Kavita cooks

Spaghetti with Brussels sprouts

2009-06-10T11:03:00.001-07:00

Nutritional value of Whole wheat spaghetti, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers

- Whole wheat spaghetti
- Brussels sprouts cut in quarters
- Olive oil
- half red bell pepper cut in strips
- Salt
- Pepper ( lots of it)

1. In a pan add some olive oil and cook Brussels sprouts and bell pepper till it browned at ends
2. Add cooked spaghetti and salt and pepper
3. Most of flavouring for the pasta comes from pepper so add more
4. If pasta looks dry needed add some hot water used to cook pasta
5. serve with garlic bread

Fusilli Pasta Salad

2009-06-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

okay, pasta is no Indian cooking but none the less pasta is delicious and recently i tried this recipe and it was an instant pleaser. I enjoy simple and flavorful pastas. This salad can be served cold or at room temperature and can be prepared in advance. Pasta salads can be made in various ways, this is what tried:

Nutritional value of pasta, bell pepper, crimini mushroom, spinach, red onion, cherry tomatoes

- 5 cups of cooked whole wheat fusilli ( use tri colored pasta preferably)
- 1/2 red bell pepper and green bell pepper cut in strips
- 1/4 red big onion cut in thin slices
- 2 cups of baby spinach washed and dried ( if you have big leaf spinach tear with hand)
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms sliced
- few basil leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped kalmata olives (green or blacks olives also fine)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half's (for any other tomato, just chop in big dice)

dressing

- 3 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 6-9 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic slices minced
- salt to taste
- pepper

1. Mix dressing contents in a bog bowl
2. Add all the vegetables, stir well till vegetables are coated, cover and let marinade in refrigerator for half an hour
3. cook pasta ( in salted water, as always) , drain well and add to vegetables
4. check seasoning and add extra olive oil if needed
5. let cool at room temp or chill
6. serve with or with out garlic toast

Mango Moose

2009-05-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

- 1 1/2 lb mango pulp
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin dissolved in warm water
- 1 Line's juice
- 2 eggs white
- 2 tablespoon sugar

1. Whisk heavy cream and keep aside
2. Lightly whisk mango pulp and keep aside
3. In a big bowl whisk egg whites till they are light and creamy
4. To whisked egg whites add sugar, lime juice and gelatin and whisk ( don't let gelatin form lumps)
5. Add heavy cream and whisk to mix.
6. fold in or whisk in mango pulp
7. Pour in desired container, cover with plastic foil. Keep in freezer or 15-20 minutes and move to refrigerator and let set.
8. Serve with fresh mango slices or strawberries at side
9. Enjoy!

* You can add cardamom or saffron to rich the flavour

Tomato Ginger Soup

2008-11-19T18:01:00.001-08:00

This soup cooks without any oil and is ready in minutes.

Nutritional Value of Tomato paste and Ginger

- 1/2 cup canned tomato paste
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Ginger juice ( Squeeze, peeled and grated ginger to get the juice)
- Thin slices of peeled fresh ginger
- Salt as per taste
- Black pepper
- 2-3 pinches of red chili flakes

1. Mix water, tomato on low heat till the paste dissolves completely in water
2. Add all the other ingredients and bring to boil
3. Let simmer for 10 minutes
4. Serve hot

* you can vary the amount of paste and ginger juice as per your liking of tomato and ginger flavors.

Eggplant Curry

2008-06-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Nutritional Value of Eggplant

- 8 small size eggplants washed ( you can leave ends )

- 1 cup finely chopped onion

- 2 cloves of garlic minced

- 1/2 cup grounded peanuts

- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

- 1 teaspoon red chili powder ( or as per taste)

- 1 tablespoon garam masala

- 1/2 tablespoon coriander powder

- 3 table spoon oil

- 1 tea spoon cumin seeds

- Salt as per taste

- Fresh chopped coriander to garnish

- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

- 2-3 cups of hot water

Dry Masala Mix

- 1 teaspoon chili powder

- 1 teaspoon cumin powder

- 1 teaspoon garam masala

- 1 teaspoon coriander powder

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Make 2 cuts (quarters)in each eggplant leaving end intact

2. Add ingredients of dry masala mix and fill in each eggplant, set aside ( it will just coat the inside of eggplant)

3. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds

4. Add garlic and onions and let saute

5. Add grounded peanuts, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt

6. Let cook for a minute, then add eggplant, cook for 2-3 minutes and then add 2 cups of hot water

7. cover and cook for 20 minutes, till eggplants are cooked. Add more hot water if the curry drys

8. Cook little longer without lid if you want thicker curry.

9. Add lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.

* remember while seasoning for salt that dry masala mix has some salt.

Vegetable Strudel

2008-01-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

Nutritional value of potato, leeks, carrots, green pepper, onions

- Fillo sheets thawed
- 1 cup finely diced carrots
- 1 cup diced potato
- 1/2 cup green pepper diced
- Half leek diced
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt to taste
- Red chili powder to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- Melted unsalted butter to brush the sheets
* You can add vegetables of your choice

1. Heat 1 table spoon oil, add cumin seeds and let crack
2. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder
3. Add onion cook for few minutes
4. Add other vegetable and garam masala and salt
5. Co0k for 7-10 minutes, let cool
6. On flat surface spread first fillo sheet on parchment paper/ cutting board
7. Brush the sheet with butter and sprinkle sugar, top with second sheet 8. Repeat the process up to 5 sheets
9. Pour vegetable mix and roll the strudel locking from sides
10. Once the strudel is tightly wrapped brush generously with butter
11. In 450 degree preheated oven cook for 10- 12 minutes, till golden brown
12. Let cool for then serve

Apple Strudel

2008-01-28T17:50:00.000-08:00

This delicious desert is made form Fillo sheets and so is ready with little efforts.

Nutritional Value of Apple

- Half Fuji apple cut in thin slices with skin
- Handful pecan nuts/ walnuts chopped
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 table spoon lemon juice
- 1- 2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- 2 pinches of salt
- 1bread slice crumbed ( grind in food processor and roast in 300 degree oven till golden brown) or ready crumbs
- 5 fillo dough sheets
- Unsalted butter to brush sheets
- Some sugar to sprinkle on layers of fillo dough sheets
* you can add raisins, nuts of yours choice and if you like spices add some cloves grounded

1. Thaw sheets as per packet intrusions
2. While working cover sheets with damp cloth
3. Mix apples, brown sugar, nuts, Cinnamon, lemon juice, bread crumbs and salt
4. On flat surface spread first fillo sheet on parchment paper/ cutting board
5. Brush the sheet with butter and sprinkle sugar, top with second sheet
6. Repeat the process up to 5 sheets
7. Pour apple mix and roll the strudel locking from sides
8. Once the strudel is tightly wrapped brush generously with butter
9. In 450 degree preheated oven cook for 10- 12 minutes, till golden brown
10. Let cool for half hour and then serve

Til Gud ( Sweet Sesame seeds with Jaggery)

2008-01-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

This sweet is made on Makar sankranti Festival. This sweet is nutty flavoured because of roasted sesame and peanuts. It takes about 15 minutes to make.

Nutrition Value of

Sesame seeds and Peanuts

- 1 cup white sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1 cup Jaggery ( grated)
- 1-2 teaspoon ghee ( clarified butter)

1. In a pan roast sesame seeds till they start to crack ( 7-10 minutes)
2. Let sesame seeds cool and pulse them couple of times in grinder, so that some are whole are some are cracked
3. Roast peanuts and grind them finely
4. In a heavy bottom saucepan add 1 teaspoon ghee and on low heat melt jaggery till it starts bubbling
(* to test that jaggery syrup is ready put a drop of melted jaggery in cold water, if it doesn't melt the syrup is ready)
5. Remove from heat, stir in sesame seeds and Peanuts
6. Keep a plate with 1 teaspoon ghee coated ready
7. Spread the mix on coated plate to desired thickness (* dip hands in cold water as the mix is hot)
8. Make cuts of desired sizes with knife immediately after done spreading.

**The above quantity of ingredients will make about 30 small pieces as in image.

Paneer Kofta (cottage cheese balls in gravy)

2007-11-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

Traditionally the cottage cheese balls are deep fried and added to gravy, but instead in this recipe they are shallow fried and taste equally well. If desired you can deep fry.

Nutrition value of cottage cheese, potato, onion

Cheese balls

- 11/4 cup grated cottage cheese
- 2 medium size potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
- 1 teaspoon grounded cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon grounded coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red Chile powder
- some chopped coriander leaves

1. mix all the ingredients and make 10 balls from this mixture.
2. shallow fry in pan with 2 table spoon oil
* if you are shallow frying make flat patties instead of round balls, and brown from both sides
3. keep aside

Gravy

- 1 onion fairly chopped
- 4 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 cardamom pods
- 5 cloves
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 generous handful cashew nuts soaked in water
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 -2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 table spoon vegetable oil
- 2 -3 teaspoons garam masala

1. Heat 2 tablespoon oil, add cumin, ginger, garlic, onion, cloves, cardamom
2. cook for 5-7 minutes
3. let cool and grind to smooth puree adding cashew and 1/2 cup water
4. heat another 2 table spoon oil, add turmeric, tomato paste and 1/4 cup water
5. cook for for 2-3 minutes
6. Add chili powder, garam masala and onion puree
7. Stir well breaking in all the tomato paste
8. Lower heat and cook for 10 minutes ( add water for desired consistency)
9. Remove from heat add sugar and after 5 minutes add cottage cheese balls
10 serve hot with roti or rice

Aloo Mattar

2007-11-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

This simple recipe can be enjoyed with roti or rice.

Nutrition Vale of Potato, Peas

- 2 cups fresh/ frozen peas

- 1 cup potato peeled and diced in 1 inch pieces

- 1 cup chopped onion

- 4 tablespoon tomato paste

- 2 green chili ( vary as per desired taste)

- 1 inch ginger

- 2 large cloves of garlic

- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

- salt to taste

- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Heat oil in pan, add cumin, green chili, garlic and ginger

2. Add onion and saute

3. Add turmeric and tomato paste while stirring in paste

4. Add salt to taste, cover and cook for 5 minutes

5. Let cool in separate container for couple of minutes, mean while add potato and peas to same pan and start cooking on medium heat

6. grind the cooked Curry to smooth paste and add to the cooking potato and peas

7. Add water for desired thickness

8. cover and cook for 15-20 minutes ( while adding water if necessary) till potatoes are cooked

9. serve hot with roti or rice

Stir Fry

2007-10-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

This fresh and instant Stir fry is healthy choice when you need something quick. You can add any vegetable of your choice and transform it to your own version. Some other vegetable you can add are: any colored pepper, sprouts, sugar snap peas etc.

