Medu Vada

One of a favorite snacks or breakfast from South India is Medu Vada. This one is also quite healthy because it is made with Urad Dal. And you need few limited ingredients only. With any chutney this vada is perfect for breakfast.

In Chennai & Hyderabad most of the people’s daily breakfast is this Medu Vada’s. We were in Chennai for 4 month and that time I used to have this one from my neighbor lady. She only tought me how to make proper Medu Vada. Sometime I love to have Vada with Tea also.

Preparation time: 15 mints.
Cooking time: 10 mints.

Ingredients:

1.Urad Dal: 100 gm.
2.One large chopped onion.
3.Few chopped green chilies.
4.Few curry leaves.
5.One inch ginger.
6.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
7.One table spoon purpose flower (this one is optional but I love to add, taste will be same only).
8.Sunflower Oil for frying.

Process:
Soak urad dal in water for few hours.
Now grind it in a mixture with the ginger, and don’t add lots of water.

Now add chopped onion, chopped green chili and curry leaves into the batter with some salt and sugar.

Now make some small balls with the batter and make a hole with your thumb in the centre.
Fry the Vada’s in enough oil till they become golden and crispy.

 

Enjoy your vada with Coconut chutney or any  other chutney

Restaurant style Butter Chicken

Finally my search is over,” Oh god after coming from restaurant every time I feel like to cook Butter Chicken exactly like them”. But any how I didn’t able to cook like them. Last weekend we went for a buffet lunch in an Indian Restaurant and met with one new comer Bengali chef from Kolkata. When I told him that I love cooking and have a blog also he was showing so much of interest towards my blog. And with lots of hesitation I asked him the butter chicken recipe of that restaurant, and shockingly he told me the recipe so nicely. Wow I am really glad. Thanks to you Mr Dutta for sharing the recipe with me. But I made few changes regarding my convenience.

It’s a request to my entire food lovers friend please try this one at home, after that you don’t feel like to go restaurant especially for butter chicken. With naan or paratha it’s just awesome. This is the best part to meet with new people, but the moral of the story is don’t be shy because from every person we can learn something.

 

Preparation time: 20 mints.
Cooking time: 30 mints.
Serve for 4 people.

Ingredients:

For Marination:
1.Chicken: 600 gm (boneless or with bone).
2.Turmeric Powder, Red chili Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder (half tea spoon of each item).
3.Three tea spoon of curd.
4.Few drops of lemon juice.
5.Pinch of salt.

For cooking:
1.One large chopped red onion.
2.One large chopped tomato.
3.One tea spoon grated ginger.
4.One tea spoon grated garlic.
5.One tea spoon Kashmiri red chili powder, Half tea spoon of Garam Masala.
6.One table spoon fresh cream.
7.A pinch of kasoori meethi, Half tea spoon of Black pepper powder.
8.Two bay leaves, 2 cloves, 2 cardamom.
9.Salt & sugar as per taste.
10.Half cup butter or Sunflower oil. (if you don’t want to use butter that much then just add half tea spoon of butter after cooking).

Process:

Marinate the chicken pieces with all the mentioned ingredients for 30 mints.

Now add some butter or oil in a vessel and fry the onions with grated ginger, garlic and tomatoes till the onions are transparent. Let it cool; now make a fine paste with them.

Now add some butter or oil in a vessel and add the bay leaves, clove and cardamom fry them for few seconds, now add the chicken pieces and fry them into high heat.

When the chickens are become white add the onion and tomato paste and Kashmiri red chili powder mix them well. Cook in medium heat for 10 mints.

 
Now add the fresh cream and mix well. Add some salt and sugar also.
Now finally add the garam masala powder, black pepper powder and kasoori meethi. Mix well cook for few seconds. (If you don’t use butter before, now add half tea spoon of butter).

Your restaurant style butter chicken is ready quite an easy recipe perfect with Naan or Paratha.

Onion & Tomato Chutney

One of a very easy and jhotpot or fast chutney is Onion & Tomato chutney. This one I came to know from my friend Varna Menon. This one is really good with Dosa, Idli or Medu Vara.

Plain rice and this chutney also will be a good combination. And I think this one is good with any other veg pakora.

 
Preparation time: 5 mints.
Cooking time : 15 mints.

Ingredients:

1.One large chopped red onion.
2.One large chopped tomato.3.Four clove chopped garlic.
4.Three to four dry red chili.

5.Few curry leaves.
6.Few mustars seeds.
7.Few urad dal, few chana dal
8.Little tamarind pulp.
9.Salt & sugar as per taste.
10.Sunflower oil.
Process:
Put oil in a vessel and add the dry red chili and chopped garlic.

Now second add the chopped onions. Fry till they transparent, now add the chopped tomato and cook till they melt.Now add the chana dal, tamarind pulp and little salt and sugar.

 Cook for some time and let it cool.Now make a smooth paste with them.

