Palak pakora / spinach fritters / palakura bajji

Preparation time-15mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
250 gms palak/spinach
2 medium sized onions
500 ml sunflower oil(for frying)
2 cups of besan flour
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pinches baking soda
7-8 curry leaves
5 green chillies chopped finely
1 teaspoon ajwain seeds
Method:

1. Wash and then chop palak finely.
2. Chop onions into thin and long slices.
3. Heat oil in a deep sauce pan till hot.(take care of hot oil)
4. Meanwhile mix salt,chilly powder,baking soda(bicarbonate of soda),ajwain seeds,chopped palak,onions,finely chopped curry leaves,green chillies and a spoon of hot oil with besan in a bowl nicely.
5. Add 1/2 cup of water to this mix and stir until a semisolid mix.Take care not to add excess water.
6. Now reduce heat and drop this batter into hot oil slowly with your fingers or a spoon.
7. Deep fry until they become light brown.Collect them in a bowl with tissue to absorb excess oil.
8. Tastes spicy and crunchy.
9. I even fry some curry leaves and kaju garnish pakora for a rich finish.
10. Spinach/palak as good source of vitamins and iron,makes a healthy recipe when used.You can try this instead of preparing plain onion pakora.Good idea to make children have palak in this way,if they dont like having greens as such.

Kitchen wonders

Tips On Cutting & Peeling Vegetables:

1. Wash vegetables before peeling or cutting to preserve the water soluble vitamins.
2. Peel vegetables as thinly as possible to preserve the minerals and vitamins.
3. Soak potatoes and eggplant after cutting, to avoid discoloration.
4. If you boil vegetables in water, do not throw the water, keep it to make gravies.
   
5. To avoid browning of apples after cutting, apply a little lemon juice on the cut surface.The apples will stay and look fresh for a longer time.
6. Keep coriander leaves in a muslin (cheese) cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time.
7. Remove the stems of green chilies while storing them .This will help them to stay fresh for long.
8. After peeling onions cut in half and soak in water for about 10 minutes before cutting to avoid watering eyes.
9. Soak almonds in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes .The skin will peel off easily.
10. Chopping vegetables can be done in different ways using a sharp knife and a wooden chopping board. Cutting on a marble slab will blunt your knives.
11. Remove the outer leaves and husks from the corn (bhutta). Holding the corn upright with the flat end firmly in a board, take a sharp knife and run it down between the kernels and the cob to strip them away.
    
12. Wrap the fruits and vegetables in newspaper before refrigerating to keep them fresh for long.
13. Chopping dry fruits - Freeze them first for one hour & then dip the knife into hot water before cutting them.
    

Tips On Frying :

1. Heat the oil thoroughly before adding seasonings or vegetables. Fry the seasonings until they change color, to get full flavour of seasonings.
2. If masala sticks to the pan that shows quantity of fat included is not enough.
   
3. Add some hot oil and 1/2 tsp of baking soda in batter while making pakoras.
4. When coconut is used in grinding masala, do not fry for a longer time.
   
5. If you are making patties or tikkis of potatoes, always make sure that the potatoes are boiled well in advance and cooled before you use them. It would be better if they can be refrigerated for a short time. This helps the starch in the potatoes to settle down and the tikkis will not be gooey.
   
6. Smoke Mustard oil first before using for preparing vegetables etc.. by heating to a point till light white smoke emerges from it. This would remove the potency from the oil.
7. Poori can be rolled and place between well-rinsed wet muslin cloth at least an hour ahead and can be Fried before serving.
8. To make pooris more crispy add a little rice flour to the wheat flour while kneading.
9. Pakodas will turn out crisper if a little corn flour is added to the gram flour (besan) while preparing the batter.

Tips For Gravies:

1. Always use ghee or vanaspathi with or instead of oil, which gives a good flavour to the gravy. If oil alone is used, it does not get separated easily from the ground mixture, as ghee separates from it.
2. Fry the ground masala in reduced flame, so that it retains its colour and taste.
   
