PARATHA THALI - 1

Paratha Thali consists of some spicy side dish, dal, rice, onion slices / pickled onions and a chutney or achar. Such small portions of dishes makes a filling and nutritious meal. Today's thali consists of
Paneer Paratha
Chutney'd Kaddu Sabzi  / Pumpkin Sabzi in green chutney mixture
Kohlapuri Matar Masala
Rice
Curd
Cucumber Slices

Paneer Paratha: Make the dough with 1 cup wheat flour, salt, water and set aside. For the filling crumble one cup paneer, add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp coriander powder, 1 finely chopped green chilli, 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander. Mix them and make into small rounds. Flatten the roti stuff the paneer balls, roll it thin, place on a tawa and cook on both side with butter or ghee.

Chutney'd Kaddu Sabzi: Recipe from my Instagram friend Natasha. Make a thick chutney with 1/2 cup coconut, 2 green chillies, one cup coriander, 2 cashews. Meanwhile boil kaddu in salted water and keep aisde. Heat 1 tsp coconut oil, splutter 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 sprig curry leaves, add the chutney with 1/4 cup water and cook until raw smell goes off, add cooked kaddu mix well. Alllow to simmer and switch off the heat.

Kohlapuri Matar Masala: Heat one tbsp oil splutter 1 tsp jeera, add 1 finely chopped onions, 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste, saute well. Add pureed tomatoes 1 cup, and cook in medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp Kohlapuri masala, 1 tsp salt, cook until raw smell goes off. Add one cup boiled green peas simmer for five minutes, sprinkle fresh coriander and remove from heat.

On a plate assemble the dishes, make a kachumber or serve with sliced cucumber, onions, tomatoes, curd with sprinkle of red chilli and jeera powder. 

SOUTH INDIAN MEAL PLAN - 1

Planning a meal for everyday is as important as planning our work. We need the required amount of nutrition / energy levels to run our day to day life without any hindrance. Am not in for any western food stuffs / diet plans. My meal plate consists of regular food which i grew up with. Just that rice is been replaced on few days to other options like unpolished millets / dahlia. Few preparations like soaking tamarind, cleaning greens, making the masala do help during morning rush hour. Sharing a simple South Indian every day meal plan 1 in here.

On our today's plate:
Dahlia
Chinna Vengaya Vetha Kuzhambu / Shallots in tamarind stew
Keerai Masiyal / Amranthus Greens Curry
Gutti Venkaya Kura / Stuffed Brinjals
Vendakkai Kari / Okra Fry
Kondakadalai / Kala Channa Salad
Curd (home set)
Javvarisi Vathal / Sun Dried Sago Fryums (store bought)

How to make:
Dahlia - In a pressure cooker add washed one cup dahlia, two cups water and pressure cook for two hisses. Once the pressure settles eat it hot with the prepared meal. I usually make extra serving to be made into upma / kozhukattai for dinner.

Chinna Vengaya Vetha Kuzhambu - In a kadai heat 2 tbsp sesame oil, splutter 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1/4 tsp jeera, 1/2 tsp thoor dal, 2 sprigs curry leaves, hing ans saute until they get roasted. Add 1/2 cup shallots, 1 tsp salt, and fry them until the onions are half done. Add 3 tbsp Sambar powder and roast it for two minutes. Add two cups tamarind water (mixed 1/2 tsp tamarind paste) and allowed to simmer for 10- 15 minutes or until the oil starts to floats on the sides. Now Kuzhambu is ready.

Keerai Masiyal - Remove the thick stalks of the greens and pressure cook for one hiss adding a tbsp of water. Allow to cool, pulse it with out any water. In a pan add a tsp coconut oil, 1/2 tsp mustard, 1/2 tsp jeera, 2 nos red chillies, 1 tsp urad dal, saute it add pulsed greens, salt, 1/2 tsp pepper powder if required, bring to gentle boil and switch off the heat.

