Rava ka seera(Kerasi)

This is simple and easy to make at home sweet.


Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 cup semolina rava
2. 1 cup milk
3. 100 grams ghee
4. 3/4 cup sugar
5. 1/4 tsp. cardomon powder
   
6. raisins
7. cashews
8. pinch of food colour(yellow or orange)
   

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp. of ghee and fry semolina rava till it turns brown and gets good smell of ghee in low flame. Keep aside to cool down.

Heat a pan and add milk and bring to a boil and add sugar, boil for 5 minutes in medium flame, Add fried semolina rava and keep stirring till it becomes thick. Add cardomon powder, remaining ghee and food colour and mix well.

Heat a pan with 2 tbsp of ghee and add raisins and cashews(broken into small pieces) and fry for 2 minutes and add to the above mixture and serve hot.

Gobi Machurian (Cauliflower in a Spicy Sauce)

This is one of the most popular recipe and one of the tastiest dish in the Indo-Chinese menu. you get this dish in almost all the restaurants and street sides in Bangalore. when i use to go to Chinese restaurant with my friends in Bangalore, we use to order this Gobi Manchurian with Fried rice, one of the great combination.

Prep time:15 min
Cooking time: 40 min
Serves: 4 as a side
Cuisine:Indo-Chinese

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium. cauliflower clean and broken into big florettes.
2. 1 small bunch spring onion finely chopped
3. 2 tsp. ginger finely chopped
4. 1 tsp. garlic finely chopped
5. 1 medium onion finely chopped
   
6. 1/4 cup plain flour
7. 3 tbsp. cornflour
8. 1/4tsp. red chilli powder
9. 2 red chillies, dry
10. 3 tbsp. oil
11. 1 1/2 cups water
12. 1 tbsp. milk
13. oil for frying the cauliflower florettes
14. 2 tbsp. soya sauce
    

METHOD:

BOIL the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a tbsp. of milk has been added. Drain and pat dry on a paper towel.

MAKE thin batter out of flour and 2 tbsp. cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt to taste.

DIP the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil and pat dry on a paper towel. Keep aside.

HEAT 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add onion and fry till it is render, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute. Add the salt and spring onion, stir fry for a minute.

ADD 11/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tbsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well. Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling.

BOIL till the gravy becomes transparent. Add florettes and soy souce. Boil for two more minutes and remove.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and spring onions and serve with noodles or fried rice, this is the one in the photo.

Variations: Dry manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy.

MAKE florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried florettes, spring onion and soya sauce at this stage.

SPRINKLE 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stirfry for 2 minutes. Serve piping hot with toothpicks or miniforks and chilligarlic sauce or tomato sauce.

Eggs in Potato Gravy

Eggs are rich in proteins, eat atleast 3 eggs a week. Give one egg for growing children everyday, as it is very good for the childrens weight(yellow part of the egg). Eggs are easy to cook, This is very simple recipe and easy to make at home.

Prep time:15 min
Cooking time:20 min
Serves: 4 as a main, 6 as a side
Cuisine:Indian

Ingredients:

4 boiled eggs(cut into half)
4 medium sized potatoes(peal the skin and cut into medium pieces)
2 big onions(cut into small pieces)
2 big tomatoes(cut into small pieces)
3 green chillies(cut into length wise)
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin/jeera powder
2 tsp Eastern Egg masala powder(optional)
salt as per the taste
oil for cooking

Method:

1. Heat oil and add onion, fry till it turns pink and tender.
2. Add green chillies and fry for a minute
3. Add potato pieces and fry for another 2 minutes in medium heat.
   
4. Add tomato pieces and fry for a minute.
5. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, Eastern egg masala powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, mix well and fry for 2 minutes.
   
6. Add 1 cup of water, and cook for some time till gravy becomes thick.
   
7. Add eggs on the top.
   

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with a side of rotis or rice, and a salad.

Vegetable Biryani

Vegetable biryani is the one, in which you can add more vegetables, as green vegetables and fruits are very important in the diet. Doctors recommend to eat more green vegetables and 1 cup of fruits(mixed fruits) daily. Actually i use to find difference between palav and biryani in my college days, as i know, when we cook vegetables and rice together, we call it as BIRYANI, when we cook rice and vegetables separately and mix it, then it is called PALAV. Vegetable biryani is quick recipe and easy to prepare at home, It looks very colorful when you add beetroot aspecially. you can make biryani with Basamati or Priya or any normal rice. Lets get into the preparation...



Ingredients:

• 3 cups Basmati/Priya rice
  
• 1/4 cup beans(cut into a small pieces)
  
• 1/4 cup potato(pealed and cut into a small pieces)
• 1/4 cup beetroot(pealed and cut into a very small pieces)
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1/4 cup cauliflower(cut into a small pieces)
• 1/4 cup carrot(cut into a small pieces)
• 1/4 cup corn(optional)
  
• 6 green chillies(cut into length wise)
• 1-2 cinnamon stick, broken
• 2 tbsp. cashew nuts, chopped
• 2 cardamon
• 4 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 4 or 5 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  
• 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp jeera powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tsp cooking oil
• 2 tsp of coriander leaves
• 2 boiled eggs(optional)
  
• salt as per the taste

Method:

1. Wash the rice and drain the water.
   
2. Heat a pressure cooker with little oil and add all the spices(cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, cashews, bay leaves, star anise) and fry for 2 minutes in medium flame.
   
3. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add green chillies and fry for a minute.
   
5. Add all the cut vegetables(cauliflower, beans, peas, carrot, beetroot, potato) and fry for 5 minutes in a medium flame.
   
6. Add red chilli, jeera, coriander, garam masala powder and salt and fry for 2 minutes.
7. Now add the rice and fry along with vegetables for 2 minutes, so that each rice grain gets separated after it is cooked.
   
8. Add 5 cups of water to the rice and cover the lid of the pressure cooker and turn the flame to high. Water depends on the type of the rice you use. I used Priya rice.
   
9. After 2 whistles turn the flame to medium for 2 minutes and turn off.
10. You can add 2 boiled eggs(cut into half) on the top of the vegetable biryani.

Note: In this recipe, you can add more spices and masala powders, if you want it to be more spicy....

Serve hot garnished wth chopped coriander leaves with butter chicken, yogurt... It goes very well with butter chicken.

Potato Fry

Potato Fry is one of recipe, which i use to like so much in my childhood, I use to be very happy whenever my mom use to make potato fry. Usually you see this recipe in hotels with pooris and dosas. This is a quick and easy to prepare at home recipe.


Ingredients:

• 4 boiled potatoes
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
• 4 green chillies(cut into lengthwise)
• 2 tsp oil
• 10 curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp jeera seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp urad dal
• 2 tsp bengal gram dal
  
• salt as per the taste
• 2 red chillies
  
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Cut the boiled potatoes into medium size pieces, heat oil in a pan, add jeera and mustard seeds and fry for 2 minutes. Then add urad dal and bengal gram dal ,fry them untill it becomes light brown in colour, add curry leaves, red chillies and fry for a minute. Then add sliced onion and fry till it becomes tender, after that add green chillies and fry for 2 minutes. Then finally add the potatoes, turmeric podwer and salt, fry for 5 minutes in a low flame.

Serve hot garnished wth chopped coriander leaves with dosa, chappati... It goes very well with poori and dosa.

Chickpeas Guggullu

Chickpeas fry/guggullu is a temple prasadam in india, this is a quick snack and easy to prepare at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpeas(soaked overnight)
• 1 small onion(chopped finely)
• 3 green chillies(cut into a small pieces)
• 4 tsp fresh coconut(grated)
• 2 tsp oil
• 10 curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 red chillies
• salt as per the taste
  

soak the chickpeas overnight in water, pressure cook the chickpeas till it is tender, heat oil in a pan and add jeera, mustard seeds, fry for 2 minutes, then add curry leaves and red chillies fry for a minute and then add onion, fry till it becomes tender, add green chillies fry for 2 minutes, at last add pressure cooked chickpeas, salt, coconut and mix well, allow to fry for 5 minutes in small frame. Enjoy this wonderful snack.

Vegetable Cutlet

Ingredients:

• 250 grams boiled and mashed potatoes
• 1 cup of finely cut carrots, beans, cauliflower, peas and capsicum
• 1/2 tsp ginger amd garlic paste.
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder or you can even substitue with green chillies
• bread crumbs(you can get in the food markets or you can substitue with bread, remove the egdes, and make it as a powder with wet hands)
• 1/2 garam masala powder(optional)
• 1 egg or white flour(maida) mix with water(100ml)
• 50ml oil
• 1 onion (chopped finely)
• salt as per the taste
• 2 tsp coriander leaves
  

Method:

1. Heat a pan with little oil and add chopped onion and fry till it become transparent.
2. Add cut vegetables and fry for 5 minutes in sim
3. Add mashed potatoes, salt, chilly powder, garam masala powder & coriander leaves, garlic &ginger paste and make it like a dough.
4. Make the dough into small balls and press at the top to form a shape of cookies.
5. Put one egg in a cup and mix well.
   
6. Dip each ball in Maida-Water mix or egg and then roll all balls in bread crumbs.
7. Put all balls in roasting sheet and put in the oven in 400F,for 45minutes or until golden brown.
8. It can also be made by deep fry in oil,if you like.

Serve with Tomato sauce or Puthina cutney.