3. Little plain sugar or caramelised sugar added to the gravy makes it tasty.
4. When tomatoes are not in season, tomato ketchup or sauce can be successfully used in the gravies.
   
5. To retain colour in the gravy always use ripe red tomatoes. Discard green portions if any.
6. Good variety chillies and chilli powder also gives colour to the gravy.
   
7. As far as possible try to use long variety red chillies. Dry it under sun for few days and powder coarsely at home. Always the coarse powder gives good taste in gravies and pickles.
   
8. While using ginger and garlic paste in curries, always use garlic at 60% ratio and ginger at 40% as ginger is very strong and may make your dish sharp and pungent.
9. Always add hot water to the gravy to enhance the taste.
   

Tips On Cooking :

1. To make 1 cup of dal, add atleast 2-3 cups of water, depending on the type of dal.
   
2. Soak whole pulses overnight and other dals for one hour before cooking.
   
3. Add 1 tbsp of hot oil to the dough for making Kachories or Kulchas.
   
4. Always use heavy bottomed vessels to make desserts, in order to avoid burning.
   
5. Make desserts with full cream milk, to get thick creamy texture.
   
6. Whenever curd is to be added to the masala, it should be beaten well and added gradually.
7. Chop some extra vegetables, for next day stir fry.
8. Use the leftover dal water to make rasam or sambar.
   
9. Never discard water in which vegetables are cooked, use it in gravies, soups, rasam or kolumbu.
10. Onions and masala are fried in the cooker body itself, raw vegetables are added to that with enough salt and water. Cook under pressure according to the cooking time of the vegetable. This method helps us minimise our cooking time, use of utensils and nutrients are also preserved.
11. If poppy seeds are to be ground, soak them in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, if you are grinding it in a mixie.
    
12. While boiling milk, always add a little water at the base of the vessel to avoid the milk from sticking to the bottom.
    
13. Add a tsp. of hot oil to homemade pastes of garlic, ginger or green chili, along with salt to make it last longer and taste fresher.
14. Store raisins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for much longer. Pour very hot water over them if they had harden, after that drain them immediately, and spread on a paper towel to dry.
    
15. You can also leave a spoon in the vessel in which the milk is being boiled at low heat so that it does not get burnt at the bottom.
16. Add a few drops of lemon a tsp of oil to rice before boiling to separate each grain.
17. Never discard the water in which vegetables are cooked, use it in gravies or soups.
18. Put tomatoes in a large bowl and cover with boiling water Leave it for about 5 minutes. Take out one by one, piercing them with a sharp knife, the skin will peel off easily.
19. Immediately after boiling noodles put them in normal cold water to get each noodle separated.
    
20. If you forget to soak chana/Rajma overnight. Just soak the chana/Rajma in the boiling water for an hour before cooking.
21. Curd in winter - Set in a ceramic container and place it on the voltage stabilizer of your refrigerator.
22. Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes will bake more rapidly.
23. Roasting is a dry heat method of cooking - it does not use water. The flavors roasting draws forth result from the process of browning.

Tips On Leftover Food:

1. Left over rice/pasta can be stored in refrigerator for the next meal. Dont leave them open outside.
   
2. Keep some boiled potatoes in fridge, to make quick sandwiches for breakfast.

Spicy rice roti

Preparation time-15mins
Serves - 2
Ingredients:
2 cups rice flour
2 medium sized onions
4 green chillies
2 teaspoons whole jeera
2 pinches salt
2 pinch chilly powder
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 cup chopped coriander
sunflower oil
Method:

1. Chop onions and chillies real fine.
2. In a bowl add onions,chillies,jeera,salt,chilly powder,coriander,chopped curry leaves and rice flour with 2 tablespoons of oil.
3. Add 1/2 cup of water and make it into a dough.If u feel like adding some water,add little by little till it gets a smooth dough texture.
4. Keep it aside for 5mins.
5. Then take a thick bottomed pan and pat the dough on pan using your fingers.
6. Wet your fingers dipping in water and pat the dough.It helps in avoiding dough sticking to your fingers.
7. After spreading into desired size,put the pan on maximum heat ,sprinkle few drops of oil all around the pan and close it with a lid.
8. Check after a minute and slowly turn the roti to fry other side for 1more minute.
9. Take it off carefully and serve hot.No dip required,if you prefer,it goes well with coconut chutney.
10. Tastes spicy and great.

