Rava Bonda/ Sooji bonda

 INGREDIENTS

2cups- Rava

½ cup- Rice flour

1 cup- Curd

2 green chillies chopped finely

1 medium sized onion chopped finely

Curry leaves ( optional)

Shredded coconut ( Optional)

1 bunch coriander leaves chopped finely

Salt to taste

Method :

Mix roasted Rava, Rice flour, Curd, salt, onion leaves, coriander leaves and Green Chillies to get a semi solid batter. Add baking soda (Optional) Make small balls and deep fry till golden brown and till they are properly cooked. Remove from flame and serve with Green chutney or sauce of your choice.

Rava / Sooji Laddu

Ingredients:

§  1 cup Rava/Sooji

§  1/4^th cup Ghee

§  1 cup- ground sugar

§  2Tbsp- Crushed Cashew

§  1tbsp- Kishmish/ Raisins

§  8-10 crushed elaichi

§  1/4^th cup- Boiling milk

Method

Heat 1tbsp ghee in a pan and roast the cashews for about 2 minutes  on medium heat until they turn light brown , Now add raisins , they’ll get puffed and remove from flame. Now add rest of the ghee in a frying pan adns roast the rava till it changes color, keep stirring and roast it evenly. Add nuts, cardamom, and sugar stir until everything is mixed properly. Turn off the flame. Now add 2Tbsp of hot milk, mix it well. Add more milk if required. One’s the mixture gets a little cool, start making laddus, you can add a bit more milk to enable holding the mixture. It will set in about ½ an hour. Ready to serve. Can be stored for about 10 days in an airtight container

Soya Nugget popcorn

 INGREDIENTS

½ cup- Soya Nuggets  

1 medium sized onion- chopped finely

1 bunch coriander- finely chopped

1 cup- Besan/ Gram flour

1/4^th tsp- Haldi/Turmeric powder

1 tsp- Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

1 tsp- Ginger garlic paste

METHOD:

Soak soya nuggets in hot water for 15 minutes, the pour it out in cold water, drain water after about 5 minutes, squeeze it out dry. Now in a bowl add besan, haldi, red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, chopped onions, chopped coriander, a little water and make a thick batter. Add the nuggets to the batter. Mix well., ensure the nuggets are coated properly. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying, drop the soya nuggets in the oil, deep fry in oil till the color turns golden, remove from oil and place it on a kitchen napkin, so that it absorbs extra oil. Now it’s ready to serve.

Serve hot with green chutney or any sauce.

Rasgulla Soft and Spongy

INGREDIENTS

1 litre: Whole milk

2 tbsp of fresh lime juice
1 cup of sugar 
3 cups of water 

1 cup- Water ( Room temperature)

2 tsp- Maida/All purpose
1 tsp-Rose water

METHOD:

Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan, when the milk boils, add lime juice little at a time, keep stirring till you find the milk curdling, keep stirring. Switch off the flame, and let it stand for about 2 minutes. Now discard the whey (greenish water). Now take a muslin cloth, put the milk solid in it. Place it under running water, so that it gets clean and the citrus taste also is removed from it. Now gather the cloth together and squeeze out the water. Tie it and let it hand for about ½ an hour. After half an hour, remove the cloth open, add rose water and maida. Now divide the mixture into equal parts of small balls. Make sure the mixture is lump free. Now cover it with a napkin, so that they don’t get dry. Heat water in a large pan and add sugar, the sugar will start melting (On a medium flame). One’s it comes to a rolling boil,
Now add the ball to the sugar syrup and cover with a lid. Let it cook for about 20 minutes. The Rasgulla’s will now double or triple in size. Switch off the flame and add a cup of water at room temperature, so that the cooking process is stopped. The Rasgulla’s will sink in the syrup, means it is cooked. One’s it cools down refrigerate it

Tip: The ball should be made in small size as it tends to double or triple it’s actual size when added to sugar syrup

Instead of a large pan, you can also use a pressure cooker. After adding the small balls to the sugar syrup, close the pressure cooker lid, without its whistle and let it steam for about 8-10 minutes.

Now you can garnish it with saffron strands or Pistas.

Hibiscus lime soda mojito mocktail

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

1/3 cup dried hibiscus flowers

A Sprig of mint

Zest/Peel of two limes

Soda

Fresh lime juice

METHOD:

Simmer the sugar and water in a pan for about a minute, remove from flame, now add the dried hibiscus and lime peel/Zest. Allow the mixture to cool; now strain the mixture finely and refrigerate.

