Soya Bean Curry

Soya Bean Curry
By Sandhya Khattri
Prep Time:8 Hours
Cook time:35 minutes
Serves: 4servings
Soya Bean curry is high protein recipe, Boiled soya dal simmered with roasted onion and tomato paste and other spices, this curry is perfect for Sunday Lunch. It takes time in cooking and is slightly heavy but as far as health benefits are concerned this should be included in our diet on regular basis.
Ingredients
soyabean dal -1 cup
onion-1 big
Tomatoes-4
Garlic-10-15pods
Green chillies-4
Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon
coriander powder-1 tablespoon
Salt-to taste
Garam masala powder-1/2 teaspoon
oil- 1 and 1/2 tablespoon
Instructions:

Wash and soak soya bean dal overnight. Pressure cook soya bean dal with salt, enough water and turmeric powder till 4-5 whistles on high flame and for 15-20 minutes on medium to low flame.This dal takes more or equivalent time to chickpeas in boiling. After boiling check whether dal is soft enough or not, else cook for another whistle.

Heat oil in a pan roast onion till golden in color, add crushed garlic roast till pinkish in color, add red chilli powder and after it immediately add green chillies and chopped tomatoes, if the mixture is dry you can add one teaspoon of water to it, add coriander powder, cover the lid cook till tomatoes are soft( approx 3 minutes) Let it cool completely, pour this mixture in a grinding jar and make a thick paste of it without adding water.

Transfer  the grinded paste again to the pan , on the high flame stirr continuously as it starts leaving the sides of the pan pour one or two ladle full of boiled dal over it mix well, add this mixture to the boiled dal mix well.

Place the pressure cooker on high flame, boil till desired consistency, slightly mash dal in between. Finally add garam masala powder to it.
Serve hot with chapati or rice. Squeezing 4-5 drops of lemon juice per serving enhances its taste.
You can also try other dal recipes like rajma urad dal or chilke wali moong dal or badhi moong dal with puri.
Notes: Overnight or minimum 8 hours soaking is must for this dal. Should be boiled properly.
Slightly heavy hence should be consumed in small portions, preferably in Lunch.

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Pudina Paratha

Pudina Paratha
By Sandhya Khattri
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook time:10 minutes
Serves: 4servings
Pudina paratha or mint paratha is another healthy breakfast recipe. Easy to prepare recipe with fresh mint leaves. You can pack pudina parathas for tiffin too. Mint is said to have so many health benefits hence I try to include this in my day2day cooking in both forms : fresh as well as dry mint in deep fried aloo, raitas and in chutney too. You can also try my another recipe of fresh mint pudiney waley aloo. As far as this recipe is concerned ingredients required and detailed instructions for the recipe are as follows:
Ingredients
fresh mint leaves- ½ bunch
wheat flour-2 cups
pepper powder-1/2 teaspoon
chat masala-1/2 teaspoon
salt-to taste
water-for kneading the dough
oil-for shallow frying parathas

Instructions:

Wash mint leaves thoroughly, grind them coarsely without water.
In a bowl add wheat flour, crushed mint leaves, pepper powder , chat masala and salt, gradually adding water knead soft dough, leave it for 5 minutes.
Divide the dough in equal parts, make ball of each part.
Take one ball roll out slightly thick full sized chapati

With the help of your finger make a circle(hole) in chapati
Starts rolling the edges of circle outwards this will form a shape of pipe
From one part of pipe start rolling it again till pipe ends, this will form a roll(peda).
This way layers will form in paratha
Repeat the process with all the balls.

Now take one part of roll ( first one which you prepared) place it on a rolling board
Heat tawa on high flame
Roll out paratha with light hands so that after cooking layers should be easily visible.
Cook parathas on hot tawa, first on high flame as it turns pinkish adjust the flame to medium to low, apply oil on both sides and cook properly.
Repeat the same process with all the parathas.
Serve hot with curd or pickle of your choice.

