VEGETARIAN | Saute Fry N Bake

Home made pesto wheat veggie Katti roll

Preparation time : 20 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serves : 2-3 members

Description

Katti rolls.. This word did really get me confused when I first got to see it in a menu card at a restaurant as a teenager. I knew what the dish was but didn’t know how to pronounce the word right. With a thousand doubts if it’s kaathi, kati, katti or some thing else, I remember how safely I just pointed it out to the person taking the orders and there he looked at me and told aloud “katti rolls”. Uff the relief I got with in me that no one got to know about this shame full flaw in me and made sure to repeat the word many times to register it in me before I forget and make a fool out of myself yet again. As a teenager (actually always) we all are in the desperate need to project our selves in a good manner always which is not possible at any stage of life with the reality of we getting to Learn with our every day life experiences. Those silly days of hope, dreams, joy and sorrow in little things… Coming to the dish, I was pushed into a situation where I had to come up with an innovative idea to serve chapathis for dinner at home as every alternative day it’s chapathis for dinner at home. Seeing all the sad faces at the table with their chapathis on their plates, I cheered them all up with this Italian twist to our Indian katti roll. Sure did bring a spark on the table with hubby dear raising his eye brows with his first bite which is the best sign rating a dish as passing out with flying colours. My job done, happy me about the dish and mainly getting another new recipe to share with you all.

Ingredients	Quantity
basil	2 cups (at times I substitute with 1 cup mint + 1 cup coriander leaves or equal amounts of all the three)
Parmesan cheese	1/2 cup grated
toasted walnuts or pine nuts	1/2 cup (I used pine nuts)
Salt	to taste
garlic	4 cloves
olive oil	3 tablespoons

Method For the Pesto Sauce

In a blender add all the ingredients and mix till a semi-fine paste is achieved.

Ingredients for the veggie filling

Ingredients	Quantity
Vegetables(carrots, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, capsicum, mushrooms and green peas)	3 cups chopped
Olive oil	1 tablespoon
Garlic flakes	2 crushed
Dried herbs -(oregano, thyme, basil)	1/4 teaspoon each
Chilli flakes	to taste
Salt	to taste

Method for filling
Heat olive oil. Add crushed garlic, chopped vegetables, dried herbs, chilli flakes and salt to taste. Sauté until the vegetables are 3/4 cooked and crunchy.Other ingredients
Cooked Chapathis- 4 grilled to get Lines on them. (I grilled them to add more glamour to the dish, you can use normal chapathis as well)

How to proceed

Apply pesto over one side of the grilled chapathis.
Place the veggie filling in the middle to get a line. Fold tightly to get a roll.
Cut to equal halves or serve as it is warm.

Tricolour kuli paniyaram

Preparation time : 30 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves : 4-6 members

Description

Happy Independence Day to one and all.. How many of you have celebrated Independence Day at your homes?? Well I, myself haven’t. I was taken Aback to see how the Pakistan’s celebrate their Independence Day at their homes through another face book group. The house is decorated with green balloons, small flags all around and food to the thyme of their flag displayed with a cake to cut and celebrate. What an awesome way to celebrate and immune our kids with patriotism.. I have made up my mind to do so from next year on wards… And wish we all do the same with no difference in caste, creed or colour.. Jai ho.

1.Ingredients for carrot chutney

Ingredients	Quantity
Carrots	1 cup chopped
Tomato	1 small chopped
Small onion	5
Garlic flakes	2
Tamarind	a small pinch
Salt	to taste
Coconut	1/4 cup
Coriander leaves	very little
Dry red chillies	4 to 6
Gingely oil	1 tablespoon
Asafoetida	a pinch

Method for carrot chutney

Mix all the above mentioned ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Mix well and microwave on high for 6 minutes. In between at an interval of 3 minutes toss once and microwave again. Cool completely and grind to a smooth paste. Add very little water if needed. The consistency of the chutney should be of a spreading consistency not too thin and watery or not too thick. Taste and adjust seasoning and set aside. Incase you don’t have a microwave just fry all the ingredients separately in gingely oil until the ingredients are 3/4 cooked. Remove cool and grind to get a chutney.

2.Ingredients for Coriander mint chutney

Ingredients	Quantity
Coconut	1/4 cup
Ginger	a tiny piece ( just a tit bit size )
Coriander leaves with stem	1/4 cup
Mint leaves	8
Green chillies	4 to 6
Tamarind	a pinch
Salt	to taste
Curry leaves	2
Jaggery	a tiny piece

Method for the coriander mint chutney

Grind all the above ingredients together to a smooth paste of semi thick spreading consistency by adding very little water. Taste and adjust seasoning and set aside.

