Envelope Rotis

Envelope Rotis

Here's a recipe adapted from my favourite food author - Tarla Dalal.

Ingredients

1 tsp oil

1 sliced onion

1/2 cup thinly sliced baby corn

2 cups thinly sliced red, yellow and green capsicum

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp mixed herbs

1 tbsp chilli flakes

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp oil for cooking

Roti dough (to make 4 rotis)

Method

Heat the oil in a wok or a non-stick pan, add the onions and garlic and sauté on a high flame for a minute.

Add baby corn and capsicum and sauté on a high flame for another 2 minutes.

Add the chilli flakes, mixed herbs and salt and mix well. Sauté on a high flame for another 30 seconds.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and keep aside to cool for 5 minutes.

How to proceed

Place a roti(uncooked) on a flat and dry surface.

Place a portion of the mixture in the centre, fold 2 opposite corners of the roti over the filling, overlapping them slightly. 

Now fold the remaining 2 sides to seal the stuffing well.

Heat a non-stick tava (griddle) and cook the envelope, using 1/8 tsp of oil, till they are golden brown in colour from both the sides.

Repeat with the remaining rotis and stir-fry to make 3 more envelopes.

Serve immediately.

Subzis and gravies

DAL MAKHANI:

Recipe contributed by my friend Mythili

Ingredients

Black urad dal (half)  - 1 small cup

1 onion

2 tomatoes

One piece of Ginger

Salt to taste

2 tsp  Lalmirch powder

1 tsp  Garam Masala powder ( MDH or EVEREST only) 

Small Pinch of Turmeric powder

1 tsp pepper powder 

2 to 3 tbsp sunflower oil 

1 tsp dhania powder

1 tsp Ghee or Butter

A few sprigs of coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

First cut the onions into small pieces. Grind the tomatoes with ginger.

Boil the dal in a pressure cooker for 4 to 5 whistles or keep it in simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Grind it to coarse paste.

Heat the kadai and pour 2 to 3 tablespoon of oil 

Put jeera and when it crackles put the onion and fry for some time.  Add the tomato ginger paste and fry till the oil comes out.  Add chilli powder, dhania powder, pepper powder, then add dal and pour some water. Allow it to boil till it is thicker consistency (not very thick). Add  garam masala and add little ghee and sprinkle Green dhania .

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Baby corn masala:

Ingredients:

6 to 8 tender baby corn peeled

2 medium sized tomatoes

2 medium sized onions

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

1 green chilli

5 cashewnuts

1 tablespoon melon seeds

1 table spoon sunflower seeds

Kasuri methi a pinch

Salt to taste

1 clove, cardamom and a small piece of cinnamon and kalpasi (if available)

Method:

Heat oil a kadhai, add the clove, cardamom and cinnamon. Add the onions and green chillies and fry till onion becomes light brown. Add tomatoes and fry for a few minutes. Switch off the gas, cool this mixture and blend in a mixie with cashewnuts, sunflower seeds, melon seeds. Heat oil again and fry the baby corn till lightly browned. To this add the mixture and fry for some time till you get a nice aroma. Finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis.

Simple Tomato Saagu

Ingredients :

4 large sized tomatoes

1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1 green chilli, chopped

5 to 6 curry leaves (kadi patta)

2 cloves (laung / lavang)

2 tbsp besan (Bengal gram flour)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

2 tsp chilli powder

a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

2 tbsp grated jaggery (gur)

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

For the garnish

1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)

Method

Roughly chop the tomatoes and cook them with 1/2 cup of water for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Cool and liquidize in a food processor to a get a smooth puree. Strain to remove skin and seeds and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the green chilli, curry leaves and cloves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Mix the besan with water and make sure it does not form lumps. Add this to the tadka.

Add the turmeric, chilli powder, asafetida and pureed tomatoes with 2 cups of water and cook on a medium flame, stirring continuously.

When the kadhi comes to a boil, add the jaggery and salt and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Remove from the fire.

Garnish with the coriander and serve hot with rice.

Yummy Subzis

Green Moong Dal Subzi

Recipe inspired by my Mom.  

This recipe reminds me of childhood. My Mom used to make this for rotis and we really used to enjoy eating this. This is a very healthy,tasty, protein rich vegan recipe. Do try this and let me know your comments.

