Mushroom Samosa

Ingredients:
Dough
225 gm flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp oil
4 tbsp water

Filling
2 tbsp oil
1 chopped onion
300 gm diced mushrooms
1 tsp ginger paste
2 chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds
2 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tbsp lemon juice
oil for frying
salt to taste

Method:
Combine all the dough ingredients and make into stiff dough.

Heat oil in a pan and saute onions.

Add the rest of the filling ingredients and cook until the mushrooms are tender. Sharpen with lemon juice.

Add chopped coriander and seasoning. Cool.

Divide the dough into small balls, roll out into circle and cut into two halves.

Moisten the edges and shape into cones. Fill a teaspoon of the mixture and seal.

Fry the samosa in hot oil until golden in color.

Serve hot with mint chutney.

Cocktail Samosas

Ingredients
For Crust:
maida- 1 cup
oil - to fry
1 teaspoon to knead maida.
salt - to taste.
take maida in a pan,
add salt and knead.
(cover this dough with a wet kitchen napkin until the filling is ready.)

For filling:
boiled potatoes - 3 or 4
oil - 2 teaspoon
onion - 1 v. thin slices
jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
salt, turmeric, chilli powder, fresh coriander
peas (optional)
chat masala - 1 teaspoon

Method
Heat oil in a pan, add jeera.
Then add onion. After the onions turn transparent, add turmeric, chilli powder, salt and heat for a few more seconds.
Then add the boiled potatoes (smashed). Add peas and green coriander if desired. And the filling is all ready.
Now, make balls out of the dough (size that of a puri).Cut it into half. Use these 2 halves to make 2 samosas.
Put the filling onto the centre. Fold as a triangle. Fry them.
Arrange them in a plate. Now sprinkle some chat masala on to them.Your samosas are ready... and enjoy the party.

Sweet Samosa

Ingredients:
Maida - 1 cup
Fine Rawa - 1/4 cup
Salt - a pinch
Oil and Vanaspathi - for deep frying

For inner filling
Cashewnut - 1/2 cup
Musk melon seeds - 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - little

Method:
1. Mix rawa, maida, salt with enough water to form a thick dough.
2. Keep aside for half an hour closed with wet cloth.
3. Knead well again to make the dough soft and pliable.
4. Dry cashewnuts, melon seeds under hot sun for one hour.
5. Powder separately, and mix together with powdered sugar and cardamom powder.
6. Make small balls from the maida dough and roll it out into very thin chappathis.
7. Put it on top of a greased samosa mould.
8. Spread little filling on top, wet the edges and seal well.
9. Remove samosa from mould and deep fry in oil in reduced flame till crisp and golde

Seafood Salad

Ingredients
1 cup shrimps
1 cup lobster
1/2 cup crab meat
1/2 cup squid rings
1 cup tuna fish
1/4 cup mussels
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 head lettuce, shredded

For Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp garlic paste
Salt to taste

Method for Dressing:
Mix all the ingredients of dressing
Shake well
Refrigerate for 4 hours

Method for Salad:
Clean all the seafood
Boil them separately till tender
Drain and make small pieces
Heat oil in a pan
Toss the seafood in it
Add parsley, salt and pepper powder
Let is simmer for 7-8 minutes
Remove from fire
In a salad dish, spread shredded lettuce
Then spread warm seafood
Sprinkle onion
Shake the dressing well and top the salad with it
Serve warm

Roast Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
1 chicken- whole, with skin
2 tsp butter
1 glass white wine
150 ml chicken stock
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp spring onion paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp basil
200 gm sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper
1 tbsp tomato puree
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped herbs
1 tbsp cream

Garnish
Roasted walnuts, chopped


Method:
Place chicken in a roasting tin. Cover chicken breast with butter. Pour over the wine and stock.
Roast at 220 degree C for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender and colored. Cool.
Heat oil; saute pring onion, garlic and basil for 1 minute.
Stir in the mushrooms, wine, seasoning and tomato puree.
Reduce over a high flame until the wine evaporates. Cool.
Stir in lemon juice, herbs and cream. Whisk in the juices without any fat from the roasting tin.
Carve the chicken.
Spoon over dressing and garnish with an extra helping of herbs and chopped walnuts.

Chicken and Noodle Salad

Ingredients:
Rice noodles - 160gms
Boneless chicken (shredded) - 160gms
Salt and pepper - to taste
Oil for frying
Capsicum (julienned) - 80gms
Carrot (julienned) - 80gms
Spring onion (julienned) - 40gms
Sesame-soya dressing - 75ml
Black sesame seeds - 1tsp, roasted

Method:
To make Sesame-Soya Dressing
1. Combine 40ml sesame oil with 25ml soya, 10ml oyster sauce and 5g red chilli flakes.

