Cut Fruits Custard Delight

Preparation Time : 5 Minutes

Quantity : Serves 4

Ingredients:

Custard Powder – 1 ½ tbsp
Milk  – 300 ml
Sugar – 5 tbsp
Cut Fruits – 1 ½ cup ( Apple, Grapes, Mango, Pineapple, Pears, Strawberry, Kiwi, etc)
Cashew nuts – 2 tbsp ( Broken it to small pieces)
Cherry - To garnish
Honey - 1 tsp 

Preparation:

·         Take half cup of milk and mix custard powder in it.

·         Boil the remaining milk in a pan and Pour the custard mix into the milk, stirring continuously

·         Add sugar and mix well

·         Stir continuously in medium flame till the mix is thick and starts to boil.

·         Remove from flame and Allow it cool. 

·         Arrange the Cut fruits in a serving bowl and top it with cashew nuts. 

·         Add the Custard milk mixture over the fruits as desired.

·         Pour a tsp of honey over it and decorate with cherry.

·         Refrigerate it and serve chilled.

Semolina Payasam

Cooking time :10 minutes 

Quantity : Serves 4

Ingredients:

Semolina - 100 grams
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 10
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Raisins - 10
Water - to boil Semolina
Milk - 250 ml
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Condensed milk - 1 tbsp (optional)

Preparation:

• Dry roast Semolina in a pan until it turns light brown 
• Add water to the roasted Semolina and allow it to boil until the Semolina is soft 
• Add sugar to it and allow it to melt and blend well with the Semolina.  Ensure that the mixture doesn’t get too thick
• Add milk to it and give a nice stir
• In a small fry pan, add little Ghee and roast the Cashew and Raisins and transfer it to the Semolina 
• Add Cardamom powder and give a stir
• To enhance the taste,  add the Condensed milk in the end

My Notes:

• I would prefer to add raw milk, as it will keep the consistency of the payasam without making it too thick. Because, Semolina in boiled milk will become very thick after some time.
• Always roast the Semolina before using to avoid it getting too sticky.

Sweet Potato Kadai Fry

Cooking time : 7 minutes
Quantity : Serves 4

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes : 2 big
Chilli powder : 1 tsp
Salt : to taste
Oil : 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida : 1 pinch
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
Dhania powder : 1/2 tsp
Besan : 1 tsp

Preparation:

• Peel off the outer skin of the sweet potatoes and slice it into slightly thick round pieces.
• Add Chilli powder,  Dhania powder,  Turmeric powder,  Asafoetida, salt and marinate the sweet potatoes for 2 minutes
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a fry pan and add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter 
• Add the marinated sweet potatoes and fry them 
• Do not cover the pan as it will make the sweet potatoes to become soft and break.
• Give a toss once in a while to ensure that all the potatoes are coated with oil and fried evenly
• Sprinkle a tsp of besan flour over the fried potatoes and toss it for a while. This will give a crispy coating over the potatoes and enhance the taste.
• Serve hot with any Sambar or kuzhambu and rice

Fried Rice Cooked in Coconut milk

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes
Quantity : Serves 4

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1 medium
French Beans - 100 grams
Cabbage -100 grams
Capsicum - 1 medium
Fresh Green peas - 50 gram
Green chillies - 3
Spring onions - 1/2 bunch
Ghee or clarified butter - 1 tsp
White Pepper powder - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup

Preparation:

• Soak the Basmati rice in water for 15 minutes and dice all the veggies into similar size
• Heat Ghee in a pan, add the split green chillies, add all the veggies one by one, sprinkle little water and cook them for a minute with the pan open 
• Add pepper powder, salt and cook for 2 more minutes with the pan closed
• Once the veggies are cooked 3/4th turn off the flame
• In a pressure Cooker, heat a tsp of Ghee, add the soaked rice and saute for a minute
• Add 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water and pressure cook the rice with 2 whistles 
• Once the rice is done,  transfer to the pan in which the veggies are cooked and mix well.  
• Add the chopped spring onions on top and cover the pan for few mins. This will allow the flavor of the veggies and spring onions to nicely blend into the rice.
• Serve hot with a spicy gravy.

My Notes:

• You can add Cauliflower, Coloured Capsicum and fried cubes of paneer aswell
• Instead of using a cup of water, you can fully cook the rice using coconut milk
• For nice grainy consistency of the rice, I would prefer to cook this in an electric rice cooker

Schezwan Potatoes

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 300 gms (Cut into thick wedges)
Onions - 2 (Sliced)
Corn flour - 2 tbsp
Red chillies - 2-3
Soya Sauce - 1 tsp
Schezwan Sauce - 1 tsp
Tomato ketchup - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Crushed Garlic - 1/2 tsp
Water - To boil Potatoes
Oil - To saute the sauce and to fry potatoes
Spring Onions - to garnish

Preparation:

• After peeling outer skin, Cut Potatoes into thick wedges, boil them in hot water until half cooked and remove from flame.

• Drain remaining water, add Corn flour and deep fry them.

• Heat oil in a pan and add 2-3 red chillies, pepper powder, sliced Onions, crushed garlic and give a stir until Onions are translucent.

• Add red chilli paste and little water and allow it to boil and form a sauce like consistency

• Add soya sauce, Schezwan sauce and tomato ketchup and give a stir.

• Add required Salt and little sugar and mix well.

• If the mixture is too watery, then mix 1/2 tsp of corn flour with water and add it to the prepared sauce. 

• Add the fried potato wedges and cook for 2 minutes

• Add Spring onions and vinegar and give a stir and remove fom flame.

• This tastes good when served hot with Fried Rice.
• You can also use readily available potato wedges to save time.

