Lekha's Kitchen

Namake Paare

2009-09-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

Namak paare is a crunchy snack generally preffered along with hot tea/coffee. I remember, my mom used to make these in a very huge quantity and stored them in an air tight container. I have been planning and trying to make this from a quiet some time. These can be prepared in large quantities without too much of an effort. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1/2cup

Wheat Flour - 1/2cup

Sooji - 2tsp

Salt - 3/4tsp

Oil - 2Tbsp

Carom(ajwain) Seeds - 1/4tsp

Water to kneed the dough

Oil - to fry

Procedure:

1. Mix together the all purpose flour, wheat flour, sooji, ajwain seeds, salt and oil together.

2. Mix as much water as needed to make a firm dough(like chapati dough).

3. Cover with a damp cloth and keep it aside for 15minutes.

4. Divide the dough into 2 equal halfs.

4. Take 1 half and roll it up into a circle(like how you do it for chapati) and prick them with a fork all over the rolled dough, so that the paaras do not puff while frying.

5. Cut the rolled dough into 1/2 inch wide and 2 inch long pieces. Infact, you can cut them in any desired shape you want.

6. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Make sure the oil is hot and then drop the paaras into the oil and fry them till golden brown on both sides.

7. Remove them on a paper towel. The paaras will be crisp after they come to a room temperature. Store it in an air tight container and enjoy eating them.

Rasam

2009-06-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

I had cold the other day, I thought I would feel better if I made Rasam for myself. I made it and felt much better later after having Rasam. Try out yourself and relish its taste not only when yall are sick but when yall are hail and healthy. Its my Mother's Recipe, she generally refers this as Madras Rasam and I just say it as Rasam. Well, the name dosen't matter, its all within the taste guys!!!

Ingredients:

Tammarind-2 Leamon sized
Toor Dal/Kandipappu-1/2 cup
Tomatoes-2-3
Curry Leaves-few
Corriander Leaves-few
Rasam Powder-1/2 or 1 Tspn(optional)
Corriander Seeds-1Tspn
Pepper-1/2Tspn
Red Mirchi Flakes-4 nos
Pesarapappu/Green Gram-1 Tspn
Salt-As Needed.
Sugar-1/2Tspn (optional)

Ingredients for Seasoning:

Oil-4 Tspns
Mustard Seeds-1/2 Tspn
Cumin Seeds-1/2 Tspn
Red Mirchi Flakes-3-4 Nos
Curry Leaves-few

Procedure:

1. Preassure cook the Toordal and make a fine paste of it. Soak the tammarind and extract it juice. Finely chop the tomatoes into pieces.
2. Take a think bottom vessel/pan, add the tammarind juice, paste of toordal, tomato pieces, curry leaves, salt, corriander leaves. Heat 'em up and boil 'em.
3. In another pan, dry roast corriander seeds, pepper, red mirchi flakes, green gram/pesara pappu and grind them to a fine powder.
4. Add this powder to the boiling rasam. At this point you can add lil rasam powder if you really want to make the rasam spicy and keep boiling the rasam in a low-medium flame for 20mins. The more you boil the more taste.
5. In another pan, heat up some oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and red mirchi flakes and put into the rasam and remove from flame. Add sugar too if you like.
6. Garnish with corriander leaves and you have a tasty rasam ready before you which goes well with rice.

Beerakaya Tokku Pachadi

2009-06-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

A very quick and easy recipe made with just 3 ingredients.

Ingredients:

Berakaya tokku-1 cup
Red Mirchi Flakes-5-6Pieces
Sesame Seeds-2 -3 Tspns
Garlic-2 Flakes
Salt to taste.

Procedure:

1. Chop the berakaya tokku into small pieces. Make sure you wash and drain it.
2. Heat some oil in the pan, fry sesame seeds, garlic and red mirchi flakes and keep it aside.
3. Again take some oil in the same pan, add the berakaya tokku, boil it and fry it for some time. Remove and let it cool
4. Grind step 2 and step 3. Add salt.

