Mint And Yogurt Dip

My final recipe for this week is a dip which we can serve any starter. I used green chillis in this dip if you don't like it too spicy you can add pepper powder in the place of green chillis. Use hung curd for this dip hung curd will give a thick and nice texture to the dip. Serve this dip with paneer tikka or any other starter or even with vegetable slices like cucumber, carrot and beetroot. This will be a perfect choice for salad dressing also.

Let's check the recipe...
INGREDIENTS:---
Yogurt   ----  1 cup
Green chillies  --- 3
Mint leaves  ---  1/2 cup
Garlic ---   4 cloves
Salt to taste
METHOD:---
1. Take mint leaves, green chillies, garlic cloves  add two tab sp. of yogurt and grind in to a fine paste.
2. Take out this mint paste in to a bowl add remaining yogurt and salt to taste mix well.
Leave this dip in the fridge at least for one hour to blend the flavors.
Serve with paneer tikka, alu rolls, cutlets, or simply with masala pappad,,, 
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Vankaya Pachadi

My second recipe under chutney's, spreads and dips is again a chutney from Andhra cuisine. Brinjal/ eggplant/ vankaya Pachadi is one of the all time favorites in Andhra homes. Not only as a chutney eggplant is a favorite vegetable at home. I used green small variety eggplants for this chutney you can use any variety eggplants for this chutney. 

Let's check the recipe
INGREDIENTS:---
Eggplants  --- 5 
Green chillies --- 8 or reduce according to your taste
Coriander seeds  --- 1 tab sp
Cumin seeds  ----  2 tea sp
Urad dal  ---  1 tea sp
Tamarind --- 1 inch piece
Garlic  ---  6 cloves
Oil  --- 1 tab sp
Turmeric powder  ---  1/4 tea sp
Salt to taste
METHOD:----
1. Heat few drops of oil in a pan add coriander seeds, urad dal and fry till golden then add cumin seeds and fry for a while remove and set a side.
2. Wash and wipe the eggplants, cut them in to small cubes.
3. Now heat remaining oil in the same pan add green chillies and fry for a while then add eggplant pieces and fry till eggplant pieces are tender, remove and let them cool.
4. soak tamarind in two tab sp of water.
5. First grind coriander seeds, urad dal and cumin seeds in to a fine powder.
6. Then add fried green chillis and eggplant pieces and run the mixe for two seconds.
7. Add tanarind, turmeric powder, garlic cloves, salt to taste and grind in to a coarse paste.
Remove the vankaya pachadi in to a clean and dry bowl and serve with dosa, idli, pongali or with plain rice and few drops of ghee.
Even I like this as a spread on my toast....
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Pandumirapakaya, Tomato Pachadi

My recipe for this week under chutneys, dips and spreads is a chutney recipe from Andhra cuisine.  Pandu mirapakayalu are fresh ripe red chillies we make a pickle with this red chillies every year in season. December and January is the season for this red chillies and tomatoes. We make pickles with these both vegetables saparately and these two pickles will stay for year. 

We mix this red chillies with Gongura that is called pandu mirapakaya - gongura pachadi, Pandu mirapakaya - tomato pachadi. Pandu mirpakaya tomato pachadi will stay for one month out side, after that can store it in the fridge for six months.

For this Pandu mirapakaya - tomato pachadi always use fully ripe tomatoes so that pickle will get a beautiful red color. I used garlic for tadka, you can use asafoetida in the place of garlic. Red chillies what I get here are really very hot, so i used 150 grams. you can increase the red chilli quantity according to your taste. You can add red chilli powder but that gives a normal tomato pickle taste. I have given 1 cup oil that is more then enough. By next morning the oil you added to the pickle should come up on the top. If you didn't see the oil on top you can heat a tab sp oil again and add it on the top of the pachadi.   

So let's check the recipe....
INGREDIENTS:---
Tomato  ---  250 grams
Ripe redchillies  --- 150 grams
Tamarind  ----  25 grams
Turmeric powder  ---  1/2 tea sp
Fenugreek powder ---  1/4 tea sp
Mustard powder  ----  1 tea sp
Salt  ---  2 tea sp
Oil  ----  1 cup
Mustard seeds ---  1/2 tea sp
Dry red chillies  --- 3 broken
Garlic cloves  ---  8 crushed
METHOD:---
1. Wash and wipe red chillies with a clean kitchen towel and set a side to dry totally. Means there should be no moisture in red chillies.
2. Take red chillies with one tea sp salt and grind in to a fine paste. Make sure you should not any water to this red chilli paste.
3. Wash and wipe the tomatoes, cut them in to four pieces add salt and mix well and leave a side for 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes you can find some juice from tomatoes,now add this tomato juice to tamarind and soak tamarind.
5. Now heat 1/2 cup oil in a pan add tomato pieces, keep stiring in between and cook till oil comes out from the sides.
6. Switch off the heat and let the tomato cool down to room temperature.
7. Now take tomato, soaked tamarind with little juice(if require you can add more juice but not water)  and red chilli paste in to a mixer jar and grind in to a fine paste.
8. Take out red chilli and tomato paste from mixer jar in to a bowl. Add fenugreek powder, mustard powder, turmeric power mix well to combine every thing.
9. Heat remaining 1/2 cup oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them popup then add dry red chillies and garlic cloves fry for a while and switch off the heat, let it cool down to room temperature.
10. Add tomato and red chilli paste to the seasoning (tadka) and mix well to combine every thing, Check and adjust with salt.
Store in a clean and airtight bottle..
Serve this Pandumirapakaya, tomato pachadi with dosa, idli, vada. or with hot plain rice with a drop of ghee....