Gutti Venkaya Kura -  In a pan heat a tsp oil, saute 4 red chillies, 1 tbsp chana dal, 2 tbsp urad dal, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, hing and make into coarse powder. Stuff the powder into the slit brinjals. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai add curry leaves, place the stuffed brinjals and allow to cook in low heat for 10 minutes on one side, turn it and cook for another 7 - 8 minutes or until it gets roasted well. Any leftover powder can be added at the end to the brinjals and given a mix carefully without breaking.

Vendakkai Kari / Okra Fry - Heat a tsp oil in a kadai splutter one tsp mustard seeds, torn curry leaves one sprig, hing a pinch, add sliced vendakkai / okra and saute in medium heat until the mushiness goes off and the okra starts to get roasted. At this point add salt, one tsp red chilli powder mix roast it for couple more minutes and remove from heat.

Kondakadalai / Kala Channa Salad - With the cooked channa one cup, add cucumbers, tomatoes, salt, pepper, pomegrante give a quick mix and serve with a squeeze of lime juice.

Ginger Thokku Recipe / இஞ்சி தொக்கு

Inji / Ginger Thokku makes awesome side for Idli / Dosai / Upma. Usually its either Puli Milagai or Puli Inji which is made on either week to go with curd rice. Couple of packets of ginger went unnoticed in the refrigerator hence this thokku happened. Some good quality Sesame oil is mandatory for the perfect outcome. Vegeatble / Rice Bran oils/ Sunflower oils tend to tweak the flavors of the thokku.

Ingredients:
Ginger - 1 cup
Red Chilly - 12 nos
Hing - 1/4 teaspoon
Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Mustard Seeds  1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 2 Sprigs
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Sesame oil - 1/4 cup

How to Make:
Peel, wash, slice the ginger. Heat a tsp of oil add ginger, red chillies, fenugreek seed and saute until nice aroma comes from the ginger make sure not to char the chillies.

Allow to cool, blend to smooth paste, by scraping the sides with a spoon, add very little water and make into fine paste.

Heat oil in a kadai / pan splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, hing, ginger paste, salt and cook in low to medium heat (aprox 20 minutes) until the oil starts to end up in the sides of the kadai.

Remove from heat, allow to cool, store in air tight container and enjoy with Curd rice / Tiffin varieties.

Notes:
Color totally depends on the quality of the red chillies.
Shelf life when refrigerated one week to ten days.
Fenugreek powder can be added at the end instead of roasting fenugreek seeds.
Red chillies can be increased if more heat is needed.

MINI GUJARATI THALI

Gujarati Thali the entire meal can be prepared in less than hour. Choice of veggies are completely left to availability. It has become customary to cook mini thali / meals on weekends. On weekdays lunch is packed food which is cooked in the morning and eaten in a hurry by hubby. So i plan a small spread on weekends either a mini North Indian / South Indian thali. Not much of elaborate preparations are done to cook such simple food at home.

Dishes are

Dhokla with green chutney

Batata nu shaak - click for recipe

Sev Tamatar

Bhindi do pyaza

Rotli (Thin roti)

Paneer Pulao

Chaas / Buttermilk

Salad

and Papad

Ingredients for Dhokla:
1 cup - Gram flour / besan
1 tsp - ginger and green chilli paste
1 and 1/2 tsp - Fruit salt (eno)
Salt as reqd

Combine all except fruit salt in a bowl, mix well by adding water and make into thick batter.
Grease a tray and keep it ready and prepare the steamer.

Just before steaming add fruit salt to the batter, mix well pour on they tray and steam for 12 to 15 minutes or until the knife comes out clean.

For tadka:
1 tsp - Oil
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - White sesame seeds
1/4 tsp - Cumin seeds
2 nos - Green chillies, slit
1 sprig - Curry leaves
1 tsp - Sugar
pinch of asafoetida / hing

Heat a small pan add mustard seeds, once it crackles add hing, cumin, sesame once it cracks add green chillies, curry leaves saute well and switch off the heat.

Pour 2 tbsp water, 1 tsp sugar mix well and pour the tadka over th dhokla. Cut them and serve with green chutney.

Ingredients for Sev Tamatar: 
1 cup - Sev (store bought)
1 cup - Tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp - Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Coriander powder
1 tsp - Red chilli powder
2 tbsp - Oil
pinch of asafoetida / hing
pinch of sugar
Salt as reqd

Method:
Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, hing once it cracks add tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, sugar, salt mix well and cook in simmer until tomatoes soften.

Remove from heat add sev, mix it and serve immediately.

Ingredients for Bhindi do Pyaza:
1/2 kg - Bhindi, washed and chopped
1 no - Onion, sliced
1 tsp - Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp - Ginger paste
1 tsp - Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp - Coriander powder
2 tbsp - Oil
Salt as reqd

Method:
Heat one tbsp oil in a pan add cumin seeds, once it crackles add onions, ginger paste and cook till it softens, and remove and set aside in a plate.

Add another tbsp of oil add bhindi and cook in medium heat until they turn crispy.

Add the sauted onions, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt to the bhindi mixture and cook in medium heat for 5 mins covered remove from heat and serve hot.

Ingredients for Rotli:
2 cups - Wheat flour
1 tsp - Salt / as reqd

Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a deep bowl and knead to soft dough by adding water.

Divide the dough equally and roll them thin, heat a tawa place rotli on it cook on both sides.

Remove from tawa and allow to fluff up on open medium flame, remove and smear ghee over it and serve hot.

Ingredients for Paneer Pulao:
1 cup - Basmati rice, soaked for half hour
1 cup - Paneer, cubed and tossed in butter
1/2 cup - Green bell pepper, sliced
1 no - Onion, sliced
2 nos - Green chillies, slit
1/2 tsp - Cumin seeds
1 no - Bay leaf, clove, cardamom
1/4 cup - Mint and coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp - Ginger n garlic paste
2 tsp - Ghee
Salt as reqd

Method:
Heat ghee in a pan add bay leaf, clove, cardamom saute well, add green chillies, onion, ginger garlic paste, saute until the raw smell leaves.

Add mint, coriander leaves mix well, bell peppers, salt and give a nice stir add rice, 3/4 cup water mix well and pressure cook for one whistle, slow the heat for 5 minutes after which switch off the heat.

Once heat down remove the lid add paneer cubes, sprinkle coriander and serve hot.

Ingredients for Salad:
1 cup - Mix of Onion, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, tomato thinly sliced
1 tbsp - Lemon juice / vinegar
1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder
Salt as reqd
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:
Mix all the ingredients and serve.

Ingredients for Buttermilk / chaas:
1 cup- Curd
1/2 tsp - Cumin powder
1/4 tsp - Ajwain powder
1/2 tsp - Ginger and green chilli paste
1/2 tsp - Salt
2 tbsp - Coriander, chopped

Method:
Mix all well and serve chilled.

RAJMA PULAO (ONE POT)

Rajma / Kidney bean Pulao one pot easy to make rice dish perfect when packed for lunch. Rajma is fiber rich and protein packed beans. Rajma chawal is a very famous combo and widely made in Punjabi (North Indian) homes for lunch.

Packing lunch for work is one thing i have to wear my thinking hat every day for hubster. He prefers rice for lunch with out much of masalas or spices. Finally some left over rajma came to rescue which was made into one pot rajma pulao. One pot rice dishes are easier and quicker one to make all that is needed is either pressure pan or electric rice cooker. Very few aromatics are used for this rice dish. Coconut milk addition was for the flavor and it can be replaced with water.

What you need:
Rajma / Red Kidney beans - 1 cup (soaked for 12 hours)
Basmati / Seeraga Samba Rice - 1 cup (soaked for 30 mins)
Coconut Milk - 1 cup (1/2 cup - thick and 1/2 cup - thin)
Onion - 1 no, chopped
Tomato - 2 nos medium size, chopped
Mint n Coriander - 1/4 bunch, chopped
Ginger and garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp or it can be increased
Bay leaf, cardamom, clove and cinnamon small stick - 1 no each
Ghee / Butter - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp (or as reqd)

How to make:

Pressure cook rajma for 8 whistles in 3 cups of water with half teaspoon of salt. Once it cools drain water and keep it aside.

Heat oil n ghee/ butter in a pressure pan add spices saute well add onions, ginger and garlic paste, cook till raw smell goes, add tomatoes and cover and cook till it softens.

Add mint, coriander leaves, red chilly powder, salt mix well and add rajma, coconut milk, half cup water bring all these to boil add rice and cover the lid and close with the weight, wait for 2 hisses then switch to low heat cook for 10 mins and switch off the flame.

Once the pressure is completely down remove the lid sprinkle with fried onions, fresh coriander and serve hot with raitha and some spicy curry.

MINI MAHARASHTRIAN THALI

Mini Maharashtrian thali (Pithla Zunka Thecha / Kharda Bhakri platter) was made for lunch. These traditional, simple recipes make a flavorful and nutritious meal. Missing in this rural food of mini maharashtrian thali are zunka, curd, green vegetables which was compensated with sprouts. This mini Maharashtiran thali has Bhakri, pithla, mugachi bhaji, mirchi kharda and nimbu shikanji.

Bhakri is a unleavened flat bread / roti made with any of these flours (rice flour, jowar flour, bajra flour, ragi flour) These guilt free flours are made in to pliable dough, rolled thin and cooked on a tawa and puffed up on direct heat.

Pithla is made from besan / gram flour flavored with onion, garlic, green chillies and lots of hing.

Mirchi Kharda is a chunky chutney type made with green chillies, garlic and peanuts.

Mugachi bhaji is made of moong sprouts. It's an easy to make classic dish which pairs well with Bhakri/ roti.

Nimbu Shinkanji is a refreshing lemon drink made with shikanji masala.

This meal platter was served with pickled onion, green chilli and Lehsun ki chutney.

Bhakri ingredients:
Rice flour - 1 and 1/2 cup
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Hot Water - as required

Bhakri method:
Mix flour and salt, add hot water and make into soft dough. Knead for atleast 5 minutes which makes it pilable.
Roll the dough into thin bhakris, place on a hot tawa / pan cook for a minute turn it cook for a minute and allow to puff on direct flame. Apply ghee/butter and serve hot.

Mirchi Kharda ingredients:
Green Chillies - 10 nos
Garlic - 5 pods
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Mirchi Kharda method:
Grind green chillies, garlic, peanuts, salt into a coarse paste.
Heat oil in a pan add the ground paste, saute until the mixture thickens remove from heat and serve.

Pithla ingredients:
Gram Flour - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 no, chopped
Garlic - 1 no, chopped
Green chillies - 2 nops, chopped
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - generous pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Water - 2 cups
Fresh Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp chopped

Pithla method:
Ina bowl add besan, turmeric powder, water mix well with out any lumps.
In a a pan / kadai heat oil add mustard seeds allow to splutter, add green chillies, hing, onion, garlic and saute well.
Add the gram flour batter, red chili powder,salt and keep stirring in medium heat. Cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Turn off the heat and add coriander mix it and serve hot.

Mugachi bhaji ingredients:
Bean sprouts - 1 cup
Potato - 1 no, cubed
Onion - 1 no, chopped
Tomato - 1 no, chopped
Khanda lahsun masala - 2 tsp or use (red chilli powder + coriander + garam masala combo)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - gen pinch
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Coriander - 2 tbsp

Mugachi bhaji method:
Heat oil in a pan add mustard once it splutters add curry leaves, turmeric powder, hing, onion and saute well.

Add tomatoes, moong sprouts, potatoes, lahsun masala, salt, 1 cup water and simmer for 10 minutes.

Check for potatoes if they are done, remove from heat sprinkle coriander and serve hot.

Nimbu Shinkanji ingredients:
Lemon - 2 nos
Black salt - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Salt as reqd

Nimbu Shinkanji method: In a jar add 2 glasses chilled water, sugar, cumin powder, black salt, salt, lemon juice stir well add ice cubes and serve!!