Dry Gulab Jamun

This recipe took less time than I expected. Because I had a packet of MTR Instant Gulab Jamun mix, the process simplified so much.

Ingredients:
- MTR Instant Gulab Jamun Mix
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup powdered sugar

Procedure:
1. Make the jamuns according to the directions on the package. Instead making them round, make them long.
2. Coat with sugar syrup, then coat with powdered sugar.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Baked Taro Roast (Seppakezhangu)

This is a great alternative for fried taro curries. This recipe only requires a little bit of oil and a few household spices.

Ingredients:
-10 small taros
-1 tbs oil
-mustard seeds
-jeera seeds
-water (enough to boil)
- 1 tbs. chenna basin flour
- 1 tbs. rice flower
Ingredients to taste or preference:
-1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
-1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
-1/2 tsp. amchur powder
-salt
-1/2 tsp. aesofotida

Procedure:
1. Boil the taros and peel their skin off afterwards.
2. Cut them into 1 centimeter width slices and keep them aside.
3. In a bakeware dish, mix all the spices, oil, flours, and salt.
4. Coat all taro pieces with the mixture and slightly drizzle a little bit of oil on top.
5. Keep the oven preheated at 400 degrees for 5 mins. Then put the coated taro into the oven for 30 mins.
6. Broil for 7-10 minutes.
7. Your spiced, baked taro curry is ready.

Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes diced
Onion – 1 sliced
1 cup basmati rice, washed and soaked for ten minutes
1 whole black cardamom
1 tsp red chili powder
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Clove- 2
Green chili – 2
Mint leaves - handful
Cashew - 10
Cilantro – to garnish
Salt to taste
1 tsp garam masala powder.
1 tblsp ghee
2 cup water
Preparation:

• Heat ghee in a heavy bottom vessel
• Put in the whole black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves .
• Now add onion and saute for a minute with mint leaves, chili and then add cut tomatoes.
• Now add the dry spices, salt and saute.
• Put in the rice and mix well.
• Finally add the water and cook covered till done.
• Roast cashews in ghee and garnish with cilantro
• Serve hot

Sweet Yam Curry - Pongal Special

This sweet and spicy recipe is perfect for festivals as well as to enjoy by itself. It's a quick and easy recipe with only a couple of ingredients.

Ingredients:
-Sweeet Yam (diced): 1 1/2 cups
-Oil: enough to saute
-Shredded Coconut: 1 tablespoon
-Shedded Jaggery: 1 1/2 tablespoons
-Red Chilli: 2 or 3
-Salt: to taste
-Mustard Seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
-Urad Dal: 1/2 teaspoon

Procedure:

1. Microwave the sweet yam for 7 minutes.
2. Heat the oil and add mustard seeds, red chillis, and urad dal. Wait for the mustard seeds to pop.
3. Add the cooked sweet yam to the oil. Give a quick stir.
4. Add the shredded jaggery and wait for it to melt slightly.
5. Quickly add the shredded cocunut and salt.
6. Give a final stir.
7. Wait for it to cool and start eating!

Rasgulla

This is a recipe that can be done with simple ingredients around your house in no time.

Ingredients:

For Paneer:

- 4 cups milk (I used 2% milk)
- Lemon juice 1/4 cup diluted with 1/2 cup water

For Sugar Syrup:

- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/4 sugar

Procedure:

1. First boil the milk. As soon as the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. As soon as the paneer seperates from the whey drain it in a piece of cheese cloth or any kind of thin cloth. Add cold water on top to prevent getting a sour smell in your panner.
2. Let the cloth sit with either a heavy item on top of it or just hang the cloth on your sink. Let it sit for about 20 mins or so. Occasionally press it down with a napkin to get the excess water.
3. Form it into a soft dough by need or put it in the food processor.
4. Then make it into tiny balls with no cracks in them.

5. In a pressure cooker, add the sugar and the water. Let it simmer and carefully drop the balls in.

6. Wait for one whistle on high and turn it off. Let it sit for 5 mins and run cold water over the pressure cooker to let the pressure out. Then open.

