Chakkera Pongal (Sweet Pongal)

Ingredients:

Moong dal (split) : 1 cup (dry roasted)
Raw rice : 1 cup
Water : 2.5 cups
Milk : 1/2 cup
Ghee: 4 spoons
Cashews : handful
Dry grapes : handful
Sugar/jaggery : 3/4 cup
Salt : a pinch

Method:

Dry roast split moong dal until it turns brown color.
Was rice and keep aside.
Heat ghee in pressure cooker/pan
Roast cashews until it turns brown and dry grapes until it swells.
Remove from pan and keep those aside.
In the same pan, add moong dal, washed rice, milk and water.
cook for 4 whistles.
Wait until the pressure releases from cooker and open the lid.
Add sugar/jaggery, nuts, grapes mix well and cook for 5 min.
Add salt at the end and switch off the stove.


Note : Sweet Pongal should be not too thick or not too thin in consistency.

Tip :

You can sprinkle with cardamom at the end.
If the Sweet Pongal is too thin in consistency , cook for few more min. If it is too thick, add enough water/milk and cook until desired quantity reaches.

Bisi Bele Bath

I have prepared this recipe few years ago with store bought masala. I always wanted to try this with home made masala. Yesterday when I was talking to my friend Gowri, who is from bangalore she gave me the recipe for masala and also the method to do this. I have altered little bit according to my taste and made this morning for break fast. What can I say now !!!!! It came out really well.. and I just loved the taste and enjoyed each and every spoon.

My friend also has a blog and you can visit her recipes here.




Here is my version of recipe:

Ingredients:
Toor dal : 1 cup
Raw white rice : 1 cup
Fresh peas : 1/4 cup you can use frozen as well)
Carrot (1 inch cut) : 1 cup
Potato (1 inch cut) : 1 small size
Beans (1 inch cut) : 1 cup
Capsicum (green/red 1 inch cut) : 1 cup (I used red)
Cilantro : 1/4 cup (finely cut)
Tamarind paste : 2 spoons
Salt : to taste
Water : Add accordingly
Ghee : 1 spoon

Soak toor dal, rice and fresh peas in water for at least 4 hrs

Masala :

Urad dal : 1/4 cup
Chana dal : 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds : 1 spoon
Coconut powder : 4 spoons
Methi seeds : 1/2 tsp
Dhania seeds : 1/4 cup
Red chilli : 1/4 cup
black pepper : 1 tsp
Clove : 3
Cinnamon : 1 inch stick
Star Anise : 1

Dry roast all the above items under masala and blend them coarsely.

Seasoning:

Oil : 3 spoons
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1tsp
Curry leaves : hand ful
Hing : 1/2 tsp
Onion : 1/4 cup finely cut
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Red chillies : 2 broken
Pea nuts : hand ful

Method :

Wash the lentils and keep it aside.
Heat oil in pressure cooker.
Add Mustard , cumin seeds. Let it splutter.
Add hing, curry leaves, broken red chillies, peanuts, onion and turmeric. Saute it.
Add cut veggies (carrot, potato, beans, capsicum). Saute it for few min.
Add toor dal, rice and peas. Mix well. Add Masala now and mix it properly.
Add enough salt, cilantro and tamarind paste.
Pressure cook until you hear 3-4 whistles.
Once done, add 1 spoon of ghee and mix well.
Bisi bele bhat should be little watery in consistency.

Oats Idli

Ingredients:

Quaker 1 min Oats : 1.5 cups (dry roast and powder coarsely)
Wheat Rava/sooji : 3/4 cup (roasted)
Yogurt : 5 tbsp
Salt : 1 tsp
Soda : 1/4 tsp

Method:
Mix Oat powder and rava/sooji using yogurt.
Batter should not be tto thin or too thick in consistency.
Add soda and salt. Mix well.
Grease the idli mould using ghee/oil.
Fill the mould with with the batter. Steam for 7-8 min.
Serve with chutney or sambar.

Tip : You can season the batter with mustard seeds, urad dal, grated carrot and finely cut cilantro.

Guthi Vankaaya Curry

Ingredients:

for Masala:

Onion : 1 medium size
Tomato : 1 big size:
Ginger & garlic paste : 1spoon
Salt : 1 spoon
Fresh coconut: 1/4 cup
Red chilli : 1 spoon
Dhania powder : 1/2 spoon
Turmeric : 1/4 tsp
Cilantro : 1.4 cup finely cup
Peanut powder : 1tbsp
Sesame powder (roasted) :2 spoons
Cumin powder (roasted): 1 spoon
Methi powder (roasted) : 1/4 tsp
Tamarind extract : 1/2 tbsp

Cook tomato and onion in water. Let it cool.
Blend all the above ingredients with very little water until smooth.

