Food Tower

Adai

2010-04-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Adai

Rice - ½ cup

urad dhaal - ¼ cup

chana dhaal - ¼ cup

thoor dhaal - ¼ cup

yellow moong dhaal - ¼ cup

red chillis

salt

Soak everything in water over night. Grind with little water.

Ulundu vada

2010-04-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

Ulundu vada

urad dhaal

hari mirch

salt

Soak dhaal in water over night. Grind dhaal in little water.

Then make vada shape and deep fry in oil.

Sweet Pongal

2010-04-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Sweet Pongal

Ingredients (for two people) : -

Moong dhal - 1/2 cup.

Rice - 1/2 cup.

Milk

Coconut

cashew

jaggery

raisins (khish-mish - dry grapes)

cardamom

ghee.

Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it

will start smelling). Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes.

Thoroghly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water (lesser is o.k)and

cook it seperately (in two different containers). Meanwhile cut coconut in

very small pieces and fry in ghee. Fry cashew and raisins also separately.

Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. This is

done because sometimes jagerry has mud and stones. After we make the syrup

strain it through tea strainer. Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and

add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed. Add

jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed. Add three big table

spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while. Add fried

coconut, cashews and raisins.

Serve hot in two cups with a spoon of ghee.

2010-04-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

Sarson ka saag

Ingredients

1 bunch sarson greens

1 bunch spinach

1 onion grated

1/2 tsp. each ginger & garlic grated

3 green chillies

1 tbsp. grated cheese or paneer (optional)

1/2 lemon juice

salt to taste

2 tbsp. ghee

1 tbsp. oil

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1 tbsp. maize flour

Method

1.Chop both greens, wash, drain.

2.Heat oil in the pressure cooker direct.

3.Add both greens, green chillies, stir.

4.Add ginger, garlic, stir.

5.Add few pinches salt, 1 cup water.

6.Pressure cook till done. (2 whistles).

7.Mash well.

8.Heat ghee in a pan, add onion, saute till brown,

9.Add all other ingredients, except cheese.

10.Stir well and cook till oil separates.

11.Garnish with cheese.

12.Serve hot with makki ki roti, or paratha.

Making time: 25 minutes (excluding pressure cooking time)

Makes: 3-4 servings

Shelflife: Best fresh

Green All-Purpose Chutney

2010-04-17T20:05:00.001-07:00

Green All-Purpose Chutney

Ingredients:

15 green chillies

1/2 cup coriander

1/2 lemon

1 tbsp. sev or potato wafers crushed

1/2 tsp. jaggery

salt to taste

1 tsp. oil

1 clovette garlic

Method:

Put all the ingredients , except oil and asafoetida , in a small mixie.

Heat the oil and add the asafoetida and put in the mixie.

Run the mixie till a smooth chutney is obtained.

Try using no water or as little as possible to make the chutney keep longer.

Add water as and when required.

Store in a clean glass bottle.

Note: Sev is a fried Indian snack made of gramflour.

Makes 1/2 cup chutney

Making time: 5 minutes

Shelf life: 1 week (refrigerated)

Pear and Mango Chutney

2010-04-17T20:03:00.001-07:00

Pear and Mango Chutney

Ingredients:

250 gms. raw firm mango

250 gms. pear s.

500 gms. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. red chilli powder

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tbsp. marshmelon (kharbooja) seeds.

1 tbsp. raisins.

2 cloves powdered

8 each almonds and cashews chopped finely.

Method:

Peel and mash and pear.

Put 1 tbsp. sugar in a heavy saucepan.

Heat on a low flame, stirring and cooking till it turns brown.

Add 500 ml. water and boil.

When the sugar has fully dissolved in the water add remaining sugar.

When it begins to boil again add the mashed fruit, cashew, raisins, seeds, chilli and salt.

Boil till a thick jam consistency is obtained. Stir occasionally.

Add the clove powder and garam masala.

Cool a bit and transfer to clean airtight jar.

