Milagu Kuzhambu

Preparation time:10 mins
Makes 2 servings
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Shallots- 10 (peel and don't chop)
Garlic - 4(peel and don't chop)
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
Green chilly - 1 (slit)
Tomato -1 big (finely chopped)
Tamrind water - 1/2 cup (undiluted)
Gingely oil
Curry leaves
Salt


Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and pepper. Fry for a while.
2.Now add shallots, green chilly, garlic,curry leaves and tomato. Fry for 3 minutes.
3.Add chilly powder, coriander powder and salt.Stir it well.
4.Add tamarind water and water. Cook until the raw smell goes off. Now add pepper powder.
5.When the oil seperates, its ready.

Serve with steamed rice.

Pudalangai poriyal

Preparation time: 5 mins
Makes 2 servings
Cooking time:15 mins

Ingredients:

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1 medium sized
Snake gourd - 3 cups (chopped)
Green chilly- 5
Cocunut - 1/2 cup grated (optional)
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan.
2.Add cumin seeds, onion and green chilly.
3.Fry till translucent, add snake gourd and salt.
4.Close with a lid and cook for 10 to 15 mins.
5. Open the lid, stir and let it cook for 2 mins.
6.Garnish with grated cocunut.
Serve hot.

Ghee Roast

Preparation time:0 min
Makes 6
Cooking time: 3 mins (each)

Ingredient:

Dosa batter - 2 cups
Ghee

Procedure:

1.Pour the batter over flat pan and spread like a circle.Add ghee around the edges.
2.Roast on one side till golden brown and flip to other side.
Serve hot with chutney or sambhar.

Mint Chutney

Preparation time: 10 mins

Makes  2  servings

Cooking time: 10 mins



Ingredients:

Bengal gram- 1 tsp

Black gram-   1 tsp

Cumin seeds -1 tsp

Mint leaves - 1 bunch

Red chilly-6
Tamarind-1/2 inch piece
Cocunut- 1 cup (Grated)

Asafoetida- a pinch

Oil- 2 tsp

Salt

Garnish:
Curry leaves

Mustrad seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan.

2.Add black gram and bengal gram,cumin seeds,asafoetida,red chilly.Fry till golden brown.

3.Add mint leaves, cocunut, tamarind and salt and fry for 2 minutes.

4.Allow the mixture to cool.

5.Grind it to fine paste.

Garnish:

Fry the ingredients under "garnish" until it splutters and add it to the chutney.

Masala Dosai

Preparation time:2 mins
Makes 6
Cooking time: 3 mins (each)

Ingredient:

Dosa batter - 3 cups
Potato - 2 medium
Onion - 1 big
Green chilly - 4
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, green chilly,curry leaves and onions.Fry until onions are translucent.
2.Add boiled and mashed potatoes and salt.Stuffing is now ready.
3.Pour the batter over flat pan and spread like a circle.
4.Roast on one side till golden brown.
5.Add oil and flip to other side.
6.Apply the stuffing like a paste in one half of dosa.
7.Close the stuffing with other free end of dosa.
Serve hot with chutney or sambhar.

Note:
To make this dosa more delicious, garlic-tomato chutney can be applied before placing the stuffing.

Idli

Preparation time:2 mins
Makes  9
Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredient:
Idly batter - 3 cups


Procedure:

1.Heat water in idli cooker.
2.Apply oil in the idli plate.
3.Pour batter in each plate and keep in idli cooker.
4.Allow it to cook for 10 to 15 mins.
5.Remove each idli from plate using a spatula or sppon dipped in water.

Serve hot with chutney or sambhar.

Methi pulao

Preparation time:2 mins
Makes 2 servings
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice - 1 cup
Kasuri methi - 4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green chilly - 2
Tomato - 1
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan.
2.Add all the ingredients except rice.Stir well.
3.Drain the rice and add it to the pan.Stir and add enough water.
4.Add salt to taste and stir well.
5.When the rice becomes fluffy,simmer the flame and close the pan with a lid for 15 minutes.
6.Open the lid,stir smoothly and its ready to serve.

Serve hot with cucumber or onion raitha.

Cholae masala

Preparation time:8 hrs
Makes 3 servings
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Channa- 1 1/4 cups
Onion - 2 big
Tomato - 3 medium sized
Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Cholae masala - 2 tsp
Cilantro
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Soak dal for overnight and pressure cook it along with salt.
2.Heat oil in a pan , add bay leaf, finely chopped onions.Fry till translucent.
3.Add chilly powder, coriander powder,cholae masala and salt.
4.Stir and add tomato puree.
5.When the oil separates from masala, add the boiled channa.
6.Allow it to cook for some 10 mins or until the oil seperates.
7.Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with poori or roti.

