28. Gujrati Kadhi

Source: http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/Gujarati-Kadhi-Cooking-With-Love.aspx
Final Outcome: Good. My daughter asked 'if its a kadhi why isn't it yellow?'

        I am updating the blog after a short break as I was down with fever (again). A few days ago I went over a few of my previous posts and found some grammatical errors. I usually write in a hurry and never find time to recheck it. So dear reader please bring such errors to my notice so that i can correct it.
          I made this kadhi along with shahi paneer. Below is the recipe with the changes that I made.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Besan: 1 tbsp
Yogurt: 2 cups
Ginger Garlic paste: 1 tsp
Green Chili chopped: 1
Ghee: 1/2tbsp (or oil)
Cumin seeds: 1tsp
Curry leaves: 8-10
Asafoetida: little
Cloves: 2
Cinnamon: 1/2 inch
Radish cut into strips: 1
Sugar: 1tsp
Salt: to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
1. Whisk together yogurt, besan, ginger garlic paste, green chilies and salt. Add water and set aside.
2. Heat  ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, cloves and cinnamon. Add Radish strips and a cup of water. Bring it to a boil (till radish is cooked).
3. Add Yogurt mixture and continue to cook on low heat stirring continuously.
4. Serve garnished with fresh coriander leaves.  

Looks like our camera lens needs cleaning. Our camera is working hard helping me with my resolution:-)
       

27. Shahi Paneer

Source: http://sanjeevkapoor.com/Shahi-Paneer-FoodFood.aspx
Final outcome: Mogambo khush hua :-)

        It really is shahi (royal)! The amount of butter and cream that goes into it makes it royal. Below is the recipe for my reference (it contains some minor changes)

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Onions chopped- 1 large
Tomatoes chopped- 2 large
Cashew nuts- 10-12
Paneer cubes- 200 gms
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Garam masala- 1 tsp
Turmeric- 1tsp
Cream(Amul heavy cream)- 1/2 to 3/4th cup
Butter- 1 tbsp
Oil
Kasuri methi- 1 tsp
Salt

Method:
1. Heat oil add onions and cashew nuts. After onions turn translucent add tomatoes and cook till they are done. Add Coriander powder, salt and garam masala. Let it cool and then grind into a fine paste.(add water if necessary).
2. To the above mixture add butter , turmeric powder and cook for about 8-10 mins.
3. Add Paneer and Cream and cook for a few mins.
4. Add kasuri methi and mix well.

26. Mallige idly (Idly like Mogra flower)

Source: Mom
Final Outcome: Lightest, fluffiest idly ever!

        I am not cheating! This really is a very different idly. I ate this idly about a year ago at a restaurant. Since then I wondered how it was made. Recently my mom gave me this recipe and I tried it. It turned out wonderful.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
Urad dal: 1 cup soaked for 6-7 hrs
Rice:  2 cups soaked for 6-7 hrs
Cooked and cooled rice: 1/2 cup
Baking Soda: 1/2tsp
Salt to taste
Tava (optional)

Method:
1. Grind Urad Dal, Rice and cooked rice. Add very little water.
2. Add soda and mix
3. Heat iron tava and cover it over the dough (this step is optional)
4. Let the dough ferment for 5-6 hrs
5. Add Salt. Prepare idly!

        Isn't it funny that sometimes we don't like the songs in our own music player which we put them there because we like them and by our own wish!

25. Cabbage Curry

Source: Friend's lunch box
Final Outcome: Good. Best of all cabbage curries I had so far.

        Cabbage is not a very well liked curry in our house. Hence I wanted to try a different version. And this one worked! I had seen this curry in a friend's lunch box. It is south Indian curry but I don't know the exact region.

Recipe:
Ingredients
Cabbage: Finely chopped- 300-400 gms
Moong Dal: 3 table spoons. washed and soaked
Urad dal: 1 table spoon washed
Curry leaves: 10-12
Green Chili- 1 or 2 chopped
Ginger grated: 1/2 tsp 
Grated coconut: 2 table spoons
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Oil
Mustard seeds 
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat Oil in a pan. Add a pinch of mustard seeds.
Add Urad dal. After it turns golden add curry leaves, green Chile, ginger,moong dal and cabbage. 
After about 5 mins add turmeric, salt and coconut.
Keep stirring and cook till done.

         
        Here is a joke that I had read some time back: When I was a kid we always had 2 things on the menu- Take it or leave it:-).
I always remember this joke whenever I meet picky eaters.

