KEERAI KOOTU – KOOTU RECIPE

Keerai kootu is our family favourite kootu recipe. We make it at least once in a week.I make it for my husband’s lunch box paired with vatha kuzhambu/ puli kuzhambu.It tastes great.I learnt this recipe from my MIL. I’ll post my mom’s version soon..Usually vengaya vadagam is used for seasoning this kootu. I love that combination very much . But my husband hates it.. So I saute the small onions till dark brown ( as u see in picture) & season this kootu.It tastes equivalent to vadagam..My husband likes to have this kootu mixed with plain rice & ghee.. Try this healthy accompaniment for lunch & enjoy . We follow the same procedure and make kootu with mulai keerai , siru keerai  etc..

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml

Amaranthus/arai keerai – 2 small bunch OR 2 cups Moong dal – 2 tbsp Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp Sambar powder – 1 tsp salt & water – As needed To grind Grated coconut – 1/4 cup Rice flour –1  tsp To temper Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds / jeera – 1/2 tsp Small onion – 5 nos or Big onion – 1/2 no  OR Vengaya vadagam – 1.5 tbsp or 1 no

METHOD

Wash & chop the keerai finely. In a pressure cooker base , take the chopped keerai , moong dal  , sambar powder , salt and water. Cook it for 1 –2 whistle in low flame. Grind the coconut with rice flour adding little water to make a smooth paste.Set aside. After the steam is released from the cooker , mash the mixture well till moong dal becomes mushy..Now add the coconut paste ,mix well and allow it to boil till kootu becomes semi thick in consistency.. In a kadai , temper all the ingredients given under” to temper” in the same order. Saute till onion turns dark golden brown with a nice smell..Add to the kootu .. Mix with plain rice & ghee  or enjoy as an accompaniment!

NOTE

My mil cooks the keerai  & dal separately and mix them .But  i pressure cook everything together. But make sure dal should be mushy. This kootu can be made with mulai keerai / thandu keerai and siru keerai .. Adding vengaya vadagam for seasoning gives a great taste. Do try if u have in hand..But u should saute it till dark brown in low flame and add to kootu..

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Kerala Paal Payasam Recipe In Pressure Cooker

I had noted down this Kerala style Paal payasam recipe using pressure cooker from Vanitha magazine with my neighbour’s help. When I posted Onam sadhya recipes , I couldn’t try this one. This is also one of the most important payasam recipe which Keralites prepare on Onam day. Its a very simple recipe but very rich & tasty. I loved it a lot. It tasted more like “sweetened condensed milk “.. Just a handful of rice is enough to make payasam for 4 – 5 people. In Kerala, they make this payasam in a wide opened uruli using unakkari (broken red rice).  But I tried in pressure cooker. Usually I make paal paysam for gokulashtami by roasting & grinding the rice. But this has a very simple procedure. I used good quality raw rice but I heard broken red rice would be the best. Do try this payasam for your guests. They will love it for sure.. It can be served warm or cold, it tastes the best either ways ! Lets see how to make Kerala style paal payasam recipe in a pressure cooker.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml

Raw rice (good quality) – 1/2 cup  (Use Kerala broken rice / Unakkari) Milk – 4 + 1.25 cups ( 1.25 litres) Water – 2 cups ( 500 ml) Sugar – 1/2  - 3/4 cup (Adjust as per your sweetness ) Cardamom – 2 nos (optional) Ghee – 1 tsp Cashews & dry grapes – few to roast & garnish

HOW TO MAKE KERALA PAAL PAYASAM - METHOD

In a pressure cooker base or big vessel / uruli , take 4 cups of milk and 2 cups of water ( totally 6 cups). Allow it to boil in high flame till it is reduced to 3 cups. Now wash and add the rice and pressure cook in low flame for 3-4 whistle. After the rice is cooked well, open the cooker lid and mash the rice with a whisk or ladle. Add sugar , half cup of milk (if necessary) and let it boil for another 4-5 minutes. Then switch off the flame. You can see the payasam looking light pink in color.  As time proceeds , this payasam will thicken. So add  the remaining 3/4 cup of milk according to your desired consistency. Add cardamom powder if you like. Garnish with roasted cashews & dry grapes , enjoy !