Lemon Sevai

One lazy evening, I was thinking about what to make for dinner and had just returned from the Indian store and had bought frozen Idiyappam. I remembered my friend telling me that she once made sevai with that and I thought let me try that for tonight :) Sharing the recipe of delicious lemon sevai with all you guys..

Preparation Time : 10 mins

Makes servings : 2

Cooking Time : 5 mins

Ingredients :

Frozen Idiyappam - 1 packet (contains 10)

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Black gram dal - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Turmeric pwdr - 1 tsp

Green Chilis - few

Ginger - small piece

Curry leaves - a few

Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

Procedure :

1. Thaw the frozen Idiyappam for some time by leaving it outside for sometime.

2. Put some oil in a pan, temper when hot with mustard seeds and dals.

3. Add turmeric pwdr to this and fry for few seconds. Then put green chilis and ginger which is cut into small pieces.

4. Add the curry leaves to the same.

5. When this is getting done, make the Idiyappam to small pieces and put it in the mixture.

6. This gives the "sevai" texture.

7. Add coriander to this if needed. Gives a wonderful flavor to it.

Drumstick leaf paratha

Preparation time:5 mins
Makes 8 servings
Cooking time: 2 mins(each)

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Gram flour - 1 cup
Drumstick leaves- 1/2 cup
Salt
Water
Oil

Procedure:

1.Knead all the ingredients to a smooth dough.
2.Allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
3.Make balls out of the dough and roll them to roti.
4.In a hot pan or griddle, roast them till golden brown.
Serve with butter or raitha.

Banana Strawberry shake

Preparation time:3 mins
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

Banana - 1
Strawberry - 6
Milk - 1 cup
Honey -2 tsp

Procedure:

Blend all the ingredients in a blender.
Serve Chilled.

Note:
Yoghurt can be used instead of milk for a different taste.
If you are not calorie conscious, A scoop of vanilla icecream can also be blended together.

Rasam

Preparation time: 15 mins
Makes 3 servings
Cooking time: 3 mins

Ingredients:

Tamrind - 1 lemon sized ball
Tomato - 1 big
Rasam powder - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 pods
Asafoetida - a pinch
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Urad dal- 1/4 tsp
Water
Salt
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves

Procedure:

1.Soak the tamrind in water for 10 mins.Mash and strain it.
2.Mash tomatoes and add to tamrind water.
3.Add salt,rasam powder, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
4.Water can be added, as required.
5.Heat oil in a pan , add mustard seeds and urad dal.
6.When it splutters , add asafoetida and this mixture.
7.Boil for 3 minutes and is ready to serve.
Serve hot with steamed rice.

Rajma Curry

Preparation time: 6 to 8 hrs
Makes 4 servings
Cooking time:30 to 40 mins

Ingredients:

Rajma - 2 cups (soaked overnight and boiled)
Onion - 1 big
Tomato- 2 medium
Bay leaf - 1
Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tsp
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf,ginger-garlic pastefinely chopped onions and tomato.
2.Saute till onions are translucent.
3.Add chilly powder,coriander poweder,turmeric powder ans salt.
4.saute till the oil comes out of the masala.
5.Now add boiled rajma and garam masala.
6.Stir and cook till oil seperates.
7.Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.

Roti

Preparation time: 30 mins
Makes 12 servings
Cooking time: 3 mins(each)

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 3 cups
Salt- 2 to 3 tsp
Water
Oil

Procedure:

1.Mix wheatflour and salt.
2.Add enough water and knead into a smooth dough.
3.Apply oil over the dough cover it airtight for about fifteen mintues.
4.Make small balls out of dough.
5.Roll it to a thin circle like roti.
6.On a hot pan,roast it till golden brown on both sides.
Serve hot

Baingan Bharta

Preparation time:10 mins
Makes 4 servings

Cooking time:30 to 40 mins

Ingredients:

Brinjal- 1 big
Onion - 2 medium sized
Tomato - 3 medium sized
Ginger- garlic paste- 2 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Green chilly- 5
Chilly poweder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder-2 tsp
Garam masala -1 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Apply oil to the brinjal and grill it over the stove or oven for 10 mins.Cool and mash it.
2.Heat oil in pan, add cumin seeds , giner-garlic paste,green chilly,curry leaves and turmeric powder.Stir it for a while.
3.Now add finely chopped onions and tomato.Saute until onions are translucent.
4.Add chilly powder,coriander powder and salt.Stir it well for 5 to 10 mins.
5.Add mashed brinjal and garam masala.Close with a lid and allow it cook.
6.Simmer for 5 mintues after opening the lid.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot

Cocunut chutney

Preparation time: 15 mins
Makes 3 servings
Cooking time: 2 mins

Ingredients:

Cocunut - 3/4 cup ( thin slices or grated )
Roasted chick peas - 4 tsp
Green chilly - 5
Ginger - 1/4 inch piece
Mustard seeds -1/4 tsp
Urad dal- 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1.Grind cocunut, roasted chickpeas, ginger, greenchilly and salt.
2.Heat oil , allow mustard seeds and urad dal to splutter and add curry leaves.
3.Add this tempering to grinded paste.

