Vegetable Pulav



Ingredients
Rice                             2 cups
Chopped Vegetables   ½ cup (beans, carrots or cauliflower, peas etc)
Ginger garlic paste      1 tbspn
Green chillies              3-4
Turmeric                      ½  tspn
Tomatoes                     1 large size
Garam masala              1 tspn
Mint leaves                  2-3 stems
Coriander leaves         handful
Bay leaves                   1
Cardamom                  2
Cinnamon                    1 small piece
Clove                           2
Vanaspathi/Dalda       3 tbspn

Method
Heat 3 tbspn vanaspati/dalda in cooking pot/pressure cooker
Add 2 each of cardamom and cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf
Now put the strained rice into the pot and stir until the rice turns white
Now add the chopped vegetables, slit green chillies and stir with a little salt and garam masala
Add 4 cups of boiling water adjust salt and stir well
Add chopped tomatoes and chopped mint and coriander leaves and cook with lid covered.
Serve vegetable pulav with raita, bhagara bhaingan/ mirchi ka salan

Fenugreek Methi Chicken



Chicken pieces            250 gms
Fenugreek leaves         2 bunches destemmed
Tomatoes                     3- 4 medium size
Onions (chopped)       1 small size
Ginger garlic paste      1/2 tbspn
Red chilly powder      1 ½  tbspn
Turmeric powder         ½ tspn
Salt                              As per requirement
1 ½  tbspn oil

Method
Marinate chicken with 2 tbspn of curd, ginger garlic paste and salt for an hour
Heat oil in kadai/wok and add chopped onions and saute
Add ginger garlic paste and saute, now add turmeric and chilli powder
Add the washed leaves and saute
Now add the marinated chicken pieces and saute until oil leaves
Now add chopped tomatoes and salt
Stir well and cook with lid cover (pressure cook if needed)
Adjust salt and consistency of gravy (evoprate excess water for thicker gravy)
Serve with bread, rice, chapatis, rotis, puris and rice dishes

Cluster Beans Curry Kothavvara Varuthada



Ingredients
Chopped beans           2 cups
Ginger garlic paste      1 tbspn
Garlic                          4-5 slightly crushed
Tomatoes                     2-3 medium size
Garam masala              1 tspn
Red chilly powder      1 tbspn
Salt                              as per requirement

Seasoning
Mustard seeds             ½ tspn
Cumin seeds( Jeera )   ½ tspn
Curry leaves                1 stalk
1 tbspn oil

Method
Heat oil in kadai/wok and add seasoning ingredients
Add ginger garlic paste along with crushed garlic and saute
Now add chopped tomatoes and cook until half cooked
Add turmeric and chilly powder and saute
Now add the chooped beans and salt
Add half cup of water and cook with closed lid (may pressure cook)
Sprinkle garam masala and stir well
Serve with rotis, puris, plain rice

Amranthus Fry Cheera Varuthada



Ingredients

Amranthus                  4-5 bunches
Onions                         1 medium size
Green chillies              5-6
Grated coconut           handful
Turmeric powder         ½ tspn
Salt                              as per requirment

Seasoning
Mustard seeds             ½ tspn
Cumin seeds( Jeera )   ½ tspn
Redchilly                     1
Urad dal                      1 tspn
Channa dal                  ½ tspn
Curry leaves                1 stalk
1 tbspn oil

Method
Heat oil in kadai/wok and add seasoning ingredients
Mix the chopped leaves with chopped onions, slit green chillies and ½ tspn salt and transfer into kadai
Stir the seasoning into the chopped amranthus and cook with lid covered
Adjust the salt since the content reduces to half
Evoporate any excess water by cooking without lid
Garnish with grated coconut
Can be served with hot rice


Fenugreek leaves in Tomato gravy Methi tomato curry



Ingredients
Fenugreek leaves         1 small bowl (3 bunches destemmed)
Tomatoes                     4-5 medium size
Onions (chopped)       1 small size
Red chilly powder      1 ½  tbspn
Turmeric powder         ½ tspn
Salt                              As per requirement
                                             
Seasoning
Mustard seeds             ½ tspn
Curry leaves                1 stalk
1 tbspn oil

Method
Heat oil in kadai/wok and add seasoning ingredients
Now add chopped onions and saute
Add the washed leaves and saute
Now add tomatoes along with turmeric, chilli powder and chopped tomatoes
Add salt and stir well and cook with lid cover
Adjust salt and consistency of gravy (evoprate excess water for thicker gravy)
Serve with rice, chapatis, rotis and puris

Flattened Rice Poha Upma Avil



Ingredients
Flattened rice(Poha)    2 cups
Onions (chopped)       1 small szie
Finely chopped ginger ½ tspn
Green chillies              5-6
Turmeric powder         ½ tspn
Lemon juice  (optional)

