Raw bananas (kache kele) in tomato gravy

Raw bananas are in comparison with potatoes. My mom doesn’t eat potatoes; hence in every recipe where potato is used she replaces it with raw bananas. And bet it, the taste is simply superb. Today I made them in tomato gravy; simply delicious.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Raw bananas: 2 medium peeled, cut into small pieces and kept in salt water so that they do not turn black
Tomatoes: 1 medium grinded into a fine paste
Onion: 1 small grinded into a fine paste (Optional)
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp (Optional)
Oil: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Red chilly powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Salt as per taste
Curry leaves: 5-6
Cloves: 1 freshly grounded
Whole black pepper: 2 freshly grounded
Chat masala: ¼ tsp
Kasoori methi: a pinch
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Now add curry leaves, cumin seeds, cloves and black pepper. Let them fry for a few seconds.
2. Now fry the ginger-garlic paste till the raw smell goes off.
3. Add onion paste. Fry for few minutes.

4. Then add tomato paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, and salt. Fry till the oil separates.

5. Add the raw bananas and 1 tbsp of water. Close the cooker lid and cook for 2 whistles. One on high and the other on low.

6. Let the pressure release by itself.
7. Open the lid and stir. Now add chat masala and kasoori methi. Again stir.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips:
1. If you are cutting the bananas beforehand then remember to put them in salt water otherwise they’ll turn black.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Badam (Almonds) Halwa

Hey all! Whenever I heard about badam ka halwa I always thought that it is made from almonds and whole wheat flour. But about 3-4 years back I thought of making almond halwa with just almonds. I made it and it turned out to be very scrumptious. The taste lasted forever. We never get bored of eating this halwa. Each bite makes my heart say ‘WOW’. I’m sure you all will also love it.

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Almonds: 1 cup (soaked overnight and skin removed)
Milk: ¾ cup
Ghee: ½ cup
Cardamom/Elaichi powder: 2 tsp
Saffron strands: 10-12 (soaked in warm milk)
Sugar: 5 tbsp

Method:
1. Grind the almonds coarsely. If you find problem in grinding then add some milk.

2. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a nonstick pan and add the grounded almonds to it.

3. On low flame, continuously stir the almonds.
4. After 7-8 minutes, add some ghee. Stir well. Add ghee after few minutes interval until all ghee finishes.

5. After some time (around 15 minutes or so) you’ll see that the color of the almonds has changed, a nice aroma must be coming and all the moisture dried up. Check photo.

6. Meanwhile warm the milk.

7. At this stage add milk to the almonds. Stir well. Add sugar, elaichi powder and saffron paste.

8. Heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has lost moisture.

9. Garnish with sliced almonds and serve hot.

Tips:
1. If the skins of almonds do not come out properly then pour some hot water on the almonds and let them stand for 5-7 minutes. After that the skin will come out properly.
2. I haven’t tried making halwa with the skin on. Will try someday and tell you difference between both of them.
3. It is good to take a nonstick pan.
4. Do not burn the almonds. Keep stirring and as soon as you find a color change add milk.
5. If you wish, you can grind the almonds in a smooth paste. I prefer keeping it coarse.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Onion/Pyaaz ka Parantha

Onion parantha is a complete meal if accompanied by curd or some vegetable. It’s delicious and very easy to make.

Let us start cooking!!!

Makes 3 paranthas.

Ingredients:

For the stuffing
Onion: 3 medium size, very finely chopped
Green chillies: 1 de-seeded and chopped finely
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Ajwain/Carom seeds: 1 tsp
Chat masala: 1 tsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped

Salt as per taste

For the dough
Whole wheat flour: 1 cup
Water: less than ½ cup
Oil: 1 tsp
Salt: ½ tsp

Ghee for making the paranthas

Method:
1. Prepare the dough by mixing well wheat flour, oil, salt and water. Make sure the dough is the same as that we knead for puris. Keep this dough covered with a muslin cloth for 10-15 minutes.
2. Divide the dough in 3 equal parts. Take one part and again divide it into 2 parts. Roll puri sized small rotis of the 2 parts.
3. Add all the masala to the onion and mix well. Since I am making just three paranthas I’ve made the onion mixture beforehand only. So prepare small batches of onion masala always as onion tends to lose water when salt is added.

4. Apply ghee on one part and spread the onion mixture. Cover it with another part and seal the edges by pressing edges of both the rotis.

5. With the help of dry flour roll this stuffed dough into a bigger size making sure that the roti layer does not stick to the rolling pin.

