November, 2017 - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Vegetable Makhanwala Recipe

Posted on November 6, 2017November 6, 2017 by vinaya

Vegetable Makhanwala literally means vegetables sautéed in butter. Cashew paste and cream give the dish it’s rich creamy texture. Best enjoyed with Roti, Naan or Chapati.

Ingredients :

100 gms of each of the following vegetables :
Peas
Carrot
Potato
Cauliflower
French Beans
3 onions
3 tomatoes
2 green chillies
2inch piece of ginger
7 cloves of garlic
3 tbsps of Paneer/ cottage cheese chopped fine
1tsp Everest Pav bhaji masala
1/2 tsp Everest Garam masala
1 tsp chilly powder
Salt
1 tsp sugar
10 cashewnuts
4 tbsps cream
3 tbsps ghee/clarified butter
1 tbsp Kasuri methi
3 tbsps chopped coriander leaves

Method :

Chop the potatoes, French beans and carrot. Tip them into boiling salted water along with the peas. When three fourth done add the chopped cauliflower. Do not overcook the vegetables. Puree the onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Heat the ghee. Add the puree and roast on a slow flame till it starts leaving the sides of the pan. Add the chilly, pav bhaji and garam masala powders and toss for a couple of minutes. Drop in the Paneer and toss for a minute. Add the cooked vegetables and while waiting for it to boil, powder the cashews and grind them along with the cream to a smooth paste. Crush the kasuri methi and tip it into the Vegetable Makhanwala along with the cashew and cream paste. Give one boil. Switch off and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Rava Idli Recipe

Posted on November 6, 2017May 11, 2018 by vinaya

Rava or Semolina idlis are a popular breakfast all over South India. They are generally accompanied by a vegetable Sagoo and chutney. I personally prefer them with the chutney as the flavours are not masked by the spices used in the Sagoo.

Ingredients :

300 gms rava/ semolina
8 green chillies finely chopped
3 sprigs curry leaves minced
Chana sized piece of hing powdered
2 tsps mustard
1 tsp urad dal
A small carrot grated
A small bunch coriander leaves chopped fine
Salt
1/2 tsp soda bi carb
12 cashew nuts halved and roasted in ghee
2 glasses of buttermilk
Water required to adjust consistency
4 tbsps oil

Method :
Heat the oil. Add the mustard. After it crackles add the urad dal. After it turns golden add the chopped chillies, hing and curry leaves. Add the Rava and roast for a couple of minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly. After it has cooled add the butter milk, chopped coriander leaves and salt. Mix well and allow to sit for 5 mnts. The Rava would have absorbed all the butter milk. Add water to make it to the required dropping consistency. Keep the steamer boiling. Grease the idli moulds with ghee. Place a roasted cashew in the centre. Surround it with the grated carrot and then the coriander leaves. Add the soda bi carb to the batter and mix it thoroughly. Pour it into the moulds and immediately place it into the vessel in which the water is boiling. Cover and steam for ten minutes. Remove and allow to cool a bit before separating the idlis from the mould. Serve with coriander chutney.

Chutney

100 gms daalia/ roasted Bengal gram dal
1/4 coconut
5 green chillies
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
Salt
A small bunch of coriander leaves.

Method :

Powder the Dalia first. Add all the remaining ingredients and grind to a smooth paste with as much water as required. This chutney needs no seasoning.

This measurement yields 16 idlis.

Ragda Patties recipe

Posted on November 5, 2017June 28, 2018 by vinaya

Ragda Patties is a chaat lover’s delight. Sweet, tangy and spicy all in one, it tickles the taste buds no end!! Though classified as a chaat it is a balanced meal by itself as it has carbs, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients for the Patties :

6 potatoes pressure cooked
6 slices of bread
10 green chillies
2 inch piece of ginger
5 garlic cloves
1 tsp jeera/cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
A pinch of turmeric n chilly powders
Juice of half a lemon
Coriander leaves
2 tsps oil
Salt

Method : Make a paste of the green chillies, garlic and ginger. Deskin and mash the potatoes. Dip the bread slices in water, squeeze out all the water and crush them. Add the green chilly, garlic and ginger paste, the turmeric, coriander and cumin powder, salt, lemon juice and the chopped coriander leaves, to the mashed potatoes and crushed bread. . Mix thoroughly and shape into patties. Roast on the tava/skillet basting with oil till they are golden brown on both sides.

