Stuffed Mirchi Bajji

Ingredients:

6-7 long green chillies
2 chopped onions
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste
oil to deep fry

For the batter:

chana besan (gram flour)
1 tbsp chilli powder
salt as per taste
water

For the garnish:

chopped onion
chopped coriander leaves
lemon juice

Method:

Slit the chillies lenghtwise and keep aside. Combine chopped onions, chilli powder, lemon juice, chopped coriander and salt in a bowl. Stuff the chillies with this mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Mix the ingredients for the batter into a thick consistency. Dip each chilli in the batter and deep fry until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. Cut the chillies in half, garnish with chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves and a dash of lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Methi Aloo (Potatoes with fresh fenugreek leaves)

Methi Aloo is one of the simple and easiest dishes you can make. Baby potatoes would be ideal for this subzi, but I used the normal ones. Goes well with puris/rotis/chapatis.

Ingredients:

1 onion chopped
1 potato, sliced and boiled
1 cup fresh methi leaves chopped
1 small clove garlic chopped
2 slit green chillies
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 cup fresh cream
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method:

In a pan, heat oil. Fry onions until golden brown. Add chopped garlic, green chillies, methi leaves and fry until the leaves are cooked. Add the masala powders, salt, cream and potato and mix well.

Serves 2

Adai with Coriander Chutney

Adai is a type of dosa made of lentils and rice. Very simple to make, not much process involved as compared to a typical dosa batter. Rich in protein, nutritious and a healthier version of dosa.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1/2 cup yellow moong dal
1/8 cup toor dal
1/8 cup chana dal
1/8 cup urad dal
1/8 cup thick poha
1/2 tsp methi seeds
salt to taste

Method:

Soak rice and dal in water for about 6 hrs. Add salt and blend with a little water. The batter should not be thick, is very similar to dosa batter consistency. It can be used immediately. Finely chopped onions, green chillies and coriander leaves can be added for flavor.

Serves 4

Coriander Chutney:

A bunch of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
3-4 green chillies
small clove garlic
salt to taste
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds

Method:

Heat a tsp oil, when hot, add the mustard seeds. Then the green chillies, garlic and coriander leaves. Switch off the heat. When cool, blend everything with salt to a coarse paste. Serve with Adai.

Gobhi Musallam

Ingredients:

1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup tomato puree
salt to taste
1/2 cup khoya
chopped coriander for garnish

Method:

Cook the cauliflower florets in water with turmeric and salt until it is half boiled. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add the chopped onion and fry until golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and fry for a minute. Add tomato puree and fry some more. Add khoya, cauliflower and cook on a low flame for 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serves 3

Hara Bhara Pulao

Ingredients:

To be blended into a smooth paste:

1 1/2 cups chopped coriander (dhania)
3-4 green chillies
1" ginger piece
2-3 cloves of garlic
2-3 tbsp water

Other Ingredients:

1 cup long grained rice (basmati)
3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp powdered cardamom, clove and cinnamon
2 bayleaves
1/3 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup cauliflower florets
1/4 cup potato cubes
1/4 cup fresh green peas
salt to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander for garnish

Method:

Clean, wash and soak the rice in enough water for atleast 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker, add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom powder and bayleaves and sauté for a few seconds. Add the onions, cauliflower, peas, potatoes, rice, the prepared paste and salt, mix well and sauté for another minute. Add 2 cups of water, mix well and pressure cook on a high flame for 2 whistles. Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Serves 3

Khara/Masala Bun - Bakery Style

I have always loved baked goodies from an iyengar bakery. I found this particular recipe from Prathibha's blog - a huge collection of mouthwatering recipes. The buns turned out great, very happy with the taste and texture, thanks to Prathibha!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour/maida
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt

For masala:

3/4 cup finely chopped onions
5-6 green chillies finely chopped
curry leaves finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Other ingredients:

1 tbsp butter, to brush the buns
1 tbsp milk, to brush the buns

Method:

Microwave water and milk together for 30 seconds until it is luke warm to touch. Pour this into a wide bowl. Dissolve in the sugar and yeast in it and mix thoroughly until dissolved. Leave this aside for 10-15 mins until the yeast mixture becomes frothy.

Heat olive oil or regular oil in a pan and crackle cumin seeds over low flame and add very finely chopped onion and fry until it is translucent, add a pinch of salt in between to ease the process. Add chillies and stir fry for a minute. Add enough salt to it and do remember that we add salt even to the dough. Keep it aside until the mixture is cooled. Add finely chopped coriander to it and mix well.

Stir in the melted butter and salt to the frothy yeast mixture and slowly add one cup of flour into it and mix well. Add the remaining flour slowly and mix until you get a lump of smooth dough. Knead the bread until you get a smooth non sticky dough. Add flour in between when the dough is sticky. Slightly press the dough with your hands to flatten it and keep the masala(fried onion mixture) in the centre and fold it from all the sides like how we do for stuffed parathas.

Start kneading again until the mixture is very well incorporated in the dough. The dough might become sticky because of the onions,so please feel free to add the flour when required while kneading the dough. Grease your hands and a empty big bowl with oil and coat the dough with oil slightly and place it in the greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and keep it in a warm place until the dough doubles almost. Mine took about an hour and a half.



Knead the dough again gently, this process is important as it removes air bubbles formed in the dough. Divide the dough into 7-8 portions and shape them into buns and place them on a baking tray with space in between. Keep them again in the warm place for 45 mins - 1 hour for the final rise.

Preheat the oven to 180 deg celsius. Brush the top of buns with milk very gently over the nicely risen buns and bake until they turn golden brown, mine took about 22 minutes. Brush the top of buns with butter immediately after removing them from oven.This helps in giving the shine to the crust, makes the crust softer and also makes the buns smell better.

Makes 6-7 buns