Urad ki dal recipe

Its very simple to cook and tastes awesome

The awesome urad ki dal 

Prep Time  5 mins
Cooking Time  20 mins


Ingredients
1/2 cup dhuli urad ki dal (dhuli and split)
2tsp jeera (cumin) seeds
2tbsp oil
1tsp hing (asafoetida) powder
2tsp lal mirch (red chilli) powder
1tsp haldi (turmeric) powder
1tbsp grated adrak (ginger)
salt to taste
water to boil dal
fresh coriander leaves for garnishing


Method
1. Wash the urad ki dal and soak in water for 10 minutes.

Soaked urad dal

2. Now add the dal in the pressure cook and add enough water for boiling the dal. Allow 4 whistles and then lower the heat and cook for 3 minutes or until 1 more whistle and then remove from gas.

Dal Cooking

3. Once the steam is released form the pressure cooker add salt, turmeric powder and grated ginger.

Grated ginger in cooked dal 

4. You can see lots of water still in the dal . We need to boil the dal to achieve a  thicker consistency.

Dal boiling

 5. Once the desired consistency is achieved we prepare the tadka (tempering). Heat oil in a small ladle and add cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds crackle add hing and lal mirch powder. As soon lal mirch powder mixes in oil add the tadka to the dal. The secret to get the nice red color of tadka is that the lal mirch podwer should not get  burnt in the oil.

The Tadka

6.  Garnish the dal with fresh coriander leaves and then the dal is ready to eat.

Urad ki dal

Let me know your experience of cooking this dal and do share some pics :)

Tip - The taste of the dal depends on the consistency

My recipe of Quesadilla on ndtv cooks :)

My recipe of quesadilla posted on ndtv cooks :)

http://cooks.ndtv.com/recipe/show/quick-quesadilla-296212/type/user

Methi Matar Malai Recipe

The recipe appears on most of the restaurant menu but is simple to cook. :)

Prep Time - 10 mins

Cooking Time - 10 mins

Ingredients 

1 bunch methi ( fenugreek leaves)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 onion finely chopped

1/2 cup malai or cream

1 tsp salt

1 tsp turmeric podwer

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp sugar

Method

1. Chop and wash the methi ( fenugreek leaves)

2. Heat oil in a wok and add the finely chopped onions.

3. Once the onions are translucent add the chopped methi 

4. Boil the frozen peas 

5. Add the peas and allow it to cook until water if any dries 

6. Now add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, sugar and mix well.

7. Now add cream mix well and then cook on low heat for 1 minute and serve 

Tip - Add cream just before serving the dish and do not cook for long after adding cream

Chopped Onion

Chopped methi ( fenugreek) leaves

Frozen peas in boiling water

Methi Matar Malai

You can also check on below link for the recipe

http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/methi-matar-malai.aspx

Cafe Good Luck, Pune

My dad told me to try Cafe Good Luck. I must say it is a nice place to have good food at low cost :).

The place is entirely packed through out the day. The place attracts all generation of people from youngsters to people coming along with family.

We had gone during lunch hours and tried rumali roti , special chapati and Good Luck Special Boneless chicken.The chicken was awesome - very soft and the gravy is was full of fire with chunks of onion pieces in it.The rumali roti is very soft and light and is served nicely folded in square shape.
The entire meal cost was  INR 191 :) 

After a great lunch we decided visit the place again to try the breakfast delicacies. The breakfast starts at 6 AM and the cafe is open till 11 PM.We tried the famous brun maska and bun cheese omelette.The brun maska is a small bread loaf with the outer crust a little hard like a rusk and filled with generous quantity of maska ( butter) . The brun maska should be had along with tea because you can dip it in tea and easily bite into the hard crust of the brun. The bun cheese omelette is basically a cheese slice, omelette served between the bun. The bun is a big sweet bun with cherry in it and is really fresh.