- 1 tablespoon grated ginger

- 1 dried Red chili crushed

- 1 cup peeled and cut carrot (your favourite size)

- Broccoli florets

- 1 cup cabbage lightly chopped

- 1 cup zucchini cut (your favourite size)

- 1 small green bell pepper diced

- Soy sauce 1/2 cup

- Chili sauce 3 - 5 table sauce

- 1/2 cup hot water

- 3-4 tablespoon Olive

1. Heat wok, add oil, ginger and crushed red pepper

2. Add all the vegetables and saute on high heat for 5 minutes

3. Add soy sauce, chili sauce stir well

4. Add hot water cover and cook for 5 minutes

5. Serve hot with white rice

Yummy Beet

2007-10-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Value of Beet

- 1 medium size beet peeled and grated
- salt
- 1/2 - 1 tablespoon lime juice
- cumin seeds
- grounded cumin seeds
- Green chili 2 chopped
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon oil

1. Add salt and lime juice to grated beet
2. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, green chili and curry leaves
3. Let saute for few minutes, add to beet and stir

Eggplant Paratha

2007-10-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read it right and it tastes great. A tasty way to use eggplant and cut half on cooking time. This paratha tastes great with yogurt.

Nutrition Value of Eggplant

- 1 medium sized eggplant Baked
- Coriander leaves chopped
- Green onion half bunch finely chopped
- Salt
- Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon ( optional)
- Bishop's weed ( ajwain)
- Cumin seed powder 1/2 teaspoon
- 2 cups wheat flour
- Red chili powder
- water

1. Broil eggplant for about 20 minutes or until cooked
2. Let cool, peel off the skin and mash it
3. Add turmeric, red chili powder, cumin, bishop's weed, coriander, green onion and salt
4. Mix well, while adding little wheat flour at a time kneed a soft dough
5. Let rest for 15 minutes at least
6. Make small balls and roll out each, cook (on tava ) applying ghee/oil on both sides
7. Serve hot with pickle/yogurt

**You can also add boiled and mashed potato to the dough

Sweet and Spicy Potatos

2007-09-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

This Chinese dish is made from baked potatoes stirred with spicy and sweet sauce. Tastes great with any fried or Plain rice and Noodles.

Nutritional Value of Potatoes

- 2 Medium sized potatoes peeled and diced in 1/2 inch cubes

- 1/2 cup cashew nuts soaked in water for 30 minuets at least

- 3 cups boiling water

- 1 inch ginger grated

- 1 tablespoon white corm starch dissolved in water

- 3 strands of green onion chopped

- 3-5 tablespoon soy sauce

- 1-3 Teaspoon chili sauce

- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped

- 2- 3 teaspoon honey

- Olive oil

- Salt

- Pepper

- crushed red chili 1/2 teaspoon

1. Preheat oven to 450 degree

2. Add tablespoon of olive oil, salt and peeper to potatoes, mix well

3. Spread on baking tray and cook for 20-25 minutes turning every 7-8 minutes, remove from oven and keep aside

4. Heat 2-3 tablespoon olive oil, add ginger, crushed read chili, green onions and chopped onions

5. Saute for few minutes then add cashew

6. Add boiling water, soy sauce, chili sauce and honey to desired taste

7. Add starch and stir continuously

8. Lower heat and add potatoes, cook for 8-10 minutes while stirring

9. Serve hot

Cabbage Fry

2007-08-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

This simple and delicious recipe is ready in minutes. it can be served with roti or as side dish.

Nutrition Value of Cabbage

- 1/2 head cabbage Shredded

- 2-3 tablespoons oil

- 2 pinch asafoetida (hing)

- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

- 1 teaspoon garam masala

- 1 teaspoon coriander powder

- Salt to taste

- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

- 1/2 - 1 cups green peas ( optional )

1. Heat oil, add asafoetida, cumin, fennel and let crack

2. Add, turmeric, coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala

3. Stir , add cabbage and peas

4. Mix well so the cabbage is coated evenly with spices

5. Add salt and cook on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes

Gajar Ka Halwa

2007-08-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

A very popular Indian sweet delight is made with grated carrots, sugar and milk. You can add nuts/raisins to add to texture and flavor. Gajar ka halwa can be served hot or cold. When served hot vanilla ice cream would taste good with it.

- 2 lbs carrots (gajar) washed peeled and grated.
- 4-5 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter
- 1/2 gallon half and half or 1/2 whole milk
- sugar as per desired sweetness (3/4 cup)
- raisins 1/3 cup
- Almond flakes 1.3 cup

1. Heat ghee in heavy bottom pan
2. Add carrots and cook for 20 minutes on medium-high heat while stirring after few minutes
3. Add raisins and half almonds
4. Add heated milk to carrots and cook on medium heat till all the liquid evaporates
5. Add sugar and cook for another 20 minutes or till halwa dries off
6. Top with almonds and serve hot or cold

** You can use reduced fat milk as well
** Milk maid or condensed milk can be used to reduced on time to prepare
** You may use carrots without peeling

Ragada Patty

2007-07-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

This snack is vegetable patty served with split pea's soup ( known as ragada). Ragada can be made with green/yellow split pea (known as vatana/batani). The vegetable patty can be made with your choice of vegetables and to make this recipe half the less efforts, use the ready made patty or masala burger ( available at trader's joe's in USA). You can use my cutlet recipe as well. Bellow is easy ways to make patty.

You can top ragada patties with green chutney, sweet tamarind chutney, sev and other toppings. Top it with what you like. This is a very heavy snack and for us it serves as meals often. Cook and Enjoy!

Nutrition value of Trader Joe's masala burger

Nutrition value of Split Peas

Ragada

- 1 cup split green/yellow pea soaked in water overnight
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Red chili powder
- Salt

- Vegetable oil 23 tablespoons

- Cumin powder 1 teaspoon

- Red dried chili 2 ( optional)

- few Curry leaves ( optional)

- Turmeric powder

- Garam Masala 1 tablespoon

- 1 onion finely chopped

1. Pressure cook soaked peas with some salt till properly cooked ( should break easily as you press)
2. Heat oil, add cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder ( and curry leaves and Dried res chili if adding)
3. Add garlic and onion, cook for 5 minutes
4. Add cooked peas and garam masala
5. Season for salt and cook on medium heat till it becomes almost mushy

Patty

- 2 boiled potatoes mashed roughly
- 1/2 cup diced and cooked carrots
- 1 cup cooked green beans
- 2 cup peas
- Ginger and garlic paste
- Red chili powder/ or green chili paste
- Cumin seeds powder
- Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup bread crumbs ( additional to roll patty)
- Oil to shallow fry

1. Mix all the above ingredients and kneed dough
2. Make small flat round patty
3. Heat oil in flat pan
4. Roll patty in bread crumbs and shallow fry till golden brown

To serve

- Ragada
- Patty

- Plain yogut ( beat to smooth texture ) add pinch of salt and pepper

- Chaat masala

- Sev

- Sweet tamarind chutney

- Pomegranate seeds ( optional)

- Red onion finely chopped

- Coriander leaves finely chopped

1. Take a shallow plate, keep patty at center
2. pour 2-3 spoons yogurt

3. Add ragada generously ( with respect to patties size)

4. Add sweet tamarind chutney

5. Sprinkle, onion, coriander, pomegranate and sev

6. Serve hot!

Medu Wada ( Deep Fried Lentil Snack)

2007-07-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

This contribution of south Indian cuisine is very delicious. You can have a full meal with medu wada and sambar, or serve them with coconut chutney or make dahi wada from them.

And don't worry about the donut shape, you can use spoon to make them. They will still taste yummy! The key to have donut shaped wada is to have thick consistency of batter and avoid adding salt till you are ready to fry.

Nutrition value of Urad dal

- 4 cups split urad dal soaked in water overnight ( 6-8 hours)
- Ginger 2 inch piece
- Handful of Coriander leaves
- Green chili 1-2 (as per desired spiciness)
- Salt as per taste
- Oil for frying

1. Drain all the water from soaked Urad dal
2. In food processor grind soaked dal, ginger, chili and coriander leaves till its a smooth paste
3. Heat vegetable oil for frying
4. Add salt to taste
5. Wet hand in water, take small portion of batter, press flat and make a hole in center
6. Slide in hot oil ( wet hands make its easier )
7. Deep fry till golden brown on both sides

Salsa and Chips

2007-06-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Salsa is Mexican condiment. Salsa tastes best when made fresh. They are really simple to make the best part of making them at home is you get what you want in them. You can make salsa with tomato, mango, pineapple, avocado. They are usually served with corm chips. Its close to cachumber of Indian cuisine.

Mango Salsa

- 1 cup firm ripe mango peeled and chopped
- Red onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped coriander leaves
- Lemon juice
- 1 jalapeno finely chopped
- 1 firm red tomato finely chopped
- Salt
- 1 spoon olive oil

1. Mix all the ingredient expect for salt
2. Just before serving add season with little salt
3. Serve with corn chips

Tomato Salsa

- 2 tomato
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped coriander
- Fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium hot jalapeno
- Olive oil
- Salt

1. Chop one tomato finely
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil ad roast garlic slit jalapeno and other tomato for 5-10 minutes
3. Let cool and grind the roasted ingredients in blender to smooth paste quickly
4. Mix onion, chopped tomato, coriander, lemon juice and the paste from step 3
5. Season with salt and serve with corn chips

Pineapple salsa

- 1 cup peeled and chopped pineapple pieces
- Red onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped mint leaves
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- Lemon juice
- 1 jalapeno finely chopped
- Pepper
- Salt
- 1 spoon olive oil

1. Mix all the ingredient expect for salt
2. Just before serving add season with little salt
3. Serve with corn chips

Avocado Brushells

- 1 avocado cut in pieces
- 1 pound tomato cut
- 1 Red onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon parsley
- 2 tablespoon basil
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Pepper

1. Mix all the ingredients
2. Server with French bread pieces

Kalvan

2007-06-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

'Kalvan' means spicy gravy in Marathi. Its made with various ingredients and can be a veg or non-veg preparation. Kalvan reminds me of that of spicy gravy at my dad/ mom's village which we dare not eat as kids for we were not used to spice to that extend. Even for just a bite we loved it and i have learned eating spicy food since then. You can add more spice if you like.

Kalvan tastes best with jowar roti called 'Bhakari' in Marathi. Jowar roti being bland, kalvan is perfect gravy that goes with it. Serve it with raw red onion and I personally like to serve mattah as well, it neutralizes spice to some extend.

Kalvan can be made with mixed vegetables (potato, cauliflower, bell pepper) or with egg or with fish or chicken. Me being vegetarian here is a recipe for potato kalvan.