Serves-2
Serving Suggestin-Plain Rice/Hot Rice.

Berakaya/Ridge Guard Dosa

2009-06-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

It tastes good, no need of frementation, another variety from ridge guard/berakaya other than curry and pacchadi and most important a good source of fiber.
My aunt used to make and I copyed it :)

Ingredients:

Berakaya/Ridge guard-2 Nos (You need not peel the skin)
Rice-3 cups (soak it over night)
Green Chillies-8-10 pieces
Curry Leaves-10Leaves
Corriander Leaves-3-4 strands
Ginger-1" (optional)
Jeera/Cumin seeds-1 Tspn(optional)
Salt for taste

Procedure:

1. Grind all the ingredients together.
2. Heat the pan, pour a spoonfull of batter on the pan and spead the batter on the pan in a circular motion to a thin round.
3. Add lil oil around the dosa and with a spatula turn the dosa over to another side and add lil' oil on that side too.
4. Remove it once done. The dosa will not come out crisp so dont try to over fry it, it will turn hard if you do so.
5. Relish its taste with tomato pacchadi.

Pudina/Mint Rice

2009-06-04T08:05:00.001-07:00

The other day I had a couple of left Pudina/Mint leaves @ home. I hit to the kitchen and made Pudina rice with the left overs and it tasted delicious!! Heres the recipe..

Ingredients:

Sona Masoori Rice-2 cups
Pudina Leaves-2-3 cups
Corriander Leaves-1 cup
Coconut milk-1 cup
Onion-1

Ingredients to Grind:

Mint Leaves
Green Chillies-8-10
Ginger-1 inch
Garlic-4-5 cloves

For Masala:

Cinnamon stick-4 pieces
Cardomom-4No's
Cloves-8-10No's
Bay Leaf-2 pieces(optional though)
Oil-8 Tsp

For Garnishing:

Leamon
Cashwes
Mint/Corriander Leaves

Procedure:

1. Wash the rice throughly and soak it for 15 mins.
2. Finely chop the onion.
3. Grind ginger, garlic, green mirchi and mint leaves into a fine paste. Try not add water, if needed add very little.
4. Heat some oil in a pan. Add the ingredients for masala i.e., cinnamon, cardomom, cloves, bay leaves and wait till the cloves splutter.
5. Fry the chopped onion till they turn golden brown.
6. Add corriander leaves and fry for 30 secs.
7. Finally add the grinded paste (step 3) and fry well till all the water evaporates and it becomes a thick paste.
8. Add this in the soaked rice.
9. Add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of coconut milk and cook it.
10. Garnish with a piece of leamon, a couple of mint/corriander leaves, couple of fried cashew and you are ready to go with it.

Ravva/Sooji Pakodi

2009-04-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

It was a rainy day for us today. We were craving for some spicy fastfood. I made ravva pakodi with a very few ingredients which ya'll will have at home for sure. And here is the recipe!!

Ingredients:

Ravva/Sooji Flour-1 Cup

Onions-3

Butter-1Tspn

Salt-As Required

Oil-To Deep Fry

Curd-1 Cup

Corriander Seeds-1 Tspn

Green Mirchi-5

Ginger-1"

Corriander leaves-6 Tspn

Procedure:

1. Finely chop Onions, Green Mirchi & Ginger.

2. Mix together Chopped onions, Green Mirchi, Ginger, Corriander Seeds, Salt in Ravva/Sooji and put all these in Curd.

3. Add butter & Corriander Leaves in the batter and mix it up real good and keep it aside for 30mins.

4. Heat enough oil in a deep frying pan. It should be piping hot.

5. Use your fingers to drop the batter in the oil to form small fritters. Reduce the heat to medium and deep fry till they turn golden brown. Use the ladle and keep turning the fritters so that they cook on all sides.

