chick on a Maggi

Item - Eggy Maggi

Serves - 1

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 pack maggi
• Coriander, few sprigs finely chopped
• Salt
• Oil

Method:

• Make an omlette to your taste - with just salt & pepper or salt or salt & chopped green chillies or with green masala.
• Prepare Maggi as directed on the pack.
• Dish the cooked Maggi in a shallow plate, sprinkle the fresh corainder over it & lay the omlette on top.
• Enjoy a hot & filling meal with simple maggi & egg.

Tricked you with a super simple dish, didn't I?
 

seedha saadha Bread pakoda

Item - Bread Pakoda

Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients:

• Bread slices (4)
• Potatoes (3 boiled)
• Green chutney (given at end)
• Green chillies, 2 finely chopped
• Chilly powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder, 1 tsp + 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Ajwain, 1 tsp
• Besan, 11/2 cup
• Water
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

• For the batter
• Mix the besan, ajwain, salt, 1 chopped green chilli, 1 tsp turmeric powder, water and make a batter of nice consistency.
• Keep aside for at least 30 minutes (you do not need soda bi carb to make it fluffy if you keep aside for awhile).
• For the stuffing
• Mash together - boiled potatoes, salt, chilly powder, 1 chopped green chilly, turmeric powder.
• Making the pakoda
• Heat the oil in a fying pan.
• Take 2 slices of bread, apply a little green chutney.
• Stuff the potato mixture between the 2 slices.
• Cut the bread into 4 stuffed triangles.
• Dip the stuffed bread into the besan mixture & add to the oil.
• Fry till light brown and serve hot with tomato ketchup & green chutney.

Green chutney: Make a paste in a mixer of - 4 to 5 green chillies, handful of fresh coriander, a few sprigs of fresh mint leaves, sea salt, lime juice & very little water.

mazedar Idli Chilly fry

Item - Idli Chilly Fry

Serves - 2

Ingredients:

• Left over idlis - 4 to 5
• Capsicum - 1, cut into long slits
• Spring onion - 3 to 4, coarsely chopped
• Onion, 1 chopped - use either spring onion or regular onion
• Green chillies - 2 to 3, cut diagonally
• Salt, as per taste
• Oil for shallow frying & deep frying 
• Soya sauce - 1 tbsp (use sparingly so as not to make the dish too salty)

Method:

• Cut the idlies into quarters & deep free, drain excess oil & keep aside
• In a wide pan, pour the oil, when smoking hot add in the onion, capsicum & green chillies.
• Stir fry for a few minutes till light brown, then add in the soya sauce & salt. 
• Stir for a few more minutes, then toss in the fried idlis & mix well.
• Serve HOT & fresh

crunch your way to health - moong behl

Item - Moong Behl

Serves - 1

Ingredients:

• Sprouted green moong, about a handful (soaked overnight, drained & then tied in a muslin cloth to allow for sprouting OR simple buy from the market)
• 1/2 onion - finely chopped
• 1 green chilly - coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tomato - finely chopped
• Sweet & Sour chutney - made with jaggery & tamarind
• Spicy chutney - made with green chillies, coriander, mint
• Chopped coriander, a few sprigs
• Lemon juice, as per taste
• Salt, as per taste
• Kurmura / Puffed rice - 1 cup

Method:

• Pressure cook the moong for 1 whistle, allow to cool
• Mix all ingredients in big bowl, mix well & eat fresh

Combine with a bowl of soup for a complete meal.

the homely Dal Khichdi

Item - Dal Khichdi

Serves - 2 

Ingredients -

• Rice
• Tuvar dal (aka - arhar, yellow lentils)
• equal parts of rice & dal (about 1/2 cup rice + 1/2 cup dal) - wash & soak for 20-30 minutes in water
• Garlic (5-6 cloves, half crushed)
• Ginger (an inch long, peeled & grated coarsely)
• Curry leaves (7-8)
• Salt (as desired)
• Green chillies (3-4, cut into half)
• Turmeric powder (a tea spoon)
• Ghee (2-3 table spoons) (aka - clarified butter)
• Jeera (aka - cumin seeds) (2 tea spoons)

Method -

• Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker (if you dont like too much ghee, mix oil + ghee). Once you smell the aroma, add the jeera, garlic, ginger, curry leaves & green chillies. Keep stirring to avoid burning.
• Let it fry for about 2 minutes, then toss in the soaked dal & rice with the water (add some more water to ensure a smooth & somewhat pasty khichdi), mix well, add the turmeric powder & salt.
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles, low flame for 10 minutes, serve hot with plain curd or dahi kadhi or just have it with some more ghee!  

TIP - turn this into a VEGETABLE DAL KHICHDI by just adding in coarsely chopped vegetables like carrots, onions, cauliflower, potato, peas & french beans.

the simplified Dahi Kadi

Item - Dahi Kadi

Serves - 2

Ingredients -

• Curd - 2 cups
• Besan (aka - gram flour) (2 tablespoon)
• Curry leaves (7-8)
• Jeera (aka - cumin seeds) (1 teaspoon)
• Turmeric powder (1 teaspoon)
• Chilli powder (1 teaspoon)
• Green chillies (2, cut into half, slit 1 to add a little spicy zing to the kadi)
• Dry red chilli (1 - round or long)
• Asafoetida (aka - hing) (a pinch ful)
• Dry methi seeds (4-5)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for tadka (11/2 tablespoon) or a mix of ghee + oil