Seasoning :

Oil : 3 spoons
Mustard seeds : 1/2 spoon
Onion :1 small size finely cut
Tomato : 1 medium finely cut
Curry leaves : 2 twigs
Indian egg plant/brinjal : 6 in number

Method:

Wash brinjal and cut the stem. make a slit to the brinjal like this '+'. (You can keep the stem and make the slit other side of brinjal). Keep it in the water to prevent them in turning to brown color.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds. Let it pop.
Add curry leaves, onion, tomato. Saute it for few min.
Add cut brinjal and close the lid. Cook until its half done.
Add ground masala. Mix well. Close the lid.
Cook until the masala mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
Add water to prepare for the water. (Add water to make the gravy either thick/thin in consistency).
Cook until the brinjals are cooked well. Switch of the stove.
garnish with cilantro.

Tip : Roasted dry coconut powder can be substituted for fresh coconut.

Brinjal-Tomato chutney

Ingredients:

Chinese egg plant :2 (cut into 1 inch pieces)
Tomato : 1 large (finely cut)
Garlic loves : 2
Cilantro : 1/4 cup finely cut
Tamarind extract : 2 spoons
Salt : 3/4 spoon
Green chillies : 4
Oil : 2 spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 spoon
Urad dal : 1/2 spoon

Method :

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let it pop.
Add urad dal. Let it turn brown color.
Add green chillies, finely cut tomato, cut egg plant and salt.
Sprinkle very little water and close the lid.
Let it cook until done. Mix well.
Let it cool down.
Pulse the above mixture by adding garlic and tamarind extract in the blender. Do not add water.
garnish with cilantro.

Tip: You can season with onion, red chillies and curry leaves. I have not done this as it requires extra oil :-).. I like to cook healthy food and avoid oil/salt as much as I can.

Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

Tomato : 3 medium
Rice : 3 cups
Cloves :3
Cinnamon : 1/2 inch
Green Elachi : 2
Star/Anise : 2
Mint : 1 medium bunch
Yogurt : 3 tbsps
Green chillies : 7
Salt : 1 1/4 spoon
Cilantro : 1/4 cup finely cut
Oil/ghee : 1 tbsp
Ginger & garlic paste :1 spoon
Onion : 1/4 cup finely cut
Turmeric : 1/4 spoon
lemon juice : 1 spoon

Method:
Wash rice and soak in water. While soaking the rice, do the below steps.
Heat oil in a pan. Add clove, cinnamon, star/anise, elachi and let it splutter.
Add green chillies and finely cut onion. Saute it.
Add ginger & garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell goes.
Add cut tomato and fry until tomato shrinks in size.
Add finely cut mint, yogurt, salt, turmeric. Mix well.
Cook for 7 min.
Switch of stove.
Mix all the cooked mixture in the rice and cook the rice.
Just before the rice is getting done, garnish with cilantro.
Squeeze lemon juice on top of rice once done.

Tip : You can add cashews roasted in ghee to the rice to enhance the flavor. Use canned diced tomato to get the tomato rice in red color.

Kaakarakaaya/Bitter Melon Fry - 1

I got this recipe from my friend Vani. This is her mom's recipe. A very tasty food when eaten with rice. Few weeks ago when I visited Vani at her home, I tasted this fry with plain rice. From that day, I could not forget the taste and I was waiting to find the nice bitter melon in the grocery store. Finally, I found some nice ones couple days ago and here I am... with the wonderful recipe...

Recipe came out very well.. except that my husband said it is little salty when had it without anything. But tasted very well when eaten with rasam annam and perugu(yogurt) annam.

This recipe can be done in 3 simple steps. I will specify ingredients according to these steps. This is a very simple recipe to make.