6. Once they turn golden brown, remove them on an absorbant paper.

7. You can either store 'em in an air tight container or eat them hot along with a cup of Masala Tea.

Stuffed Karelas/Bitter gourd Recipe

2009-04-18T06:17:00.000-07:00

The very moment I listen to Bitter gourd curry @ home Yukkkk!!! I never used to put it into my mouth b'coz of its horrible bitterness. My mom used to try different different tricks to reduce the bitterness completely and one worked out finally and I ate it literally by licking my fingers. It was that tasty. I want to share that dish with ya'll. Try it out and feel good.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd-6 pieces in you preffer the long ones, 10 pieces if short, there will be short ones in it as well in which the bitterness will be lil less than the long ones, but this is very rare in the market.
Besan-12 Tspn
Onion-1
Fresh Ginger & Garlic Pieces-3 Tspn
Red Mirchi Powder-as required
Salt-as required
Corriander powder-1/2Tspn
Turmeric Powder-a pinch
Oil-8Tspn

Procedure:

1. Remove the peal of the Bitterguard. Wash the peeled part and save this peeled part for further use.
2. Cut the Bitterguard in 2-3 horizantal pieces.
3. With a knife or a fork try to remove all the seeds from the horizantally cut Bitterguard pieces. This might take a while, but if you want no bitterness at all you have to remove the seeds inside, if you preffer lil bitterness you can keep some of the seeds in it.
4. Add salt all over the pieces and rub the salt agaist the pieces on the Bitterguard skin as well as the inside part.
5. Keep it aside for some time and carry on with rest of the method.
6. Take 4 Tspns oil in a deep bottom pan and let it heat, keep the flame LOW.
7. Add Ginger & Garlic pieces, add finely chopped onion pieces, let the onions turn brown, add Besan and fry till it changes its colour and till you get a fragrant smell from the Besan. Add Salt, Red Mirchi Powder and Corriander powder and fry for a while again. Finally add the peeled part of the Bitterguard in step1.
8. You can taste this stuff and add salt and any spices if needed.
9. Let the stuffing cool down. In the mean time you wash the Bittergourd pieces make sure there isint any salt in it.
10. Mix the stuffing with you hand well.
11. Hold a piece of Bittergourd in you palm vertically, take some stuffing and try to stuff as much as you can into the Bittergourd properly. You can take help of oil or water to stuff it into the Bittergourd i.e., you can mix lil oil/water to the stuffing and then stuff it into the Bittergourd. I did not do this way, I directly stuffed the stuffing into Bittergourd.
12. Take 4Tspn oil in a wide bottom pan and let it heat. Keep the flame in low.
13. Add these stuffed pieces into the pan and keep a lid on it and let it cook. This might take 30 mins. Keep on checking inbetween, this prevents the bittergourd from burning. You can sprinkle lil water on the pieces and let it cook.
14. Remove when they are soft. You will know it by inserting a fork or knife inside the piece.
15. Add these pieces to the remaining stuffing present and garnish with corriander leaves and cashews.
16. Have fun eating with rice, jeera rice, pulav, goes well along with pappu as a side dish too.

Stuffed Jalapenos

2009-04-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a great side dish which I do when every I make Daal/Pappu. It goes great with it.

Ingredients:

Jalapenos-10

Besan-5 Tspn

Garlic flakes-6

Oil-6Tspn

Salt-as needed

Red Mirchi Powder-as needed

Method:

1. In a vessel, add besan, salt, red mirchi powder, crushed garlic, 4 Tspns of oil and mix well. You can taste the powder and add more salt or mirchi powder according to your taste.

2. Wash the Jalapenos, slit them in the middle and remove the seeds of it if you are not used to a SPICY dish.

3. Stuff the besan powder in all the Jalapenos.

4. Take a wide bottom pan and heat it. Add 2 Tspn of oil in it and put all these Jalapenos in it and close the pan with a lid. There is no need of adding water to it, it will be cooked by the moisture present in the Jalapenos.