The next thing we tried was chicken cheese grilled sandwich and chutney sandwich. The chicken cheese sandwich had lots of chunks of chicken and cheese and was grilled perfectly. The chutney sandwich had nice layer of maska and chutney ( not grilled) , the bread slices were fresh and soft and was awesome. In all we spent approx INR 180 for the awesome breakfast. A must visit to this place when you are in Pune.

http://www.zomato.com/pune/cafe-goodluck-deccan-gymkhana/info

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Jhatpat Gobhi Aloo

This one is a quicker and tastes awesome :)

Prep Time 5 mins
Cooking Time 5 mins

Ingredients
250 grams gobhi (cauliflower florets)
4 aloo (potatoes)
2tsp coriander powder
2tsp dry mango powder
2 tsp slat
2tsp red chili powder    
oil for frying

Method
1.Wash and peel the potatoes.
2. Slice the potatoes.
3. Heat oil in wok and fry the gobhi (cauliflower) florets until they turn brown.
4. Remove the gobhi florets and place on tissue paper to remove excess oil.
5. Fry the aloo (potatoes) until they turn brown and then remove on tissue paper to remove excess oil.
6. Place the fried gobhi florets and aloo (potatoes) in a mixing bowl
7. Mix coriander powder, red chili powder, dry mango powder and salt.
8. Sprinkle the dry powder mixture as desired on the gobhi florets and the aloo (potatoes) and mix well.
9. Enjoy the jhatpat gobhi aloo
Tip - Put the dry powder mixture on the gobhi florets and aloo (potatoes) when hot.

Raw gobhi florets and sliced aloo (potatoes)

Fired gobhi and aloo

Dry powder mixture

The final product :)

Spinach Macaroni with Cheese

Spinach Macaroni with cheese is a good accompaniment with breads..

Ingredients
For Spinach Layer
1 bunch spinach blanched and chopped
2 onions chopped
100 grams grated paneer
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
crushed black pepper

For Mushroom Layer
250 grams mushroom
2 tsp oil
1 tsp salt
crushed black pepper


For Macaroni Layer
4 tomatoes blanched and puree
1 1/2 cup boiled macaroni
10 cloves garlic
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
crushed black pepper
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Method
For Spinach Layer
1. Heat oil in a wok and add chopped onions.
2. Once the onions are translucent add blanched and chopped spinach.
3. Once the spinach is dry add grated paneer.
4. Add salt and crushed black pepper.

For Mushroom Layer
1. Wash and slice the mushrooms.
2. Add oil in the wok and add sliced mushrooms.
3. Once the water dries in the mushroom add salt and crushed black pepper.

For Macaroni Layer
1. Puree the blanch tomatoes.
2. Heat oil in a wok and add chopped garlic.
3. Once the garlic is little brown add the tomato puree.
4. Add the boiled macaroni when the tomato puree is little thick.

Arrange the layers in oven proof dish
1. First add the spinach layer, then mushroom layer and then macaroni layer.
2. Now add grated mozzarella cheese or cheese slices.
3. Bake in the oven at 180 degree Celsius until cheese melts.
4. Dig in to the Spinach Macaroni with cheese.

Spinach cooked with onion

Final spinach layer

Diced mushrooms

Sauteed mushroom

Mushroom layer on top of spinach layer

Garlic in wok

Blanched tomatoes

Tomato puree thick enough to add macaroni

Boiled Macaroni

Top layer of macaroni

You may also check
http://southernfood.about.com/od/macaroniandcheeserecipes/r/r70322c.htm

Kofta in Spinach Gravy

Nutritious food to be enjoyed in the winter season

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients
For Kofta
4 boiled potatoes
4 tbsp rice flour
2 tsp red chilli powder
Oil for frying
Salt as per taste

For Palak Gravy
1 bunch  spinach
2 tbsp cooking oil
10 whole black peppers
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 bay leaf
1 stick cardamom
2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 cup water for gravy
Water for blanching spinach
Salt as per taste


Method

For making kofta
1. Peel and grate the boiled potatoes.
2. Add salt, red chilli powder and rice flour. Mix all things together to get dough like consistency
3. Make small balls of the mixture
4. Heat oil in a wok.
5. Now keep the flame slow and fry 4 balls at a time until the balls turn brown from the outside.