Nutrition value of Potato

- 2 cups peeled and diced potato cubes
- 1 onion fairly chopped
- 1 tomato fairly chopped
- 1/2 cup Green bell pepper diced (optional)
- 2 green chilies in pieces
- Few curry leaves
- 1-2 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 3-4 tablespoon grated dried coconut
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 inch garlic piece
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon pepper corn ( more or less as be desired spice)
- 5-8 cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon Fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 5- 6 tablespoon oil
- Salt to taste

1. Roast coconut, cloves, peppercorn, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and mustard seeds in hot pan, keep aside
2. Heat 3 table spoon oil and add green chili, curry leaves, garlic, ginger, roasted ingredients from step 1, tomato and green bell pepper
3. Stir well, add tamarind paste and cook for 8-10 minutes
4. Let cool for some time and grind to smooth paste, keep aside
5. Heat remaining oil, add red chili powder, tomato paste, garam masala and potatoes
6. Add some salt and cook for few minutes
7. Stir in the paste from step 4 and season for salt
8. Cook for 20 - 30 minutes, covered on medium high heat till potatoes are cooked properly.
9. Serve hot with white rice or roti

Pakode

2007-06-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Pakoda's are one of most general snack prepared in almost all over India in one form or the other. These are quick to make and best enjoyed with tea.

There are many vegetables you can use to make pakoda's. In addition to vegetable you can use slices of breads, paneer cubes, cheese or sliced boiled eggs. Explore more with this recipe by introducing your own favorites and your imagination. A platter full of mix pakoda's is more inviting.

While most of the vegetables like, potato, cauliflower, zucchini, spinach are used as slices, florets or whole to dip in flour paste, there is different way of using cabbage or onion for making pakode. You can mix chopped onion or shredded cabbage with flour and other ingredients to make a thick paste and then fry small portions.

For adding more crisp to your pakoda's you can add pinch of baking soda, but i leave this ingredient out.

Flour paste

- Chickpea flour 1 cup
- Salt as per taste
- Red chili powder ¼ teaspoon
- Ajwain crushed by hands ( bishops weed)
- ½ cup water
- Oil for deep frying

Vegetables

- Cauliflower florets and/or
- Spinach leaves and/or
- Potato peeled and cut in thin circles and/or
- Paneer (a.k.a. cottage cheese) cubes and/or
- Bread slices cut in half

1. Mix flour, salt, pepper and water to make a paste
2. Dip the vegetable/paneer/bread in paste and deep fry
3. Server hot with ketchup
4. Sprinkle with mixture of grounded cumin + salt + chaat Masala + red chili powder (optional)

** for crisper onion pakode (a.k.a. Bhaji) cut onion and mix with salt and keep aside for 15-20 minutes. Mix in flour only to absorb moisture released and add other ingredients.

Eggplant Bharta

2007-06-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

I love eggplant! They come is different shapes and sizes, they look so pretty that i end up buying them in every single grocery trip i make. I love eggplant in almost every preparation of various cuisines I have tasted.

Indian cuisine offers various ways to cook a delicious eggplant. It can be used to make bharta (below), can be stuffed with spicy filing, roasted eggplant can be added to dough or consumed in snack as baigan bhaji or dips.

Eggplant bharta is one of common preparation of eggplant in my kitchen and believe it or not some recipes taste better the next day, it is true for me with eggplant bharta.

Nutrition Value of Eggplant

- 1 Big Eggplant: Broiled
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 tomato finely chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- Salt
- Red chili powder
- Mustard seeds
- Turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- Coriander leaves chopped

1. Place eggplant on heavy duty silver foil or baking tray and on center rack of oven
2. Start oven on broil and cook for 30-35 minutes, till eggplant is cooked
3. Let cool, peel off skin and mash the cooked eggplant
4. Heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds
5. Add garlic and onion and cook for few minutes
6. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala
7. Add tomato, stir well, cover and cook for few minutes
8. Add mashed eggplant, season with salt and cook for 6-8 minutes
9. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
10. Serve hot with paratha

Besi Bele Bhat (spicy rice with pulses and vegetables)

2007-06-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

I recently tried this recipe for the very first time and i absolutely loved it. This delight from south Indian cuisine is also a healthy treat with Toor dal for proteins and all the goodies of vegetables. You can add vegetables as per your liking. You can always make it with ready mix for besi bele bhat readily available in Indian Grocery Store. But using little sambar masala instead also works just fine.

Easy to make, this is one dish meal for me.

Nutrition Value of Toor dal, onion, green beans, carrots, peas and potato

- 1 cup diced Carrots
- 1 cup Green Beans in 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup Peas
- 1 small Potato peeled and diced
- 1 small Onion chopped in long slices
- Curry leaves
- Coriander leaves chopped
- 4 tablespoon Tamarind paste or as per desired taste
- 1 small piece of jaggery
- 2-3 pinch of hing (asafoetida)
- White Rice and Toor dal in equal parts ¾ to 1 cup
- 1-2 tablespoon sambar masala
- Turmeric powder
- Red chili powder
- Grounded coriander powder
- Mustard seeds
- Cumin seeds
- 3-4 tablespoons oil or Ghee

1. Wash dal and rice together thoroughly and keep aside
2. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds
3. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, grounded coriander seeds and sambar masala
4. Add curry leaves, onion and stir well
5. Add carrots, beans, peas and potatoes, cook for few minutes
6. Add washed dal and rice, stir
7. Add salt and tamarind paste and jaggery
8. Add 5-6 cups of hot water, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes on medium heat, while stirring after every 7-8 minutes
9. Add more hot water if necessary as you cook
10. Cook till all the vegetable are cooked properly and dal and rice is very soft
11. Serve hot with ghee on top and some potato chips

** For the left over besi bele baht add some hot water and heat again.

Plum Ginger Cake with Plum sauce

2007-06-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

I love this cake because fruits tastes good and the cake is not very sweet. The condiment, plum sauce add even more fruity flavour to the cake and icing lovers can do with whipped cream.

Cake Dry ingredients

- 1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/4 cup almonds coarsely grounded

Wet ingredients

- 1 cup light grown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 stick butter
- 2/3 cup sour cream

Topping

- 2 plums sliced in wedges
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- Spoon full flour

Plum sauce

- 4 to 6 plumps grated for finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice
- 1 teaspoon corn starch or flour

1. Mix all plum sauce ingredients and refrigerate for 1-2 hours
2. Mix the dry ingredients of cake: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and ginger powder, keep aside
3. Whisk butter and sugar, add eggs and whisk some more
4. Fold in half dry ingredients then add sour cream and whisk
5. Fold in remaining half dry ingredients mix
6. Grease cake pan, pour batter bake for 15 minutes
7. Mix all the topping ingredients after you start baking the cake
8. After 15 minutes spread topping evenly on the cake
9. Bake for another 20-30 minutes till toothpick comes out clear
10. Let cool, serve at room temperature with plum sauce and whipped cream

Surli chi wadi ( chickpea flour rolls)

2007-06-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

This snack is known mostly in state of Maharashtra. I am glade I know how to make it, its that good!.

This snack is very easy to make and tastes fabulous. Its ready in minutes and worth a try! Plus it's healthy.

'Surli chi wadi' is basically chickpea flour roll filled with fresh chopped coriander and fresh grated coconut and topped with cracked mustard seeds. The roll just melts in your mouth and you got to try it. At my mom's place she has to make more than one batch because as she starts rolling them we start eating them.

Nutrition value of Chickpea flour

- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
- 3 cups liquid ( 3 cups butter milk or if the butter milk is too sour 2 cups of butter milk and 1 cup water)
- Salt
- Red chili powder 1/2 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon oil
- Chopped coriander leaves 1 cup
- Grated fresh coconut 1 cup
- Flat steel tray/plates 10'
- 3/4 tablespoon Mustard seeds
- 3 tablespoons oil separately

1. Mix chickpea flour, liquid, salt, 1 teaspoon oil and red chili powder to form smooth paste
2. Start cooking this mixture while stirring continuously on medium heat, till it forms a thick paste. This takes about 5-8 minutes.
3. If you have 10' plates you can divide cooked paste in 3 parts
4. Spread the cooked paste evenly on plates (Keep the remaining paste on low heat while spread on one plate)
5. Make 4 to 5 cuts with knife to make 1.5 inch wide strips on each plate
6. Spread coriander and coconut on each plate
7. Heat 3 tablespoon oil, when hot add mustard seeds and let crack
8. Pour with spoon evenly on each plate
9. Roll each cut strip slowly

** Buttermilk should be sour for this recipe
** There is no need to grease the plates

Shahi Paneer (cottage cheese in spicy and rich gravy)

2007-06-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

This is a very common and liked preparation of paneer. I guess it's called

shahi (meaning royal ) for use of raisins and not so cheap cashew nuts. It's spicy and sweet at the same time. Paneer is prepared in all most every part of India. You can prepare paneer at home by heating milk with little lime juice and then as it breaks strain it and let dry for a day. But paneer is readily available in store and thus you can prepare it instantly.

I personally like paneer in any recipe without frying, but if you prefer, you can fry paneer for this and palak paneer's recipe.

Nutrition Value of Paneer

- 1/2 lb Paneer cubes
- 2-4 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 Fresh tomatoes chopped
- Onion chopped
- Garlic peeled and chopped
- 2 green chilies chopped
- 3-4 Cardamom pods
- Oil/butter
- Red chili powder
- Garam Masala
- Salt
- Sugar
- Raisins
- Cashew nuts
- 1 medium size Green bell pepper seeded and in long slices
- ½ Onion in long slices
- ½ - 1 cup cream

1. Heat 2 tablespoon oil / butter in a sauce pan
2. Add green chilies, garlic and onion cook for few minutes
3. Add tomato paste stir in and then add fresh chopped tomatoes
4. Cook for 5 minutes
5. Add ½ cup cream, cover and cook for 5-8 minutes
6. Remove from heat let cool and grind to smooth paste by adding ½ cup water in blender
7. Heat another 2 table spoon oil/ butter add raisins and cashews
8. Add red chili powder, garam masala, stir and then add onion and bell pepper
9. Cover and cook till onion and bell pepper are tender
10. Add the gravy from step 6
11. Add salt and sugar for seasoning
12. Add paneer cubes and ½ cup cream bring to boil and let simmer on low heat for few heats
13. Serve hot with paratha

** You can use milk in step 12 instead of cream and curd in step 5 instead of Cream. But using cream makes this recipe more delicious.
** if you like you can add cauliflower florets to this recipe at step 8.

Leftover White Rice

2007-06-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

Possibilities are numerous when it comes to leftover white rice. Here are few ways i use up white rice from previous day.

1. You can make curd rice

2. Heat oil, add cumin seeds and turmeric powder
- toss in vegetables you find in your refrigerator like carrots, peas, cauliflower, beans etc
- cover and cook till vegetable are tender
- add Rice, stir well
- season with salt
- cover and cook till rice become moist

3. Puliyodarai rice
- stock readymade puliyodaria paste/powder from any Indian grocery store in your pantry
- Use leftover rice to make puliyodarai rice as per pack instructions

Uttapa

2007-06-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from south Indian cuisine and can be made with different toppings.

