Fenugreek (Methi) Paratha

This is a healthy recipe.
Preparation time: 30 min.
Ingredients:
Wheat flour: 2 cup
Fenugreek leaves: 1/2 cup ( chopped)
Sesame seeds: 2- 3 tsp (dry roast)
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Ginger- garlic paste: 1 tsp
Asafoetida : 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice: 1 tsp
Sugar: a pinch
Salt to taste
Red chili pwd: 2-3 tsp
Turmeric pwd: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 1-2 tsp
Coriander leaves : a few
Method:
Mix all the ingredients except wheat flour in a microwaveable vessel.
Microwave for 2-3 min.
Then mix this to the wheat flour .
Adding oil and warm water, make a dough.
Leave it aside for few min.
Now, take small balls of dough.
Roll them each into flat and round rotis with a rolling pin.
Sprinkle dry wheat flour so that the wet flour does not stick to the rolling pin.
Now heat the roti on a flat frying pan adding little oil if needed.
Serve hot with any curry.

Besan curry

Its just a variety from normal. I came to know that one particular region is famous for this recipe. It tasted good but I guess instead of besan, if we use tofu it becomes healthier and easier. I am gonna try that next time.

Preparation time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

Besan (chick pea flour) : 1/2 cup

Onion: 1 medium ( chop finely)

Ginger- garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Tamarind: 1 tsp ( soak it in water)

Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala: 1 tsp

Coriander pwd: 2 tsp

Red chili pwd: 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Oil : 3 tsp

Method:

There are 2 steps: Step 1 is to make pieces of cooked besan. Step 2 is to prepare gravy.

Step 1:

Mix besan, salt, turmeric and red chili pwd.

In a wide pan, heat 1 tsp of oil.

To this add 1 cup of water. Let it boil.

Add besan to this boiling water slowly. Take care not to form clumps of flour.

Keep stirring on low heat until the flour thickens.

Remove from heat.

Pour the flour onto a greased plate and flatten it.

Let it cool.

When it is cool, cut it into pieces of desired shapes and sizes.

( If tofu is used, we don't need this step 1. Just cut tofu, heat it in oil and continue with step 2)

Step 2:

Heat oil in pan. Add onion and saute.

Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell is gone.

Add turmeric, red chili pwd and salt.

( Am I being redundant with this ADD,ADD.......... thing going on forever?!!)

Now add tamarind water and 2 cups of water.

Let it boil.

After 10 min., add garam masala, coriander pwd.

After 2 min, add those besan pieces and cook on low heat for 10 min.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Potato stuffed Kulcha

This is definitely not a healthy recipe. I felt guilty after I made it. I am not going to do it again unless there is a party. My husband graded this dish with a B+.

Preparation time: 2 and a half hours

Working time: 30 min.

Serving size: 5-6 servings

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 2 cups

Yogurt: 1/2 cup

Milk: 1/4 cup

Baking soda: 1/4 tsp

Ghee/ Butter: 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

For stuffing:

Potatoes: 1 big

Cumin pwd.: 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp

Oil: 2 tsp

Method:

In a mixing bowl; mix flour, salt, baking soda.

Add milk, ghee/ butter and curd.

Knead this into a dough of pizza dough consistency.

Cover this with a wet cloth for 2 hrs.

For stuffing:

Boil potatoes. Peel the skin when they are done.

Mash them.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mashed potatoes to it.

Fry for 2 min.

Add garam masala, cumin pwd and salt.

Cook on low heat for 5 min.

Now, when 2 hrs. standing of dough is over, make the dough into a big lemon sized balls.

Press the ball in the hand making a depression in the centre of it.

Place a small lemon sized ball of cooked potato in the depression.

Cover this potato with the flour dough by simply pulling the dough onto potato ball from all sides.

Now roll this stuffed ball with a rolling pin sprinkling dry flour.

This gives the look of pancake.

Heat it on both sides on a frying pan.

Serve hot with any curry.

Wrong address

A man checked into a hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an e-mail to his wife.

However, he accidentally typed a wrong e-mail address, and without realizing his error, he sent the e-mail.

Meanwhile....Somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned from her husband's funeral.

The widow decided to check her e-mail, expecting condolence messages from relatives and friends.

