IDLI SANDWICH VADA

IDLI SANDWICH VADA


This is a good snack for the children who return from the school in the evening. Idlis can be prepared in the morning itself. Make small idlis using very small katoris.

INGREDIENTS:

Ready Idlis(small in size)-8nos,


For Batter:
Besan(bengalgram flour)-2cups,
chilli powder-1tsp,
turmeric powder-1/4tsp,
hing-1/8 tsp,
salt to taste.


For filling:
potatoes-2(cooked and mashed)
onions-2(chopped)
Green chilly-1,
ginger-1" piece(chopped)
curry leaves-2 sticks(chopped),
salt to taste.
turmeric powder-1/4tsp,
chilly powder-1/4tsp,
mustard seeds-1tsp,
oil-2tsps,


For Chutney:
corriander leaves-1/4cup(chopped),
pudina(mint)-1/4cup(chopped),
green chilly-1,
jeera-1/2tsp,
amchur powder-1/4 tsp,
salt to taste.

Oil for frying idli sandwich vada.

Method:

For Filling:
In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds.
When it flutters, add onions, green chilly, ginger and curry leaves and fry till golden brown.
Add potatoes, chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt and fry for 5mts.
Remove from the flame.

For Batter:
Make a batter with besan and other given condiments for the batter.
It should not be watery, but a bit thick.

For Chutney:
Prepare chutney with the given condiments for chutney by grinding them in a mixer.

Final Preparation:
Cut the idlis across in two pieces.
Apply chutney on both inner sides.
Stuff wih little filling on one side  and join the other piece by pressing very lightly.
Repeat with all the idlis.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the sandwich idlis 2 or 3 at a time, after dipping them in the batter .
Fry both sides, till crisp.
Can be served with sauce or any other kind of chutney.

Note:
Bread sandwich vadas can also be made in the same way.

MAKKAI KI ROTI AND SARSON KA SAAG

Makkai Ki Roti AND Sarason Ka Saag.
Makkai ki roti and sarason ka saag are a good combination for lunch or dinner.As the mustard leaves are generally available in winter, this combinatin of dishes are mostly prepared in winter season. It is a favourite dish of Punjabi community. Both the dishes are very nutritious as well as delicious.


a)Makkai Ki Roti.
Ingredients:
Maize flour (makkai  flour)-2cups,
a pinch of salt,
ghee-2tsps.


Method:
The dough should be made separately for every roti, for one after the other, by adding water little by little.
Make roti on a flat surface.
Before forming the roti, sprikle a little flour on the surface to avoid the dough sticking to the surface.
While spreading also, sprinkle a little flour on the top, to avoid sticking.
The roti is formed by pressing the dough with the palm and the edges with the fingers.
Rotate the roti, while forming(spreading).
Heat the tawa and put the roti on it. Moisturise the top side with a moist cloth.
After one side is cooked, turn upside down.
Once the present bottom side is cooked, turn again and lightly press the top with a soft  cloth.
The roti will get puffed up.
Apply little ghee and roast  both  the sides.


Sarason Ka Saag.
Ingredients:
mustard leaves(sarason)-4cups(cleaned and chopped)
palak(spinach)-2cups(cleaned and chopped)
bathuva(amaranthus leaves)-1cup(cleaned and chopped)
onions(chopped)-2
tomato-1(cut into small pieces),
green chillies(chopped)-2
garlic and ginger paste-1tsp(together),
ghee-1tbsp,
butter-1tsp,
makkai atta-2tsps,
jeera-1tsp,
salt to taste.
Method:
Cook all the leaves together in a pressure cooker to a soft texture.
On cooling,  grind it to a course texture.
In a pan, heat ghee and add jeera.
When it flutters, add green chillies, ginger and garlic paste and the oninons and fry till light brown.
Add the tomato pieces and fry again, till tomato becomes soft.
Add the cooked vegetables and salt and cook for 5 mts.
Mix the makkai flour separately in a little water and add to the vegetables.
Stir well.
Cook for 10 mts on low flame.
If required, add little water to bring it to the desired consistency.
Remove from flame and add butter.
Mix well.
The saag is ready.

