I generally cook this raita as a substitute for a side dish when I feel like having healthy food :)  Just love the color of this dish


Method
1. Boil 1 beetroot in the pressure cooker. I generally club it with dal or anything else that is being pressure cooked.
2. Remove the skin and grate. Add salt and a pinch of sugar to the beetroot.
4. Take 2 tsp coconut oil for tempering in a pan, Add 1 tsp mustard seeds, pinch of hing, 7-8 curry leaves and temper till mustard seeds start spluttering.
5. Stir in curd according to your taste.Adjust the salt and sugar
6. You can garnish the raita with corainder leaves and serve.

My pachi(mausi) is visiting us in Hyderabad and we are having a gala time having tasted all the specialties Hyderabad has to offer!! 
On one of the evenings when we were tired of going out, pachi cooked this awesome dish. I had never eaten this before and instantly liked it.




Method
1. Wash and clean around 300 gms of okra /bhindi and let them dry or pat dry them with a towel. 
2. Cut off the bottom hard part of the okra and then Slit them lengthwise such that it has 2 vertical slits but don’t cut all the way till the end. Cut it such that it can hold the stuffing.
3. For stuffing, add 1 cup freshly grated coconut, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, pinch of asafoetida, 1/2 a lemon, 3-4 green chillies and a handful of coriander leaves and salt to a coarse paste with little water (chutney consistency)

4. Fill the stuffing in the bhindi
5. In a pan, take 2-3 tsp oil. When hot, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp turmeric, pinch of asafoetida and saute. Add the stuffed bhindi and mix well. Cook on low heat with water on the lid. This helps in condensing the steam and cooks the bhindi quickly without scorching.
6. Remove from heat when the bhindi is cooked. The bhindi cooks in 15-20 mins on low heat. 

A simple recipe - very easy to make and tasty too.



Method
1. Make a marinade of 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp red chilli flakes, 1 tsp tomato ketchup, 1/2 tsp tobasco sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 2tsp olive oil, 2 tsp finely chopped spring onion greens, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Adjust the salt. I also added some lime juice to make it more tangy.
2. Marinate cubes of paneer in the marinade and leave aside for half an hour. I used about 250 gms of paneer but you can make the marinade according to your taste.
3. Grill while applying the marinade or fry on a hot tava with 1 tsp olive oil.

We predominantly cook fish curries in 2 ways..this is my favorite way which goes well with some fishes like pomfret, kane(ladyfish) and even prawns.

Method
1. Wash 7-8 Kane fish(also called Lady fish) thoroughly, apply a little salt and set aside.
2.  Take a small pan, add  1 tsp coconut oil and when hot, add 1 -2 tsp coriander seeds, pinch of fenugreek seeds and 5-6 whole dry red chillies. Saute lightly for 2 mins
3. Grind them with 1 cup of grated coconut,  pinch of turmeric powder and 1 inch ball of tamarind to a fine paste. 
4. Take a bigger pan. Heat 2 tsp coconut oil and add 1 onion finely chopped and saute till pink.Add a pinch of fenugreek seeds, 2 green chillies slit at the centre and saute. You can use any other oil, but coconut oil gives it a distinct Konkani flavor.
5. Add the coconut paste and fry for 2-3 mins. Add 2-3 cups of water and let the mixture come to a good boil. I also add 2-3 Dried Sol for added sourness. 
6. Now add the fish and let the curry come to a good boil. Adjust the salt according to taste. This fish cooks within 5 mins. 
7. Serve hot with plain rice. 

Came across this recipe on Food Network that I have subscribed to and had to try it from the moment I had seen it. Finally tried it today and it was as tasty as it looked.
Here is my version


Method
1. For the marination, take a bowl. Add 2 tsp of olive oil, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, freshly ground pepper, some red chilli flakes, and 2 grated garlic cloves. Add 2 tsp of lime juice, salt and mix well. Marinate 250 gms of Breasts of chicken with the mixture. You can choose to butterfly the chicken as mentioned in the above recipe but I did not do that - I just cut the chicken into smaller pieces. Leave aside for 2 hours.
2. Make the salsa with 2 tsp olive oil, 2 tomatoes, 1 onion, 1/2 capsicum finely chopped. Add 2 tsp lime juice, salt and refrigerate.
3. After 2 hours, grill the chicken. I just chose to fry the chicken on a pan with olive oil on low heat , turning on both sides till cooked.
4. Serve hot with the salsa on top of each piece. You can garnish with freshly ground pepper and red chilli flakes.

