Tadka Maggi -#SimpleSnack

Ingredients:

1. Onion - 1
2. Tomato - 1
3. Chilli - 2
4. Chilli Flakes - 1/4 tsp
5. Maggi - 2
6. Oil - 1 tsp
7. Water - 420 ml

Preparation: (Time 30 min)

1. Take a sauce pan and add some oil to it and let it heat
2. Add chopped onions and chilli to the pan and saute till the onions are soft.
3. Now add tomatoes to the pan and saute this mixture for another 5 min
4. Once the ingredients are cooked, add Maggi masala to the mixture and mix the ingredients thoroughly.
5. Now add Maggi Noodles and water to the pan and close the lid.
6. Cook the ingredients for 4 min on a small flame and turn it off.

Maggi goes very well with potato chips. Give it a try!

Pappu - #SimpleCurry

Ingredients:

1. Tur Dal - 1 Cup
2. Spinach/Palak - 1 bunch
3. Onions - 1
4. Green Chilli -2
5. Mustard Seeds
6. Jeera Seeds
7. Hing
8. Salt
9. Curry Leaves
10. Red Chilli - 2
11. Tamarind Paste - 3/4 tsp
12. Coriander

Preparation: (Time 30 min)

1. Take 1 cup of Tur Dal in a pressure cooker and wash it thoroughly.
2. Add chopped Onions, Spinach, Green Chilli to Tur Dal and add 2 cups of water.
3. Wait for 5-6 whistles on medium flame. 
4. Wait for 2 minutes till the pressure cooker cools down
5. Remove the lid and place it on a stove to simmer. Add water if required.
6. Now add tamarind paste, salt to dal and let it cook
7. Simultaneously take a pan and pour 3 tsps of oil and let it heat
8. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Now add Turmeric, Jeera Seeds and Hing
9. Add Curry leaves and dry red Chilli and turn off the flame once they are fried
10. Let it cool for a minute and add all these ingredients to dal. At this stage add chopped coriander leaves to dal.
11. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients and serve it with roti/rice.

Lobia Masala - #SimpleCurry

Ingredients:

1. Black Eyed Beans - 1 cup - Soak it for 6-8 hours
2. Onion - 1 Big
3. Tomato - 2 small
4. Peanuts - 2 tsp
5. Poppy Seeds - 1 tsp
6. Sesame Seeds - 1 tsp
7. Coconut Powder - 1 tsp
8. Cashews - 6
9. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
10. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Cumin Powder- 1/2 tsp
12. Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
13. Oil - 2 tsp
14. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
15. Water - 2 cups
16. Salt to taste

Preparation (30min)

1. Dry roast peanuts and cashews for 2 min in a pan.
2. Now add Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coconut powder to the same pan and fry for 1 min
3. Add these ingredients into a blender and add some water and grind it into a smooth paste.
4. Heat the same pan and add some oil to it. Add cumin and onion to the pan and saute till the onions turn soft.
5. Now add finely chopped tomatoes to the pan and saute them till oil releases from the mixture.
6. Now add in masala paste,chili powder,salt,turmeric powder, cumin and coriander powder and mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
7. After 2 min, add black eye beans and some water for gravy consistency
8. Cook all the ingredients for 5 min in low flame. Now add cilantro leaves and turn off the flame.

Andhra Style Fish Curry -#SimpleCurry

Ingredients:

1. Fenugreek Seeds - half teaspoon
2. Ginger - 1 inch
3. Garlic - 5 cloves
4. Cloves - 5 
5. Cinnamon - 2 1 inch sticks
6. Onion - 1 small 
7. Tomato - 1
8. Curry leaves 
9. Tamarind juice - 2 cups
10. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
11. Chilli powder - 2 tsp
12. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
13. Salt
14. Oil - 5 tsp

Preparation:

1. Take Fenugreek seeds, Ginger, Garlic, Cloves, Cinnamon in a blender and grind them to a smooth paste
2. Take raw fish pieces in a bowl and add 2 tsp of oil, salt, turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder and the grounded paste from step 1
3. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly with fish pieces and set them aside for 30 min.
4. Take a pan, add 3 tsp oil and let it heat.
5. Add chopped onions to the pan and fry them for 5 min
6. Then add chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomoto is cooked completely
7. Now add marinated fish pieces and fry them on both sides for 10-15 min on a slow flame
8. Now add tamarind juice enough to immerse the fish pieces. It is tastier if the curry is sour but you can adjust based on your preference. Add curry leaves at this point to add nice flavour to your curry.
9. Cook fish pieces on both sides for 15-20 min by slowly turning them to ensure they don't break into pieces.
10. Lastly, adjust salt and chilli powder and turn off the flame.
11. Cool it down completely or wait for 6-8 hours and serve with rice.

Poha - #SimpleBreakfast

Poha is a very popular dish in Maharashtra. It is very easy to be make and can be served in the morning as breakfast or during evening as Snack.

Ingredients:

1. Poha (flattened rice) - 1 Cup
2. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
3. Oil - 2 tsp
4. Green chilies - 3
5. Peanuts - 2 tsp
6. Potato - 1 medium sized (Optional)
7. Onion - 1 medium sized
8. Mustard Seeds
9. Cumin Seeds
10. Curry Leaves
11. Coriander leaves
12. Salt as required

Preparation:

1. Pick Poha in a bowl and sprinkle water on it and mix till all of it is wet. Make sure to not pour excessive water as it becomes mushy.
2. Now add turmeric powder and mix them gently. Keep this aside.
3. Cut Onions, green chilli and keep them aside.
4. Take a pan and heat oil. Add mustard seeds and wait till they splutter. Now add cumin seeds.
5. Add peanuts and fry for 2 min.
6. Now add curry leaves and chopped green chilli. Saute the ingredients for a minute
7. Add Onions and Potato(optional) to the mixture and saute them for 6-7 min. Now add Salt to the mixture and mix them thoroughly.
8. Now add Poha to the mixture and gently mix all the ingredients.
9. Taste and add salt as required. Add coriander leaves to the mixture and turn off the flame.

Yummy Poha is ready to be served. Squeeze lemon juice as it adds to the taste.

Palak Paneer - #SimpleCurry

Palak Paneer is one of the most popular Indian dishes. It is easy to make but demands more time. You can try this dish during weekends.

Ingredients:

1. Spinach - 1 bunch
2. Paneer - 200 gms
3. Oil - 3 tsp
4. Onion - 1
5. Tomato - 1
6. Green Chilies- 4
7. Garlic - 6 Cloves. 
8. Ginger - 1/2 inch
9. Water
10. Hing - a Pinch
11. Turmeric Powder - a pinch
12. Salt
13. red chilli powder - 1 tsp
14. Garam Masala - 1 tsp Optional

Preparation:

1. First step is to make Palak Puree. Take spinach bunch and get rid of Stringy stems. Wash it thoroughly.
2. Boil water in a pan and add salt to it.Then add washed Spinach and close the lid. Wait for 2-3 min and turn off the flame.
3. Drain water and let it cool.
4. Now add spinach, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 2 chopped green chilli and chopped ginger to the grinder and make smooth puree. Keep it aside.
5. Chop Onion, Tomato, Green chili, Garlic into small pieces
6. Heat Oil in a Pan.
7. Add Onions and saute till they become golden brown. Now add hing,chopped garlic, chopped green chilli and wait for 2-3 min
8. Now add Chopped Tomatoes and saute them till they soften
9. Add Turmeric powder and Red chili powder an mix the ingredients
10. Now add palak puree and stir well. Add water and salt as required at this stage. Add Garam Masala if you want and stir well.
11. Cook palak for about 5-6 min and the gravy will also thicken by now.
12. Now add Paneer Cubes. Stir gently and simmer on a low flame for about 1-2 min till the paneer cubes become soft and succulent.
13. Turn off the flame.

Yummy Palak Paneer is ready. It goes very well with rotis, naan, parathas and jeera rice

UPMA - #SimpleIndianbreakfast

Upma is made of Semolina and is very simple to make. It takes only 20-30 min and is delicious.

Ingredients:

1. Semolina - 1 cup
2. Water - 3 cups
3. Oil - 2 tsps
4. Onion - 1
5. Ginger - 1/2 tsp
6. Green Chilli - 4
7. Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. Veggies (peas/carrot etc) - 3 tsps
10. Urad dal/chana dal - 1 tsp
11. Hing - a pinch
12. Curry leaves
13. Coriander leaves

Preparation:

1. Cut onions, ginger, curry leaves, coriander,green chilli and any veggies you may want to add and keep aside. 
2. Take a pan and pour oil. Add mustard seeds after the oil is heated and wait till they splutter.
3. Now add cumin seeds and hing. Then add chana dal and wait till they turn brown.
4. Now add curry leaves, ginger, green chilli and Onions. Fry the ingredients till onions turn transparent
5. Now add cut veggies and fry for 5 min
6. Add water and let all the ingredients come to a boil
7. Now slowly pour Semolina while mixing all the ingredients to avoid any lumps.
8. Wait for 2 min and add Coriander leaves and turn off the flame.

Yummy Upma is ready to be served. It goes very well with lemon juice or with breakfast chutney(made with peanut or coconut).