Vermicelli Masala Vada

Ingredients:

Vermicelli 1 cup
Yogurt 1 cup
Red chillies 8
Ginger a small piece grated
Garlic 2-4 flakes finely chopped
Cloves 4
Salt 1/2 t.spoon
Onions chopped
Curry leaves a few
Cilantro a small bunch washed and finely chopped
Cooking Oil for frying

Method:
Soak vermicelli in yogurt for one hour. Grind ginger, garlic, red chillies, cloves, and salt finely. Mix this with the soaked vermicilli. Add chopped onions, curry leaves, and cilantro to this. Make this mixture to small balls and deep fry in oil.garnish with coriander.serve hot with your favorite chutney.

Palak Paneer

While posting this recipe i got reminded of those Fridays where we went out and tried out many varieties in dhaba's around my office,as my office was to the outskirts of the city.all my friends used to agree that dishes served in dhaba's definetly had a different taste compared to any other varieties served in restaurants.Hope you all enjoy this recipe...!

Ingredients:

· 3 bunches spinach
· 1 onion
· 25 mm (1") piece ginger
· 3 green chillies
· ½ teaspoon turmeric powder,1/4 sp zeera powder,1/4 t spoon garam masala powder(Optional)
· 225 grams (8 oz.) paneer
· 2 tablespoons ghee
· Ghee for deep frying
· A pinch soda bi-carb
· Salt to taste

Method:
· Chop, ginger and chillies finely.
· Chop spinach finely, add ¼ teacup of water to it and a pinch of soda bi-carb and boil
· When cooked, blend in a liquidiser
· Cut paneer into small pieces and deep fry in hot ghee
· Heat ghee in a vessel, fry onions.
· Add ginger, green chillies,zeera powder and turmeric powder and fry for 5min.
· Add spinach paste & paneer to it .
Add salt, and garam masala powder to it.cook for 2min.garnish with sliced onion and serve hot with roti's or parathas.

Chole

Ingredients:
· 1 teacup kabuli channas
· 2 chopped onions
· 2 potatoes
· 2 tomatoes
· 2 tablespoons dhana-jira powder
· 2 tablespoons chilli powder
· 1 tablespoon amchur power
· 1 tablespoon garam masala
· ½ teaspoon soda bi-carb
· ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
· 3 tablespoons ghee
· salt to taste
· Slices of tomatoes and ginger, chopped coriander and a few whole green chillies for garnishing

Method:

· Soak the channas for at least 6 hours
· Add ½ teaspoon of soda bi-carb and cook in a pressure cooker
· Cut the potatoes and tomatoes into big pieces
· Heat the ghee in a vessel and fry the potatoes until soft
· Remove the potatoes. In the same ghee add the onions and cook for a little time.
· Add the dhana-jira and chilli powder and fry again.
· Add the boiled channas and salt.
· After 5 minutes, add the garam masala, amchur and black pepper powder and cook for 2 minutes.
· Add the potatoes and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
· Garnish with coriander, chillies and slices of tomatoes .

Kaju Barfi

Ingrediants:
150 gm cashewnuts
400 gm sugar
elaichi powdered
silver foil (optional)
500 gm khoya

Method:
Dry grind the cashew
Mix khoya (grated) and sugar
Heat in a heavy pan, stirring continuously.
Once the sugar dissolves, add the cashew (powdered) and elaichi
constantly stir till soft lump is formed and does not stick to sides
Roll on a flat surface to desired thickness and apply silver foil.
serve chilled.

All-Purpose Chutney

Ingredients:
15 green chillies
1/2 cup coriander
1/2 lemon
1 tbsp. sev or potato wafers crushed
1/2 tsp. jaggery
salt to taste
1 tsp oil
1 clove garlic

Method:
Put all the ingredients , except oil and asafoetida ,grind it to a smooth mixture
Heat the oil and add the asafoetida add this to the mixture and grind again.
Try using no water or as little as possible to make the chutney keep longer.
Add water as and when required.
Store in a clean glass bottle.

Masala Vada

Ingredients:
1 cup yellow gram (chana)
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
1/2 cup coriander finely chopped
3-4 green chillies finely chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
oil to deep fry

Method:
Wash and soak dal for 3-4 hours.
Keep 2 tbsp dal aside, grind the rest,coarsely.
Mix all other ingredients, including whole dal.
Add 2-3 tbsp,hot oil to the mixture.
Heat oil, make pattie shaped rounds with moist palm.
Let carefully into the hot oil.
Fry first one side then the other till golden brown.
Serve hot with green chutney, tamarind chutney, or ketchup

Tamarind and Green chutney

Green chutney:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

6-7 green chilies

1/2 tsp Toasted Cumin's Powder

Salt to taste

Method:

Add Cilantro, green chilies, Cumin powder and salt in a grinder and grind to fine paste.