SANKARPAALA(SWEET)

Sankarpaala(Sweet)

Ingredients:
ghee-1/2cup,
milk-1cup,
sugar-1 1/2cups,
flour(maida)-4cups,
cardamom powder-1tsp,
oil for frying.
Method:
Heat ghee, milk and sugar together just to dissolve sugar.
On getting cooled, mix cardamon powder and maida and knead it to have a soft dough.
Keep it for an hour.
Make 8 to 10 balls out of the dough.
Roll each one to 2 to 3 mm thick round flat shape, like a chappati.
Cut them into small, approx. 15 to 20 mm  square or trapezoidal shapes and fry in oil, till crisp.
A pizza cutter will give smooth and uniform shape to the sankarpaala
Frying has to be done in batches till they turn to light brown.
When cool, store in an airtight container. 

TOMATO DAL

Tomato Dal

Tomatos are good from the nutritional point of view. During the season they are available in plenty. Hence, we can use them in our daily meals in different forms, as also for making different types of preparations. Dal made with tomatos is very tasty and its preparation is detailed below.


Ingredients:
ripe tomatos-5,
moong dal-1cup,
onion-1(medium ,chopped),
mustard seeds-1tsp,
jeera-1tsp,
green chillies-3(finely chopped),
ginger-1/2" piece(finely chopped),
garlic-4cloves-optional(finely chopped),
turmeric powder-1/4tsp,
salt to taste,
ghee-2tsps,
corriander leaves-1/4 cup(finely chopped).


Method:
Cook the tomatos in water for 5 mts and deskin them.
When it gets cooled, grind in a mixer.
Cook dal as is usually being done, but with slight over-cooking, to have it mashed well.
Chop onion.
Heat ghee in a pan,crackle mustard and jeera.
Add onion, green chillies, ginger, and garlic and fry till golden brown.
Add cooked dal, tomato pulp, turmeric powder and salt to the fried condiments and boil well.
If required, add little water to bring it to the desired consistency.
Remove from flame and garnish with corriander leaves.

PALAK RICE

Palak Rice


Spinach(palak) is a very nutritious leafy vegetable. Children like varieties of preparations. Instead of making plain rice with dal, a change in its composition can give a  different taste to the rice preparation, with added nutritional supplements like spinach, moong dal, etc. A preparation of rice with spinach is given below.


Ingredients:
fine rice-4cups,
palak-1 average bunch, as available in the market(cleaned and chopped),
green chillies-3(finely chopped),
ginger-1" piece(finely chopped),
jeera-1tsp,
mustard-1tsp,
salt to taste,
ghee-1tbsp,

For garnishing.
onions-2(cut in long pieces)
oil for frying onions.

Method:
Clean and soak the rice for 1/2 an hour.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the onions till golden brown.
Keep aside.
In a pan, heat ghee, crackle the mustard and jeera, add green chillies and ginger, fry a little and add the palak.Stir well. Cook  the contents. Ensure that it is dry.
Remove water from the rice and add to the palak.
Stir in-between and fry for 5 mts on low flame.
In a cooker, boil 7 cups of water along with salt.
Add the rice-palak contents.Mix well.
Close the cooker with the lid and weight and cook till you get 2 continuous whistles.
After the pressure gets released, open the cooker.
Mix the contents well and shift to a serving bowl.
Garnish with onion fries.

PAV BHAAJI

Pav Bhaaji.
Though this dish is very popular in Maharashtra, it is a favourite dish these days throughout the country. It is a very tasty dish and relished by all age groups. The preparation is easy.
Pav is readily available in the market. If the pav is not available, plain bread can equally be used.

Ingredients:
For bhaaji 
potatoes-4,
mixed vegetables-500gms,
(the vegetables used are generally cauliflower, carrot, green peas, beans and simla mirchi),
oinion-2(chopped),
tomatos-2(chopped),
green chillies-2(chopped),
garlic-6cloves(chopped),
jeera-1/2tsp,
pavbhaji masala-1tbsp(readily available in the market),
turmeric powder-1/2tsp,
chilly powder-1/2tsp,
salt to taste,
oil-1tbsp.

For garnishing:
corriander leaves-1/2 cup(chopped),
onions -2(chopped),
lemon-1(cut into pieces)
butter-2tbsps(for serving).


