Vankaya pappu/Eggplant dal

Recipe:

½ cup of toor dal 

 1½ cups of water

6 small size purple or green young, firm and white fleshed brinjals - cut to small pieces

1 onion - cut to cubes

½ tsp each - red chilli flakes

1//4 tsp methi seeds/fenugreek seeds

 turmeric and salt as per taste

2 medium size tomatoes chopped in chunks

Seasoning:

1 tsp of oil and
½ tsp each - crushed garlic, curry leaves, cumin and mustard seeds

Method:

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. 

Do the seasoing the usual way. Add seasoning ingredients in the order mentioned above starting with crushed garlic and the final item would be toasting the mustard seeds. 

When mustard seeds start to jump around, add the mashed dal to this seasoning 

.To this seasoning, add washed dal with one and half cups of water. 

Also the brinjal, onion, red chilli flakes, turmeric powder,fenugreek seeds and chopped tomatoes . Mix with a spoon.

 Cover and pressure-cook to two or three whistles until the dal is cooked to fall-apart stage.

Once all the valve pressure is released, remove the lid. Add salt. With a wood masher or whisk, mash the dal to smooth consistency. Have a taste and adjust the salt level to your liking.

Instant tomato chutney

This spicy pachadi goes well with rice, rotis, idlis, and dosas.

Ingredients

Tomatoes chopped big size 4no

Red chillies powder as per your taste

Roasted Methi or Fenugreek seeds  powder 1/4 tsp

Salt as per taste

Garlic crushed 2 pods (optional)

Cooking oil 2tbsp

Tempering:

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

5 fresh curry leaves

2 dry red chillis

1 tbsps oil

Method

Pour oil in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the chopped tomato on high for 2 mins and then cook on medium heat till the tomatoes gets mushy.The main indication is the oil leaves the side of the pan.

 Remove from flame. Allow to cool and add red chillie powder,methi seeds powder,salt,crushed garlic  paste  mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Pudina chutney with peanuts

Ingredients:

1/4 cup roasted peanuts / groundnuts 
2 cup pudina / mint leaves
5-6 green chillies as per your taste
3  cloves of garlic
1 large grape size tamarind ball

For tempering:

1 tsp urad daal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera, cumin seeds

few curry leaves

2 red chillies

1 tbsp oil
some water for grinding

Method:
In a pan, heat oil. Saute 2 garlic and green chillies.
Remove them and keep it aside .
Add the Mint leaves and fry them for a very short time.Because the more you cook the mint.It leaves a very bitter taste and leaf colour also changes to black. 
Grind everything together along with the peanuts,the remaining gralic and tamarind with very little water, using as required.

Finally do the tampering.
Serve along  with white rice with a drop of ghee or roti.....Enjoy

Egg rice with a twist

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked Basmati rice/any ordinary rice (you can also use leftover rice)

4 boiled eggs slit 

 large ripe tomatoes cut into cubes

2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil

1 large onion chopped fine length wise

2 green chillies slit lengthwise

1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste

Whole spices(2to 3 cloves,1 inch Cinnamon,2 elachi,2 bay leaves)

2 tsps coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp garam masala

Salt to taste

Preparation:Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the whole spices,onions and green chillies.Add ginger and garlic paste and fry till soft.

• Add the tomato and mix well. Cook till the tomatoes turn pulpy.
• Add the coriander powder,turmeric powder and garam masala powder, salt to taste and mix well. Cook on a low flame for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add boiled eggs and cook for few mins.
• Turn off the fire and add the rice. Mix well.
• Serve with raita or tomato pachadi I posted recently

Papdi Lilva beans/chikkudu ginjalu

This is a simple traditional way of cooking Indian broad bean known as chikkudu kaaya ginjalu /broad beans in Telugu.It's available in most of the Indian grocery stores.You will get them in frozen section.So it is very easy
to cook with out any fuss of cutting or removing the strings.

I learnt this recipe from my granny who is an excellent cook and very good in house keeping.She is an extraordinary women who taught me many things in my day to day life.

Ingredients:
250gms chikkudukaya/broadbeans seeds frozen

50 to 70 gms(1cup) Egg plant/Brinjal Chopped into cubes

1 Big size potato chopped into cubes

2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 small size tomatoes finely chopped

1/2 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
pinch of haldi, turmeric
1 tbsp red chilli pwd (adjust)
2 to 3 tbsp coconut milk powder

1/2 tbsp corriander powder
salt to taste
fresh coriander leaves for garnish
few curry leaves
2 to 3 tbsp oil

Method:

1 Heat oil in a cooker, once hot, add the chopped onions saute till soft.Than add the ginger&garlic paste and curry leaves, stir fry for a few seconds.