3.Ingredients for white coconut chutney

Ingredients	Quantity
Coconut grated	1 cup
Fried gram	2 tablespoons
Green chilli	1
Salt	to taste

Method

Grind all the above together adding very little water to a smooth paste in a food processor.

4.Ingredients for kuli panniyaram

Ingredients	Quantity
idli batter	2 cups
small onions	1/2 hand chopped
green chillies	1 chopped finely
ginger	1/4 inch piece grated
curry leaves	few chopped
coriander leaves	few chopped
soda - bi - carbonate	a pinch
cumin seeds	1/4 teaspoon
salt	to taste
water	little
oil	4 tablespoons

Method

Mix all the above ingredients together except for oil, to get a semi loose consistency batter. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Heat a non–stick kuli pariyaram griddle with 1/4 teaspoon oil in each dent on the griddle.
When oil is hot, pour 1 1/2 tablespoons full of batter mixture into each dent and cook for 30 seconds.
You will find bubbles on top of the batter in each dent, then turn the kuli pariyarams over with a help of a spoon or a kuli pariyaram stick.
Cook again for a minute on medium heat till cooked through.
Remove, cool a bit and toss over each chutney. Poke into tooth picks to the colour of our Indian flag and serve.

Tangy capsicum gravy

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 25 – 30 minutes

Serving : 4-6 members

Description

My mom is the most sophisticated lady I know on earth. She does a million things at a time and is the centre of attention any where she goes. But she hates to cook and is the last thing she wants to do as well. I know all your minds reading this is ticking with how on earth are you so passionate about food and cooking then ??? Well it’s all from the so called genes that’s been given to me from my grand ma and my aunts ( dads mom and his sisters ) oops coming back to the point. Once on a visit to mom’s place, she had catered lunch for us from a home chef being her own self with laziness to cook . As hubby dear is fussy about eating food from out side, I made sure to taste the dishes ahead and all the dishes were yummy yum. Mom had ordered a typical Muslim lunch with mutton biriyani , onion raitha , a tangy gravy usually it’s made with brinjals, a chicken fry and a firni for dessert. We all relished the lunch with our mouths zipped about the food being catered from outside as hubby dear would just not eat the food. After lunch he kept saying every thing was pitch perfect today. We all kept giggling silently to ourselves. The tangy gravy was my favourite and as tasting it, I kept revising the dishes preparation and Ingredients used. I made sure to try the same the following day at moms place as we had my cousin sister’s in – laws visit us for lunch from United States. My cousin’s mother – in – law also went head over heels over the tangy dish and took the recipe from me then and there. When ever this dish is served, the recipe is a must share as I remember sharing this recipe with my aunt ( moms last sister ) too. I do use small sized whole slit egg plants and three colour bell peppers using the same recipe. What ever variation it’s lip smacking good. Only later did I know this is an authentic dish very own to the memon Muslims from Bangalore side. With access to the world wide net, did check the recipe and not bad as I did represent the dish as the original recipe. With a big pat on my back from myself…. I Felt delighted as creations do ample justice to their deliciousness.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Capsicums	250 grams cut into finger size strips
Onion	1 sliced
Cumin powder	1 teaspoon
Fenugreek powder	3 pinches
Red chilli powder	2 teaspoons
Tomato	4 puréed ( grind with out adding water )
Black pepper corns	1 /4 teaspoon
Garlic paste	1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Dry red chillies	3
Curry leaves	few
Tamarind pulp	6 tablespoons
Green chillies	2 slit
Coriander leaves	2 tablespoons chopped
Oil	8 tablespoons

Ingredients to grind

Ingredients	Quantity
Onion	1 fried to pink
Poppy seeds	1 tablespoon
Sesame seeds	1 tablespoon
Grated coconut	1 tablespoon

Method to grind

Grind all the above ingredients together to a smooth paste using little water .

