Mushroom matar masala

Ingredients:

Mushroom -250g
Peas/Matar - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Tomato - 2, pureed
Milk - 3/4 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves - 2
Star anise - 1
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon stick - 1 " piece
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste


Method:

1. Wash and clean the mushrooms. Cut it into pieces.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add  cumin seeds, cloves,star anise, cardamom and cinnamon.
3 When the cumin seeds splutter, add onion and saute till onions turn translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
4. Add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well and fry for a minute. Then add tomato puree and cook for about 4-5 minutes or till the oil separates.
5. Add the mushroom pieces and peas along with one cup of water.Cook for around 15 minutes in medium flame or till the mushroom is fully cooked.
6. Add garam masala and mix well.
7. Turn the heat to low and slowly add milk to this. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame.
8 Add kasuri methi and mix well.

Serve hot with chappathi or roti or pulao!

Methi matar

Ingredients:

Methi leaves - 1 cup , tightly packed
Green peas (frozen) - 2 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Cashew - 10
Onion - 1 , chopped
Green chilly - 4 - 5
Ginger - 1" piece
Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 2
Jeera -1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tsp

Method:

1. Separate the methi leaves from stem . Wash it and roughly chop it.
2.Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan. Add onion, green chilly, ginger, cashew, cardamom, and cloves. Fry till the onion becomes translucent.
3. Allow it to cool and grind it to a smooth paste.
4. Heat a tsp of oil in the pan and add jeera. When the jeera crackles, add the onion-cashew paste to it and cook it for 3-4 minutes.
5. Now add the methi leaves and green peas. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add salt, turmeric powder and garam masala. Mix well.
7. Add milk and cook in medium flames for 3-4 minutes.Lastly if you want you can add 1/4 cup of cream. I didn't have cream at that time, so I didn't add that. But it was still very yummy!

Moru kachiyathu

Ingredients

Beaten curd - 1 cup
Shallots - 5-6 , sliced
Green chilly - 2, chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp, chopped
Garlic - 1 tsp, chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste

To temper

Onion - 2 tsp
Dry red chilly - 2, broken into 2 pieces
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp


Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and red chilly. When the mustard seeds splutter and the fenugreek seeds had lightly browned , add the shallots, ginger and garlic. Fry for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.
2. Now add green chillies and curry leaves and fry for a minute. Turn the flames to low and add turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt. Saute for a minute .
3. Then add beaten curd and keep sauteing for a minute. Switch off the flame.

Serve hot with rice!

Eggless Nan Khatai

Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter - 1 stick ( 1/2 cup) at room temperature
Powdered Sugar or Confectioners sugar - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour -   1 cup
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/8 tsp
Chopped pistachios - 2-3 tbsp

Method:

1. Butter should be very soft. So keep it out of refrigerator for 3 -4 hr. Add small amounts of powdered sugar to butter and mix it until the mixture is soft and creamy.
2. Add the nutmeg powder and cardamom powder and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, little at a time. mix it well to form a soft dough.Keep it aside for 20-30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 300 F.
6. Knead dough again and make small balls of it. Place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper/wax paper.
7. Decorate it with pistachios and bake it on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes.Make sure the nan-khatais remain white.
8. Allow it to cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Coconut chutney

Ingredients:

Coconut - 1 cup
Green chilly - 1 medium
Roasted gram dal / Pottu kadalai -  1 tsp
Salt to taste

To temper
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Dry red chilly  - 1

Method:

1. Grind coconut, green chilly and roasted gram with required water to a smooth paste.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, and add mustard seeds and urad dal. When mustard seeds splutter , add red chilly and curry leaves.
3. Add this to the chutney along with required salt. Mix well.

Serve with dosa/idli.