Sambar Masala

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Ingredients
Coriander Seeds - 200 gms
Dry Red Chillies - 100 gms (whole)
Black Pepper - 25 gms
Cumin Seeds - 25 gms
Channa Dal - 25 gms
Urad Dal - 25 gms
Rice - 25 gms
Fenugreek Seeds - 10 gms
Turmeric - 10 gms
Salt - 25 gms
Asafoetida - 5 gms
Curry Leaves - 3 stalks (wiped clean)
Cloves - 5
Ghee for Roast - 2 tsp

Method


Take all ingredients and mix.
Put ghee, add ingredients and roast on low flame till crisp and golden. It should give off a strong spicy aroma. Cool.
Pound to a coarse powder, either in a mortar and pestle or dry grind in a mixie.
Use as required.
Note: Use a heavy pan or griddle (tawa) for best roasting.

Makes: 1 1/2 cups

Tea (Chai) Masala

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Ingredients:
1 cup dried ginger roots
1/2 cup elachi pods (green cardamom)
1 tbsp peppercorns
6-7 2" cinnamin sticks

Method:

Dry all the ingredients in the sun for an hour
Grind all the ingredients finely
Sieve it and grind again the residual
Store in a sterlised jar

Handi Sabzi Mixed

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Ingredients

1 cucumber
1 onion large
1 ridge gourd
1 capsicum
1 carrot large
1 large potato
1 white radish small
10 frenchbeans
1 tomato large
2 cloves
1 1/2" stick cinnamon
2 bayleaves
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. oil
8-10 mint leaves chopped
Grind together:
2 green chillies
1" piece ginger
10 flakes garlic
1/4 coconut grated (2 tbsp. approx)

Method:


Clean vegetables as necessary. Chop into big pieces (except tomtato).
Grate tomato keep aside.
Heat handi, add oil, allow to smoke a bit.
When oil is hot, add whole spices.
Stir to splutter, add ground paste, stir for a minute.
Add chopped vegetables, stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add all other ingredients, and 1/2 cup hot water.
Bring to a boil, seal cover, and allow to cook on slow fire.
Cook for 20-25 minutes. Break seal before serving.
Seve hot with parathas, naan or sheermal.
Making time: 20 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Amiri Khaman

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Ingredients:
For Khaman:
1 cup channa (bengal gram) dal washed & soaked for 4-5 hours
salt to taste

For topping:
1/4 cup tamarind chutney (refer chutneys)
2 tbsp. green chutney (refer chutneys)
1 cup fine bland sev
2 onions chopped finely
2 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tsp. crushed cumin seeds
salt to taste
Method:
For Khaman:

Grind soaked dal in mixie till fine.
Keep batter fairly thick.
Add salt, mix well, pour into a pressurecooker container.
Cover with lid, pressure cook for 2 whistles.
Cool. Grate with a grater (use bigger holed blade).
The result should be like bread crumbs.
To serve:


Spread some khaman crumbs in serving plate.
Sprinkle some of both chutneys.
Sprinkle salt, cumin, follow with sev, onions and coriander.
Serve immediately.
Making time:
For khaman-30 minutes(excluding soaking time)
For rest: 20 minutes

Makes: 5 servings
Shelflife: 3 days refrigerated in airtight container. (Store without toppings)

Jeera Fried Rice

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Ingredients

1 cup long grain rice
1 tbsp. cumin seeds (shajira & ordinary mixed)
1 tbsp. halved cashews
4-5 whole pepper corns
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups water (approx.)
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. clove-cinnamon powder
2 onions cut into rings
2 tbsp. ghee
salt to taste

Method


Wash rice well and soak in salt water for 30 minutes.
Heat ghee in a heavy or nonstick pan.
Add onions and fry till dark brown & crisp.
Drain, and add cashews to same ghee.
Fry to a light brown, drain, keep side.
Add jeers, peppercorns, bayleaf to same ghee.
Stir fry for a few seconds, drain, and add rice.
Keep aside the drained water.
Add sugar, stir gently, frying rice till light brown.
Add spice powder, stir.
Add salt water, bring to a boil.
Simmer covered, till rice is cooked and water evaporates.
Each grain should be separate.
Serve hot with dal fry or a spicy gravy vegetable.
Making time: 30 minutes (excluding soaking time)
Makes: 3 servings

Masala Bhath

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Ingredients
1 cup rice
1 onions chopped
1/2 cup peas boiled
1 carrot thinly chopped
1 tbsp. cabbage chopped
1 stalk curry leaves
1/2 tsp. ginger grated
1/2 tsp. garlic grated
2 green chillies halved
1 tbsp. broken cashews
1 tbsp. small raisins
1 tbsp. peanuts
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. black Maharashtrian masala
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. oil