2 Add the papdi lilva beans,chopped eggplant and potatoe . Add turmeric and tomatoes and saute further for a mt. Add chilli pwd,coconut milk powder,salt,mix and cook on medium heat for 2-3 mts.

3 Add a small cup of water and let it cook until you get one whistle .

4 Adjust salt, add coriander pwd, mix and turn off heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice or chapatis.

Lilva1 tin Toovar Lilva, drained and washed4 tbsp vegetable oil1 onion, chopped1/2 tsp chilli powder1 tsp turmeric powder1 tsp coriander powder8 oz tin tomatoes, peeled and chopped1 tbsp garam masalaSalt to tasteCoriander leaves to garnishHeat the oil in a pan and fry the onions until golden brown.Add the tomatoes, chilli, coriander, turmeric powder and salt.Stir and fry on a medium heat until the mixture is well blended and the oil has separated.Add the Toovar Lilva, cover and cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, adding a little water if the mixture dries to achieve the desired consistency.Sprinkle over the garam masala powder, stir and garnish with green coriander leaves.Serve with naan bread or rice.

Egg curry with a difference

Ingredients:

• 6 Eggs
• 2 Finley chopped onion medium size
• 2 Finley chopped tomato medium size
• 1/2 tsp ginger & garlic paste
• 1-2 Chopped length wisegreen chilies(Optional)
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 6 to 8 curry leaves
• Salt To Taste
• Red chili powder to taste
• 3/4th tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala(optional)
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a kadhi or wok and add onion,green chili ,ginger-garlic paste and fry till golden brown.
• Add Chooped tomatoes with all the spices (salt, turmeric, coriander & chili powder) except garam masala . Fry till it starts leaving oil.
• Add 1/2cup of water and now add whole eggs directly into the pan.
• Close the pan with a lid and cook on low flame till the egg gets cooked.
• One of the main important thing in this curry is you should not stir the eggs.
• You make sure they set in one place and turn them just lik you do for poached eggs.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Garnish egg curry with garam masala and coriander leaves and serve hot with paratha, roti or rice.

Chillie powder

Muruku

Ingredients:

• Rice flour : 3 cup
• Besan Flour : 1 cup
• Butter : 2 tbsp(room temperature)
• Cumin seeds : 1 tbsp
• Red chili powder : As per taste
• Water : as needed for consistency
• Salt : required to taste

Method of preparation:

1. Take a wide pan and add all the flours, butter, red chili powder & salt mixture and cumin seeds.
2. Slowly add water to knead it into a tight and stiff dough.
3. Now comes the fun part you need a Muruku mold to make this, There are different attachments comes with a murukku maker (just like the food processor attachment). I’ve used the single star attachment to make this murukku but you can use three star to make a different shape.
4. Now take a small amount of dough and put it in the maker and close the maker
5. Heat oil in a pan when its hot enough to deep fry.Add murukku one by one by the pressing the mould and slowly rotate the maker into a circle shape till you form a medium sized spirals.
6. Deep fry until it becomes golden brown and remove from heat.
7. Let it cool for few minutes and store it in a air tight container.

Methi chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken chop it small size pieces - 500 gm
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Onion chopped (finely) - 2 medium size
Tomatoes finely chopped-2 small size
Methi leaves - 1/2 cup
Garam masala - a pinch optional
Coriander Pwdr - 1 tbsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Green chili chopped (finely) - 2no
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon-1/2 inch
Cloves-2 to 3pieces whole
Curry leaves-5 to 6 no
Coriander leaves-1 tbsp
Salt -to taste

Method
First saute Cinnamon and Cloves in oil. Then add onion chopped. When it is soft (not red) add green chili chopped.
After that add ginger and garlic paste and saute for 2 to 3 Min's.
Add methi leaves and curry leaves to that. Mix till it mixes properly. Then chicken in "HIGH" flame for 2 Min's. Cook till water evaporates from the chicken pieces.
Then add chopped tomatoes, garam masala,red chili powder & coriander pwdr. Cook for 10 mins by covering the pan with lid.
(Add water if necessary) Serve hot. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Methi beans

Ingredients:

Hyderabadi chicken Dum Biryani

Serves : 8
Ingredients:-
There are steps in preparing Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani.

