Aloo Gobi

Its quick & easy curry.You can eat this as side dish for puri or paratha.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Cauliflower florets (small size)
• 1 Potato peeled & chopped in to bite size
• 1 tsp each red chili powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder
• 1tsp Kitchen King masala(optional)
• 1tsp dried Fenugreek leves(powder)(kasuri methi)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tsp Mango powder(Amchur)
• salt

Tempering:

• Oil 
• Few bay leaves
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 whole red chili

Method:

Cut & wash cauliflower into florets.Peel & chop potato.Heat oil in a pan,when its hot add all the ingredients for tempering.When cumin seeds crackles add potato & little bit of red chili powder.Mix well for few seconds.Now add cauliflower,red chili powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder,Kitchen King maslal & kasuri methi crushed.Add water & salt.Cover the pan & let it cook on medium heat.Keep mixing in between.If it gets dry add few drops of water.

Make sure you don't add too much of water as it will become mushy.When the curry is almost done,increase the heat to hi.Keep stirring continuously,so that it don't get burn & all the remaining water will evaporate.Turn off the heat,add  amchur powder(Mango Powder).Mix well

Aloo Gobi is ready to be serve...

Gujarati Dal

 I learned this delicious dal from my mom.My husband's favorite one.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup :boiled & mashed Toor dal (arhar)
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 tbsp Jaggery
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 pieces kokum 
• 1tsp grated ginger
• Salt 

Tempering:

• 2-3 tsp Butter/oil
• 1 whole red chili
• 2-3 black pepper(whole)
• 2-3 cloves(whole)
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds(methi)
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 green chili (halved)
• Few curry leaves
• Pinch of asafoetida

Method:

Boil & mash dal,keep it aside.roughly chop the tomatoes.

Heat butter/oil in pan add all the things of tempering when cumin seed crackles add tomato & fry for couple of minute,add 2cups of water. Add ginger,jaggery,kokum,red chili powder,turmeric powder & salt.Let it boil on medium heat for couple of minutes.Now add the dal.Let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes,keep stirring 

in between.Dal is ready garnish it with coriander leaves.Serve hot with rice,pickle & papad.

If you don't have kokum then you can use1 tsp of  lemon juice,just make sure that you add the juice towards the end.

  

India did it!!!!!!!!!

Oh my god!!!! what a game....The most anticipated, thrilling game ..India waited so long for this moment & we deserve it.I guess we won the world cup in our mind when we won against Pakistan.This is like an icing on the cake.I just wish I could see this in person..well it was not bad on T.V also.Though I didn't wake up 2am in morning but I got chance to watch it in glimpse.My son had soccer game at 9am in the morning so by the time I came back the last over was going on.I got chance to see the winning shot by Captain Dhoni...After all the last game was played in my home town Mumbai...so it has to be this good:)

I think I'm getting real excited over here...well any proud Indian will be..  

Arbi Stir fry

I usually do my grocery shopping from this Indian store in Sunnyvale...I really like vegetables over there,they are pretty fresh...but last week due to busy schedule was not able to go there(My daughter had her soccer game that day so...)I went to another Indian grocery store near my house...not much vegetable to choose from,I got Arbi(Taro root).I like this vegetable as it has lot of calcium content...I never ate this before my marriage...my mother-in-law makes this vegetable...though she makes it with gravy I prefer it stir fry...

Ingredients:

2 cups :Arbi(taro root) Chopped in to bite size
1 tbsp Oil
1tbsp red chili powder
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp Coriander powder
salt
Pinch of asafoetida

Method:
Peel the arbi,after peeling do not wash the arbi,as it will become sticky.Like Mushroom,wipe it with damp cloth.Chop the arbi in to bite size pieces.

Heat oil in pan.Add 1tbsp of chili powder & pinch of asafoetida.

Add chopped arbi, rest of the spices & salt.

Do not cover the pan,First fry it on medium heat,once its cooked,increase the heat to hi flame & roast it.Be careful not to burn it.
Enjoy your arbi stir fry.