I am a fan of spinach and hence decided to make Mutton with spinach today. Most of the recipes of Saagwaala Mutton and other spinach mutton use Spinach Puree but I thought of adding finely chopped spinach instead. The dish was absolutely tasty! Highly recommended




Method
1. Blend 1 cup coriander leaves, 5-6 cloves of garlic, 1 inch ginger, handful of mint leaves and 2 green chillies in a mixer. Add salt and marinate 1/2 kg mutton for at least an hour before cooking.
2. Take 1 tsp ghee and 1 tsp oil in a pressure cooker. When hot, add 1 bay leaf, 3-4 cloves, 1 inch cinammon, 1 cardamom, 1 tsp cumin seeds and saute till the cumin splutters. Add 1 big onion finely chopped and saute till pink.
3. Add 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped and saute till mushy. Add the mutton and saute for some time till the raw taste of ginger garlic goes away. Now add 2 cups of water to the pressure cooker, close the lid, add the weight and cook for 4-5 whistles.
4. Remove the lid when the pressure is off and add 2 cups of finely chopped spinach and 1 tsp kasoori methi and cook till the spinach is well cooked.

Serve hot with chappatis. You can add more water in case you need a gravy to go with rice.

Came across this recipe in my cook book and decided to cook this today for lunch. Tasty and the best part is that my 9 month old relished it. The flavor of the coconut differentiates this from the normal version.

Method

1. Soak 2 cups of basmati rice in water for 15 mins to remove the excess starch. Drain and keep aside.

2. Take 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp oil in a pressure cooker. When hot, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 inch cinammon, 2-3 cloves, 2-3 pepper corns, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf and saute for a minute. Add 2 medium onions slit into long thin slices and saute till pink. Add 2 finely chopped green chillies.

3.  Add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped coriander leaves and 1/2 cup of finely chopped mint leaves.

4. Add 1 potato cut into cubes, 1/2 cup of carrots cut into cubes, 3-4 tsp pf green peas, 1/2 cup of cauliflower florets. I added some soaked black channa and 5-6 snap peas. Saute all the vegetables for 2 mins

5. Add 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp garam masala powder and saute well such that the vegetables are coated with the masala.

6. Add the rice and saute till all the vegetables and rice mix well. Now add 25 gms of coconut milk powder added in 2 cups of water to the pressure cooker. Add 3 more cups of water, mix well and close the lid of the cooker with the whistle on.

7. Cook for 3-4 whistles. Remove the cooker from the flame. Remove the whistle once the pressure is off and separate the rice with a fork.

Serve  this biryani hot with Onion- Tomato Raita

I used to always wonder how kakori kababs in restaurants melt in our mouth. Then when I saw this dish being cooked on Foodistan I was inspired to try it. I searched online and this dish is my adaptation from different recipes.

Method

1. Add 2 tbsp oil. Add 1 tsp shahi jeera, 1 cardamom, 1 inch cinammon, 2-3 cloves and saute for a minute. Add 2 medium finely chopped onion and saute till brown.
2. Add 1 inch  ginger finely chopped and 5-6 pods of garlic finely chopped, ½ cup of mint, 2 green chillies finely chopped,1 tsp turmeric and saute.
3. Now add around 300 gms of boneless chicken cut into smaller cubes (this is actually a mutton dish but I tried with chicken) and cook till the meat is tender and almost cooked.
4. Now add 1 tbsp chilli powder, 1tsp garam masala, ½ cup coriander chopped, and 1 cup Chana Dal (which is soaked and boiled - remove all the water before adding). Saute for around 2 mins and then let this mixture cool a bit.
5. Now grind the above mixture in a mixer grinder to a coarse paste. The strands of chicken should be seen.
6. Adjust the seasoning if needed. Beat 1 egg in a bowl.
7. Make small balls with the batter, flatten it, dip it in the egg and shallow fry on a pan on a slow flame on both sides till cooked.

This will make around 20 medium shaped kababs - serve with mint chutney.

I had tasted Pithla at my friend Mona's home and liked it a lot but never ventured to cook it on my own. This is the first time I tried it and I have decided that I am going to cook it regularly

So here is my modified version of Mona's Pithla recipe..

