Vegetable Briyani

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Vegetables (Carrot, beans, potato, peas, cauliflower) - 300 gms

Onion - 1 big chopped lengthwise

Tomato - 1 small sized chopped roughly

Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1.5 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Curd - 1 tbsp.

Thin Coconut milk -1/2 cup

Water - 1 and 1/2 cups

Oil - 3 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Coriander leaves -  1/4 cup

Mint leaves -  1/4 cup loosely packed

Green Chillies - 1

To temper:

Cloves -3

Cardamom -1

Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece

Bayleaf -1 

Preparation:

1.Soak basmati rice in water for atleast 20mins, set aside. 

2..Heat oil+ghee in a pressure cooker and add the items under 'to temper' .Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.Then add onion and saute till its golden brown.Add tomato, saute till its soft. 

3.Add coriander leaves and then  mint leaves and saute each for 2mins. Add the vegetables and saute for 3 min.Then add curd, turmeric powder, red chilli powder,coriander powder,garam masala powder and required salt. Saute till it forms a thick gravy .

4.Drain water from rice and add it to the gravy, stir once. Then add coconut milk.

5.Pressure cook for 3 whistles(After first whistle simmer it). Once pressure releases fluff it with a fork carefully without breaking the rice. Serve hot with onion raita.

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji - One of the most famous street food in Mumbai. Healthy variant to make the kids eat vegetables. Its just a mixer of vegetables cooked with spices and served hot with buttered Pav(bun).

Ingredients
1.Cauliflower - 200 g

2.large potato - 1

3.small capsicum / bell pepper - 1

4.ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

5.tomato puree - 2 cups

6.green peas - 1/4 cup

7.red chilli powder - 1 tsp

8.turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

9.Coriander powder - 2 tsp

10.Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

11.black salt - 1/2 tsp

12.amchur powder - 1/2 tsp 

13.Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

oil - 1 tbsp.

butter - 2- 3 tbsp.

1 onion, chopped fine, to serve

1 small bunch of coriander leaves, for garnish

6 lemon or lime wedges, to serve

Preparation
1.Pressure cook the cauliflower and green peas until completely tender . put it in a mixer and make it a coarse paste.
2.Pressure cook the potatoes. Let it cool .Peel off the skin . Crumble it and Keep it aside

3.Heat the oil,  add chopped capsicum. Cook for 2-3 mins

4.Add the ginger and garlic paste . Saute for a few seconds

5.Add chilli powder and turmeric powder, coriander powder , jeera  powder . Fry for a min and add the Tomato puree with 1 cup water.

6.Allow it to boil for 5  min .

7.Add all the vegetables. cook it for 2 - 3 min . add the Black salt, amchur powder .

8.Cook covered for 5  mins

9.Open and cook further until the desired consistency is reached.

10.Add salt and adjust the spices if required ( if spices are adjusted cook for 5 more min) . Mix well, and switch off .

11.When ready to serve, butter the pav generously and toast until golden on a griddle or tawa

12.Add chopped onions and coriander leaves on the bhaji. Squeeze lime juice and eat immediately.

Note:

1. I have not added Pav bhaji masala . If you want to you can add 1 tbsp of Pav bhaji masala

2.Adding and skipping vegetables is of ur choice . You can add carrot and beas also. All we need to take care is that vegetables are well boiled and smashed properly.

Kadalai Parauppu chutney / Channa Dal Chutney

Ingredients
Channa Dal/kadalai parauppu - 2 tbsp
Red chilli - 5
Tamarind - 1/2 inch
salt
oil - 3 tbsp.
coconut - 1/4 cup ( slit and cut to pieces)


For Seasoning
   Oil - 1 tsp
   Mustard seeds- 1 tsp 
   Urad Dal - 1 tsp
   Curry Leaves - 1 sprig


Preparation
1. Heat a pan, add little oil and saute the  red chilli and channa dal / Kadalai paruppu seperately.
2.Now in a mixer add the saute red chilli, tamarind and salt and channa dal / Kadalai paruppu .
3.Grind it coarsely without water. then add the coconut and grind it well with required amount of water. Adjust the salt and transfer  to a clean bowl.
3. Pour rest of the oil in the pan , add the seasoning one by one, once it splutters add the seasoning to the chutney bowl .