Method

Heat oil in a wide pan . Add the sliced onion and fry to a golden colour .
Top with garlic paste and fry to crisp . Mix in cumin powder , fenugreek powder , turmeric powder , red chilly powder , green chillies , salt to taste and puréed tomatoes .
Sauté for seven minutes and add the ground paste .
Mix well and cook further for another two minutes stirring occasionally making sure the bottom does not burn .
Top with whole red dry chilies , pepper corns , and curry leaves . Stir well and add the capsicum strips .
Toss well and cook for ten minutes in medium heat to tender . Add the tamarind pulp mix well .
Bring to boil , then simmer until oil floats on top . Taste and adjust . Garnish with chopped coriander leaves .
Serve hot as a side dish with biriyani , Paulo , anything and everything.

Notes

Can do the same with whole tiny slit egg plants .

At times I use red bell peppers alone or a mix of red , yellow and green to add more colour to the dish .

Dal makhani

Preparation Time : 20 minutes + over night soaking of the whole black urad dal

Cooking Time : 25 – 30 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

Being an enthusiastic foodie and an extremely very passionate person when it comes to food and cooking. I was shamed away a few years ago on a family gathering in chennai where three couples in our family ( including myself ) share the same date of marriage. We cousins around thirty of us planned to celebrate in style and headed to a grand buffet spread lunch in a restaurant. As usual, I was going through my taste trial with every dish on the buffet. Hubby dears cousin wahidha suggested saying that the dal makhani is yum. I head towards the Dal makhani and see a mass of dark blackish green gravy and think to myself” if it’s dal, it has to be yellow in colour , why on earth is this in a not so appealing colour.” still did go ahead with the tasting of dal makhani and found out that it’s made with whole black urad dal and that’s where the dish gets this dark colour too. Though have heard about dal makhani being a staple dish to Punjab, little did I expect it to be in this colour, taste or ingredients used. I felt so dum and shamed about myself as the well known dal makhani was unknown to me all these years of my existence. This is why I love food and cooking so much as you can never ever say I know everything.Each day food surprise’s you with a new invention, authentic dish, fusion dish and I can go on and on… The dal makhani sure did alert me to be more curious and to explore food seriously.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Whole black urad dal	1 cup
Butter	200 grams
Fresh cream	3 tablespoons
Tomato	5 blanched , skin peeled and ground
garlic paste	1 teaspoons
Red chilli powder	1 teaspoon
Coriander powder	1 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Garam masala powe	1 teaspoon
Kasoori methi	1 teaspoon
Kewar	few drops

Ingredients to tempe

Ingredients	Quantity
Ghee	1 tablespoon
Ginger Julian's	1 tablespoon
Green chilly Julian's	1

Garnish ingredients

ingredients	Quantity
Coriander greens	few chopped
Cream	2 tablespoons

Method

wash and soak the whole black urad dal in water over night. pressure cook the soaked whole black urad dal with soaked water and add more water if needed to boil for 4-5 whistles or until broken into half and very tender.
Mash well to a creamy consistencyheat butter in a heavy bottomed wide pan. Add cumin seeds, once they crackle add garlic paste . Fry to crisp.
Top with red chilly powder and ground tomatoes. Sauté until butter separates . add coriander powder and garam masalas powe. Mix well. Pour the mushy boiled black urad dal.
Add salt to taste and water to the desired consistency and bring to boil for ten minutes. Sprinkle kasoori methi and add cream . Mix well and remove from heat.

Tempering

Heat ghee, add Ginger and green chilly Julian’s and sauté for 30 seconds until a good aroma arise. Pour over the dal makhani.
Sprinkle cream and chopped coriander greens and serve hot.

Lucknowy shahi vegetables korma

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 15- 20 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

I think veggies are boring .. ( no offense to anyone here please ) but this knock out recipe did make me eat my words … Literally as to me veggies often take a back seat while creating dishes . complains keep pouring in at home saying that I always end up making the usual when it comes to vegetarian dishes . So I used an interesting technique for a delightful twist of substituting vegetables instead of mutton in a lucknowy recipe that I came across . The subtle creamy curry did pair well with the mixed veggies that elevated the dish to another level that was highly appreciated by my entire family and guaranteed me to relish my veggies like never before . So peeps veg with an edge like never before with this recipe .

