Vankaya Gasagasala Kura Recipe or Eggplant Poppy Seeds Curry

Vankaya Gasagasala Kura Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 kg purple brinjals, wash and slice
1 1/2 tbsps oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
pinch of roasted methi/fenugreek/menthi pwd
pinch of roasted cumin pwd
3 tbsps khus khus/gasagasalu/poppy seeds, roasted and ground to a paste
1 1/2 tbsps jaggery or sugar (adjust)
very small lemon sized tamarind, extract pulp
salt to taste

METHOD

 Add a tbsp of oil in a cooking vessel, add the eggplant slices and roast them till brown on both sides. Remove and keep aside.
 In the same vessel, add the remaining oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds and as they dance around, add the cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2-3 mts.
 Add salt to taste, red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd, coriander pwd, cumin pwd, roasted methi pwd and combine well. Add 1 3/4 cups of water and cook for 3-4 mts, till it comes to a boil. Add the roasted khus khus paste, tamarind extract and jaggery and cook on medium high flame for 3 mts.
Cover with lid and cook on medium low flame for 5 mts. Keep checking in between and stir fry to ensure it does not stick to the pan. Add the roasted brinjal slices and cook on low to medium flame for 15 mts or till the gravy turns thick. Turn off heat.
Serve with rice or roti.

Tamatar Pulao ~ Tomato Rice

Tamatar Pulao ~ Tomato Rice

Ingredients

Raw rice: 2 cups
Shah jeera: 1 tsp
Bay leaf: 1
Cloves: 6
Cinnamon stick: 1"
Cardamoms: 2
Onions: 2 (medium sized, finely sliced)
Green chili-ginger-garlic paste: 1 1/2 tsps
Mint: 12-15 leaves (Pudina)
Kasoori methi: 1/2 tsp (dried fenugreek leaves)
Red chili powder: 1 tsp
Cumin Powder: pinch (roasted jeera powder)
Tomato: 2 (large red tomatoes, finely chopped)
Tomato: 1 (large red tomato, blanch, peel skin and puree)
Coriander leaves: 1 1/2 tbsps (finely chopped for garnish)
Salt: to taste
Oil: 1 tbsp
Ghee: 1 tbsp (optional) vegan can omit ghee and substitute with oil

Method

Heat oil+ghee in a vessel or pressure cooker, add shah jeera, cloves, cinnamon and cardamoms and stir fry 30 secs. Add the sliced onions and saute for 3 mts. Add green chili-ginger-garlic paste, mint leaves and kasoori methi and saute for 4-5 mts.
Add red chili powder and cumin powder and mix. Add chopped tomato, tomato puree and salt to taste and mix. Cook for 8-9 mts on low to medium flame, or till oil separates.
Reduce heat, add the raw rice, mix, saute for a mt. Add 3 3/4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and cook till rice is done. If using pressure cooker, cook rice upto 3 whistles.
Remove onto a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve warm with raita or any curry of your choice.

Aam aur Chane ka Achaar

Aam aur Chane ka Achaar

Ingredients

1/2 cup kabuli chana (white chick peas)
1 1/2 cups grated raw mango
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tbsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds (methi) powder
1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
14 whole dry kashmiri red chillies
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 1/4 cups mustard (rai / sarson) oil
1 tbsp salt

Method

1. 
   

1. Combine the grated mango, turmeric powder and salt and leave aside     for 30 minutes.

1. Squeeze out all the mango water using a muslim cloth and keep aside. Keep the grated mango aside separately.

1. Soak the Kabuli chana and fenugreek seeds in the mango water overnight.

1. Refrigerate the grated mango.

1. Combine the fenugreek seeds powder, fennel seeds, asafoetida, nigella seeds, whole red chillies, chilli powder and soaked Kabuli chana mixture    with the grated mango. Mix well.

1. Heat the mustard oil. Cool it and add to the prepared mixture.

1. Bottle the pickle in a sterilised glass jar.

1. The pickle is ready to eat after 3 to 4 days.

1. Store it a cool dry place for upto 1 year.

Lamb Curry

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 1/2 cup oil
• 500 gram lamb or goat meat pieces
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 4-6 garlic (chopped)
• 1/4 inch ginger
• 4-5 red chilli (dry)
• 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds (dhaniya)
• 1 bay leaf bay leaf
• 2 teaspoon whole garam masala
• 2 tablespoon cashew nuts (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek powder - optional

Preparation method

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 25 mins | Extra time: 20 mins, soaking

Heat oil in a pan, add all the ingredients. Cook on high for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes or till the meat looks well done.

