TOMATO SWEET & SOUR CHUTNEY...

RECIPE:      (400 gms)

INGR:           

Tomatoes                           1 kg
Red chilli pd                       1 tbsp
Hing                                     1/2 tsp
Mustard                               2 tsp
Sesame oil                          5 - 6 tbsp
Sugar                                   1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash tomatoes thoroughly and keep aside for blanching.
2. Take a wide bottomed vessel and pour enough water to immerse all the tomatoes.
3. Bring it to a boil ; lower the tomatoes into it and turn off the heat.  
4. Cover with a lid and rest it for 10 mts.
5. Remove lid and drain out all water; pour in cold water over the tomatoes.
6. Peel off  skin and put them in a bowl.
7. With a blender, mash them into a smooth puree and keep aside.
8. Heat sesame oil in a thick bottomed pan and add hing to it.
9. Put in mustard and on crackling, lower the heat and pour in the tomato puree carefully.
10. Stir well and let it cook on slow heat, uncovered.
11. Season it with red chilli pd, sugar and salt;  simmer for a good half an hour.
12. Stir often to avoid sticking at the bottom.
13. When oil starts leaving the sides and the quantity is reduced, remove and cool.
14. Store it in a sterilised airtight container in the fridge; stays good for two weeks.
15. Stays fresh for two days under normal temperature.
16. This goes well with idli, dosa, uthappam, kuzhi paniyaram ,curd rice etc.
17. Tastes best when taken with plain rice topped up with some desi ghee !!

Note:
To get the perfect combination of sweet & sour flavour one needs to balance.
Keep checking for the right taste at regular intervals.
Variety of tomatoes used also plays a part.
If too sour, increase salt and sugar.
Here I have used Kashmiri chilli powder, subtle in heat but rich in colour. 

TOP UTHAPPAM ( TOMATO-ONION-PANEER )

TOMATO CHUTNEY

ONION CHUTNEY

COCONUT CHUTNEY

RECIPE:    6 - 8

INGR:

Idli batter            1/2 litre
Onion                   2
Tomatoes            2
Paneer                 100 gm
Green chillies     4
Curry leaves       a few
Mustard               1 tsp
Urad dal               1 tsp
Chana dal             1 tsp
Turmeric               a pinch
(optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Chop onion, tomatoes green chillies, curry leaves.
2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan, add mustard.
3. On crackling add urad, chana dal, onion, curry leaves and green chillies.
4. Fry for a minute, add tomatoes and turmeric.
5. Season with salt ( remember the batter already has salt so little will do)
6. Stir well for 2 mts and remove.
7. Grease the dosa tava and pour uthappam in desired size.
8. Spread the onion tomato mixture on top and grate paneer over it.
9. Drizzle oil all around and when golden on the bottom, flip it carefully.
10. Let it stay for a minute and then turn it over.
11. Remove and serve hot with a chutney of your choice.
12. Onion chutney really goes well with it.

Note:
For making uthappams - idli batter works best.
It is thicker in texture compared to dosa batter.
This way Uthappams come out thick and fluffy.

PURAN POLI...

MAIDA POLI

WHEAT POLI

RECIPE:

INGR:

For stuffing:

Chana dal                            1 cup (200gm)
Jaggery                               1 1/2 cup
Grated coconut / pd           1/2 cup
Cardamom pd                     1 tsp
Saunth/ dry ginger pd        1/4 tsp
Nutmeg pd                           a pinch

Method:

1. Soak chana dal for an hour.
2. Add little salt and pressure cook in min. water till done.
3. Drain excess water, mash it coarsely and keep aside.
4. Heat a thick bottomed pan and put in the mashed dal.
5. Add grated jaggery, saunth, nutmeg pd and salt .
6. Cook this mixture till all moisture evaporates, add grated coconut and mix thoroughly.
7. Sprinkle with cardamom pd and mix; remove and let it cool. 

For the dough:

Maida                    2 cups
Oil/ Ghee              2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water

Method:

1. Seive maida and salt together; rub in warm oil/ghee to the maida and mix well.
2. Make a stiff yet soft dough by adding little water at a time.
3. Divide the dough into equal portions, make tiny balls.
4. Roll them out a little, stuff in the puran, wrap up on all sides and again roll out into thin polis.
5. The stuffing should be three times the size of the maida ball used for the poli.
6. Heat a griddle and pour 2 tsp ghee/oil and cook the polis to golden on both sides.
7. Drizzle ghee/oil along the edges and again when turning them over.
8. Serve them hot as they tend to be crispier.

Note:

1. Puran polis can be made with wheat dough instead of maida. 
2. It was easier to roll out thinner polis with the wheat variety.
3. Also the wheat ones tasted better and were more crispy.

