Bharwan Bhindi

Ingredients:


Okra / Bhindi / Lady Finger
2 tsp Red chilly Powder
2 tsp Coriander Powder
2 tsp Amchur Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Besan
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Steps:

Wash the okra and pat dry. Cut the edges on both sides and make a vertical slit. Keep this aside.
Put all the spices mentioned above in a bowl. Add little besan and a little oil to bind the masalas together and mix well.
Stuff the  bhindi with this mixture. Keep the remaining mixture aside.
Heat oil in a pan and saute the bhindi. Carefully place the bhindi side by side and shallow fry those on high heat for few seconds, give the pan a shake or so, so that the bhindi do not stick to the bottom of pan. If needed, toss the bhindi carefully with a spatula, taking care not to break or mush these.. Do not put any water. Once the bhindi is cooked, add remaining mixture and salt to the sauteed bhindi. The bhindi should be crisp,
Serve  with hot Chapatis.

Bread Upma

Ingredients:

4-5 cups bread cut in to small pieces
 1/2 cup onions (optional)
  3-4 green chilies
 6-7 curry leaves
  1/2 tea spn each mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal
 1 tea spn sugar 
 2 tsp tomato sauce
Oil
Salt

Method:
Heat oil and add mustard, cumin seeds, urad dal. When they start popping add curry leaves and chillies. Add onions and fry till they turn brownish. Add bread pieces and mix well. Add sugar,and salt and sauce. Mix well.Sprinkle 1 tsp water  with fingers.Bread upma is ready.

Mysore Pak

Ingredients:

Besan  1 cup
Sugar 1 1/2 cups
Ghee 2 cups
Water 1  cups

Steps:

Fry the besan in ghee
Dissolve the sugar in the water and heat it.

Keep stirring till you get a thread consistency.
Slowly add besan to it taking care that no lumps form..
Reduce the heat and add 2 teaspoons of ghee.
Stir, till the flour and ghee has completely blended with the syrup. 

Add ghee till mixture starts leaving edges and becomes little thick.
At this point, transfer the mixture into a greased plate 

Press it with spatula and tilt the plate little so exta ghee drains out.

Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Then, cut it into desired shape .

Suji / Rawa Ladoo

Ingredients:

Sooji 1 cup
 Powdered Sugar 1 cup
Cashew nuts chopped finely
 Raisins
 Almonds chopped
 Ghee
 Milk as needed

Steps: 

 Pour 2 tbsps of ghee in a pan and  heat for few secs.
 Add cut cashews, raisens and cut badam and stir until they turn into light brown colour.
 Add the  Sooji  to the  ghee of the pan and stir it for just couple of mins.
 Now add Sugar to the rava and stir for another 3-4 min
 Now start making the rava into medium sized balls by adding small amounts of milk and ghee (just sufficient to make balls)

Aloo Tikki

Ingredient:

Potatoes 3-4
Green chillies, 3 chopped
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Salt to taste
Asafoedita 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder  1 tsp
Oil

Steps:

Wash, boil the potatoes, peel and mash . Add green chillies, coriander leaves, salt, asafoedita and red chilli powder to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
 Divide into ten  portions. Shape them into round tikkis.
Heat a tawa and shallow fry the tikkis on both sides with ghee till golden brown..
Serve each with with 2tsp green chutney ,  2 tsp tamarind chutney ,2 tsp dahi, 2 tsp chola ,onion circles sliced , pomegranate seeds and sprinkle chaat masala.

Tel Koi

Ingredients :
12 Koi fish 
1/2cup Mustard oil
1/2tsp Kalo jeere
1 tsp Mustard paste
3 Ground large onions
1tsp Garlic paste
1tbs Ginger paste
 1tsp Turmeric powder
1/2tsp Chilli powder
 4  green chillies
1tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

Steps:
Remove the scales & clean the fish very properly . Marinate with salt and turmeric.
Heat mustard oil in a karai and add the fish & fry lightly. (don't fry too deep)
Take the fried fish out  of oil and put heat to medium.
Add kalo jeere , then mustard paste , onion garlic paste ,  red chilli powder , pinch of haldi and fry properly.
Add salt and sugar to taste , add water and the fried fish gently , keep the heat medium.
When it boils put slit green chillies and cook till it gravy becomes thick.


.

