Magical Spices

When I'm left with few each variety of vegitables, I end up in using them all to make a dish than to thrash them. I'm sure many does. Though varied recipes can be prepared with leftover veggies, here is one of the very tasty and nice flavoring recipes. Yes very popular 'Veg Pulao'

Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 mins; Cooking time: 15 mins
Difficulty Level: easy

Ingriedents:

Basmati rice -1 cup
Water - 1 ¾ cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Salt to taste (1 ¾ tsp)
Ginger paster - ¼ tsp
Garlic paste - ½ tsp

Vegitables:
Green chili - 3 slight and cut
Onion - 1 medium chopped
Carrot - 2 small peeled & chopped
Capsicum - 1 medium chopped
Green Peas - ¼ cup fresh/frozen (soaked for 5 hrs if not fresh)
Potato - 1 medium chopped
French beans - 3 chopped
Cauliflower - 5 small florets finely cut

Masalas:
Cumin seeds - ½ tsp
Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 2 no’s
Cinnamon - 2” stick
Pepper corns - 6 no’s
Bay leaf - 2
Aniseed - 1 broken to pieces
Coriander powder - ¾ tsp


Method:

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds, cardmom, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, aniseed, pepper corns and saute for few seconds on a medium flame.
Now add ginger, garlic paste and all vegitables listed above and saute for 2 mins.
Add 2 tsp of ghee, coriander powder, salt and saute for 2 more mins.
Add water. Stir and taste. Adjust salt if required
Close cooker lid and let it cook on a medium-low flame. Turn off after 2 wistles (appx. 15-20 mins) Open lid after 8-10 mins.


Veg Pulao is ready to be served. Serve with raita.

Happy cooking; Enjoy eating!


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Oh My God! this was long awaited recipe to post. Busy work life is eating away my blogging time. And now I had to steal some time and post this recipe. A very popular variety of Parantha family is mouth-watering too. And as usual I'm fond of parantas a lot. In northern part of India its called as Parantha and in south as Paratha. Wow great dish to have them hot topped with butter along with Curd & Pickle.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 cups
Grated Gobi - 1 cup
Ginger paste - ½ tsp
Chili paste - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - ½ tsp
Carom seeds / Ajwain - ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Oil/Ghee to smear.
Salt to taste

Method:

To the flour, add salt & water and knead to make firm dough. Leave it to rest for 15 - 20 mins.
Lightly squeeze out water from grated Gobi and add ginger paste, salt, chili paste, turmeric powder, cumin & carom seeds to it and mix well.
Make lime sized balls out of kneaded dough and dust each ball in wheat flour and roll to make small circle roti like as in below picture.


Place about 2 tsp of Gobi mixture in the centre of rolled out dough and take every edge of the rolled dough and cover the filling. Now dust the stuffed dough in wheat flour and slowly roll as in above picture.

Now drizzle some oil on tava and put the rolled stuffed dough on it. let it bake for some time till u see tiny bubbles on the upper area.

Now reverse and bake for 1/2 a min on medium-high flame. Brush little ghee/oil and again bake on both sides till its completely done.



Gobi Parantha ready to be served. Place butter on top and serve hot with curd & pickle or any chutnry of your choice


Happy cooking; Enjoy eating :)

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One if the traditional dish of North Karnataka. Believe not many be knowing about this recipe. I learnt this recipe from my mom but was initially eaten at my Grandmom's house. I had loved this and then on became my favourite dish.
I always used to feel after my marriage who'll make me and give these traditional dishes. I never had thought that I can learn and try making alike; may be I was afraid that its like a Rocket Science I would never know.
Am happy that I learnt and can make on my own today.


Ingredients:

Jowar Flour - 1 cup
Wheat Flour - 1/2 cup
Bengal gram flour - 1/4 cup
Rice flour – 1 tbsp
Dill (Sabasge soppu) - 1 cup
Green Chillies – 6 (adj acc to taste)
Salt to taste
water
Garlic cloves - 8
Onion – 1 small finely cut
Curry leaves – few
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Ground nut powder – roasted and coarsly ground 1 tbsp
Oil

Method:

Mix all ingredients from 1-8 mentioned above. Now start adding water to the mixture to make dough (little hard than chapati dough consistency). taste litle dough to check if as per taste and alter accoringly.

