19. Dal Moghlai

Source: Online recipes with a few changes
Final Outcome: Good

        When I began my resolution, I looked for a recipe and bought ingredients accordingly. Now I search for recipes with ingredients that I have. By end of this year I hope I will be able to create new recipes with given ingredients:-)
I had bottle gourd and tomatoes. I wanted to try some new recipe with bottle gourd. So I searched online and made some changes to suit our taste.
Recipe:
Ingredients-
1  cup toor dal
1/4 cup chana dal
1 medium sized bottle gourd chopped into medium pieces
1 Tomato chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1-2 green chilies chopped
1 Onion chopped

1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp dhaniya powder
Chopped coriander
Salt

Method-
1. Soak toor dal and chana dal for 30 to 40 mins. 
2. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and 3 cups of water to the dal and pressure cook till done.
3. In a pan heat oil. Add jeera jeera. After jeera begins to change colour add onion, chilies and ginger-garlic paste. Fry onions till they turn golden brown.
4. Add turmeric to onions and add cooked dal.
5. Add garam masala, dhaniya powder and chopped coriander.
   Bring it to a boil. Dal is ready.

18. Gooseberry Pickle

Source:Aai
Final Outcome: Good. But not as tasty as my mom's

        One of my previous recipes using gooseberry (or Amla/Awla) was Moravla. This time I tried making a pickle. It is a very simple recipe using pickle masala. My pickle did not turn out as good as my mom's.
Recipe:
1. Grate gooseberries
2. Add Pickle masala (Praveen/ Kepra or any available masala), salt.
3. Prepare seasoning: Oil, mustard, little hing and little turmeric
4. Add seasoning to grated gooseberries after the seasoning has completely cooled down.

        I have observed (& may be its true for everyone) that I try very hard at achieving something and most of the times I don't get it, then I give up hope and it miraculously happens. Right now I am hoping for a lot of things so I am trying to be hopeless ...well at least on the outside:-).  Hence signing off hopefully hopeless ... or is it hopelessly hopeful.....okay now I am confused!
        

17. Cucumber Dosa

Source: cucumber-dosa
Final Outcome: Very Good

        I was surprised that I could spread this dosa like a regular dosa although it does not contain urad dal and is not fermented. Recipe called for rice to be soaked for 4 hours, however I soaked it overnight since I had to make them for breakfast.
Recipe: 
Ingredients:
1 cup Rice (soaked 5-6 hrs or overnight), I used dosa rice.
1 cup Coconut
1 cucumber 
little jeera (cumin)
1-2 green chillies
Salt

Method:
Grind together all ingredients . Add little water. Spread Dosa on Tava.
 

        I am down with cold and fever while writing this. I was very proud (and boasted)of my immunity when I did not catch the flu doing rounds in office and at home. Now I know better!
       
       

16. Pongal

Source:  khara-pongal-recipe
Final Outcome: Good but I think it missed the authentic taste. So will try it again sometime.

        Pongal is one of my favourite Tamilian breakfast food. Wanted to make it for many years, finally managed to prepare it now. It was good but the 'wow' taste that I remember was missing. Will try it again.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup rice
3/4th cup moong Dal
Salt
Curry leaves 1 bunch
12-14 Black Pepper
1 inch Ginger
Cumin seeds 1/4th spoon
Ghee 3-4 table spoons 

Method: 1.Wash Rice and Moong Dal and keep them soaked for about 2 hours.
2.Drain the water and fry Rice and Moong Dal until they are hot.
3.Pressure cook the rice and moong dal mixture with 5-6 cups of water.
4. Mash the mixture once it is taken out of cooker. Add  salt
5. Prepare seasoning of Ghee, Cumin, Ginger, Black Pepper and Curry leaves.
6.  Add hot seasoning to the mixture and bring it to a boil.
 

I am starting a new section called "Fundas". This is for my own reading few years later. Read at your own risk :-).
I thought of noting down my thoughts while cooking and on the day of updating the blog. I hope I am not given a name like " Cooker(chef) Mata" if I ever become a spiritual advisor.
Today's funda: Never follow a spiritual advisor rather start your own cult, Its more profitable :-).Cant stop laughing.

15. Jodhpuri Vegetable Pulao

Source: jodhpuri-vegetable-pulao
Final Outcome: Very Good

        This recipe was for my husband's birthday. We decided to have normal/ regular meal that day since everyone at home was down with cold and cough. But at night I decided to make this (Birthday comes once a year even if you are sick or tired. So it has to be celebrated. As said by a great philosopher: Me:-)). It is simple but a very different kind of pulao. It contains dry fruits, some veggies and little curd. We loved it!

14. Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

Source: this recipe + slight changes as per taste
Final Outcome: Nostalgic (Bahama Breeze we miss u!)

