Palak Chana / Spinach chick pea curry

Preparation time - 20 mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 cups spinach puree/4 cups finely chopped spinach leaves
• 1 big onion.finely chopped
• 2 big tomatoes
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 spoon chilly powder
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 4 green chillies (slit)
• 1/4 cup semi skimmed milk
• salt to taste
• 4-5 spoons sunflower oil

Procedure :

• In a wide pan warm 3 spoons of oil and saute cloves,bay leaf,cinnamon,fennel seeds,chopped onions for few minutes.
• Once onion gets transparent add salt,turmeric,chilly powder,ginger-garlic paste,green chillies and chopped tomato.Fry for 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped spinach/spinach puree to the pan and fry till it leaves the water and gets cooked.
• Now put the gravy mix in a plate and allow it to cool.Once cooled grind it into a smooth mix.
• Meanwhile warm the remaining oil in the same pan and saute the boiled chana for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the gravy mix to the pan.Add the milk and close the lid for 2mins.Switch off the heat.
• Garnish with deep fried garlic and coriander.Serve with roti or pilau.
  

Cut masala mirchi

Ingredients:
Besan flour 1cup
10 Chillies(Large)
1 big onion
1 spoon ajwain seeds
1/2 sp salt
1/2 sp chilly powder
2 pinches baking soda
3 spoons lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped coriander
500ml sunflower oil(for frying)
Method:

1. Mix salt,chilly powder,baking soda,ajwain and besan in a bowl.
2. Add 1/4 cup of water and mix it into a thick batter.
3. Now slit each chilly and dip it in this batter.If you donot prefer very spicy,remove the seeds from chillies gently.
4. Meanwhile heat oil in a deep sauce pan.
5. When oil is hot enough,slide chilly with besan into the pan slowly and fry till brown.
6. Repeat this with all 10 chillies and collect them in a bowl.Cut these mirchi bhaji into 5pieces(circles) each.
   
7. Take another pan and put 2 spoons of oil.Deep fry each piece until brown.
8. Chop onion fine and mix them with fried chilly bhaji pieces.
9. Add lemon juice now to this and garnish with fine chopped coriander.
10. Great snack with masala tea.

Burrito with rice and soya stuffing

Preparation time - 20mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients:
6-8 tortilla
1 big onion(chopped into long slices)
1 green bell pepper
1 cup boiled chana/chickpeas
Soya fillets - 4(chopped into cubes)
1/4 cup grated cheese
6-8 lettuce(optional)
5 spoons sunflower oil
2 spoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon soya sauce
1 tea spoon salt
1 tea spoon red chilly powder
Procedure:

• Heat the oil in a wide pan, then saute onions,soya cubes,chopped green bell pepper,chana on a medium heat until brown.
• Add salt,chilly powder,tomato ketchup and soya sauce.Mix well and close the lid for a minute or two.
• Add cooked long grain rice and mix slowly to the pan.Switch off the heat.
• Warm tortillas microwave on full power for 35-40 seconds (cooking time may vary depending on microwave) or toss them over a frying pan for 10 seconds on each side.
• Get your lettuce and arrange it on the spread tortilla.Put the rice mix in the middle,sprinkle the grated cheese.
• Fold the tortilla around so that the stuffing gets packed inside.(like a spring roll stuffing).
• Cut each burrito into two equal halves .Serve and let everyone tuck in!
• This Indo-Mexican style burrito serves best for a light lunch with a drink.

Minty cucumber cooler / Kheera yogurt drink

Preparation time - 10mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients:
kheera(cucumber) - 2 medium sized
1/2 cup(200ml) curds / yogurt
1 pinch of salt
2 table spoons sugar
1 green chilly
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
2 cups crushed ice
Procedure:

•  Chop each kheera into 8-10 medium sized pieces and blend along with green chilly in a liquidiser.
• Meanwhile in a wide bowl beat yogurt,sugar,salt and mint leaves into a even and smooth mix.
• Now using a white clean cloth or a net extract the kheera and seperate the pulp.
• Add the plain kheera water to the yogurt mix well in the blender along with some crushed ice.
• Serve it cold garnishing with a mint leaf.
• Instant cooler for the warm summer,packed with a glass full of nutrients.

Tomato garlic rasam / Tomato Chaaru

Preparation time-20mins
serves-4
Ingredients:
4 tomato
6-7 pods of garlic
1 sp mustard seeds
1 sp urad dal
1 sp jeera
2 spoons MTR rasam powder/home made rasam powder
4-5 curry leaves
1/4 cup chopped coriander
1 sp tamarind paste/2 spoons lemon juice
4 red chillies
2 green chillies
pinch of turmeric
3-4 pinches salt
2 spoons sunflower oil
Method:

1. In a deep sauce pan,heat oil and add mustard seeds,after they splutter add urad dal,turmeric,jeera and curry leaves.Fry for a min.
2. Then add split green and red chillies to it.Sim the heat.
   
3. Finely chop tomatoes and add to the pan and fry for a min.
4. Add salt,rasam powder and tamarind paste.Mix well.If you prefer lemon juice to tamarind paste,add lemon juice at the end after switching off the heat.
   
5. Now add 3 glasses of filter water.Allow it to boil for 5-7mins on low heat.
6. Take garlic pods and crush them with mortar and pestle.If you dont have mortar handy,you can use thick spoon to crush garlic on a plate applying pressure.
7. Add these crushed garlic pieces to the rasam and on flame allow it boil for 4-5mins,till it releases the aroma of garlic.
8. Switch off the heat and garnish with coriander.Serve hot with plain rice.
   
9. This is a healthy recipe for soothing bowels when you take a heavy meal.

Mixed dal fry

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
1 cup chana dal
1 big onion
4 garlic pods
6 dry red chillies
1 sp mustard seeds
1 sp urad dal
3 sps tamarind paste
6 curry leaves
2 pinches turmeric
3 pinches salt
pinch or hing
2 sps of butter/ghee
3 sps of sunflower oil
Method:

1. This is a little different way of how we cook toor dal regularly.Try this and let me know how good it is!
2. Wash toor dal and chana dal and put them in pressure cooker along with cut 4 dry red chillies,turmeric,crushed garlic pods.
3. Add 3 cups of water nd cook under pressure for 10mins/3 whistles.
4. I prefer doing this directly in a small dal cooker rather than in a vessel in cooker.
5. Meanwhile,prepare the seasoning with mustard seeds,urad dal,remaining dry red chillies and hing.
6. Now finely chop onion into small pieces and fry them in seasoning pan for 2mins until transparent.
7. Then add tamarind paste to the onions and lower the heat to minimum.Allow tamarind to lose its rawness in that pan for a minute.
   
8. When dal is cooked,blend it smooth adding salt to it with a paddle.This gives a pleasant colour and flavour with garlic,turmeric and chillies as cooked along with dal.
9. Now add the dal paste to the pan and mix evenly with onions.
10. In a different pan,warm ghee/butter and fry curry leaves for few seconds.
11. Add curry leaves with ghee to the mixed dal pan and switch off the heat.
12. This tastes yummy and simple to do as well.Enjoy with roti and also can have with plain steaming rice.

Ginger chutney / allam pacchadi

Preparation time-10mins
Serves-4
Ingredients: 
100 gms ginger
small lemon sized jaggery piece
2 spoons tamarind paste
4-5 curry leaves
2 spoons urad dal
1 spoon chana dal
1/2 spoon mustard seeds
1 garlic pod
5 dry red chillies
Salt to taste
1 pinch of turmeric powder
1 pinch hing/asafoetida
3 spoons sunflower oil
Procedure:

•  Fry half quantity of urad dal and chana dal,garlic in a spoon of oil and allow it to cool.
• Once cooled add these to the blender along with jaggery,tamarind paste,salt and chopped ginger.Blend it to a smooth chutney adding a spoon of water.
• Prepare seasoning by frying remaining urad dal,mustard seeds,dry red chillies,turmeric powder,hing,curryleaves in remaining oil.
• Add it to the chutney and serve it as a dip or side dish for idly,dosa,pesarattu or even with rice.

