Friday, December 9, 2011

Bread Channa

  



Ingredients

  • Bread slices - 10
  • Channa(chick peas) - 1 1/2 cups
  • Onion - 2 medium size
  • Tomato - 2 medium size
  • Chilly powder - 2 tsp or adjust
  • Readymade channa masala powder(optional) - 1 tsp
  • Garam masala(optional) - 1/2 tsp
  • Oil - 2 tbsp
  • Butter to toast the bread slices
  • Salt to taste


To grind (Group II)

  • Aniseeds - 1 1/2 tsp
  • Khus- khus - 1 tsp
  • Cloves - 2
  • Cardamon - 1
  • Cinnamon - small piece
  • Garlic - 3
  • Ginger - equal to garlic
  • Coconut - 1 1/2 tbsp


To garnish (group III)

  • Chopped onion
  • Chopped  tomato
  • Chopped coriander leaves


Method
  • Soak the chickpeas overnight & cook (with salt) till it becomes soft.
  • Grind the group II ingredients & keep it aside.
  • Heat oil in kadai on high medium flame & fry the onions.
  • Add tomatoes and fry till it becomes mashy.
  • Add salt & spice powders & cook for 2 minutes.
  • Also add boiled chickpeas & mix well.
  • Stir in the grinded masala & add water if needed.
  • Cover & cook till the raw smell leaves the gravy.
  • Remove it from flame, when the gravy becomes thick.

Serving
  • Toast the bread with little butter & spread some channa masala on it.
  • Sprinkle group III ingredients on top of it & serve hot.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Apple turnover



Ingredients

  • Pastry sheet - 1 (thawed)
  • Green Apple - 1 (peeled, cored & chopped)
  • Butter - 1 tbsp
  • Sugar - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp
  • Lemon juice - 1/2
  • Cinnamon powder - 2 pinches
  • Beaten egg white for brushing the pastries


Method

  • Melt butter in the pan & fry the apple till it becomes soft. (mine was little crunchy this time)
  • Now add the sugar, lemon juice & cinnamon powder. Fry till it becomes slightly thick.
  • Allow it to cool completely before using it for stuffing.




  • Cut square shapes out of the pastry sheet (approximately 3 or 4 inches each side).




  • Now place the stuffing & fold it like a triangle as show in the picture.




  • Brush the egg white on top of the puff pastries.




  • Now sprinkle some sugar on it.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
  • Place the puff pastries & bake it for 20 - 30 minutes or till the top layer becomes golden brown in color.


Tips for the recipe - Do not place the stuffing when it is hot or warm. This makes the butter in the pastries to melt & become loose. Work on the pastry sheets when it is slightly chill. So that, handling becomes easy. If you feel the sheet are not comfortable to handle then put it in the fridge for few minutes. So that it becomes cool & easy for shaping.

Pav bhaji



Ingredients

  • Buns - 6
  • Mixed vegetable (carrot, beans, cauliflower, peas) - 3/4 cup (boiled)
  • Potato - 1 medium size (boiled)
  • Tomato - 2 large (chopped)
  • Onion - 1 medium size (chopped)
  • Aniseed (coarsely powdered) - 1 tsp
  • Ginger-garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilly powder - 1 tsp or to taste
  • Green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
  • Lemon - 1/2
  • Chopped red onions - to garnish
  • Coriander leaves - handful
  • Oil or butter - 1 tbsp
  • Butter - 1 tbsp or adjust to taste
  • Some more butter to toast the buns


Method

  • Toast the buns by adding little butter.
  • Heat oil or butter & fry onions on high -medium flame.
  • Then add ginger-garlic paste & fry well.
  • Add chillies & aniseed powder.
  • Then add the tomatoes & fry till it becomes mashy.
  • Now add the chilly powder & some salt.
  • Add the mashed vegetables & mix well.
  • Pour some water & reduce the flame to low-medium.
  • Stir occasionally, till it reaches the desired consistency.
  • Remove it from flame by adding the lemon juice & coriander leaves.
  • Add the butter & garnish it with red onions.
  • Serve hot with toasted buns.


Tips for the recipe - If you wish to add more butter, then place a cube of butter while serving. Good quality of red chilly powder will enhance the color of the masala. You can also use little tomato paste which also gives good color to the masala.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Ven Pongal





Ingredients
  • Par boiled rice - 1 cup
  • Split moong dal - 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp
  • Ghee - 1/4 cup
  • Hing - 1/4 tsp
  • Ginger - 1 tbsp
  • Cumin - 1 tsp
  • Pepper corns - 1 tsp
  • Green chilly (optional) - 1
  • Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
  • Cashew - 2 tbsp

Method
  • Wash & pressure cook (for 1 cup of rice add 5 cups of water) the dal & rice together (app 5 whistles).
  • Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in the pan & fry the cashews till it becomes golden brown.
  • Remove it from the ghee soon & add it to the cooked rice with some salt.
  • Now in the same pan splutter cumin seeds, pepper corns, curry leaves, green chillies & hing one by one.
  • Add more ghee if needed. Roast it for 1 minute. Now pour this mixture in the pongal & mix well.
  • Add the remaining 2 tbsp of ghee & mix well.
  • Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

Tips for the recipe - You can add little milk while cooking the rice, so that the pongal becomes more soft. I add salt later because I always cook venpongal & sweet pongal together. Once the rice is cooked, I take half of rice to prepare sweet pongal & then mix the salt to the remaining ven pongal while doing the seasoning. If you are making only ven pongal then you can add salt in the water & cook the rice.

Sweet pongal




Ingredients
  • Par boiled rice - 1 cup
  • Split moong dal - 1/2 cup 
  • Ghee - 1/4 cup
  • Jaggery (crushed, shredded or powdered) - 1 1/2 cup
  • Cardamon powder - few pinches
  • Raisin - 1-2 tbsp
  • Cashew - 2 tbsp


Method
  • Wash & pressure cook (for 1 cup of rice, add 5 cups of water) the dal & rice together (app 5 whistles).
  • When the pressure releases, open the cooker & switch on the flame to low medium.
  • Add the jaggery & keep mixing it till you dont see any jaggery pieces .
  • Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in the pan.
  • Fry raisins & cashews till it becomes golden brown. Pour it into the pongal.
  • Add the remaining ghee & sprinkle some cardamon powder.
  • Mix well & serve hot.
Tips for the recipe - You can add 1/2 cup milk while cooking the rice, so that the pongal becomes more soft. 

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