Onam Festival Food | Kerala Onam Sadya Lunch Menu

This is my second post on Onam sadya lunch menu with Onam sadya serving order. Basically I love to try other state recipes a lot apart from my usual Tamilnadu recipes .When it comes to regional cuisine , my first choice is for Kerala food. My dad’s mom (my aachi) is from Nagercoil. As it is in kerala border , my aachi’s cooking was very similar to Kerala style. She makes many coconut based recipes like sodhi , Avial, theeyal etc. So right from my childhood, I grown up eating those foods. This may be the reason I have a love towards kerala food. But I have never thought I could make authentic kerala recipes in my kitchen.

I must thank my Ex-neighbor Mrs. Prema for sharing all her yummy recipes & inspired me to cook them. Last year I posted onam sadya recipes for the first time from vanitha magazine with the help of her. I should say that was one of the hit posts in my blog. This year I couldn’t try vanitha magazine recipes as she had changed her house. I really miss her and her recipes very badly :( . She was a caring and good friend of me. This time too, before cooking these recipes, I called her over phone to confirm the methods of making..

I must also thank all our Malayali blogger friends because all these recipes are tried from their blogs. I googled the recipes, chose some best recipes based on the comments and tried it. I have given the source of each recipe under the title. Everything came out very well. I felt so happy when I made this platter. I referred Roshni’s blog for serving order. Hope I have served them in correct order. Thank you Roshni :)

Check out my other Kerala recipes too !

I wanted to try the recipes which I din’t post in my last year’s onam sadya platter. So this year I tried paruppu curry , puli inji , Kerala sambar with freshly ground spices  (without coconut), Kerala tomato rasam , Puliserry , Olan , Avial( my mom’s recipe) , Cucumber kichadi , Vendakka pachadi , Beans mezhukkuppuratti , Cabbage thoran , Channa dal payasam  , Sharkara payasam & Naranga achar ( my mil’s pickle)..

U may wonder by seeing the color of sharkara payasam ;). It has to get a brown shade. As my jaggery is colorless the syrup was very light in color. So I added a pinch of red color to it. I thought it will give a brown paagu effect to the payasam but unfortunately it became orange and also it became very thick like pudding. So friends please excuse. I’ll try to update the picture. But the taste was really great. :L)

I’ve given step by step pictures for all the recipes in a simplified manner.  Hope it will be understandable and helpful :)

I wish all my friends a very happy and great onam celebration :)\

KERALA SAMBAR(WITH FRESHLY GROUND SPICES)

Source – Amateurscookingdiary by chitz

INGREDIENTS Toor dal – 1/2 cup Pumpkin – 1/4 cup (cubed) Drumstick – 1 no Potato – 1 no Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp To roast n grind Oil – 1 tsp Dhania / coriander seeds – 1.5 tbsp Urad dal – 1.5 tbsp Red chillies – 5-7 nos Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp Hing – 1/4 tsp Tamarind – Small lemon size To temper & saute Cooking oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Red chilli – 1 no Big onion – 1 no Curry leaves – few Tomato – 1 no Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt n water – as needed Coriander leaves – few to garnish METHOD Pressure cook dal adding turmeric powder and a drop of oil. Mash it well and set aside. Take extract from the tamarind and set aside. In a pan , heat oil and roast all the ingredients given under “ to roast n grind”. Saute well without burning and switch off the flame. Make them to a paste and set aside. In a kadai , heat oil, temper mustard seeds, red chilli , curry leaves and saute the onions , tomatoes & curry leaves. Saute till tomato turns mushy. Add tamarind extract ,salt  and curry leave. Allow it to boil well, add all the vegetable and boil the tamarind extract till the veggies cook well. After the veggies are cooked , add the mashed dal and spice powder. Mix well and boil for 5 minutes.sambar will thicken, add water if necessary . Garnish with coriander leaves. Line a bowl with banana leaf and pour the sambar. Close it with a lid. Serve with rice ! Any vegetables like yam, carrot , pumpkin , drumstick , radish, lady’s finger and ashgourd can be used in this sambar..

KERALA TOMATO RASAM

Source – Marias menu

INGREDIENTS Tomato – 2 (chopped or crushed) Tamarind  – Small gooseberry size Cooked dal water – 1/4 cup (optional) Black pepper corns –  1 tsp Red chillies – 2 to 3 Garlic – 6 cloves Jeera – 1/2 tsp Dhania – 1 tsp Asafoetida– a pinch Salt & water – as needed Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Chopped coriander leaves – 1-2 tbsp METHOD Fry the dry red chilli for a minute. Grind together fried red chilli, pepper corns, garlic, jeera and coriander seeds slightly coarse in texture  OR U can make it to a coarse paste as per the original recipe. Heat oil , fry ground masala for 2-3 mins. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well. Cook till tomatoes become soft. Add tamarind extract and salt. Mix well. Add 2 cups of water and coriander leaves. Let it boil, reduce the flame and simmer for 5-7 mins. Add a pinch of hing.Serve hot !

