Masala Butter Milk

Ingredients :

1 cup thick butter milk

1 tsp jeera

1 tsp pepper corns

3-4 tsp ghee

½ cup copra (grated)

3-4 sprigs curry leaves

salt to taste

Method :

Wash curry leaves and allow to dry.

Take 1 tsp ghee in frying pan and roast copra gratings in it, till brown, and
keep aside.

Take another tsp ghee in pan and roast ½ tsp cumin, pepper and curry
leaves in it, till brown.

Grind copra gratings with other roasted ingredients finely.

Then take 1 tsp ghee in a vessel. Add cumin.

When it splutters add thick butter milk. Remove from flame.

Mix the ground masala with butter milk, stir in salt and serve.

Malai Kofta

Ingredients:

For the Koftas :

100 g, cheese

5 potatoes, baked and smashed.

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp green peas

½ tbsp raisins

5 green chillies, finely chopped

1 inch ginger, crushed

½ tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

2 tsp fresh limejuice

½ tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

For Gravy :

125 g skim cream

50g cheese

100 g skim milk

1 onion, chopped

1 inch ginger, crushed

2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed

½ tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

½ cup skim yogurt

Spices :

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp cumin seeds

2 remove shell cardamom pods

1 tbsp canola oil

salt to taste

For Garnishing :

1 tbsp grated reduced fat paneer

½ tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

½ tbsp skim cream

Method :

For the Koftas :

Combine together all the ingredients except raisins.

Make koftas putting 2 to 3 raisins in the centre.

Put the koftas in an oven, preheated to a temperature of 150º C for 3 to
5 minutes.

For the Gravy :

In a bowl, take yogurt and mix well all the spices and keep aside.

Combine the remaining gravy ingredients except coriander leaves in a grinder
and grind to a paste.

Heat a nonsticking skillet and add oil.

When the oil becomes hot, put yogurt-spices mixture and fry on medium heat with
stirring till a mesh type texture results and the oil separates out, about 5
minutes.

Add the paste and fry for 5 to 7 minutes and stir properly.

Add 1½ cups water and allow it to boil for 10 minutes.

Combine chopped coriander leaves.

Keep the koftas in a bowl and pour gravy over them.

Majjige Huli

Ingredients :

½ kg beans

½ tsp chilli powder

1½ cups coconut gratings

1 tbsp oil

½ litre butter milk

7 green chillies

½ tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste

Method :

Chop beans into ½" long pieces. Wash.

Cook in water till soft. Grind coconut gratings with green chillies and butter
milk to a fine paste.

Put this masala and salt to the cooked beans.

Cook over low flame, turning over occasionally.

Bring to boil. Take out from flame.

Season with mustard in oil.

Other vegetables like cow pea beans, brinjal, snake gourd, ash gourd, cucumber
(coloured), raw banana can be used for preparing this huli.

If bitter gourd is used, first cook it in a little tamarind Juice or butter
milk till it evaporates.

Brinjal with drumstick is good combination for this huli.

Lemon Rasam

Ingredients :

½ cup toovar dal

4 tomatoes

ginger, finely chopped

6 green chillies, chopped

a small pinch hing

½ tsp cumin powder

¼ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp pepper powder

¼ tsp haldi

¼ tsp mustard

2 red chillies

1 lemon

½ tsp ghee

A few curry leaves

A small bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp salt to taste



Method :

Cook toovar dal with haldi along with 2 cups of water.

Put chopped tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, hing, and salt.
Allow it to
cook for 5 to10 minutes.

Heat some ghee and put the mustard in it.

When they crackle, put cumin seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves, and add
cumin powder, and pepper powder before mixing this to the boiling rasam.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and squeeze lemon juice.

Kela Masala

Ingredients :


2 raw bananas

½ tsp haldi powder

10 red chillies

tamarind lump (marble size)

8-10 garlic cloves

salt to taste

Method :

Chop each banana crosswise into two halves. Boil in water, till it becomes tender.
Peel.

Cut into pieces about 1" -1½" long, and keep aside.

Extract thick juice of tamarind by squeezing it in water.

Combine tamarind juice, salt and haldi with the banana pieces.

Pulverize red chillies, crush peeled garlic cloves in it and add to the banana
pieces. Turn over and serve.

