Dabeli

Ingredients:
• 4 pav/2 baps
• 2 medium onions,finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato chopped plus 2 tsp tomato puree(I have used shop one)
• 11/2 tsp dabeli masala powder
(I have used Fudco dabeli masala powder,which is quite mild;so I have added ½ tsp of MDH Kitchen King masala)
• 2 tbspn oil
• 2 large potatoes boiled and mashed
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts(you can use masala peanuts too)
• ¼ cup pomegranate kernels
• ½ cup sliced grapes
• 1 cup sev
• ½ cup tamarind chutney
• ½ cup red chilli –garlic chutney
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp Sugar
• ½ cup chopped coriander

Method:
• Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions.
• Once the onions have become transparent , add the tomatoes and the puree and mix well.
• To the above mix add the dabeli masala .
• Once the mix starts to appear dry,add the potatoes .
• Mix well and then add the salt, sugar and lemon juice.
• Mix well and cook till the whole mixture becomes quite dry.
• Spread the mixture on a plate. Sprinkle the peanuts,pomegranate,sliced grapes ,half of the sev and some coriander.



• Slit the pav/baps horizontally w/o cutting through. On one side spread the red chutney and tamarind chutney on the other side of the open pav/baps. Stuff the decorated potato in between the two chutneys.
• Close the pav/baps and to the open sides of the pav/baps apply lightly red/tamarind chutney and roll those sides in sev(so that it gets on the pav stuffing well)
• Place the stuffed pav/baps on the hot tawa. Press lightly and toast on both sides till it gets heated through and becomes slightly crisp.
• Serve hot.
(I have taken the topmost picture of dabeli before applying chutney to the open sides of pav and toasting it)

Red Chilli – Garlic Chutney
Ingredients
• 5-6 red dry chillies (soaked in hot water for ½ an hour)
• 6-7 garlic cloves,peeled
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Method

Grind all the above ingredients to fine paste. Add water if required.

Egg Biryani

My husband and me love biryani like anything. Usually, on a lazy weekend , biryani and cucumber raita is the menu on the table. I usually prepare vegetable biryani but this time I have tried my hands on egg biryani and trust me,this biryani was the best one I have prepared till date. I must admit that I have done a lot of R&D before I tired out this recipe.Actually,I never found a recipe for egg biryani which will satisfy me instantly…I mean which will get me up and make me do it.But this one did and so …..here’ the outcome! But I have made some changes in the basic recipe and I must admit it.

I have taken the basic recipe of http://myspicykitchen.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/egg-dum-biryani/ and my friend Suvarna Joshi’ recipe.Thank you so much darlings!

Ingredients:

Rice

 3 cups uncooked rice
 1 inch stick of cinnamon
 2 black cardamom (badi elachi)
 3-4 cloves

Vegetables

 ½ cup peas(frozen/fresh)
 ½ cup cut beans
 ½ cup roughly cubed carrot
 2 large onions (chopped/sliced)
 3-4 tbspn chopped coriander
 2-3 tspn of ginger –garlic paste

Others
 Eggs – 5 (boiled and cut into four slices, length –wise)
 Biryani masala (ready made-I have used (3/4 tspn) Shaan Sindhi Biryani
masala and added 1/4 tspn of Everest biryani masala too)
 A pinch of food colour (usually yellow or orange is used. Since,I had orange
at home,have used it.)
 1-1/2 tbpn oil
 Fried onions(These are available in the market or you can deep fry some
sliced onions till they are caramalised and keep them aside)
 Dry fruits like raisins and cashewnut.


Steps:

Rice :
In a vessel, add 6 cups of water (2 cups for every one cup rice) and add rice and other ingredients stated along with rice. Once done , spread it on a plate for cooling down.

Take a pinch of food colour and mix with 1 tspn of water. Add this to ¼ of the cooked rice.


Vegetables and Egg:

 Heat oil in a kadai/wok.
 Add the onions and ginger-garlic paste.
 When onions are nearly done, add the veggies. Add some water ,say 3/4 cup .
 Add biryani masala and mix well. Let the veggies get crunchy cooked.
 Now add 1 tbspn of yoghurt and mix well.
 Add the sliced boiled egg.
 Cook for 1-2 mins till the eggs are well coated with the masala.
(The whole mixture needn’t be dry. In case very little water is there,then that’s fine.)

Final Step:

 In a oven proof vessel ,spread a layer of veggies and egg mix.
 Above this, spread the white rice layer.
 Sprinkle some fried onion and dry fruits.
 Put a layer of veggies and egg .
 Spread some coloured rice and then some white rice.
 Again fried onion and dry fruits.

Keep on repeating till veggie mix is over. Let the white rice layer be the top one.

Sprinkle onion and dry fruits.

Cover the vessel with the lid or cover it firmly with a aluminium foil.

Bake at 180c (or in a moderate oven) for 12-15 mins.

Serve hot. Sprinkle some freshly chopped coriander just before serving.

Enjoy with some cool cucumber raita or yoghurt.

Beetroot Raita

Beetroot is generally liked by all since it has a sweet taste. People use it’ juice as a food colour .My mom used to prepare beetroot raita/koshimber when I was a kid. I used to gorge on it completely. Now my little one does that …

Here are the ingredients:

• 2 medium size beetroot (cooked/boiled)
• one green chilly
• 2 tspn chopped coriander
• 2/3 tbspn yoghurt
• salt to taste

Steps:

• Chop the beetroot into cubes or grate it .
• Add chopped green chilly .
• Add salt and yoghurt and mix well.
• Mix the chopped coriander.
• Serve chilled.

Methi Malai Matar (without Malai!)

Hi & Hello to one and all!

My today’ recipe is Methi –Malai-Matar ; sweet and bitter .

Now this recipe nowhere contains malai .Surprised huh? Well I have used cornflour paste instead of malai ,which gives it a creamy texture. So now all weight watchers can have it without a second thought!

Here comes my recipe:

METHI MALAI MATAR (Serves 2-3 )





Ingredients :

Methi (fenugreek leaves) (fresh/frozen) – 2cups
Peas (fresh/frozen)- 1- 1.5 cup
Cornflour – 1 tbsp
Milk- ¾ cup
Onion – 1 large (finely chopped)
Garlic – Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Sugar – 1-1.5 tsp
Green chilli – 2-3 / green chilli paste – 1 tsp
Salt – as per
taste
Oil – 2 tbsp (I have used extra virgin olive oil but any will do)

Procedure:

Heat oil in a kadhai/wok.
Add the chopped onions, ginger – garlic paste, chillies /chilli paste and sauté the mix till onions are slighty done.
Now add chopped methi (fenugreek leaves) and peas. Mix well. Saute for 1-2 mins.
Add the salt and sugar and again mix well.
Cook covered till almost the methi(fenugreek leaves are done).
Till the time methi(fenugreek leaves) is done ,mix cornflour and milk in a bowl.
Once methi(fenugreek leaves) is done, add the cornflour paste and mix well.
Cook covered for 1-2 mins till the cornflour paste is done.
Serve hot with roti / naan.