Apply little oil to the palm and take little dough and make them ring shaped like kodbale as below.


In parallel, keep thick bottom large pan on mediuum-low flame and add 2 tablesppon of oil. Add cumin seeds. As they sizzle add onion, curry leaves and Saute for 2 mins. Now add turmeric powder and add 3½ cup of water and cover with a lid.

Continue making dough rings and after 10-12 rings made, slowly drop them into the boiling water in vessle, stir 1-2 times and cover lid and turn to low flame.

Slowly seasoned water starts turning into gravy like consistency with dough rings adding on.

Repeat the process till entire dough is finished. Once all rings dropped in wok, add crushed garlic and 1 table spoon of oil and let it cook for 10 more mins on low flame and finally add coarsly ground groundnut powder and leave for 5 mins. (Ensure there is kodbele (dough rings) with little thick gravy base.)

Kodbele kabdubu is ready to be served.

Serve hot with a spoon of ghee :)


Tip: Keep aside 1 cup boiled water incases in between realise that gravy getting too thicke so that you can add.

Happy cooking; Enjoy eating!



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I cooked this curry for the first time and it came out so well that it's taste turned my stressed face to a smiley face :). I learnt this recipe from a TV show. My hubby too loved it a lot and as always I blushed to his complement :P

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Aloo /Potato – 2 medium
Capsicum – 2 medium
Onion – 2 medium
Tomato – 1 medium
Cashew nuts – 5 whole
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Ginger paste – ½ tsp
Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Mango powder – ½ tsp
Chili powder – 2 tsp (adj as per taste)
Salt to taste
Coriander to garnish

Method:

Cut potato to cubes and boil to al dente by. Cut capsicum & 1 onion into square and shallow fry capsicum for 4-5 mins.

Puree tomatoes along with cashew nuts & 1 onion

Heat a pan, add 2 tbsp of oil. Add mustard seeds. Allow to splutter. Add cumin and let it sizzle. Add cut onion and saute till transperent.

Add pureed tomato, onion & cashew mixture to the above sauted onion.

Add ginger-garlic paste & all above masalas and cook for 2 mins on medium flame. Add little water if gravy becomes too thick.

Now add boiled potato & fried capsicum and cook for 8-10 mins on a sim flame.

Garnish with cut coriander and serve with any of the Indian bread.


Happy cooking; Enjoy eating!

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Idli, a most loved food by many.

Grinding time – 40 mins
Fermentation time – 10 hrs or Overnight
Cooking time – 10 mins

You need:

Idli moulds
Idli cooker / large vessle to hold moulds
Blunt knife

Ingredients:

Idli / Parboiled rice or Idli rawa - 2½ cups or (Idli rice 2 cups & idli rawa ½ cup)
Urad / Black gram dal -1 cup
Avalakki / Beaten rice - ½ cup
Menthe / fenugreek seeds - ½ tsp
Oil to smear mould

Method:

Wash and soak urad dal & fenugreek seeds together for 3½ hrs.

If using rice then soak it for 5-6 hrs. If using Idli rawa then soak an hr before grinding urad dal.

Soak beaten rice an hr before grinding.

Grind urad dal along with beaten rice to silky smooth paste and transfer to large sized vessle as the batter rises to almost double the original qty after fermentation.

Grind rice with required water to form slightly thick flowing consistency. Let it be of grainy texture (like rawa).

Add the ground rice batter to ural dal batter vessel. Mix well and leave it to ferment overnight or for 10 hrs during summer and 14 hrs during winter.

~If using Idli Rawa then drain water completely out of it and directly add to ground dal batter~


Grease idli moulds with little oil and pour batter as in above picture.

Pre heat idli steamer (cooker) with a cup of water for 5 mins and then place the idli stand and cover with the lid..
Let it steam for 8 mins on med-high flame and then simmer for 5 mins.

Open the lid and check if idlis are done by inserting knife. If it comes out clear then idli’s are done if not then steam for fewmore mins.

