VenPongal

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

Moongdal 1 cup

Rice 2 cups

Pepper 2tb sp

Cumin seeds 2 tbsp

Green chili 2

Ginger 1 inch

Curry leaves handful

Cashew nuts 6-8

Ghee 4-5 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

Coaresly grind 1tb sp of  pepper and cumin together.

Finely cut the ginger and  green chillies.

Take a pan, fry the moongdal and rice without oil for sometime till a aroma of the dal comes.

Put the dal and rice together in a vessel with  water in the ratio of Mix(dal+rice) : water 1: 3 and salt to taste and cook it in a cooker for 3 whistles.

Mash the cooked rice and dal well and keep aside. 

In a pan take the ghee. Add the cashew nuts and fry till  light brown. Keep aside.

In the rest of the ghee, add the rest of the pepper and cumin, fry.

Add greenchillies and ginger.

Add the pepper-cumin powder, curry leaves  and mix well.

Add the mashed rice and dal and mix well.

If required for the consistency warm water can be added. The required consistency is semisolid.

While serving little ghee can be added.

Serve hot with Sambhar and chutney.

  

Mattar Paneer

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

Onion 1 medium

Ginger 1 small piece

Garlic 2 Pearls

Tomatoe puree 2 tbsp

1 tbsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

1½ tsp Chilli powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tbsp Garam masala

2 tsp Fennel powder

Peas 100g

Paneer 200g

Oil

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

Cut the paneer into cubes and fry it in oil and keep aside. 

Take little oil , fry the onion, ginger and garlic and make it to a paste.

Take 1 tb sp of Oil in a frying pan. Add the cumin and allow it to splatter.

Add the grinded paste and fry it till the raw smell goes off.

Add the tomato puree and cook it fro 2 minutes.

Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, fennel powder and coriander powder. Stir it for 2 minutes.

Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the cubed paneer and salt.

Add  water to bring it to a gravy consistency and allow it to cook for 10 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Note: Paneer can be added without frying.  

Vegetable Kurma

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Green cardamom 4

Black Cardamom 4

Clove 4

Cinnamom stick 2 inches long

Poppy seeds ( Khas Khas) 1- 1 1/2 tbsp

Fennel seeds 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds 1 tb sp

Coconut  shredded or dired,1 cup

Onion 2

Tomato 2

Garlic 3-4

Ginger 1 inch  optional

green Chilli 3-4

Cashew nuts 4-5

Beans 100g

Potato 2

Carrot 1-2 

Peas 1 cup

Cauliflower 1 cup

Kohlrabi (optional) 1/2

Curd 2 tbsp

Oil

Curry leaves handful

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Grind togehter all the masala ingredients (clove, cardamoms, cinnamom, poppy seeds,fennel seeds, coriander seeds) with cashew nut, green chillies, onion, tomato, ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Keep aside.

Cut all the vegetables into small cubes and cook it in little water and salt.Let it be half cooked.

In a pan add 1-2 tbsp oil,curry leaves and add the grinded mixture to it and fry till the raw smell goes off.

Add the cooked vegetables with cooked water and mix well.

Cook it for 5 mintues.

Add salt if required.

Add the curd and remove from it and mix well.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with triangle parattas or biryani.

Punjabi Chollae

Serves 4

Ingredients

White Chana 250g

Tea bag 1 

Black cardamom 4

Bay leaf 2

 Cumin seeds 1 tbsp

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Garam masala 1 tsp

Chana masala 1- 1 1/2 tbsp

Anardana powder 1 tsp (optional)

Potatoes 2 medium

Onion 2

Garlic 3-4 pearls

Ginger 2 inches

Green chilli 2

Tomato puree 2tbsp

Salt to taste

For garnishing 

Tomato 1

Onion 1/2

Ginger cut into match sticks

coriander leaves

Method

Take a pressure cooker and pressure cook chana, cubed potatoes with water, black cardamom, bayleaves, tea bag and salt.

If tea bags are not available, take a small muslin cloth and add 1-2 tb sp of tea powder  and tie a knot and add it to the boiling chana.

Make onion paste and ginger garlic paste and keep it separately.

Take a pan, add 2 tbsp of oil and add cumin seeds to it . Allow it to splatter.Add vertically cut green chillis to it.

Add the onion paste and cook it till the raw onion smell goes off.

Add the ginger garlic paste and fry it for 3 minutes.

Add the tomato puree and mix well.

Add the masalas, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chana masala and anardana powder, salt and mix well.

Add enough water to get a gravy consistency or boiled chana water can also be used.

Add the boiled Chana and potatoes and mix well. Cook it for 10 minutes in medium flame.

Garnish with ginger, green chilli, coriander, tomatoes and onion.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Shahi Paneer

Serves 4 

Ingredients

250g Paneer

ghee or oil

Tomato puree 2 tbsp

Onion big 2

Garlic 2-3 pearls

gGnger 2 inches

Cashewnut 6

Almonds 6

Cream 100ml

Kasoori methi 1 tbsp

Chilli powder 1tsp

Garam masala 2tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tbsp

Bay leaf 1

Salt

Method

Soak almonds and cashewnuts in some milk for 10 minutes and grind it to a fine paste.

Cut the paneer in thin triangles or cubes.Take some oil in  a nonstick pan and add these paneer. Fry till it is light brown. Keep aside.

Take a frying pan, add 1 tb sp of oil and add onions to it. Fry till transparent. Add chopped ginger and garlic to it and fry it. Cool it and grind it.

Add 2 tb sp of oil or ghee to the frying pan. Add cumin seeds allow it to splatter. Add bayleaf to it.

Add the ground Onion garlic and ginger paste and stir it for sometime.

Add the tomato puree and mix well.

Add kasoori methi and mix well.

Add chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt and mix well.

Add cream and water and bring it to a gravy consistency.

Add the fried paneer and almond cashew paste and heat it for 5-8 minutes in medium heat.

Serve hot with chapathi