Mixed Dal

Ing
1 portion of moong dal  (yellow)
1 portion of masoor dal (orange one)
1 large onion
1 large tomato
Green chillie paste
garlic  Method 
1)     Wash the 2 dals together properly and pressure cooker it.  
2)     Once its cooked add little water incase the mix is very thick. Do NOT mix the dals with a mixer.. once its cooked..
3)     Cut the onion and tomato finely and keep aside.
4)     Take another vessel add little oil, put jeera ka tarka, green chillie paste, cook the onions first. Then add the tomatoes and cook. For those who don’t like the tomoate pieces.. mash the tomatoes .. then add the dal.
5)     Put haldi, salt, suka dhaniya and cook well . Remember the dal should be a little thick not too  watery. Add green dhaniya..
6)     Chop or mash the garlic pieces.. finely
7)     Just as you are to serve.. take a another small vessel.. take ghee and cook the garlic in it for 2-3 minutes and pour this on the dal.
     Mix well and eat.. with hot steaming rice.. and potato veg..  

Yummy Veg Sandiches

Ing

Brown Bread
Boiled Potatoes
Sabudana
Onions
Tomatoes
Capsicum
Cucumber
Olives
Cheese
mayo
Mustard
Ice burg – clean well and chill it in cold water.
Mixed Herbs
Method.

1) Soak the subadana overnight
2) Make patato pattis first by mixing the potato, sabudana, green chillie paste, green dhaniya and salt.
3) Shallow fry the patties till they are crisp and keep aside.
4) Cut all the remaining veg thin and round.
5) Take one slice of bread and place the patties on it. Then put tomatoes, capsicum, cumcumber, onion, cut olives. Place one slice of slice cheese on it. Spread mayo, mustard sauce and sprinkle some mixed herbs on it. Place the ice burg on it and cover it with another slice of bread. Cut the sandwich into 2 and just bit into it.

Parsi Dhansak

Courtesy – My Mom

This may seems like a little bit of a rigmarole, but it is SOOOOOOO worth the trouble! Lip-smackinly good!

Ingredients:
For the Dhansak:
4 Tbsp Mangal Dhansak Masala
250 gms Tur Dal
100 gms Masoor Dal
50 gms Pumpkin
2 Potatoes
3 Onions
Kasoori Methi
2 Green Chillies Slit
Mint
To make this into a non veg dish – Add Chicken or Mutton
Oil
Salt to Taste

For the Rice:
2 katoris Rice
2 tbspn Sugar
2 cloves
2 cinnnamon sticks
Oil
Salt to Taste

For Kebabs: (non veg with chicken/mutton mince and veg with soya granules)
1/2 minced mutton/ soya granules
2 medium onions, minced with meat or chopped fine.
6 garlic cloves (grind with ginger root)
2 cm piece of ginger root (grind with garlic cloves.)
2/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 to 4 finely chopped green chilies
2 dessertspoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 medium sliced bread
1 egg
1 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
Oil for frying

Serves 4-6

Method:
For the Dhansak:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and fry 2 of the 3 onions till light brown
2. Add the green chillies and let it fry
3. Add the Dhansak masala and fry it for a while longer
4. Add the dals and the veggies, mix well. Add salt to taste
5. Add water and pressure cook for about 1-2 whistles
6. After it is cooked, mix in the kasoori methi and let it simmer for a while

(For the non-veg interpretation of this dish, after step 3, add the chicken or mutton and fry with the masala and then continue with step 4)

For the rice:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker
2. Add the cloves and the cinnamon sticks to the oil and let it fry
3. Then add 2 tbspn sugar and let it fry till it becomes a dark brown caramalised liquid
4. Add the 2 katoris rice, fry it around for a bit.
5. Add 4 1/2 katoris water and pressure cook for 1-2 whistles

For the Kebabs:
1. Soak bread in water for 10 minutes, remove from water and squeeze dry.
2. Mix together all ingredients, except bread crumbs, and oil.
3. Cover and keep for 1 hour.
4. Divide mixture into small balls and roll each ball in crumbs till lightly coated all over
5. In a kadhai or deep frying pan pour enough oil for deep frying and heat to medium hot.
6. Gently fry the kababs in it till nicely browned.

