BAIGAN BHARTA (8 minutes)

Ingredients: 1 medium Baigan (eggplant) 1/2 cup Cooked green peas 1 Finely chopped onion 1 Finely chopped tomato 1 Finely chopped green chilli 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder 3 tbsp oil Salt to taste Chopped green coriander leaves for garnishing Method: Brush baigan (eggplant) with oil and roast it on a gas burner over medium heat. Frequently turn the eggplant upside down, until fully roasted. Once done, hold it under cold running water or in a bowl full of water. Cool it and peel off the blackened skin. Mash the flesh. Heat oil in a pan / kadhai . Add green chilli and onion and fry over medium heat until light golden brown.Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt and stir. Add tomatoes and cook until tender. Add green peas and mashed baigan (eggplant). Stir well. Fry the baigan bhartha for 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Garnish the baigan bharta with green coriander leaves and serve hot. Note : You can even make this bharta without onion and tomato. With the flesh of the eggplant, add tamarind pulp(1 cup).Heat oil in the pan, add some mustard seeds and red chillies, curry leaves turmeric powder, salt and jaggry(1/2 ts).Pour the the mixture and boil it for 2 minutes in the gas stove.It goes well with south indian receipe Pongal and Rice uppuma.

MICROWAVE PANEER MATAR

Ingredients: 100g paneer - grated 1 cup shelled peas 2 tbsp. oil 1 medium size onion 1-2 green chillies 1/2" piece ginger 6 tbsp tomato puree 1/4- red chilli powder 1/2 tsp. cumin powder 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder Cashewnuts 4- optional Salt to taste Method: Grind together onion, green chillies, ginger and fry this masala for 4 to 5 minutes in a non-stick pan. Add tomato puree, garam masala, cumin powder, peas and sprinkle 1 tbsp. water. Now transfer this to a micro dish and micro high for 3 minutes. Add salt, grated paneer 5 tbsp. water and cashew nuts and mix gently. Cover the dish and again micro wave for 2 minutes and stand for another 2 minutes. Serve, garnished with fresh coriander and green chili.

Stuffed capsicum..(Micro wave)

Ingredients : Onion - 1 ( chopped ) Potatoes - 3( boiled and mashed ) Turmeric powder -1/2 ts Chilli powder - ½ ts Chaat masala -1 ts Green chilli -2 chopped Limejuice - ½ ts Oil - 1 tablespoon Capsicums - 4 nos Cottage cheese - 100 Gms, mashed Salt - To taste Method : Slice the head of the capsicums, de-seed and apply salt on the inside. Take a bowl half filled with water and boil the capsicums in it at high for 8 minutes. In another dish, take oil, green chillies, and onions and cook on high for 3 minutes. To this add the mashed potatoes, cheese, limejuice, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Cook on high for 2 minutes. Fill the mixture into the capsicum cups and garnish with fresh coriander and cook on high for 6 minutes and serve hot.

Tandoori Cauliflower (Micro wave)

Ingredients: Cauliflower - 1 medium size Ginger-garlic paste -1 ts Lemon juice - 1 ts Chilli powder -1 ts Hung curd - ½ cup Garam masala - 1 ts Salt -To taste Method : Marinate the cauliflower with the ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, and chilli powder and keep for few hours. Mix the curd, garam masala and salt and rub it on the cauliflower and keep for a few more hours. Pre-heat the convection oven on 200 degrees and cook on combination mode for 200 degrees. Brown further on 200 degrees for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chat masala and lemon juice.

Hot N Sour Onion Chutney...

Ingredients: 3 big finely chopped Onions 6 pods Garlic 4 Dry Chilies 1/2 tsp. Tamarind Salt according to taste For seasoning: 1/2 tsp. Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp.Mustard seed 1/2 tsp.turmeric powder asafetida - a pinch Curry leaves Method: 1.Grind onions, garlic, tamarind & red chilies together into fine paste and keep aside. 2.Now in a separate pan heat 2 tsp. of oil and add all the ingredients listed under seasoning. 3.Cook until the mustard seeds start to splutter then add the ground paste to it and fry for a minute. Goes well with Idli and Dosa.

Stuffed Veggies ( with left over rice..)