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Macaroni With Vegetables

My next recipe for vegetarian dinner recipes is a pasta which is well known as Macaroni. Macaroni and cheese is a very popular dish with this Macaroni, but my recipe is a bit different then macaroni and cheese. 
                                                                    

Let's check the recipe...
INGREDIENTS:----
Macaroni  ----- 1 cup
Onion --- 1 medium cut in to cubes
Carrot  -- 1 small cut in to 1/2 inch pieces
Broccoli  --- 1/2 cup small flowers
Capsicum  ---  1/4 cup 1/2 in cubes
Baby corn --- 1 cut in ti 1/2 inch pieces
Tomato  --- 1 big finely chopped
Hot and sweet tomato sauce  ---  2 tab sp
Garlic   ----  5 cloves crushed
Cheese  ---  1 cube grated
Oil    ---  1 tab sp
Red chilli flakes ---  1/2 tea sp
Italian mixed herbs --- 1/2 tea sp
Salt to taste.
METHOD:----
1. Boil 4 cups water with a few drops of oil in a pan, bring to full boil and add macaroni to the boiling water and cook till done.
2. drain the hot water and pour cold water over macaroni immediately to prevent sticking together.
Spread macaroni in a plate and set a side.
3. Now heat oil in a pan add crushed garlic fry for a while then add onion give a good stir.
4. After a few seconds add tomato, carrot, baby corn and a pinch of salt sprinkle with a tab sp water cover and cook in a low heat for two minutes.
5. After two minutes remove the lid and add broccoli, capsicum mix well and cook in a medium heat for 5 more minutes in a low flame.
6. Now add red chilli flakes, tomato sauce, Italian herbs miix well and add cooked macaroni, now mix well to combine every thing.
7. sprinkle with grated cheese cover and cook in a low heat for five more minutes and switch off the heat.
Serve hot.....  
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Ragi Carrot Idli

Starting this month second week with some easy to make dinner recipes. Usually I prefer my dinner light like idli, roti, dosa, upma but not rice,I will finish my dinner by 7:30 to 8. These ragi carrot idli's are easy to make and perfect for dinner if you serve with a pickle or chutney. Can serve this ragi idli's with sambar but that will become a bit heavy. If you want to pair this idli with sambar then it will be a perfect and healthy breakfast. 

I have added grated carrot now but you can add finely chipped any vegetables. Like finely chopped cabbage, grated beetroot, green peas, finely chopped french beans. Any vegetables like this or you can add mixed vegetables and make this healthy idlis more interesting.

So let's check the recipe...
INGREDIENTS:---
Ragi flour  ---- 1 cup
Semolina(upma rava) --- 1 cup
Grated carrot  ---  1 cup
Ghee  ---  1 tab sp
Yogurt (curd)  --- 1 cip
Water  ---  3/4 cup
Eno (fruit salt)  ---  1/2 tea sp
Cooking soda  ---  a big pinch
Finaly chopped coriander leaves  --- 1 tab sp for garnishing.
METHOD:---
1. Heat ghee in a pan add semolina and roast it for two to three minutes then add ragi flour, give a good stir and switch off the heat.
2. Add cooking soda to curd mix well and add this curd mixture, grated carrot, salt to taste to semolina and ragi flour and leave a side for two minutes.
3. After two minutes add little by little water and mix well to make a idli batter consistency.
4. In the meanwhile grease idl molds with little ghee or oil and place a little chopped coriander leaves in each mold.
5. Add eno to the batter and mix gently to combine every thing well don't over mix.
6. Pour the ragi carrot idli batter in idli molds and steam cook for 8 to 10 minutes
Serve this healthy ragi carrot idli's with any spicy chutney. I served with tomato chutney
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Kalakand

My final recipe for this week under Milk based sweets is Kalakand. Kalakand is a sweet made with paneer and khoya. As you all know paneer is a cheese made with milk and Kohya is a thick milk solids which is made by boiling the full fat milk. 

For Paneer boil one liter whole milk bring to full boil, reduce the heat add little by little 1/2 cup fresh curd keep stirring.
After few seconds milk will curdle switch off the heat and strain the whey water and collect paneer in a cheese cloth, This one liter milk gives you nearly one and half cup paneer. Rinse the paneer in cold water well and set a side, rinsing the paneer in cold water makes paneer little more soft. Now close the cheese cloth from all sides tie a not and tie this on a height for half an hour to remove extra water. we need one cup paneer from this to prepare kalakand.