6. Heat tawa/griddle on high flame and apply some ghee on it. Now put the parantha onto the tawa and cook it for 1/2 minute on low flame. Then flip it and increase the flame and let it cook for another minute. Now apply ghee on both sides and cook till the color changes to light brown.

7. Similarly cook the other paranthas.
8. Serve hot with curd, chutney or ketchup.

Tips:
1. Keep the dough tight enough as a tight dough absorbs water from the onions and helps in maintaining the parantha layer intact.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Cooked Rice in Tomato Gravy

Today, since some plain cooked white rice was left in the lunch I decide to make tomato rice as an evening snack. It is very simple and fast to make. And delicious too!!!

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Rice: 2 cups (Cooked)
Tomatoes: 2 medium chopped finely
Onion: 1 large chopped finely (Optional)
Ginger-Garlic paste: 1 tsp (Optional)
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 8-10
Green Chilly: 1 cut into small pieces (Optional)
Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
Coriander Powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder: ¼ tsp
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp finely chopped

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Add curry leaves, green chilly and cumin seeds. Fry for few seconds.
2. Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell of them has gone off.
3. Now add onions and fry till translucent.
4. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder and salt.
5. Cook the tomatoes till they start leaving oil.

6. Add the rice and give a gentle stir.

7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips:
1. Do not over stir the rice otherwise it will all break up and become mushy.
2. At the end you can add grated cheese too on the top.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Cabbage with spring onions

I love spring onions. It has a great character of changing the flavor of food. You can match spring onions with ladyfinger, potato, cluster beans etc. A normal vegetable becomes delicious by the addition of it.

 Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Cabbage: 2 cups (shredded and washed)
Onions: 1 medium (finely chopped)
Spring onions: 4-5 (whites and green separated and cut into small pieces)
Ginger: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 3-4
Oil: 2 tbsp
Asafetida: 1 pinch
Mustard seeds: ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves: 1 tsbp (finely chopped)

Method:
1. Heat oil in a kadai. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter.
2. Then add cumin seeds. Fry for a few seconds.
3. Add curry leaves and ginger. Fry till the raw smell of ginger has gone off.
4. Add onions and spring onion whites.

5. Fry till translucent.
6. Add cabbage and spring onion greens. Mix well.

7. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and coriander powder.

8. Mix well.

9. Cover it and let it cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapattis, paranthas etc.

Tips:
1. If cabbage starts sticking the kadai then add 1-2 tbsp of water to it.
2. Wash spring onions nicely so as to avoid eating mud along ;-).

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Sweet Corn Parantha

I really struggle every time to find a recipe out of sweet corns.
That’s because my husband doesn’t like its sweet taste. Today evening I thought of making something out of it so that I could finish them off… but what? Was very confused but suddenly it came to my mind that let’s try a parantha out of them. And to my wonder they came out to be very great.
While he was having the paranthas, I asked him, did you like them? He gave me a big smile and told yes. But the secret (that the paranthas were made of sweet corn) was still under veil as I wanted him to finish his dinner first.
Try this super simple recipe.

Let us start cooking!!!

Makes 5-6 paranthas
Ingredients:
Sweet Corn: 1 grated
Green Chilly: 1 de-seeded and finely chopped
Asafetida: a pinch
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Saunf (fennel) powder: 2 tsp
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Red chilly powder: 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Carom seeds: ½ tsp
Sesame Seeds: ½ tbsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped
Salt to taste
For The Dough
Whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta): 1 ½ cups
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Ghee: 2 tbsp

Ghee for making paranthas

Method:
1. Take grated sweet corn in a bowl.

2. Add asafetida, cumin seeds, fennel powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, green chillies, carom seeds, salt, sesame seeds and coriander leaves.
3. Now add wheat flour to it. Mix properly.

4. Add very little water (as per requirement) and make dough a little hard than that of chapatti.
5. Keep it covered for about ½ hour.

6. Now knead the dough and divide into 5-6 portions.
7. Take one portion. Apply some dry flour and make a small circle of 4 inches. Apply ghee on it and fold into half. Again apply ghee and fold. So you’ll get a small triangle shape.

8. Now roll out into a big thin circle with the help of little flour.

9. Cook the paratha on a tava (griddle) using little ghee until both sides are golden brown.

10. Repeat with the remaining dough.
11. Serve hot with curd, chutneys, pickles or ketchup.

Tips:
1. If you have corn cobs, then grind those in a grinder and knead the dough in the same way.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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