Bachelor cooking

Though the title says Bachelor Cooking, this section caters to some easy recipes any one can cook at any time. Some basics that can be made and kept ready are also given in this section which will make cooking quite easy.

Home made powders - Its significance
To make a fine paste of Khus Khus to make kormas or gravies thick
Tomato Rice without Garlic
To make soft dough for chappatis
Easy Veg Paneer Cutlet
Milagu Kuzhambu Podi
Instant Rawa Mix
Rawa Idly using Rawa Mix
Rawa Upma using home made Rawa Mix
Hot and Sour Paste
Idly Dosa Chilly Powder
Curry Leaves Powder
Garlic Chilly Powder
Simple and Easy Vazhaippaza Pachadi
Recipe for Multipurpose Powder
Instant Idly Mix
Wheat Halwa
Paruppu thogayal using Bengal Gram
Lady's finger Pachadi
Goddu Rasam - No Dal Rasam
Basic Tomato Gravy
Instant Rasam Powder
Simple and Tasty Rasam
Rice Kheer in Microwave
Hot and Sour Paste
Lemon Dal

Lemon Dal Recipe

Ingredients:
Thoor Dal - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal whole - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 2 nos
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 3 cloves
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Lemon - 1 no
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Method:
Pressure cook thoor dal with turmeric powder. When cooked, let it cool, mash thoroughly.

Peel and chop the garlic pods. Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dal, red chillies, garlic cloves and cumin seeds. Add the thoor dal, salt and 2 cups of water. Cook till the dal boils. Add finely chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Remove from flame and add lemon juice.

Serve it with chappati or hot white rice.

To make a fine paste of Khus Khus

North Indian dishes and Kormas ask for Khus Khus or Poppy seeds. At times, it stays as it is without getting ground properly. To avoid, that soak the seeds in hot water for about 15 mins and then drain the water and grind it separately or along with other ingredients.

Tomato Rice without Garlic

Tomato rice can be done in different ways. Many dont like the taste of masalas and garlic while having this delicay. Here is a method to make tomato rice without garlic.

Ingredients:
Tomato - 1/2  kg (Red ripe, banglore vareity)
Green Chilly - 2 to 3 nos
Onion - 2 nos (medium size)
Salt to taste
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Curry Leaves - a few
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
Rice - 2 cups
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Bengal Gram Dal - 2 tbsp
Broken Urad dal - 2 tbsp
Asafodeita - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Method:
Pressure cook rice with 4 cups of water and spread it on a plate. Add ghee to it and mix well with the handle of a laddle so that the rice dont break.

In a pan heat oil and when it splutters add bengal gram, broken urad dal and asafodeita. Slit green chillies and add it to the pan. Chop onion finely and add it to the pan and when it turns glassy add finely chopped tomates. Mix well. Add turmeric powder, salt and mash well. Add half a cup of water, reduce the flame and cover it with a lid. Cook for about 5 mins, remove the plate and mash well so that all the tomatoes have become soft and tender and is in a semi puree form.

Remove from flame and add little by little to the rice spread in the plate and mix so that all the grains are coated with the cooked tomato paste. If needed a bit more of salt can be added after tasting it.

How to make Dough for Soft chappatis

Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 4 cups
Salt to taste
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Water - 3 cups

How to make soft dough:
Put the flour in the large bowl. Add salt and ghee to it and mix well. Make a well in the middle and pour 2 cups of water to it. Mix the flour and water by rotating it from centre to the outside of the bowl till all the flour is moist and becomes rough and scrambled. Sprinkle a little water and sart mixing it to a non sticky dough. The dough knead to be elastic and smooth.

How to test the dough:
Press it with the tip of the finger and it have to spring back, then it is of the right consistency.

How to make soft chappatis:
Rest the dough for half an hour by covering it with a wet towel. Make lemon sized balls and roll it into thin rounds. Heat a tawa and place one chappati in it. Reduce the flame and keep turning the chappati in rounds, when it starts fluffing up turn it to the other side and heat it again. Remove from the flame when done.

How to store the excess chappati dough:
Spread oil in a container with lid. Make larger balls of the dough and place it in it. The dough made this way lasts for about2 to 3 days.

Easy Veg Paneer Cutlet

Ingredients:
Potato - 2 nos
Carrot - 1 no.
Onion -  1 no.
Peas - 1/4 cup
Paneer - 100 gms
Corn flour - 2 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Roasted Rawa - 1/4 cup
Oil for shallow frying

Method:
Pressure cook potatoes. Mash well. Heat oil in a pan and add ginger garlic paste and finely chopped onion. When the onion turns glassy, add the grated carrot, peas. Add red  chilly powder, pepper powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt and mix well. Remove from flame add the grated paneer.  Make a watery batter of the corn flour .Make the potato mixture into small balls and flatten it. Coat both the sides in the corn flour batter and roasted rawa.

