COCONUT BARFI

This sweet is prepared from fresh coconut and tastes really yum.
Its very easy and quick to make and doesn't require any preparation.
The only tricky part here is getting the end point right. One can get it right after some practice. But its O.K.  The only disaster that can happen is that, we will not get the desired shape. But it will still taste yummy. So do not be disheartened if you don't get it right in the first attempt.
Always use a thick bottomed pan .
Keep the flame high to get a perfect white .


One coconut will give approx 10 pieces .
Avoid the brown portion of the gratings near the shell to get white barfi.

INGREDIENTS

1 measure  fresh grated coconut.

(Tightly press the gratings for measuring.)

3/4 measure sugar

1/4th measure thick milk with cream
a few drops of vanilla essence

PREPARATION

• Mix milk and grind the coconut for a sec.
  
• In a thick bottomed kadai add the coconut mix with sugar .
  
• On a high flame ,keep stirring  (to avoid sicking at the bottom) till the  mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan.
• As the end point is nearing ,press the spatula in the mixture. It   will stand upright without slanting .
• Reduce the flame and mix for 2-3 mins more.
  
• Add vanilla essence and mix well.
• Keep a plate ready greased with ghee to pour the mixture .
  
• Spread the mixture on the plate first with the spatula and then smoothen it with the bottom of a katori a greased with ghee.
  
• Allow it to cool for sometime.
• When it is still warm, take a sharp knife and cut the barfi into required shape.
  
• When it cools completely,remove the pieces slowly and store in an airtight container.
  
• Stays for about a week, which I seriously doubt as it tastes so good that it will be over in no time :)

PESARATTU WITH SHENGA CHUTNEY

Pesarattu is a breakfast variety from Andhra Pradesh. I tasted authentic onion pesarattu and groundnut chutney when I was in Andhra many many years ago.
It is a very tasty and nutritious breakfast and very easy to prepare too.

PESARATTU

INGREDIENTS

1 cup green gram/whole moong
1/4 cup sooji/semolina/rawa
2tsp rice flour
1 onion
2-3 green chilies
1 tsp jeera/cumin
a pinch of haldi/ turmeric
salt to taste

In the original dish, a few tbsp rice is used but I replaced it with  /semolina to avoid the rice.

METHOD
Soak the moong overnight. In the morning , grind it to a paste along with onion and green chilies.
Mix all the other ingredients and form a batter of dropping consistency.

Heat a tawa and spread  a ladle of the batter on the tawa. (You can sprinkle very finely chopped onions and press with the spatula to get onion pesarattu) Add a tsp of oil on the sides and after some time flip it on the other side.

Cook on medium to slow flame to get crispy pesarattu.
Serve with groundnut chutney.

                                             


  GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS
1 cup roasted groundnuts
3-4 green chilies chopped
1 small onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin
1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

METHOD
Remove the skin of the groundnuts after roasting. Mix all the ingredients and grind to a fine paste. Temper with mustard and curry leaves.

PESARATTU WITH SHENGA CHUTNEY

Pesarattu is a breakfast variety from Andhra Pradesh. .Made from whole green gram , it is rich in protein and fibre.
It is a very tasty and nutritious breakfast and very easy to prepare too.

PESARATTU

INGREDIENTS

1 cup green gram/whole moong
1/4 cup sooji/semolina/rawa
2tsp rice flour
1 onion
2-3 green chilies
1 tsp jeera/cumin
a pinch of haldi/ turmeric
salt to taste

In the original dish, a few tbsp rice is used but I replaced it with  /semolina to avoid the rice.

METHOD
Soak the moong/whole greengram overnight. In the morning , grind it to a paste along with onion and green chilies. add a teaspoon of jeera/cumin , apinch of turmeric and salt to taste.
Mix all the other ingredients and form a batter of dropping consistency.

Heat a tawa and spread  a ladle of the batter on the tawa. (You can sprinkle very finely chopped onions and press with the spatula to get onion pesarattu) Add a tsp of oil on the sides and after some time flip it on the other side.