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Tomato Onion Uttapam Recipe

Tomato Onion Uttapam
By Sandhya Khattri
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Tomato Onion Uttapam is a quick and easy breakfast recipe prepared without any extra preparations. This can be served simply with tomato sauce and anyother chutney of your choice, you can serve it with sambhar too. I usually prefer to cook it on non stick tawa for ease, it can be cooked on normal tawa too with proper greasing. Ingredients required and detailed instructions for the recipe are as follows:
Ingredients
Sooji or semolina- 1 cup
Curd-1/2 cup
Green chillies-2-3
Tomatoes-2(only skins)
Onion-1
Oil-for shallow frying
Curry leaves-8-10
Salt-to taste
Water-1/4 cup
Instructions:

Dice tomato skins, chop onions, green chillies and curry leaves.
Beat curd with water, add sooji to it mix well remove all lumps.
Add salt, chopped green chillies, curry leaves and half portion of onions.
Leave it for 5-6 minutes, check the mixture, if required add more water it should be of pouring consistency.
Heat non stick tawa, apply few drops of oil to it, adjust the flame to low, pour 1 tablespoon of mixture over it and spread immediately.sprinkle some diced tomatoes and onions over it, pour few drops of oil over the uttapam and from sides,slightly press the veggies with the help of spatula.
Check if it is golden brown from lower side, with the help of spatula and supporting with knife
turn the uttapam.
Cook for another 1 or 1 and ½ minutes, onion and tomato pieces will be cooked slightly and their crunch will remain. Prepare uttapams from remaining batter.
Serve hot with sauce or chutney of your choice.

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Rajma Urad Dal Recipe

Rajma Urad Dal
By Sandhya Khattri
Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Rajma urad Dal is a protein rich recipe, perfect combination of kidney beans and urad dal, flavoured with butter and kasoori methi, goes well with rice as well as rotis. My favorite Sunday Lunch. In this recipe I have used the small variety of Rajma as it cooks quickly and taste good too instead of whole urad dal I have used green urad dal with skin. Ingredients required and detailed instructions for the recipe are as follows:
Ingredients
Rajma or kidney beans- 1 cup
Green urad dal-2 tablespoon
Onion-1 big chopped
Salt –to taste
Ginger-1 teaspoon grated
Green chillies-4
Garlic-15-20 pods (crushed)
Kasoori methi- 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- ½ teaspoon
Tomatoes-4
Butter-1 tablespoon
Oil- ½ tablespoon
garam masala powder-1/2 teaspoon

Instructions:
wash and soak rajma and urad dal in plenty of water overnight.
Next day change the water, pressure cook dals with salt, green chillies , turmeric , chopped tomatoes and grated ginger till soft, approx 20-25 minutes( first 3-4 whistles on high flame and then adjust the flame to medium to low.
Mash dal with churner.

Mix butter to it.
Again boil the dal on high flame.Heat oil in a tadka pan or kadhai, add chopped onions roast them till golden brown in color, add garlic to it as it cooks and pinkish in color add red chillipowder to it.
Add tadka to boiling dal mix well, add garam masala powder and kasoori methi.
Notes: You can substitute butter with cream it tastes good too.
After preparing as time goes on this dal thickens , and it taste enhances with course of time, hence adjust the consistency accordingly and try to prepare before 2 hours of serving for better taste.

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Lichee Crush | Summer Coolers

Lichee Crush
By Sandhya Khattri
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Serves: 2 servings
Lichee crush is a quick mocktail recipe prepare with fresh chilled lichees and any soft drink of your choice. This is a summer cooler recipe. Ingredients required and detailed instructions for the recipe are as follows:
Ingredients:
Lichees- 10-12
7-UP or Limca-300 ml
Ice cubes-1/2 tray
Mint leaves- 5-6
Instructions

• Peel and deseed lichees.
• Roughly chop them
• Place them in chopper or blending jar, blend them for few seconds.
• Pour crushed lichees in glass along with juice, add ice cubes to them.
• Fill the remaining part of glass with 7up or Limca.
• Garnish it with mint leaves.
• Serve immediately.

