Cheesy veggie Pulao

This ones simple n delicious

You Need
2 cups mix veggies of ur choice - I use- peas,beans,carrots,corn,cauliflower
2 onions
2 tomatoes
2 cups rice
1 pack mexican cheese
1 tbsp whole garam masala
1 tbsp each, turmeric,red chilli and coriander powder
5 sprigs coriander leaves
1 tbsp GGP

Soak rice for an hour. Add a pinch of salt and cook till 75% done. Once done, immediately open and let the steam escape.
Heat one tbsp oil.Add onions and GGP
Saute for few mins and add all dry masalas and 1 tbsp salt.
Saute for atleast 15 mins more and then add tomatoes and cook till they are done.
Run this mix thru the blender.
Now add another tbsp of oil and add whole garam masalas and mix veggies.
Add a tbsp of salt and let cook till tender. Now add the onion mix and cook for few more mins.
Add cheese, mix well and turn off the heat.
Now mix rice and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with raita.

Paneer Jalfrezi

You Need

1 1/2 inch (200 g) - paneer dices
1 - onion
1 - capsicum
1 - tomatoes
2 tbsp - oil
1 tbsp - ginger and garlic paste
1 tbsp - malt vinegar / lemon juice
1 tbsp - chopped coriander
1 tsp - jeera
3/4 tsp - dhania powder
1/2 tsp - red chilli powder
1/4 tsp - turmeric powder
salt to taste


1. Heat oil and add jeera.
2. When it crackles, add ginger and garlic paste and saute it
3. Add diced onion and diced capsicum, toss for a minute
4. Add dry masalas and toss
5. Add diced paneer, chopped coriander and malt vinegar or lemon juice
6. cook for 1-2 minute
7. Add diced tomatoes and cook for another 2 mins
8. Garnish with chopped coriander

Apple Pie

My Thanksgiving Dessert

You Need
For the crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

For the filling
3 Peeled Apples
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Warm the butter in the microwave until it is soft, but not melted.
Mix in a large bowl:2 cups all-purpose flour,1 teaspoon salt,1 tablespoon sugar
Then knead into a soft dough using 6 tablespoons butter,6 tablespoons shortening and
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
Peel and slice your apples.
Soak them in water with a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Mix in large mixing bowl:1 cup sugar,2 tablespoons flour,1/2 teaspoon cinnamon,1/4 teaspoon salt,1 tablespoon vinegar.
Now, drain the water off of the apples and mix them with the spices.
Now that your pie crust has had plenty of time to cool, divide it into two, equal halves.
Roll one of the balls of pie crust out until it is around 1/8th of an inch thick.
Place this in a 9 inch baking pan
Once you have shaped it to fit the inside of the pan, take a fork and poke holes in the bottom of the crust. This will let the steam out as the pie bakes.
Dump all of the apples in the pie. Place about 4 chunks of butter on top of apple filling. This will give the filling rich flavor.
Roll out the remaining pie dough and place it on top.
Cut long strips of tinfoil and place them around the edge of the pie.
This will prevent the crust's edge from burning while it bakes. You will want to take the tinfoil off about ten minutes before the pie is done. This way, the apple pie will have a golden brown edge.
Bake your pie at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Moong Papdi

Kuch teekha ho jaye..I know there is no "T" for the word teekha in English..

You Need
2 Cups Wheat Flour
1/2 cup yellow moong dal
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp Green Chilly-Coriander paste
2 tbsp GGP (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup oil

Soak moong for 30 mins in minimal water.
Mix all the ingredients , do not add water apart from soaked moong and knead into a stiff dough.
Cover and keep for 20 mins.
Roll out into thin sheets and cut into circles.
Spray minimal oil on the cookie sheet and then on the discs.
Bake @ 250F for 45 mins till golden brown,flipping sides in 20 mins.
Spray oil the flipped sides too.
You could deep fry as done traditionally. If frying, do let the discs dry for 2-3 hours b4 frying.This will help use less oil and make them crispy.

Meethi Papadi

This one is just like thin wheat cracker..slightly on the sweeter side..

