Sweet (Tamarind) Chutney

In my recipe for Green Chutney I had mentioned a sweet Tamarind-based chutney as well that is usually served with Indian snacks. Here's the recipe for it......

                                                       SWEET (TAMARIND) CHUTNEY

Ingredients :

De-seeded dates

Tamarind paste - 2 to 3 tbsps

Jaggery - 1/2 cup (You can reduce this if you don't want it too sweet)

Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Jeera (Cumin seeds) powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method :

1. Combine chopped dates, tamarind paste and jaggery and pressure cook along with 1 cup water, up to 2 to 3 whistles. Alternately, you can also use a saucepan and cook till dates become soft. Let cool.

2. Blend to a smooth paste. Strain this into a bowl to remove any lumps and/or impurities.

3. Add water to adjust consistency as required and mix well. Now add the chilli powder, jeera powder, pinch salt and mix again.

Serve as desired. 

Green Chutney

Most Indian savouries, especially in North India are served with two chutneys - a sweet one made of Tamarind and Dates, and a green one made of Mint and coriander leaves.

This recipe is a typical method for the green chutney, which goes very well with Samosas, Kachoris and other chaat preparations. Here goes......

                                                                  GREEN CHUTNEY

Ingredients :

Mint leaves - 2 cups
Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Green chillies - 3 to 4
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Juice of 1/2 a lemon / 1/2 inch piece of tamarind
Salt to taste

Method :

1. Wash and chop the mint and coriander leaves roughly, i.e, not too fine as we will be blending them anyway.

2. Add them to a blender along with all the other ingredients. The idea behind using lemon juice OR tamarind is to cut down the sharp flavour of mint and green chillies and yet enhance the overall taste.

3. Transfer to a bowl and serve. Alternatively, you can also preserve the chutney in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, for use with sandwiches or simply any snack you fancy!!!

Instant Carrot Pickle

India is a country famous for many of its signature pickles, the popular varieties being Mango, Lime and Vegetable. During my early life in Delhi, I had the wonderful privilege of eating at the famous shops - Punjab Sweet Shop and Roshan Di Kulfi in Karol Bagh. Their Chole Bhature was out of this world, and am sure is still the case!!! But this recipe I am about to share is about the simple and instant carrot pickle they would serve with the Chole Bhature and would compliment the main dish wonderfully.
Typically most North Indian pickles use Mustard Oil; I have used sesame oil which is an equally good preservative.
This pickle is very quick and easy to make; I am listing below two methods to prepare the pickle; one uses green chillies and the other red chilli powder. Rest assured, both turn out fantastic :)

                                                     INSTANT CARROT PICKLE

TYPE I

Ingredients :

Tender Carrots - 7 to 8
Green chillies - 2
Sesame Oil - 1 tbsp
Yellow Mustard - 1 tsp
lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Cut the carrots into 1 inch long sticks. Slit the green chillies lengthwise

2. Add the two to a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, turmeric powder and salt and check for taste.

3. Heat oil and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, pour over the pickle and mix well. Let rest for 1/2 hour and serve.
This pickle can last out for 2 to 3 days when refreigerated.

                                                    -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

TYPE II

Ingredients:

Tender Carrots - 7 to 8
Fenugreek (Methi) Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder (Hing) - a pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Cut the carrots as in the first method. Add to a mixing bowl.

2. Heat a pan and dry roast the fenugreek seeds. Cool slightly and grind to a coarse powder

3. Heat oil in another pan, add the mustard seeds, ground fenugreek powder, asafoetida powder, turmeric powder and chilli powder.

4. Pour this tempering over the carrots and mix well. Add salt to taste and let rest for 1/2 hour before serving. Lemon juice can be added for little tanginess as well.
Shelf life, when refrigerated is 2 to 3 days.

Apple Crumble Tart

The word 'Tart' brings into view deliciously sinful fruit tarts, ready to be cut and devoured. It's typically a pastry base baked along with a filling, usually fruit and/or custard.

