Masala kootu

Ingredients:
1tbsp channa dal
1 tbsp coriander seeds
4 cardamom
4 cloves
1/2 stick cinnamon
1tsp oil
3/4 tsp red chili powder
3 tbsp shredded coconut
2 onions medium size
1 tsp cilantro
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp tender whole chana dal (pottu kadalai)
1 carrot
1/4 cauliflower
2 medium size potatoes
2 drumsticks
1 small frozen packet diced mixed vegetables
1 tsp salt or according to taste
5 curry leaves

Method: Fry channa dal, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and when this turns golden colour add red chili and two tablespoons of shredded coconut. Fry the mixture and allow it to cool and grind it with cilantro into a smooth paste.
Dice the vegetables.
Cook all the vegetables with salt. Once the veggies are cooked add the ground paste.
Now grind the poppy seeds, one tablespoon shredded coconut, and tender channa into smooth paste. Mix them with the vegetables.
Take a frying pan and add one teaspoon of oil, mustard, curry leaves, and onions. When the onions are translucent, add it to the vegetable mixture. Allow it to boil for a minute.
Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Spicy scrambled egg

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 medium onion
1 green chili
1 small tomato
1 tsp cilantro finely chopped
1 tsp oil
Pinch of cumin powder
Pinch of black pepper
Salt to taste

Method:
Beat the eggs and add one tablespoon of milk and whisk well, then add black pepper and little salt.
In a nonstick pan, add oil and green chili, onion and sauté. Then add the tomato and sauté for a minute. Sprinkle a little salt and add the egg. Sprinkle a pinch of cumin powder and cilantro and scramble the eggs. Enjoy spicy egg scramble. You can add mushroom, if desired.

Spinach masala puri

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 bunch of spinach
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp sambar powder
Pinch of soda (retains color of spinach)

Method:
Grind spinach, red chili powder, cumin powder, salt, sambar powder and soda into a smooth paste.
Kneed the wheat flour, oil and the ground paste into a thick dough.
Now make the dough into inch size balls, roll it like puri and deep fry.
Serve by itself or with potato masala.

Aloo (potato) Masala

Ingredients:
6 potatoes
2 onions
6 green chillies
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
4 curry leaves
1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
2 tomatoes
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt

Method:
Cook the potatoes, peel the skin and mash it and set aside.
Dice the onions, green chillies, and tomatoes.
In a deep pan put oil and when it is hot add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and turmeric. When the mustard seeds pop, add green chillies, onions and sauté until onions are translucent.
Then add the tomatoes and stir for some time. Finally, add the potatoes and salt and mix well.
Then add two cups of water (increase water according to desired consistency).
Sprinkle cilantro. Serve with puri, chapati or rice.

Chocolate

Ingredients:
1 can condensed milk
100 grams butter
4 tbsp cocoa powder
8 tbsp sugar

Method:
Mix condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter.
In a pan, add sugar and half a glass of water. When sugar gets diluted into a sticky consistency but not too hard, pour the cocoa mixture into it.
Keep stirring on a medium flame. Once it stops sticking to the pan, pour it into a greased plate to cool.
Cut into pieces and serve.

Rasagulla

Ingredients:
1 cup Nido milk powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp of lemon salt

Method:
First make milk with the one cup of Nido and three cups of water.
Allow the milk to boil.
Dilute the lemon salt in 1/2 cup of water, and pour this into the boiling milk. It will curdle at once. When the milk curdles and the water separates, filter it in a muslin cloth.
Wash the paneer (cheese) with cold water. Tie and hang up the cloth with the paneer for the water to fully drain for two hours. Press hard to squeeze the excess water.
To making the sugar syrup add three cups of water for one cup of sugar. Allow the sugar to get diluted and leave it to boil.
In the meantime, knead the paneer to make it nice and soft. Make into small smooth balls, and put them in the boiling sugar water. Reduce the flame to medium so the water doesn't evaporate.
Allow it to boil for 10 minutes then cover the vessel and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Once the rasagullas enlarge to double the size, turn off the stove.
Serve it hot or cold.

Katori

Ingredients for katori:

1 cup fine semolina
1 tsp oil
Water to make the dough

Ingredients for filling:
2 cups black chick peas (soak overnight and boil)
2 large onions
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 small cinnamon stick
4 cardamom
6 cloves
1 tsp soft tamarind
1 cucumber (peeled and diced)
2 boiled potatoes (peeled and diced)
1 packet readymade thin sev (gram noodles)
1 cup yoghurt

Ingredients for sweet chutney:
1 tsp soft tamarind
20 seedless dates
2 tbsp jaggery (Palm sugar)
Ingredients for spice mix:
2 tbsp coriander seeds
6 red chillies whole
1 tbsp cumin

Method for making katori:
Mix fine semolina, oil, salt and kneed into a soft dough.
Roll it into 1/2-inch balls and make into small chapati (tortillas).
Use a large cupcake or muffin mould to create the katoris. Cover the outside of each cup mould with the chapatis. Preheat oven to 360 degrees and bake for 10 minutes until katoris turn golden color. Remove from oven and let it cool.

Method to make channa:
Cut the onion into small pieces and sauté until it turns translucent. Add 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder and sauté for two minutes. Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and grind along with onion into a smooth paste. Sauté everything with channa, add salt and set aside.

Separately grind dates, jaggery, tamarind to make a nice chutney.
Now grind the dry spice ingredients and keep aside.
Whip yoghurt to make it smooth.