You Need
2 cups wheat flour
1/2 cup ghee
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 cup jaggery or sugar
water to knead

Dissolve jaggery in as lil water as possible. You can warm it a bit to help dissolve, but dont overdo.
Mix flour,ghee and sesame seeds well.
Knead with jaggery mix into a stiff dough. Cover and keep for 15 mins.
Roll out as thin as possible.
Cut into circles.
Spray oil on a cookie sheet and spread the discs.Spray oil on the discs too.
Bake it at 250F for 30-45 mins till golden brown.Flip @ 20 min interval and spray oil on flipped side too.
You can also deep fry these. if you do that, do dry the discs for 2-3 hrs both sides before frying. This will make them crisp.

MyColeSlaw

yeah my coleslaw as I modified it according to my taste..
don't go by the name, its just a salad..nice variation

You Need
1 cup Cabbage
1/4 cup peanuts
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
chat masala optional

Just mix cabbage and peanut and run thru a chopper.
Add the rest of 'em and mix well.

Coleslaw has carrots n purple cabbage grated fine in this mix.

Fall

 

Gajar ka Halwa

hhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnn mooh mein pani aa gaya :)

You Need
10 healthy carrots
1/2 gallon milk
1.5 cups sugar
1 tbsp cardamom powder
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds,cashews
1/2 cup ghee

Here comes the mehnet wala part - grate carrots fine
Heat ghee in a deep pan.
Add grated carrots and saute for 5 mins.
Add milk and let cook till 80% of the milk solidifies.This may take about 45 mins.
Add Sugar,dry fruits and cook for 10 more mins.
Remove from heat and sprinkle cardamom powder. Serve it hot or chilled. Both ways tastes awesome.

South Indian Dinner/Lunch/Breakfast

yeah true, these can b had as any meal of the day..never get bored of 'em.Today's menu consists of Dosa, Idly, chutney and Sambar.

You Need-
For Dosa
3 cups Rice
1 cup urad dal
1 tbsp each poha,tur dal,chana dal,methi seeds
1 tbsp salt

For Idly
3 cups idly rava
1 cup urad dal
1 tbsp salt

Chutney
2 cups roasted peanuts
1/2 cup tamarind extract
2 garlic cloves
3 green chillies
2 tsp salt

Sambar
1 cup tur dal
1 cup mixed veggies cubed fine of your choice - i prefer - green beans, carrots, potatoes.
1 huge onion
2 tomatoes
2 tbsp sambar powder
2 tbsp GGP
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup tamarind extract
1 tbsp grated coconut

If you want to prepare these for Saturday's breakfast, you need to do some home work on Friday.
In the morning, soak rice and dals for dosa and idly.You can mix all ingredients for dosa and keep idly urad dal separate.
Evening or 8 hours later,
Grind the mix for dosa.Add salt and mix well.
Grind urad dal for idly.Now mix idly rava to this paste and add salt.
Cover well and keep in a warm place.Let these ferment overnight.

Sambar :-
Come saturday morning, soak tur dal for sambar about 30 minutes.
Add mix veggies to dal and pressure cook.
In a deep pan, add 2 tbsp oil.
Splutter MC seed and add onions.Saute till golden brown.
Add GGP and few secs later add tomato puree.
Saute till oil leaves the mix.
Now add the cooked dal and veggies.
Add sambar powder,tamarind extract and salt.
Let cook well for 30 minutes on sim, add plenty of water to achieve desired consistency. I prefer it more towards the fluid side as dosa makes you feel very thirsty and sambar helps.

Peanut Chutney :-
Mix all ingredients and grind adding water to fine paste.Isn't that simple?
you could top some olive oil on it to give some flavor.

Idly :-
Heat water in idly cooker.
Place the batter in idly plates and steam cook in idly cooker.
If you have traditional idly cooker - it would take 20 mins.Remember not to place whistle.
Microwave version will take 4 mins for 2 plates.

Dosa :-
Heat tava and oil it properly.
Take a serving spoon full dosa batter and spread rapidly starting from the center towards the edges. Do not touch any area twice to get good crispy dosa.
Let cook till golden brown, optionally turn the sides.