pat it down with the spoon.

U will notice that one side is cooked to golden brown,then flip the dosa n cook for 1 min.

Again flip it back ,lay few tbsp upma on the centre of the dosa n fold n remove.

Serve hot with allam chutney or coconut chutney

Note u no need to ferment the batter n if u dont like eating raw ginger then put it in into the batter n grind it along with it it.Try mostly to use the non stick pan as the dosa comes out easily.Try to make a medium thickness dosa rather than making it too thick or too thin.

Semiya Pulihora

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups vermicelli(semiya)
1/2 cup peanuts
3 green chillies slit
3 red chillies broken into two
1 small onion chopped
small pc ginger chopped finely
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp channa dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric
few curry leaves

Method:

Boil some water until it reaches boiling point add salt n few drops oil/ghee along with semiya(vermicilli)

Once the semiya is soft drain the water from the semiya useing a seive..once the water is drained run the semiya under cold tap water to remove excess starch n ensure that they dont stick togeather

Heat some oil on medium heat,then add the urad ,channa dal,mustard,jeera.

Once they start spluttering add the green chilli,dry red chilli,chopped ginger and curry leaves.

Then add the peanuts n chopped onions, once fried add the salt n turmeric.

Next put in the boiled semiya into this n mix .

Add the lemon juice n mix so that it gets coated well with the turmeirc n lemon juice.

Check for salt n sourness n adjust according to ur taste.

Serve hot

Citrusy French Toast

French Toast is a breakfast which i crave for once in a while and ideal for a sunday brunch.

Ingredients

3 slices of wheat/white sandwich bread
1 cup milk
1 egg beaten
4 tbsp sugar(adjust according to ur sweet level)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp fresh orange juice or orange jest(grate some peel of the orange)
1/3 tsp of of grated nutmeg/cinnamon powder

Method:

1. Here the bread is too soft in the egg n milk mixture so just remove the slices from its cover n leave it outside overnight,by next morning the bread becomes hard.
2.Now mix the milk with sugar n let the sugar dissolve in it.
3.Now add the beaten egg to the milk,also add the vanilla essence,orange juice,nutmeg and mix well.
4.Meanwhile heat a pan/tawa ,rub some butter or oil on it
5.Next soak the bread in the milk n egg mixture for few seconds(dont soak it for too long because the bread will break).
6.Remove the bread n put it on the pan on medium heat.Once cooked on one side flip it.
7.While flipping remember that the bread is too delicate so dont break it.
8.Once cooked on both the sides serve it hot with some maple syrup/choclate sauce/strawberry sauce/orange marmlade or fresh orange slices(I prefer them as it is but the combinations are really ur choice)

Sambar Vada

One of my favorite south indian tiffins is Vada with hot sambar.It is a donut shaped south indian breakfast dish made with lentils...At first in US i didnt really know how to make these vada's though i was always craving for them....once in a while i used to get the instant vada mix packets and make them....


The reason i didnt make the vada batter fresh at home was that ,the vada batter is nothing but overnight soaked urad dal ground to a paste without adding any water...n in my blender over here in US the dal cannot be ground without adding any water....


But i was wrong ,i happened to hear from a friend that we can add few tbsp of water and for the other techniques regarding the fluffyness of the vada i saw the vah chef(www.vahrevah.com) sanjay thumma video on you tube for medhu vada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwiDbLfHnjI


once i saw this video i knew instantly how to make nice vada's ,this video tells u clearly how to aerate the vada batter with hand when we blend it in a blender and it also shows how we can test the batter before frying by putting small batter of dough into water to test wether it is floating or not


So i recommend everyone to first see this video and consider these small things that help in getting beautiful vadas....but for the recipe for vada i followed my mothers recipe

Ingredients for Vada

1 cup urad dal

6 methi seeds

Soak the above 2 togeather with water overnight.Strain the water from the dal .Then put half the quantity of the soaked dal into the blender along with the soaked methi seeds,add few drops of water n grind to a paste( in between grinding stop the blender for a while mix the batter n again switch on the belnder)once its in a paste form remove n then add the remaining dal n repeat the procedure...(U need to add only few drops of water not much)

Note: This procedure is for a blending in a blender...but if u have a ultra grinder or something similiar to it like a food processor u no need to add any water

Once u have the batter add

salt,pinch of baking soda,

Optional.....1 tsp jeera,3 green chillies chopped,1 onion chopped,chopped cilantro

Mix and aerate the batter as shown in the video....and do the batter testing as said in the video

Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying on medium flame...Once u know the oil is hot drop a pinch of batter when it floats u know the oil is ready

Now wet ur hand take little batter in ur hand make a hole in the centre and drop it into the oil(becareful not to burn ur hand in the hot oil)Once fried on oneside turn it n remove once golden yellow color.For a more detailed description u can see the video.