- Medium thick dosa batter
- Finely chopped onion
- Finely chopped tomato
- Finely chopped coriander leaves
- Finely chopped green chili
- Salt for seasoning
- 1-2 tablespoon oil

1. Mix all the above ingredients
2. Heat non-stick pan, wipe with wet paper towel before every dosa
3. Take batter with round serving spoon and pour on pan
4. With the round side of serving spoon spread batter
5. Cover for few minutes
6. When golden brown on bottom , turn over and cook for other side for few minutes
7. Serve hot with coconut chutney and/or sambar

Leftover Vegetable or Dal

2007-06-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

You can make thalpeet using any leftover dal or vegetable.

- Any leftover dal or vegetable
- Jowar flour (sorghum flour)
- salt
- fienly chopped onion if the vegetable doesn't have it
- Coriander leaves chopped
- Oil
- Flat pan/ tava
- Red chili powder
- Ajwain (bishop's weed)

1. Mash the vegetable and kneed soft dough by adding flour and and other ingredients
2. Divide the dough in small portions
3. Spread some oil in a flat pan/ tava and spread out small dough portions using palm
4. Cover and steam cook from both sides

Roti Chura

2007-06-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

This is a very tasty recipe, must try! An another way to use up left over roti/ paratha is crumble it add ghee and sugar to that and make small laddoo, but prefer chura.

- Stale roti/paratha crumbled
- Onion finely chopped
- Curry leaves 4-6
- Green chili chopped
- Turmeric powder
- Mustard seeds
- Salt
- Fresh lime juice
- Oil
- Sugar
- Coriander leaves chopped

1. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and let crack
2. Add curry leaves, green chilies and onion
3. Cook for few minutes
4. Add turmeric powder and crumbled roti/paratha
5. Add salt and little sugar and lime juice
6. Stir well and cover, cook for few minutes
7. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot

Masoor Dal

2007-06-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

'Dal' means pulses in hindi. There are many kinds of dal available in Indian cuisine. Dal is also one of the very common day to day recipe.

The recipe below is very generic way of making any dal, You can use dal of your choice and use it in this recipe, like moong, toor etc. Each dal cooks in different time and quickest way to use dal is to first pressure cook it and then use it.

Nutrition Value of Masoor dal

- 2 cups cooked whole Masoor dal
- Onion finely chopped
- Tomato chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Coriander leaves chopped
- 2-3 tablespoon oil
- Turmeric powder
- Chili Powder
- Fresh lime juice
- Garam masala
- Salt
- Mustard seeds

1. Pressure cook 2 cups masoor dal with 4 cups water till cooked properly
2. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and garlic
3. Add onion and let cook for few minutes
4. Add turmeric powder, chili powder and tomato, cover and cook for few minutes
5. Add cooked dal, lime juice, salt and garam masala
6. Add some water for desired consistency
7. Bring to boil, add coriander
8. Serve hot with rice

Idli and Dosa

2007-05-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

This recipe belongs to south Indian cuisine. Traditionally served with chutney and sambar. I usually make extra batter and store excess batter in refrigerator and use later.

Batter

- 2 cups Idli rice
- 1 cup split urad dal

1. Wash dal and rice together and soak in water overnight
2. Grind to slight thick batter
3. Add salt and and cover
4. Let ferment in warm corner of the house for a day
5. Stir the batter and add salt for seasoning

** Heat the oven to warm and then switch off, keep covered batter in oven
** The above ingredients batter makes 30-40 idlis

Idli

- Batter
- 2 tablespoon oil
- Oil to grease
- Idli mold/Stand
- 2 pinch baking soda
- Idli Stand

1. Add soda and oil to batter
2. Add water if batter is too thick
3. Grease idli stand with oil
4. Pour batter in molds
5. Steam cook in a pressure cooker (without whistle) for 12-14 minutes
6. Serve with coconut chutney or sambar

Dosa

- Batter
- 2 tablespoon oil
- Nonstick flat pan

1. Mix oil and batter well, Add water to make batter thin
2. Heat non-stick pan, wipe with wet paper towel before every dosa
3. Take batter with round serving spoon and pour on pan
4. With the round side of serving spoon spread batter
5. Cover for 1 minute
6. When golden brown on bottom , remove from pan
7. Serve hot with potato sabzi or sambar

Boiled Potato Sabzi

2007-05-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Value of Potato

- 2 large potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut in pieces
- Green chili 2-3
- Ginger 3 inches
- Curry leaves 5-6
- Salt
- Turmeric powder
- Oil 2-3 tablespoon
- Mustard seeds
- Coriander leaves chopped

1. Grind in together, green chili, ginger, curry leaves
2. Heat oil, add mustard seeds let crack
3. Add green chili and ginger paste, sauté
4. Add turmeric and stir, add potatoes
5. Stir and let cook for 2 minutes
6. Add salt and cook for 2-4 minutes
7. Top with chopped coriander

Coriander Wadi ( Deep Fried Corinder and Chickpea Flour Snack)

2007-05-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Coriander Leaves

- One bunch of coriander, chopped finely
- Ginger (3 inch) and garlic(3 large cloves) and green chili (3) grated
- Cumin seeds
- Salt
- Turmeric powder
- Cheek pea flour 1-2 cups

1. Mix all the ingredients and kneed tight dough by adding little water at a time
2. Split portion in 4, Roll each to a long 1-1/2 inch Roll
3. Grease each with oil and cook for 15 minutes in steamer
4. When cool cut each roll in 1 inch pieces
5. Deep fry and sprinkle chat masala
6. Serve hot with ketchup

** Divide dough in more than 4 portions in case your steamer vessel is small and you can steam cook in more than one batch
** You can store excess steam cooked wadi in refrigerator and fry them before you need
** You can shallow fry instead of deep fry

Spicy Green Beans

2007-05-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is a quick vegetable and ready in no if you use frozen cut beans. For a richer flavour use fresh beans

Nutrition Value of Green Beans

- 1 lb green beans chopped
- Cumin seeds grounded
- Mustard seeds
- Amchoor (dried mango powder)/ Fresh lime juice
- Coriander seeds grounded
- Garam Masala
- Turmeric Powder
- Red chili powder
- Oil 2-3 tablespoons
- Salt

1. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and let crack
2. Add all the spices and stir
3. Add cut beans and salt, mix well
4. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or till beans are cooked properly
5. Serve hot with roti

Kulfi

2007-05-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

Making kulfi doesn't get easier than this!

- 1 can of evaporated milk
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can of heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup pistachios nuts crushed

1. Mix all the ingredients
2. Pour in flat vessel for 2’ thick layer or in molds
3. Add almonds flakes
4. Set in freezer for 2-3 hours

** Add alphanso mango pulp (equivalent of 1 can) to above ingredients and you have mango kulfi!

Mango and Peach Custard

2007-05-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

This is a easy to make sweet and you can add more fruits of your choice to this recipe

- Custard powder
- Half and half milk 1000ml
- Mango pulp
- Sweet peaches, peeling and chopped
- ½ cup Almonds grounded
- ½ cup cashew nuts grounded
- ½ cup pistachios grounded
- Sugar as per desried sweetness

1. Prepare custard as per pack instructions and of desired thickness
2. Set aside to cool, covered with foil. When at room temp add, mango pulp and peach, almond, pistachios and cashews
3. Stir well, cover again and refrigerate for few hours

Aam Rus

2007-05-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

This is a popular sweet dish in mango season, try to use use alphanzo mangoes for best tasting aam rus. Alphanzo is known as Hapus in India. With alphanzo pulp available round the year you can enjoy this sweet dish anytime you want. But then if you can't find 'Hapus Raja' :-( use what you can find.

- Fresh ripe alphanzo mangoes 5-6 OR Mango pulp
- Heavy cream ½ cup or Whole milk
- Cardamom seeds grounded
- Saffron strands
- Sugar few tablespoons
- Pinch of salt

1. Dip saffron in 1 tablespoon warm milk, keep aside
2. If using fresh mangos, wash them, press lightly trough out to loosen the pulp
3. Extract pulp and add milk, sugar (as required), salt and cardamom
4. Whisk to mix the ingredient and break down pulp, add saffron
5. Refrigerate for 1 hour at least before serving

Puran Poli

2007-05-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

Puran poli is one of the sweet dishes of Maharashtra state of India. Delicious to eat, his recipe needs little preparation but it’s worth trying.

Puran: Filling

- 1 cup chana dal
- 3-4 cups water
- ¾ cup grated Jaggery
- Cardamom seeds grounded
- Ginger powder

1. Pressure cook till 2 whistles, check if dal is soft but not mushy.
**If not done cook for some more time without whistle in pressure pan/cooker
2. Drain out water thoroughly from dal, save for making kata chi Amti
3. Take a pan, put dal in it and mash
4. Add Jaggery, stir frequently on medium heat, when it thickens add cardamom and ginger powder
5. Grind small portions in grinder, this is ‘puran’the filling

** If puran is too soft spread out a cloth and press puran against it for absorbing extra moisture
** If puran is too tight add 2-3 spoon hot water

Dough

- Wheat flour
- Oil
- Water

1. Knead dough of consistency of filling. To roll out roti you need little softer dough
2. To make puran poli, take two very small portions of dough, roll out to 3’ circle
3. Take handful of filling and seal it between two dough circle made in step 2
4. While applying extra wheat flour roll out
5. Bake on tava on medium heat applying oil on both sides
6. Serve hot with Ghee and warm milk

Dodka (Ridge Gourd) sabzi

2007-05-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

- 2 Dodka (Ridge Gourd)
- Sesame seeds 1 tablespoon
- Kokum 2-3
- Jaggery grated 1-2 tablespoon
- Red chili powder
- Turmeric Powder
- Salt
- Chana dal ½ cup soaked in water for 3-4 hours
- Oil 2 tablespoons

1. Grate off skin of ridge gourd, save to make chutney
2. Diced in small cubes
3. Roast sesame seeds and crush them
4. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, red chili powder
5. Add chana dal and diced ridge gourd, cook for few minutes
6. Add jaggery, kokum and season for salt
7. Cover and cook till 10-15 minutes on medium heat till gourd is cooked
8. Serve with roti

Cauliflower and Potato

2007-05-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Cauliflower and Potato

- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 large potato peeled and cut in 1-2 inch cubes
- Tomato paste 2 tablespoon
- Onion finely chopped
- Cumin seeds
- 2-3 Garlic cloves minced
- Lime juice
- Red chili powder
- Turmeric
- Garam Masala
- Oil – 2 tablespoons

1. Heat oil pressure pan add cumin seeds
2. Add onion, cook for 4-5 minutes
3. Add turmeric, garam masala and red chili powder, stir
4. Add tomato paste and mix it in, add ¼ cup water
5. Add salt and potato
6. Cover partially and cook for 5 minutes
7. Add cauliflower and
8. Cover and let pressure cook for 10 minutes

Bhindi (spicy okra)

2007-05-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Value of Okra

- 1 lb. okra (bhindi) cut in 1cm thick pieces
- Salt
- Mustard seeds
- Turmeric powder
- Red chili powder
- Fresh lime juice
- Oil 4-5 tablespoon

1. In a wide pan, heat oil add mustard seeds, let crack
2. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and bhindi
3. Stir well to coat all pieces evenly with oil
4. Add salt and lime juice and cook without covering it on medium heat
5. Serve with roti

Daal Palak

2007-05-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

This recipe can be altered between vegetable and gravy with amount to water added, for eating with Roti or Rice.

