Vegetable Burger

 

Ingredients:
Burger buns - 4
Lettuce - 2 leaves
Onion rings - 5-6
Tomato slices - 4-5
Shredded cheese - 2 tbsp
Mayo - 2 tbsp

Preparation of Patties:
Potato - 1
French beans - small bunch
Capsicum - half
Carrot (small) - 1
Green peas - hand full
Sweet corn - hand full
Onion - 1
Green chillies - 4-5
Garam masala - 1/2 tbsp
Ground Black pepper - 1/4 tbsp
Salt - as per taste 
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and boil all vegetables (potato, capsicum, french beans, carrot, green peas and sweet corn).
2. Finely chop boiled vegetables, onion, green chillies and add garam masala, black pepper, salt, coriander leaves and mix well.
3. Press the mixture to form required size patties. 
4. Heat oil on a flat pan and place all the patties one beside the other.
5. Roast them until they turn to golden brown. Gently turn to other side and continue roasting.
6. Now take one half of burger bun, place a leaf of lettuce followed by prepared vegetable patty.
7. Apply some mayo and sprinkle some shredded cheese.
8. Add onion rings, tomato rings on cheese and cover it with other half of burger bun.

Beerakaya Koora (Ridge gourd cooked in milk)

Ingredients:
Ridge gourd (large) - 1
Onions (large) - 2
Green chillies - 4
Garlic pods - 4
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric - pinch
Salt - as per taste
Milk - 1/3 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and peel the outer layer of ridge gourd and chop in to half inch pieces and set aside.
2. Now wash, chop green chillies and onions finely.
3. Take a pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds, crushed garlic pods, chopped green chillies, onions and saute until they are tender.
4. Add chopped ridge gourd pieces and cook with closed lid. Naturally ridge gourd has water, so extra water need not be added for cooking.
5. Sprinkle turmeric and continue cooking until ridge gourd pieces turn soft. 
6. Finally add milk little by little with gentle stirring at low flame until the milk is completely incorporated in to the gravy.
7. Adjust salt and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Cauliflower florets - 1/4 cup
Chopped carrots - 1/4 cup
Chopped Capsicum - 1/4 cup
Chopped Potato - 1/4 cup
Chopped beans - 1/4 c

Green peas -  hand full

Onion (large) - 1

Green chillies - 2

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 1/4 inch

Anise - small piece

Bay leaf - one

Ginger - half inch

Garlic pod - one

Red chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/4tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Water - 2 cups

Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cashews - 12

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean, chop onion length wise and set aside.
2. Grind ginger, garlic, cinnamon, anise, cloves together to form a fine paste.
3. Take a pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, green chillies and fry them.
4. Add finely chopped onions, chopped fresh vegetables, turmeric and saute for 1 min (do not wait until they turn tender).
5. Add prepared masala paste and fry it until the raw smell is disappeared.
6. Add red chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala and mix well (sprinkle some water if required).
7. Drop the green peas in to pan and fry them along with mixed vegetables for one minute.
8. Now transfer the contents in to electric cooker, add washed rice, ghee (makes rice non-sticky), required water and adjust the salt.
9. Once the rice is cooked, mix well with fork (so that the rice will not be crumbled) and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and roasted cashews. Serve hot with raita.

TIP: Alternately you can prepare this biryani by cooking vegetable gravy separately and mix with boiled rice.

Dibba Rotti

Ingredients:
Urad dal - 1 cup
Idli rava - 2 cups
Fenugreek seeds(Menthulu) - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and soak urad dal at least 4-5 hours along with fenugreek seeds.
2. Similarly soak idli rava seperately in another vessel.
3. Grind soaked urad dal, fenugreek seeds with little water to make a thick batter. Do not make the batter runny.
4. Now squeeze all the excess water from rava with your palms and add to the batter.
5. Mix well so that all the rava combines with batter. Adjust the salt and set the batter for at least 6 hours (preferably over night) to ferment.
6. Now the fermented batter is ready to prepare dibba rotti.
7. Take a wide, thick kadai and heat oil.
8. Now add a large amount of batter in between the kadai, and spread gently around using your fingers.
9. Roast the roti in low to medium flame only. Continue cooking with closed lid until golden red color is attained.
10. Now turn the roti to other side and continue cooking until the desired color is attained.

