Bread Bajji

Ingredients

2 slices of salted bread

2 green chillies

1 garlic

1 inch ginger

1/2 tsp cumin/jeera seeds

4 tsp besan flour

few coriander leaves

salt as per taste

oil for deep frying

Method

Grind to fine paste ginger, garlic, cumin seeds and salt with little water.

To a mixing bowl add besan, coriander leaves, ground mixture and little water and mix smooth and thick without any lumps.

Make sure the batter is not too watery.

Cut bread into desired shapes dip in the batter and deep fry in oil until colour changes to golden brown.

Serve hot with any ketchup/chutney of your choice.

White til puran poli

Ingredients

3 tsp white til

3 tsp peanuts

1/2 cup jaggery

2 elaichi/cardamom

1 tsp milk

1/2 cup maida/all purpose flour

salt a pinch

1 tsp oil

2-3 tsp ghee.

Method

To a mixing bowl add maida, salt, oil and water and knead the dough smoothly, close and keep aside.

In a pan fry peanuts and white til separately without adding oil  until colour changes.

Grind peanuts and white til with jaggery and elaichi to fine powder.

To the ground powder add a tsp milk and mix without lumps and prepare balls and keep aside.

Tear the maida flour dough into lemon sized balls and roll out each ball into thin disks and keep aside.
Smear few drops of oil with the help of a spoon on the rolled out circular disk and place the white till stuffing which is formed as a ball and close carefully.

Now take a clean cover/plaintain leaf and apply little oil on that and with the help of ghee/oil applied hand spread the puran poli slowly.

Make sure the puran polis are not too thick

Heat a flat pan on medium – high heat

Fry on one side till brown spots appear and turn on other side and pour a tsp of oil (if using) around the puran poli.

When you see brown spots on the other side, remove from heat and place in a closed container to avoid hard puran poli.

Repeat the process with the leftover dough
Serve white til puran polis with ghee.

Pesarattu/Green gram dosa ~ Andhra Special

Ingredients

 1 cup Split Moong dhal/Green gram dhal

1/2 inch ginger

2 green chillies

1/2 tsp cumin/jeera seeds

2 tsp rice flour

salt as per taste

1 tsp oil

Method

Soak moong dhal in water for 2 hours and grind alongwith ginger, green chilly, and salt adding a glass of water.

To the prepared batter add rice flour and cumin seeds and keep aside for 30mins.

Heat a flat pan on medium high heat, apply a tsp of oil with back of a spoon.

When pan gets hot, pour a ladle full of moong dal batter and spread it with back of the ladle into thin/thick dosa.

When bottom and edges of the moong dosa start to turn brown, carefully turn the dosa on other side.

Reduce the heat a bit and cook on this side for a minute before removing from heat.
Repeat the same with remaining moong dosa batter and make more pesarattu.

Serve hot with any chutney of your choice

Suggestion

Finely chopped onions can be sprinkled on the pesarattu

Cucumber Buttermilk

Ingredients

1 cucumber grated

1 glass buttermilk

1 green chilly

1/2 tsp cumin/jeera seeds

salt as per taste

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard

1/4 tsp hing

Method

Take the cucumber peel the outer skin and grate it.

To the blender add grated cucumber, buttermilk, salt, green chilly and cumin seeds.

Make sure everything is blended properly.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, when it splutters add hing and pour this to the prepared cucumber buttermilk.

Serve immediately or after refrigerating for sometime.

Apple Banana Halwa

Ingredients

1 apple grated/finely chopped

1 banana finely chopped

1/2 ltr milk

2 cups sugar

2-3 tsp ghee

half cup mixed dry fruits(cashew, raisins, almonds and pista)

1/2 tsp elaichi/cardamom powder

Method

Wash apple and grate or finely chop.

Peel the skin of banana and finely chop

Make a fine paste of both apple and banana with adding little water and keep aside.

Heat milk in a large vessel/pan, once it starts boiling add the ground fruit mixture and stir continuously on medium flame.

When the milk is evaporated add ghee, sugar dry fruits and elaichi powder, mix well.

Serve apple banana halwa hot or cold.

Tomato Rice

Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice

2 tomatoes finely chopped

2 onions finely chopped

1 inch ginger grated/chopped

2-3 garlic pods chopped

2 tsp kasuri methi/dry methi leaves(optional)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp chana dhal

1 tsp urad dhal

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp coriander powder/dhanya powder

2 tsp chilly powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

2 tsp oil

salt as per taste

Method

Heat oil in the pan add mustard when it splutters add chana dhal and urad dhal.

When the colours of the dhal change add ginger garlic and kasuri methi.

Now add finely chopped onion and fry everything till raw smell goes, add finely chopped tomatoes when onion changes the colour to slight brown.

When tomatoes are softened add all the powders mentioned in ingredients and salt.

Mix everything till raw smell goesand mix with already cooked rice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with chips or any raita of your choice.

Methi Buttermilk

Ingredients

1/2 tsp methi seeds/fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp jeera seeds/cumin seeds

1 tsp fresh coconut grated

2 glass buttermilk

1/2 tsp mustard

few curry leaves

Salt as per taste.

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp hing.

Method

In a pan without adding oil fry fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds separately for a minute or until aromatic, cool it.

Grind to fine powder both fenugreek and cumin seeds together.

Now add buttermilk and coconut and grind again until everything blends.

Heat a tsp of oil add mustard when it splutters add curry leaf and the ground buttermilk, salt and boil for 5mins.

Serve the methi buttermilk hot/cold

Rice Burfi

Ingredients

1cup rice(Any variety)

2 cups powdered jaggery

2 tsp grated fresh coconut

1 cardamom/elaichi powdered

3-4 cashews, raisins and almonds.

3 tsp ghee.

Method

Soak rice in water for 2hours.

Grind rice alongwith jaggery, elaichi and little water to a fine paste.

Heat a tsp ghee and fry cashews, raisins and almonds and keep aside.

Now add the remaining ghee to the same pan and pour the grind batter and stir quickly, else it might get burnt and stick to the pan.

Keep stirring the batter until it reaches the halwa consistency, now add the fried dry fruits.

Mix everything and pout on a plate. Spread the mixture and live it for 2 mins to cool.

Cut the halwas to desired shapes and serve immediately or cool.

Suggestions

Oats soaked in water can also be grinded along with rice.

I tried the same and it came out well.

Molaga podi/Chutney Powder

Idly molaga podi(Chutney powder) is very common in tamil household. A spoonful of chutney powder mixed with oil is a perfect combination for dosa and idly.

There are many variations in this chutney powder, below is the most common and simple method.

Ingredients

1 cup channa dhal

1 cup urd dhal

7-8 dry/red chillies

1/2 tsp hing

salt as per taste.

4 tsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard

Method

Heat a tsp oil and add mustard when it splutters keep aside.

In the same pan heat a tsp oil add channa dhal and fry till the colour changes to golden brown and keep aside.

Now add a tsp oil and fry urad dhal till aromatic or colour changes and keep aside.

Finally add a tsp oil and fry dry chillies till the colour of the chillies change to light brown.

Fry the chilli on low flame else the chillies might get burnt and lose its flavour and taste.

Grind the dhals with salt and hing, make sure not to grind it to fine powder, should be coarse.

Now grind the chillies to fine powder.

In a vessel pour the grind dhal powder and chilly powder and fried mustard and mix with a dry spoon.

Store it in an airtight container.

Can be stored for 2-3 months without refrigerating.

Suggestions

Cumin seeds and garlic can also be fried and grinded with the dhals.

Gajar Halwa/ Carrot Halwa

Ingredients

6-7 fresh carrots

1 litre milk

3 cups sugar

7-8 raisins and cashews

3 tsp almond crushed

2 tsp pista crushed

2 elaichi/cardamom powdered

3 tsp ghee

Method

Wash pat dry carrots and grate them.

Heat milk in a deep heavy bottom vessel and add carrot and stir occasionally.

Add ghee in between to enhance the taste and richness of the halwa.

Once the milk is absorbed add sugar, slightly crushed pista and almond, raisins and cashews.

Now add powdered elaichi for the flavour.

When the milk is absorbed completely, halwa is ready.

Gajar halwa can be served hot or cool

Suggestions

Nestle's milkmaid can also be added to the halwa while cooking to enhance the taste.

Crushed pista and almond is not compulsory, only raisins and cashews can be added.

Bhendi Pakodas

Ingredients

5-6 bhendi/lady's finger

4 tsp besan flour

2 tsp rice flour

1 tsp white til

3 green chillies finely chopped/chilly powder

few coriander leaves

salt as per taste

oil for deep frying

Method

In a pan heat oil for deep frying the pakodas

Wash and pat dry lady's finger and cut into small pieces and keep aside.

In a bowl add besan flour, rice flour, white til, coriander leaves, green chillies or red chilly powder chopped bhendi pieces, salt and 2 tsp oil and mix everything.

Sprinkle little water to the mixture and mix again, make sure the everything is mixed properly.

The prepared pakoda batter should not be very watery nor to thick.

Now take this mixture in hand and drop it slowly and carefully to the pan.

Fry till golden brown.

Serve  hot with any chutney or ketchup of your choice.

Cucumber Boats

Ingredients

2 cucumbers

1 apple

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp chilly powder

few springs coriander leaf

2 tsp peanut powder

salt as per taste.

Method

In a bowl add grated apple, chilly powder, salt, corainder leaves, tomato ketchup and peanut powder.

Mix the above evenly.

Now take the cucumbers, peel the skin and deseed and cut vertically and as shown in the pic.

Spread the apply mixture to cucumber and press slightly with hand.

Can be served immediately or after refrigerating for an hour.

Suggestions

Grated paneer can also be added to the apple mixture.

Sev or mixture can also be added on top of cucumber after adding the apple mixture.

A spoon of curd can be added on top of cucumber boats.

 

Sent to Latha's  ‘Healthy Food for Healthy Kids-Kids Lunch Box Recipes'

 

Simple Spinach Rice

Ingredients

1 bunch spinach finely chopped

1 bowl cooked rice

2 onions finely chopped

3 tsp toor dhal

1/2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 inch cinnamon stick

2 tsp chilly powder

3 cloves

coriander seeds 3 tsp

salt as per taste

3 tsp oil.

Method

Roast toor dhal by adding 1tsp oil till colour changes to slight brown.

Remove from heat, cool and grind to fine powder and keep aside.

In the same pan add a tsp oil add cloves, cinnamon and coriander seeds and fry for 2mins till its aromatic. Cool the mixture and grind to fine powder.

Now add a tsp of oil to the pan add mustard, when it splutters add cumin seeds and finely chopped onion.

When the colour of onion starts to change, stir in finely chopped spinach leaves and saute till it wilts.

Stir in ground masala powder of clove, cinnamon and coriander seeds, toor dhal powder, chilli powder and salt.

Mix everything evenly.

Add cooked rice and mix well and serve hot with any raita of your choice or pickle.

Vanghi Bath

Ingredients

6-7 medium sized blue brinjals cut into medium size

1 cup cooked rice

2 tsp chana dhal

5-6 dry chillies

1 tsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp mustard

2 onions diced.

1/2 tsp turmeric

salt as per taste.

3 tsp oil

coriander leaves few springs

Method

In a pan fry chana dhal, dry chilly and coriander seeds with a spoon of oil, until colour changes or aromatic.

Cool the above items and grind to fine powder.

If using coriander powder instead of coriander seeds, add it directly while grinding, no need of frying.

Now add a tsp of oil to pan once it heats add mustard when it splutters add onion.

When the colour of onion changes add brinjal and a spoon of oil.

Cook covered for 5-6 mins till brinjal turns soft.

Now stir in ground masala powder of coriander powder, dry chilly and chana dhal.

Add turmeric, salt and coriander leaves and mix well and cook for 2-3 mins on low flame.

Switch off from flame, and add already cooked rice and mix well.

Serve hot with any raita or dhal of your choice.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

2 big tomatoes

small inch ginger

2 garlic pods

3-4 dry chilly

2 spoons oil

1 spoon mustard

1/2 spoon urad dhal

salt as per taste.

Method

Grind tomato, ginger garlic, dry chilly and salt by adding little water.

Heat oil add mustard when it splutters add urad dhal when colour changes add the ground chutney and keep on low flame for 5 min.

Goes well with dosa

Variation : Once mustard and urad dhal is fried, it can be just poured on chutney, and no need of heating it.

Onion Rasam

Ingredients

2 big onions

1 tomato

1/4 cup tamarind juice

1 cup boiled toor dhal

2 spoons coriander seeds/powder

4-5 dry chilly

1/4 spoon cumin seeds

1/4 spoon pepper corn

2 garlic pods

1 spoon mustard

few springs curry leaves

2 spoon oil

salt as per taste.

Method

In a pan add tamarind juice and boiled toor dhal and keep on low flame.

Make a fine paste of coriander seeds/powder, garlic, dry chilly, cumin seeds and peppercorn by adding little water.

Once bubble forms in tamarind and toor dhal add salt and the ground mixture and a glass of water.

In a different pan heat oil add mustard when it splutters add curry leaves, onion, when onion changes colour add tomato.

When tomato softens pour the prepared tempered items to boiling tamarind and toor dhal rasam.

Increase the flame and let it boil for 5-10 mins or till raw smell goes.

Serve hot with rice and dollop of ghee.

Tamarind Rice

Ingredients

1/2 cup tamarind paste

1 cup cooked rice

2 spoons oil

1 spoon mustard

1 spoon each bengal gram dhal, urad dhal and cumin seeds

2 spoons peanuts

1 pinch jaggery

 1 spoon fenugreek/methi powder

2 spoon chilli powder

1 spoon hing

salt as per taste

few springs curry leaves

Method

In a pan heat oil add mustard when it splutters add cumin seeds, bengal gram dhal and urad dhal.

When botht the dhal changes the colour slightly add peanuts and curry leaves.

Now add tamarind paste and powdered jaggery.

Now add spice powder which is a mixture of chilli powder, hing and fenugreek powder.

Finalli add salt increase the flame and let it boil for 10-15mins till the raw smell of tamraind paste goes.

Now add cooked rice and mix well.

Garnish with fried cashews and dry coconut.

Palak Dhal Sambhar

Ingredients

1 bunch palak/spinach leaves

1 cup boiled toor dhal

1 garlic pod

1/2 cup tamarind juice

2 green chillies

1 onion and tomato cut in medium size

3 spoons sambhar powder

1/4 cup milk

1 spoon oil

1 spoon mustard

1 spoon fenugreek seeds

1 spoon cumin seeds.

1/4 spoon hing

salt as per taste.

Method

Blanch palak and cool to room temperature and grind with green chilly and garlic.

Heat oil in a saucepan add mustard, fenugreek, cumin seeds and hing.

When they splutter add onion, when onion changes colour add tomato and fry for 5mins.

Now add tamarind juice and lower the flame and cook till raw smell goes.

In a bowl take sambhar powder add water and make a paste and pour this to the boiling tamarind water.

Now add boiled and mashed toor dhal, salt and ground palak mixture and increase the flame.

When it starts to boil slightly add milk and mix well and leave it to boil for 5-6mins.

Milk is added to give the richness to the sambhar and to enhance the taste.

Moong Dhal Rice

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice

1 cup moong dhal(green)

2 onoins finely chopped

1 tomato finely chopped

2 spoons of ginger garlic and green chilly paste

1 spoon turmeric

1 spoon amchur powder

2 spoons oil

salt as per taste.

Method

Soak rice in water and keep aside for 5- 10 mins.

Add oil to pan once it heats up add onion, when they turn transparent add tomato.

Once tomato softens add ginger garlic and green chilly paste and mix well till raw smell goes.

Now add moong dhal soaked in water for 5-10 mins and roast.

Add the soaked rice, turmeric amchur powder and salt and mix well.

Add 2-3 glasses of water and once it starts to boil transfer the mixture to a cooker and cook for 2 whistles.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any raita of your choice.

Alternatively moong dhal rice can be cooked in a pan by closing the lid, but it is time consuming.

Lemon Rice

Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice

1 big lemon

1 spoon mustard

1spoon bengal gram dhal

1 spoon urad dhal

2 green chillies finely chopped

2 spoon peanuts

Few springs curry leaves & coriander

1 spoon turmeric

Salt as per taste

2 spoons oil

Method

Heat 2 spoons of oil in a pan add mustard when it starts spluttering add bengal gram dhal, urad dhal.

When the colour of the dhals change add peanuts and fry till raw smell goes.

Now add green chillies, curry leaves and turmeric and mix well and swithc off the flame.

Now mix cooked rice in this pan, add salt and coriander leaves and lemon juice and mix well.

Pongal & Onion Chutney

Ingredients

For Pongal

1 cup rice

1/2 cup moong dhal(split, yellow)

1/2 inch ginger finely chopped

5-6 cashews

3-4 spoons of cumin seeds & whole peppercorns slightly crushed.

2 spoons of ghee.

Salt as per taste.

Method

Wash both rice and moong dhal together and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Add ginger also to the pressure cooker.

Take a pan add ghee once it heats up add cashews, cumin seeds and pepper corns and fry till colour changes.

Once the pongal is cooked, open the lid add salt and the tempered ghee mixture to pongal.

Mix everything and add more ghee for that extra taste and serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

I had prepared onion chutney which went very well with pongal.

 Ingredients for Onion Chutney

1 big onion

2 garlic pods

1/2 inch ginger finely chopped

2 spoons of coriander powder

3 dry chilly

2 spoons oil

1 spoon mustard

salt as per taste.

Method

Add a spoon of oil to the pan once it heats add all the above items except salt and fry till the colour changes.

Cool it to room temperature and grind it smooth paste adding little water and salt.

Now the chutney is ready.

To temper add a spoon of oil to the pan once it heats add mustard when it splutters switch off the flame and add it to chutney and mix well.

Drumstick Sambhar

Ingredients

2 drumsticks

1 cup boiled toor dhal

1 onion

1 tomato

4 spoons of sambhar powder

3 spoons grated coconut

1/2 cup tamarind juice.

3 spoons oil

1/2 spoon mustard

1/2 cumin seeds

1/4 spoon hing

few springs of curry leaves and coriander leaves.

salt as per taste.

Method

Wash pat dry and cut the drrumstick pieces into medium pieces.

Add a spoon of oil to the pan and fry drumstick pieces till they soften and keep aside.

In a vessel add tamarind juice and heat till raw smell goes.

Make a fine paste of sambhar powder and coconut adding little water.

Now add the ground mixture to the boiling tamarind water and mix well and cook on low flame.

At this stage add the boiled toor dhal, salt and a glass of water.

When the sambhar starts to boil slightly add the fried drumstick pieces and cook for 5-6 mins.

Now take a pan heat oil add mustard, cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves when they splutter add onions and saute for 5 mins or till the colour changes slightly, now add tomato pieces and cook for 2-3 mins until tomato softens.

Now pour this to the boiling sambhar mix well and switch off from flame.

Sprinkle few coriander leaves and a spoon of ghee

Sambhar Powder

Above are items to grind.

Ingredients

Red Chillies - 1 cup
Coriander seeds - 2 cups
Channa dhal - 1/2 cup
Thur dhal - 1/2 cup
Fenugeek seeds - 1 teaspoon

Method

Fry all the above ingredients in a pan without adding oil
◦Grind it to a nice powder and store it in a airtight container.

Hing can also be added while grinding and white til can also be fried and grinded.

Rasam Powder

Ingredients

Toor dhal 1/2 cup

Red chillies 1 cup

Coriander seeds 1 cup

Whole black pepper 2-3 spoons

Cumin Seeds 2-3 spoons.

Method

Fry the above items in a pan without adding oil till colour changes and aroma comes.

Cool it to room temperature and grind it a coarse powder.

Store it in an airtight container and use when required.

Tomato Kadhi

Ingredients

1 big tomato cut in medium size

1 cup yoghurt

2 spoons besan flour

1 spoon chilly powder

1 spoon turmeric

1/4 spoon hing

2 spoons oil

salt as per taste

1/4 spoon mustard

1/4 cumin seeds

1 dry chilly

1 green chilly finely chopped.

Method

In a bowl beat yoghurt and add turmeric, salt, chilly powder, hing besan and mix well without any lumps.

Heat a pan add oil add mustard and cumin seeds, dry chilly and green chilly.

When everything is fried add the tomato pieces.

Once the tomato softens add the prepared curd mixture and a glass of water.

Cook on low flame for 5 mins till raw smell goes.

Garnish with coriander leaves.