Stuffed Brinjal Gravy

This is a tasty side dish made with coin sized or medium sized brinjal, that are stuffed with coconut, ground nut based masala paste and cooked in gravy style. It taste delicious with rotti or rice.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves : 2- 3 people

INGREDIENTS:

Small brinjal - 25 to 30 no.s( I used very small, coin sized brinjal. If you are using a medium one, use 4 to 5 brinjal)
Oil  - 3 tablespoon
Mustard - 1 teaspoon

FOR MASALA  PASTE:

Ground nut - 1/4 cup
White sesame seeds - 2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Chana dal - 2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
dry red chilli - 4 to 5 no.s
Coconut - 1/2 cup fresh or dessicated
Jaggery - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - as required

METHOD:

1. Wash brinjals, and cut them in X shape on the top, without removing its stalk.

2. Put them in water, so that they dont turn dark.

3. In a pan, dry roast ground nuts, for sometime.

4. Now add 2 teaspoon of white sesame seeds and roast for just 30 seconds, as sesame seeds gets burnt fast. Transfer the contents to a plate and allow it to cool down.

5. In the same pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil . Then add chana dal, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilli and fry till they change color. Transfer them to a plate and allow them to cool down. In the same pan, dry roast coconut for 1 to 2 minute.

6. Now grind the items prepared in step 4 and 5 , along with turmeric powder , salt and jaggery in to a thick paste by adding required water.

7. Now take each brinjal and stuff this masala paste inside.

8. In a pan, add 3 tablespoon of oil. Then add mustard. Once it splutters, add the stuffed brinjal and fry in medium flame , until the color of brinjal changes.

9. Now add the remaining masala paste  and required water to get gravy like consistency.

10. Once it starts to boil, reduce the flame to low and cover it and cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. You can use a fork to poke  the brinjal  to check if it is cooked well. Stuffed brinjal gravy is ready !. Serve with rice or rotti :)

SEE ALSO : Baingan Bharta , Brinjal Kadhi, Brinjal dal 

Aapam

Aapam is similar to dosa, and made with raw rice, boiled rice, poha and coconut. The dish originated from Kerala, India  and also eaten in Tamil Nadu as breakfast or dinner. Aapam taste very good with sweetened coconut milk or any side dish made with groundnut. Here is my recipe below for how to make it .Please try and enjoy making aapam !.

Preparation Time : 30 minutes (not including soaking time)
Serves: 14-15 no.s

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati Rice or any raw rice - 2 cup
Parboiled or boiled or idly rice - 1 cup
Poha(aval or flattened rice )  - a fistful
Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
Coconut powder or fresh coconut - 1/2 cup
Quick rise dry yeast - 1/4 teaspoon
Sugar - 1.5 teaspoon
Salt - as required

METHOD:

1. Wash rice 2 to 3 times and soak rice and fenugreek seeds separately for 5 to 6 hours.

2. Wash poha and drain the water . No need to soak the poha.

3. In a large bowl, take 1/4 teaspoon of quick rise dry yeast. Add 1/4 cup of warm water and 1.5 teaspoon of sugar. Sugar helps in activating the yeast.

4. Now drain water from the soaked rice and fenugreek seeds. Grind rice, fenugreek seeds, poha, coconut . When grinding, do not add more water initially. Add little by little , as it take time for rice to grind smoothly. Now pour the batter in the bowl in which you have activated yeast. Mix the batter well with the yeast and allow it to ferment for 7 to 8 hours.

5. After fermentation, the batter raises up well. Now add water and mix well. The batter should be in flowing consistency as below.

6. Now take aapam pan, and once it is hot, pour some batter and rotate it well, so the batter touches all the sides.

7. Keep the flame in medium, cover the lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Once cooked, you can see pores on the top of aapam. No need to flip the aapam. Serve with coconut milk.

Potato Paneer Sandwich

This is a very tasty sandwich made with boiled and mashed potatoes, paneer crumbs and spices. It can be given as a lunchbox food for kids !.

Note:  Approved by my 8 year old son Sanjay that,  this sandwich is indeed very delicious to eat :)

Preparation Time: Under 20 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 10 minutes
Serves : 9-10 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:

Potato - 2 no.s
Paneer - 3/4 cup ( From 1 liter of thick milk)
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped
Chaat masala - 1.5 teaspoon
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Italian herbs and spices - 1 teaspoon
Salt - as required
Asafoetida powder - as required
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. Boil potatoes in pressure cooker , remove skin and mash them well.

