Aloo Palak

Aloo PalakIngredients:
3 cups chopped spinach
2 large onoins chopped fine
2 large potatoes boiled and peeled
1 tomato grated
2 green chillies
1" piece ginger
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. wheat or other flour
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. ghee
salt to taste

METHOD:
Put the washed spinach in a pan, add very little water (just a sprinkle) and a pinch of salt.
Cover and boil over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool quickly, or hold under running water in a colander.
Put in a mixie, add green chilli and run for a minute. Keep slightly coarse, do not make very smooth.
Keep aside.
Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Heat ghee and fry potatoes till light brown.
Drain the potatoes, keep aside.
In the same hot ghee add the cumin seeds.
Add the ginger, onions and fry till very tender.
Add the tomato and further fry for two minutes.
Add all the dry masalas and fry till ghee separates.
Add spinach and potatoes.
When it resumes a boil sprinkle the flour and stir well. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice
Just before s erving heat butter in a tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida.
Pour over the vegetable and mix gently.
Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice.
Note: You may use boiled peas, boiled corn kernels or paneer chunks in the above dish, instead of atoes.

Veggie Samosa

Samosa
Ingredients:
For cover:
1 cup plain flour (maida)
2 tbsp. warm oil
water to knead dough

For filling:
2 potatoes large boiled, peeled, mashed
1 onion finely chopped
2 green chillies crushed
1/2 tsp. ginger crushed
1/2 tsp. garlic crushed
1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1/2 lemon juice extracted
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds cru shed
1 tsp. red chilli powder
salt to taste
oil to deep fry

Method:
For dough:
Make well in the flour.
Add oil, salt and little water.Mix well till crumbly.
Add more water little by little, kneading into soft pliable dough.
Cover with moist cloth, keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
Beat dough on worksurface and knead again. Re-cover.
For filling:
Heat 3 tbsp. oil, add ginger, green chilli, garlic, coriander seeds.
Stir fry for a minute, add onion, saute till light brown.
Add coriander, lemon, turmeric, salt, red chilli, garam masala.
Stir fry for 2 minutes, add potatoes. Stir further 2 minutes.
Cool. Keep aside.
To proceed:
Make a thin 5" diam. round with some dough.
Cut into two halves. Run a moist finger along diameter.
Join and press together to make a cone.
Place a tbsp. of filling in the cone and seal third side as above.
Make five to six. Put in hot oil, deep fry on low to medium till light brown.
Do not fry on high, or the samosas will turn out oily and soggy.
Drain on rack or kitchen paper.
Serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys (refer chutneys), or tomato sauce.

Vangi Bhath or Brinjal Rice

Vangi Bhath or Brinjal Rice
Ingredients:
1 long purple brinjal(eggplant) or 1/2kg brinjal cut into large pieces
1 1/2 cup raw rice washed and cooked such that the grains of rice remain separate
5 red chillies
6 peppercorns
1/2 tsp turmeric
4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
4 cloves
salt to taste
1 tsp urad dal
1 cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies
1 tsp chana dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp oil for frying the masala
1/2 cup sour buttermilk or 2 tsp lemon juice

Method:
Fry 4 red chillies, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and peppercorns in 1 tsp oil.
Powder them using a grinder and set aside.
Heat the ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds, red chilli, green chillies, urad dal and channa dal.
When the seasoning is almost done, add the brinjal pieces and fry till the brinjal is done.
Now add the buttermilk or lime juice and mix well.
Add the powdered masala and mix.
Add salt to taste.
Bring to a boil and remove.
Mix this with the cooked rice and heat through.
Serve hot.

Dosas - Sada (Plain) Dosa

Sada (Plain) Dosa

Ingredients:
1 cup plain rice
1 cup parboiled rice
1/4 cup white udad dal
1/2 tsp. methi (fenugreek) seeds
1/2 cup curds
10-12 tsps. ghee or oil as preferred
water for grinding

Method:
Allow to soak for 7-8 hours or overnight.
Rewash the rice by draining the water 2-3 times.
Grind to a paste. Rawa -like grains should be felt in the batter.
Keep aside in a warm place for 8-10 hours.
Beat the curds well.
Add to the batter, add more water if required.
The consistency of the batter should be thick enough to thickly coat on a spoon when dipped.
Heat the iron griddle or non-stick tawa well.
Pour a spoonful of batter in the centre, spread with the back of the spoon to a thin round.
Pour a tsp. of ghee or oil over it.
Remove with spatula when crisp.
Serve hot with chutney and / or sambar or even with dry aloo .

Besan Ladoo

Besan Ladoo:


Ingredients :
Besan - 4 cups
Sugar - 2 cups (powdered)
Almonds (Badam) - 20-25 nos. (chopped)
Ghee - 1 cup
Cardamom pwd. - 1 tsp.

Method:
1. Heat the ghee in a pan.
2. Add besan part by part and mix it well. Keep on low flame. Keep stirring to avoid burning.
3.When the color has changed you will also start to smell the sweetness of roasted basen.
4.Remove the pan from the heat and let the besan cool to a warm temperature, don’t let it become to room temperature.
5.While the mixture is warm add and mix cardamom seeds, almonds, and powdered sugar.
5. Now take the mixture and make small ladoos.
6. You can also decorate almonds on top at the end.
7. Yum Besan Ladoo is ready to eat.

Sending it to Santhi's Dussehra, Dhanteras and Diwali event