Courses: Lunch

Whole Wheat Puri | How to make atta puri? | Poori

Whole wheat puri nashta for weekend, with aloo masala and seviyaan kheer
01/29/2017 9:34:35 PM vindhyadesai

Puris or pooris are unleavened puffed up bread, a very common dish all over India. These are whole wheat puri which makes them extra delicious and they are definitely a crowd favourite.
Whole wheat flour (atta) is kneaded into a smooth dough. Little dough balls are pinched off the dough rolled out into discs (not too thin not too thick). These are then deep fried in medium hot oil till they puff up.
They are a treat to eat and very commonly made during weddings and religious occasions and festivals. ... “Whole Wheat Puri | How to make atta puri? | Poori”

Tomato Basil Pizza | Pizza Recipes | How to make tomato basil pizza?

Crowd favourite, red, green colourful tomato basil pizza
2017-01-28 9:53:24 PM vindhyadesai

Tomato and basil, the two most popular ingredients from Italy. Fresh tomatoes and fresh basil based dishes are a perfect combo. They are like Bread-Butter, Tom-Jerry or even Vikram-Betaal 🙂 Totally inseparable! They taste so good in this tomato basil pizza that you would want to make it right away.
A little preparation can help you make this tomato basil pizza in very little time. Fresh juicy tomatoes are added in 2 forms, one is in paste form added to this basic tomato pizza sauce. The other form is halved cherry tomatoes topped all over. Sliced regular tomatoes can be added or grape tomatoes, whatever you have on hand. ... “Tomato Basil Pizza | Pizza Recipes | How to make tomato basil pizza?”

Special Jeera Rice | Ney Choru | Jeera rice with nuts and raisins | Rice Recipes

Festive, loaded with nuts and raisins, aromatic special jeera rice
01/23/2017 9:12:20 PM vindhyadesai

Jeera rice is a very common dish in North Indian cuisine. Somehow this humble rice dish gets lost amongst special dishes. How about making this special jeera rice? It is also called Ney Choru or Nei choru, a special dish from the Malabar region of Kerala. Make this jeera rice stand out on your plate!
True to its origins, this jeera ghee rice is made extra special with aromatic spices like elaichi, dalchini and laung. It is also rich and festive with cashew nuts, raisins and ghee. A simple humble rice dish will make you feel like royalty! ... “Special Jeera Rice | Ney Choru | Jeera rice with nuts and raisins | Rice Recipes”

Badanekayi Rasapalya | Brinjal Gravy | Gravy Recipes

Spicy, tangy, tasty badanekayi rasapalya – gravy for rotis
01/22/2017 5:13:15 PM vindhyadesai

A very popular gravy from North Karnataka, badanekayi rasapalya. It is spicy yet refreshing and tastes best with bhakkri/jolada roti or even regular chapathis or rotis.
Badanekayi rasapalya or brinjal gravy has simple spices like sesame and cinnamon. Their combination makes this  gravy loaded with flavours. Tomato and onion makes the base of the gravy nice and thick. Texture-wise this gravy scores a ten on ten in my opinion. ... “Badanekayi Rasapalya | Brinjal Gravy | Gravy Recipes”

Ven Pongal | Pongal Recipes | Sankranti Recipes

Adorned with whole black peppercorns, soft and delicious ven pongal
01/02/2017 12:40:47 PM vindhyadesai

A wholesome rice with the simplest of spices has to be pongal. Main ingredients being rice and mung/moong dal along with black pepper they make a super delicious combo. Ven pongal is a variation of khichdi from Tamil Nadu and South India. This is similar to hotel style pongal served with white coconut chutney and tiffin sambar.
Khichdi is the most common dish all over India. It is made in different ways for instance the one, I have already posted from Bengal, khichuri. These dishes are very comforting and most importantly they are one-pot meals. ... “Ven Pongal | Pongal Recipes | Sankranti Recipes”

Methi Malai Paneer | Paneer Recipes | How to make methi malai paneer?