Nutrtion Value of Spinach , Masoor Dal and Toor Dal

- ½ bunch spinach leaves Washed and chopped (approximately 3-4 cups)
- ½ cup toor daal
- ½ cup Split Masoor daal (lentil)
- Garlic 2-3 cloves
- Dried whole red chili
- Salt
- Lime juice
- Cumin seeds
- Red chili powder
- Oil 3 tablespoon
- Turmeric powder

1. Cook both toor and split masoor daal together for 30 minutes in water
2. Drain most of the water (save the water)
3. Heat oil, add cumin, red chili whole and garlic
4. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder
5. Add spinach and cook for few minutes
6. Add salt and cook for 2-3 minutes
7. Add lime juice and cooked daal, cook for few minutes
8. Serve with Roti

** If too thick add some water drained from cooked daal

Stuffed Eggplant

2007-05-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Eggplant

- Small eggplant 6-7
- Grounded Peanut ½ cup
- Onion finely chopped ½ cup
- Red chili powder
- Salt
- Garam Masala 1 tablespoon
- Coriander leaves chopped
- Oil 2-3 tablespoon
- Turmeric powder

1. Make two slits halfway in each eggplant (to fill stuffing)
2. Filling : Mix onion, peanut, coriander, salt, garam masala, red chili,
3. Put spoonful of filling in each eggplant
4. Heat oil add turmeric and little salt add stuffed eggplants and cook on medium heat
5. Add excess filling to cooking eggplants when eggplant are half way through cooking
6. Cover and cook till eggplants are fully cooked
6. Garnish with coriander and serve with roti

Pav Bhaji

2007-05-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite snack/meal, served almost at every street corner thela and restaurants in Maharashtra state in west of India. Its a delicious way to consume vegetables.

Nurtion value of cauliflower, Green Bell pepper, Potato

- Florets of ½ cauliflower head
- 4 medium size potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 Large Green Bell pepper, seeded and diced
- Green peas 1 cup
- Garlic and ginger paste 3 tablespoons
- Salt
- Pav Bahji masala 6-8 tablespoon
- Red chili powder
- Oil
- Butter ¼ stick
- Fresh lime juice
- I medium size onion chopped finely
- 2 tomatoes diced
- Coriander, finely chopped onion and shev to garnish
- Pav bread

1. Pressure cook potatoes, green pepper and cauliflower, save water in which cooked
2. Mash well, add peas and keep aside
3. Heat 2 tablespoon oil and butter
4. Add ginger garlic paste
5. Add onion, stir, cover and cook for few minutes
6. Add red chili powder and pav bhaji masala
7. Add tomatoes and some salt
8. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or till onion and tomatoes are cooked
9. Add cooked and mashed vegetables
10. Season for salt, add fresh lime juice
11. Cook for medium heat for 30 minutes, add water from cooked vegetables for desired consistency
12. Top with chopped coriander, onion and coriander and butter,
13. Server with pav, apply little butter on pav and heat them up before serving

** You can cook pav in preheated oven 350 degree for 5-8 minutes or on tava.

Chakolya (roti in toor dal)

2007-05-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

This recipe is an excellent one dish meal prepared mainly in states in west of India. It a healthy and quick recipe if you happen to have extra dough in your refrigerator!

Nutrition Value of Wheat flour and Toor Dal

- 3 cups toor dal cooked and mashed
- Cumin seeds
- Dried coconut 3 tablespoons
- Jaggery grated 2-3 tablespoons
- Tamarind Paste 3 tablespoons
- Mustard seeds
- Salt
- Red chili powder
- Oil
- Turmeric Powder

Dough
- 2-3 cups wheat flour
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- Water to kneed
- Oil

1. Knead dough and make small balls Keep aside
2. Roast coconut and grind it
3. Heat oil, add cumin and mustard seeds
4. Add turmeric powder, stir and add dal
5. Cook for few minutes, add coconut, jiggery, tamarind paste
6. Add red chili powder and salt for seasoning
7. Add some water and cook till it starts boiling
8. Lower heat
9. Roll out 3 to 4 rotis, brush oil on both sides, cut in 2 inch pieces with pizza cutter
10. Put his in cooked dal and cook for another 20 minutes on medium heat
11. If dal thickens a lot add hot water
12. Serve hot with Ghee and papad

Chole Bhature

2007-05-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from north Indian cuisine and can be served with Chole as one dish meal.

Nutrition Value of Maida

- 3-4 cups Maida flour (Refined Wheat Flour)
- Salt
- Oil
- Sour Buttermilk to knead dough
- Baking soda 1/8 teaspoon

1. Add salt, baking soda and maida
2. Heat 1/2 cup oil and add to Flour
3. Mix with spoon
4. Knead dough with buttermilk, cover with plastic wrap
5. Keep aside for 3-5 hours
6. Make small ball of dough
7. Roll our each using some oil and deep fry
8. Serve hot with Chole

Amboli (chickpea flour dosa)

2007-05-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

This can be made instantly.

Nutrition Value of Chickpea Flour and Tomato

- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
- Onion finely chopped
- Tomato finely chopped
- Coriander leaves chopped
- Cumin seeds
- Salt
- Red chili powder
- Oil

1. Mix all the ingredient except oil
2. Add water to make a smooth paste
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in flat pan
4. Put one serving spoon amount paste and spread on pan
5. Cover and cook, till golden brown
6. Apply oil on other side and flap to cook from other side
7. Serve with tomato ketchup

Eggplant Rice

2007-05-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Nutrtion value of Eggplant

- 2 cups long grain rice
- 2 cups diced eggplant
- 1 small onion sliced
- Cumin seeds
- Ginger, garlic paste 1 tablespoon
- Red chili powder
- Garam Masala
- Salt
- Oil
- Turmeric powder
- Fresh lime juice

- Chopped Coriander Leaves

1. Cook 2 cups rice and keep aside to cool
2. Heat oil, add cumin and ginger-garlic paste
3. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder
4. Add onion and cook for a minute
5. Add eggplant, garam masala and salt to season
6. Cover and let eggplant cook
7. Add rice and stir well
8. Add lime juice and garnish with chopped coriander

Khichadi

2007-05-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Mung Dal

- 2 cups rice
- 1 cup split mung dal
- 5 cups water
- Oil 2-3 tablespoon
- Cumin seeds
- Salt
- Turmeric powder
- Garam Masala 1 tablespoon
- 4 Whole red dried chilies
- Lime juice

1. Wash rice and dal thoroughly
2. Heat oil in sauce pan
3. Add cumin, red chili
4. Add turmeric and garam masala, rice and dal
5. Stir well and add little salt, cook for few minutes
6. Add water and bring to boil, season for salt and add fresh lime juice
7. When water level is same as rice level, lower heat, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes
8. Serve hot with Ghee and matha

** this recipe can be made with toor dal instead of mung dal

Thalpeet

2007-05-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from state of Maharashtra from West part of India. Traditionally made with ‘Bhajani’, which is mixture of flours of roasted dals and beans and, served with Loni (fresh butter). It’s absolutely yummy when made that way, but here is an easy way to enjoy tasty thalpeet with easily available ingredients.

Nutrtion value of Sorghum and Pearl Millet

- Jowar Flour 5 cups (Sorghum flour)
- Bhajri Flour 1 cup (Pearl Millet flour)
- 1 medium size onion chopped
- Chopped Coriander
- Minced garlic 3 cloves
- Salt
- Red Chili powder
- Turmeric Powder
- Oil

1. Add all the above ingredients and Knead soft dough with water
2. Dived in 4 portions
3. On flat pan/tava spread 1 tablespoon oil
4. Spread one portion on dough on tava/pan with your pam.
5. Oil the upper surface
6. Cook both sides covered till cooked ( it had some golden brown spots on each side)
7. Serve with butter/ matha and achaar

** You can use leftover dals and vegetables in this recipe while kneading dough, first mash the leftovers and then add to dry ingredients use water, if required additionally to knead dough.

Radish Paratha

2007-05-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Radish

Dough

- 4 cups wheat flour
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- Water to kneed
- Oil

1. Flour and salt and adding little water at a time knead soft dough
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and knead for 2 minutes
3. Keep aside for 30 minutes preferably

Filling

- 1 large white Radish grated
- Salt
- Coriander leaves chopped
- Turmeric powder
- Cumin seeds grounded
- Red chili powder

1. Add 1 tablespoon salt to grated radish and keep for 20 minutes
2. Squeeze out all the juice
3. Mix all other filling ingredients, add salt for seasoning if necessary
4. Make two small balls of dough and roll to about 3 inches
5. Take filling and seal it in dough rolls
6. Roll out using some flour
7. Cook on tava, applying oil on both sides
8. Serve hot with yogurt and Achaar

Paneer Paratha

2007-05-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Value of Paneer

Dough
- 4 cups wheat flour
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- Water to kneed
- Oil
1. Flour and salt and adding little water at a time knead soft dough
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and knead for 2 minutes
3. Keep aside for 30 minutes preferably

Filling

- 2 cups grated paneer (Cottage Cheese), use fine grater
- Salt
- Coriander leaves chopped
- Onion finely chopped ½ cup
- Cumin seeds grounded
- 2 Green chili grated

1. Mix all the filling ingredients
2. Make two small balls of dough and roll to about 3 inches
3. Take filling and seal it in dough rolls
4. Roll out using some flour
5. Cook on tava, applying oil on both sides
6. Serve hot with yogurt and Achaar

Palak OR Methi Paratha

2007-05-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

Nutrtion Value of Spinach and Fenugreek

- 2 cups chopped spinach leaves (palak) OR 1 and ½ cup methi (fenugreek) leaves
- 3 cups wheat flour
- Salt
- Crushed Ajwain seeds 1 teaspoon (Bishop’s weed)
- Grated green chili ( optional)
- 2- 3 minced garlic cloves (if making Methi paratha)
- Water to kneed