Karuvepalli (Curry Leaves) Kozambhu

Ingredients :

1 cup curry leaves

1½ tsp imli paste

6 red chillies

2 tsp urad dal

¼ tsp mustard

a small pinch hing

1½ tsp salt

1 tsp cooking oil



Method :

Fry urad dal, red chillies and hing in oil.

Wet grind the above mixture with curry leaves, imli paste, and salt.

Boil the above with 2 to 4 cups of water.

Heat some oil in a pan, splutter mustard and add this to the sambhar.

Kalan

Ingredients :

1 cucumber (coloured)

1 cup coconut gratings

6-7 red chillies

¼ tsp haldi powder

1 cup curds

2 sprigs curry leaves

salt to taste

½ tsp jeera

3 green chillies

For Seasoning

Oil
½ tsp jeera
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 sprig curry leaves

1 pinch asafetida

Method :

Skin cucumber and cut into pieces (medium size).

Boil in water till soft, adding salt and a few curry leaves.

Grind coconut gratings with red chillies and haldi to a fairly smooth paste.

Before taking out, add cumin and green chillies and grind for a while.

Add the masala to the cooked cucumber pieces and bring to boil.

Prepare seasoning in frying pan with the ingredients noted above.

Pour the seasoning and curds into the boiling mix. Stir.

Allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from flame and serve.

Garlic Rasam

Ingredients :

6 to 10 garlic, chopped

2 tsp toovar dal

2 tsp coriander seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp pepper

2 red chillies

¼ tsp methi

¼ tsp mustard

small piece of ginger

1 tsp imli paste

¼ tsp haldi

a few curry leaves

1 tsp salt to taste

2 tsp cooking oil



Method :

Fry toovar dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper, red chilli, methi, curry
leaves, mustard, and 2 pods garlic in oil.

Wet grind the above mixture.

Keep 3 cups of water to boil, add imli paste, haldi, and salt, and let this
boil for a few minutes.

Fry 8 to10 pods of garlic in little ghee and add this to the boiling imli water
and let it cook for a few minutes.

Now put the ground mixture, and allow it to boil for 5 to10 minutes.

Heat some oil, splutter mustard, then add curry leaves and add this to the rasam.

Goddu Kolambu

Ingredients :

1 tamarind lump

4 tbsp oil

1 tbsp sambar powder

1 tbsp gur

1 tsp toovar dal

a little haldi powder

a little asafoetida

2 red chillies

1½ tsps salt

½ litre water

Curry leaves

1½ cups mixed vegetable pieces (drumstick, lady's fingers, beans etc.)

½ tsp fenugreek seeds

Method :

Soak tamarind in water.

Squeeze several times and take out about ½ litre of juice.

Keep aside. Heat oil in frying pan.

Prepare seasoning with mustard, toovar dal and fenugreek.

Roast for a while. Then put red chillies, asafetida and curry leaves.

When dal turns golden brown, put vegetables pieves and roast for 2-3 minutes.

Pour tamarind juice, add sambar powder, haldi and salt and cook for at least
5 minutes.

Finally, put crushed gur and take out from flame.

Gajbaj Ambat

Ingredients :

7-8 vegetables

1 cup coconut gratings

7 roasted red chillies

tamarind lump (size of marble)

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 spring curry leaves

salt to taste

Method :

Cut selected vegetables and cook in water.

When cooked, put a little salt and turn over.

Grind coconut gratings with roasted red chillies and tamarind to make a fine
paste.

Combine the masala with cooked vegetable pieces and allow it to boil.

Take out from flame.

Season with mustard and curry leaves in oil, using a ladle.

Eriseri

Ingredients:

Plantain, washed, peeled and diced

Chenai kazanku, washed, peeled and diced

1 tsp pepper

4 red chillies

2 tsp coconut grated

¼ tsp mustard

curry leaves

1 tsp urad dal

a small pinch hing

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp salt to taste

Method:

Boil the vegetables, and add a little salt to this.

Sauté red chilles and pepper and wet grind this mixture with coconut
and a few curry leaves.

Combine the masala with the boiling vegetables and Cook until the flavour comes
out.

Heat some coconut oil in a pan and put the mustard.

When they crackle, put urad dal, 1 red chille, curry leaves, little hing, and
add this to the above.