After reading the first message, she fainted. The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I've Reached
Date: 16 May 2004

I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here, and we are allowed to send e-mails to loved ones. I've just reached and have been checked in.

I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow.

Split chick pea - coconut chutney

This chutney tastes good with breakfast items like idly, dosa, pongal etc.

Preparation time: 15 min.

Ingredients:

Split chick pea(Chana Dal): 5 tbsp

Grated Coconut: 5 tbsp

Green chili: 2

Garlic: 2 cloves

Split black gram( Urad Dal): 1 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Tamarind/ lemon

If it is tamarind: 1 lemon sized (soak it in half a cup of water for 15 min. or heat it along with water in microwave for 2 min.)

If it is lemon: 1 lemon

Curry leaves: 5-6

Red chili: 1-2

Salt to taste

Oil: 2 tsp

Method:

Dry roast chick peas and keep them aside.

Heat oil in pan, add the following in the same order:

Green chili, garlic, black gram, mustard, cumin, coconut.

When it is lukewarm, grind them into fine paste.

Add chick pea and blend it again.

Now add soaked tamarind along with water, coconut and salt.

Blend all these into a fine paste.

Chutney is finished.

To add a little more taste, follow this:

Heat oil in pan, add mustard and curry leaves. Saute for 2 min.

Add this to chutney.

Serve breakfast items along with chutney.

To this chutney, yogurt can also be added. This gives a different taste.

Ven pongal

Preparation time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

Rice: 1 cup

Moong Dal: 1 cup

Ghee/ butter: 4 tsp

Black pepper: 1 tsp

Cashew nuts: 4 tsp (optional)

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Curry leaves: 5

Salt to taste

Method:

Mix rice and moong dal with 3 or 6 cups of water.

3 cups of water keep the rice grains separate and somewhat dry.

6 cups of water make the rice and dal into a paste.

Pressure cook them. Overcooking make them into paste.So choice is yours.

When it is done, heat 2 tsp of ghee in a pan.

Add black pepper and cumin seeds.

Be careful while doing this as pepper splatter and might cause injury.

Then add curry leaves.

Mix this with rice and dal.

Add salt to rice.

Pour 1 tsp of moderately heated ghee over before serving.

Also serve with any chutney.

Black beans sandwich

This is an easy, spicy and tasty sandwich.Its a Rachel Ray's recipe.

Preparation time: 20 min.

Ingredients: Moderate the measurement if you do not want it to be too hot.

Black beans: 1 tin

Ground chicken/ turkey: 200g.(optional)

Garlic: 4 cloves (finely chop)

Jalapeno/ Green chilly: 1

Baguette: foot long

Hot sauce: 1 tsp

Salsa: 4 tsp

Cumin pwd: 1 tsp

Red chili pwd: 1 tsp

EVOO: 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

For Topping: Finely chop the following

Lettuce

Onions

Tomatoes

Olives

Banana pepper (optional)

Fat free Smoked cheddar cheese

Shredded Pepper jack cheese

Method:

Heat oil(EVOO) in pan. Add garlic, jalapeno.

Add ground meat if wanted.

Add half tin of black beans. Mash the remaining beans and add to the pan.

Add salt, red chili pwd, cumin pwd.

Add hot sauce.

Add little amount of water if needed.

Cook until it is done.

Make 2 halves of baguette and slice it into 2 pieces horizontally.

Scrape out the inner part of it.Keep it aside.

Pack it in moisture free cover and can be used as bread crumbs.

Preheat oven at 375F.

Keep the curry in the middle of bread.

Add salsa, a layer of cheese.

Place the toppings over it.

Add cheese over it.

Place them on greased baking tray.

Keep it in the preheated oven.

Heat it until cheese melts i.e., approx. 5 min.

Sardarji jokes

1) Sardar to his servant: Go and water the plants.
Servant: It's already raining.
Sardar: So what take an umbrella and go.

2) Sardar found the answer to the most difficult question ever -
What will come first, Chicken or egg?
O Yaar, what ever U order first, will come first.

3) Postman: - I Have To Come 5 Miles to Deliver U This Packet
Sardar: - why did U come so far. Instead U could Have posted it....