Step 1 :
Cooking rice.It should be half cooked and the rice will be cooked later with marinated chicken under steam(dum).Thats why this biryani is called Dum biryani.It may look difficult intially but once you start preparing.It is the most easiest dish to prepare for all special occasions.
To cook the rice you need the following ingredients.

Note: If you have rice cooker you can cook it with the following measurement.If you dont have rice cooker you need to add 10 cups of water instead of 6 cups.

Basmati, Long Grained Rice - 4cups
Water - 6 cups
Oil -2 tbsp
Cinnamon sticks - 2
Cloves - 5no
Bay leaves - 2no
Cardamon - 6no

Method:
Soak the rice for 30mins in water.
In a large vessel combine the rice, water, salt,rest of the ingredients and cook till the rice is half-done. Drain the excess liquid and spread the rice on a plate to cool.

Step 2:
Marination of the chicken.It should be done minimun for 4 hrs.If can marinate one day before making the biryani it would be more tasty.

Chicken - 900 gms, mixed pieces of chicken with bone, Boneless, skinless breast pieces, cut into 2 cms cubes
Shah Zeera/Royal Cumin - 1 tbsp
Onions - 5, large, sliced
Cinnamom - 2inches(2no)
Cloves - 6
Green Cardamom - 4
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp
Yoghurt -2 cup
Tomatoes - 1, large and ripe (optional)
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Lemon juice - 6 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Saffron Strands/Edible Red Food Colour - a pinch
Saffron strands/Edible Yellow Food Colour - a pinch
Bay leaves - 1
Green Chillies - 3, small sized, slit lengthwise
Butter/Ghee - 3 tbsp
Fresh Mint leaves - 2 tbsp, wahsed
Fresh Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, washed, chopped finely
Javetri (mace) 1tbsp

Note:
Shan biryani masala - 1 1/2 tsp(optional)If you can get this masala it would be more handy.You need to add this to the above ingredients.When you add this masala powder you need to reduce by half the above spieces like cinnamom,cloves and mace.
If you adding the whole ingredients you need to crush them into powder before adding to the chicken.

Method:
Grind the ingredients to be ground to a fine paste. Mix this paste with yoghurt and salt. Make cuts on the chicken pieces and rub this marinade into them well. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

Step 3:

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan till hot and fry the sliced onions till they are crisp and golden brown.
Add the marinated chicken pieces, mix well with all other ingredients and add fried onion
In a large heavy-bottomed pan add chicken with marinade and top , a layer of rice topped with a portion of the saffron milk. In this way arrange alternate layers of melted clarified butter (ghee)/ butter, chicken, rice and saffron milk till they are all used up. Make sure the topmost layer is of rice topped with melted clarified butter (ghee) / butter and saffron milk.
cook on high heat for first 10 min and next 10 min medium heat and next 10 in low heat
cover it with a tight fitting lid. Cook on very low level
Garnish with slices of boiled eggs, nuts or raisins.

Cabbage fry with carrot and peas

Ingredients:
Cabbage -2 cups
Carrot grated - 1 large
Green peas-3 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1tsp
Green Chillies - 5 to6
Desicated Coconut - 4tbsp
Garlic crushed-2 pieces
Coriander powder-1tsp
Cilantro Leaves
Salt as per taste

Seasoning:
Jeera, Mustard Seeds,urad dal spilt,channa dal, Karipatta and Oil

Method:
Cut Cabbage into thin strips, Carrot into thin long slices, green chillies sliced into thin strips and coconut .
It's very simple...Take 2 tbsp of oil in a wide pan, add the seasoning: jeera(cumin seeds), mustard seeds and karipatta, when it starts crackling add cabbage,carrot,turmeric powder,green peas and green chillies at the same time.
Note that you should fry the cabbage on high flame only, if not... Cabbage will leave water, and the proper taste won't come.
Add salt after 3 minutes,crushed garlic and and fry well, don't reduce the flame. Fry till the cabbage doesn't leave any water.Add coriander powder and coconut powder.Cook for another 5 to 10 mins.Switch it off and garnish with corriander . Good with Chapatis or roti or hot rice or lemon rice

Bombay chutney/Pitla

Ingredients:

Onion.............1 big size finely chopped

Potato.............1 small size chopped into small pieces

Green chillies............3 to 4 no

Tomato..............1

Ginger & garlic paste............1/2 tsp

Beasen...........2Tbsp
salt Acc to taste
Tumeric 1 Tsp.
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Seasoning :

Mustard seeds 1 Tsp.