Ingredients:

1st step:

Bitter Melon : 4 lbs
Salt : 1 spoon
Yogurt : 2 tbsps
Turmeric : 1/2 spn
Water : 2 boil

2nd step:

Oil to deep fry

3rd step:

oil : 6 spoons (adjust it if you need more)
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
urad dal :1 spoon
Dhania powder : 1 spoon
Chilli powder : 2 spoons
Turmeric : 3/4 spoon
Cumin powder : 1/2 tsp
garlic : 3 crushed
Salt - to taste

Procedure:

1st step:

Wash bitter melon properly.
Mix all the ingredients under 1st step and boil them without closing the lid. Reson to not to close the lid is, bitterness will be evaporated.
This should be done approx in 20- 25 min.
Remove bitter melon carefully from water.
Cut them into 1/2-1 inch circles and dry them under sun for few hours. if there is no sun, let it dry in your house for few hours. The reason to do this is to dry the melon with no water so that it can be easily deep fried.

2nd step:

Deep fry the dried melon until it turns brown color.

3rd step:

heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds. let it pop.
Add urad dal. let it turn brown.
Add crushed garlic.
Add fried bitter melon.
Add cumin, dhania, chilli, salt and turmeric.
Fry for 10 min or until all the powders are mixed with with bitter melon.
Serve with rice. This goes well with rasam and yogurt.

Note :

When doing the 3rd step, add spoon of powdered jaggery, roasted coconut powder, roasted tamarind (small lemon size) and handful of curry leaves to enhance the flavor.
I did not add all these. But the taste was equally good.

Bread and Omelette

Ingredients:

Wheat/any bread : 2 slices
Butter/ghee/oil : 1 spoon
Eggs :1
salt : a pinch
Pepper : a pinch
cinnamon : a pinch

Method:

Apply Butter/ghee/oil to bread and toast it until brown.
Break the egg in a bowl.
Add salt, cinnamon, pepper to the egg and beat it.
Pour it on a non stick pan and let it cook for few min.
Turn it and let it cook for few more min.
Place the omelette in between the bread slices and serve it.


Tip: Serve with ketch up on side.

Fresh Orange Juice

Ingredients:

Mineola/Navel Oranges : 4

Method:

Squeeze orange juice using electric juicer/hand juicer .
Pour it in a glass and serve it.
Add sugar if it is sour.

Rajma

Ingredients:

Red beans : 1 cups
Onion : 1 medium size
Tomato : 1 big size:
Ginger & garlic paste : 1spn
Salt : 1 spn
Fresh coconut: 1/4 cup
Red chilli : 1 spoon
Dhania powder : 1/2 spoon
Turmeric : 1/4 tsp
Cilantro : 1.4 cup finely cup
Oil : 3 spoon

Method:

Soak the red beans over night.
Pressure cook red beans with little salt for 2 whistles.
Mean while cook onion and tomato in water.
Let the onion and tomato cool. Remove tomato skin.
Grind onion, tomato, ginger-garlic paste, coconut, salt, dhania, chilli and turmeric by adding little water.
heat oil in a pan.
Add masala paste and let it cook for 5 min or until raw smell goes.
Add red beans to the masala.
Add 1-2 cups of water to make the gravy.
Let it boil and switch off the stove.
Garnish with cilantro

Note: if you look at recipe picture above, you will see more gravy than rajma. thats because I let the stove on for 3 whistles and 90% of rajma became mushy. :-((. So, I took all thge mushy rajma and added to the masala while blending. but the taste is really good.. You can follow this step as well to make rajma.

Tip:
Substitute roasted coconut powder instead of fresh coconut.

Upma

Ingredients:

Rava : 2 cups
Water : 6 cups
Finely cut beans : 1 cup
Diced carrot : 1/2 cup
Ginger grated: 1/2 tsp
Onion : 1/2 finely cut
Tomato :1 small size
Cashews : 3 spoons (optional)
Salt: 3/4 spoon

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Green chillies : 5
Chana dal : 1 tsp
Curry leaves : 1/4 cup
Oil : 2 spoons

Method :

Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds and let it pop.
Add curry leaves, green chillies, chana dal and cashews.
Let it brown for few seconds.
Add onion, tomato and saute it.
Add carrot, beans and ginger and let it cook for 5 min.
Add rava and mix properly.
Add salt and water.
Close the lid and let it cook.
Every 5 min, turn the mixture properly.
Cook until water is evaporated.
Add cilantro at just before the upma is done and mix well.

Tip :
Add ghee at the end to enhance the flavor.

