Sichuan Cabbage Rice

I don’t like cabbage much however, whenever my mom use to prepare this dish I use to love it. Here is goes the secret from my mom’s kitchen.

Ingredients

•	Rice,boiled	2 cups
•	Cabbage,1 inch pieces	1 small
•	Sesame oil (til oil)	4 tablespoons
•	Salt	to taste
•	Soy sauce	1 teaspoon
•	Brown sugar	4 teaspoons
•	Crushed red chillies	3 teaspoons
•	Vinegar	2 tablespoons
•	Sesame seeds (black),roasted	1/2 tablespoon
•	Garlic,crushed	6-8 cloves
•	Ginger,chopped	1 inch piece
•	Sichuan peppers,crushed (you can also use black peppers)	1/2 teaspoon

Method
To make cabbage rice, heat two tablespoons sesame oil in a pan, add cabbage, salt, soy sauce, brown sugar and crushed red chillies and toss. Add vinegar and toss and cook till the cabbage softens slightly. Roast sesame seeds and add to the cabbage and mix. Heat the remaining sesame oil in another pan. Add garlic and ginger and sauté on high heat for a minute. Add rice, kimchi and crushed Sichuan peppers and mix well. Add salt and toss. Serve hot.

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Coin Manchurian

Ingredients

•	Cabbage,grated	1 medium
•	Carrot,grated	1 medium
•	Green capsicum,finely chopped	1 medium
•	French beans,finely chopped	8-10
•	Garlic,finely chopped	2-3 cloves
•	Ginger,finely chopped	1/2 inch
•	Green chillies,finely chopped	2
•	Salt	to taste
•	Refined flour (maida)	1/2 cup
•	Oil	to deep fry
•	Sauce
•	Onion	1 medium
•	Oil	2 tablespoons
•	Celery,finely chopped	2 inch stalk
•	Ginger,finely chopped	1 inch
•	Garlic,finely chopped	4-6 cloves
•	Green chillies,finely chopped	3
•	Light soy sauce	2 tablespoons
•	Vegetable stock	2 cups
•	Spring onions,finely chopped	3 medium
•	Salt	to taste
•	Sugar	1 teaspoon
•	Cornflour/ corn starch mixed with 1/2 cup water	3 tablespoons
•	White vinegar	1 tablespoon

Method
Finely chop onion.
Place cabbage, carrot, beans, capsicum, garlic, ginger, green chillies and salt in a bowl and mix with hand mashing them slightly. Add refined flour and mix.
Heat sufficient oil in a wok. Shape the vegetable mixture into coin shape and gently slide them into the hot oil and deep fry till golden. Drain on absorbent paper.
Heat 2 tbsps oil in a non stick wok. Add onion, celery, ginger, garlic, green chilli and sauté. Add soy sauce, 2 cups stock and mix.
Chop spring onion greens. Add salt and sugar to the sauce and mix. Add cornflour mixture and mix. Add vinegar and mix. Cook till the sauce thickens slightly.
Add fried coins. Serve garnished with spring onion greens, coriander leaves and mint leaves.

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Methi Matar Pulao

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Onion - 2
Tomato - 3
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Methi leaves - 1 cup tightly packed
(take the leaves alone, discard the stem )
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee/Butter - 1 tsp
Salt as required
Peas- ½ cup
Jeera/cumin seeds -1 tsp
Sombu/fennel seeds -1 tsp
Bay leaf -1
Coriander powder -2 tsp
Chilli Powder -1 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Garam masala -3/4 tsp

Method:
Chop onion and tomatoes.

Soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water completely.

Heat a tsp of ghee/butter and fry the drained rice for a few minutes. Keep it aside. This step is optional but it does give an additional flavor.

1.Heat oil, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds and bay leaf ,when jeera splutters, add chopped onions and saute till it turns transparent.

2.The add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few more seconds.

3.Add all the dry powders.
4.Add tomatoes and saute for a few more minutes followed by methi leaves .
Saute well till the leaves wilt.

5.Add needed salt , peas, 2 cups of boiling water and rice to it .
Tips - to check if the salt added is right, taste the water and see.

6.Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Serve it hot with raitha and banana chips.

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Besan ladoo

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups gram flour (basen)
• 2 tablespoons semolina flour (fine sooji)
• 1/2 cup unsalted melted butter (ghee)
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons sliced almonds (badam)
• 1/4 teaspoons coarsely grounded cardamom seeds (ilaichi)

For Garnish:

• 1 tablespoon melted butter or ghee
• 1 tablespoons sliced pistachios (pista)

Method

1.        Put the basen (gram flour), sooji, and melted butter in a large frying pan and mix.

2.        Turn the stove on to medium heat and begin to roast the basen mixture until basen becomes light golden brown in color.  Stir the mixture continuously with a spatula to prevent burning. Cooking on high heat will not allow the mixture to fully cook.

3.        When the color has changed you will also start to smell the sweetness of roasted basen. This should take about 7 to 10 minutes.

4.        Remove the pan from the heat and let the basen cool to a warm temperature. don’t let it become to room temperature.