Tamarind chutney

Ingredients:

1/4 to 1/2 cup Tamarind

1/2 to 3/4 cup Jaggery

3/4 to 1 cup water

1 tsp Cumin Powder

1 tsp Coriander Powder (Optional)

very little salt

Method:Soak Tamarind and Jaggery into water. Boil this mixture for about 2 minutes, then remove saucepan from heat and cover for 5-10 minutes. Let it cool down to room temperature. Then remove tamarind seeds. Grind this mixture and strain. We are going to use extract only. Add Cumin and Coriander Powder, also little salt. Make Tamarind chutney of medium consistency.

Bhel puri

Bhel puri is a traditional recipe served in almost all the snack centres in india.Most favourite among young crowd for its delicious taste and easy preparation.This is one among few recipes which can be consumed daily with out having to worry about calories and health.Serve your kids with this snack for those healthy nutrients required daily.

Ingrediants:
1 onion
1 tomato
1 small boiled peeled potato
1/2 tbsp coriander leaves
1/2 cup fine sev
1/4 cup parboiled moong sprouts -- optional
1 tsp roasted peanuts -- optional
1 tsp hot green chutney
1 1/2 tsp tamarind chutney
salt to taste
1/4 lime juice
10-12 puries (used for bhel or panipuri optional) crushed
Method
Just before serving. In a large mixing bowl, add puffed rice, and all ingredients except 1/4 the coriander and sev. Mix well. Sprinkle a fewdrops water if too dry. Adjust taste and salt. Spoon into individual bowls. Sprinkle some sev and coriander to garnish.
Serve immediately.

Green chutney:

Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped cilantro6-7 green chilies1/2 tsp Toasted Cumin's PowderSalt to tasteMethod:Add Cilantro, green chilies, Cumin powder and salt in a grinder and grind to fine paste.

Tamarind chutney:

Ingredients:1/4 to 1/2 cup Tamarind1/2 to 3/4 cup Jaggery3/4 to 1 cup water1 tsp Cumin Powder1 tsp Coriander Powder (Optional)very little salt

Method:

Soak Tamarind and Jaggery into water. Boil this mixture for about 2 minutes, then remove saucepan from heat and cover for 5-10 minutes. Let it cool down to room temperature. Then remove tamarind seeds. Grind this mixture and strain. We are going to use extract only. Add Cumin and Coriander Powder, also little salt. Make Tamarind chutney of medium consistency.

Dondakai Fry(Tinda Fry)

Ingredients:

dondakai 1kg

red chilli powder 1 tsp

turmuric powder a pinch
peanuts 10
cashew 10
grated coconut 3 tsp

salt accordingly

jeera 1/4 tsp

garlic clove 1

oil 3 tsp

Method:

cut dondakai into small slices and heat them in oven for about 5 min.

soak peanuts for 10 min.and then drain off the water.

put oil in the pan and when the oil is heated add dondakai pieces .add salt and turmuric powder and fry them for about 30 min.let them fry on medium to low heat .just fry them till they are compleately done.the pieces should look seperate after fry.then add peanuts and cashew nuts.fry for 5 more min till the nuts are fried.add grated coconut and fry for 2 more min.

just mash garlic clove with jeera and keep aside.

when everything is completly fried add chilli powder and garlic and jeera to the curry.

tastes very nice along with rice, rasam or pappucharu.

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients:

Paneer 250 grms cutted into small cubes.

onion 2 medium

tomato 2 medium

turmuric powder pinch

red chilli powder 1 tsp

red chilli 1

corriander leaves

salt according to taste

butter 5 tsp

fresh cream 2 tsp

corriander powder 1 tsp

masala powder 1 tsp

cashewnut paste 2 tsp

ginger garlic paste 1/2 tsp

Method:

cut the onions, tomato's into small pieces.

in a pan with 1 tsp of butter fry paneer pieces till they come into golden brown and keep them aside by adding 1 cup of hot water and drain them after 5 min.the paneer pieces will be tendered if we do like this.

in the same pan add 1 tsp of butter and fry onions and make them into paste.

in the same pan fry tomato's and make them into paste.

in a pan take 2 tsp of butter and fry red chilli for a min when it splutters add onion paste and fry it for a min and add ginger garlic paste.fry for a min and then add red chilli powder and cashew nut paste.fry them for 2 min .

add tomato paste,turmeric powder,salt,coriander powder,masala powder and let them cook for 5 -10 min. add paneer cubes and cook them for 5 more min. put off the flame.

garnish with coriander leaves,butter and fresh cream.

tastes very yummy with plain rice or naan or chapatis.