VEN PONGAL

INGREDIENTS:

 White rice – 1 cup
 Red gram – ½ cup
 Fresh ground pepper – ¼ tsp
 Whole peppercorns – ¼ tsp
 Salt -1 tsp
 Green chilies - 4
 A few curry leaves
 Asafoetida – a pinch
 Ghee – 1 tbsp
 Oil – 1 tbsp
 Green coriander – 1 tbsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

Wash rice and pulses and drain water completely. In a large sauce pan, heat ghee and oil on medium heat. Slit green chilies length wise. Fry the green chilies, curry leaves, pepper powder and peppercorns.

Add the rice, pulses and asafoetida to this and fry for 3 minutes.

Add 4 1/2 cups of water, salt and cover the sauce pan.
Cook it on medium heat till rice and dal become very soft and keep stirring in between to avoid burning.      Add more water if necessary.

 Garnish with coriander.
 Serve hot with Coconut chutney or Sambar.

FULKA ROTI

INGREDIENTS:

Atta(Wheat flour) - 1 cup (I use homemade wheat flour, you can use any brand) Salt - to taste Water - 1/2 cup minus 2 tbsp Oil - 1/2 tsp (optional)

PREPARATION METHOD:

In a wide mixing bowl add wheat flour, salt and first give a quick mix for salt to be even. Then add water little by little, gather to form a soft pilable dough.Once it is gathered to a mass add 1/2 tsp oil and knead it once.The dough should not be too tight or too loose, it should be non sticky at this stage.

Keep closed aside for 15-30 mins. Open and knead it again and form lemon sized balls(the size depends on your preference). Roll each ball into thin circles(rolling should be even).Dust flour if required but dont add more flour while rolling

Heat tawa, keep in medium flame - add the roti and wait till small bubbles appear, then flip to other side wait for few mins till golden spots appear. Then carefully transfer it to the flame(let it be in high flame)directly using a tong. Let it puff, then carefully transfer to hot pack. Repeat the same procedure for all other rotis. Brush it with oil/ghee if you prefer.

This way the rotis will stay soft for more hours.You can even use the chapathi/roti griller for making rotis this way.
Have this roti with chana masala. 

UPMA

INGREDIENTS:

Sooji (or) Rava(Semolina) – 250 gms

 Ginger – ½ inch piece

 Green chilies – 2
 Dried red chilies – 2
 Curry leaves – a few
 Coriander leaves – a few sprigs
 Lemon juice – 2 tsp
 Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
 Onion – 1
 Grated coconut, optional – 1 tsp
 Water – 2 ½ cups
 Oil – 2 tsp
 Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

Roast the sooji in a pan without oil, till they become light brown in color.
Chop the ginger and coriander leaves finely.
 Slit the green chilies into half.
 In a pan, heat the oil.
 Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.
 Add the chopped ginger, chilies and curry leaves.
 Stir for some time and then add the onions.
Fry till the onions become pink in color.
 Now pour water in the pan and let it boil.
 Add salt.
 When the water boils, lower the flame.
 Slowly add the roasted sooji, till all the water evaporates. Add lemon juice.

 Garnish with coriander and grated coconut.
Serve it with coconut chutney

 

NAAN

INGREDIENTS:

Maida/Flour-3cups

Baking Soda-1/4tsp
Baking powder-1tsp
Milk-1cup
Curd-1/2cup
Sugar-1tsp
Salt-1/2tsp
Vegetable oil(or)ghee-2tsp
Butter-as required

PREPARATION METHOD:

Take bowl and add flour , baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix it well. Then add curd, milk, oil, and sugar.

Knead the flour to make soft dough and covered it with muslin clothes for about 2 hours.

Take an orange size ball from the dough and roll it into elongated shape as shown below in picture. Then apply 1 teaspoon water on the top of Naan.

Heat the non-stick tawa and put the Naan on the tawa from the side where we have applied water so that it sticks to the tawa.
Remember that flame should not high or not low. You will cook your Naan on medium flame.
 When you see the Naan is puffed up on the top then turn the tawa upside down to cook the Naan on direct flame.
After cooking the Naan on direct flame apply butter on the top of Naan and serve hot with your favourite meal. I served with Paneer Kalimirch.

PANEER KALI MIRCHI

INGREDIENTS:

TO PREPARE PANEER FRY:

Paneer-200gm
Curd-1/2cup
Cumin powder-1/4tsp
Garam masala powder-1/4tsp
Pepper powder-1/2tsp
Salt-as required
Ginger garlic paste-1tsp

TO PREPARE GRAVY:

Big Onion-3
Cashew nuts-5(or)6
Almond -5(or)6
Ginger paste-1/2tsp
Green chilli -8
Garam masala powder-1/4tsp
Cumin Powder-1/4tsp
Pepper powder-1/2tsp
Kasoori methi-1tsp
Curd-1cup
Salt-as required
Coal-1 small piece
Ghee-1tsp
Vegetable oil-4tsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

Take paneer cubes in a bowl and add curd, pepper powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, salt and ginger-garlic paste. Mix it well and keep it aside for marinade for about 1 hours.

Now prepare cashew paste for gravy. Take 2 chopped onion, cashews and almond in a pan and add 2 glass water. Boil it for about 5 minutes and strain it with the strainer.

Grind the boiled ingredients to make cashew paste.

Heat the pan with oil and fry paneer cubes till light golden brown in color and take it off from the oil.

In the remaining oil, sauté with ginger paste and green chillies. Then add chopped onion and fry it till golden brown in color.

Add cashew paste into it.
Cook covered on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Now add , garam masala powder, cumin powder, salt, pepper powder and kasoori methi. Cook again for about 5 minutes.

Then add curd and cook 5 more minutes or till oil shows separately.

Now add fried paneer cubes and mix it well.

Then add 2 cup boiled water and cook covered for 5 more minutes. Now heat the coal on direct flame as shown below in picture.

Put  the Small steel bowl on pan in which you have prepared paneer. Then add heated  coal and 1 teaspoon ghee in steel bowl and cover it immediately to get the gravy absorbs essence of coal.

 After 2 minutes remove steel bowl from the pan. Now paneer kalimirch is ready serve with Naan or chappattis.