To make Chicken and Noodle Salad
1. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 20 - 25 minutes and drain.
2. Set aside on a clean cloth and allow to cool.
3. Dust the chicken with salt and pepper.
4. Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the chicken till cooked.
5. Remove from heat and allow the chicken to cool.
6. Place all the remaining ingredients in a bowl along with the dressing.
7. Add the chicken and toss well.

Lemon Rasam

Ingredients:


Toor dal (cooked) - 3 tablespoons
Water - 2 cups
(you can cook 2 to 3 tablespoons of toor dal in 2 cups water and use the entire content for this rasam)


Ginger (grated) - 1 teaspoon


Green chilli (slit vertically) - 1


Asafoetida powder a pinch


Turmeric powder - quarter teaspoon


Rasam powder - 1 teaspoon


Lemon juice - 2 tablespoons (use readymade or squeeze juice from 2 lemons)


Salt as required


Ghee - 2 teaspoons


Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon


Chopped coriander leaves
Method:


Mix the dal and water. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, green chilli, ginger and salt and allow it to boil in medium heat.


Keep the lemon juice ready.


Add the rasam powder and let it boil for a minute. Now, reduce the heat and add the lemon juice. Stir well and remove from heat.


For the seasoning, heat ghee and add cumin seeds, when it sizzles, add it carefully to the rasam. Garnish with coriander leaves.


Serve hot with white rice.

Tomato mint masala kootu

Ingredients:


Onion - 1 big - finely chopped (can be omitted)


Tomatoes - Large red ripe juicy - 3


Oil for seasoning


Turmeric powder - quarter teaspoon


Mustard seeds- half teaspoon


Urud dal - 1 teaspoon


Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon


Curry leaves - 1 sprig


Salt as required
Grind together using very little water:


Mint leaves - 1 small bunch


Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch


Grated fresh coconut - half cup (I used 2 tablespoons of dry, ground desiccated coconut)


Poppy seeds (khas khas or gasa gasa) - one and half tablespoons (soak in wate for 10 minutes)


Grind chillies - 3


Cumin seeds - half teaspoon


Mustard seeds - quarter teaspoon


Method:


Blanch the tomatoes: Boil water and add the tomatoes. After a few minutes the skin will peel off. Drain water and cool it. Remove the skin completely.


Cut the blanched tomatoes into one and half inch cubes. Keep it aside.


Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds. When it pops, add urud dal and curry leaves.


Add the chopped onions anf fry till it changes color.


Add chilli powder and turmeric powder. Stir for a minute and add the ground masala.


Mix required amount of salt and stir till good smell comes.


Add the tomato cubes and half cup water. Allow it to boil till the gravy thickens. Stir occasionally.


Garnish with mint leaves and serve hot with iddli, dosa or chapathi.

Beans carrot palya

Ingredients:


Chopped green beans - 1 cup


Diced carrot - ¾ cup


Salt to taste


Oil for seasoning - 2 teaspoons


Mustard seeds - ¼ teaspoon


Urud dal - 1 teaspoon


Turmeric powder - less than ¼ teaspoon


Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch


Desiccated coconut - 1 tablespoon

Method:


Wash the carrot and beans together. Drain water and transfer it to a microwave container. I used the Microwave rice cooker.


Microwave on high for 8 minutes partially opened.


Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds. When it pops, add the urud dal.


When the urud dal turns golden, Reduce heat and add the cooked beans and carrot. Stir.


Add the turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and salt. Stir until even distribution.


Turn off the heat and garnish with desiccated coconut.

TOMATO THOKKU

Ingredients:

8-10 ripe medium tomatoes, chopped or pureed
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, powdered (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander seeds, powdered
5-6 curry leaves
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a wide pan. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and let them pop - then put in the various powders, curry leaves and fry for 15-20 seconds on high.

2. Lower the heat and add the chopped/pureed tomatoes. Stir well to mix.

3. Bring the heat up to medium-high and cover the pan. Let the tomatoes cook in their own juices till they soften and break down.

4. Once the tomatoes are soft, take the lid off and let it cook, stirring occasionally, till the liquid evaporates and the sauce reduces to a thick paste.