Brussel sprout onion fry

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
20-25 brussel sprouts
2 medium sized onions
3 dry red chillies
2 sps jeera
2 pods garlic
3 pinches salt
pinch of turmeric
5 curry leaves
1/2 sp chilly powder
1 sp garam masala
1 tea spoon ghee
3 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Wash and cut each sprout into 2 halves.
2. Finely chop onions,crush garlic and red chillies.
3. Meanwhile in a sauce pan heat ghee,add jeera and curry leaves,allow them to pop.
4. Then put 2 sps of oil in the same pan and when hot,add turmeric,crushed chillies and garlic.
5. Add chopped onions.Sprinkle salt and saute for 2mins till light brown.
6. Now put chilly powder and garam masala in the pan and mix evenly.
7. Collect fried onion mix in a plate.
8. Add the remaining 1 sp oil to the pan and arrange flat side of each half of the sprout on the pan.
9. When done,now spread the fried onion mix over the sprouts and close the lid.
10. On low heat allow them to get brown for 2-3mins undisturbed.This helps sprouts to catch the flavour of masala and get cooked.
    
11. Then turn them around mixing with the masala on top.
12. Check for the sprout to be soft and cooked.
13. Serve hot with plain rice or roti.
14. Tastes very good.Try and let me know your comments please.

Raw banana fry

Preparation time-15mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
2 raw banana
1 sp jeera
1 garlic pod finely chopped
3 pinches salt
3 pinches red chilly powder
5-7 curry leaves
2 spoons finely chopped coriander
4 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. First take a bowl of water and keep them handy.
2. Apply 2 drops of sunflower oil to your palms and then peel off the banana skin with peeler.
3. Oil prevents banana sticking to hand and thus ease of handling.
4. When peeled,now cut each banana into equal circles approximately and drop them in bowl of water to keep the color unchanged.Otherwise they turn little dark.
5. Meanwhile heat oil in a sauce pan and saute jeera,chopped garlic and curry leaves.
6. When oil is hot,put drained banana pieces and allow them to fry on low heat.
7. Keep tossing them for 2-3 mins and now add salt and chilly powder.
8. Check when the outer surface turns golden brown and inner piece is soft and cooked.
9. Turn off the heat and serve hot with hot plain rice.Garnish with coriander.
10. Simple and easy!try and let me know different ways you do.
    

Alu Korma / Potato Korma

Ingredients:
6 medium sized alu(boiled)
2 onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 cinnamon small sticks

3 pods garlic
4 green chillies
1/2 cup chopped coriander
10 cashew nuts
2 cloves
2 sps salt
2 spoons dessicated coconut
1 cup coconut milk
1 sp red chilly powder
1 sp garam masala powder
5 sps sunflower oil
3 sps butter
Method:

1. Boil alu deskin and cut them into four pieces each.
2. Finely chop onion,garlic and green chillies.
3. Warm oil.Fry onion,garlic,green chillies,tomato and cinnamon sticks and cloves.Allow it to cool for 5mins.
4. Grind the cooked tomato-onion mix adding salt and cashew nuts.
5. Put oil in the pan and saute slit green chillies,chilly powder,garam masala for a minute and then add the ground tomato mix.
6. Sim the heat,add alu pieces and mix them even with the gravy.
7. Now pour coconut milk and add dessicated coconut to the gravy and close the lid for 2-3mins.
8. Warm butter and roast 3-5 cashews and add it to the kurma and switch off the heat.
9. Garnish with coriander.Tastes yummy.Goes well with paratha,roti and fried rice too.My favourite party time dish.Give a try and let me know your way...