Notes: If lichees are not sweet enough, you have to add sugar syrup or glucose powder according to your taste, this can be added while crushing in blender.
You can also try some of my other summer cooler recipes like: Honey banana shake, mango shake, cold coffee , water melon juiceand Panna.

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Chilke Wali Moong Daal

Chilke wali Moong Dal
By Sandhya Khattri
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Chilke wali moong dal is very light, healthy & full of fibre, this recipe is simple and easy to prepare, I usually cook it with any dry vegetable like karela or bhindi or with pakodas for hubby’s tiffin. This does’nt requires any preparations hence it can be cooked quickly. Ingredients required and detailed instructions for the recipe are as follows:
Ingredients:
Moong dal-1 cup
Tomatoes-3-4
Green chillies- 3-4
Grated ginger-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Salt-to taste
For tempering:
Ghee-1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Crushed garlic-1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon
Instructions:

Wash and soak moong dal for 15 minutes.
In a pressure cooker add dal, tomatoes, ginger, chopped green chillies, turmeric , salt and one glass of water.Pressure cook till one whistle on high flame, adjust the flame to medium, let it cook for another 6-8 minutes(2 more whistles).
Let it cool completely , check dal is soft and cooked completely.

Mix it with wooden churner, adjust the consistency of dal according to your taste by adding more water.
Place the pressure cooker on high flame let it boil.
In a tadka pan heat ghee add garlic to it, as it turns to pinkish in color add cumin seeds, as they crackle add red chilli powder to it , immediately pour tadka on dal, as red chilli powder burns quickly( you can switch off the flame before adding red chilli powder to it, as ghee is hot enough to cook red chillies.
Notes: After pressure cooking if you think that dal is not soft accordingly, after adding tempering to it, cover the lid and pressure cook till one whistle, this way aroma of garlic properly blends with dal.

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Honey Banana Shake

Honey Banana Shake
By Sandhya Khattri

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 0 seconds
RecipeYield2 servings
Honey Banana Shake is a healthy breakfast drink recipe, loaded with the richness of honey, banana & milk. A whole some drink that boasts your energy levels instantly.Ingredients required and instructions for the recipe are as follows.
Milk- 2 glasses
Bananas-4
Honey-1tablespoon
Ice cubes-1/2 tray
Instructions:

Peel bananas and chop them.
In a blending jar add banana pieces, milk, honey & ice cubes.
Blend till smooth.
Serve immediately.
Notes Prepare it just before serving as due to oxidization color of shake darkens after few minutes.
If you using hand blender don’t add ice cubes as hand blender’s motor is not strong enough to crush the ice, add ice cubes after preparing the shake.

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Sindhi Kachri | Sun Dried Recipes

By Sandhya Khattri
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 days
Sindhi Kachri is a sun dried snack recipe, prepared with rice flour or soaked rice, which is further deep fried. Sindhis’ love fried snacks kachri and khichas are very popular among sindhis. This recipe requires maximum amount of Sun’s heat, for perfect results minimum 4 days are required for proper drying of kachri, first 2 days are very important, entire look and taste depends on first 2 days sun drying. Kachri goes well with evening tea or any other meal course. I have tried to roast it in Microwave but instead of properly puffing up it get burnt hence not suggesting you to prepare it for microwave. Its’ natural design and look comes perfect when it is deep fried. In this recipe I have used rice flour you can prepared it with soaked rice too. Ingredients required and detailed instructions for this recipe are as follows :
Ingredients:
Rice flour: 2 cups(300gms approx)
Water – 5glasses
Salt –to taste
Sodium bicarbonate or baking soda-2 teaspoon
Alum or phitkari- 2 pinches
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
Instructions: In a big bowl take 2 glasses of water, take a flour strainer, pour rice flour over it, strain it in a bowl with 2 glasses of water and with the help of skimmer or spatula continuously mix the flour with water, you can see the consistency of mixture in a picture. If required you can add ½ glass extra water.(it depends upon the quality of rice flour how much water it soaks).