Ingredients to grind

Ingredients	Quantity
Cumin seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Green chillies	4 to 5 depending to taste
Coriander powder	1 teaspoon
Cinnamon	1/4 inch stick
Green cardamom	1
Cashew nuts	10

Other ingredients

ingredients	Quantity
Mixed vegetables	3 cups ( carrots , beans , cauliflower, green peas , capsicum , cabbage ) cut into bite size cubes
Onion	1 big sliced
Bay leaf	1
Cloves	2
Ginger , garlic paste	1/2 teaspoon each
Thick Curd beaten	1/4 cup
Turmeric powder	a pinch
Oil	2 tablespoons
Lime juice	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Coriander leaves	to garnish

Method

Grind all the ingredients mentioned to grind together to a smooth paste adding little water .
Heat oil in a pressure cooker . Add bay leaf and cloves . Once they crackle , top with onions and fry to a golden colour .
Add ginger garlic paste and fry to crisp . Then add the vegetables , turmeric powder and salt to taste along with beaten thick curd and sauté for a minute or two on medium heat until the vegetables loose its firmness .
Add the ground masala and sauté until oil floats on top making sure the bottom does not get burnt . Add water just enough to cover the vegetables. Mix well and pressure cook for one whistle.
Add lime juice . Mix well and bring to boil . Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti , phulkas , chapathis , pulaos or plain rice .

Ennai kovakkai/ tindora/ ivy guard

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 30-40 minutes

Serving : 5-6 members

Description

Any interesting recipe to idea I get to know or come across , my mind automatically goes towards a non – vegetarian protein version to give my twist to it and experiment. So for a change wanted to think out of the box yearning for a lighter alternative and went ahead with these ivy guards that I usually make a simple sautéed side dish with . Not wanting to spend much time in the kitchen as well , settled with a regular recipe of ennai katharikai ( brinjal ) which is an integral part of a ravuthar Muslim wedding , reception or any gathering served as a side for biriyani . Here I have substituted brinjals with ivy guards as the twist . The look made me instantly averse to its colour ,refusing to eat it . But when heated my nose decided otherwise . The marriage of hot ,tangy and sweetness sure did tickle my taste buds . Simplicity is key for this dish with old school rustic style of slow cooking . Chances of sampling this dish outside a ravuthar home or wedding are rare . So gear up to celebrate this rare ravuthar dish at your home kitchen that doesn’t take much skill or any special equipment to pull off .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Kovakkai / tindora/ ivy guard	1/2 kg , ( cut the into four with the other end intact ),
Small onions whole	1 1/2 hand full
Garlic flakes	one hand full
Gingely oil	1 cup ,
Mustard seeds	2 teaspoon
Curry leaves	few
Sambhar powder	3 tablespoons full
Asafoetida	1/4 teaspoon
Tomato	chopped
Tamarind pulp	1/2 cup
Salt	to taste
White Sesame seeds	1 teaspoon
Roasted peanuts	1 teaspoon crushed
Jaggery	2 teaspoons

Method

Heat oil in a non stick kadai , add mustard seeds and curry leaves . Once they crackle , top with asafoetida ,
whole onions and garlic . Sauté for a 2 minutes . Add the kovakkai / tindora/ ivy guards and sauté in medium heat for 15 minutes till the colour of the ivy guards change and looses its stiffness .
Add tomato , salt and sambhar powder . Sauté till the tomatoes lets out its juices . Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil . When the ivy guards are 3/4 cooked , add the tamarind pulp .
Toss well and cook until ivy guards are cooked through and gets to a thick gravy coated with the ivy guards . Add jaggery , sesame seeds and crushed peanuts . Toss well . Simmer till oil separates .
Taste and adjust seasoning . Should taste tangy with the sweetness coming through . Serve hot .

Notes

I have used torn dry red chillies here while tempering . It’s optional .