Cook on medium to slow flame to get crispy pesarattu.
Serve with groundnut chutney.

                                             


  GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS
1 cup roasted groundnuts
3-4 green chilies chopped
1 small onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin
1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

METHOD
Remove the skin of the groundnuts after roasting. Mix all the ingredients and grind to a fine paste. Temper with mustard and curry leaves.

PESARATTU WITH SHENGA CHUTNEY

Pesarattu is a breakfast variety from Andhra Pradesh. I tasted authentic onion pesarattu and groundnut chutney when I was in Andhra many many years ago.
It is a very tasty and nutritious breakfast and very easy to prepare too.

PESARATTU

INGREDIENTS

1 cup green gram/whole moong
1/4 cup sooji/semolina/rawa
2tsp rice flour
1 onion
2-3 green chilies
1 tsp jeera/cumin
a pinch of haldi/ turmeric
salt to taste

In the original dish, a few tbsp rice is used but I replaced it with  /semolina to avoid the rice.

METHOD
Soak the moong overnight. In the morning , grind it to a paste along with onion and green chilies.
Mix all the other ingredients and form a batter of dropping consistency.

Heat a tawa and spread  a ladle of the batter on the tawa. (You can sprinkle very finely chopped onions and press with the spatula to get onion pesarattu) Add a tsp of oil on the sides and after some time flip it on the other side.

Cook on medium to slow flame to get crispy pesarattu.
Serve with groundnut chutney.

                                             


  GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS
1 cup roasted groundnuts
3-4 green chilies chopped
1 small onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin
1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

METHOD
Remove the skin of the groundnuts after roasting. Mix all the ingredients and grind to a fine paste. Temper with mustard and curry leaves.

METHI RICE

This is a very easy rice recipe which can be  packed for lunch.
It can be prepared by using different vegetables like beans, capsicum or methi leaves or by mixing all vegetables like beans , carrot, capsicum and peas

Here I have used methi leaves(fenugreek leaves) along with capsicum and peas/matar for making the rice.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rice
2 cups chopped methi leaves
1/4 cup matar/green peas
1/4 cup chopped capsicum
1/4 tsp haldi 
2 tbsp wangi bhath powder


4-5 tbsp oil
2 tbsp groundnuts
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp chana dal
1/2 tsp udad dal
1/4 tsp hing
2  red chillies

PREPARATION

• Steam cook the rice and keep aside. Spread on a plate and allow to cool.
  
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed wide pan.
• Add groundnuts,followed by mustard.
• When the mustard splutters,add chana dal ,udad dal, hing and red chillies,
• Add the chopped vegetables and 1/4 tsp salt.
  
• When the vegetables are cooked, add haldi and wangi bhath powder.
• Mix well for a min or two.
  
• Add the cooked rice ,salt and mix well.
  
  
  
  

FOR THE WANGI BHATH POWDER

1/2 cup chana dal

1/2 cup udad dal

1/2 cup copra (dry coconut)

2 tbsp dhania (corriander seeds)

2" piece dalchini (cinnamon stick)

2-3 cloves

4-5 red chillies

• Roast each ingredient separately.Allow to cool.
• Mix all ingredients except copra and grind to a fine powder.
• Add the copra and grind again.
• Store in an air tight container.
• Stays for almost a month.

If copra is not available ,it can be skipped and fresh grated coconut can be added to the rice .(optional)

Wangi bhath powder can be stored for almost a month and can also be used as masala to make  vegetable sabji which can be made very quickly.

Just temper any vegetable with mustard and chana dal . Add and allow to cook.Add the masala and  mix well.

PHULKA AND MOOLI LEAVES SABJI/ MULANGI SOPPINA PALYA

INGREDIENTS

2-3 radish along with the leaves
1/2 tsp cummin/jeera
1/4 tsp turmeric powder /haldi
1-2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp besan/bengal gram flour
salt to taste
oil

METHOD

• Heat 1 tbsp oil. Add jeera.
• Add finely chopped radish along with the leaves.
• Stir fry for a few secs.
• Add salt,haldi powder and red chilli powder. 
• Cover and allow to cook on a slow flame.
• When the radish becomes soft, add the besan flour and mix well. 
• Allow to cook for a min.
• Squeeze a few drops of lime juice and serve with rotis .

