BEERAKAYA PAPPU ( Toori Dal )

Ingredients:
Toor dal .......... 1 cup
Toori (ridge gourd).... 2-3
Tomato .................... 1
Green chilli .............. 1
Methi leaves ........... 1 small bunch
Coriander leaves .... handful
Turmeric powder .... 1/4 th tsp.
Tamarind juice ....... 2 tbsps.
Ginger - garlic paste ... 1 tbsp.
Salt .............................. to taste
Oil
Dry roast and grind:
Coriander seeds .... 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds ............ 1/4 tsp
Sesame seeds ........... 1/4 th tsp.
Poppy seeds ............. 1/4 tsp
Pepper corns ........... 4-5
Dessicated coconut ... 1 tsp
For Tempering:
Mustard seeds .... 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies .... 2-3
Curry leaves ....... few
Asafoetida ........... a pinch.
Method:
1. Wash and soak toor dal for 2-3 hours. Boil coarsely adding a little salt and set aside.
2. Peel and cut the toories into pieces.
3. In a pan add a little oil, saute the ginger garlic paste. Add the toories and chopped tomato and green chillies. Stir fry adding salt, turmeric powder and the methi and coriander leaves. Simmer till almost done and add a tsp. of the dry roasted and ground masala, tamarind juice and cook for a minute.
4. Stir in the boiled dal.
5.Fry the tempering ingredients and mix.

MIXED VEGETABLE SALAD

Ingredients:
Potatoes ..... 1
Carrots....... 1
Green peas .. 1/2 cup
Beans .......... 6-8
Olives.......... 5-6
Mayonnaise .. 2 tbsps.
White pepper.. 1/2 tsp.
Salt ............... to taste
Olive oil ....... 1 tsp. ( optional)
Method:
1. Cut all the vegetables into small pieces. Boil them ( except olives)adding a little salt. Let them cool.
2. Mix the chopped olives, mayonnaise and white pepper.
3. Refrigerate at least for an hour before serving.
( You may add any vegetables of your choice)
To make the pineapple birds click HERE
Linking to:
Lets make Salads @ Simply.Food

APPLE & GOOSEBERRY JUICE

Ingredients:
Apples .......... 1
Gooseberries.. 8-10
Mint leaves ... 4-5
Sugar ........... 1-2 tsp ( optional)
Water .......... 2-3 cups.
Method:
1. Blend the fruits adding water, sugar and mint leaves.
2. Strain and serve chilled.
3. Garnish with mint leaves and a gooseberry.

Linking this to:
Serve it - Blended @ Krithi's Kitchen & Oh Taste N See

SABUDANA VADA ( Vrat ka Khana)

Ingredients:
Sabudana ...... 1 cup
Potato ........... 1 (boiled and mashed)
Shingara flour .. 1 tbsp. (water chestnut flour)
Peanuts ............ 1 tbsp. (dry roast and grind coarsely)
Black pepper powder .... 1/4 tsp.
Rock salt ...................... to taste
Amchoor powder ......... 1.4 tsp.
Oil
Method:
1. Soak the sabudana with enough water to cover for 3-4 hours.

2. Mix all the above ingredients except oil.

3. Make round balls with moist hands and flatten them a bit.
4. Deep fry and serve hot.
(when you are not fasting you can add all the spices, green chillies and make them chatpata)
Linking to:
Shravan Event @ Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey & Spicy Treats

NAANS - (Garlic, Pudina & Plain)

Ingredients:
White flour ....... 2-3 cups
Ghee or Butter...1 tbsp.
Sugar ................. 1 tsp.
Salt .....................1 tsp.
Yeast ................. 1 cube (or) Dry yeast 1tbsp.
(If you are using dry yeast take about half cup luke warm water, sprinkle sugar and yeast on top of it and leave it in a warm place for 5 minutes.When it becomes frothy , mix it with the flour.If the water is too hot it will not rise, so make sure the water is luke warm.)
Method:

1. Make a well in the flour, sprinkle sugar and yeast on top of this. Add salt and ghee on the side and knead the flour with luke warm water.

