Enchilada

 Ingredients:

4 tortilla

Black bean 1 can

1 onion chopped length wise

1 green pepper chopped length wise

Taco seasoning

Shredded Mexican cheese

Oil

Red or green enchilada sauce

Salt

For decoration:

1 avacado diced

jalopenos (optional)

chopped cilantro

Method:

Take some oil in a pan. Saute onions till slightly brown. Now add peppers and saute it. Add taco seasoning and salt. Keep it aside. Take the water our of the canned black bean, wash it and add it to the pan. Mush it with spatula, add taco seasoning and salt and saute for 2 minutes. NTake a tortilla, spread enchilada sauce, add some beans, add the veggies, add cheese, wrap the tortilla. Prepare the remaining tortilla the same way. Now take a baking pan, spray with oil. Spread the layer of enchilada sauce, add the prepared tortilla wrap side by side, layer it with enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake it at 350 loosely covered with foil for 20 minutes. Add additional 5 minutes uncovered. Decorate it with diced avacado, cilantro and jalapeno's.

Malai kofta

Ingredients:

For Kofta

1 pack paneer

2 boiled potatoes

1tsp crushed black pepper

Cilantro chopped

Corn flour 

Salt

For Gravy:

1tsp jeera

1piece cinnamon

tej patta - 2-3

3-4 green cardamom

1 black cardamom

3-4 cloves

2-4 garlic

1/2 inch ginger

2 green chilli

 onion 1 big or 2 small, roughly chopped

4-5 small tomatoes roughly chopped

Salt

Cashews 1/2 cup

Whipped cream 2-4 tbsp 

Ghee - 2tsp

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1tsp haldi

1tsp garam masala

1tsp coriander powder

1tsp sugar

Method:

Kofta:

Grate paneer, grate boiled potato’s, add crushed black pepper, cilantro, salt, corn flour..mix everything make balls..air fryer spray 350 for 4 minutes, 400 for 4–8 minutes ..turning every 2 minutes until golden brown

Alternatively you can deep fry, try 1, if it brakes in oil add more corn flour for binding.

Gravy:

Take oil, add jeera, cinnamon, tej patta,3-4 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 3-4 cloves, garlic, ginger, green chilli, sauté for a minute, now add roughly chopped onion 1 big or 2 small, sauté till it is slightly brown. Add 4-5 small tomatoes roughly chopped, add salt and cook till tomatoes are cooked. Let the mixture cool. Remove all the whole spices and discard it. Soak cashews in water. Grind the mixture to paste. Keep it aside. Once we use it, add water to jar and then Grind cashews to paste. 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1tsp haldi, 1tsp garam masala, 1tsp coriander powder. Take ghee in the same pan, add the dry masala powder, sauté and add 1/2 cup water so it doesn’t burn. Now add the ground masala paste, add water in jar. Grind cashews and add it. Add some more water. Add kasturi methi. Let it cook for 8 minutes. Now add chopped cilantro. Add whipped cream and cook for 2 minutes. Adjust salt accordingly. If you like sweet taste add some sugar. Gravy is ready. Add the kofta to the gravy just before serving.

Parapu thogayal (Moong dal chutney)

 This is one of the best combination with any curry that has tamarind.

Ingredients:

Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Grated coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 2

Salt

Coconut oil - 1tsp

Method:

Dry roast moong dal. Soak it in water for 1 hour. Drain water and grind moong dal, coconut (if frozen just microwave for 30 secs), green chilli and salt to smooth texture by adding very little water if required for grinding. Add coconut oil and mix. Thogayal is ready to eat.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

Spinach

Onion -1

Tomato -3

Ginger 

Garlic

Green chillies 

Kasturi methi - 1tbsp

Salt

Turmeric powder

Jeera

Jeera powder

Dhania powder 

Dalchini powder

Star anise - 1

Garam masala

Mulati powder

Cilantro fresh - 1/4 cup

Paneer

Milk - 1/4 cup

Butter

Red chilli powder

Kashmiri chilli powder

Method:

Boil spinach in water, add little salt, little sugar. Transfer to ice cold water. Let it cool and blend it in blender. Take a pan, add some butter, add 1tbsp kasturi methi, add chopped cilantro, add paneer pieces (keep some paneer to grate it and garnish on top) and roast it on high flame till slight golden brown, sprinkle some salt. In the same pan add chopped onion, fry it till golden brown, add ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, add 1 tomato purée and mix it until the butter leaves the side. Keep it aside. Chop 2 tomatoes. Take little butter, add jeera and let it splutter, add star anise, add chopped tomatoes and cook it nicely, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, jeera powder, dhania powder, garam masala, dalchini powder, mulati powder. Sauté for 2 minutes, add onion Tomato masala, sauté for 2 minutes, add blended spinach. Add salt as per taste. Let it boil. Add milk, sim the gas and turn it off when mixed. Garnish with grated paneer.

