Spinach Corn Sandwich

Ingredients:

4 medium sized leaves of spinach finely chopped

1 tbsp corn

1/4 tomato finely chopped

1/4 onion finely chopped

1 clove of garlic finely grated

1" ginger finely grated

1 green chilli finely chopped

1/4 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1 slice of cheese

2 slices of bread

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

Method:

• heat a tsp of oil in a kadai. Add the ginger and garlic and stir, add the

Paneer Kheer

2 litrs milk

1/4 cup sugar

pista and almond for garnish

2 tbsp rose water

pinch of saffron

eailaichi powder

100 gms paneer

Dhokar Dalna

Ingredients:

for the dhoka:

1/2 cup chana dal

1" ginger

1/4 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

2 1/2 tbsp oil-dal

salt to taste

for the dalna (gravy):

1 elaichi

2 laung

1" dalchini

1 medium onion

5 cloves of garlic

1" ginger

1 large tomato pureed

2 tsp oil

1 tsp coriander powder

3/4 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp kashmiri mirch

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cup water

salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the chana dal for 4-5 hours. After soaking, drain the chana dal, add ginger and grind the dal and ginger. Add coriander powder, jeera powder, haldi powder, red chilli powder and salt to the dal mixture.
• Heat a kadai, add 1 tbsp of oil and fry the ground dal. Once the dal leaves the sides of the kadai, which will take around 5-7 minutes switch off the gas.
• Grease a plate with oil and spread the dal mixture, cut into diamond shaped pieces.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a pan and shallow fry the dal pieces. keep aside the fried dal pieces.
• For the gravy, puree the onion , ginger and garlic in a mixie.
• Heat 2 tsp of oil on medium high flame, add elaichi, laung and dalchini, when they crackle add the onion ginger garlic puree and let it fry.
• Once the onion paste turns light brown in colour, add the tomato puree and fry for a minute.
• Add coriander powder, jeera powder, red chilli powder, kashmiri mirch and let the masala cook well. Cover and cook for 3 mins. Once the gravy leaves the sides of the kadai add 1 1/2 cup of water, sugar and salt and bring it to boil on a medium flame.
• After one boil add the fried dal pieces and give another boil. Switch off the gas and serve.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Tips:

• Mostly the dal for the dhokas(dal pieces) is finely ground, I however, grind in a mortar and pestle so leave it slightly coarse. However anything ground on a mortar and pestle taste divine, so I don't mind the dal being ground slightly coarsely. You can however grind it to a smooth paste.
• Traditionally people also add potato to this gravy. I do not. You can also add black chana, green peas to this gravy.
• You can even have combination of other dals for the dhokas.
• You can add other spices like nigella seeds, fennel seeds to the dhokas.
• You can also add onion and coriander leaves to the dhokas.
• Becareful when you fry the dhokas, it should not crumble.
• If you want the gravy to be thick you can add cornflour for binding.
• The dhokas can also be added in curd based gravy too, will post the recipe soon.
• You can add cream to the gravy to make it rich. I however prefer it without cream!
• If the dhokas are left in the gravy for too long they tend to absorb the gravy. Hence, if you plan to make this dish well in advance, add the dal pieces at the time of serving and just heat it for sometime.
• This preparation taste good with rice as well as any Indian bread!

Varn (Goan Style)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup arhar dal(toor dal)

1/2 cup grated coconut

1 tsp jeera

1/2 tsp haldi powder

1 tsp sugar

1 cup water

salt to taste

for the tempering:

1 tsp ghee

1/2 tsp oil

pinch of hing

7-8 karipatta

1/4 tsp rai

Method:

• Wash the arhar dal and soak for 15 minutes.
• In a pressure cooker add the dal, water, haldi powder and salt and cover with the lid. Cook for one whistle on high and two whistles on sim. Switch off the flame and let the pressure drop by itself.
• In a mixie add the grated coconut, jeera and ground to fine paste. Keep aside.
• Heat a small kadai for tempering, heat ghee and oil on medium high flame. Add the mustard seeds, when the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add the karipatta leaves and hing.
• Add the tempering over the cooked dal. Mix well.
• Add the ground coconut paste to the dal and cook the dal in the uncovered pressure cooker.
• Add sugar and bring to a boil.
• Serve hot with rice!!!

Tips:

• This is my version of the varn. You can add jeera while boiling the dal.
• You may add grated coconut only instead of the ground coconut (and jeera while boiling the dal). However I prefer to add the ground coconut.
• You can add jaggery instead of sugar.
• If you want the consistency of the dal to be thinner, add water along with the coconut.
• You can add 1 tbsp of water while grinding the coconut.
• This is a very light dal and taste fantastic with rice.

Batata Kaap/Fodi ( Crispy Pan Fried Potatoes (Goan Style))

Ingredients:

1 potato

3 tbsp sooji (+ 1/2 tsp haldi powder and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder)

1 tbsp red chilli powder

pinch of haldi powder

salt to taste

Method:

• Cut the potatoes into round of 1/4 inch thickness. Wash, and sprinkle salt, haldi powder and red chilli powder. Keep aside.
• Heat a pan on a medium flame and add oil.
• Spread the sooji on a plate. Add 1/2 tsp haldi powder and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder to the sooji and mix well.
• Take each piece of the potato and roll it in the sooji so that the sooji coats the potato completely and place it in the pan.
• Sprinkle some drops of water on th epan and cover the pan with a lid.
• Let the potatoes cook on a very low flame.
• Uncover the pan and check if the potatoes are cooked. If the potatoes are cooked turn each piece of potato and cook it on the other side on a medium heat.
• Cook both the sides of the potato till golden brown.
• Serve hot with rice and varn!!!!

Tips:

• The thickness of the potatoes can be varied. Even if you slice them thin they taste good.
• I also add 1/2 tsp of haldi and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder to the sooji to enhance the flavours.
• The potatoes must be moist only then will the sooji stick to the potato. If its dry add a tsp of water.
• Do not marinate the potato for too long, it will turn dark and very soft.
• You can check if the potatoes are cooked by pricking a knife/fork.
• Only one side has to be cooked with the lid closed. do not cover the pan while cooking the other side.

fried stuffed modak

1 cup maida

1/4 cup water

salt to taste

1 cup grated coconut

1/3 cup jaggery

1 tsp elaichi powder

salt to taste

oil for deep frying.

Mirch Gawar Phali (Spicy Chitki/ Cluster Beans)

Ingredients:

1 cup gavar phali

1 tomato

4 cloves of garlic

1" ginger

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp jeera

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp kashmiri mirch powder

1/4 tsp haldi

3 tbsp water

salt to taste

Method:

• Cut the cluster beans into 2 inch long pieces. Add salt and microwave covered for 3 minutes. Stir and keep aside.
• Grind the tomato, ginger and garlic into a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a kadai, and jeera and let it crackle. Add the tomato ginger garlic paste and let it cook. Once the tomato leaves the sides of the kadai, add jeera powder, coriander powder, kashmiri mirch powder and haldi. Let the masala cook well.
• Add the cluster beans and 1 tbsp of water and salt. Cover the kadai with a lid and let the cluster bean cook in the masala. Stir occasionally and keep adding 1 tsp of water at a time if required.
• Once the cluster beans are cooked and coated with the masala...its done!!! serve!!!

Tips:

• This is a dry vegetable, its almost like a stir fry vegetable coated with masala.
• You can add sugar to balance the flavours.
• You can temper with mustard seeds and ajwain too.
• You can add whole garlic too, it gives a good flavour.
• You can grate the tomato, ginger and garlic, incase its difficult to grind the tomato, ginger and garlic in the mixie.