BHEL PURI RECIPE

Ingredients

Will serve 3 to 4 people
Puffed rice – 3 cups
Boiled potatoes – 2 (peeled and cut in small 1’ pcs)
Chopped tomato – 1
Onion – 1 large (finely chopped)
Green chilies – 2 (finely chopped)
Tamarind chutney – tsps
Mint coriander chutney – 1 tsp
Garlic chili chutney – 1 tsp
Coarsely crushed papdi – 1 handful (a biscuit like snack made from flour)
Barik sev – 1 cup (vermicelli type snack made from gram flour)
Chopped coriander leaves – 1/ 2cup

Preparation

Puffed rice (mudi), papadi and barik sev are all commonly available in Indian shops. Mix the puffed rice, potato, tomato, coriander and green chilies nicely in a large bowl.

Add the tamarind chutney, garlic chili chutney and mint coriander chutney according to taste preferences.

Garnish well with lots of sev and papdi. Serve and eat immediately to retain the crispness.

Kind courtesy : Indian child

The term dal is a Sanskrit coinage, which means to split. Dal, dhal, daal and dahl are all the same. Dal is a popular preparation of split pulses or dried beans. The pulses are first stripped of their outer hulls and then split. Dal is commonly eaten with the main meals every day in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Dal is especially a staple of Indian vegetarian cuisine. The most commonly cooked dals are toor, chana, mung, kala chana, urad, masoor and rajma.

DAL RECIPE (yellow split dal)

Ingredients

Will serve 3 to 4 people

Toor dal or yellow lentils – 1 cup
Water or vegetable broth – 2 cups
Hing – 1 pinch
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Vegetable oil or ghee – 1 tsp
Cloves – 2 hole pcs
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – ½ tsp
Diced onion – 1
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.

Preparation

Wash the toor dal properly before putting it into water or vegetable stock. Add turmeric and salt – and boil in a pressure cooker.

Heat the ghee or oil in a separate pan, then add hing, cumin seeds, and cloves. Allow to splutter before adding onion and frying them till soft.
Add red chili and pour in the boiled dal. Add turmeric, stir and boil for five minutes. Its consistency should be that of a thick soup.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or Indian rotis.

Poha is made from flattened rice and also called beaten rice. Flattened rice is actually dehusked rice, which is made into light and flat dry flakes. These light flakes have a tendency to swell when soaked in water or milk or in any other liquid, whether cold or hot. The flake varies in terms of thickness, from very thin to those which are almost four times thicker than rice. The thin ones are more expensive. Poha is a dish from the western parts of India. Poha or flattened rice is very easy and quick to cook. It is often consumed as a nutritious snack with breakfast and brunch. Chutneys, herbs and different vegetables are added to poha for variety. Poha as an easily digestible form of rice is extremely popular across India and Bangladesh.

POHA RECIPE

Chirer poha (vegetable poha)

Ingredients

Poha – 200gm
Boiled mixed vegetable – 100 gm (green peas, carrot, potato, capsicum)
Chopped onions – 2
Chopped green chilies – 2 to 3
Black mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder
Curry leaves – 4 to 5
Oil – 2 tsps
Salt and sugar for taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Chopped coriander – half a bunch

Preparation

Soak the poha in water and sieve. Mix with salt and turmeric powder.

Heat the oil in a pan, add rai and curry leaves. Allow to splutter, then add onion and green chili and fry till light brown.

Add the boiled vegetables and fry for a minute. Then add the swollen and sieved poha and mix well.

Add a pinch of sugar and lemon juice, mix and cook for a while on a low flame.

When ready garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Sambhar is a hot favorite South Indian curry which is popularly served with idli (rice dumplings) and dosai (a type of Indian pancake). Sambhar is prepared from Indian lentils and vegetables. It is very easy to make and tastes excellent. All one has to do is gather the ingredients together, and go according to the recipe – step by step. Unsweetened or freshly grated coconut is added to sambhar to enhance its taste. A special masala called sambhar masala is added to toor dal with certain vegetables to prepare sambhar. Sambhar masala is available all over India in local grocery shops. South Indians make sambhar masala at home. Sambhar goes very well with boiled rice for the main meals of the day. Idli and dosai are very nourishing and popular breakfast items.

SAMBHAR RECIPE

Ingredients

Toor dal – 2 cups
Sambhar masala – 4 tbsps
Chopped eggplant (into neat 2″ cubes) – 1 cup
Chopped potato (into neat 1” cubes) – 1 cup
Pearl onion (peeled and cored – 10 no
Baby okra – 10 to 12 no
Pumpkin – ½ cup
Drumsticks (3” long pcs) – 10-12
A lump of tamarind – about the size of a small ball
Ghee – 3 tbsps
Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 8 to 10 no
Freshly chopped coriander leaves – 2 tsps
Dry red chili – 3 to 4 no
Salt to taste

Preparation

Boil toor dal with sambhar masala with lots of water till tender and soft. Its consistency should be that of a thick soup.

