how to make Idli

Ingredients

2 cups idli rava / cream of rice
8-9 methi seeds / fenugreek seeds
½ cup urad dal / spilt & skinned black gram lentils
¼ cup poha / flattened rice
salt as required
water for soaking

Instructions

1) soak the Idli Rava in enough water for 5-6 hours.
2) in another bowl or pan, soak the urad dal, poha, and methi seeds in enough water 5-6 hours.
3) drain the water from the urad dal and keep it aside.
4) we shall utilize some of this water for grinding the idli batter.
5) drain the water from the idli rava and discard.
6) in a wet grinder, add the idli rava, urad dal, methi seeds, poha.
7) add some of the urad dal strained water and begun to grind. 

 if the batter appears too thick, add some water.
9) grind to a smooth batter.
10) pour in a non reactive deep pan or pot to give room for fermentation & rising of the batter.
11) add salt and stir well.
12) cover with a lid and keep the batter in a warm place for 8 hours.
13) after 8 hours the batter would have fermented and risen.
14) grease or brush the idli moulds with oil.
15) keep a pan or steamer on the stove with some water.
16) stir the batter gently.
17) pour the batter in the idli moulds/sanchas using ice-cream scoop / laddle
18) by now the water must have begin boiling in the pan.
19) place the idli stand in the pan.
20) cover with a lid and steam the idlis.
21) steam for 10-12 minutes till a tooth pick inserted in the idli comes out clean.
22) serve hot and steaming idlis with sambar or chutney over a banana leaf traditionally and relish

Mutton Rogan Josh Recipe

Ingredients

500 gms mutton
1 ratanjot
500 gms onions
1 bay leaf
2 black cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
5-6 coriander leaves
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
2 tsp salt
7-8 whole black pepper
4 tbl spoons ghee / clarified powder
100 gms ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp hing / asafoetida
3 cloves
1 tsp roasted jeera/cumin powder
1 cup beaten curd / yogurt

Instructions

1) wash the mutton pieces with water and soak them on kitchen towel, keep aside
2) take a kadai/skillet add ghee / clarified butter
3) add hing / asafoetida, and all dry spices
4) add finely ground onions and ginger garlic paste
5) add salt and cook for 5-6 minutes at medium high flame
6) add the mutton and keep cooking for around 20 mins
7) while cooking mutton if gravy dries, add little water/chicken stock 

 add roasted jeera powder while cooking mutton
9) add ratanjot, curd, chicken stock, and kashmiri red chilli powder
10) add 1 cup of water
11) cover with lid, lower flame to simmer and cook for 20 more mins
12) serve hot and enjoy with naan/roti/chapatis/rice

Notes

Tip : add the Kashmiri red chilli powder to a cup of water and then add to the gravy mixture this avoids burning of spices in the gravy and also offers gravy enough water to cook the mutton

How to make Dal Makhani Recipe

ingredients

1 cup urad dal / black lentils
2 tbl spoons vegetable oil
7 cups water
salt
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
3 green chillies chopped
2 onions finely chopped
5-6 tomato puree
1 and a 1/2 tbl spoons ginger garlic paste
7-8 coriander leaves
1 tsp whipped cream
30 gms of salted butter
1/2 tsp of hing / asafoetida
1 tsp kasturi methi crushed

Instructions :

For the Dal :

1) Keep 1 cup dal immersed in 7 cups water for 1 hour
2) Pressure cook the dal along with the water, until 3 whistles at a high flame and after 3 whistles simmer at a low flame for 30 minutes
3) Strain the dal from the left out water and keep the dal aside and keep the dal stock water, we will use this water later.