Fried gram (Putani) Chutney

Chutney:

• 1cup Fried gram dal(Putani,dalia)
• 3-4 green chilies(adjust according to your test)
• 1small piece of ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• Few coriander leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1tsp lemon juice

Tempering for chutney:

• 1tsp Urad dal
• 1tsp mustard seeds
• 1-2 red chilies(whole)

For Chutney:

Add all the ingredients for chutney,add water slowly & make it into a smooth paste. Heat the oil in small pan,add all the ingredients for tempering.add salt.

Maa ki Dal

When I was small,I used to think Maa Ki Dal is dal made by mother only,no aunt or grand ma or bhabhi...(ha ..ha)Well later I found out that dal which is kind of everyday dal or dal with little bit thick  consistency is called Maa ki dal please correct me if I'm wrong...so anyways I prepared this dal with whole masoor,Moong dal & little bit of chana dal.

Ingredients:

• 1cup: Whole Masoor dal
• 1/2cup:Yellow Moong dal
• 1/4cup:Chana dal
• You can adjust dal proportion according to your like.
• 1tsp ghee(clarified butter)
• 1cup :chopped onions
• 1 big tomato chopped fine
• 3-4cloves:crushed garlic
• 1tsp:green chili/ginger paste
• 1tsp:red chili powder
• 1tsp:turmeric
• 1tsp:whole Jeera
• Salt
• few drops of lemon juice

Method:


Heat ghee in pan.Add jeera,when it crackles,add onion fry for couple of minutes then add garlic,ginger/chili paste.Fry for few seconds.Add tomato,red chili powder,turmeric.Keep stirring till tomato becomes soft.Now add boiled dal,salt.Keep it on low flame for 5-7 mins.Add lemon juice & turn of the heat.Just before serving heat ghee in small pan,add little red chili powder & pinch of asafoetida.(This part is optional)

Serve hot with rice/roti

I know its not the best picture...will do better next time

Idli,Small Onion Sambhar & Chutney

After one week of rain,today its little bit better.Aarna was after me to make cake.Well I'm not big on baking,so we got the cake mix (I used Pillsbury's Devil's food chocolate cake mix)both my kids helped me make the cake (that was the whole idea,cooking with your kids)as hubby was out for seminar..so thought lets do something"sweet".It was really relaxing..and for dinner I made Idli,small onion Sambhar & fried gram (Putani) chutney.Kids loves to eat it with sugar & ghee..so it was good idea for dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1cup Urad dal
•  3cups ordinary rice

Recipe:

• Pick, wash and soak the daal overnight or for 8 hours.
• Pick, wash and drain the rice. Grind it coarsely in a blender.
• Grind the daal into a smooth and forthy paste.
• Now mix the grinded rice and daal together into a batter.
• Mix salt and set aside in a warm place for 8-9 hours or overnight for fermenting.
• Idlis are ready to be cooked when the batter is well fermented.
• Grease the idle holder or pan well and fill each of thm with 3/4th full of batter.
• Steam cook idlis on  for about 15 minutes or until done.
• Use a butter knife to remove

Small Onion Sambhar

Ingredients:

•  1 cup toor dal cooked & mashed
• 1 cup : small onions
• 1 cup : chopped onions
• 2 tbsp : Sambhar Powder
• 1 tbsp : Rasam Powder
• 1 tsp : tamarind dissolved in water
• 1/2 cup fresh coconut

tempering(tadkka):

• 1-2 red chili(whole)
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped coriander leaves for garnish
• Salt to taste

Chutney:

• 1cup Fried gram dal(Putani,dalia)
• 3-4 green chilies(adjust according to your test)
• 1small piece of ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• Few coriander leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1tsp lemon juice

Tempering for chutney:

• 1tsp Urad dal
• 1tsp mustard seeds
• 1-2 red chilies(whole)

Method:

Grind coconut,sambhar powder,rasam powder & tamarind into a smooth paste.(I don't always make fresh sambhar powder).Heat oil in a pan,add the tempering.Add the onions & fry for 3-4 minutes.Once the onion starts to become translucent,add the coconut paste,salt & turmeric.After frying for couple of minutes add the cooked dal & let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.Garnish it with coriander leaves

For Chutney:

Add all the ingredients for chutney,add water slowly & make it into a smooth paste. Heat the oil in small pan,add all the ingredients for tempering.add salt.

Here is our dinner & dessert.