Heat oil in a shallow pan and shallow fry the cutlets. Turn it both the sides till they become golden brown in colour. (Care should be taken not to over brown it). Serve it hot with tomato ketchup and green chutney

Recipe for Milagu Kuzhambu powder

Ingredients:
Coriander seeds - 3/4 cup
Bengal Gram - 1 cup
Black Pepper - 1/2 cup
Asafodeita - 1 inch piece
Curry Leaves - 2 cups

Method:
Dry roast all the ingredients one by one till the aroma is released. Spread on a plate and let it cool. Grind it to a coarse powder. Store it in an air tight container.

This powder can be stored and used for about 3 to 4 months to make Milagu Kuzhambu (Spicy pepper gravy south Indian style)

Rawa Upma using Rawa Mix

Ingredients:
Rawa Mix - 1 cup
Onion - 2 medium sized
Water - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup

Method:
In a pan heat oil and add the onion. Pour water, add curry leaves and salt. When it boils add the Rawa mix. Mix thoroughly without forming any lumps. Reduce the flame and cover it with a lid. Cook for about 10 mins. Decorate it with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with chutney, sambar. But the best side dish is sugar.

Recipe for Rawa Idly using Rawa Mix

Ingredients:
Rawa Idly Mix - 2 cups
Butter milk - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Salt to taste

Method:
In a shallow vessel add the mix, butter milk, water and salt and mix thoroughly without forming any lumps. Keep it aside for about an hour. Pour it into idly moulds and steam for about 10 minutes. Serve hot with coconut chutney or mint chutney or coriander thokku.

Instant Rawa Mix for making different dishes

Ingredients:
Rawa - 1 kg
Mustard seeds - 2 tbsp
Urad Dal - 6 tbsp
Channa Dal - 8 tbsp
Cashew Nut - 24 nos
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 8 nos
Asafodeita - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 6 tbsp
Oil - 4 tbsp

Method:
Fry Rawa in a dry pan and let it cool.

Add ghee and oil to the pan and add mustard seeds when it splutters add Urad dal, channa dal and cashew nuts. When the dals start turning  golden brown in colour add the red chillies. Reduce the flame to medium and add the rawa and fry well. Remove from flame and add asafodeita and mix well. Store in airtight container.

Can be used to make rawa idly, rawa upma or rawa dosa whenever needed.

Rice Kheer in Microwave

Ingredients:
Milk - 2 1/2 cups
Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts - 6 to 8 nos

Method:
Wash and soak the rice in water for 30 mins. Drain completely. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan and fry the rice in medium flame till all the grains are coated with ghee.

In a microwave safe bowl add the milk and microwave it high for about 8 mins stirring it constantly in between. Add the rice and keep it in high for another 12 minutes. By this time the rice will also have got cooked and the milk would also have reduced to 3/4th. Remove and transfer it to a serving bowl. Garnish it with nuts fried in ghee.

Home made Powders and its significance

There are lots of homemade powders listed out in this website. They all can be easily made at home using the simple dry grinder (mixie), that one have in the kitchen. A little time taken to fry and grind these powders will definitely be of great help, while cooking and also will enhance the taste.

As the quantity made is small, storage is easy and they dont go bad very easily. As the proverb says, the best way to reach a man's heart is through his stomach, these powders will definitely do that wonder as they give an enhanced taste to the cooking. Now a days, we have to add kids also to the proverb as they demand a lot more tastier foods.

With just one powder, one can make different dishes. Like using Sambar powder, one can make sambar and also Vathalkuzhambu (though there is a separate Vathakuzhambu powder too). This can aslo be added to veggies like potato, lady's finger, brinjal etc while making them a bit fried, instead of plain chilly powder.

Powders like Dhal Powder (Paruppu Podi), Curry leaves powder help in making jiffy mixed rice for the bachelors and all those who are in a hurry. In many Tamil house holds, the sambar that is made in the morning gets over by the day and so when they want to have a 3 course meal, they take either of these powder rice first then have rasam and curd rice.

There are different kinds of Milagai Podis too that one can make at home which comes in handy, when one cannot make any side dish for idly or dosa. Powders like Ingaya podi act as home remedy for stomach aches.

Simple and tasty Rasam

Ingredients:
Tamarind paste - 2 tsp
Tomatoes - 2
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Thuvar Dal - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Curry Leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 2 nos
Asafodeita - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 3 cups

Method:
Grind tomatoes, tamarind paste, curry leaves, pepper, 1/2 tsp of Jeera, coriander seeds and thuvar dal to a fine paste. Add 3 cups of water, salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Keep the vessel inside a pressure pan and cook for one whistle.

In a tempering ladle heat ghee, add mustard seeds and when it splutters add jeera, red chilly and asafodeita. Add it to the rasam. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Can be had with rice and also as a soup.

Recipe for Instant Rasam Powder

If there is no Rasam Powder stock at home, an instant powder can be made. This can be stored for about 2 weeks. Ingredients: Coriander seeds (Daniya) - 3 cups Thoor Dal - 1/2 cup Jeera - 1/4 cup Red Chilly - 1/2 cup Method: Fry all the ingredients one by one in a dry pan till the raw smell is gone. When cool, grind them to a fine powder and store it in an airtight container.  Note: 1/2 cup of Curry leaves can also be fried and ground along with the other ingredients.