PULISSERY OR MORU CURRY

Source – Pachakam

INGREDIENTS Thick n sour Curd - 1 cup Grated coconut - 1/3 cup Green chillies – 4 nos Garlic pod - 1 no Cumin seeds -  1/2 tsp Small onion – 2 no Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp To temper Coconut oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds- 1/ tsp Curry leaves –few Roasted Fenugreek powder - 1/4 tsp Sugar – 1/4 tsp Salt - As reqd INGREDIENTS Grind together coconut, green chillies, garlic, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, small onion and turmeric powder into a fine paste.Cook the ash gourd pieces separately.  Beat the curd by adding this paste, salt and sugar. After beating , the mixture should be of medium thick consistency.  Heat oil in a pan. Temper mustard seeds. Add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds along with fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and mix it well. Pour the curd mixture  and cooked ash gourd into the pan and keep it on a medium flame, stirring continuously, until it becomes warm.  NEVER ALLOW THE CURD MIXTURE TO BOIL. Remove it from fire and sprinkle roasted fenugreek powder over the Pulissery and mix it well. Serve hot with rice. U can also use cucumber , Mango & pumpkin

BEANS MUZHUKKUPURATTI

Source – Spicy chilli

INGREDIENTS 1 cup - 250ml French Beans-1 cup ( cut into 1cm length) To grind to coarse paste Small onions- 6 numbers Garlic – 3 cloves Chilli powder- 1 tsp Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp To season Coconut oil – 1.5 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - 2 sprigs METHOD Chop the beans , add salt and pressure cook it in high flame for one whistle. ( This is for fast quicking & less oil consumption).Drain all the excess water.But make sure beans should be soft yet firm., It should not lose its shape. Coarsely grind the items given under “to grind” without adding water. In a pan , heat oil and temper mustard and curry leaves. Now add the beans and saute well in high flame for a minute to absorb all the moisture in them.. Now add the coarsely ground paste and saute them till the raw smell goes off. Do it in medium flame.Fry till the beans look dry and shiny..Remove n serve !

CABBAGE THORAN

Source – My neighbor Mrs. Prema

INGREDIENTS 1 cup - 250ml Cabbage - 1 cup Big Onion –2 nos Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp (optional) To grind to a coarse paste Grated coconut – 1/4 cup Green chillies – 2 nos Jeera – 1/4 tsp To temper Coconut oil –2 tbsp Mustard seeds –1 tsp Red chillies – 1no Curry leaves - A few METHOD Grind coconut , green chillies and jeera to a coarse paste without adding water. Set aside. Chop the cabbage and onions. Mix together the finely chopped cabbage, onions, and salt. Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add pinched red chilli and curry leaves to it. Now add the ground coconut mixture, saute for few minutes. Remove and serve !

OLAN

Source – Marias menu

INGREDIENTS Black-eyed beans /vanpayar / kaaramani – 1/4 cup Ash gourd -  2 cups, cut into cubes Green chilli – 3-4, slit lengthwise Water – as needed Thick coconut milk – 1/2 - 3/4 cup (adjust) Salt- as needed Curry leaves – few Coconut oil – 1 tbsp METHOD Heat a tsp of oil in a kadai and fry the beans till it starts to crackle.( This step is not in the original recipe. But I did it for additional flavor) Pressure cook the beans with 1 cup of water in low flame for two , three whistles. Drain the excess water & keep aside the cooked beans. The beans should not be over cooked and it should retain its shape. Cook together ash gourd, green chilli, salt and 1.5 cups of water, till ash gourd becomes tender. Ash gourd also should not be overcooked and it should retain its shape. Add the cooked beans to the ash gourd and mix well. Add coconut milk and curry leaves. Cook on low flame for 5-7 mins. Remove from the fire and drizzle some coconut oil.The curry has a thick consistency. No need to soak the beans if u fry in oil. In the actual recipe , maria mentioned that it is not necessary to soak the beans even without frying..

VENDAKKA PACHADI

Source – My neighbor

INGREDIENTS Thinly chopped Lady’s finger – 1 cup Thick curd – 1 cup Green chilli – 2 nos(finely chopped) Salt – as needed Sugar – a pinch Coconut oil – 1.5 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Curry leaves – few METHOD In a kadai , add oil , temper mustard seeds and curry leaves.Then add the finely chopped lady’s finger & green chillies and saute in high flame continuously .Add salt , sugar and saute till it is cooked well. Remove & add curd to it. Mix well and serve !