5.        While the mixture is warm add and mix cardamom seeds, almonds, and sugar.

6.        To make the ladoos, take about 2 tablespoons of warm basen mixture into your palm. Gently press the mixture between your palms to form a smooth, round ball. The ladoos are usually about the size of a ping-pong ball, but you can adjust the as you prefer.

7.        When you have finished making all of the ladoos, take one ladoo at a time and dip the ladoo a quarter inch into melted butter or ghee. Then lightly touch the part of the ladoo with the butter into the sliced pistachios just enough so some pistachios stick to the ladoo.

8.        Put ladoos back on the plate with the pistachio side facing the top.

9.        Leave the ladoos on a plate to cool to room temperature before putting into a covered container. The ladoos can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 weeks.

The recipe makes approximately 15 ladoos.

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Mint coconut chutney

Ingredients:
1 fresh coconut
1 bunch of mint leaves
1 tbsp. peanut ,roasted, crushed
4-5 green chillies
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
for seasoning:
1 tsp.oil
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
4-5 curry leaves finely chopped
1 pinch asafoetida
2 dry red chillies

METHOD:

On a tava take 1 tsp of oil and fry mint then coconut well. Now
grind all the ingredients (except those for seasoning) together.
Grind till smooth.
Heat oil and add the seasoning ingredients. Pour hot oil over the chutney.
Mix gently.

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Undhiyu

I love Guajarati food and undhiyu is one such dish. From many years I am thinking of making it however, on 9^th july 2012 thanks to nisha aunty for sharing undhiyu recipe with me. Finally i prepared it, yes it took me 2 hours but when i tasted it all my hard work said its yummy :)

Undhiyu is prepared from different types of vegetables along with numerous spices. It is a unique and tasty dish made usually during winters. This recipe cannot be made in hurry, you should have ample time.

Ingredients for making Undhiyu

Vegetables

• Beans - 200gms
• Small brinjal - 5(100gms)
• Small potato - 8(250gms)
• Raw banana - 1(150gms)
• Sweet potato - 1(150gms)
• Yam - 100gms

Spices

• Oil - 4-5 tbsp
• Heeng (asafoetida) - 2 pinch
• Ajwain (Carom seeds) - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - add to taste (1 tsp)
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1/4-1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Aamchur (Dried mango powder) - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Powdered sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
• Peanuts - 2 tbsp
• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp
• Ginger(grated) - 2 inch long strip
• Green chilli(chopped) - 2-3
• Coriander(fine chopped) - 1 cup
• Lemon - 1

For preparing Muthiya(Chunks)

• Gramflour- 1/3 cup
• Wheat flour - 1/3 cup
• Salt - add to taste(1/6 tsp)
• Dhania (Coriander powder) - 1/2tsp
• Red chilli powder - less than 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - less than 1/4 tsp
• Methi (Fenugreek) - 1/2 cup(finely chopped)
• Oil - to fry Muthiya

How to make Undhiyu

Wash all the vegetables properly then drain the water.

How to make Muthiya for Undhiyu
Mix all the spices and gramflour together and pour 3 tsp oil to it. With the help of little water knead a dough of this mixture which should be harder than the dough prepared for puri. Cover the dough and leave it aside for 10 minutes.
Make small pieces from the dough made for Muthiya and roll them into 10-11 rolls of 2 inches in length. Pour oil in a pan and heat. Put the Muthiya into hot oil and fry. When these turn brown and crispy take out from pan. Muthiyas are ready.
Peel yam, sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch long pieces. Fry the pieces till they are soft and crispy then take them out of pan.
Grind roasted sesame seeds, peanuts and cashew nuts into a coarse powder. Grate ginger, chop green chillies and coriander(keep some of the chopped coriander aside) then mix all of these in a plate. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Dhania (powdered coriander), dried mango powder, garam masala, lemon juice and mix well. The spices required for Undhiyu are now ready.
Cut banana into  1/2 cm round pieces without peeling the banana. Remove the edges from the beans. Cut them into 1 inch long pieces and split them into halves. Cut the brinjal's cap and make 2 long cuts in such a way that it is not separated from the base. Peel potatoes and make 2 cuts in a way that it is joined on one side.
Fill potatoes and brinjals well with the spices and mix the remaining spices with the already cut banana, yam, sweet potatoes and beans.
Pour 4 tbsp oil into the cooker and heat. Add Hing, Ajwain and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. On roasting ajwain add beans, pieces of banana, less than 1 cup water, vegetables filled with spices and vegetables mixed with spices also into the cooker. Close the lid and allow Undhiyu to get cooked on a low flame for 15 minutes. Don't let much pressure to be created in the cooker and let the vegetables cook slowly from the steam.
Turn off the gas. Let the pressure escape from the cooker. Then, open the lid and add the fried yam, sweet potatoes and Muthiya without stirring the vegetables. Close the lid and cook vegetables for another 5 minutes. Open the lid and garnish it with coriander leaves. Undhiyu is prepared. Pour steaming hot Undhiyu into bowls and serve with hot puri, parantha or chapati.
Suggestion:
You can also add green garlic(chopped or paste) while preparing spices for Undhiyu as per desired taste.