Cumin seeds 1/2Tsp.

Urad dal 1 Tsp.

Channa dal 1 Tsp.

Oil 2Tbsp.

Method :

Heat Oil in a pan & do the seasoning.

Add the Onions,Green chillies,Potatoes & fry till translucent.

Add Ginger garlic paste fry for 1 to 2 mins.

Add chopped Tomatoes,Turmeric powder & salt.Fry till the juices comes out.

Cook till the oil floats on the sides of the pan.

Mix beasen in enough water to make a thick paste & add.

Cook stirring frequently.Cook till the mixture becomes very thick.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

A quick & tasty side dish for Rotis or Dosa or puri's.

Brinjal fry wtih tomato

Ingredients:
4 purple brinjals, slice them thin lengthwise
big pinch turmeric pwd

1big size onion finely chopped

1 medium size tomato finely chopped

1tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

For seasoning/poppu/tadka:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
12-15 curry leaves

Method
1 Heat oil in a cooking vessel. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Next add cumin seeds and curry leaves ,chopped onions,turmeric powder,salt as per taste and toss about for 8-10 seconds.Cook it the onions become transperant and soft.

2 Add the brinjal slices and combine well with seasoning. Add salt and turmeric pwd and cook for 3-4 mts on high heat stirring continuously.

3 Reduce heat and cover with lid and let the brinjals simmer for 10-12 mts. Stir inbetween.

4 Once the brinjals are half cooked, add the tomatoes,red chillie powder ,coriander powder and adjust the salt. Combine well and cook uncovered on low heat for another 10mts.

5 Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with hot rice or roti or chapathi.

Pappu charu/Rasam

Ingredients:
cooked and mashed toor dal - half cup (or the reserved water after cooking toor dal)
minced garlic from two cloves
tamrind - walnut sized soaked in warm water
tomato - 3 small (Boil it and remove the pulp )
dry red chilly - 1
curry leaves - 2 strings
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
rasam powder - 1 to 1 1/2 tsp
salt as per your taste
oil 2 tsp

Method:
Heat a small pot with 2 tsp of oil, season with curry leaves, mustard, cumin, minced garlic and dry red chilly.
Add tomato and tamarind paste and saute well .
After couple of minutes add the reserved water from cooked toor dal or else the secondary method can use plain water.
Cook with salt and rasam powder for 8-10 minutes.
Garnish with corriander and Serve with hot ghee rice.

Quick Easy and Simple Sambar

This is recipe is my mom's recipe.She is a very fantastic cook and she loves to explore new dishes.
She has great collection of recipes.One among her recipes is this simple and quick sambar.


Ingredients:
1 cup arhar ki dal (yellow lentils)
A small ball of imli (tamarind)
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 onions – sliced
3 to 4 green chilies chopped
2 medium size tomatoes chopped
1/2 tbsp red chillie powder

For tampering:
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Hing powder
A few sprigs of curry leaves
1 whole dried red chilli(Optional)
3 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing


Method:
Wash and pressure cook the dal with 4 cups of water,onion chopped length wise,tomatoes and green chilies.
After the 3 whistles, keep on slow fire for 5 minutes.
In the meanwhile, wash the imli and boil it with 1 cup of water. Cool and extract the pulp. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a wok and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and dried red chilli. Sauté till the cumin seeds turns golden and the mustard seeds begin to splutter.
Add the hing and stir in the curry leaves cook for a quick minute.
Tip in the boiled dal and add tamarind extract ,coriander powder,red chillie powder and boil for a couple of 5 to 10 minutes. Add 1-3 cups of water if the sambhar looks thick. Add salt to taste and bring to a boil.
Now add the tampering to the sambar mixture.Cook for 5 to 10 mins.
Serve hot with idlis or dosas .

Coconut chutney

Makes 1 cup.
Ingredients
1 cup coconut, grated
3 small green chillies, chopped
2 tablespoon roasted split gram (daria dal)
Small ball size Tamarind
one pinch Hing
1Tbsp corainder leaves
salt to taste

For the tempering
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Urdal dal split
1 red chilli, broken into pieces
2 to 3 curry leaves
1 teaspoon oil

Method
1.Put the coconut, green chillies, roasted split gram,corainder leaves,tamarind,hing and salt in a blender with a little water and grind to make a fine paste. Keep aside.
2.Prepare the tempering by heating the oil and adding the mustard seeds,cumin seeds,urdal dal, red chilli and curry leaves and stirring till the mustard seeds crackle. Pour this tempering over the chutney and mix well.
3.Refrigerate and use as required.

