Simple Carrot Paratha(just right for kids school pack)

This carrot paratha i make exclusively  for my elder daughter for her lunch box.she  is not too keen if i pack roti or chapathi with curry.This works good.It is not  very spicy and extravagent  but a simple one .


Ingredients

For the dough
1 cup of Wheat flour
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste

For  the stuffing
1 medium sized  carrot(grated)
1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
1tsp of finely chopped coriander
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp chat masala(optional)
Salt to taste

Preperation for the dough
Combine all the ingredients and knead into a soft ,smooth dough using enough water.
Divide the dough into equal portions.keep aside.

For the stuffing
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds,once they crackle add grated carrot and green chillies.saute.(do not over cook as grated carrots do not take longer to get cooked.turn off heat and add salt and coriander (chopped).chat masala can be sprinkled (if desired).It tastes great without masala too.
Keep it aside till it cools down and then make into equal portions to be stuffed.



To make the paratha
Roll out one of the dough into a circle using wheat flour for rolling.
Place one portion of the stuffing in the centre of the circle.
Bring together all the sides in the centre and seal tightly.
Roll out again into a circle using wheat flour for rolling.
Cook on a hot tava(griddle),using a little oil,untill both sides are golden brown.
Serve hot with any spicy gravy or fresh curd

 

kandi podi/gun powder(Andhra style)

An awesome  mouth watering accompaniment to rice with a drizzle of ghee.courtesy my wonderful mom (ofcourse).The best of kandi podi  i have ever eaten is  what my mom makes because she always says that the best podi comes out only when the quantity of dals taken  is equal and the way the dals are roasted is perfect.Lets  check out!!


Ingredients:

1 cup of channa dal
1 cup of toor dal
1 cup of moong dal
1 cup of urad dal
11/2 tsp of cumin seeds
Asafoetida(hing/inguva)-1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Preperation

Take a pan and dry roast all the dals one after another,Eash dals take different time to get roasted(for instance toor dal takes more time compared to moong dal or chana dal takes more time compared to urad dal).
so better to dry roast seperately.
 Keep them aside to cool.Add the cumin seeds and hing( inguva) at the end. Then dry grind them adding salt. It should be a very fine powder. 
 The great tasting and great smelling powder is ready.
 Eat it with hot rice and drizzle of ghee

simple putnalu podi(roasted dal/dalia powder)

This is a simple recipe of putnala podi by my mom,she doesnt put any garlic into it as she doesnt eat garlic.But it tastes good when mixed in hotrice with loottttts of ghee. It hardly takes 5-7 minutes to make it....:)

 Ingredients

1  cup of dal(putnalu/dalia/roasted dal)
Red chillies 6 -8 (can be adjusted according to taste )
Cumin(jeera) seeds-1tsp
Salt  to taste

Preperation

In a mixer jar  add all the  ingredients ( dal,cumin seeds,redchillies and salt )together  and just dry grind it into a very smooth powder.
Store it in an airtight container.
It tastes good with hot rice with ghee and it is  a very simple preperation).
Try and let me know how it  tastes.

Instant Tomato Pickle

This is a pickle  with tomato,Its easy and can be stored for 15 days too.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 1 kg
Garlic (cloves from two medium sized garlic)
Salt to taste
Oil-4tbsp
Red Chilli powder-2tbsp
Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli-1
A pinch of hing(Asafoetida)

Preperation

Firstly peel off all the  garlic cloves and keep them aside.
Cut all the tomatoes  into four halves.
Heat  oil in a pan or kadai.Add turmeric powder  and then add all the chopped tomatoes.Let the tomatoes cook on high flame for 5- 8 minutes.Keep stirring so that it does not stick to the base of the pan and get burnt.(it takes a while for  the tomatoes to be cooked completely).
Cook on medium flame till the  tomatoes get cooked completely and all the juice thickens up .
It should be of thick consistency for long lasting.
Once it is thick and you can see tomatoes are done completely add salt mix well and then turn off the flame.
Let it cool down  and then add red chilli powder to it.

For the Tempering or Tadka

Heat oil in a pan.Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds.once the seeds  splutter add one red chilli,hing and then add the peeled garlic cloves.Fry them for a while untill they start changing colour.Turn off the flame and now  add this tadka into the tomato pickle.
The pickle is  ready and the salt or chilli powder can be adjusted according to individuals taste.

Gutti vankaya kura(stuffed brinjal/eggplant)(different but easy recipe)

This is a bit different recipe of gutti vankaya,it is not gravy.This is my MIL 's recipe.Tastes Excellent with rice,especially for someone who do not want too much of spices or masala in their curry,I love this one,its really simple,just  Try!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients

        Brinjal/eggplant/vankaya   10-12 (purple coloured and round ones preferably)
             Oil -3tbsp
             Turmeric-1/2 tsp
       
For the stuffing:

             Dry roast 2 cups of channa dal,1/2 a cup of urad dal,10 red chillies,1 tsp of  coriander seeds.Roast till  all the dals turn red.Let it cool down and grind it in a mixer into a powder(not to be very amorphous,let be a little bit coarse).Add salt as per taste.

Method
    
            Wash the brinjals and  dry them a bit with a kitchen towel.Now take each brinjal slit it into  quarters such that they are still attached to their todima..ie., stem(like a bunch hanging from the stem).taking care that its not cut open,just make sure the slit is good enough for the stuffing powder to get in.
           Now take the grounded powder/masala  with a spoon and carefully put it inside the brinjal.cover it all well inside.Hold it to seal the powder together. Put it aside. Like wise finish with all the brinjal.

           Heat oil in a pan or kadai.Add turmeric to the oil.Now start putting the stuffed brinjals one by one and  cover  the pan with a lid.Keep turning intermittently so that the brinjals are not burnt.(cooks better when done on a medium flame).Avoid high flame.

           Keep turning brinjals slowly so that they are not  torn apart.Lastly simmer for 5 minutes and once the brinjal are cooked  add more of powder(be generous,the more the powder, the better and the best it tastes,).just check the taste if any salt is required in additional.

# It tastes really good.The prepared masala powder can be stored in airtight container for many more uses.

Lemon Rice(nimmakaya pulihora)

This is just perfect for kids lunchpack for school, as it is filling and the kids just love Lemon Rice  in their box.

 

 

 

Ingredients

       2 cups of rice(cooked in 4 cups of water ,adjust the water so that the grains are seperate)

      

      Juice of 2 lemons

         

      Salt

 

 

      For tempering(tadka)

 

      1 tbsp of Oil

 

      Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

     

     One red chilli

 

     2 tsp of Channa dal

 

     1 1/2  tsp of groundnuts

 

     1 1/2  tsp of  urad dal

 

     A pinch of hing(Asafoetida)

 

     1/2 tsp grated ginger

 

     4 green chillies(slit and cut length wise)

 

     1/4 tsp of Haldi(Turmeric) powder

 

     Curry leaves(handful)

   

 

 

 

    Preperation

 

    Heat oil in a pan,add the mustard seeds.once they start to splutter add the    channa dal ,and fry a little bit and then add groundnuts and  urad dal,and  when the dals start turning a bit red add the green chillies, curry leaves, ginger, hing and turmeric.turn off the heat.

 

    Add salt and the squeezed out lemon juice to it once it cools down.

 

    Mix this  seasoning into the cooked rice.transfer everything  into a mixing bowl and mix well.

 

    Can add salt or lemon juice according to their own taste,if  you want it to be more tangy , can add a  bit more of lemon juice.

 

    Transfer into a serving bowl and   Tangy , sour Lemon rice is ready.