Tomato Baath

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 small cups
Tomatoes - 4 big finely chopped
Onions - 1 big finely chopped
Coriander Leaves - 1/ 4 cup finely chopped
Pulav masala - 2 Cinnamon sticks, 2 cloves, 3-4 bay leaves, a few fennel seeds, 1 Marati Moggu, 1 cardamom
Curry Leaves - 10-11 leaves
Salt to taste
Oil - tsps

For the Masala:

Onions - 1 big finely chopped
Red chillies - 5-6
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 1 whole (medium sized)
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cinnamon sticks - 2
cloves - 4
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/ 4 cup finely chopped
Oil - 6 tsps

Heat 2 tsps of oil in a wok and add red chillies and 1 onion finely chopped.Saute on medium heat until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat, cool and grind to a paste with the other ingredients.Keep this aside.

Now heat 4 tsps of oil in a cooker, add all the pulav masala, add chopped onions with the curry leaves, saute until done and then add chopped tomatoes, saute for 5-6 mins in medium heat, now add the ground masala paste, heat it for a 2 mins and then add washed rice.Add water as required(usually double the quantity of rice), i usually add a little less (than i normally do) for pulav made in cooker, so that the rice is not sticky. Cook until done, i usually turn off after two whistles usually about 10 mins. Dish it and decorate it with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with papads and raitha.

Methi Rice

Ingredients:

Methi leaves- 1 Big Bunch
Garlic - 1 Whole medium sized
Ginger - 1 inch
Cloves - 5-6
Bay Leaves - 2
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch 4 sticks
Fresh grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Rice - 2 cups (medium sized cups)
Onions - 2 Big and 1 small chopped finely
Green chillies - 5-6
Pudina/Mint Leaves - 4-5 strands
Other pulav masala - few fennel seeds, 1-2 Cardamom, 2 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2 cinnamon sticks

Method of Preparation:

Grind 1 small chopped onion , green chillies, 2 Cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves,Ginger, Garlic, Pudina, Coconut, Coriander leaves and keep aside.

Now heat some oil in the cooker and add mustard seeds, once they splatter add 2 onions finely chopped now add pulav masala like cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves etc.Saute till onions are transparent and then add methi leaves and the ground masala. Now add washed rice and saute for a min/two and then add water and close the lid and cook till rice is done.

Serve hot with raitha.

Note: This is real tempting and you might end up over eating....me n my hubby do that most times, so i make it only once in a while.

Yanagayi/Stuffed Brinjal Curry

Yanagayi yet another magical recipe from my mom's kitchen.The thought of it just makes my mouth water and how i wish i could ask my mom to post it for me all the way to UK...ummmmmm....

I have had so many requests for this recipe from my friends and hence i decided to post it on my blog.

Ingredients:

For the filling:
2 red chillies ( can increase/decrease based on how hot you would like it)
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut(you could use cut pieces of fresh coconut)
1 tsp sambar powder
2 medium sized onions chopped
1 tsp roasted dhania/coriander powder
1/4 bunch coriander Leaves
salt to taste

Fry the copped onions and red chillies in oil. Now take this and add the rest of ingredients listed and grind it to coarse paste with a little water.

For the Curry:
8 small brinjals
2 medium Onions chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
2 strings of curry leaves
3 big spoons of Oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
salt to taste

Method of Preparation:

Now slit the bringals into four without cutting it open. Stuff the ground masala into it.Take a pan and heat oil, once hot add mustard seeds wait for it to splutter, now add curry leaves and onions.Saute it till onions are translucent and then add tomatoes.Now add the stuffed brinjals and fry until half cooked.Now add the rest of the ground masala and fry for a min/two.Now add water as required. Now reduce heat and close the lid and wait for it to cook for 10mins. Add salt (please watch the amount of salt since we have already added it to the stuffing) and cook until the brinjals are done.Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice/chapati.This tastes yummy with rice and ghee!

Menthi pappu/Methi Dhal

This is part of typical Andhra style main menu and you will find pappu either made of methi or some other green leaves in any andhra style restaurant.

This is my favourite recipe from my Mom, who is a great cook!!!!!What makes it more delicious is that she adds to it, her love and tops it with extra love!!!!!Mom this is my way of telling the world of your marvelous cooking!

Ingredients:

Methi Leaves - 1 big bunch finely chopped
Red Chillies - 4 (4 for spicy version, adjust chillies based on preference)
Garlic - 1 whole medium size
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Oil - 5 tsp
Onions - 1 big chopped

Method of Preparation:

Pressure cook methi Leaves along with garlic, 3 red chillies,1/2 chopped onions, turmeric and dal with water. Once pressure cooked take it off the cooker and separate out the water and mash rest of the mixture to medium consistency. Now take a pan and heat the oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves , methi , 1 red chilli and the other half of chopped onions. Once the onions are sauteed, add the water that was kep out separately and now add the mashed mixture and cook until done. This tastes good with dosa/idli/chapati/rice. Yummy with rice and ghee!!!!!

Methi Kichadi

I was lazy to go get onions and since there are very few options rather i know very few to cook without onions, I decided to cook kichadi.But some how the kichadi idea did not appeal to me much, so decided why not try a different version of kichadi.So that's how i started.
I chopped up some methi leaves and decided to make methi kichadi.As i went on i seemed to be in a very experimental mood, so i added some chopped carrots and beans and onion shoots since i had to get rid of them.That means a few veggies in the kichadi is not a bad idea at all, that's how i ended up with this recipe....

Ingredients:

Red Chillies : 3
Curry Leaves : 10 leaves
Jeera : 1/2 tsp
Mustard : 1/2 tsp
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Rice : 2 bowls(small)
Methi : 2 bowls chopped
Carrots : 1/4 bowl chopped
Beans : 1/4 bowl chopped
Onion shoots : 2 shoots chopped
Moong Dal /Yellow Lentils : 1.5 bowl(small)
Oil : 4 spoons
salt : taste

Method of Preparation:

Heat oil in the cooker.When the oil is hot enough, put some mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves, ginger,garlic and red chillies.Once they are a little fried add sliced carrots, beans and onion shoots , now add some methi leaves and saute it.Now add the washed rice and moong dal and fry it for a minute/two and then add water.Once water starts boiling add the turmeric and salt and close the lid and let it pressure cook. Once cooked dish it out in a bowl and garnish it with coriander leaves. You can eat this with cucumber/onion raitha.

Your Methi Kichadi is ready to eat!

NOTE: Methi kichadi is nice just with methi, you don't have to add other veggies....i was just trying to make it as much nutritious as possible for my 8 month old son who is a fussy eater..:-) !!!