In another heavy bottom pan take 3 glasses of water, add salt to it, and bring it to boil, as water starts boiling add baking soda and alum to it immediately pour the rice batter to it. Set the flame to medium , from this stage you have to continuously mix the batter, it will start thickening and lumps may be formed if not mixed properly.

When mixture reaches to the consistency as shown in figure switch off the flame, it will form the shape of soft dough, let it cool completely. Add cumin seeds to it mix it gently, if you add them before cumin seeds will leave its color. Spread kachris on high Sun heat preferably on terrace. Spread kachris on plastic sheet as you pour batter of pakodas in kadhai with the help of you fingers and thumb.

For the first 2 days high heat is necessary otherwise you will not get the particular slit patterns of kachri. On the remaining 2 days you can dry them in balcony too. Store them in air tight container.
After proper drying kachris will look like this:

Notes: Always add baking soda and alum to the boiling water just before adding rice flour batter to it, if you add them initially in water and let them boil kachris color will be become brown and they will not puff up properly .
If you are preparing it with rice, wash and soak rice early in a morning, in evening change the water, grind it on next day, keep it for at least 2 hours then do the remaining process.
If preparing for the first time try it with only 1 cup of rice flour.
Check my other Sun dried recipes aloo papad, sooji khicha, sabudana papad and mix dal wadi.

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Watermelon Juice

WaterMelon Juice

By Sandhya Khattri
June 12, 2013
Water Melon Juice of Tarbooz ka Sharbat is an easy to prepare, healthy summer drink, that doesn't require any cooking. Fresh Juices are always better in comparison to packed ones.Watermelon as name suggests has lot of water content in it, rich in vitamin A & C and potassium , as this fruit is available only in summer hence one should take the maximum benefit of it.  Instructions and ingredient required for this recipe are as follows:
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 0 seconds
Serves: 2
Ingredients
Watermelon : 15-16 big pieces(approx 750gm)
glucose powder- 2 tablespoon
Instructions: Chop water melon in small pieces, with the help of knife try to remove the seeds as you can.
Put them in blending jar, blend it for few seconds, stop and again blend for few seconds, just on and off the switch this will not crush the remaining seeds of watermelon, doing it with the help of hand blender makes it very easy to prepare.

Pass it through the soup strainer so that you can get thick juice.
Check taste if sweetness is less according to taste add glucose powder to it.
Serve immediately
Notes: Prepare just before serving.
Before juicing place watermelon in fridge for some time to get it chill, I don’t add ice to it.
It is said that after eating watermelon don't drink water for some time, hence I avoid to drink water for 1/2 an hour after taking this juice.

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Lehsuni Bhindi | Bharwa Bhindi

Lehsuni Bhindi
By Sandhya Khattri
June9, 2013
Lehsuni Bhindi is my favorite recipe, flavored with freshly ground garlic pods, simmer with spices, this recipe goes well as a main course with curd or raita or as a side dish with dal chawal or any other main course. If you are not worried about the color and texture of dish you can easily prepare it in microwave in very short period of time. This recipe is a deep fried version of the dish. Ingredients required and the detailed instructions of the recipe are as follows:

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Okra or bhindi- 300gms
crushed garlic-2 teaspoon
chillies-4
Salt-to taste
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder-1 tablespoon
redchilli powder-1/2 teaspoon
Subzi masala – 1 teaspoon any brand
Amchur or dried mango powder- ½ teaspoon
oil-for deep frying
Instructions

Wash okras, put them in vegetable strainer let them air dry for 5 minutes.
Remove the head and tail part of bhindis, Slit bhindis length wise, don’t detatch the parts.

In a small bowl add all the spices, and crushed garlic mix them.
Heat oil in a kadhai, deep fry bhindis till golden in color, frying will be completed in 2-3 batches. Let them cool properly, stuff the spice mixture in it.
Take only ½ teaspoon oil in a kadhai, again add stuffed bhindis to it.