Making time: 1 hour

Shelf life: 1 month

Makes 1.5 kgs. chutney.

Spicy Sev

2010-04-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

Spicy Sev

Ingredients

2 cups gram flour (besan)
1/2 tsp. ajwain (omam) seeds
1 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tbsp. oil
salt to taste
2-3 pinches asafoetida
water to make dough
oil to deep fry

Method

1.Mix the chilli, oil, salt and seeds into the f lour.
2.Add enough water to make a dough which is quite gooey.
3.It should not be pliable but sticky.
4.Grease the inside of a Sev-press, fill with the dough.
5.Press into hot oil, and fry lightly on both sides.
6.Drain well and cool before storing.

Variation:

You may adjust the chillies as per taste.
You may omit chillies to make bland sev.
You may add finely crushed dried herbs (eg. mint) for add flavour.
Note: A sevpress is similar to a vermicelli press, but it should be small enough to handle over hot oil.
Making time: 15-20 minutes
Makes: 250 grams approx.

Hot Kachori

2010-04-16T19:15:00.001-07:00

Hot Kachori

Ingredients

For cover:

1 1/2 cup plain flour

3 tbsp. oil

salt to taste

cold water to knead dough

For filling:

1 cup yellow moong dal washed and soaked for 1/2 hour

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. red chilli powder

1/2 tsp. dhania (coriander) powder

1/2 tsp. coriander seeds crushed coarsely

1/2 tsp. fennel (saunf) seeds crushed coarsely

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped

salt to taste

2-3 pinches asafoetida

1 tbsp. oil

oil to deep fry

1 tbsp. plain flour for patching

Method

For cover:

Mix flour, salt and oil, knead into soft pliable dough.

Keep aside for 30 minutes.

For filling:

Put plenty of water to boil. Add dal.

Boil dal for 5 minutes, drain.

Cool a little. Heat oil in a heavy pan.

Add all seeds whole and crushed allow to splutter.

Add asafoetida, mix. Add all other ingredients.

Mix well. Do not smash the dal fully.

But enough to make the mixture hold well.

Remove from fire, cool.

Divide into 15 portions.

Shape into balls with greased palms.

Keep aside.

To proceed:

Make a paste with water, of flour for patching.

Keep aside.

Take a pingpong ball sized portion of dough.

Knead into round. Roll into 4" diam. round.

Place one ball of filling at centre.

Pick up round and wrap ball into it like a pouch.

Break off excess dough carefully.

Do not allow cover to tear.

Press the ball with palm, making it flattish and round.

Repeat for 4-5 kachories.

Deep fry in hot oil, on low flame only.

If the kachori get a hole anywhere, apply some paste.

Return to oil and finish frying.

Turn and repeat for other side.

Fry till golden and crisp. Small bubbles must appear over kachori.

Drain and serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys.

Making time: 1 hour (excluding soaking and cooling times)

Makes: 10-12 pieces

Shelf life: 2-3 days

Note: Take care to fry on low. Hurried frying will result in soggy and oily kachories.

Masala Vada

2010-04-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

Masala Vada

Ingredients

1 cup yellow gram (chana) dak
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
1/2 cup coriander finely chopped
1/2 cup dill leaves finely chopped
3-4 green chillies finely chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
oil o deep fry

Method

Wash and soak dal for 3-4 hours.
Keep 2 tbsp. dal aside, grind the rest,coarsely.
Mix all other ingredients, including whole dal.
Add 2-3 tbsp. hot oil to the mixture.
Heat oil, make pattie shaped rounds with moist palm.
Let carefully into the hot oil.
Fry first one side then the other till golden brown.
Serve hot with green chutney, tamarind chutney, or ketchup

Making time: 20 minutes (excluding soaking time)
Makes: 15 vadas (approx.)
Shelflife: Best fresh

Samosa

2010-04-16T19:06:00.001-07:00

Samosa

Ingredients

For cover:

1 cup plain flour (maida)

2 tbsp. warm oil

water to knead dough

For filling:

2 potatoes large boiled, peeled, mashed

1 onion finely chopped

2 green chillies crushed

1/2 tsp. ginger crushed

1/2 tsp. garlic crushed

1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped

1/2 lemon juice extracted

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1/2 tsp. coriander seeds cru shed

1 tsp. red chilli powder

salt to taste

oil to deep fry

Method

For dough:

Make well in the flour.