Here we attempt an apple tart using crumbled flour. Where apple goes, cinnamon typically follows, one enhancing the flavour of the other like a match made in heaven!! But just as in a relationship, too much of anything spoils the flavour :) so while using cinnamon more than required can take over the flavour of the ripe apples, using too less will make no difference to the taste....

                                                             Apple Crumble Tart

Ingredients :
For Tart base -
Refined Flour - 150 gms
Chilled Butter - 100 gms
Brown sugar - 50 gms

For Apple filling -
Apples - 3
Butter - 50 gms
Brown sugar - 75 gms
Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
Bread crumbs - 50 gms
Raisins - 2 tbsps
Crushed walnuts - 1 tbsp

For the Crumble - (one can use coarsely powdered digestive biscuits instead as well)
Flour - 50 gms
Brown Sugar - 50 gms
Butter - 50 gms

Method :

1. Preheat oven at 180 dec C.

2. For the tart base, rub the chilled butter into the flour so it starts feeling crumbly. Do not rub in too hard to avoid butter melting. We do not want a stretchy dough. Add the sugar and assemble into a rough dough. Using your hands, spread this on to a greased tart pan. Refrigerate for an hour.

3. To make the filling, peel and finely chop the apples. Melt butter in a pan, add the apples and stir well. Add other ingredients one by one and mix. Remove from flame and cool slightly.

4. Take out the chilled tart base and spread the apple filling in the centre.

5. Mix together the ingredients for the crumble, or simply use coarsely powdered Digestive biscuits. Sprinkle on top of the apple filling. Bake in the oven at 180 deg for 25-30 mins. Remove and cool for 5-7 minutes on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm.

Paneer Koftas in Capsicum Makhani

Paneer or Indian cheese is an amazing ingredient which can be suited and adapted for most cuisines. It can be cut into blocks and used for lip-smacking Tikkas or crumbled up for dumplings served in gravy.
Paneer is an excellent source of calcium. I read somewhere that adults above the age of 40, especially women should have a bowl of fresh paneer and boiled peas salad everyday as it is a fantastic supplement of Estrogen.

How to make Paneer :

Milk - 1 ltr
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Boil milk in a heavy-bottom saucepan.
2. As it reaches boiling point, add the juice of a lemon and let the milk curdle.
3. Strain by using a muslin cloth on a strainer. If the recipe uses fresh and/or crumbled paneer, use as is. Else place in a container and refrigerate till set.
Tip : Do not discard the 'whey'; this can be used within the next 2-3 days (refrigerated) and can come in handy for preparing chapati/paratha dough, etc..

PANEER KOFTAS IN CAPSICUM MAKHANI

Ingredients :

For capsicum makhani gravy : (Or you could simply use 2 packets of Maggi Bhuna Masala - Makhani variant, if available)
Large tomatoes (blanched and peeled) - 3
Capsicum - 1 (diced)
Cloves - 2
Butter - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsps
Onion - 1 large (ground)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) -1/2 tsp
Tomato ketchup - 1 tsp
salt to taste
Cream - 3 tbsps

Paneer Koftas :
Crumbled Paneer - 1 cup
Green chillies (chopped) - 2 (1 if large)
Chopped coriander - 2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Maida - 1 tbsp
Cornstarch - 1 tbsp

Other :
Chopped dhaniya - for garnishing

Method :

1. For the koftas or dumplings, blend together Paneer, green chillies, dhaniya and salt. Transfer to a bowl and add the maida and cornstarch. Mix gently and refrigerate for about 30 minutes

2. For the gravy, heat oil or ghee in a pan. sprinkle jeera and let crackle.

3. Add the ginger-garlic paste followed by the onion paste. Cook the two well. Add capsicum and cook for about 5 minutes.

4. Now add the tomato paste, chilli powder, kasuri methi, garam masala, tomato ketchup and fresh cream (in the end) and stir well. Let cook for about 7-8 minutes. Best to cover, so the aroma is retained. Take care to not let the capsicum become too soggy, but should retain some crunchiness. (I must add here that when I opened the lid, the aroma of capsicum cooked in the gravy was simply heavenly!!)