SERVING:

Add ½ glass of hibiscus mixture to 1 glass of soda add, freshly squeezed lime and drop in mint leaves. You can serve it chilled or with crushed ice.

GARNISH:

Garnish with a wedge of lime and mint leaves.

Hyderabadi tomato Saalan

Ingredients:

1 medium size Onion- chopped finely

5 small sized tomatoes

1tsp- Mustard seeds

1tsp- Fennel seeds (Saunf)

1tsp- Cumin seeds

1tbsp- Ginger garlic paste

1” Cinnamon stick

2tsp- Kashmiri chilli powder

½ tbsp Coriander powder

1 sprig Curry leaves

1 tsp-Garam Masala Powder

1tsp- cumin powder

Salt to taste

 Small lime sized tamarind – Juice extracted

1/4^th cup- Curd

Roast and grind

½ cup- Peanuts

½ cup- sesame seeds

2 tbsp- grated coconut

Method:

Dry roast peanuts till it changes colour, add in sesame seeds and coconut and roast for few more minutes. Grind it to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan, add all whole spices, curry leaves and saute for a minute, now add onions and cook till it turns translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell disappears. Asdd the spice powders, ground masala, water, tamarind paste, curd, and salt. Bring it to a boil. Let the oil surface. Now cut the tomatoes and add it to the mixture. Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes, now the tomatoes are cooked. Remove from flame and add chopped coriander leaves as a garnish

Khaman Dhokla

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Besan

½ tbsp- Semolina

1tbsp- Sugar

Salt to taste

½ tsp- Eno (fruit salt) / baking powder

½ tsp- citric acid/lime juice

2tbsp- oil

1 cup- water or as required

FOR TEMPERING

1 tsp- Mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

2 tbsp- water

Chopped coriander leaves

Oil

METHOD

Mix besan,semolina, hing, salt, sugar and sooji, hing, salt, sugar in a large bowl. Add oil, citric acid. Now add Eno or baking powder, whisk it properly, till it’s well blended. Now the batter will turn frothy. Grease a plate or a contained and pour the batter in it. The container should be large enough, because the batter will rise up while being steamed. In a pressure cooker place the container and cook for about 15-20 minutes, without the whistle on.  Now insert a knife in the khaman and check if it is properly cooked or not, if the knife comes out clean, it means your Khaman is cooked and ready. Let it cool for about 20 minutes. Now loosen it up and take it out in any plate or container. Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds, one’s they splutter, add curry leaves and hing, switch off the flame, now add little sugar water and pour in the mixture. Now pour this mixture on the steamed Khaman and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Spicy red hot prawn curry

INGREDIENTS

½ kg prawns- deveined

½ fresh grated coconut

1 small onion chopped finely.

3 Kashmiri red chillies

2-3 byadgi red chillies

2-3 Kokum pieces

½ tsp- Ginger garlic paste

1 tsp- Cumin

1 ½ tsp- Red chilli powder

1tsp- Haldi powder

1 tsp- Garam masala powder

Salt: To taste.

Oil

METHOD

Soak the Kokum, Kashmiri and Byadgi red chillies in hot water for 10 min ( Soak the Kokum and red chillies separately)

Wash the prawns, apply, turmeric, salt and ginger garlic paste to the cleant prawns and keep it aside.

Grind the soaked chilies, fresh coconut, onion and cumin to a smooth paste. You can add little water if required.

Heat Oil in a pan and add the prawns, fry for about 5-6 minutes, remove and set it aside, now in the same pan heat oil and add the ground masala, and let it cook, now add red chilli powder, turmeric and salt and let it cook till you see oil surface, now add the prawns. Mix it properly and cover the lid, let it cook for about 8-10 minutes on medium flame. Add the soaked kokum and little water, depending on consistency of your choice. Don’t cook for a long time, as prawns tend to get rubbery. Now add garam masala and give a stir. Remove from flame and now garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Spicy hot chilli chicken

INGREDIENTS

½ kg boneless chicken

1 sprig- Curry leaves

2 green chillies chopped finely

1 medium sized green capsicum chopped or finely sliced

½ cup finely chopped spring onions.