Add some oil in a pan and add curry leaves, urad dal and mustard seeds when they start popping and the mixture and mix well.

Your chutney is ready serve anything you like. But for me this one is best with Idli.

Rava Idli

I always heard about Rava Idli but never tried before at home. But yesterday one of my friends called me for Tea, and she makes some awesome Rava Idli. How can I stop myself doing some experiment at home?

This time my elder sister shared her Rava Idli recipe with me. It’s quite an easy method but little different than rice Idli. Rice Idli batter is made only with rice and urad dal but Rava Idli  batter is made with lots of ingredients and the main one is Rava or Suji. Which is the main part of this Rava Idli.

I enjoyed my breakfast with the Idlis, try at home I am sure you also fall in love with them.

 
Preparation time: 10 mints.
Cooking time: 15 mints.

Ingredients:

1.Rava or Suji : 100 gm.
2.curd : 75 gm.
3.Finely chopped green chilies: One tea spoon.
4.Finely chopped carrots: One table spoon.
5.Grated ginger : Half tea spoon.
6.Few cashew nuts.
7.Salt and sugar as per taste.
8.One tea spoon ghee.
For Tempting:
1.Few mustard seeds.
2.Few Urad Dal.
3.Few Curry Leaves.
4.Oil one table spoon.
Process:

Fry cashew nuts and carrots in ghee and keep it aside.

Now add little ghee in a vessel and fry the Rava for some time (switch of the gas before they become brown).

 
Now in a bowl add the dry roast rava and curd mix well and add all other ingredients with little water. The batter should be thick than rice idli.

Now add oil in a vessel and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and urad dal fry for some time. Now add them into the Idli mixture.

Now grease the idli pan with little oil and place the fried cashew nuts and carrots and then pour the batter into them (approx. one table spoon for one idli).

Now cook them in medium heat for 15 mint.

Serve hot with any Chutney.

Matar Paneer in Sonali's Way

We all are different human being that’s why the way of thinking are also different than other. While cooking all of us use some of our own technics. Like a simple dal becomes diffrent with the use of diffrent spices, like few peole add Cumin Seeds and few people add Radhuni. Same way Matar Paneer has so many different recipes. But the name is same.

Today I prepared Matar Paneer but recipe courtesy Sonali Bhattacharya. I am really blessed with such good friends who all are marvelous cooks. I used to cook Matar Paneer in some different way but after seeing her recipe I can’t stop myself to cook like her. What can I say about the recipe it’s heavenly with Paratha.

But this time I used my home made paneer. Usually I purchased from shop but this time I made it at home. May be its not perfect in shape but the taste is really good. 

Preparation Time: 10 mints.
Cooking time: 20 mints.
Serve for 2 people.

Ingredients:
1.Paneer : 150 gm.

2.One medium sliced onion.
3.One tea spoon ginger garlic paste.
4.One table spoon tomato puree.
5.One tea spoon poppy seeds, 8 to 10 cashew nuts, One tea spoon Charmagaz.
6.One Bay leaves, 2 cloves.
7.One table spoon frozen peas.
8.Two tea spoon Kashmiri red chili powder, Half tea spoon cumin powder.
9.One table spoon fresh cream.
10.Salt and Sugar as per taste.
11.Sunflower oil for cooking.

Process:

Dry roast all no 5 items as mentioned above and make smooth paste with them with little water.

Now add oil in a vessel and fry the sliced onions till they become transparent. Now make a smooth paste with the fried onions.

Now add oil in a vessel and shallow fry the paneer pieces. And keep them aside.

 
Now add some more oil and add the bay leaves and cloves after few seconds add the fried onion paste. Cook for some time now add ginger & garlic paste and cook till the raw smell goes off.

Now add cumin powder and Kashmiri red chili powder and cook till the oil separate. Now add the mixture and the frozen peas. Cook for some time.

Now add the fried paneer pieces with little warm water.

Cook till the gravy become thick. Before switch off the gas add the fresh cream and mix well
.

Serve hot with Paratha or Naan enjoy your dinner.

Andhra Style Egg Curry

Today I was really confused while cooking because my husband told me last night that he wants to have egg curry but little South Indian style. And I totally forgot about that and sat for a movie. But while boiling the eggs I remembered his wish and it’s too late to do Google because my friends were coming to my place for Tea. Well I just added main ingredients of South Indian food one is Coconut and the second one is Curry Leaves. Just adding after this to ingredients easily you can say the dish is Andhra Style Egg Curry. So nicely I served the dinner to him with a big dialogue “look I made the dish exactly you are looking for” and he replied wow it’s definitely took lots of time. What a relief after a smart presentation.

We both are very fond of eggs, so whatever way I cooked eggs we just relish while eating. And the good news is my 14 month old daughter also likes egg very much.

