Saturday, 28 June 2014

Brinjal Masala Curry


Brinjal Masala Curry ( Translation in Telugu "Gutti Vankaya Kura" and in Tamil "kathirikai masala kuzhambu") is a very famous Andhra recipe. This dish can be made with small purple  or green brinjal. But we need to ensure that the brinjal's are absolutely fresh and tender (i.e. the seeds should not be black). The one I am posting today is made with the small purple brinjal.
Brinjal Masala Curry
Ingredients: Serve- 4
  • Red chillies - 7
  • Channa dhal - hand full
  • Peanuts - hand full
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2tspn
  • Dry coconut - 3 small piece
  • Tamarind juice - 2 glass
  • Tomato - 1 (medium size)
  • Onion - 1 (medium size)
  • Mustared seeds - 1/2tspn
  • Urad dhal - 1/2tspn
  • Curry leaf - as required
  • Coriander leaves - as required
  • Red chili powder -1 & 1/2tspn (adjust to taste)
  • Turmeric powder - a pinch
  • Salt - 2tspn (adjust to taste)
  • Brinjal - 10
The following picture shows the step by step process for Brinjal Curry:
Figure 1
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Method:
  1. Take a pan, roast red chillies in medium flame for 2 minutes and keep a side. (figure 1)
  2. Take a pan, roast channa dhal, peanuts, cumin seeds and dry coconut in medium flame for few minutes until peanut color changes light red. Let it cool for 5 minutes.(figure  2)
  3. In a mixer, add all roasted items and make a fine powder.(figure 3 & 7)
  4. Take 2 glass of tamarind juice (little thicker), add 1/2 tomato and mash it. (figure 4 & 5)
  5. In tamarind juice, add red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Taste the juice and if you feel like the taste is not as expected then add necessary ingredients to suit your taste and mix well.  (figure 6)
  6. Take a plate, add the powder prepared in 3rd step, add 2tspn tamarind juice and mix the powder well. (figure 7)
  7. Take a brinjal, cut as 4 direction and fill with mixture prepared in above step. Do the same for all brinjal's. (figure 8)
  8. Take pan, heat oil in medium flame, add mustared seeds wait for crackle and then add urad dhal, curry leaf saute for 2 seconds. (figure 9)
  9. Add onion and continue sauteing until onion become soft. Add tomatoes saute until tomatoes become soft. (figure 10)
  10. Add Brinjal, saute for 3 seconds and close with lid & cook until brinjal gets soft. (figure 11 & 12)
  11. Now add tamarind juice and again close with lid & cook until tamarind juice becomes like gravy.(figure 13 & 14)
  12. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve in bowl. (figure 15)
Spicy and tasty Brinjal Curry is ready to serve !

Additional Tips:-
  • In step 6, If masala is taken as powder and placed inside the brinjal, then during cooking powder will come out easily. That's why we are adding little tamarind juice so that powder will get wet and solid in nature.
  • In step 4, tamarind juice should be little thicker not very thicker and not very losser.
  • In step 10, saute the brinjal slowly for 3 seconds without mixture coming out.
  • In step11, cook the gravy until brinjal gets cooked well.

Amaranth Leaves Fry

Amaranth leaves is very nutritious green leafy vegetable containing more vitamins A, C, B6, K and iron. Amaranth leaves can also be known as red spinach (translation in Telugu "totakura", in Tamil "arai keera", in Marathi "naachnee"). We can prepare many different varieties like Amaranth leave dhal, Amaranth leave curry, Amaranth leave chutney. Today lets see how to make Amaranth leave fry.
Amaranth Leaves Fry
Ingredients: Serve - 2
  • Amaranth leaves - 1 bunch
  • Oil - 2tspn
  • Mustered seeds - 1/2tspn
  • Urad dhal - 1/2tspn
  • Garlic - 4 pieces
  • Curry leaf - as required
  • Coconut powder - 2tspn
  • Red chilly - 2
  • Salt - 1/2tspn (adjust to taste)
  • Turmeric powder - a pinch
The following picture shows the step by step process for Amaranth Leave fry:
Figure 1
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Method:
  1. First cut the green leaf as thin slices and wash well.
  2. Take a pan, heat oil in medium flame, add mustard seeds and wait for crackle. Then add red chilly, urad dhal, crashed garlic, curry leaf and continue sauteing for 30 more seconds.(figure 1)
  3. Add amaranth leaves and saute for 30 seconds and then add turmeric powder, salt and continue sauteing for 1 more minute. (figure 2 & 3)
  4. Next sprinkle little water & close with lid and cook until amaranth leaves gets cooked. (figure 4)
  5. Open the lid add coconut powder and continue sauteing for 1 minute.(figure 5)
  6. Serve in a bowl. (figure 6)
Healthy Amaranth fry is ready to serve ! 

Additional tips:-
  • Cut the Amaranth leaves as very thin pieces and wash at least 4 times in water then only dust / mud will get removed from leaves. 