Method


Wash and soak rice for 15-20 minutes.
Heat oil in a heavy large skillet.
Add cashews, peanuts, fry till light brown.
Add green chilli, curry leaves, cumin seeds, allow to splutter.
Add ginger, garlic, stir. Add onion, stir.
Add all other vegetables, raisins, masalas, rice, stir 2 minutes.
Add 4 cups water, masalas, lemon juice, salt.
Bring to a boil, cover, simmer till done.
Stir occasionally, add more water if required.
All water should evaporate when the grain is cooked.
Serve hot with kadhi or curd raitha.
Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 5-6 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Handi Biryani

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Ingredients
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
2 potatoes quartered boiled
2 capsicums cut into strips
2 onions chopped into strips
2 onions quartered
2 tomatoes chopped
1 cup slices mixed vegetables (frenchbeans, carrots, cauliflower, etc.)
1 tsp. ginger grated
1 tsp. garlic grated
1 cup curd
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
1" cinnamon stick
2 cardamoms
4-5 whole black peppers
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. garam masala
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2-3 pinches asafoetida
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. coriander chopped
10-15 cashews
10-12 almonds sliced to flakes (optional)
4-5 tbsp. ghee

Method


Wash and soak rice in salted water for 30 minutes.
Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan.
Fry onionstrips till crisp, brown, drain, keep aside.
Fry cashews till light brown, drain, keep aside.
Fry capsicums till tender, drain, keep aside.
Meanwhile, heat 6 cups water in a large vessel.
Add bay leaves, peppers, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, salt.
When it comes to boil, drain and add rice.
Bring to boil, cook for 8-9 minutes, till rice is just but not fully done.
Drain in a large colander, spread in a big plate, cool.
Grind quartered onions, ginger, garlic to a paste.
In hot ghee, add paste stirfry for 2-3 minutes.
Add all powdered masalas, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, stir, cook till fat separates.
Beat curd, add, stir till the boil resumes, cook 2-3 minutes.
Add potatoes, stir, keep aside.
To fill handi:


Grease an oven proof handi well on the inside.
Place in half of rice, spread at the bottom.
Top with half vegetables layer, spread over rice.
Mix together fried onions, capsicums, cashews, sliced almonds, coriander.
Sprinkle half over vegetable layer.
Sprinkle half lemon juice all over.
Repeat rice to lemon juice layer by layer.
Either cover with fitting lid, seal edges with chapati dough, or Seal top with a tightly packed foil sheet.
Make a small slit for excess steam to escape.
Bake in a preheated oven at 130oC for 15-20 minutes.
Break seal at the table to get the most out of the aroma.
Notes:

A handi is a round potlike vessel, with a neck narrower than the base. It may be made of metal or in earthenware. It must be heatproof though. If not available use a deep heavy saucepan.
For a stronger flavoured biryani, mix in some powdered mace, nutmeg into rice before transferring to handi.
Prepare handi few hours ahead, and bake just before serving, to organise your time better.
Making time: 1 hour
Makes: 8 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh and piping hot

Layered Roti

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2/1/2 cups wheat flour
salt
thin buttermilk or water.
METHOD

Knead soft dough with above ingredients.

Make 4 mm thickness round about 6" diameter. Apply 1/2 tsp ghee and spread all over with fingers.

Fold into half. Press greasy fingers onto it. Fold again to quarter. Press with fingers.

Roll in dry flour. Now roll out again to a triangle about the size of a roti.

Heat griddle (tawa) and place roti on it. Turn to roast other said.

Now put a little ghee on both sides and shallow fry till crisp. Serve hot with any desired accompaniment

Puffy Puris

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2 cups wheat flour
1 tbsp ghee
salt to taste
1 tbsp curds
1 tbsp milk
water to knead dough
ghee or oil to deep fry
Make soft pliable dough using all ingredients. Make some rounds rolling to about 3" - 4" diameter. Make 8-10 at a time, then fry in hot ghee or oil, till light brown. Turn once and fry other side. Drain with strainer and serve hot with either spicy vegetables curries, or curds. Or with sweetened mango pulp.

Variations


Use few seeds of oregano in the dough
Use paste of spinach instead of water to get green puris. (Boil one bunch washed spinach, drain. Add one green chilli and blend in a mixie)
Add red chilli powder chopped corainder and turmeric to dough for masala puris
Boil jaggery water (strained) to dough for sweet puris.
Grind a handful of boiled peas + 1 chilli & add to dough.

Spicy Roti

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1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1/2 cups gram flour
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
1/2 turmeric powder
2-3 pinches asafaetida
1/2 tsp each cummin / oregano seeds
finely chopped coriander
1 tbsp water
METHOD

Knead a slightly stiff dough, adding all above ingredients, cover with wet cloth. Break off bits and make small potato sized balls. Roll to 3-4 mm thickness. Roast on griddle (tawa) as for phulka. Or after brown spots appear place direct on gas flame and puff, with help of tongs. Phulka also may be done similarly if puffing with cloth, feels difficult. Apply ghee or butter and serve hot with sweetened mango preserve (chunda) or curds or jam.