FOR THE PHULKAS

Phulkas are flattened wheat breads which are cooked on direct fire.

They are very light and easy to digest compared to tawa rotis and parathas.

HOW TO MAKE PHULKAS

rolled out ball

put on heated tawa

flip and allow to brown on one side

flip and put on fire

READY :)

• Mix salt and water to whole wheat flour and knead into a medium soft dough.
• Apply oil and knead again.
• Keep aside for 15-20 mins.
• Make small balls of the dough.
• Roll out into a uniform thin circle .
• Take care to avoid creases while rolling.
• Heat a tawa/girdle and put the phulka on it.
• Flip it to the other after a sec and allow it to roast well to a light golden colour.
• Now remove the tawa from fire and put the phulka directly on fire with the uncooked side facing the flames with the help of tongs.
• The phulka bloats and puffs up.
• Remove from fire and apply ghee.
• The diet conscious can skip the ghee. :)
• Serve the phulkas hot with any side dish of your choice.
• You can also serve some sliced onions mixed with lemon juice and salt to enhance the taste .

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PUDINA RICE/ MINT LEAVES RICE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rice
2 cups mixed vegetables (beans,carrot,peas/matar)

FOR THE MASALA 
1 bunch pudina/mint leaves
1-2 green chilies
1" piece ginger
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp jeera/cummin
1" piece dalchini/cinnamon
2-3 cloves/laung

FOR TEMPERING

3-4 Tbsp oil
2 tbsp ground nuts
1tsp rayee/mustard
1 tsp chana dal
1tsp udad dal
2-3 red chillies
1/4 tsp haldi

SALT 

PREPARATION

• Cook the rice and spread it on a plate to cool.
  
• Meanwhile prepare the masala
• In a drop of oil,fry the dalchini and laung.
  
• Grind to a fine paste all the above ingredients required for the masala.
• In a thick bottomed kadai, heat oil.
• Add ground nuts followed by mustard/rayee.
• When the mustard splutters add chana dal ,udad dal, and red chillies.
  
• Add the vegetables and along with a pinch of salt.
  
• When it is 1/2 cooked , add the pudina paste, and cook till the vegetables are soft and the water from the masala is almost dry.
  
  
  
  
• Add haldi and mix well.
• Add the cooked rice , sprinkle salt and mix well.
  
• Serve hot with onion raita

PRECAUTIONS

Do not add too much water while grinding the pudina masala. If the paste is fried for a long time , the green colour is not retained.
Mix the rice only when it is completely cool .
Add the salt after adding the rice and mix thoroughly to remove all lumps.
Do not mash the rice while mixing.
Always take a big thick bottomed pan for easy mixing.

PALAK DAL / SPINACH IN LENTIL

INGREDIENTS

1/2 CUP TOOR DAL/ YELLOW  LENTIL
1 BUNCH PALAK LEAVES/SPINACH
1 LARGE ONION
2 MEDIUM SIZED TOMATOES
1" PIECE GINGER
1/2 tsp JEERA/ CUMIN
1/2 TSP MUSTARD
1/2 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER
1/4 TSP HALDI POWDER
1/4 TSP HING
2-3 TBSP OIL
SALT TO TASTE

METHOD.

• Boil the dal till soft and mash well.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add jeera and mustard.
• When the mustard splutters, add chopped onions and crushed/grated ginger.
  
• When the onion turns transparent ,add chopped tomato,salt and fry till the oil separates from the sides. 
• Add haldi and chilli powder and saute for a min.
  
• Add the chopped palak  and mix well.
  
•  Cook till the palak becomes soft.
• Do not add water. 
  
• Now add the cooked dal along with some water and boil well till you get the required thickness.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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This dal can be served with Rotis or plain steamed rice.