TIP: You can make dibba rotti still more yummy by adding, chopped onions, coriander leaves and cumin seeds. 

Vankaya Tomato Pachadi (Eggplant Chutney with Tomato)

Ingredients:

Brinjals/Eggplants - 250gm

Tomato (large) - 1

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic pods - 3

Green chillies - 6

Tamarind pulp - 1-2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Coriander leaves - 2tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and chop brinjals, tomato, green chillies, ginger in to large chunks and set aside.
2. Now take a pan, heat oil and add green chillies, ginger, garlic pods and fry them. Let them cool and grind in to fine paste.
3. Add brinjal and tomato chunks in the same pan with oil. Cook them under medium flame until they turn soft.
4. Once they are cooked, cool them for sometime and peel of the outer layer of brinjals. Mash the brinjal and tomato chunks with your hand by adding salt and tamarind pulp.
5. Now add ground green chilly paste and  mix well.
6. Finally season the chutney with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Bendakaya Koora (Bhindi Masala)

Ingredients:

Bendakayalu (Okra) - 250 gm

Capsicum pieces - 1/3 cup

Tomato pieces - 1/3 cup

Onion (large) - 1

Green chillies - 4

Tomato puree - 1/2 cup

Onion paste - 1/3 cup

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil - 5-6 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and chop okra in to one inch pieces. Similarly clean and chop capsicum, onion, tomato, green chillies and set aside.
2. Now take a pan, heat oil, add chopped okra and cook until they start changing color. Collect okra chunks in to a plate and set aside.
3. In the same pan, heat oil, add chopped onion and capsicum. Cook them for few minutes (Do not overcook). Collect them in to another bowl.
4. Now heat oil, add chopped green chillies, ginger garlic paste, onion paste in to same pan and fry them until the raw smell is disappeared.
5. Add tomato puree and continue cooking. Sprinkle some coriander powder, garam masala and cook until the oil starts oozing out. Collect the masala mixture in to a bowl and keep aside.
6. Again heat oil in the pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add fried okra, capsicum, onion, tomato pieces and little water. 
7. Cook them for few minutes. Once the okra start turning soft, add prepared masala mixture and mix well. Adjust salt and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or roti.

TIP: Fry okra uncovered. Covering with lid may turn okra sticky which alters the taste of the dish.

Palli Pakodi (Masala Peanut Pakoda)

Ingredients:

Pallilu (Peanuts) - 1 cup

Rice flour - 3-4 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Salt - as per taste

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Take a kadai, add oil and heat it.
2. Meanwhile take a mixing bowl, add peanuts, rice flour, ginger garlic paste, red chilly powder, chopped curry leaves, salt and sprinkle little water.
3. Mix all the ingredients with your fingers, so that all the peanuts are evenly coated with masala batter.
4. Now drop the coated peanuts slowly in to oil as small lumps. The entire process of frying should be done in medium flame only.
5. Once the pakoda turn to golden brown, drain them in to a plate with tissue paper.
6. Let them cool for few minutes and store in a clean, air tight container.

TIP: Do not add too much water and make the batter runny. Just sprinkle little water. The peanuts should be coated with batter but not to be floated in batter.