1. Mix spinach, ajwain, salt and flour
2. Knead a soft dough by adding water and keep aside for 20-30 minutes
3. Knead with 1 tablespoon oil once
4. Take a small portion(about size of tennis ball)
5. Roll out and cook on tava, apply oil on both sides
6. Serve with yogurt and Achaar

Aloo Paratha

2007-05-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

Dough
- 4 cups wheat flour
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- Water to kneed
- Oil

1. Flour and salt and adding little water at a time knead soft dough
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and kneed for 2 minutes
3. Keep aside for 30 minutes preferably

Filling

- 2 large boiled potato (makes filling for about 10-12 paratha)
- Chopped coriander
- Cumin seeds Grounded
- Amchoor ( dried mango powder)
- Salt
- Red chili powder
- Coriander seeds grounded
- Turmeric powder for color ( optional)

1. Peel and grate the boiled potatoes
2. Add all the filling ingredients and mix well
3. Make two small balls of dough and roll to about 3 inches
4. Take filling (about tennis ball size) and seal it in dough rolls
5. Roll out paratha using some flour
6. Cook on tava, applying oil on both sides
7. Serve hot with yogurt and Achar

Puri

2007-05-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

- 4 cups wheat flour
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- Water to kneed
- Oil for deep frying

1. Flour and salt and adding little water at a time knead TIGHT dough
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and kneed for 2 minutes
3. Keep aside for 20 minutes
4. Heat oil for frying
5. Make small balls of dough and roll 4 inch circles and deep fry on medium high heat
6. Serve with any vegetable

Batata Wada

2007-05-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

The same recipe can be used for making wada pav: serve fried wada in between cut pav (Bread) with fried green chili sprinkled with salt. A vairation can be made by applying filing between cut bread slices, dip whole sandwitch in flour paste and deep fry: called pav wada.

Filing

- 2 Large potatoes boiled peeled and diced
- Green chili, garlic, garlic, 10-15 curry leaves in blender
- Mustard seeds
- Diced Onion ½ cup
- Oil 3 table spoon
- Salt
- Turmeric powder
- Pav ( dinner roll like bread)
- Green chilies to fry

1. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, let crack
2. Add onion and paste of ginger, garlic, curry leaves and green chilies
3. Sauté add turmeric
4. Add potato and salt and stir will
5. Let cook for 5 minutes
6. When cool make 3 inch flat patties keep aside

Flour Paste

- 2 cups chickpea flour
- Salt

- Ajwain (Bishop's Weed)

1. Mix together with water to make a thick paste (consistency like sauce)
2. Dip the patties in this paste (coat all over) and deep fry till golden brown

** Before you fry green chili make a long slit in chili and then fry, this is important otherwise the chili will crack open in hot oil splattering hot oil.

Potato Raita

2007-05-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

- One medium size boiled potato mashed
- 2 cups yogurt
- Green chili pieces
- Cumin seeds
- Curry leaves
- oil
- Salt
- Sugar (optional)
- Chopped Coriander cook

1. Mix yogurt, salt, sugar and potato
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and chili pieces, cook for 2 minutes
3. Add this to yogurt with potato
4. Stir well, stop with coriander

Palak Raita

2007-05-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Value if Spinach

- 1 cup chopped and cooked spinach leaves
- 1 cup yogurt
- Cumin seed grounded
- Salt
- Minced green chili ( optional)/ black pepper

1. Mix all the ingredients well

Fruit Raita

2007-05-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Yogurt, Pineapple, Guava, Banana

- 1 cup Pineapple diced in small cubes OR
- 1 Banana diced OR
- 1 cup fully ripped Guava finely chopped
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt
- Grounded cumin seeds
- Salt as per taste
- Sugar 1 – 2 teaspoons
- Freshly grounded black pepper

1. Beat curd till smooth, ass salt and sugar and stir
2. Stir in your choice of fruit
3. Sprinkle cumin seed powder and pepper

Cucumber Raita

2007-05-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Value of Cucumber and Yogurt

- 1 medium size cucumber peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cups yogurt
- Mustard seeds
- Green chili 2 in pieces
- Curry leaves
- Salt
- Sugar (optional)
- 1 tablespoon oil

1. Beat curd till smooth add salt, sugar and cucumber
2. Heat oil add mustard seeds, let crack, add curry leaves and green chili pieces
3. Add to yogurt and stir well

Carrot and Beet

2007-05-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Carrot and Beet

- 1 cup grated carrot
- ½ cup grated beet
- Lime juice ½ tablespoon
- Salt
- Coriander leaves chopped
- 2 Green chili 1’ pieces
- Cumin seeds
- Oil

1. Mix carrot, salt, lime juice
2. Heat oil add cumin seeds, chili and add this to carrot
3. Stir well
4. Add beat and stir lightly

Boondi Raita

2007-05-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

- 1 cup boondi, soaked in water for few minutes
- 1 and ¼ cup yogurt
- Coriander leaves chopped
- Salt
- Oil
- Mustard seeds
- Red chili powder
- 4-5 Curry leaves
- Sugar ( optional)

1. Add salt, red chili powder and coriander to yogurt and beat till smooth
2. Add boondi to yogurt
3. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, let crack add curry leaves
4. Add this to yogurt and stir well

Coconut Chutney

2007-05-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Coconut

- Green chili 2-3
- 1 cup coriander leaves ( can use stems as well)
- Lime juice 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup grated fresh coconut

- 1/4 cup roasted chana dal
- Salt

- Cumin seeds

- Few curry leaves

- 1 tablespoon oil

1. Ground all the ingredients in blender, except cumin seeds, curry leaves and oil

2. Heat oil, add cumin and curry leaves

3. Let cook for a minute and then add this to grounded ingredients if step 1

Green Chutney

2007-05-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

- Green chilies 2-3
- 3 cups coriander roughly chopped ( can use stems as well)
- 1 cup pudhina ( mint ) leaves
- 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal (optional)
- Salt
- Lime juice

1. Grind in blender all the ingredients together

**You can add some spinach leaves (5-6) without altering taste much

Green Chili Thecha

2007-05-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

Traditionally served in state of Maharashtra with jowar roti ( bhakari), this spicy chutney can be poured with oil to reduce hotness. We like it as a substitue of pickle.

- 5-6 Green chilies chopped in pieces
- 3 large garlic cloves crushed
- Grated dried coconut ½ cup
- Salt
- Cumin seeds
- Oil

1. Heat oil add cumin, chili and garlic and let cook on medium- high heat
2. Mash with masher in the pan
3. Add coconut and salt
4. Stir well

Green Mango Chutney

2007-05-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

- 1 raw mango grated with skin ( preferably sour)
- 3 tablespoon grounded peanuts
- 1-2 tablespoon jaggary
- Salt
- Red chili powder
- Oil
- Mustard seeds
- Coriander leaves 2 table spoons
- Lime juice ( incase mango is not very sour)
- Turmeric powder

1. Add grounded peanut, jaggery, salt and coriander to grated mango and mix well
2. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, let crack, add turmeric
3. Add this oil to mixture from step 1
4. Stir well
5. Store excess in refrigerator

Dodka (Ridge Gourd) Chutney

2007-05-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

- 1 cup Grated skin of dodka
- 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds toasted
- 2 tablespoon Dried coconut toasted
- Amchoor : Dried mango powder ½ teaspoon
- Red chili powder
- Salt
- Cumin powder

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan add grated dodka skin
2. Cook on medium heat till it turns crispy
2. When cool crush it
3. Add all the other ingredients and mix well

Upma

2007-05-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Semolina

- 1 cup roasted Suji (semolina)
- 3 cups boiling water
- Turmeric
- Mustard seeds
- Salt
- Lime juice
- Salt
- 1 small onion chopped
- Green peas ½ cup
- 5-6 curry leaves
- Fresh grated coconut and coriander to garnish
- 2 green chili cut in 1 inch pieces

1. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and let crack
2. Add chili, curry leaves, sauté
3. Add onion and turmeric powder, cook for 3-5 minutes
4. Add peas and boiling water
5. Add salt and Lime juice, when water starts bubbling, add semolina slowly while stirring continuously
6. When all water is gone, lower heat cover and cook for few minutes.
7. Server hot topped with coconut and coriander

Watli Daal

2007-05-22T13:15:00.001-07:00

Nutrition Value of Chana Dal

- 2 cup Chana dal (a.k.a. gram dal )soaked in water for 5 hours
- Green chili 2
- Raw mango grated ½ cup ( If available)
- Coriander
- Fresh lime juice
- Ginger 1 inch
- Salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar

1. In food processor blend, drained dal, green chili, lime juice, ginger and salt
2. Stir in Raw mango

** use either raw mango or Lime juice

Variation : Sukhi dal

- 2 cup Chana dal soaked in water for 5 hours
- Green chili 2
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander
- Fresh lime juice
- Ginger 1 inch
- Salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Oil 4 tablespoon
- Turmeric powder
- Hing (asafoetida) 2 pinch

1. In food processor blend, drained daal, green chili, lime juice, ginger, cumin and salt
2. Heat oil, add hing (asafoetida) and turmeric
3. Add blended daal
4. Stir well, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring in between
5. Break loose if any lumps are there
6. Garnish with coriander and grated fresh coconut

Taro / Arvi leaf Wadi

2007-05-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Taro

- 4 big Taro leaves stem and rib removed and washed
- Chickpea flour (Besan ) 1- 2 cups
- Salt
- Red chili powder
- Cumin seed grounded
- Tamarind thick paste 1-2 table spoon
- Oil for deep fry
- Chaat masala

1. Mix chickpea flour, salt, red chili powder, grounded cumin and tamarind
2. Add water to make a thick paste
3. Spread taro leaf on kitchen counter, right side down
4. Apply thin layer of pate on back side
5. Roll in 2 inch flat roll
6. Grease with oil and steam cook for 15 minutes
7. When cool cut in 2 inch wide pieces
8. Fry in medium heat, Leaves will burn if you fry on high heat
9. Sprinkle chaat masala

Okra Fry

2007-05-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Okra

- Okra cut in long thin slices
- Oil for deep frying
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Tomato chopped
- Onion Rings
- Coriander
- Red chili powder

1. Deep fry okra, drain on paper towel
2. Mix quickly all the other ingredient with okra and toss
3. serve hot

Garlic Peas

2007-05-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

Nutrtion value of Peas

- Sugar snap peas 2 cups
- 5-6 large clove of fresh garlic mined
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper

1. Heat oil, add garlic, let sauté
2. Add peas and on med-high heat sauté for 2-3 minutes
3. Add Salt and pepper.
4. Serve Hot as side dish

Garbanzo Bean Bhel

2007-05-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

This is easy to make snack and nutritious as well, You can use canned garbanzo beans for this recipe to make it instantly.

