Capsicum rice - A Simple Aromatic lunch recipe

The below measurement makes 3-4 servings.

1. Green capsicum - 150 gms
2. Rice - 300 gms
3. Grated coconut - 3 table spoon
4. Mustard seeds - 2 tea spoon
5. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
6. Hing - 2 tsp
7. Oil - 2 table spoon

For the masala powder
1. Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon
2. Channa dhal/Gram dhal - 1 table spoon
3. Red chillies - 5-6 Nos
4. Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
5. Oil - 1 tsp


Method.

1. Chop the capsicum finely.

2. Cook the rice and once the cooker cools down, take the rice off and allow it to cool completely in a wide vessel.

3. In a pan, add the oil and add all the ingredients for the powder.

You will get a good aroma of the coriander seeds and the lentils will start browning. Take it off the flame , when the coriander seeds are golden brown and lentils are golden brown. grind it into a coarse powder, once it cools down.

4. Add oil to a big wok and once hot add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter add the curry leaves and hing.

5. Add the capsicum and add the salt to make it cook faster.

6. Allow it to cook for around 15 minutes or until the capsicum is completely cooked. 

7. Add 2 table spoons of the ground masala and mix well, until the capsicum pieces are well coated with the masala powder.

8. Add the cooled rice, salt required for rice, rest of the masala powder and the  grated coconut.

9. Mix well. 

Aromatic Capsicum rice is ready.

Restaurant style Chole Bhature

Ingredients:
For Channa Masala

1. 250 gms white channa - soaked in water overnight
2. Tomatoes - 4 medium
3. Onion - 5 medium
4. Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
6. Chilli powder - 2 tbsp
7. Garam masala - 2 tsp
8. Channa masala - 2 tbsp
9. Jeera powder - 1/2 tbsp
10. Dhaniya powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Jeera - 1/2 tsp
12. Saunf/ Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
13. Green chillies - 2 nos - split in the centre
14. Salt - to taste
15. Coconut oil - 3 tsp
16. Coriander seeds - 2 hands full
17. Sugar - 1 tsp


For Bhature

1. Maida - 200 gms
2. Salt - to taste
3. Water - 120 gms

Method:
1. Add salt and Boil the chick peas for a good 12-15 whistles in a pressure cooker.
2. Grind onion , tomato along with ginger garlic paste.
3. In a big wok, add coconut oil and once hot, add jeera and saunf.

4. Once the jeera and saunf fries, add the slit green chillies. Green chillies are optional. if you like it spicy, add it now.

5. Lower the flame completely and add Turmeric powder and red chilli powder. there are a lot chances for the red chilli powder to burn if the flame is kept in medium or high, or if you don't act fast after adding them. Fry the powders for just a couple of seconds and add the Onion tomato mixture.

6. Mix well and add salt. Allow the mixture to cook well for about 15 minutes, you can cover and cook. please check every now and then , to avoid burning or the mixture settling down.

7. Once the onion tomato mixture is cooked, add all the dry masalas. Jeera, Dhaniya powder, Garam masala and Channa masala powder.

8. Mix it well. If the mixture is dried out, add water and adjust the consistency. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes after adding the masala. please make sure the onion and tomato mixture is well cooked and all the raw smell is gone.

9. Add the boiled chick peas 

10. Mix well and allow it to boil for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add a tsp of sugar. This is completely optional.

11. Add the coriander leaves. Check for salt and spice and adjust according to taste.

Channa masala is ready 

Bhature 

Method.

1. Knead the Maida with salt and water. knead it until it is soft and non-sticky.

2. Set aside for 12-15 minutes.

3. Make small balls out of the dough

4. Roll the ball to a medium sized poori.

5. Deep fry in hot oil until golden spots appear on both sides.

Restaurant style Channa bhature is ready.