7. Refrigerate until firm then serve!

Eggless Rainbow Cake

What you'll Need:
- 1 box Cake Mix
- Frosting
- Gel Food Colors

To substitute 1 egg:
1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed for every 3 tablespoons of water

Procedure:

1. Make the cake batter according to what it says on the box.
2. Split the batter into six equal cups (depending on what kind of colors you want).
3. Then add food coloring to get your desired color (I did purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red)
4. Meanwhile, preheat you oven to 350 degrees.
5. Grease and flour your baking dish.
6. pour each cup of batter into your dish on top of one another. Gently spread out after putting on each layer.
7. Then bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Wait for the cake to cool completely and frost it.

Veggie Burgers

What You'll Need:

For the patty:

- 2 large potatoes cooked
- spices of your choice ( I used garam masala, red chili powder, etc.)
- pinch of salt
- diced onions
- flour, if needed for binding the patty (can even use oatmeal for healthier option)
- freshed and chopped cilantro
-oregano (optional)
-oil

Procedure:

All of the ingredients are to taste. If you don't like any you could substitute it or not use it at all. Totally depends on your opinion.

1. Mash the potatoes and add the spices and salt to it.
2. Add the freshly chopped cilanntro and onions.
3. If mixture falls apart while trying to make the patties, add flour if necessary.
4. After making it into the shape of a patty, cook it on both sides in a lightly greased pan until it becomes brown.

For assembling:

1. sliced  onion, tomatoes, and cheese
2. mustard/ranch/ketchup
3. chopped cilantro
4. burger buns

The way you want to assemble it is totally your choice. All ingredients are optional. Fix this recipe to match your taste. Just make sure you lightly saute the bun before using it. Your burger is all done! Enjoy!

Avial

INGREDIENTS:

Carrot – 2 (medium size),
Beans – 20 strings,
Potatoes – 1 (medium)
Drumstick- 5 pieces
Raw banana -1
Egg plant -4
Bell Pepper – 3( multi Color)
White Pumpkin – a small piece
Chow Chow – 1
Curry leaves 1 strand
Curd 1/2 cup
Oil 2 tsp(coconut oil is preferable)
Salt to taste

TO Grind:
Green chillies 5
Coconut 1/2 cup
Jeera – a teaspoon

METHOD:
cut the vegetables into 1" long pieces. Cook vegetables with salt adding very little water ( Do not overcook,they should hold the shape). Grind coconut, green chillies with less water. Drain the vegetables when it is done (make sure you have enough salt because the drained water will have salt) . Add the grinded mixture with the vegetables, and cook for 2 mins. Switch off the stove add yogurt and mix well. Now Heat oil in a pan add curry leaves and mix it with the vegetables. Avial is ready.

It is a very good combination with adai and tamarind rice.

Nonbu Adai (Karadayan Nonbu)

Kara Adai

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 2 cups
Water – 3 cups
Cooked black eyed beans(karamani) - a handful (it should be dry roasted and cooked)
green chillies - 3 (cut into small pieces)
Ginger- a small piece, chopped
Coconut, diced - a handful
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cilantro – a handful, chopped
Curry leaves - a handful, chopped
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - to taste

Method:
Roast the rice flour in a kadai so it loses its raw smell but not color. Transfer it onto a plate to cool. Now, heat some oil in the kadai, add some mustard seeds, asafoetida, Green chillies, Ginger and curry leaves and saute for a minute, till the seeds stop spluttering. Add the water to it next and let it come to a boil. Add coconut pieces, cooked black eyed beans ,cilantro and salt. Then add the roasted rice flour and stir well.
The resultant dough must be of a dry consistency. Make balls out of it, flatten the balls and cook in an idli steamer for about 10 minutes.serve with butter and coconut chutney.