Nutrition value of Garbanzo

- Cooked garbanzo beans ( salted) 1 cups
- Red onion chopped ½ cup
- Coriander leaves chopped
- Grounded cumin seed
- Tamarind sweet chutney
- Green chili minced 1
- Shev 3-4 tablespoon ( fired chickpea noodles)
- Yogurt with salt and pepper
- Chaat masala

1. Mix beans, onion, chili, grounded cumin seed and coriander
2. Sprinkle shev
3. Put yogurt , then chutney and chaat masala

Dahi Wade

2007-05-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of yogurt
Nutrition value of Urad Dal

- Soaked Slip Urad daal 1 and ½ cup ( soak overnight)
- Green Chili
- Ginger
- Salt

1. Grind all the above ingredient in food processor without water,
2. Deep fry small portions (spoonful)from batter
3. Pour fired wade in water at room temperature
4. Let soak for a minute, squeeze without destroying shape and add them to spicy yogurt

Spicy Yogurt

- 300 ml yogurt (not very sour) or more to soak all fried wade
- Mustard seeds
- Curry leaves
- Ginger
- Red chili powder
- Cumin seed Grounded
- Coriander leaves
- Oil

1. Mix yogurt with 1 cup water, if too thick add more water
2. Add ginger and stir
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil
4. Add mustard seed let crack add curry leaves
5. Add this to yogurt stir
6. After wade are added to this yogurt sprinkle red chili powder and grounded cumin seed
7. Top with coriander leaves

Cutlet

2007-05-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

A nice way to eat all vegetables. You use vegetables of your choice

- Bread Crumbs of fresh bread ( or form packet) 1cup
- 1 large boiled and peeled potato
- 1 cups cauliflower
- 1 carrot diced
- ½ cup peas
- Green beans ( optional)
- Cumin seed grounded
- 2-3 Tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- Read chili powder
- Salt
- 2-3 tablespoon corn flour
- Turmeric powder ( optional)
- 1 green chili grated

1. Boil Cauliflower, carrot and peas ( and beans if using) in boiling water for 10 minutes
2. Place all vegetable in bowl, mash with boiled potato
3. Mix all the other ingredients and mix loosely
4. Make patties id desired size
5. Coat with extra bread crumbs ( optional)
6. Shallow fry in vegetable oil
7. Serve hot with ketchup

Brochette

2007-05-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

A healthy and yummy snack.

Nutrition Value of Tomato

- French bread slices / baguette slices 10
- Extra virgin olive oil 1/ cup
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh garlic 1-2 large cloves crushed and minced
- Dried Oregano crushes
- Tomato diced ( seeds removed)
- Parsley chopped 1 tablespoon

1. Mix Oil, salt, freshly grounded pepper, crushed oregano and garlic
2. Spread one spoon on each slice
3. Bake bread for 5 minutes at 400 degree preheated oven
4. Top each bread with tomato and parsley and little olive oil
5. Bake for another 3 -5 minutes
6. Remove from oven and one light sprinkle of salt and freshly grounded pepper
7. Serve hot

French Toast

2007-05-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

You can use bread of your choice for this recipe and use only egg whites if desired.

Nutrition Value of Eggs

- 2 Eggs
- 2 slices of Bread
- Green Chili finely chopped
- Cumin
- Salt
- Oil

1. Beat eggs, cumin, salt and green chili well
2. Heat oil in a flat pan
3. Dip bread slice in egg mix to cover from all sides
4. Cook in pan on both sides till golden brown
5. Serve with tomato Ketchup

Half Fry

2007-05-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Eggs

- 1 egg
- Salt
- Pepper
- Oil

1. Heat oil, crack open an egg , let the egg white spread little
2. Cook on medium heat till the egg white is cooked , you can cover it
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper
4. Serve warm with bread

Egg Omelet

2007-05-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Omelet is an easy to make recipe and can be made with lots of variations. You can add vegetable like broccoli, pepper etc. You can top with cheese of your choice. Omelet can also be made using only egg white and no yokes.

Nutrition value of Eggs

- 2 Eggs
- 2 Green chili chopped
- Onion chopped
- Salt
- Cumin seeds
- Oil 1 tablespoon
- Cheese (optional)

1. Beat together salt, eggs, onion, cumin and chili
2. Heat oil in flat pan, add egg mix
3. Cook on each side till cooked
4. Sprinkle cheese

Egg Bhurji

2007-05-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

This easy to make recipe tastes good and can be served with roti, bread and can be used as filling for sandwitches. You can also use only eggwhite in this recipe.

Nutriton Value of Eggs

- 3 Eggs
- 1 small Finely chopped onion
- 2-3 Green Chilies finely chopped
- Cumin seeds
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon Garam Masala
- 2-3 tablespoon oil

1. In a flat pan heat oil, add cumin seeds
2. Add green chili and onion, cook for 5 minutes
3. Add salt and garam masala
4. Add eggs and stir to scramble egg
5. Serve hot

Spring Rolls

2007-05-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

You can make filling of your choice of vegetables

- Spring roll sheets form any store , thaw for 30 minutes and separate each and stack, cover with damp cloth
- Spinach 1 cup chopped
- Carrot grated
- Cabbage shredded ½ cup
- Bean sprout half cut
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 table spoon soy sauce
- Thin rice noodle ( 4 table spoon) (* pour boiling water in noodles and let cook for 2 minutes, drain and cut small with scissors)
- Oil for deep frying

1. In a pan put all the vegetables and sauté on high heat for 1 minute
2. Add soy suave and noodles and sauté for 1 minute
3. Remove from heat let cool
4. Take one sheet at time put 2-3 tablespoon filling and make a spring roll
5. Deep fry on medium high heat till golden brown
6. Serve with garlic chili sauce

Baby Corn Manchurian

2007-05-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Baby Corn

- Baby corn 1 and 1/2 cups diced in 1 ‘ pieces
- Corn Flour almost half cup
- Corn starch 2 tablespoon
- Ginger 2 inch grate
- Salt
- Red chili powder 1 teaspoon
- Scallions chopped / red onion finely diced 1/3 cup
- Soy sauce
- Honey
- Olive oil
- Red bell pepper diced ¼ cup
- Carrots shredded

1. Mix corn pieces with corn flour, corn starch, salt , half ginger and read chili powder, add very little salt as the soy sauce will be added later
2. In case baby corn are too dry you can add little water
3. Deep fry these and keep aside on paper towel
4. When cool, separate them roughly
5. In a pan heat olive oil, add remaining ginger, scallions, red pepper and sauté
6. Add soy sauce and honey and stir
7. Add fried baby corn and cook for 1-2 minutes, serve hot

Schezwan Fried Rice

2007-05-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

A good recipe to use left over rice. You can add vegetables of your choice.

- 2 cups cooked rice
- ½ cup Carrot diced
- Green peas
- Red bell pepper diced
- Green onions diced
- Green bell pepper diced
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce 1 tablespoon
- Schezwan sauce 2 table spoon
- Tomato ketchup 1 tablespoon
- 2 Eggs (optional)

1. Mix soy sauce, Schezwan sauce and ketchup together and keep aside
2. If using egg, crack open eggs in hot wok with some oil, scrabble and keep aside
3. Heat oil, add vegetables and stir in high neat for few minutes
4. Stir in cooked eggs and cooked rice, cook for few minutes
5. In a bowl mix rice with the sauce mix made in step 1 adding sauce mix as per desired seasoning
6. Serve hot

Cauliflower Manchurian

2007-05-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

Nutrition value of Cauliflower

- Cauliflower Florets 2- cups
- Ginger and Garlic Paste 1 tablespoons
- Corn Flour 3-4 tablespoons
- Corn Starch 1-2 tablespoon
- Red Chili Powder
- Salt

1. Boil Cauliflower in Boiling water for 3-5 minutes, let cool
2. Mix Cauliflower with all the above ingredients, so that cauliflower if coated with the ingredients.
3. Deep fry in oil and keep aside.

Gravy

- Oil
- Ginger and Garlic Paste
- Red chili flakes
- Soy Sauce 2-4 tablespoon
- Spring onions chopped
- Water 2 cups
- Corn starch 1 tablespoon dissolved in water

1. Heat 2 tablespoon oil
2. Add garlic and ginger paste
3. Add spring onion and Red chili flakes, let sauté for 1-2 minutes
4. Add water and let boil
5. Once water starts boiling add starch and stir, the gravy starts thickening
6. Add soy sauce
7. Add fried Cauliflower and serve hot

** In case you need dry Manchurian, Heat oil add scallions, ginger garlic paste and chili flakes. Let sauté. Add soy sauce and honey and stir in fired Cauliflower, you can also add Red bell pepper to sauté.

** Also, it perfectly taste delicious even if you all together skip the Frying part of cauliflower florets, instead just boil florets in salted boiling water for 7-8 minutes, drain and add in gravy

Hakka Noodles

2007-05-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

A quick and healthy recipe with all the stir fried vegetables

- Noodles pack Egg /wheat
- Olive oil
- Capsicum cut in wedges
- Cabbage cut finely
- Carrots wedges , Red bell pepper, scallion ( Optional ingredients)
- Red Chili Flakes
- Soy Sauce

1. cook noodles as per package instructions

2. Heat oil, add red chili flakes, and add capsicum and cabbage.

3. On high heat sauté for few minutes
4. Add noodles and sauté for few minutes
5. Add Soy sauce and stir well
6. Serve hot with Manchurian or alone

** For better texture you can sauté each vegetable separately and keep aside, sauté noodles in oil and then add vegetables and then soy sauce. But the above method is easier

** Toss noodles in some oil. Keep aside to cool, for better results cook noodles ahead of time, at least half an hour before you cook

** Add other vegetables if using

Vegetable Manchurian

2007-05-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

- Cabbage finely chopped 1 cup
- Carrot grated 1 cup
- Ginger and Garlic Paste 1 tablespoons
- Corn Flour 3-4 tablespoons
- Plain Flour (Maida) 2-3 tablespoon
- Salt

1. Cook cabbage and carrot in microwave for 5 minutes.
2. Mix all the ingredients above with cooked cabbage and carrot, make small balls.
3. Mix 2 tablespoon starch, 2-3 table spoon corn flour, Red chili powder and water to make thin paste.
4. Dip Ball in the paste made in step 3
5. Deep fry in oil and keep aside.

Gravy

- Oil
- Ginger and Garlic Paste
- Red chili flakes
- Soy Sauce 2-4 tablespoon
- Spring onions chopped
- Water 2 cups
- Corn starch 1 tablespoon dissolved in water

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil
2. Add garlic and ginger paste
3. Add spring onion and Red chili flakes, let sauté for 1-2 minutes
4. Add water and let boil
5. Once water starts boiling add starch and stir, the gravy starts thickening
6. Add soy sauce
7. Add fried Vegetable balls and serve hot

Paratha

2007-05-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

Vegetable are consumed commonly with paratha/roti (types of Indian bread) in day to day home meals. You can apply, ghee, butter or vegetable oil to paratha.

