HOMEMADE FRESH BANANA JAM

My little one loves bananas so much........................And the base for this recipe is strawberry jam from the recipe by  ( Hetal & Anuja)  and i created my own  style and used bananas instead of strawberries.

INGREDIENTS:


Ripe bananas - 4

Sugar – 1/4 cup                        
Fresh Lime Juice – 1 Tsp

METHOD:

1. Coarsely food process bananas for a chunky jam or blend for a smooth texture.
2. Add bananas , sugar and lime juice into a medium saucepan and mix well.
3. Cook on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Stir frequently.
4. Reduce heat to medium low  and continue cooking for 15mins minutes (until all white bubbles disappear). Stir frequently.
5. Remove from heat allow to cook for a few minutes.

6. While still warm, transfer jam to a clean and dry plastic or glass jar. Allow jam to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 1 month

NOTE : You can use the recipe as a base and try it with any fruits...................................
2. If you add 1/4 tsp of citric acid it helps the jam as a preservative  and gives a longer shelf life.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH BLACK CHANNA

INGREDIENTS:

Butternut Squash (or Pumpkin) – 1 medium size
Black Channa – 1 cup  ( soaked in water for 8hrs)
Water – 3 cups
Salt – to taste
Oil – 2 tbsp
Panch Puran -  1 tsp (Fenugreek Seeds ,Cumin Seeds , Mustard Seeds , Onion Seeds, Fennel Seeds )
Salt – to taste
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
Minced Ginger – 1 tbsp
Sugar – 1 tsp, (optional and to taste)

METHOD:

1. Wash and rinse the Channas and soak them overnight (atleast 8 hrs) with fresh water.
2. After 8 hours, rinse out the water, transfer the Channas into a pressure cooker, add Water and Salt (1/2 tbsp or to taste).
3. Close the Pressure Cooker and allow it to cook on high heat for 2 whistle.
4. Turn off the flame/heat and allow the pressure to go down by itself.
5. Open pressure cooker and drain/remove the liquid and save the Channas.

For the Subzi :

1. Wash, cut, peel, remove seeds and fiber & cube the Squash (Pumpkin) to bite size.
2. In a open pan , heat Oil on medium heat.
3. Once hot, add the Panch Puran and allow the seeds to pop and sizzle.
4. Add the cubed Squash.
5. Let it cook till 3/4th cooked.
6. Stir periodically for even cooking. The Squash needs to be a little translucent and soft .
7.Then add spices – Salt, Red Chili Powder, Cumin Powder, Ginger & Sugar.
8.  Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
9. Add in the Channas and mix and cook till the Squash is cooked all the way.
10. Turn off the flame and it’s ready to serve

Goes well with rice or roti.....................................................

TOOR DAL WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH KUTTU

INGREDIENTS:

Toor dal - 1cup
Butternut squash - 1cup (cut into cubes).

Channa dal - 2tbsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2tsp
Curry leaves
Haldi - pinch

FOR GRINDING:

Coconut grated -2tbsp
Red chillies dry - 4
Jeera - 1/4tsp

FOR SEASONING:

Mustard seeds - 1/4tsp
Urad dal - 1tsp
Hing - pinch
Oil - 1/2 tsp ( We can even use coconut oil  for seasoning)

METHOD:

1. Wash 1cup  toor dal  and add 3cups water and let it boil for three whistles.

2. Chop the butternut squash.

3. In a pan add 2tbsp of channa dal.

4. Add the chopped squash.

5. Now add 1cup of water.

6. Add a pinch of haldi and black pepper powder.

7. Mix them nicely and allow it to boil.

8. By the time the squash is boiling we can do the grinding part.

9. Take 2tbsp of grated coconut in a spice grinder jar.

10. Add 4 redchillies and jeera.

11. Grind them to a fine paste.

12. check weather the squash is boiled.

13. Then add the boiled dal.

14. Mix well nicely and add the grinded coconut paste.

15. Add the curry leaves.

16. Heat oil in a small pan for tadka.

17. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop.

18. Now add urad dal and let it fry till golden brown colour.

19. Add pinch of hing.

20. Pour the tadka into the dal.

21. Mix well and allow it to boil for 3mins.

22. Now the dal is ready to serve...................................

This dal is very healthy. It is important to add all the squashes in our daily cooking......

RADISH SAMBHAR

INGREDIENTS:

Radish - 150gms sliced
Toor dal - 1cup
Tamarind - lemon sized
Sambhar powder - 4tsp
Water - 3cups (for boiling dal)
Curry leaves - a sprig
Hing - pinch
Haldi - 1/4tsp

FOR TADKA :

Oil - 1tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
Methi seeds - 1/4tsp

METHOD:

1. Take 1cup of toor dal  wash the dal nicely.
2. Pressure cook the dal  for three whistles.

3. Soak the tamarind in water.

4. Slice the radish into thin slices.

5. Extract the juice from the soaked tamarind.

 

6.Add 4 tsp of sambhar powder  (I used homemade sambhar powder. Will post the recipe for that later) in the tamarind extract.

7. Mix the sambhar powder well.

8. Add a pinch of hing.

9. Add washed curry leaves, and salt.

10. Mix them well.

11. Add sliced radish to this mixture.

12. Allow it to boil.

13. In the mean time mash the cooked dal.

14. Once the radish is cooked add the mashed dal.

15. Take a small skillet and add oil for tadka.

16. Add mustars seeds and let then pop well.

17. Add  methi seeds and add the tadka to the sambar.

18. Yummy  radish sambhar is ready to serve................................

TRI COLOUR CAPSICUM WITH ALOO

INGREDIENTS:

Capsicum -  200gms ( I used three different colours red, orange, green)
Aloo - 2
Onions - 1 medium finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 finely chopped
Salt - to taste
Sambhar powder - 2tbsp
Coriander leaves - 2tbsp to garnish
Oil - 2tbsp

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in the pan.

2. Chop the vegetables in the same size.

                      
3. Add finely chopped onions in the hot oil.

4. Saute them well .

5. Add salt and  a pinch of turmeric powder.

6. Mix nicely and fry until the onions  becomes like mirror.

7. Then add finely chopped tomatoes .

8. Mix them nicely.

9. Fry them till the oil comes gets separated.

10. Then add the vegetables.

11. Mix well nicely.

12. Add the sambhar powder ( I f you dont like sambhar powder you can add curry powder or  just chilli powder)

13. Mix it nicely so that all the sambhar masala gets incorporated.

14. Close the lid and leave it in medium flame.

15. Keep mixing in middle.

16. Add chopped coriander leaves.

17. Mix them nicely.

18. This goes really well with hot rotis...................................................