Renus Kitchen

I make Allo-Moong Daal Vadi Curry when I have no vegetable in the fridge. I always stalk my pantry with Moong vadi and Nutrela Soya Nuggets , they really come handy in times of grocery crisis. Adding Moong vadis to potato makes it a very healthy combo as moong daal is a power house of proteins Info on Moong Daal Vadi: Moong daal vadi is available in any Indian store through out USA. I currently have " Sona " brand. I usually buy it but here is how you can make it at home: Soak yellow moong daal for 4 hourst --> grind it without water in a processor --> add salt, pepper and chillie --> pipe it out using a cone into small mounds on a cookie tray --> sun dry it for 2-3 days or bake it in the oven to completely dry it --> store it in an air-tight container [I keep mine in the freezer for long shelf-life] Ingredients: Moong Vadi - 1 cup Potato - 1 big Onion - 1 medium Tomato - 1.5 medium Cilantro leaves [coriander] for garnishing Oil - 2 tbsp or more to cook Wat...

Falafels were originated in Egypt. It is a popular fast food in the middle east. These can be served by itself or stuffed in the pita bread. My recipe is adapted from here and here . Ingredients for Falafel: Garbanzo beans - 1 cup Onion - 1 medium and chopped Parsley leaves - 2.5 tbsp Cilantro leaves [coriander] - 2.5tbsp Garlic - 4 cloves [minced] Baking powder - 1 tsp Salt - 1 tsp Ground cumin powder- 1 tsp [optional] All purpose flour [maida] - 4-6 Tbsp Ingredients for Tahini-Yogurt sauce: Tahini - 1/2 cup [I bought at Trader Joes] Yogurt - 1/2 cup Lemon juice - 2 Tbsp Garlic - 1 [finely minced] Salt to taste Ingredients for sandwich: Pita - 1 packet store bought Tomatoes - sliced in rings Lettuce leaves Cucumber - sliced Method for Falafel: Soak garbanzo beans over night or 8 hrs in a bowl of water [keep in mind that the beans swell when soaked in water, therefore use enough water] Drain the beans and keep them aside Transfer drained beans and coarsely chopped onions, garlic,...

Back home I used to love bell peppers [aka capsicum, shimla mirch] and for some reason don't enjoy eating it here in the US. Being a vegetarian, its not a good idea to be choosy with limited vegetables available here :)) So I decided to cook a regular bell pepper and potato curry with a twist.....and my secret ingredient is MDH Paav Bhaji Masala [you can get in any Indian store ]. Trust me, Paav bhaji masala adds an extra zing to the sabzi and now its one of my favorites !! I hope you all gonna enjoy this one.... Ingredient: Potato - 2 medium Bell pepper [Capsicum] - 2 medium Onion- 1 big Mustard seeds [rai] - 1tbsp Turmeric - 1.5 tsp *Paav Bhaji masala - 2tbsp Corriander/Cilantro Powder [dhania] - 1.5tsp Salt - according to taste Green Chillie - 1 chopped Method: Boil potato, make sure you don't over boil them, else they will be mushy Chop onions [ slightly bigger pieces, it adds taste to the subzi (curry) ] Chop bell peppers [ not too big nor too small ]...

Some facts about Tamarind: Tamarind is native to Sudan and was introduced to India centuries ago. It is known to have some antiseptic, mild laxative and digestive properties [ even for elephants :)) ] It is an excellent polish for copper and brass items. Ingredients: Imli [Tamarind Paste] - 1/4 cup * Jaggery[gur] - 1/4 cup [depends how sweet you want] Water - 1.5 cup Red Chillie powder - 1/2 tsp Salt - to taste Black salt - to taste Roasted cumin seed powder - 1/2 tsp Oil - 1tsp Cumin seeds - 1/tsp Method 1: Dissolve imli paste in water and keep it aside Heat oil and when it is hot enough add cumin seeds and let it splutter Very carefully pour the imli-water mixture in the hot oil [ Caution: keep your face away from the pan to prevent from getting burn. Water added to hot oil leads to spluttering ] Bring the mix to rolling boil Add jaggery, spices and salt Boil for some good 10 minutes ( in the event water starts to evaporate, add more water to keep t...

Masala Dosa is one of my favorite South Indian dish. Dosa is supposed to be originated from Temple streets of Udupi, Karnataka Here are few facts about ingredients used in making Idli/Dosa: Urad daal and feenugreek mix attracts air borne yeast which aids in fermentation Iodine of Iodized salt kills the yeast , it is better to use kosher salt The best temperature for fermentation is between 86-90 degree F Fermentation should be carried out in wide mouthed opening, as it increases the chances of catching wild yeast for fermentation Ingredients: For Dosa Urad daal [split un-husked black gram]- 0.5 cup * Idli rice - 2 cups Feenugreek seeds (methi seeds) - 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Canola Oil - for cooking dosa For Potato Filling Potato (boiled) - 2 big Onions - 1.5 medium size Curry leaves - 7-8 in number Mustard seeds (rai daana) - 1tsp Green chillies - 1.5 tbsp chopped Turmeric (haldi) - 1 tsp Coriander powder - 1tsp Salt - according to taste Canola Oil - 2 ...

Corn is a good source of vitamin B1, vitamin B5, folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese, therefore it makes part of any healthy menu ! Ingredients: Ear of corn - 1 Onion - 1/2 medium size Tomato- 1 medium size Lemon juice Salt - to taste Green chillies - to taste Cilantro leaves for garnishing Chaat masala - optional Method: First get the corn off the cob Now you are ready to prepare your chaat Add chopped onions, tomatoes, salt , chopped green chillies, chaat masala and toss it well Adjust the seasoning according to your taste Squeeze in fresh lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves Eat it fresh !!