Glimpse on routinely cooked dishes.

It is very satisfying to cook wholesome meals packed with nutrition and vibrant natural colors/spice combinations.Scroll down to take a glimpse on different dishes/meals I cook.

This below displayed Thali is my lunch on New years Day.

• Raagi and wheat flour Roti
• Cat fish Fry.
• Cat fish curry cooked in Kerala style.
• Thoran prepared with Carrot+snake gourd+Muli.
• Bharela Baigan.

Masala Dosa Wrap topped with Zesty Indian style Tomato salsa cooked in Mustard Oil.

Batata Vada

Barley and Cracked Wheat Kheer/Payasam.

Kheer / Payasam with Barley and cracked wheat.This is very quick recipe to make healthy and delicious Kheer.One can enjoy as dessert or offer as Prasadam.You will love Soft and chewy texture of Barley.


Ingredients:-

1. 1 Cup whole Barley - Soaked in water for 2 hours.
   
2. 1/2 cup Cracked wheat.
   
3. 15 Cardamom - finely powdered.
   
4. 20-25 whole cashews fried in ghee till golden brown.
   
5. 30-40 Golden Raisins fried in ghee till golden brown.
   
6. 1/2 Cup Ghee.
7. 1 1/2 cup crushed Jaggery or 12 one inch cubes of jaggery.
8. 2 Tb.spoon Molasses for dark color glaze (optional)
   

Cooking Process:-

1. Take 4 quart Pressure cooker ...Add Soaked Barley and Cracked wheat. Add 4 Cups water and keep flames on high.
2. As water starts to boil Add crushed jaggery or Jaggery cubes, 1/4 cup ghee and cardamom powder.
3. Cover the lid and wait for first whistle to blow. Shut off gas immediately after first whistle.Let cooker cool down completely.
   
4. Now open the lid and check for consistency of Kheer...You may add up to two cups of water. Start gas and keep on medium flames. Add remaining ghee and fried cashewnuts and raisins.For more darker glaze you may add 2Tb.spoon molasses at end.Mix well and let it cook for up to 8-10 minutes. Serve this Kheer hot with touch of ghee.
   

Note:- Add Molasses for little dark color glaze to kheer.You may also add half cup of fresh grated coconut.

Enriched Spinach Roti/Paratha.

These are specially enriched Spinach Rotis/Parathas .They are very appealing and healthy.It is wholesome combination of various grain flours/spices and herbs.

Ingredients:-

1. 4 Cup wheat flour.
2. 4 Tb.spoon Flaxseed Meal.
   
3. 1/2 cup corn meal.
4. 1/4 cup Ragi flour.(finger millet)
5. 1/4 Barley flour.
6. 1/4 Cup Shorgum flour
   ---------------------------------------------------
7. 10-12 cloves of big size garlic( finely crushed)
8. 2 cups fully pressed frozen Spinach- (10 oz Pack) (Fresh spinach - use 3 cups)
9. 7-8 Green chilli.(finely crushed)
10. 1/2 T.spoon Garam Masala.
    
11. 1 Tb.spoon Corriander/Jeera powder.
12. 4 Tb.spoon Oil.
13. Salt.
    

Preparation Method:-

1. Add all flours (ingredients 1-6) in the food processor and add salt.Run food processor for 30 seconds.
2. Add Rest all the ingredients in the food processor except oil and run for one minute...now slowly start adding water... run for 40 seconds..Check if the dough started to form together into ball...touch and see the softness....If you find it hard or not merged then add little more water and run food processor.At this stage add oil so that Roti dough will smoothly move inside food processor.Check salt and adjust quantity.
3. Make approximate 25-30 balls from the dough and roll like chapati sizing 5-6 inch in diameter and fry on Thick gauge Griddle with touch of little oil above each Spinach roti.
   
   Enjoy with Yogurt/sour cream or cream cheese.

Lentil Fusion Curry with Barley, Sorghum, Masoor, Moong

This is yet another combination of grains/peas/Daal..Use of Barley and Sorghum bring very unique taste and texture to this Lentil Curry.