5. To prepare the koftas. prepare a paste of maida and just enough water to get a thick paste. Make small rounds of the paneer mix, dab some dry flour on your hands if the mix is sticky.

6. Dip the rolls in the maida paste and fry on medium heat till golden brown. Before doing this, always drop a small tester round into the oil to see if it breaks and paneer starts oozing out. If it does, add a little maida to the mixture to get a better binding. Strain the excess oil from the koftas and keep aside.

7. Warm the gravy. On a serving dish place the dumplings or koftas and pour the gravy gently on top. Garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve with chapatis or rice.

Eggless Banana Cake

I love baking (and trying to bake!!) delicious cakes and cookies for my parents...In my endeavour to look up new and interesting recipes, it's been a constant challenge for me to use alternatives for eggs(especially for my mother) in those recipes and yet get a satisfactory result.
Though the World Wide Web abounds with eggless recipes, I try to use my own measurements and experiment with what works best and not and thus understand the logic behind the ingredient...
The following recipe is one such experiment which came out delightfully soft and tasty. The use of banana, condensed milk and curd make for good binding agents that give the cake a nice texture and structure. Depending on the type and sweetness quotient of the banana you use (also because of condensed milk, which is pre-sweetened), adjust the sugar measurement to avoid over-sweetening.

Eggless Banana Cake

Ingredients :

Maida - 2 cups
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Demerara or brown sugar - 3/4 cup (If using white sugar, reduce quantity to 1/2 cup)
Cocoa Powder - 1 tsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
Condensed Milk - 1/4 cup
Softened butter - 1/4 cup
Bananas - 2 (Pureed)
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Water - 50 ml

For Topping (optional)
Dark Chocolate - 1 cup
Milk or cream - 2 tbsps

Method :

1. Sift together maida, baking powder, Salt and cocoa powder. The sifting process is very important as it opens up the flour.

2. Add the softened butter and sugar to a bowl and whisk well till sugar dissolves. Add condensed milk, vanilla essence and 25 ml water and beat till frothy.

3. Now add the curd and mix lightly with a hand whisk. Gradually add a small measure of the pureed bananas, followed by a cup of the flour mix; continue to add the two alternatively. Fold in with a light hand using a wooden ladle. Make sure to leave no lumps.

4. Preheat over to 200 degrees C. Grease a baking dish and pour the batter into it. Bake for about 30 mins or till the knife comes out clean. Remember to not over-bake as the cake firms up more upon cooling.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce by heating chocolate in a double boiler along with milk to make it softer. If using cream, add it after the chocolate has melted.

5. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Spread the chocolate sauce over the cake and decorate as desired.

Variations : - You can also add crushed walnuts or pecan nuts. raisins and chocolate chips to the batter to make the cake richer. The kitchen is your laboratory, so don't be shy of innovating :))
Suggested serving - warm the cake slightly before serving.

Peas - Pudina Rotis

Last Sunday my mother fished out a recipe for Peas Bruschetta (can't recall where she got it from now) and we had it for breakfast. The filling was simply out of this world.
However, we ended up with some leftover filling and we promptly deposited it in the refrigerator for future sandwiches.
Last night, to break the monotony of standard rotis, I recalled the filling in the fridge and you know what comes next!! Yep......

PEAS-PUDINA ROTIS

Ingredients :

Peas Filling -
Green peas - 1 cup
Pudina/Mint leaves - 10 to 12
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Green chilly -1
Grated Cheese - 1/4 cup
Salt and pepper to taste

For Dough -
Wheat flour - 1.5 cups
Water
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method : 

1. Grind together all the ingredients for the filling in a mixer using very little water. Keep aside

2. In a food processor, or bowl, add the ground mixture, wheat flour, salt, oil and knead a firm dough using sufficient water. Let rest for about 8 to 10 minutes

3. Prepare thick rotis or parathas and cook using ghee / oil on a hot tawa.
Serve as desired.

Karthigai Special - Appam (Sweet)

Sweet Appams or Appe are quick and easy to prepare and a popular dish for festivals like Navratri and Karthigai Deepam. Here's a jhatpat recipe to try...

