Veggie delight masala Dosa

Preparation & cooking time: 1 hour, Makes 4 dosas

Ingredients:
Dosa batter: 2 cups
Potato, boiled, peeled, coarsely chopped: 1 medium
Onion, finely chopped: 1 medium
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp
Green chilli, finely chopped: 1
Urad daal: 1/4 tsp
Chana daal: 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice: 1 tsp
Beetroot, boiled, peeled, grated: 1 medium
Spring onions, chopped 1-2
Tomato, chopped: 1 medium
Coriander and mint chutney: 2 tbsp
Oil: as required
Salt: to taste

Method:
To make potato masala: Take 1 tsp oil in a kadai. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad daal and chana daal. Once the spices are done, add the green chilli and half of the chopped onions. Saute. When the onions turn translucent, add the potato, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. Turn off the gas, add the lemon juice, mix and keep aside.

To make coriander and mint chutney: Blend to a smooth paste, a handful of coriander and mint leaves along with 1 small green chilli and a small piece of ginger. Add salt, mix and keep aside.

To make tomato chutney: Take 1 tsp oil in a kadai. Add the remaining chopped onions. Fry till translucent. Add the chopped tomato. Add salt to taste, stir and cook until the tomatoes are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. Keep aside.

To make the dosas: Heat a pan. Grease with little oil and pour a ladle of the dosa batter. Spread and cook on one side with a little oil. Turn it and cook the other side. Turn once again and spread the toppings in the following order: Spread the coriander mint chutney and tomato chutney. Sprinkle the grated beetroot and chopped spring onions. Place a tablespoon of the potato masala in the centre. Fold and serve hot with coconut chutney.

Mixed Vegetables: AVIAL

Mixing different vegetables to make a dish in not new to Indian cuisine. Every region has its own specialty, a dish that is the identity of that region. In this series I will be sharing some recipes of mixed viegetable recipes from different parts of India. These lip smacking dishes can be eaten with chappatis, puris and plain rice.

First the delicacy with which I have grown up... AVIAL from Kerala.

Every Tamil/Malayali home has its own recipe for the avial. The veggies used may vary, but the recipe I am sharing is the one that is done at my Mom's.

Raw Yellow Pumpkin, cut into slivers 1 cup

White Pumpkin, cut into slivers 1 cup

Raw Banana. cut into slivers 1 cup

Snake Gourd, cut into slivers 1 cup

Drumsticks cut into 1" pieces 2

Carrots, cut into slivers 1 cup

French Beans, cut into 1" pieces 1/2 cup

Raw Mango, cut into slivers 1/2 cup

Elephant Foot Yam, cut into slivers 1 cup

Green Capsicum, cut into slivers, 1/2 cup

Curds 1 cup

Coconut, grated, 1 cup

Green chillies, 2

Coconut oil, 1 tbsp

Curry leaves. 4-5

Salt to taste

Cook all the vegetables except yam and raw mango with little water and salt to taste until done. Cook the yam separately in a similar way till done.

Now assemble all the vegetables together except the raw mango. Add the curds to the vegetables.

Grind the coconut and chillies to a smooth paste. Add this paste to the vegetables and curds mixture. Heat the mixture, but do not let it boil. Adjust salt.

Remove from fire. Now add the raw mango slivers and stir in.

Heat a little of the coconut oil and add the curry leaves. When they crackle add it to the vegetables. Before serving add the balance coconut oil and serve with rice.

POINTS TO REMEMBER:
Try and cut all the vegetables of same size.

The vegetables should not be over cooked and must retain their shape.

Avial can be eaten as a side dish with sambar & rice or as a main dish with plain rice.

My version of Sanjeev Kapoor's Naya Shaam Savera

Preparation time: 30 mins, Cooking time: 1 hour, Serves: 2

Ingredients for the rice:

Carrots, cubed: 1/4 cup

Beans, chopped: 1/4 cup

Onion, small, finely chopped: 1

Peppercorns: 2-4

Dalchini, small piece: 1

Cardamom: 1

Cloves: 2-3

Bay leaf: 1

Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

Basmati rice: 1/2 cup

Water: 1 cup or as required

Olive oil: 1 tbsp

Salt: to taste

Method: Wash and drain the rice and keep it aside. In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add the whole spices and bay leaf. Saute for a few seconds. Then add the chopped onions and saute till translucent. Now add the veggies, salt for the vegetables and the turmeric powder and saute. Now add 1 cup water along with salt as needed for the rice. Once the water starts to boil, add the rice. Stir once. Reduce the flame. Cover and cook till done.