It’s a super recipe, please find time to give it a try.

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Masala khichri

Ingredients:
Rice – 1 cup
Toor Daal – 1/2 cup
Water – 3 cups
Oil – 4 tsp
Clarified Butter (ghee) – 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon Stick – 1 inch piece
Asofoetida – pinch
Raw Peanuts – 2 Tbsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper – 1/2 tsp
Ground Cloves – 1/4 tsp
Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped
Garlic – 4 cloves, sliced
Green Chilies – to taste, slit
Ginger – 1 tsp, minced
Potato – 1 medium, diced
Frozen Green Peas – 1/2 cup
Salt – to taste
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Method:
1. Combine Rice and Toor Daal and wash until water runs clear.
2. Add 3 cups water and soak for 15-20 minutes (if time permits).
3. Heat Oil and Clarified Butter in a pressure cooker.
4. Add Cumin Seeds and allow them to sizzle.
5. Add Cinnamon Stick and Raw Peanuts. Cook until Peanuts turn light brown.
6. Add Asofoetida, Turmeric Powder, Ground Cloves and Black Pepper. Mix quickly.
7. Immediately add in Onions and stir well.
8. Add Garlic, Green Chilies and Ginger. Mix and cook for about 1 minute.
9. Add Potatoes, Peas, Salt, Red Chili Powder and mix well.
10. Add Rice and Daal with Water.
11. Check the salt, chili, etc and adjust as necessary.
12. Close the pressure cooker, cook until 1 whistle sounds and immediately switch off the stove.
13. Wait until the pressure from the cooker is gone before opening the lid.
14. Serve hot. www.thboxes.com

Rice roti, Chokha na Rotla, Rice Bhakri

Ingredients 
Rice flour/Pathiri flour - 1 1/2 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste

Method
1.Add salt to the water and bring it to a boil. (You can add some coconut to the water to enrich the taste).
2. Reduce the flame to low and add the flour. Mix everything well.
3. Switch off and leave it for 2 minutes.
(Tip: - The boiling water brings out the gluten in the flour. Rice flour is very low in gluten and cannot be rolled out easily like a wheat or maida if this step is skipped. If you use cold water the pathiri will crack and won’t stretch out while rolling.)
4. When the dough is still warm, knead it nicely like a chappatti dough.
5. Make small lemon sized balls.
6. Roll it out using a chappatti rolling pin or with hand or with pathiri (roti) press. (You can use little rice flour to prevent it from sticking. You can also use a lunchbox lid to cut the rolled out pathiri in a nice and smooth circle to make it more eye appealing.)
7. Heat a griddle (tawa) on high heat and then reduce the flame to medium.
8. Transfer the rolled out pathiri gently to the hot tawa.
9. Immediately sprinkle some water on the top surface to prevent it from getting dried up.
10. When one side starts cooking, flip and cook the other side. Repeat the flipping once more.
11. Using the back of a spoon or a folded paper towel, press gently on the pathiri for it to puff up.
12. Remove it from the griddle. Serve with chicken curry or any other gravy.

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Lachcha paratha

Ingrediants:

Wheat flour-3 cups

Oil-2 tblspn

Salt-1 tsp

Warm water as required

Method:

In a mixing bowl add flour,salt,oil and rub them together.

Gradually add warm water and mix it till it forms a dough..Knead the dough for 3 min.Apply oil on the dough and cover it with a bowl.Let it rest for 15 min.

Now divide the  dough into equal portions.Take a small ball and roll it into thin chappati.Apply oil on the chappati and spread it evenly.Dust some flour over the chappati and start folding it like a saree fleet.

Then Curl it to form a round shape.Apply a tsp of oil over the curled dough and let it rest until you make every dough like this.

Now take a curled dough and make chappatis out of it.Finish the entire dough like this.

Heat a tawa and put this chappati on to the tawa and cook on both sides by applying ghee or oil till done and golden.

Then remove it on to a plate and crush it with your hands,so that the flakes will separate.

Put this into a hot case so that it stays nice and warm.Serve hot.

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Cornmeal idli

Ingredients
Cornmeal - 2 cups
Sour Yogurt - 2 cups
 Cilantro - handful (finely chopped)
Curry Leaves - 1 strand (finely chopped)
Water - as needed for batter
Oil- 2 tblsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Channa dal- 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and channa dal.
2. Add the corn meal to this and roast it for few minutes. This step is optional but gives a nice nutty flavour. If you are in a hurry, skip this step.
3. Swith off and add grated carrot, chopped curry leaves, cilantro, yogurt and required salt.
4. Mix well and let this rest for 10-15 minutes.
5. Add water to bring it to the right consistency for making idlis.

  - Add a pinch of eco fruit salt to the above batter and mix nicely. Steam them in idli plates for 15 minutes.
Serve hot with sambar and coconut chutney. www.thboxes.com