NOTE

• Adjust the quantity of milk and sugar given here as per your taste..
• I used low fat milk. U can use whole milk or full fat milk to make the dish more rich.
• Saffron can be used instead of cardamom powder. But color of this payasam will be in yellow side. If you add more milk at the end, you’ll get the white color..
• U can add sugar anytime if you feel the sweet is less..

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ONION TOMATO UTTAPAM | BREAKFAST RECIPES

Last month we had a trip to kodaikanal and we ordered this uthappam for breakfast in a restaurant.We loved it very much because the taste was something different from the usual ones. I usually make onion tomato uthappam sprinkling some pepper powder or finely chopped green chillies. But in that dosa they sprinkled idli milagi podi and it was very nice with full of flavours.Also the tomato pieces were well roasted to black in color.The roasted tomato pieces had a nice flavour. Also the dosa was not too thick like our regular uthappam & above all not much oily . Overall i liked that dosa very much..Last week I tried the same in my kitchen with left over idli batter and i was happy i could bring in the same taste. I think most of u know & make this combination at home.But still i am posting this recipe for beginners & bachelors .. So here is the recipe ..

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Idli , dosa batter – 1 cup Big onion – 2 nos (slice cut) Tomatoes – 2 nos ( i used bangalore tomato, chop into small pieces) Curry leaves – few Idli milagai podi – 1/4 cup ( to sprinkle) Gingely oil – to drizzle

METHOD

As mentioned above , slice cut the onions , chop the tomatoes and curry leaves and set aside.Take the idli batter in a bowl and add little water( say 1/4 cup) to make it slightly thin.. Heat dosa tawa and pour a ladleful of batter. The batter will spread automatically , if not spread it little. ( Please make sure u don’t spread it too thin ) Now sprinkle the sliced onions , tomato pieces and curry leaves all over the dosa .. Please do not add too much of tomato pieces..Add 4-5 small pieces for one dosa. Now sprinkle idli milagai podi all over the dosa and drizzle gingely oil in the sides as well as top of dosa.Let it cook for sometime in medium flame. Now flip the dosa carefully. Do not press the dosa..Keep the flame medium for a minute & then high for another minute for the tomatoes & onions to get cooked & roasted..Again add a drop of oil..Remove and serve.. Serve hot with chutney !!

Technorati Tags: onion tomato uthappam,breakfast recipes,south indian breakfast recipes,uthappam,onion tomato uthappam recipe,how to make onion tomato uthappam,uttapam recipe,breakfast recipe,dosa varieties

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ONION BAJJI | VENGAYA BAJJI – SNACKS RECIPES

This is my first post on bajji recipes. Myself and Sendhil loves bajji a lot. My MIL makes this onion bajji / vengaya bajji very often as an evening snack especially for guests. I have seen my friends making bajji with store bought readymade bajji mix. I had a thought that bajji batter is very difficult to prepare at home. But when I saw my MIL making bajji, I felt it so easy and it can be done in no time.

Before marriage, I have seen my mom making bajji on Diwali. She makes all the varieties ( i.e. Raw banana, brinjal, onion, potato) in one go. We choose our favourite among them and enjoy eating it along with sweets. Both mom & Mil follows the same recipe. Its so simple.. 