Dhokla

Ingredients
Besan 1/2 cup

Suji  1 1/2 cup
plain yogurt( should be a little sour) - 1/2 cup
soda bicarb  1 tsp/ eno 1/2 sachet
green chili paste  1 tsp
sugar 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder  ½ tsp
salt to taste
lemon

For Seasoning

coriander chopped - 2 tbsp.
oil - 1 tbsp
mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Curry leaves ( optional) -8-10

Steps

Put gram flour and suji in a large bowl. Mix in yogurt, water and beat to a smooth paste. Leave aside to ferment for 4-5 hours.
Add chili paste salt to the batter.
Heat the steamer or pressure cooker with about 1 ½ cups water for steaming the dhokla.
Add the soda bi carb /eno to the flour mixture  and mix well. Pour immedietly into flat greased vessel or a thali or a cake tin.
Steam for about 15 minutes.Let cool for a few minutes.
Cut into squares.

Make a syrup after adding 2 tbsp sugar in 200 ml of water and a lemon. Put the dhokla in syrup for a minute then drain. 
Make seasoning
Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds
When they stop spluttering, add curry leaves.
Pour over dhokla squares. Sprinkle chopped coriander.

Kawoi machere tilor anjaa / Til diye koi mach

Ingredients:

Kawoi Mach 6 pieces
Til 3 tbsp roasted &made into smooth paste
Onion 1 finely chopped
Ginger & Garlic paste 1 tsp
Oil for frying
Turmeric 
Salt to taste
Dry Red Chillies 2
Water 100 ml 


Steps:


Marinate fish with salt and turmeric for few minutes and half fry.Keep Aside.
Add dry chilli to the oil followed by chopped onion,ginger&garlic paste.
Add  the til paste and salt & turmeric..
Cook for sometime and add  water and allow to boil.
Add the fried fish and cook till the gravy becomes thick.
Serve hot with  rice. 

 

Jhal Muri

Ingredients:
2 cups crisp puffed rice
1/2 cup chanachur / namkeen
1 medium onion finely chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1/4 cup diced cucumber
1 tsp mustard oil or oil from pickle
2 green chillies chopped preferably pickled
1 tsp chaat masala (optional)

Steps:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl  and enjoy while still crisp.

Dahi Chutney

Ingredients:

250 gms thick yogurt (dahi), beaten
1 1/2 cup coriander leaves
5 green chilies
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp roasted cumin seeds, powdered
1 tsp garlic paste
black pepper

Steps:

Add salt, cumin powder and garlic to yogurt. Mix .
Add coriander leaves and green chilies ,few black peppers.to the yogurt and blend till its smooth.
The chutney tastes good if the yogurt is little sour. 

Imarti

Ingredients:

Urad dal - 2 cups
Sugar - 3 cups
Water - 300 ml
Saffron - 2 or 3 twigs
Cardamom - 0.5 teaspoon, ground
Ghee or butter - 500 gm

Steps:

Soak urad dal overnight in plenty of water.
Wash and drain.
Grind to fine thick batter.
Add water in little amounts, add saffron colour and mix well.
Keep aside for 3 hours.
Prepare syrup with sugar and water to string consistency.
Add cardomom powder to syrup.
Heat butter or ghee in a frying pan.
Using either an imarti bottle or fine cloth  form imartis in the hot ghee.
Fry on low flame and allow the imartis to crisp turning once.
Remove from ghee, drain the extra fat and dip in hot syrup.
Soak for 3-4 minutes, drain and serve hot.

Tetul / Imli / Tamarind Chatni

Ingredients :

250 gm Tamarind
2 tsbp coarsely chopped Fresh ginger
2 tbsp Mustard oil
3 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Paanch phoron
2 tsp Ground cumin
1/2 tsp Black mustard seeds
A dash of black salt
Salt to taste

Steps:

1.Coarsely chop the tamarind and soak in 1 cup warm water in a non-metallic bowl for 30 minutes.
2.Remove the tamarind seeds and any hard membranes from the pulp.
3.Blend the tamarind with ginger and water to thick paste.
4.Heat oil in a  skillet over medium-low heat, add the black mustard seeds and allow to pop up.
5.Add the paanch phoron and cumin, saute until seeds splutter.
6.Add the tamarind,  salt, black salt and sugar, stir for 2-3 minutes.
7.Remove from heat and allow to cool

Amer Chatni / Mango Chutney

Ingredients

2 red chillies whole
3/4 tsp panch phoron
1 cup sugar/gur
1/2 kg green mangoes
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Steps:
Peel and cut the mangoes length wise
Heat up oil in a pan, mix in 1/2 tsp panch phoron and the dry red chillies.
When they start to crackle mix in the mangoes.
Add  water.
Mix in sugar or gur.
Mix in salt when the mangoes are cooked and the syrup is thick.
Roast 1/4 tsp panch phoron on the tawa and grind it to a powder.
When the chutney is cool sprinkle this powder on top.

