Try This Recipe is now Paajaka.com

My dear friends,

I have launched a new website www.paajaka.com and transferred all the contents of http://trythisrecipe.blogspot.com to the new portal.

PAAJAKA in spoken sanskrit means 'A special Kitchen Utensil'. The utensils we use to cook becomes the special utensil of that recipe. There is one more reason I chose this name. Sri Madhwacharya was born in a hamlet near Udupi and the place is called 'Paajaka Kshetra'.

Thank you for all the support that you have been giving me. Henceforth, all new posts will be in www.paajaka.com. You can email me at mythreyee at paajaka dot com

Best wishes and warm regards from,

Mythreyee.

Navaratna Kurma

This is my version of the navaratna kurma with lots of nuts and fruits. This delicious dish is so filling and is a treat for any special occasion. Navaratna means nine gems and the nine gems in my recipe are carrot, peas, potato, cauliflower, onion, tomato, almonds, pineapple and paneer. I added tutty fruity to add an extra punch to this rich gravy. Here is how I prepared.

Ingredients:

2 cups Mixed Vegetables - Cooked (carrot, peas, potato, cauliflower)

1/2 cup Paneer Cubes - Fried (make thin slices out of the fried paneer cubes)

1/2 cup Pineapple Chunks

Tutty fruity - 2 tablespoons (optional)

1 tablespoon Ghee

1 tablespoon butter (room temperature)

2 tablespoons chopped Almonds or Cashews

Salt to taste

Dry Masala:

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

2 teaspoons Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus)

1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder

Wet Masala - 1

grind together:

1 large Onion

2 ripe blanced tomatoes

2 green chillis

Wet Masala - 2

grind together:

1/4 cup Shredded Coconut

1/2 cup Cream (or evaporated milk)

1/2 cup Milk

Method:

Heat Ghee in a kadai and roast the nuts. Keep it aside.

Add the Butter and fry the Wet Masala - 1 for 5 minutes. Keep stirring. Add the Dry Masala and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the Vegetables and Salt and mix well. After two to three minutes add the Paneer, Fruits and Nuts and the Wet Masala - 2. Let the gravy thicken. Turn off the heat and serve with Naan, Chapathis/Rotis or Parathas.

Note: Other ingredients that can be added to the gravy are apples, raisins and green beans.

Channa Masala

Here is the recipe for the spicy tasty Channa Masala from my mom's kitchen. My mom prepares the channa masala powder with very few ingredients. This Channa Masala goes well with Pooris, Chapathis and even Bread. Awesome authentic delicacy with just few ingredients. Here is how she prepares.

Ingredients:

2 Cups cooked Channa. (Either soak a cup of dry channa overnight and pressue cook it or buy the canned Channa)

1 Big Onion
6 to 7 Ripe Tomatoes
1 Cup cooked Potatoes
Red Chilli Powder
Salt
1 teaspoon Jaggery/brown sugar
Little Oil
Chopped Coriander leaves for garnish


Roast and grind the following:

3 teaspoons Dhania
2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds
1/2 inch Cinnamon
3 to 4 Cloves

Method:

Grind Onion and Tomatoes separately. Keep it aside. Grind little Potato with a tablespoon of cooked Channa and keep it aside.



Heat little oil in a kadai and fry the ground onion.



When it turns color, add the ground Tomatoes and a cup of Water. Fry for some more time. When its boiling, add the Red Chillies and Salt.



Add the ground Masala Powder and cook for 5 minutes or until the powder blends evenly with the gravy.

Add the cooked Potatoes and Channa. Add the ground Potato Channa. This enhances taste and gives good consistency to the gravy.

Add the Jaggery/Brown sugar. Stir and allow it to boil for a couple of minutes.

Garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve with Chapathi or Poori. Can be served with plain Bread too.

Mentha Palidhya - Spiced Buttermilk

Mentha Palidhya is a wonderful substitute for the usual Majjige Palidhya, and is a great dish for diet conscious people since there is no coconut in this recipe. (Mentha is Fenugreek and Palidhya is spiced buttermilk, a dish from Karnataka)

Ingredients:

3 cups Buttermilk (Not too diluted)

Oil for seasoning

1 teaspoon Mustard seeds

2 Red Chillis

1 vertically slit green chilli

1 teaspoon grated Ginger

1 teaspoon Toor Dal

Less than 1/4 teaspoon Mentha (Fenugreek seeds)

Turmeric Powder

Asafoetida Powder

Curry Leaves

Salt

Method:

Add Turmeric Powder and Salt to the Buttermilk and mix really well. Keep it aside.

Heat Oil in a kadai and spatter the mustard seeds, add Toor Dal, Chillis, Grated Ginger, Asafoetida powder, Mentha and Curry Leaves. Add the Buttermilk and give a stir. Wait until one boil and turn off the heat.

For best results, keep mentha palidhya closed, for aleast a couple of hours before serving.

If you think the buttermilk is too diluted, mix a tablespoon of gram flour to it. Make sure there are no lumps.

Serve with steaming rice.

HAPPY DIWALI

Wishing you all a wonderful, safe and a happy Diwali.