Lima Beans Curry

The previous day, the long forgotten Lima Beans were discovered by my husband and he asked me what I am going do with it, he also gave a hint that it goes well with Chapathis which meant I had to make Chapathis for lunch with Lima Beans sabzi.. And there started my experiment with Lima Beans. They are very good sources of "fat-free" protein so I was encouraged to try them out. Here goes the recipe I used for making Lima Beans Sabzi..

Preparation time:10 mins
Makes 6 servings
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Lima Beans - 1 1/2 cups (soaked overnight)

Onion - 1 (finely chopped)

Green Chili - 1 (finely chopped)

Ginger Garlic Paste

Tomato Sauce - 1 can

Red Chili Pwdr - 1 tsp

Coriander Pwdr - 1 tsp

Turmeric Pwdr - 1 tsp

Garam Masala Pwdr - 1 tsp

Salt - As required

Water - 1 cup

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - As required

Procedure :

1.Heat oil in a pressure cooker on medium heat.

2.Add the Cumin Seeds, Mustard Seeds once the oil is hot enough.

3.Add the onions and saute till it becomes light brown.

4.Next, add the ginger garlic paste, green chili and saute for sometime.

5.Now stir in the tomato sauce and saute that too.

6.The powders (chili, turmeric, coriander, garam masala) and salt need to be added now and mixed.

7.Now, lastly add the Lima Beans to this and mix it well.

8.Add enough water to this and pressure cook this completely for 2 whistles.

9.Chop coriander and garnish the sabzi.

As I had mentioned before, I had made chapathis which went very well along with this. We had some leftover for the night too and I had made rice. So you can have it with either rice/chapathi.

Tips : Make sure you don't add too much water, it is added only for cooking of the beans and so just 1 cup should do for 1 1/2 cups of the beans.

Cabbage poriyal

 Preparation time: 15 mins
Makes 3 servings
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
Cabbage - 1 small (finely chopped)
Onions - 1 medium sized (finely chopped)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds -1/4 tsp
Urad dal- 1/4 tsp
Green chilly- 5 (slit)
Curry leaves
Oil - 3 tsp
Salt

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan.
2.Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal.
3.When mustard seeds splutters, add curry leaves, green chilly and onions.
4.When onions are translucent, add cabbage and salt.Mix it well.
5.Close the pan with a lid and wait till the cabbage is cooked.
6.Open the lid, mix it again and simmer for a minute.
Serve hot

Watermelon juice

Preparation time: 5 mins
Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

Watermelon - 1 cup (cut into cubes)
Coriander leaves
Sugar (optional)
Pepper powder- a pinch (optional)

Procedure:

1.Blend watermelon and coriander leaves in a blender.
Serve in a glass and sprinkle pepper powder to enchance the taste.

Raagi Dosa

Preparation time: 15 mins
Makes 6 servings
Cooking time: 5 mins (each)

Ingredients :

Finger millet flour- 2 cups
Rice flour- 4 tsp
Yoghurt - 4 tsp
Shallots - 15 (finely chopped)
Drumstick leaves - a handful(optional)
Curry leaves - a handful (optional)
Green chilly - 8
Salt
Water

Prcedure:

1.Mix finger millet flour,rice flour, yoghurt,salt.
2.Water should be added to make a consistant batter of your choice.
3.Add onions,curry leaves or drumstick leaves,green chilly to the batter.
4.Heat a flat pan,spread the batter in circular direction like a dosa.
5.Cook till dark brown on both sides.
Serve hot with a chutney of your choice.

Curd rice

Preparation time: 5 mins
Makes 1 serving
Cooking time: 2 mins

Ingredients:

Boiled rice- 1 cup
Yoghurt - 1/4 cup
Black gram -1/4 tsp
Bengal gram-1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/4 spoon
Ginger 1/2 inch
Oil - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt

Procedure:
1.Heat oil in a pan, add bengal gram and black gram,cumin seeds,ginger and curry leaves.Stir and stop the flame.
2.Mix rice and yoghurt.
3.Add the tempering to the rice.

Guava salad

Preparation time: 5 mins
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

Guava - 1 (sliced lengthwise)
Chilly powder-1/2 tsp
Salt- 3/4 tsp

Procedure:

1.Toss all the ingredients together.