Bread lasagna

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 8 members

Description

Having nearly half of the previous night vegetable soup and sautéed vegetable filling that was used for sandwiches . I was left to deal with re creating another dish with the Left over’s but with out a sign of its own previous version . The best that came to my mind at that moment being pressed for time as well was to come up with a one pot baked dish . Thought of mixing all together and just baking it with a dash of grated cheese . Some how felt it might taste the same as soup and sandwich . Revised in my mind about all the baked dishes I know and when lasagne came , the bulb moment happened . Went ahead but now the problem being my soup was too runny . Thickened it with cornflour and made a custard like sauce . Spiked the left over sandwich sautéed vegetable filling with some dried herbs . Layered them and baked it . In the dining table hubby dear was talking about hosting a feast for his friends with the best dishes I know as having his dinner . He was like , add this also to the menu as it tastes Devine . I wanted to burst out laughing but kept my cool and just nodded . Hubby dear made sure to send little to his friend Dr. Basker and his parents next door . Confused me with left overs sent around had no choice other than to keep quite as the secret of left overs will be out . Once hubby dear finished his dinner , my boy whispered to me saying ” i know this is last nights vegetable soup and sandwich filling, but ma – you are a genius in fooling people through food . ” happy me for two reasons . One I got to execute left over in style and two my boy does have a good sense of things happening around with out being mocked .In total it was madness with left overs , letting me enjoy and experiment with my own twist . After all to me , cooking isn’t merely about fresh ingredients , knife skills or even skill full presentation . It is deeply philosophical and if there is no purpose or individuality to inspire with love then it isn’t cooking for sure .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Bread	10 to 12 slices
Instant soup packet	1
Ready made Pizza sauce/ tomato sauce	1 cup
Vegetables	( carrots , beans , cabbage , cauliflower , capsicum and green peas) - 3 cups chopped
Olive oil	1tablespoon
Garlic flakes	2 crushed
Dried herbs	(oregano , thyme , basil ) - 1/4 teaspoon each
Chilli flakes	to taste
Salt	to taste
Butter	1 tablespoon + to grease
Grated cheese	1/4 cup

Method

Heat olive oil . Add crushed garlic , chopped vegetables dried herbs , chilli flakes and salt to taste . Sauté until the vegetables are 3/4 cooked and crunchy .
Prepare soup according to packet instructions but add 1/2 the amount of water mentioned to get a thick custard like consistency , gooey sauce .
Apply pizza or tomato sauce to the bread slices .
Grease a casserole baking dish with butter all around and bottom well . Layer with bread slices , then the veggie filling , top with soup custard , garnish with Grated cheese .
Do the same up to the top of the casserole dish . Grate cheese as the final top layer . Place butter bits all over the top and bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 20 minutes until the cheese melts to a golden colour crust and bubbles .
Remove from oven , cool a bit for 5 minutes and serve hot . Yummy yum .

Notes

Can do the same with any left overs substituting bread with chapathis , rotis , naans . Any filling of choice ( left over non veg gravy , subji , poriyal )
Instead of soup ( dal , white sauce , pasta sauce , left over curries ) Instead of cheese ( grated paneer , mashed potatoes

Vadai koftas in red peanut gravy

Preparation Time : 45 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 5 members

Description

Vegetarianism is the new in thing at home . Not sure why but hubby dear eats his normal vegetarian meals as if he’s feasting over some thing scrumptious . Sorry to say , I am a pure carnivorous person and I cannot gulp anything with out a tiny bit of non – vegetarian on the table . To make things more interesting about vegetarianism for me , I am on an experimentation sphere to come up with new exciting vegetarian dishes . Made up my mind to make kofta gravy for dinner . Went into the kitchen and found out I had some left over steamed Vadai balls that were supposed to be used for lunch in the urundai kolambhu ( it’s a South Indian tangy dish with steamed dal koftas ) . Not wanting to waste these came up with an idea of using them for my kofta gravy for dinner . Breaking the myth of the tomato , onion gravy that I usually make . Came across a new combination gravy in the world wide net with light undertones of spice . Combined that gravy with these left over Vadai koftas and a new posh dish which was simple to make but drop dead impressive was born with a deep rich red colour . Served it with hot soft pulkas for dinner and our dinner turned into a gala dinner with hubby dear feasting even more with this terrific addition of flavour combo . The great carnivorous me finally felt a slight oomph of a vegetarian dish to gorge on .

Ingredients To grind For the Vadai

Ingredients	Quantity
bengal gram/Kadalai paruppu/Channa dhal	1 cup
green chillies	2
ginger grated	a pinch
Salt	to taste

Ingredients to mix with for the Vadai

Ingredients	Quantity
Onion	1 chopped ,
Curry leaves	1 strand chopped ,
Coriander leaves	1 teaspoon chopped

Method for VADAI

Soak the channa dhal for atleast 45minutes.
Then strain the water from channa dhal.
Add channa dhal,green chillies,ginger,salt and grind to a coarse paste.
To the vadai batter add finely chopped onions,chopped curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.
Roll into lemon size balls .
Steam in an idli cooker / rice cooker for 8-10 minutes . Remove and keep aside

