Tomato and Cheese Open Tart

Ingredients:
Puff Pastry sheet- 1
Tomato- 1 sliced
Tomato sauce- 1 tbspn
Cheese

Cooking Method:

• Cut the Puff Pastry sheet into the shapes of your choice.
• Keep it on the greased baking tray.
• Spread tomato sauce onto the sheet on the baking tray.
• Now spread the cheese and tomato slices.
• Keep the tray in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 min at 200 deg cel.

Perfect Eggless Cake

I Always wanted to make eggless cake. Found hundreds of recipes and tried them too and i was disappionted many many times. But wanted to make a perfect eggless cake as we dont eat eggs. Here is the perfect one. You cannot go wrong with this recipe. I prepared this cake for my daughter and husband. They loved it and finished it all the same day. My daughter came to me the next day and asked weather i can prepare another cake for her.

Ingredients:

Maida - 1 and 1/2 cups
Thick Curd - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1 1/4 tsp
Cooking oil - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 1/2 tsp

Preparation Method:

• Sieve maida keep aside.
• Put sugar and curd in a mixing bowl and mix until sugar dissolves completely. Add baking powder, baking soda to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Leave aside for 15 mins and you can see the bubbles appearing. Now add vanilla essence,cooking oil and mix well.
• Next slowly add maida in portions at a time and blend with wet ingredients. Beat well with a whipper until creamy and thick.
• Preheat oven to 200 deg C for 10mins.Meanwhile greese the baking tray and pour the mixture into it.
• Bake in preheated oven at 200 degree C for 10 mins, then reduce temperature to 180 deg C and bake it for 25-30 mins.
• Then enjoy the perfect eggless cake.

Icing and decoration:
Icing can be done in two ways
1. Icing sugar + water
2. Icing sugar + butter.

1. Icing sugar + water:
Take 4 tbspn of Icing sugar and add some water(about 3 tspn). Mix well till you get the right consistency. then spread on the cake. Mix 1-2 drops of food colour in the remaining icing and make decorations.

2. Icing sugar + Butter:
Take 4 tbspn of Icing sugar and add some butter(about 3 tspn at room temp. you can add some water as well). Mix well till you get the right consistency. then spread on the cake. Mix 1-2 drops of food colour in the remaining icing and make decorations.

Sending this to BAKE FEST from Zesty Palette.

Rava Holige

this is the easiest puran poli ever. because it does not require any expertise in this field. My mom told me this recipe on phone and with her instructions i prepared it and the result was awsome. anybody and everybody can prepare it. yuuuuummmmmmmyyy!!!!!!

Ingredients:
For filling:
Rava or semolina(fine or extra-course)- 1 cup
jaggery- ½  cup
cardamom powder- 1/2 tspn
water- 2 cups for fine semolina and 3 cups for extra-course semolina.

For dough:
plain flour- 1/2 cup
wheat flour(wholemeal or chapati flour)-1/2 cup
salt
oil
***Alternatively you can prepare dough with only wheat flour. (That is above ingredients for dough without plain flour.)

Cooking Method:

• In a mixing bowl, add plain flour,wheat flour, salt.
• Heat 3-4 tbspn of oil and add to the mixing bowl.Mix it well with water and make into a smooth dough.dont make it too though.let it be very smooth.
• keep it aside for 1/2 an hour.
• Put the water in a vessel and bring it to boil. Add jaggery and cook until jaggery melts.
• Filter the mixture. Keep it to boil again.
• Add semolina and mix well and cook till it attains the consistency as shown in 1^st image.
• Now grease your hands with oil. Take small amount of dough. Make it flat.
• Take  double size filling and fill it into the dough so that the dough covers the whole filling. As shown in picture 2.
• Apply oil and roll it on a flat surface by applying oil.
• shallow fry on the pan both sides.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve hot with ghee and popadum Or sugar syrup.

Things to consider:

1. Dont let the dough very though. Make it very smooth. this is because if its very though the filling will not spread evenly.
2. Dont  roast the semolina or else it will not cook in the jaggery and water mixture. If the semolina smells then just warm it a little.