4)A man: "Sardarji, tell me, why Manmohan Singh goes for a walk in the evening not in the morning?"
Sardarji: ''Arey bhai Manmohan is PM not AM''.

5) Sardar visits Chinese friend dying in hospital.
The Chinese friend just says "CHIN YU YAN" and dies.
Sardarji goes to China to find the meaning of his friend's last Words.
And finds It means "U R STANDNG ON the OXYGEN TUBE!"

6) Sardarji was standing in front of the mirror with his eyes closed.
His wife asked what you are doing.
He said-I am seeing how I look while sleeping.

Indian Cucumber pickle

This is also my mama's recipe. We call it as " Dosakaya Avakaya". This is made with yellow coloured cucumber but not with regular green cucumber. Its shelf life is supposedly of 1 month. But for me, it has been 4 months I made this pickle, and even now, it is tasting good.
Preparation time: 15 min.
Ingredients:
Cucumber: 1 ( cut them into 1/2" cubes)
Red chili powder: 1 cup
Salt: 1 cup
Mustard powder: 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 cup ( make them into fine powder)
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Oil: 2cups
Method:
In a moisture-free bowl, mix all the above said ingredients well.
Transfer this into a dry jar preferably air tight glass jar.
Pour 1 tbsp of oil over the top of the pickle.
This tastes good with a no. of dishes.

Egg dosa

There are different types of egg dosa too.
Preparation time: 30 min.
Ingredients:
Rice flour: 4 cups
Grated coconut: 2 cups
Green chilies: 4
Coriander leaves : a handful
Eggs: 2
Cumin seeds/ powder: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil: 2 tbsp
Method:
Mix all the above ingredients except oil.
Add water and bring the batter to dosa consistency and pour dosa just as described in the previous post 'DOSA'.
Serve hot with chutney.

Hyderabadi Biryani

This dish is very famous in Hyderabad.It is usually done with lamb but I tried with chicken. This is a rrrealll spicy dish.
Preparation time: 3 hrs.
Working time: 1 hr.
Ingredients:
Lamb/ chicken: 1 kilo ( cut into medium sized pieces)
Basmati rice: 1/2 kg.
Onions: 4 medium ( finely chop)
Coriander leaves: 1 big bunch ( finely chop)
Mint leaves: 1 small bunch ( finely chop)
Ginger- garlic : 2 tbsp
Red chili powder: 3 tbsp
Green chili: 4
Milk: half a cup
Lemon: 2
Saffron: a pinch
Cloves: 8
Ghee/ butter: 2 tbsp
Cinnamon: 1"
Cardamom: 6
Caraway seeds: 1/2 tsp
Pepper: 1 tsp
Bay leaves:2
Oil: 5 tbsp
Method:
Heat 3tbsp of oil in pan. Add onions and saute. When they are done, keep them aside.
Marinate chicken with the following ingredients for 2 hrs:
Ginger- garlic, Salt, Red chili powder, half a bunch of coriander, full bunch of mint leaves, green chillies, lemon juice, cardamom- 4, Cloves-6, Cinnamon, Caraway seeds, pepper and fried onions.
After 2 hrs, heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, and add chicken to it. Let it cook on medium heat. Keep stirring now and then. This curry alone tastes good with plain rice.
Soak saffron in milk.
In one more heavy bottomed pan, pour 8 glasses of water. Let it boil.
When it boils,add cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, little salt and then rice.
When the rice is 2/3rds done,drain the remaining water and pour the rice on a wide bottomed vessel. Let the rice cool a little.
Take a baking dish, grease it well with ghee/ butter.
Spread rice on it as a layer, cooked chicken over the top of it as a second layer and cover this with rice.Do this until chicken and rice are completely covered but the top layer must be rice.
Keep the gravy separate if desired. Later we can serve biryani with rice.
Now, sprinkle milk and saffron over the rice.
Spread the remaining coriander leaves over the top of the rice. Add 1 tbsp of ghee/ butter.
Cover it and keep it on the oven at 300 F until it is done. That might take 10- 15 min.
Or this can also be kept on stove using a heavy bottomed pan.
Serve hot with raita.
Raita is basically curd and chopped onions with salt. We can add grated carrot and cucumber too.