Extremely flavourful and creamy, restaurant style methi malai paneer
12/15/2016 5:11:52 PM vindhyadesai

Soft paneer pieces floating in a creamy and fragrant gravy will be a delight to eat. Methi Malai Paneer is a creamy gravy with flavoursome methi leaves and an aromatic masala. The creaminess is from the cashews and also the cream and also the butter 🙂
A restaurant style gravy is an absolute hit. The slight bitterness from methi makes it go really well with all the richness of cream and cashews. Of course, do not forget the spices which give the distinct aroma to this wonderful gravy. ... “Methi Malai Paneer | Paneer Recipes | How to make methi malai paneer?”

Tomato Paratha | How to make tomato paratha?

Soft, delicious and filling tomato paratha for travel or lunchbox
11/30/2016 9:54:21 PM vindhyadesai

Did you know that tomatoes can be ‘grated’ into a coarse puree. I learnt this recently from an article which mentioned ingredients that can actually be grated. So these grated tomatoes add a new kind of texture to soft tomato paratha. I have used this technique to make super tasty red tomato paratha.
However, tomatoes should be firm and just ripe to be able to grate them. Of course, they should also be fresh. Nothing stops us from pureeing the tomatoes in a blender. That would work well too. ... “Tomato Paratha | How to make tomato paratha?”

Lauki ke kofta in tamatar gravy

Crisp on the outside, soft delicious lauki ke kofte in a rich tamatar gravy
11/06/2016 4:08:34 PM vindhyadesai

Kofta dishes are one of those dishes which are a whole meal on their own. They are like starters but the gravy in which they float in, is a tasty side dish for rotis or rice.  Lauki ke kofta is delicious crisp on the outside and soft and flavourful on the inside.
Kofta are very similar to cutlets/dumplings. These are added to an aromatic gravy. The kofte absorb the flavours from the gravy and become moist and soft. This gravy tastes best with rotis/phulkas. If you are among those who do not like lauki then this flavourful rich gravy will surely transform you 🙂
If you like, you can also deep fry the kofte in hot oil till they turn golden. Make sure to coat them well before frying. Try more gravy type of dishes from FOI. ... “Lauki ke kofta in tamatar gravy”

Gorikayi Bhaat | Cluster Beans Bhaat | Chavlikayi Bhaat

Tasty and flavourful with crunchy groundnuts, gorikayi/chavlikayi bhaat
10/31/2016 9:52:05 PM vindhyadesai

After a month long celebration of festivals if you are craving to eat something simple and light, try one of the bhaat/rice recipes. Here’s the recipe for a simple gorikayi bhaat made using cluster beans/gorikayi or chavlikayi. These beans are hardly used but when eaten tender they can be very sweet. These beans have a unique taste and are very fibrous. I have also added peas which pop in the mouth and give extra texture along with the crunchy groundnuts/peanuts.
Here’s a simple cluster bean chutney as well to try. Flavours from jaggery and tamarind add the essential sweet and sour notes to this along with rasam powder giving it a hint of spice and fresh taste. I served this with capsicum raitha/saasme. Gorikayi bhaat is a simple one pot recipe, perfect for your lunch box or for festivals or even for that picnic you are planning. ... “Gorikayi Bhaat | Cluster Beans Bhaat | Chavlikayi Bhaat”

Aloo Posto | Bengali Aloo Poshto | How to make aloo posto?

Pungent and flavourful aloo posto – aloo sabzi with khus-khus paste
10/09/2016 10:42:16 PM vindhyadesai

Aloo sabzis are the go-to sabzis be it on a festival or on regular days. Aloo or potatoes just work with anything and everything. After I decided to prepare Bengali style khichuri and tamatar chatni for Durgashtami I was thinking of a sabzi to go along with the chatni and phulkas/rotis, finally I zeroed in on making aloo posto. The star of the show is not aloo though. It is a paste made from lightly roasted khus-khus/gasa gase/poppy seeds. They give a pungent flavour to the sabzi and add great texture. Aloo posto is generally made in mustard oil like most Bengali dishes. It is a simple sabzi and is ready in no time. Do try other khus-khus or poppy seeds related dishes and aloo dishes. ... “Aloo Posto | Bengali Aloo Poshto | How to make aloo posto?”