Cook Book

I have recently compiled all of my recipes into a cook book.  If you're interested, you can see it here.  Feel free to print and share. 

Tindoora Fry

Difficulty Rating 2 (Special Ingredient needed)

Tindora – 1 lb.
Red Chilly powder – 3 tsp.

Rasam powder – 3 tsp.
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp.
Amchur(dry mango) powder – 1 tsp. (optional)
Salt to taste

Oil as needed
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp.
Urad Daal - ½ tsp.
Curry leaves - 3 to 4 (optional)

1.  Wash and remove top & bottom of the tindoora. Cut them lengthwise into quarters.

2.  In a bowl mix tindoora with salt, amchur, chilly and turmeric powder.

3.  Set it aside for 15-30 minutes.

4.  Heat a pan with oil, mustard, urad daal. When mustard starts to splutter, add curry leaves and the tindoora mixture and stir. 

5.  Let it fry covered at medium heat for around 10mins. 

6.  Once the tindoora is cooked, open the lid and fry for about 15mins in low-medium heat until it is dry.

7. Serve it with rice or chapathi

Bottle Gourd and Tomato Chutney

Difficulty Rating 3 Grinding required, Special Ingredients needed)

Bottle Gourd, cubed with skin –  ½ cups

Chana dal – ½ Tbsp

Urad dal – ½ Tbsp

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp (optional)

Corainder leaves – 1 TBsp (optional)

Dry Red Chilies – 2 (adjust)

Garlic cloves – 4-5

Jaggery or Sugar – 1 tsp (optional)

Tamarind, soaked in ¼ cup of water and keep the juice–  1 ½ inch ball

Salt to taste

Oil as needed

Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds – ¼ tsp

Urad Dal – ½ tsp

Dry Red chilies – ½ adjust to taste

Curry Leaves – a few

Oil as needed

1.    Heat oil in a medium sized pan, add the bottle gourd cubes and sauté for a few minutes until the raw smell is gone and it begins to become dry.  Set aside and let cool.

2.    Heat oil, add chana dal, urad dal, cumin seeds and coriander seeds and fry for a few minutes until the dals turn red.  Remove and keep aside.

3.    In the same pan as above, add garlic, red cilies, green chillies, coriander leaves and curry leaves and fry until the spices begin to pop.  Remove and keep aside. 

4.    Once everything is cool, grind the dlas first until they are a powder, then add the rest of the ingredients with the tamarind extract and salt and grind to a paste. 

5.    Heat a small amount of oil and add mustard seeds and let them pop urad dal and heat until it turns red.  Then add the curry leaves and dry red chili and stir for a few seconds. 

6.    Add to the ground chutney and stir

Bottle Gourd Chutney

Difficulty Rating 3 (Gridding required, Special Ingredients needed)

Bottle gourd cut into ½ inch cubes  – ½

Garlic, crushed and skin removed – 3 cloves

Dry Red Chili – 3 (adjust to takes)

Tomatoes, diced – 1 large

Curry leaves – 1 sprig (optional)

Coriander leaves – small handful

Salt – to taste

Oil

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Urad dal – ½ tsp (optional)

Curry leaves – a sprig (optional)

1.   Heat oil in a pan.  Add red chili and garlic, fry until the garlic turns golden.

2.   Add the bottle gourd pieces and fry until it becomes a little transparent.

3.   Add tomatoes and fry for until the tomato breaks down and releases its juices

4.   Add coriander leaves, curry leaves and salt.

5.   Remove from heat and let it cool.

6.   Once it is cook, grind it in a blender or food processor.

7.   Heat a small amount of oil and add the mustard seeds and urad dal.  Once it splutters, add the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.  Pour this mix into the chutney and stir.

Chick Peas Curry (Chole)

Difficulty Rating 3 (pressure cooker needed)

Chick peas, soaked for at least 3 hours and pressure cook – 2 cups (or use 2 cups canned)

Onions – 2 medium

Oil as needed

Curry leaves – 5=6

Green chilies – 4 (adjust to taste)

Tomato – ½

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 Tbsp

Chili Powder – ½ tsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Chole Masala – ½ tsp (optional)

Coriander leaves – 2 Tbsp

Bay leaves – 2

Cloves – 4

Cinnamon – 1 stick

1.  Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon until they pop. 

2.  Add onions and fry them until golden brown.

3.  Add green chilies, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell is gone.

4.  Add the tomatoes until they break down.  Add salt, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala and chole masala and mix.

5.  Let it continue to cook until everything drys out.

6.  Add the cooked Chana dal (chck peas). 

7.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  It should be dry and stick together a little bit.

8.  Garnish with the coriander leaves and remove from heat.

9.  Serve hot with flat bread.

Flat bread (Poratta)

Difficulty Rating 4 (Difficult prep)

Flour (white or wheat) – 4 cups

Salt – ½ tsp

Baking powder – ½ tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Egg, beaten – 1

Oil – ¼ cup

Water – 1 cup (plus more as needed)

1.  In a large bowl mix the flour with the salt and baking powder very well.

2.  Mix in the sugar, egg, oil and enough water to make a soft pliable dough. 

3.  Cover and set aside for an hour.

4.  Divide the dough into 16 pieces of equal size.

5.  Cover with a damp towel and set aside for another hour.

6.  On an oiled surface, stretch each ball into a flat disk.

7.  Spray with cooking oil, fold in half. Spray again and fold into a quarter.

8.  Roll out into a large flat tortilla shape.

9.  Spray again and fold in half.  Spray one last time and fold into a quarter.

10.    Roll out into a tortilla shape one more time.

11.    Cook on a hot griddle for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly brown on both sides.

12.    Remove from heat and keep in a thermal side.