CUCUMBER KICHADI

INGREDIENTS Cucumber – 1 no Thick curd – 1 cup To grind Green Chillies  - 2 nos Grated coconut –1/4 cup To temper (optional) Mustard Seeds - ¼ teaspoon. Coconut       - ¼ tbsp Red Chillies- 1 pinched. Curry leaves   - few   METHOD Cut cucumber into small pieces and set aside. Grind coconut and green chillies to a smooth paste adding water.Mix this paste with cucumber.Temper mustard & other ingredients and add to the mixture. Lastly add the thick curd , mix well & serve immediately.

CHANA DAL PAYASAM

Source- Vanitha magazine

INGREDIENTS Chana dal – 1/4 cup Grated jaggery – 1/2 cup Grated coconut – 1 cup Salt – a pinch Cardamom – 2 nos powdered Ghee – 1 tbsp Roasted nuts – 2 tbsp METHOD In a mixie add  1/3 cup of water and take the first coconut milk.Set aside.Again add 3/4 cup of water and take the second milk.Keep aside. Pressure cook channa dal adding enough water for two,three whistles in low flame.Open and mash them well. I pulsed it in mixie. In a pan , melt jaggery , make syrup and strain the impurities.Add the mashed dal to the syrup . Add the second coconut milk and ghee & boil till it reduces to half.. Lastly add the first thick milk , cardamom powder and mix well. Boil in very low flame for 2 minutes and switch off the flame. Add the roasted nuts n serve !

SHARKARA PAYASAM

Source – Cheenachatti

INGREDIENTS 1 cup - 250ml Grated coconut –1 cup Raw rice – 1/4 cup Grated jaggery – 1/3 cup Ghee – 1 tbsp Cashew Nuts & raisins – few METHOD In a mixie , grind coconut adding 1 cup of water and take the first milk. Again add 1/2  - 3/4 cup of water and take the second milk. Set aside. In a pan , melt the jaggery , make syrup , strain impurities if any. Make jel like syrup.. Wash n soak raw rice for 20 minutes. Pressure cook it adding 1/2 - 3/4 cup of water. Rice should be cooked but it should not be mushy. Add the syrup to the cooked rice and boil well. Add the second coconut milk an boil for 5-7 mins in low flame. Lastly before switching off the flame, add the first coconut milk. Mix well. Add the roasted nuts. Serve ! This payasam tends to thicken soon. It will become spoonable. Add more milk to get a thin consistency. U can also add 2 tbsp of roasted coconut pieces if you wish.

Do check out my Onam sadya menu - 1 

Easy Chakka pradhaman recipe

Kerala Paal payasam recipe

HAPPY ONAM !

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SAMBAR SADAM | SAMBAR RICE RECIPE – LUNCH RECIPES

I wanted to post one pot sambar sadam recipe ( Sambar rice in a pressure cooker) after tasting in hotels. Saravana bhavan sambar sadam is very popular in Tamil nadu. I usually make rice and sambar separately and mix them. Every week I used to watch Podhigai channel’s Asathal suvai if it is hosted by “ Mrs.Revathy shanmugam”. Last week she gave the recipe for sambar rice. I tried it the next day.It was a huge success at home.We loved its flavor and taste. I have not used any garam masala here. So It tastes like our Tamil nadu hotel style sambar sadam. It has a goey texture when hot and thickens after it cools down. It tasted great when hot as well as cold. Addition of ghee is a must here. It gives a nice aroma. :) I have updated this recipe with a full video. Please watch it below.

Do check out my Karnataka style Bisi bele bath recipe using homemade bisi bele bath powder.
Here is my Curd rice recipe.

Sambar sadam/ Sambar rice recipe

How to make sambar sadam - Tamil nadu style sambar rice in one pot

Cuisine:  South Indian

Category: Lunch Recipes

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml To pressure cook Raw rice – 1 cup OR steamed rice - 1 cup Toor dal – 1/2 cup Water – 6 –7 cups Carrot – 2 nos Peas – 1/4 cup Beans - 5 nos Drumstick – 2 nos (chop into finger size) Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Hing /Asafetida – 1/4 tsp Salt – As needed To soak in water Tamarind – Lemon size ball To roast & grind Cooking oil – 1 tsp Red chillies – 8 nos ( use 6 if spicy chilli) Chana dal – 2.5 tbsp Dhania – 2 tbsp Cumin seeds – 1 tsp Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp Grated coconut – 2 tsp (optional) Hing – 2 pinches To saute Cooking oil + ghee – 1tbsp + 2 tsp Small onion /sambar onion – 15 nos Tomato – 3 nos Sambar powder -1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few To temper Oil + ghee – 2 tsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (to garnish) Ghee – 2 tbsp