SWEET APPAM

Ingredients

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Rice flour - 1/2 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Ripe banana - 1 (mashed)

Elaichi powder - 1 tsp

Method

1. Sift together wheat and rice flours. 

2. Dissolve jaggery in plain water, approximately 1 cup, no need to heat. Once it is completely dissolved, strain through a semi-fine sieve so as to remove impurities.

3. Add this to the flours along with the mashed banana. Mix well leaving no lumps. Add sufficient water (only if needed) to make a thick batter of dripping consistency. Add cardamom powder and mix again.

4. Heat oil in a appam pan or a small kadhai. Drop small ladle-fuls of the batter into the appam cups or the kadhai. Fry on a medium flame till golden brown on both sides.

5. Serve warm or store for later. 

Paneer Dosa (with a twist !)

This weekend I started out to make paneer dosas, by preparing a stuffing mixture and then placing it on the dosa, similar to the masala dosa. But then an idea struck me; what if I mix all the stuffing ingredients in the mixer instead of by hand??
So I added the paneer, some greens and spices to a mixer jar and ground it. I had expected a crumbly mixture, but ended up with a smooth paste !!! Now how to spread this on the dosa??
Aha! I found a way out and this is what I did.....

PANEER DOSA (with a twist)

Ingredients :

Dosa batter - 500 gm
Paneer - 100 gm
Coriander leaves(chopped) - 1 cup
Mint leaves (chopped) - 1/2 cup
Salt - a pinch (as dosa batter will already have some)
Garam masala or tawa fry masala - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Defrost the paneer if it's just taken out from the refrigerator or freezer compartment. (I tend to wash and soak it for a while in plain water for about 10 minutes)

2. Crumble it with your hands and keep aside. In a mixer jar, drop in the chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves and grind them. This will create space to add the rest of the items.

3. Now add the paneer, pinch of salt and the masala powder of your choice. Grind again to get a smooth paste. 

4. Mix the dosa batter well, add the paneer mixture to it and mix again using a wire beater so no lumps are left. Check for salt and adjust as required.

5. Warm a dosa tawa on medium heat. Pour a ladle of batter and spread it to form a thin dosa. Use little oil and let brown on both sides. Serve hot.

Using paneer this way added an unexpected softness to the dosa and improved the taste by leaps and bounds. I used a leftover block of paneer which was slightly sour to taste which actually turned out to be an advantage as it matched the sourness in the dosa batter as well, especially when mixed with the masalas and greens.!!

TIP : If you wish to avoid the masala powder, you can use 1 or 2 green chillies or black pepper instead. You can also add about 2 tbsps shredded fresh coconut to make it taste richer. It's all in the experimentation :)

Arbi leaves roti

Colocasia or Arbi leaves are an excellent source of vitamins C and E, potassium, magnesium, and have rich iron content as well.
The most popular use for arbi patta is the 'Patra' widely prepared in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Konkan areas.
Here is an alternative use of the leaves in an Indian bread.

COLOCASIA LEAVES ROTI

Ingredients :

Chopped Arbi leaves - 1/2 cup
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Haldi - 1/4 tsp
Ragi flour - 1/4 cup
Wheat flour - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp + for cooking
Salt to taste

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera and let crackle.

2. Add the chopped arbi leaves and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add dhaniya-jeera powder, chili powder, salt to taste, haldi and mix well. Cook on a medium flame till the leaves are soft. Sprinkle little water to avoid the masala being burned. Remove and cool.

3. When at room temperature, add ragi and wheat flour to this mixture, along with oil. Mix well and knead into a soft dough using sufficient water.

4. Divide into equal portions and roll out into thick rotis. Cook on a tawa on medium flame using oil till both sides are golden brown.
Serve hot with curd or desired side-dish.