Method

1. Add 3/4 cup besan to 2 cups water and mix well so that  you do not have any lumps. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in pan. When hot, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds.  When they splutter add 2 finely chopped green chillies and 2 sprigs of curry leaves. Also add a pinch of asafoetida and saute well. 
3. Now add 1 finely chopped onion and 3-4 finely chopped cloves of garlic and some salt. When the onion is slightly pink add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and continue sauteing till onion is brown in color.
4. Add  1 finely chopped tomato and 1/2 cup of spring onions greens. (Spring onion is not part of the original recipe - but I added it for the added taste.)
5. Adjust the salt as required and 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder(again not part of original recipe) and saute. Now add the besan mixture and keep stirring regularly to avoid lumps 
6.  Cook for 10 mins or till the raw taste of besan goes.
7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, some spring onion greens and serve piping hot with Jowar Rotis (Bhakris)

I have always liked nachos with refried beans and cheese - but what I like even more was always the salsa that came with it.
I tasted store bought nachos with this salsa recently at Deepali's place and loved it. Have tried this recipe many a times after that...is an awesome starter esp when you have vegetarian guests :) Thanks Deepali!



Method
1. Take 3-4 tsp of olive oil in a bowl. 
2. Mix 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, 2-3 tsp of red pepper, yellow pepper and green pepper finely chopped. You can also choose to blanch the tomatoes and coarsely grind it before adding it to the mixture. But I left it like this for crunchiness.
3. Add salt, juice of 1 lemon, red chilli flakes, 1 tsp pepper, oregano and mix well (you can adjust the spices according to your taste). I also added some 2 tsp of raw mango sliced finely just for added sourness.
4. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving with Nachos

We had ordered Miryalu kodi (Pepper Chicken) at Rayalseema Ruchulu in Hyderabad last week. The taste of this South Indian (mainly Andhra cuisine) starter with  of pepper and curry leaves was too good. I tried looking for the recipe online but could not find it.  I tried my own version of Pepper Chicken and here is how I cooked it..turned out pretty close to the original.. 



Method
1. Marinate 1/2 kg boneless chicken with salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp pepper powder, 1 tsp freshly ground pepper, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder  and leave aside for at least 1 hour.
2. Take 2 tsp oil in a non stick pan. When hot, add 1 sprig of curry leaves. When it splutters add the chicken and let it cook. Stir occasionally. Cover and cook on a low flame else the spices may burn.
3. Remove the lid after 15 mins and cook on low flame till chicken is cooked.
4. Sprinkle lemon juice, freshly ground pepper according to taste and serve.

I like vegetable clear soup and recently cooked this for my 8 month old. She loved it too - so guess I will make this more often from now on.

Method
1. Heat 1 tsp ghee and 1 tsp butter in a pan. Add 1 finely chopped small onion and saute till pink.
2. Add 2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped and saute. Add 3-4 tsp each of carrot finely chopped, beans finely chopped, cabbage finely chopped, sweet corn chopped into smaller pieces and saute the vegetables for 2-3 mins.
3. Add 3 cups of water to the pan and let the vegetables cook.
4. When the veggies are almost cooked, add 3 tsp of cornflour mixed in water (such that there are no lumps) and add it to the pan.
5.Mix the corn flour with 5 tsp's of water without any lumps and add it to the pan.
Adjust the salt according to taste and let the soup cook for more 4-5 mins,

6. Add  pepper powder according to taste and garnish with spring onion greens and serve.

For my baby, I took out some soup before adding the pepper and spring onions - she just loved the taste.

I am not a big fan of potatoes in my gravy and sabzis but this one dish is an exception.



Method
1. Boil 2-3 big potatoes. Peel them and chop them into cubes and keep aside.
2. Finely chop 1 onion. 
3. Finely grate 1 cup coconut. Dry roast the coconut till it turns reddish and leaves a nice aroma.
4. Grind coconut with 1 tsp coriander seeds, 5-6 red chillies and 1 marble sized ball of tamarind to a smooth paste.
5. Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a pan. Fry the onions till they are pink. Add the potatoes and the masala and salt and let it cook. Add a little bit water and cook till the masala is cooked. You can adjust the water depending on the consistency you want.

This is an amazing side dish with rice, goes well with chappatis and also rice rotis.

This is one traditional Andhra recipe that I really like and look forward to this dish  in our office canteen. I love the tanginess of this dish and the crisp onions taste good too. It goes well with rice and can be just had like a drink along with food.I searched the recipe today and decided to make it - the best part is that its so easy to make and takes hardly some 15 mins and doesn't need any heating.

