Plain Dosa -- Dosa -- How to make Dosa

Plain dosa or dosa is a very simple and tasty South Indian breakfast recipe. It is available in every corner of South India. There different varieties of dosas, like plain dosa, onion dosa, masala dosa, paper dosa, steam dosa and the list goes on. The basic ingredients in dosa making are rice and black gram. The dosa batter is prepared a day before making of it. So we need to plan ahead to make this kind of dosa. We can make instant dosas also that is totally different. 
Dosa making depends on batter and its fermentation. To get more crispier and colored dosa add poha or flattened rice. Adding fenugreek seeds also give little crispiness to dosa. Softness of dosa depends on fermentation, to get soft and lot of holes on dosa we need to ferment it for at least five to eight hours.  Holes on dosas gives a kind of nice look to them. We can store the batter in the refrigerator for two days. 
Preparation Time: 30 mins + fermentation time
Cooking Time: 3 mins per each dosa
Recipe Category: Breakfast
Recipe Cuisine: Andhra
Serves: 5 people

Ingredients:

• Black Gram / Urad Dal - 1 cup
• Rice - 2 cups
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak black gram, rice and fenugreek seeds for 4 hours.
2. We can soak them separately or combining. 
3. Grind them altogether to make a smooth batter. 
4. I have table top wet grinder to grind it, but even if it is not also we can grind them in mixer grinder. 
   
5. While grinding add little water, approximately 1/2 cup to 1 cup.
6. Mix it while grinding. Use a plastic spatula to mix it. 
   
7. Grind it till we get bubbles in the batter. We can check it with the plastic spatula. 
8. If using mixer grinder also grind till bubbles found in the batter.
   
9. Remove from the grinder tin and keep it for fermentation. Add salt and mix well. The batter should be in thick form. Once it get fermented it looses automatically.
   
10. Heat dosa pan, sprinkle some water to check hotness of the pan.
11. Spread a ladle full of batter in circular motion on it.
    
12. Pour one teaspoon full oil on it. Cook till it gets light brown color.
13. Flip it and cook on the other side. 
    
14. Serve plain dosa with groundnut chutney, coconut chutney and any pickle. 
    

Brinjal Tomato Curry Recipe -- How to make Vankaya Tomato Curry

Baingan or brinjal is the one vegetable which can be combined with any other vegetable, and it tastes really good. This variety is made mostly in the state of Telangana. Combining brinjal with tomato is also done in Andhra parts but done in a different way. This I have learned from my neighbors. It can be served with rice and roti. 

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Recipe Category: Telangana

Recipe Cuisine: Side Dish

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

• Brinjal/Baingan/Vankaya - 5 medium sized
• Onion - 1 medium
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Green Chilli - 1
• Curry Leaves - 5 to 7
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds -1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli -1 
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander Powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Peanut Sesame Seed Powder - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Cut brinjal into 2" long pieces and put them in water to avoid discoloration.
2. Chop onions, tomatoes and slit green chillies.
3. Dry roast peanuts and sesame seeds and grind them to a coarse powder. Keep it aside. This can be stored for further use also.
4. Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and red chilli. 
5. When they start spluttering add green chillies and curry leaves.
6. Add onions and fry them for a while.
7. Add tomatoes and fry them till they become mushy.
   
8. Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder. Mix well.
   
9. Add red chillie powder and mix well. Add brinjal and cover it. Let the brinjal become soft.
   
10. Add powdered peanut and sesame seeds powder. Mix well.
    
11. Switch off the flame and serve it.
12. Serve brinjal tomato curry with rice or roti. 
    

Raw Banana with Green Gram Curry -- Arati Kaya Pesara Pappu Kura -- How to make Raw Banana Curry

One vegetable and different varieties of curries with it is the principle I follow while cooking. For example if I purchase Raw Bananas, I make curry with curry masala powder, I stir fry them, I make pindimiriyam a soup with it and also this curry. It is a very simple curry, a good accompaniment with rice. This I learned from my mom, she used to make it without onions and garlic. But I like to make it with onions and garlic they enhance the flavor of the curry.  Though it is very simple to make, I am uploading a video to make it more easy to view. 

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 10 mins

Recipe Category: Curry

Recipe Cuisine: Andhra

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients: 

• Split Green Gram - 2 tbsp
• Raw Banana - 1 
• Onions -1
• Green Chillies - 2
• Garlic Cloves - 4 to 6
• Curry Leaves - 5 to 7
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Bengal Gram - 1 tsp
• Black Gram - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli - 1
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Soak green gram for half an hour. 
2. Chop onions, slit green chillies and peel the skin of garlic.
3. Peel the skin of raw bananas and cut them into medium sized pieces.
4. Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bengal gram and black gram. When they start spluttering add red chillies. 
5. Add garlic, curry leaves and green chillies. Saute them for a while.
6. Add onions and saute till they turn translucent. 
7. Add green gram and mix well. Add raw banana and mix well. 
8. Cover and cook till the dal half cooked. 
9. Once the dal half cooked i.e. cooked softly, add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well.
10. Take it off the stove and place it in a serving bowl.
11. Serve Raw Banana with green gram curry with hot rice. 
    

Pan Cakes with Bottle Gourd -- Sorakaya Attu -- Lauki ki Dosa

Bottle gourd or lauki or sorakaya is generally not liked by every one. Though it is not liked by people it has got its own qualities. So to make best use of it, we cook it in different ways. Make not only curry, but also make dal, chutney, roti, and also dosa. Simply soak green gram and along with bottle gourd, green chillies and ginger with added salt grind it to a fine paste. This recipe I got it from my old cook book. 
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Recipe Category: Breakfast, Tiffins
Recipe Cuisine: Andhra
Serves: 2 people

Ingredients:

• Bottle Gourd / Lauki / Sorakaya - 4"
• Green Gram - 1 cup / 150 grms
• Green Chillies - 3 to 4
• Ginger - 2"
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tsp for each dosa

Procedure:

1. Soak green gram for two hours.
2. Peel skin of bottle gourd and cut it into small pieces.
3. Add soaked green gram, bottle gourd, green chillies and salt in a blender jar. Blend it to make a smooth batter.
   
4. Heat non stick tawa, pour ladle full of dosa batter. Do not spread it. 
5. Add one tsp of oil. Lower the flame, cover it with a lid.
   
6. Cook for two minutes or till it turn into brown color. Turn it and cook for two more minutes.
7. Remove from pan and serve.
8. Serve sorakaya attu with any spicy pickle.
   

Spring Onion Chutney Recipe -- How to make Spring Onion Chutney -- easyvegrecipes

Masala Vada -- Masala Vadai -- How to make Masala Vada

Masala Vada a very popular tea time snack in South India. Whenever we travel in trains across South India we find vendors selling masala vadai or masala vada. The aroma of it in the  bogie makes each and every passenger to have them immediately. Some times some people feel scary about emptying of them, even before they could get them. So either they move from their places and go to the vendor and purchase or keep calling the vendor.:D  
Coming to the recipe, a very simple and easy. We just need very less ingredients. Kids also love them very much. 
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Recipe Category: Snacks
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

• Bengal Gram / Chana Dal / Senaga Pappu - 2 cups
• Gram Flour / Besan / Senaga Pindi  - 1 tbsp (optional)
• Onions - 2 
• Green Chillies - 2 
• Red Chillies - 4
• Cinnamon Sticks - 2 of 4" long
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
• Oil - for frying
  

Procedure:

1. Soak bengal gram/ chana dal for three to four hours. 
2. Drain excess water in a colander or juice strainer and keep it like that for half an hour. 
3. Add red chillies, cumin seeds and cinnamon sticks to it. Grind it to a coarse paste. 
4. Do not add water while grinding. We should get a kind of powder texture. 
5. Need not grind it to a fine paste, we can have some dal in it also.
6. Chop onions, green chillies and coriander leaves. 
7. Add salt and chopped onions, green chillies and coriander leaves to the above batter and mix well. 
8. When we press the batter in between palms the vada should form tightly. If it is not forming we can add gram flour or besan. If it is forming then no need to add anything.
9. Heat oil in a kadai, take small ball of batter press it in between palms. Drop it slowly in oil. 
10. Fry four to six vadas at a time. It depends on the size we make and oil we poured in the kadai. 
11. Fry them in low to medium flame.  Fry till they turn brown color.  Remove from heat and put them on absorbent paper. 
12. Serve hot masala vada.  
    

Wheat Flour Dosa -- Dosa with Wheat Flour -- How to make Wheat Flour Dosa

Another new recipe from my old cook book. I have the habit of collecting old paper cuttings of different recipes. I keep them for further use. This I picked it from such a paper cutting. Of course this recipe calls for fermentation. We can make instant wheat flour dosa also without fermenting. A very easy and simple breakfast recipe which can be accompanied with simple onion chutney and groundnut chutney. 
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 3 mins for each dosa
Recipe Category: Breakfast, Tiffin
Recipe Cuisine: Andhra 
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• Wheat Flour - 2 cups
• Black Gram - 1 cup
• Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Procedure:

1. Soak black gram and fenugreek seeds for three to four hours.
2. Grind it to a fine batter.
3. Add wheat flour to it. Mix well.
4. Add salt and let it ferment for three to four hours.
5. Heat non stick dosa pan. Pour ladle full of batter and spread it in circular motion.
   