Sauté for one minute on a high flame, simmer the flame, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of water over it from the sides, cover the lid and cook for antoher 1- 2 minutes.
Notes:
If you want crispy bhindis need not to follow the last step of adding water and cooking it covered.
Sometimes instead of subzi masala I add Sambhar masala in spices mixture it taste good. You can also try this.

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Sabudana Papad | Sun Dried Recipes

Sabudana Papad
By Sandhya Khattri
Prep Time: 8hours
Cook time: 20 minutes

Sabudana papad is an easy to prepare sun dried recipe, with only 3 ingredients, taking proper measurement of ingredients and accurate consistency of batter and proper cooking you can make them perfect for the first time. You can also try my other sun dreid recipes i.e. aloo ke papad, mix dal wadi, sooji khicha. For this recipe ingredients required and detailed instructions are as follows:
Ingredients:
Sabudana or Sago Pearls-1/2 kg
Water 4 litres
Salt -to taste
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Instructions:

Wash and soak sabudana in sufficient water for preparing papads from ½ kg sago I use 5 litre pressure cooker for soaking, soak them overnight in the morning add water fill the pressure cooker with water leaving 1” margin for boiling, add salt according to taste.
Put the pressure cooker on high flame, stirring continuously bring it to boil, as mixture is ready it thickens and become transparent.
Sago pearls with float on top , this is an indication that mixture is ready. Switch off the flame, let it cool for 15-20 minutes, during this period its temperature will reduce and it will be easy to spread papads on plastic sheet. At this time add cumin seeds to it mix gently.
Pour 1 to 1 and a half tablespoon mixture on plastic sheet and spread it in circular motion as it forms the shape of papad. Repeat the process with all the remaming batter.
At the end of day you will be able to turn the papads, sun dry them for 3-4 days. Enjoy.
Notes:
You can microwave them too.For this you have to add some refined oil before spreading papad else they will dry.
Initially add sufficient water, adding water in between will not cause papads for rise up properly while frying.

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Mix Dal Wadi | Sun Dried Recipes

Mix Dal Wadi
By Sandhya Khattri
June 02, 2013
Preparation Time: 8-10 hours
Cooking Time - 0 seconds
Total Time- 4 days
Mix Dal Wadi  or vadis are  Sun Dried Lentil Drops, usually punjabi wadis are made from urad dal but in this recipe I have add 5 more dals with urad dal. This is my blog's third Sundried recipe, first one was aloo papad and  second was sooji khicha. You can have this handy in kitchen it tastes good and also very useful when vegetables are out of stock., it can be easily combined with other vegetables too. Ingredients required and detailed instructions for the recipe are as below:
Ingredients

:
Toor dal- 2 tablespoon
Chana dal-2 tablespoon
Split moong daal- 2 tablespoon
Yellow moong dal-2 tablespoon
Green urad dal-2 tablespoon
Lobia-2 tablespoon
redchillies 6-8
peppercorns- 1 teaspoon
cumin seeds 2 teaspoon
hing-2 pinches
salt- (optional) to taste
Instructions:

soak all the dals overnight in sufficient water.
Drain water, wash them thoroughly, don’t throw the skins of moong and urad dal, pour dals in a strainer, so that extra water drains out.
Crush cumin seeds, pepper corns, red chillies and hing

Grind all the pulses in grinder with little water. Pour it in a bowl, add crushed spices and salt.
With the help of spoon beat grinded pulses for 4-5 minutes so that mixture becomes light and fluffy and air incorporates in it.
On the backside of thali or tray drop small size of wadis( as we drop pakodas) sun dry them for 4 days.
Store in an airtight container, whenever required take 4-5 wadis, fry them till golden in color, crush them and make subzi of Aloo wadi. This wadi goes well in Sindhi mix veg too.
Notes: Wadis should be dried properly for minimum 4 days else they will not last for long.Mixture should be dry else bottom surface of wadis come out flat after sun drying.

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