Sweet Adai
Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 2 cups
Jaggery (powdered) - 1.5 cups
Water – 11/2 cup
Black eyed beans - a handful
Coconut (cut into small cubes) - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cardamom – a small pinch

Method:
First dry roast the black eyed beans for 3 minuters and pressure cook and set aside. Take a kadai, boil water till it begins to bubble and add the jaggery. Boil the mixture till the raw smell of jaggery disappears. Take it off the flame, let it cool a bit, filter the mixture and transfer it back to the kadai. Now heat ghee in a kadai and fry the coconut pieces and cardamom. Add this fried coconut in the jaggery water. When it starts boiling  add the rice flour and stir well and switch off the stove.Allow it to cool. Once it is cool enough to touch, make balls of the mixture and flatten it to round shapes. Steam them in an idli cooker for 10 minutes.

Pottukadalai(Fried ChanaDal) Sambar

Ingredients:

Fried chana dal(Pottu Kadalai) - 6 tbsp

Onion - 1 medium (finely chopped)
Tomato - 2 diced

Green chilly -2
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste
Dry red chilli - 3
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - to garnish

Recipe :

1. Heat Oil in a pan then add Mustard seeds.
2. when the mustard seeds splutter add curry leaves, Onion, Tomato, green chilies, Salt,

3. Turmeric powder and cook for two minutes.

4. Take one fourth of cooked tomato, onion with fried chana dal , red chillies and grind till it is smooth.
5. Add 1½ cups of water to the rest of the tomato , onion and allow it to boil for few minutes.
6. Finally add the smooth paste and allow it to cook for two minutes.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves. Then remove from heat.

Jalebi

Jalebis are a very delicious treat. Most jalebi recipes call for hours and hours of preperation time. This recipe is a quick and easy one. It only takes 30 minutes for the batter to ferment compared to other recipes that take overnight. As soon as they're done, you can't resist eating up the whole platter!

Ingredients:
All-Purpose Flour – 1 cup

Cardamom Powder – 1/8 tsp

Rapid Rise Yeast – 1 tsp

Corn Starch – 2 tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Yogurt – 1 Tbsp

Warm Water – 3/4 cup

For Syrup:

Sugar – 1 1/2 cups

Water – 1 cup

Saffron – pinch

Lemon Juice – 1 tsp

Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp

Procedure:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients for the jalebi batter all together (all-purpose flour,cardamom powder,yeast, and corn starch).

2. Then add in the oil and yogurt. Slowly, mix in warm water. Make sure the water is WARM. If it's too cold, it can't activate the yeast. If it's too hot it could kill the yeast.

3. Now it's time for the fermentation process. Fill a larger bowl with warm water. Then put the bowl with the batter into the bigger bowl with the warm water. Make sure you cover the batter and put it in an oven that is off. The batter just needs to be in an enclosed area. The batter needs 30 mins to ferment. It shouldn't be kept longer than 30 mins.

4. 15 minutes into the fermentation process, you can start the sugar syrup. In a saucepan, add the water and sugar. Wait until the sugar is dissolved and started to boil. Then add in the cardamom, saffron and lemon juice. The lemon juice prevents it from crystalizing. Do not add the cardamom before the final stage, because it can lose it's flavor.

5. As soon as it's been 30 mins, take the batter out and give it a gentle stir. Meantime, heat your oil. Put the batter into a mustard or ketchup squeeze bottle. If you dont have that you can just use a plastic ziploc bag and snip of a tiny bit in the corner. That should work just as well.

5. There isn't a right or wrong way to squeeze batter. Just form circles and make sure the ends tie together.

6. As soon as the jalebis are cooked, drop them into the sugar syrup. Just coat them really well and it should ready!

7. The last step is to enjoy them!

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

3tbsp oil

5 red chillies

5 medium size tomatoes

channa dal – a handful

salt to taste

Method

1. Fry the channa dal, chillies until golden brown .

2. add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Grind till it becomes smooth.

Rava Idly

Ingredients:

1 cup rava

1 spn mustard seeds

2-3 finely chopped green chilies

1 tea spn chana dal

a handful of cashews

2-3 strands of coriander leaves

1 strand of curry leaves

1 cup yogurt/curd

1-2 tbl spn oil

Salt

Method:

Roast rava till golden brown.Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they start popping, add green chilies, chana daal ,cashews and fry for sometime. Switch off the heat and immediately add sooji, mix well.Add salt, curry leaves, coriander leaves, yogurt/curd and mix well. Leave it for around 30mins. Pour the batter in the idli plates and steam for around 12-15mins. Serve hot.