Nutrition value of Wheat flour

- 4 cups wheat flour
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- Water to kneed
- Oil

1. Flour and salt and adding little water at a time knead soft dough
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and knead for 2 minutes
3. Keep aside for 30 minutes preferably
4. Make small balls and roll to small cirle
5. Apply oil, fold half, Apply oil and fold quarter
6. Roll to triangle by rolling along edges (or roll to circle if desired)
7. Bake on tava till cooked
8. Apply ghee/oil while baking
9. Serve with any vegetable

Roti

2007-05-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

Roti, also known as fulka is commom bread to eat with vegetables.

Nutrition value of Wheat flour

- 4 cups wheat flour
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- Water to kneed
- Oil
- Ghee

1. Flour and salt and adding little water at a time knead soft dough
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and kneed for 2 minutes
3. Keep aside for 30 minutes preferably
4. Make small balls and roll to cirle
5. Bake on tava till cooked, while pressing with cloth lightly for them to puff
6. Apply ghee and serve with any vegetable

Moth Usal (sprouted bean fry)

2007-05-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

Moth beans are rich in iron and molybdenum and these taste yummy!

Nutrition value of Moth Beans

- 2 cups sprouted moth
- 1 small onion chopped
- Mustard seeds
- Oil 3 tablespoon
- Salt
- 2 Green chilies finely chopped
- Lime juice
- Turmeric Powder
- Garam Masala

1. To sprout moth beans, soak them in water for 8 hours and then tir in towel and keep for 1 day in warmer corner of house
2. Heat oil, add mustard deeds, let crack
3. Add chili and onion and cook for few minutes
4. Add turmeric powder, garam masala and stir well
5. Add sprouted moth beans and stir well
6. Season with salt and add lime juice
7. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes or till moth beans are cooked
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
9. Serve with Roti

** You can make this recipe with moong sprouts as well

** If you want to enjoy moth beans instantly pressure cook 1 cup beans with 1 and half cups water and salt for 25 minutes (4 whistles)

Poha

2007-05-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

- 3 cups poha (puffed Rice), wet by washing with water in a strainer

- Red onion chopped

- Green chili chopped

- Potato diced

- Curry leaves

- Turmeric powder

- Mustard seeds

- Salt

- Oil

- Lime juice

- Shev (fried Chickpea noodles, it’s a ready snack available in any Indian grocery store)

- Coriander

1. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, let crack add chili and curry leaves

2. Add onion and turmeric powder

3. Add potato and cover to cook for few minutes

4. Add poha and stir well.

5. Add salt and lime juice and cover for few minutes

6. Top with shev and coriander and serve hot

Lassi

2007-05-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Salted

- 450 ml plain yogurt
- 1and ¼ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Crushed Ice ¼ cup
- Cumin seed powder

1. In blender mix all the above except cumin
2. Top frost with grounded cumin

Mango

- 450 ml plain yogurt
- 1and ¼ cup milk
- 1- 2 tablespoon sugar
- Crushed Ice - 2 fresh mangos peeled, pitt removed and diced
- Kesar (Saffron)

1. In blender mix yogurt, sugar, milk
2. Add mango and ice, blend
3. Top frost with few kesar strands

Lemonade

2007-05-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

Ginger

- 3 cups lemon juice
- 1 and ½ cup sugar
- Salt as per taste
- 4-5 crushed mint leaves
- 2-4 tablespoon of ginger juice (Squeeze grated ginger for juice)

1. Heat 1 and ½ cup lemon juice and 1 and ½ cup sugar till sugar is dissolved
2. When cool add 1 and ½ cup lemon juice
3. Add 4 cups of water
4. Add salt and Ice
5. Add ginger juice and crushed mint leaves

Plain

- 3 cups lemon juice
- 1 and ½ cup sugar
- Salt as per taste
- 4-5 crushed mint leaves

6. Heat 1 and ½ cup lemon juice and 1 and ½ cup sugar till sugar is dissolved
7. When cool add 1 and ½ cup lemon juice
8. Add 4 cups of water
9. Add salt and Ice
10. Add crushed mint leaves

Strawberry

- 3 cups lemon juice
- 1 and ½ cup sugar
- Salt as per taste
- 3-5 strawberry grinded roughly

11. Heat 1 and ½ cup lemon juice and 1 and ½ cup sugar till sugar is dissolved
12. When cool add 1 and ½ cup lemon juice
13. Add 4 cups of water
14. Add salt and Ice
15. Add 2 spoon of grinded strawberry in each serving

Mattha

2007-05-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

- 1 cups Plain yogurt
- Coriander leaves chopped
- Sugar 2-4 table spoon
- Salt 1 – 2 teaspoon
- Cumin seeds grounded ½ teaspoon
- Oil 2 teaspoon - Curry leaves
- Cumin seeds ¼ teaspoon

1. Mix yogurt with ¾ cup of water
2. Add sugar, initially 1 table spoon and salt ½ teaspoon, then add according to desired sweetness
3. Add cumin seed powder and coriander
4. Heat oil, add cumin seeds , let crack and then add curry leaves
5. Add this sauté to yogurt from step 3
6. Mix well serve with Ice or at room temperature

Panah

2007-05-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

- 1 raw mango stone boiled in boiling water till very soft ( 20 minutes )
- Save the water in which boiled
- Salt ( ½ tablespoon)
- Sugar (5-8 tablespoon)
- Water
- Ice

1. Squeeze the boiled mango and take out all the pulp when cool
2. With hand mixture make a soft puree by adding 2 cups water, use water in which mango was boiled)
3. Strain it
4. Add 1 cup fresh water
5. Add salt and sugar, add sugar little at a time
6. It would taste sweet and sour
7. Add more water if too concentrated

** Mango should be sour for this drink
** This makes a nice summer drink

Tea

2007-05-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

- 1 cup water
- 4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon Indian style tea leaves
- 1 cardamom pod crushed OR 1 ‘ ginger
- 1 cup whole Milk

1. Put water on heat, add sugar, tea cardamom or ginger and let boil
2. When boiling for 2-3 minutes at least add milk and come to boil
3. Strain with strainer and serve hot

** You can use 2% reduced fat milk too, but in case using 1% use all milk and no water at all. In step one use 1 cup milk instead of water

Curd Rice (rice and yogurt)

2007-05-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

This is very simple and delicious recipe, mostly made in South Indian cuisine. It is also one of the excellent ways to finish left over rice.

Nutrition value of Yogurt

- 1 cup Rice of your choice
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- Milk 1 cup (optional)
- Dried red chilies
- ½ cup urad dal soaked in water for 1-2 hours
- Curry leaves 5-6
- Salt
- Oil 2 tablespoons
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Cook 1 cup rice
2. Let rice cool
3. If yogurt is very sour you can add milk
4. Beat yogurt for smooth texture, add curd and salt to rice, If too thick add milk/water
5. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, chili, urad dal and curry leaves
6. Cook for 3-5 minutes
7. Add this to rice and stir well
8. Top with chopped coriander leaves

** To cook rice add 1 cup of washed rice with 2 cups of water, bring to boil and when water level is equal to rice level lower heat and cook for 15-20 minutes covered

Cauliflower Pulav

2007-05-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

This spicy rice and can be served with any raita or dal. It brings out flavors of different spices used in this recipe.

Nutrition Value of Cauliflower

- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 cup basmati Rice (long grain rice)
- Green onion chopped ½ cup
- Cumin seeds ½ teaspoon
- Bay leaves 2
- Cloves 5-6
- Freshly grounded black pepper
- Raisins
- Cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoon oil
- Dried whole red chilies 2-3
- Salt
- Cardamom pods 2-3
- Garam Masala

1. Heat oil, add cashew nuts and let fry
2. Add cumin, black pepper, bay leaves and cloves, suate
3. Add raisins, cardamom and cook for a minute
4. Add green onion and cauliflower and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes
5. Add washed long grain rice and cook for few minutes
6. Add 1 and ½ cup hot water, bring to boil
7. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on low heat
8. Turn off the heat, give a stir and keep covered for 10 minutes

** If you want, you can add turmeric powder at step 2 for yellow colored cauliflower rice, I prefer without turmeric.

Chinese Vegetable Curry

2007-05-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

This recipe is flavorful way to consume vegetables in almost raw form, as the vegetables are not cooked for long they don't loose their nutrients. Carrots are excellent source of Vitamin A, broccoli, pepper are good source of vitamin C. Peas are rich in vitamin K and magnesium.

Nutrition value of carrots, broccoli, peppers, green peas, soy suace

- Diced Carrot 1/2 cup
- Green peas (whole if available) ½ cup
- Broccoli few florets
- Green and Red Bell pepper diced ¼ cup each
- Scallions Chopped
- Bean Sprout ( Optional)
- Oil
- Red Chili Flakes
- Corn Starch 2 tablespoons dissolved in Water
- Soy Sauce
- Ginger paste

1. Heat oil, add chili flakes and ginger paste, sauté
2. Add scallions and vegetables and sauté on high heat for 2-3 minutes
3. Add 3 cups water, let water boil
4. When water boiling add starch and stir well
5. Add soy sauce

Chole (spicy garbanzo beans)

2007-05-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe form North Indian Cuisine, served usually with bhatura (fried wheat tortilla). This recipe can be used in chaats to spice up aloo tikki and samosa.

It is usually a thick gravy but can be made liquid if you are serving with rice. It tastes good when topped with finely chopped red onion which is seasoned with salt and lime juice. Garbanzo beans are good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber.

You can soak the beans night before and then pressure cook them or to make the recipe instanly you could use canned garbanzo beans. they taste almost same.

Nutrition value of Grabanzo beans

- 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
- 1 Red onion paste
- 4 tablespoon tomato paste or 2 fresh tomato diced
- 2 Tej patta ( Bay leaf)
- Salt
- Turmeric powder
- Cumin seed grounded
- Dhana (Coriander Seed) grounded
- Garam masala 1 tablespoon
- Red chili powder

1. Use canned beans or soak in plenty of water overnight and then pressure cook garbanzo beans with 5-6 cups water and salt for 20-25 minutes (4 whistles)
2. Heat oil add bay leaf, turmeric powder, red chili powder
3. Add onion paste and cook for 7-8 minutes on medium heat
4. Add grounded cumin and coriander seeds
5. Add salt, tomato paste and cook for few minutes add little water from cooked garbanzo beans , If adding fresh tomato then cook till tomato is cooked
6. Add cooked garbanzo beans not the water in which cooked
7. Add garam masala, cook for 2-3 minutes
8. Add 1 cup water in which beans are cooked ( add more if you need more liquid)
9. Season for salt
10. Cook for 5-10 minutes
11. Garnish with coriander
12. Serve with puri/ bhatura/ rice