Vermicelli Biryani

Ingredients:

• 250gms of Vermicelli
• One large Onion
• One Tomato
• One Carrot
• Half a cup shelled Peas
• Few florets of Cauliflower
• One small Potato
• Five Beans
• 1/4tsp of Turmeric powder
• 1/2tsp of Chilli powder
• One tsp of Garam masala powder
• Salt to taste

To Grind

• Two Green chillies
• One piece of Ginger
• Four pods of Garlic
• Half cup Mint leaves

To Temper

• Four tbs of Oil
• Four Cloves
• Three Cardamoms
• Two Cinnamon sticks
• One Tbs of Fennel seeds

Method:

Roast the vermicelli in unsalted butter or 3 tsp of ghee. Till golden brown. Chop all the vegetables. Heat oil in a pan and add the things given under To Temper. Fry Onions till translucent. Meanwhile grind the ingredients listed under To grind into a paste. Add Tomatoes to the frying onions and fry till it gets mushy.Add Turmeric powder. Add the other vegetables,salt,chilli powder and garam masala powder. Saute for a minute. Add water (supposing you take one cup of vermicelli take two cups of water ie. ratio 1:2 ) and allow it to boil. When it boils add the vermicelli and keep stirring to avoid any lumps. Garnish with Coriander leaves and enjoy when it is still warm.

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Sabudana (tapioca) Khichdi

Sabudana khichdi is great for breakfast or as a snack and it tastes delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups tapioca (sabudana)
• 1/2  cup broken raw peanuts (mungfali)
• 2 green chilies sliced long ways
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1/2  teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2  teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
• 1/4  teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
• 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste (during fast you can use sendha namak)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• About 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (hara dhania)

Method:

1.        Gently wash then soak tapioca (sabudana) in about 1/2 cup of water for 6 to 8 hours.

2.        Roast the peanuts on medium heat, until they are lightly brown. Keep aside.

3.        Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed cracks right away then oil is ready.

4.        Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds after seeds crack add green chilies and stir for a few seconds.

5.        Add the soaked tapioca (sabudana) and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes ,

6.        Add turmeric, and salt and stir fry on medium heat continuously until tapioca (sabudana) becomes translucence, looks like pearls. Stir gently and making sure tapioca doesn’t get sticky and stuck to each other. This should take about 6 to 7 minutes.

7.        Add peanuts, lemon juice and cilantro (hara dhania), stir gently.

8.        Serve hot and ENJOY!

Tips:

1.        If you don’t stir continuously tapioca will stick to each other.

 

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Tadkewali Rani dal

Ingedients:

• 1 cup masoor dal
• 1tsp Jeera
• 1tsp chilly powder
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2tbsp chopped coriander
• 3tbsp ghee (clarifyed butter)

• Salt to taste

For tempering:

• 2tbsp butter
• 1 chopped tomato
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• Lemon juice- 1 tsp
• Sliced 5-8 cashew nuts

Method:

• Wash the dal. Soak for an hour and then drain.

• Heat the ghee. Add cumin seeds and cook until they begin to crackle.

• Add onion and cook until light pink

• Again add the dal and cook for 4-5 minutes

• Add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt.

• Cover and cook until 2/3rds of the water has evaporated

• Mash the dal lightly

• Prepare the tempering by melting the butter, adding the tomato, lemon juice, cashew nuts and garam masala. Cook on slow flame for 2 minutes.

• Add to the cooked dal and stir for 3-4 minutes.

• Sprinkle coriander on top and serve hot.

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Moong dal Halwa

Ingredients

•	Split green gram skinless (dhuli moong dal) ,soaked	1 cup
•	Sugar	1 cup
•	Saffron (kesar)	a generous pinch
•	Milk	1/2 cup
•	Ghee	1 cup
•	Mawa (khoya),crumbled (if you donot find khoya then add 3-4 tsp of milk powder)	3/4 cup
•	Almonds (chopped), Cashew nut (chopped) and Raisins	10 – 12

Method
Drain and grind the moong dal coarsely using very little water. Prepare one-string sugar syrup with sugar and one and half cups of water. Soak saffron in hot milk. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan and add the ground moong dal and sauté, stirring continuously, over low heat till the dal turns golden brown. This needs time and patience. Do not rush through this step. Add the sugar syrup and saffron milk. Stir till they are thoroughly incorporated and the halwa is of dropping consistency. Add mawa and cook till it dissolves. Serve hot garnished with chopped nuts and raisins.

 Tip
Add one tablespoon of besan to melted ghee before putting the ground moong dal. It helps in even cooking of ground moong dal and also prevents formation of lumps during cooking. 