Add oil, salt and little water.Mix well till crumbly.

Add more water little by little, kneading into soft pliable dough.

Cover with moist cloth, keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

Beat dough on worksurface and knead again. Re-cover.

For filling:

Heat 3 tbsp. oil, add ginger, green chilli, garlic, coriander seeds.

Stir fry for a minute, add onion, saute till light brown.

Add coriander, lemon, turmeric, salt, red chilli, garam masala.

Stir fry for 2 minutes, add potatoes. Stir further 2 minutes.

Cool. Keep aside.

To proceed:

Make a thin 5" diam. round with some dough.

Cut into two halves. Run a moist finger along diameter.

Join and press together to make a cone.

Place a tbsp. of filling in the cone and seal third side as above.

Make five to six. Put in hot oil, deep fry on low to medium till light brown.

Do not fry on high, or the samosas will turn out oily and soggy.

Drain on rack or kitchen paper.

Serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys (refer chutneys), or tomato sauce.

Making time: 45 minutes

Makes: 20 pieces (approx.)

Shelflife: Bestfresh

Navratan Korma

2010-04-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

Navratan Korma

Ingredients:

2 cups peas boiled
1 large carrot chopped and boiled
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup curd
1/4 cup malai(cream)
3 tbsp. butter
1 small sweet lime
1 small apple
1 banana
2 slices pineapple
10-15 cashewnuts
20 raisins
2 glaced cherries for decoration
1 tbsp. coriander chopped
1 tbsp. ghee
salt to taste
Dry Masala:
1 tsp. cuminseeds
2 tsp. khuskhus (poppyseeds)
1 tsp. cardamoms

Wet Masala:
1 large onion
1/4 cup coconut shredded
3 green chillies

Method:

Grind the dry and wet masalas separately.
Chop all the fruit fine. Heat ghee and fry cashews, drain and keep aside.
Add butter to ghee and heat, add the wet masala and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the dry masala and salt and fry 2 more minutes.
Add the carrots and peas, mix together curd and cream and add to gravy.

Allow to thicken a bit, add fruit, cashews and raisins and boil till the gravy is thick and the fat separates.

Garnish with grated cheese ,coriander and chopped cherries.
Serve hot with naan, roti or paratha.

Making time: 45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

Potato in curd gravy

2010-04-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Potato in Curd Gravy

Ingredients:

3 medium. potatoes boiled and peeled

1 cup curd or yogurt beaten

1 tsp. red chilli powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dhania powder

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1/4 tsp. garam masala

2 pinches asafoetida

1 stalk curry leaves

1 tbsp. coriander leaves chopped

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp. each ginger, garlic grated

2 green chillies slit

1 tsp. each cumin, mustard seeds

1/4 tsp. wheat flour

1 tbsp. oil

Method:

Cut potatoes into big pieces. Mash 3-4 pieces fine with hand. Keep both aside.

Mix all the dry masala in 1/4 cup water.

Heat oil. Add the seeds (cumin and mustard). When they splutter, add ginger-garlic, chilli and curry leaves.

Add the masala mixture and fry for 2 minutes.

Add beaten curd and fry for 5 minutes or till the curd loses its whiteness. Stir continuously after adding curd.

Add the remaining water and all the potato and flour. Stir well.

Boil and simmer for 10 minutes or till gravy thickens

Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve hot with thin wheat chappaties and rice.

Making time: 30 minutes.

