Beetroot Pulao | Easy Lunch Box Recipes

This is very easy and colorful lunch box recipe. Kids like this Beetroot Pulav very much.

Click HERE for more Lunch Box Recipes.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Rice

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

Rice	1 cup
Grated Beetroot	½ cup
Chopped Beetroot	½ cup
Salt	As Required
To Temper:
Oil	2 tsp
Cinnamon	1 inch stick
Clove	2
Cardamom	1
Star Anise	1
Bay Leaf	1
Annasi Mokku	1
Onion (medium size)	1
Green Chili	2
Ginger Garlic Paste	1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Wash and rinse the rise twice. Soak the rice with 1 cup of water for 15 mins. Then drain the water and keep it aside. Keep this water for later use.

2. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, add whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, star anise, cardamom, annasi mokku ) and fry for few seconds.

3. Add chopped onion and sauté till the onion becomes translucent.

4. Add chopped green chilies. Fry for few seconds.

5. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for few seconds.

6. Add grated beetroot and sauté for 1 mins.

7. Then add chopped beetroot, 2 cups of water ( 1 cup normal water + 1 cup rice soaked water (from 1) ) and salt.

8. When the water starts boil, add soaked rice and mix them well.

9. Close the pressure cooker with its lid and wait till the steam comes out. Put the whistle immediately when the steam comes out from the cooker lid and keep the flame at very low. Cook for 12-14 mins. [if whistle does not come, don’t worry about it]

10. After 12 mins switch off the flame. Once pressure has gone completely, open the cooker and transfer the pulao into a wide bowl. Mix the pulao gently with the fork.

    

Yummy, colorful and aromatic pulao is reday to serve. Serve with raitha.

Note:

1. I have used jeeraga samba rice. You use basmathi rice also.

2. Adjust the green chilies according to your spice level.

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Restaurant Style Vegetable Kurma with Sambar Powder

Have you wonder why restaurant vegetable kurma have different taste from normal homemade vegetable kurma? It seems they use village style traditional sambar powder to enrich the taste. Try it and see for yourself.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Side Dish

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Chopped Mixed Vegetables (carrot, beans, peas,potato)	1 ½ cup
Small Tomato	1
Sambar Powder (Recipe HERE)	2 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder	½ tsp
Salt	As Required
To Temper:
Oil	1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds	½ tsp
Curry Leaves	1 spring
Chopped Onion (from 1 onion)	1 cup
To Grind:
Grated Coconut or equivalent	¼ cup
Ginger	1 inch piece
Garlic	4 pods
Roasted Gram dal / Pottukadalai	2 tbsp
To Garnish:
Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves	1 tbsp

Procedure:

Preparation Procedure:

1.  Wash and peel the skin of the carrot. Chop them into small pieces.

2. Wash and cut the head and tail of the beans. Then cut them into small pieces.

3. Wash and remove the skin of the potato and cut it into small chunks.

4. Wash and use the fresh peas directly.

5. Remove the skin of the onion and chop them into small pieces.

6. Wash and cut the tomato into small chunks.

Cooking Procedure:

7. Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and wait for popping.

8. Add curry leaves and fry for few seconds.

9. Add chopped onion and fry till they become translucent.

10. Add chopped tomato and chop till it becomes mushy.

11. Add chopped vegetables and mix them well.

12. Add sambar powder, garam masala powder and salt. Mix them well and cook for 1 min.

13. Add 1 ½  cups of water and close the lid of the cooker. Pressure cook for 1 whistle in a high flame.

14. Meanwhile, grind the coconut, ginger, garlic and roasted gram dal into a fine paste using little water in a mixie jar.

15. After the pressure has gone (from 13), add ground paste (from 14) and give a stir. When the bubbles start from the gravy switch off the flame or cook till the gravy become thick consistency.

16. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

   Serve with chapathi, roti and dosai.

Note:

1. Vegetables are your choice.

2. Adjust the smabar powder level according to your spice level.

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Whole Wheat Coconut Cookies with Brown Sugar

Researchers tell that coconut is very healthy and should be consume more. Cookies recipes with coconut give an alternate way to use coconut than the usual recipes like chutney. This cookies was very crunchy and tasty. My family loved it very much. This is perfect for snacks box.

Click HERE for 30+ cookies Recipe.

Full Video :

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Baking

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Baking Time: 12 mins | Yields: 20 cookies

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour	1 cup
Corn Flour	2 tbsp
Butter / Dalada / Margarine	¾ cup
Desiccated Coconut (Recipe HERE)	1 cup
Brown Sugar / Nattu Sakkarai	1/3 cup
Salt	¼ tsp

Procedure:

1. In a wide bowl, add butter or its substitute. Beat it well with wire whisk or electric beater until it becomes fluffy.

2. Add powdered brown sugar (powder ½ cup of brown sugar / nattu sarkkarai in a dry mixie jar). Mix them well.

3. Add ¾ cup of desiccated coconut. Mix them well.

4. Add corn flour and wheat flour. First mix them well with the wire whisk.

5. Knead it into a soft dough using your hands.

6. Make gooseberry size balls from the dough.

7. Add remaining desiccated coconut in a wide bowl.

8. Put the balls ( from 6) in the bowl. Shake the bowl so that the coconut flakes sticks over the balls.

8. Gently press the balls with your palm.

9. Arrange the cookies on the ungreased cookie tray. Leave ½ inch space between the cookies.

10. Preheat the oven for 10 mins with 200 degree Celsius.

11. Bake the cookies for 11 mins at 160 degree Celsius.

12. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow it to cool down completely.