Seasoning
Mustard seeds             ½ tspn
Redchilly                     1-2
Urad dal                      1 tspn
Channa dal                  ½ tspn
Ground nuts/cashewnuts few (optional)
Curry leaves                1 stalk
2 tbspn oil

Method
Saok the clean flattened rice in turmeric water mixed with rquired amount of salt
Strain and keep sepeartely
Heat oil in kadai/wok and add seasoning ingredients
Add chopped onions, chopped ginger and slit green chillies and saute
Now add the stained flattened rice, stir well and cook with lid covered for 3-4 minutes
Serve hot 

Tea Cake



Ingredients
Maida(Refined flour)  2 cups
Sugar                           2 cups
Butter                          2 cups
Eggs                            5 eggs
Vanilla essence            ½ tspn
Sunset yellow color     a pinch
Baking powder           1/3 tspn


Method

Powder the sugar and sieve it 2-3 times to aerate it
Similarly sieve Maida with the baking powder 2-3 times separately
Break the 5 eggs and empty the contents into a bowl
In the mean time preheat the oven to 180 degrees for 15 minutes
Beat the butter using a hand or electric blender to a creamy consistency
Add powdered sugar slowly into the butter continuing to blend to the same creamy consistency
Now slowly add the egg one by one and continue to blend
Slowly fold the aerated maida into the mixture and blend for a minute
Now add the vanilla essence and the color and blend the color uniformly
Grease the bake tray with butter/oil lined with a butter paper and empty the cake mix into it
Bake at 180 degrees for 45-50 minutes
Cake can be served with or without icing


Tomato Upma Semolina




Ingredients
Roasted Semolina       1 cups
Onions (chopped)       1 small szie
Tomatoes                     1 medium size
Finely chopped ginger ½ tspn
Green chillies              2-3
Red chilly powder      ½ tspn
Turmeric powder         ½ tspn
Coriander leaves         handful
Salt                              As per requirement
Seasoning
Mustard seeds             ½ tspn
Cumin seeds( Jeera )   ½ tspn
Redchilly                     1
Urad dal                      1 tspn
Channa dal                  ½ tspn
Ground nuts/cashewnuts few (optional)
Curry leaves                1 stalk
1 tbspn oil

Method
Heat oil in kadai/wok and add seasoning ingredients
Add chopped onions, chopped ginger and slit green chillies and saute
Now add chopped tomatoes, red chilly and turmeric powder and saute until oil seperates
Now add 4 cups of boiling water and add salt
Now slowly add the roasted semolina constantly stirring
Cook with lid close for 3-4 minutes until done
Garnish with chopped corinader and serve

Coconut onion Choganzha chutney



Ingredients

Grated coconut           2 cups
Red small  onions        2-3
Red chillies                 2
Red chilli powder       1 tspn
Tamarind pulp             ½ tbspn
Salt                              as per requirement

Seasoning
Mustard seeds ½ tspn
Urad dal-1 tspn
Channa dal ½ tspn
Curry leaves
1 tbspn oil

Method
Coarsely blend coconut, red chillies, chopped onions, red chilli powder, salt, tamarind pulp with ¼  cup of water
Separate into a serving bowl
Add the seasoning ingredients into the hot oil and saute until the dals give out a roasted aroma
Allow the seasoning to cool before adding it to the coconut chutney
Can be served with all varieties of dosas and idlis

Guava cheese



Ripe guavas                                        3-4 kg
Sugar                                                     1 kg
Lime                                                      2
Butter                                                   100 gm
Salt                                                         a pinch

Method:
Wash the guavas and pressure cook it for about 8- 10 min.  Cut the guavas into half and scoop out the seeds into a vessel.  Put the guavas in the mixie and blend it to a paste.  Measure the pulp and put it in a heavy bottom dish and add the same quantity of sugar and allow it to cook on slow fire.  Keep stirring it continuously so that the mixture does not get stuck to the bottom.  Add the pinch of salt and the juice from the lemon and keep cooking till the mixture leave the sides of the dish, add the butter and keep mixing, the colour will slowly change from light to dark brown.  When the mixture leaves the side of the dish, you can remove it quickly into a flat tray or plate that is greased with butter or oil.  When cool you can cut it into pieces and store it in an air tight container.  If you are trying out for the first time it is better to take a small quantity.

