Apple Chutney

Apple as the saying 'An apple a day keeps a doctor away' needs not much explanation to say it is beneficial. It has cancer preventing properties and may also help with heart disease, weight loss, and controlling cholesterol, as they do not have any cholesterol, have fiber, which reduces cholesterol by preventing re-absorption.

I was working on how to get it into a serving where one is happy eating even as he/she is not an apple liker and the result is this yummy chutney.

Know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple#Health_benefits, http://www.allaboutapples.com/health/index.htm

Serving: This recipe will serve 3-4

Ingredients:

• Apple- 1 Large 
• Urad dal/ Split blach gram seeds 1/2tsp
• Chana dal/ Split chick peas 1/2 tsp
  
• Menthya/ Fenugreek seeds 1/8 tsp
• Hing/ Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Dry red chillies - 3-4 or as required
• Salt per taste or 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Grated coconut fresh or frozen - 1 tbl spn
  
• Oil 1 tsp

How to make:

• Heat oil in a pan on medium flame
• When oil is hot add black gram, chick peas, fry for 3 mins
  
• Add asafoetida, red chillies and fenugreek seeds and fry for another minute
• Empty the fried masala to a bowl
  
• Add chopped apple(1/2 inch cubes should do), turmeric, tamarind juice to the same pan
• Fry for 3-4 minutes 
• Blend this with fried masala with coconut, salt to a smooth paste
  
• Serve this with dosa/ idli. Can be used as a dip for crisp snacks.  

Broccoli-Cauliflower Stir fry

Broccoli is one of the very nutritious vegetable which is not very predominant in Indian cooking, though India seems to be the second largest producer. Broccoli is high in vitamins C, K, and A, as well as dietary fiber; few nutrients in it have anti cancer properties. I was trying out ways to incorporate it in a regular diet and after couple of tries the result was this recipe. 

Know more: Broccoli:  http://home.howstuffworks.com/broccoli3.htm

    Cauliflower: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauliflower#Nutrition

Serving: This recipe will serve 2

Ingredients:

• Broccoli sliced - 1 cup
• Cauliflower sliced - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 large
• Oil - 1 tbl spn
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Green chillies -2 or as desired
• Garlic paste 1tsp / crushed garlic 2 pods
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp 
• Salt 1/2 tbl spn or to taste

How to make:

• Heat oil on medium heat in a kadai (deep bottomed vessel)
• Add mustard seeds, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves and fry until mustard seeds crack
• Add chopped onion (length wise), turmeric, chilli powder and fry until it turns golden brown 
• Add broccoli, cauliflower and fry for 2 mins 
• Add salt and stir fry for 8-10 minutes and the vegetables should be done
• The vegetables should remain crispy and will not dissolve
• Serve with chapati , goes well as crispy bites with rice as well.

Kolambo (Konkani randei)

Kolambo is a typical konkani sambar and as I have tasted it bimbuli(Bilimbi) is one of the main ingredient that gives it the tangy taste and other important vegetable in it is nutritious drumstick. This sambar is dearer to me due to the wholeness as it has protein from dal and nutrition from variety of vegetables and of course addictive taste from the bilimbi and masala.

Know more: Bilimbi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blimbi

                  Drumstick: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drumstick_%28vegetable%29#General_nutrition

Serving: This recipe serves about 4-5 people when served with rice.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal (Togari) - 1/2 cup
• Potatoes 1 medium sized
• Drumsticks (Nuggekai) 3-4
• Bilimbi 3-4 or Substitute with tamarind juice 1tsp
• Tomatoes - 1 medium sized
• Green egg plant (Brinjal) if available - 2- 3
• Carrot 1 or 2
• Green beans - 12-14
• Onion (Small sambar onions are preferred) 4-5 small onions / 1 large cubed
• Coriander leaves - 2-3 sprigs
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1tbl spn
• Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbl spn
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbl spn
• Fenugreek seeds (Menthe) - 1/8 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Dried red chillies - 4-5
• Pepper corns (kaalu menasu)- 3-4 
• Asafoetida / Hing - 2 pinches
• Salt - 3/4 tbl son