5. Let the thokku cool, then store in a clean airtight jar in the refrigerator.

Raw Papaya Chutney

Ingredients:
grated raw papaya - 2 cups
green chillies - 7
garlic flakes - 4
oil for frying
grated fresh coconut - 1 cup
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
salt as required
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - few

Method:
1. Grind green chillies, garlic, cumin seeds and coconut together to smooth paste.
2. Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and then grated papaya.
3. Fry well till raw smell is lost. Add little water, close with lid and cook till moisture is absordbed.
4. Add ground paste and cook in medium flame for few minutes. Remove from fire.

Raw Papaya Soup

Ingredients:
Onion - 1
Chopped raw papaya pieces - 1 cup
Carrot - 1 (dice finely)
Bayleaf - 1
Grated cheese - 1 tbl sp
Butter - 1 tbl sp
Salt and pepper - as required

For spice bag:
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Crush the above ingredients coarsely and tie in a clean muslin cloth.

Method:
1. Heat pressure pan (or) cooker with butter.
2. When it melts add bayleaf and chopped onion.
3. Fry for one (or) two minutes in reduced flame.
4. Add chopped carrot and papaya pieces.
5. Fry in medium flame for another two minutes.
6. Pour just enough water to cover the pieces. Add spice bag and close the lid.
7. Pressure cook in reduced flame till first whistle.
8. Cool down, discard the spice bag and grind the pieces to smooth paste in a mixie.
9. Strain well and dilute with enough water.
10. Add salt, sugar and pepper as per individual taste.
11. Reheat and serve hot with finely grated cheese sprinkled on top along with bread sticks.

Soya Dosai

Ingredients:
Par boiled rice - 3 cups (idli rice)
Raw rice - 1 cup
Soya beans - 1 cup
White urad dal - 1/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp.
Salt - 3 tsp
Oil as required.

Method:
1. Wash and soak rice varieties with fenugreek and urad dal together for 2 hours.
2. Soak soya beans in enough water separately for 6 hours.
3. Grind everything together to a smooth paste
4. Add salt at the end and take out from the grinder.
5. Allow the batter to ferment until next day morning.
6. Prepare dosa's by spreading a ladle full from centre to edge on a hot dosa pan (tawa). Fry till crisp and golden.
7. Serve along with suitable chutney and sambar.

Payatham Paruppu Payasam

Ingredients :
Green gram dal (Moongh Dal) - 3/4 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Jaggery (powered) - 1- 1 1/2 cups
Cardamoms - 4-5
A few cashewnuts broken into pieces
Milk - 1 1/2 cups
A few raisons
Small piece coconut, cut into tiny pieces - 1
Ghee - 1 tbsp
A pinch of cooking camphor (opt)

Method :
1. Boil dal to a light brown colour. Remove, cool : wash.
2. Add water, set to boil. When Dal has cooked, mash thoroughly.
3. Add jaggery and continue to cook till jaggery has dissolved.
4. Add milk, boil further for 2-3 minutes, remove from fire.
5. heat ghee, fry cashew nut pieces, coconut pieces and raisons, each separately. Add cardamom powder, along with camphor, mix all of it.

Varations :
1. This payasam can be prepared with coconut milk also. For this, use gratings of half the coconut and if desired 1/2 cup milk as well.
2. Take out first milk, then second, and third milk.
3. Add to the dal the third milk (add some water if the quantity is not sufficient), set to boil, when done, mash thoroughly.
4. Add second milk and jaggery, cook till done.
5. Add first milk, boil just once and remove from fire.
6. Add ordinary milk and garnish as before.

Sevai Kheer

Ingredients
1 litre milk
1/2 cup fine vermicelli broken to 1" bits
1 tsp. ghee
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
15-20 strands of saffron, crushed in 1 tsp. hot milk
10 almonds, blanched and thinly slivered
10 pistachios, unsalted, thinly slivered

Method
Heat ghee in a heavy deep pan.
Add broken vermicelli, stir till lightly roasted.
Add hot milk, stir gently to bring to a boil.
Reduce heat allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Add sugar, stir till dissolved.
Add cardamom, saffron, cardamom, almonds and pistachios.
Mix and take off fire.
Serve hot and wholesome.

Paruppu podi

Ingredients
1cup roasted gram dal (pottu kadalai in tamil)
½ cup gram dal (chana dal)
½ cup sesame seed
3-4 dry red chillies
1tbsp cumin
Desiccated coconut (optional)
2pinch asafoetida
Salt to taste.

Method
Roast the dals, sesame seeds, chillies and cumin separately till golden brown and aroma rises. After cooling grind all the ingredients together to make powder. This podi is served first with ghee and rice.

Vendakkai sambar

Ingredients
1cup medium cut okra
½ cup medium cut onions
1cup thoor dal
1cup tamarind water
1cup tomato puree
1tsp dhaniya powder (coriander)
½ tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tsp sambar powder
Chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and water as per requirement.

For tempering
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
Asafoetida
Red chillies
Curry leaves
2tsp oil or ghee
Method
Fry the okra in 2 tsp oil in a pan for 10 –13 min till it gets soft. Keep separately. In a saucepan add tamarind water, turmeric and salt and bring to boil. Now add the okra, onions, sambar powder and dhaniya powder and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
Add tomato puree to this and again it should come to a boil. Finally add pressure-cooked and mashed dal and stir together. Add water if the sambar gets too thick. That depends on how you want the sambar to be. Temper with given ingredients and add cilantro. A small tip. As soon as you temper, cover the sambar or rasam with a lid. This will keep the aroma trapped inside the dish and will later fill the whole house with mind blowing aroma.

Sorakai Pal kootu

Ingredients
1cup chopped sorakai (bottle gourd)
½ cup cooked chana dal
½ cup coconut
Green chillies
1tsp pepper powder
½ cup milk
½ tsp turmeric
Salt
For tempering
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves
Red chillies
Oil
Method

Pressure-cook the dal and sorakai together. Only 2 whistles in the pressure cooker. It should not get over cooked. Grind coconut and green chillies along with pepper. Add the coconut mix to the sorakai and dal. Also add salt and turmeric and bring to boil. When the coconut gets cooked completely, remove from heat, add milk and stir gently. If your dal and sorakai has got cooked more. In a separate saucepan cook the coconut mixture and later add the dal and sorakai. This way you would not over cook the sorakai.
Temper it with the given ingredients.

Gobi Palak

Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1 large
Spinach - 3 bunches
Green chillies - 5
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dhania powder - 1 tsp
Tomatoes - 2
Big onions - 2
Garlic - 7 flakes
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
Grated fresh coconut - 2 tblsp
Cashewnuts - 10
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp (soaked in hot water)
Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch
Curry leaves - 15
Oil - for frying
Milk - 1/2 cup
Fresh cream - 2 tblsp
Grated cheese - 1 tblsp

Method:
1. Wash cauliflower and cut into small flowerets.
2. Heat water in a broad vessel. When it starts boiling, add cauliflower pieces (gobi) with little salt and turmeric powder.
3. Switch off the stove and close with lid.
4. After few minutes, drain the water completely, dry up over a towel and deep fry cauliflower till crisp and golden. Keep aside.

For Masala:
1. Peel garlic, dice tomatoes and cut onions finely.
2. Wash and chop palak finely.
3. Heat little oil, fry slit green chillies and palak in medium flame.
4. When moisture is evaporated completely, remove from fire. Allow to cool and grind it along with grated coconut, cashew, poppy seeds, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
5. Heat rest of the oil in a broad kadai. Add cumin seeds, garlic and then onion.
6. Fry till golden. Add 1 tsp sugar, tomatoes, dhania powder, garam masala powder and chilli powder.
7. Stir for a minute and pour the ground paste and salt. Add water if necessary.
8. Boil for a few minutes, add milk and mix well.
9. Just before removing from fire, mix deep fried cauliflower. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Serve with finely cut onions and lemon pieces.

Sugar Coated Cashew Nuts

Ingredients:
Whole Cashews - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/4 cup
Water - 3/4 cup
Rice flour - 1 tsp
Milk - 2 tsp
Cardamom powder - little
Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:
1. Dry roast cashew nuts in reduced flame, taking caution not to discolour it. Alternatively keep it in hot oven at lowest temperature for 10 minutes to dry it properly.
2. Heat sugar, water together and stir till it is dissolved.
3. Add milk and boil briskly. Milk helps in separating dirt from sugar.
4. Remove dirt which comes on top using a spoon. This is a must to obtain white coated cashews.
5. When one string consistency is reached, remove from fire.
6. Add roasted cashews and keep stirring till it becomes thick.
7. Using a perforated ladle take cashews alone and keep it in a separate vessel.
8. Sprinkle a pinch of rice flour on top of cashews.
9. Heat remaining sugar by adding little more water till it reaches thick string consistency.
10. Remove from fire and allow to cool for a while. Stirring constantly, pour it on top of cashews in the other vessel, little by little, gently stirring the cashews to coat on all the sides.
11. Sprinkle little rice flour when it is still warm on top of cashews. This helps to retain white colour on cashews.
12. Repeat the process 4-5 times till cashews are thickly coated.
13. While doing final coat add cardamom powder and ghee to the syrup after removing from fire. Ghee gives good shine to the final product.
14. Allow the cashews to cool thoroughly by spreading over a broad plate and then pack it in air tight container.