Bachelor Cooking # 31 - Egg Omelette

Egg Omelette Recipe

Ingredients

2 Eggs
1/4th onion (finely chopped)
1-2 green chilies (finely chopped)
1/4th tomato (chopped), optional
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
1/4th tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp milk
Oil to fry

How To Make An Egg Omelette

• Beat the eggs and add milk, chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilies, coriander, salt & chili powder.
• Beat the mixture until foamed.
• Heat oil in a frying pan and add the mixture. Cook over low heat till mixture is firm and flip it and fry the other side.
• Serve hot with bread or paratha. 

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 30 - Carrot Raitha

Carrot Raitha Recipe

Carrots are rich in beta carotene which is a strong antioxidant. It is loaded with vitamin A which is good for eyesight and also promotes good vision. Carrot is a great blood purifier and including carrots in our diet regularly helps to improve the health of the skin. It also contains high amount of other vitamins and minerals. Carrot raitha is a great way to include raw carrots in our diet and also can be prepared in a few minutes. 

Ingredients needed 

Grated carrot/Finely chopped carrot - 2 cups
Plain yogurt/Curd - 1 1/2 cup
Roasted cumin powder -1/2 tsp
Salt as required

For the seasoning 

Mustard -1 tsp
Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
Oil -1 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation 

Wash, peel the skin and grade carrots. 

Method

• Mix grated carrot, required salt and curd in a bowl.
• Heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add finely chopped chilli and saute for a second.Add to the the carrot + yogurt mix .
• Sprinkle roasted jeera powder and mix everything well. Garnish with coriander leaves
• Use fresh carrots, and do not use sour curd.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 29 - Soft Rotis

Recipe for making Soft Rotis

Ingredients needed

Whole Wheat flour -1 cup

Salt – a pinch

Oil – 1 tsp

Little rice flour for dusting

Board and rolling pin

Tawa

Ghee ( optional)

Method

• Take 1 cup of flour, add a pinch of salt and a tsp of oil. Then mix ½ cup of warm water gradually little by little and knead it into a dough. You may need a little more or less water depending on the flour you are using. The dough should not be sticky. Grease your hands with a little oil for kneading if required.
• Make 6 equal sized balls. Have some rice flour for dusting.
• Roll out into round shapes using little rice flour for dusting. With practice you can easily do this.
• Heat the tawa and place the rolled out dough on it. Let it cook for a few minutes. You will see small bubbles forming.
• Flip it over to the other side and cook, turning and pressing it with a small towel/napkin.It will puff.
• Remove from the tawa , apply a little ghee (optional) and eat with any side dish of your choice.
• If you are not using the roptis immediately wrap it in a muslin cloth and store it in an airtight container.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 28 - Onion Tomato Gravy

Onion Tomato Gravy Recipe

This is one of the simplest, easiest gravy which goes well with idli, dosa, chappati/roti. 

Ingredients needed

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Tomato - 3 big juicy one

Green Chillies - 2-3 finely chopped

Sambar Powder - 1 tsp (you will get the ready-made powder from any department store)

Oil - 3 tsp

Salt to taste

For the seasoning

Mustard -1/2 tsp

Curry leaves -little

Method

• Heat 3 tsp of oil, add the ingredients for seasoning, when mustard splutters, add onions and fry till they turn translucent.
• Add green chillies, chopped tomatoes, sambar powder, needed salt and cook for a few minutes till tomatoes turn mushy.
• Add half a cup of water and bring it to boil.
• Garnish with coriander leaves 

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 27 - Instant Wheat Dosa

Instant Wheat Dosa Recipe

Ingredients needed
Wheat flour -1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Water -2 1/2 cups
Cumin seeds/jeera -1 1/2 tsp
Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
Green chillies -2 (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1 inch piece finely chopped
Oil for making dosas 

Salt as required

For the seasoning
Mustard -1/2 tsp
Asafoetida -generous pinch
Curry leaves - little

Method

• Mix all the ingredients well. The batter should be thin.
• Heat a tsp of oil and season with the ingredients for seasoning.
• Grease tawa with oil. Take a little batter in a ladle and start filling it from the outer corners of the hot greased tawa to the inside in a net like pattern.  With practice, you will learn this trick. You cannot spread the batter as you do for regular dosa.
• Drizzle a tsp of oil and cover it with a lid ,when it becomes golden brown, flip it over to the other side and let it get cooked.
  Can be taken with chutney or sambar.
• This dosa will take a little longer time to get cooked than the regular dosa.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 26 - Channa Sundal

Channa/ Chickpeas Sundal Recipe

Ingredients needed
Chick peas /channa -1 cup
Coconut - grated 1/4 cup

For the seasoning
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dal -1 1/2 tsp
Red chillies -2 broken into pieces
Hing/ asafoetida - 2 pinches
Curry leaves -little
Oil -2 tsp

Preparation  

Soak chickpeas in water overnight. Rinse well and pressure cook with required salt till soft.The channa/chickpeas should be soft but not mushy. Drain the excess water and keep aside.