For Seasoning

• Urad seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves -1 sprig  

How to make:

• Pressure cook dal until tender and keep aside
• Chop vegetables into cubes, and beans & drumsticks to 1 inch long pieces and boil in water with salt
• Once vegetables are soft add chopped coriander leaves and turn down the flame
• Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and fry urad dal for 2 mins, add coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fry for 2 mins, add fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, and red chillies with pinch of hing fry for 1 minute
• Grind this masala with turmeric and tamarind (if bimbuli is not used)
• Add this ground masala into vegetable and bring to boil and remove .
• Take 1tsp of oil in a pan, add ural dal, mustard seeds and curry leaves. When mustard seeds splutter mix it to dal.
• Serve this with rice or idlis.

Akki Vade

Akki vade is usually served in udupi special lunch. These are crispy rice flour delicacies which can accompany tea/ coffee as well.

Serving: This recipe will make about 20- 25, 1 inch diameter vadas.

Ingredients:

• Rice flour  - 1cup
• Turmeric - 1tsp
• Salt 1 1/2 tsp or per taste
• Coconut milk 1/2 cup
• Oil for frying

How to make:

• Take 2-3 tbl spn of freshly grated/ frozen coconut and mix with 1/2 cup water
• Blend this and extract the milk by straining/ pressing in your fist
• Add salt, turmeric to rice flour and mix it
• Now make a binding dough by adding coconut milk (Since we will make round flattened cakes using this mix it should be hard)
• Make the dough into 20-25 balls
• Heat oil in a kadai
• Flatten the balls with thickness of chapati and fry in the oil.
• Fry until they puff up and serve with coffee / tea.

Dal Tove

Tove (Lang: Kannada/ Tulu) is usually must and served initially on the right side of the plantain leaf in a udupi baale ele lunch. It is usually made with Pigeon pea (Toor dal). They contain high levels of protein and the important amino acids methionine, lysine, and tryptophan.

Know more : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toor_dal

Serving: This recipe serves about 3 people.

Ingredients: 

• Toor dal (Pigeon pea) - 1/2 cup
• Tomato - 1 medium sized
• Fresh ginger - 1/2 cm cube
• Lime juice - 1tsp
• Turmeric - 1tsp
• Green chillies - 2-3 / per taste
• Coriander leaves / cilantro 2 sprigs
• Salt - 1/2 tbl spn or per taste
• Oil - 1 tsp 
• Urad dal - 1/2tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
• Curry leaves -  4-5

How to make:

• Pressure cook toor dal and tomato until tender/ cook in open but this will take some time
• Add ginger, green chillies, salt, turmeric, lemon juice and bring to boil
• Heat oil in a pan
• When it is hot add urad dal and mustard seeds; when mustard splatters add curry leaves
• Add this seasoning and cilantro to the boiled dal.
• Serve with plain rice. Could be consumed as soup since it has a tangy flavor from lemon.

Lentil (Mixed Dal) Dosa

Lentils are a very rich source of protein. Also known to be very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Since this dosa is a mixture of such grams it is very protein rich.

Know more: Dosa- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa ; Lentil- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentil

Serving: This recipe makes about 20 - 25 medium thickness dosas.
 
Ingredients:

• Rice 1 1/4 cup
• Toor dal 1/4 cup
• Split urad dal (Black gram) 1/4 cup 
• Split moong dal (Green gram)1/4 cup 
• Split chana dal (Bengal gram) 1/4 cup
• Brown rice 1/4 cup 
• Parched rice (Poha/ Avalakki) 1/4 Cup 
• Fenugreek seeds (Methi) 1tbl spn
• Salt 1 tbl spn or to taste

How to make:

• Soak white rice + parched rice + fenugreek seeds in a bowl
• Soak all the other lentils in another bowl
• Soaking should be in water and for about 6 hours or overnight
• Grind lentils into a smooth paste and pour to a deep bottomed vessel
• Grind rice into fine paste and pour into the same vessel
• Maintain ketchup like consistency or as you desire to pour dosa
• Add salt to it and mix is well in stirring motion 
• Leave the batter over night for fermentation. Just before use, mix the dough well
• Take 1/2 cup of batter and pour it on hot nonstick tava and spread in a circular motion using the bottom of the cup
• Close it and leave it for 2 mins 
• Add 1/2 tsp of oil if desired and reverse the dosa using a flat spatula
• Serve with potato bhaji and Rib gourd chutney/ Tomato chutney or any chutney that you like.

Lettuce Chutney

Green leafy lettuce is mostly eaten raw in salads /sandwiches. It is a low calorie food and is a source of vitamin A and folic acid. 

Know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettuce

Serving: This recipe makes about 6tbl spn of lettuce chutney  

Ingredients:

• Lettuce - 4 leaflets
• Coriander leaves/ Cilantro - 3-4 sprigs
• Grated coconut fresh or frozen - 1 1/2 tbl spn
• Salt per taste or 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal/ Split blach gram seeds 1/2tsp
• Jeera/ Cumin seeds 1/2tsp
• Chana dal/ Split chick peas 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery/ Black sugar - 1/4 inch cube
• Green chillies 2-3 or as per taste
  
• Oil 1 tsp

How to make:

• Chop cilantro and lettuce and fry in a pan for about 5 mins and keep aside
• Take 1tsp of oil in the pan and fry urad dal, jeera, chana dal and green chillies
• If coconut is frozen microwave it for 30 secs
• Blend this masala with the fried leaves, tamarind, jaggery and coconut into a coarse paste
• Add water while grinding if required
• Mix salt and serve with idli/ dosa. This goes very well with sandwiches.

Tomato chutney

Tomatoes is an edible fruit though it regarded as vegetable. Tomato has a natural antioxidant and is associated with decreased risk of breast cancer and known to improve the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays.
Know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

Serving: This recipe serves about 2 people, when eaten with dosa or plain rice.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 2 meduim sized
• Urad dal/ Split blach gram seeds 1/2tsp
• Chana dal/ Split chick peas 1/2 tsp
  
• Menthya/ Fenugreek seeds 1/8 tsp
• Hing/ Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Dry red chillies - 3-4 or as required
• Salt per taste or 1/4 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves/ Cilantro - 1/8 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  
• Jaggery/ Black sugar - 1 inch cube
• Grated coconut fresh or frozen - 2 tbl spn
  
• Oil 2 tsp
  

How to make:

• Heat a pan on medium flame and add 1 tsp of oil
• When oil is hot add black gram, chick peas, fry for 3 mins
  
• Add asafoetida, red chillies and fenugreek seeds and fry for another minute
• Empty the fried masala to a bowl
  
• Add chopped tomatoes to the same pan (1/2 inch cubes should do)
• Add turmeric , tamarind juice, jaggery
• Fry for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell of tomato is gone
• Blend this with fried masala and coconut and salt to a smooth paste
  
• Take 1tsp of oil in a pan heat it
• Add mustard seeds and cilantro
• When mustard seeds splatter mix it to the blended chutney
  
• Serve this with dosa/ idli/ vada/ rice. Can be used in sandwiches
  

Rasgulla

Rasgulla is paneer cooked in sugar syrup.

Know more: http://www.answers.com/topic/rasgulla
See how to make paneer from my recipe for paneer

Serving: This recipe makes 8 - 10 rasgullas

Ingredients:

• Paneer - from 2 cups of milk OR 1/4 pound
• Sugar - 3 and 1/2 cups
• Water - 2 cups
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
• Semolina - 1tsp

How to make:

• Mix water and sugar in a vessel and get it to boil , keep stirring water in intervals of 3 mins
• Lower the flame of this sugar syrup
  
• Mix semolina into paneer and knead softly into dough for 3-4 mins
• Make about 8 -10 soft balls depending on your intended size for rasgulla (when done they puff up to almost double the size)
• Add these balls into hot syrup
• Mix cardamom powder to syrup
  
• Get the flame into medium and cook with a air tight lid for 10 mins
  
• Turn down the heat and let the syrup cool.
• Refrigerate the rasgullas with syrup and serve cold.