Method:
a)Cook potatoes and mash well.
Cook the vegetables separately and mash it..
Heat pan with oil and add jeera.
When it splutters, add onion,. green chillies, garlic and fry till light brown.
Add tomatos and fry for a few minutes.
Add mashed potatoes, vegetables, pav bhaji masala, turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt and mix well.
Add 2 cups of water and cook on a medium flame for 5 mts.
Remove from flame.
Bhaaji is ready.

b)Cut each pav on the long side into halves and roast on a tawa, using little butter.
Roast both the sides.

c)Serve small portions of bhaaji in small plates, garnish with chopped onion and corriander leaves and decorate with 1/2 tspn of butter and a piece of lemon  on the top.
Serve hot with the roasted pav.

Paneer Vegetable Paratha.

Paneer Vegetable Paratha.

This paratha can go for a good breakfast for all age groups.Paneer as well as the vegetables are very nutritious and good especially for growing children.


Ingredients:
wheat flour-4 cups,
paneer-1/2 cup,
potatoes-2,
carrot-1/2cup(grated),
green peas-1/4cup,
beans-1/4cup(finely chopped),
cabbage-1/2 cup(finely chopped),
cauliflower-1/4 cup(finely chopped),
chilli powder-1/2tsp,
jeera powder-1/2tsp,
turmeric powder-1/4tsp,
onion-1/2 cup(chopped)salt to taste,
oil-1tbsp,
 ghee for roasting parathas.


Method:
a)
Cook potatoes and mash them.
Shred the paneer.
In a pan, put oil and fry the onion to light brown.
Add to it, the vegetables and salt, close with a lid and cook on a low flame without adding water.
Add the mashed potatoes, paneer and other condiment powders.
Mix well and fry for a few minutes, till it gets dried.
Call this masala

b)
Make a smooth dough with the atta.
Keep aside for 1/2 an hour.
Cull out two small balls from the dough and make two small chappathis. Roll the chappatis to the normal size.
Put a tbsp full of the masala on the top of one chappati, spread it uniformly and then cover it with the second chappati.
Press a litle all around the edges.

c)
Heat the tawa, put the paratha and fry little on one side.
Turn it to the other side and fry.
Turn again and put little ghee all around.
When one side is done, turn it to the other side and again put little ghee all around and fry till done.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough and masala.
Can be served with pickles,chutneys and sauce.

SOL KADI

SOL KADI
Kokum squash or kokum concentrate is used in preparing a drink , called Sol Kadi in general parlance. It improves digestion and especially prepared and consumed during summer months. It has a cooling effect.

Ingredients:

1.fresh kokam-8,
2. coconut milk-  from 1 coconut,
3. crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp,
4.salt to tate,
5.sugar to taste,
6.green chillies - 3 finely chopped,
7.finely chopped coriander leaves.
Method:
Soak the kokam in about 8 cups of water for about an hour, squeese the water from them .
Repeat 2 to 3 times, till the squeezed water is almost free from the red colour.
Keep the water, after throwing away the skin.
Mix the other ingredients, except coriander leaves, with the above kokam water.
Garnish it with coriander leaves.
NOTE: 
If  fresh kokam is not available, use 8 tbs of kokam syrup readily available in the market. Similarly, readily available coconut milk  can be used in place of the fresh coconut.

DAHI VADA

DAHI VADA


This vada is a delicacy of the Indians.The preparation and the ingredients differ in south and north India. Both the varieties are equally tasty and relishing. Given below is the south Indian way.

Ingredients:

urad dal-1cup,
green chillies-3,
red chilly-1,
ginger-1" piece,
curry leaves-a few,
salt to taste,
curd-2cups,
coconut choppings-1tbsp,
mustard seeds-1tsp,
jeera-1/2tsp,
oil for frying vadas.

Method:
Soak dal for 3hrs.
Grind it to a smooth dough, adding very little water at a time.
The dough should be reasonably of thicker consistency in order to form vadas.
Chop the green chillies, ginger and a few curry leaves.
Add the above chopped items, along with the salt to the dough and mix thoroughly.
Heat oil in a pan, form the vadas with the help of both the palms(after wetting the palms) and fry them in a batch of 3 to 4 at a time. Fry them to golden brown.
Make thin buttermilk with 1/2 cup of curd and 2 cups of water.Churn well.  Add little salt. Season it with mustard, jeera, red chilly(cut into pieces) and a few curry leaves.
Soak the fried vadas in the seasoned buttermilk.
Serve the rest of the curd when the dahi vadas are served.
Serve the vadas in a plate or in a medium sized katori with a serving of thick curd over it.