Bajra Aloo Roti

Bajra or Pearl Millet (கம்பு {Kambu} in Tamil), is highly popular in Rajasthani cuisine, however its health benefits make it a part of dishes throughout India. It is known to be high in proteins with a good amount of amino acids. It's rich iron content helps formation of hemoglobin in blood thus preventing anaemia.
It is also gluten free; is a rich source of fibre and helps control blood sugar levels, acidity and cardiovascular problems.



In the following recipe, the normal Bajra roti has a taste twist in the form of boiled and mashed potatoes, which also add volume and softness.

BAJRA ALOO ROTI

Ingredients : (Makes 4) 

Bajra (Pearl millet) flour - 1 1/2 cups
Boiled and mashed potatoes - 3/4 cup
Ginger-green chilli paste - 1 tsp
Chopped coriander - 4 tsps
Black Pepper pwd - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil / ghee for cooking

Method :

1. Combine potatoes and bajra flour in a bowl with oiled hands and gently mix.

2. Add the ginger-green chilli paste, pepper, dhaniya and salt. Mix all ingredients well and knead into a soft dough. Due to the moisture content in potatoes, it is not usually necessary to add water. Keep dough aside for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile warm the roti tawa or griddle. Divide the dough into 4-5 equal portions. Roll out into a 1" thick roti(pancake) and cook on using oil/ghee till golden brown on both sides. 
Serve hot with curd, raita or desired accompaniment.

Pudina Paratha

Paratha or Indian flat bread is an excellent accompaniment for Indian side dishes; it tends to make even the simplest dal tastier.
The word "Paratha" is said to be made up of two words : 'Parat' which means layers and 'atta' which means flour. In essence it is a multi-layered flat bread. Paratha comes in various flavours, shapes and fillings, the most popular being Aloo (Potato), Gobi (Cauliflower) and Pudina (Mint).
I share with you few of my favourite time and home-tested paratha recipes.

PUDINA PARATHA  

Ingredients : (Makes 4) 

Whole wheat flour - 2 cups

Crushed (fresh) mint leaves - 1 cup

Salt - 1 tsp

Butter - 3 tbsps

Method :           

1.  Sieve flour and salt together into a bowl.

2. Add water little by little and knead into a stiff dough. Keep covered with a wet muslin cloth for 25-30 minutes

3. Take half the crushed mint leaves and dry roast on a tawa, till all moisture evaporates. Once crisp, crush them with your hand so they resemble Kasuri methi. These will be used to sprinkle on the paratha.

4. Mix the remaining fresh leaves with the covered dough and gently knead again. Divide into 4-5 balls.

5. To prepare the paratha, roll out into a thick chapati and apply butter on the surface. Sprinkle some flour and roll the chapati into a cylinder or fold alternately like a fan. Now roll this horizontally into a spiral ball shape and keep aside for 5 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

6. Prepare chapatis again with the spiral rolls (if you want more layers you can repeat the process 3-4 times more) and cook on a hot tawa using butter / ghee / oil. Sprinkle the roasted and crushed pudina leaves while the chapati is still uncooked and press lightly with a flat ladle.

7. Cook on both sides till brown. Serve hot with desired accompaniments.

                

Stuffed Parval curry

Ingredients :
Parval (Pointed Gourd) - 1/4 kg
Tomatoes - 2 (medium)
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Green Chillies - 6 (ground to a paste)
Onion - 1 big (ground to a paste along with ginger)
Grated Paneer - 50 gms
Boiled & mashed Potatoes - 1 cup
Cornflour - 2 tbsps
Dhaniya pwd - 1 tsp
Haldi - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1 cup
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cardamom - 4
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Method :
1. Lightly boil the parval for about 10 mins. Cut in half and chop off the ends. Scoop off the insides

2. Combine paneer, potatoes, salt, green chilli paste and mix well.

3. Stuff the parval with this mix. Make a semi-thick paste using the flour and little bit of water. Dip the parval in this mix and shallow fry till golden brown.