Keralite Avial

Ingredients:

Drumsticks- 2, cubed
Green beans- chopped
Raw banana- 1,cubed
Peas- about 1/4 cup
Salt- to taste
Thick curd- 1/2 cup
For the paste:
Grated fresh coconut- 6-7tbsp
Green chillies- 2
Jeera or cumin seeds- 1tsp
Turmeric- 1/4tsp
A little water
For the seasoning:
Coconut oil- 1tbsp
Jeera- 1/2tsp
Hing- A big pinch
Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Steps:

Par boil all the vegetables and keep aside.
Grind the coconut, green chillies, turmeric and jeera with a little water to a coarse paste.
Add the ground paste and 1/4 cup of water to the par boiled vegetables and bring the mixture to a boil.
Add salt and curds and simmer for 5 mins.
Heat the coconut oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
Once they sputter add the hing and curry leaves.
Fry till the curry leaves are crisp and add the seasoning to the boiling mixture.
Take off the heat and serve hot with rice.

Sambhar

Ingredients:

Sambar Onion- 3
Potato,gourd,other veggies cut
Toor dal- ½ cup
Turmeric- a pinch
Oil- ¼ tspn
Tamarind-small Lime sized, soaked
Jaggery-1/2 tspn
Salt to taste

For the masala:
Jeera-1/4 Tspn
Fenugreek seeds- A pinch
Cinnamon- 1 inch piece
Channa Dal-1/2 tbspn
Urad dal- ½ tbspn
Coriander Seeds-1 ½ tbspn
Kashmiri red chilli-4
Sesame seeds- 1tspn (optional)

Fresh grated Coconut: 3tbspns

For seasoning:
Oil or ghee- 2tspns
Mustard seeds-1 tspn
Hing- 1 pinch
Curry leaves- 1sprig.

Steps:

Pressure cook toor dal along with turmeric and ¼ tspn of oil for 4 to 5 whistles and keep aside.
Boil the Onion and Potato and keep aside.
For the masala, Heat ½ a tspn of oil in a kadhai and add the jeera, methi and cinnamon and fry for a min.
Then add the channa dal and Urad dal and fry for a min. Add the Coriander seeds and Sesame seeds next and fry till good aroma is emnated. See that the spices are not burnt.
Add the torn red chillies and fry for ½ a min more on a low flame.
Turn off the stove and allow the mixture to cool for some time.
Dry grind the roasted ingredients first. Grind again along with coconut and some water.
Add the ground mixture to the cooked vegetables and then add the cooked dal.
Add the tamarind paste, salt and Jaggery and simmer.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. After they sputter add the curry leaves and hing and add the seasoning to the boiling sambar.
Boil the mixture for a few seconds more and turn off the stove. Serve hot with rice.

Kootu

Ingredients:

Poppy seeds- 1tbsp, roasted till fragrant and brown.
Urad dal- 1tbsp
Channa dal- 1/2tbsp
Coriander seeds- 1/2tbsp
Pepper corn- 6-8
Cinnamon- 1” piece
Kashmiri Red chillies- 2
Oil- ½ tsp
Fresh grated Coconut- 3 tbsp
Salt- to taste
Jaggerry- 1/2tsp
For seasoning:
Mustard seeds- 1tsp
Ghee/ oil- 2tsp
Hing- a big pinch
Curry leaves- 1sprig

Steps:
Par boil the vegetables along with the groundnuts and keep aside.
Heat ½ tsp of oil in a pan and add the pepper corn and cinnamon and fry for a min.
Add the urad dal and channa dal and fry till brown
Add the coriander seeds and sauté for a min more.
Add the red chillies and fry till they are crisp.
Take off the heat, cool and grind the mixture, along with the roasted poppy seeds to a fine powder.
Add the shredded coconut and water and grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.
In a thick bottomed vessel, mix the boiled vegetables along with the cooked dal.
Add the ground paste and some water and bring the mixture to a boil on a low flame.
Add salt and jaggery and boil for some more time. Take off the heat and keep aside.
For the seasoning, heat 2tsp of ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once they pop, add the hing and curry leaves.
Saute till the curry leaves are crisp.
Remove from fire and add the seasoning to the kootu.
Serve hot with rice

