Khadi dal

Serve it with fresh paratha, phulkas, rice or bread. This is a simple 
 Hyderabadi dish.

Ingredients for making Khadi dal:

Split gram (Split urad dal) 1 cup.

Tomato ½ cup.

Onions sliced ½ cup.

Green chilies 4 to 5 nos.

Red chili powder 1tsp.

Turmeric powder ¼ tsp.

Salt to taste

Oil 2 tsps.

Ginger-garlic paste  ¼ tsp.

Chopped curry leaves 2 tsps.

Chopped coriander 2 tsps.

Preparation of khadi dal:

• Roast split gram (dal) in a pan for a few min.
• When you feel the aroma of gram(dal) while frying remove it from the flame, pour it into a bowl and add 1 glass of water(soak dal in water for a few min.).
• In a pan heat oil and fry sliced onions, then add tomatoes, fry well.
• Then add red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, turmeric and fry it for a few sec.
• Add 3 cups of water.
• Cover with a lid and let it cook for a few min.
• When the onions and tomatoes are done, add dal (strain dal and wash it well).
• Cook well then add green chilies, curry leaves and cook it on slow flame.
• Cook it well till it gets soft, add salt.
• After 2 min. turn off the flame.

Sweet Bread

This dish is called as Dabal ka meetha. This is mainly prepared during festivals and functions. This is one of my favorite sweet dish. 

Ingredients for making sweet bread :
Uncut bread loaf 1
Khoya (condensed milk)  1 cup
Sugar ½ cup
Milk 1 litre
Dry fruits sliced ( cashew nuts, raisins, almonds )
Butter or ghee or refined oil for frying bread (deep frying)
Cardamom powder ¼ tsp.
Water ½ a glass.

Saffron (food color) 1 pinch

Preparation of Sweet Bread:

• Cut bread into cubes and deep fry them in ghee or refined oil according to your choice.
• Drain on tissue paper and place on a tray-like vessel and keep aside.
• Take half a glass of water in a bowl, boil it, add sugar and keep stirring till it becomes thick.
• Add cardamom powder and once the syrup is done pour this sugar syrup over the bread mix delicately and keep aside.
• Heat a pan, add ghee and all dry fruits to it and fry.
• Add fried dry fruits to fried bread along with ghee.
• Boil milk in a bowl on low heat, now mash the khoya/condensed milk and add it to the milk till the milk becomes thick.
• Once the milk turns into a thick mixture, add a pinch of saffron and mix well.
• Remove from heat and add the mixture directly to the bread and mix well.
• Let the mixture soak with bread for 30 min max.
• Once it is soaked well, serve it as a dessert.

Bottle Gourd pudding

Garnish with a few cashew nuts, almonds, saffron. Depending on choice serve it or refrigerate and then serve it.This is a traditional dish called as Kaddu ki kheer. This sweet is prepared all over India. This dish is served in all kinds of functions/ parties/ festivals and a few restaurants.

Ingredients for bottle guard kheer:

Bottle guard (peeled,trimmed & finely chopped) 2 cups

Milk ½ litre

Tapioca (small bolls)  ½ cup

Sugar 1 cup

Ghee 2 tsps.

Cardamom powder ¼ tsp.

Few cashews & almonds

Saffron

Water 1 glass

 Preparation of kheer:

•  Wash, peel and remove the seeds from the bottle gourd, reserve only the flesh. Shred it either in a   food processor or using a grater.
• Place the kaddu (bottle guard) pieces in a pan, add water & bring to boil & cook for 15 min.
• Drain the kaddu & let it cool.
• Heat a pan with ghee, add cashews and almonds. Roast it & then pour bottle guard.
• Now pour milk & mix them well, keep stirring.
• Make a paste of cashews and almonds about 2 tsp. and add it to the pan.
• When boil add sugar.
• Allow to boil again for 10 min on medium flame.
• Now add cardamom powder.
•  Remove it from flame, let it cool.

Rasam

Serve hot with rice, idly, vada, dosa etc. This is a south Indian dish. This dish is served in southern India and it has many names like samber, rasam etc. and many varieties.

Ingredients for Rasam:

Dal (toor dal or masoor dal) well-cooked and diluted ¼ cup.

Tomatoes, medium sized 2

Tamarind (imli) ½ a cup

Turmeric powder ¼ tea spoon

Asafoetida (hing) ¼ tea spoon

Salt to taste.

Chopped coriander leaves 3tsp.

Finely chopped tomato ½ cup .

Coriander seeds (Dhania) 2tsp.   

Toor dhal 1tsp.

Coconut grated 3 tsp.

Cumin (Jeera) ¼ tsp.

Black Pepper ¼ tsp.

Red Chilies 5 to 6

Seasoning (bagar): Ghee 1 tea spoon with ½ tsp. mustard.

Preparation of Rasam:

• Grind together cumin, coriander seeds, toor dal, coconut, black pepper and red chilies.
• Roast the above items in ghee and grind finely.
• Soak tomatoes in hot water and crush them.
• Extract the tamarind pulp adding warm water and add the crushed tomatoes.
• Add turmeric powder, salt, hing and the finely grounded masala paste.
• Allow the mixture to boil well.
• Add the diluted dal and bring to boil.
• Add Coriander leaves and a few pieces of finely chopped tomatoes before removing from stove.
• Season with ghee and mustard.

