Rasam

Rasam is one of my favorites since my childhood. I love Rasam more than Sambar. My mom makes yummy Rasam. Its very simple to make and tastes yummy.

Ingredients: Tamarind lemon size Towar dal (yellow lenthil) - 1/2 cup Tomato - 1 (chopped in medium sized cube) Salt Turmeric powder 1tsp Red chilli powder as per taste MTR Rasam powder 2 tsp Jaggery (optional) Heeng (asafoetida) 1pinch Coriander leaves for garnish Ghee for seasoning Mustard seeds 1 tsp Cumin seeds 1tsp Curry leaves (optional) Black Pepper powder/whole black pepper 

Method: Pressure cook the towar dal. Extract tamarind pulp by boiling tamarind in little water for a minute. Take a vessel add tamarind pulp, salt, red chilli powder, rasam powder, jaggery, asafoetida and chopped tomato. Bring it to a boil till the tomato is well cooked. Add the cooked mashed dal and bring it to boil. Set aside. In a pan take little ghee, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add cumin seeds, black pepper powder, curry leaves. Add this seasoning to the cooked Rasam. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or roti

Muli Parontha

Ingredients:
For stuffing:
Ginger 1/2 inch
Muli (Radish) - 1 big
Coriander leaves (cilantro)
Salt
Green Chillies chopped finely
Chat masala 1tsp
Turmeric powder 1tsp
Red chilli powder (optional) 1tsp
butter/oil for frying
For dough
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Water as needed
Salt as per taste

Method:
Grate the radish. Squeeze and remove all the water. Grate ginger. Mix all the ingredients together. If you feel there is still water you can saute it in a pan for few minutes until the water is drained.
Knead the wheat flour along with water and salt to a stiff dough. Make small ball of the dough and roll into a small round, add 2tbsp of the stuffing and join the edges. Roll into a big round parontha. Heat tava (flat pan) and fry the parontha on both sides using very little oil or butter until brown on both sides.

Serve hot with pickle and yogurt (curd)

Sarsoon Ka Saag

I never used to like Sarsoon ka saag until I came to US. I used to find it very bitter in taste. One of our family friends MIL used to make wonderful saag. I started liking the saag she made and thought of learning it from her. So here goes her recipe.




Ingredients:
Sarsoon (Mustard Green Leaves) - Fresh or frozen
Spinach
Ginger
Green Chilli
Butter/Ghee
Salt
Tomato - 1
Turmeric powder (haldi) - 1 tsp

Method:
Wash and Boil (pressure cook or in open vessel) mustard green leaves, spinach, 1/2 of the ginger and green chilli with very little water. Mash the boiled mustard leaves and spinach till it is smooth or blend it once in a blender. Take butter/ghee in a pan. Add ginger pieces cut lengthwise. Add turmeric powder and chopped tomato. Saute until the tomatoes start leaving the butter. Add in the mashed spinach and mustard. Keep stirring on low flame till it is mixed well.

This goes well with Makki di roti or phulka.

Palak(Spinach) Paneer

Ingredients:
Palak (Spinach) - 1 bunch
Onion - 1 medium sized chopped finely
Tomato - 1 medium sized chopped finely
Green chillies - 2/3 slit lengthwise
Salt
Milk
Cream (optional)
Paneer (Cottage cheese) - 100 gms - cut into small cubes
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp
Butter/Ghee - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder (haldi) - 1 tsp
Kasoori Methi (dry methi) - 1 tsp

Method:
Wash and pressure cook Palak with 1 whistle by adding very little milk. Blend it in a blender. Take little butter in a pan, add cumin seeds, when it splutters add turmeric powder and green chillies. Add chopped onion. When the onion are translucent add chopped tomatoes. When the tomatoes are cooked and start leaving butter add the blended palak and salt. Add cubed paneer. Mix well till it boils slightly. Roast the kasoori methi in a pan till it is light brown. Crush it between your palms and add and cook for 5 minutes. Add cream if desired.

Palak (Spinach) Parontha

Before we got married, my husband used to stay as a PG with a family in Pune, India. That Aunty used to make lovely palak parontha's. My husband used to love them, so I had to learn how to make it. Aunty is no more with us, but we do remember her whenever we make the parontha's. It is very rear that people make Palak paronthas.

Ingredients:
Spinach (palak) - 1 bunch
Onion - 1 small
Green chillies - 3/4 chopped finely
Salt
Ajwain (Carom seeds)
Fresh Cream/Milk
Wheat Flour
Butter

Method:
Wash and finely chop palak, add onion, salt, ajwain, fresh cream/milk. Mix all together, now add required amount of wheat flour, little by little so that you can bind all together. Add water if required. Make the dough little hard as palak leaves water so the dough becomes lose. Divide into small portions and roll out into round parontha's using rolling pin, but little thick. Roast the parontha's on a preheated pan by applying butter on both sides. Serve hot with yogurt (Curd) and pickle.

Palak Pakora and Pudina Chutney

It was a rainy day and wanted to eat garam garam (hot) pakoras and drink hot chai (tea). I was planning to make onion pakoras, but my husband suggested to try palak pakora. So I tried it out and it turned out to be mouth watering.

Palak Pakora

Ingredients
Palak (Spinach) - 2 cups
Gram flour
Onion - 1 small chopped into small pieces
Ajwain seeds (Carom seed)










Salt
Green Chillies - 4 chopped
Chat powder - (optional)
Coriander (Cilantro)- chopped
Oil for frying

Method:
Wash and chop spinach small. Mix all the ingredients except for Gram flour and oil. Add gram flour little by little till you are able to mix it like a paste. You can add water if required. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the pakoras till light brown. Enjoy!

Pudina Chutney (Mint)
Ingredients:
Pudina - 1 bunch
Onion - 1/2 small
Green Chillies - 3
Ground Nut - 12 pieces
Tamarind - small piece or Pomogranate seeds (anardana) 1 spoon
Salt - as per taste
Sugar - 1 tsp

Method:
Mix all the above ingredient and grind it roughly by adding water as per the required consistency.

Tips:
1. Ajwain has lot of medicinal values. More
2. Pudina(Mint) is good for digestion and also serves as a mouth freshner

Zucchini

Ingredients
Zucchini - 3 medium sized
Onion - 1 small (chopped into small cubes)
Ginger - 1/2 inch - cut into small pieces/grated
Tomato - 1 small (chopped into small cubes)
Coriander leaves chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder (haldi)
Jeera powder (Cumin powder)
Oil
Cumin seeds

Method
Wash zucchini and remove the top and tail part. Peel off the skin. Chop into medium cubes. Take oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, once it splutters, add ginger. Now add chopped onion and saute till it becomes transparent. Now add chopped tomatoes, salt, tumeric powder, jeera powder and stir till it leaves the oil. Now add zucchini and cook it on slow flame till it is well done. You can close the pan with a lid and if required add little water. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Goes well with roti or rice.