24. Dudhi Paneer Ka Sukha Salan

Source: http://sanjeevkapoor.com/doodhi-paneer-ka-sukha-salan.aspx
Final Outcome: I liked it, others not so much.

        It contains a lot of ingredients so I had to make some preparations the previous night. With ground work done I had no problem finishing this curry in the morning.

Dear Sanjeev Kapoor, If you ever read this can you please tell me how do you get such lovely colours in your dishes??? I followed instructions to the dot. Yet ended up with a brown colour curry! Tasty but brown:-( 

        Although not a difficult dish, it requires a little more effort than normal. I liked it but not everyone was a fan.

23. Onion Rice

Source: Self
Final Outcome: Very good

        This is rice prepared with small onions also known as pearl onions. 
Recipe:
Ingredients:
15-18 small onions peeled
1 cup rice washed
1 tbsp oil
8-10 curry leaves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
a pinch of hing/asafoetida
2 tsp dhania powder
1/4th cup fresh coconut (optional)
Salt
coriander leaves chopped for garnish
2-3 spoons Ghee for garnishing

Method:
1. In a pressure pan or cooker prepare seasoning with oil, mustard seeds, hing, and curry leaves. Switch off the stove.
2. Add onions to the cooker.
3. Add Turmeric powder and rice. Mix it well. Then add dhania powder, garam masala if desired. Add coconut and salt.
4. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook 2 whistles.
5. Serve hot after garnishing with corianderr and 2-3 spoons of ghee.

             

22. Thai Yellow Curry

Source: My husband
Final outcome: One of our all time favorite!

        My husband prepared this curry many times before and I never bothered to learn it until now. 
Recipe:  
Ingredients: (for 4 people)
3 large potatoes cut into thin circular cuts
2 strands lemon grass
1 carrot thin vertical stripes
6-7 baby corn vertically cut 
1 capsicum vertically cut
8-10 button mushrooms cut  
2 tsp Green curry or yellow curry paste(contains: garlic,lemon grass, kaffir lime, galangal, shallot)
1 tsp turmeric
50 gms paneer (alternate for tofu)
4-5 tsp ground nut powder
Salt to taste 
1 cup coconut milk

Method:
 Heat about 1 table spoon of oil to a pan. Add all the ingredients in the same order after each of the previous one is partially cooked.
After adding coconut milk bring the curry to a boil.
Note: I have used green curry paste since we do not get all the ingredients. 

  

 
        I recently began watching Grey's anatomy rerun. I like the show but have one question for the writers- how many characters are you going to kill? I think they have not watched saas bahu soaps (rebirths, plastic surgery etc). I had once read that sign of a weak writer is killing a character.  Hmm...

        

21. Egg Vegetable Dosa

Source: Maid
Final Outcome: Very good

        My husband had once tasted this dosa which our maid brought for us to taste(I was not home and dosa was gone by the time I came back:-)) He loved it. So I decided to try it. I am writing normal dosa batter recipe for reference.
Recipe:Ingredients for dosa batter:
3 cups Rice
1 cup Urad dal
1 spoon Fenugreek seeds(methi)
1 spoon Bengal gram(Chana Dal)
     Soak all the above ingredients   for 5-7 hours and grind them separately and mix it. Let it ferment for about 5-6 hours. After it is fermented add salt and water.

Recipe for egg-vegetable dosa:
Ingredients: (for 3-4 Dosas)
1-2 Finely grated carrot.  
1 chopped onion
2 finely chopped green Chile
Few coriander leaves chopped
1 egg per dosa
Dosa batter (given above)

 Method:
Mix all ingredients other than the egg into the dosa batter. Add a little salt (this dosa requires a little more salt than regular dosa).
Spread the above mixture on a heated tava. 
After the dosa begins to settle, break an egg over it in such a way that it embeds itself with the dosa. Add a little salt over the egg.
Let it cook over one side then turn it over carefully.
This unique dosa is ready!   

 I think this my longest post with highest number of pictures!

20. Strawberry Jam

Source: Aai
Final Outcome: Mmmmm......Yummy!

        This resolution is inspiring me to prepare recipes that normally I did not find time to make, like pickles and jam. I am enjoying this resolution and its a treat for my family! I am 1/10th through my 200 recipes and I hope to keep up the same enthusiasm.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
1.18-20 Strawberries cut into 4 pieces
2. 2 small cups of sugar

Method:
Step 1: Cook chopped strawberries without adding water on low flame in a vessel. cook till strawberries are tender (about 3-5 mins).
Step 2: Prepare sugar syrup by adding about half a cup of water to 2 cups of sugar.
Step 3. Add strawberries to warm sugar syrup.