Pongal

Ingredients:

Moong dal : 3/4 cup
Rice : 1/4 cup
Salt : 1 tsp
whole pepper : 1 tsp
Ghee/oil : 2 tsp
cashews : 2 tsp (optional)
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Curry leaves : hand ful
Water : 3 cups

Method:

Wash the rice and moong dal few times.
Add 2 cups of water to it.
Heat a pan and add oil/ghee to it.
Add cumin seeds, whole pepper and let it splutter.
Add cashews and curry leaves.
Add moong dal mixture and let it cook in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.
Open the cooker after the pressure is released.
mash the pongal with wooden spoon a little and mix the pongal well.
Serve peanut chutney/tomato chutney.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

Tomatoes : 7

Green chillies : 3

Chilli powder : 1 spoon

Haldi : 1/4 spoon

Salt to taste

Oil : 2 sps
Peanut powder : 2 sp
Cilantro : 1/4 cup finely cut

Seasoning:

Cumin seeds : 1/4sp

Mustard seeds : 1/4 sp

red chillies : 2 (broken)

Urad dal : 1/2 spoon
Chana dal : 1/2 spoon

Curry leaves 4

Method:

heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard, cumin seeds and let it pop.
Add broken red chillies, green chillies, urad dal, chana dal and curry leaves.
Dice tomatoes and fry it properly.
Add salt and turmeric and mix well.
Let the tomatoes cook very well.
Add chilli powder, peanut powder.
Mix them well and let it cook.
Garnish with cilantro.

Miriyaala/Pepper Rasam

Ingredients:

Water : 1000 ml/1 ltr
tamarind: big lemon size (soak in water and extract pulp)
Red chillies : 7 (broken)
Garlic - 3 pods (crushed)
Cilantro : 1/2 cup cut
Oil : 1.5 tsp
Salt : 1tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1tsp
Pepper powder : 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder : 1/2 tsp
Methi powder : 1/3 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Dhania powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - a pinch


Method:

Mix the tamarind extract in water well.
Add salt, chilli, dhania, sugar, cumin and methi powder.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard and cumin seeds. Let it splutter.
Add cilantro, pepper powder broken red chillies and crushed garlic. Let it cook few min.
Add Tamarind water and cook for few min.

This rasam can be made when suffering from cold/recovering from fever. Can be made on a regular day as well :-)

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:

Raw Rice : 3 cups
water : 5.5 cups
Salt - 1.5 tsp
Oil : 1tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Urad dal : 2 tsp
Chana dal : 2 tsp
Curry leaves : hand full
Green chillies : 8 (adjust according to your taste buds)
Red chillies : 3 full
Hing : 1/2 tsp
Methi powder : 1/2 tsp
Turmeric : 1.5 tsp
cashew/Peanuts roasted : handful (optional)
Lemon juice(fresh/bottled) : 1 cup

Method:

Wash rice 3 times. Cook rice in rice cooker by adding water.
Once the rice is done. Remove the plug and let it cool down in a wide vessel.

While rice is cooking, have the seasoning ready for the rice.

Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let it splutter.
Add urad,chana dal. Let it roast.
Add curry leaves, green, red chillies, hing, turmeric, methi powder, peanuts and salt.
Let it cook for few min until raw smell of turmeric goes.
Now, add half of the cooked rice slowly.
Add lemon juice and mix rice well.
Add rest of the rice and mix well.
Taste little and adjust salt and lemon juice if needed.

Jilakara pachipulusu

Ingredients:

Water : 1000 ml/1 lt
tamarind: big lemon size (soak in water and extract pulp)
Onion : 1 small (finely cut)
Cilantro : 1/2 cup cut
Oil : 1.5 tsp
Salt : 1tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1tsp
Cumin powder : 1/2 tsp
Methi powder : 1/3 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Dhania powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - a pinch

Method:

1. Mix the tamarind extract in water well.
2. Add salt, chilli, dhania, sugar, cumin and methi powder.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Let it splutter.
5. Add cilantro and onion. Let it cook few min.
6. Add Tamarind water and cook for few min.

Note: Having this with rice in winter season really tastes good.

Broccoli Fry

Ingredients:

Broccoli - 2lbs (separate each floret and cut the hard part of the floret)
Onion - 1 medium size finely cut
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal : 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Peanut powder - 1 tsp
Dhalia powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Cilantro - 1/4 cup finely chopped

Method:

Wash broccoli florets very well.
Heat oil in a pan..
Add mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
Add cumin seeds and urad dal
Add onion and saute it.
Add broccoli florets. Let it cook for few min. Sprinkle water to cook florets well.
Add chilli, dhania, turmeric, salt and mix well.
Close the lid and let it cook well.
Add peanut powder, dhalia powder, cilantro and mix well.
Let it cook for 2 more min and switch off the stove.

