Veg Samosa

Tasty veg samosa recipe is here!

Serves: 8-9 samosas
Preparation time - 40 minutes
Cooking Time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

FILLING:
Potato- 1 no.( large size)
Peas - 1/4 cup
Onion- 1/2 cup(Diced finely)
Ginger - 1 tea spoon(Diced finely)
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - As required.

OUTER LAYER:
All purpose flour/Maida - 1 1/2 cup
salt-1/2 teaspoon
Butter-1 1/2 tablespoon
Baking soda - a pinch


METHOD:
1. Take all purpose flour in a bowl. Add salt and baking soda and mix well. Heat butter in a pan and pour it over the flour.

2. Add water little by little , and make dough. Keep it covered and allow it rest for 20 minutes.

3. Dice onion  and ginger finely. 

4. Keep potatoes in pressure cooker in high flame for  1 whistle. Then keep in full sim for 10 minutes and switch off the gas. Allow it cool down and take it out. Mash the potatoes nicely.

5. In a pan, add 2 tablespoon oil. Once heated, add cumin seeds .

6. Add onion and ginger and fry till they turn golden brown.

7. Now add green peas, turmeric powder,red chilli powder and salt.

8.Add some water and mix well and cook until green peas turn soft. I have used frozen peas. So it took just 5 minutes for peas to get cooked.

9. Add mashed potatoes and mix well. samosa filling is ready.

10. Now it is time to make samosa. Take a lemon-size ball of dough. You can make 2 samosas out of it.

11. Roll it flat in to a medium sized rotti. Don't roll it very thin as it would break when you deep fry in oil.

12. Cut in to 2 halves vertically.

13. Take one half in your palm as below.

14. Roll it as a cone , with the straight part comes in bottom part of cone and the circular part comes over the top. Seal the bottom well with your hands , so the filling will not come out if you put it in. 

15. Put the potato filling inside and press. Do not add too much filling, as it would comes out when you deep fry.

16. Use some water and apply it on the edges and seal it well.

17. Place all samosas on plate and cover it with plastic wrapper and refrigerate it for about 15 minutes.

18. Heat oil in a pan well. Once heated, turn the flame to full sim and deep fry each samosas till golden brown. It takes about approximately 5 minutes for each samosa to be cooked.

19. Tasty samosas are ready !. For inside filling , alternatively you can use potato and peanut instead of green peas . 

Palak Paneer

Simple and easy palak paneer. Please try it and let me know !

Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking Time - 25 minutes
Serves - 2-3 people

INGREDIENTS:
Spinach leaves - 1 bunch
Paneer- 50 gms(cut to square pieces. Approximately 7-8 pieces)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon(Or you can use ginger and garlic separately)
Onion-1/2 no.(Diced finely)
Whole black pepper - 1 tea spoon
Dry red chilli - 3-4 nos.
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch sized.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon

SEASONING:
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

METHOD:
1. Wash spinach leaves well. In a pan, add 1/4 cup water and allow it to boil and add spinach leaves. Do not cover with lid. Cook for 7-8 minutes.
2. Now drain the water , and soak spinach leaves in cold water for 2 minutes. This process helps in retaining the green colour of the spinach leaves and gives a nice texture.
3. Now drain all the water, and grind spinach leaves in to a smooth paste. Do not throw away water. You can use that water later in the cooking procedure.
4. Grind onion,ginger garlic, dry red chilli,cinnamon stick,whole black pepper in to a smooth paste by adding some water.
5. In a pan, add some butter and add cumin seeds and allow to crackle.
6. Add the onion paste and fry for 3-4 minutes, till the oil comes out.
7. Now add red chilli powder,turmeric powder, corriander powder and garam masala powder and mix well.
8. Allow it to cook for another 4 minutes.
9. Now add the spinach paste and mix well . Allow it to boil for 2 minutes.The gravy will get thickens. Now you can add the water in which you boiled spinach leaves. Do not add more water as the gravy will turn watery. Adjust the water, so that gravy is little thick in consistency.
10. In the mean time, in a table spoon of oil, roast the paneer cubes till golden brown.
11. Now add the paneer cubes to palak gravy and cook for 2 minutes and switch off the gas.
12. Palak paneer is ready !. serve with white rice or rotti.

NOTE:
Check my blog for how to make paneer.

Spinach Stem Spicy Daal

Usually, people tend to throw away spinach stem after they use the spinach leaves for cooking. This recipe is made using the left over spinach stem. Once you use spinach leaves, dont throw away the stem. Store it in refrigerator. Spinach stem can stay fresh for 1 to 2 weeks. This recipe is applicable for spinach stems that are soft and spongy.. You can use water spinach, palak stems for this.. Too hard stems will be very difficult to cook and may not taste well.

INGREDIENTS:
Spinach stem - 1 cup(Diced finely)
Moong daal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt- As required
Dry red chilli- 2 to 3 numbers
Black whole pepper- 1 teaspoon
Uraddaal- 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 table spoon

SEASONING:
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Dry red chilli - 1 no.
Asafoetida powder - As required

METHOD:
1. Cut spinach stems finely. Prepare all ingredients and set ready.

2. Take a small pan. Add a teaspoon of oil. Roast dry red chilli,urad daal,cumin seeds, black pepper golden brown.

3. Grind them in to a coarse powder. Pressure cook moong daal well  and keep ready.

4. In a pan, add 1/2 cup water . Add spinach stem, turmeric powder and salt . Allow it boil . Keep the pan open and do not cover with lid. It takes about 9 to 10 minutes for stem to be cooked. Cook until the stems are soft.

