Masala Khichdi

     I am back with again a quick one pot recipe which is also a lunch box recipe.. wholesome meal loaded with vegetables.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Tomato - 1 large

Onion - 1 large

Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves

Green peas - 1/2 cup

Potato - 1 large

Carrot - 1 large

Beans - 10 to 15

Brinjal - 1 medium size

Green chillies - 3to 4

Oil - 1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 5-10

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste.

Method:

Cut all the vegetables in chunks or large pieces. Chop the tomato, onion and garlic finely.

Wash the rice and dal together. Then add all the chopped vegetables except tomato and onion. Add five times water to it and pressure cook for four whistles will everything is cooked well.

Now heat a pan and add oil and ghee to it. Once hot add mustard seeds. As they splutter, add jeera, garlic, curry leaves and onion. Fry for a minute. 

Then add tomatoes, slit green chillies to it. Fry for few minutes. Now add all the masala powders and mix.

Add the cooked rice and vegetables to the pan and mix well. Add salt and  little water if required. Cook on low flame for few minutes.

Serve hot on a lazy Sunday with some masala papad..

Enjoy cooking!!

Homemade Mango Jam

         This simple recipe assures that you will be giving healthy food to your kids without any preservatives and they would relish it as much as the elderly in the home.. My family loves the taste as much as I do.. Relish this in the mango season. It can be stored in the refrigerator for upto two months.. Later you can go for other seasonal fruits or apple. 

           I have already posted apple jam recipe in the link below...

https://mykitchenfantasies.blogspot.com/2012/06/homemade-apple-jam.html?m=1

Ingredients:

Mango - 1 large ripe

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Peel and chop the mango.. Grind it in a blender till it is a fine puree. If the mango puree is around one cup, you will need around 3/4 cup of sugar. Adjust the sugar consistency depending on the sweetness of the mango.

Take the puree and sugar together in a pan. Heat the pan and cook the mixture on medium flame until the sugar dissolves and starts forming syrup. It takes around 5 minutes to cook. 

Keep stirring till the jam starts to thicken and forms paste. Add salt and mix well. 

Switch off the flame and allow it to cool down. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it.

Enjoy it with bread or chapathi... Kids will love it...

Enjoy cooking!!!

Tomato Rice

     A quick one pot recipe and very useful for lunch box. Kids love this too as it's not very spicy and mild in flavours ..

Ingredients:

Rice - 1.5 cup

Tomato - 3 med size

Onion - 1 med size

Green peas - 1/2 cup

Garlic - 2 cloves

Ginger - 1" piece

Curry leaves - 8 to 10 leaves

Coriander (chopped) - 1 tbsp

Mint leaves (chopped) - 1 tbsp

Fresh grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and keep the rice aside. Chop tomatoes and onions. 

Grind garlic, ginger, coriander, mint, coconut, cloves and cinnamon together with little water.

Heat oil in a small pressure cooker. Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add curry leaves, turmeric and chilli powder. Now add chopped tomatoes and onion and fry till onions are translucent.

Add the ground paste, Jeera powder, garam masala. Mix well and cook for two minutes. Now add peas and mix well. 

Add the washed rice. Mix everything together after adding salt. Add 2.5 cups of water. Once again mix everything together. Close the lid and pressure cook for three whistles.

Serve hot with some papad and raitha...

Enjoy cooking!!!

Mango Lassi

          Fresh summer drink that is very popular in India. It has high nutritional values as it is filled with vitamins and protein.

Ingredients:

Mango - 1 large

Curd - 2 cups

Milk - 1/2 cup (optional)

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Salt - a pinch

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Ice cubes

Method:

Chop the mango into small pieces. Keep two to three tsp mango pieces aside for garnishing. Add the rest of the mango, curd, milk, sugar, salt and cardamom powder and make a smooth paste in the blender. Milk is optional or you can just add water. 

Add ice cubes and blend again to the lassi consistency...

Garnish with mango pieces and enjoy chilled in this hot summer..

Enjoy Cooking !!!