For the Sauce/Gravy :

1) Add the oil
2) Add the onions
3) Ginger garlic paste (70% ginger + 30% garlic)
4) Add salt and saute'
5) Add green chillies
6) Add the tomato puree
7) Add coriander powder and red chilli powder 

 cover kadai / wok with a lid and simmer for 7-8 minutes
9) Add Urad dal water stock
10) Add 1 tsp salt
11) Add garam masala
12) Add boiled urad dal and simmer
13) Add salted butter
14) Add crushed fenugreek leaves / kasturi methi
15) Add coriander leaves and leave to simmer
16) Top it up with whipped cream just before serving

Notes

Tip : The secret to a great dal makhani is, just simmer at a low flame for a long time throught the recipe and make sure you keep stirring it so that the dal dosen't stick to the bottom of the kadai/wok

Veg Heart Cutlets Recipe

Ingredients

8-9 boiled and peeled potatoes
2 cups flattened rice
1/4 amchoor powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 chopped green chillies
2 loaves of bread
water
1/2 lemon
vegetable oil to fry

Instructions

1) wash and rinse the poha with water and submerge in water for 10 seconds
2) mix all the ingredients together except vegetable oil
3) make heart shaped stuffings and deep fry within vegetable oil
4) serve hot with tea, coffee or any beverage of your choice

Notes

Tip : do not keep the poha in water for more than 10-12 seconds, it will spoil the whole mixture with it's moisture and also remember to deep fry in hot oil, if you add the cutlets to cold oil they'll break

step by step Video for Veg Heart Cutlets here

Sooji ka Halwa

For the Sugar Syrup :

3 cups water
1 cup sugar

For the Halwa :

1/2 cup ghee / clarified butter
1/4 cup dry fruits
1 cup sooji / semolina
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
5-6 saffron threads

For the sugar syrup :

1) bring the water to boil and add sugar
2) boil until sugar disappears around 5-6 minutes
3) keep this sugar syrup aside

For the Halwa :

1) take a handi/pot/kadai/wok
2) add ghee and cook at low flame until hot
3) add dry fruits, cashews and almonds first followed by raisins
4) add semolina and saute' for few mins until slightly brown
5) add sugar syrup and stir gently at low flame
6) keep stirring and add milk mixed with saffron
7) keep stirring and add green cardamom powder 

 cover with lid and simmer at low flame for 1 minute

Notes

Tip : simmer at a low flame and while cooking the halwa keep stirring the halwa continuously throughout the recipe for a creamy halwa

Paneer Bhurji Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 tsp jeera / cumin
1 and a 1/2 tsp salt
500 gms paneer / cottage cheese
2 onions diced and chopped
1/2 capsicum / green bell pepper
1 tbl spoon ginger chopped
3/4 tsp white pepper powder
1/4 tsp anardana / pomegranate seeds powder

Instructions

1) Add oil to a kadai / wok and warm
2) Add cumin seeds
3) Add chopped onions at med-high flame
4) Add 1/2 tsp salt and saute'
5) Add chopped ginger and capsicum and cook for 3-4 minutes
6) Add grated paneer and cook for 2-3 minutes at low flame
7) Add spices viz. salt, white pepper powder and anardana 

 cook for another 2 minutes
9) serve hot, enjoy !

Notes

Tip : Do not over cook the paneer, put off the flame when slightly golden brown, otherwise paneer bhurji would become chewy and taste like rubber.

Gujarati Methi Thepla Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup gram flour/besan
1 cup whole wheat flour/atta
1 cup chopped fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves
1 tsp cumin powder or whole cumin
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp green chilli-ginger paste
2 tbsp oil
1 to 2 tbsp water or 1 to 2 tbsp curd/yogurt
salt as required
oil for frying

Instructions

1) mix all the ingredients except water.
2) start kneading without adding water first.
3) the methi (fenugreek) leaves leave a lot of water.
4) just add 1 tbsp or 2 tbsp water if required.
5) if the dough become sticky, then just add some more wheat flour.
6) keep the dough aside for 15-20 minutes covered with a kitchen towel.
7) now make medium sized balls from the dough. 

 roll each ball thinly into flat discs.
9) heat a frying pan or tava.
10) place the thepla on the pan.
11) when one side is half cooked, flip it.
12) apply ½ or 1 tsp oil on the cooked side.
13) now again flip and apply ½ or 1 tsp oil on the other side.
14) flip again twice.
15) once the thepla is cooked as well as browned, remove from the pan.
16) make all the theplas this way.
17) stack them up and keep in a roti basket or in covered in a kitchen napkin.
18) serve methi theplas with mango or lime pickles, or potato sabzi or you can just have them plain with indian tea / chai.

Notes

Instead of water you can add curd. and for frying instead of oil you can use ghee / clarified butter if you wish.