Vegetable Pongal

Vegetable Pongal is very popular South Indian breakfast. In this recipe, I have used green moong sprouts and corn. Sprouts are very good for health. Kids love this pongal very much. Also I have used sambhar powder, which gives an awesome flavor to it.

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Serves:3

Vegetable Pongal Ingredients

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup rice
• 3/4 cup moong dal
• 4 tbsp butter or ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 10-15 black pepper (coarsely crush them)
• 1 chopped onion
• 3 chopped green chilies
• 1 chopped carrot
• 1 chopped potato
• 8-10 chopped beans
• 1/4 cup moong sprouts
• 1/4 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1 large chopped tomato
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 2-3  tbsp sambar powder (optional)

Method

For this recipe, always use 1:1 ratio of rice and moong dal. First soak them separately for 30 mins.

Heat 4 tbsp of ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds in it, let them splutter for a minute, then add crushed black pepper.

Now add onions and green chilies, fry them until the onions becomes soft.

Now add all vegetables, moong sprouts and sweet corn and let them cook for about 5 mins.

Then add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt and sambhar powder then mix well and cook for another 3 more mins.

Finally add soaked rice and moong dal and then water in the ratio of 1:3(for 1 cup of rice and moong dal, add 3 cups of water).

Then pressure cook the pongal until 3 whistles then it is ready to serve.

Vegetable Pongal

Serving Instructions

Serve hot with either coconut chutney or groundnut chutney.

Set Dosa

Set Dosa as the name suggests is a set of 3 thick, spongy and fluffy small Dosas usually served with any kind of chutney. In this recipe, I added some grated carrot, green chillies, ginger and coriander leaves on top of the Dosa. When you prepare Dosa, just remember that as you pour the batter on tawa, don’t spread it, just leave it and cover the lid.  It looks like a nice and thick pancake.

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves:2

Set Dosa Ingredients

Ingredients

2 cups dosa batter
Salt to taste
A pinch of baking soda
2 tsp beated curd (its completly optional, if you didn’t ferment the batter then only add curd)
1 grated carrot
1 chopped green chilli
1 chopped onion(optional)
1″ chopped ginger
Oil for frying
Few coriander leaves

Method

For Dosa batter soak 2 cups of rice, 3/4 cup of urad dal, and 1 tsp of methi seeds in enough water for 6 hours. After 6 hours grind the ingridients along with 1/4 cup of cooked rice or poha by adding enough water. Leave it overnight to ferment.

Take Dosa batter and add salt, baking soda, curd and mix well. Make sure that batter is not thick in consistancy.

Now heat the tawa until hot. Now apply 1 tsp oil and pour 2 laddleful of batter(do not spread the batter). Immediately add some grated carrot, green chillies, onions, ginger, and coriander leaves on top of it. Drizzle some oil and cover the lid, let it cook for 30 seconds in medium heat.

No need to flip the Dosa you can serve directly with any kind of chutney.

Set Dosa

Serving Instructions

Serve with any chutney and saagu.

Badam Burfi

Badam Burfi is nutritious sweet as its main ingredient is almond (badam). Almond is most nutritious of all nuts. You can prepare badam burfi on any special occasion or any festival and you can store them in an air-tight container for two weeks.

Preparation time: 10 mins (Excluding soaking time)
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serves:5-6

Badam Burfi ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 cup badam (almonds)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 5-6 tsp ghee
• 4 green cardamoms

Method

Soak almonds in hot water for about 1 hour. After 1 hour remove the skin of the almonds.

Now take a blender and blend almonds with milk until it becomes thick paste.

Take a pan and add ghee in it. Now add almonds paste and sugar in it.

Place the pan on stove at medium heat and stir continuously with spatula for about 8-10 mins (until it becomes like a dough). Finally add cardamoms and remove it from stove.

Take a plate and spread 1/2 tsp of ghee all over the plate. Then spread almonds mixture in a plate.

After 1 hour (when it solidifies), cut into desired shapes and garnish it with chopped almonds.

Then store them in a air tight container for two weeks.

Badam Burfi

Serving Instructions

Serve badam burfi on any special occasion or festival as a dessert.

Masala Mung Sprouts

Sprouts are very good for health and including sprouts in our daily diet is very good habit. Some people don’t like to eat raw sprouts so here is the recipe of masala mung sprouts for them, they will definitely enjoy it. In this, carrots and beans are also added to make it more flavorsome.

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves:2

Masala Mung Sprouts Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 cup green mung dal sprouts
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 red chilli (optional)
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 carrot (finely chopped)
• 2 beans (finely chopped)
• 2 green chilies (finely chopped) (optional)
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tomato (finely chopped)

Method

First steam the sprouts for about 20 mins and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds in it, let them splutter for a minute. Then add red chilli.