Sambhar Kerala



Ingredients
Cubed Vegetables 2 cups (bottle gourd, madras cucumber, carrots, bhendi, onions)
Cooked Toor Dal – 1 cup
Tamarind pulp from 1 lemon size
Coriander leaves
Tomatoes 2-3
Green chillies 6-7
Sambar powder (Everest/777 of your choice)- 2-3 tbspn 
MTR Madras Sambhar Powder 7oz



Seasoning
Mustard seeds 2 tspns
Curry leaves
Methi - 5-6seeds
Jeera – 1 tspn
Crushed Garlic – 4-5 pods
Red chillies- 4
Sliced Sambar onions- 3-4
Asafotedia/Hing – ½ tspn
Oil or ghee -3 tbspn

Method
Pressure cook ½ cup of dal with ½ tspn of turmeric, green chillies and curry leaves
Add the vegetables, tamarind pulp, tomatoes, salt, sambar powder, 1 cup of water and pressure cook until it whistles
Adjust the salt and spice (add red chilly powder if required) and consistency of the sambar by adding water (tamarind water to adjust the sourness) bring to boil
Season with seasoning ingredients and garnish with chopped onions
Served with rice, idli, wada or dosa

Cabbage Thoran



 Ingredients
Chopped cabbage 2 cups
Green chillies   4-5
Turmeric 1/3  tspn
Grated coconut 1 tbspn
Pepper powder a pinch
Salt to taste

Seasoning
Mustard seeds-half tsp 
Channa dal  -half tsp
Urad dal-1 tspn
Curry leaves
Oil 1 tspn
Heat oil and add seasoning ingredients into the kadai
In the mean time add turmeric, chopped ginger, slit green chillies, curry leaves to the chopped cabbage and mix well
Add the above mixture into the seasoning and stir with a little salt
Steam with lid covered
Adjust the salt and stir until extra water evaporates
Sprinkle a pinch of pepper powder and stir
Garnish with grated coconut
Ready to be served with rice, roti, poori etc

Fish Fry




Ingredients
Any Sliced Fish pieces 4-5
Red chilly powder 2 tbspn
Turmeric ½ tspn
Salt as per requirment

Method
Mix red chilly powder, turmeric and salt into a paste   (dripping consistency)
Coat the fish pieces into this paste and leave for a while
Heat 2 tbspn oil in shallow pan
Fry fish pieces in medium heat
Turn over when one side is done to get a rich  brown crust

Optional
Ginger garlic paste or Jeera powder also may be included in the paste
To get a thicker crust, corn flour/besan also may be added

Cauliflower Manchuria




Ingredients

Chunks of cauliflower          1 medium size
Onions                                1 large
Cornflour flour                     3 tbspn
Rice/maida flour                   2 tbspn
Ajinomoto (MSG)                a pinch (optional)
Green chillies                        5-6
Chopped garlic                     2 tspns
Chopped ginger                    1 tspn
Soya sauce                           2 tbspn
Green chilli sauce                  1 tbspn
Tomato sauce                       ½ tbspn
Vinegar                                 1 tspn
Chopped coriander               1 handful
Lemon juice                          1 tspn
Red colour                            a pinch (optional)

Method
Separate the florets into small chunks and boil in turmeric and saltwater for 5 min
Strain the water and keep aside
Mix the cornflour and riceflour(maida), salt and red colour into a paste
Dip the florets into this paste 
Deep fry the coated cauliflower florets and keep aside
Now heat oil in a wok/kadai
Sauté finely chopped onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic until cooked
Add green chilli sauce, soya sauce, tomato sauce and vinegar
Sprinkle required amount of salt
Now add the fried cauliflower and stir
Make a watery cornflour solution and pour into the mixture to bind the fry and seasoning
Squeeze few drops of lemon and coriander and green chilli garnishing
Serve in a snack plate as a starter or snack

Raw banana Fry Paccha khazhy varuthada




Ingredients

Raw bananas               1
Onions                         1 small
Green chillies              3-4
Turmeric                      ½ tspn
Pepper powder            ½ tspn
Grated coconut           1 tbspn
Salt                              as per requirement

Seasoning
Mustard seeds             ½ tspn
Jeera(cumin)                ½ tspn
Urad dal(b.gram)        ½ tspn
Curry leaves                1stalk

Method
Peel the thin skin of raw banana (not entirely; provides fiber to diet)
Chop into small cubes and immerse in turmeric water (prevents blackening)
Heat oil in kadai/wok
Add the seasoning ingredients and add chopped onions and slit green chillies
Now add the chopped raw banana pieces, salt, turmeric and sauté
Add ½ cup of water and cook with lid covered
Once soft, sprinkle pepper and grated coconut and shift into serving bowl
Can be eaten as an accompaniment with hot rice, chappati, puri, roti etc


Beetroot Fry




Ingredients
Beet root                     2 medium size
Ginger garlic paste      1 tspn
Pepper powder            ½ tspn
Salt                              as per requirement

Seasoning
Mustard seeds             ½ tspn
Jeera(cumin)                ½ tspn
Urad dal(b.gram)        ½ tspn
Curry leaves                1stalk

Method

Chop the washed beetroot finely
Heat oil in the kadai/wok
Add seasoning ingredients
Add ginger garlic paste and sauté until raw smell evaporates
Now add the chopped beetroot and salt and stir
Cook with lid covered
May sprinkle some water if required until its soft
Cook for a while with lid uncovered to dry any excess water
Add pepper powder as per the spice required
Can be served with roti, chappatis or puris