Split chick pea curry

This might sound weird but it tastes good. This is my mother's recipe and one of my favourites.Preparation time: 1 hr. 15 min.
Working time: 20 min.
Ingredients:
Split chick pea: 1 cup (soak for half an hour)
Onion: 1 medium ( finely chop)
Green chilies: 2
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds/ powder: 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds/ powder: 1 tsp
Cinnamon : 1" stick / half tsp
Cloves: 2
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil: 1 tbsp
Method:
After soaking, pressure cook the chick peas. Do not overcook. The peas should be separate.
Fry onions & green chillies in a pan.
Add chick pea splits and rest of the ingredients.
Pour 1/4 cup of water. Saute well.
Keep the lid and cook until it is done.
Serve hot with rice.

Dosa

There are a no. of varieties in Dosa. Here, I am giving the recipe of plain dosa.
Preparation time: 12 hrs
Working time: 30 min.
Serving size: 5-6 members
Ingredients:
Split black gram: 1 cup
Rice: 2 cups
Salt to taste
Oil: 2 tbsp
Method:
Soak black gram & rice overnight.
Grind them separately into a smooth paste by adding sufficient water.
Mix these two and add salt.
Add water if needed. The consistency of the batter should be that of a ketchup roughly or a little bit diluted.
If the batter is left out for 4-6 hrs, it ferments and dosa tastes good.
Now heat a flat, circular frying pan.
When it is hot, sprinkle little amount of water on the pan and pour half a cup of batter on it ; and spread the batter from centre towards the periphery with a cup shaped spoon.
Pour small amounts of oil over the periphery of dosa.
When it is cooked ( takes around 3-4 min on medium heat), remove it with a flat spoon.
Serve hot with chutney.

Egg biryani

This is a spicy dish.I have decreased the measurements of spices but still moderate the measurements according to your taste.
Preparation time: 30-45 min.
Serving size: 5-6 members
Ingredients:
Basmati rice: 2 cups (Soak for half an hour)
Eggs: 4 hard boiled (make each of them into 2 halves)
Onion:1 large ( finely chop)
Green chillies: 3
Garam Masala: 1 tsp
Cardamoms: 3
Ginger-garlic paste:1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder: 1 tsp
Bay leaves:2
Cloves: 3
Oil: 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Hot water:3 and 1/2 cups
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Method:
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed large pan. It would be better if the lid has a small hole that acts as a vent for the steam.
Saute onion till golden brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute till the raw smell is gone.
Add green chillies . Saute.
When they are done, add bay leaves, cloves & cardamoms.
Add turmeric powder, red chili powder & garam masala.
Add halved eggs.
Add washed and drained rice, salt and water.
Mix carefully.
Close the lid and cook till rice is done.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Garlic curry

Garlic has a No. of medicinal values. It protects against cancer, good for vascular system, Diabetes ,common cold and many more. Although its action in lowering LDL,triglyceride levels is debatable right now, on the whole garlic is an amazing herb.
This is my mother's recipe. These days my father has become a constant pain in tooth during meals time . But when the day garlic curry is made, we all will have a quite and peaceful dinner.
Preparation time: 20 min. ( if garlic is already peeled)
Ingredients:
Garlic bulbs: 2 (peel)
Onion: 1 small ( finely chop)
Green chilies:2
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder to taste
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder:1/4 tsp
Oil: 2 tbsp
Method:

Heat oil in a pan.
Fry chopped onion till it becomes golden brown.
Add coriander and cumin powders.
Add turmeric, red chili powder and salt.
Saute well.
Add garlic. Stir until the mixture coats all the garlic cloves.
Add little water about 1/4 cup.
Cook until garlic softens and water is completely absorbed.
Serve hot with rice/ roti.