The ratio of besan flour & rice flour is 3:1. For this ratio, you’ll get a crispy exterior & a soft interior. Addition of cooking soda/ baking soda is also very important to get a puffy bajji. Otherwise bajji won’t bulge and it will be flat. Too much of cooking soda makes the bajji absorb more oil.  Adding a pinch would do. If you make bajji with store bought mix, try this recipe for a change. U’ll love it and you’ll stop buying the readymade ones.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml

Besan flour / Kadala maavu – 3/4 cup Rice flour / Arisi maavu – 1/4 cup Cooking soda / baking soda – A big pinch Orange food color – A pinch (optional) Red chilli powder – 1.5 tsp ( add 1 tsp for less spice) Hing/Asafetida – 1/4tsp Ajwain/ omam/ Carom seeds OR cumin seeds/ jeera – 1/2 tsp Salt – As needed Water – 3/4 - 1 cup ( adjust)

HOW TO MAKE ONION BAJJI - METHOD

Peel , wash and cut the head & tail portions of onions & slice into 1/4 inch thick rings. You can cut the onion with skin to get slices evenly. Set aside.  In a wide bowl , mix all the flours, powders, Ajwain / carom seeds or cumin seeds, salt and add water to make a slightly watery batter( like dosa batter). If you make it too watery, bajji will have tails. At the same time , thick batter yeilds hard bajjis. The batter should be slightly thick & flow like a ribbon. It should coat the onion pieces well. Adjust water & flour accordingly. Dip the onion rings in the batter & coat it well. Heat oil in a kadai and check with a drop of batter to find the correct heating point.ie. If you put a drop of batter , the batter will rise immediately and floats on top. As soon as you get this heating point , simmer the flame and drop the onion rings coated well with batter.. Deep fry till the color changes golden brown and the bubbles ceases..Flip it and again cook for a minute. Drain & remove in a tissue paper.. Serve hot immediately..We love to have with coconut chutney !!

NOTE

Addition of food color gives a nice color to bajji as you see in stalls.. My mom & mil adds cumin seeds but i used ajwain for an enhanced flavour. Use any as per ur wish. Please don’t skip adding baking soda . It gives a puffy , soft bajji. Make sure u don’t add much because bajji will be very oily and it is unhealthy too.. Adjust the consistency of batter.. Batter should not be too thin or too thick. If ur batter has become too thin , add besan & rice flour in 3:1 ratio and adjust the batter..If it is too thick add more water. Always add the extra water using a tbsp & check it..

Technorati Tags: Onion bajji recipe,onion bajji,vengaya bajji recipe,vengaya bajji,onion bhaji recipe,evening snacks,bajji varieties,bajji mixture,bajji batter

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ALOO PALAK | ALOO PALAK GRAVY RECIPE

Aloo palak is in my try list for a long time. I have blogged Restaurant style palak paneer and Sindhi style palak paneer recipes..So I thought of trying aloo palak by combining those 2 recipes. It came out very well. We loved it a lot..We relished it with chapati....

 

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

To saute Palak leaves – 2 cups Sugar – 1/4 tsp Cooking oil – 1 tsp To pressure cook Boiled Potato – 2 nos (big) To temper & saute Cooking oil + ghee – 1 + 1 tbsp Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Crushed fennel seeds powder – 1/2 tsp  (optional) Big onion – 2 nos Ginger Garlic  paste – 1 tsp Tomato -  2 nos Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Red chilli powder –  1 to1.5 tsp Dhania powder – 1 tsp Garam masala powder – 1 tsp Crushed Kasuri methi – 1 tsp Salt & water – As needed Milk – 1/4 cup To garnish Fresh cream or milk skin (paal aadai) -  1 tbsp Lemon juice – few drops

HOW TO MAKE ALOO PALAK

Pressure cook the potato and cube cut into small pieces.Set aside.Chop the onions finely and cut tomatoes into small pieces.. Wash the palak leaves..Heat a tsp of oil and saute the palak leaves till it shrinks and gets cooked. Add 1/4 tsp of sugar to retain the color of palak.Let it cool down completely. Then grind it to make a paste adding little water. Heat oil in a kadai , temper cumin seeds , fennel seeds powder &  then add the onions , ginger garlic paste.. Saute till raw smell emanates.Then add the tomato pieces and saute till mushy. Now add all the spice powders and mix well. Then add the palak paste , salt & saute for sometime in low flame. Lastly add the potato pieces , mix well. Add the crushed kasoori methi , milk and mix well.. Add a tbsp of fresh cream or milk skin (paal aadai) before serving..Add few drops of  lemon juice & serve !

