Exotic ripe mango and cucumber raitha

Ingredients:
3 small cucumbers grated
3 small mangoes diced (can substitute with pineapple)
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
3 mint leaves finely chopped
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chilies finely chopped
1/2 tsp kala namak (black Indian salt)
1/2 cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
1 cup yoghurt
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chili and onion. Sauté for a while until the onions turn golden and remove in a bowl.
Mix all the other spices with the onion, stir well and refrigerate for half an hour.
Serve cold with chapati or naan.

Stuffed sweet peppers

Ingredients:
8-10 small sweet peppers
2 medium-sized potatoes
1 small packet frozen mixed vegetables
1 medium size onion
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp red chili powder or garam masala powder
1 tsp sambar powder
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
Salt to taste

Method:
Boil the potatoes, nicely mash and keep aside.
In a deep pan, add oil, mustard seeds, cumin and turmeric powder. When the mustard seeds pop, add the onions and sauté for a while. Then add the frozen mixed vegetables, salt, sambar powder and red chili powder (or garam masala powder) and sauté for a while until the vegetables are tender.
Now add the mash potatoes and sauté for a while until the vegetables mix well, then sprinkle the chopped cilantro on top.
Let the mixture cool down. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Stuff the peppers with the vegetable mix and shallow fry in a pan or bake in the oven with little oil.
Serve as an appetizer or as side dish to a meal.

Carrot and yoghurt pachadi

Ingredients:
4 medium-sized carrots
2 green chilies
1 tbsp coconut grated
4 tbsp yoghurt
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 whole red chili broken
1 pinch of asafoetida
4 curry leaves
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:
First peel the skin off the carrots, cook well and keep aside.
In a blender add the coconut, green chili, a little salt and grind into a smooth paste. Then add the cooked carrots and grind together. When it is done add the yoghurt and blend.
In a small frying pan add oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, broken whole red chili, asafoetida, and curry leaves. When the dal turns golden put everything on top of the carrot mix.
Serve with pulao or pongal.

Spinach poricha kozhambu

Ingredients:
1 packet frozen spinach
1/2 small cup toor dal
1 tbsp coconut
4 medium red chili whole
2 tbsp urad dal
8 curry leaves
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp oil
1 pinch asafoetida
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 or less tsp turmeric
Salt to taste

Method:
In a deep pan add oil and fry urad dal, whole red chili, curry leaves and asafoetida. When the urad dal turns golden, take it out and allow it to cool.
Cook the toor dal with turmeric. When it is cooked add spinach and salt and let the spinach cook well.
Grind the roasted items along with coconut and cilantro into a smooth paste.
Add the paste to the spinach and dal and allow it to boil.
In a small pan add the earlier used oil for frying mustard seeds, curry leaves, and urad dal. When the urad dal turns golden pour it on top of the spinach.
Serve with rice or chapati.

Bell pepper, onion, tomato gotz

Ingredients:
1 large onion
2 tomatoes
2 large bell pepper (capsicum)
2 green chilies
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp oil
8 curry leaves
1 tsp sambar powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp rice flour
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:
Cut the onion, green chilies, bell pepper and tomatoes.
Put oil in a deep pan, add mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, turmeric, and asafoetida. When the mustard seeds pop, add the green chilies, onion and sauté until golden, then add tomatoes and fry for a while. Add the bell pepper and sauté some more, then add salt, tamarind, and sambar powder. Sauté for a while, then add a glass of water and allow to cook well.
Dilute the rice powder in a little water and add it to the gravy. Add sugar and stir for a minute.
Serve with chapati or naan.

Aloo dum

Ingredients:
1/2 kg of baby potatoes
2 onions diced
2 tomatoes diced
3/4 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 marble-sized tamarind
1 tbsp of coriander seeds
1 small cinnamon stick
8 cloves
4 cardamom
1 small piece ginger minced
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cilantro chopped
Salt to taste

Method:
Boil the potatoes, peel the skin (cut if too big) and roast them in a deep frying pan in 2 tbsp of oil. When the potatoes turn golden remove from pan.
Add oil to the frying pan, and fry the onions, tomato, ginger until golden then grind them with the rest of the ingredients.
Ass oil to the pan and fry the grounded paste for a while. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder and sauté for a while, then add the fried potatoes and salt.
When everything is cooked garnish with cilantro.
Serve with chapati or naan.

Split pea soup

Ingredients:
1 16oz packet of split peas
1 can sweet baby green peas
1 large onion diced
1 green chili minced
3 cloves garlic sliced (if desired)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 cube or cup Knorr vegetable stock
Handful of cilantro
Salt to taste

Method:
Soak the split peas for a half hour before preparing soup.
In a deep pot, add oil, cumin seeds, onions, garlic and green chili and saute until onions are golden. Add the soaked split peas and vegetable stock, cover and allow to boil. Add black pepper and salt. When peas are 3/4 done, add the can of sweet baby green peas. Cover and reduce to low flame. When the soup reaches desired consistency, turn stove off. Sprinkle a dash of pepper on top and garnish with cilantro.
Serve hot with bread.