Chapathi / Indian flat bread

Ingredients:
wheat flour - 3 cups
Filtered water - 1/4 cup
Sunflower oil - 2 table spoons
Pinch of salt

Procedure:

1. Mix the ingredients (except water) in a wide bowl. 
2. Add water a little at a time and slowly mix until you get a pliable dough which is not runny. 
3. If you overdo the water just add more flour you are looking for something like the consistency of play dough. 
4. Now flour your hands and knead well for 5 minutes. 
5. Regularly reflour your hands as needed to prevent the dough sticking. 
6. Store the dough mix for 15-20 mins aside in an air tight container.
7. Break the dough into 6-8 pieces and roll each flat and thin using a well floured rolling pin on a floured surface. 
8. Heat a heavy pan to a high heat and cook the chapathis without any oil for about 1 minute on each side.
9. Serve immediately or cover in foil and keep them in a closed box until required. 
10. Ideal for everyday meal with curry and dal.Try even for a meal on move and travelling.

Optional tips :

• Use warm water instead of normal water for fluffier chapathis
• You can even use warm milk replacing water for dough mix for a tastier and richer taste
• Add a tea spoon of oil or butter or ghee while frying on the pan for soft,tasty chapathis.

Paddu / Guntaponganaalu

Ingredients:
urad dal-1glass
rice(raw)-2glasses
fenugreek seeds-1tblspn
1 big onion
2 sps jeera
1 cup chopped coriander
7-8 green chillies
Procedure:
1.Soak urad dal,rice,fenugreek seeds and in water for 5-6hrs and grind to a fine batter.
2.Add 2tspn salt and to this mix and allow the mix to ferment over night for fluffy and soft paddus.
3.Chop onion,coriander and chillies very fine and add them along with a jeera to batter and mix well.
4.In this stage you need a non stick paddu pan which is nowadays available in all good kitchenware stores.
5.Place the pan on medium flame for 10-15min and add a drop oil in each paddu slot.
6.Add the prepared batter with a spoon(make sure that you are not over filling or filling the slot completely)and fill the slot to 3/4th.
7.Reduce the flame and allow the paddu to stay for 2min
8.Then turn the paddu to the otherside and do the same untill they turn glodenbrown.
9.very simple to prepare tastes good with onion chutney.
10.Good recipe for a snack or for breakfast.Isnt it?

Poha / Atukulupma

Preparation time-10mins
Serves-2
Ingredients:
2 cups Chudva
1 big onion(chopped)
2 tomato(sliced)
1 sp jeera
1 sp mustard seeds
1 sp urad dal
2 sps ground nuts
2 pods garlic
3 red chillies(chopped)
2 green chillies(slit)
6-7 curry leaves
1 sp of lemon juice
3 spns sunflower oil
Method:

1. Heat oil in a sauce pan and allow mustard seeds to splutter.Add urad dal,jeera,green chillies,red chillies,ground nuts and curry leaves.Fry for a min.
2. Add finely chopped onion and fry them till transparent.
   
3. Put tomato and add salt and garlic pieces.Fry for 2mins.
4. Now take chudva in a bowl and add 5-7 glasses of water to it.Just soak them for a minute.
5. If you have paper chudva,dont soak them even for a min.Jut dip them in water and take out.
6. Drain and add wet chudva to the pan.
7. On low flame wait for 3mins.Switch off the heat and add lemon juice to it.
   
8. Mix evenly and Serve.Tastes good when warm and with curds.
   
9. Quick and tasty dish.Enjoy and tell me any tips you have.

Brinjal/Eggplant chutney

Ingredients:
brinjal-4 small
onions-1(medium sized)
green chillies-7
tamarind paste -1spn
garlic-2 to 3 pods
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
salt to taste
mustard seeds-1spn
urad dal-2 spns
dry red chillies-3 to 4
3 sps sunflower oil
Procedure:
1.Heat 2 sps oil in a sauce pan and add chopped onion,allow to fry till golden brown
2.Add sliced brinjal and stir fry for 10-15min(till brinjal softens,do not over fry)
3.Keep it aside and allow to cool for 5min.
4.Then add salt,green chillies(slit),tamarind paste to the fried contents.
5.Grind all the contents to a paste(fine or medium consistency as desired)
6.For seasoning,put 1 sp oil in a saucepan and add mustard seeds,urad dal and red chillies .
7.Then add garlic(crushed) to the seasoning in the end and mix well with the brinjal onion paste.
8.Garnish with coriander.
9.Tastes good with tiffins and even hot plain rice.