Ingredients : 1 capsicum 1 tomato 1 semi boiled potato 1 brinjal (eggplant) 2 cup leftover rice 2 tsp. tomato sauce 1 tsp. chili powder Salt according to taste 1/2 tsp. Soya sauce 1/2 tsp. sugar 2 tsp. chopped coriander 1/2 tsp. butter 1/2 tsp. cornflour 1 tbsp. grated cheese Method: 1.To make a stuffing mix all ingredients (except vegetables & cheese) in a bowl. Knead a little. 2.Cut a small slice from the top of the tomato, capsicum and potato. Carefully scoop out the their insides and boil the hollow veggies in some salted water. 3.Fill stuffing into the hollow vegetables. Top with grated cheese. Dot with butter. 4.Bake in pre-heated oven or griller till vegetables are cooked. Serve hot with toast and sauce.

Kashmiri pulao...!

Ingredients: 2 cups basmati rice 2 cups milk 1/2 cup beaten cream 1 tsp. Sugar 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 3 cloves 1 cinnamon 3 cardamoms 1 bay leaf 2 tbsp. Ghee 1 cup canned chopped mixed fruit (drained) 2-3 edible rose petals Salt according to taste Method : 1.Wash and soak rice for 15-20 minutes. Drain rice and keep aside. 2.Mix milk, cream, sugar, salt. 3.Heat Ghee(clarified butter) in a pan. 4.Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves. 5.Allow to splutter. Add rice and fry in Ghee(clarified butter) for 2 minutes. 6.Add milk, cream, mixture. 7.Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer till rice is cooked. 8.Mix in the drained fruit very gently. Garnish by sprinkling finely broken rose petals.

Tips..Tips..!

1. For soft Dosas, add some boiled rice to white gram and rice, while grinding.
2. Put some neem and turmeric pieces or garlic flakes in the container where you store rice or grains, in order to keep away insects.
3. To adjust salt in curries add roasted rice powder.
4. If the curd is too sour, add 4 cups of water to it. After half an hour, remove the water collected on top.
5. When you cook dal add some refined oil or garlic. It will reduce gas trouble.
6. Keep rice flour and basin in a polythene cover in refrigerator when you want tem stored for a long time.
7. Add some vinegar in the boiling water before steaming potato.
8. For crispy dosas, add a teaspoon of tur dal gram and some fenugreek seeds while soaking rice
9. Add a pinch of corn flour to the jar of salt to prevent it from getting damp.
10. While chopping raw bananas and potatoes, put the pieces in a bowl of water to avoid it from turning black.
11. A bay leaf added to the flour container will keep the flour free from moisture.
12. To peel garlic flakes easily, wash and soak them in cold water for about an hour.
13. To peel garlic flakes easily, keep those flakes for a minute in micro wave.
14. Green peas will retain their original colour, if you add a pinch of sugar while boiling.
15. Leafy vegetables will remain fresh longer, if wrapped in news papers when you are storing.
16. If you don't have any cream to add in the soup or gravy, add a mixture of butter and milk.
17. Apply some oil on the sides of the vessel in which you boil milk, in order to avoid it from overflowing.
18. After extracting butter from milk cream, add a little milk or curd to the residue and boil. You will get soft 'Paneer'.
19. For thick cream, cover the milk vessel with a thin muslin cloth and refrigerate over night.
20. Barley powder will increase the taste of meat and vegetable curries.
21. You can make tasty chappathi by mixing equal proportion of wheat flour and barley.
22. While boiling eggs, put a hole with a pin on the rounded portion of the egg so that the shell won't break when boiling.
23. Keep boiled eggs in cold water for 5 minutes, this will make the shell removal easier.
24. Cut boiled eggs with a knife dipped in hot water to avoid breaking.
25. Boiled eggs will last longer, if you store the shelled eggs in a bowl of cold water in a refrigerator.
26. If the bread is too soft to cut into pieces, hold the knife close to a flame and then slice the bread with it.
27. If you need only the egg white, for storing the remaining yolk, cover the yolk with water or milk and keep in a cool dark place. Just drain off the liquid before using the yolk.
28. Add a little powdered lemon rind to puddings or deserts to avoid the smell of egg.
29. If you want to make crispy potatoes or banana chips, sprinkle salt water over them while frying.
30. Soak almonds in warm water for a minute, if you need to peel them quickly.
31. If a curry turns out too salty, garnish it with some grated coconut mix with cumin powder.
32. Add a pinch of sugar while cooking spinach, it will retain its green colour.
33. Dal will cook well, if you add a little sesame oil while cooking.
34. To make the 'poori' more tastier and crisper add one tablespoon semoline for each 100g wheat flour.
35. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda while mixing the dough for 'chappathi' to make it soft.
36. Adding turmeric will help to delay pickles from getting spoilt.