Ingredients for Ragda:

250 gms of white Peas
A pinch of turmeric powder
1tsp chilly powder
1tsp jeera/cumin powder
A pinch of Garam masala
Salt

Method: Wash and soak the white peas for 7 hours. Pressure cook them with salt and turmeric powder. Add a tsp of jeera powder, a pinch of chilly powder and garam masala and boil well. Keep aside.

To serve:

2 large onions
1 tomato
Coriander leaves
Red chutney
Green chutney
Tamarind and date chutney
Sev
Chaat masala
Jeera /cumin powder
Chilly powder

Method : Chop the onions and coriander leaves fine. Arrange the patties on a plate. Pour the ragda over it. Drizzle the three chutneys, and sprinkle Chaat masala, chilly powder and the jeera powder. Garnish with onions, coriander leaves, tomato and sev.

Note: The recipe of the red, green and tamarind chutneys can be found in the catagory of Chutneys under variety of chutneys of this website.

Cucumber Dosa Recipe

Posted on November 4, 2017November 8, 2017 by vinaya

One of the variety of ways that the Cucumber can be used to make a delicious and healthy dosa. It can be made either sweet by adding jaggery or savoury by adding green chillies depending upon individual preference.

Ingredients :

250 gms rice
1/2 of a small coconut
1 cucumber
6 green chillies
Coriander leaves
Salt
Oil for roasting

Method :

Soak the rice for about three hours. Grind to a coarse semolina like consistency along with the grated coconut. Deskin and grate the Cucumber. Chop the green chillies fine and crush it well along with the salt. Chop the coriander leaves. Drop the grated cucumber, green chillies, salt and coriander leaves into the batter. Mix well. Heat a skillet. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread it like a thick pancake. Drizzle with oil. Roast. Flip and roast on the other side too. Serve hot with homemade butter.

Continue reading “Cucumber Dosa Recipe” →

Aloo Gobhi Recipe

Posted on November 3, 2017November 8, 2017 by vinaya

This is my version of the Aloo Gobhi, with the Masala added making up for the lack of ginger and garlic. The drizzle of lime juice and the garnish of coriander leaves make it a delicious accompaniment to roti or Dal rice.

Ingredients :

500 gms Cauliflower
2 large potatoes
1tbsp dhania/ coriander powder
1 heaped tsp jeera/ cumin powder
1 tsp chilly powder
Salt
1tsp sugar
A large pinch of haldi/ turmeric powder
Juice of half a lime
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
3 tbsps oil
Coriander leaves

Method :

Chop the cauliflower into flowerettes. Cube the potatoes. Heat oil. Add the jeera and after it splutters add the potatoes, haldi, coriander and jeera powder, chilly powder and toss. Add the cauliflower. Mix well. Sprinkle a little water, cover and cook over a low flame. When three fourth done add the sugar. Do not overcook the cauliflower and potatoes. Both should be done but firm to touch. Squeeze the lemon juice, garnish with coriander leaves and mix well.

Serves four adults.

Vegetable Burger Recipe

Posted on November 3, 2017September 25, 2018 by vinaya

This one is a healthier option to the regular Burger as it is loaded with veggies. Children will soon get hooked on to this one as it is so flavourful.

Ingredients :

Half of a red, green and yellow bell pepper.
3 potatoes, deskinned, chopped lengthwise and marinated with salt.
Salt
Chilly powder as per taste
Thousand island dressing or even Mayonnaise will work equally well
Burger buns
Butter
Oil for frying

Method :
Deep fry the potatoes to a golden brown
Heat a tsp of oil. Add the bell peppers and salt and saute. Add the chilly powder and toss till cooked but crunchy. Add the fried potatoes. Mix well.
Slice the burger bun and butter it. Pile the bell peppers and potatoes and thousand island dressing and microwave for just half a minute. Enjoy with tomato ketchup.

