Aaloo Bahar

Aaloo bahar is a mild spicy and delicious recipe from North India.  It is very well go with Rotis,Parathas,Nan and Piping hot plain Rice.

Banana Toffee

Banana Toffee is a wonderful desert from China. Once I tasted this recipe in HongKong. Very simple and classic recipe's  source is from Arushi Mahajan's cook book.

Ingredients:

Ripe Bananas                   4
Refined Flour (Maida)      1/2 cup
Baking Powder                 1/2 tea spoon
Vegetable Oil                   2 tea spoons
Powdered Sugar              1 Table spoon
Lemon                             1  full  lemon of juice
Honey                             2 tea spoons
Milk                                1/2 cup(approx.)
Vegetable oil                   For frying
Normal Sugar                 1 cup


Method:

1. Peel and cut the Bananas into 2 pieces long or in rounds and crosswise to get 4 pieces from each Banana.
2. Sprinkle the lemon juice and 1 table spoon sugar on Banana pieces.
3. Make a batter with the Refined Flour,Vegetable oil,Milk,Honey and Baking Powder.(Batter should not be too thin in consistency.
4. Mix the Flour Batter  well till smooth
5. Heat the oil in a Pan in a medium heat. 
6. Dip the each Banana slices in the Batter  and fry till golden brown.Take it out in oil absorbent paper and keep it aside to become cool.
7. Heat Sugar in a pan till it caramelises, making sure it does not burnt. Coat the fried Bananas with sugar syrup.
8. Then place the Banana pieces on the bowl full of ice till the sugar crystalises. Remove them from the ice bowl and keep it aside.
9. Serve warm with Vanilla ice cream.

                        

Palak Keerai Kootu - Spinach and Yellow Lentil Gravy Dal

Palak Keerai Kootu - Healthy Spinach Lentil Gravy Dal

Ingredients:

1. Spinach                                    1 bunch(chop finely)
2. Yellow Lentil or Moong Dal     1 small cup
3. Water                                      2 +1 small cups
4. Salt                                          according to taste

For Dry Spices:

1. Black gram                        1 table spoon
2. Cumin seeds                      1 tea spoon
3. Whole Red chilli                1 
4. Coconut (grated)               1 table spoon

For Seasoning:

1. Vegetable oil                     1 table spoon
2. Whole Red chilli                1(split in to half)
3. Mustard Seeds                  1 table spoon
4. Cumin seeds                      1 tea spoon
5. Asafoteda                          1/2 tea spoon
6. Turmeric powder               1 tea spoon
7. Curry leaves                      3 to 4

Method:

1. Wash Yellow Lentil in fresh water.
2. Take washed Lentils and chopped Spinach and 2 cups of water  in a Pressure cooker and cook (on stove top on a medium heat   up to 2  whistles,switch off the flame and wait to become cool. 
3. Heat Pan in a medium heat add Black gram fry for few min. then add Red chilli,cumin seeds and fry for 1 min.till cumin seeds to blow and off the flame add grated coconut and mix well and wait to become cool.
4. Now take cool spice mix in a  small mixer grinder jar and little amount of water grind it like smooth paste.
5. Now open the Pressure cooker lid and  mash the Cooked Lentils and Spinach and cook for 2 min. in a high flame( If Dal is too thick add little amount of water) and add Salt mix well  and then add spice mix and cook for few min. and off the flame. Now take out in a serving bowl.
6. Heat Oil in a Pan in a medium heat add Asafoteda,Mustard seeds fry for few min and add Cumin seeds fry  tlll seeds to splutter and add Red chilli pieces  fry for few min.then add Curry leaves and Turmeric powder  off the flame and add this seasoning to cooked Dal.
7. Serve Palak Keerai Kootu with Plain Rice or Sambar and  Rice or Roti or Chapathi ( Indian Breads)