Ingredients for peanut gravy

Ingredients	Quantity
Oil	4 tablespoons + 3 tablespoons
Red bell pepper / red capsicum	1
Tomato	3
Coriander seeds	2 tablespoons
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Sesame seeds	2 tablespoons
Peanuts	1/2 cup
Tamarind pulp	2 tablespoons
Ginger garlic paste	1 teaspoon
Condensed milk	1 1/2 tablespoon
Red chilli powder	1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon
Kasoori methi	1/4 teaspoon
Milk	1/2 cup
Salt	to taste

Method for gravy

Apply three tablespoons of oil over the tomatoes and red bell pepper . Roast over a gas burner in medium heat for 5-7 minutes . Cool completely and peel the charred skin . Grind to the tomatoes and the red bell pepper seeds removed to a smooth paste .
Dry roast sesame seeds , coriander seeds , cumin seeds and peanut seeds separately until a good aroma arise . Cool completely and together adding a little water to get a smooth paste .
Keep aside .Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan . Add the tomato + red bell pepper paste , salt , kasoori methi , red chilli powder and turmeric powder . Cook in medium heat until oil floats on top .
Add the dry roasted ground paste ( peanut + other ingredients ) . Mix well and cook for ten minutes covered in low flame adding water ( about one small cup ) to the right desired consistency . Keep stirring occasionally in between .
Top with condensed milk , tamarind pulp and milk . Mix well . Check seasoning and adjust .
Drop the steamed vadai koftas into the gravy . Cook further in low heat for another five minutes tossing each Vadai kofta gently making sure not to break them . serve hot with roti , naan , pulkas , chapathis or any type of pulaos .

Sasam / pineapple relish

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : nil

Serving : 4 members

Description

Rasam is one dish that is on the table every day for lunch at home . Wanting a change with it’s own in another form . Remembered seeing a pineapple rasam recipe in a foodie magazine . Searched for the recipe and to my surprise the recipe was not a rasam but a Sasam . Went through the recipe and found it to be so very easy and immediately knew this recipe is for keeps and to be added into my regular veggie menu at home . I put aside the idea of pineapple rasam to be done for another day and grabbed this super simple recipe to be tried out first . This is some thing like a chutney or a salsa that’s apt for beginners to start with making cooking more pleasurable and impress loved ones . Served it for lunch along side a typical Tamil vegetarian menu . The Sasam ( pineapple relish ) did go and fro from my side to hubby dears side more than a couple of times . I licked the entire Sasam with no shame . Hubby dear made sure I make another batch of the Sasam to be taken for his vegetarian friends family that night . I had no issue at all doing it all again as it’s so easy with nil cooking to done . Next day I get a call from Neetha ( hubby dears , friends wife ) saying the dish was so yum but I just got a tiny bit as my hubby gobbled up the entire lot and told his mother about this dish a lot . Now she wants the recipe . I did pass over the recipe and she was like that’s it . Really ? I know , even I had the same reaction in mind when I made this dish . This is an authentic recipe from the Konkani speaking Hindu Brahmins addressed as saraswat . These sort of dishes that are rare to be sampled outside other than homes is what really amazes me . We still have so many scrumptious cuisines that need to be found in our country that’s beyond the means of common flock . Each community in our country is rich in layers of history , context , legend and trivia to it . Oops , coming back to the dish .happy cooking to all with this rustic , homely knock out flavour profile relish .

Sasam / Pineapple relish

Ingredients	Quantity
Pineapple	1/2 medium sized chopped
Jaggery	1 tablespoon crushed
Salt	to taste
Sultanas / raisins	25 grams
Coconut grated	30 grams
Dry red chillies	3 or more to taste
Mustard seeds	a pinch
Tamarind	1 teaspoon
Yellow mustard powder	1/2 teaspoon

Method

Mix pineapple chopped with jaggery and salt . Keep aside .
Grind the remaining ingredients together to a paste . Taste and adjust the paste .
Combine the ground paste and pineapple mix .
Mix well and place in the refrigerator until needed to be served .