Once done, with knife (dipped in water) separate idli’s from mould and serve with any spicy chutney of your choice.


Tip:

In a jar add urad dal with 3 tbsp of water (use soaked water) and grind. After every 1-2 mins add 2 tbsp of water and grind untill you get smooth paste. Ensure that batter is thick / semi-fluid.

Happy cooking; Enjoy eating!


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This dish is known as sabudana usuli is my region (Gulbarga, North Karnataka) and this is slighlty different from maharashtra style of preparing sabudana khichdi. People have this as fast dish / snack. And this is prepared esp during Shiv ratri. We all break our fast with fruits, usuli and kheer on that evening after we are done with Shiv pooja.

Serves 2
Soaking time – 3.5 hrs
Preparation time – 30 mins

Ingridients:

Sabudana / Pearl Sago – 2 cups
Onion – 1 medium
Green chilies – 5 (adj to taste)
Curry leaf – 1 strand
Coriander leaf – 2 strands
Roasted gram – 3 tbsp (grind to coarse powder)
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 5 tbsp

Method:

Wash and soak sabudana with ¾ cup of water. After 2 hrs check to see if water is completely absorbed by sabudana and there is enough moisture to leave it for 1.5 hrs more. If appears dried, sprinkle few drops of water, cover and leave it for 1.5 hrs more.

After completion of 3.5 hrs, carefully break sticked sago so as to have each pearl sepearted.

To the seperated pearls, add roasted gram powder, salt and mix properly. The misture should taste slightly salty then required. Once its added to onion seasoning prepared, it tastes right.

In a frying pan add 5 tbsp of oil, as it heats up, add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Then add cumin, curry leaves & onion. Saute till onion turn translucent. Add cut green chilies, turmeric powder and saute for few more seconds.

Readuce heat to low and add sago. Mix and toss with closed lid and leave it for a minute.

Garnish with coriander leaf and serve hot.


Happy cooking; Enjoy eating!

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During my childhood days, my brother and I used to have a fight when my mom used to prepare gulpangle. We both were so fond of them that we used to fight on we both getting them first to eat. Like a smart mom, she used to distribute equally among both; of 8 gulpanglie's made in the first round. Feels that some dishes takes us back to our good old memories and bring a smile on our face. :)

Serves – 5

Preparation time – 5 mins each round; Resting/fermentation time – Overnight (14 hrs)

You need a iron / non-stick Gulpangle / Paddu griddle

Ingredients:

Parboiled rice – 3 cups
Splitgram / Urad dal – 1 cup
Beaten rice / Avalakki – 3 tsp
Gram dal – ¼ cup
Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
Salt
Oil

Method:

Wash thouroughly all above except salt & oil.

Soak rice for 5 hrs. Mix urad dal, gram dal & fenugreek seeds together and soak for 3.5 hrs in separate vessles by adding 1.5 cups water. Lastly soak avalakki in a bowl for 2 hrs before grinding.

Grind urad dal, to smooth paste and transfer to large sized vessle as the batter rises to almost double the original qty after fermentation.

Grind rice with required water to form easily flowing consistency. Let it be of grainy texture. Add to ural dal batter vessel. Mix well and leave it overnight or for 12-14 hrs to ferment.



Now grease paddu griddle with little oil and pour the batter as in above picture. On a medium flame let paddu cook for a minute. Flip upside down with a fork/wooden stick to cook on the other side.

Cook till both sides turn golden.



Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Variation: You can add tinily cut onion to the batter and make gulpangle / paddu. Tastes good.

Tip:

In a jar add urad dal with 3 tbsp of water (use soaked water) and grind. After every 1-2 mins add 2 tbsp of water and grind untill you get smooth paste. Ensure that batter is thick / semi-fluid.

Happy cooking; Enjoy eating!

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Pudina/Mint chutney is a very easy & tasty recipe. Its so versatile that it can be used on sandwich bread, chaat, pakods, idli, dosa etc.

Ingredients:

Mint leaves – 2 bunches
Coriander – ¼ bunches
Ginger – small piece
Lime juice – 2 tbsp
Yogurt – 1 tbsp
Green chili – 2 (adj per taste)
Salt to taste
Water – 2 tbsp to blend

Method:

Add above to a blender & blend to smooth paste.


