Navratna Pulao

Ingredients:

1. Basmati rice - 2 cups 2. Water - 4 cups 3. Carrot & Beans – 1 cup (chopped) 4. Green peas – ½ cup 5. Potato (medium size) – 1 (Cut into small cubes) 6. Cashew nuts – 10 7. Badam – 8 8. Pista – 8 9. Raisons (dry grapes) - 8 10. Ginger – 1 inch piece 11. Garlic – 3 flakes 12. Green chillies - 5 or to taste 13. Onion - 1 lengthwise chopped 14. Tomato - 1 finely chopped 15. Cinnamon - 1 inch stick 16. Cardamom - 2 17. Clove - 2 18. Bay leaf - 1 19. Ghee (clarified butter) - 6 tsp 20. Coriander leaves - few 21. Mint leaves - few

Method:
First clean and wash the rice with plenty of water. Then soak the rice with 1 cup water for ½ an hour. Then make a paste with ginger, garlic and green chillies. Heat the pressure cooker with ghee. Add cashew nuts, badam, pista, raisons, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and bay leaf. Sauté for few mins. Then add onions. Fry till they turn into golden brown colour. Next add tomatoes, ginger garlic and green chillies paste. Sauté until the raw smell disappears or the oil separates from the mixture. Then add carrots, beans, potato cubes and peas. Combine well. Now add rice, 3 cups of water, coriander leaves, mint leaves and salt. Close the pressure cooker with a lid. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and switch off the stove. Now your navrathna pulao is ready. Serve hot with onion raitha.

Boondi Raita

Ingredients

Yogurt 2 cup
Milk/Water 1/2 cup
Pain boondi 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp.
Cumin seed powder (roasted) 1/2 tsp.
Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves chopped finely 1 tbsp.

Method

1. Add boondi to warm water and let it stand for 2-3 minutes so that it becomes soft. Then drain it.
2. Beat the yogurt and milk to get smooth consistency. Add salt, black pepper powder and chili powder. Mix well.
3. Add boondi and mix well.
4. Sprinkle roasted cumin seeds powder on the top.
5. Chill it for 1-2 hours.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve chill.

Ragda Patties

Ingredients:

1 cup dry green or yellow peas soaked overnight
4-5 green chilles chopped finely
2 slices of bread
3-4 large potatoes
1 tsb coriander leaves chopped
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chilli powder
A pinch of asafetida
Oil for cooking
Salt to taste

Method:

- Wash and pressure cook the peas along with the potatoes (that’s how I save on time) till peas are soft. Takes about 4-5 whistles
- Peel the potatoes and mash them. Quickly dip the bread slices in water, squeeze out the excess water and add them to the potato mash.
- Add 1 tsp of chopped chilli to the mashed mixture, some chopped coriander and salt to taste.
- Mash the mixture and mix it well.
- Make flat patties out of the potato mixture of about 3” dia and shallow fry them in a non-stick pan.
- For the ragda: In a separate pan heat a tsb of oil and add mustard seeds. When they begin to crackle add the remaining green chillies and asafetida and add all the peas to the pan
- Mash a few peas as you stir.
- Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt to the Ragda.
- Cook on low flame for about 4-5 minutes.
- To serve: Place to patties in a shallow bowl, and pour the ragda on top to cover completely. Spread a little green chutney and a little sweet chutney and top it with chopped onions and coriander and serve hot.
To serve green chutney chopped onions chopped green coriander leaves

Dahi Batata Puri

Ingredients : Puris 1 packet Thick yogurt/curd 3 cups Sugar 1/2 cup (If the yogurt is sweet, reduce the amount of sugar), Water 3/4 cup Potatoes 4 medium Chat masala 2 tsp Thin sev Chopped coriander leaves, Salt to taste For Sweet chutney: Pulp of dates 1/2 cup (soak dates in hot water for 1/2 an hour , remove seeds and grind them in a mixer, strain), Tamarind pulp 1/4 cup Jaggery or sugar 1/4 cup Grind together all these items. For Spicy chutney: Coriander 1 bunch Green chilies 8-10 Cumin seeds 1 tsp Salt to taste Grind together all these items.

Directions:

1.Boil potatoes and mash them. Add salt and chat masala, mix.Beat the yogurt with sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the water to get desired pouring consistency. This is known as Dahi.
2.Prepare chutneys as mentioned above. Arrange puris in a plate. Put mashed potato in each puri with the help of a spoon.
3.Then fill puris with sweet dahi and pour sweet and spicy chutneys on top.
4.Garnish the puris with sev and coriander leaves. Serve as an appetizer, breakfast or a quick meal.

