French Beans Thoran - A simple recipe for a tasty side dish

Ingredients:-

1 ½ cup- French Beans finely chopped

1-2 Green Chillies

4 tbsp - Fresh Coconut- Grated

1-2 pinch- Turmeric

½ tsp - Mustard Seeds

¼ tsp- Urad dal

6-7 Curry Leaves

Salt as per taste

Oil- for cooking

Preparation:-

• Grind grated coconut, green chillies and couple of curry leaves without adding water.
• Heat oil in the pan, add mustard seeds to splutter, add urad dal and curry leaves. Saute for a second till urad dal turns slight golden.
• Add the finely chopped french beans, followed by turmeric powder, salt. Sprinkle little water and mix well in a medium flame. Cover the pan and let it simmer on low flame.
• Keep stirring once in a while to ensure the vegetable is not sticking to the bottom and there is enough moisture for the beans to cook.
• Once beans is almost done, add the grounded coconut- chilli paste and mix well.  Cover the pan for another mintue and remove it from flame.

Note:- Tradition preparation also includes to add a dash of coconut oil before removing the thoran from flame.

The same preparation can be used for Cabbage Thoran, Carrot Thoran, Cluster Beans(Gavar) Thoran, or mix vegetable.

Recipe and Image Contributed by :- Sangeeta Iyer

Sprouts Pulao - a healthy sprouts recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup Matki sprouts

½ cup Moong Boiled

2 cup brown rice or white rice Cooked

1 tsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

½  cup Onions finely Chopped

1 tsp  Garlic & Ginger finely Chopped

¼ tsp  of Turmeric

½ tsp  chilli powder

¼  cup Tomatoes  finely Chopped

3 tsp Capsicum  finely Chopped

1 tsp Pavbhaji masala

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a non-stickpan & add Cumin seeds, when the seeds crackle, add the Onions & sauté in medium flame for 2min. Add Garlic,Ginger, Turmeric powder,Chilli powder, Tomatoes, saute for a while & little water. Cook on medium flame for 2 to 3 mins, add the capsicum, a little more water & cook on medium flame,.
2. Add Pavbhaji masala, Salt, Matki sprouts & the boiled moong mix well and cook for 2 to 3 mins, while stirring continuously.
3. Add the boiled rice, mix well & cook on medium flame for 2 to 3 min. 
4. Enjoy with curd & mango pickle

Recipe and Image Courtesy:- Anita Nair

Prawn (Shrimp) Biryani recipe- a treat for sea food lovers

Ingredients 

1 cup Large Prawn

2 1/2 cup Basmati Rice

1 Large Onion Chopped

1 medium Tomato Chopped

5-6 Green Chili 

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

6-7 Curry Leaves

1” Cinnamon stick

5-6 Green Cardomans

6-7 Black/White Pepper corn

2 tbsp Coriander Leaves

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tbsp Red Chili Powder or as per taste

1/2 tbsp Coriander Powder

1/2 tbsp Garam Masala

1/2 tbsp Chicken Masala

Oil as required

Salt to Taste

Preparation

• Devien and clean the Prawns. Cook prawns in 1-2 cups of water with pinch of turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt & keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add garlic & ginger paste saute it. Add chopped onion saute till it becomes translucent.
• Add tomato, green chili, curry leaves saute for few min then add whole dry masala (cardoman, cinnamon,pepper corn) turmeric,chili powder, coriander powder & garam masala mix the above ingredients properly for few minutes till the masala is cooked and the oil startes leaving the masala. Fry in the cooked prawns.
• Add uncooked basmati rice ,salt to taste & water, pressure cook for 2 whistle.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves Serve hot & Enjoy

Recipe and image contributed by Anita Nair

Pakke Kela Ki Sabji - Recipe for Ripe Banana Main Course

Ingredients:

8-10 Banana 
2 Table spoon Oil
1 Tea spoon Mustard seeds (Rai dana)
1 Tea spoon cumin seeds (Zeera)
1 fennel seeds (Sauf) - 1/2 tea spoon
1/2 Tea spoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)zz
1 table spoon coriander powder (Dhaniya Powder)
2 Green chilli(chopped)
Salt as per taste
Pinch of Hing Powder(Asafoetida)
Coriander Leaves
1/2 tea spoon Garam Masala ( I prefer "Dave ka Divy Garam Masala" From Indore)