Mint chutney is ready. Can be used for 3-4 days when refrigerated

Happy cooking; Enjoy eating!

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Door bell rings and I run with a smile to open as I expect my hubby home from office at 7 pm. As he step in and smell the aromatic flavor of cooked sauce in olive oil, I wait to see a cute smile on his face that makes me so happy. Ahh! I blossom. I love Arrabiata sauce with Penne but I was short with them so used Spiral, which I found in my pantry was enough to serve 2 for dinner

Ingredients:

Fresh tomatoes – 6 (medium size)
Tomato paste – 2 tbsp (for color)
Garlic clove – 5 (finely minced)
Basil – 1 tbsp chopped
Onion – 1 (diced))
Sugar – 1 tsp
Italian oregano seasoning – 1 tsp
Chili flakes – 1 tsp
Pepper – 1 tsp
Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Pasta of your choice – 250 gms.

Method:

Cook pasta per instructions on the pack.

In a deep skillet add 1 tbsp oil. Cook garlic and onion. Taking care not to burn garlic. Add tomatoes & chopped basil; saute for 3-5 mins.

Transfer above to a blender and blend to form puree.

In same skillet add 1 tbsp of oil. Add blended puree, tomato paste, Italian oregano seasoning, chili flakes, pepper & sugar. Cook for few mins

Arrabiata Sauce is ready.

Add generous portion of pasta in a plate and top with hot sauce.


Tip: If not calorie concious, add some fresh cream to above sauce and bring to boil to make it a creamy sauce and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Happy cookings; Enjoy eating!

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Its been 10 months I'm married and from then on my chef role began. Like every beginner I used to phone my mom and ask for particular recipes. But today as i thought of preparing Kaayi Tomato Chutney, i felt as though i know this recipe and started on my own. Oh my God, it turned out to be so tasty that I got complement from my husband :). But was wondering as how did i manage. Was it out of Common Sense about the ingriendents or that i understood their tricks? haha..

Ingidents:

Kaayi/Unripe Tomato - 4 (take unripe - green)
Green Chilli - 3
Roasted groundnuts - 10
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 4
Tamarind - 1/2 inch (optional for extra tangry taste)
Salt to taste
Sugar - A pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp


I couldnt manage to get complete unripe green tomatoes so chutney color is not entirely greenish in color. Better if can get complete green tomatoes

Method:

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add cumin seeds and let it sizzle.
Add chillies, curry leaves & diced unripe green tomatoes, Salt & sugar and fry for about 10 mins on medium low flame.

Let the mixture cool and then grinde it to paste adding tamarind. Now add skinned roasted groundnuts to mixture and grind to just 1-2 rounds.

Kaayi tomato chutney is ready. Can be served with hot roti/Chapati/Dosa/Rice



Happy cookings; Enjoy eating!


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Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Fresh fenugreek bunch - 3 no’s or 2 cups leaves
Toor dal - ¼ cup
Water - 1 cup
Onion - 1 small (finely chopped)
Green chili - 6 (ground to paste)
Garlic cloves - 4 (roughly crushed)
Mustard - ¼ tsp
Cumin - ½ tsp
Turmeric - ½ tsp
Salt - 1½ tsp
Oil

Method:


Thoroughly wash fenugreek leaf and keep aside. Wash toor dal too.
In a vessel add 1 cup water and washed dal and cook on a medium flame till Al dente.

In parallel while dal is cooking, place pan on flame and add 1 tsp of oil. As oil heats up, add washed fenugreek leaf and sauté till the water dries up and then transfer sautéed leaf to a plate.

Now take some dal in spoon and check if it’s cooked Al dente (It shouldn’t be overcooked. When you bite or pinch, it should cut and not get mushy). If so then put off the flame.

In a pan add 2 tbsp oil and let it heat. Add mustard seeds and as they splutter, add jeera/cumin seeds, Onion sauté till they turn transparent. Add chili paste, turmeric powder & salt. Sauté for few seconds

Add al dente cooked dal & then add fenugreek leaf. Pour 1 teaspoon of oil over leaf and then place crushed garlic. Now cover the pan and let it cook for 5 mins on low flame.