Add some khoya and coconut powder if you want it more rich in flavor.

Dhodka bhaji

Ingredients:

Dhodka - 3/4 

Moong dal - 1/4 cup soaked in water for 1 hour atleast 

 Onion - 1 finely chopped 

 Garlic cloves - 5 

Haldi 

Tamarind pulp - 2tbsp 

Jaggery - optional 

 Roasted Peanut powder 

Salt 

Goda masala or any other masala 

Grated coconut - 2tbsp 

Coriander leaves 

Oil

Method: 

Wash dhodka and peel skin. Do not throw the skin as you can make chutney. Chop into small pieces. Take oil in a pan, add garlic, add onions and sauté it till translucent. Add haldi, masala, now drain the moong dal and add it to the onions, add chopped dhodka pieces. Cook it covered till soft but not mushy. Add tamarind pulp, jaggery if you like, roasted peanut powder, salt. Sauté for 2 minutes. If you want it as gravy add water and cook for few minutes. Garnish with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Goes well with rice or Roti.

Adai

Breakfast is most important meal of the day for me. If I have good breakfast I am in good mood. I prefer savory items for breakfast. This is protein packed breakfast.


Ingredients:
Black Urad dal whole - 1/4 cup
Par Boiled Rice - 1 cup
Tuwar Dal - 1/4 cup
Red chilli - 3/4 (as per taste, optional if kids don't like it)
Heeng - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 2 strands
Salt as per taste

Method:
Soak the dal and rice for 3-4 hours or over night. Drain water and roughly grind all the ingredients together. Not soft like a paste, still you should be able to feel the texture. The best part of Adai is you can make it as soon as the batter is ready, it need not ferment. Make adai like dosa, but little thick. Enjoy and save rest of the batter in fridge.

Savory Modak - Koyakattai

I love sweet modak, specially ones made by Amma. Some people do not enjoy the sweet version. If you are one amongst them no worries as there is a savory version of the modak. Its very simple dish to make once you know how to make it. Amma used to make it with hand. In this modern world there are molds that can be used to make the modak.

Ingredients:

For Stuffing:

Urad dal - 1 cup (soaked in water for 1 hour)

Grated Coconut fresh or frozen - 1/2 cup

Green chilli - 2/3 (as per taste)

Curry leaves - few strands

For tempering:

Oil

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Urad dal - 2tsp

Red chilli - 2/3 cut into pieces

For Covering:

Rice powder - 1 cup

Water  - 1 1/4 cup

Salt as per taste

Oil - 2 tsp

Idli stand or any other vessel to steam.

Method:

To make Stuffing:

Drain all water from the soaked dal, Grind it rough with salt, green chilli & curry leaves. Season it with urad dal, red chilli & mustard.  Add grated coconut. Steam this mixture in idli stand for 10 mins.Turn off the gas and let the mixture cool.

To make outside covering

Take a pan and 2 tsp oil, water and rice powder. Keep stirring until it leaves the spatula and comes clean when touched with hand. Turn off the gas and let the mix cool.

To make the modak:

Make small balls out of the stuffing mix. Grease a idli stand just 1 plate (Grease the 2nd plate on the stand so it can be little higher than water level). Grease your hand with little oil, make a round ball with the covering mix. Use your fingers to shape it like a small flat circle. Take 1 stuffing ball and stuff it in the flat circle and now slowly close it towards the center folding it in the shape of modak. Alternatively you can grease the modak mold and stuff the stuffing. Keep the modak in the idli plate. Keep the modak at some distance from other. Now steam for 12 mins on high flame. Turn off the gas and remove the modak. It is ready to be enjoyed.