Now add onions and fry until the onions becomes transparent.

Then add carrot, beans and salt, let them fry for 3-4 mins at medium heat.

Finally add steamed sprouts, chaat masala, turmeric powder and tomatoes and mix well.

Switch off the flame and serve hot.

Masala Mung Sprouts

Serving Instructions

Serve masala mung sprouts as salad with raw onions on top of it and sprinkle some lemon juice.

Masala Sweet Corn

Masala Sweet Corn is a very effortless recipe of sweet corn. You can prepare it in birthday party as kids will love it. It is much healthier than deep fried snacks. When I was in Bangalore I found Sweet Corn Masala in most of the shopping malls. It was so good. So I have tried making it at home. I hope you will also love this very much.

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Serves: 2

Masala Sweet Corn Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 cup sweet corn kernels
• 2 tsp butter
• 1/2 tsp dry mango powder (amchur powder)
• 1/4 tsp pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• Lemon juice for taste

Method

Steam the sweetcorn for 25 mins or else cook the corn in a little water.

Now take a pan and melt the butter, then add steamed sweet corn and fry them for a minute.

Now add dry mango powder, salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder and mix well.

Finally add lemon juice and serve hot.

Masala Sweet Corn

Serving Instructions

Serve masala sweet corn as snacks.

Stuffed Vegetable Paratha

Stuffed Vegetable Paratha is classic Indian flat bread prepared by stuffing different vegetables. These amazing pan roasted vegetables stuffed bread are perfect for weekend breakfast with chicken or raita. You can substitute the
vegetables as per your choice.

Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Serves:3

Stuffed Vegetable Paratha Ingredients

Ingredients

For dough

• 1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1 tsp fennel powder
• 2 tsp butter

For stuffing

• 3 large boiled potatoes
• 3 tsps of oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 carrot, grated
• 6 beans, finely chopped
• 1 tsp amchur powder or chaat masala
• Coriander leaves as per taste

Method

Sieve the maida in a bowl and mix salt, fennel powder, butter and yogurt in it.

Then by adding little by little water, knead it into a smooth dough. Apply 1 tsp of oil on top of dough and keep it aside for at least 1 hour.

For stuffing, mash the boiled potatoes and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Then add chopped onions, ginger, garlic paste and green chilies, let them fry for a minute.

Now add grated carrot, chopped beans, salt, turmeric powder and amchur powder, then mix well and cover the lid. Let them cook for 5-10 mins at medium heat.

Now switch off the flame and add mashed potatoes and mix well, keep it aside.

Take a dough and divide in to equal size balls. Make equal amount of small balls of the potato mixture also.

Take one ball of the dough and roll it in to 5-6 centimeters disk. Now put the mixture ball in the middle of the disk. Now close it from all the sides again to make a ball.

Now coat it in some dry flour and roll out again , till it’s about half a centimeter thick, and round in shape.

Now heat a pan and apply 1 tsp oil on top of it then place a parathas on top of the pan, and then again spread 1 tsp of oil on top of it.

Then turn it to another side and cook it from this side as well.

Your Stuffed Vegetable Paratha is done when both sides are brownish and crispy.

Stuffed Vegetable Paratha

Serving Instructions

Serve Stuffed Vegetable Paratha with either any curry or yogurt.

Carrot Rice

Carrot Rice is a very delicious and nutritious recipe. This is good for health as carrot is full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, beta-carotene and fiber content & good source of antioxidant agent. Children love to eat this rice, as it is a dish with nice flavor & colorful look. It becomes more rich & yummy with adding of groundnut

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves:4

Carrot Rice Ingredients

Ingredients

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 3/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp grated coconut
• 4 red chillies
• 2 tsp groundnuts
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
• 2 tsp oil
• A small piece of cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp channa dal
• Few curry leaves
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 carrot, grated
• Salt to taste

Method

First cook rice & let it cool for sometime.

Heat oil in a pan. Add red chilies, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds and fry till it turns brown. Add grated coconuts and remove from the heat. Let it cool down & grind it to fine powder.

Then fry the groundnut & grind into course powder.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cloves, cinnamon, mustard seeds, udad dal and channa dal Fry them.

Add curry leaves and chopped onions. Once the onion turns to golden brown color, add the grated carrots. Fry till the carrots are cooked.

Add rice and fry in a low flame. Add salt and the above ground masala powder. Mix it well with the rice.

Finally add groundnut powder and remove from the flame.

Carrot Rice

Serving Instructions

Carrot rice can be served hot with any curry or raita or dal.

Note: If anybody wants sour taste then add 2 tsp of lemon juice.