Ingredients for the kofta:

Fresh paneer: 1/2 cup

Green peas, cooked: 1 cup

Rice powder or corn flour: for binding

Green chilli: 1

Salt: to taste

Oil: for frying

Method: Knead the paneer with a little salt until soft. Divide into six portions and roll into balls. Drain all the water from the peas and blend in the mixer with the green chilli to make a paste. Add corn flour/rice powder as need to make into a dough. Add salt to taste. Divide the peas dough into 6 portions. Now cover each paneer ball with the peas mixture and make the koftas. Deep fry the koftas in hot oil. Keep aside.

Note: The koftas should have a crisp outer and a soft centre.

Ingredients for the tomato gravy:

Tomatoes, roughly chopped: 3

Onion, small, chopped: 1

Ginger- garlic paste: 1 tsp

Red chilli powder: 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp

Salt: to taste

Olive oil: 1-2 tsp

Method: In a saucepan, heat the oil. Add the ginger-garlic paste and chopped onions and saute for 1 min. Once the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes and cook till done. Cool. Blend the onion-tomato mixture to make a smooth paste. Transfer to the saucepan on medium heat. Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt to taste. Bring to a boil.

Ingredients for the potli samosas:

Wheat flour/Maida: 1 cup

Water: to knead dough

Potato, medium: 1

Corn kernels: 1 tbsp

Salt: to taste:

Oil: for frying

Method: Knead the flour to make a thick dough. Divide into 6 portions. For the filling, boil the potato, peel and grate. Boil the corn and blitz in a chopper. Mix with the potato. Add salt to taste. Now roll out the dough, place a little bit of the filling and gather the ends to make a potli. Deep fry the potlis in hot oil till brown.

TO SERVE:

Press the rice into a katori and turn it on the serving dish.

Make a bed of the tomato gravy and place the koftas on the same. You can also slice the koftas.

Place the potlis next to the rice.

A tasty meal for 2 with just a few ingredients

Hubby and I had dinner last night and as we enjoyed the simple and tasty fare I realised all I needed to create the same flavours at home were just a few ingredients and of course the passion to cook. So here is a simple meal for two that is easy to make and yet can be a mini feast by adding just an delicious dessert and yummy starter.

MENU: Roti, Mixed Vegetable, Pulao, Raita

To add the extra jazz you can add any dessert of your choice.. it could be a store bought ice cream or home made kheer/payasam.

And the starter could be a kebab or cutlet, french fries or mini toasts or even a warm soup. When you have a small get together, add a cocktail or fruit mocktail or just plain fresh fruit juice and you are all set.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR A SIMPLE MEAL FOR TWO:

1-2 medium sized carrots, 10 beans, 2 onions, 1 cup shelled peas, 2 medium sized tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1 cup curds, 2 cups wheat flour, 1 cup rice, a few spices (cloves, cardamom, turmeric powder, chilli powder, bay leaf, pepper corns, cinnamon, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin seeds), oil and of course salt

METHOD:

Cut the carrots into small cubes. Cut half the beans into 1/2 inch pieces and the remaining finely chop. Chop the onions finely and puree the tomatoes in a blender. Finely chop or grate the cucumber. Knead the wheat flour into a dough. Cook the rice with a little less water so that the grains are separate.

MIXED VEGETABLE:

Par boil the 1/2 inch beans pieces, half the carrots and half the peas. Drain and keep aside.

In a little oil, add cumin seeds (jeera). Add half of the chopped onions and fry till translucent. Add the tomato puree. Put in 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi), 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya) and salt to taste. Cover and cook for 5 mins.

Add the par boiled vegetables. Spirnkle some garam masala on top, cover and cook till done.

PULAO:

Boil the peas and keep aside.

In a little oil add 1-2 cloves (lavang), a small pieces of cinnamon, 1 dried bay leaf (tej patta), 2-3 pepper corns and 1 cardamom (elaichi). Once the aroma starts coming, add the onions and fry till translucent.

Add the carrots and beans and cook till half done.

Add the peas and cooked rice. Add salt to taste and mix. Be carfeful to not break the rice. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Note: If you feel the rice is too dry, sprinkle some water, cover and cook.

ROTI:

Divide the dough into 2-4 portions. Roll each portion into a 1/2 cm thick round and cook in the tava/griddle on both sides till brown spots appear. You can apply ghee/clarified butter on top and serve

RAITA:

Peel and grate or finely chop the cucumber. Mix with the curds. Chill and serve.