Method

• Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add mustard seeds when it splutters, add urad dal, red chillies, hing and curry leaves. Fry till urad dal turns golden brown.
• Then add cooked channa, salt and grated coconut and give it a nice stir.
• (add less salt as we have already added to the chick peas/channa while cooking)
• Channa sundal is ready 
• This is a healthy and a nutritious snack 

Cheers!  

Bachelor Cooking # 25 - Garlic Rasam

Garlic Rasam Recipe

Ingredients needed 

Tamarind- small gooseberry size (soak it in 1 1/2 cups of warm water)
Garlic -6 cloves peeled and crushed
Tomato -1
Salt as required

For grinding
Whole black pepper -1 tsp
Cumin seeds -1 tsp
Toor dal -1 tsp
Dry grind the above to a coarse powder.

For the seasoning
Ghee -1 tsp
Mustard -1/2 tsp
Cumin/jeera seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - little

Method

• Take tamarind extract (about 1 1/2 cups) and add chopped tomatoes, salt, curry leaves, garlic and the grounded powder.
• Boil till the raw smell goes.
• Then add 2 cups of water and when you see froth forming at the top, switch off the gas .
• Heat a tsp of ghee, add the ingredients for seasoning and pour it over the rasam.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• You can have it with hot rice.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 24 - Carrot Stir Fry

Carrot Stir Fry Recipe

Ingredients needed

Carrot - 500 grams

Grated coconut -1/4 cup

For the seasoning

Mustard -1 tsp

Urad dal -1/2 tsp

Hing- a pinch

Green chilli stilted -2

Curry leaves- few
Oil -2 tsp

Preparation

Wash, peel and chop carrots.

Method

• Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan or kadai, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add hing, urad dal, green chilli and curry leaves.
• When urad dal turns golden brown, add the chopped carrots and little water (around 1/4 cup). Cover it with a lid and cook on low flame stirring from time to time. If the water has evaporated, you can sprinkle more water and cook till carrots turn soft. Add salt as required.
• Once the carrots become soft, add grated coconut, mix well and switch off the flame.
• Goes well as a side dish for steamed rice 

 

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 23 - Pepper Mushroom Fry

Pepper Mushroom Fry

Ingredients needed
Button Mushrooms -150 grams
Capsicum -1
Onions -2
Oil -1 tbsp
Garlic -2 cloves (finely chopped)
Salt and Black pepper powder to taste

Preparation

• Clean mushroom and chop it into medium size pieces .
• Thinly slice onions lengthwise and cut capsicum into thin strips.

Method

• Heat oil, (no seasoning required) add onion, garlic and saute till onions turn golden brown.
• Then add capsicum and cook for a few minutes.
• Add chopped mushrooms and cook covered on low flames stirring now and then. You don't need to add water as mushroom oozes out water
• After it is slightly cooked, add required salt and pepper and cook till all the water gets evaporated.
• Enjoy with Chappati/ Roti or any flavored rice.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 22 - Special Curd Rice

Special Curd Rice Recipe

Ingredients needed

Rice - ½ cup

Curd- ½ cup

Milk – ½ cup

Capsicum finely chopped – 2 tbsp

Tomatoes deseeded and finely chopped – 1

Carrots finely chopped – ½ a carrot

Chopped cucumber -2 tbsp

Finely chopped ginger – 1 tbsp

Green chillies – 1 deseeded

Salt - as required

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – ¼ tsp

Method

• Pressure cook the rice.
• When done, mash it well with a masher and add milk to it.
• After it cools, add curd and salt as required. Add all the vegetables.
• Heat a tsp of oil, add mustard when it splutters, add ginger and green chillies. Saute for a few seconds and add to the curd rice. Mix everything well.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves

Note: You can add a few pomegranetes and green grapes if you like.

Cheers!