Green Moong Dal Subzi

Ingredients :

1 cup green moong dal/ green gram dal

2 medium sized tomatoes

2 medium sized onions

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

1 green chilli

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp dhania powder

½ tsp jeera powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

Coriander leaves to garnish

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak green gram overnight in water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

In a pan, heat oil and add onion, ginger garlic paste and green chilli paste.
  

Once the onions become brown add tomatoes, dhania powder and jeera powder. Cook till tomatoes become soft.

Add cooked green gram and mash slightly to get a gravy like consistency. Add garam masala and cook for 5 mins. Switch off gas and add lemon juice and coriander leaves. Serve hot with rotis.

Udupi Recipes

Here are some traditional Mangalaorean recipes with a twist.....

Recipe for Kadubu idli with Tangy Mangalorean gravy (Also called Menaskai)

Ingredients for the gravy:

Black gram Dhal – 1 tsp

Red Chillies         – 5 to 6

Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp

Coriander seeds  – 1 tsp

Curry leaves         - 7 to 8

Jaggery                 – a lemon sized piece

Coconut grated   – 1 cup

Sesame  seeds     – 1 tsp

1 raw mango

Tamarind - a small marble size piece (very little is required as the raw mango is already sour)

Salt to taste

Method of preparation for the paste:

Fry the black gram dal, red chillies, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and curry leaves with refined oil till good aroma comes and keep aside. Add coconut towards the end and fry for a few more minutes.  Fry sesame seeds without oil till it turns brown.  Grind to a fine paste.

Cut the mango into square pieces and boil in water with turmeric powder, tamarind and jaggery till it becomes soft.  Add salt when it is 50% cooked.  To this, add the prepared paste and bring to a boil. Fry  curry leaves in coconut oil and add to the gravy.  Serve hot with Kadubu idli.

Ingredients for the Kadubu Idli

 Idli batter – 2cups

Ghee          - 2 table spoons

Grease the idli tumblers with ghee and add idli batter and steam for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve the idlis with the tangy mangalorean gravy.

Recipe for Lentil delight with caramelized fruits (also called Hayagriva muddie)

Ingredients

1 cup Bengal gram dal

1 cup Jaggery

2 tbsp Ghee

¼ cup Coconut grated

1 tbsp sugar

Canned Pineapple

Raisins – 10

Cashewnuts - 10

Almonds -10

Method of preparation

Cook  the Bengal gram dal in a pressure cooker till it is 3/4^th done.  Heat jaggery in a pan and cook it till it boils and bubbles are formed.  Add the Bengal gram dal to this mixture and mix well till it forms a smooth consistency. Add sugar, ghee and coconut at this stage and mix well.  Fry the dry fruits in ghee and add at the end for garnish.  Plate with caramelized pineapple pieces.

MOONG DAL SALAD also called KOSAMBRI (a protein rich salad for kids and adults):

Ingredients:

1 cup moong dal soaked

1 /2 cup boiled sweet corn

¼ cup grated carrot

¼ cup cucumber finely chopped

¼ pomegranate seeds

2 tsp fresh coconut grated

1 small green chilli (finely chopped)

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

Few sprigs of coriander for garnish

For tadka

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

Few curry leaves

Method

Mix the ingredients of the salad. Heat oil for tadka and add mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Add to the salad and garnish with coriander leaves.

You can also serve this salad chilled.

Chinese recipes

Chinese Fried Rice

1 cup raw Basmati rice

2 onions/spring onions finely chopped

1 capsicum chopped

1 carrot chopped

Cabbage shredded (1/2 cup)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Method:

Boil 4 cups of water and salt and tsp of oil in the water. Add the rice and cook till rice is 90% cooked. Drain the water and keep the cooked rice aside.

Heat oil, add onions and fry till they turn transluscent, add a bit of salt at this stage. Add other vegetable and stir fry on high flame. Once the vegetables are glossy, add the rice salt, pepper and mix well.

Tips:

Do not overcook the vegetables.

The vegetables should be finely chopped.

Add spring onion greens at the end.

Variations:

 You can prepare this with any other rice variety like Jasmine rice or Ponni raw rice.

 You can add ginger garlic paste with the onions.

 You can a tsp of soya sauce in the end.

 You can substitute carrot and cabbage with just capsicum (all colours)

 You can add finely chopped beans.