    Yummy and crunchy cookies are ready!

Note:

1.  If you can’t knead into a soft dough, add 1-2 tbsp of milk and knead it into a softer dough.

2. Add powdered sugar instead of brown sugar.

3. No need to add essence, because coconut itself gives nice aroma to the cookies.

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Snake Gourd Bajji / Pudalangai Bajji

You would have tried Bajjis with different ingredients for the inside like Banana, Potato, Bread etc. Have you tried with Sankeguard? This is famous in andhra. It has different taste style and is an interesting dish you should at least try once.

 Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Snakcs

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Yields: 20 Bajjis

Ingredients:

Snake Gourd (medium size)	1
For Batter:
Bengal Gram Flour	¾ cup
Rice Flour	¼ cup
Red Chili Powder	1 tsp
Asafoedita / Hing	¼ tsp
Salt	As required
Idli Batter (optional)	¼ cup
Water	Required
Cooking Soda	½ tsp
For Frying:
Oil	required

Procedure:

1. Remove the head and tail of the snake gourd.

2. Peel the white skin of the snake gourd using the peeler or knife.

3. Cut the snake gourd into ¼ inch thickness circles and remove the seeds.

4. In a bowl, add Bengal gram flour, rice flour, red chili powder, hing, salt and cooking soda. Mix them well.

5. Add idli batter (if used) and little bit water. Mix them with wire whisk. Add enough water to make the bajji batter little bit thinner than idli batter consistency.

6. Heat enough oil in a frying pan. Put a drop of batter in the oil; if the batter comes up immediately is the right temperature of the oil.

7. Dip each snake gourd rings with batter and deep fry with oil.

8. Cook till the sizzling sound stops completely.

9. Take them out from the oil and spread them on the tissue paper to absorb the excess oil.

Note:

1. You can use the excess batter to prepare onion bajjis.

2. Idli batter gives fluffiness to the bajji.

3. If you use Idli batter to don’t use cooking soda.

4. Don’t over load the oil with too many bajjis.

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Paavakkai Fry / Bitter Gourd Fry

I myself have posted many Bitter Gourd recipes including Bitter Gourd Chips. The specialty of this recipe is that it removes the bitterness altogether and makes the recipe taste great.

Click HERE to view Bitter Gourd Recipes.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Fry

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 20 mins | Yields: 20 cookies

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd	¼ kg
Bengal Gram Flour / Kadalai Maavu	1 tbsp
To Temper:
Oil	2 tsp
Mustard Seeds	½ tsp
Chopped Onion	¼ cup
Red Chilli Powder	1-2 tsp
Salt	Required

Procedure:

1. Wash and cut the head and tail of the bitter gourd.

2. Then cut them into thin circles.

3. Remove the big seeds from the slices. Keep it aside.

4. Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and wait for popping.

5. Then add chopped onion and sauté till they become translucent.

6. Now add the bitter gourd pieces (from 3) and fry for a minute.

7. Add red chilli powder and salt. Mix them well and fry for 2 more mins.

8. Then add water till all the bitter gourd slices immersed completely.

9. Close the lid of the pan and cook till the bitter gourd become tender and all the water evaporates completely.

10. Finally add the Bengal gram flour and mix them well. Switch off the flame and transfer it into serving bowl.

      Tasty and healthy Bitter Gourd Fry is ready!

Note:

1. Adjust the red chilli level according to your taste.

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Hyderabad Karachi Fruit Biscuit (using wheat flour)

Karachi biscuit of Hyderabad is very famous and everyone love them. Karachi biscuit can be made at home also. It is not difficult and is a “Don’t miss it” category recipe.

Click HERE to view 30+ Cookies Recipes.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Baking

Preparation Time: 15 mins  | Cooking Time: 12 mins | Yields: 15 cookies

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour	1 cup
Butter	¾ cup
Milk Powder	¼ cup
Icing Sugar	½ cup
Rose Essence	1 tsp
Tutti Frutti	½ cup
Baking Powder	1 tsp

Procedure:

Procedure:

1. Beat the butter with electric beater or wire whisk till it becomes fluffy.

2. Then add icing sugar and rose essence. Mix them well with spoon. Then beat till it reaches fluffy consistency.

3. Sieve the wheat flour, milk powder and baking powder together.

4. Now add the wheat flour mixture (from 3). Mix them well.

5. Then add tutti frutti and nead it into a soft and pliable dough.

6. Cover the dough with cling sheet and  keep it in the refrigerator for 30 mins.

7. Roll the dough into ½ inch thickness circle (like chapathi) on the dry rolling surface using the rolling pin. Before rolling, sprinkle the wheat flour over the rolling surface to avoid the flour getting sticky.

5. Now cut the rolled circle using the square cookie cutter or cut them into 1 inch squares using the knife.

6. Take out the cookies using the flat spatula and keep it on the ungreased baking tray. Leave ½ inch space between the cookies.

7. Preheat the oven for 200 degree Celsius.

8. Bake the cookies for 12 mins at 160 degree Celsius.

9. Allow it to cool down completely and then take them out from the tray. Again cool them on wire rack.

       Tasty, mouth watering and aromatic cookies are ready!!!

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How to make Sampangi Garland for Bridal and Religious Functions?

This is very easy method to make sampangi garland for bridal makeup and religious frunctions.


Video Link:

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