Vegetable Bonda

Ingredients:
Potato – 4 Nos
Green peas – ½ cup
Onion - 1 chopped finely
Green chillies - 2 chopped finely
Ginger – a small piece chopped finely
Besan flour - 2½ cupRice flour – ¼ cup cup
Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Baking soda – a pinch
Kesar Color – a pinch
Butter – 1 teaspoon
Asafotida powder – ½ teaspoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Oil – for deep frying

Method:

Mix besan, rice flour, chilli powder, asafetida,butter, kesar color and salt. Add water little by little and make a thick batter(dosa batter consistency).Pressure cook potato and peel off the skin. Mash well and keep aside. In a kadai put one teaspoon oil. When it is hot add chopped onion, green chillies, ginger and fry well. Add peas and fry for another two minutes then add potato along with red chilli powder, asafotida and salt. Mix well and cool it.

Make lemon size balls. Dip this ball in the batter and drop gently into hot oil. Deep fry till it becomes golden yellow. Serve with any chutney.

Gobi Paratha

Minced cauliflower - 1 cup
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Heat oil, add the jeera and when it starts spluttering, add the minced cauliflower, garam masala, cumin , dhania powder and the chilli powder. Mix well with salt for a few minutes. Now the stuffing is ready.

Now you need to make the dough. You will need 3 cups atta/whole wheat flour, salt and about 1 cup and a little more water. Mix in the salt and add water little by little to to the atta to make a firm dough. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.

take the prepared dough and make lemon size balls. Roll the balls into chapathi. take one chapathi and spread 2 spoons of cauliflower and cover it with another chapathi. paste the ends.Heat tawa and add little oil till the paratha becomes golden brown in color.

Pani Puri

Green Chutney:

Puris – Ready made puris can be used.

Pani Ingredients:

Coriander leaves 3/4 cup

Mint leaves 1/4 cup

Green chillies 3-4

Cumin(jeera) seeds

Black salt -1/2 teaspoon

Salt

Grind together Mint leaves, Coriander Leaves, and Green chillies in a grinder finely.Mix black salt and regular salt for making pani along with this green mix, and cool it in refrigerator.

Ingredients for Sweet Chutney for Pani puri

Jaggery (grated)- 5 tablespoons

Tamarind- lemon sized ball Seedless

Dates- 5

Red chili powder- 1/4 tsp

Salt

How to make Sweet Chutney for Pani puri

Soak tamarind in water and strain. Chop the seedless dates and cook with little water. Add all the ingredients and grind into a smooth paste. Strain through a strainer. Boil for few minutes until it becomes thick.

For Filling

Potato Filling

Boiled Potato -2

Peas - a handful

Finely chopped onion -2

Garam Masala

Salt

Chilli powder

Mix mashed potato, onion garam masala, salt, chilli powder and coriander leaves .

Serving the Pani Puri’s:

Tap the Puri at the center(on the thin fragile side) lightly to make a small hole in it.Stuff the puri with about 1 tbsp of the various desired fillings .Now add 1 big drop of the Tamarind Chutney.(those who like only spicy and not sweet,like me, can avoid adding it)And finally dip filled puri into the chilled pani and there it goes... the crispy-spicy-sweet puri crushing into your mouth. YUMMY...

Pongal

Ingredients:

1 Cup -Rice
1/4 Cup- Moong Dhal
2 tsp Jeera
1 tsp Pepper
1 green chilli
3 tsp ghee
Ginger
Cashew
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt as per taste

Preparation:
Grind Ginger and green chilli.Pressure cook the rice , moong dhal ,jeera, turmeric powder and the ginger chilli paste.After the pressure comes down ..in a small kadai pour some oil and twe teaspoons of ghee and add pepper, jeera and cashew.Then add salt .Add curry leaves as a final touch to the dish .