Notes

You can do the same with madras cucumbers and green grapes

Rasagulla makhani tomato gravy

Preparation Time : 35 minutes

Cooking Time : 45 minutes

Serving : 5- 6 members

Description

The present day phones serve us double to triple as a point of shoot camera , recording videos , saving notes ( mainly recipes for me ) sharing ones special moments .. I can go on and on . There’s no end to the possibilities with these handy new age mobile phones . It literarily brings the entire world into your hands which is a boon to home makers like me to feel totally liberated in all means . I make maximum use through sauté, fry n bake by sharing my recipes , my thoughts related to the dish and taking pictures . All done with this wonder device that I own .( no computer here )I am loving it how you all pay your compliments , doubts and comments that comes along with a free advertising for sure :-)) . Like wise I have a very few talented home chefs that I compliment and never fail to try their recipes . One among them is mr . Jaspreeth nirula ji who’s North Indian gravies are the best I have tried out till date . The recipes he post’s are made with every day ingredients in our kitchen and the best part being the way the recipe is described . I make sure to pen down each of his recipes in my hand written recipe note book . If you follow the recipe religiously , the results are sure high praise where ever you serve it . I made this dish like wise and it tasted awesome . Having a doubt about some measurement of an ingredient to be used , went through the entire recipe once again and found out that jaspreeth ji has made panner using rasagulla recipe method ( with out dipping into the sugar syrup ) and used for the gravy .i used left over rasagullas from my refrigerator that I had after Diwali for the gravy . Only then did I realise that I made a big flaw in the dish but to me it tasted perfect . Served it for lunch and sure was followed with high praise as always with jaspreeth jis recipe . A blunder that turned into a wonder dish . Hubby dear made sure to pack some for his vegetarian aunt ( mrs . Mahmudha Rabbani ) . I did receive a call from her saying you need brains to think and create such a dish . Happy me as the blunder in my kitchen did serve to prove that I had a little brains , hahaha .. and finish of the rasagullas from my refrigerator in an innovative stylish way .

Ingredients for Makhani gravy

Ingredients	Quantity
Butter	50 grams
Ginger , garlic and green chilly paste	1 teaspoon
Tomato	4 puréed
Red chilli powder	3 teaspoons
Cumin seed powder	1 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Sugar	2 teaspoon
Cashew paste	2 tablespoon
Fresh Cream	2 tablespoon

Method for makhani gravy

Melt butter in a heavy bottomed pan . Add ginger , garlic and green chilly paste .
Sauté to crisp . Add tomato purée and sauté until oil floats on top . Top with red chilli powder , cumin seed powder and salt . Sauté further for another 3 minutes until oil separates . Add sugar , cashew nut paste , 1/2 cup water and mix well .
Bring to boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until oil separates . Taste and Adjust seasoning . Garnish with fresh cream and set aside .

Ingredients for onion tomato gravy

Ingredients	Quantity
Oil	3 tablespoons
Onion	3 chopped
Tomato	3 chopped
Ginger garlic paste	1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder	2 teaspoon
Coriander powder	2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste

Method for onion tomato gravy

Heat oil in a wide pan . Too with cumin seeds , once they splutter add onions and fry to a golden brown colour .
Add ginger and garlic paste . Sauté to crisp . Top with red chilli powder , coriander powder , turmeric powder and salt along with little water so that the spice powders do not burn .
Once the oil separates add the chopped tomatoes and mix well . Cook in medium heat letting the tomatoes to melt apart from it’s skin to become a mashy mass of gravy and oil floats on top .takes about 10-12 minutes . Remove from heat and set aside .

Ingredients for the main dish

Ingredients	Quantity
Rasagullas	15 squeeze out the sugar syrup and set aside
Butter	50 grams
Dry whole red chillies	3
Chopped ginger	1 teaspoon
Chopped garlic	1 teaspoon
Chopped green chillies	3
Coriander powder	2 tablespoons full
Red chilli powder	2 teaspoons or to taste
Cumin seed powder	3 teaspoon
Fennel seed powder	1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder	1 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Fresh cream	2 tablespoons
Makhani gravy	onion tomato gravy

Method for the main dish

Melt butter is heavy bottomed wide pan . Fry the whole dry red chillies to crisp , remove and set aside . Make sure not to burn the whole dry red chillies . Top with chopped ginger , garlic and green chilled . Stir for a minute .
Add the makhani gravy and the onion , tomato gravy and mix well . Sauté for five minutes letting the flavours into one another in medium heat .
Top with coriander powder , red chilli powder , fennel seed powder , cumin seed powder and mix well . Pour 1 to 2 cups of water and bring to boil for about five minutes .
Squeeze out the sugar water from the rasagullas and add to the gravy and mix gently . Adjust consistency and seasoning to taste . Cook for another 10- 15 minutes in medium heat .
Mix in the fresh cream , sprinkle with garam masala powder and serve hot garnished with fried whole red dry chilled .

Notes

In case you want to make rasagullas at home . Click the link below to follow the recipe