Crispy snack

This is an easy but time taking snack. Kids will have something to munch after they come from school. Its shelf life would be around 20 days if packed in an air tight container. It can be made in 2 flavors: hot / bland. Bland variety tastes good with ketchup and onion.
Preparation time: 1 hr.
Ingredients:
All purpose flour: 500 gram
Red chili powder: 2 tbsp ( actually, to taste.)
Butter /Ghee : 1-2 tbsp
Asafoetida: 1 tsp (optional)
Baking soda: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying.
Method:
Mix all the above said ingredients except oil.
Keep adding small amounts of water and knead well till its consistency resembles that of a pizza dough.
Now taking a handful of the dough, spread and roll it into thin sheet with the help of a rolling pin.
Then take a knife and cut the dough into diamond shaped pieces of 1" length.
This is done by making long slits from 2 sides of the sheet.
Now, heat the oil in a wok or a vessel of that shape.
Deep fry these pieces.
Remove them when they turn golden brown.Drain them well. This step is important because residues of oil spoil the taste and shelf life.
Let them chill and store in an air tight container.

So many Gods

In my school & college days, my friends from other religions (by birth, I am a Hindu) used to ask us," Why do you have so many Gods? Don't you get confused while worshipping them? You give priorities among your Gods, does that mean you are being partial to some of them? Is that not ruining the concept of equality and integrity?......and many more questions to which we could not give rational explanations.From that time onwards, I always used to think about these questions. At different stages of my life, I came up with different answers. Now, I came up with one more explanation. Here is one of my answers:

I agree the fact that Hinduism has a no. of Gods. If we closely observe them, everyone have their own different traits. I will try to explain a few of them.

1. Lord Ganesha: Most of the Hindu people must be knowing that He is a dwarf and fat guy with an elephant face. He is worshipped for success in every work we do like education, jobs etc. In medicine, dwarfs are considered to be very intelligent. Their body might not grow properly but their brain power is amazing if they use it properly. I don't remember the various types of dwarfisms. In one type, they have excellent athletic skills.
We have a tendency to laugh at others who look different from normal appearance. Some of us take one step forward and comment them in front of their faces. They don't even think twice before they do that. This God is trying to teach us to respect the persons who look differently from us.i.e., mutants (remember, he has an elephant shaped face). Worship the soul that is underlying beneath this body. Try to see the inner beauty.
He uses mouse as his vehicle. This used to look too weird to believe in my childhood. But I think He is trying to teach us no creature in this world is lesser than any other creature. Every species has got its own powers.

2.Lord Hanuman is a monkey. He always meditates, a strict bachelor, a loyal and dedicated disciple to Lord Rama. He has got extreme strength, muscle power but he never misuses his powers. He is well known for his humbleness too.
Monkey is supposed to be the most unstable animal in this world. It behaves as if it is suffering from ADHD( Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). And see all the noble attributes of Lord Hanuman. They are in complete contrast to his birth traits. He is emotionally stable. Nothing in this world can perturb his tranquility. Abstaining from carnal pleasures is not an easy task. Its not at all a matter of discussion to him. Even though he has got an amazing physical strength, he used it only in emergency that too for a good reason. He teaches us that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE if we work on it. ( how ironic that I am saying this?)

3.Lord Rama is a normal human being with no divine powers. He cannot create gold by waving his hand. He went through a lot of suffering but never left his principles. He stood for what he believed in.He teaches us that a normal human being can also develop divine qualities.

And many more stories to say. Finally, what Hinduism (ofcourse all the religions) trying to say is"See God in everything. Literally EVERYTHING". Based on our personality and interests, we worship those Gods to whom we get attracted to. Gods ( if they are more than one) never have the problem of equality and integrity.

These are my thoughts for now. They might change in the future. I personally believe in all religions. No single religion is higher or lesser than other religions. They all teach us positivity. That's all. I love Buddha. I love Jesus. I worship them yet I am a Hindu and I happily worship Hindu Gods too. And my Gods never fight among themselves.HA HA HAAA....

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To Go Rice noodle upma

This is a simple, healthy and easy breakfast.Only requirement is keep a packet of rice noodles at home.

Preparation time: 20 min.

Ingredients:

Rice noodles: 1 medium packet

Green chili :3

Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

Oil: 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Split black gram:2 tsp

Mustard: 1 tsp

Dry red chili:1

Bengal gram/chick pea slits: 3tbsp

Garnishing:

Coriander leaves

Cashew nuts

Method:

Boil rice noodles in water.Drain them and keep them separate.

In a medium sized pan, heat oil.Add seasoning.

Add green chili, cashew, turmeric, salt and rice noodles.

Mix well until turmeric coats the noodles.This gives a beautiful appearance.

Fry for 5 min.