HOW TO MAKE SAMBAR RICE - METHOD

Pressure cook drumstick separately. Remove the flesh & keep aside Wash and pressure cook rice. Wash & pressure cook rice n dal along with chopped carrots ,beans , peas ,turmeric powder , salt & hing. Add 6 cups of water & Cook for 2-3 whistles till rice n dal turns mushy. Open the cooker & mash it well. Set aside. In a pan , add a tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients given under “to roast & grind” . Powder them nicely and set aside. In the same pan, heat oil + ghee and saute the onions, chopped tomatoes & curry leaves. Saute till tomato turns mushy. Then add 1 cup of tamarind extract, sambar powder, turmeric powder , hing & salt if required. Let it boil for sometime till onion gets cooked. If you want , you can directly add the tamarind extract, sauteed onion, tomato mixture to the cooked rice and dal & proceed. Now add this mixture to the cooked rice . Add the masala powder, drumstick flesh and mix well.Simmer the flame and allow it to boil well for 10 minutes . All the flavour gets into the rice.Stir once or twice in the middle. Add ghee to avoid rice sticking to the bottom of pan. Mix well. Lastly temper the mustard seeds & add. Garnish with coriander leaves.. Serve hot  drizzled with little ghee & papad !! !

Note

For variations , u can use steamed rice instead of raw rice. Add water according to the quality of rice. I used byadge chillies in this recipe. It gave a nice color to the rice and less spicy too. If you use spicy chillies, use 5-6 as per your taste buds. Adding coconut is purely optional. If you add it, add more chillies to compensate.

Delicious sambar sadam, creamy curd rice, crispy fryums and spicy pickle, mor milagai is ready to enjoy !

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TAMILNADU LUNCH MENU 2 - SOUTH INDIAN LUNCH MENU IDEAS

In my attempt in posting other state recipes, I have successfully tried & posted Andhra , kerala and punjabi , Kongu lunch recipes. It will be unfair if I don’t post my own state lunch recipes.. So here is a platter of Tamilnadu lunch recipes I made for my parents and bro. Everything came out really well & tasty. Like you all , we tamilians prepare varieties of recipes either for occasions or for guests. Serving in banana leaf is a must for us which is considered as a way of showing our respect and gratitude to our guests. But here I dint present them in banana leaf as I couldn’t get it . 

Very soon i’ll post another set of Tamilnadu lunch recipes served in banana leaf with authentic serving order.In the above plate u can see ( Left to right) Rice , Dal , Avial , Morkuzhambu , Mullangi Sambar , Rasam , Vendakkai mangai kathrikai pachadi , Instant mango pickle along with papad , Urad dal vada , Rice vadam, Spiced buttermilk ( Neer mor) & water. I have posted all the above recipes except dal and Pachadi. So I have shared them in this post. Sorry I couldn’t post step by step pictures as I was hurry in making recipes on time.

Do check out my Tamilnadu lunch recipes post which I made some years ago if  you are interested !

DAL FOR RICE / PARUPPU

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Toor dal OR moong dal – 1/2 cup Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Water & salt – As needed Cooking oil – Few drops To temper Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Hing – 1/4 tsp Curry leaves - few Ghee – to add while serving

METHOD

Pressure cook dal adding turmeric powder & required water and a drop of oil in low flame for 1-2 whistles. Now open the cooker & mash the dal nicely with a ladle.Temper all the ingredients given under”to temper” and add to the dal. Mix well , add salt and serve with hot rice adding a tsp of ghee.. It tastes great with a papad , pachadi and potato poriyal.

VENDAKKAI MANGAI KATHRIKAI PACHADI / OKRA RAW MANGO BRINJAL PACHADI

This is my mom’s recipe.This pachadi will surely make its appearance in our home during mango season.It’s a sweet pachadi variety . So we add less salt..Our guests love this pachadi a lot..It tastes great with paruppu sadam /Dal rice. 

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Cooked toor dal – 1/4 cup Ladies finger / okra - 10 nos Brinjal – 5 nos (small) Raw mango – 1 no (Small, cut into cubes) Grated Jaggery - 1/8 – 1/4 cup Hing – 1/4 tsp Salt & water  - as needed To grind Grated coconut - 1/4 cup Green chilli -  2-3 nos Small onion - 4 nos Jeera / cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp To temper Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Urad dal - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - few

METHOD

Pressure cook toor dal, mash & set aside. Cut okra into tiny pieces , peel the mango skin and cut into small slices . Cut brinjal into very small pieces and keep immersed in water to avoid discoloration. Grind all the ingredients given under”to grind” and make a smooth paste. In a kadai , heat oil and saute the okra pieces for few minutes. Pressure cook mango , brinjal and okra pieces together adding required water & salt. After the steam is released add the cooked & mashed toor dal , ground coconut paste and hing. Mix well and allow it to boil for few minutes. Finally add the grated jaggery. Give a boil and check for salt & sweetness. Add more jaggery if u want more sweet. Finally temper all the ingredients given under “to temper” and add to the pachadi. Tastes best with dal rice and rasam rice.

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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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