5. Now add cooked moong daal .

6. Now add the spice powder which you grinded.

7. Mix well and allow it to boil for 1 to 2 minutes.

8. Now for the seasoning, in a pan add 2 teaspoon oil and add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add dry red chilli and asafoetida powder. Pour it over the daal.

9. Spicy daal is ready . It goes well with rotti, white rice and papad. 

Radish Chutney

Radish chutney is very simple and  can be made within minutes. It goes well with dosa,  and chapatti .

INGREDIENTS:

Radish- 1 cup(Diced finely)
Tomato- 1/2(Diced finely)
Dry red chilli- 2 nos
Garlic- 3-4 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon
Channa daal- 1 tablespoon
Urad daal- 1 table spoon
Lemon juice - few drops.
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - as required

METHOD:
1. Prepare all ingredients and set ready.

2. Take some oil in a pan. Once it get heated, roast channa daal and uradaal .

3. Once the channa daal and urad daal colour changes, switch off the flame and add cumin seeds in the pan and mix well. Cumin seeds need not be roasted for long as it will lose its flavor. Hence before adding the cumin seeds, it is better to turn off the flame.

4. Set aside channa daal,urad daal,cumin seeds mixture. In the same pan, add some oil, and fry dry red chilli and set aside.

5. In the same pan, add some oil and fry garlic and set aside.

6. In the same pan, add 2 tea spoon oil. Add diced radish and turmeric powder and mix well.

7. Fry for few minutes till the radish gets soft. It takes about 7 to 8 minutes. Then add diced tomatoes and fry for another 3 to 4 minutes until tomatoes gets cooked. No need to add water when you fry these items.. But you need to keep a watch over it, as there is no water, it may get burnt easily.. You need to keep stirring it constantly.. If you feel it is very dry, you can sprinkle some water. But dont add more water. It is best to use a flat bottomed nonstick pan, as it will get roasted well and also will not get burnt. 

8. Allow all the items to cool down.

9. Now grind them in to a smooth paste by adding 2 to 3 tablespoon of water. Add few drops of lemon juice and sprinkle some asafoetida powder. Radish chutney is ready !.

Coconut Capsicum Chutney

This is a very tasty chutney and goes well with dosai,idly or adai. I used desiccated coconut powder as I dont get fresh coconut here in Taiwan. If you get fresh coconut, you can use it. Chutney will taste better if fresh coconut is used.

INGREDIENTS:

Desiccated coconut powder - 3 tablespoon
Roasted gram(Pottu kadalai) - 3 tablespoon
Fresh red or green chilli - 1
Ginger - 1 inch sized
Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoon
Lemon juice - few drops
Green Capsicum - 1 no(chopped)

SEASONING:
Oil-2 teaspoon
Mustard- 1 teaspoon
Urad daal- 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Dry red chilli - 1 no.
asafoetida powder - a pinch

METHOD:

1. Cut capsicum in to pieces.Soak coconut powder in cold water for about 20 minutes. Soaking coconut powder will give a texture similar to fresh coconut . If you are using fresh coconut, you need not soak it. Prepare all ingredients and set ready.

2. In a pan add some oil, fry chilli and set aside.

3. In the same pan, add capsicum and fry till it gets soft. It takes about 4 to 5 minutes approximately .

4. Add cumin seeds and ginger and switch off the gas immediately. No need to roast cumin seeds or ginger as its taste would change if roasted for long. Now mix the contents well.

5. Now allow the contents to cool.Grind it along with soaked coconut powder, roasted gram and chilli in to a smooth paste. Add few drops of lemon juice. For seasoning, take a pan add oil , then add mustard . Once it splutters, add urad dal, cumin , chilli and asafoetida powder . Pour it over the chutney.

6. Coconut capsicum chutney is ready !.. 

Rice flour adai

Rice flour adai is a tasty and filling tiffin that goes well with coconut chutney and idly podi. Kids love this recipe a lot . My son calls it "white chapatti" and its his favorite dish .

INGREDIENTS:
Rice flour - 1.5 cup
Water - 1.25 cup
Salt-1/4 teaspoon
Coconut powder - 1 tablespoon
Gingelly (sesame) oil - 2 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. Take rice flour in a bowl . Add salt and gingelly oil and mix well.

2. In a pan, boil 1.25 cups of water.

3. Add boiling water in the flour, little by little and mix with back of a spoon. Do not add all the water at a stretch as the dough will get too soft and difficult to make adai.

4. Dough will be too hot to touch now. So cover it with a lid and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to cool down.

5. Take some oil in a bowl. Take any thick plastic cover and place it on chopping board and grease it with oil.

6. Grease your hand with oil.Take a some dough . The size should be bigger than you take for rotti.

7. Make adai on plastic cover by pressing it evenly on all sides. Grease your hand with oil, so it doesnt stick with your hands. 

8. Transfer it to a tawa and fry on both sides by adding oil, till you see brown spots on the adai.

9. Rice flour adai is ready !.. serve with coconut chutney and idly podi.

Easy Vadai

When kid in your home ask for vadai and you have not soaked urad dal or channa daal . .... this easy vadai can be made within minutes and a good evening snack with tea!

INGREDIENTS:
Pottu kadalai( Roasted gram) - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1 big no( Chopped finely)
Green chilli - 2(Chopped finely)
Salt- As required
Oil- For deep frying

METHOD:

   Grind pottu kadalai finely into powder. Add rice flour,onion,green chilli,salt  and mix well. Add water little by little , mix well and it should be in the consistency of making vadai. Do not add more water, as the mixture will get too soft and will be difficult to make vadai.

    Heat oil in a tawa. Now take little dough and make vadai in your hands  and deep fry in oil,  till it turns to golden brown color. Vadai is ready !. Serve with tomato ketchup and milk tea.