Dal wada

Used a number of recipes online to make this tasty and healthy snack!

Makes: 25-30 wadas

Ingredients:

1. Moong (Green Gram) Dal  - 1 cup
2. Chana (Split Bengal Gram) Dal - 1 cup 
• (Both dals should be washed and soaked in water for 7-8 hours)
3. Green chilies - 5-6
4. Ginger - 3-4 small pieces
5. Curry leaves - 8-10
6. Peppercons - 7-8
7. Semolina - a fistful
8. Oil - For deep frying

Method:

1) Grind the dals with green chillies and ginger. Add very little water while grinding.

2) Add the curry leaves, peppercons and semolina. Add salt as per taste.

3) Heat oil. Take a little of the batter with your fingers and drop in hot oil.

4) Turn over once golden brown

5) Drain on absorbent paper. Serve with ketchup/Chutney.

Tomato Pasta

This is my sister's recipe of Pasta, turns out to be yummy :)

Serves - 4 people

Ingredients

1. Macaroni pasta - 4 cups
2. Onion - 4 (vertically chopped)
3. Tomatoes - 4 (chopped)
4. Garlic  - 8 flakes (crushed)
5. Capsicum - 2 (chopped)
6. Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
7. Sugar - 1 tsp
8. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
9. Chili sauce - 2 tbsp
10. Tomato ketchup - 3 tbsp
11. Oil - 4-5 tbsp

Method

1) To make the pasta,  boil around 2 liters of water. To it add salt and 1 tsp oil.Once the water starts boiling, add the pasta slowly to the water and let it cook for approximates 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain the cooked pasta and toss in 1 tbsp butter.

2) Heat oil.  Stir fry the onion till translucent. Add the garlic and stir fry briefly

3) Add the tomatoes and stir fry till tomatoes become soft.

4) Add chili sauce, tomato ketchup and mix well.

5) Add capsicum, sugar, salt and pepper powder and mix well. Add a little water and let cook for 2-3 minutes.

6) Add the boiled pasta and mix well

7) Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Chicken Pulao

I had jotted down this recipe ages ago based on a recipe I had found on the internet. Recently tried it all over again.

Serves - 2-3 people

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 300gms (Cleaned and marinated with chili powder, turmeric powder and salt)
2. Rice - 2 cups
3. Onion - 1 large vertically chopped
4. Tomatoes - 2 medium chopped
5. Ginger paste - 1 tsp
6. Garlic paste - 1 tsp
7. cardamom - 3-4
8. Cinnamon - 1 large stick
9. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
10. Cloves - 7-8
11. Curd - 1 tbsp
12. Green chili - 1 vertically slit
13. Mint leaves - a handful - chopped
14. Coriander leaves - a handful
15. Chili powder - 1 tsp
16. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
17. Water - 4 cups
18. Oil - 4-5 tbsp

Method

1) Heat oil. Add all the dry spices (Ingredients 7-10). Fry for 2-3 minutes

2) Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for few more minutes

3) Add the onion. Fry till translucent

4) Add salt, turmeric powder and chili powder. Fry for 2 more minutes

5) Add the tomatoes and fry for 5-6 minutes

6) Add the chicken pieces. Fry for 4-5 minutes

7) Add the curd and mix well. Fry for 2 more minutes

8) Add half of the chopped mint leaves. Add little water. Mix well.

9) Pressure cook ( 1 cooker whistle)

10) Open the pressure cooker and ensure that chicken is cooked. Take 1 cup water from the chicken mixture and mix with 4 cups water. Heat this.

11) Add the rice, green chili coriander leaves and remaining mint leaves. Add salt as per taste.

12) Pressure cook the rice

13) On a serving plate serve the rice. Spread the chicken mixture on top and devour!!

Green chicken curry

Again, one of my own creations, inspired from the famous Goan chicken cafreal.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 800 gms
2. Coriander leaves - 2 cups
3. Garlic - 15-20 cloves
4. Ginger - 3-4 pieces
5. Tamarind - 1 tbsp
6. Peppercons - 14-15
7. Cinnamon - 2 sticks
8. Green chilies - 3
9. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
10. Onion - 1 large vertically chopped
11. Grated coconut - 1 cup
12. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
13. Chili powder - 2 tsp
14. Curd - 1 tbsp
15. Oil - 3-4 tbsp

Method

1) Clean chicken. Apply turmeric powder, chili powder curd and salt 

2) Grind the ingredients from 2 to 9 into a fine paste. 

3) Apply about 2-3 tbsp of this to the chicken and let it marinate for 2-3 hours

4) Add the grated coconut to the ground paste and grind again

5) Heat oil. Fry the onion till translucent.

6) Add the chicken and fry for few more minutes.

7) Turn off heat and pressure cook the chicken (1 whistle). Keep the cooked chicken on flame. Add the ground paste and let boil.Serve hot with bread.

Spinach and Green Peas soup

This is one of my own creations. A healthy and high calorie item for kids!

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1. Spinach - 1 cup
2. Green peas - 1 cup
3. Onion - 1 finely chopped
4. Garlic - 2-3 cloves
5. Butter - 2 tsp
6. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - a pinch
8. Chili powder - a pinch

Method

1)Cook the green peas in a microwave or boiling water until cooked. Cook the spinach in a microwave or boiling water until cooked. Grind the spinach to a paste

2) Heat the butter. Add the minced garlic and onion. Saute till translucent

3) Add the turmeric and chili powder. Add salt as per taste

4) Add the spinach paste and green peas.

5) Add the pepper powder and bring to a boil. Serve hot.

Tip: You can use sweet corn instead of green peas and also garnish with cheese.

Veg cutlet

A very healthy and tasty snack. I added whatever veggies I had at home so you can change the proportion of the veggies or add other veggies as per your taste. 

Makes - 20-25 cutlets

Ingredients

1. Beetroot (Grated) - 2 cups 
2. Carrot (Grated) - 1 cup
3. Spinach (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup
4. Potatoes (Boiled and mashed) - 4 cups
5. Ginger paste - 1 tsp
6. Sweet corn paste - 1 tbsp (Also added a handful of boiled whole sweetcorn)
7. Coriander cumin powder - 1 tbsp
8. Amchoor powder - 1 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Chili powder - 1 tsp
11. Salt as per taste
12. Oil - As required for shallow frying

For the coating

1. Cornflour - 2 tbsp
2. Breadcrumbs or semolina

Method:

1) Heat about 2-3 tbsp oil. Fry the ginger for 2 -3 minutes

2) Add the beetroot, carrot and spinach. Fry for 5-10 minutes till veggies soften.

3) Add the ingredients from 7-11. Mix well.

4) Add the potato and sweet corn paste.

5) Turn off heat and let cool. Take a small ball of this mixture and flatten with your hands to form a cutlet shape.

6) Mix the cornflour in little water to form a paste of thick consistency.

7) Dip the cutlet into this paste and immediately roll into breadcrumbs or semolina.

8) Shallow fry till golden brown. Serve with ketchup.