Note : For variations u can try adding green chillies instead of red chilli powder. If u use green chillies , saute them along with palak , grind and add..

Technorati Tags: aloo palak recipe,aloo palak gravy recipe,aloo palak,aloo palak gravy,side dish for roti,side dish for chapathi,sides,palak recipe,palak recipes

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MILK POPSICLE | PAAL ICE / KUCHI ICE – ICE CREAM RECIPES

As I mentioned in my Matka kulfi post , I love kulfi ice like anything. In Tamil we call it as kuchi ice or paal ice. Next to kesar kulfi , I love this milk kulfi (paal ice) ..When I was young I used to go to my granny’s place (Tirunelveli) for every summer vacation and I enjoy “cup ice , paal ice & kuchi ice ” buying from vendors selling in a small cart. Every time I buy two varieties, hold them in both the hands and lick them side by side. Ok, coming to this post , I took this recipe from Spice india online. This recipe has milk and condensed milk. In the actual recipe , the quantity of condensed milk is more. But i wanted to use less condensed milk. So i used little corn flour to give the thickness.. One sad thing is i couldn’t bring pure white colored  ice cream. It was half white in color. The addition of condensed milk changed its color. But it tasted great. I was completely satisfied with the outcome. Kids would love this sure. Even we adults won’t stop eating one. Sendhil loved it a lot & asked for more , hehe..

INGREDIENTS ( 1 cup - 250ml)

Boiled Milk – 2.5 cups Condensed milk – 1/2 cup Corn flour – 3/4 tbsp Sugar – 1 – 2 tbsp (adjust) Vanilla essence – Few drops OR cardamom powder- 1/8 tsp

METHOD

Dilute corn flour adding little milk . In a wide bowl , mix the boiled milk , condensed milk , sugar and diluted corn flour. Mix well till sugar dissolves. Boil this mixture for sometimes till the raw smell of corn flour emanates completely.. Mixture will also become slightly thick. Switch off the flame and add vanilla essence.. Let it cool completely. Then fill in kulfi moulds , cover it with a plate or silver foil and freeze it overnight or minimum of 4-6 hours.. The next day, take the mould and keep it immersed in water for few seconds.. Kulfi comes out easily. Serve immediately.

NOTE

Adding condensed milk helps avoiding the ice crystals form while freezing. It gives a creamy texture. In this recipe I used milk and condensed milk in the ratio of 5:1. So I added corn flour to bring the thickness and sugar to taste. U can make this ice cream in a minute easily by just mixing the milk , condensed milk , vanilla essence and pour in kulfi mould directly without heating.. But in this case , you should add milk & condensed milk in the ratio of 2:1..U don’t have to add corn flour & sugar .. For making the same with kesar flavour , soak few threads of saffron in warm milk and add to the mixture instead of vanilla essence. It gives a natural yellow color to the kulfi..

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MASALA RAVA KICHADI – BREAKFAST RECIPES

I got this masala rava kichadi recipe from my friend Megha.We used to talk more about food.She was telling me about this masala kichadi and gave me some to taste. I loved it a lot. I immediately noted down the recipe to try in my kitchen. Basically I am not a upma person. I don’t like rava based recipes but Sendhil loves it like anything. Just for him, I started trying varieties of rava recipes. Nowadays I too started liking it. This dish is the same as our usual rava kichadi and the only difference is the addition of masala like cinnamon, cloves and G&G paste. Its a flavourful dish. It tasted great even after it cools down. 