Errisery..(kerala dish)

Ingredients: Green bananas - Cubed Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon Urad dal - 1/4 teaspoon Coconut, grated - 1/2 cup Coconut for garnish - 1 tablespoon Black pepper - 1/4 teaspoon Curry leaves - a few Salt to taste Coconut Oil - 1 teaspoon Method: Soak the cut plantains in warm water mixed with half teaspoon turmeric for ten minutes. Drain and cook the plantains with the remaining turmeric and salt. Grind the coconut well with cumin and add to the cooked plantains. Let it simmer. Meanwhile, heat the oil and pop the mustard seeds. Add the urad dal and the coconut reserved for garnish and stir till browned. Add this mixture to the eriserry and mix in the curry leaves. Serve with rice and pappad.

Vatthal kuzhambu..!

Ingredients : Oil - 4.5 spoons Mustard seeds - 1 ts Asafoetida Curry leaves fenugreek seeds - 1/2 ts chenna dhal - 1 ts urad dhal - 1 ts Onion ( if its small 10-12) Turmeric powder - 1/2 ts Tamarind pulp - 2 cup salt Method: Season the mustard, fenugreek, asafoetida, chenna dal,urud dhal and curry leaves.add the oinon and fry for a minute.Add turmeric powder and sambar poweder and pour the tamarind pulp then add salt.allow it to boil until the oil get seperated. Note : Instead of onion, you can use vatral varieties /plain pappad or vegetables like red pumpkin or drumstick or ladies finger.

Chettinad - pulikozhambu

Ingredients: Chopped Onion 1/2 cup Peeled Garlic 10 Pods Tamrind Medium Lime Size Sambar Powder 2-3 ts Salt to taste Tomatoes 2 Oil to fry Jagerry If u wish a little bit Dried Onion Vadagam For seasoning- Aniseed(Saunf)1/4 Teaspoon Fenugreek 1/4 Teaspoon Method : Make Tamrind Paste by mixing it with water. Take a Pan heat oil, add the seasoning ingredients,garlic,then onion fry it well and then add tomatoes. Wait till tomatoes become waterish and then add sambar powder and fry for 1 mnt, then mix then tamrind paste with adequate water, add salt and allow the kuzhambu to boil. then fry the onion vadagam and mix it in the kuzhqambu. this can be had with idli, dosai, rice.

Rava idli..

Ingredients: Medium semolina - 2 1/2 cups curry leaves finely chopped1 tsp mustard seeds1 tsp. urad dal1/2 tsp. channa dal8-10 cashews broken into pieces4 tbsp. oil1 tsp. soda bicarb2 tsp. salt2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped. finely grated fresh coconut - 2ts Fresh curds - 2 cups Method : (Rava mixture) Heat 2 tsps. oil in a small pan, add seeds, cashews and fry till light brown. Remove from fire, keep aside. Take semolina in a large plate or pan. Make a well in the centre. Pour remaining oil here, add all other ingredients, except coconut, curds and coriander. Pour also seasoning of seeds and cashews. Mix gently with hands till mixture is well blended. The mixture should have enough oil to show on your fingers after mixing. If too dry add some more. Keep aside till required. 10 minutes before serving: Beat curds lightly, add rava mixture, coriander and coconut and mix gently. Keep aside for 5-7 minutes. If too dry add some more curds. DO NOT make the mixture too thin, and DO NOT beat too vigorously. When spooned into the moulds, it should hold with spreading fast. Steam in an idli cooker for 5-7 minutes. Check by inserting a skewer or matchstick. It should come out clean. Note : dry rava mixture may be stored at room temperature for a week in refrigerator for a month. Make sure curry leaves are wiped dry before adding. Side dish for this rava idli : Onion(4) + Red chillies (10) + Tomato (2) - Fry these in oil(2ts) until the raw smell goes, add salt and grind it and again fry the paste in oil (4ts) until the oil comes to the surface.

Kesar Bath..