6. Cook for a minute. Pour little oil over it.
7. Flip and cook for another minute. 
8. Once both sides cooked place it in serving plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
9. Serve Wheat flour dosa with simple onion chutney and groundnut chutney.
   

Kashmiri Roti -- Kashmiri Chapati -- How to make Kashmiri Roti

Roti or Chapati is made differently in different parts of India. It is the staple food for most of North India. Though it is not staple food to us South Indians, we do love to make and also would like give a try to different varieties of it. When I was going through my old cook books I found it very easy and interesting.  So I gave a try, obviously liked by every one in my family. :P
Kashmiri Roti as the name goes it is mostly made in Kashmir. It takes very less time to prepare and cook. It can be accompanied with any pickle or any spicy curry. 
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 3 mins for each roti
Recipe Category: Main Course, Roti
Recipe Cuisine: Kashmir
Serves: 2 people

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup 
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
• Pepper Corns - 10 to 12 
• Carom Seeds/Ajwain - 1/2 tbsp
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Milk - 1/2 cup or as per requirement

Procedure:

1. Dry roast fennel seeds, cumin seeds, pepper corns and carom seeds. 
2. Make coarse powder of them. Add asafoetida to it.
3. Add wheat flour,  above masala and salt in a mixing bowl.
4. Add milk to it and make a smooth dough. 
5. The dough should be like that of phulka or roti dough only. It should be neither too hard nor too soft.
   
6. Allow it to rest for half an hour. Make equal portions of it. 
7. Take one ball of dough and dust it with flour. 
8. Roll it and press it using rolling pin. Roll it in circular motion as we do it for roti or phulka and make 6 to 8" round roti.
9. Roti should not be too thick or too thin. 
   
10. Heat skillet, put the roti. Cook for a minute, when bubbles starts forming turn it and cook for another minute. 
11. Brown spots should form on rotis, drop one tea spoon full of oil on both sides and cook for a minute.
    
12. Serve hot kashmiri roti with any pickle or spicy curry.
    

Sorakaya Ava Kura -- Curry with Lauki -- How to make Sarakaya Ava Kura

Bottle Gourd or Sorakaya may be good for health but nobody likes it. It is completely Andhra recipe. This curry is a best accompaniment with rice. 
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Recipe Category: Curry
Recipe Cuisine: Andhra
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

• Sorakaya/Bottle Gourd - 4" inches
• Tamarind Juice - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Rice - 1 tbsp
• Red Chillie Powder - 1 tbsp
• Sesame Seeds - 1 tsp
• Coconut - 2" long
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Red Chillies - 2
• Curry Leaves - 5 to 7
• Salt - to taste

Procedure:

1. Peel the skin and cut bottle gourd into cubes. Add salt and turmeric powder to bottle gourd pieces and pressure cook for three whistles. Drain excess water through a colander.
2.  Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and red chilli pieces. When they start spluttering add curry leaves. Add boiled sorakaya pieces. 
   
3. Soak rice for half an hour, add mustard seeds, chilli powder, coconut, soaked rice and sesame seeds in a blender jar. Blend it and make smooth paste of it.
4. Add tamarind juice, salt and turmeric powder. Take care while adding salt as we have already added during pressure cooking. 
   
5. Let it boil for a while. Once the vegetable pieces started boiling in tamarind juice, add above grounded mustard masala. 
6. Allow this also to boil for 2 to 3 minutes. 
7. Serve hot spicy sorakaya ava kura with rice.
   

Roti -- Phulka -- Sukha Roti -- How to make Roti

Roti or phulka is an Indian flat bread made with whole wheat flour. Practice makes a man perfect is an English idiom...this applies perfectly in the matter of roti making. As regular, we make roti as perfect and soft they come. 

So to get soft and puffed phulka we need to knead the dough as much as we can and allow it to rest for at least half an hour. Normally some people buy whole wheat and get it done in flour mills. But I prefer to use store bought 'Aashirvaad Atta', which is also a whole wheat atta and we get nice soft and puffy rotis with it also. 
For making rotis we need to have rolling pin and board. Tongs also required to take them from flame we get them in stores. 