Soak cashews in hot water for 20 minutes. Set aside for later. Make cashew paste by grinding them in blender.

Add cashew paste just before removing dish from heat. Serve hot on a bed of rice or chapatti.

Kochi panthar jhol

Ingredients

Serves: 5

• 1.5kg baby goat (leg portion) cut into small cube like pieces
• Salt to taste
• 3 teaspoons holud powder (turmeric powder)
• 3 medium sized potatoes
• 3 medium onions sliced
• 4-5 pods garlic minced
• 1 inch ginger strip minced
• 2 small tomatoes
• 2 green chilies
• 5 tablespoons oil
• ¾ th teaspoon dry red chlli powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• ½ inch cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Preparation method

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 50 mins

Wash the goat meat well, dry and rub salt and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Set aside for 10 minutes. Peel 3 medium potatoes wash and cut each of them into halves. Salt them and set aside for 5 minutes. Cut 3 medium onions, 4-5 pods of garlic and an inch long ginger strip. Mince the garlic and ginger, cut the onions to thin slices. Cut two small tomatoes and 1 or 2 green chilies.

Heat oil in the pressure cooker, put ½ teaspoon of sugar and let it caramelize. As it browns, put the potatoes in and fry them till they get a golden hue. Take them out.

Add cardamom, cloves and a ½ inch cinnamon stick. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Stir till it is soft and gets golden color. Then add tomatoes. Put remaining turmeric powder and dry red chili powder. Keep stirring for 5 minutes. Add some salt. Add goat meat. Stir for 10-15 minutes to let it blend well with spices. Pour in two cups of water (enough to cover the goat meat). Cover and pressure cook for 15 minutes.

Switch off the gas, let the steam release by itself, and then open the lid and check the salt. Add rest of the sugar. Prick the goat meat with a fork to see if it is done. Put the fried potatoes back in the pressure cooker with the goat meat. Add ½ cup water and cook it upto two whistles. Switch off the gas; let the steam release check the salt again and transfer goat meat to the serving container. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rice or hot chapattis

Pad Thai Recipe

Ingredients

Serves: 6

• 4 Cups Of Rice Noodles (Soaked In Water For 3 Minutes)
• 6-8 Raw Prawns Shelled And De-Veined
• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup of bean sprouts
• 1 Spring onion (finely chopped)
• 1 Tablespoon of chopped tender onions
• 1 Tablespoon of chopped garlic
• 1 Tablespoon of chilli flakes
• 2 Tablespoons of ground roasted peanuts
• 2 Tablespoon of sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of fish sauce (nam pla)
• 4 Tablespoons Of Tamarind Juice
• ½ Cup Of Water

Preparation method

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 15 mins

Fry the garlic and baby onions in 1 tablespoon of oil over a medium heat until fragrant: add the water, tamarind juice, sugar and fish sauce, and bring to the boil slowly stirring until the sauce thickens slightly, and then set aside in a separate bowl.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the prawns over a medium heat until pink, add the egg and stir well: next add the noodles and stir until tender: next add the sauce,1 tablespoon of ground peanuts, chopped spring onions and bean sprouts and stir for a further minute.

Serve garnished with 1 tablespoon of ground peanuts, 1 tablespoon of chilli flakes and a wedge of lemon.

Quick & easy red velvet cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 pack white cake mix( use the method in the box).
• Add to the mix, 2 tsp coco powder.
• 2 tbsp red food colour
• 1 tsp vinegar 

For the icing:

• 2 cup cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar or adjust to ur liking
• 1 tbsp vanilla.
• 3/4 c whipping cream
• Few drops of food colouring

Directions

You can do this in layers or a whole cake, depending on that grease your pans with a little oil.
Pre heat over to 350 deg. 
In a bowl combine the cake ingredients & beat on high speed for 3 min.
pour the mix in the pan or pans.
Bake as prescribed in the pack.
Remove from heat & cool completely.
 In another bowl combine the icing items(except the food colour) & beat till nice & creamy.
 Bring your cake out of the pans & spread the icing evenly over it (leaving a little icing on hand), either by layering (it if you have made 2 cakes) or above one cake.
Combine the food colour in the little icing that you had left out & mix to a nice red colour icing.
Drizzle it over the white iced cake & serve.