Healthy Soya Dal

Introduction:

It is a recipe which is rich in protein and minerals and fullfill all your daily requirement of nutrition. This is a healthy preparation of different kind of pulses with Nutrela(Soya granules). Dal is an important part of every day meal, so i thought to make it more nutritious by cooking it with Soya granules.

Ingredients:

Mix Dal(Moong, urad, arhar): 1 cup

Nutrela(Soya granules): 1 cup

Onions: 2

Garlic(chopped): 1 tsp

Ginger paste: 1/4 tsp

Tomatoes: 3(medium size)
Green chilli: 2
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala: 1/4 tsp
Salt: as per taste
Ghee: 2 tsp
Lemon juice: 1 tsp
Fresh corriander: for garnishing

Preparation time:10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves for: 4 persons
Method:

Soak dal and granules in 3 cups of water and keep it for 15 mins.Pour the dal in cooker and add salt and turmeric and cook for two whistles. Put off the flame and let it cook in the pressure cooker till the whole pressure releases. Chop the onions and tomatoes.Puree the tomatoes with green chillies.

 Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds and asefoetida and fry till it sprinkles. Add onions and garlic and saute till the onions are golden brown. Now add the tomato paste with ginger paste and cook on medium flame for 2 mins. Add all the spices and cook for 5 mins till the ghee separates from the mixture. 

Open up the cooker and check whether the dal has been cooked. Add more water depening upon the consistency you like. Add the dal to to the mixture and cook for 2-3 min on low flame. 

Put off the flame. Add lemon juice and garnish with corriander.

TIPS:

1. You can mix any kind of dals in any proportion you like. I used 3/4 cup of moong dal, 1/2 cup urad dal, 1/2 cup arhar dal. 

2. You can add dry mango powder at the end if you don't have lemon juice.

3. Raw mangoes can also be used to replace tomatoes. Add chopped raw mango while boiling the dal in cooker. 
4. You can soya chunks, soya nuggets or soya beans instead of nutrela. All are easily available at grocery store.

Karela bhaji

Introduction:

"Karela"(bittergourd) is considered to be one of the difficult vegetables to eat due to it's taste but it's also true that it is a treasure of ultimate medicinal values. I have always had 'karelas' made by my mother but since now i'm living alone, i tried to made it up on my own. The first experience was very bad. It was so bitter in taste that i had to throw all in dustbin. But a person learns from mistakes. So, I tried it again and it was yummy. It's a very simple and easy way to cook Karelas with lots of onions.

Ingredients:

Fresh Karela: 4-5                                                      

Onions: 4(medium size)                                              

Garlic: 2 tsp(chopped)

Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds powder: 1tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala: 2 pinch
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Sugar: 2 tsp
Oil: 3 tsp

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serves for: 4 persons

Method:
Lightly peel off the skin of all the karelas. Make a cut in the middle and remove all the seeds. Now rub salt on all the karelas and keep it aside for at least 5 hours. Cut the karelas into rings.
Cut the onion into long slices. Heat Oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. Add onions, garlic and karelas. Add salt and turmeric powder and mix. Cover it with a lid and let it cook for 5-7 mins on low flame.
Remove the cover and check whether the karelas are soft or not. Let it cook for some more time if it is not done.
Add rest of the ingredients and cook for 2-3 mins. Put off the flame and add a pinch of dry mango powder. Garnish with corriander leaves . Serve with chapatis and paranthas.

TIPS:
1. You can avoid garlic if you don't eat it.
2. This will remain fresh upto 3 days.
3. You can also add raw mangoes into the bhaji to give it a tasty tangy taste.

4. If the karelas are getting sticky in the pan while cooking, you can sprinkle some water drops. Make sure you add sufficient oil to cook them.

Vanilla sponge cake in pressure cooker

Introduction:

Hi all. after I came back from office today, I was having a great desire to eat cake. I was missing my home because i don't have an oven to bake the cake but then i thought to make it in the cooker  and TADA.....it worked and it ws the best cake i've ever made...I'm going to share this recipe wiith you all.

Ingredients:

Refined flour(maida): 2 cups

Powdered sugar: 2 cups

Vanilla essence: 5-6 drops
Egg: 3
Unsalted butter: 150 gm
Dryfruits(mixed chopped): 1/2 cup
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Baking powder: 2 tsp

Preparation time: 45 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins

Method:

Sieve the flour with baking powder and salt 5 times. Seperate egg yolk and white. Beat them seperately till it becomes fluffy. Mix butter and powdered sugar and beat them thoroughly.Now mix egg white first into the butter mixture and add vanilla essence and beat again. Then mix the egg yolk and beat again till the mixture becomes soft. Now add the flour in the mixture while beating continuously. Keep beating in the same direction for 8-20 minutes.

Greas the cake tin with butter. Place the cooker on high flame and spread two cups of salt into it.

The idea of using salt is to avoid a direct contact of the cake tin with the flame. Take sufficient amount of salt so that it'll cover the cooker's bottom properly. cover the lid upside down and heat he cooker on high flame for 2 minutes.

Now sim the flame to the lowest. Place the cake mixture into the cake tin and place the tin into the cooker. Cover it with lid and remove the whistle. Cook for 35 minutes on lowest flame.

Open the cooker after 35 minutes. Do the knife test to check whether the cake has been cooked. Take out the cake tin and turn it upside down on a serving plate. The cake will come out. Let it get cooled in the fridge and decorate it with your favourite icing and serve.

TIPS:

1. Whenver you beat the batter, beat it in one direction only.

2. You can also use coarse sand instead of salt for baking the cake but using salt is a more easy option.

3. you can make any kind of cake in the cooker by this method. just prepare the batter of different flavours and enjoy the homemade cake any time.