I had the same for breakfast as well as lunch. The addition of oil & the water quantity gives the right consistency & taste. When you are bored of making our usual Rava kichadi, try this one. U’ll love it like me. This kichadi has a mild masala smell which we both loved it. Very soon I’ll post a 

No onion No garlic masala  rava upma which I learnt from my neighbour.

U may like to see

Soft idli using idli rava

Rava roti/ Sooji roti

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml

Rava – 1 cup Big onion – 1 no Tomato – 1 no Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Water –   3.5 cups Salt – As needed To pressure cook Carrot – 1 no Potato – 1 no Green peas – 1/4 cup To grind Green chillies – 3 nos ( add more if u want more spicy) Ginger & Garlic paste – 1 tsp OR use 1 inch ginger , 6 garlic cloves Cinnamon – 1 small piece Cloves – 2 nos Salt – little To temper Cooking oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Channa dal – 1 tsp Jeera – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few Ghee – 2 tsp Coriander leaves – 1/4 bunch Lemon juice – few drops

HOW TO MAKE MASALA RAVA KICHADI - METHOD

Dry roast rava for 5-7 minutes in low flame without changing its color..Rava will be non-sticky after roasting. Set aside. Coarse grind the ingredients given under “ to grind” to a coarse paste without adding water..( Adding salt helps to retain the color of chillies) Pressure cook all the vegetables in high flame for one whistle. Drain  & reserve the excess water and set aside.Make sure vegetables should not be mushy. It should be cooked yet firm.. Now in a non stick kadai, heat oil & temper all the ingredients given above in the same order. After the dals turn golden brown add the finely chopped big onions & curry leaves. Saute well till onion turns transparent. Then add the coarsely ground paste till you get a nice masala smell. Finally add the tomato and saute till mushy. Now add the cooked vegetables and mix well..Then add the required quantity of water ( i used the vegetable broth + water  and added 3.5 cups in total). Now add the turmeric powder and salt and allow the water to boil for a minute. When the water comes to roll boil ,simmer the flame completely and add rava slowly using one hand and stir the mixture simultaneously using the other hand.. Mix well and add 2 tsp of ghee,lemon juice , chopped coriander leaves & close the kadai with a lid .. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes in medium flame. Stir once or twice in the middle.. Now kichadi will be non–sticky to touch and it starts to roll in the pan leaving the sides .Make sure it is some moisture content in it.. Switch off the flame. Scoop it in the plate. It will slide off from the scoop without sticking. Serve hot immediately with coconut chutney !

NOTE

Addition of oil and ghee gives a nice taste and flavour.So please add the above mentioned quantity to get a soft kichadi. Here i have used less quantity of spices (cinnamon & cloves) which gives a mild masala smell. If u want to have more masala  try adding  1/2 tsp of garam masala powder.. Water content may vary from 3-3.5 cups based on the consistency u like.. Addition of tomato , lemon juice & coriander leaves is a must..

TRIED & TASTED BY READERS

My sister Radha tried this kichadi and shared this picture with me :)

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PUNJABI LUNCH MENU | NORTH INDIAN VEGETARIAN THALI RECIPES

Its been a long time I posted other state lunch recipes in my blog. So I tried this Punjabi lunch menu last weekend. After trying this Punjabi platter , I got tempted to try more North Indian vegetarian thali recipes as we loved this platter a lot. In this post, I have given the recipes of Amritsari aloo kulcha , dahi kadhi , Punjabi chole, jeera rice , restaurant style dal tadka and sweet lassi.. Everything came out very well even though its my first attempt. I forgot to keep a papad and pickle which makes it a complete punjabi lunch. Aloo kulcha tasted very soft and its the best kulcha I have ever had. Thanks to “The Hindu” food safari section from where I took this recipe. It was awesome in taste. For Punjabi chole and dal tadka, I referred veg recipes of india blog. For jeera rice, dahi kadhi and sweet lassi, I referred many blogs and made with some combinations. Its a very lengthy post, please excuse me.. I have given step by step pictures for some recipes. Please click on the title below to view a specific recipe.. Hope you’ll read , try and enjoy these recipes…