Wheat Halwa - A very easy to make sweet recipe

One of the simplest sweet that can be made very easily.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cups

Sugar - 2 cups

Ghee - 1 1/2 cups

Cashew Nuts - 10 to 12 nos

Cardamom - 6 to 8 nos

Water - 2 cups

Method:

Fry Wheat flour in 1/4 cup of ghee. When fried nicely add a little more ghee and make it paste. In the mean time heat 2 cups of water, bring it to boil. In a hard bottom pan add the fried wheat and water and make it a fine paste. Add the sugar to it and bring it to boil. Add cardamom powder to it and mix well. Keep stirring and keep adding the remaining ghee. Add the fried cashew nuts to it. When it turns glassy remove from fire and spread on a ghee greased plate. 

How to make Instant Idly Mix

This recipe is definitely a boon for the working women. 

Ingredients:
Boiled Rice - 2 cups
Raw Rice - 2 cups
Urad Dal - 2 cups


Method:
Wash and soak the dal and rice for about 1/2 an hour. Drain the rice and dal. Spread them in a clean cloth and let them dry. Grind the dal and rice together into coarse powder and store it in freezer. 

When it is needed to make dosa or idly, the required quantity can be taken and add hot water to it to make the right batter. Add right kind of salt. 

To make dosas let the batter set for 3 to 4 hours. To make idlies set the batter for almost 12 hours.

Recipe for Multipurpose Powder

This multipurpose powder can be used to make so many items in a jiffy. This powder can be used to make instant Puliyotharai, Araithu vitta sambar, podi potta kaai, Brinjal bath etc. This is very easy to make and easy to use too.

Ingredients:
Dhaniya (Coriander seeds) - 2 cups
Channa Dal (Bengal Gram Dal) - 2 cups
Solid Asafodeita - 1/2 inch sized
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Add oil in a hot pan and fry all the ingredients one by one till they turn golden brown. Grind them to a coarse powder and store it in an airtight container in deep freezer. It can be used whenever needed.

Recipe for Paruppu Thogayal - Bengal gram Red Chutney

It is raining and I want to have something real hot and spicy. The first thing that came out of my husband's mouth is, I would prefer a Paruppu thogayal and milagu rasam. I then made the Paruppu Thogayal, but as I had already made Rasam in the morning skipped the Milagu Rasam, though I made it the next day.

This is ofcourse a very simple and easy to make recipe, which can be made within 10 mins.

Ingredients:
Thuvar Dal - 1 cup
Salt - To taste
Hing - a pinch
Curry Leaves - a few
Coriander Leaves - a few
Red Chillies - 8 to 12 (depending upon the spiciness).
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
In a pan heat oil. Fry the Thuvar Dal till it becomes golden brown. Add hing, red chillies and curry leaves and fry again.

Grind everything together along with coriander leaves. This can be had with hot rice and ghee. A great side dish for poondu rasam or milagu rasam too.

How to make Tomato Gravy - Basic Gravy Recipe

Almost all North Indian gravies use Tomato gravy as the base gravy. Once this is done adding other ingredients to it and making different kind of gravies or subjis is very easy.

Ingredients :

Tomatoes - 6 nos ripe

Onion - 2 nos

Garlic pods - 6 nos

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Green Chillies - 4 nos

Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Salt to taste

Cloves - 4 nos (optional)

Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Method :

In a flat bottom pan add oil and when it is hot add cloves, cardomom and cinnamon. Add finely chopped onions and chopped garlic and fry till it becomes golden brown. Chop the tomatoes and add to the oil. Slit the green chillies into half and add it to the tomatoes along with chilli powder and turmeric.

Heat oil and add cloves, cardomom and cinnamon. Keep the stove sim and let the gravy thicken. Add salt to it. When the gravy becomes deep red in colour and oil starts floating remove from flame.

Alternatively tomatoes can be pureed and added to the onions to make a thicker and even gravy.

Goddu Rasam - Recipe for a No Dal Rasam

This rasam can be made in a jiffy. Can be made with or without tomatoes.

Ingredients:
Tamrind Paste - 1 tbsp
Jeera - 2 tbsp
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Hing Powder - 1/4tsp
Tomatoes - 2 nos
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Salt to Taste
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly - 2 nos
Curry Leaves - few

Method to make Goddu Rasam
In a vessel add ghee and mustard seeds and when they splutter add 1 tbsp of jeera. Add red chillies and curry leaves. Add tamrind paste and 2 cups of water. Add the remaining 1 tbsp jeera, turmeric powder, hing, salt, diced tomatoes, pepper powder and let it boil. When it bubbles, remove from fire.

Alternatively, you can add thuvar dal to it by dry roasting it and adding it to the tamrind water.