Matar Paneer

Matar Paneer

Matar paneer is one of the popular North Indian dish. Green Peas and Cottage Cheese is the main ingredient with mild spicy tomato based gravy, spiced with garam masala. It is prepared as a side dish for Roti, Naan, Kulcha, Paratha and goes well with Pulav and Rice too.

 Ingredients:

Green Peas -1 Cup

Cottage Cheese / Paneer - 200gm 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp

Chilly powder - 1/2 Tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Oil - 2 Tsp

Coriander leaves - Handful

Salt to taste

Ingredients for Gravy :

Onion - 1 Cup

Tomato - 1 Cup

Green chilly - 1 Num

Cashews - 4 - 5 Num

Ginger  - 1/2 inch

Garlic - 1/2 inch

Pepper - 8-10 

Poppy seeds - 1/2 Tsp ( optional )

Cinnamon - 1/2 inch

Clove - 1 Num

Method:

1. In a mixing jar add all the ingredients mentioned in the Ingredients for gravy.                                                                                  

2. Grind it without adding water to a smooth paste.

3. In a pan add oil and cumin seeds

4. Add the gravy paste and stir well.

5. If it splutters cover with a lid and cook till the moisture evaporates.

6. Gravy starts to leave the sides of the pan and oil will ooze out.

7. At this stage add the dry powders ( turmeric powder, chilly powder,garam masala )

8. Saute it for a minute.

9. Add about 2 cups of water and stir well.

10. I cooked green peas in a microwave oven for 4 minutes.

11. Add cooked green peas to the gravy and cook it for 5 minutes.

12. Slightly fry paneer on tawa and add those paneer to the gravy.

13. Serve hot Matar Panner with roti, naan, kulcha or with rice also.

Missi Roti

Missi Roti

Missi roti is an Indian flat bread. It is a traditional recipe of Punjab and Rajasthan. It is a combination of wheat floor and chickpea floor with onion and green chilly. If you add ajwain or carom seeds it is Rajastani missi roti. If you add fenugreek leaves it is punjabi way of missi roti. I have added yogurt also to make it more soft.

Ingredients:

Gram floor / Besan - 1/2 Cup

Wheat floor / Atta - 1 Cup

Yogurt - 1 Tsp

Carom seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Onion - 2 -3 Tsp

Green chilly - 1 Finely chopped

Asafoetida / Hing - 1 Pinch

Salt to Taste

Oil to Roast

Method:

1. In a bowl add wheat floor and gram floor.

2. Add finely chopped onion, green chilly, salt to taste, yogurt and carom seeds.

3. Mix all the ingredients with hand . Add water little by little and knead it to make soft dough.

4. Keep it aside for 30 mins.

5. Make equal sized balls from the dough.

6. Dust the ball with wheat floor and slightly flatten it by pressing it on rolling board.

7. Roll it into medium chapati

8. Pre heat the tawa and cook the roti on both the sides drizzling some oil.

9. Serve hot Missi Roti with yogurt or picke or any gravy.

Ven Pongal / Khara Pongal

Ven Pongal / Khara Pongal

Khara Pongal is the simple and easy dish. It is one of the popular and traditional dish of South India. Very easy to prepare in a very less time with less ingredients which can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner or anytime. This dish is offered to the god as naivedyam during Sankranti festival. Tastes best when serve hot with ghee or chutney or sambar.

Ingredients:

Rice- 1/2 Cup

Split yellow moongdal - 1/2 Cup

Pepper - 3/4th Tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Green chilly - 2-3 Num

Curry leaves - 4-5 Num

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Ghee - 1 Tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 Tsp

Method:

1, Dry roast moong dal in low flame till it becomes aromatic.

2, Crush the black pepper roughly using mortar and pestle.

3. Wash and pressure cook dal and rice together with 2 cups of water for 3 whistles.

4. In a kadai heat oil and ghee. Add mustard seeds. When it splutters add crushed pepper and cumin seeds. Then add green chilly and curry leaves.

5. Once the pressure has released from the cooker add the cooked rice and lentil mix to the prepared seasoning. 

6. Add salt to taste, lemon juice and coconut.

7. Mix well on medium flame for 2 minutes. Sprinkle some finely chopped coriander leaves. 

8. Serve hot with sambar or chutney or raita. 

Ade Dosa / Addai / Dosa

Ade Dosa / Addai Dosa

Ade dosa or Addai dosa is a very healthy, nutritious dosa from South part of India. It is a combination of lentils and rice.It is an instant Dosa, no fermentation required. Suits best for breakfast or dinner.

In my recipe i have added 3 lentils. Still you can add more. I used 1/2 Cup of rice floor here instead u can soak 1/2 Cup  of  Rice and grind along with the lentils. 

Ingredients :

Toor dal - 1 Cup

Channa dal - 1 Cup

Moong dal - 1 Cup

Rice floor - 1/2 Cup

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Red Chilly - 2 Num

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Oil to make Adai

Salt to taste

Method:

1.Soak toor dal, channa dal, moong dal and red  chilly for 3 to 4 hours 

2. Grind the soaked ingredients batch by batch  to the coarse paste. 

3. For this batter add rice floor, asafoetida, cumin seeds and salt. mix it properly without forming any lumps.

               

4. Heat the tawa and take one ladle full of batter and spread it evenly.

5. Drizzle some oil around the dosa.  

6. Once it is cooked flip it to the other side and cook till golden brown

7. Serve hot Ade Dosa or Addai Dosa with any sambar, chutney or butter. Avial is the best combo.

Kadlekai Chutney / Peanut/ Groundnut Chutney

Kadlekai chutney / Peanut chutney

Peanut Chutney is one of my favorite chutney.  It is very easy to make.  In this recipe i am using green chilly. U can substitute with red chilly too. Peanut chutney goes well with Idli, Upma, Dosa or any breakfast items. Kids love this.

                              

Ingredients:

Peanut / Kadlekai - 1 Cup

Tamarind - 1/2 INCH

Fresh / Frozen shredded Coconut - 1/2 Cup

Green Chilly - 2 Num

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Coriander leaves - 1 fistful 

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 Tsp

To Temper:

Oil - 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Curry leaves - 2- 3 leaves

Method :

1. Take a pan, add oil, peanut, tamarind, green chilly, and ginger. 
   

2. Fry till the peanuts become golden brown.                                                                                          

    
3. Let the fried items rest for few minutes till it comes to the room temperature.

4. In a mixing jar add coconut, coriander leaves, fried ingredients and salt to taste.
                               

5. Add sufficient water and grind to the smooth consistency.  

6. In a small pan add oil and mustard seeds. When it splutters add curry leaves and asafoetinda.

7. Add this temper to the Peanut Chutney.

8. Serve Peanut Chutney with Idli, Dosa, Upma or any breakfast item.

                         

Kadlebele chutney / Channadal chutney / Kadalaiparupu chutney

Kadlebele Chutney / Channadal Chutney / Kadalaiparupu Chutney

Chutney plays an important role. It is an important ingredient for serving Idli, Dosa, Upma, Vada and many more dishes. Kadlebele Chutney / Channadal Chutney which is also called Kadalaiparupu Chutney in Tamil is a South Indian chutney. In this reciepe Kadlebele / Channadal is the main ingredient. Along with this we are going to add fresh or frozen shredded coconut, which is optional. But in South India coconut is must for chutneys.

                              

Ingredients:

Shredded fresh / frozen Coconut - 1/2 Cup

Kadlebele / Channadal - 1/2 Cup

Red chilly - 2 

Tamarind - 1/2 inch

Curry leaves - 2-3 Num

Oil - 1 Tsp

coriander leaves - handful

Salt to taste

To Temper:

Oil- 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Curry leaves - 2

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Method:

1. In a pan add oil, channadal, tamarind and red chilly

2. Fry the ingredients till channadal turns golden brown

3. Let the roasted ingredients rest for few minutes till it comes to the room temperature. 

4. In a mixing jar  add coconut, fried ingredients and salt to taste.

5. Grind with little water to a smooth consistency. 

6. In a small pan heat the oil and put mustard seeds. when it starts splutters add curry leaves and asafoetida.

7. while serving give this temper to the chutney.

8. Serve Kadlebele chutney / Channadal chutney with Idli, Dosa  or Upma or any  other south Indian dishes.