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Vegetable (veg) Biryani

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati Rice
1 cup Mixed Vgetable (cauliflower, potato, carrot, french beans)
150 gms Green Peas
3 Finely Sliced Onion
2 Finely Sliced Green Chillies
Salt to taste
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

2 tsp Cumin seeds

Bay leaves-2

Cinnamon stick- ½ inch

4 Cloves
1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder
2 Tomato
4 tbsp Oil
3 tbsp Dry Fruits (cashew nuts, raisin) –optional, for garnishing

How to make vegitable biryani :

• Wash the basmati rice well before cooking. Then take rice with 3-3/4 cup water. Soak for 15 minutes.
• Cook the rice in rice cooker or microwave with 1tsp oil and salt.
• Cut all the vegetables into small thin pieces and fry each one of it separately in oil. Fry the green peas also.
• Take 1 tblsp oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, green chilli, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper powder and stir for about half minute. Then add onions and saute them for a minute or till they get pink in colour.
• Add salt and red chilli powder and stir.
• Add fine chopped tomatoes and fry till they are properly cooked.
• Add all the fried vegetables.
• Add the cooked rice and mix well with very light hands so that the rice grain doesn't break. Cook for about 2 minutes.
• Take this vegetable biryani out in a rice serving dish.
• Garnish with dry fruits and green coriander leaves.Serve hot with raita and mirchi ka salan.

(http://yuvikasrecipes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/mirchi-ka-salan.html)

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Mirchi ka Salan

Ingredients

•	Green chilli medium	18-20
•	Olive oil +deep fry	2 tablespoon
•	Sesame seeds (til)	2 tablespoon
•	Coriander seeds	2 tablespoon
•	Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
•	Peanuts,roasted	1/2 cup
•	dry red chilies	2
•	Ginger,roughly chopped	1 inch piece
•	Garlic	6-8
•	Mustard seeds	1 teaspoon
•	Curry leaves	8-10
•	Onion ,grated	1 medium
•	Turmeric powder	1 teaspoon
•	Tamarind pulp	2 tablespoon
•	Salt	to taste

Method
Wash, wipe and slit green chillies lengthwise without cutting the chillies into two. Heat sufficient olive oil in a kadai (wok) and deep-fry for one minute. Drain and place on absorbent paper and set aside. To make masala paste, dry roast sesame seeds, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Cool and grind them to a paste along with peanuts, whole dry red chillies, ginger and garlic. Heat two tablespoons oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, let themsplutter and add curry leaves. Sauté for half a minute and add onion. Sauté, stirring continuously, till onion is light golden brown. Add turmeric powder and mix well. Add masala paste and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in one and half cups of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for ten minutes. Add tamarind pulp (dissolved in half a cup of water, if it is too thick). Add fried green chillies and salt and cook on low heat for eight to ten minutes. Serve hot with veg / non-veg biryani.

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Capsicum Masala

Ingredients:
Capsicum(big) - 1 no (you can use red, green, orange or even yellow capsicum )
(cut into small cubes)
Onion(medium) - 1 no
Tomato - 1 no
Garlic pods - 5 - 6 nos
Ginger - A little
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Cloves- 2
Bay leaves-1
Oil - 4 - 5 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Groundnuts  - 1 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts - 1 tsp
Salt - As required
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Method:

1)Fry capsicum pieces in oil and keep it aside.

2)Fry coriander seeds, cashews and groundnuts separately, without adding oil.

3)Make a paste of groundnuts and cashews separately.

4)Grind onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds, the spices and coriander seeds into a smooth paste.

5)Heat oil in a frying pan.

6)Add the ground masala and fry, until the oil starts to separate.

7)Add groundnut paste and cashew paste.

8)Stir well and let it boil for about 3 mins.

9)Add fried capsicum and stir well.

10)Close with a lid and let it cook for 5 - 10 mins.

11)Add lemon juice to Capsicum masala, before removing from the flame.

12)Garnish Capsicum masala with coriander leaves before serving.

Serve Capsicum masala with chappathi, or naan.

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Bread Usli

This is a tasty and quick snack. It’s a great idea for breakfast also.

Ingredients:

Bread slices: 6
Onions: 2
Tomato- 1
Green chillies: 2
Mustard seeds: ½tsp
Udad dal: ¼tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼tsp
Curry leaves: Few
Sugar: ½tsp
Coriander leaves: Few
Salt to taste
Oil
Cucumber- ½ cup sliced
Milk- 3-4 tsp.
Method:
1. Slice the onions, tomatoes and slit the green chillies.
2. Chop the bread into small pieces.
3. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds, udad dal, green chillies and curry leaves.
4. Add the sliced onions and sauté until it becomes transparent.
5. Add the turmeric powder, tomatoes and let it cook for 5 minutes. Now add the bread.
6. Dissolve the sugar and salt in a few teaspoons of water and pour over the bread mixture. Now add the cold milk over the bread mixture and let it cook for 3 minutes.

7. Serve garnished with coriander leaves and a slices of cucumber.

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Cucumber Dosa (Taushe Polo in Konkani)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium size cucmbers
• 1.5 cups of rava (sooji)
• 4-5 green chillies
• oil, salt
• coriander leaves chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut(optional)

 Method:

• Peel the cucumber and Grind it in mixer.
• Chop up the green chilies very finely.
• Add the rava, green chilies, shredded coconut, coriander leaves to grated cucumber and mix well. Add salt as required
• Let this whole thing rest for about 30 minutes.
• Heat a tava and grease it with oil. When the tava is hot, take a handful of the cucumber mixture and place at the center.
•  Pat the mixture using finger tips and spread it around starting from the center to form a circle.
•  Use little water to spread this out if it becomes hot to handle.
• This spreading should not be either too thick or thin, make it as even as possible.
• Sprinkle little oil around the dosa. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Turn the dosa and let it cook uncovered for another 4-5 minutes.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney.

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