Dahiwale baingan ka bhartha

Baingan ka bhartha is a very popular punjabi delicacy. There are many versions of this dish though including Lebanese, Pakistani and even Afghan. I happened to watch the Indianised version of Lebanese dish on Master Chef India and found it very nice. As a coincidence my neighbour got us huge purple brinjals (aubergines), which immediately inspired me to prepare the dish.


Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients: 

1. Purple brinjals (fresh ones)/Aubergines 2 (if you're using the smaller ones you'll need about 1/2 kg)
2. Curds (thick) 1/2 litre
3. Onions 4
4. Tomatoes 4
5. Green chillies  7-8
6. Red chilli powder 1 tsp
7. Garam masala powder 1tsp
8. Amchoor powder 1tsp
9. Salt
10. Water
11. Mustard seeds 1tsp
12. Coriander leaves


Method: 

1. Wash the brinjals and wipe them clean.
2. Over a stove burn the brinjals carefully till their skin can peel off. Burn all sides, but see to it that its not overburned.
3. Once done, peel off the skin of charred brinjals carefully and mash them and keep aside. This can be done easily by dipping your hands in water in between. (Don't mash too much as some pieces of brinjals in between makes it more yummy)
4. Now heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of mustard seeds, green chillies and ad onions to it.
5. Add the garam masala, amchoor powder, red chilli powder and mix well. Saute the onions till golden brown.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and cook will till tomatoes turn tender.
7. Let this cool before you can add the required amount of curd.
8. Garnish with lots of coriander leaves and serve with chapathi, rice, parantha's.

Aloo palak

My hubby loves to eat palak, but he hates paneer.. so what i do is make aloo palak as a side dish for chapathi served during dinner. Palak again is very healthy and the lovely green combined with potatoes make a yummy dish.


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4


Ingredients: 

1.Palak leaves 1-2 bunches
2. Potatoes 5-6
3. Onions 5
4. Tomatoes/tomato puree 4 nos/1 cup
5. Green chillies 9-10
6. Garam masala powder 1 tbsp
7. Dhania powder 1 tbsp
8. Jeera powder 1 tbsp
9. Water
10. Salt
11. Amchoor powder/lemon juice
12. Poppy seeds 1 tbsp soaked in warm water for about 10-15 min
13. Jeera seeds 1tsp

Method: 

1. Cut the potatoes into cubes and cook them.
2. Wash the palak leaves thoroughly and cook them till then turn tender and let it cool.
3. In a mixer grind the cooled palak leaves along with poppy seeds, green chillies, 2 tomatoes and 2 onions into a fine paste.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of jeera seeds. To this add the remaining chopped onions, garam masala powder, amchoor powder, dhania powder and jeera powder and saute till onions turn golden brown.
5. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook till tender.
6. Add the grind paste, cooked potatoes, salt and simmer for about 10-12 minutes. You can add water as per required consistency.

Serve hot with chapathi, rice, parantha's on a chilly day or night.

Healthy Breakfast for a wonderful day: Ragi Dosa

Ragi or finger millet is very much used in south India, especially Karnataka. Ragi balls or ragi mudde are a part of staple diet in rural parts of Karnataka. Very healthy and stomach filling it gives strength for a strenuous day at work. Similarly dosa's are an integral part of breakfast at homes and as a change ragi dosa can be made as breakfast, rich in health, it really gets yummy when made this way.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 7 (3 dosa's each)

Ingredients: 

1. Ragi flour 4 cups

2. Urad dal flour 1 cup

3. Salt

4. Curd 1/2 cup

5. Water

6. Methi seeds flour (optional) 2 tsp makes it more healthy

7. Green chillies 8-9

8. Onions 4-5

9. Coriander leaves 

10. Grated coconut 1/2 cup

12. Jeera seeds 1 tsp

Method: 

1. Chop onions, green chillies and coriander leaves and keep aside. 

2. In a bowl mix ragi flour, urad dal flour, methi seeds flour along with water, salt well enough so that no lumps are formed. Mix it to dosa batter consistency. 

3. Add curds and mix well and set aside for about 15-20 minutes. 

4. Heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoing of jeera seeds, green chillies and saute onions in them till they turn light pink. Let it cool. 

5. Once cooled add to the batter along with chopped coriander leaves and pour the dosas over the heated tawa and enjoy. Bake the dosas both sides with lid closed while baking on one side for uniform baking. 

6. Serve hot with chutney. 

Toddler food - Fibrous fun.. Chocolaty oats porridge

Breakfast options for toddlers, wholesome and meeting their ever evolving taste buds... hard to meet their expectations. And which toddler/kid doesn't like eating chocolates all the time... So when i make Oats for my son I do it with a chocolaty twist.. satisfies him as well as me.. Since I don't give him chocolates otherwise i fulfill his choco demand this way..


Preparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 5-6 minutes
Serves: 1 chocolate obsessed toddler


Ingredients: 

1. Oats (I use Quaker Oats, alternatively Safola Oats) 3 tbsp
2. Milk 1/2 cup
3. Water 1/4 cup
4. Sugar 1 tbsp
5. Cocoa powder 2 tsp


Method: 

1. In a microwave safe bowl add oats, milk, water, sugar and cocoa powder and give it a nice stir.
2. Microwave on high stirring in between for about 4-5 minutes not letting it solidify. In case it does add milk.
3. Once done cool a little and serve it to ur kid.

You can garnish with dry fruits if ur toddler has his full set of teeth or even cherries and tutti fruti.

If cooking in a conventional method mix all ingredients and cook it over the stove stirring in between for about 5-6 minutes. You can add milk/water if needed.

Toddler food - Cheesy Sweet corn..

My 2 year old toddler loves eating corn... when i took him out yesterday morning he wanted to eat corn sold, but to my bad luck I cud not find the usual corn vendor there... and as his tantrums for eating corn increased i just rushed into a store and bought a packet of frozen american sweet corn and told him i'll make it for you in the evening.. he hardly could resist waiting till then, luckily he slept... In the evening i put in some sweet corns in the oven and there it was..


Preparation time: 6 minutes
Cooking time: 4 minutes
Serves: 1 toddler who absolutely loves to eat corn


Ingredients: 

1.Frozen/normal american sweet corn 3-4 tbsp
2. Salt
3. Cheese spread (I used Amul cheese spread) not to worry if you don't have it
4. Pepper
6. Water


Method:

1. If you're using a microwave, in a microwave safe dish put in the sweet corn with water just enough to drown the corn and microwave on high for about 4-5 minutes with lid closed.
2. Once done, strain the water, add cheese spread(optional), if not you can use butter, salt and mix well. You can add pepper as well just to make it a lil tangy.

And voila.. cheesy sweet corn is ready... finger licking good for toddler fun..


If you don't have an oven, no worries, just add some salt and boil the sweet corn on stove for about 3-4 minutes and follow the rest of the steps.

Make sure you don't make it too salty for todlers. If making for elder you can also add garam masala, lime, chat masala and serve.

Sabsige soppina idli (Dill leaves idli)

Sabsige soppu or dill leaves are very good for health... so why not add them to idlid' (fondly called as flying saucers by my brother in law) to make a yummy breakfast option. This can be made super fast especially if you're having some leftover idli batter after making them once.


Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients: 

1. Idli batter 4-5 cups
2. Sabsige soppu (Dill leaves) 1/2 bunch
3. Oil
4. Salt 1/4tsp
5. Chana dal (optional) 1tsp
6. Ginger 1/2 inch crushed
7. Green chillies 5-6 finely chopped

Method: 

1. To the idli batter add the washed and cut dill leaves, salt, chana dal (soaked for about 15 minutes), 1/2 tsp salt, crushed ginger, green chillies finely chopped and mix well.
2. Grease the idli moulds and pour over the batter and steam for about 20-25 minutes.
3. Serve hot with chutney.

Avarekalu (hyacinth beans) usli

Come avrekai season and our homes are flooded with this aromatic beans that smell amazing and more so when cooked... its flavours spread thru the food in a delicious way... mouth watering isn't it? 

I'm sure not many of you would be knowing to make usli out of avarekai, its my mom in law's signature dish and all of us at home love gorging on it. It can be served along with chapathi, rice or can be had just like that as evening snacks in this breezy cold winter..


Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients:

1. Avarekai/avarekalu 1 kg
2. Green chillies 15-17 (you need to add a lot of them coz the beans absorb all the hotness)
3. Hing dissolved in water a pinch
4. Coriander leaves
5. Curry leaves
6. Grated coconut 1 cup
7. Oil
8. Water
9. Mustard seeds
10. Salt


Method:

1. De seed the beans from the avarekai and cook them along with water in pressure cooker up to 2 whistles.
2. Once the cooker is cooled strain the water and set aside the cooked beans.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of mustard seeds, crushed green chillies, curry leaves.
4. Now add the cooked beans, salt, coconut and mix well and leave it on for about 3-4 minutes stirring in between. Add the hing dissolved in about 4 tbsp of water and mix well.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot..

Capsicum and peas bhath

Capsicum are a plenty this season and deciding on breakfast menu's daily in a big family is really problematic. Everyone demands tasty stuff and we women in kitchen have very limited time, so decided upon making this rice bhath, easy to make and yummy to taste..

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35-40 minutes
Serves: 7

Ingredients:

1. Rice 2 cups
2. Capsicum 1/4 kg
3. Green peas (Frozen/fresh) 200 gms
4. Green chillies 10-12
5. Cinnamon stick 1 inch
6. Clove pods 4-5
7. Salt
8. Oil
9. Water
10. Grated fresh coconut
11. Mustard seeds 1 tsp
12. Jeera seeds 1 tsp
13. Amchoor powder 1 tbsp
14. Garam masala powder 1 tsp
15. Dry red chillies 3-4
16. Coriander leaves
17. Curry leaves

Method:

1. Cut the capsicum's and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of mustard seeds, dry red chillies and jeera seeds. Add curry leaves as well.
3. Now saute the capsicum till they turn tender.
4. In a mixer grind green chillies, grated coconut, 1 tsp jeera seeds, cinnamon, clove pods, coriander leaves and a little water to a fine paste.
5. To the capsicum add amchoor powder, garam masala powder and mix well.
6. Add the grind paste and cook until raw smell disappears.
7. Cook rice and let it cool.
8. If you're using frozen green peas add it now and mix well. And if using fresh peas add them along with capsicum's only.
9. Add the mixture to the cooled rice along with 2 tsp of oil and salt and mix well.

Serve hot.

Chawal chamak challo

A little vatiation from the usual pulao, i've named it a little finkily as i learnt it on a t.v show and he named in a similar manner.. well here comes the recipe..


Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients:

1. Vegetables (I took 200gms each of beans, carrots, potatoes)
2. Green pees (frozen/regular)
3. Rice 21/2 cups
4. Water
5. Oil
6. Onions 2-3
7. Coriander leaves
8. Green chillies 10-12
9. Cashews 8-10
10. Mustard seeds
11. Jeera seeds
12. Bay leaf
13. Clove pods 2-3
14. Cinnamon sticks 1 inch
15. Grated coconut 1 cup

Method:

1. Cut the vegetables and keep aside.
2. In a mixer grind coconut, green chillies, onions, coriander leaves, clove pods, cinnamon stick to a fine paste and keep.
3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and season with mustard seeds, jeera seeds, bay leaf and cashews.
4. Add the grind paste and saute till raw smell disappears.
5. Now add the vegetables and mix well.
6. Add salt, water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Make sure each grain of rice is separate.

Serve hot with raitha or just like that.

Make sure you remove the bay leaf before you serve, when left behind for  along time it makes the rice bitter.

Rava Idli (Restaurant style)

Making rava idli's at home is as easy as buying a ready mix from store and making them. Easy and attractively cooked is the secret of food disappearing fast into people's stomach. Let me share the recipe of homemade recipe (Restaurant style).


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6 (4 idli's each)


Ingerdients:

1. Rava (Upma rava) 2 cups
2. Coriander leaves
3. Carrots (grated) 2
4. Mustard seeds 1 tsp
5. Chana dal 1 tsp
6. Urad dal 1 tsp
7. Ginger 1/2 inch
8. Water
9. Curd (preferably a little sour)
10. Oil
11. Cashews 15-20
12. Green chillies 8-9
13. Salt
14. Fresh grated coconut 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Heat oil in a tawa and make seasoning of mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, green chillies.
2. Now add the rawa to this and fry for around 3-4 minutes.
3. Let it cool and then add salt, coconut, curd, a little water and mix well. Add coriander leaves and ginger as well.
4. Grease idli's plates with oil, now place one cashew and 1/2 tsp of carrot gratings on the plates and pour over the idli batter.
5. Steam it for about 20-25 minutes.
6. Serve hot with chutney or bombay aloo sagoo.


Don't soak the batter for a really long time, the idli's will become soggy.
The batter shouldn't be too watery but thick enough.

Palak poori

Sunday... a day to laze around, a day to spend time with family, which means a day for women to spend a little long time in the kitchen just to make something special for family. Mom and law and I decided to make some yummy palak poori's for breakfast along with delicious bombay aloo sagoo. Here comes the recipe for palak poori, green poori as my son named it.. :))


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 7

Ingredients: 

1. Palak leaves 1 bunch
2. What flour 3 cups
3. Green chillies 5-6
4. Oil
5. Water


Method: 

1. Wash the palak leaves thoroughly and cook them along with green chillies.
2. Once cooked let them cool and grind in a mixer till a puree is made out of it.
3. Now take wheat flour, salt, a little oil and palak puree and make a dough of chapathi consistency.
4. Roll them into small poori's and deep fry in oil.

Serve hot with chutney, vegetable sagoo or as suggested bombay aloo sagoo.

Shahi biriyani

Ahh.. mughlai food... that heavenly smell arouses ur smell buds right away... shahi biriyani as the name says is a rich food.. Try out this royal food, in a easy to cook manner. I made this for my son's birthday party and the guests just loved it.