Panner Stuffed Paratha

Method in Telugu: I

ngredients:

a flour-1/2kg panner-1/4kg green mirchi-4 kottimeera-1cup salt-totaste nimmarasam-2tsp oil-50grms

Procedure:

wheat flour ni taginantha neetitho baagaa kalipi vunchaali. panner ni sannagaa turamaali. green mirchi,kottimeera sannaga taragaali. e ronditiki salt nimma rasam cherchi mottaanni wheet flour lo kalapaali. wheat flour ni chinna chinna muddalugaa chesukoni ,cheeti veellathoo muddanu kappu aakaaram lo cheesi,panner nu madya lo vunchi chuttu muusi veeyaali. eppudu e muddaku pindi adduthuu chepati laa cheesi pan meda oil tho two sides kaalchi thhiyaali. perugu chutney leedaa masala curry tho tinte bavuntundi.

Method in English:

Ingredients:
1 small cube paneer, grated
1 tsp ajwain (carob seeds)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chili powder
Few coriander leaves
Few green chilies
Chopped onions (optional)
Flour dough (done by golden temple flour and water)
Oil for parathas

Directions:

1. Mix the cheese or paneer with the spices
2. Take some dough and spread it out like a pancake with the help of a rolling pin
3. Put a little oil and some of the paneer filling
4. Close the paratha carefully, making sure the filling stays inside
5. With the help of the dry flour, roll it out like a pancake
6. Gently put it on the heated griddle or tandoor. Change the side when slightly brown on one side
7. Apply a teaspoon of oil to it and let cook on oil side

Amla Pickle(usirikaya uragaya)

Method in Telugu:

Ingredients:
rasam baga vunna
pedda size amlas-1kg
aavalu(rai)-11/2spoon
menthulu-1spoon
kaaram-100grms
salt-100grms
chintapandu-1/4kg
oil-1/4kg
enguva-totaste

Procedure :

munduga kayalni kadigi aarabettali.avi aaree loga chintapandu lo koddiga water poosi baaga vudikinchi chikkagaa gujju theyali.
menthulu aavaalu doraga veeyenchi podi chese pettu kovali.
aarina usirikayalni chaaku tho natlu petti koddi ga oil lo metta bade varaku maggmchaali.
kaayalu maggina tarvatha,vudaka petti vunchukonna chintapandu gujju,salt,kaaram,aavaalu menthula podi,vaatilo vesi baaga kalapaali.baaga kalipina tarvatha enguva nuune kachi pachadi lo poosi,challaarina tarvatha podi seesa lo pettu koovaali.
edi rice lo ki chala bavuntundi.

Method in English:

Ingredients:

Amla - 15 Mustard Seeds - 2 Tsps Fenugreek - 1/4 Tsp
Curry Leaves - Few
Red chilli powder - 2 Tsps
Salt - As Required
Oil - 1 Small cup
Turmeric - 1/4 Tsp

Procedure:

1. Wash amla and wipe with a paper towel.
2. Cut into small pieces along the mark.
3. Dry fry Mustard seeds, Curry leaves and Fenugreek. Grind them into coarse powder.
4. Heat oil in a pan (I generally add less oil. If you look at the picture you could see oil until just half the portion. I give it a shake once in two days so that the oil spreads evenly).
5. Add turmeric powder. Add the cut amla pieces.
6. Allow it to cook in the oil.
7. Once it is cooked (should not take more than 5 mins if the oil is hot), add chilli powder, salt and the coarse powder. Mix well.
8. Switch of the stove. Allow it to cool. Transfer it to an air-tight container (do not pack it tightly).
9. Hot pickle is ready!

The health benefits of amla:

• Eye care: Taking Gooseberry juice with honey is good for improving eyesight. It improves nearsightedness and cataract. It reduces intraocular tension.
• Diabetes: Gooseberry contains chromium. It has a therapeutic value in diabetics. Indian Gooseberry or Amla stimulate the isolated group of cells that secrete the hormone insulin. Thus it reduces blood sugar in diabetic patient.
• Heart disease: Gooseberry strengthens heart muscles. So heart pumps blood flawless throughout the body.
• Infection: Due t o its antibacterial and astringent attributes the Indian Gooseberry protects against infection. It improves body resistance.
• Hair loss: Amla is used in many hair tonics. It enriches hair growth and hair pigmentation. It strengthens roots of hair , maintains color and luster. Eating fresh fruit or applying its paste on hair roots improves hair growth and color.