French Bread

This is a recipe that looks complicated but not at all. All you have to do is follow step by step instructions and you'll have the same masterpiece in no time.

Makes 4 small loaves

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon of yeast

1 tablespoon of sugar

3.5 cups of flour

1/2 tablespoon of salt

a little olive oil to spread

Procedure:

1. We have to activate the yeast. We do that by adding yeast to the lukewarm water. After bubbles start to form add in the sugar. The yeast eats the sugar making the yeast to inflate. Leave the yeat for 15 minutes.

2. Add in the cups of flour little by little with the rest of the ingredients (except the olive oil).

3. Kneed the dough

4. Leave it in the bowl and cover it up with a towel for 45 mins.

5. Kneed it again and put it back in the bowl for another 10 mins.

6. Seperate the dough into four balls and cover up the balls with the towel.

7. Roll it long until it is about 8 inches.

8. Quickly make cross slits and lightly spread a little water on the top to make it moist

9. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

10. The French Bread cooks entirely through steam. So with another wide pan, fill it with water and place it in the lowest rack of the oven.

11. Place the french bread on top rack above the steaming water.

12. Bake until golden brown on the top. Spread olive oil on the top to give it the rich look.

13. Serve with Spaghetti sauce with oregano.

GOOD LUCK

For storage uses: Wrap it in aluminum foil and store it in a room tempratured place. It only lasts for 4-5 days.

Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients:

1 Medium Gobi/Cauliflower-cut into florets

For the batter:

½ cup Cornflour

½ cup Maida/All purpose flour

Food color – very little (orange)

A tsp Red chilly powder

Salt-to taste

Oil- to deep fry

2 tbsp-Oil

A tbsp of Ginger + Garlic-julienned

A Capsicum(green or red)-cut into ½ inch

A Big Onion- cut into ½ inch

2 tbsp-Soy sauce

2 tbsp-tomato ketchup

A tsp red chilly powderS

salt-to taste

Spring onions and cilantro-to garnish

Method:

1. Wash the cauliflower florets and boil them for a couple of minutes in salted water(should be just 1/4th cooked and not over cooked).Drain and keep aside.

2. Mix cornflour, maida, chilly powder, food color, little butter and salt with water to make a thick batter.

3. Dip Cauliflower florets into this batter and deep fry them until golden brown. Set aside.

4.Heat 2tbsp oil and sauté the sliced ginger-garlic, onion and capsicum in that order and saute for a couple of minute.The onions and capsicum should retain its crispiness and do not let them turn brown.They need to be just translucent.

5. Now add the red chilly powder, soy sauce and tomato ketchup in high flame and mix continuously for a few seconds.

6. Add fried gobi to this and sauté for 2 minutes

7. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro, spring onion greens and serve hot.

Chinese Noodles

Ingredients:

1 packet Noodles
2 tbsp Soya sauce
1 Tbsp ginger garlic paste
4 red chilli(soak in water for five minutes and make it as a smooth paste)
1 tbsp vinegar
2 cup of julienne carrots, spring onions, bell pepper ,french beans & cabbage.
1 big onion sliced
2 tbsp Oil
2 tsp Black pepper
Salt to taste

Method:

• Boil noodles with sufficient water(or as par instruction given in the packet), some salt and 1 tbsp. of oil till the noodles are soft. Drain out the water.Pour some cold water (2-3 glasses) on them, so that they do not stick together.Keep it aside to cool.


• Microwave carrot and French cut beans for five minutes


• Heat Oil in a thick bottomed pan. When oil gets hot, add sliced onion and sauté till it becomes soft then add ginger garlic paste.


• Add cut cabbage, bell pepper, sprinkle a pinch of salt and stir fry at high heat for about 3 4 mins.Now add French cut beans and carrot, soya sauce, vinegar and chilli paste stir for couple of minutes and add cooked noodles.


• In high flame add pepper powder and fry for a minute.Add salt to taste.Stir fry for 2-3 mins and serve hot.


• Garnish with spring onions.