Ready to serve

Broccoli Kootu

Preparation time: 15 mins
Makes 3 servings
Cooking time: 20 to 30 mins

Ingredients:
Broccoli- 1 cup (florets)
Moong dal - 1/4 cup(soaked for 20 mins)
Cumin seeds -1 tsp
Sambhar powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Urad dal (Black gram)- 1 tsp
Red chilly- 4
Shallots- 8 (finely chopped)
Oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt

Procedure:
1.Heat water in pressure cooker,Add broccoli pieces and soaked lentils in it.
2.When it comes to boiling, add cumin seeds,Sambhar powder,coriander powder and salt.
3.Close it and wait for 3 whistles.
4.Mash the contents of prssure cooker.
5.Heat oil in a pan, add Black gram,curry leaves,red chilly and shallots.
6.When onions are translucent , add the contents of pressure cooker.
7.Adjust the seasoning and cook for 5 to 7 mins.
Serve hot.

Potato Fry



 Preparation time: 10 mins
Makes  3 servings
Cooking time: 15 to 25 mins

Ingredients:

Potato- 3 medim size(cut into small cubes)
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder-  2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Oil -3 tsp
Salt
Curry leaves

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan.
2.Add cumin seeds, curry leaves,chilly powder,coriander powder and salt.Fry for one minute.
3.Now add potatoes cubes and mix well.
4.Close the pan with a lid and allow the potatoes to cook.
5.When potatoes are cooked,mix it again and simmer it for 60 seconds.
Serve hot.

Tomato Chutney





Chutney is a condiment. Chutneys usually contain an idiosyncratic but complementary spice and vegetable mix.

Preparation time: 10 mins
Makes  2  servings
Cooking time: 15 to 20 mins


Ingredients:

Bengal gram- 1 tsp

Black gram-   1 tsp

Cumin seeds -1 tsp

Tomato - 2  (Chopped)

Onion - 1 big (Chopped)

Red chilly-6

Asafoetida- a pinch

Oil- 2 tsp

Salt

Garnish:
Curry leaves

Mustrad seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan.

2.Add black gram and bengal gram,cumin seeds,asafoetida,red chilly.Fry till golden brown.

3.Add tomato, onion and salt and fry till translucent.

4.Allow the mixture to cool.

5.Grind it to fine paste.

Garnish:

Fry the ingredients under "garnish" until it splutters and add it to the chutney.

Note:

Cocunut can also be used to enchance the taste.But the spice has to be adjusted accordindgly.

Adai

Adai is a protein-packed nutritious dish that is prepared by grinding together a combination of rice and different lentils.

Preparation time: 1 hr 15 mins
Makes 10 servings
Cooking time: 5 mins (each)

Ingredients:

To soak

Rice      -   2 cups

Toor dal  - 1/2 cup

Urad dal - 1/4 cup

Channa dal -1/4 cup

Moong dal - 1/4 cup

-------

red chilly   - 10

asafoetida - a pinch

shallots - 10

oil

salt

grated coconut (optional)

drumstick leaves- handful(optional)

Procedure:

1.Soak the ingredients under "To soak" for 1 hour.

2.Grind coarsely the soaked ingredients along with redchilly and asafoetida.

3.Add curry leaves, salt, shallots, coconut, drumstick leaves to grinded paste.

4.Mix the mixture well and spread over a pan in circular motion like dosa and roast till golden brown.

Serve hot with aviyal or chutney of your choice.

Note:

One tablespoon of oil can be added, while flipping adai from one side to other.

Ginger Tea

Tea also refers to the aromatic beverage prepared from the cured leaves by combination with hot or boiling water, and is the common name for the Camellia sinensis plant itself.

Preparation time: 3 mins

Makes 2 servings

Cooking time: 10 to 15 mins

Ingredients:

Milk      - 1 cup

Water   - 1 cup

Sugar    - 4 tsp

Tea dust- 2 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch piece (crushed)

Procedure:

1. Boil water with tea dust and ginger in a saucepan, for 3 to 5 mins.

2.Add milk and sugar.

3.Allow this to boil and strain the tea dust.

Serve hot

Aloo Bonda

Aloo (meaning potato in Hindi) Bonda is a spicy mashed potato ball which is dipped in a chickpea flour batter and deep fried.

Preparation time: 15 mins
Makes 10 servings
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Chickpea flour or besan- 1/2cup

Potato - 2 medium sized

Onion - 1 big (finely chopped)

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Green chilly - 4 (finally chopped)
Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 cup (deep frying)

Curry leaves

Cilantro

Water

Procedure:

1.Boil and mash the potatoes.

2.Heat oil in a pan.

3.Add jeera to hot oil.

4.When it splutters, add ginger,curryleaves,green chilly,onions, turmeric powder.

5.When onions are translucent, add salt and mashed potatoes,cilantro and mix well.Allow it to cool.

6.Make a thin batter of gram flour,chilly powder,salt by mixing with water.

7.Make small balls of mixture and dip in chickpea flour batter and deep fry in oil.

Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.