Pal Payasam

Pal Payasam or Kheer is a popular sweet in India & liked by all. Its made by all for all major festivals & a must for every wedding too. Its a nice dessert and you can make it real quick too.

Heres my version of Pal Payasam!

Ingredients:

Whole Milk - 5 cups

2% milk - 5 cups

Raw Rice - 3/4th cup

Sugar - acc to taste

Method:

1. Wash the rice & set aside.

2. In a cooker add water( as u keep for cooking rice) & keep a big vessel & pour in the milk. Add the washed rice & cover the vessel with a lid. Close the cooker & put on the weight.

3. Keep for 2 whistles. Then turn gas to low & keep for another 45 minutes. Turn off & then once cool completely only open it.

4. Add required sugar & stir in well... serve slightly warm or cold, however u like it!

Enjoy your Payasam!

Beetroot Curry

This is my Moms recipe & comes out real good. A Favourite at my place & it goes well with rice or rotis too...Simple & easy to prepare!

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 3

Onion -2

Coconut - 1/4 cup

Red Chillies - 4

Jeera - 2 tsp

Oil- 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Udad Dhal - 1/4 tsp

Salt- to taste.

Method:

1. Pressure cook the beetroot for 2 whistles. Onc it cools down, peel of the skin & chop it into small cubes.

2. Grind together - coconut, jeera & red chillies to a paste.Add water as required for grinding.

3. In a pan add oil & season with mustard seeds & udad dhal. Then add the chopped onions & fry till its translucent.

4. Now add the ground masala & fry well for 5-7 minutes.

5. Add the chopped beetroot & salt & mix well. Add little water & bring it to a good boil.

The Beetroot cuury is ready. Enjoy it with Phulkas or just rice & dhal!

Channa Ghassi

Channa Ghassi is a typical Konkani preparation & a must for many festivals & functions. The gravy or "Masol", as we call it is the same as in any Ghassi. With Channa we usually add Suran / Yam, Potato as an accompianment in the dish.You can also add Raw Jackfruit, its hard to find it here though.

Ingredients:

Kabuli Channa - 1cup

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Red Chillies - 3

Bedgayi Chillies - 2

Tamarind - a small piece

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Soak the Kabuli Channa over night. Next morning pressure cook it till done(Dont make it mushy!)

2. Roast in a drop of oil both red chillies. Bedgayi chillies gives a great colour to the dish - they are not spicy.

3. Grind coconut, tamarind & roasted chillies to a fine paste.This is called "MASOL".

4. Transfer the Masol,channa & required salt to a pan.Add little water & bring it to a liquid / pouring consistency.Bring this to a good boil.

5. Season this Ghassi with Mustard seeds, Methi & curry leaves.

Serve hot with rice. Make a nice upkari (vegetable) on the side & some pappads & you have a great meal set!

Adai & Chutney

Adai is a healthy & whole some Breakfast. Made with rice & all pulses its high in protein. Good & filling Breakfast for all & a healthy way to start the day!

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 2 cups

Tur Dhal- 1/4 cup

Channa Dhal- 1/4 cup

Horse Gram - 1/4 cup

Udad Dhal - 1/4 cup

Black eyed peas - 1/4 cup

Kabuli Channa - 1/4 cup

Black Channa -1/4 cup

Moong - 1/4 cup

Moong Dhal - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1

Red Chillies - 8

Curry leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Oil - little

Method:

1. Soak Rice & all dhals together for 4-5 hours.

2. Chop onion into big pieces & fry in little oil. Add in red chillies & curry leaves & saute for 2-3 mts.

3. Add the soaked ingredients along with the fried ingredients & grind to a coarse paste. Add required salt & mix well.

4. Spread as regular dosas & serve hot with Chutney.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

Coconut - 1/2 cup

G.Chillies - 4

Garlic - 1 pod

Ginger - 1" piece

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Salt - To taste

To Season: Oil, Mustard seeds & Curry leaves.

Method:

1. Grind all the things in the Ingredients together to a fine paste. Add water as required.

2. Transfer to a bowl & season.

Enjoy hot adais & yummy Coconut Chutney with a steaming hot cup of Filter coffee!

Onion Pakodas

We folks in the Midwest were hit by a major strom system, that just dumped us with snow & more & before we realised it was a foot ( Yup 12 inches!!) of snow on the ground! What a nice thing to see, but a mess to clean! It was a back breaking thing of cleaning the driveway & side walks.. took us almost an hour! Kids had fun playing though & after all that tiring job all one wanted was a steaming hot cup of nice Masaledar Chai.

So i got set for some hot tea & instantly thought of making Onion Pakodas! It would be a feast some pakodas, Bhutta (corn) & Chai! So i made all these & we enjoyed our cold winter evening with these munchies.

Onion Pakodas

Ingredients:

Red Onion - 1

Yellow onion - 2

Gram Flour (Besan) - 1/2 cup.

Rice Flour - 1 tbspn

Chillie Powder - 2 tsps

Cilantro - little( finely chopped)

Salt - to taste.

Green chillies - Add if desired.

Oil - for frying.

Method:

1. Cut the onion length wise. Then to it add all flours, salt, chillie powder, cilantro & using little water mix it well. Dont add too much water, as pakodas will absorb oil then.

2. Put them in hot oil in small pieces & fry till golden brown.

Serve it as it is or with some mint chutney, either way it will vanish before you realise :-)

Enjoy your pakodas while it lasts!!