Indian-ish Pasta!

I have an issue with buying pasta sauces. I need half a bottle, the other half stays in the fridge and I forget about it! The next time I pull it out, it is all mouldy and gone. I would go out and get another one and the story repeats itself! This time I had no sauce at hand and it was too cold to go out and get it. So here goes:

Pasta : 1 Cup (preferably, penne or fusili)
Onions: 2 medium sliced
Garlic: 3-4 pods, crushed and chopped
Jeera: 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil: 2-3 tbsp
Carrot, shredded: 1 (check recipe for a tip)
Capsicum: shredded: 1/2
Tomato: 1 large
Tomato Puree: 1-1.5 tsp
Jeera powder: 1tsp
Corriander powder: 1tsp
Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp (fix it to your desired spice level)
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Corriander leaves: To garnish
Chilli, Tomato pesto: 1 tbsp (OPTIONAL)

- Boil the pasta, drain and keep it aside.
-To shred the carrot, peel them. Put the carrot down on a chopping board and continue peeling into strips. Don't worry about uniform size. Finally, put the strips together and shred as thin as you can. Takes no more than 2 minutes.
-Heat oil, crackle jeera, add garlic and onions and saute until brown.
-Now add the veggies and masala until the carrots are soft and tender. About 3-4 minutes.
- Add the sliced tomato and cook until soft.
-Now mix in the puree and cook for a minute or so.
-Adjust salt and add the pasta and stir well to combine and garnish with corriander.
-I prefer adding the Chilli, tomato pesto because it adds a nutty flavour and makes it richer!

Dry Fruits Laddu

This is a diet-friendly and diabetic-friendly laddo. Thanks to Jayashree Iyer for this awesome recipe!!!

Yield: about 8 laddoos.

INGREDIENTS

Ghee: 1/4 tsp
Dates: 12-14, cleaned, de-seeded and chopped.
Mixed nuts and raisins (unsalted) : a small handful.
   I used Cashew, Walnuts, Pista and Raisins.  You can also add dried figs, if you can get hold of some.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan, add the ghee and then the dates.
Keep Stirring and cook until it is mushy and coming together.
Now, add the mixed nuts and raisins and combine well.
Stir for a minute or so.
Now, remove to a bowl, allow to cool and make it into balls.
For Flavouring: you can add cardamom powder. Since I don't like it, I added Saffron and it tastes lovely! 

Pacha Pulisheri/ MorKuzhambu

This is probably the easiest thing to make if you have the ingredients at home!

Grated Coconut: 1 cup

Green Chillies (Bird's eye) : 4-5 depending on the desired spice level

Raw Rice: 1 teaspoon or Raw Rice Flour: 1 tsp

Curry Leaves: 1 sprig

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Grind the above into a very fine paste and place it in a bowl. 

Yogurt: 1-1.5 cups. (the sourer the better) 

Beat the yogurt in a blender and mix with the paste. 

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Heat a pan with some ghee and add mustard, fenugreek seeds, broken red chilli and curry leaves.

Once that splutters, pour the ground paste+yogurt and mix. 

Take the pan off the stove when the mixture begins to froth. 

Add salt to a bowl and pour this cooked mixture into that and mix well. 

Serve with rice/Idlis/Dosa.

Chundal

It is navratri time and this is the most favoured dishes of all! And it is a breeze to make as a snack as well!

Canned Chickpeas/ Blackeyed peas/Rajma: 1 can, drained.
Oil: 1 tsp
Mustard 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal 1/2 tsp
Chana Dal 1/2 tsp
Dried Red Chilli 1, broken into pieces
Curry Leaf : a sprig
Hing : a generous pinch
Salt : to taste
Coconut (optional) : 1 tablespoon

Heat Oil, and add the mustard, dals, red chilli, Curry leaves and hing.

When the mustard splutters, add the chickpeas and saute for a minute.

Finish with salt and coconut.

Masala to accompany Puris/Masala Dosa/Rotis

This is possibly the simplest curry that can ever be made!!

Potatoes: Cooked, 3 large, Crushed roughly. Make sure it has bite sized bits.

Onion: 1 large, Sliced. (Red Onion.)

Green Chillies: 3-4 Sliced (birds eye)

Ginger: 1 inch piece, chopped

Curry Leaves: a sprig

Mustard, Urad Dal, Red chilli: To temper

Turmeric: a pinch

Heat oil in a kadai, add the tempering ingredients and curry leaves.

When it splutters, add the green chilli, ginger and stir for a minute.

Now add the sliced Onion and salt and mix until the onions are cooked.

Add the turmeric, mix well and then add the potatoes. Mix well.

Now, add about a cup of water and adjust the consistency.

I make it a little thin for puris and rotis and of course, for Dosai it is thick.

Garnish with corriander leaves and enjoy!

The best Rajma Recipe

This guy is just awesome! Check out his Chole and paratha recipes!

Aloo Capsicum

Potato: 3 medium to big ones, cubed.
Capsicum: 1 large Cut into bigger chunks
Corriander Seeds: 2 tablespoon
Jeera: 1 tsp
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
Kasuri Methi: a pinch (optional)
Ginger: 1 inch piece chopped
Salt: to taste
Oil: 1 tsp

-Cut the veggies and keep them ready.
-Heat the oil, add the whole corriander seeds and jeera and let it splutter well.
-Now, add the potato, mix in the red chilli and turmeric and salt.
-Mix for a minute, pour a cup of water and cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
-When they are half done, add the ginger, capsicum and mix well.
-Stir in between. Add kasuri methi now and mix well.