Dal rasam(Pappu rasam)

(Tamil: ரச‌ம்,Rasam; Kannada: Saaru; Telugu: Chaaru) is a South Indian soup. It is prepared mainly with the juices of tamarind or tomato with pepper and other spices. Lentils are added frequently and other vegetables optionally. It is eaten mixed with rice, or drunk by itself. In a formal meal, it is followed by the sambar course and is in turn followed by curd rice. It differs from sambar in that it usually relies on tomatoes for its sourness rather than tamarind, and it is usually much thinner. Rasam contains many spices which are considered beneficial to health.

The rasam above in the picture is one of the recipes from my motherinlaw.
It is made using the excess water from the cooked dal.
You cannt make this type of rasam by using the water from other dal varieties .
You make this type of rasam using the excess water from just two dals made with green leafy vegetables like spinach or Chinese Spinach(Thotakura).
It is very healthy for kids .Easy to prepare and you can feed infants because it doesnt contain any spicy stuff in it.It contain lots of vitamins and protiens which are essential for infants.
Ingredients and recipe is same as in the spinach dal which you refer in my dal section.You just need to add more water(instead of 3 cups you need to add 4 cups of water) to the lentils.If you can cook in a big vessel than in a cooker it would be much better and much tastier.
For tadaka or poppu you need to add the same ingredients.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Goes on well with hot ghee rice.

Toor dal/ toovar dal/ Yellow lentils with spinach(palak)/Palakura pappu

NOTES

• Dried beans, peas and lentils, known collectively as "dal," form a large part of the average Indian diet.
• The protein supplied by dal soups and stews is especially important given India's large vegetarian population.
• Dal dishes are called sambar in southern India, where they are spicier than in the North and made primarily with lentils such as toor dal.
• Split peas dishes are usually served with bread, whereas dishes made with lentils are more often served with rice.
  Sometimes spelled daal or dhal.
  

Ingriedents:

Spinach frozen.....................1cup

if you are using fresh then add 1 bunch of fresh washed and cut into small pieces

Toor dal (Kandi Pappu).............1cup

Tomatoes small sized..............4

Onion big size..........................1 cut into pieces

Indian variety green chillies............ 7 to 8

Turmeric (pasupu).................1tsp

Very small size ball tamarind (Chinta pandu)

water...................3 cups

Coriander leaves for granishing.

For popu or tadka:

1 tbsp of oil or ghee

1 teaspoon of each - cumin, mustard seeds,

2 pieces of minced garlic,

few pieces of curry leaves and dried red chilli pieces

Recipe:
1)Add all of the above ingredients except onions.You need to add 3/4 chopped onion in the cooker .Rest of onion you are supposed to use it for tadaka.
2)After pressure-cooking .Add salt as per taste and with a whisk or a wood masher make a paste of spinach dal.
2)In a saucepan, add one tbsp of oil or ghee .After oil is heated then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
3)Once they start to spluttering add the finely chopped onion,red chilli pieces and curry leaves with minced garlic slightly fry them.
This is called “Popu” or “Tiragamata”in Telugu. Without the Popu the dal is not ‘dal’, so don’t even think about skipping this step. Popu not only adds wonderful fragrance to dal, hot oil or ghee with all other toasted ingredients makes the dal more palatable, sort of like dressing it up.
4)Add the spinach dal to the popu and combine them together. Serve the dal with rice or with chapati/roti.

Onion with potato curry

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Mustard
1/4 Teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Urad dal (split and skinned White Lentils)
1/4 Teaspoon Channa dal
3 Medium sized Onion cut lengthwise
2-3 Green Chilly finely chopped or cut length wise
1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2 Medium sized Potatoes
1 Cup Water
2 Tbsp Besan (chickpea flour)
2 Tbsp grated carrot
1 Teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup water
6 to 7 Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Recipe:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustards, cumin seeds, urad dal (white lentils)
and channa dal. After the mustard splutters, add the onions, curry leaves, carrot, potatoes chopped into small cubes, chilly and grated ginger.
2. Now add the turmeric powder and salt.
3. Saute them till the onions turn light brownish and soft.
4. Dissolve the Chick pea powder (besan) in 1/2 cup water. Beat it without any lumps in it.
5. Add this batter to the onions and stir it for 2 mins.
6. Simmer for abt. 5-10 minutes.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves.