Peas Paneer Makhani

Ingredients:-

1 cup onion paste

1/2 cup green peas boiled

1/2 kg panner,cubed

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilly powder

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1 1/2 cup tomato puree

2 tsp cream

2 tsp kasturi methi

Method:-

Melt butter and saute onion paste and ginger-garlic paste for 3-4 minutes.

Add turmeric powder,red chilly powder,salt and garam masala.

Saute for another minute.

Add tomato puree and saute for 5 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup water,paneer,kasturi methi and peas.

Simmer gravy for 2 minutes.

Add cream and cook till the gravy is thick.

Serve hot with rice/paratha.

I served peas panner makhani with zeera rice.

Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients:-

1 1/2 cup basmati rice

1/2 cup carrot chopped and boiled

2 potatoes boiled and cubed

1/2 cup green peas boiled

1 Onion sliced

Tomato ketchup 3 tbsp

3 tbsp oil/ghee

Salt to taste

Method:-

Cook rice and keep aside.

Heat oil in a big vessel.Fry onions till golden brown colour and remove from oil and keep aside.

Add vegetables to the oil.Saute for a minute,then add cooked rice,tomato ketchup and salt to taste.

Mix well and sprinkle fried onions.Serve it with curry of your choice.

Bendakaya Mamsam / Lady finger mutton curry

Ingredients:-

Mutton 500gms

Lady finger 250 gms

Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp

Coriander powder 1 tbsp

Onions 2 chopped

Green chillies 2 chopped

Tomatoes 2 chopped

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder 1 tsp

Oil 4 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Method:-

Cut ladyfingers into big pcs

Take 2 tbsp of oil,when hot add ladyfingers and fry until they are brown in colour.Remove and keep aside.

Now take the remaining oil in a pan/cooker,add onion and green chillies.

Fry till pink in colour.Add mutton pcs and salt.Saute for 3-4 mintues.

Then add ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder,coriander powder and red chilly powder.

Saute for another 3-4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and mix throughly.Let it cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add enough water and pressure cook till the mutton is soft.(in my cooker i cooked mutton for 4 whistle)

Open cooker when the pressure is gone,add fried lady finger to the mutton gravy.

Cook for 2-3 minutes till the gravy is thick.Remove from fire and serve hot with hot rice/parathas/rotis.

Methi Paratha

Ingredients:-

Wheat flour 250 gms

Fenugreek leaves (fresh methi leaves) 2 cups (chopped and big leaves)

Kasuri methi leaves 2 tbsp (dry methi leaves)

Salt to taste

Oil for frying paratha

Method:-

Knead all the ingredients with water into a pliable dough.Keep aside for half an hour

Take dough size of cricket ball and roll out into 6'' diameter discs with a rolling pin.

Cook on a hot griddle applying oil on both sides and fry till light brown on both sides.

Serve with curd,pickle or curry of your choice.I served methi paratha with chole

Sweetened Condensed Milk Cake

After making eggless cake with milk powder i thought of making eggless cake with sweetened condense milk.I googled it and read few recipes.But the recipe i used is the same recipe which i used it for my other cake recipes.The recipe of the cake i use is a standard ones which i alter with different additions like purnes,nuts,milk powder,jams etc....This time i used nestles sweetned condensed milk.The the cake was very soft and tasty.

Ingredients:-

Plain flour 2 cups

Sweetened condensed milk 1 tin (medium) i used nestle

Salt a pinch

Baking powder 1 tsp

Soda bicarbonate 1/2 tsp

Milk 1/2 cup

Tutty fruity 1/2 cup

Butter 1/2 cup/canola oil 1/2 cup

Demera sugar 2 tbsp

Method:-

Mix all the dry ingredients.

Add oil,condensed milk and tutty fruity to the dry ingredients.

Slowly add milk and make a pouring consistency (not very loose).If still milk is left then just don't add that to the cake.

Spoon the mixture into a baking tin (baking tin should be buttered and dusted with flour)

Lastly sprinkle demera sugar on the top.

Bake in a preheated microwave oven on convection mode on 200 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until the sweker instered comes out clean.

PS:-Be careful while adding milk.Don't just add the entire 1/2 cup of milk.Slowly add the milk and the check the consistency.

Chegodilu --- Indian Cooking Challenge

Chegodilu is mostly done in the telangana region in andhra.This is a wonderful snack which i used to eat when i was kid.I had a neighbour ammamma(granny) who used to make this during dusheera and diwali.We kids used to wait for her to give this snack during festivals.

I made very less quantity when i did this for first time as i was not sure of the making.They came out very well.Few days back i again made it for the Indian cooking challenge.The recipe is given my valli and i have not done any changes.

Ingredients:-

Rice flour 1 cup

Water 1 cup (a 1-2 tbsp can be added)

Yellow moong dal/Pesarapappu 3 tbsp

Cumin 1tsp

Sesame seeds 1tsp

Red chilly powder 1tsp

Ghee 1 tsp

Oil for deep frying

Method:-

Soak moong dal for 1/2 hr in water.Then strain it and keep aside

Boil 1 cup of water,add moong dal,salt and ghee.

Then slowly add rice flour continuously stirring the water with a laddle (pappu guti)

Remove it from the stove and stir again.Cover it for 10-15minutes.

Once cool add chilly powder,cumin and sesame seeds and with hand make a dough similar to chapati dough.

Heat oil in a pan.Once the oil is hot enough,put the stove on a low flame.

Grease hand with oil and take a lemon sized ball.Roll the ball in between palms to form a thick rope.

Bring the ends together and press it.It resembles a ring.

Now slowly leave the rings into the hot oil.When leaving the rings in the oil the flame should be high.

Once they raise up in the oil put the flame to medium until they are golden brown in colour.

Remove it on a tissue or kitchen towel and once cool store them in a air tight container.

Mooli Paratha

Ingredients:-

For the dough

Wheat flour 2 cup
Salt as per taste
Cumin 1/2 tsp

Soak cumin in water for 10-15 minutes and use that water to make dough.Keep aside for 1/2 hr.

For stuffing:-

Mooli (radish) 2 (grate and squeeze water completely)

Red chilly powder 1tsp

Coriander powder 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp

Green chilly 2 (Chopped finely)

Onion 1 (chopped finely)

Salt as per taste

Coriander and mint leaves (chopped finely)

Oil for fry paratha

Method:-

Squeeze water from mooli and mix with all the other ingredients just before making the paratha.

Roll out a thick chapati and place 2 tbsp of the filling.Close the edges.

Flatten it and dust it with more dry flour and roll out till it is not very thick and not too thin.

Fry on both sides adding enough oil and fry till it is equally cooked on both the sides.

Recipe source:-Cooking Pleasures

Carrot and Peas Pulao

This is the simpliest pulao i have ever done.It calls for very few ingredients.

Ingredients:-

Rice 2 cups

Fresh peas boiled 1 cup

Carrot chopped and boiled 1 cup

Cumin seeds 1 tbsp

Oil 1-2tbsp

Salt as per taste

Method:-

Soak rice for 10 minutes.

Cook rice and keep aside.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and saute the cumin seeds until they crackle.

Add the boiled peas,carrot and salt.Stir fry for a few minutes.

Gently fold the cooked rice into the peas and carrot.Serve hot with curry of your choice.

PS:-I have used basmati rice as i don't get the rice we eat in india.Any rice can be used in place of basmati

Alu Methi Fry (Potato and fenugreek leaves fry)

This is simpliest and most common fry in the andhra household. I have blogged two post on potato fry.And out of all the fries this is my favourite.The combo of potato and fresh fenugreek leaves is awesome.This goes well with hot rotis or rice.

Ingredients:-

Potatoes 500gms

Onions 2 (chopped)

Fenugreek (methi) leaves 1/4 cup

Green chillies 3 (chopped)

Garlic 2 (chopped)

Curry leaves few

Rai 1/4 tsp

Turmeric 1/4 tsp

Red chilly powder 1 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Oil 4 tbsp

Method:-

Pressure cook potatoes.Peal the skin and mash it with hand.Set aside.

Take oil in a pan.When oil is hot add rai and curry leaves.When rai splutters add onions,green chillies and garlic.

Fry till the onions are light pink in colour.

Now make a well in the pan add chopped fenugreek(methi) leaves and cover it with the onions.

Leave it for 2-3 minutes.

Then saute onions and methi leaves till the leaves changes it colour.Now add turmeric powder and salt.

Add mashed potatoes and mix throughly.Fry for another 2-3 minutes and see that the curry doesn't get burned.

Lastly add red chilly powder and mix throughly.

Serve it with hot rotis or rice.

PS:-I used the big fenugreek leaves as i don't get the small ones which we get in india.This leaves are less bitter compared to the smalls ones.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients:-

Rice 500 gms

Egg 3

Carrot chopped 1 cup

Beans chopped 1 cup

Peas 1/2 cup

Spring onions chopped 1 cup

Fresh corn 1/2 cup

Black pepper 1/4 tbsp

Ajinimotto pinch

Ginger chopped 1/2 tbsp

Garlic chopped 1/2 tbsp

Soya sauce 1 tbsp

Oil 3 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Method:-

Cook rice with 1tbsp of oil.

Heat oil in a pan add ginger and garlic pieces.Saute till brown in colour.

Add vegetables and stir fry for 2-3 min on high until veggies are half cooked and crispy.Remove from pan and keep aside

In another pan add 1 tbsp of oil and add three eggs.Scramble the eggs.

Now add soya sauce and ajinimoto.Cook for 2 min, add salt.Then add the fried veggies.

Then add rice and mix thoroughly and lastly add chopped spring onions and pepper powder.Mix throughly

Serve it with hot chilly sauce or tomato sauce.The left over rice can also be used.

PS:-Salt has to be adjusted according to once taste.

Lamb brain fry/Bheja fry

This post is not review of bheja fry movie but lamb brain fry.And this post is not for people who are health conscious.This is my hubby's fav and the recipe is my mom-inlaw's.

Ingredients:-

Lamb brain - 1
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
Curry leaves few
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil 3 tbsp
Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Method:-

Soak lamb brain in warm water for 10 minutes.

Slowly remove the top layer and wash throughly.

Heat oil in pan,add curry leaves.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off.

Then add salt and turmeric powder and saute well.

Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes,if required sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of water.

Lastly add red chilly powder,mix well.

This dish resembles like egg bhurji.

Nellore Kodi Pulusu (Chicken cooked in tamarind gravy)

This recipe i jotted down long back from a newspaper and tried it many times.The combination of chicken and tamarind is excellent and this curry is from a place called nellore in Andhra pradesh and is quite famous there.

Ingredients:-

Chicken 1 kg

Onion chopped 1

Tomato 1 (chopped into 4 pcs)

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Juice of half lemon

Salt as per taste

Wash chicken.Add all the above ingredients.Mix well.Pour one glass of water and cook.Once the chicken is soft and there is still some water remaining switch of the stove and keep aside.

Make a fine paste of the following ingredients:-

Fresh coconut 1 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

For seasoning

Onion 1 chopped

Green chillies silted 2

Cloves 2

Cinnamon 1'' 2pcs

Cardamom 2

Curd 1 tbsp

Tamarind small lemon size (extract juice from tamarind)

Method:-

Take oil in a pan,heat it and add cinnamon,cloves and cardamom.Once they crackle add onions and fry till brown in colour.Add green chillies and fry.

Add masala paste and fry till oil comes out.

Add curd and saute of 2-3 minutes.

Then add tamarind juice and let it boil for another 3-4 minutes.

Now pour in the boiled chicken along with water.

Cook on high flame for 10 minutes and then on low flame till it thickens into a gravy.

Serve hot with rice/dosa/parathas.

Eggless Cake With Milk Powder

Few days back i brought milk powder tin and made gulab jamuns but didn't get the jamuns properly and i didn't had courage to make them again.As milk powder was nearing expiry i remembered my neighbour used to bake cake with milk powder.I checked for the recipe in my book and got the below recipe.The cake was very soft and tasty.It had the taste of milk,dry fruits and vanilla and got over within a day of preparing it.

Ingredients:-

Plain flour 2 cups

Milk powder 1 cup (nestle)

Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Sugar 1 cup

Canola oil 1 cup (can be reduced to 3/4 cup)

Salt a pinch

Baking powder 1 tsp

Soda bicarbonate 1/2 tsp

Milk 1 cup

Tutty fruity 1/4 cup

Raisins few

Cashew few

Almonds few

Method:-

Mix all the dry ingredients.

Add dry fruits,oil and milk to the dry ingredients.

Mix thoroughly.

Line a baking tin with butter and sprinkle flour.

Pour the batter in the tin and bake in a preheated Microwave oven at 180 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until the sewer when inserted comes out clean.

Kheema Palak (Lamb mince and spinach)

Ingredients:-

Kheema (minced meat) 1/2kg

Palak chopped 1 bunch

Onions chopped 1

Green chillies slitted 2

Ginger garlic paste 1 1/2 tbsp

Cinnamon 1'' pc

Cloves 2

Red chilly powder 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder

Garam masala powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tbsp

Cumin powder 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil 4 tbsp

Method:-

Take kheema in a kadai,add ginger garlic paste,Cinnamon,cloves,turmeric powder,1tbsp oil and salt.Keep it on a medium flame.

Let it cook till the water dries off.

In a another pan take oil.Add onions and green chillies.

Saute till pink in colour.

Add chopped palak,salt,garam masala,coriander powder and cumin powder.

Cook till all water dries and palak is cooked.

Now add the kheema and mix thoroughly.

Sprinkle 4-5 tbsp of water and cook until the curry dries.

Serve hot with parathas or rotis.

Chicken biryani

I have blogged about biryani before here.This is another type of biryani which i make quite often and this biryani calls for more ingredients.


Ingredients:-

Basmati Rice 1 kg (soaked for 30 minutes)

For marination

Chicken 1/2 kg
Fried Onions 2
Green chillies 3Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Curd 1 cup
Cloves 2
Cinnamon small pc 2
Mace/Javithri 2 pcs
Green cardamom 2
Black cardamom 2
Bay leaves 2
Pepper 10 (whole)
Shahi zeera/black cumin 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Juice of 1 lime
Coriander leaves few
Mint leaves few
Salt as per taste
Oil 6-7 tbsp

Marinate all the above for atleast an hour.I usually keep the marination for a night and make biryani the following day.

Method:-

Take the marinated chicken in a deep and heavy bottom vessel.Press the chicken with spatula so that is even.Keep side.

Drain the soaked rice and keep aside.

Take 5 cups of water in a bowl.Put it on fire and add 2 tbsp oil and salt.Check the taste of water,if it is salty then the amount of salt added is right.

When water reaches boiling point,add the drained rice.

This is where care has to be taken that rice is not fully cooked.The rice for biryani should be half cooked.When the grains in the water start dancing check the rice.When the grain in taken between thumb and the second finger,if the grain is crushed then the rice is half cooked.Take the rice in a sieve and drain all the water.

Now spread rice on the top of chicken marination.Sprinkle fried onions,mint and coriander leaves.Lastly sprinkle saffron water.Food colour can be replaced with saffron.
Cover the vessel with a clean wet kitchen towel and place a tight lid over it.The steam should not escape.

Cook on high flame for 5 minutes and then on a low flame for 25 minutes.Don't open immediately,let is set for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve with mirch ka salan and raita of your choice.

My girl is getting impatient with my photo session.

PS:-The quantity of masala i have taken are according to our taste,if you want the biryani to be more spicy,masala can be increased.The masala i used are according to the taste buds of a 5 year old and 2 1/2 year old kid.

PS:-To get cripsy onions,sprinkle 1 tbsp of cornflour/rice flour to the sliced onions just before frying.

PS:-I added my recipe list to my blog

Dates and Apple Cake

Ingredients:-

Plain flour 1 cup

Sugar 1/2 cup

Fresh Dates 1/2 cup (can be altered)

Apples 2 chopped

Egg 1

Baking powder 1/2 tsp

Baking soda 1/2 tsp

Butter 1/4 cup

Salt a pinch

Demera sugar 2 tbsp

Method:-

1.Soak dates in warm water for 10 minutes and make a fine paste in the mixer.

2.Mix all the dry ingredients.

3.Beat egg until fluffy and add butter,mix thoroughly.

4.Slowly add egg and dates paste to the flour and mix thoroughly.

5.Add chopped apples and just mix it,don't over do as apples gets mashed in the batter.

6.Spoon the mixture into the tin (baking tin should be buttered and dusted with flour).

7.Sprinkle demara sugar and bake for 60 minutes at 200 degrees.

This cake retains moisture for about 3-4 days.It can be made eggless as well.I made both with egg and without egg and there is not much difference in the taste.

The combination of dates and the apple pieces are awesome.

Kandi Podi/Tur dal powder

Ingredients:-

Kandi pappu/Tur dal 1 cup

Endu mirapayaluDry red chillies 5-6 (can be altered according to taste)

Karivapaku/Dry curry leaves 10 leaves

Hing a pinch

Jelakara/Cumin 1 tsp

Uppu/Salt to taste

Method:-

Fry tur dal.Fry till nice aroma comes out and they are light brown in colour.

Then fry red chillies,curry leaves and hing.

Let all the ingredients cool.

Grind into a fine powder.

Serve with idly and dosa.I prefer eating this with hot rice and a dash of ghee.

Molaga Podi

Molaga podi is also know as idly karam and is a great accompaniment with dosa.Just add few drops of oil or ghee and eat it with dosa.This is my m-law recipe and doesn't calls for much ingredients and quite easy to make and can be stored for long.

Ingredients:-

Urad dal (Minapa pappu) ½ cup
Chana dal (Sanaga pappu) 1/2 cup
Dried red chillies 6
Hing a pinch
Oil 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:-

Dry roast urad dal and channa dal separately,taking care not to over or under fry.

Take tsp of oil and fry red chillies.Once cool.Mix all the ingredients and grind it in
a mixer.
Some prefer coarse and some prefer fine powder.I prefer coarse powder.

Chitla Podi (powder)/Roasted bengal gram dal/Dalia

Ingredients:-

Dry red chillies 8

Putnalu/Roasted bengalgram dal/Dalia

Dry coconut small pc

Salt to taste

Garlic 2

Cumin 1 tsp

Method:-

Mix all the ingredients and make powder but not so fine.It taste better if is coarsely grounded.

It usually eaten with dosa or sprinkled on the dosa and known as podi dosa.I love to eat this with hot rice and a dash of ghee.

This is the easiest powder to make,no frying nothing.Just gather all the ingredients and make powder out of it.This is my mom's recipe.

Bisi Bele Bath

Ingredients:-

Rice 1 cup

Toor Dal 3/4 cup

Mixed Vegetables (onions, potatoes, peas, beans,brinjal and corn) 2 cups
Tamarind 2 tsp
Water. For 1 cup of rice i took 2 1/2 cup of water

Soak rice and dal for one hour.

Masala:-

Coconut (fresh) grated 1/2 cup

Sambar Powder 2 tbsp
Coriander Seeds 2 tbsp
Cinnamon 1''
Cloves 3-4 cloves
Cardamom 2-3
Asafoetida a pinch
Curry leaves few

Make a smooth paste of the above ingredients.

Seasoning:-

Oil 4 tbsp
Red Chillies 2
Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
Curry Leaves few
Turmeric a pinch
Asafoetida a pinch

Method:

Take oil in the cooker.Add all the seasonings.When they splatter add all the vegetables.

Saute for 4-5 minutes.Then add the grounded masala and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Then add tamarind paste and salt as per taste.

After 4-5 minutes add soaked rice and dal.

Mix throughly and add water.

Pressure cook for 4 whistles (Whistles depends on the cooker used,i used hawkins)

Serve with raitha and chips.

Recipe source:- Mysoorean

Kheema Paratha

Ingredients:-

Wheat flour 1 cup
Salt as per taste
Oil 1 tbsp
Water to make a soft dough

For stuffing

Chilly powder 1/2 tsp
Chopped green chillies 2
Chopped onion 1
Chopped tomatoes 1
Cumin powder a pinch
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Oil 3 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Tumeric Powder 1/2 tsp
Oil for frying paratha

Method:-

Take one cup wheat flour in a bowl with pinch of salt,oil and water and make soft dough.keep it a side.

Take a pan add oil ,Fry onions,salt, turmeric garlic and ginger, green chillies, Add tomatoes.

When tomatoes are dry then add minced meat, keep mixing, then add cumin powder,garam masala,coriander powder, chilli powder,garama masala cook till the meet becomes dry, once it is done add coriander leaves.

Let the kheema to cools down.

Take a portion of dough and place on a lightly floured flat surface and flatten using rolling pin.

Place a 2 tbsp of the filling in the center and bring the edges together to seal it well and form a ball.

Now using a rolling pin flatten to make a round paratha.Fry paratha with oil on a non-stick tawa until golden brown.

Take a pan cook both the sides with butter/ghee/oil.