Thondekai Gojju/ Thindora/Ivy Gourd

What do u do when u buy thonde /ivy gourd which is ripe...? Throw them away...? So did I. But one day, when i was pregnant, a neighbor gave me gojju n asked me to guess what it is made of. I was surprised when she said it's made out of ripe thonde. Though she shared the recipe, n i was crazy not to have noted it down, i tried experimenting instead of asking her. Here is my version of the yummy Hannu Thonde Gojju....

Ingredients

8 ripe thonde
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
2tsp jaggery
1 small green chilli
1tsp rasam pwd
Salt to taste
Water for consistency

To be dry roasted
2tsp jeera
1tsp coriander seeds
1 pinch methi seeds
1tbsp channa dal
1 tsp urad dal
1tsp mustard
4 dry red chillies

Seasoning
1tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp jeera
1 dry red chilli
1/2 tsp mustard
5 to 6 curry leaves
2 pinch hing powder


How to make

Grind to paste thonde, green chilli, jaggery, tamarind, dry roasted spices, salt and rasam pwd with water for consistency.
Take coconut oil in a wok.
Add mustard, jeera, dry red chilli, curry leaves, hing. Let mustard splatter.
Add the paste, mix well and cook for 5 to 7 mins on low flame.
Add 1/2 cup water and bring to boil.
Turn off heat once u reach the required consistency.

Serve with hot rice, dosa or idli.

Capsicum Masala

What do u do when u have nothing at home but a few onions tomato n capsicum. ..? You try ur luck,  experiment and come up with an amazing dish. ...

Ingredients
Serves 4

2 large capsicum
2 onion
4 tomato
1 tsp ginger garlic paste OR 1/2 inch ginger n 8 cloves garlic
1 cup peanuts
2 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp black jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 inch cinnamon
2 cardamom
5 cloves
1 tbsp refined oil
Salt to taste
Chopped corriander to garnish


How to make
Take oil in a wok.
Add pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peanuts and Sauté for 2 minutes.
Add roughly chopped onion, gingery, garlic and Sauté until onion is transparent.
Add 1/2 capsicum roughly chopped.
Add tomato, turmeric powder,  salt and mix.
Cook until oil separates. Add jeera and black jeera. Mix and turn off heat.
Let it cool.  Grind to paste.

Take 1tsp oil.  Add diced capsicum. Mix and close lid. Cook on medium flame for 5 mins or until capsicum is cooked 75%.
Add the grinded paste, water for consistency and bring to boil.
Garnish with corriander.

Serve hot with roti.

Dill Leaves Rice

Everyone knows I am crazy about food. This is just a part of my craziness tasting good. I had nothing at home except dill leaves and i was craving for something with rice,,,,

Ingredients
Serves 3
2 cups Basmati rice soaked for half hour
4 cups water
2 cups chopped Dill Leaves
1/2 cup green peas soaked overnight
1 large onion chopped
8-9 cloves garlic chopped
1 tsp jeera
1 lemon juice
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp refined oil
1 tsp ghee
salt and red chilli powder to taste

How to make
Take oil and ghee in a cooker
Add jeera, garlic and onion. Saute until onion is transparent.
Add Dill leaves, saute for 3 minutes on low flame.
Add green peas, saute.
Add Turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and water.
Add rice.
Let water come to boil. Add lemon and close lid.
Turn off heat after 5 whistles.

Please note,
you can add tomato instead of lemon.

Serve hot with Raita.

Pindi Chole Biryani

This recipe is completely my own and I am not sure about the authenticity of the same.

Ingredients
Server 4
3 cups Basmathi rice soaked for half hour
1/2 cup peas soaked overnight
1 cup Channa soaked overnight
2 potatoes cut into fingers
2 onions roughly chopped
4 tomatoes finely chopped
1 large carrot
7-8 beans
2tsp ginger garlic paste
1 inch cinnamon
4 cardamom
6 clove
1 tsp jeera
2 bay leaf
2 large tsp chole masala
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp ghee
1 lemon
Salt to taste
2 cups kokam water
4 cups water

How to make
In a cooker, take Ghee
Add the garam masalas-Jeera cinamon cardamom cloves n bay leaf.
Add ginger Garlic paste and onion. Saute until onion is transparent.
Add tomato, salt and red chilli powder, Saute until oil separates.
Add all the vegetables, channa and Chole masala. Saute.
Add Kokam water. Bring to boil.
Add the rice and the remaining water.
Once the water comes to boil, add the lemon juice, close the lid.
Turn off hear after 4-5 whistles.

Serve hot with Raita...

Creamy Mushroom Parsley Mac

Ingredients
Serves 3

For macaroni
3 cups bambino macaroni
6 cups water
Salt to taste
1tsp oil

For sauce
7-8 mushrooms plus another 6-7
5 cloves garlic
5-6 whole cashew nuts
Handful parsley
100ml amul cream
1tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp Oregano
Water for consistency
Salt n pepper to taste

Preparing macaroni
Bring the water to boil.
Add salt
Add macaroni.
Cook until mac is 90% cooked.
Strain the excess water.
Add oil,  mix well.

For the sauce n bringing them together.
Take mushrooms,  cashews, garlic, parsley, and grind to paste.
Take oil in a wok.
Add the remaining mushrooms chopped as u desire.
Add salt and Sauté until mushrooms are cooked.
Add the mushroom parsley paste. Sauté for 5 mins on medium flame. Add salt,  pepper,  oregano n cream. Add water or milk for consistency.
Mix well. Turn off heat.
Add macaroni and keep aside closed for 5 mins before serving.
Serve hot with garlic bread.

Creamy Potato Pineapple Mac Salad

Ingredients
Serves 4
1 small pineapple
10 baby potatoes
2 large tomatoes
1 large capsicum
1 large carrot
2 cups macaroni
50ml cream
1 cup milk
2 heaped tsp corn flour
Pepper powder to taste
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2tbsp oil
Water
Salt to taste

How to make:
Boil the baby potatoes in cooker and skin them.
Deseed tomato and dice them.
Skin the pineapple and dice them.
Skin the carrots and dice them. Dice the capsicum. Fry them both in 1tsp oil.
Mix potato capsicum carrots tomato pineapple. Add salt. Keep aside.
Boil water, add salt and macaroni. Cook,  drain excess water and add to the above. Let it cool.

Take 1tbsp oil.
Add ginger garlic paste.
Fry for a minute or 2 on low flame.
Add milk n let it come to boil.
Add pepper,  salt,  mixed herbs.
Then add cornflour mixed in water. Let it boil until it thickens and the required consistency is arrived. Add thecream. Close and Let it cool.
Once room temperature,  mix with the macaroni.

Creamy Potato pineapple mac salad is ready to relish. ..