Paneer - Cheese

Is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese by curdling heated milk lemon juice or other food acid. It does not involve rennet as the coagulation thus making it completely lacto-vegetarian and important source of protein for vegetarian Hindus.

Know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paneer

Serving: This recipe makes about 1/4 pound of paneer.

Ingredients:

• Milk - 2 Cups
• Lemon Juice - 3 tbl spn
• Water 3 tbl spn

How to make:

• Heat milk in a wide bottomed vessel on a medium flame, stirring occasionally (every 3 mins)
• When the milk cream is formed on top simmer and turn down the heat in a min
• Mix lemon juice with water to dilute
  
• Slowly add lemon juice to milk and keep stirring as you add
• When all the milk protein is separated, it floats on clear water
  
• Pour this on a muslin cloth and forming a ball let the water drain.
  
• As water drains pour cold water and let that drain as well. This eases squeezing the paneer in the cloth
• Tie the cloth like a ball with paneer inside and squeeze out as much water as possible. You could also place a heavy weight on this ball for about 30 mins to drain the remaining water
• Remove the paneer from cloth, you could also take out any remaining moisture by pressing this paneer between fresh kitchen tissues.
• This paneer could be frozen and used when needed.

Ras Malai

Ras malai is a desert which is made from paneer and hence is a source of protein.
Know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ras_malai

Serving : This recipe makes 8 rasmalai.

Ingredients :

• Rasgulla - 8
  
• Milk - 1 cup
  
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
• Almonds - 4-5 (grated)
• Pistachios - 3-4 (grated)
• Sugar - 1 tbl spn
• Badam milk powder - 4tbl spn

How to make :

• Refer to my recipe to make rasgulla
• Heat milk in a pan on medium flame stirring every 3 mins so that milk wont burn
• After 10 mins add sugar and badam powder. I use MTR badam milk powder
• Continue to boil stir for 10 more mins
• Press rasgulla to take out the excess syrup and add to the pan
• Boil this mixture for 10 more mins stirring carefully so that the rasgulla does not break.
• Turn down the heat and pour this into a bowl
• Garnish with cardomom, badam and pistachios
  
• Refrigerate for 2-3 hours and serve cold.

Flavored Beetroot Rice

Beetroot is an edible red tuber.

One small beetroot (40 g) is a good source of folate;

provides 1.6 g of dietary fibre; supplies 18 kcal

Know more : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetroot

Serving: This recipe serves 2-3 people.

Ingredients:

• vegetable oil - 2 tbl spn
  
• cinnamon stick - 1 inch
  
• cloves 2-3
  
• cardomom pods 3-4
  
• black pepper pods 3-4
• bay leaf - 1
• rice Sona Masuri/ Basmati - 1 cup
• beetroot medium sized
• salt - 3/4 tbl spn or as per taste
• onion - 1 medium sized
• green chillies slit/ chopped - 2

How to make:

• Cook rice in a rice cooker
• Grate beetroot and keep it aside
• Heat a pan for 30 seconds on medium flame and add 2 tsp (tea spoons) of vegetable oil
• Let the oil get hot for a min and add cinnamon sticks, cloves, black pepper, cardomom pods, bay leaf and fry for 2-3 mins until you smell a nice aroma
• Add chopped onions and green chillies fry them till golden brown on med - low flame. should take 6-7 mins
• Now add grated beetroot and fry for 5 mins
• Add salt and fry for 10-15 more minutes until the raw smell of beetroot is gone and the mixture kind of gets into a pasty texture
• Turn down the flame and mix cooked rice
• Serve hot with curds/ ketchup or raita. This rice tastes good by itself.