Author: ashashenoy

Categories
Lunch thali

Dal Tadka and Jeera Rice

Dal Tadka with Jeera Rice

Our family favorite combo which is prepared during most of the celebrations such as birthdays and anniversaries. Usually we prepare dal tadka and eat it once with jeera rice and then for the next course chapati is made. Its a balanced, flavourful and healthy meal liked by all at home. Takes little longer to prepare but with proper planning one can work parallely and finish some tasks quickly.

Ingredients required-

For dal tadka :

  1. Toor dal – 1cup
  2. Masoor dal – 1cup
  3. Moong dal – 1/4cup
  4. Water – about 4cup
  5. Oil – 4+2tsp
  6. Jeera -1+1tsp
  7. Red chilly-1
  8. Ginger- 1 inch
  9. Garlic- 25-30
  10. Green chilly-3
  11. Onion-2
  12. Tomato-3
  13. Curry leaves-5strands
  14. Kasuri methi – 1tsp
  15. Salt to taste
  16. Red chilly powder – about 2tsp
  17. Coriander powder- about 1tsp
  18. Turmeric powder- 1+1tsp
  19. Hing powder-1/2tsp

For Jeera rice-

  1. Oil – 5tsp
  2. Jeera -3tsp
  3. Onion-1
  4. Pepper powder- 3tsp
  5. Salt to taste
  6. Basmati rice-2cups
  7. Oil -1tsp
  8. Cardamom
  9. Cinnamon
  10. Cloves

Method of preparation-

Since we are preparing them together i will mention the steps so that it can be done parallely.

  • First wash the rice and keep it for cooking by adding about 3-4cup water, 1tsp oil and few pieces of whole spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, star asin, cloves.
  • Also wash the toor dal, masoor dal and moong dal and place it in cooker adding water
  • Cook it for about 6 whistles. Be careful as dal might come out during the process. If required turn the gas to medium flame in between.
  • Meanwhile peal and chop ginger, garlic into small pieces. Cut green chillies into small round pieces.
  • Also cut onion (2+1) and tomatoes in to tiny pieces. Cut the coriander leaves and keep everything aside.
  • Once the rice is cooked, don’t cook it till mushy. Drain the water once it is just done and keep it for cooling. This will prevent the rice grains from breaking while preparing jeera rice.
  • Also open the cooker lid and mix well.
  • To prepare jeera rice, to a kadai add oil and add jeera, add a few curry leaves.
  • Once spluttered, add onion and fry for sometime. Then add pepper powder and salt to taste. Mix well.
  • Now add cooked and cooled rice and mix very well to combine with everything.
  • Finally add coriander leaves.
  • For dal tadka take the kadai and add oil, jeera. Once spluttered add cut red chilly. Then add ginger, garlic and green chilly.
  • Fry them well for few minutes
  • Then add onion and mix for 2min. Next add tomatoes n cook till mushy.
  • Now add turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt to taste, hing powder and coriander powder.
  • Mix everything well and add the cooked dal mixture. And add water as required.
  • Cook for about 5min while stirring in between.
  • Crush and add the kasoori methi and few fresh curry leaves.
  • Finally add a tadka of jeera, chilly powder, hing powder and 1 red chilly in oil.
  • Add the tadka and cover and keep for a while so that flavor is combined.

Categories
festivefood konkanirecipe Lunch thali

Tomato Saaru

Tomato saaru / Saaru powder

There are a number of ways in which saaru is prepared. Different communities and even households have their own recipe as per their liking. Sharing here the recipe of saaru powder which we prepare and store for about a month.

Ingredients required-

For Saaru powder –

  1. Coriander seeds – 2tsp
  2. Methi seeds – 2tsp
  3. Jeera – 2tsp
  4. Chana dal – 5tsp
  5. Urad dal- 5tsp
  6. Toor dal – 5tsp
  7. Hing- a big piece
  8. Curry leaves- fist ful(4-5 strands)
  9. Byadagi red chilly-8-10

For saaru –

  1. Water -3 glass
  2. Ripe tomato-1
  3. Green chilly -3-4
  4. Tamarind- lemon sized
  5. Salt to taste
  6. Coriander leaves
  7. Mustard- 1tso
  8. Curry leaves- 1 strand
  9. Red chilly- 1
  10. Coconut oil – 2tsp

Method of preparation-

  • Dry roast all the items under Saaru powder till aromatic on medium flame.
  • Powder it, cool and store in a air tight container
  • To prepare saaru, to a vessel add finely chopped tomatoes, slit green chilly and water.
  • Boil it. Also add the extract of tamarind after soaking it in water.
  • Now add about 5tsp of above powder, salt to taste and cook for another 10min
  • Finally add chopped coriander leaves
  • Add a tadka of mustard, curry leaves and cut red chilly in coconut oil.

Note : A small piece of jaggery also can be added.

Categories
festivefood konkanirecipe Lunch Side Dish thali

Kadgi Chakko

Kadgi Chakko

This dish is prepared when tender most jackfruit is available. So i can say it is one of the first dishes we make when jackfruit season starts because we can prepare ghashi, koddel etc even after it is grown a bit(bikkand starts forming). Being a kadgi fan this one is my favorite dish too.