Stuffed Capsicum-Aloo

Preparation time-30mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
2 Capsicum(medium sized)
2 aloo(medium sized)
2 small onion
4 green chillies
4 dry red chillies
4 curry leaves
1 sp whole jeera
1 sp dhania powder
1 sp chilly powder
1 sp salt
1 sp butter/ghee
5 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Finely chop onions and potato into small cubes.
2. Take a deep sauce pan and warm sunflower oil.
3. Then put jeera,red chillies,slit green chillies and curry leaves and fry them for a minute.
4. Add onions to the pan and sprinkle salt.Fry them for 2mins till transparent.
5. Add potato cubes to it and allow them to cook by closing the lid on low heat for 5mins.
6. Mix them adding chilly powder and dhania powder and close the lid for 5 more mins on low heat.
7. Meanwhile cut the stalk of the capsicum like a cap.So, that you can fill the prepared aloo stuff in the hollow part of the capsicum.
8. Now,take a pinch of salt and apply on the inner surface of each capsicum with your finger.
9. Same time apply ghee on the outer surface of each capsicum and now stuff it with the aloo and onion curry.
10. When done,place the stuffed capsicum in preheated oven for 15mins.
11. Or you can even keep them in a deep sauce pan with 2sps of ghee for 15-20mins on medium heat.
12. Check the capsicum is soft and ready to serve.
13. Tastes great with roti or you can have it with rice and even with pasta.
14. My choice for weekend meets which makes my dish look special.
15. Try and leave me your tips.

Gobi rice

Preparation time-25mins
serves-4
Ingredients:
300gms gobi
2 medium sized onions
2 cups basmati rice
2 cloves
2 sps jeera
4 sps tomato ketchup
4 pods of garlic
2 dry red chillies
4 green chillies
3 pinches salt
5 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Separate gobi florets and blanch them in a bowl of hot water adding a pinch of salt for 10mins.
2. Soak rice in boiling water for 10mins.
   
3. Meanwhile chop onions into long thin slices,slit green chillies,crush red chillies and garlic pods.
4. Heat a deep sauce pan with oil.Add jeera.After they pop,lower the heat and add chopped onions,chillies and garlic.Fry them for 2mins.
5. Now add salt and tomato ketchup to the pan.
6. Drain gobi florets.wash them in cold water and add them to the pan.Mix evenly and allow them to fry for 2mins.
7. Drain and wash rice in cold water stream for 30-45seconds.Add this to the sauce pan.Mix even with onions and gobi.
8. Pour 3 glasses of filter water and close this with a lid and allow it cook.
9. Serve hot with onion raita.Simple and great dish.

Radish Sambar

Preparation time-20 mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
500 gms radish
2 onions
2 sps tamarind paste
2 sps MTR sambar powder
3 green chillies & 2 red chillies
1 sp urad dal
1 sp mustard seeds
4 pods of garlic; 8 curry leaves
pinch of hing and a pinch of turmeric
4-5 pinches salt
1/2 sp chilly powder
coriander to garnish
3 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. Soak toor dal for 10mins in water and then cook it under pressure for 3 whistles.
2. Allow it to cool and then blend the cooked dal into fine paste adding salt to it.
3. Meanwhile in a deep sauce pan,heat 2 glasses of filter water mixing tamarind paste in it.
4. Chop radish into thin circles,I would like to chop the bunch leaves as well.This gives a different taste to it.
5. Now cut onions into medium pieces (not fine).Add radish,radish leaves(if you like)and onion to the boiling tamarind water.Add sambar powder now.Close the lid and allow them to cook for 5-7mins.
6. Add blended dal to this pan after the radish pieces are soft.
7. Put turmeric,chilly powder,slit green chillies,chopped garlic in it and close the lid and allow it to boil for 5mins on low flame.
8. Prepare seasoning in a different pan by heating oil,mustards seeds spluttering then add urad dal,red chillies,hing and curry leaves.
9. Add seasoning to prepared sambar.Garnish with coriander.
10. Tasty and soupy dish.You will surely like it when had with rice.My family enjoys papad with sambar.This serves as a dip even for dosa and idly.