Eggplant Gotsu

Ingredients :

1 large eggplant

½ tsp tamarind

3 red chillies

2 green chillies

a small pinch hing

½ tsp mustard

1 tsp urad dal

A few curry leaves

A small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

2 tsp cooking oil

Salt to taste

Method :

Coat eggplant with little oil and bake it in an oven.

Peel the skin, mash the eggplant and keep it aside.

Heat some oil in a pan and put the mustard.

When they crackle, put hing, urad dal, red chillies, green chillies, and curry
leaves and keep aside.

Keep 1 cup of water to boil and add tamarind paste and salt to this.

Combine mashed eggplant and fried ingredients to the tamarind water.

Garnish with cilantro.

Ready to serve.

Eggplant Podi Curry

Ingredients :

250 g eggplant, chopped

1 tsp urad dal

1 tsp channa dal

1.5 tsp coriander seeds

4 to 5 red chilli

¼ tsp mustard

4 tsp cooking oil

a small pinch hing

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp tamarind paste

¾ tsp salt

Method :

Dry roast urad dal, channa dal, coriander seeds, red chillies and hing.

Dry grind the above with ¼ tsp salt.

Heat some oil in a pan and put the mustard.

When they crackle, put turmeric, hing and eggplant to this.

Sprinkle little water, and cover it slightly until the eggplant gets cooked.

Now put the remaining salt, tamarind paste, and the ground masala powder.

Stir well and add a 5 tsp of cooking oil.

Drumstick Leaves Curry

Ingredients :

4 cups drumstick leaves

½ cup coconut gratings

5 green chillies

1 small piece haldi

1 tsp jeera

½ tsp toovar dal

3 red chillies

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

4 tsp oil

salt to taste

Method :

Cut drumstick leaves finely.

Wash toovar dal and the leaves. Combine them together.

Pressure cook (in about 2 cups of water) for at least 15 minutes.

Grind fine masala using coconut gratings, haldi and green chillies.

Put jeera and grind for a while. Transfer the masala to a vessel.

Remove dal - leaf mixture when cool and cook it again in another vessel.

Put salt and allow it to boil. Combine the masala and boil properly.

Take out from flame. Season with red chilli pieces, mustard and curry leaves
in oil, with a ladle.

Curried Chick Peas

Ingredients :

1 can chick peas

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tomato, chopped

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam Masala

A few cilantro Leaves

½ tsp tamarind paste.

1 tbsp oil

Method :

Put the tamarind paste in some hot water.

Heat the oil and fry onions, add garlic and ginger and fry for 2 minutes.

Put the garam masala and cook for a minute. Put tomatoes, and continue frying.
Put cumin, coriander and chili powders, and season with salt.

Fry for another 5 minutes. Add chick peas, cook for a few minutes.

Add ½ cup of water and the tamarind paste and allow it to boil.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Cumin And Pepper Rasam (Method 2)

Ingredients :

2 tsp toovar dal

¾ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp pepper

3 red chillis

½ tsp imli paste

¼ tsp haldi

a few curry leaves

3 cups water

½ tsp ghee

1 tsp salt to taste

Method :

Dry roast toovar dal and pepper without oil for 1 minute.

Soak this in water along with red chilli & cumin seeds after 10 minutes.


Wet grind this nicely.

Boil imli water, salt, haldi, and add the above mixture, and let it boil for
a few minutes until the flavour comes out.

Sauté ¼ tsp cumin seeds, curry leaves and 1 red chilli in ghee
and add this to the rasam.

Cumin And Pepper Rasam (Method 1)

Ingredients :

2 tsp toovar dal

¾ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp pepper

3 red chilli

½ tsp imli paste

¼ tsp haldi

a few curry leave

3 cups water

½ tsp ghee

1 tsp salt to taste



Method :

Soak toovar dal, ½ tsp cumin seeds, pepper, red chilli, and curry leaves
in water for 15 minutes.

Wet grind the above mixture.

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add imli paste, salt and haldi.

Allow it to boil for a few minutes and then add the ground masala.

Fry ¼ tsp cumin seeds and 1 red chilli in ghee. Add this to the rasam.

Cochin Masala Curry

Ingredients :

2 cups coconut gratings

16 red chillies

2 tsp black gram dal

2 tsp coriander seeds

a little haldi powder

Method :

Roast all the above ingredients in frying pan separately, on a low flame, till
it becomes golden brown and crispy.

Grind them together in a mixer, absolutely dry or free from moisture till oil
is given off.

This masala can be kept for 6 to 8 months in an air-tight container without
spoiling, and can be used for preparing a variety of curries, when desired,
example :

Bengal gram-cum-suran

Soak 1 cup bengal gram in water overnight.

Next day, put ¾ cup suran bits.

Pressure cook upto 3 whistle sounds. Remove and put salt.

Combine tamarind juice, desired quantity of water and 2-3 tsp of the above masala.


Keep it to boil for 5 minutes.

Take out from flame. No seasoning.

Suran-cum-dal

Chop suran into ½" cubes, 1 cup full.

Apply salt and keep aside for 5 minutes.

Then deep fry in oil and keep aside.

Boil toovar dal in water.

Put salt, tamarind juice and sufficient masala. Boil.

Combine the fried suran bits.

Take out from flame after 2-3 minutes.

Cauliflower Pickle

Ingredients :


1 cauliflower

5 limes

1 pav (heaped) red chillies

½ pav grains of salt

? pav mustard seeds

2 tsp table salt

1 small piece haldi

1 small piece asafoetida

Method :


Wash cauliflower and cut into small pieces.

Combine juice of lime and table salt with the pieces in a vessel.

Add salt (grains) to ½ litre of water in another vessel. Boil and cool

Using this salt water grind red chillies with asafetida and haldi.

When half done, add mustard and grind to a fine paste. Pour the paste in the
first vessel. Mix well.

Tender cucumber, carrot or green mango pieces can be added, if desired.

Cabbage Curry

Ingredients :

cabbage, finely chopped

4 green chillies

½ tsp urad dal

1 tsp channa dal

¼ tsp mustard

a small pinch hing

a few curry leaves

2 tsp cooking oil

1 tsp salt to taste

Method :

Heat some oil in a pan and put the mustard.

When they crackle, add channa dal, urad dal, hing, and curry leaves.

Put chopped cabbage and green chillies and sprinkle some water.

Allow it to cook until the cabbage becomes soft.

Brinjal Upkari (Special)

Ingredients :

½ kg brinjals

3 onions

3 tsp sambar powder

½ tsp mustard seeds

7-8 tsp oil

tamarind lump (big marble size)

1 small piece gur

1 spring curry leaves

salt to taste

Method :

Cut brinjal into thin slices. Apply salt and keep aside.

Cut onion also into thin slices.

Prepare seasoning in frying pan with mustard and curry leaves in oil. And onion
slices.

Dissolve sambar powder in thick juice extracted from tamarind.

Pour the mix into pan. Add gur.

Squeeze brinjal pieces and drop them.

Turn over thoroughly. Cook under cover, on low flame, till tender.

Remove from flame. Serve.

Brinjal Rasavangi Recipe

Ingredients :

1 big Brinjal, chopped

1 cup toovar dal

4 tsp coriander seeds

6 to 8 red chillies

2 tsp channa dal

a small pinch hing

3 tsp coconut grated

1 tsp imli paste

¼ tsp haldi

½ tsp mustard

½ tsp urad dal

a few curry leaves

4 tsp cooking oil

1 tsp salt to taste



Method :

Cook toovar dal in 2½ cups of water and keep it aside.

Fry coriander seeds, red chillies, channa dal, and hing in 2 tsp of oil and
wet grind the above mixture with coconut.

Fry brinjal in 2 tsp of oil until it becomes soft.

Now put haldi, salt, and 2 cups of imli paste to this and allow it to cook for
a few minutes.

Now put the ground masala, and let it cook for 10 minutes, and then add the
cooked toovar dal, and let it cook for another 5 to10 minutes.

Heat some oil, splutter mustard, then add hing, urad dal, and curry leaves and
add this to the rasavangi.

Brinjal Bharth

Ingredients :

3-4 potatoes

½ cup coconut gratings

6 roasted red chillies

1 small piece asafoetida

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp oil

tamarind lump

1 sprig curry leaves

salt to taste.

Method :

Cut the brinjal into big pieces and boil in water.

Peel the boiled brinjal. Roast asafoetida and mustard a little with
oil.
Grind masala using coconut gratings, roasted red chillies and tamarind.

Before taking out add the roasted mustard and asafoetida to masala.
Also add salt
and grind for another few minutes.

Then add a little water and mashed brinjal in it.

Bittergourd Curry

Ingredients :

Bittergourd, chopped

2 red chillies

A small pinch hing

A small pinch turmeric powder

¼ tsp mustard

½ tsp urad dal

a few curry leaves

¼ tsp tamarind powder

2 to 3 tsp cooking oil

1 tsp salt to taste

Method :

Heat oil in a pan and put the mustard.

When they crackle, add red chillies, urad dal, hing, turmeric, curry leaves,
and the chopped bittergourd.

Sprinkle some water, and allow it to cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Now sprinkle tamarind powder and salt.

Allow it to simmer and let it fry for a few more minutes until the oil separates.

Bengal Curry

Ingredients :

2 tbsp toovar dal

3 tbsp chana dal

3-4 red chillies

2 pinches asafoetida powder

1 tsp black gram dal

½ tsp mustard seeds

3 tbsp oil

Curry leaves, chopped

2 cups chopped beans

Salt to taste

Method :

Soak chana dal and toovar dal in water for half an hour.

Grind coarsely with red chillies, salt and asafoetida.

Steam cook for at least 10 minutes.

When cool, break (pulverize by hand) like bread crumbs.

Wash beans and cut into ¼" pieces. Boil in a little water.

Drain and squeeze the beans of all water.

Prepare seasoning in frying pan with mustard and black gram dal in oil.

Roast till the dal turns golden brown.

Put the dal mix and curry leaves in it.

Cook on medium flame till oil leaves the mixture.

Put beans and a little salt and cook for another 5 minutes.

Take out from flame.

Beans and Potato Kootu

Ingredients :

beans, washed and chopped

potaoes, washed and chopped

1 cup toovar dal

½ tsp khus khus

1 tsp mustard

2 tsp coconut grated

4 red chillies

a few curry leaves

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt to taste

Method :

Cook toovar dal and keep it aside.

Boil beans and potatoes and put a little salt and turmeric to this.

Wet grind coconut, khus khus, mustard, and red chillies.

Put this masala to the boiling vegetables, and cook until the flavour comes
out.

Add the cooked toovar dal and allow it to boil for a few minutes.

Heat some oil in a pan and put the mustard.

When they crackle, put curry leaves, little hing, and add this to the above.

Avial

Ingredients :

Vegetables like (carrots, potatoes, beans, white pumpkin, peas, eggplant)

1 cup coconut

8 green chillies

2 red chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp tamarind paste

2 tsp coconut oil

½ cup yogurt

a few curry leaves

1 tsp salt to taste

Method :

Cut all the vegetables evenly, and cook it with little water.

Put turmeric and salt to this.

Grind coconut, green chillies, red chillies, cumin seeds, and tamarind paste
finely in yogurt.

Put the ground masala to the cooked vegetables, and allow it to cook until the
flavour comes out.

Garnish with curry leaves and coconut oil.

Aagai

Ingredients :

1 small unripe jack

5-6 green mangoes

½ pav mustard seeds

2 handful coriander seeds

1 tbsp fenugreek seeds

1 small piece asafoetida

1 small piece of haldi

½ seer red chillies

¾ pav salt (grains)

Method :

Wipe and dry mango with a clean cloth. Discard the inner stone, if any.

Cut into medium sized pieces and keep aside.

Put salt to 1 litre of water. Boil and take out from flame.

Before it cools, drop the mango pieces into it.

Cut jack (after removing skin) into moderately big pieces. Wash.

Drain off water. Tie them in a piece of cloth.

Cook over steam in an idli vessel, till soft.

Take out, open the bundle, spread jack pieces over a tray and allow to cool.

Roast red chillies, coriander, asafetida and haldi one after another, in a frying
pan, without oil. First, grind the red chillies using the salt water.

When half done, mix all the roasted ingredients and grind to a smooth paste.

Transfer the masala to a vessel.

Drop the steamed jack pieces and cooked mango bits (kept in salt water).

Mix well. Wash grinder with salt water and add some of that water too, if desired.

Lamb Curry

Ingredients

2 small onion (chopped)

1 tbsp coconut powder

2 tbsp coriander pdr

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp cumin pdr

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 number gr chillies

1 lb lamb (500 grams)

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp pepper pdr

1 tsp red chilli pdr

to taste salt

1 pinch turmeric

3 piece cardamom,clove,cinnamon and whole garam masala

Directions

1. Add oil to hot pan, add whole spices, cumin and chopped onion cook till they are slightly brown at the edges
2. Add salt ,turmeric ,ginger garlic paste.
3. When these are well roasted add cleaned lamb peices and cook
4. Add chilli pdr, coriandr powder , cumin pdr mix add water cover and cook for 20-30 min till lamb is 90%cooked You can also cook lamb in pressure cooker
5. Add gr chillies coconut pdr and pepper pdr and cook for another 10 min till the sauce is thickened

Serve hot with rice , roti or naan !!!

Chicken Chettinad

Ingredients
1-1/2 Onion
1000 grams Chicken
1/2 cup Chilli Powder
1/4 cup Coriander Powder
2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tsp Fennel (Jeera)
20 clove Garlic
1 big Ginger
5 tsp Oil
to taste salt
1 cup Tomato

Directions

1. Wash the chicken and cut to pieces.
2. Mince garlic and ginger.
3. Powder pepper, cumin seeds and fennel together.
4. Fry the powders lightly and keep aside.
5. Season cloves in oil in a frying pan, add onion and tomato.
6. Saute well adding minced garlic and ginger.
7. Add chicken with little turmeric powder and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Add chilli /coriander powders, salt and mix well.
9. Pour 4 cups of water and boil.
10. When chicken is half boiled, add the half fried pepper, cumin seed and fennel powder and mix well.
11. When the gravy thickens to a paste, remove from fire.

Serve hot. Try it and let me know your feedback.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients

1 kg Carrots
1 litre Milk
1 teaspoon Cardamom seeds
3/4 cup Water
3 tablespoons Ghee
2 tablespoons Raisins
2 tablespoons Almonds
2 tablespoons Pistachios
450 grams Sugar

Directions

1. Wash and grate the carrots. Soak the raisins in water for 30 minutes. Blanch and shred the nuts.
2. Put the water to boil, when it starts boiling add the grated carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the milk. Cook on a low flame for 1 hour stirring occasionally.
4. Add sugar, mix well and cook till the sugar has dissolved and all the milk has been absorbed.
5. Add ghee and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the slightly crushed cardamoms and the raisins. Mix well.
Remove the gajjar halwa from heat and arrange in a serving dish. Garnish with almonds and pistachios. Serve cold, hot or at room temperature.

Medu Vada

Ingredients

1 Cup White urad dal
1 tsp Crushed black peppercorn
¼ cup Asafoetida
1 tsp Cumin seeds
Curry leaves 8-10 leaves
Oil for deep frying
salt

Directions

1. Wash and soak urad dal for 6 hours.
2. Grind into a fine paste.
3. Add salt, asafoetida, curry leaves, cumin seeds and crushed peppercorns to the batter and mix well.
4. Heat oil in a Kadhai.
5. Wet your palms and take batter into the palms. Shape into a ball and make a hole with the thumb in the center like a doughnut. This is now called a vada.
6. Deep fry the vadas in medium hot oil until golden brown and crisp.
Serve hot with Sambhar and Coconut chutney.

Chana Masala

Ingredients:

1. 1 15 oz can of chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)


2. 3 tablespoons oil Pinch of asafetida (Hing)


3. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds


4. 1 tablespoon gram flour (Besan)


5. 1 large tomato


6. 1 teaspoon ginger paste


7. 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies


8. 2 teaspoons coriander powder


9. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric


10. 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder


11. 1 teaspoon salt


12. 1/4 teaspoon garam masala


13. 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro (Green coriander)


14. Thinly sliced tomatoes to garnish

Directions:

1. Drain the water out of the can of chickpeas and wash the chickpeas well.


2. Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree.


3. In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil. Add the hing and cumin seeds. After the cumin seeds crack, add the gram flour and stir-fry for a minute.


4. Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chilly powder and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat.


5. The mixture will start leaving the oil and will reduce to about half in quantity.


6. Add the chickpeas and a half cup of water and let it cook for 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat, covered.


7. Press the chickpeas with a spatula so they soften.


8. Add the garam masala and cilantro and mix. Let it cook for another minute.

Garnish with thin tomato slices and serve hot !

Brinjal Kootu

Ingredients

1. Brinjal - 1/4 Kg (1/2 lbs)
2. Toor dal - 1/4 cup
3. Small Onion - 4
4. Sambar Powder - 1/2 spoon
5. Cumin seeds - 1/2 spoon
6. Urid Dal - 1/2 spoon
7. Curry leaves fewSalt - 1 spoon
8. turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon

Directions

1. Wash the Toor dal and cook it in a vessel.
2. When the dal is half cooked, cut the brinjal into small pieces and add it along with onions and turmeric powder.
3. Once it is cooked add the sambar powder and salt and bring it to a boil.
4. Heat oil in a small pan and sputter some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urid dal and curry leaves.
5. Add this to the cooked mixture and switch off the stove.

Brinjal kootu is ready to serve.

Chow Chow Kootu (Bangalore kathirikkai or Chayote Squash)

Ingredients

1. Chow Chow (Chayote Squash) - 1
2. Moong dal or chana dal - 1/2 cup
3. Green chillies - 2
4. Shredded Coconut - 2 spoon
5. Cumin seeds - 1/2 spoon
6. salt - 1/2 spoon
7. turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon

Directions

1. Cut chow chow into small square shape pieces
2. Boil the dal( moong dal or chana dal) in water and when it is half cooked, drain the water, add the chow chow pieces and turmeric powder and salt to it and let it boil.
3. Grind the chillies, shredded coconut and cumin seeds into a paste and add it to the boiling mixture.
4. Once it is cooked, allow to simmer for few minutes.
5. Heat oil in a pan and sputter some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and add it to the cooked mixture.
6. Chow Chow kootu is ready to serve.
   
   

Pudalangai Kootu (Snake Gourd)

Ingredients

1. Snake Gourd - 1 ( small size)
2. Moong dal - 1/2 cup
3. Small Onion - 4
4. Green chillies - 2
5. Shredded coconut - 2 spoon
6. Sambar Powder - 1/2 spoon
7. Cumin seeds - 1/2 spoon
8. Urid Dal - 1/2 spoon
9. salt - 1 spoon
   

Directions

1. Clean the snake gourd and cut into small square pieces.
2. Boil the moong dal in water and when it is half cooked, drain the water, add the snake gourd pieces to it.
3. Cut onions into small pieces and it to the boiling mixture.
4. Fry 1/2 spoon cumin seeds, urid dal, 2 spoon shredded coconut, 2 green chillies and grind these in a mixer and add it to the boiling mixture.
5. When the dal and snake gourd are cooked enough, add sambar powder and salt and bring it to a boil.
6. Heat oil in a pan and sputter some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urid dal and add this to the mixture, bring to a simmer for few minutes.
7. Switch off the stove and the kootu is ready to serve.
   

Chicken Kuruma

Ingredients

Chicken (skinless) - 1/2 kg(1 lb)
Green Chillies - 4
Cashewnut - 6
Cardamom - 2
Clove - 2
Sesame seeds - 2 spoon
Fennel seeds - 2 spoon
Cinnamon sticks - 2 (small)
Small onions - 8
Garlic - 6 pieces
Ginger - 1 piece
Coriander powder - 1 spoon
Turmeric powder - 1 spoon
Salt - 2 spoon
Shredded Coconut - 4 spoon
Big onion - 1
Tomato - 2
Oil - 3 spoon
Ghee - 1 spoon
Lemon juice - 3 spoon or 1/2 lemon
Cilantro leaves - few

Directions

1. Clean the chicken, cut into pieces and wash it with water and some buttermilk.


2. Add 2 spoon curd, mix the chicken and keep it aside.


3. Heat ghee in a pan and fry gren chillies(cut into 2 halves), sesame seeds, fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves and cashew.


4. Take the above mixture add, small onions, garlic and ginger and grind it.


5. Take the shredded coconut and grind it separately.


6. Cut the big onions diagonally into thin slices and saute in pan with oil, cinnamon sticks.


7. Then add tomato and saute for few minutesAdd the chicken, turmeric powder and mix.


8. Add the ground masala and coriander powder and mix.


9. If more spice is needed, you can add 1/2 spoon chilli powder.


10. Add 2 cups water and cook it for 10 minutes


11. Then add the ground coconut and boil for 5 minutes.


12. Once the chicken is cooked add cilantro leaves and lemon juice and switch off the stove.
    

Chicken kuruma is ready to serve.