Tomato Rasam

Ingredients:

3-4 tbsp. Red Gram Daal
4 large tomatoes (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp. Garlic paste
1-inch piece of ginger (finely chopped)
21/2 cups water
1tsp Garlic grated
1 or 2 green chilies finely chopped
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Salt to taste chili or pepper powder to taste.
1/2tsp. turmeric powder
1tsp. mustard seeds
1tsp. cumin seeds
1-2 whole dried red chili (halved)
A pinch asafetida
Few curry leaves
2tbsp. oil

Method:

* Pick, wash and pressure cook the daal and keep side.
* Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried chili and asafetida.
* When mustard seeds start to splutter add garlic, ginger, tomatoes and green chilies.
* Add salt, chili & turmeric powder and a cup of water.
* Simmer for 5-6 minutes and add the cooked daal and 11/2 cup of water and bring to boil.
* Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Pudina Rasam

Ingredients:

Pudina Leaves
Cumin Seeds
Green Chilli
Tur Dal - 1/4th cup
Salte to taste
Water as required
Lemon Juice as needed
Pepper - optional
Coriander Leaves - optional

Method:

Separate Pudina leaves from the stock and wash it.
Fry the pudina leaves without oil in a nonstick pan along with few cumin seeds for 2 minutes.
After it cools put it in a mixer along with one green chilli.
Keep aside.
Pressure cook Tur Dal with four times water.
Now mix pudina paste, salt and bring to a boil.
Then squeese some lemon juice as per your taste
You can also add pepper to make it spicy.
Garnish with coriander leaves

Drumstick Rasam

Ingredients

1-2 Drumsticks, tender and fleshy ones
1 Tomato, quatered
1/4 cup Tur dal
a lemon sized ball of Tamarind or 1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp Rasam Powder
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Jeera seeds
1-2 Red Chillies (dried)
a pinch of Hing
a few Curry Leaves (kadipatta)
Oil or Ghee for frying
A few Coriander leaves, chopped fine

Method:

Pressure cook the tur dal till it's soft (3-4 whistles)
Soak the tamarind in 4 cups water and strain the juice
Pour this juice in a vessel and add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, rasam powder and salt. Keep on gas in medium flame.
Boil the drumsticks seperately till cooked.
Remove the insides of the drumsticks and put it in the tamarind water mixture.
Bring the whole mixture to a boil.
Add the tur dal and boil on medium flame for 5-6 mins.
Season with mustard, jeera, hing, red chillies, curry leaves & ghee (you can season in oil also).
Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon juice, serve hot with rice.

Sweet Pongal

Ingredients

Moong dhal - 1/2 cup.
Rice - 1/2 cup.
Milk
Coconut
cashew
jaggery
raisins (khish-mish - dry grapes)
cardamom
ghee.

Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it
will start smelling). Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes.
Thoroghly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water (lesser is o.k)and
cook it seperately (in two different containers). Meanwhile cut coconut in
very small pieces and fry in ghee. Fry cashew and raisins also separately.
Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. This is
done because sometimes jagerry has mud and stones. After we make the syrup
strain it through tea strainer. Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and
add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed. Add
jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed. Add three big table
spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while. Add fried
coconut, cashews and raisins.

Rava Pongal

Ingredients

Rava 1 cup
moong dal 1/3 cup
water 4 1/2 cup
salt 3/4 tsp
cashews 1 tsp(broken)
ghee 4 tbs
curry leaves
ginger 1/2 tsp
peppercorn 1 tsp
cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. In a dry pan add rava and fry it till raw smell goes off.
2. Remove it from the pan and keep aside.
3. To the pan, add 2 tsp of ghee and fry peppercorn and cumin for 2 mins at medium heat.
4. Grind this to a powder and keep aside.
5. Add the remaining ghee and fry cashews, curryleaves, ginger and keep aside.
6. In a thick vessel add moong dal and fry till it smells or golden brown.
7. Add 1 1/2 cup of water to dal and 1/2 cook.
8. In a cooker place a vessel containing remaining water, rava and the seasoning mixture.
9. Bring to boil and stir the mixture.
10. Add weight and cook it for 8-10 mins.
11. Add ghee when it is removed from the stove.
12. Eat it with coconut chutney.

Paal Pongal

Ingredients:
1 cup of Raw Rice
2 cups of Milk
2 cups Water
Salt to Taste

Method:
Boil Water in a pot and add Rice when water boils.
Add milk to this when rice is half cooked.
Add salt to taste (add little less salt than you add normally) and stir well.
Stop cooking after the rice is fully cooked and the mixture is 90% Solid.

This rice can be had with any curry or simply with jagerry and banana

Green Tomato Pickle

Ingredients
250 gms. firm green tomatoes
1 large hard apple, peeled, cored, diced
1 large onion finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh mint leaves finely chopped
10-12 long hot green chillies, chopped
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. oil

Method
Heat oil in a heavy pan, add onions, stir.
Add 1 tbsp. Vinegar, simmer till onions are transparent.
Add tomatoes, apples, cook till mixture is mushy.
Add all other ingredients, allow sugar to dissolve.
Simmer till thick, and there is no water residue.
Pour into sterile jar, cool and seal.

Green Pepper Pickles

Ingredients
green pepper - 250 gm
lemon - 5
turmeric powder - a pinch
asafoetida powder - a pinch
mustard seeds -1 tsp
salt to taste
cooking oil - 4 tbsp

Method
First of all keep a clean and dry container ready.
Clean the green pepper thoroughly and pat them dry with a clean cloth.
Then, transfer them into the container.
Add lemon juice over them such that they are fully immersed in the juice.
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustards seeds, asafoetida powder and turmeric powder and pour it over the pepper and mix well.
Keep it aside for a week and use it with a dry spoon.

Bitter Gourd Pickle

Ingredients
1/4 kg bitter gourd (small variety)
2 tbsp saunf (aniseed)
2 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp asafoetida
salt to taste
1 tbsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp dried mango powder
1/4 tsp citric acid
1/4 garam masala
1 tbsp coarsely crushed coriander seeds
2 tbsp coarsely crushed mustard seeds
250 gm oil

Method
Peel and apply turmeric and salt to bitter gourds.
Keep aside for 1/2 hour.
Put them in boiling water with the citric acid.
Boil for 5-7 minutes. Remove from water and wipe dry.
Heat half the oil, add asafoetida, saunf, coriander seeds.
Remove from fire. Add all the masalas and mix well.
Cool and fill in the gourds. Tie them up securely with string.
Arrange them in a glass or pickle jar. Heat remaining oil a little.
Add a few pinches citric acid and 1/3 tsp salt. Pour over the gourds.
Allow to tenderise for 3-4 days more. Remove string before serving.

Green Chilli Pickle

Ingredients:
1 kg green chillies - chopped
1 cup salt
1/2 kg mustard oil
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp turmeric powder
200 gm ginger - finely ground
250 gm garlic - finely ground
100 gm cumin seeds - roasted and ground
200 gm large mustard seeds - roasted and ground
1 cup sugar
200 gm tamarind
3 cups of white vinegar

Method:

Marinate the chillies in salt for at least two hours.
Soak the tamarind in the vinegar for at least two hours and extract the pulp.
In a large vessel heat the mustard oil and add red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
Add the ginger and garlic and mix well. Continue stirring for some time.
Mix in the cumin powder and mustard powder.
Pour the tamarind-vinegar pulp and mix well.
Add sugar and cook on low heat for some time.
Now add the chillies and cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat till the oil seperates.
Serve.

Mixed Vegetable Pickle

Ingredients:
2 - carrots
2 - raw mangoes
50 g - green chillies
2 - karelas (bittergourd)
5 - lemons
50 g - fresh ginger
3 tsp - red chilly powder
2 tsp - mustard (rai) powder
1 tsp - hing
1 tsp - turmeric powder
3 tbsp - oil
salt to taste

Method

Slice the vegetables into small pieces (de-seed karela).
In a jar, add the veggies, chilly powder, turmeric, mustard, hing, salt and two lemons cut into small pieces. Mix well.
Heat oil and when cool, add to the pickle mix.
Then add the juice of the other three lemons and mix well.
The pickle is ready the next day and can be preserved for 10 to 15 days.

Ginger Pickle

Ingredients:
2 cups ginger-shredded fine
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp salt to taste
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp chilli powder or to taste
1 tsp asafoetida powder

Method:
Mix all the ingredients and cook over high heat.

When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for a minute or so.

Store in a clean jar.

Lemon Sevai

Ingredients:
2 cups prepared sevai
1 - 1 1/2 tbsp bengalgram dal (chana dal)
juice of one large lemon
2 tbsp gingely oil
1 tbsp chopped coriander
salt to taste

Seasoning:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
1-2 red chillies, broken
2 green chillies, slit
2 sprigs curry leaves
large pinch of turmeric powder

Method:
1. Soak bengal gram dal for 1/2 hour and when soft, strain all the water, set aside.

2. Take out juice of the lemon, add salt, mix. Keep sevai on a plate.

3. Heat oil, add seasonings given in that order. When done, add soaked gram dal, stir fry till all the water us absorbed and the dal has turned soft. Remove from fire. Pour onto sevai.

4. Add lime juice, chopped coriander and mix thoroughly, but lightly (use a fork for this).

5. Serve with coconut chutney.

Coconut Sevai

Ingredients:
2 cups prepared sevai
1/2 - 1 cup coconut gratings
1 tbsp blackgram dal (urad dal)
1 tbsp gingely oil
1/2 - 1 tbsp ghee
4-6 cashew nuts (broken into small pieces)
1 tbsp chopped coriander
salt to taste

Seasoning:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
large pinch of asafoetida
1-2 red chillies, broken into 2-3 pieces each
1-2 green chillies, slit
1-2 sprigs curry leaves

Method:
1. Soak blackgram dal in some water for about 1/2 hour; strain all the water and set aside.

2. Heat oil - ghee together, fry cashew nut pieces to a golden brown, remove and set aside.

3. Add seasonings in the order given; when mustard is done add soaked dal and stir on low heat till it turns light brown in colour and all the water has been absorbed.

4. Add coconut gratings, pinch of salt (or more to taste) and stir fry on low heat till gratings turn light brown in colour.

5. Remove kadai from fire, add sevai, fried cashew nuts and chopped coriander, mix all of it lightly and thoroughly.

6. Serve hot with curry leaf chutney.

Ellu Sevai

Ingredients:
2 cups prepared sevai
1 tbsp ghee
4 tbsp ellu (sesame seeds)
1/2 cup powdered jaggery

Method:
1. Clean and dry, roast ellu in a kadai on medium heat, stirring all the time. When all the seeds have crackled and it is done, remove from the fire, put on a plate to cool.
2. When sesame seeds is sufficiently cooled, put it in the dry grinder of the mixie, run it 1-2 times. Add jaggery, run for sometime till both are well blended. Thi is ellu podi. Remove from the mixie.
3. Put the prepared sevai on a plate, add the prepared powder. Heat ghee, pour on top of this and mix all of it lightly using only the tips of your fingers.

Badam Burfi

Ingredients:
Badam-1cup
Sugar-11/4 cup
ghee-1/4 cup or 5tbspn
milk-1/4 cup

Method:
Soak badam in hot water and peel the skin. Grind it to fine paste along with 1/4 cup milk. Take a pan and dissolve the sugar and allow it to boil. The melted sugar should be of sticky consistency, that is when you touch it with your hand it should form a single thread.

Now add the badam paste to it and keep stirring it. once the raw smell of the badam disappears now add the ghee spoon by spoon. Mean while, take a foil and rolling pin and grease it with ghee. When the mixture separates from the pan remove from the heat and put the mixture into the foil and roll it flat for about 1 inch thickness. Cut it into diamond shape and allow it to cool.

Cashew Nut Burfi

Ingredients:
Cashew Nuts – 2 cups
Sugar – 2 cups
Ghee – ½ cup
Kewra Essence – few drops
Saffron - few strings

Method:
Soak cashew nuts in water for 4 hours and grind into a thick paste.

Add ½ cup water to the sugar and make a thick syrup. Add the ground cashew paste and stir continuously on a low flame. Add ghee in between while stirring. When it leaves the sides of the vessel, add kewra essence, saffron and mix well. Switch off the stove. When it is luke warm mix by your hand and make a dough (like chapati dough) and put it on a greased rolling board. Grease the rolling pin also and quickly roll it ¼” thick big circle (like making chapati). When it is cool cut it into diamond shaped pieces.

Groundnut Burfi

Ingredients:
250 gms groundnuts, roasted and coarsely powdered
250 gms sugar
1 cup water
50 gms coconut powder
a few green cardamoms, powdered
1 tbsp ghee

Method:
1. In a pan, heat the sugar and water to make a 1-string syrup.
2. Add groundnut powder, coconut powder and ghee along with the cardamom powder.
3. Stir till the mixture leaves the side of the pan.
4. Grease a thali with ghee and spread the mixture.
5. Cut into burfis while the mixture is still hot.

Keerai Pakoda

Ingredients:

Chopped greens (any type of Keerai) – 1 cup
Besan flour – 2 cups
Rice flour – ½ cup
Curd – 2 tablespoon
Big Onion - 1
Ginger – a small piece
Garlic flakes – 4 Nos
Green chillies – 4 Nos
Salt – as per taste
Oil – for deep frying

Method:

Chop onion, green chillies, ginger and garlic finely.
Mix besan, rice flour, curd, chopped ginger and garlic, green chillies and salt. Add little water and make a dough. Keep it for half-an-hour. Then add chopped onion and keerai to the dough and mix well.
Heat oil in a kadai and take out a lump of the dough and drop it in small portions. Fry till it become golden brown and crisp.
Remove it and put it on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil on it.

Cauliflower Pakoda

Ingredients:
1 cauliflower cut into small florets
2 cups besan
1/2 tsp ginger and 1 tbsp dhania (ground together)
salt to taste
1 onion, chopped
3 chillies, cut finely
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
Few Chopped coriander leaves
oil for frying


Instructions:
1. Mix everything in a bowl and add little water and beat the mixture to form a thin and smooth batter.
2. Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
3. Dip the cauliflower pieces into the batter and deep fry on medium heat until golden brown.