 You may add a pinch of ajinomoto.

Chilli Paneer

Ingredients:

Paneer – 200 gms

Onion – 1 chopped, bigger pieces

Capsicum – 1 chopped, bigger pieces

Ginger – finely chopped 1 tbsp

Garlic finely chopped 1 tbsp

Red chilli paste – 1 tbsp or depending on how spicy you want the dish to be(see tips)

Cornflour 1 tbsp – mixed in 200 ml or 1 cup of water

Chilli garlic sauce or Tomato ketchup – 1 tbsp

Soya sauce – 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat a tava, add oil and spread evenly. Place the paneer block and fry till it turns golden brown on both sides. Cut into pieces and keep aside.

Add oil and fry onions, ginger and garlic till it turns brown. Add capsicum and fry for a few minutes. Add chilli paste, ketchup/sauce, soya sauce, salt and cornflour solution. Let the gravy boil and thicken. Finally add the paneer pieces. You can add more water and adjust salt as per your taste preference.

Tips

 Red chilli paste:

Soak 10 to 15 red chillies in hot water for 1 or 2 hours, the long variety (Kashmiri or Byadige). Grind to  a paste. This can be stored in the freezer and used as required. Keeps well for upto a month. Add oil if required.

 You can replace paneer with baby corn and broccoli for an exotic dish. But remember to keep your vegetables crisp in Chinese dishes. Do not boil, only stir fry.

Simple Snacks

Cheese and Paneer crispies

Cheese grated (mozzarella or processed) – ½ cup

Paneer grated – ½ cup

2 big green capsicum/bell pepper

Cajun spice – 2 teaspoon (available in nuts & spices – else you can use dhania-jeera powder and dried oregano)

Salt to taste

Oil for cooking

Method:

Cut bell pepper into square shapes and keep aside. Mix cheese, paneer, Cajun spice and salt as required. Heat a non stick tava. Put a teaspoon of the paneer/cheese mixture on the the capsicum slice and place it on the tava. Add some oil to cook the capsicum. Once the cheese melts a little, remove and serve hot.

Kids recipes

Recipes for Kids lunch box

Corn and Paneer rice:

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked basmati rice

1/4 cup chopped paneer, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup boiled sweet corn

Salt to taste

Oil

1/4 tsp mixed dried herbs

Method:

Heat oil and fry paneer till slightly browned. Add corn and basmatic rice. Mix well and add salt and herbs.

You can serve this rice with tomato ketchup.

Add pepper, if your kid likes spicy food.

Recipe for today:

Cheese and corn sandwich:

Ingredients:

4 whole wheat bread slices
1/4 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup cooked corn
2 tsp cheese spread
2 tsp Butter or ghee

Method:

Add grated cheese and cheese spread to the corn and mix well. Toast bread slices with ghee or butter. Fill one bread slice with the mixture and cover with another. You may cut off the edges of the bread slice before toasting, if required. Serve with ketchup or plain!!!

Vegetable sandwich:

Ingredients:

4 whole wheat bread slices
2 tsp Butter or ghee
1/4 cup boiled carrot and corn
2 boiled potatoes peeled and mashed
1 small capsicum finely chopped
1/2 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp juice of lemon
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat ghee or butter and add capsicum, saute till cooked. Add corn, carrot and potatoes and mix well. Add chaat masala and salt. Switch off gas and add lemon juice. Toast bread slices with ghee or butter. Fill one bread slice with the mixture and cover with another. You may cut off the edges of the bread slice before toasting, if required. Serve with green chutney or plain!!!

Easy Cheesy Pasta

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, chopped finely

2 onions, chopped finely

3 to 5 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

Capsicum (green, yellow and red) – 1 cup, finely chopped

Tomato ketchup – ¼ cup

Pasta – 2 cups uncooked

Olive oil – 2 tsp

Cheese grated – ¼ cup

Method:

Boil 5-6 cups of water and add pasta with a teaspoon of oil and salt. Once it is cooked drain out the water and keep the pasta aside.

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add onion, garlic and cook till light brown. Add capsicum, tomatoes and salt. Cook for 5- 10 minutes. Add cooked pasta. Add ketchup and simmer for 2 -3 minutes. Switch off gas and add grated cheese.

You may omit the cheese if you are on a diet and the pasta will still taste good.