 

Preparation Time: 10 mint.
Cooking time: 20 mint.
Serve for 2 people.
Ingredients:
1.Boiled eggs :4 pieces.

2.One medium sliced onions.
3.One small chopped tomato.
4.One tea spoon garlic paste.
5.Few curry leaves.
6.Two table spoon shredded coconut.
7.One dry red chili.
8.A pinch of turmeric powder, One tea spoon red chili powder, One tea spoon cumin powder, One tea spoon coriander powder.
9.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
10.Sunflower Oil for cooking.
Process:
Marinate the egg pieces with a pinch o turmeric powder and salt but before that just straight wise with a help of your knigh make some cut into the eggs.

Add the oil in a vessel. Now fry the egg pieces till they turn golden brown and keep them aside.

 

Now on that same vessel add some more oil and add the dry red chili with the sliced onions and curry leaves. When the Onions are transparent add the chopped tomato.
Now prepare a mixture with the shredded coconut and all other spices powder with little water. And add the mixture into the vessel with some salt and sugar.

Cook till the oil come out now add some warm water and the fried egg pieces.

Switch off the gas when the gravy becomes thick. Served hot with Rice or Roti.

Capcicum Pakora or Green Bell Pepper Fritters

Finally winter knocked our doors with the first snowfall of the season. Today’s outside temperature is around -5 with light snow. I really don’t like that much of cold because in Kolkata minimum temperature in winter is around 10 to 12 degrees. So my first winter experience in Canada was really horrible but now a days I love the Canadian winter also. Actually when you start living in a place for a long time you will fall in love with place and the surroundings. Same things happend with me. Today’s evening after coming from some grocery shopping I felt like frozen so what to do immediately planed to prepare some pakora with ginger Tea. Because my husband was going to come from office and he will also feel like the same.
 
In a very fast and easy way I prepared one Capcicum Pakora or Green Bell Pepper Fritters. I just added few normal ingredients but the Pakora was super hit. Some time we only think about good stuffs to make some extra ordinary dish but with some daily ingredients we can make something unexpected. A snowy winter evening with a cup of tea and pakora what else we need.

 

Preparation time: 8 mint.
Cooking time: 15 mints.

Ingredients:
1.One medium sliced green bell pepper.
2.One medium sliced red onion.

3.Two eggs.
4.Two table spoon all-purpose flower.
5.One table spoon cornflowe.6.A pinch of baking powder.
7.One tea spoon bread cram.
8.One tea spoon ginger & garlic paste.
9.Two to Three chopped green chilies.
10.Half tea spoon red chili powder & half tea spoon of chaat masala.
11.Salt and sugar as per taste.
12.Sunflower oil for frying.

Process:
Mix all the ingredients as mentioned above with little water and prepare a little thick mixture.
                

Heat enough oil for deep frying. Now slowly fry the Pakoras (few at a time). And soked the extra oil in a paper towel.

Serve hot with Chili Sauce.

Bong's Spl Niramish Aloo Dam or Veg Dam Aloo

Potato is one of the favorite vegetables for all of us. Almost all curry becomes tastier after adding a potato. And we bong eat potato in so many ways like Alu bhaja (freid potato), Alu seddo (boiled potato with green chili and onion), Alu chokha (mashed potato with fried onion,tomato and dry red chili, Aloor Dam, Chicken & Mutton with potato. So anything with potato is our first choice.

One of a very famous Bengali Dam Aloo is my todays venture, and the specialty of this dish is no onion and no garlic. We used to call this one Niramish Aloor Dam or Veg Dam aloo. Because for us onion and garlic also taken as non-veg. This one is my Grand Mom’s recipe.  She was vegetarian so most of the time in my place Aloor Dam used to cook like that, very easy and simple method. So let’s cook friends.

 Preparation time: 10 mints.
Cooking time: 20 mints.
Serve for 4 people.

Ingredients:
1.Two large potato (cut into medium cube size).
2.One medium chopped tomato.
3.Half cup frozen green peas.
4.One inch ginger and two green chili.
5.One table spoon curd.
6.Turmeric Powder, Red chili Powder, Coriander Powder (half tea spoon of each item).
7.Half tea spoon cumin seeds, One dry red chili.
8.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
9.Sunflower oil for cooking.

Process:
Make a paste with ginger, green chili, cumin seeds, green chili and half of the chopped tomato, curd and all the spices powder with little water.
Add the oil into a vessel and fry the potato pieces with little turmeric powder and salt till the potatoes are become golden brown.

 
Now add some more oil into the vessel and add the cumin seeds and dry red chili. After few second add the chopped tomato and fry for some time.
Now add the masala mixture into the vessel with some salt and sugar.
Now add the frozen peas and cook till the oil come out. Now add the fried potato pieces and mix well.

Add little water and cover with a lid and cook till the potatoes are boiled and the gravy become thick.

Serve with Luchi or Paratha.