Little Brinjals with Fresh Cream

Ingredients:

Fresh tender little Brinjals  -  200 gms
Onions                                   -  1 nos
Tomatoes                              -  2 nos
Green chilies                         -  2 - 3 nos
Coriander leaves                  -  1 table spoon
Jeera                                      -  1 tea spoon
Sauf (Fennel seeds)             -  1 tea spoon
Jeera powder                        -  1 tea spoon
Coriander powder                -  1 tea spoon
Chili powder                         -  1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder                 -  1 tea spoon
Fresh cream                         -  2 table spoons
Fresh curd                            -  1 table spoon
Sugar                                    -  1 tea spoon
Cooking oil
Salt to taste

1.  Wash, remove green stem parT and slit the brinjals without making them into pieces.
2.  Mix salt and 1/2 tea spoon of chili powder,  stuff the brinjals with the mixture.
3.  Finely chop onions, tomatoes and green chilies.
4.  Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and add jeera and fennel seeds.
5.  As soon as they crackle add the finely chopped onions and green chilies.
6.  After the onions turn transparent add the finely chopped tomatoes.
7.  Stir fry till the tomatoes becomes soft and shapeless.
8.  Now add the brinjals, salt, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and jeera powder.
9.  Also add a the sugar and stir well.
10.Keep stirring every now and then till the brinjals are half cooked.
11.Now add the fresh cream and curd.  Keep the flame at low and allow the brinjals to cook till soft.
12.Remove from stove and garnish with fresh, finely chopped coriander leaves.
13.Serve hot with rice or roti.

Jeera Pumpkin

Ingredients:

Pumpkin             -  1/2 kg

Onion                 -  1 no
Green chilies       -  1 no
Ghee                   -  1 table spoon
Jeera                   -  1 table spoon
Jeera powder      -  1 table spoon
Turmeric powder -  1/3 tea spoon
Salt to taste

1.  Peel, de seed and dice pumpkin into small pieces
2.  Finely chop onion and green chilies.
3.  Heat ghee in a kadai, add jeera and once they crackle, add finely chopped onions and green chilies.
4.  As soon as the onions transparent, add the diced pumpkins, salt, turmeric powder and jeera powder.
5.  Mix well, cover it with lid and keep the flame in low.
6.  Remove the lid and stir occasionally.  Allow it to cook till done.
7.  Remove from stove and serve with rice or roti.

Raw Mango Curry (Manga Kootu)

Ingredients:

Raw Mango        -  2 nos

Green chilies        -  2 nos
Coconut              -  2 table spoons
Jeera                    -  1 table spoon
Mustard seeds      -  1 tea spoon
Black gram dal     -  1 tea spoon
Red chilies            -  2 nos
Asafoitida              -  1 pinch
Turmeric powder  -  1 pinch
Curry leaves         -  a few leaves
Coconut oil           -  1 table spoon
Jaggery                 -  1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste

1.  Wash and cut mangoes into small pieces.
2.  Grind together coconut, jeera and green chilies together.
3.  Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds, black gram dal, red chilies and once the mustard crackles and the dal becomes golden brown add the cut mangoes and curry leaves.
4.  Also add curry leaves, salt, turmeric powder and asafoitida and stir well
5.  Stir cook till the mangoes are half done, add the ground masala.
6.  Add 1/2 cup of water and keep the flame in low.
7.  Once the mangoes are done, remove from stove.
8.  Serve hot with rice or paratha.

Paneer Bhurji

The picture is smoky because I took it when the dish was very hot.

Ingredients:

Paneer Bhurji

Paneer                -  250 gms
Onions                -  2 nos
Tomatoes            -  2 nos
Green chilies        -  3 - 4 nos
Capsicum            -  1 no
Fresh coriander    -  2 table spoons(Finely chopped)
Garlic                   -  4 - 5 pearls
Ginger                  -  1/2 inch
Garam Masala     -  1 tea spoon
Red chili powder  -  1/2 tea spoon
Turmeric powder -  1/2 tea spoon
Fresh cream         -  2 table spoons
Cooking oil          -  2 table spoons
Mustard               -  1 tea spoon
Jeera                    -  1 tea spoon
Fennel seed(Sauf) -  1 tea spoon
Lavang                 -  3 nos
Cardamom           -  3 nos
Pepper                 -  5 nos
Salt to taste

1.  Finely chop onions, tomatoes, capsicum and green chilies.
2.  Grate ginger and garlic in cheese grater.
3.  Take 50 gms of paneer separately and grate it.  Cut the balance paneer into 1/2 inch cubes.
4.  Heat oil in a kadai and add Mustard, jeera, sauf, lavang and broken elachis.
5.  As soon as they start changing colour, add the finely chopped onions and green chilies.
6.  Add the finely chopped capsicum, grated ginger and garlic.
7.  After the onions turn transparent add the finely chopped tomatoes and allow it to cook till soft in low flame.
8.  Now add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder.
9.  Also add the grated paneer, stir continuously till they mix thoroughly.
10. Add the cubed paneer and cream.  Also add little water if necessary till the desired consistence in arrived.
11.Allow the mixture to boil.  Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander.
12.Serve hot with rice or paratha.