Method

1. Take a small vessel. Add 1 tsp oil and roast 2 dry red chillies. Grind them to a fine paste with some water.

2. Soak 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind in 3 cups of water (I used slightly warm water).  Extract the juice of the tamarind and discard the pulp. 

3. Finely chop 1/2 a onion, 2 green chillies. Add this to the tamarind pulp with water, and add salt according to taste.

4. Heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan. When oil is hot,  add 1 tsp mustard seeds. After they splutter, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 sprig of curry leaves. Pour this seasoning over the tamarind mixture. Add a pinch of sugar/jaggery to balance the tanginess.

Serve cold.

I had tasted this dish at hubby's friend Lt. Col Kartik's place. His wife Chabi is an awesome cook and I was totally bowled over by this dish. The best part is that it is a complete dish and you don't need to cook anything else. Also looks extremely presentable with a lot of accompaniments. 

I felt like cooking Khow Suey today and searched online for recipes. Surprisingly I found only Indian recipe blogs :) Now  I really wonder whether this is authentic Burmese - need to do some research later. 

The recipes I found contained garam masala, dhaniya etc so I think it must be the Indianised version of the Burmese recipe (if that exists that is). Here  is how I cooked the dish



Method

1. Take 1/2 cup oil in a pan and deep fry 1 onion cut into longish slices,  till caramalised. In the same pan deep fry thin slices of 3-4 pods of garlic. Drain and keep aside for garnish
2. Add 250 gms of boneless chicken slices marinated in salt  and Saute for 10 mins or till 80% done. Drain and keep aside. 

3. Now in the same pan, add 1 finely chopped onion and saute. Add 1 tsp finely chopped ginger, 2 red chillies finely chopped and 1 tsp finely chopped garlic and saute till onions are brown. Add 1/2 tsp of turmeric, 1 tsp each of red chilli powder, and 2 tsp of coriander powder (alternately you can add Curry masala powder if you have that at home). Add salt and cook for another 5 mins. 


4. Add the chicken and cook. Now add some water  so that the chicken is covered, 2 tsp lemon juice and cook till the chicken is almost cooked.

5. Parallely, keep 1 pack of egg noodles (I used Ching's egg noodles) for cooking according to instructions on the pack. Time it such that it is just cooked before you are ready to serve the dish. You should ideally strain the noodles from hot water and drain it under cold water to stop the cooking process. I added some salt and oil to the noodles while cooking.
6.  Add 200 ml of coconut milk to the chicken. I also added some Maggi chicken cubes mixed in water for additional taste.
7. You can add some basil leaves and lime leaves if you have them readily available. Let the whole dish come to a good boil and the khow suey is ready to be served.
5. Meanwhile chop some coriander leaves and some spring onions for garnishing.


Serve the chicken gravy on the noodles and top it with the caramalised onions, garlic, spring onions, sliced boiled egg and coriander leaves. Try this dish - I am sure you wont be disappointed.

Last Sunday, we had one of the best parties of our lives at a friend's farmhouse in Hyderabad. It was a pot luck barbeque party and I carried among other dishes, some prawns. Deepali, my friend who is my culinary guru, asked me to try marinating the prawns in Chinese sauces and this turned out pretty good and different from the Indian bbqs. 



Method
1. Devein and deshell 1 kg prawns. Leave the tail on.
2. For marinade, add 2-3 tsp soya sauce, 2 tsp chilli sauce, salt, pepper, red chilli flakes, 1 tsp honey and 3 tsp olive oil in a glass bowl. You can change the proportions according to your taste.
3. Toss the prawns in the marinade such that all the prawns are covered and refrigerate for 24 hours.
4. Arrange the prawns on a wet wooden skewer. 

5. Grill in barbeque - keep basting with the leftover marinade and oil while grilling. 

You can also try adding some sesame seeds (Till) to the marinade. I will try it next time. The prawns can also be barbequed at home on a pan - it wont taste smoky but then this will be a good second option.

I like the sweet and sour dishes in Chinese cuisine. I think its the yin and yang concept that manifests itself in the recipes.  

Method

1. Marinate about 250 gms of deshelled and deviened prawns (I left the tail on) for about an hour with 2 tsp soya sauce, 2 tsp red chilli sauce, 1 tsp vinegar a little bit of honey and salt to taste.