    Bahama Breeze was one of our favourite cafe/restaurant. We finally found Portobello mushroom at 01 MG Road mall to prepare our favourite dish. I made some adjustments as per taste (eg added olives and corn).

13. Canapes Chat

Source: Self 
Final Outcome: Very good

    I am not a big fan of chats. Most people will be surprised to know that I try to avoid pani poori's, sev poori and have tasted bhel just a couple of times. Taste of chat is not a deal breaker but the ingredients scream 'unhygenic' to me, just like non veg food screams 'dead animals'. (I have not mentioned in my previous posts: I will be cooking only Vegetarian food, actually eggetarian :-))

Unhygienic or not, since my resolution is about experimenting (and also I need 200 recipes:-) ), I decided to make canapes chat. I prepared it very similar to SPDP (sev batata dahi poori). My parents and my aaji loved it! 

 

Recipe: 

1. Tamarind Chutney: Tamarind juice, Jaggery, Cumin Powder, a small piece of cinnamon, Red chilli powder, a pinch of salt.

Mix all the ingredients  and bring it to a boil.

2. Pudina(Mint) Chutney: Pudina leaves(one small bunch), Coriander leaves (one small bunch), 1 garlic, 1 green chili, little lemon juice and salt to taste.

Grind all the above ingredients.

3. Other Ingredients:

    Yogurt

    2 onions finely chopped

    2 tomatoes finely chopped

    5-7 potatoes boiled, pealed and mashed

    Sev 

    Canapes

Place canapes in a plate. Put a spoon of potatoes, onion, tomatoes, tamarind chutney, Mint chutney, 1/2 spoon yogurt and a spoon of sev on each.

Canapes chat is ready to serve.

12. Gobhi Matar

Source: Sanjeev Kapoor (Book)
Final Outcome: Good

    I prepared this curry a couple of weeks ago but forgot to update it in blog. Oh and I also forgot to take a picture:-(.
    I have cooked Gobhi Matar before, but Sanjeev Kapoor's book gives a very different recipe. It was good.

P.S: I am big fan of Sanjeev Kapoor's book Dals and Kadhis. If anyone wants to try, it is worth purchasing.

11. Leftover's Parotha

Source: Mother-In-Law
Final Outcome: Very Good

     I had tasted such paratha's prepared by my MIL. So one day after we had some vangi bhat (Brinjal rice) left over from previous night I decided to make them.
Recipe: Just add little atta, besan and spices (garam masala, Dhania powder, Salt, Chili powder, Turmeric and jeera) as per taste and finely chopped coriander to the rice. Kneed it and roll the parathas. 
Any kind of leftover dal, rice (brinjal rice, jeera rice, onion rice etc) can be used.
Very good use of leftover food.

 Parothas in the picture were made with left over white rice and sambar from previous night

10. Stir-fry Soup With Thai Twist

Source: Tarla Dalal + My recipe
Final Outcome: Yummy!!!

     What can I say other than I made it when my aaji was visiting and she loved it! Its just normal stir fry soup recipe this recipe + add a spoon of dark soy sauce, Thai rice noodles and squeeze in a spoon of lemon juice just before serving.

Recipe: (serves 4)
Ingredients:
Rice noodles: 1 cup soaked in hot water and drained
Mushrooms: 1 cup chopped
Baby corn: 1 cup chopped
Carrots: 2 chopped
Cabbage : 1 cup shredded
Onion: 1/2 chopped
Garlic cloves: 3-4
Red chilies: 2
Soy sauce: 1tsp
Lemon juice: 2-3 tsp
Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak Garlic cloves and Red chilies in a tbsp of water. Let it stand for 10-15 mins and roughly grind it.
2. In a deep pan heat oil. Add Garlic and red chili from step 1. Add Onion and cook till translucent.
3. Begin adding vegetables: Cabbage, Carrots and baby corn. Cover and cook till almost done. Add Mushrooms and cook uncovered till done. Add Soy sauce and stir.
4. Add 3 cups of warm water, Rice noodles and salt. Let it come to a boil.
5. Take off heat, add lemon juice and serve hot.
Its Yummy!!!

     

9. Palak Curry/ Soup

 Source: self
 Final Outcome: Excellent

     This was an accidental recipe. So far all my recipes were pre-planned.
     I began making my usual 'palak patal bhaji' and ended up adding ingredients not required for the recipe and making changes. It turned out very well! It can be a curry or can be had as a soup by making minor changes.

Recipe:
Step 1: Seasoning: Oil, Red Chili, 2 cloves garlic, little hing.
Step 2: Add palak puree to the seasoning. Add ' amsul' (I don't know what it is called in English). Little sugar, and salt.
Step 3: Add Besan after the puree begins boiling.

Another method of preparing is by  excluding garlic and Amsul. Add curd before serving.