Mix Vegetable Korma/ Coconut Base Vegetable Stew.

Mixed vegetable korma is a coconut based vegetable stew that is served as a side dish along with roti not only that, it goes well with one pot meals such as pulaos, biryanis and dosas as well. You can find this korma in almost all the vegetarian restaurants in India. There are several version of making veg or non-veg korma, but I find this is easy to cook as this requires no grinding of any masala. I have used coconut milk into this curry, you can even use freshly grated coconut to enhance the flavour. Do try this korma and enjoy with Paratha, Roti or Dosa.

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped mix veggie's (carrot, cauliflower, potato, green peas, beans)

1 onion, 3 green chillies, thinly sliced

2tbsp tomato paste

1/2tsp turmeric, 1tsp coriander powder, 1/2tsp garam masala

1tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2tsp mustard seeds

1cup coconut milk

1 green cardomom

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

1 spring of curry leaves

2tbsp oil

Salt to taste.

Cooking Method.

Boil the veggies with bit of salt and set it aside. Heat a deep frying pan with oil. Add star anise, cinnamon, cardamom and sauté till the aroma arises. Now add mustard seeds, curry leaves and let it splutter.

Add onions, green chillies and sauté till the onions turns translucent. Now add tomato paste, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and mix well and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Now add the coconut milk and enough water to the consistency you prefer the korma to be and mix well and cook over low flame. Let it come to a boil.

Add the par boiled vegetables, give it a quick stir, check the consistency of the korma now and add more water if necessary. Close the pan with a lid and cook over medium low flame for 7-10 mins.

Serve hot with Rice, chapathi, poori or parotta.

Egg Roll (Indian Street Food)

Egg roll is a very famous snack in India especially in Kolkata. This is quick and easy recipe saves a lot of time and gives you the fabulous experience of street food at home with lot of love and healthy touch. Even this rolls can be cooked with left over chapaties and can be deep fried to.. This is my favourite snacks when it is cooked at home :)

Ingredient's.

2 cooked roti's

2 Eggs

1 medium onions thinly sliced

1 small tomato thinly sliced

2 Green chillies finely chopped

1/4tsp pepper powder

1/2tsp lemon juice

Chaat Masala (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil for frying.

Cooking Method. 

In a mixing bowl beat an egg with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a pan and add the egg. Quickly place the cooked rotis on the wet egg mixture so that it sticks well. Keep dizzling oil and cook well on both sides.

In a mean while mix sliced onions,tomato, chillies and lime juice.

Place the egg paratha, ( egg side up) in a plate. Place the onion mixture in the centre, sprinkle a pinch of salt and chaat masala. 

Roll tightly and serve hot with Tomato Ketchup.

Rice Bhakri/ Akki Roti..

Rice Bhakri is very popular in coastal part of Maharashtra. It is made using rice flour and It goes really well with veg or non veg curries. I had a very bad experience making this bhakri first time, but I did not gave up, I kept trying and trying. Finally after 2 attempts they came out very well and tasted also very good with chicken and potato and green peas curry. 

Ingredient's.

1 cup rice flour

1 cup water

1/4 tsp salt.

Cooking Method.

Bring water to a rolling boil. Add salt and rice flour, mix well until no lumps remain. Turn the heat off. Knead the dough while still hot until it gathers into a soft pliable dough like a chapati dough.

Heat a tava on medium. Once heated, turn the heat to low.

Divide the dough into 2 inch balls and keep them covered under a damp cloth or a paper towel.

Spread some rice flour on the rolling board. Place a ball in the center and sprinkle more flour on top. Keep rolling the ball with the rolling pin into a thin circular disc of even thickness.

Transfer onto the heated tava with the top surface up and cook the bhakri both the side.

Follow rest of the method same as above.

Serve hot with any Sabji or Chicken, Mutton curry.

Ven Pongal. Pressure Cooker Version

Ven Pongal is a very easy and comfort food and it is one of the most famous breakfast in South India. Even it is cooked at temples to offer to god and even during several puja/festival specially in Pongal festival it will be cooked in each and every house along with few more different varieties of rice dishes. If your not in mood to cook something spicy or heavy food then this is the best option to cook, because it is very lite on stomach and does not take time at all. But tastes simply awesome along with some coconut chutney..

Ingredient's to boiled rice.

1 cup rice

1/4cup split moong dal

4 cups water

Ping of hing

Salt to taste.

Ingredient's for tempering.

1tsp cumin

1/2tsp black pepper

2 green chillies (finely chopped)

10 curry leaves

2tbsp ghee.

Cooking Method.

Dry roast moong dal until slightly browned, set aside with raw rice. Pressure cook rice, moong dal, hing and salt with 4 cups of water for 3-4 whistles until mushy.

Meanwhile you can get ready with the tempering ingredients. In a frying pan add ghee when it is hot, add the rest of ingredients and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.

Once the pressure releases, open and add the tempered items. Mix well, add more ghee if needed.

Serve hot with chutney of your choice and sambar.

Baked Tilapia Fish With Tomato Gravy/ Meen Pollichathu.

Baked Tilapia Fish With Tomato Gravy. This is a very famous kerala dish called Meen Pollichathu. Meen Pollichathu is basically fish covered with a spicy masala and wrapped in banana leaves and shallow fried. But since I did not find banana leaves here, so I wrapped it with foil paper and baked it to give a healthier touch. And I have made a little changes in masala too by adding more tomato's to have a little gravy. It is all up to us to add or remove the ingredients according to our taste and it taste as good as the traditional dish. This can be served with rice, roti and even as a side dish.

Ingredient's to marinate the fish.

1 Medium size Tilapia fish

1/2tsp red chilli powder

1/4tsp turmeric

1/2tsp coriander powder

1/2tsp ginger garlic paste

1/4tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

1tsp oil.

Ingredient's for the gravy.

1 onion, 2 green chilli, 2 large tomatos (finely chopped)

1/2tsp red chilli powder, 1/2tsp turmeric, 1/2tsp coriander powder

1/2tsp garam masala

1/2tsp mustard seeds

2tsp lemon juice

1tsp ginger garlic paste

10 curry leaves

2tbsp thick coconut milk

2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

2tbsp oil.

Cooking Method.

Clean the fish. Make gashes on both the sides.

Add all the marinated ingredients into a mixing bowl and make a thick paste by adding little water. Then apply it nicely on the fish and set it aside for atleast 30 minutes.

In a tava add oil and fry the fish both the side for a minute or 2.

In a deep frying pan, add oil, when oil is hot, add curry leaves and mustard seeds, when they splutter, add onion, green chilli and fry to lite brown.

Add red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala and ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Then add chopped tomato's, coconut milk, coriander leaves, lemon juice, salt and cook till the tomatoes are well cooked. Allow the masala to cool.

In a mean time pre-heat the oven at 200c for 10minutes.

Take a large foil paper, spread some masala on it. Place the fish over the masala and spread some more masala over the fish.

Fold the edges and secure. Then baked the fish for 10 to 15minutes.

Serve hot with Rice, Roti or as a Side Dish.