Punugulu (Bondas)

Ingredients:

Urad dal - 1 cup

Onion (large) - 1

Green chillies - 4-5

Ginger - 1 inch

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Coriander leaves - 3-4 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Soak urad dal at least 4-5 hours and grind in to smooth batter. Do not add too much water while grinding, the batter should be tight enough as similar to the batter used for preparing garelu.  
2. Wash, clean and finely chop onion, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves and set aside.
3. Add all the finely chopped ingredients, cumin seeds, salt and mix well.
4. Take a kadai, add oil and heat it. When the oil is sufficiently hot, drop the batter as small bondas in to oil.
5. Do not overcrowd the vessel, add as batches and cook them in medium flame only. If cooked under high flame, they immediately change their color externally but remains uncooked inside.
6. Once they are done, drain them and serve hot with your favorite chutney.

TIP: The bondas prepared in this method will be too soft and just melt in your mouth. If you want to prepare crispy bondas you can add 2-3 tbsp of rice flour to the batter.

Dosa Avakaya (Yellow Cucumber Pickle)

Ingredients:
Cucumber cubes - 3 cups
Mustard seeds powder (Aavapindi) - 1/3 cup
Red chilly powder - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/3 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1-2 tbsp
Garlic pods - 8
Oil - 1/2 cup

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean, dry and chop cucumber in to half inch pieces and set aside.
2. Add mustard seeds powder, red chilly powder, fenugreek seeds, garlic pods and mix well.
3. Add oil and stir well, so that all the cucumber pieces are well coated with spice mixture.
4. Keep the pickle aside for whole night. Next day, take a clean dry spatula and stir well.
5. Store in a air tight container and refrigerate to retain freshness.

TIP: Adjust salt and spice level according to taste.

Gutti Vankaya Masala Koora (Masala Stuffed Brinjal Curry)

Ingredients:

Brinjals - 250 gm

Ground nuts - hand full

Sesame seeds - 3 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cloves - 4

Cinnamon - half - inch

Red chillies - 5

Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp

Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and cut the brinjals from the lower end in both sides to three-fourth of it and place them in plenty of water until used.
2. Take a small pan, add ground nuts, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, cloves, cinnamon and roast them under low flame without adding oil.
3. Once all the contents start changing their color, switch off the flame and cool them. Now grind all the ingredients together with salt, tamarind pulp and shredded coconut  (add little water if required to get a smooth paste).
4. Now stuff the prepared mixture in between the brinjals and set aside.
5. Take a kadai, heat oil and place all the stuffed brinjals one beside the other.
6. Saute all the stuffed brinjals in medium flame with occasional stirring. Do not apply pressure on brinjals, gently turn them in all directions.
7. Once the brinjals are almost cooked, add the leftover stuffing and sprinkle some water. Cook for few more minutes and serve hot.

Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

Gulab Jamun Packet - 200 gm

Milk - 1/2 - 3/4 cup

Sugar - 700 gm

Elachi powder - 1/2 tbsp

Water - 700 ml

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

Even-though Gulab Jamun is a simple recipe to prepare, most of the people fail to get smooth ones when they prepare at their home. Here is the easy recipe of soft and fluffy Gulab Jamun along with 4 important tips.

1. Open the pack and mix the contents with water or milk to get smooth dough. Here I used milk in place of water to get smooth dough. Set the dough aside for 15-20 minutes. Take a small portion of dough and rub gently in between your palms to get desired shape and size.
2. Now take a wide cooking vessel, add sugar, water and boil for few minutes until syrupy consistency is attained. Then keep the syrup warm by placing it under very low flame, add sprinkle elachi powder. Fry the prepared balls in oil under they turn to brown color. Be sure that all the balls are fried in low to medium flame only.
3. While frying the prepared balls, do not overcrowd the kadai, add only 7-8 balls at a time. Because after frying in oil the balls will increase in size, so they should have sufficient space to move in oil. Similarly do not touch the balls with ladle until they are completely fried. Just move the oil around the balls in order to turn them in all directions.
4. Once they are evenly fried, add them immediately in warm syrup. Then wait for few minutes, take off from the flame and wait for at least 2-3 hours until the jamuns completely absorb the syrup and turn juicy.