Evergreen South Indian Snack - Aloo Bonda

The below measurements make 15-18 bondas of 1.5 inch diameter

Ingredients:

For filling

1. 200 gms potatoes
2. 1 big carrot cubed
3. 50 gms green peas
4. 1 tbsp lemon juice
5. green chillies - 3 nos finely chopped
6. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
7. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
8. Urad dhal and Channa dhal - 1 tbsp (Together)
9. Hing - 1 tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
11. Red chilli powder - 2 tbsp
12. Oil - 1 tsp
13. Salt to Taste
14. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp (Optional)

For Batter

1.Gram flour  - 150 gms
2. Rice flour - 25 gms
3. Sal to taste
4. Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
5. Hing - 1/2 tsp
6. Soda Bi carbonate - 1/4 tsp
7. Water - 125 gms + 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Boil, peel  and Mash the potatoes. make sure the potatoes are not overcooked. they should not take in a lot of water. the mashed potatoes must be absolutely dry and non-sticky

2. Steam the vegetables

3. In a fry pan, add oil and once hot, add mustard seeds, once the mustard seeds splutter, add urad dhal, channa dhal, greenshillies, curry leaves. 

4. Once the lentils are golden brown, add turmeric powder and red chilli powder to the oil. make sure the flame is completely on Low, while adding the powders, we do not want our red chilli powder to burn. 

5. Add the mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and mix well.

6. Add the lemon juice , garam masala, salt to taste and mix well to form a nice smooth mixture.

7. for the batter, Add all the dry ingredients , except soda bi carb. mix well. Pour water , not all once, little by little. my flour took 125 gms + 2 tbsp water, to form a thick batter. 

8. Make sure the potato mixture is cooled to room temp, to handle it. 

9. Make small balls of the potato mixture.

10. At this stage, before dipping the potato ball, add the soda bi carb into the batter and mix it really well, beat the batter well. 

Dip the ball into the batter and make sure the potato ball is well coated on all sides with the batter.

11. Deep fry it in oil until golden brown.

12. Serve with coconut chutney 

13. This is what it looks like in the inside.

Finger millet&Veg patties/Ragi adai

A perfect healthy breakfast/snack recipe - a great combination of Ragi and vegetables.

The below ingredients make 10-12 patties of 4 inch dia each

Ingredients:

1. Ragi flour - 200 gms

2. Finely chopped vegetables

Onion - 1/2 cup

Cabbage - 1/2 cup

Capsicum - 1/4 cup

French beans - 1/2 cup

Carrot (Grated) - 1/2 cup

3. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

4. coriander - a handful

5. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

6. Salt to taste

7. Oil - to saute veggies and shallow fry the patties

8. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

9. Red chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp

10. Finely chopped green chillies - 2 nos 

11. Hing - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1, Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add finely chopped onion and greenchillies. Once the onions become slightly brown, add the veggies.

2. Saute the vegetables until they start cooking , leaving out the moisture. Add a little salt about 1/2 tsp for veggies to cook faster. As the veggies cook, add hing, red chilly powder, garam masala. this recipe is a little spicy, to make it interesting for my family. The Chilli powder could be cut down to 1/2 tsp for all who like it less spicy.

3. Once the dry spices get incorporated well and veggies are cooked, add the ragi flour and coriander leaves.

4. Just mix the flour well with the vegetables and take it off flame into a wide vessel.

5. At this stage add the coconut oil to the flour mixture. this will give a great flavour to the dish. 

6. Heat about 250 gms of water and bring to a rolling boil.

7. Add the boiling water carefully to the flour mixture. please add little by little. do not add all at once. mix well with a spatula. the flour should form into a sticky ball of dough.

8. The flour will be sticky. Do not panic. Only if it is sticky , the patties would be soft.

9. Once the dough cools a little, oil your hands and form the dough to a smooth ball.

10. Allow the dough to cool down completely.

11. Take a plastic sheet and oil it.

12. Take a ball of dough - a size of about a big lemon.

13. Flatten it to form a circle of 4 inch diameter.

14. Shallow fry it on a tawa until it becomes brown on both sides

15. Serve with spicy chutney.