2. Leave the dough for about an hour to rise.

3. Now roll out the naans using oil .(do not use flour to roll)
4. Apply water on one side and put the watered side on a hot griddle.
5. Roast the naans using a little ghee .
Garlic naans:
Roll out the naan and apply crushed garlic.
Pudina naans:
Roll out the naan and spread finely chopped mint leaves.
Linking to:
Spotlight: Rice/Rotis @ Cuisine Delights & Recipe Junction

Dish name starting with N @ Learning to Cook

SATPURA (Sindhi Sweet)

This sweet is prepared in the month of Shravan for the Satam ( Saptami )Festival. I have learnt this from my grand mother. Those days everything was prepared at home in large quantities to be shared with friends and neighbours. She used to make me sit next to her to observe how she made them.It is a bit tricky how to roll and fry these without making them brown. They have to be white and crunchy.
Ingredients:
White flour .......... 2-3 cups
Oil ........................ for frying
Sugar .................. (for sprinkling)
For Garnishing:
Cardamom powder
Pistachio powder
Method:

1. Knead the flour with water. (nothing else to be added)

2. In a bowl mix 2 tbsp. oil and 2 tbsp. white flour.

3. Roll a small portion of dough, without using flour to roll. You may use oil to roll if needed.

4. Cut into strips. Now stretch each strip and apply the flour-oil paste and join all the strips to make a round roll.


5. Roll this lightly, again using oil if needed.

6. In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry this. Using the tongs, open it up lightly. It has to be fried on a very low flame, taking care not to make it brown. It should be crisp.

7. Drain the oil from the satpuras and let them cool.

8. Sprinkle sugar, cardamom powder and pistachio powder on top.
(Do not sprinkle sugar while hot)

ROTI / PURI - WITH SHINGARA FLOUR( Vrat ka Khana)

During the fasting season Shingara Flour ( watre chestnuts flour) is used to make rotis, puris, halwa etc etc.
Ingredients:
Shingara flour ..... 2 cups
Potato ................. 1 (boiled and mashed)
Rock salt ............ to taste
Crushed black pepper .. 1/4 tsp.
Cumin or caraway seeds ... 1/2 tsp (optional)
Oil to fry.
Method:
1. Mix the mashed potato, salt, crushed black pepper,cumin seeds,half tbsp. oil and knead into a hard dough.(add very little water or else the atta becomes too soft to handle)
2. Roll out small puris and deep fry.The dough is like bajra or jowar, if you find it difficult to roll, just pat with your hands on the board using dry flour and lift with a spatula.
3. If you like rotis you can roast them on a griddle applying ghee or oil.

BATATA SUICA

Batata Suica (pronounced - sui-sa) Swiss Potatoes...must've been adapted from a Swiss recipe.
Had this in a restaurant in Brazil recently. It was really delicious.... tasted like Hash Brown Potatoes with suffing. I asked chef for the recipe and he gladly explained to me how to make it. It can also be made with other fillings like shredded meat, sliced sausages or vegetables.

Ingredients:
Potatoes ... 4-5 medium sized
Chicken ... 1 small fillet (boneless)
Cheese ..... 2 -3 tbsps. (grated)
Dry basil .... to sprinkle (my addition for extra flavor)
Salt ........... to taste
Olive oil
Method:
1. Half boil the potatoes. Peel and grate them on the thick side of the grater.

2. Boil the chicken adding salt and cut it into small pieces. Alternately you can grill the fillet and cut the pieces.

3. You require 2 flat pans of the same size. In one pan pour olive oil about (2 tbsps) and spread half of the grated potatoes.

4. Spread the chicken pieces and cheese. Also sprinkle the herbs of your choice. Spread the remaining potatoes and a little salt on top.

5. Roast it on medium/low flame for 2-3 minutes, pressing with a spatula.

6. Pour oil again in another pan and carefully flip the other side into it.

7. Roast the other side also pressing with a spatula.

Serve hot with crushed pepper/chilli flakes/tabasco.