Spinach Gooseberry dal / palakura usiriga pappu

Preparation - 20mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients:
Gooseberry/ Usiriga - 10 (medium)
1 medium onion ( finely chopped)
500gms fresh spinach/palak
1 cup toor dal
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole jeera
2 pinches hing / asfoetida
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chillypowder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric 
4-5 dry red chillies
7-8 curry leaves
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
Method:

• Wash and pressure cook toor dal adding 2 cups of water and blend to a smooth paste.Keep aside.
• In a sauce pan warm oil,add mustard seeds.Once they splutter add turmeric,hing,jeera,curryleaves,dry red chillies.Fry for a minute.
• Meanwhile wash spinach well and blanch it in a cup of hot water for a minute or two.
• Chop each gooseberry into 4pieces and remove the seed from inside.Add these gooseberry pieces to the warm water and spinach.Keep aside.
• Saute finely chopped onions in the same pan till transparent.
• Drain water from spinach and save for later.
• Chop the seperated spinach and add it to onions along with gooseberry pieces.Fry it on low flame for a minute.
• Now add the warm water which were saved from blanching to the pan,mix well and close the lid for 2-3mintues.
• Sprinkle salt,chillypowder.Add the smooth dal paste to it and mix well evenly.
• Switch off the flame and serve hot with roti or rice.
• Simple and unique from the routene(tomato/tamarind) palak dal as gooseberry gives a very mild tangy taste and a different flavour.
• Try this recipe when you pick some gooseberries in the season which are very rich in vitamin C and also nutritious for healthy hair!

Stuffed Karela gravy

Preparation time:30 mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
4 karela (bitter gourd)
3 big onions
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
3 teasoons chilly powder
3 teaspoons tamarind paste
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 cup chopped coriander
7-8 curry leaves
250 ml sunflower oil (for frying)
Method:

1. Wash karela and cut off their ends on both sides.
2. Then cut each one into two equal halves.And with a spoon scrap out the seeds from inside and prepare it with no seeds and clear for the stuffing.
3. Now cut onions into big pieces and grind them along with chilly powder,salt,coriander and tamarind paste into a smooth mix.
4. With 2 sps of oil,fry mustard seeds,curry leaves and ginger garlic paste for a minute and add them to the onion mix.
5. Meanwhile take a deep broad sauce pan and warm remaining oil in it.
6. Take each half,shallow piece of bitter guard and fill it with the onion mix tightly.
   
7. Once filled,place each piece in the pan of hot oil.
   
8. Lower the heat and close it with a lid.
9. Wait for a minute and keep turning each piece around for every 2minutes till they become soft and cooked.
10. Put the remaining onion mix over them in oil and mix well.
11. Switch off the heat after 2minutes and close the lid for 5mins.This allows the remaining onion mix to get fried.Mix well.
12. Collect it in a bowl and drain if you feel any oil in excess.
    
13. Have it with hot plain rice.You will love it for sure.
14. It takes little time for preparation but worth it!

Brinjal ginger curry

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
3 medium sized brinjal
20gms ginger
1 medium sized onion
4 green chillies
2 dry red chillies
1 pinch turmeric
1 sp urad dal
1 sp mustard seeds
5-7 curry leaves
2 pinches salt
5 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Wash and cut each brinjal into 8 pieces.Put them in water and keep aside.
2. Grind ginger,onion and chillies into a paste,adding salt to it.
3. Heat oil in a sauce pan.Allow mustard seeds to splutter.
4. Then add urad dal,crushed red chillies,turmeric,curry leaves and saute for a minute.
5. Add the ginger paste to it and mix it even for few seconds.
6. Now drain cut brinjal and add them to the pan and close it with a lid.Reduce the heat.
7. After 2-3mins,saute it and close the lid again.
8. Repeat this for every 2mins,until the brinjal becomes soft and well blend with the paste in the pan.
9. Switch off the heat and serve hot with plain rice.
10. Easy and spicy curry.Try it and enjoy.