For garnishing/serving:
Fry 1 onion in hot oild till it becomes dark brown, almost burnt

An ideal dhansak dish is created with a layer of the rice, topped with the dhansak dal, topped with the fried onions and the kebabs on the side. Super yummy dish I absolutely SWEAR by!

Fried Sliced Brinjals

By Sunila

Ingredients:
1 long brinjal, the one which is used for Baingan Bharta
2 tbsps Mirchi powder
1/2 tbsp haldi
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

1. Make a paste of chilly powder, haldi, salt and add 2 tbsps of oil to it.
2. Add a bit of water to it. Anut 2 – 3 tbsps
3. Taste to see if salt and chilly is as per taste.
4. Cut the brinjal into 1/2 inch slices
5. Make small holes in it with a fork so it can soak the masala.
6. Apply the masala evenly over both sides of the brinjal.
7. Heat a non-stick pan with a bit of oil.
8. When the oil is hot, reduce the flame of the gas and place the brinjal slices in the pan.
9. Keep gas on sim and cover the pan so that brinjals cook in the steam.
10. Keep checking to see if the bottom side has cooked and then turn the brinjals over after they are nice and cooked on one side. 
11. Serve Hot with either hot rotis or tastes best with Varan Bhat.

Yumm yumm!

The Forgotten Shubhi recipe for Baingan

by g@u

Tall thin Brinjal – 2
Onion/Tomato/Potato – 1 each (optional)
Jeera 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder 2 tsp
Garlic 7-8 petals chopped fine
Oil
Salt
Amchur powder 1 tsp

Chop off the top of the brinjal & slice it vertically. The slices have to be thin.
Also slice other veggies in similar fashion.

In a fry pan put a spoonful of oil & heat it. Add brinjal slices & let it fry. To avoid too muc oil you can put a lid on the pan & let it steam for a bit. Do the same with other veggies. Take care that you dont fry them on top of each other.

Once all the veggies are half fried, half cooked… clear the pan & add oil. Add garlic jeera & red chilli powder. Add the veggies & mix them together. Add salt. Cover with lid & let it cook for 5 min. Add amchur powder in the end.

The best thing about this recipe is that in the fry pan.. certain parts of the sabzis become lil crispy. Hence the texture is very nice. Do try & most imp. – bring it to office!

~: soothing pulav by VJ’s mum :~

by dhanu

3-4 cups boiled rice
cut the vegetables long and sleek.
2-3 potatoes
2 capsicums
1 onion
cabbage
3-4 petals of garlic
2-3 clove
little jeera
garam masala
salt as per taste

take 1 tblspoon of oil put lil bit of jeera, garam masala and fry the vegetables till they look brown and then mix it with boiled rice. Cook it for a while and then over it
Switch off the gas put the rice in ur plate and eat and eat.

~: From mom’s kitchen: on public demand :~

by dhanu:

::THE DAAL ::

2 Cups musoor/ moong daal.
1 table spoon red chillies powder
1-2 table spoon Haldi, salt, Jaggery(actully as per yur taste)
- Roast the daal till it becomes light pink.
- Wash is with water.
- Heat it on the gas with suficient water.let it cook well.
mom’s tip: *do not make pulp outta it neither put the daal in the pressure cooker.
you shud be able to see the daal n not the pulp.. so cook it that much only.
- Add red chilli powder, salt , jaggery and haldi as per taste.

- Give tadka of hing, musterd seed(raai) separately.
mom’s tip:* fry the garlic in oil then use it for tadka.
- Garnish the daal woth lodsa coriander.

your D DAAL is ready.