Method -

• Blend the curd & besan with some water to make into smooth paste, with no lumps, keep consistency as thin as desired but not too watery.
• Let the mixture boil over slow flame, stirring continuously. Add to this the turmeric powder, chilli powder & green chillies.
• In a small kadai, heat some oil, add jeera, curry leaves, dry methi seeds & just before removing from flame add the asafoetida.
• Pour this hot oil mixture over the curd & water mixture (this is called the Indian Tadka).
• Simmer for 5 minutes & serve hot with the dal khichdi.

the modified Dahi Kadi

Item - Pakodi wali dahi kadi

** Method given below is only for the additional ingredient - pakodi, the dahi kadi is same as given earlier.

Serves - 2

• Ingredients -
• Besan (aka - gram flour) (1 cup)
• Garlic (3-4 cloves, finely chopped)
• Ginger (1/2 inch, peeled & finely chopped)
• Ajwain (1 teaspoon)
• Green chillies (2, finely chopped)
• Salt as desired
• Baking powder (a pinchful)

Method -

• Mix all the above mentioned ingredients and add water to make into a paste of thick consistency.
• Let it sit for 15 - 20 minutes.
• Heat oil for frying in a kadai.
• Drop big drops of batter into the hot oil to make about 1 inch sized balls.
• Fry till golden brown.
• Drain & keep aside.

Add this to the dahi kadi just before serving.

TIP - add 1 sliced onion & potato to the kadi to make it more filling. Let the onion & potato cook in the dahi kadi itself before giving it tadka, keeping the lid on & stirring occasionally. Once cooked, give tadka & add the pakodi - serve HOT.

the friendly Paneer Bhurji

Item - Paneer Bhurji

Serves - 2

Ingredients -

• 200 grams Paneer
• Onion (1, finely chopped)
• Tomato (1/2, finely chopped)
• Jeera (aka cumin seeds) (1 teaspoon)
• Green chillies (2-3, finely chopped)
• Chilli Powder (1 teaspoon)
• Turmeric Powder (1 teaspoon)
• Oil (11/2 tablespoon)

Method -

• In a frying pan, heat the oil, add the jeera & green chillies and let it fry for a minute.
• Add the chopped onions, cook on medium flame till they turn light brown, add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt, mix well.
• Scramble the paneer and add. Mix well and keep on heat only for 5-7 minutes.
• Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

quick fix America Chopsuey

Item - American Chopsuey

Serves - 2

Ingredients -

• Maggi noodles (1 pack)
• Mixed vegetables - french beans (chopped lengthwise), carrots (roughly cubed), capsicum (roughly cubed) (1 cup)
• Tomato puree (1 pack)
• Tomato ketchup (2 table spoons)
• Garlic (2-3 cloves, crushed)
• Oil
• Salt as per taste
• Sugar (1 teaspoon)

Method -

• Cook the Maggi noodles without the masala, drain & keep aside.
• Heat some oil in a kadai, fry the vegetables (half cooked, crunchy feel) one after another & keep aside.
• Heat some more oil in the kadai, add the garlic, add the tomato puree, tomato ketchup, sugar & salt.
• Stir till the sugar dissolves.
• Stir in the vegetables & sauce and serve piping hot.

TIP - if you want it more tangy / sweet add a bit more ketchup / sugar.

masaledar Masoor Rice

Item - Masoor Rice

Serves - 4

Ingredients -

• Rice (1 cup)
• Masoor (whole masoor, not the orange dal, 3/4 cup)
• Wash & mix the dal & rice and soak in water for at least 30 minutes
• Onion (1, coarsely chopped)
• Tomato (1, coarsely chopped)
• Green chillies (3-4, cut into half)
• Ginger (1/2 inch, chopped coarsely)
• Make a coarse paste of ginger & chillies, preferably using a mortar & pestle
• Chilli powder (1 teaspoon)
• Turmeric powder (1 teaspoon)
• Garam masala (1 teaspoon)
• Curry leaves (6-7)
• Jeera (aka - cumin seeds) (1 teaspoon)
• Bay leaf (1)
• Salt as per taste
• Oil (alternatively oil + ghee) (1 table spoon)

Method -

• In a pressure cook, pour the oil (or oil + ghee), let it heat till it releases a fragrant aroma, add the curry leaves, jeera and bay leaf.
• Add in the onion & tomato and keep stirring on high flame.
• After about 2 minutes, add in the ginger & chilli paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt & lastly the garam masala.
• Add the rice & dal with the water, add more water if required. (masoor needs more water & heat to cook as compared to the rice) 
• Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles, 5 -7 minutes on low flame.
• Serve hot garnished with coriander & a side of plain curd or dahi kadi.

so easy Naan

Item - Naan

Makes - 3 to 4

Ingredients -

• Maida (aka - refined flour) (11/2 cup)
• Dry yeast (1 teaspoon) (soak in 1/2 cup warm water with 1 teaspoon sugar till the yeast balls dissolve completely)
• Oil (1 tablespoon)
• Salt (little less than a teaspoon)
• Water to knead dough

Method -

• Knead the dough by mixing all the above ingredients.
• Cover with a moist cloth & keep aside for about 20 - 30 minutes to allow the yeast to react.
• Make into equal sized balls of about 1 inch diameter.
• Roll into oblong / roughly round shape. Not too thin, not too thick.
• Put on a hot tawa and cook 1 side, cook the other side on the open flame till it turns a bit crispy at few places.
• Rub some butter over the hot naan & serve hot.

So soft & sweet, you will eat it just by itself!