Preparation Method:

1. Cut the Banana in round pieces.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add Mustard seeds, Fumin seeds,Fennel seeds and chopped Green Chilli in it. Wait till it start tempering. 
3. Add turmeric powder, Coriander powder and Hing powder.
4. After few seconds, add chopped Banana pieces, salt as per your taste, Coriander Leaves and Garam Masala. 
5. Mix it well and take it off the flame.
6. Your Banana Ki sabji is ready. 

Recipe and Images contributed by Saurabh Jain

Malabari Chicken Recipe for richly spiced Kerala dry chicken dish from Malabar cusine

Ingredients: 

1 kilo Chicken 

For Marinating 

2-3 tbsp Red Chili Powder (or as per taste) 

1 tsp  Turmeric 

1 tbsp  Black/ White Pepper Powder (preferably freshly grounded roasted pepper powder) 

3 tbsp  Curd 

2 tbsp  Lemon Juice 

1 tbsp  Green Masala (3 Green chilies, 3 tbsp of chopped Coriander leaves, 1 tbsp of chopped Pudina leaves(mint) ) 

1/2 tbsp  Ginger Garlic Paste 

1 tbsp  Freshly Roasted and Grounded Chicken Masala (10-12 Black/ White Pepper, 2 tsp Coriander Seeds, 1 small stick Cinnamon Stick, Cardamom (Elachi both 3-4 green and 2 black), 1 tsp Cloves) 

For  Gravy

1 tbsp Green Masala, 

1 Big Onion finely sliced 

1 tbsp Small pieces of Fresh coconut 

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste 

2 tbsp Oil 

Preparation 

1. Clean the chicken and marinate using all above, refrigerate for at least an hour and little more.  
2. Take a non stick pan, add oil, and fry sliced onion, till it turn golden brown. Remove Onions on a paper napkin  to soak excess oil. Add small coconut pieces and fry till it turns golden brown.  
3. Add fried onions (after reserving some for garnishing) to the pan along with green masala, ginger garlic paste and grounded chicken masala to the onion and sauté the masala  
4. Add the marinated chicken to the pan, mix well to coat the masala over the chicken. Cover and cook till chicken becomes tender. Fry the masala till the gravy becomes dry. 
5. Garnish with coriander leaves and fried onions with Steamed rice and Papadums. 

Note: In case it become too spicy, add curd to moderate the spice 

Recipe and Image contributed by Sangeeta Iyer

Vegetarian Tacos - Recipe for Making Tacos without Oil

Ingredients:

1/4 cup maize flour(makai ka atta)
4 teaspoons of maida
Small pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

For the filling

2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup green peas
6-7 French beans
1 medium carrot cut into four pieces
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
Salt to taste
1 large onion finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon red chilli paste
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients for tacos, add sufficient water and knead into a soft dough. Keep it covered with a damp cloth for about fifteen minutes.
2. Divide the dough into sixteen equal portions and roll into thin puris. Prick the puris with fork.
3. Heat a non stick tawa. Dry roast the puris on both sides. Fold a rolling pin while still hot into a half moon shape. Set aside to cool.
4. Boil potatoes, peas,French beans and carrot in sufficient water with turmeric and salt till done. When cooked , drain, mash and set aside to cool.
5. Heat a nonstick pan. Roast onion for two mins. Add garlic and roast for a min.
6. Add red chilli paste,salt and tomato ketchup. Cook for two mins.
7. Add mashed vegetables and cook for another five mins. Take off the heat and cool it.
8. To serve, stuff the taco rolls with the prepared filling and serve immediately.

Recipe contributed by Hemangi Gupta

Peru (Guava) Ka Bharta - Fruit Based Indian Main Course Recipe

Here's a delicious Recipe for a main course using Guava (Peru/ Amarood/ Jaam). The dish is traditionally made in some parts of Madhya Pradesh and is known as "Jaam Ka Bharit". The recipe is so named as Guava is called by the name "Jaam" in these regions.