Finally, fill the katoris with the toppings: channa, potato, cucumber, onion, the dry spice, then the sweet chutney and yoghurt, and top it off with the readymade sev.
























  

More (yoghurt) kozhambu/Kadi

Ingredients:
1 tbsp channa dal
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp rice flour
3 green chillies
1 small piece ginger
1 tsp cilantro
3 curry leaves
2 tbsp grated coconut
2 tbsp yoghurt
2 potatoes (can substitute with deep fried okra or drumstick)
1/2 tsp salt or according to taste
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Method:
First soak channa dal, coriander seeds, cumin, ginger, green chillies for half an hour.
Grind the soaked items into a smooth paste with coconut, then add yoghurt, rice flour, and grind together.
Take two potatoes, wash and cut into eight pieces and cook in salt water.
Pour the ground mixture into the vessel used to cook the potatoes. Keep on a low flame. Add salt. When a froth forms switch off stove and don't allow the mixture to boil.
Put oil in a separate pan, add mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves. When mustard pops put everything on top of the gravy.
Sprinkle cilantro and remove from stove top.

Nice and crispy potato fry

Ingredients:
8 potatoes
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp readymade sambar powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method:
Boil potatoes but don't overcook. Peel the skin and cut into cubes.
In a nonstick frying pan, put two tablespoons of oil and when heated add mustard seeds and let it pop. Add asafoetida, turmeric powder, chili powder, potatoes, and salt. Fry nicely, then add the sambar powder and keep frying for some more time. Once spices are evenly coated, remove from stove. Serve with chapati or rice. 

Orange peel thokku (pickle)

Ingredients:
10 mini orange/clementine peels
2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp soft tamarind
2 tbsp grated jaggery (Palm sugar)
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Salt to taste

Method:
Cut the orange peels into small pieces. In a shallow pan add one tablespoon of oil and the orange peel. Sauté it with tamarind, salt, asafoetida and red chili powder.
Allow it to cool and grind into a paste.
Place the pan and add one tablespoon of oil and mustard seeds. When mustard pops, add the ground paste, jaggery and sauté. Store it in a tight container after it gets cooled.
Enjoy with idli, chapati or rice. Also good on bread as a spread. 

Spinach poricha kozhambu

Ingredients:
2 packets frozen spinach
3/4 cup toor dal
2 tbsp urud dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
8 whole red chillies
1/4 tsp asafoetida
Cilantro handful
Curry leaves
Oil
Salt
2 tbsp shredded coconut

Method:
First pressure cook the dal and keep aside.
Cook the spinach in one glass of water.
Put one tablespoon oil and fry urud dal and red chillies. When the dal turns golden color remove it from stovetop.
Put the fried dal and chili along with coconut and cilantro and grind into a smooth paste.
Pour this mixture into the cooked spinach and add the cooked dal and salt.
In a pan put one tablespoon oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, one tablespoon urud dal and asafoetida. When the urdu dal turns golden put it on top of the spinach mixture and allow to cook for two minutes.
Serve hot with either rice or chapati.

Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:
1 cup Nido milk powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp butter
2 tbsp yoghurt

Method:
First mix milk powder, all purpose flour and soda. When it is mixed thoroughly add the butter, mix well then add the yoghurt. Mix well, no need to add water.
When the dough is ready make into small balls without any cracks. Set aside.
Now make the syrup with two cups of sugar and three cups of water.
Allow it to boil and dissolve, while side by side frying the jamun balls on a low flame. When it is evenly golden color, take out on a paper towel to soak extra oil.
Now your sugar water must be ready and boiling. Soak all the jamuns. Keep cooking for five minutes on a low flame and then remove from the stove. Allow it to cool and serve. 

Beetroot leaves baaji

Clean the beetroot leaves and cut into small pieces.
Cut two onions and two tomatoes into small cubes.
In a kadai put one tablespoon of oil and allow to heat up. Add mustard, jeera, asafoetida and curry leaves. When mustard pops add the onion and fry until it is transparent. Add one teaspoon of sambar powder then add the tomatoes.
When everything is mixed add the beetroot leaves, salt and one teaspoon of sugar. Put half a cup of water and allow it to cook nicely. This can be consumed with chapatti and rice.
Enjoy!

Paruppusiyal

Soak one cup each of toor dal and channa dal for an hour along with 10 red chillies.
Grind the soaked dal with the red chili, salt and asafoetida into a coarse paste and steam it.
When it is cooled put it in the mixer and grind into small pieces. Dice beans, wash and keep aside.
In a kadai put one tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot put mustard and curry leaves. After the mustard pops, add the beans and little salt and allow it to cook. When the beans are cooked add the ground dal mixture and stir nicely and serve. In the same way, you can make it with cabbage onion, carrot and kothavaraikai.

Beetroot vethakozhambu

First peel and cut the beetroot in to small blocks.
Soak tamarind and extract the juice and keep aside.
Keep a kadai and put one tablespoon of oil and when hot add mustard and fenugreek.
When the mustard pops put kari leaves, half teaspoon turmeric, pinch of asafoetida, and two teaspoons of sambar powder.
Mix everything and add the tamarind water. When it starts to boil, add salt and beetroot.
Let the beetroot cook nicely. In the end, add a half cup of cooked toor dal and boil together.
Sprinkle with cilantro  leaves and serve. Add little jaggery to the mixture, that is optional.