 

Bachelor Cooking # 21 - Plantain Curry

Plantain Curry/ Vazhaikkai Curry Recipe

Ingredients needed

Plantain -2

Chillie Powder -1 tsp (or as required)

Salt - as required

Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

For the seasoning

Mustard - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few leaves

Asafoetida -a pinch

Method

• Peel the skin and cut the plantain into semi circles.
• Now mix salt, chillies powder and turmeric powder to the plantain pieces and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai/pan, add the ingredients for seasoning, when mustard splutters, add the plantain pieces and cook covered on low fire, stirring from time to time till done. Sprinkle very less water once or twice while cooking.
• Plantain curry is ready to be eaten

Note - If you are not going to cook plantain immediately after chopping, then keep it in a bowl of water to prevent discoloration.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 20 - Tamarind Rice

Tamarind Rice Recipe

 

Ingredients needed
Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Tamarind - size of a lime

Sesame seed Oil - 50 ml

Spice powder 

Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Red chillies - 5
White sesame seeds - 1 tsp

Dry roast fenugreek seeds, coriander seed and red chilies till it changes color.Dry roast sesame seeds separately and powder everything together .Keep aside.

For the seasoning
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 4 tsp
Channa dal /Bengal gram - 4 tsp
Red chillies - 4
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Roasted peanuts- 100 grams
Curry leaves - little

Method

• Cook rice and allow it to cool.
• Soak tamarind in hot water (around 2 cups) and extract 2 cups of thick juice from it .Throw the pulp.
• Heat oil and add the ingredients mentioned under seasoning. Add tamarind extract, salt and let it boil till it becomes thick.
• Now the tamarind paste is ready.

For mixing the rice

• Cook rice in such a way that each grains are separate. Spread it in a plate. Let it cool.
• Then add needed spice powder, tamarind paste and mix the rice gently. Adjust spice powder and tamarind paste according to your taste.
• You can add less or more spice powder according to how hot you want the rice to be.
• Similarly, you can add less or more tamarind paste according to how sour you want the rice to be. Adjust as per your preferences.

Note -You can store the paste in the refrigerator and use it when required. 

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 19 - Cononut Rice

Coconut Rice Recipe

Ingredients needed

Raw rice -1 cup

Grated coconut –3/4 cup

Mustard – ½ tsp

Channa dal/Bengal Gram – 1 tbsp

Urad dal – 2 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Green chillies -2

Curry leaves – little

Ginger (finely chopped ) – 1 tsp (optional )

Oil - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Cashew nuts -8-10

Method

• Cook rice, spread it in a plate and keep it aside. It should be cooked in such a way that the grains are separate.
• Heat oil in a kadai/ pan and add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add channa dal, urad dal, cashew nuts and roast till it becomes slightly brown. (add channa dal first as it will take time to get roasted, then add urad dal and cashew nuts)
• Add red chillies, green chillies, ginger, asafoetida and curry leaves and sauté for a few more seconds.
• Add coconut and sauté for a few minutes till it becomes slightly brown. Add salt as needed.
• Add cooked rice and mix it well. 
• For a yummy taste, crush papads and mix it with the rice.
• Tastes good with any gravy or potato curry

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 18 - Vermicelli Payasam

Vermicelli Kheer/ Semiya Payasam Recipe

Here is a recipe for a desert which you an try over the weekend. It tastes good and is also very simple to make.

Ingredients needed

Milk - 5 cups

Vermicelli - 75 grams

Sugar -1/2 cup (or as required)

Cashew nuts - 5

Cardamom - 3-4 ( powdered)

Raisins -10

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method

• Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a pan and roast Vermicelli/Semiya till golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
• In the same pan, heat some more ghee and fry cashew nuts and raisins separately and keep it aside.
• Boil milk in a heavy bottomed pan, then add the roasted vermicelli to it and cook till it becomes soft. Keep stirring it to prevent it from getting burnt.
• Then add sugar and mix till it dissolves.
• Add cardamom powder and garnish it with cashew nuts and raisins.
• Now your vermicelli kheer is ready to be served. Can be served hot or chilled
• If the paysam/kheer become thick after a few hours, you can add milk to reach your desired consistency.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 17 - Coriander Chutney

Coriander Chutney Recipe

This chutney goes well with idly, dosa, roti and can even be used as dip for samosas. It can also be used as a spread for sandwich. 

Ingredients needed

Coriander leaves - 1 medium sized bunch
Urad dal -1 tbsp
Green chillies - 2
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Tamarind - 1 pea sized ball 
Coconut - 2 tbsp (grated)
Oil -3 tsp
Salt as required

For the seasoning

Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Split urad dal - 1/4 tsp

Method

• Heat 2 tsp of oil and fry urad dal till it turns light brown, then add green chillies, tamarind and ginger and fry for a few seconds. Remove from flame.
• Add coriander leaves and sauté in the heat itself slightly.
• Grind it with salt and coconut.
• Heat a tsp of oil and season it with the ingredients for seasoning.