 1 tbsp red chilli sauce

½ tbsp- Soya Sauce

1tbsp- Red chilli sauce

2 tsp- Vinegar

1 ½ tsp- red chilli powder (I used homemade chilli powder , Guntur chillies, byadgi chillies and Kashmiri chillies, which I dried and ground)

2 tbsp Corn flour

3-4 tbsp All purpose Flour (Maida)

1/4^th tsp- pepper powder

4 tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 egg

Oil for frying

Salt to taste

METHOD

Wash and drain the boneless chicken, now cut them into medium size pieces. In a bowl add, boneless chicken, 1 egg, Cornflour, Maida, red chilli powder, salt and mix them properly. Let it marinate for about ½ an hour. Now heat oil in a pan and deep fry the marinated chicken, till the chicken is cooked or it gets a golden color from both the sides. Let it fry on medium heat. Set it aside. Now heat oil in a pan , add ,curry leaves, chopped green chillies, green capsicum, spring onion, chopped garlic, chopped ginger and pinch of pepper powder. Now stir fry all the mixture for about 3-4 minutes. Add cornflour to little water and make cornstarch. In a pan add soya sauce, red chilli sauce, vinegar, pepper powder. Mix it till you get a thick consistency. Now add Chicken and 1/2 cup finely chopped green spring onion and stir fry all the ingredients for about a minute and then remove from flame.

You can skip adding cornstarch, is you want the chilli chicken very dry and if you want gravy add little water.

Kadai Chicken

Ingredients

½ kg Chicken
1 onion Big -finely chopped
1 big green capsicum- chopped into bite sized pieces

1 ½ tsp -Ginger garlic paste

½ tsp- Chilli powder ( Kashmiri chilli powder used by me )

One pinch-Turmeric powder

1 small lime: Juice squeezed out

2 tomatoes: pureed.
Tomatoes - 2 big or pureed

 1bunch- Coriander chopped finely.

Salt to taste.

1 tbsp- Oil

1 Bay Leaf

2-3 cloves

2 cardamoms

Roast and grind:

2 tsp: coriander seeds

1tsp- Black peppercorn

½ tsp- Jeera

2-3 dry red chillies

½” cinnamon

METHOD:

Heat oil in a pan, drop capsicum pieces and sauté until they turn crispy, then set it aside.It should remain green. To the clean chicken, add half the roasted ground masala, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder,salt, lime juice, and turmeric powder and let it marinate for about 45 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add, Bay Leaf, cloves and cardamoms, then add ginger garlic paste, one’s it turns brown add the tomato puree and the remaining roasted ground masala. Mix it well and let it cook till the raw smell disappears. Add more salt if required, at this point. Add the marinated chicken and sauté till it turns pink, add about half cup of water and cook the chicken ( you can pressure cook as well)One’s the chicken is cooked and the oil surfaces, add capsicum and give a stir. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. Take it off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander. You can add

Hyderabadi Style Dahivada

It is usually made with chickpea flour batter or urad dal batter. This is one of the famous Iftaar time eat during Ramzaan month, very very popular in Hyderabad. These are deep fried lentil dumplings added to whipped curd and tempered. It’s a healthy and nutritious dish and a coolant too

INGREDIENTS  

FOR THE VADAS:

·         1/2 cup urad dal (split black lentils) , soaked for 2 hours and drained

·         salt to taste

·         1 tsp red chilli powder

·         1/4 tsp turmeric powder

·         1 tsp ginger garlic paste

·         1/4 tsp baking soda

·         1 medium sized onion finely chopped

A bunch of finely chopped coriander

2-3 green chillies chopped finely

½ cup of water

For the Curd mixture:

·         2 cups Curd

·         salt to taste

·         Blend to paste, 1/2 tsp each mint, green chillies, coriander

·         1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

FOR TEMPERING:

·         1 tbsp Oil

·         1 tsp mustard seeds

·         1 tsp cumin seeds

·         1 sprig curry leaves

·         About 4-5 red dried chillies

METHOD:

FOR THE VADAS:

Soak the udad dal for at least 2-3 hours, drain and grind to a smooth paste, by adding little water. The consistency should neither be too thick nor runny. In a bowl add the udad dal batter along with salt, baking soda (Optional) ginger garlic paste, coriander, onions, green chillies and mix well. Now,to this  mixture add water gradually, till you get a batter consistency, which should neither be too thick nor too runny. It should be good enough to make dumplings. Whisk it well. Now Heat Oil in a pan, make a round ball out of the batter, make a hole in it and drop in the oil. Deep fry the dumplings on medium flame, so that the inner batter is cooked well. One’s the dumplings turn golden on both sides, remove and keep aside

For Dahi Mixture

Whip the curd and remove all the lumps in it. Add ginger garlic paste, paste of green chillies, coriander and mint, and stir it well.

Drop the vadas in a bowl of lukewarm water, after 3 minutes, remove them, squeeze out the water from vadas and add it to the curd mixture, now you’ll find them soft to eat. Pour the temper of mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chillies and garnish with coriander.