Serve with any of the Indian bread varities.

Happy cooking; Enjoy eating!

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Serves 2

Avg preperation time - 3 mins per roti; dough resting time 45 mins - 1 hr

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 3 cups
Onion - 1 thinly chopped
Green chilli - cut to very smal
Jeera - 11/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 5
Salt to taste
Warm water to mix

Who don’t love jeera rice? I don’t think any. Its flavor is so tempting and just can’t resist having. Hers is my recipe of jeera.

Serves 2:

Preparation Time: 30 mins (including cooking time)

Ingredients:

Basmati rice (long grained) - 11/2 cup
Water - 4 cups
Jeera/cumin seeds - 2 to3 tsps
Jeera powder - 11/2 teaspoon
Green chili - 2 finely cut to very small pcs
Salt to taste
Onion - 1 finely cut to very small.
Oil

Method:

Am presenting another a very popular North Karnataka traditional recipe, "Bele Saarin Kadubu". It can be translated as wheat dough pieces in dal/sambar. Very tasty and easy to prepare. My better half simply loves this.

Serves 2

Preperation time - 30 mins

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 2 cups

Toor Dal - 3 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind juice: 1 tablespoon
Spinach leaf - 1 cup
Chili powder - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Garlic cloves - 8 (crush)
Water
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

Saaru:


Pressure cook toor dal.
In a thick base vessel (can use cooker) add 2 tablespoon oil and let it warm on medium flame. Add mustard seeds and let its splutter. Add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, 1/2 qty crushed garlic and onion; saute till they turn transparent. Add cooked dal, chili powder, turmeric powder, salt as per taste and 3-31/2 cups of water. Cover the vessel and let it cook on a low flame.

Dough:


To the wheat flour add salt and mix. Now by slowly adding water knead dough. (Chapati dough consistency)
Now take a small ball size qty dough and dust in wheat flour and roll to little thick chapati. With a rolling cutter or knife, cut them to square shape.
Add pieces to the saaru that is cooking and stir 1-2 times and cover vessel. Continue this process till entire dough is finished.
Now add the rest crushed garlic, a table spoon of oil and spread cut spinach leaf over kadubu.


Cover vessel and let it cook for 7-10 mins on a low flame.
Bele Saarin Kadubu is ready to be served.
Serve hot with a spoon of ghee and onion rings :)
Happy cooking; Enjoy eating!

Serves 2

Preperation time 45 mins; Cooking time 15 mins

Ingredients:

1 cup Jowar flour
½ cup Wheat flour
Fresh fenugreek leaf (2 cups, without stem)
Green chillies - 6 (alter as per required)
1 Teaspoon turmeric powder
Garlic crushed - 8 cloves
Plain Groundnut powder - 2 table spoon
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

Dough Balls:

Mix both flour and knead to form dough. (Not as soft as chapati dough; little hard enough to make round tiny balls)

Make tiny balls (thermacol balls size) and put them in jowar flour sprinkled plate to ensure that they don’t stick each other. Keep Spinkiling jowar flour on the balls made at regular interval and toss.

When done, steam them in greased colander or idly stand till such time that their color changes. Also press 1-2 balls to check if they are steamed enough. If not then continue for some more time.

When done, take off the steamer and leave to cool and then break to separate each ball

Fenugreek Curry:

Ensure that only leaf is taken and not the stalk; washed and dried well in advance to make dry curry and not watery.

Grind green chillies to paste.

In a wok, heat 2 tablespoon oil. Now add green chilly paste and saute for 3-4 seconds.

• Next add 3/4th qty of cut fenugreek leaf, salt & turmeric powde.
• Cover wok with a lid and wait for few seconds to let it cook. Don’t overcook as it turns bitter.
• Now add steamed seperated balls and sprinkle ground powder.
• Spread remaining fenugreek leaf.
• Lastly keep garlic paste and add 2 tablespoons oil above.
• Cover lid and leave to cook for 3-5 mins on a low flame.
• Twist & Toss wok to mix and then lightly stir if required for a through mixture of balls & curry.
  

Serve hot. :)