Ingredients required:

  1. Jack fruit
  2. Mustard seeds – 1tsp
  3. Curry leaves- 2-3 strands
  4. Urad dal -1.5tsp
  5. Coconut oil – 3tsp
  6. Urad dal – 2tsp(for masala)
  7. Coriander seeds- 2tsp
  8. Coconut- half
  9. Roasted red chilies- 6-7
  10. Tamarind- gooseberry size
  11. Jaggery- lemon sized
  12. Salt to taste

Method of preparation-

  • Cut the jackfruit remove skin and inner hard part(maavu)
  • Make tiny pieces of it
  • Take a heavy bottom pan and add oil
  • Add urad dal, mustard and curry leaves to prepare tadka
  • Then add jackfruit and add required water and cook till it becomes soft. Time may vary depending on jackfruit
  • Meanwhile roast urad dal and coriander seeds with little oil
  • To this add Coconut, tamarind and red chilly and prepare a coarse masala
  • Once jackfruit is cooked add the masala and jaggery and salt to taste.
  • Cook for 5-10 min or till raw smell of masala goes away.
Categories
Snacks

Veggie loaded Pizza

Veggie loaded Pizza

I am a beginner when it comes to baking. Considering the time and efforts it needs I bake rarely. But some recipes my family has learnt (I must say hard way, after a lot of failed attempts) and we keep preparing them. Pizza is one such thing. As this is expensive and we get to customize as per our taste at home(like more cheese 😁) we prepare it when everyone is at home. This was prepared today because our microwave oven got repaired.

Ingredients required-

For dough –

  1. Yeast – about 5tsp
  2. Sugar – 4 tsp
  3. Water – 1 cup
  4. Maida – about 2 cups
  5. Oil – about 7-8 tsp
  6. Salt to taste

For veggies mix

  1. Onion- 2
  2. Capsicum- 2
  3. Sweet corn – 1
  4. Pepper – 2tsp
  5. Any other vegetable of choice
  6. Salt to taste

For Paneer

  1. Paneer cubes – about 15
  2. Thick curd – 5tsp
  3. Salt to taste
  4. Chilly powder- 2tsp
  5. Pav bhaji masala – 1tsp

Other ingredients-

  1. Pizza sauce- about 3tsp for a pizza
  2. Mozzarella + cheddar cheese

Method of preparation-

  • First prepare the dough by mixing yeast, sugar and water for about 10min
  • After that add salt, oil and maida and kneed well to prepare a soft dough. Don’t add as much yeast as you add for the bread, it will make the crust very soft
  • Keep the kneeded dough for about 1hr by covering with a damp cloth
  • Meanwhile dice the veggies such as onions, capsicum, tomatoes etc
  • Prepare paneer by mixing curd, salt, chilly powder and pav bhaji masala. Mix well
  • Add paneer cubes and refrigerate. If you keep it outside it might leave water during baking
  • Once the dough is raised properly take a big dough ball
  • Greese the baking pan with oil and spread this dough
  • Next take the pizza sauce and spread it
  • Then spread the cheese
  • Next layer the veggies and paneer cubes
  • Next spread more cheese on top
  • Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for about 15min

Note

  1. Spread the cheese in the bottom. Spreading all the cheese on top my result in burning
  2. If preparing multiple pizza, refrigerate cheese and paneer after spreading. Keeping them out may result in release of water during baking
  3. Baking time may vary based on oven. I have a microwave oven. I used microwave convection mode.

Categories
festivefood konkanirecipe sweets

Gulab Jamun

Gulab jamun

We have 2 birthdays in January and February within a span of 15days. So before ordering cakes for birthday became a trend we always bought gulab jamun as the birthday sweet for 2 reasons. 1 it is not prepared always, so special sweet. 2nd most brands have buy 1 get 1 free offer so it was perfect for us to use in 2 occasions 😁 since it is read the instructions on the pack and prepare business its always given to me but I always messed up! Jamuns never became perfect until 1 day when my mom wasn’t well and I prepared it in hurry. That day I learnt few of my mistakes and corrected them. When we prepare something in hurry usually it becomes tasty as perfect right?

Ingredients required-

  1. Gulab Jamun mix – 1pack
  2. Water – about 1/2 glass
  3. Oil – for deep frying
  4. Sugar – 2cup
  5. Water – 2 cup
  6. Cardamom- 1

Method of preparation-

  • Empty the entire pack into a vessel and add water little by little while mixing
  • Continue till you get a soft dough. Make sure to add enough water else jamun will crack while frying if it is too dry.
  • Heat the oil and once hot, turn flame to medium
  • Add few jamuns and fry with continuous stirring. If flame is high it will turn brown from outside and will not cook inside.
  • Keep the fried jamuns for cooling
  • Meanwhile take the water and sugar to prepare a sugar syrup. Cook for about 15min till you get the syrup. Add crushed cardamom.
  • Once this is ready allow to cool.
  • Finally mix cooled jamun to cooled sugar syrup and allow to rest for about 1hr. Cooling is important to prevent cracking of jamuns. I always used to add hot jamun to hot sugar syrup and that was biggest mistake.
  • Garnish with chopped almonds while serving.

Note :

You can fry the jamoons in ghee but if you are planning to refrigerate, they might turn little hard.