The same chutney can be made with Pudina/Mint leaves instead of Coriander leaves.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 16 - Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney Recipe

Tomato chutney is a good combination for idly, dosa, chappati and also bread. Instead of butter or jam, you can use this chutney as a spread.

Ingredients needed

Ripe tomatoes - 4

Onion - 1 medium sized

Red chillies - 4 -5

Curry leaves - handful

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt as required

Ingredients for seasoning

Mustard-1/2 tsp

Urad dal-1/2 tsp

Curry leaves -little

Method

• Heat 3 tsp of oil and saute red chillies and curry leaves.
• Then add chopped onions and saute for a few minutes.
• Add chopped tomatoes. After it is half cooked, remove from flame.
• Add salt needed. Cool it and grind it. Do not add water.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a kadai and add the ingredients for seasoning.
• Add the grounded chutney to the kadai and cook again for 3-4 minutes till the oil separates. 

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 15 - Coconut Chutney

Coconut Chutney Recipe

Here is the recipe for Coconut chutney which goes well with Idly, Dosa, Pongal, etc.

Ingredients needed

Coconut - 3/4 cup (grated)

Green chillies - 3

Fried Gram -1 tbsp ( pottukadalai)

Ginger - small piece

Salt to taste

For the seasoning

Mustard -1/4 tsp

Urad dal - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - a little

Grind the above ingredients in the Mixie with enough water and salt. Heat a tsp of oil and add the ingredients for seasoning and season the chutney. For red coconut chutney, use red chillies instead of green chillies.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 14 - Rava Dosa

Rava Dosa Recipe

Rava dosa is quick and easy to prepare. It needs no grinding or fermenting.  Here is the simple and tasty dosa recipe.

Ingredients needed

Rava – 1/2 cup

Rice flour – 1/2 cup

All purpose flour/maida –1/4 cup

Water - 3 - 3 1/2 cups

Green Chillies - 1 finely chopped

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Whole black pepper – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds –1 tsp

Salt as required

For the seasoning

Mustard – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – a generous pinch

Curry leaves- a little

Method

• Soak Rava in a little buttermilk for 1 hour.
• Then mix rice flour, maida and water with it. The batter should be thin and watery.
• Add finely chopped ginger, finely chopped chillies, cumin seeds, whole black pepper and salt.
• Heat a tsp of oil, add the ingredients for seasoning and pour it over the batter.
• Heat a non stick tawa, take a little batter in a ladle and start filling it from the outer corners of the tawa to the inside in a net like pattern.
• Pour a tsp of oil around the dosa.
• Cover it with a lid, when it becomes golden brown, flip it over to the other side and let it get cooked.
• Eat hot with any chutney or sambar of your choice.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 13 - Rava Pongal

Rava Pongal Recipe

Ingredients needed
Rava - 1 cup
Moong dal (pasi paruppu) - 1/3 cup
Ginger finely chopped - 1 tsp
Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp

Chille - 1 finely chopped
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts - 3
Salt as required

Preparation

• Roast rava in a tsp of ghee till it becomes hot to touch. Do not over roast it
• Cook moong dal till soft.
• Grind cumin seeds and pepper coarsely.

Method

1. Heat ghee in a pan, add finely chopped ginger, grounded pepper+ cumin seeds, cashew nuts and curry leaves.
2. Saute for a few seconds, then add 2 cups of boiling water. Add salt to taste.
3. Simmer the flame and then slowly add rava, stirring continuously.
4. After the rava gets cooked, add the cooked moong dal and cook till all the water evaporates.

Eat hot with coconut chutney or sambar.

Cheers!

Bachelor Cooking # 12 - Aval

Aval Recipe

Ingredients needed

Aval - 1 cup

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Ginger - 1 inch piece finely chopped

Green chillies - 1 finely chopped

Potato -1 ( cubed boiled potatoes)

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt to taste

Lemon juice -1 tbsp

For the seasoning

Mustard -1 tsp

Curry leaves - little

Method

• Wash aval under running water for 2-3 minutes and put it in a sieve to drain all the water. Keep it aside.
• Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,curry leaves and when mustard splutters, add onions and saute till it turns transparent.
• Then add ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder and saute for a few more seconds.
• Add cubed boiled potatoes. Add salt to taste.
• Add the Aval, lemon juice and mix well. 
• Garnish with coriander leaves

 Cheers!