Ingredients:

4 large size Guava Appx. 500-600 grams
1 large size chopped Tomato Appx. 100 grams
100 grams Boiled Peas
4 Table spoon Oil
8-10 Methi(Fenugreek) seeds
2 Tea spoon Mustard seeds (Rai dana)
2 Tea spoon cumin seeds (Zeera)
1 Tea spoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 Table spoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya Powder)
2 Green chilli(chopped)
Red chilli powder as per taste
Salt as per taste
Pinch of Hing Powder(Asafoetida)
Coriander Leaves

Preparation:

1. Roast Guava on the flame from all sides till its outer skin become black (outer skin burnt properly).
2. Peel off the burnt skin and cut the Guava in two pieces. 
3. Remove all seeds and cut the Guava pieces to small pieces.
4. Heat oil in the pan and add Methi seeds, Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds and chopped Green Chillis in it. Wait till it starts tempering. 
5. Add Turmeric powder, chopped Tomato, Hing, Coriander powder and Red Chilli powder in it. Stir the mix and wait till tomato is cooked properly.
6. Add the chopped Guava, Peas and Salt. Mix them well. Leave it on flame for 1 minute. The dish is ready.
7. Add some chopped Coriander leaves and serve.

Recipe and Images contributed by Nidhi Jain.

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani - Nawabi Cuisine Recipe

Ingredients:

1kg Rice   

1.5 kg Mutton  

1/2kg Curd  

3 big Onion  

4 Lemon  

4 Tbsp Red Chili Powder  

Salt

4 tbsp Turmeric  

1 Tbsp powdered Biryani Garam masala  (1 tsp Shajeera, 8 Cloves, 1” Cinnamon Stick, 4 Elachi / Cardamom, 12-15 Black Pepper Corns )

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste

2 tbsp  Green Masala (4-5 Green Chillies, 3 tbsp Coriander Leaves finely chopped, 2 tsp  Mint(Pudina) leaves finely chopped)

5 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp Ghee

Preparation:

1. Roast and grind all garam masala ingredients.
2. Grind green chillies, coriander leaves and pudina leaves to Green masala
3. Wash mutton. add Turmeric, Salt, Red Chilli Powder, Ginger Garlic Paste, Curd and hara masala. 1 lemon juice, Keep aside for marination for 1 hour. 
4. Slice onions, fry in mixture of ghee and oil till golden brown(caramelized). Drain oil and keep aside. Crush after they cool down. 
5. Take half of this oil and add the marinated mixture. Cook till well done. 
6. Add garam masala, remaining lemon juice, and half of the crushed onion. 
7. Add water to a deep bottom vessel, add Salt, Garam masala and Hara masala to water. When water boils add the rice. Stir it time to time, ensuring the rice doesn't form a lump. 
8. After rice is almost cooked, drain and layer rice and mutton mixture in a vessel. Put for final steaming Leave for sometime, don't start eating immediately . 
9. Garnish with remaining crushed onions, coriander and ginger juliennes

Note: For Chicken Biryani, follow the same procedure.

Recipe contributed by Sana Muzaffar

Ringna No Oro - Recipe for Gujarati Main Course

Ingredients

1 Large Purple Brinjal (Eggplant or Bharta wala Baingan)
2 pinches Hing / Asafoetida 
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Jeera Powder/Cumin Powder (preferably Roasted Jeera Powder)
1 tbsp Oil
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves for garnish

Preparation:

1. Grease the Brinjal skin with oil, using knife just make little slits on its skin and roast it on flame from all sides till you see its skin easily getting separated from the inner part. Roast it whole until too tender . 
2. Let it cool for a while, remove all the roasted (charred) skin from it, cut the inner portion into small pieces
3. Heat a pan, add oil to it. Turn the flame low, add Hing, Red Chili powder, Turmeric, Coriander powder and Jeera powder. Put the cut Brinjal pieces, and mix thoroughly. Add (only if required) Salt, chili powder and Turmeric. 
4. Cook for 5 minutes in low flame.
5. Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve with Bajra Roti.

Recipe and Images contributed by Sudha Davda