Ingredients : semolina (rava) -1 cup sugar - 1 cup water - 2 1/2 cups pistas slivered or cashew 5 almonds slivered10-12 ( cut into small pieces) raisins1/4 tsp. cardamom powder - 2 pinches saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp. warm milk Few drops yellow colour (optional) Ghee - 3 tbsp. ghee Method: Heat ghee in a large heavy pan, add rava. Stir and roast on low for 7-8 minutes or till aroma exudes. Side by side, put water to boil, add sugar, bring to a boil. Add boiling water to the rava, little at a time stirring continuously. Adjust sweetness, and add more boiling water if grain is hard. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer till ghee separates. Add colour if desired and mix well. Add the nuts & raisins Method using Micro wave : Take ghee + nuts, in a pan fry it for a minute. Take out and Pour the water and boil it for 3 minutes. Take out and Add rava and the colour and cook for 3 minutes. Take out and Add sugar and then again cook for 3 more minutes and If needed, add some more ghee with the mixture. Add cardomom and mix it well.serve it hot or cold.

MOR KOZHAMBU (sour curd curry)

Ingredients : White pumpkin - 500 gms Sour curd - 500 gms Coconut - 1 Green chillies - 5 Ginger - 1 inch piece Coriander powder- 1 tablespoon Chana dal - 100 gms, soaked Cumin seeds - ½ tablespoon Salt to taste Method : Cut the pumpkin into large pieces and cook in a pressure cooker till one whistle. Grate the coconut and grind it with coriander powder , ginger, and green chillies. Grind the chana dal and jeera separately. Fry the pumpkin and add the chana dal cook well. Add the ground masala, stir and remove from fire and serve hot with rice.

Avial

Ingredients : Brinjals -2 Raw banana -2 Potato-2 Carrot-2 French beans-100 gms Pumpkin -2 big pieces Drumsticks -3 Coconut - half Sour curd -2 cups Green chillies -5 Cumin seeds -1/2 tablespoon Salt to taste Coconut oil - 2 ts Method : Clean the vegetables and cut them into 2 inch pieces and parboil them with turmeric powder and salt. Grate the coconut and grind it with green chillies and cumin seeds to get a smooth paste. Take the cooked vegetables and add the ground paste, salt and curd and simmer on low flame for some minutes. Then temper with coconut oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Serve hot with rice or adai

Garlic kuzhambu..(5 minutes)

Ingredients: Garlic - 10 Tamarind pulp - 2 cups sambar powder (or) kuzhambu powder - 2 ts Asafoetida Turmeric powder- 1 ts Jaggry or sugar - 1/2 ts Mustard seeds - 1 ts urud dal - 1 ts fenu greek seeds - 1 ts Salt Curry leaves Oil - 2 ts Method : (1) Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, urud dal, fenu greek, asafoetida (2) Add garlic and fry until it changes it colour. (3) Add sambar powder and fry it and immidiately pour the tamarind pulp. (4) Add turmeric powder, salt and sugar (5) Add curry leaves and allow it to boil until it becomes thick. Serve with hot rice Note : You can make this and keep it in the fridge, even for 15 days It remains good, for three days even without refridgeration

Masala mix..! ( 5 minutes)

Ingredients : Onion - 4 Tomato - 4 Ginger paste - 1 ts Garlic paste - 1 ts Bengal fried gram - 3 ts Green chillies or red chilles - 6 Coriander leaves Curry leves ( optional) Turmeric powder - 1 ts cinamom - 1 cloves - 1 Salt Oil Method: Graind all the ingredients and fry them in the oil, until the oil comes in the surface level. Masala mix is ready to taste with idli, dosa and with chappathi too. Note: you can keep it in the refridgerator, and reheat it whenever it is needed.

Cheese Balls..!

Ingredients : Maida - 1 cup Butter - 2 Ts Milk - 1 cup Bread crumbs - 1 cup Boiled Corn - 100 gms Celery - 50 gms Grated Cheese - 100 gms Chopped Green Chillies - 4 Oil Salt - to taste Method : (1). Heat butter in a pan & put maida(1/2 cup) and fry for a minute. (2). Pour Milk into it and cook maida for two minutes. (3). Add green chillies, celery ,corn and the cheese with the mixture. (4). Add little salt to it, because cheese already has some salt with it. (5). Mix it well and make them as round balls , all in a even size. (6). Now, Mix the remaining maida with water and make a thin paste (7). Roll the balls into the paste and roll it in the bread crumbs. (8). Keep the balls in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. (9). Now take the balls and fry them in the oil in the medium flame. Note : You can do this preparation and keep it in the freezer even for 15 days in a air tight container. You can fry those balls whenever you need.