For the gravy
1. Wash the spinach. Boil water in big pan.
2. In the boiling water add spinach. Allow it to boil for 2~3 mins and remove from water.
3. Allow spinach to cool and then make puree.
4. In a wok add cumin, bay leaf, black pepper, cardamom.
5. When the cumin crackles add the spinach puree.
6. Add salt, chilli powder, 1/2 cup water and mix well.
7. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame for 2 mins.

At the time of serving mix the kofta to the gravy

Tip- To retain spinach color, blanch spinach without covering it with a lid

Blanched Spinach

Dough for kofta

Kofta Balls

Kofta ready 

Palak gravy ready

Matar Paneer recipe

This recipe is documented for my hubby. So that when i am on my vacation he can cook some ghar ka khana and that is why it is simple and easy to cook :)


Prep time  5 mins
Cooking time 15 mins

Ingredients 
250 gm paneer ( cut into cubes)
4 tomatoes
1/2 cup matar ( peas)
2 cups water
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1 tsp haldi (turmeric) powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste

Method
1. Wash the tomatoes and cut into big chunks
2. Blend the tomatoes in amixer or blender to get a puree
3. Heat oil in a kadhai and add jeera.
4. Once the jeera sizzles add tomato puree.
5. Cover and let it cook on slow flame.
6. Keep stirring in between.
7. Once tomatoes are done (oil appears on the surface) add haldi, salt, red chilli powder and mix.
8. Add peas and water and allow it to boil.
9. Now add paneer cubes and and garam masala.
10. Cover the lid and cook for 2 mins.
11. Matar panner is ready and u can combine it with jeera rice to have great meal.


Tip - do not boil too much after adding panner, as the paneer would then become chew. Quantity of water will depend upon how much thick gravy you desire.

To the sizzling jeera add tomato puree

Tomato puree splatters so cove and cook

Cooking oil appears on top of the tomato puree

Matar paneer boiling

Matar Paneer ready to eat

Combo - matar paneer and jeera rice

Jeera Rice Recipe

A simple and easy recipe - Jeera Rice

Pre Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients
1 cup rice
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 tsp jeera (cumin)
2 cup water

Method
1. Wash the rice and allow it to soak in water for 10 mins.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
3. Add jeera and when it crackles add the rice.
4. Now add 2 cups of water.
5. Cover the pressure cooker.
6. Cook on high flame and after 2 whistles lower down the flame.
7. After the 3rd whistle switch off the gas.
8. After steam leaves the pressure cooker the jeera rice is ready to eat

Soaked rice in cooker

Jeera rice on my plate

and the rest in cooker 

Tip - Water amount is always double the rice amount to get perfectly cooked rice. 

Domino's Taco Indiana review

Checked out the latest side offer of Domino's - Taco's. It is available in both Taco Indiana Veg and Taco Indiana Non Veg. I tried the Taco Indiana veg . It costs you INR 89 and  the portion is decent enough for the evening snack

It is basically a crisp paranthaa Stuffed with 2 veg patties and cheese and topped with lots of oregano. The veg cutlets are nice and crisp and tasted like the veg burger in KFC ( stuffed with chick pea). Also the spices are mild and kids would love eating it.For each order you will get 2 tacos.

Personally i did not like it much as the veg cutlets have no flavor or spices. The only thing one can taste is lots of oregano and nothing else.

The Taco Indiana Chicken comes with minced chicken filling.

Taco Indiana Veg 

Taco Indiana Veg

http://www.dominos.co.in/menu/side-orders/more/taco-indiana-veg