Ingredients :-

1. One medium size onion- chopped fine.
2. 2 large size tomatoes - Diced.
3. 7-8 cloves of garlic - minced.
4. 2 inch piece of ginger - minced.
5. 3 stems of curry leaves.
6. 1 Tb.spoon Garam Masala.
7. 1 Tb.spoon Goda Masala.
8. 1 T.spoon Turmeric.
9. Little red chilli powder.
10. 2Tb.spoon cooking oil.
11. 1 Cup chopped fresh cilantro.

Lentil Fusion :-

1. 1/4 cup Barley.
2. 1/4 cup Sorghum.
3. 1/4 cup split green peas (can be replaced with Chana Dal).
4. 1/4 cup split moong dal with skin.
5. One Cup whole masoor Dal (I have added little french green lentil).

Barley, Sorghum and split green peas rinse well in water and soak for 1 1/2 hours.

Split moong and whole masoor Dal rinse and keep aside few minutes before you start to cook.

Method Of Cooking :-

1. Heat 2 Tb.spoon oil in pressure cooker ( 4 quart size or bigger). Add chopped onion. Stir for 4 minutes on high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add minced ginger and garlic - stir for 1 minute.
3. Add one chopped Tomato, little turmeric and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add 1Tb.Garam masala and 1Tb.spoon Goda Masala ( you may add just one masala of your choice. Recommended ready made masala is Rasoi Magic - Asli maharashtrian Usal Masala). Add one stem of Curry leaf and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add soaked Barley/Sorgum/Split green peas and stir. Add rinsed whole masoor Dal and split moong dal. Add 6 cup water. Add salt, little red chilli powder. Mix all well and wait till it start to boil.
6. Add another chopped tomato and one stem of curry leaf.
7. As curry starts to boil cover the pressure cooker lid. Wait till the pressure builds up and cooker is ready to blow its first whistle. As soon as first whistle is blown, shut off the Gas.
8. After cooker cools down, open the lid and add 1-2 cups of water. Adjust as per your desire of consistency. Start Gas and set to medium low and let it cook for 5-8 minutes...Add fresh cilantro and last stem of curry leaf…Your delicious Lentil fusion curry is ready.

You can enjoy this with Rice/Roti or as Spicy lentil soup.

Spring Rolls - Tempting vegan appetizer with Indian twist.

I love making those spring rolls. Sweetness of corn+green peas+carrot and hotness of ginger and green chillies give it zesty taste.Try those refreshing colorful crunchy spring rolls.

Ingredients :-

1. One Medium size onion - finely chopped.
2. 8 Big size cloves of Garlic - finely crushed.
3. 2 inch piece of ginger - finely crushed.
4. 6-7 Green chillies - finely chopped.
5. 2 cups frozen Green peas. (preferably use petite peas).
6. 2 cups frozen Corn.
7. 1 cup grated carrot.
8. 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro.
9. 1 Tb.spoon cooking oil and little salt for making filling.
10. half cup all purpose flour - Add some water and make thick paste.
11. Oil to fry Spring Rolls.
12. Packet of Spring roll sheets ( 50 count packet of medium size).

Method Of Preparation :- ( Spring roll filling)

1. Heat 1 Tb.spoon oil and add chopped onions. Stir it for 4 minutes on high heat.
2. Add crushed Garlic,Ginger and green chillies. Stir for 2 minutes on medium heat.
3. Add grated Carrot and stir for 2 minutes.
4. Add Green peas and corn. Add some salt. Stir for 5 minutes and high heat. Shut off the Gas.
5. Let it cool for some time. Now add fresh chopped cilantro.

Method of Making/Frying Spring Rolls :-

1. Keep Spring roll sheets out from freezer for One hour.
2. At a time take 4-6 spring roll sheets and spread on counter. Fill One Tb.spoon of prepared filling. Fold the spring rolls as per instructions on the packet.
3. At last fold stage apply little paste of all purpose flour at top corner and close the spring roll.
4. Heat the oil and set gas at medium temperature. Gently drop the spring rolls and fry them for 3-4 minutes. Do turn them in between. After frying keep them on Paper towel.
5. Enjoy them with sweet and sour tamrind chutney or Ranch.

Note :-

1. If you find little water in filling then add 1 Tb.spoon potato spuds. Watery filling might break spring roll and crack while frying.
2. As you fold spring roll be gentle and roll it tight.
3. While frying take care that spring rolls are not broken. Broken spring roll will spoil oil and give stains on remaining spring rolls. Proper folding will avoid this mess.