Masoori Dal Tadka

I used the recipe from:

http://www.padhuskitchen.com/2011/08/masoor-dal-masoor-dal-tadka-recipe.html

and for the most part stuck with the recipe and the results were good.

Vegetable Biryani - Non Dum Variety

Technique:

o Cook the dish in a wide vessel
o Cook vegetables and gravy separately and rice with yogurt and stock separately and combine them
o After combining cook it in low heat or 375 deg oven for 30 mins

Veggies:
o 1 potato
o 1 cup beans
o 1 head cauliflower
o 1 cup peas
o 2 carrots cubed
Steam or boil them and set aside

Rice:
2 cups rice 4 cups liquid (stock or water 2 cups and yogurt 2 cups)
o Fry some onions in butter, add garam masala, gramb for spicing
o add herbs (mint, cilantro)
o Add rice fry and 5 mins later, add liquids, cover and cook in med heat for about 15 mins occasionally checking so the rice is not burnt

Masala: Grind well to a paste
o 2-3 tbsp coconut
o 6-8 green chilies
o 1 garlic, 1 inch ginger
o 1/4 cup mint, cilantro optionally
o 1 tsp soonf, 3 gramb, 1 inch cinnamon
o 4-5 elakkai
o 6 cashews 4 almonds

o Heat 1 tbsp butter, 1/2 onion and masala
o later add veggies
o later add cooked rice and finally cook in low heat for 15 mins or in oven

Kadi

Kadi is a very simple dish to make and a great accompaniment for Rice or flatbreads such as Roti,Chapati or Naan. 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp besan
• 2 cups of kefir / butter milk / 1 cup yogurt + 1 cup water beaten together
• 1 inch ginger and 2 green chilies ground to a paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (optional)
• Tempering:
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp mustard seeds; Hing; 4 curry leaves

1. Beat Besan with kefir/butter milk, etc. using a whisk/fork. This mixes the ingredients as well as adds air to make the dish fluffy 
2. Add the paste, turmeric, curry leaves, sugar and salt and boil it in low heat
3. Heat oil for tempering and add mustard seeds; Once it crackles, add cumin seeds, hing and finally curry leaves; You can add optionally 1 red chilly for extra heat.
4. Take the dish off the heat and serve garnished with coriander

Green Pea Soup

Pea Soup

I got this recipe from nytimes. This is simple to make and is very flavorful. I use 1 packet of TJ's fresh green peas.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2rn cup finely sliced shallots (about 3)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1 pound shelled fresh sweet peas (or 1 packet of TJs fresh green peas)
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon. You can also use Tarragon powder 1 tsp.
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• Pinch pepper
• 1/4 cup half and half or light cream

Method

• 1. Heat olive oil in soup pot. Add shallots and garlic and cook over med. Heat until shallots are just wilted. Add 3 1/2 cups water, bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer for 1/2 hour.
• 2. Add peas, tarragon, salt and pepper and bring back to boil. Turn down heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.  Puree with hand blender. It is quicker and you don't even need to strain.
• 3. Stir in cream (optional). Can be reheated and served hot or chilled and served cold.

Eggplant Parm from Gabriele Corcos

I watched them preparing this dish in the cooking channel. Seems like a simple and flavorful recipe. We need to try it.

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/debi-mazar-and-gabriele-corcos/melanzane-alla-parmigiana-eggplant-parmigiana.html

Jeera Pulao

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1 finely chopped (optional)
Butter - 2 tsp + 1 tsp oil (you can substitute butter with ghee also)
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Spices
Cloves -2
Cinnamon -1 inch piece
Bay leaf-1
Star anise - 1 (optional)

• Soak rice in water for 10-20 mins; Drain and wash away the starch
• Add Ghee or Butter to a wide covered pan; 
• Once it is heated add Jeera and then when the seeds pop add spices;
• Add onion and sauté in high heat and caramelize the onions
• Add rice and sauté for 5 mins
• Add water (1:2) and cover with a lid
• Check on the rice after 10-15 mins; Take off the heat when the rice gets to be tender

Super easy to make and very tasty and flavorful

Add stock if you want to. You could also add Peas to the pulao before finishing

Aloo Mutter - Potatoes and Peas

• 2 tbsps vegetable/sunflower/canola oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 green chillies slit
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste (Optional)
• 2 large tomatoes diced
• 1 tbsp coriander power
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp dry mango powder
• 5-6 large potatoes peeled cut into 8-10 pieces each
• 1 cup shelled peas (you can use frozen peas as well)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsps of finely chopped coriander to garnish

Directions:

1. Pour oil into a pan; Add cumin seeds, chilies and once the seeds pop add  onion and sauté
2. Add Giner paste, garlic; After 5 minutes add the potatoes
3. Add powders to the potatoes and sauté in high heat for 10 mins
4. add 1/2 cup of water and cover
5. After 15 mins add peas and then tomatoes
6. Add salt and finally coriander for garnish

This is super easy to make and can be had with flatbread, rice or pulao