4. Heat oil in a pan. Add dhaniya pwd, chilli pwd (if needed), cardamom, bay leaves and cloves. Add the onion-ginger paste. Fry for a bit till raw smell leaves the gravy.

5. Add curds, garam masala and simmer on low heat. Add water to adjust consistency if required.

6. Now drop in the fried parval pieces one by one and simmer for 5-7 minutes more. Serve hot.

Naarthanga Kuzhambu

Narthangai, also known as Bitter Orange or Seville Orange is commonly used in South Indian cooking especially for preparing pickles and pachadi (South Indian equivalent of Raita)

NAARTHANGAI/BITTER ORANGE KUZHAMBU

Ingredients :

Naarthanga or country lemon - 2 (medium)
Green chillies - 5 to 6
Tamarind - lemon size (juice extracted)
Salt and hing (asafoetida) to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Methi seeds powder- 1/4 tsp
Jaggery - a small piece
Oil - 3 tbsps

 


Method :

1. Cut naarthanga into small cubes. Cut green chillies into 1/2 inch long pieces

2. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add the cut chillies and saute for a bit

3. Add hing, haldi, followed by the cut narthanga pieces. Again saute for about 2 minutes.

4. Pour in the tamarind extract and salt. Let simmer till the consistency is slightly but not too thick.

5. Once done, add little jaggery to taste. Please note:If it is desired to have a sweeter kuzhambu like a pachadi, more jaggery can be added.

6. Heat a seasoning ladle for about 2 minutes and turn off the heat. Very lightly fry the methi powder, for just about a minute and add to the kuzhambu. Let simmer for a few minutes more, then remove from fire.
Serve as desired with rice. Goes best with curd rice !!!!

Ragi adai

Ragi or finger millet is extremely rich in iron and calcium, but low on fat and calories. In many rural areas, ragi porridge, made with ragi flour, buttermilk and salt is consumed as breakfast which provides immense and instant energy for the day !!! Ragi is a source of heat energy, hence adding buttermilk equalizes this effect.
Ragi adai is a perfect dish for the health conscious, but that said, does not compromise on taste either!!!

RAGI ADAI

Ingredients :
Urad dal - 1/4 cup
Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Chana dal - 1/4 cup
Ragi flour - 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves
Salt - to taste
Green chillies - 2

Method :
1. Soak the lentils together for about 3 hours.

2. Grind to a coarse paste, along with curry leaves and green chillies.

3. Add ragi and rice flour, salt and grind a little more, but not finely.

4. Add water to adjust consistency. Prepare crispy adais, just like dosas, but slightly thicker. Serve hot with curd, pickle or chutney.

TIP : You can add your desired variations to this, such as fresh chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves, drumstick leaves, etc.

Parval gravy

Parval/Parwal or Pointed gourd makes for an interesting accompaniment for several dishes and goes well with other vegetables such as potato, etc.
It's a rich source of Vitamin A & C, plus carbohydrates.
This is a gravy dish that my mother made at home and was perfect as a side-dish for chapatis.

PARVAL GRAVY

Ingredients :

Parval - 500 gms
Tomato - 1
Small onions - 2
Curds - 1/2 cup
Mawa - 100 gms
Red chillies - 2
Haldi - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Chilli pwd - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1" piece
Ghee - 2 tsps
Salt to taste
Water - 1 cup

Method :

1. Wash, peel and slice parval lengthwise.

2. Grind onions and ginger to a paste. Puree tomato.

3. Heat oil and/or ghee in a pan, Add the onion-ginger paste, whole red chillies and cook till light brown.

4. Add parval, curds and fry for a while

5. Add tomato puree, chilli powder, salt and haldi. Cook till parval becomes tender.

6. Add boiling water, top with mawa and garam masala. Transfer this mix to a pressure cooker and cook with whistle on, just till full pressure is built up, but the whistle does not go off. Reduce flame and leave for 4-5 mins, then remove.

7. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Okkaarai / Ukkarai

A well-known sweet dish down south, especially prepared for Diwali in several places. It's quite easy to prepare and tastes absolutely marvelous.