Onion Tomato Chutney

Onion tomato chutney has a perfect balance of sweet, hot and tangy flavors and Onions are known to provide great relief for patients having chronic asthma, allergic bronchitis and common cold. This is simple, easy, healthy chutney that tastes best with idli dosa & prepared in any small party at home.

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 5 mins
Serves:4

Onion Tomato Chutney Ingredients

Ingredients

• 4 tsp oil
• 2-3 garlic pods
• 3 dry red chillis
• 2 tsp udad dal
• 2 large onions chopped
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp tamarind juice
• 1 tsp mustard seed
• Few curry leaves

Method

Heat oil in a pan; add red chilli, garlic, udad dal and roast them in a medium flame for 1min.

Now add the onions and sauté till they turns golden brown in color. Cook in a medium flame. Add salt to this. Then add the tomatoes & cook till the tomatoes become soft.

Now add tamarind juice & switch off the flame. Let it cool down & grind to fine paste adding little water.

Now heat oil in a pan for some time, then add mustard seed & let them splutter. Add curry leaves and fry for some time. Now switch off the flame. Then mix it with that above chutney.

Now chutney is ready to serve.

Serving Instructions

Onion tomato chutney can be served with idli, dosa or chapati.

Note: – Little amount of sugar & grated coconut can be added for sweet taste.

Palak Dal

Palak Dal is prepared using spinach and split mung beans with the husk (popularly known as green mung dal). The split mung dal is high in protein and fibre and low in fat and it has mild, often earthy flavour. And the combination of this lentil and highly nutritious spinach, makes it balanced and healthy dish. It is very healthy for all ages, especially growing children.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Serves:4

Palak Dal Ingredients

Ingredients

• 100 gms spinach (palak)
• 3/4 cup split mung dal (with skin)
• 1 medium onion
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 whole dried red chilly
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds and whole dried red chilly and stir for few seconds.

Add ginger and garlic paste and stir for half a minute.

Now add onion and fry it until it become transculent.

Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix well.

After mixing it, add tomato puree and cook until oil starts seperating from it.

Then add chopped spinach and fry it for one minute.

Now add washed mung dal and 2 cups of water. Close the lid and increase the flame to high.

After one whistle lower the flame to minimum and let it cook for 20 minutes.

Palak Dal

Serving Instructions

Serve hot palak dal with roti.

Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani

Biryani is one of the most popular and traditional Indian recipe. In this recipe, we are cooking mutton alongwith rice at very low flame, and the cooking utensil is kept on top of heavy bottom tawa/griddle. So the rice gets very nice flavors of all spices and mutton.

Preparation time: 25 mins (excluding marination time which is 7-8 hours)
Cooking time: 60 mins
Serves:3

Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani Ingredients

Ingredients

• 150 ml oil
• 3 onions, sliced
• 350 grams mutton (cut in to medium size pieces)
• 3/4 cup thick yogurt
• 1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 4 star anise
• 2″ cinnamon
• 6 cloves
• 10-15 black pepper
• 5 green cardamoms
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 big cloves
• Salt to taste
• 3 tsp biryani masala
• 1/2 lemon
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 3/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves
• 3/4 cup of chopped mint leaves
• 2 tsp butter
• 350 grams basmati rice
• A pinch of kesar
• A pinch of lemon yellow food color

Method

First fry the onions in butter and oil until it gets nice brown color and keep them aside.

Now wash the mutton thoroughly and marinate the mutton with yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, 2 star anise, 3 cloves, half of the black pepper, 3 green cardamoms, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste, big cloves, salt, biryani masala, lemon juice, chopped green chilies, half of the fried onions, butter, half of the mint and coriander leaves then mix all the ingredients and marinate for atleast 7-8 hours in the refrigerator.

Now soak the rice for 30 mins. Then in a big pot bring water to a boil, and add all the remaining spices, oil and salt. When water is boiling add your soaked rice and continue to cook until the rice is 80 percent done. Drain water from the rice and keep it aside.

Now take a deep bottomed vessel and apply butter or oil. Then add marinated mutton in the bottom and spread it evenly, then add 80 percent cooked rice on top of it.

Now add remaining coriander leaves, mint leaves, fried onions on top of it. Then take 1 tsp of water and mix kesar color and sprinkle on top of the Biryani. Repeat the same process with lemon yellow color.

Then cover it with air tight lid and cook for 20 mins in medium low flame.

Now take a heavy bottom tawa and put on the stove. Place the biryani bowl on top of the tawa and cook it for another 40 mins in low flame. In this process you avoid burning the biryani.

Now your Mutton Dum biryani is ready to serve.

Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani

Serving Instructions

Serve hot with mirchi ka salan or raita.