Homely Platter

  INGREDIENTS: Par-Boiled Rice 1/4 cup Split Chickpeas (Chana Dal) 1/4 cup Pigeon Peas ((Toor Dal) 1/4 cup Split Moong Dal with skin 1/4 cup Whole Green Moong 1/2 cup Split Black Gram Lentils (Urad Dal) 2 tbsp Yellow Moong Dal 2 tbsp Red Chilis 3-4 Cumin Seeds 1 tsp Curry Leaves  Ginger 1-inch Hing 1/4 tsp Salt to taste Oil for cooking Water as required METHOD: Serving Size: 4-5 Wash the dals and rice well. Soak them for 3-4 hours or overnight.  Drain and grind them with red chilis, ginger, cumin seeds, curry leaves, hing and salt. Add a little water and make a slightly coarse, thick batter. Heat a griddle and pour a ladleful of batter onto it. Spread gently into a medium-thick round adai. Drizzle a little oil around the edges. Cook on medium flame until golden, then flip and cook the other side. Serve hot with sambar, coconut chutney, or tomato chutney.

  INGREDIENTS: Shrimp 250 grams, peeled and deveined Cauliflower Florets 3 cups Onion 1 finely chopped Ginger Paste 1 tsp Garlic 5-6 Cloves minced Green Chili 1-2 finely chopped Salt and Black Pepper to taste Cayenne Pepper 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp Carrots, 1/2 cup diced Green Peas 1/4 cup Coriander Leaves, chopped 1 tbsp Lemon Juice 1 tbsp Oil 2 tbsp METHOD Serving Size: 3-4 Pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor until they resemble rice grains. Alternatively, grate them using a box grater. Toss the shrimps with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, salt and 1 tbsp of oil until evenly coated. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until they turn pink and opaque with a smoky char. Squeeze lime juice over them, remove and set aside. In the same skillet, add the remaining oil and sauté the chopped onions, green chilis and minced garlic for about 2 min...

INGREDIENTS: Eggs 3 Drumstick Blossoms 1 cup Mushrooms 1 cup sliced Onion 1 finely chopped Green Chilis 1-2 finely chopped Black Pepper Powder 1/2 tsp Salt to taste Oil 2 tbsp Milk 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander leaves for garnish METHOD: Serving Size: 1-2 Remove the stamens and the tough parts from the blossoms. Wash and blanch in hot water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and squeeze lightly. Heat oil in a pan and saute the mushrooms until they release moisture and turn lightly golden. Remove and keep aside. In a bowl, whisk eggs with salt, black pepper and milk. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and saute the green chilis and onions until translucent. Lower the heat and pour the whisked eggs. Let the eggs sit undisturbed for about 20 seconds until a thin layer begins to set at the bottom of the pan. Using a spatula, gently sweep the eggs from the outer edges toward the center creating large, soft, velvety folds. Once the soft, creamy curds begin to form, fold in the mushrooms and prepared drumstick blo...

  INGREDIENTS: Spinach 3 cups washed and finely chopped Paneer 200 grams Onion 2 medium, thinly sliced Ginger 1-inch grated Garlic Cloves 6-7 minced Tomato 1 large, finely chopped Red Chili Powder 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder 1 tsp Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp Salt to taste Oil 1 tbsp METHOD; Serving Size: 2-3 Blend the paneer into a smooth, velvety paste. Add 2-3 tbsp of milk while blending. Heat the oil in a pan, add the finely chopped onions, and sauté until translucent.  Stir in the ginger and garlic, and saute until aromatic. Add the chopped tomatoes along with salt, red chili powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Cook until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.  Add the chopped spinach leaves.  Mix well and cook on medium heat until the spinach wilts and becomes tender.  Do not cover the pan at this stage, as it helps retain the spinach’s vibrant green color. Once the spinach is almost cooked, pour in the paneer puree. Mix gently until well combined. Simmer on ...

  INGREDIENTS: Pabda Fish 4-6 pieces Yoghurt 1 cup Black Mustard Seeds 1 tsp Yellow Mustard Seeds 2 tsp Onion 1 medium, thinly sliced Ginger Paste 1 tsp Green Chilis 2-3 Turmeric 1/2 tsp Salt to taste Sugar 1/4 tsp Mustard Oil 2 tbsp Water as needed Coriander Leaves  METHOD: Serving size: 4-5 Wash the fish and rub them with salt and turmeric. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes. Soak the black and yellow mustard seeds in warm water for 10 minutes. Grind them with one green chili and salt (this prevents the mustard from turning bitter) into a smooth paste using a splash of water. Whisk the yoghurt with the mustard paste, ginger paste, a pinch of turmeric powder, and salt until smooth and lump-free.  Pan-sear the fish on medium heat until light golden on both sides. Remove and set aside.  Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the onion slices and green chilis. Sauté until the raw aroma of the onion dissipates and turns translucent. Lower the heat and pour in the yogh...

  INGREDIENTS: Pigeon Peas (Toor Dal) 2 tbsp Split Chickpeas (Chana Dal) 2 tbsp Yellow Split Gram (Moong Dal) 2 tbsp Whole Green Gram (Hari Moong Dal) 2 tbsp Split Black Gram (Urad Dal) 2tbsp Whole Black Gram (Sabut Urad Dal) 2 tbsp Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) 2 tbsp Whole Brown Lentils (Sabut Masoor Dal) 2 tbsp Kidney Beans (Rajma) 2 tbsp Cauliflower Florets 1/2 cup Green Peas 1/4 cup Carrot cut into small cubes 1/4 cup Paneer, grated 1/2 cup Onion 1 medium, thinly sliced Tomato 1 medium, chopped Ginger 1-inch grated Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp Cumin powder 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp Bay Leaf 1 Salt to taste  Mustard Oil 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves  Lemon Juice 1 tsp METHOD: Serving Size: 4-5 Wash the dals and soak them for 2 hours. Pressure-cook them with turmeric, salt and enough water until soft. Heat oil in a pan and temper it with cumin seeds and bay leaf. Add sliced onion and saute until light golden. Add the grated ginger, tomato and cumin powder and cook until the tomato s...