BREAD HALWA...

 RECIPE:

INGR:

Brown bread                        10 slices
Creamy Milk                         1 cup (250 ml)
Sugar                                     1 cup
Ghee                                      4 tbsp
Cardamom pd                      1/2 tsp
Nuts and dry fruits               as desired

Method:

1. Make fine bread crumbs (wheat bread is the best ).
2. Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashew and raisins; remove.
3. Add the bread crumbs to same ghee and fry on slow fire to a dark golden brown.
4. It will take 5 to 7 mts for this process.
5. Add milk and mix well; when all milk evaporates, add sugar and keep stirring.
6. At this stage add half of the nuts, dry fruits and cardamom pd.
7. Keep stirring now and then, add a tiny granule of salt to blend for the right taste.
8. When ghee begins to separate, remove and cool.
9. Serve garnished with blanched slivers of almond and remaining nuts.  

MASALEDAR KARELA..

RECIPE:

INGR:

Karela                  6-8
Onions                 2
Tomatoes            4
Curds                   1 cup
Red chilli pd        1 tsp
Coriander pd       3 tbsp 
Cumin pd            2 tsp
Lemon juice       1 tbsp
Jaggery               marble size
Turmeric pd        1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
  
Method:

1. Wash the bitter gourd thoroughly. Scrape off the ridges and collect them in a bowl. 
2. Do not throw away the scraping. Rub in salt and set aside.
3. Take the scraped karelas and cut into halves; Make flowerets of each half as shown.
4. Soak them in salted water for an hour; remove, wash them thoroughly.
5. Squeeze to remove excess water.
6. Wipe with a kitchen towel and dry them for a while.
7. Now take the bitter gourd scrapings and squeeze them to remove the bitter juices. 
8. (can use it for drinking or other purpose)
9. Heat oil in a thick pan and shallow fry the karela flowerets to a golden green and set aside.
10. In the same oil, put in cumin, onions and fry till transparent.
11. Add  karela scrapings to this and saute for 5-6 mts.
12. Add tomatoes and cook till mushy.
13. Season with cumin pd, red chilli pd, coriander pd, turmeric and salt.
14. At this stage mix in curds and stir for 2-3 mts.
15. Slide in the fried karela flowerets and saute on medium flame.
16. Now add jaggery and lemon juice; check for taste and adjust.
17. Stir fry them till all moisture evaporates and only karela, nicely coated in masala is left.
18. Serve at lunchtime; goes well with rice and roti. 

VADA CURRY..

RECIPE:

INGR:

For the steamed vada : 
Chana dal (Bengal gram)              1 cup (200 gm)
Red chillies                                     3
Green chillies                                 4
Garlic                                               4
Curry leaves                                   a sprig
Saunf (Fennel seeds)                     2 tsp
Salt to taste

1. Soak the daal for an hour; drain excess water.
2. Grind all the ingredients above (do not add any water) coarsely as for vada.
3. Roll them into tiny balls; flatten out into vadas and steam them for 10 mts.
4. Remove and keep aside.

For the curry:

Onions                         3
Tomatoes                    4
Garlic                           4 pods
Ginger                         1"
Green chillies             4
Curry leaves               a sprig 
Coriander leaves        a bunch
Kasuri methi              1 tsp
Coconut paste             1/2 cup
Bay leaf                        2
Cinnamon stick           2"
Cloves                          6
Cardamom                   6     
Star aniseed                2
Nutmeg pd                  1/4 tsp
Turmeric pd                1/4 tsp
Red chilli pd                1 tsp
Coriander pd               3 tbsp
Mustard seeds            1 tsp
Cumin                          1/2 tsp
Hing                              1/4 tsp
Sugar                            1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Chop onions and tomatoes into tiny cubes; grind ginger garlic to fine paste.
2. Slit green chillies into two ; chop coriander and curry leaves.
3. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a thick karahi and add all whole spices.
4. Now put in hing, fennel, cumin, mustard; on crackling add garlic ginger paste.
5. Stir for a minute, add onions, curry leaves and green chillies.
6. Fry till onions are transparent; add tomatoes and cook till mushy.
7. Sprinkle with turmeric, salt and sugar; saute for 5 mts.
8. Season with chilli pd, coriander pd, kasuri methi; add 4 cups of hot boiling water.
9. Let it simmer covered with a lid for 10 mts.
10. Now add the steamed vadas and simmer the curry uncovered for 10 mts.
11. Add coconut paste and mix it thoroughly; check for taste.
12. When the curry is thick and homogeneous in texture, remove.
13. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve hot with idli, dosa, chapati or rice.

Note:

1. The vadas can be deep fried (till half cooked) and then added to the curry.
2. Steamed ones taste equally good.