Easy Bread toast/Sandwich

Ingredients :

Cilantro : 1 bunch
Mint leaves : 1/4 cup
Jaggery : 2 tsp
Green chillies : 2
Salt : 1 tsp
tamarind pulp : 1/4 cup
Bread : 3 slices (toasted)

Method :
Blend all the above items except bread.
Apply the paste to the bread one side and arrange them one above the other.
Cut the bread into half.
Serve the toast in the evening with a cup of hot tea.

Trust me it tastes really good.. You can even have this sauce/chutney with samosas.


Tip:
You can toast the bread by applying butter/ghee to enhance the flavor.

Pesarattu

Ingredients

Moong dal (whole): 3/4 cup
brown rice/white rice : 1/4 cup
Green chillies : 4
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Salt : 1 tsp
Ginger (peeled): 1 inch
Onion ; 1 medium size (finely cut)
Cilantro : 1 cup (finely cut)

Method :

Soak moong dal and rice for at least 4 hrs.
Grind them into smooth paste by adding chillies, cumin seeds, salt and ginger.
Let it stand for few hours.
Heat a pan on the stove.
Pour the batter and spread it around the pan in circular motion starting from center.
Spray oil on the attu and wait till the lower side gets cooked.
Flip and cook for few seconds.
Sprinkle finely cut onion and cilantro.
Fold it into half once done.

Beans Fry

Note : Coconut powder/garlic was not added in the above picture.

Ingredients:

Beans - 2lbs (cut into small size)
Onion - 1 medium size finely cut
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal : 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Coconut powder - 1 tsp (optional)
Garlic - 2 pods crushed (optional)
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Cilantro - 1/4 cup finely chopped

Method:

Cut beans into small pieces. Microwave them by sprinkling water. This will avoid adding more oil while cooking.
Heat oil in a pan
Add mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
Add cumin seeds and urad dal
Add onion and saute it
Add beans. Let it cook for few min. Sprinkle water to cook beans well.
Add chilli, dhania, turmeric, salt and mix well.
After few min, add coconut powder, crushed garlic, cilantro.
Let it cook for 4 min and switch off the stove.

Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients:

Butter/oil : 1 tbsp

Cloves: 3

Cinnamon : 1 inch

Star/anise : 3

bay leaves : 5

Elachi : 3

Nutmeg powdered : a pinch

carrot (dice/julienned) : 1/2 cup

beans : 1/2 cup diced

green peas (frozen or fresh soaked 4 6 hrs) : 1/2 cup

capsicum : 1/2 cup

potato : 1 small size cut

onion : 1 medium cut length wise

cashews : 3 spoons

Lima beans : 1/4 cup (optional)

Mint : 1 medium bunch ( 1 cup finely cut or paste it)

Cilantro :1 cup finely cut

green chillies : 8 -10

Rice : 3 cups

water : 6 cups

Yogurt/coconut milk : 2 tbsp

salt : to taste

Method :

Wash rice 3 times and soak in it for 30 min. While is getting soaked do the below procedure.

Heat butter/oil in a pan. Add elachi, cloves, cinnamon, star/aniseed, nutmeg powder bay leaf and fry it for a min. Add cashews and roast it. Add green chillies and onion. Saute it.

Add cut veggies (carrot, beans, potato, capsicum, lima beans and peas). Cook for 4 min by adding half quantity of the actual salt.

Add mint, cilantro and cook for another 3 min.

Add yogurt or coconut milk and cook for 3 min.

Add the above mixture to rice and remaining salt to the rice, mix well. Let it cook.

Once the biryani is cooked. Add spoon of butter/ghee and squeeze little lime juice on top. Mix well and transfer it to a bowl.

Tangy Cilantro Spirals

Note : This recipe is modified version from www.neivedyam.com

Ingredients :

Pillsbury bread stick dough : 1 box
Cilantro : 1 bunch
Mint leaves : 1/4 cup
jaggery : 2 spoons
green chillies :2
salt : 1tsp
tamarind pulp : 1/4 cup
onions : 1/4 cup finely chopped


Method:
Blend all the above items except bread sticks and onion.
Remove the bread sticks from box and unroll them.
Each box will have 12 sticks/rolls.
Separate each stick from the dough and flatten them lightly.
Apply the sauce on each stick and sprinkle onion.
Gently roll them to form a circle/spiral.
Brush butter on the each bread and sprinkle cheese. I avoided this last step.
Arrange them in a oven proof tray.
Put it in the oven at 350 F for 20 -25 min. You may need to check at 18 min. to see if the bread has turned to brown color. I forgot and left mine for 23 min and it became little crispy on the outer side. But the taste was still awesome.