Methi-Toordal Curry

This is my Mom's recipe. All in my house love this dish and won't need any side dish when its prepared. I love this soooooo much that, whenever i go to market first thing to buy is methi. Toordal is main and must ingredent for this one. This dish is dedicated to my mom.

Ingredients:

Toor dal – 1 handful(i.e about 4 tablespoon)

Methi – 1 bunch

Onion – 1 large finely chopped(optional)

Tomato – 1 chopped

Turmeric powder – ½ tspn

Cumin and mustard seeds – 1 tspn

Garam Masala- 1 tspn

Red chilli powder – ½ tspn

Salt to taste

Sugar- ½ tspn

Oil 2 tbspn or ghee

Preparation method:

• Clean the methi from the bunch, wash it and chop roughly. Keep aside.
• Pressure cook toordal. Or you can choose your way of boiling them. Keep aside.
• In a sauce pan, heat oil or ghee and add Cumin–Mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
• Add onion and fry till golden brown.
• Add tomato, sugar and salt. Mix well and stir for 1 min and cover it with lid and cook for 1-2 min.(this will help cook tomato and you can mash them up easily by pressing with the back of the spoon).
• Now mash the tomatoes, add garam masala, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and methi.
• Mix well and keep frying for 2-3 mins. That is till the methi is softened.
• Now add toordal and mix well.
• Add lemon juice if required.(to give the tangy flavour)
• Taste it and add salt, sugar or chilli powder if required

Serving Suggestions:

Serve hot with chapatti with some raitha. Click here for different healthy raitha recipes.

Things to be considered:

1. Don’t cook the methi too much as it may loose its nutrients.
2. Don’t under cook the dal as this may cause indigestion. All dals must be cooked well to digest properly. Otherwise may cause gas in the stomach.
3. Always check for right quantity of salt and chilli powder.
4. The lemon juice added at the end will give nice tangy taste to the dish which is awesome. If you feel its too lemony then add more sugar.
5. You may add chopped green chilli if you need hot curry.

Potato curry or aloo bhaaji

Ingredients:

Potatoes- 4 large

Ginger paste-1 tspn

Onion – 1 large chopped

Turmeric powder – ½ tspn

Green chillies – 1 to 2 chopped

Cumin and mustard seeds – 1 tspn

Curry leaves- 5 to 10 leaves

Coriander –to garnish

Salt to taste

Oil 3 tbspn (more oil taste better)

Preparation method:

• Pressure cook the potatoes and remove the skin and cut into small cubes. Or u can boil the potatoes as u like.
• Heat oil in a frying pan. Add cumin and musterd seed and allow them to splutter.
• Now add ginger paste, this will bring nice flavor.
• Now add onion and curry leave and green chillies and fry till onion is golden brown.
• Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
• Add potatoes and mix well.
• Garnish with coriander.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve hot with dosa, chapatti or puri.

Masala Dosa

Ingredients:

For batter:

Rice – 1 cup

Urad dal (white lentils) – 1/3 cup

Poha or flattened rice or avalakki – 1 handful

Mung dal – 1 handful(around ¼ cup)

Chana dal - 1 handful(around ¼ cup)

For dosa:

Salt – ½ tspn

Sugar – ½ tspn

Preparation method:

• Mix all the ingredients in a large container. Wash them and soak for around 6 hours.
• After 6 hours of soaking, grind them into nice fine paste to the consistency as shown in above image.
• Keep this mixture in warm place for overnight. If its not warm place then can take 14-16 hours to ferment.
• Next day the mixture will appear bubbly.
• Now add salt and sugar and keep for 5-10 mins.
• Heat the pan, pour some batter and make round shapes and cook on both sides by applying oil. If you think the dosa will stick to the pan then add 1-2 pinch of bi-carbonate soda to the batter. And also cover the pan while cooking.
• Apply butter and serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve hot with potato curry, sambar and coconut chutney.

 Sending this to BREAKFAST MELA by Srivalli.