Fried Rice

Ingredients: Basmati( or) plain Rice - 2 cups ( should be soaked for 5 - 10 minits) Butter - 2 ts Salt - As req Onions(large) - 2 nos Oil (olive oil will be better) sugar - 2ts Ajinomoto - 1 pinch Carrot- 100 gm Beans - 100 gm Cabbage- 100 gm Capsicum- 1 no Celery(chopped) White pepper or black pepper - 1 tsp Soya sauce - 3ts Chilly sauce - 3 ts Vinegar - 2 ts Note : the vegetables can be cut into thin pieces for 3" long For garnishing( optional) : Fried onions & Fried cashewnuts & Fried raisins Method : 1)Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a pan. 2)Add sugar in the middle of the oil and wait until the sugar turns to brown. 3)Add chopped onions and stir it. 4)Add chopped carrots, beans and cabbage 5)Add Ajinomoto with the vegetable.It gives the aroma, and the vegetables can be cooked soon Remember, the vegetables should not be over cooked.(half boil) 6) Add required salt and pepper. 7) Add soya and chilli sauce and vinegar with the mixture. 6) Heat butter in another pan. 7) Add the soaked rice and fry it in the butter 8)Add 4 cups of water along with salt and cook it well. 9)Now Mix the cooked rice with the vegetables and stir well in a low flame. 10) Garnish with fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins. Serve hot with tomato sauce (or) with a mixture of (Slited bell pepper +soya sauce + vinegar) soked for some time.Its a chinese side dish Note 1: Boneless cooked and minced meat(100 gm) and two scrambled eggs can make the dish non-vegetarian.

Bachelors payasam

Ingredients : Milk - 500 ml Pre-cooked oats - 4 tbsp Carrot(grated) - 3 tbsp Sugar - 3 tbsp Condensed milk - 3 tbsp Salt - A pinch Cardamom(Elakka) - 3 - 5 nos(powdered) Method : 1)Bring the milk to boil fully. 2)Add the grated carrot and cook for 5 mins. 3)Add salt, sugar and oats and stir for 30 seconds, before switching off the flame. 4)Add the condensed milk and powdered cardamom.

Chenna Pulav

Ingredients Kabuli Chenna - 150 grms Basmati rice - 300 gms Ginger&Garlic paste - 2 ts Coconut milk - 1 cup Onion - 3 Cinamom stick - 3 Cloves - 3 Cardomom - 2 Oil Salt For grinding Green Chillies - 4 Coriander leaves - small bunch Cashew nuts - 5 kuskus - 1ts Method Soak the chenna over night. Soak the rice for 10 minutes before you start to cook the pulav. Pour oil in the cooker, add cinamom, cloves, cardomom and then, add chopped onion and fry it until the onion changed into golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry it. Now, add the grinded paste and chenna and mix it well altogether. Now add the soaked basmati, mix it again.Now pour the coconut milk and if needed add some water to it. Put sufficient salt and mix it well. Pressure cook it for 10 minutes in the slow flame and allow the rice to be in the heat, even after you switch off the stove. You can have this pulav with onion raitha or cucumber raitha Raitha Chopped onion or cucumber + curd + salt + jeera powder (optional) + Coriander leaves

Puli Inji Thokku ( 5 minutes)

Ingredients Ginger - 100 gms Green Chillies - 100 gms Tamarind - 2 lemon size Tumeric powder - 1 ts Jaggary or sugar - 1 ts Mustard seeds - 1ts Fenu greek seeds - 1 ts Asafoetida powder- 1ts Gingelly oil - 2ts Salt Method Cut the ginger and green chillies into small pieces. Soak tamarind in hot water and get the pulp out of it. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and add fenu greek seeds and asafoetida. Now add the ginger and chillies and fry them and then pour the tamarind pulp on it. Add turmeric powder, jaggry or sugar and then salt. Allow to boil and let the gravy comes thick until the oil comes to the surface level. This goes with dosa, chappathi and curd rice. You can store it in the refridgerator for long time use.