5. Keep the flame on LOW and heat it up for around 30 mins. Check the pan inbetween, you might need to turn the Jalapenos to the other side.

6. You will know when the Jalapenos are done by inserting a fork or a tooth pick into it.

7. Garnish with Cashews and Corriander leaves and serve along with rice or eat as a side dish along with any pappu/daal.

Strawberry Milkshake and Lassi

2009-04-17T10:25:00.001-07:00

Yayy!! Winters gone and its HOT HOT Summer comming....I tried out Strawberry Milkshake and Strawberry Lassi at home. I would like to share it with ya'll. Hope ya'll also give it a try.

First ill tel you the Ingredients for Strawberry Milkshake:

Fresh Strawberries-1/2 cup
Dry roasted Cashews-15 pieces
Badam-15pieces
Honey-4 Tspn
Sugar-10Tspn
Cardamom Powder-1/4 spoon
Milk-1/2 glass
Ice Cubes-few

Procedure:

1. Grind the nuts, both Cashew and Badam into fine pieces.
2. Add Strawberry pieces, Sugar, lil water, Milk, Cardamom Powder and grind it again.
3. You can add few ice cubes instead of water too.
4. In a Glass sprinkle few strawberry pieces and Honey and then pour the milkshake in it and finally top it with Honey and strawberry pieces on top of it again.
5. Drink it right away or cool it and drink it later.

Heres the recipe for Straweberry Lassi:

Ingredients:

Strawberries-1/2cup
Sugar-10Tspn
Thick Curd-1/2cup

Procedure:

1. Grind the Strawberries til they are half mashed up.
2. Add Sugar and thick curd. Try not to add any water in it and gring again.
3. Add lil pepper powder and serve in a glass.
4. Cool it up for sometime and drink or add ice cubes and drink right away.

Hope you all try these Summer special Drinks and like them.

Gobhi Kurma

2009-04-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a very simple and an easy dish without using more Masalas or Spices but just using Cauliflower & here are theIngredients we need:

Phool Gobhi/Cauliflower-1 Medium sized

Onions-2

Turmeric powder-1/4 tspn

Green Mirchi-4-5

Ginger Garlic Paste-1 Tspn

Garam Masala Powder-1/2 Tspn

Whole Garam Masala(Cloves, Cardamom, Bay Leaves & Dalchini)-Few Each

Salt-As Required.

Fresh Cream-6Tspn(optional)

Fresh Curd-1/2 cup

Khus Khus Paste-2Tspn

Dry Fruits(Cashew, Pistachio, Badam, Kismis)-8-10 each

Oil/Ghee-5Tspn

Method:

1. Cut the Cauliflower into Florets and discard the stem of it. Soak it for 20 mins in salt and turmeric powder. This will help to remove any bitterness or acetic taste if present. In the meanwhile we can go ahead with the rest of the method.

2. Boil the Onions and make a paste out of it.

3. Put Oil/Ghee in a deep bottom pan, add whole garam masala, onion paste, Green Mirchi and let it fry in a slow flame till the paste slightly changes its colour. Careful it shoud not burn!

4. Add Ginger Garlic Paste and Khus Khus Paste and fry for a while.

5. Now add the Cauliflower Florets and mix well along with the gravy and add enough water till the paste gets mixed into it well without forming any lumps.

6. Add Salt and then the Dry fruits. Its up to you how you add them, you can cut them into small pieces and add or you may grind them into fine paste if you want or add them as they are.

7. Boil it til the Cauliflower is almost done.

8. Now add Garam Masala, Fresh Curd and Fresh Cream, reduce the flame and cook for 2-3 mins.

9. Add Corriander Leaves and serve along with Roti's, Paratha's or Rice.

Useful Tip:

1. You can soak Khus Khus for some time in hot water and then make a paste of it, it will be easy.

2. If you are a calorie counter person you can eat the curry without adding the Cream too.

Lima Beans Pappu Charu

2009-04-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hii Friends,
Here is another variety dish i tried out myself and came out fantastic.