2. Cut 1 onion into lengthwise thin strips. Julienne  about 1/2 cup of carrot  and 1/2 cup of capsicum. Finely chop about 1 tsp of garlic and 1 tsp of ginger. In Chinese cooking most of the ingredients are cut in the same shape. You can also cut all the vegetables into cubes instead of julienne. Cubes takes slightly longer to cook.

3. Take 2 tbsp  of oil in a pan. Add 2 tsp of cornstarch to the prawns. When the oil is hot, saute the prawns till they are pink and start to curl. Dont overcook the prawns as then they become harder.Remove from pan and set aside

4. In same pan, add 1 tsp oil and saute the carrots for 2 mins till slightly soft. Remove from pan and set aside

5. In same pan, add 1 tsp oil and saute the onions. When the onions are pink, add the ginger and garlic and saute briefly on medium flame. Add capsicum and carrot and saute till the vegetables look cooked. 

6. Mix 2 tsp soya sauce, 2 tsp vinegar, 2 tsp red chilli sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp corn starch and add this to the pan and bring to boil. The mixture will thicken and coat the prawns and the vegetables beautifully.

Serve with rice /noodles. 

As I was writing this post, I wondered whether what I bought today was shrimps or a prawns? Googled and found this post. The differences are so subtle that  I would rather enjoy my food - anyways whats in a name....

This is a very simple dish of one of my favorite vegetables - I believe one can hardly go wrong with bhindi.

Method

1. Wash, pat dry  and cut 1/2 kg of  Bhindi (OKRA) into 2 pieces lengthwise after cutting off the edges.

2. Take oil in a pan. When hot, Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and  a pinch of asafoetida (hing)and  2 -3 crushed garlic pods .

3. Add  bhindi  when the cumin seeds crackle and stir for 5 mins or till the  bhindi  looks slightly cooked.

3. Now add 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, pinch of turmeric powder, 1 tsp amchoor powder and saute till the  bhindi  is coated well with the masalas.

4. Add salt and 1-2 tsp besan powder and saute till the bhindi is well cooked.

Serve hot with chapatis.

I have tried many ice cream recipes but none have  given me as consistent results as this one. This mango ice cream came very close to the one they serve at Natural's parlours. I have tried this same recipe with different fruits like jackfruit, chickoo, custard apple, banana, guava, dates, apricots and they have all turned out tasty. Thanks to my cousin Kalpana tai for parting with her secret recipe :)



Method
1. Take 1 cup of full toned milk, 1 cup of any of the above fruit/dry fruit pulp (Here I used Alphonso Mangoes finely chopped) , 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of milk powder. You can also add some fresh cream if you like. I add slightly less than 1 cup sugar but you can adjust the sugar according to your taste.
2. Blend them all in the grinder till an even consistency is achieved. You can taste it now and add sugar/ pulp according to your liking.
3. Freeze the mixture - takes about 8 hours to set well.
You can serve this ice cream topped with some freshly cut pieces of the fruit.

Felt like cooking something rich today. This recipe certainly fit the bill with its cream and cashew component :)


Method
1. Cut 500 gms of paneer into cubes. Sprinkle salt, chilli powder and turmeric on the paneer pieces and keep aside for sometime.
2. Take 2-3 tsp of oil in a pan and saute these paneer pieces till slightly cooked - say 3-4 mins.
3. Remove paneer and keep aside
4. In the same oil, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2-3 pepper corns, 2-3 cloves, 1 inch cinammon and saute.
5. Add 1 big onion finely chopped and 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and saute till onion is brown in colour.
6. Add 2 finely chopped tomatoes and let them cook with lid on. After 5 mins add chilli powder (According to taste) and 1 tsp coriander powder, 2-3 cashew nuts finely chopped, add water to the dry mixture and cover lid and let it cook.
7. Now when the mixture looks cooked, remove it from heat. Let it cool a bit and make a fine paste of it in the grinder
8. Again add the paste to the pan and cook it till it comes to a boil. Add the paneer pieces and some kasoori methi (finely crushed in between the palms of your hand) and add salt and sugar according to taste. I also added 2-3 tsp of fresh cream.
9. Cook for 2-3 mins and then remove from heat. Garnish with freshly chopped Coriander leaves and serve with chapatis.

This recipe is heavily inspired from Vah re Vah video. However I avoided the elaborate stuffing and deep frying of paneer for the sake of time/effort.