Gulla Sagle (Vaingana sagle - Eggplant in coconut sauce)

What you will need:

• Gulla ( Small green eggplants) - 10 - 12
• Coconut grated - 1 cup
• Red chillies - 5
• Tamarind - pea sized
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Jaggery(Molasses) - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 2 strands
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

How to prepare:
Wash the eggplants and slit them into 4 portions. Just slit and do not cut them into pieces.
Grind together the coconut, red chillies, tamarind and jaggery. In the end add the fenugreek and coriander seeds and grind. The paste does not have to be smooth and it can be a little coarse. Do not add a lot of water when grinding. Now fill this paste in the slit eggplants.
Heat oil in a wide non-stick pan. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the curry leaves. Now add the stuffed eggplants one by one in the pan. Pour the rest of the ground masala on top. Cover and cook. If the masala gets dry, you can sprinkle some water. While stirring make sure the eggplants don't separate into pieces. Serve hot.

Vegetable Biryani

What you will need:
Rice - 2 cups
Onions - 2 large
Vegetables - 2 cups (potatoes, carrots, cauliflower)
Green chillies - 5
Whole garam masala - bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves etc
Nuts (Dry fruits) - cashews, almonds (optional)
Coriander leaves - a bunch
Mint leaves - a bunch
Yogurt - 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Saffron soaked in water - 1/2 tsp
Oil/Ghee - 3 tbsp
Salt to taste

For the masala:

Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

OR

Store bought biryani mix - 4 tsp

How to prepare
Deep fry the sliced onions and set aside. I do not like to deep fry the onions as I am trying to watch my diet ;). So I added the onions in the ghee before adding the vegetables in the recipe below.
Boil 5 cups of water. Add a few drops of oil and a teaspoon of salt. Add the rice and cook until its 75% done. Drain all the water out of the rice.
Heat ghee/oil in a deep bottomed pan. Add the cumin seeds, whole garam masala and nuts. I added the onions and browned them at this stage. If using deep fried onions, you can skip this step.
Add the vegetables and green chillies. Now add the ingredients for the masala or store bought biryani mix. Add the yogurt, and half of the chopped coriander and mint leaves. Mix everything together. Lower the flame and cook until the vegetables are 75% done. Add half of the rice. If you are adding deep fried onions, you can layer it over the rice. Add the rest of the coriander and mint leaves. Add the rest of the rice and sprinkle saffon water on top. Cover and cook on a low flame until the rice is completely cooked. Turn the heat off and mix the layers together. Serve hot.

Whole Moong Khichdi

This is definitely comfort food for me. Back in the days when I was living with my friends, I used to make this at least twice every week. Instead of having to cook rice, dal and some vegetables which took a lot of time, I would prefer making this easy khichdi. Just one dish which has carbs and proteins and is a complete meal. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did!!

What you will need:
Whole moong (Green gram) - 1/3 cup
Rice - 1/3 cup
Toor Dal (Yellow Lentils) - 1/3 cup
Green chillies - 3, slit
Onion - 1 small
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - optional
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

How to prepare
Soak whole moong for 4 to 5 hours. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cumin seeds. If adding curry leaves, add them now. Add the turmeric powder and chopped onions. Fry the onions until they are transparent. Now add 2 and a half cups of water. Add the green chillies to the boiling water. Add the moong, rice and toor dal. Cook everything together. After it is done, add salt and mix. Serve hot. You could sprinkle some lime juice before serving.