::  The Gunpowder chutney ::

1 cup of channa daal
1 tble spoon of udid daal
1/4 cup sesameseeds(teel)
6-7 dry red chillies
lil bit of tamarind(imli)
1 tea spoon hing
1 tea spoon sugar
salt as per taste( here 2 teaspoon)

- Roast the daal till it becomes pink.
- Roast the sesameseeds till it changes the colur.
- Roast the udid daal.
mom’s tip: *Keep stirring while you are roasting them all.

Super Spicy Mushroom Soup Chinese Ishtyle

By G@u

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cup Mushrooms (cut in Halves)
1/2 Cup Corn (Bolied)
1/2 Capsicum (chopped)
2 inch Ginger (chopped fine)
4-5 Chillies (chopped fine)
Cornflour 2tbsp
Salt
Ajinomoto
Sugar
Oil 1 tbsp

Process:

1. Heat Oil in a vessel.
2. Add chillies &  ginger
3. 1/2 min later add mushrooms/corn & capsicum.(you can also make this with only mushrooms)
4. Saute it for a very lil while & add water.
5. Bring water to boil.
6. Add salt/sugar/ajinomoto.
7. Meanwhile make a paste of cornflour & water.
8. As the water boils slowly add the paste till the soup becomes thicker.
9. Add soysauce & vinegar while serving.

Remember the best part of this soup is ginger.. so use lots & this soup will rock!

Roast Chicken

Isn’t it ironic that the first Chicken recipe on the blog should be by me. I haven’t tried it yet.
But trust me.. it comes from a very reliable source.

Ingredients for Marinate:
2 spoons thik dahi
lil salt
1 spoon ginger garlic paste
lil haldi
1 tsp red chilly powder
1tsp jeera powder
1 whole lemon juice
2 spoons honey
lil pepper powder

Marinate chicken n keep in fridge for 4-5 hrs.. the longer you keep, the better it tastes. Take it out for 30-40 min before roasting.

Process:
Preheat oven for 7-8 min.
Keep the chicken in the oven n roast it for 30-35 min.
Serve after chicken tender & cooked with baked potatoes/baked mushrooms(bake these for 10 min with the chicken)
Squeeze lemon over chicken n veggies before serving.

That’s all! Simple isnt it?

Kadhai Chicken

by Mandy

Although not really a dish to try in the morning before you come to work coz its a little bit of a time consumer, its perfect for Sunday lunch when you have the time for leisurely cooking. For all the veggies in the group, you can substitute the chicken for veggies like carrot, capsicum, potato, peas, paneer, french beans, mushroom etc for a super yum Veg Kadhai dish. Remember – the secret ingredient here is the kasoori methi!

Ingredients:
1 Chicken
3-4 meduim sized onions
2 tomatoes
2-3 cloves
2-3 sticks of cinnamon
2 cardamoms
2 Bay leaves
1 Star Anise
2 tbsps ginger garlic paste
1 tsp jeera
Chilli Powder
Dhaniya Powder
Garam Masala
2-3 meduim sized pinches of Kasoori methi
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Chop onions and tomatoes and belnd them to a fine paste
2. In hot oil drop in the jeera first and all the spices – cinnamon, cardomom, star anise, bay leaf. Fry this for about 5 mins
3. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for another 5 mins
5. Add the mixture of onion-tomatoes and fry till the water leaves it and it turns into a dry paste. This should take about 15 mins.
5. Add the masalas – chilli powder, dhaniya powder, garam masala. Fry for some more time till the mixture of onion-tomato takes the colour of the masalas
6. Add the chicken and let this fry well with the masalas for about 5-10 mins
7. Add salt acc to taste, water, cover and let it cook on a meduim-low flame
8. When the chicken is cooked, leave the vessel open so that the water becomes thick. Do not let it burn.
9. Finally add the 2-3 pinches of kasoori methi to the chicken and stir well. Let it simmer for another 5 mins
10. Garnish with freshly chopped corriander and serve hot with nans, rotis or chapatis.
11. If there’s any leftover (which I dont think will happen) put it in your dabba and get to office the next day