Paneer Manchurian

I have been intending on making Paneer Manchurian - My version, for a long time, but sheer laziness & i have been putting it off & landing in good old Mutter paneer,Palak panner & paneer parathas.. Finally the D-day dawned & guess sun rose from the west - that i decided to make the Paneer Manchurian...It came out well & my family enjoyed it, specially the kiddos who ate minus grumbling & had a clean plate at the end of meal, minus screams & warning of "Finish off the Veggis!!"

Ingredients:

Paneer - 1 pac

Onions - 2

Capcicum - 1

Cabbage - a small piece

Soy sauce - 2 tsps

Chillie sauce - acc to your spice level

Tomato sauce - 2 tsps

Thai Sweet Chillie sauce - 2 tsps

Salt - to taste

Oil

Method:

1. Cut the paneer into small cubes & shallow fry them.

2. In a pan, add oil & fry the onions for few mts. Then add the cabbage & capcicum & cook few mts, let the crunchiness of veggis remain. Now add the sauces & salt & mix well.

3. Add the paneer & mix all well together.

Your jhatpat Paneer manchurian is ready to be served either as an appetizer or with your main course!

Sprouted Moogh & Meethi Sukke

This is a typical Mangalorean dish, made by sprouting Green Moongh & Meethi seeds. It has a different taste, but a very healthy dish & easy to make. You can make the same dish also by just using Meethi & adding small diced potatoes along with it.

Ingredients:

Moongh - 1 cup

Meethi seeds- 1/4 cup

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Coconut - 2 tbspn

Haldi Powder - 1/4 tsp

Chillie powder - 3/4 tsp

Salt to taste.

Method:

Day 1: Soak Meethi seeds for 6-8 hours. Then tie in a muslin cloth & set it out in sunlight to sprout. Meethi takes longer to sprout & hence we do this a day in advance.

Day 2: Soak Moongh for 6-8 hours & tie in a muslin cloth & set out in sunlight to sprout.

Day 3: Let sprouting continue for a day more.

Day4: In a pan add oil & season with mustard seeds & curry leaves. Then add the sprouted moogh & meethi together & mix everything well. Add required salt & water & cover & cook till it cooks well. The moogh & meethi must not get mushy, so add water as required for cooking.

In a bowl mix well together coconut, haldi & chillie powder & add to the pan & mix well. Cover & cook for 5-7 minutes.

A delicious & healthy sprouted dish is ready!!!

UPDATE: Lot of friends had asked me name of the bean i had used in the below posting called - Kidney bean curry. The Bean is called Double Beans. I picked it up from Nilgiris in Chennai.

Capcicum-Potato Stir Fry

This is simple yet tasty side dish, that goes well with chappathis or even dal & rice. Its very easy to make & can be ready in a jiffy!! A perfect dish, to make for that unexpected extra guest! If u have no capcicum on hand, just make it out of potato or mix & match other veggies of your choice.

Ingredients:

Capcicum – 2
Potato – 1
Onion – 1
Sambhar Powder – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – 2 tsps

Method:

1. Chop the capcicum, potato & onions into small cubes.
2. In a pan add oil & fry the onions for 2-3 mts.
3. Then add the capcicum & potato & mix everythoing well.
4. Add sambhar powder, salt & mix it & sprinkle water & cook.

A yummy vegetable will be ready in 10-15 mts! Serve hot & enjoy!!

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!

Kela Upkari (Banana Sabji)

Banana is a great vegetable/ fruit. This is one plant that we use the leaves, flower, raw fruit & finally ripe bananas too.. along with that we even eat the stem of this plant too. Today i cooked the raw banana - a simple Upkari (vegetable), which is my mom's style - a simple - jhat phat vegetable.. goes deliciously well with sambhar & rasam!

Ingredients:

Raw Banana - 3

Oil - 2 tsps

Mustard seends - 1/2 tsp

Udad Dhal - 1/2 tsp

Green chillies - 4

Coconut - 3 tbspn

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Peel the banana & cut into cubes. Put them in a bowl with water as otherwise they will discolour.

2. In a pan add oil, mustard & udad dhal along with green chillies. Saute Them for a minute.

3. Then add the cut & strained banana & mix everything well. Add salt to taste & very little water. Cover & cook.

4. When its 90% cooked add grated coconut & mix well. Let it cook another 2-3 minutes serve it hot hot.

This is a simple upkari, but tastes yum yum! Perfect combo with a spicy gravy & rice.. how about applams on the side too & some payasam for dessert....What a meal it will be :-)

Banana Fry

Banana fry, is a simple & tasty side dish. I learnt this recipe from my friend Sunitha. I tasted it at her place & loved it, simple & a very nice dish, something different from our normal style of cooking.

Ingredients:

Raw Banana – 2
Garlic – 3 pods
Jeera – 3 tsp
Chili Powder – 1 ½ tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil / Pam spray.

Method:

1. Peel the Bananas & cut them into round slices about ¼’thick.

2. Grind together Garlic, Jeera & Chili powder to a fine paste using little water.

3. In a pan add the cut banana, salt & the paste. Mix everything well with hands & add ¼ cup water & cook till the bananas are 90% done.

4. Now in another flat non-stick Pan, spray some pam & layer these Bananas in a single layer & cover & cook. They will get brown & crispy, turn & cook other side. Repeat same process till all bananas are done.

Banana fry is ready!! Serve it with rice & dhal or even as an appetizer.. goes well with drinks!

Channa Sundal

Garbanzo Beans ( English),Kabuli Channa (Hindi), Konda Kadalai (Tamil) is a great bean & very nutritious. You can make quite a few things out of this & heres my first recipe....

Ingredients:

Garbanzo Beans - 1 cup

Oil - 2tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Jeera seeds - 1/4 tsp

G. Chillies - 3no

Curry Leaves - few

Coconut - 2 tbspns

Hing - little

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Soak the bean over night. Pressure cook for 1-2 whistles with just enough water for it to cook in.

2. In a pan add oil, mustard, jeera & when it splutters, add the hing, G.chillies & curry leaves.

3. Then add the cooked bean, salt & mix all well.

4. Stir for few minutes. Add little water so that all the flavours get into the bean. Cook for few minutes, till water evaporates.

5. Then add grated coconut & stir.

Your Channa Sundal is all ready!! Enjoy the sundal....