Chicken curry

Ingredients :

1 Whole chicken around 2 pounds (washed and cut into medium sized pieces)
Big onions 2  (finely chopped)
Green chillies  2 chopped
Ginger-garlic paste 3 tsp
Mint leaves hand full
Red chilli powder  2 tsp  (adjust to suit your spice level)
Turmeric pwd 1/2 tsp
3-4 tbsps oil
coriander cumin powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste
coriander leaves for garnish

 Make a fine powder :

1” cinnamon
Cloves 4
Coriander seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Poppy seeds 2 tsp
fennel seeds 1 tsp


 Preparation :

1. Marinate chicken pieces in chilli powder, turmeric powder, and salt for 20 mts.
2. Grind cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and poppy seeds to a fine powder in coffee grinder and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a cooking vessel. Add the onions and green chillies saute till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and chopped mint leaves saute further for another 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
4. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cumin coriander powder mix well and close the pan with lid and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.
5. Add the ground masala powder combine well. Add  1/2 cup of water for more gravy consistency.   Cook till chicken pieces are soft and oil separates out. Adjust salt and spice.
6. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice.

Gummadikaya Kura ( Pumpkin Curry)

 Ingredients : 

 Pumpkin – 2cups(peeled and cubed)
 Tomato – 1 Big (chopped)
 Onion - 1 Big (chopped)
 Green chillies – 2 slit
 Red chilli powder – 1/2tsp
 Turmeric powder – 1/4tsp
 Coriander(dhania) powder – 1 tsp
 Oil – 3 tsp
 Urad dal – 1 tsp
 Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
 Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
 Red chiilies – 2
 Garlic cloves 3 crushed
 Curry leaves – 10
 Coriander leaves for garnishing
 Salt to taste

Preparation :

• Heat 3 tsp of oil in a pan. Add the mustard  seeds and let them splutter.
• Add urad dal, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, garlic and curry leaves and fry till golden brown.
• Add the chopped onions, green chillies and fry them till transparent.
• Now to this add 2 cups of cubed pumpkins, turmeric and salt and let it cook covered on low heat  for 10 min.
• Add  chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder and mix well and cook for 5 min.
• Add 1/2cup water,  cover and cook on medium heat till pumpkin is soft and cooked.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Perugu Pachadi (yogurt chutney)

Ingredients :

1 thinly sliced onion
1 1/2 cups curd (yogurt)
salt to taste

For seasoning/poppu/tadka:
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp minappa pappu  (urad dal)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 chopped green chilli
8-10 fresh curry leaves
1-2 dry red chillies 
1/4 tsp of turmeric pwd
pinch of hing/asafoetida (optional)


Preparation :

1. Beat the curd till smooth. Combine sliced onion and salt and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add  urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them pop,  Add the curry leaves, red chillis, green chilli turmeric pwd and asafoetida and toss for a few seconds.
3. Combine the mixture with the beaten curd and serve with rice or rotis.

Waffles

Ingredients :

2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Preparation :
  
1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy.  
2. Mix in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth. Don't over mix. 
3. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot with cream and fruits.

Uthappam

Ingredients  :

Idly rava 1 1/2 cups
Urud dal 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds(Methi) 1/4 tsp
Salt as per taste
Grated carrot 1 cup
Finely diced tomato 1
Finely chopped onion 1 cup
Chopped cilantro

Preparation :
 
1. Soak urud dal and Methi in water for 5-6 hours.
2. Soak Idly rava in water for about 3 hours.
3. Drain the water from urud dal and methi seeds grind it with little water until smooth.
4. Now drain water from soaked rava and mix it to the batter add salt for taste and allow it to ferment overnight. ( you can also make Idly with this batter)
5. Take a nonstick pan and heat it with 1 tbs oil and make uthappam which is 1/2 inch thick.
6. spread grated carrot, tomato, onion and cilantro on uthappam and close the pan with lid and cook it on low for 3-5 min. Until cooked on the upper side and golden brown on the lower side.
7. Uthappam gets cooked on the upper side with the steam as the pan is covered.
8. Don't turn the uthappam other side since vegetables get burned and stick to the pan.
9. Serve hot with chutney or sambar.