                                                                          

We need one and half cup kohya (un sweetend kova) for this kalakand recipe. Heat one liter milk in a thick bottom pan bring to full boil and reduce the heat and keep boiling the milk. Boil the milk till it turn in to thick and grainy after one and half hours or two hours the milk turn in to a solid with a grainy texture and starts leaving the sides of the pan. This is kohya which we are going to use for making kalakand.

Always use freshly made paneer and kohya for making Kalakand. This is a milk based sweet so it has a less life time it will stay for two to three days in room temperature. Can store this in fridge for one week.
                                                                             

Now let's check how to make Kalakand...
INGREDIENTS:---
Kohya (un sweetend kova)  ---  1 1/2 cups
Paneer  ---  1 cup
Sugar -- 1/2 cup powdered
Ghee  --- 2 tab sp
Cardamom powder  ----  1/2 tea sp
Finely chopped almonds and pistachios -- 2 tab sp
METHOD:----
1. Crumble the paneer and kova in a nonstick pan and start heating. It will turn soft after few minutes. Keep stirring and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Now add ghee, powdered sugar, cardamom powder mix well to combine every thing. Keep stirring and cook till it leaves the sides of the pan it will take 15 minutes in a medium heat.
3. Finally add one more tab sp ghee and chopped nuts mix well and pour this in to a greased pan.
Flaten the surface with a greased laddle leave a side to cool down to room temperature, it will take one hour time to cool down.
Cut in to squares, you can garnish with chopped nuts and silver vark.
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Basundi

Basundi is a milk based sweet which is very popular in three states, Gujarat, Maharastra and Karnataka.I have always confused with Basundi and rabri . Some people says both are same, some says both are different. After trying these two recipes and a small research I came to know both recipes are almost same with little variations.  

  1. Both rabri  and Basundi are made with full cream milk.

   2. The consistency of rabri is more thicker then Basundi

   3. For rabri you have to keep on scraping the layer which form on the top and sides which is a fat layer this gives the rabri a granules type of texture.

4. Rabri is served with Malpua or jelabi since Basundi is served as it self as a dessert.

                                                   

Make sure to use a thick bottom pan. Once you get a full boil reduce the heat and cook on a low heat and remember to keep scraping the sides of the pan while cooking. This gives the Basundi a creamy and rich texture.
                                                         Basundi will be served as a dessert chilled or warm. Also served with puri and sabji as a part of festival meal specially for Holi, Dessara, uttarayan like festivals. In north Karnataka Basundi is served as side dish with puris.  
                                                                 

 
INGREDIENTS:---
Milk  ---  1 and half lit. full cream milk
Sugar  ---  3/4 cup
Cardamom powder ---  1 tea sp
Almonds  ----  15 finely chopped
Pistachio  --- 15 finely chopped
Saffron  --- few strings
METHOD:---
1. Start boiling one and half lit. full cream milk in a thick bottom pan

2. Bring to a full boil and reduce the heat to low and boil till milk reduced to half it will take approximately one hour or more.

                                                         

3. In between keep stirring and scraping the pan and keep boiling

4. Now add sugar and cook for 20 minutes more to bring the consistency. Because when you add sugar the consistency will turn in to thin.

5. Add cardamom powder and chopped almonds and pistachios and cook for 20 more minutes in a very low heat.

Switch off the heat and garnish with chopped almonds, pistachios and saffron strings and serve warm or chilled

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Semiya Payasam

Starting this New year with a sweet dish. When I made semiya payasam with tomato rice for make a meal theme last month, I realized that I didn't posted a recipe for Semiya payasam till now.How surprising which I make very often that sweet recipe is not in my blog. Then I thought of posting semiya payasam recipe with a small twist.
                                                                  I have added roasted poppy seeds and almond paste and condensed milk to the semiya payasam to make it more flavor full and rich. Actually we don't add this poppy seeds and almond paste to the payasam. We just cook the semiya in milk and add sugar, cashews and raisins. But this poppy seeds and almond paste will give a delicious flavor to the semiya payasam. This Semiya Payasam is for my this month first week theme Milk Based Sweets.
                                                                              

So let's check the recipe....   
INGREDIENTS:----
 Semiya (vermicelli) --- 1/2 cup
Milk  -----  500 ml
Sugar  ---  1/4 cup
Condensed milk  ---  1/4 cup
Cashew nuts  --- 10 broken
Raisins  ---  15
Almonds ---  5 soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
Poppy seeds  ---  1 tea sp
Cardamom powder  ---  1/2 tea sp
Ghee  ---  1 tab sp
                                                                     

METHOD:---
1. Heat a pan and dry road poppy seeds for few seconds remove and set a side.
2. De-skin the soaked almonds add poppy seeds add little water make coarse paste and set a side.
3. Heat ghee in a pan add cashews fry till golden remove, fry raisins in the ghee remove and set a side.
4. Now add semiya to the same ghee fry till light golden, then add milk to the semiya mix well and let it cook till done it will take five minutes.
5. Add poppy seed and almond past, condensed milk mix well cook for two more minutes.
6. Add sugar mix well let it cook for few more minutes and switch off the heat, add fried cashew nuts and raisins mix well
Serve hot or chilled.. 
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