Alternatively u can take a ziploc bag just rub its surface with a wet tissue,then put a ball of batter on the ziploc bag make a hole in the centre ,remove it carefully n drop it into the oil.

Ingredients for Sambar

1/3 cup toor dal soaked n pressure cooked for 3 whistles or until soft,once cool remove n mash it

1 small lemon size ball tamarind soaked in water n its juices extracted

1 cup of mix veggies(carrot,radish,lady finger,brinjal,bottle guard)

1/2 onion chopped

1 small tomatoe chopped

3 green chillies

2 cloves garlic crushed

few curry leaves n cilantro

pinch of hing

1 tsp red chillie pwd

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp sambar pwd

pinch of sugar

1tbsp of fresh grated coconut

Tadka items(mustard,jeera,methi seeds each 1/2 tsp)

Method

• Heat some oil, add the tadka items then add the chopped onions,green chillies,curry leaves crushed garlic.
• Add turmeric,then add the mix veggies
• once they are fried add chopped tomatoes cover and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and the veggies turn soft
• Then add the chillie powder,hing and salt
• Next add the boiled dal n mix
• Add the tamarind juice,cilantro and salt
• Let it come to a boil then add the sambar powder.
• once nice aroma starts coming put in the sugar and grated coconut

Serve hot with rice ,idli,vada or pongal......the combinations are endless.

Masala Dosa

Masala

2 big russet potatoes
3-4 green chillies slit
1 big onion sliced thinly lengthwise
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeer
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
hing a pinch
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp grated or chopped ginger
few curry leaves
few cilantro leaves
few drops lemon juice(optional)

1. Wash the potatoes cut each into 2 halfs and presurre cook them for 2 whistles.
2. Once cool remove lid,peel the potatoes smash them roughly with ur hand.
3. Heat a pan with 3 tbsp oil,once hot add the urad dal n channa dal
4. When they start changeing color add the mustard,jeera,greenchillies n ginger
5. Add the hing ,turmeric and slice onion pc's,curry leaves and fry until they turn transparent
6. Add salt and the smashesd potatoes ,mix well n let it fry for sometime.
7. Then add the cilantro and few drops of lemon juice,mix and keep aside.

U can serve this curry with dosa on the side or before taking the dosa from the pan, put it on the centre of the dosa as shown in the picture fold it and serve with coconut chutney.U can use the same masala with puri or chapathis as well .But if u need little gravy consistency for puris n chapathis just add a cup of water to the curry and let it come to a boil.

Ingredients for DOSA batter

3 cups raw rice

1 cup urad dal

few methi seeds half tsp(optional but they give nice flavour n colour to the dosa)

Wash and soak the rice with methi seeds for 6 hrs and seperately wash n soak the urad dal as well.Grind both of them togeather do not add too much water,the batter should be thick consistency.Usually i use 1 small electric rice cooker cup of water .Let it ferment overnight in a warm place.

When i came to US at first i didnt know that i have to ferment the batter :),but then i learnt it from my friends....So what i started doing is that grind the ingredients,pour into a large container so that its half full(As once fermented it will rise up and it needs some space for that to happen otherwise it will spill out from the container),then put it onto the oven tray(this will help to see that if the batter overflows it will not spill onto the oven directly) ,n put it in the oven near to the oven light switch on the oven light close the door n leave it overnight in the oven.Next morning u will see that the batter has risen.

Fermenting in the oven is for people in the the cold places for people in warm places u just need to leave the batter in a warm place .

So once fermented mix once again.Take the required quantity into a small bowl add some salt and water n mix it until it has a flowing consistency(i.e not too thick or not too watery).Ur regualr dosa batter is ready.

Now heat a flat pan on medium until its hot,cut a small onion into half ,dip into oil n rub the panwith it.Then take a deep laddle with round bottom i.e take a laddle full of batter,pour onto the centerof the pan,and gently with light pressure start spreading the batter with the bottom of the laddle incircular motion usualy clockwise,sprinkle some few drops of oil all over it...once golden brown fold itinto half n remove from pan and serve hot with coconut chutney.

Note:

Usually the frist dosa might not come out that good,as the pan need to become little oily(this isthe reason why we cut a onion dipped it in oil n rubbed the pan with it).Remember the dosa pan should always be a seperate one i.e never use the pan for making chapathis n omlettes for making dosa's...