2. In a pan, take 1 liter of thick milk, and boil it. When it boils and comes up, add 1.5 tablespoon of lemon juice. The milk starts breaking and forms paneer. Filter the water and take the paneer crumbs.

3. In a pan, add 1 teaspoon of oil. Fry the paneer crumbs till they change color.

4. Set aside the paneer. In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon of  oil. Add some cumin seeds. Once it crackles, add onion and fry till they get translucent.

5. Now add kashmiri chilli powder and fry for a minute, till the raw smell of chilli powder is gone.

6. Now reduce the flame to low and add chat masala , salt and mix well. Then immediately add boiled potato and paneer crumbs. Sprinkle the Italian herbs and seasoning . Mix all the contents well. In case if the mixture is very dry, then you can add little water and keep the flame in medium until all the water is mixed with potato.

7. The potato filling is ready now. In a tawa, add some butter and toast bread.

8. In one bread, apply some ketchup and in another bread, spread the potato paneer filling.

9. Cover the bread and slice them in to your desired shapes and serve hot !. This dish can be made as evening snacks or dinner.

NOTE:

If you are planning to give this recipe for lunchbox, remove all the four sides of the bread before toasting and also toast it slightly.Because, the kids eat it during lunchtime and the food may not be hot, the sides of the bread turn hard and it gets difficult to chew if the bread is toasted to golden brown. So remove the sides of bread and also toast it slightly.


SEE ALSO: Semolina/Rava Toast, Masala Sandwich

Tomato Soup

Easy to make, healthy and delicious tomato soup !

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Tomato - 3 no.s
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped
Garlic- 2 to 3 cloves.
Carrot - 1/2 no.
Bay Leaf - 2 no.s
Salt - As required
Pepper - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Water - 1 cup
Thick milk - 2 tablespoon
Butter - 2 tablespoon


METHOD:

1. In a pan add some butter. Once it melts , add onion, chopped garlic and bay leaf and fry till they change colour.

2. Now add tomato, carrot and  some salt and saute for a minute, till tomatoes change colour.

3. Now add 1/2 cup of water , cover and boil for about 10 minutes.

4. Now open the lid. Remove the bay leaf and allow the mixture to cool down. Then grind it into a smooth paste without adding any water.

5. Transfer the paste to another vessel and another 1/2 cup of water or more adjusting consistency.

6. Add required salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper power and 1 teaspoon of sugar and allow the contents to boil for one or two minutes. Then switch off the stove and add 2 tablespoon of thick milk. Your tomato soup is ready !. Serve with toasted bread or salty butter rusk !

SEE ALSO: Pumpkin Soup, Mix Veg Soup

Sweet Kozhukattai (Bengal gram and Jaggery filling)

Earlier I have given sweet kozhukattai recipe that uses fried gram (pottu kadalai) and jaggery. Now this recipe uses bengal gram (kadalai paruppu) instead of fried gram and give much better taste !

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Serves: 10-12 no.s

INGREDIENTS:

Bengal gram / கடலை பருப்பு/ Channa dal - 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Dessicated or fresh grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Rice flour - 1.5 cups

METHOD:

1. Soak bengal gram for 3 to 4 hours. Pressure cook them by adding water just to immerse it. Cook in high whistle and then in simmer mode for 10 minutes. Open the lid and remove excess water from the dal.

2. In another vessel, add jaggery and add water just enough to immerse it. Allow it to boil, till it dissolves. Then filter the impurities.

3. Meanwhile, take Rice flour. Add some salt and oil. Add hot water and mix gently and form a firm dough.

4. In a heavy bottomed pan, add the filtered jaggery syrup and allow it to boil. Once it starts to boil, it froths up and comes as shown in below picture.

5. Now add the cooked dal and coconut powder.

6. Mix the contents well without any lumps.

7. It takes some time for the dal to get thick.Keep stirring continuously.  After some 5 to 6 minutes, the mixture thickens and comes together. Add elachi powder.

8 . Now, take lemon sized rice flour ball. Flatten a little with your hand.

9. Now take some filling and keep it inside.

10. Cover it on all sides.

11. Steam it for 9 to 10 minutes. Kozhukkattais are ready to serve !.

NOTES:

Try another sweet kozhukkattai recipe  with different filling.