Rajma

I love rajma ( kidney beans ) .I opt for the dark red ones called sharmilee The buff colored ones with spots are also available.

Ingredients : 1 / 2 cup rajma beans -soaked overnight,2  small  onions, 2 small  tomatoes, 1 small carrot Grated),1' inch ginger ( grated ),2/3 - hari mirchi, 1/2 tsp jeera, 1-2 bay leaves,  1 tbsp oil, salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook the soaked rajma by adding  a little salt to the rajma.Let it cook for two whistles,then lower the heat & let it cook for 18-20 minutes. Now,put off the gas.

Chop onions., Puree them in mixer.Pureeing is optional.I puree them as I want my teen to eat some gravy as well.My chopping of onions is not fine & my teen simply skips eating onions. Finely chop green chillies & grate ginger. The chilli-ginger mix can be pureeed as well .Chop tomatoes & carrot.Puree tomato carrot mix as well.Keep aside all mixes seperately in 3 bowls.

Take a kadhai & add oil.Heat the kadhai.Add cumin seeds. When they splutter add chopped onions. Fry them till smell of raw onions  goes away. add bay leaves. Next add green chilli ginger mix. to kadhai.Mix nicely with onions& bay leaves.After 4-5  minutes, add tomato carrot purree to kadhai. Mix nicely.After 5 minutes , add little salt so that chopped tomatoes will get cooked more.Remember that salt has been added to rajma while being pressure cooked.So add little salt to cook tomatoes more.Mix nicely.

Add cooked rajma. Mix nicely.Simmer on gas for 10-15 minutes  Garnish rajma with fresh finely chopped coriander.

Tips :
I pressure cook for rajma with onion tomato carrot gravy up to 2 whistles  as I have top cook rice in pressure cooker & so I can cook the cooked rajma beans with veggie gravy along with rice.

Those of you who are off onions simply skip adding onions as I skip adding garlic. 

Needless to add that I have learnt to cook great rajma from Sangeeta Khanna's blog 

Raita dosa / uttappa

This is again an attempt at making use of leftover dosa atta.I had this dosa atta ( 10 days old ).I added last night's leftover raita ( cucumber,onions,tomatoes,green mirchi &  salt in curd) to the atta. I then made uttappas out of this batter

Ingredients : Left over dosa atta,1 bowl of raita ( leftover or fresh - 1 cucumber ,1 onion,1 tomatao ,1 hari mirch finely chopped -add 2tbsp curd & salt to taste),add 1/2 inch grated ginger ,add chopped curry leaves.2tbsp oil.

Method: Mix the dosa atta,raita,grated ginger & curry leaves nicely in a big bowl.Take a non stick tawa & heat it.Now spread  1 tbsp of the dosa batter on the tawa being heated.It won't spread easily as a sada dosa as it has veggies.It will be more like uttapa -thicker than dosa.Cover the dosa with a lid.After 1-2 minutes,remove lid apply  a little oil on uncooked side & reverse the dosa on tawa.After a minute or two ,take out dosa from tawa .Now you are ready to eat it with dry chutney powder & seasame ( til oil) or coconut chutney.Repeat same method for more uttappas.

Doodhi raita

This is a dish often served by my mom.It has delighted many guests.

Ingredients : 1 doodhi,1 katori dahi,1 hari mirchi,1 sukhi lal mirch, a sprig of curry leaves, 1 tsp oil,1/4 tsp mustard,1/4 tsp jeera,1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste.

Method : Peel the doodhi & remove the seeds.Cut it into 1/2 inch pieces & pressure cook the diced pieces .After the pieces have cooled,take 1/4 of the same & put it in a blender or mixie .Add dahi,one hari mirchi,curry leaves,hing & salt.Blend all into a puree.Pour over the 3/4 remaining pieces of diced doodhi.
Prepare the seasoning by taking the oil & spluttering mustard & jeera & lal mirch in the oil.Pour over the raita.

Hara dhania can be used as a garnish or added while blending in the dahi.