Peerkangai kootu / Ridge gourd curry

Ridge Gourd Curry / Peerkangai Kootu

Ingredients needed
 Peerkangai-Ridge gourd -1/2 kg  peeled and cubed
 Onion -1 big
 Sambar powder - 1 tsp 
 Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
 Salt needed
   
 For seasoning
   Oil -3 tsp
   Mustard seeds -1 tsp
   Urad Dal - 1 tsp
   Curry leaves- few
Preparation
1.Peel the skin of ridge gourd, remove the seeds and cut it into cubes. 2.Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add finely chopped onions.Saute until onion turns transparent. Add the turmeric powder, salt and sambar powder . Saute for 3 - 4 mins.
3.Add the ridge gourd .Cook covered on low flame stirring in between. This vegetable will ooze out water, so sprinkle water only if required while cooking. Adjust the spice if necessary.

4.Once the ridge gourd becomes tender and all the water evaporates,mix well and remove from heat.

Capsicum Thokku

Capsicum thokku is a sweet and a tangy dish .

Ingredients
Capsicum - 2 nos.
jaggery ( powdered)- 3 tbsp.
sambar powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Tamarind ( to be soaked in water)- 1/2 inch
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste
oil - 2 tbsp.


To Temper
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp


Preparation
1. In a pan heat oil and add to temper ingredients wait till it splutters.
2. Cut the capsicum into small pieces. Add the capsicum and fry till soft. Add turmeric powder and salt to it.
3. Pour tamarind water, once it comes to boil add sambar powder . Let it boil for around 10 min.
4. Add Jaggery once it melts taste to adjust the jaggery. If needed adjust the jaggery.
5. Transfer to a clean bowl once done.

Mohanthal

 Mohanthal is a Gujarati Recipe . It is a  traditional festive sweet made from gram flour and cooked slowly to a dense fudge garnished with nuts.

Ingredients 

Bengal Gram flour - 1 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

ghee - 6 tbsp.

mawa / fresh cream - 100 g

almonds, pistachios - for garnishing

Preparation

1. Add 3 tbsp of ghee and 10 ml of milk into the gram flour in a plate and combine well with fingers to make a mixture that feels like coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk to the above coarse crumbs mixture and rub between the palms to combine well.

2.Heat the remaining ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and add the above flour mixture, stirring continuously for about 5 minutes.  Add mawa / fresh cream  until it changes into golden brown and releases a roasted aroma about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the nuts and cardamom until combined.

3.Transfer the mixture to a plate and let it cool down.

4.In another sauce pan; heat sugar with 1 cup water simmering it until it reaches a single thread consistency, about 10 minutes.

5.Transfer the mixture to the sugar syrup and combine well.

6.  Transfer the Mohanthal mixture into the tray, leveling such that the Mohanthal is about two inches in height.

7.Cut the Mohanthal into squares and allow it to cool on the tray . Once cooled completely, separate the squares and serve.

Karruvepillai Chutney/ Cury leaves Chutney

Karruvepillai Chutney/ Cury leaves Chutney

Ingredients:
Karuvepillai - 20 - 25 sprigs
Red chilli - 7
Tamarind - 1/2 inch
salt
oil - 5 tbsp.




For Seasoning


   Oil - 1 tsp
   Mustard seeds- 1 tsp 


Preparation














1. Heat a heavy bottomed pan, add little oil and saute the curry leaves and red chilli separately.
2.Now in a mixer add the saute red chilli, tamarind and salt . then add the curry leaves. Pour required amount of water to make it a fine paste.
3. Pour rest of the oil in the pan , add the seasoning one by one, once it splutters add the paste to the pan , keep in low flame and keep stirring in between until the oil surrounds the corner.
4. You can keep this chutney for a week when refrigerated