Gobi springonion paratha

Preparation time - 15mins
Serves - 2
Ingredients:
2 cups wheat / chapathi flour
1 cup fine grated gobi / cauliflower pieces
1 tea spoon jeera
1/2 tea spoon ajwain seeds
1/4 tea spoon salt
1 spring onion finely chopped
4 green chilles finely chopped
1 table spoon sunflower oil
Method:

• Knead the flour with oil and water into a smooth dough.Divide into six equal parts,keep it aside closed for 10-15mins.
• Meanwhile in a bowl mix salt,grated gobi,jeera,ajwain seeds,spring onion,chillies and allow it to settle for 5mins.
• When ready,squeeze water from the gobi mix with your palms as much as you can and seperate the mixture from moisture into a different cup.
• Roll the dough into a small 3 inch roti and place a spoon of gobi mix in the centre.Close from all sides like a packet as shown in the picture.
• Press it with your palms tightly so that the mixture stays packed inside.
• Sprinkle with dry flour and press into paratha gently with mild pressure.
• Fry it on the pan both sides till brown.
• Apply a teaspoon of butter/ghee on the paratha onced placed on a plate.
• Serve hot with pickle and raita.
• Satisfying meal for a busy day.You can even pack for the lunch box.

Spicy beetroot fry

Preparation time - 25mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients :
Beetroot (boiled) - 2(medium sized)
Onion - 2(medium)
1 tablespoon besan/ dry chickpea powder
1tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 pinches turmeric
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 dry red chillies
7-8 curry leaves
1/4 cup chopped coriander
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
Method:

• Warm oil in a saucepan and add mustard seeds,turmeric,curry leaves and allow them to splutter.
• Chop onions finely and add to the pan.Fry till transparent.
• Add salt,ginger-garlic paste,chilly powder and saute for a minute.
• Cut beetroot(boiled) into equal cubes and add to the onions.Fry for 2minutes on low flame.
• Now sprinkle cinnamon powder and close the lid.
• After a minute add besan to the pan and mix gently and nice.So that beetroot pieces retain their shape.
• 3minutes on low flame with frequent sauting finishes the dish.Garnish with coriander.
• Serve hot with roti or rice.
• The natural sweetness of the beetroot is equalised with spice from cinnamon and chilly.Perfect and nutritious.Try and let me know!

Gobi / Cauliflower pickle

Preparation time - 10mins
Ingredients:
250 gms cauliflower/gobi
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds(finely crushed into powder)
2 spoons jeera
3 lime squeezed into juice
1 tablespoon mustard oil
100 ml sunflower oil
4-5 dry red chillies
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons chilly powder
Method:

• Clean the gobi florets and dry with a clean white cloth.
• Allow them to dry for an hour on a wide tissue paper or cloth.Make sure no water exists and absolutely dry.
• In a dry,wide bowl mix salt,chilly powder,fenugreek powder,sunflower oil,lime juice,jeera into a smooth mix.
• Add dry gobi florets to the bowl and mix well.
• Warm mustard oil in a pan and saute mustard seeds,turmeric and slit dry red chillies for 1 minute.
• Collect the pickle in a clean,dry porcelain jar / glass jar.Add the seasoning.
• Store in a cool dry place for 24hours.
• Serve with roti or hot steaming rice and ghee.

