Dahi Palak Vada

Dahi Palak Vada 

 For the Palak Vada 

2 cups of Spinach leaves chopped, and sautéed in 1/2 tsp oil till the water dries up

1 cup Gram flour

Pinch of Soda bicarbonate 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Carom seeds 

Oil to fry 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add the spinach, gram flour, salt , carom seeds and soda bicarbonate. Mix it well. Heat oil, add 1 tsp of the batter in hot oil and fry the Palak vadas till brown, once done, keep it on the absorbent paper, cool it and break it into half. 

For the Dahi Palak Vada

 Ingredients 

Palak Vada 

2 Cups Curd 

1/2 cup Milk

1 tbsp Green Chutney ( Add  1/4 cup Coriander leaves, 1 Green chillies, 1 tsp Raw mango and Salt in a blender and blend it together)

1 tbsp Sweet Tamarind Chutney ( 2 tbsp Tamarind pulp, 4 tbsp Jaggary, salt, 1/4 tsp  chilli powder, mix together and cooked it till the Jaggary melts and thicken up a bit)

Salt to taste 

2 tbsp Sugar 

1 tbsp Sev

Sprinkle of Chat masala

Few Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing 

Few Pomegranate seeds for garnishing 

Method

In a mixing bowl, add curd, milk, salt, sugar. Beat it well. Add the broken pieces of vada. Mix it. Drizzle the green chutney and the sweet chutney, sprinkle the chat masala. Sprinkle the sev, coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds from top. 

Surmai Sukha Masala (King Fish semi dry gravy)

Surmai Sukha Masala (King Fish semi dry gravy)

For the Wet Paste
Ingredients
4 pieces of Surmai including Fish head
8 Garlic cloves
3 tbsp Coriander Leaves
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp Tamarind paste
1 tsp Lime juice
Salt to taste

Method
Add all the above ingredients in the blender except fish, add 3 tbsp or more water and blend the spices into a paste. Apply  lime and salt on the fish and keep it aside for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes apply the wet paste on the fish and marinate it for 15 to 20 minutes.

For the Gravy
Ingredients
Marinated Fish
1 big size Onion chopped
10 to 14 Garlic cloves whole
4 Green chillies broken into pieces
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped for garnishing
2 tbsp Oil

Method
Take a pan, add oil. Let it heat. Add garlic, saute it till light brown in colour. Add the chillies, saute it for a minute. Add the onion and fry till light brown in colour. Add the marinated fish, cook the fish on both sides for 5 minutes each, add 1/4 cup of water and cook on medium high heat till the gravy dries up and the oil from the gravy is seen. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice....

Mutton Curry

Mutton Curry
An experiment in my kitchen...
It is a simple recipe, marinated and cooked on low heat in a pressure cooked without even stirring and it cooks in its own juices ....

Wet paste
Ingredients
1 Onion
5 Garlic cloves
1 small piece Ginger
4 Red Dry Chillies
4 Green chillies

Method
Grind all the above ingredients in to a paste.

For the Mutton
Ingredients
500 grams Mutton
1/2 cup Curd
1 medium size Onion cut into 8 pieces
3 medium size Potatoes peeled and cut into 4 pieces
10 Garlic cloves
1 medium piece of Ginger sliced
4 Green chillies whole
Salt to taste
1/2 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
Wet paste
2 tbsp Mustard Oil  OR Vegetable Oil
Few Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

Method
In a mixing bowl add all the above ingredients except coriander leaves and mix it well. Marinate it for for 6 hours.  Add the marinated mutton in the pressure cooker. Close the lid of the cooker and give 4 whistles or till the mutton has cooked. Once the pressure releases, garnish with coriander leaves. It is ready to be served with hot rice or roti.

Crispy Palak Chaat / Spinach Chaat

One must include green vegetables in the diet. Some time children don’t want to have vegetables. We can always innovate Recipes with vegetables which will encourage the children to have vegetables without fuss. Spinach is a good source of iron.... Here I have made a healthy Chaat with spinach...

To make the crispy Palak 

Ingredients 

Few Fresh Palak /Spinach leaves around 12 whole leaves 

Oil to Drizzle

Salt to sprinkle 

Method 

Take a baking tin, spread the Palak leaves, drizzle oil and sprinkle some salt. Bake it at 200 degrees for 15 minutes. Half way in between turn the leaves. Bake till crispy. 

For the Palak Chaat 

 Ingredients 

Crispy Palak leaves

1 small Potato cut into cubes and boiled 

1 small Onion chopped

4 tbsp Beaten Curd 

3 tbsp Green Chutney ( Add 1/4 cup Coriander leaves, 1 Green chillies, 1 tsp Raw mango and Salt in a blender and blend it together)

2 tbsp Red Chutney ( Add few Garlic cloves, 2 Dry Red chillies and salt in a blender and blend it together with little water)

1 tbsp Sweet Tamarind Chutney ( 2 tbsp Tamarind pulp, 4 tbsp Jaggary, salt, 1/4 tsp  chilli powder, mix together and cooked it till the Jaggary melts and thickens up a bit)

1 tbsp Sev

Drizzle of Lime juice

Sprinkle of Chaat masala

Few Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing 

Few Pomegranate seeds for garnishing 

Method

On a plate first add the crispy spinach leaves, then one by one add the potatoes, onions, curd, green chutney, red chutney, sweet tamarind chutney, drizzle the lime juice , sprinkle the  chat masala, add the sev and then garnish with coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds... 

Instant Vermicelli Dosa served with Tomato Chutney

Instant Vermicelli Dosa served with Tomato Chutney 

Vermicelli Dosa
Ingredients
4 cups Vermicelli (Boiled in water and strained)
1 cup Idli Rawa
1 cup Rice Flour
1/4 cup Desiccated Coconut
1 cup Curd
1 Onion chopped
3 Green Chillies chopped
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp Eno
Ghee to Drizzle

Method
In a mixing bowl, mix all the above ingredients, except ghee. Add water little at a time to make a thin batter. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes. Heat a skillet. Pour 2 ladle of the batter on the skillet, spread the batter on the skillet, let it cook for a minute on low heat,  drizzle ghee on the dosa and let it cook till brown on one side.Flip over and cook on the other side. Serve hot  vermicelli dosa with tomato chutney.

P.S. Before making the next dosa, wipe the skillet with wet cloth, or else if the temperature is high, the dosa will not spread properly.

Tomato Chutney
Ingredients
4 Tomatoes chopped
1 Onion chopped
10 Garlic cloves crushed
1/4 cup Coriander Leaves
5 Green chillies
Salt to taste
Few Curry leaves
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1 Red Dry Chilli broken into pieces
2 Pinches of Asafoetida
1 tbsp Sesame Oil

Method
In a grinder, add tomatoes, onion, green chillies, garlic, coriander leaves and salt. Grind it into paste. Add little water. Take a pan. Add oil, let it heat. Add mustard leaves, curry leaves, dry red chillies and asafoetida. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add the chutney. Let it simmer on low flame for 5 minutes. Serve hot for Vermicelli Dosa....