Serve it with hot tea/Pepsi. I prepared these for US Open men's finals and served with Pepsi.

Tomato Rasam

Ingredients:

Water : 1000 ml/1 lt
Tomatoes : 2 big
tamarind: small lemon size
Garlic : 2 pods (crushed)
Cilantro : 1/2 cup cut
Oil : 1.5 tsp
Salt : 1tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1tsp
Cumin powder : 1/2 tsp
Methi powder : 1/3 tsp
Pepper powder : 1/3 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Dhania powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 twigs
red chillies - 2 (broken)
Sugar - a pinch


Method:

Cook tomatoes, tamarind in microwave by adding little water.
Mix the tomato mixture by hand properly and add specified water.
Add salt, chilli, dhania, sugar, cumin and methi powder to the above mixture.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard and cumin seeds. Let it splutter.
Add cilantro, garlic, pepper, curry leaves and red chillies. Mix them properly.
Add tomato water and cook for few min.

Tip: You can add spoon ghee to enhance the flavor.

Brown Rice Dosa and Peanut Chutney

Ingredients for dosa:

Brown rice/white rice : 2 cups

Urad dal : 1/2 cup

cooked rice : hand ful

salt : 1 spoon

Ingredients for Chutney:

Roasted peanuts : 1 cup

tamarind : soaked in water : small lemon size

salt : to taste

green chillies : 4

garlic : 2 pods

cilantro : 1/4 cup

oil : 1 spoon

Method for dosa :

Soak brown/white rice in water for overnight or at least 6 hours.

Grind them into smooth batter by adding salt and cooked rice.

Ferment it.

Take required batter into a bowl and add water to make it thin consistency.

Heat dosa pan and pour some batter in the middle for the pan.

Start making circles from the center and spared the batter around the batter evenly and quickly.

Spray some oil on the upper side and around the dosa. Wait until this side is cooked.

Turn the dosa to other side and cook it properly. Fold the dosa into half and serve with chutney.

Method for Chutney:

Heat oil in a pan and roast chillies.

Blend all the ingredients under chutney including chillies by adding. Do this until the mixture is smooth.

Season it with urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves and broken red chillies. This step is optional.

Rava Kesari

Ingredients :

Rava: 1 cup

Ghee/oil : 1 tbsp

Cashews: 3/4 tbsp

Sugar : 1/2 cup

Dry grapes : 3/4 tbsp

Milk/water : 3 cups

Salt : a pinch

Method:

Heat ghee/oil in a pan. Roast cashews until brown and grapes until swollen. Remove from oil and put it in a separate bowl.

Roast rava in the ghee/oil until it turns slightly brown in color.

Add milk/water and let it boil.

Once the rava mixture boiled, add sugar. Let it cook few more min. Just before kesari is done, salt a pinch of salt. Mix well and switch of the stove.

Apply ghee to a wide vessel and pour the kesari mixture on it. Cut them into squares with a knife. Arrange cashew and grapes on each of the square. Remove from tray/vessel once its cooled.

Tip: You can use a pinch of yellow/kesar color while adding milk to get nicer color.

Tindora/Dondakaaya Fry

Ingredients :

Tindora : 3 lbs
Chilli powder : 3/4 spoon
Dhania powder : 3/4 spoon
Turmeric : 1/4 spn
Garlic : 3 pods (crushed)
Seasoning:
Oil : 3 spoons
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Urad dal : 1 tsp
Salt : to taste
Onion : 1/4 cup finely chopped
Curry leaves : 1/4 cup
Cilantro : 1/4 cup finely cut

Method:

Wash and cut the tindora length wise/rouns/squares. Microwave them for 7-8 min by sprinkling little water.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
Add urad dal. Let it turn brown.
Add curry leaves and onion. Saute it for few min.
Add microwaved tindora. Fry for fewmin or until its cooked.
Add chilli, dhania powder, salt, turmeric and mix well. Let it cook for 3 min.
Sprinkle cilantro and crushed garlic. Mix well. Cook for 2 min.