Aanapakaya pesarapappu koora/ Bottle gourd moong fry

Preparation time - 20mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients :
Bottle gourd - 1 (medium sized)
Moong dal - 3 table spoons
Urad dal - 1 tea spoon
1 tea spoon mustard seeds
4 dry red chillies
7-8 curry leaves
8-10 slit green chillies
1 table spoon ginger garlic paste
1 tea spoon salt
3 pinches hing
2 tablespoons sesame seeds(finely ground powder)
1/4th spoon cup chopped coriander
3 table spoons sunflower oil

Procedure :

• Wash and soak moong dal in warm water for 20mins.
• Meanwhile peel the skin and chop bottle gourd into cubes(medium sized).Keep aside.
• In a deep sauce pan warm oil.Add hing,mustard seeds,urad dal,dry red chilles,slit green chillies,curry leaves,ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2mins till they splutter.
• Now add the bottle gourd pieces to the pan,mix well with the seasoning and close the lid for 3mins.Keep mixing in between,so that it wouldnot get burnt.
• Sprinkle the sesame powder,salt and drained moong dal to the pan.Mix well and close the lid for 2 more minutes.Moond should retain the shape.
• Check the pieces so that they are soft and cooked.When done,garnish with chooped coriander and serve hot with rice or even with roti.

Okra / Bendi in yogurt gravy / Bendakaya majjiga pulusu

Preparation time-20 mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
300 gms Okra/Bendi
500 gms yogurts/curds
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
5 table spoons besan
1 tea spoon mustard seeds
1 tea spoon urad dal
1 tea spoon jeera
2 tea spoons crushed ginger
1/4th tea spoon salt
3 pinches hing
2 pinches turmeric
4 dry red chillies
4 green chillies
8 curry leaves
3 table spoons sunflower oil
Method:

1. Clean and dry bendi with a clean cloth and cut each into 3 pieces.
2. In a sauce pan heat oil and put mustard seeds,urad dal,jeera,turmeric,hing,green chillies,dry red chillies and curry leaves.Saute for a minute till flavors are released.
3. Meanwhile,take curds in a large bowl,add chopped tomato,grated coconut,salt and besan flour to it.
4. Mix it well adding a cup of water and without any lumps of besan left,into a smooth mix.Keep it aside.
   
5. Now add crushed ginger and bendi to seasoning in the sauce pan and fry for 2-3 minutes.
6. Put curds in the sauce pan and mix it along with the seasoning and lower the heat.
7. Keep it for 8 to10mins on low heat till cooked and raises up as milk when boiling.
8. Switch off the heat and garnish with coriander.
9. Goes well as a side dish for rice and even for roti.
10. Tastes good when curds are a bit tangy.So you can try doing this with the refridgerated left over curds from 2-3days.

Corn kichdi / Corn burji

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-2
Ingredients:
250 gms corn
2 medium onions
3-4 dry red chillies
4 green chillies

1/2 sp salt
1 sp mustard seeds
1 sp urad dal
1 sp jeera
5-7 curry leaves
1 spoon ginger garlic paste
A pinch of turmeric
1/4th spoon red chilly powder
1/4th cup chopped coriander
2 spoons lemon juice(optional)
3 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Seperate corn from the cob and grind it to a fine pasteadding little water.Keep it aside.
2. Cut onion into big pieces and grind it to a paste along with salt and green chillies.
3. Meanwhile heat oil in a sauce pan.
4. Put urad dal,mustard seeds,jeera.After they pop add turmeric,chilly powder,split red chillies,curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste.Fry for a minute.
   
5. Mix ground onion and corn in a wide bowl.
6. Spread the onion corn mix in sauce pan with seasoning and let it on a low heat for a minute undisturbed.
7. Now mix it slowly in low heat and keep on mixing till it gets completely fried for atleast 7-9mins.It should not stick to the pan.
8. Garnish with fine chopped coriander.Switch off the heat and add lemon juice.
   
9. Tastes great when served hot.Best alternative for routene rava kichdi.
10. You can even have this with roti as a side dish.Try!