Rasmalai

Ras Malai is a very popular Indian milk based dessert recipe. At Indian weddings and other special occasions, Ras Malai is commonly served. Though rich in texture and flavor, it can be made easily at home. Try this simple and easy to follow Ras Malai recipe today.

For the Ras or Rabdi :

Whole Milk - 4 cups
Sugar - as per desired sweetness
Dry Fruits - Cashews, Pistachios, Almonds - 2 tsp each - coarsely powdered
Cardamom Powder
Saffron  pinch for color (optional)

Take a pan with a heavy bottom. Add the milk. Bring it to a boil and simmer till it reduces to half its original volume. Stir it every 2 min so that it does not burn in the bottom.  Then add sugar to obtain desired sweetness. Finally add the powdered dry fruits, Cardamom powder, and saffron. Keep it aside.


For the Malai balls :


whole Milk - 3 cups
Lemon juice or Vinegar - 1 tbsp (I mostly use vinegar since it has less flavor than lemon juice)
Ice cubes
Muslin cloth or Handkerchief
Sugar - 1/2 cup
water -  3 cups

1. In a pan with a thick bottom boil the milk. Dilute the vinegar with very little water and add to the milk. The milk will start to curdle. Add little more vinegar if required. When it curdles completely and water separates switch off the flame and immediately add ice cubes. Then strain this through a muslin cloth or a new handkerchief. Wash the paneer well. Squeeze as much water from it as possible. Tie a knot to the cloth and hang it for about 30  mins.

2. After 30 mins squeeze to remove left over water.  Then knead it like a chapati dough.
Make small smooth balls of about 1 inch diameter and slightly flatten to make discs.

3. Boil water with sugar in the ratio of 6:1. When sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to boil reserve 1/2 cup of syrup in other bowl.  Add the discs to the boiling syrup and cover and cook with lid for 5 mins and carefully transfer the discs into reserved lukewarm sugar syrup.

4. You can make it in 2-3 batches don't add too many since the discs double in volume. Then squeeze the discs slightly and transfer into rabdi or ras. Refrigerate for atleast 3 hours before serving.

Sambar (Lentil Soup)

  Ingredients:

-  Toor dal  1 cup
   Water  3 cups
   Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp

-  Carrot 1 cup, cubed
   Bottle Gourd 1 cup cubed
   Potato 1 medium cubed
   Drumstick 2, cut lengthwise (optional)
   Tomatos 2, sliced
   Brinjal 1 cup, cubed
   Big onion 1, cut to 1/8 pieces
   Sweet potato 1 cup, cubed (optional)
   Green chillies 2 slit length wise

 -  Tamarind  size of a big lime (adjust the qty as per your taste)
    Sambar powder  2 tbsp
    Chilli pwd 1 tsp
    Salt
    Oil

-   Methi seeds 1/4 tbs
    Mustard  1/2 tsp
    Cumin  1/2 tbs
    Garlic pods 3 crushed (optional)
    Red chillies 3
    Asafoetida (Hing) 1/2 tsp
    Curry leaves
    Cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook the dal with water & turmeric powder on high flame for 4 whistles. Keep it closed for 30 minutes or till the steam goes.
2. Mash the cooked dal well using a wooden spoon. Add 4 cups of water and some salt to the mashed dal and mix it well and keep aside.
3. Soak the tamarind in water for 30 minutes and squeeze the juice.
4.Take another large pan and cook the veggies with some water chilli pwd and salt until half cooked. Add  the mashed dal, tamarind pulp and sambar powder.
5. Cook till all the veggies are fully cooked.
6. Meanwhile heat 2 tbsp oil in another pan and add methi seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garlic pods, red chillies, hing and curry leaves and Fry it for a minute, make sure that it doesn’t get burnt.
7. Add this to the sambar and mix well. Remove from fire and garnish with cilantro.
8. Serve with rice, idly, vada, or dosa.


Note: You can adjust the qty of water to required consistency. Also you can use the veggies of your choice.