Stuffed Capsicum

Ingredients:

Capsicum              -  250 gms
Potatoes                -  4 nos
Fresh coriander     -  1 small bunch
Cummins               -  1 tea spoon
Fennel seeds(Sauf)-  1 tea spoon
Green chilies          -  3 nos
Ghee                     -  1 tea spoon
Cooking oil            -  1 table spoon
Salt to taste

1.  Wash and dry the capsicums.  Cut the top side of the capsicum, remove the seeds and other things from the inside of the capsicum.
2.  Boil the potatoes and peel the potatoes.
3.  Clean and finely chop the coriander.
4.  Finely chop the green chilies.
5.  Heat ghee in a kadai, add jeera, sauf to it.  As soon as they crackle, add the finely chopped green chilies to it.
6.  Now add the chopped coriander, green chili mixture, salt to the boiled potatoes and mash well together.
7.  Stuff the capsicums with the potato mixture, cover it with the cut capsicum pieces.
8.  Apply oil on the stuffed capsicums.  Arrange the capsicums in a microwave proof plate.
9.  Microwave the stuffed capsicum for 15 - 20 mins.
10.Once the capsicums are cooked, and serve hot.
11.It can also cooked in tawa.  Arrange the capsicums in a tawa and keep the flame in low, and cover it with a lid.
12.Turn once a while and cook till the capsicums are done.

13.Its an excellent starter.  But my son likes it in tea time.

Yam Bhuji (Jimikhand Bhurji)

Ingredients:

Yam Bhurji

Yam (Senakkizhangu) - 250 gms
Onion                         -  1 no
Tomatoes                   -  1 nos
Green chilies               -  3 nos
Curry leaves               -  1 few leaves
Red chilies                  -  2 nos
Mustard seeds            -  1 tea spoon
Black gram dal            -  1 tea spoon
Bengal gram dal          -  1 tea spoon
Cooking oil                 -  1 table spoon
Turmeric powder        -  1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste

1.  Peel, wash and cook yam till done,(Remember it should not become soft) allow it to cool.
2.  Grate the cooked senakkizhangu in vegetable grater.
3.  Finely chop tomatoes, onions, green chilies and curry leaves.
4.  Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, both the dals and finely broken red chilies.
5.  As soon as the mustard crackles and dals become golden brown, add the onions, curry leaves and green chilies.
6.  Stir cook till onions become transparent, and add the finely chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder.
7.  Stir cook till the tomatoes become shapeless.
8.  Add the grated jimikhand and mix thoroughly and cook for a few mins and remove from stove.
9.  Serve hot with rice or roti.  It tastes terrific.

Raw banana kofta curry

Ingredients:

Potatoes               -  4 nos

Onions                  -  1 nos
Tomatoes              -  2 nos
Garlic                    -  5 - 6 pearls
Ginger                  -  1/2 inch
Red chili powder  -  1 tea spoon
Turmeric powde  r- 1/2 tea spoon
Coriander powder-  1/2 tea spoon
Jeera powder       -  1/2 tea spoon
Sugar                   -  1 tea spoon
Jeera                    -  1 tea spoon
Lavang (Cloves)   -  2 - 3 nos
Cinnamon stick     -  1 inch long broken into small pieces
Salt to taste

For Koftas:
Raw Bananas             -  2 nos
Green chilies              -  2 nos (finely chopped)
Onion                        -  1 nos (finely chopped)
Ajwain                       -  1/2 tea spoon
Bengal gram powder  -  2 table spoons
Fennel seeds(Sauf)     -  1 tea spoon
Coriander leaves        -  a few leaves (finely chopped)
Sugar                         -  1 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for deep fryiing

1.  Cook raw bananas till they are slightly soft.
2.  Allow them to cool, peel add the rest of the ingredients and make it into a tight paste.
3.  Add water only if necessary.
4.  Heat oil in a kadai, make small portions of the above dough into vadas, deep fry in low flame.
5.  Once they become golden brown remove from oil and store aside.

6.  Now boil the potatoes till soft.
7.  Peel and mash them.
8.  Grind together onion, tomatoes, garlic and ginger.
9.  Heat 2 table spoons of oil in a kadai and add jeera, lavang and cinnamon sticks.
10.Once they leave fragrance add the ground masala and stir cook till the oil splits.
11.Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, jeera powder, red chili powder, salt and sugar and stir well till they are thoroughly mixed in the masala and oil.
12.Add the mashed potatoes and enough water to make a thick gravy and allow it to boil for 3 - 4 mins.
13.Add the koftas and remove from stove.
14.Garnish with fresh finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.