Tomato Rice

We had a get together of college friends recently and there namya has prepared this recipe. A different version of veg pulav. Enjoy it.

Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
1/2 tblsp oil
1 onion
2 bayleaves
1 stick dalchini
1/2 spoon mirchi powder
1 inch ginger
7-8 garlic
1 small tblsp shahi jeera
1/2 small tblsp turmeric powder
1 tblsp pulav masala(you can get this in any regular store) or garam masala powder
Tomato puree(5 medium sized)
veggies
1cup peas,carrot and beans (If you want, else veggies can be excluded)
2 big cups Basmati rice
salt to taste

Directions:
Add butter to heavy bottom pan, add half tblsp oil so that the butter doesnt burn. Add jeera, bay leaves and dalchini. Fry for 2 mins. Add the chopped onions. Saute for 2-3 mins. Make paste  of ginger and garlic. Add it. Fry for 3-4 mins. Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, mirchi powder and pulav masala.Let it cook for 5 mins. If you are adding the vegetables then add the carrot at this point and  boil the beans and peas with some water seperately. After the masala is cooked you can add the beans and peas. Mix in the rice and add salt. Add 4 cups water. Cook for 5 mins in high flame then slow down the flame till the rice cooks.

Serve it with raita.


Reference:
My college Friend Namrata. Hey Namya i have modified the recipe a bit :)

Red Coconut Chutney

This is a traditional south indian chutney goes well with neer dosa(will post the recipe for this later) and normal dosa. I learnt this from my Mom.

Ingredients:
1 cup grated fresh coconut
4 red chillies
1 green chilly
half onion sliced(small)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
20 curry leaves
1/2 spoon tamarind paste
1/2 spoon sugar
3 garlic cloves
salt to taste

For tempering:
1/2 spoon mustard seeds
1 tbsp oil

Directions:
Roast 15 curry leaves and red chillies in 1/2 spoon oil. In a mixer add all the other other ingredients and fried chilly and curry leaves. Make a paste. Add half cup water.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan, add the mustard seeds and the curry leaves. Pour it in the chutney.

Reference:
Meri Maa.....

Paani Puri

Ahh...One of my favourites. Easy to prepare and really tasty.

Ingredients & Direction:
Sweet chutney:

1/2 cup dates(Khajur)
1 big peice jaggery
tamarind pulp(according to the taste)

Soak the dates in water for 10 mins. In Mixer combine the dates, jaggery and tamarind pulp. Sweet chutney is ready. Keep it thick.

Paani:

1 cup pudina leaves
3 green chillies
1 inch ginger
1 tblsp roasted jeera
10 grounded pepper corns
Paani puri masala
Black salt/normal salt to taste
Imli pulp(according to taste)

Make paste of pudina,chillies, ginger, jeera and pepper corns. Add 1/2 litre water, salt and imli pulp and panni puri masala. Strain the water or u can use it directly.

For stuffing you can either take khara boondi or sprouted moong, but i like the traditional one- yellow vatana.

Boil yellow vatana with salt and turmeric in little water. Smash it.

In the puri add little vatana, 1 spoon sweet chutney and paani..Yummmy. As i am typing this recipe my mouth is watering ;)

Reference :
My college friend sushila

Veg Pulav

This is a Simple rice recipe tried on my own. Goes well with chole or some nice chicken gravy.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup beans
1/2 cup carrots
2 cups basamati rice
3 tblsp ghee
1 pinch turmeric
2 big elaichi
5 small elaichi
1 stick dalchini
5 cloves
5 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 green chillies(chopped)
1 medium sized onion(chopped)
1/2 tblsp shahi jeera

Directions:

Boil the peas and beans with some salt.
Clean the rice in water. Seperate the water and keep aside.
Heat the vessel. Add ghee,jeera. Once the jeera is fried add onions, fry for 2 mins. Add chillies and the spices(elaichi, peppercorns, dalchini, cloves, bay leaves) and turmeric. Fry for 2 mins. Add the carrots. After the carrot is cooked, add the peas and beans. Mix in the rice. Add 4 cups of water(the rice and water proportion should be 1:2).Salt to taste. Keep in high heat for first 5 mins and then slow down the heat. Pulav is ready

Serve it with salad.

For salad:

1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped onions,
few coriander chopped,
1/4 cup curd
1 chopped green chilly
Salt to taste.

Mix all the ingredients to make the salad

Fruit Custard

Had this dish at a function recently. Its simple so tried it out.

Ingredients:
2 Sapota(Chickoo)
1 Apple
2 bananas
1/2 cup papaya
2 large tblspoon custard powder
2 cups milk
2 tblsp sugar
Directions:
Mix the sugar and custard powder into 1/4 cup of the milk.
Bring the rest of the milk to a boil. Lower the heat and add the sugar and custard solution. Mix well and let it come to a boil again in slow heat, stirring all the time so that it does not stick to the utensil.
After it comes to a boil again, take it off the heat and let it cool.
Cut the fruits. When the custard is cool mix the furits with the custard and refrigerate it.
You can serve it with ice cream

Besan Thalipeeth

One of my colleague in college used to bring this thalipeeth. I had tried it on my own, but never came out the way she used to bring it.
Last weekend learned from her and tried it out today. I was happy with my work :) This one makes a real good snack. Didnt take the pics. Will upload the pic for the same when i prepare this next time.

Ingredients:

1 cup besan/ chickpea flour
2 small sized onions
2 green chillies
1/2 tblsp red chilly powder
pinch of haldi
6-8 curry leaves
4 tblsp coriander leaves
Salt to taste
oil for cooking

Direction:

Mix all the ingredients except besan and oil. After adding salt, mix in the besan. Add water. Make a thick batter.

Heat 1 tblsp oil in a pan. Pour the batter. Spread it in the pan(dont make it too big, it may break). Add 1 tblsp oil from the sides of the pan. Move the thalipeeth so that the oil enters all sides of the thalipeeth. Do the same in the opposite side. Press with the spatula while the thalipeeth is cooking so that it cooks properly from inside. Woala!!! Thalipeeth is ready. You can eat it simply or with ketch up

Reference : My College friend (Hemu)

Gajar ka halwa

Ingredients:

Carrots 1 kg
Cashewnuts 5-6
Pure ghee 3 tablespoons
Milk 1 cup
Mawa (khoya) 1 cup
Sugar 3/4 cup

Directions:

Peel, wash and grate carrots. Chop cashewnuts.

Heat pure ghee in a thick-bottomed pan, add grated carrots and sauté for five minutes.

Add milk and cook on high heat for until the milk evaporates and the carrots are cooked.Stir in the grated khoya,sugar and chopped cashewnuts. Cook till the sugar melts and mixes well, stirring continuously. Continue to cook till all the water dries out.

Garnish with , sliced almonds and raisins(if required). Serve hot or at room temperature.