Makes for: 5

Shelf life: Best fresh

Shahi paneer

2010-04-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

Shahi Paneer

Ingredients:

250 gms. paneer (cottge cheese)
3 tbsp. ghee or butter
1 onion chopped into strips
1/2" piece ginger chopped fine
2 green chillies chopped fine
4 tomatoes chopped fine
2 cardamoms crushed
1/4 cup beaten curd
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
salt to taste
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. tomato sauce

To garnish:
2 tbsp. grated paneer
1 tbsp. chopped coriander

Method:

Chop the paneer into 2" fingers.
Heat half the ghee. Add onion,ginger, green chilli and cardamom. Fry for 3-4 minu
Add tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, covered.
Add curd and cook for 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup water and cool.
Blend in a mixie till smooth.

Heat remaining ghee, add gravy and other ingredients except milk and paneer.
Boil to get a very thick gravy.
Just before serving, heat gravy, add milk and paneer fingers and boil for 3-4 minu
Garnish with chopped coriander and grated paneer.

Making time: 45 minutes.
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: best fresh.

Sindhi Saibhaji

2010-04-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 each - carrot, capsicum, onion, small cabbage,potato, brinjal, tomato, ladyfinger (okra)
100 gms. french beans
1/2 bunch each spinach, coriander, khatta (3 leaved) greens.
1/2 bunch any other leafy greens.
1 cup green gram dal
1/2 cup horsegram dal (channa dal)
4-5 green chillies
2-3 clovettes garlic
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. dhania (coriander seed) powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
3 tbsp. oil
1/2 tbsp. ghee
2 pinches asafoetida
METHOD:
Clean and wash dals.
Clean, wash and chop spinach and vegetables except tomato.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add all the vegetables, spinach and dals.
Mix well, add enough water to cover the contents.
Add all masalas and mix.
Place whole tomato on top, cover and pressurecook for 3 whistles.
Cool the cooker, open and handblend the contents.
Heat 1/2 tbsp. ghee add a pinch of asafoetida add to the mashed vegetable.
Serve hot with paratha or steamed rice
Making time: 30 minutes (excluding cooling time)
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

Gobi Manchurian

2010-04-14T20:05:00.001-07:00

Gobi manchurian

Ingredients

1 medium. cauliflower clean and broken into big florettes.
1 small bunch spring onoin finely chopped
2 tsp. ginger finely chopped
1 tsp. garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup plain flour
3 tbsp. cornflour
1/4 tsp. red chilli powder
2 red chillies, dry
3 tbsp. oil
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp. milk

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 clean cloth.
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. Keep aside.

In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute.
Add the salt and spring onions.
Stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 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 soya sauce.
Boil for two more minutes and remove.
Serve hot with noodles or rice.

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 onions and soya ce 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.
Same procedure for veg. manchurian (with gravy or dry), but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced
vegetables and
bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make small lumps the size of a pingpong ball.
Fry as above and proceed as above.

Making time: 45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

Aloo palak

2010-04-14T19:57:00.001-07:00

Aloo Palak

Ingredients

3 cups chopped spinach
2 large onoins chopped fine
2 large potatoes boiled and peeled
1 tomato grated
2 green chillies
1" piece ginger
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. wheat or other flour
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. ghee
salt to taste
METHOD:

Put the washed spinach in a pan, add very little water (just a sprinkle) and a pinch of salt.
Cover and boil over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool quickly, or hold under running water in a colander.
Put in a mixie, add green chilli and run for a minute. Keep slightly coarse, do not make very smooth.
Keep aside.

Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Heat ghee and fry potatoes till light brown.
Drain the potatoes, keep aside.
In the same hot ghee add the cumin seeds.
Add the ginger, onions and fry till very tender.
Add the tomato and further fry for two minutes.
Add all the dry masalas and fry till ghee separates.
Add spinach and potatoes.
When it resumes a boil sprinkle the flour and stir well. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice
Just before serving heat butter in a tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida.
Pour over the vegetable and mix gently.
Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice.

Note: You may use boiled peas, boiled corn kernels or paneer chunks in the above dish, instead of atoes.

Making time: 45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh