PANI PURI

The name Pani Poori literally means water in dough. Tastes like a crunchy shell. It is the most loved street side fast food in India. Panipuri is also known as Gol gappas, Puchka, Gopchip. This is the most user centered, cheap fast food anywhere in India. Its best eaten on Road side stalls. But beware road side pani puris are probably not the best place to eat them due to unhygienic conditions. Freshly prepared pani puri at home always brings in the fun of a family get-together.

Home made pani puri preparation is little bit trouble.:( Get the family to help you make the marbles and it becomes a fun project. These days life has become easy with the ready made pani puris. And it is also healthy snack . Mint is absolutely essential when making the pani puri ,water also helps with digestion. The pani has a strong taste of coriander leaves as well as ginger. It is sweet, spicy and sour. we like the taste with onions, so finely chopped onions also we used as a stuffing.

For Pani
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves

1 tbsp coriander leaves

2 green chillies

1/4" inch fresh ginger, peeled

1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds

1 tsp Jaggery powder(optional)

1 tbsp tamarind paste

1/2 tsp lemon juice

salt

black salt

Grind together the mint, coriander leaves, chillies, ginger and cumin seeds to a fine paste. Add it to the 2 glasses of water and mix the tamarind past, salt and lemon juice.Strain through a wire strainer to remove any rough bits.Chill the tamarind juice until ready to serve. for better taste make this pani 2 or 3 hours before to eat.

For Puri
1 cup semolina (suji ravva)

1 tblsp plain flour

1 tsp melted butter

salt

Mix rava,plain flour, butter, salt and enough water to knead a soft dough. Stand covered with wet cloth for 1 or 2 hours.
This soaked dough, knead well again as much as possible. And Divide into small portions.

Roll out each portion of the dough into big thin rounds. Cut small puris from it with any small bottle cap.

Deep fry puri in fresh hot oil. When puri is puffed from one side, turn it over and continue frying till puffed from both the sides becomes crisp and light brown in colour. Drain on paper towel.(To make extra crispy keep in warm oven for about 10 minutes) cool completely and then store in air tight container.

For Stuffing:

1/2 cup chick peas(soaked and boiled)

1 potato (boiled)

1tsp pepper powder

1 tsp chaat masala

salt
1 big onion ( finely chopped)

Mash the potato and mix with boiled chick peas. Add pepper powder, chaat masala, salt. Mix well.

Serving Method:
Place the puris in a large platter. Make a hole with your thumb on top of each puri, and fill with 1/2 tsp prepared chick peas and 1/4 tsp chopped onion, pour paani over it or Dip the filled puri in the paani and serve immediately or it will become soggy.

FRUIT LASSI

Mango Lassi

Lassi is a typical Indian shake that can be either sweet or salty. I made sweet based fruit lassi.

I love getting lassis at Indian restaurants, so I tried my hand at making them at home.
we can make this fruit lassi with any fuit like banana,straberry,orange,mango,apple,avocado etc..
But, I like Mango and orange these two come out same colour but gives different tastes.

we need all the basic ingredients for this just yogurt, sugar, any fruit of your choice just blend together and resulting concoction was a beautiyful light yellow. and its take 2 minutes for making. This lassis will be helping me through the hotter days.

Orange Lassi


Ingredients:

1 Mango (peeled and cut into cubes)/ 3 tbs Mango pulp
or
1 Orange (peeled)
1 1/2 cup low fat Yogurt
1 tbs Sugar1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder(optional)

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 2 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator

for an hour ( if you want to skip this, use ice cubes. But I don't like ice cubes).

pour into glasses, and serve.

Jiledikayalu (fastival sweet)

The main sweet dish during the vinayaka chavithi and varalaxmi vratam is the jiledikaayalu.

Varalakshmi Vratam is an important pooja performed by many women on friday of sravana masam.

Vinayaka chavithi is a very popular festival in hydrabed. It is celebrated as it is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fort. 2-3 months prior to the day of Ganesh Chaturthi, Life-like clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sold by specially skilled artisans. They are beautifully decorated & depict Lord Ganesh in various poses.

Lord Ganesh's favorite sweet is jiledikayalu. These are like sweet steamed rice flour dumplings. It is customary to make these during this festival. They are very delicate and tender.

1 cup rice flour

1 cup water

1 teaspoon oil

salt

For the filling

1 cup grated jaggery

1 cup grated fresh coconut

½ teaspoon cardamom powder

1 tablespoon ghee

Boil the one cup water and add 1 teaspoon oil and a little salt in the boiling water and stir. Reduce the flame, add the rice flour while stirring continuously. Whisk well so that no lumps remain. Cover with a lid and keep aside for 5 mints.

Meanwhile prepare filling

In a non-stick pan, add grated coconut and jaggery and cook over a slow flame till the jaggery melts and the mixture comes together. Add the cardamom powder and mix well.

Grease your palms with a little ghee and take 2 spoons prepared dough and press like small chapathi with the help of your fingers. Add a spoonful of the filling into this and fold them into ovel shap.

place the prepared jiledikayalu on a greased idly plates and steam for 5 mints in idly cooker.

MASALA CORN

Here's a quick and easy way to make and yummy corns for ten people within 10 minutes. First time I had this easy recipe when I went to Indhira aunty's house for dinner. A bowlful of corns looks great as a side dish.
First cut the corn cobs into 1 " chunks ( approximately we get 10 chunks form two corns) and keep it in microwave for 2 minutes with water. Meanwhile prepare masala past in grinder with 1 onion, 2 red chillies, 1 tsp coriander powder, salt and turmeric . Fry this masala paste in one tbsp butter till raw smell will go. Then add that corn chunks and mix it well. cover with lid and let them cook 3 minutes. transfer into serving bowl and decorate with mint or coriander leaves.

Moong daal Bottle Gourd Curry and Coconut Chutney

Yesterday I made moong daal bottle gourd curry, it reminded me of my mum. She used to make this curry for my brother, who is the big fan of this moong daal bottle gourd curry. In those days I was not interested to eat this. So she used to prepare for me tamarind coconut chutney. I love this chutney with ghee and hot rice combination. But last time when I went to India I asked my mum this moong daal bottle gourd curry for me...???? I don't know Why... suddenly I got interest about this.

This Coconut Chutney is famous in our area as "kobbari pachadi". This kobbari pachadi is totally different to coconut chutney. but there is no English word for this....... because I mentioned the title as coconut chutney :( . This moong daal bottle gourd curry is very good for us in summer, it reduces body heat.

Coconut Chutney

1/2 Coconut grated or cut into peaces ( my mum used to grated one)
lemon size Tamarind
small peace of Jaggery ( it depends on your taste)
1 Tbs Coriander Seeds
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Urad daal
3 to 4 dry Red chillies
1 Tsp oil
Salt

Heat oil in a kadai and add cumin, coriander seeds, urad daal and red chillies and fry on medium heat till urad daal turns a little brown. Grind all these fried staff for one mint then add coconut, tamarind, jaggery and salt. Grind while adding less quantity ( 1 tbs water) of water.
serve with warm rice and ghee.

Moong daal Bottle gourd curry

Bottle gourd - 3 cups(chopped into medium size peaces)
Moong dal - 1 cup
Green chillies - 4
Onion - 1 small
Tamarind - lemon size
Jaggery - 1 tsp (optional)
Salt
Turmeric

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
2 Garlic pods
5 Curry leaves
2 Dry Red Chillies

Green chillies and onion chopped into slices.
Soak the tamarind in one cup of water.
Wash the moong daal in water.
Take a pan add chopped Bottle guard, Onions, Chillies, Turmeric powder and washed moong daal and cover with lid (bottle gourd will lose some water itself, so no need to add any water),let them cook till moong daal cooked three fourth. If You cook more, the vegetable and daal will get smashed the dish will not come tasty.Keep checking it in between if it is sticking to the bottom of the pan. You can add a little water if it becomes too dry.
Then add salt and tamarind juice to this moong daal and mix it well. Let them cook for 5 mints.
Now for seasoning heat oil in kadia fry cumin,mustard, urad daal, garlic, red chillies, curry leaves till done and pour on daal vegetable.
Daal will get smashed in cooker so cooker is not good for best result.

CURD RICE WITH MODERN TOUCH

Curd is an excellent source of calcium, critical for bone growth, development and maintenance at every stage of life, especially for children. Curd cures ulcers, indigestion, infection, settles the stomach and is recommended for anyone. It plays a significant role in the prevention of osteoporosis.
This is a traditional South Indian dish made with cooked rice and yogurt. it is a perfect dish to Parties, picnics. Every south Indian lunch and dinner ends with curd rice.

Especially this curd rice being more nutrition with Pomegranate and carrot touch.

Pomegranates may contain nearly 3 times the total antioxidant ability compared with a similar quantity of green tea or red wine. In addition to being this tremendous source of antioxidants, pomegranates provide a substantial amount of potassium, fiber, vitamin C.

Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes. Carrots' antioxidant compounds help protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision.

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup curd.

2 red chillies

1/2 cup finely chopped lettuce

1 Tomato finely chopped

1 small onion finely chopped

1 small finely grated cucumber

1 small finely grated carrot

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander

3 tbsp Pomegranate seeds

salt as per taste

for seasoning:

2 tsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp split black gram dal

1 tsp cumin

5 curry leaves

1 tbls kaaju

Heat oil and fry all the ingredients for seasoning.

Add chopped onion, chilly, tomato, grated carrot one by one and fry for 2 mints.

Then add lettuce fry for a while then pour into the rice and mix well. and switch off the stove.

Grated cucumber , Pomegranate and salt mix into the curd. and keep aside.

Better to mix this prepared rice and curd together before serving.

Note: If you want you can add chopped straberries.