Amritsari aloo kulcha Dal tadka Punjabi chole Dahi kadhi Jeera rice Sweet lassi

AMRITSARI STUFFED ALOO KULCHA

I took this recipe from “The Hindu” food safari section and this is a fool proof recipe. Actually kulchas look very thick and round. I have made it thin to suit my husband’s taste. It was very soft and delicious when served hot. I dint follow tandoori cooking. I just used my tawa to cook this kulcha. Cook the kulchas till golden brown and brush it with butter.

INGREDIENTS 2 cups maida (All purpose flour) 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 3 tbsp oil 1/4 cup yogurt 1/4 cup warm milk 1/4 cup Warm Water Butter – 2 tbsp ( for brushing the kulcha b4 serving) For potato stuffing 1 cup boiled and mashed potatoes ( use 3 potatoes) 1 finely chopped green chilli 1 finely chopped onion 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp garam masala masala 1/2 tsp crushed kasoori methi 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves METHOD Sieve the maida and then mix it with the baking soda, baking powder, oil, yogurt, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the warm milk and knead into soft dough. Make sure to add the milk gradually.Mix well & add water slowly.Do not make the batter sticky.Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep aside for an hour minimum. For the Filling: Take mashed potatoes, chopped onions and green chillies, red chilly powder, cumin powder,garam masala masala , kasuri methi and coriander leaves in a bowl, mix everything and make medium sized balls and set aside. Take out the dough, make a medium sized ball, flatten it and place the potato filling ball in the centre. Fold this ball again into a ball, with the filling at its centre, and dust the dough with flour. With a rolling pin, flatten this ball out into a thick disc. Heat few drops of oil in a deep frying pan, and gently drop the flattened kulcha in the hot oil. Cook on both sides until the kulcha turns golden brown. The kulchas are ready to serve!!.Brush it well with butter …It can be served with raita & pickle or punjabi chole. But serve it hot !!

JEERA RICE

INGREDIENTS 1 cup basmati/ jeera rice 1 tsp shahjeera or caraway seeds (black jeera) 1 green cardamom 1 no star anise 2-3 black peppercorns 2 cloves 1 no biryani leaf 1 inch cinnamon 1 tbsp ghee 2 cups water METHOD Soak basmati or jeera  rice for 30 minutes. In a pan , heat a tbsp of ghee , add the cinnamon , cardamom , cloves , mace biryani leaf , pepper corns and shah jeera.. Roast them well and add to rice along with 2 cups of water and the required salt. Serve hot with dal !

PUNJABI CHOLE

Punjabi chole should be dry , I made it slightly watery to suit our taste.  Please adjust the consistency as per ur wish. I used amchur powder instead of anardana powder. I heard adding anardana powder gives the exact flavour of chole. Try with anardana/ pomegranate seeds powder if you have it.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans, Kabuli Chana .I used white chana..) Tea bag - 1 no 1 no cardamom 1 no cinnamon 2 medium sized onions chopped 4 medium sized tomatoes chopped 1 tsp ginger paste or coarsely ground ginger 1/2 tsp garam masala powder   1 tsp chilly powder 1 tsp amchur powder/dry mango powder OR anardana/pomegranate seeds powder 2 slit green chillies 1 tbsp oil Salt & water – as needed Spices for the punjabi chole masala 3-4 black cardamoms 1 inch cinnamon 5-6 peppercorns 3 cloves 1 bay leaf 3/4 tsp tsp cumin seeds (jeera) 1 and half tsp coriander seeds (dhania) 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf) 2 red chillies METHOD Wash and soak the chickpeas  with a pinch of cooking soda in enough water overnight or 8 hours.In a pressure cooker take the soaked chickpeas, enough water, salt, tea bag , 1 elachi , 1 small cinnamon and pressure cook for 5-6 whistles till the chick peas soft..Remove the tea bag , elachi and cinnamon.Drain the excess water which is called broth..set aside. In a pan, dry roast all the spices mentioned above till brown. On a slow or moderate flame you can roast the spices. Keep on tossing it otherwise they may get burnt.Once they are cooled, grind them into a fine powder. In the same pan, add oil. Once the oil becomes hot, add the chopped onions. Fry till they become transparent.Now add the crushed ginger paste.Once the raw smell of the ginger disappears, add the chopped tomatoes and saute till tomato turns mushy.. Add little salt so that the tomatoes gets cooked fast. Add the powdered spices to the mixture. Saute for a minute.Now add the boiled chickpeas with a little quantity of cooked water. You can add more broth if you want more gravy. Check for salt and simmer the gravy for 10 minutes..Finally, add the amchur powder.Garnish with chopped onions and cilantro leaves. Serve punjabi chole with rice,kulchas, bhaturas & rotis along with sliced onions and lime.

