Radish paratha

Ingredients:
For stuffing:
Radish - 1 , grated
Coriander leaves
Garlic - 2 cloves
Green chillies - 1 or 2 (according to your taste)
dhaniya powdder - 1 tsp
2 tsp lemon juice
salt
oil

For dough:
Atta
Rice flour -optional
Maida-optional

Method:

Make dough as usual with atta. Here I tried a variation - I used atta and rice flour of equal quantity and maida double the quantity. For example, if you take  1/2 cup atta, take 1/2 cup rice flour and 1 cup maida.

For the stuffing:

Grate the radish and mix in little salt. Let it take rest for sometime, keep aside. ;-)

Crush the green chillies and garlic together into a very fine mixture. Make sure you don't have big chilli pieces, it might land in your kid's first bite and make him/her run away!!!! Mix in the dhaniya powder, finely minced coriander leaves, lemon juice and required salt.

Take a small ball size dough and roll it to a thin circle. Now, keep a tsp of the stuffing on one half of the circle spreading it evenly. Fold the other half and pinch the ends with wet fingers. Then roll it again dusting with flour now and then.

Heat a tawa and place the rolled paratha on it. Apply ghee or oil on the top gently and turn over. Apply the same on the other side. When you see it rising bubbles here and there turn over. Remove as soon as it bubbles again. The radish paratha is cooked slightly brown on both sides. 

Serve with favorite chutney or dal.

And don't worry about one or two which goes into your stomach while making. ;-)

Suitable for lunch box.

Vendakkai kuzhambu

Ingredients 1:
Vendakkai - 1 cup, chopped
Onion - 1 chopped
Tomato - 1 chopped
Tamarind - a small ball
Curry leaves
Coriander (dhaniya) leaves
mustard seeds and urad dal for seasoning

Ingredients 2:
Coriander (Dhaniya) seeds  - 3 tsp
Dry red chillies - 3 (vary according to your taste)
Garlic - 2 cloves
Jeera - 1 tsp
Black Peppercorns- 5-6
Methi seeds - 4

Method:
Soak the tamarind. Grind the Ingredients 2 into a paste.
Heat oil in a pan and season it with mustard seeds, urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves. Add the onion and saute until soft. Then add the ground paste and mix well. Add the vendakkai pieces and mix. Let it cook in low heat for 2-3 min. Then mix in the tomato. Let it cook until  the oil separates. Add tamarind extract, required water and salt. Let it boil and then simmer for 10 min. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Kovakkai poriyal

Ingredients:

Kovakkai - 250gm
Onion - 1
curry leaves
Mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera for seasoning
Bengal gram - 1 tbsp
Coriander (dhaniya) leaves
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Cut the kovakkai lenghtwise and then into two. Marinate it with turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt and keep aside. Chop the onion almost the same size as the kovakkai. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera and curry leaves. Add the bengal gram and let it turn light brown. Add in the onion and saute unti lit turns light brown. Then add the kovakkai and mix well. Add little water and let it cook in medium heat. Once the water evaporates, let it cook for some more time mixing in between. Once the kovakkai is cooked, garnish with coriander leaves and remove from heat. Serve with rice.

It tastes so yummy!

Mullangi keerai poriyal

Mullangi keerai poriyal (Radish leaves)

Ingredients:

Mullangi keerai - chopped
Onion - 1 chopped
Moong dal - 1 tbsp

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera - 1/4 tsp each
Curry leaves
Dry red chillies -3
Coconut - grated 2 tsp

Method:
Wash and soak the moong dal for 20-30 min.

Heat oil in a pan and season it with the seasoning. Add the onion and saute till soft. Then add the keerai and saute it for a min. Then add in the soaked dal, salt and let it cook in low heat until done. Mix the coconut and remove from heat. Serve with rice.

Pavakkai Kuzhambu

Pavakkai Kuzhambu (Bitterguard Curry)

Ingredients:

Pavakkai - 1 (long)

Onion - 1, chopped

Tomato - 1, chopped

Garlic - 3 cloves

Sambar powder - 1 tsp

Dhaniya (Coriander) powder - 3 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves

turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

tamarind - nellikkai alavu (gooseberry size)

Mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera 1/4 tsp each for seasoning

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and season it with mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal and curry leaves. Add the onion and saute with a pinch of salt, until soft. Then add the garlic and saute for few seconds. Add in the pavakkai, pinch of salt and saute for a min. Let it cook for 3-4 min, mixing in between. Then add the tomato, little salt and saute till its cooked. Mix in the sambar and dhaniya powders. Pour in the tamarind extract. Add 1 cup of water, salt and let it boil. Then simmer and let it cook for 10 min. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rice.

Note: I add salt little by little in the process of cooking, and the most pat of the salt required, at the end to retain the iodine content.

Peas and Tomato

Gorgeous Green Peas
And Bright Red Tomato
Splendid food for sight
As well as for the heart
Loaded with antioxidants
And vitamins too
Include these in your diet
And enjoy the great benefits

Mushroom Biriyani

Ingredients:
Mushroon - 250 gms, chopped
Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 1 big
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized
Coriander leaves chopped - 1 cup
Pudina (mint) leaves - 1/2 cup
Spring onions - 1 bunch chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
bay leaf - 1
salt to taste
oil - 2 tbsp
water - 4 cups (rice:water ratio, 1:2 normal rice, 1:1.5 for basmati rice)

Method:
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. When the oil is hot add the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to medium. Then put the chopped onions, pinch of salt and saute till soft. Add the ginger garlic paste. When the oil separates mix in the turmeric powder and chilli powder. Then add the mushrooms, little salt and fry for 2 mins. Then add the coriander leaves, mint leaves and spring onions. Add little salt and saute for a min. Add the washed rice and mix well. Then pour in the water and add salt. Add the garam masala powder. Give a stir and check for salt and spice. Add more salt and chilli powder if needed.Close the cooker and let cook for 2 whistles. Switch off.
Serve with raitha or curd.

Rajma Cutlet

Ingredients:
Rajma or red kidney beans
Potato - 2
green chillies -3 finely shopped (can vary the number according to your taste)
Coriander leaves- finely chopped
Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing powder - 2 pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying

Method:
Soak rajma for eight hours and then pressure cook. Mash the rajma nicely and keep aside. Cook and mash the potatoes and add to the rajma. Add all other ingredients and mix well into a dough. The dough should be in a thick consistency, so that you can make balls in hand. Take a tbsp of the mixture, make a ball and press in your palm to make it little flat. Shallow fry in a pan so that both the sides are cooked. Tastes delicious by itself.

Can also be served with chutney or sauce.