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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