SHINGARE KA SHEERA (Vrat ka Khana)

On fasting days we make use of shingara flour. Here is a recipe of sheera made with it.
Ingredients:
Shingara flour ..... 1/2 cup
Green cardamoms..2-3
Ghee .................... 1 tbsp. (if you take melted take 1 and 1/2)
Sugar ..................2-3 tbsp. (according to your taste)
Pistachios ..... to garnish (crushed)
Method:
1. In a pan heat the ghee and add the crushed cardamoms.

2.When you get the aroma add the flour and keep stirring on medium flame until it gets a nice brown colour.

3. Add one cup water and stir quickly to avoid lumps.

4. Now add the sugar and mix well. Keep mixing for half a minute till the consistency is thick.
Garnish with pistachios.

SWEET POTATO IN JAGGERY SYRUP ( Vrat Ka Khana )

We make this on Ekadasi day.
Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes ..... 2 ( select small ones)
Jaggery ................ 2-3 tbsps.
Salt ............ a pinch
Ghee ......... 1 tsp.
Cardamom powder ... 1/4 tsp
Method:
1. Wash and cut the sweet potato into half inch circles. Peel the skin ( it is easier to peel after slicing)
2. Heat the ghee and add the sweet potato. Stir fry and add one cup of water, jaggery, cardamom powder and a pinch of salt.
3. Simmer and cook until done.

QUICK N SPICY TOMATO CHUTNEY

Here's a quick n spicy tomato chutney recipe, which you can whip up in 15-20 minutes with only 3-4 ingredients to serve with any good South Indian snack:
Ingredients:
Tomatoes..... 5
Green/Red Chillies...: 8-10 if less hot, 2-3 more if u need spicier
Salt to taste
Garlic..... 2-3 pods (optional)
Method:
1. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a pan, add split chillies and fry for a minute.
2. Add sliced tomatoes & garlic pods and mix well. Fry until the entire water content of tomatoes disappears... the quantity almost halves at this stage. Keep stirring in between. The process takes about 15 mins.
3. Add salt.
4. Remove from fire and let it cool.
5. Grind in a mixer to a fine paste.
Note: At no stage is any amount of water added in the recipe... not even while grinding. Some people prefer this chutney as coarsely ground. This chutney tastes well with plain steamed rice, appams, dosas and idlis.
(This has no tempering of any sort.)

GREEN PEAS STUFFED PURIS

Ingredients:
Green peas ...... 1 cup
Gram flour / besan ... 1 tbsp.
Coriander seeds .......... 1 tbsp.
Cumin seeds ............... 1 tsp.
Aniseeds/saunf ........... 1 tbsp.
Dried chillies ............ 2-3
Amchoor powder ........ 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder ....... a pinch
Coriander leaves ......... chopped finely.
Wheat flour ............... 2 cups
Salt ........................... to taste
Oil
Method:
1. Boil green peas. Drain the water and set aside.

2.Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, aniseeds and dry red chillies.
Grind them coarsely.

3.Heat a tsp. of oil and fry the besan.

4.Crush the green peas with fingers and mix the ground masala, besan, salt, amchoor powder, a pinch of turmeric powder, coriander leaves and mix well.
5. Knead a soft dough adding salt and a tsp. of oil. If the dough is hard the filling comes out while rolling.

6.Roll out a small amount of dough, stuff the filling, seal it and roll into puris.

7. Deep fry the puris and serve with curd or pickle.

BEEF FILLETS IN TOASTED COCONUT

Ingredients:
Beef fillet .... 200 gms. ( Small pieces 4-5)
Garlic paste .. 1 tsp
Ginger ......... 1 tsp (grated)
Lemon juice .. 1-2 tbsps
Coriander powder ... 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder .... 1/4 tsp
Dessicated coconut ... 2 tbsps
Salt .......... to taste
Oil ... 2-3 tbsps.
Method:
1. Wash the beef fillets. Pat them dry with a kitchen towel and flatten them with a meat mallet.

2. Mix the lemon juice, garlic salt and the spice powders. Marinate and let it stand for at least 1 hour.

3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the beef fillets. Simmer and fry until brown, turning once or twice.

4. Add the coconut and grated ginger. Toss until the coconut is toasted.
Garnish and serve.