Instant Bread Idli Recipe

Posted on November 2, 2017November 8, 2017 by vinaya

This is, an instant idli which can be made plain or with vegetables added. Both taste equally good and are an instant option when having guests.

Ingredients :

6 slices of bread
Idli Rava/ rice rava the same quantity as of the bread after it is powdered
A pinch of soda bicarbSalt
Tomato, onion, coriander leaves, green chillies and Cucumber chopped fine.
200ml curd
Water
Salt

Method :
Remove the edges of the bread slices. Grind the slices to a fine powder. Measure and add equal amount of Idli Rava. Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumber, coriander leaves, green chillies, salt and soda bicarb. Tip in the curd. Mix well. Add enough water to make batter of pouring consistency or akin to idli batter. Allow it to stand for half an hour. Grease the Idli mould with oil or Ghee. Pour the batter into the mould and place it in a steamer. Steam for ten minutes. Remove. Allow to cool. Unmould and serve with green chutney.

Cucumber Pachadi Recipe

Posted on November 2, 2017November 8, 2017 by vinaya

Cucumber raita/pachadi/salad is a wonderful accompaniment to rice, roti or Biryani. I love to eat mine as a meal, with a seasoning which depends on what I feel like at that moment.

Ingredients :

1 cucumber
2 green chillies
Salt
1 inch ginger grated
Coriander leaves
3tbsp grated coconut
1bowl of curds
1tsp ghee/ clarified butter
1tsp mustard
1 red chilly
2 sprigs curry leaves

Method:
Wash, Deskin and chop the Cucumber fine. Add the grated coconut and curd to it. Grate the ginger and mince the green chillies. Crush them along with salt and drop into the Pachadi. Heat a tsp of ghee. Drop in a tsp of mustard and after it splutters add one broken red chilly. Toss. Add the curry leaves. Season the pachadi. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Aloo Poha Recipe

Posted on November 2, 2017November 1, 2018 by vinaya

Aloo poha/ batata poha/ potato with flattened rice is a filling breakfast eat. It is popular all over India but each region enjoys it by tweaking it to cater to their family’s taste.

Ingredients :

250 gms gms poha/flattened rice
2 large onions sliced
2 large potatoes
8 green chillies minced
1 tsp garam masala
5 sprigs curry leaves
Coriander leaves
1 large lemon
Salt
A pinch of haldi
Grated coconut
3 tbsps ghee/ clarified butter
5 tbsps oil
1 heaped tsp jeera/cumin seeds

Method :

Wash and drain the poha. Sprinkle some salt and mix well. Chop the green chillies fine. Slice the onions and chop the potatoes into tiny cubes. Heat a mixture of ghee and oil. Add the jeera and after it splutters add the green chillies, curry leaves onions and the potatoes . Roast till the onions are translucent and the potatoes are cooked. . Add the garam masala salt and the haldi. Add the washed and drained Poha along with half of the chopped coriander leaves. Heat well. Add the grated coconut, lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves and serve hot.

Serves 4 adults.

Onion Upma Recipe

Posted on November 2, 2017November 6, 2017 by vinaya

A variety of Upma can be made out of the humble Rava/sooji /semolina. Posting an onion upma today which is a family favourite.

Ingredients :

250 gms rava/semolina
6 green chillies
2 large onions
A few sprigs coriander leaves
3 tbsps ghee
6 tbsps oil
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp urad dal
600 ml boiling water
Salt
A pinch of haldi /turmeric powder

Method :

Chop the onions fine. Mince the green chillies. Chop coriander leaves fine. Keep aside. Keep water to boil. Heat the ghee and oil mixture. Add the mustard and after it splutters add the urad dal. After the urad dal turns golden, drop in the green chillies and onions., add the salt and roast till the onions turn translucent. Add the Rava and roast for about two to three minutes. Add the haldi and mix well. Pour in the boiling water into the Rava. Mix, cover and cook till done. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Serves four adults.