Ukkaarai or Okkaarai is a traditional sweet that is associated with Diwali in most homes in Tamil Nadu.
It's a simple fare prepared with Bengal gram and jaggery, with cardamom enhancing its richness.

OKKAARAI / UKKARAI

Ingredients :

Chana dal - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1.5 cups
Ghee - 2 tbsps
Cardamom (elaichi) pwd - 1/2 tsp
Chopped cashews for garnishing

Method :

1. Heat a kadhai, dry roast chana dal in it just till you start getting an aroma. Remove from fire. and soak in enough water for 1/2 hour.

2. Drain water and wrap the dal in a muslin cloth. Steam cook for about 15-20 mins in a cooker. Remove from fire and cool

3. Grind the steam-cooked dal in a mixer just to break it down into morsels. Do not grind too finely.

4. Melt jaggery in a thick-bottomed panusing just 1/4 cup water. Boil till a pearl consistency, i.e, if you place a drop of the syrup in a bowl of water, you should be able to roll the syrup into a ball, it should not dissolve or be stretchy.

5. Add the broken dal to the jaggery syrup aong with elaichi powder and broken cashewnuts. Stir well and serve as desired.
Tastes best when served slightly warm.

Mysore Rasam

A delicious rasam variant popular in Karnataka, as is obvious from the name. What differentiates it from the staple rasam of Tamil Nadu is the typical use of coriander seed, red chillies and just the right touch of pepper, asafoetida and chana dal. If made with little less arahar dal, this can be served as a soup as well.

MYSORE RASAM

Ingredients :

Red chillies - 2 medium
Jeera - 1 tsp
Dhaniya seeds - 2 tsps
Tamarind (Imli) - 1 lemon size ball
Chana dal (Bengal gram) - 1 tsp
Arahar dal (split red gram) - 1/4 cup
Pepper corns - 3/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Hing (asafoetida powder) - 1/4 tsp
Curry and coriander leaves

Method :

1. Lightly fry all ingredients except tamarind, arahar dal, salt and the leaves in a pan, for about 2-3 minutes, just to make them moisture-free.

2. Let cool and dry grind a mixer.

3. Cook arahar dal separately in a cooker.

4. Soak tamarind in warm water for about 5 minutes. Now squeeze out as much extract as possible adding more water after each extraction.

5. Pour this extract in a vessel, add salt to taste, hing and curry leaves. Let boil till raw smell leaves the imli extract.

6. Add the cooked arahar dal followed by the ground powder.

7. Adjust taste by adding more water so the rasam tastes spicy enough, add salt if required.

8. Garnish with coriander leaves and season with mustard seeds fried in 1/2 tsp ghee.

Apple Pudding

Let's start on a sweet note........

Who doesn't like an apple pudding (well maybe some don't, but let's not go there!!!) The combination of apples cooked in brown sugar with a dash of cinnamon is simply sinful. Add to that, soft custard and yumm...Without much ado, let's delve into the recipe!!

APPLE - CUSTARD PUDDING

Ingredients :

Apples - 3
Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup

Milk Burfi/Cake

 This is a simple and mouth-watering burfi that my mother has been preparing for every Diwali till date. Here how it is made :

MILK BURFI

Ingredients :

Besan (gram/chickpea flour) - 1 cup
Milk powder - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 2.5 cups
Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 1.5 cups
Water - 1 cup

Method :

1. Heat ghee lightly in a pan. Remove from fire.

2. Now add the gram flour (besan) and stir well ensuring no lumps are formed. Let cool.

3. When cool, add the milk powder and stir well. Keep aside

4. Now let's prepare the sugar syrup. Add the sugar to 1 cup water and boil. The consistency should be such that a pearl can be formed when a drop is spilled on a flat surface. In other words, the syrup should not be in a fluid state when dropped on to a flat surface.

5. Once you reach this consistency, reduce the flame and add the flour mix. Stir well till the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from fire.

6. Pour into a greased tray and let cool, not too much but just about hard which makes it easier to cut. 
Cut into desired shapes and serve.