Vegetable Pulao

This dish is made allover India in all the regions.This dish is served in all kinds of functions/ parties/ festivals/restaurants/ lunch boxes etc.

Ingredients for Vegetable Pulao:

Boiled rice 3 cups.

Green chilies 3-4 nos.

Coconut shredded 2 tsps.

Medium onions sliced 3 nos.

Chopped Onion ½.

A few sticks of cinnamon.

Cardamom seeds, a few cloves.

Red chili powder1 ½ tsp.

Salt to taste.

Flakes garlic 2 nos.

Ginger 1 inch.

Ghee or melted butter for frying.

Cauliflower flowere1 cup  

Some mixed frozen vegetables like beans, carrots and green peas.

A bunch of coriander leaves.

Preparation of Vegetable Pulao:

   

         Grind together the 1/2 onion, coconut, garlic, ginger and coriander in the blender, to make a smooth paste.

·         Keep aside.

·         Fry the onions in a ghee or melted butter.

·         Also add the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.

·         When onions are browned properly, add the red chili powder, salt.

·         And fry for a few seconds.

·         Now add all the vegetables, including the cauliflower, beans, carrots and green peas.

·          Sprinkle some water on it.

·         Keep covered and cook on a low flame till the vegetables are cooked.

·         This might take approximately 15-20 minutes.

·         Keep sprinkling water periodically to speed en up the process.

·         But do not add excess water as it will ruin the pulao.

·         When the vegetables are done, transfer the boiled rice into the  vegetables.

·         Add ½ a cup of water if you feel necessary.

·         Cover with a lid and cook for few min. on slow flame.

·         After 3 or 4 min. turn off the stove.

Daal Makhani

Serve daal makhni hot. Goes well with laccha paratha,chapati, naan or rice.This is a Punjabi dish

Ingredients for dal makhani:

Whole urad daal (black gram ) 1 cup
Red kidney beans (Rajma) 1tbsp
Onion finely chopped   1

Tomato finely chopped 1
Ginger piece 1
Green chilies finely chopped 2-3 nos.
Chopped coriander leaves
Fresh Garlic paste 4-5 nos.
Stirred curd  ½ cup

Fresh stirred cream (malai) ½ cup
Butter 2tbsps
Cumin seeds (jeera) 1tsp.
Turmeric powder ½ tsp.
Garam masala ½ tsp.
Red chili powder to taste
Dhania powder ½ tsp.
Salt to taste

Preparation of dal makhani:

• Soak rajma in water overnight.
• Add water & a little salt and pressure-cook Rajma and urad daal till soft for about 20-25 minutes. Mash and boil again for 15-20 minutes and add curd and cream to the daal.
• Now in kadhai (pan) heat oil, splutter cumin seeds and add garlic paste, fry till light brown. Add onions and fry till golden brown.
• Now add ginger, green chilies and tomatoes and fry till tomatoes soften.
• Now add dry masalas (turmeric powder, chili powder, dhania powder & salt) and fry again for a moment.
• Add daal and stir on medium flame. As soon as it starts boiling remove from the flame.
• Sprinkle garam masala powder and garnish daal makhni with coriander and add butter.

Mashed potatoes

Serve mashed potatoes with bread, chapatti, steamed rice, nan bread, rumali roti etc. Basically this dish is served in lunch for school going kids or office going people in India.

Ingredients for mashed potatoes:

Potatoes ½ kg.

Onion chopped 2 tsps.

Ginger garlic paste ½ tsp.

Green chilies paste 2tsps.

Curry leaves 2tsps.

Turmeric powder ½ tsp.

Mustard seeds ½ tsp.

Coriander 4 tsps.

Oil 4 tsps.

Water ½ litre

Preparation of mashed potatoes:

•    Wash potatoes and put it into a pressure cooker. 
•    After 3 whistles take out the potatoes, peel off its skin and keep it in a bowl.
•   Mashed these potatoes using a spoon, remember don’t make it a paste.
•  Keep it aside.
• Now heat some oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds, curry leaf, onion, fry till it turns pink.
•  Then add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, green chilie paste.
•  Then add mashed potatoes fry it for a few sec.
•  Garnish with chopped coriander.
• Turn off the flame.
•  Mashed potatoes is ready to serve.

Carrot Halva

Ingredients for carrot halva:

Carrots1kg
condensed milk or khoya 2cups
Cardamom seeds1/2 tsp.
Water as required
unsalted butter or ghee 3tbsp.
Almonds
Pistachios
Sugar 250 gm.

Preparation of carrot halwa :

• Wash and grate the carrots.
• Blanch and shred the nuts.
• Put the water to boil, when it starts boiling add the grated carrots. 
• Cook for few min. till the grated carrots becomes soft.
• Add sugar, mix well and cook till the sugar has dissolved.
• Add ghee and simmer for 2-3 minutes. 
• add condensed milk or khoya.
• Add the slightly crushed cardamoms and the raisins. Mix well.
• Remove the halva from heat and arrange in a serving dish. 
• Garnish with almonds and pistachios. 
• Serve cold, hot or at room temperature.