Aksh's recipes

Hi there, welcome to my blog, This is Aksh, I live in new york. I enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes !! Here is my small collection of recipes. I am originally from bangalore, india. My collection includes some typical south indian traditional recipes passed onto me by my mom and grand mom!! This blog is dedicated to my mom, who taught me to cook :) Happy cooking !!!

[akshrecipes-blog]

Coconut chutney

Ingredients: 

Coconut -  1 cup

Green chilli - 3-4 

ginger - half inch

coriander - 4-5 sticks

pudina(optional) - 2-3 sticks

salt 

tamarind - half tea spoon

Hurigadle/bengal gram- one spoon 

Method: 

Fry the above ingredients(except tamarind & bengal gram) in a pan for 2 minutes with few drops of oil and then grind it by adding half cup of water.

Seasoning: 

Take a small seasoning pan , add one spoon oil. 

When the oil is hot add mustard seeds, curry leaves and one red chilli (broken) 

Then pour this into the ground chutney.

Your coconut chutney is now ready !! 

[akshrecipes-blog]

Moong dal/ hesaru bele paysa

This is a south indian desert prepared on festivals and also offered to god as prasadha. 

Note: Any dish which involves jaggery requires you to cook in a low flame as it gets burnt easily.

Ingredients: 

Moong dal/ Hesaru bele- 1 cup 

Jaggery - 1 cup or 1.5 cups ( your preference of sweetness) 

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup 

Preparation: 

Pressure cook the dal with 1.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker (2 - 3 whistles) 

Place a non-stick cooking pan on flame, add jaggery to it and allow it to melt in a low flame. 

Keep stirring to prevent it from burning. 

After it has melted add coconut and fry in low flame for 1 minute. (keep stirring) 

Then add the cooked dal into it. 

keep stirring and cook for 5 minutes by adding water. 

Taste for sweetness and if required add little more jaggery. 

Your paysam is ready !! 

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Masala puri chaat

Hi, Masala Puri is a popular Indian cart food! This one is my favorite too!! I prepare this one often at home and my husband just loves it !! here is the recipe for it, enjoy and let me know how you like it!! Masala Préparation : Ingredients: Potatoes - 3 Green peas - half cup Turmeric- 1tsp Garam masala- 1tsp (your preference of spicy) red chilli- 1 spoon( your preference of spicy) Dhaniya powder- 1tsp Préparation: Step 1. Cook the potato and green peas in a pressure cooker or in a microwave oven. Peel the cooked potatoes. Step 2: Grind the cooked potatoes and green peas with some water into a fine paste. Step 3: Now place a cooking vessel on flame, add 3-4 spoons of oil and pour the ground paste into it. Now add salt, turmeric, garam masala, red Chili powder, dhaniya powder and one cup of water ( depending on the thickness you prefer) and boil the mixture for 5 minutes. Then add lemon juice, check for salt and turn off the flame. Your masala is ready !! You can use the ready Puri that you get at stores or prepare your own puris (see below for the recipe) Serving: place the puris in a plate crush them a little with your hands, put the masala on top of it, put some finely chopped onions, chopped coriander and sev on top. Serve it hot!! Puri: Dough: wheat flour: 2 cups Rava: 1 cup (fine rava/ sooji rava/ chiroti rava) salt- 1 pinch oil- 1 spoon water- as required. Make a chapati dough with the above ingredients. knead them into small sized round pooris and deep fry them in oil. Allow them to cool and then serve it with masala.

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Sambar/bele saaru

Ingredients: Tuvar daal/ togari bele- 1 cup Vegetables (of your choice) - 2 cups [I use drumsticks , potato and carrot] coriander - finely chopped

Grinding: Tomato - 1 small Sambar powder - 2 spoons Tamarind paste- half tsp Coconut- half cup

Seasoning: onions- finely chopped Garlic - 4-5 pieces smashed mustard seeds curry leaves red chili - 3 oil- 3 Tsp.

Preparation: Pressure cook the dal & vegetables with 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker ( 3 whistles) . Then open the lid of the cooker and add the ground paste & salt. Allow the misture to boil for 5-7 minutes. Add more water if required. Then add chopped coriander. Keep in medium flame. Season the above mentioned ingredients in a small pan and pour it into the sambar. mix the sambar and allow in low flame for 2 mins. Check for salt , add lemon juice and remove from flame.

Your sambar is ready !! Serve it with rice !!

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Dosa and idli batter

Measurements: Rice - 2 cups Lentils - 3/4 cup Flattened rice or avalakki or Poha - 2 handfull

Method: Soak the above in water for minimum of 6 hours then grind them by adding water into a fine paste of running consistency. Keep the ground paste overnight for it to ferment. You can use it the next morning to make either dosa or idli. Add salt to it only right before using it.

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Pongal

This is my easy to make, healthy , tasty dish :) Ingredients: Rice- one and half cup Moong dal - 3/4 cup onion- 1 (finely chopped) Whole peppers- 5-6 (or more) Green chilli - 3 coriander- 2-3 sticks finely chopped ginger- one spoon ( you can also use ginger paste) oil- 2-3 spoons or ghee salt Preparation: place the cooker on flame, add oil/ghee. Then add chopped ginger and pepper and allow it to release the flavor. next add green chillies, onions and fry it to golden brown. Next add the dal and fry for a minute and then add rice, add salt , mix well. Next add two and half cups of water ( or 3 cups ) , add chopped coriander. Check for salt and close the lid. Cook for 3 - 4 whistles. Then enjoy the yummy pongal!! You can serve pongal with coconut chutney or raita. A spoon of ghee on top of it will make it even more yummy :)

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Rasam/ thili saaru

Ingredients: Tomato- 2 Tamarind paste- 1 tea spoon Pepper powder- 1 tea spoon Jeera whole/powder - 1 tea spoon Red chilli- 2 Mustard seeds- 1 tea spoon Garlic - 4-5 pieces Curry leaves- 4-5 turmeric- half tea spoon coriander- 2 sticks Oil- 2 spoons Grind- tomato & tamarind with water. ( till it becomes a nice juice) Place a cooking vessel on flame, add oil. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, allow them to sputter. Add curry leaves, garlic (Smash the garlic pieces to get a better taste. ), broken red chillies, Jeera, turmeric, pepper powder; fry them all for a minute and mix well. Add the tomato & tamarind juice. Add salt. All the above mixture to boil for 3-4 minutes. Then add some more water (depending on the thickness you prefer) and boil for some more time. Add coriander leaves and check for salt. The spicy yummy rasam is ready !! Enjoy !!

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Chicken chops/ chicken green curry

Ingredients: 

Chicken - 2 pounds or 1 KG

oil- 3-4 spoons

finely chopped onion - 1

Grinding ingredients:

Onions- 2

Ginger- 1.5 inches

Garlic - 1 wholes

Pepper powder- half tea spoon

clove- 2-2

Cinnamon- 2 pieces

Green chili - 2-3 (your preference)

coconut- 3 spoons

coriander- half bunch (7-8 sticks)

pudina - 5-6 sticks

Preparation:

Grind the above mentioned ingredients into a fine paste by adding water ( half cup).

Note: make sure you fry those ingredients with  a drop of oil on a pan for 2 minutes before you grind them. by doing so the flavors come out well.

Now place a cooking vessel on the flame and add oil to it.

Add the finely chopped onions and fry them.

Next add chicken , turmeric and salt and fry until the raw smell and chicken water is gone.

Next add the ground paste and add salt.

cook for 5 minutes in open lid.

Then add 1 cup water and close the lid and allow it to cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Check for salt and put off the flame

Your chicken chops is now ready !!

This goes well with roti/chapati/ puri or even rice.

[akshrecipes-blog]

Chicken fry

Hi,

This is a very easy and tasty chicken fry.

It is good with roti/chapati or you can use it as a side dish with your meal.

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 pound or half KG

Onions- 2

tomato- 1

Green chilies- 5-6

Ginger garlic paste- one and half spoon

Pudina- 5-6 sticks

Coriander- 2-3 sticks

Pepper powder- half tea spoon

Garam masala - 1 tea spoon

oil- 2 table spoon

Method:

Finely Chop onions, Tomato, pudina, coriander and slit the green chilies.

Heat pan, add oil, put chopped onions and fry, when they are little fried add chicken, turmeric and salt.

Allow the chicken to fry till the raw smell and the chicken water is gone. (about 10 mins)

Now add green chilli, pudina, ginger gralic paste and fry for 3 minutes,

Next add tomatoes and mix well.

Then add garam masala, pepper powder and fry for 2 minutes.

Add half cup of water and Allow the chicken to cook in medium flame.

When the water is evaporated check if the chicken is cooked and also check for salt.

Now add coriander and mix well. (If you think the chicken is not cooked well yet, you can add some water and cook it for another 5 mins. )

The chicken fry is ready to eat!!

[akshrecipes-blog]

Chicken biryani (south Indian style)

Ingredients: 

Chicken - 2 Pounds or 1 KG 

Rice - 3 cups 

Tomato- 1 

Onion- 3

garlic - 1 whole

Ginger - 1.5 inches

Clove- 4-5

cinnamon- 2 pieces

Bay leaves

Green chili- 6

red chili- 6

Pudina- 3-4 sticks

Coriander- 5-7 sticks

Grated Coconut- 5-6 spoons

Lemon juice- 2 spoons

Preparation: 

Wash rice and drain all the water. 

Add lemon juice to it ad place it aside. This gives a very good taste to the biryani. 

Grinding: You need to grind 2 different masala for this biryani. Also fry the ingredients in a pan for 3-4 minutes with a drop of oil before grinding, this improves the flavor of the masala

(the quantities are as mentioned above in the ingredients list) 

Ground Masala 1:  onions -2 , ginger , garlic, clove, cinnamon. 

Ground masala 2: green chili,  red chili, coconut, pudina, coriander. 

(Keep the two masalas separate and dont mix them. )

Chop 1 onion and tomato and keep aside. 

Now, take a cooker and add about 7-8 spoons of oil. 

When the oil is hot, add bay leaves.

Next add chopped onions and when they are slightly fried add chicken , turmeric and salt and allow it to fry until all the chicken smell and the chicken water is gone. 

Now add Masala 1 and fry for 2 mins

Next add Masala 2 and fry for 2 mins

Next add the rice , mix well. 

Add 3 cups of water and salt. 

Check for salt again and close the lid. 

Allow for 4 whistles and keep in low flame for 3-4 mins. 

Serve it with Raita or Salad. 

Enjoy the yummy biryani!!