Do you have Lima Beans/Butter Beans in your freazer?
If YES: Do this dish right away.
If NO: Worth purchasing a packet of it my friends, trust me the taste is just amazing.

These are what you need to do this,

Ingredients:

Lima/Butter beans-1 cup
Tammarind-Leamon size
Corriander Powder-1Tspn
Garlic-6 Pods
Onion-1
Red Mirchi Powder-1Tspn
Mustard Seeds-1/2 Tspn
Cumin Seeds-1/4Tspn
Curry Leaves-15
Corriander Leaves-2 Tspn
Red Mirchi Flakes-4
Turmeric Powder-Just a Pinch
Salt-As Required
Tomatoes-2

Method:

1. Put Beans, Onions(cut into chunks), Red Mirchi Powder in a Vessel and Preassure Cook them
2. Take a spatula and mix it and Grind them to a fine paste.
3. Soak the tammarind for 20mins and extract the pulp from it.
4. Take a larger vessel, mix the tammarind pulp, the fine paste, lil water, Corriander Powder, Tomato Pieces and the Curry Leaves and boil well.
5. Take some oil in the pan, let it heat for a while and then add Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Red Mirchi Flakes, Crushed Garlic let it change its colour a bit and mix this in the boiling liquid in the vessel.
6. Adjust Tammarind juice, Salt, Red Mirchi Powder according to your taste and the dish is abs ready to eat with any kind of rice.
7. Don't forget to add corriander leaves before you switch OFF the stove.

Enjoy cooking and have fun eating it.

Green Peas/Mutter Kofta's Recipe.

2009-03-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

I tried this out very recently, it came out very well. I hope ya'll too try it and like this dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup Frozen or Fresh Peas/Mutter
1/2 cup Corriander Leaves
1/4 cup Mint/pudina Leaves
4 Tbsp Basin
2 Onions cut into small pieces
3/4 cup Tomato Pure
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
1 Tspn Ginger
1 Tspn Garlic
1 Tspn Ginger-Garlic Paste
1/2 Tspn Turmeric Powder
1 Tspn Red Mirchi Powder
5-6 Green Mirchi
1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
1/2 Tspn Garam Masala
Salt to Taste
1/4 Tspn of Baking Soda

Koftas Recipe:

1. In a Mixi Jar, take Green Peas, Corriander Leaves, Mint Leaves, Green Mirchi, Ginger & Garlic and grind it till they are half done like kaccha pacca types w/o adding any water to it. This stuff will be in nice green colour.
2. Put this stuff in a bowl, add Besan, Salt, Soda and mix it properly.
3. Make very small balls of this and deep fry in oil in a low flame till they are done. In the process of frying the balls change their colour from green to brownish. This indicates that the frying is done. Keep them aside.

Gravy Recipe:

1. Take a pan, add lil oil and cumin seeds in it. Once the seeds start spluttering add onions and fry till they turn golden brown.
2. Add Ginger Garlic paste, Turmeric powder, Red mirchi powder and mix well.
3. Add the Tomato pure and boil it till oil comes out of it.
4. Add 3/4 cup of water to the gravy and boil well.
5. Add Salt & Garam Masala and mix well again.
6. Add Coconut Milk and let the gravy boil.
7. Once the gravy starts boiling add the koftas to it, mix lightly, put the flame in LOW and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add corriander Leaves and OFF the stove.

Eat along with Fried Rice, Jeera Rice, Chapaties, Paratha and enjoy eating.

TIP: For a richer/classsier flavour you can add the paste of 15-20 Cashews and add it along with the Tomato Pure.

My First Attempt

2009-03-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Fellas,
This is the first time I am starting to blog. Hope ya'll have fun reading by blog.

Let me tel you how I got intrest in writing a blog...Usually, I keep on looking for online recipes, and I come accross new recipes very often...so i thought let me put on few of my new recipes which I have tried from past 2 years. And here I come.