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
Serves: 10


Ingredients:

1. Vegetables (200gms each of beans, carrot, potatoes)
2. Green peas (i used the frozen ones)
3. Shahi Biriyani masala (Store bought, use everest Masala) 4tbsp
4. Elaichi pods 2
5. Garam masala powder 2tsp
6. Onions 4-5
7. Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp (optional)
8. Green chillies 8-9
9. Coriander leaves
10. Cashews
11. Ghee (another option is vanaspati)
12. Oil
13. Rice 3 cups
14. Water
15. Chakra moggu (Pineapple flower) 1
16. Bay leaf 2-3
17. Curd 5 tbsp
18. Cinnamon stick 1 inch
19. Clove pods 5
20. Pepper corns 10
21. Red chilli powder 1.5tsp

Method:

1. Heat 4 tsp of ghee and 4 tsp of oil in a pressure cooker/vessel, once heated add the bay leaf, pineapple flower and let it splatter.
2. Add cashews, onions, ginger garlic paste and saute till onions turn golden brown.
3. Now add the garam masala, shahi biriyani masala, red chilli powder, curds (beaten), the vegetables and saute them.
4. In a mixer grind green chillies, elaichi pods (whole), cinnamon, pepper corns, clove pods along with a little water.
5. After 5 minutes add the grind paste, rice, required amount of water, salt and let it cook.
6. If you are using a pressure cooker, cook it up to 1 whistle and if using a vessel keep an eye until the rice is cooked. Note that each grain is separate.
7. If you are using frozen green peas add them after rice is cooked. Because they are very soft they don't need much cooking.

Variation: If cooking in a large vessel you can even make a dum biriyani. Take some wheat dough and seal the lid of the vessel with the dough when the rice is cooking so that the steam doesn't escape and that taste remains fresh, like straight out of an oven.


Serve hot with raitha of your choice. I made onion and tomato raitha.

Onion parantha

Yummy onion's refresh ur nose as u gobble down this delicacy... not only while eating but also while making u can smell onions all around... easy to make and very tasty to relish try this one for breakfast, lunch or dinner.


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 5 (3 paranthas each)


Ingredients:

1. Onions 3
2. What flour 3 cups
3. Water
4. Oil
5. Salt


Method:

1. Cut the onions lengthwise like you do it for pulao and set aside.
2. Take wheat flour in a large vessel, add 3-4 tsp of oil, onions and water and mix it to chapathi dough consistency.

3. Let it set for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Make balls out of the dough similar to chapathi and roll them carefully.
5. Heat tawa and bake the paranthas with ghee/oil.


Serve hot with pickle and curds.

Tomato kai rasa (gojju)

When you make idli's at home you also make chutney.. but people get bored of the same tatse so why not try something really different as a side dish for idli's. Even for chapathi and dosa making this certainly would not be a bad idea.


Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes 3/4kg (include some raw tomatoes as well)
2. Green chillies 3-4
3. Fresh grated coconut 1 cup
4. Dry red chillies (byadagi and guntur - each 6)
5. Mustard seeds 1 tsp
6. Jeera seeds 1tsp
7. Chana dal 1tsp
8. Urad dal 4tsp
9. Oil
10. Water
11. Salt
12. Jaggery about a lemon's size


Method:

1. Chop the tomatoes and keep aside.
2. Heat oil and make seasoning of mustard seeds, chana dal, 1tsp urad dal and curry leaves.
3. Now add the tomatoes and let ti cook.
4. Dry roast 3 tsp of urad dal and the dry red chillies.
5. In the meanwhile grind coconut, dry red chillies with required water.
6. Add the ground paste to the cooked tomatoes and let it boil till raw smell disappears.
7. Add jaggery and let it melt.. Also add salt. If required you can water depending upon required consistency.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Jhunka

This recipe is a favourite with jolada rotti/bhakri and famous amongst maharashtrians. A very yummy side dish with chapati as well, i made this in a jiffy.


Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 7

Ingredients:

1. Besan (Kadale hittu) 150 gms
2. Onions 3
3. Tomatoes 3
4. Turmeric 1 tsp
5. Jeera seeds 1 tsp
6. Mustard seeds 1 tsp
7. Curry leaves
8. Coriander leaves
9. Salt
10. Water
11. Oil
12. Green chillies 5-6


Method:

1. Chop the onions and tomatoes and keep aside.
2. Heat oil and make seasoning of mustard seeds, jeera seeds, green chillies and curry leaves.
3. Add the onions, turmeric and saute till they turn golden brown.
4. Next add the tomatoes and cook till tender.
5. Now mix the besan with a little water. Stir in such a way that lumps dont form.
6. Add this to the cooked tomatoes and onions and mix well.
7. Add red chilli powder, a little water and salt and mix well.
8. Let it cook untill all rawness of besan is gone.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapathi, rotti or bhakri.