Tovve

Ingredients:

Moong/Tur/masoor dal 1 cup
Any vegetable eg Ridge gourd ,carrot cubed and par boiled 1
Coconut- 1 tbsp
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar- 1 tsp
Juice of 1/2 lime
Coriander to garnish
For the seasoning:
Oil or ghee- 2 tsp
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Jeera- 1/2 tsp
Hing- A pinch
Green chilli- 1, finely chopped
Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Steps:

Method:
Pressure cook the dal or dals along with turmeric and 1/4tsp of oil for 5-6 whistles or till done and keep it aside.
Add the cooked vegetable and some water to the dal and bring the miture to a boil on a low flame.
Add the salt, sugar and coconut and boil for 1 more min and take off the heat.
For the seasoning, heat oil or ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds
Once they pop, add the jeera and rey till they turn brown
Add the hing and the curry leaves and green chillies and fry for a min
Add the seasoning mixture to the dal and mix.
Garnish with lime juice and coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Chocolate Burfi

Ingredients:

Rava or semolina - 1/2 cup.
Coco powder - 1/2 cup.
Sugar - 1/2 cup.
Butter - 1/4 cup.
Milk - 1 cup.
Cashew-nuts - 2 tbsp.

Steps:

Heat 1 tsp if butter n stir fry cashew-nuts till golden brown.
Add in add semolina n stir fry till golden brown n set aside.
In an other pan bring milk 2 boil and add semolina mixture.
Dissolve choco powder in milk and bring to boil.
Mix in semolina mixture, sugar. Add chopped nuts.
Now add in rest of the butter.
Pour it in a greased pan , let it cool and cut into pieces.
Garnish the burfies with chopped cashew-nuts

Chital Macher Kalia

Ingredients

Chital Fish
1 Tsp Turmeric powder
3 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
1 Tsp Sugar
3 Bay Leaves
2 Pods (chopped) Garlic
4 Sliced Green Chili
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Tbsp Yogurt
To Taste Salt
1 Large chopped Onion
0.5 Inch piece Ginger
1 Tsp Coriander Seeds
2 Tsp Cumin Seed Powder
12 Whole Whole Red Chili
0.5 Cup Cooking Oil

Steps:

1. Take and clean the fish. Cut into 3/4 inch steaks. Rub one tea spoon each of salt and turmeric powder all over the pieces.

2. Grind to a fine paste coriander & cumin seeds, red chili and ginger adding little water in an electric grinder.

3. Heat 1/2 cup oil and fry the fish pieces. Ensure that the oil is very hot before adding fish other wise fish pieces can stick. Turn each piece and fry till brown. Remove the fish pieces.

4. In the same oil add cumin seeds and bay leaf and when splutters add finely chopped onion and garlic and fry to light brown. Add the ground spices, green chili and cook for three minutes. Add two table-spoon of yogurt/curd and fry till starts to stick to the pan. Stir occasionally.

5. Add the fish pieces and turn over. Add three cups of water and bring to boil. Add salt and sugar and check for seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer for at least ten minutes till gravy becomes thick

Chital Macher Muitha

Ingredients:

Muitha/Dumplings:
Chital Minced
1 tbsp Ginger Paste
1 tbsp Garlic Paste
1 tbsp Green Chilli Paste
1 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
Salt
Gravy:
1 Onion Paste
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1/2 Tomato, chopped
1 Potato, Cubed
1 Bay Leaf
2-3 Cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 Green Cardamom
1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder


To make the Muitha (Dumplings) mix the minced fish with the Ginger Garlic Paste, Chilli Paste, Cumin Powder and Salt. I know some people use boiled potato or corn flour but I prefer just not to use any binding agent. In a pan, boil some water, now wet your hands and take a small portion of the mixture, give it a round shape. Drop the balls in the hot boiling water and wait till the color changes, take the balls out after 2-3 minutes.
Using a paper towel or napkin, drain the excess water and shallow fry the Dumplings in a pan.
For the gravy, heat oil in a pan, fry the Potato cubes and keep aside. Heat oil in the same pan add the Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Bay Leaf, leave for a minute and then add the Onion, Ginger Garlic paste, stir fry till the paste becomes brown in color. Add the chopped Tomato or Tomato Puree, Salt, Green Chilli Paste and cook till you can see oil separating out. Pour 2 cups of water, the fried Dumplings, fried Potatoes, cover and give the gravy a boil.
Garnish with Garam Masala Powder and serve with Plain Rice.