Leave the tamarind to soak in hot water for 10 minutes at least. Then squeeze it properly and remove all juice.

Add the puree to the boiled lentil and mix very well. Add salt and allow it to simmer. Then add the potato pieces, cook till half done.

Now add other vegetables and cook till all are done. Now heat some oil in a pan and add some mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chilies.

Fry till the spluttering stops and add to the boiled dal and mix again.

Garnish with coriander and serve piping hot with idlis dosas, vadas or plain boiled rice.

Pani puri is a very popular Indian snack. It belongs to the delicious genre of chats, which are relished all over the country. Pani puri has its origin in the northern parts of India. It is popularly known as pani puri in north India, golgappa in the southern parts of India and puchka in the eastern side of India.

PANI PURI RECIPE

Ingredients

Maida or refine d wheat – 200gm
Baking Powder – 1 pinch
Salt for taste
Ripe Tamarind – 100 gm
Green chili – 2
Coriander powder – 2 tsps
Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tsps

Preparation

Mix maida with baking powder and knead into tight dough.

Divide into twenty small parts and roll them flat. Fry these to make small hollow balls to derive puchka or puri.

For the stuffing peal the boiled potato and smash them. Add coriander powder and salt for taste.

Now mix the ripe tamarind in salted water, grated coriander leaves and grated chili to make a thick suspension to get the pani for puris.

Once the pani, puri and stuffing is ready, open the puri from one side, fill with stuffing, immerse in the pani and put the entire thing in your mouth.

The pani can also be laced with sweet tamarind chutney and sprouted boiled mung sprouts can also be use with or without the potatoes as stuffing in puri.

The puri has to be put in the mouth at one go along with the pani and stuffing, to get the right taste.

Pakora is a favorite Indian fried snack. They are best eaten with a hot cup of spiced tea during winters. Pokodas can be made with all available vegetables in a variety of ways. Pokara is a North Indian snack, which is nevertheless popular all over the country. Pakodas are relished by adults and children. Pakodas are ideally served with Indian chutneys (dips) and eaten hot from the frying pan.

VEGETABLE PAKORA RECIPE

Ingredients

Mixed boiled seasonal vegetables (beans, carrots, potato, capsicum) – 2 cups
Chopped onion – 1
Chopped green chilies – 1-2
Besan or gram flour – 200 Gms
Corn flour – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 Pinch
Salt for taste
Vegetable oil (sunflower) for frying
Water – 2 cups.

Preparation

Take an open bowl. Put besan, pinch of turmeric powder and corn flour and mix with water.

Make a thick batter and do not allow balls to form.

Mix the pre boiled vegetables, chopped onions, green chili, salt and leave.

Now heat the oil in a pan. Make small ball of the mixture and deep fry in the oil.

Serve hot with tomato sauce and green chutney for taste.

Upma is a common breakfast item in India. Upma has its origin in South India. It is a very nourishing and simple to prepare dish, which can be eaten at any time of the day for snacking. Its wholesome quality makes it an ideal substitute for a full meal for some people.

UPMA RECIPE

Ingredients

Vegetable oil – 2 tbsps
Semolina – 1 cup
Curry leaves – 5 to 6
Green chilies – 2
Grated ginger – 1” piece
Mustard seeds – ¾ tsp
Finely chopped onions – 2 medium sized
Chopped tomatoes – 2 medium sized
Salt to taste
Hot water – 2 Cups
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Juice of ½ lime
Copped coriander to sprinkle

Preparation

Place a pan on a medium flame and roast the semolina lightly.

Stirring should be vigorous and the semolina should not be allowed to turn brown. When done, keep on one side in a plate.

Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilies.

When the spluttering comes to an end, grate and add ginger.

Stir for one minute. Now add onions till they turn soft and translucent. Then add tomatoes, till they too turn soft.

Add hot water, salt and turmeric and bring to a boil.

Now add the roasted semolina slowly (bit by bit), stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.

Cook and simmer till the semolina transforms into a thick porridge, then turn off the fire. Then squeeze lime juice over the upma dish and mix properly.

Sprinkle chopped coriander on top for garnish and serve piping hot.

Upma can also be made with chopped vegetables for variation. The vegetables have to be boiled and stirred with the semolina.

Kind courtesy of Indian recipes

Pongal is the most important festival of South Indians. Pongal celebrations extend for four days. God is praised by man on these days with utmost devotion and sincerity. It is celebrated in south India to usher in the new year with immense gratitude, joy and amity. Pongal is a South Indian dish which is popularly cooked during this festival. There are two main varieties of pongal, namely sarkarai or sweet pongal and kara or spicy pongal. Kara pongal is called Ven pongal in Tamil Nadu and Huggi in Karnataka. The divine rice which is boiled with milk and jaggery in the festival is also called pongal.