Sunday, 22 June 2014

Banana Custard

Banana custard is a very simple and easy receipt which can be made in just 5 minutes. You can think of banana custard when guests arrive in short notice. 
Banana Custard
Ingredients: Serve - 4
  • Banana - 2
  • Sugar - 5tspn
  • Custard powder (preferably Vanilla flavor)  - 4tspn
  • Honey - 1tspn
  • Milk - 2 glass
The following picture shows the step by step process for Banana Custard:
Figure 1
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 Method:
  1. Take some cold milk in a glass, add custard powder & mix well without lumps.(figure 1 & 2)
  2. Take a bowl, add 2 glass of milk and boil it in medium flame. Add sugar,honey & continue stirring until sugar dissolve completely.(figure 3 & 4)
  3. Pour custard mixture which has been prepared in1st step and simmer immediately. (figure 5)
  4. Stir continuously until milk gets thick and switch off the flame. (figure 6)
  5. Allow it to cool and refrigerate the custard. 
  6. Mean while cut 1 banana into slices, mash other banana and keep them aside.(figure 7)
  7. Remove custard from refrigerator,cool it for 2 min and then add banana slices, banana mash. (figure 8)
  8.  Serve as cold (figure 9)
Banana Custard is ready!

Cabbage Dhal

Cabbage dhal is very simple and comfort meal. Cabbage helps to prevent cancer and have low calories. It goes well with both rice & chapati. This recipe which can be prepare in just 15minutes.

Cabbage Dhal

Ingredients: Serve - 4
  • Moong dhal – ½ cup
  • Cabbage – ¼ kilo (chopped)
  • Water - 1 & 1/2 glass
  • Onion –2
  • Tomato -1
  • Green chilies – 4 (cut as length wise)
  • Cumin seeds – ½tspn
  • Turmeric powder – a pinch
  • Garlic pieces – 5
  • Oil – 2tspn
  • Mustard seeds – ½tspn
  • Urad dhal – ½spn
  • Curry leaf  as required
  • Coriander leaves – chopped
  • Salt - 1 & 1/2spn(adjust to taste)
  • Asafetida – pinch
The Following picture shows the step by step process for Cabbage Dhal:
Figure 1
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Method:
  1. Take a cooker, add moong dhal and clean with fresh water. Soak moong dhal for 10min (figure 1)
  2. In dhal add 1 & 1/2 glass of water,1 onion, tomato, green chili, garlic, cumin seeds and turmeric powder.(figure 2)
  3. Now add washed cabbage and close the lid with weight.(figure 3)
  4. Keep the cooker in medium flame and cook for 2 vessels.(figure 4)
  5. Open the cooker slowly, add salt and mix well. If required add little water. (figure 5)
  6. Take a pan, heat 2tspn oil, add mustard seeds and wait for crackle. Then add urad dhal, curry leafs ,vadium prepared at home (or)1 chopped onion saute for 1minute in a medium flame. Add this mixture to the dhal. (figure 6 & 7)
  7. Add asadofida and cook for 2minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve in bowl. (figure 8 & 9)
 Cabbage dhal is ready to serve !

Additional Tips:-
  • Wash the cabbage for at least 3 times in water to remove dust.
  • In step 4 cook the curry for only 2 vessels or else cabbage will mash.



Saturday, 14 June 2014

Urad Dal Laddu


Urad Dal Laddu is very popular and healthy sweet prepared during festivals. In Telugu it is known as Sunnundalu. Theses laddu's are very easiest desert that can be made within 25 minutes time. We can store them air tight box and have it for 2 weeks.
Urad Dal Laddu
Ingredients: Serve- 2
  • Urad Dal - 1 glass
  • Sugar - 1/4 glass (same glass used for measuring urad dal)
  • Cardamom -  3 
  • Ghee - as required
 The following picture shows the step by step process for Urad Dal Laddu:
Figure 1
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Figure 9

































Method:
  1. Take a pan keep it in low flame. Add urad dal, roast until golden brown color and stir continuously without burning the urad dal. keep aside and let it cool. (figure 1 & 2)
  2. Take a mixy jar add sugar, cardamom and grind softly. (figure 3)
  3. Take a mixy jar add urad dal, grind softly, transfer into a bowl and add sugar powder prepared in above step. Mix them well.(figure 4 & 5)
  4. Add enough ghee, make small laddu's and transfer into plate, keep aside for 1 hour. (figure 6, 7 & 8)
  5. That's all serve in a bowl (or) store in airtight box. (figure 9)
Yummy and Healthy Urad Dal Laddu is ready to serve !

Additional Tips:-
  • Grind Urad dal in mixy only after its cool down, don't grind when it is hot.
  • Add sufficient ghee to make laddu's, don't add more ghee.
  • If you like to eat dry fruits then you can add in Urad dal powder to make more tasty.