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 3 to 5 mins for each roti

Recipe Category: Main Course

Recipe Cuisine: North Indian

Serves: Yields 6 rotis

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Atta -  1 cup or 6 fistful portions
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as per requirement

Procedure:

1. Take required amount of whole wheat atta, for one roti take a fistful of it. Add salt and mix it. 
2. Slowly add water to it and mix it well. Once required amount of water is added knead it. 
3. Knead the dough with our fist and wrist base. Knead it for at least 15 to 20 mins. Sprinkle little water if required. 
4. The dough should not be too soft or too hard. Allow it to rest for half an hour, Cover it with a damp cloth. 
5. Make equal portions of dough. Roll it in palms and make round ball. 
   
6. Dust the rolling board and flatten one ball of dough and press it with rolling pin. Make it into 6 inches diameter circle.
7. While pressing it do not over press and also take care all the edges also pressed properly. Then only the roti puffs. 
8. Make sure that the dough and rolling pin should move in circular motion. Roll till we get a flat and round circle. 
   
9. Heat iron skillet or non stick roti tawa. Put the roti on hot tawa, Allow this to cook i.e. form small bubbles on it.
10. Flip it and again cook. Brown spots should be visible. 
11. Remove the tawa from the flame and using tongs take roti directly on flame. Slowly it puffs up. 
    
12. keep it like that till it puffs completely and turn it and again cook for a short while.
13. Serve hot roti or phulka with any hot spicy curry. I served it palak paneer. 
14. If we have time to serve, after making them, spread a kitchen wrap or foil paper in the casserole and keep them in it.  
15. For kids serve them with butter or ghee on it.
    

Tawa Pulao -- Bomaby Tawa Pulao -- Tawa Pulao Recipe

Tawa Pulao is a Bombay street food. I always wants give a try a new and simple dishes. I keep surfing different food sites. One day I stumble upon this recipe, which is very simple and easy. I thought this can go in for lunch box for kids and hubby one day. I made it and all of them liked it very much. 
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Recipe Category: Main Course, Rice
Recipe Cuisine: Maharashtra, Mumbai
Serves: 5 people

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 and 1/2 cups
• Carrot - 2 Medium
• Potato - 2 Medium
• Onion - 2 Medium
• Tomato - 2 Medium
• Capsicum - 1 Medium
• Peas - 2 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Pav Bhaji Masala - 2 tsp
• Coriander Leaves  - fist ful
• Lemon Juice - 2 lemons

Procedure:

1. Chop all the veggies, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, onions and capsicum.
2. Add 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice, pressure cook for three whistles. Once cooled spread it in a wide plate.
3. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start crackle add onions. 
4. Fry them till they become translucent. Add ginger garlic paste.
5. Fry till the aroma releases, add tomatoes to it.Fry them till they become mushy.
   
6. Add peas and capsicum and fry them.
7. Add potatoes and carrot. Fry them for a while.
   
8. Add turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder and pav bhaji masala. 
   
9. Cover it with lid, stir occasionally. 
10. Let the veggies cook completely.
11. Add rice to it. Mix well, so that all the veggies mixes with rice. 
    
12. Add chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice to it and mix well.
    
13. Serve tawa pulao with raita. 
    

Palak Paneer Recipe -- How to make Palak Paneer -- easyvegrecipes

Paneer Butter Masala Recipe -- How to make Paneer Butter Masala

Hi, Good Morning. Thank you, friends and viewers. Today I will post how to make paneer butter masala recipe.

Paneer Butter Masala is a Punjabi Cuisine. Paneer cooked in butter and rich creamy gravy with all added spices. My most favorite North Indian dish is Paneer Butter Masala. Given a chance, whenever we go out for dinner, I always prefer paneer butter masala with butter naan.
I tried this recipe in different ways, once I chopped tomatoes and onions and then cooked and then added paneer and masalas. Once I made the paste of tomatoes only, onions added to them and then added paneer. A lot of research has been done on this recipe like I asked some of my North Indian friends and searched different recipe sites and finally made it. Lastly, I ended up in making it the way I am presenting it now. So many recipe sites also given the recipe in this way only.
For this, I prepare everything a day before and keep them ready. Tomato puree, onion Puree and also cashew nuts puree. At the time making this dish I just fry all of them and cook for five minutes and then add paneer cook for three more minutes. That's it!! paneer butter masala ready to serve.
I already posted recipes with paneer like paneer65, paneer tikka, paneer bhurji. Check out for more paneer recipes here.