PONGAL RECIPES

Ven Pongal

Ven pongal is an intrinsic part of South Indian culture, and popularly served as breakfast in South Indian homes. It is a creamy rice dish, which is made by cooking rice with ghee and roasted moong dal. The stirring is done in plenty of water and milk. The seasoning is done with black peppercorn, cumin and salt. The delicious mixture is cooked in a huge pot till the rice and dal become soft. Cashews are roasted and sprinkled on the finished dish before eating. The simplicity of this dish emanated a divine fragrance that fills South Indian homes at festival time.

Sarkkarai Pongal

Sarkarai Pongal is cooked in the Sunny courtyard and served from the pot directly.

Ingredients

Milk – 2 lts
Almonds – 10
Cashewnuts – 15
Kishmish or raisins – 30
Newly harvested rice – 1 and ½ cups
Grated jaggery – 1 and ½ cup
Nutroeg powder – ¼ tsp
Saffron powder – ¼ tsp
Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Ghee – 2 tbsps

Preparation

Clean Kishmish and chopped cashew nuts and almonds. Pour milk in Pongapni (an earthen pot) and place on fire. Wash rice and dal and add to the milk when it comes to boil. Add ghee and jaggery when the rice and daal become soft. Cook on a medium fire for some time before adding almonds, cashew nuts, and the crushed and dissolved saffron, nutrieg and cardamom powders. Add Kishmish in the end and bring to one or two boils.

Pav bhaji is a popular culinary concoction of western India. This dish is especially visible in the great city of Mumbai- Maharashtra. Paav bhaji is a wholesome dish which can work as a substitute for a full meal. Pav means a “bun” in Marathi and bhaji means a mix of vegetables. A special masala called pav bhaji masala is used to give it a typical flavor. Pav bhaji is a very popular eat all over the Indian country. It is a hot favorite, as a street food in Mumbai. Scores of pav bhaji vendors are strewn all over this city. The aromatic flavor of the famous pav bhaji masala from their pans sizzle the appetites of many people through out the day. Pav bhaji is popularly cooked in Indian households all over the world.

PAV BHAJI RECIPE

Ingredients

Chopped garlic – 2 tbsps
Finely chopped green chilli – 1 tsp
Chopped onions – 1 cup
Chopped tomatoes – 1 cup
Grated ginger (fresh) – 2 tsps
Finely chopped cauliflower – 2 cups
Green peas – 1 cup
Chopped cabbage – 1 cup
Grated carrots – 1 cup
Boiled potatoes – 4
Pav bhaji masala – 4 tsps
Salt to taste
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
For garnish
Butter ½ tsp
Finely chopped onions – 1/4 cup
Fresh green chopped coriander – ¼ cup
Vegetable oil – ½ cup

Preparation

1) Heat the oil in a flat and broad wok over medium heat. Sauté green chilli and garlic for thirty seconds, then add onion and ginger. Stir until onions turn brown. Stir in tomatoes, and bring to the state of a paste. Mash the boiled potato with cabbage, cauliflower, carrots and peas. Add pav bhaji masala for seasoning. Cover the wok and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally in between. Add salt and lemon juice.

2) Toast the pavs (buns) on a flat tava. Spread butter. Garnish the bhaji with chopped onion, chopped coriander and green chilli. Serve hot

Palak paneer is a delicately flavored vegetable which is eaten with relish in North India. Palak paneer is a favorite Indian vegetable, which is both nourishing and delicious. It is a North Indian dish, which is popularly served with meals all over the country. Palak paneer is made of palonshak and paneer. Palanshak is the Indian name for spinach, and paneer is the Indian counterpart of cheese. However, paneer can also be substituted with tofu to suit individual taste.

PALAK PANEER RECIPE

Ingredients

Paneer – 500gms
Fresh spinach- two medium sized bunches
Fresh coriander- half a bunch
Cooking oil – 4 tsps
Onion- one large
Tomato- One large
Garlic paste-3tsps
Ginger paste- 1tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsps
Cumin powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder- 1 tsp
Butter- 1 tsp

Preparation

First cut the paneer into small ( about 1”) cubes.
Take a heavy bottomed pan and heat 2 tsps of cooking oil.
Stir-fry the paneer cubes till golden brown.
Remove and drain on a tissue. Keep paneer aside.
Add 2 spoons of oil in same pan and fry chopped or grinded onion till soft.
Add garlic and ginger paste and stir for a minute before mixing the tomato paste, freshly chopped coriander leaves, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder.
Mix well and roast for a while.
Boil the spinach leaves and blend in a food processor after they cool down.
Add spinach paste to the mixture.
Now add the fried paneer cubes to the gravy and mix well, without crushing them.
Garnish with butter and serve hot with Indian rotis or parathas.