Aloo sesame bhaji

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
Aloo-2 medium sized
1and 1/2 cup gram flour
5 sps sesame seeds
3 pinches salt
4 pinches chilly powder
1/2 spoon ajwain seeds
2 pinches baking soda
1/2 litre sunflower oil (for frying)
Method:

1. Wash,peel and slice aloo into circular pieces of medium thickness.
2. Now mix gram flour,salt,chilly powder,ajwain and baking soda in a bowl.Add 1/4 cup of filtered water and a spoon of hot sunfloweroil to dry ingredients and make it into a smooth batter.(should be thick enought to stick to potato slices)
3. Take a dry pan and fry sesame seeds for 2mins.No need of oil to fry.
4. Mix them with the batter and keep aside.
5. Meanwhile heat oil in a deep sauce pan.
   
6. Take a slice of aloo and dip in the batter and carefully drop it in hot oil.
7. Fry till brown turning on both sides slowly.
   
8. When done,place it in a tissue to absorb excess oil.
9. Serve hot with tomato ketchup and coriander chutney.
10. Tastes excellent with a crispy touch of sesame seeds.My easy and fast recipe for a perfect evening snack.Try!

Pongal

Preparation time-25mins
Serves-2
Ingredients:
1 cup yellow moong dal
2 cups rice
2 green chillies
2 pinches turmeric
2 sps jeera
1 sp black pepper
50gms ginger
3 pinches salt
2 sps cashew nuts
4 sps ghee
Method:

1. Wash rice and moong dal with water.
2. Adding turmeric,cook dal and rice in the same bowl under pressure for 3 whistles.
3. Add 1/2 glass more water than normal amount of water you use to cook rice.This makes the cooked mix smoother.
4. Meanwhile chop ginger and chillies finely.
5. Grind pepper into a coarse powder.
6. As dal and rice are cooked,add salt and blend it to smooth using a paddle when steaming.
   
7. Heat a deep pan,warm ghee in it.
8. Reduce heat.Fry cashews into honey color.Add jeera,chillies and ground pepper.Saute for a minute.
9. Switch off the heat.Add the blended dal and rice to this pan and mix evenly.
10. Serve hot.Tastes excellent and easy to prepare.Best when you have with peanut chutney.Worth trying!

Dal Palak/Palakura Pappu

Ingredients :
1 cup washed toor dal
500gms Spinach leaves
1 tomato (finely chopped)
1 big onion (finely chopped)
3 garlic pods finely chopped
1 tea spoon red chilly powder
1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder
2 table spoon of tamarind juice
2 table spoon oil
1/2 tea spoon mustard seeds
1/2 tea spoon urad dal
1/2 tea spoon jeera
5-7 curry leaves
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
2 green chillies,4 dry red chillies

Method :
1)Pressure cook toor dal for 3whistles and let it cool.
2)Blanch washed spinach leaves in hot water for 15mins.
3)Warm oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,urad dal,dry red chilles,curry leaves and hing.
4)Once they pop fry onion and tomato adding salt,turmeric powder,chilly powder and chopped garlic.
5)Add the drained spinach leaves after chopping them to the same pan and mix evenly.
6)Add tamarind juice,slit green chillies and close the lid for 5mins till the spinach gets cooked well.
7)Now blend the cooked dal in to a smooth paste with a spoon and add it to the pan.
8)Mix all the ingredients well and serve hot.
9)Very proteinaceous side dish with chapati or rice.