Rava Payasa,samolina payasa,suji payasa

Ingredients:

Suji or extra course Samolina – 1 cup

Cardamom power - ¼ tspn

Jaggery - 1 cup

Water-  3  cups

Dry Coconut(grated)(optional)- 2 tbspn

Milk - 1 cup

Cooking Method:

• Roast the semolina or suji for around 5 mins(not too much) and keep aside now.
• Put water in a saucepan or a vessel and bring it to boil.
• Add semolina or suji, coverit and cook till the suji is soft.(around 10mins).
• Then add jaggery and ¼ tspn of cardamom power. Cardamom power will bring the best flavour.
• Stir well. and cook till the jaggery melts. then add milk and bring to boil.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve hot with ghee and papad.

Sambar powder

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds - 1cup

Geera –  little less than ½ cup

Chana dal – 1 tspn

Urad dal – 1 tspn

Dry red chillies - 15

Dry coconut (grated) – 1 cup

Cooking Method:

• Roast all the ingredients separately.
• Except coconut, grind all the ingredients to make fine powder. (don’t mix coconut first because the oil in it will not allow other ingredients to grind into fine powder.)
• Now put the dry coconut and grind again.
• Nice tasty sambar powder is ready.

Sambar

Ingredients:

Toor dal- 1 cup

Vegetables – 1 cup ( Ex: beans, potato, peas, carrots. You can use any vegetables of your choice)

Tamarind juice – 4 to 5 tbspns

Jaggery – little less than the size of a small lemon.

Tomato – 1 big

Geera – 1 tspn

Mustard seeds – 1 tspn.

Curry leaves

Coriander for garnishing.

Salt to taste.

Red chilli powder – 1 tspn

Turmeric powder – ½ tspn

Sambar powder – 1½  tbspn.

Water – 3 cups

Oil – 1 tbspn

Cooking Method:

• Take 3 cups of water in a sauce pan. When water starts to boil add washed toor dal. When it startes boiling again add chopped tomatoes. Alternatively you can pressure cook the toordal with 3 cups of water and tomatoes. You can also cook vegetables in it. Or choose your way of cooking the toor dal.
• Boil vegetables and keep aside.
• Take the water left behind after boiling toordal and vegetables and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a sauce pan. Add geera and mustard, let them splutter.
• Add curry leaves, tamarind juice and jaggery. Bring it to boil.
• Then add salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, sambar powder and all the boiled vegetables. Cook for 2 mins.
• Meanwhile mash toor dal and add it to the boiling mixture.
• Cook for 5-10 mins and garnish with coriander.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve hot with idli, rice, dosa etc. its yummy.

Matar Paneer (peas panner)

Ingredients:

Fresh Peas – 1 cup

Paneer- 200 grms(cut into small cubes)

Onion- 1
Tomatoes- 2
Ginger-Garlic paste- 1 tspn
Garam masala- 1 tspn
Red chilli powder- ½ to 1 tspn
Turmeric- ¼ tspn
Salt to taste
Oil – 3 tbspn
Cumin and mustard seeds- 1 tspn
Fresh Cream or milk-1/2 cup (i usaully use milk as it contains less fats)

Cooking Method:

• Grind onion in a blender to make paste. Keep it aside now.
• Grind tomatoes in a blender to make paste. Keep it aside now.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add Cumin and mustard seeds, let them splutter.
• Add ginger-garlic paste. Then add onion paste. Fry till golden brown.
• Add tomato paste. Mix it well and cover the pan and cook for 5 min or till all the tomato smell is gone.
• Then add all the powders. That is Garam masala, Red chilli powder, Turmeric and mix well. Fry till the oil comes out.
• Add fresh peas and cream or milk cook for 5 mins.
• Add paneer cubes, mix well and cook till they are soft.
• Garnish with coriender and serve hot.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve hot with chapatti or puri.

Palak paneer(Spinach and indian cheese curry)

Ingredients:

Palak or spinach – 250 grms(washed and chopped)

Paneer- 200 grms(cut into small cubes)

Onion- 1 chopped

Tomatoes- 1 chopped

Ginger-Garlic paste- 1 tspn

Garam masala- 1 tspn

Geera and dhaniya powder- ½ tspn each
Red chilli powder- ½ to 1 tspn
Turmeric- ¼ tspn
Salt to taste
Oil – 3 tbspn
Cumin and mustard seeds- 1 tspn
Butter(optional) -1 tspn

Cooking Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add Cumin and mustard seeds, let them splutter.
• Add ginger-garlic paste. Then add onion. Fry till onion are golden brown.
• Add tomatoes and salt. Mix it well and cover the pan so that the tomatoes turn into paste.
• Then add all the powders. That is Garam masala, Geera and dhaniya powder, Red chilli powder, Turmeric and mix well. Fry for 1 min.
• Add paneer cubes, mix well and cook till they are soft.
• Then add spinach or palak and mix well and cook for 3-4 mins to retain all the nutrients in spinach. If you cook more the the healthy nutrients are lost.
• You can add butter or cream or even curd(yogurt) at the end and take off the heat.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve hot with chapatti.

Suji halwa or shira or kaseribath

Ingredients:

Suji or fine Samolina – 1 cup

Ghee – 2 tbspn

Cardamom power - ¼ tspn

Sugar- 1 cup

Water-  2½  cups

Cashewnuts(optional) - 10

Cooking Method:

• Roast the semolina or suji in 1 tbspn ghee till it’s a little light brown (not too much) and keep aside now.
• Roast the cashewnuts in ghee till they are golden brown.
• Meanwhile put water and sugar in a saucepan or a vessel and bring it to boil.
• And when the sugar is melted and ¼ tspn of cardamom power. This will bring the best flavour.
• Now add the remaining ghee and semolina. Stir well.
• When its cooked and turn into paste like consistency, take off the heat.
• Decorate with cashewnuts. Cashewnuts can be added in the boiling water and sugar mixture as well.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve hot with ghee and papad.

Dessert made from banana

Ingredients:

Bananas -2

Milk -100 ml

Sugar -6 tspn

Cardamom powder- ¼ tspn

Cooking Method:

• Take milk in a vessel and warm it up.You can use microwave for this or just on stove.
• Dissolve sugar in it and add cardamom powder as well.
• Cut the bananas into small pieces or slice them into thin pieces.Actually smaller pieces are better.
• Add them to the milk.
• You can alwys taste the dish and alter the amount of sugar.

Serving Suggestion:

serve with puri or chapati. Or else can be just eaten as dessert.

Sesame Seed Snack Bar(Chikki)

Sesame seeds are good to consume in winter. This is a healthy snack. Can be eaten any time.

Ingredients:

Sesame seeds- 1 cup

Groundnuts or peanuts- ¼ cup

Jaggery-  ½ cup

Ghee- 1 tbspn

Cooking Method:

• Roast the sesame seeds till they are a little crispy and keep aside for now.
• Roast the peanuts and break them into small pieces.
• Now heat ghee in a pan, add jaggery and stir till the jaggery pieces are dissolved.
• Add sesame seeds and groundnuts(peanuts) and mix well.
• Grease a plate and put the above mixture in it.
• Now pat it when it is still hot. With the help of knife mark it with the shapes you like. (this all should be done when its hot else you cannot shape because it hardens.)
• When cooled just break into marked shapes.

Sending this to SNACK MELA by Srivalli. Can't wait to find out snack recipes.

Beetroot-Carrot Salad

I always like to eat healthy salads with my meal, so i

Experiment lot of things. This is one of the results of my experiments. I like it so much that I prepare it every alternate day.

Ingredients:

Beetroot- 1 cup grated

Carrot- 1 cup grated

Onion- ½ chopped

Green chilli- 1 or red chilli powder-1/2 tspn

Salt to taste

Oil- 1 tspn

Lemon juice-1 tbspn

Coriander

Cooking Method:

• Heat oil in a vessel. Add onion, fry for sometime. Add green chilli or red chilli powder.
• Add grated beetroot and salt. Cover it with the lid and allow to cook for 2-3 min.
• Add carrot and mix well. (if you want carrot to be soft then cook for 2 more mins otherwise just cover it with the lid and turn off the heat)
• Add Lemon juice, mix well and Garnish with coriander.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve as side dish with chapatti, or any bread.