Potato Sagu

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3 (boiled and mashed)
Tomato(small) - 1 (diced)
Onion(large) - 1 (finely chopped)
Green chillies - 2 (cut into roundels)
Curry leaves - a sprig
Coriander leaves - a handful
Wheat flour / atta - 1/2 tsp(mixed with 2 tsp of water without lumps)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil for frying
Salt - As required

Method of Preparation:

1)Heat oil in a kadai.

2)Splutter the mustard seeds.

3)Add the chopped onions and curry leaves.

4)When the onions become transparent, add the diced tomatoes and stir cook until the tomatoes turn pulpy.

5)Add the mashed potatoes, turmeric powder, salt to taste and the atta water.

:- DO NOT add too much of atta, since it would spoil the flavour. Just half a tsp would do. This is to get the thickness and glazed look.

6)Add a little water to just cover the potatoes and cook covered until the mixture becomes a gravy.

7)Check for salt and remove fire.

:- Serve with puris and chapathis.

:- You can thicken the gravy to a dry consistency and use this as masala for masala dosas too.

Happy cooking :)

Mysore Pak - crumbly type

Ingredients:

Besan(Gram Flour) - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 ½ cups
Ghee(Clarified butter) - 1 cup
Water - 3/4 cup

Method of Preparation:

1.Melt ghee and add besan making sure no lumps are formed by mixing thoroughly. Keep it aside.

2.Heat water in a heavy bottomed vessel and add sugar.

3.Boil nicely stirring continuously to a one string consistency.

:- Do not get scared by the term “one string consistency”. Believe me you wont miss the consistency. While the syrup is fluffing up and boiling, keep taking the ladle out now and then and let the syrup drop from the ladle into a cup of water. When you are able to roll the syrup with your fingers in the cup of water, immediately check for the string by touching the syrup on the ladle with your index finger and then touching your index finger with your thumb. A string will form between the fingers. The consistency is now confirmed.

4. Immediately after the sugar syrup reaches the one string consistency pour in the besan mixture and mix well.

5. Meanwhile grease a plate with enough ghee and set aside.

6. As you keep stirring, the mixture will fluff up and start leaving the sides of the pan.

7. Now, remove from fire and pour the mixture on to the greased plate.

8. After 5 minutes cut into pieces using a greased knife. Let it cool completely.

:- Do not disturb the pieces yet.

9. When the pieces are completely cool cut again on the cuts made previously and as you cut them move the pieces slightly away from their place using the knife. (this will make it easier to remove the pieces from the plate without breaking them) Remove into a closed container.

10. This is a crumbly type of Mysore pak that you would love.

Happy cooking :)

Maida Dosa

Ingredients:
Maida - 2 cups
Onion - 1 medium (finely chopped)
Green chili - 1 (chopped into roundels)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig (roughly chopped)
Coriander leaves - handful (roughly chopped)
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp (crushed between the palms)
Salt to taste
oil

Method of preparation:

• Mix all the ingredients except oil with enough water to make a batter of dosa consistency.
• Heat a tawa.
• Pour a ladle full of batter outside to inside on the tawa.
• Pour a little bit of oil around the dosa.
• Cook till the sides turn golden brown and crispy.
• Turn over and cook until done. About a minute.
• Remove from tawa and serve hot with any kind of chutney or sambar.

Happy cooking :)

Wheat Dosa 1

Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Onion - 1 medium (finely chopped)
Green chili - 1 (chopped into roundels)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig (roughly chopped)
Coriander leaves - handful (roughly chopped)
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp (crushed between the palms)
Salt to taste
oil

Method of preparation:

• Mix all the ingredients except oil with enough water to make a batter of dosa consistency.
• Heat a tawa.
• Pour a ladle full of batter outside to inside on the tawa.
• Pour a little bit of oil around the dosa.
• Cook till the sides turn golden brown and crispy.
• Turn over and cook until done. About a minute.
• Remove from tawa and serve hot with any kind of chutney or sambar.

Happy cooking :)

Lemon Rice 1

Ingredients:
Pre-cooked rice - 4 cups
Lemon juice - 1/2 cup
Green chilies - 2 (slit and halved)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Coriander leaves - handful (roughly chopped)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For seasoning:
Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Method of preparation:

• Heat oil in a wok.
• Add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter add the urad dhal and asafoetida.
• Add the green chilies and curry leaves and saute till bubbles appear on the chilies.
• Now add lemon juice and turmeric and salt to taste.
• Saute for a minute and add the pre-cooked rice.
• Add the coriander leaves and mix thoroughly.
• Serve hot with stir-fry veggies or just papad.

Happy cooking :)

Udipi Sambar

Ingredients
• Thoor dhal - 1/2 cup(cook with a pinch of turmeric and a tsp of castor oil to get a well mashed dhal)
• Vegetables of choice - 1/4 kg (Drumsticks/Brinjal/Chow chow/Yam)(diced)
• Sambar onions(shallots) - 6 - 10 nos(peel but do not chop)
• Ripe tomato - 1 no(diced to large pieces)
• Green chillies(slit) - 2 nos
• Tamarind pulp - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Coriander leaves(chopped) - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 2 nos
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - As reqd
• Groundnut oil - 3 tsp

Dry roast and grind to a fine paste:-
• Black gram - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 4 nos
• Grated coconut - 1 cup
:- You may also make this powder in large quantity without the coconut and store in air-tight container for future use. Just dry roast coconut and grind along with a couple of spoons of this sambar powder whenever needed.

Preparation Method
• Heat oil in whichever vessel you want to make the sambar.
• Add asafoetida followed by the onions, green chillies and half the curry leaves, and sauté until the onions become a little transparent and glossy.
• Add the vegetable of your choice and turmeric powder.
• Cook covered until the vegetable is cooked with enough water to cover the veggies.
:- If not adding any veggies, then add more onions.
• Add the tamarind pulp and cook covered until the raw smell of the tamarind goes off.
• Add the ground paste, jaggery and salt to taste. Add more water if necessary.
• Once the mixture comes to a boil add the cooked thoor dhal, mix well and check for salt.
:- The sambar should not be too thick nor too watery.
• When the sambar just begins to boil, switch off the stove.
:- Make sure you don’t boil the sambar after adding the thoor dhal coz the dhal will lose its soft texture.
• Heat a tsp of oil in a small kadai/wok.
• Add the mustard seeds and once they pop, add the remaining curry leaves and the dry red chillies.
• Pour this over the sambar.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
:- Serve hot with idli, dosa or plain rice.