PUNJABI DAL TADKA

INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup toor dal 1/4 cup moong dal  OR masoor dal 1 or 2 green chillies, chopped 1 medium sized onion, chopped 2 medium size tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp finely chopped ginger 1 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp garam masala powder (optional, i used it) A pinch of asafoetida/hing 3 cups water 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves salt as required To temper 2 tbsp ghee or oil 1 tsp cumin 5-6 garlic cloves crushed 2-3 pinched red chillies 1/2 tsp red chilli powder a generous pinch of hing To garnish Few chopped coriander leaves METHOD In a pressure cooker base take all the ingredients given above and cook it till the dal turns mushy.Open the cooker and mash everything well..Check for salt. Now temper all the ingredients given under “ To temper” .. Add to dal. Garnish with coriander leaves and Serve hot topped with ghee !

PUNJABI DAHI KADHI

I couldnt take step by step pictures for kadhi. I’ll update it soon..Its very easy to make. It tasted yummy..

INGREDIENTS For the onion pakoras 1 cup of besan /gram flour 1/2 cup water 2 medium sized onions( sliced ) 1/2 tsp ajwain/carom seeds 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 1/2 tsp garam masala powder a big pinch of asafoetida/hing Salt For kadhi 2 cups of sour curd / yoghurt ( more sour curd , more tasty kadhi) 1/4 cup besan/gram flour 4 cups water 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste 2 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp garam masala powder salt to taste For tempering 2 tbsp cooking oil 1 tsp mustard seeds (optional) 1 tsp cumin seeds 1/4 tsp methi seeds 1 big onion (finely chopped) 2 tsp crushed ginger and garlic pieces 1 sprig curry leaves 1 green chilli  ( slit) 1 pinched red chillies Big pinch of asafoetida Coriander leaves – to garnish METHOD Beat the sour curd well with a whisk and all the ingredients given under “ for kadhi” to make a mixture. Add salt and water.. Now temper all the ingredients given under “ to temper” and saute well.. Then add the curd mixture and allow it to boil well. Be careful it will spill while boiling , so choose a big bowl and also simmer the flame. stand nearby and stir now and then. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until gravy becomes thick. Adjust the water if the gravy is thicker.. In the meantime , mix all the ingredients for pakoras and make a thick mixture. Deep fry them in batches and drop them in the dahi mixture. Boil for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rice topped with ghee !

PUNJABI SWEET LASSI

INGREDIENTS Fresh thick chilled curd – 1 cup Sugar – 1 tbsp (adjust) Rose water or cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp Malai or fresh cream – 1/2 tbsp (optional , i dint use) METHOD Take all the ingredients except malai and whip it well.. U’ll get a thick , frothy lassi. Serve it chilled adding malai on top !!. Garnish with saffron and nuts if necessary .. Note: Add 1/4 cup of water , if u want to make the lassi slightly thin

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