Sambar powder ( Mother's recepie )

Quantity: Serves for 2 months

Ingredients:

Whole Red Chillies - 250 grams
Dhania seeds - 250 grams
Dried Turmeric - 50 grams
Fenugreek seeds - 50 grams
Black Pepper - 50 grams
Cumin seeds - 50 grams
Flax seeds (Kollu) - 25 grams
Toor Dhal - 50 grams
Urad Dhal - 50 grams
Channa Dhal - 50 grams

Preparation:

• Sun dry the above ingredients for few hours. This will ensure that the chillies are ground properly and the powder will stay good for a long time.
• Grind all the above said ingredients together and store it in an air tight container.

Green Gram Sundal

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Green gram - 200 gms
Whole red chillies - 3
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
Salt - To taste
Curry leaves - few
Hing / asafoetida - 1 pinch
Oil - 1 tsp
Water - To soak and cook Green gram

Jaggery -  1 small piece (Break it into very tiny pieces)

Preparation:

• Soak green gram over night with ample water.
• Add little salt and pressure cook it with 2 whistles. If you want it to be into slightly mashed consistency then cook with 1 more whistle.
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to splutter. Add the split red chillies, hing and curry leaves, grated coconut to the tempering.
• Add the cooked green gram to the tempering.
• Adjust salt according to taste.
• This could be served as it is. For a different sweetish flavour, add a small piece of jaggery and mix well.

Aval pal payasam

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Aval / Poha - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cups
Sugar - 1/2 cup (Can be adjusted according to taste)
Milk Maid condesed milk - 1 tbsp (optional)
Raisins / Dry grapes - 1 tsp
Cashew nuts - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Cardamon powder - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

• Put ghee in a pan and add poha to it and slightly roast it.
• Add 1 cup of milk to it and allow the poha to cook until it is soft.
• Once it is done, add sugar to it and allow it to melt.
• When the mixture starts boiling, add the remaining milk and cook in flame for 1 minute
• Add the cardomon powder and give a stir.
• In a seperate pan, heat ghee and add cashew nuts and raisins and roast it into slight brown
• Watch the temperature of the ghee while frying raisins and cashews, as they will get burnt if the ghee is too hot.
• Add the fried raisins and cashews to the cooked poha and serve hot.
• To enhance the sweetness of the payasam, add 1 tbsp of condensed milk in the end.
• This tastes even more good, when served chilled.

Raw Mango Sweet Pachidi

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes

Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Raw Mango - 1 big (thinly sliced)
Jaggery - 1 cup
Water - as required

To Temper:

Oil - 2 tbsp
Whole Red chillies - 2
Salt - A pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

• Peel off the outer skin and thinly slice the raw mangoes.
• Add water to it and pressure cook it with 2 whistles.
• Add water and jaggery to a sauce pan and allow the jaggery to melt 
• Once the jaggery water is getting slightly thick, add the cooked mangoes to it and allow it to cook for 2 minutes.
• In a seperate pan, add oil, mustard seeds and split red chillies and allow it to temper.
• Remove from flame and add the tempering to the cooked jaggery mango mixture and give a stir.

Instant Raw Mango Pickle ( All time Favorite )

Cooking Time: 5 Minutes

Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Raw Mango - 1 big (chopped into small pieces)
Fenugreek / methi seeds - 1 tbsp

To Temper:

Oil - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tbsp
Salt - To taste
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

• Cut the raw mango into small pieces and ensure that there is no water residue in it.
• Add enough salt to the raw mangoes and give a stir. Ensure that you add salt just before the tempering is done. Else, the salt will make the mangoes soft and creates moisture.
• Dry roast the Fenugreek seeds in a tawa and grind them into a coarse powder.
• Heat oil in a pan and Add Red chilli powder and, Asafoetida to it and turn down the flame.
• In a bowl, put the raw mango and salt mixture. Add the tempered mixture. Finally add the coarsely ground methi powder and give a nice stir.
• It is best accompanied with curd rice.

Channa Dal Chutney (My all time fav)

Cooking time : 10 mins

Quantity : Serves 2

Ingredients

Channa Dal : 1 tbsp
Onion : 1 big (cut into medium pieces)
Tomato : 1 big (cut into medium pieces)
Coconut : 2 tbsp
Salt : To Taste
Red chillies : 3-4
Oil : for tempering

Preparation

• Heat oil in a pan and add the red chillies to roast them and remove from flame.
• Add sliced onions to the pan and cook them until translucent and remove from flame
• Cook the tomatoes in pan with little oil until they become soft
• Roast the channa dal in oil until it turns light brown
• Allow all the above ingredients to cool and grind it to a fine paste.
• Add salt according to taste.
• This is a best accompaniment for idly, dosa, and upma

Chow Chow Kootu

Cooking time : 15 mins

Quantity : Serves 4

Ingredients

Chow Chow : 2
Moong Dal : 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut : 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Green chillies : 3
Asafoetida : 1 pinch
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Channa Dal : 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal : 1/2 tsp
Oil : for tempering

Preparation

• Cut Chow Chow into cubes and add Moong Dal, Turmeric powder, water and pressure cook them with 3 long whistles
• Make a paste of coconut, green chillies, and Cumin seeds and keep aside
• Heat oil in a pan, saute Cumin seeds, Channa Dal, Urad Dal and Asafoetida.
• Once the Chow Chow and Dal is cooked, mash them well and add it to the pan.
• Add the coconut paste and allow it to make bubbles
• Remove from flame and serve with rice

Keerai Paruppu Masial (Spinach cooked with Dal)

Cooking time : 15 mins

Quantity : Serves 4

Ingredients

Spinach : 1 bunch
Moong Dal : 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut : 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Green chillies : 3
Asafoetida : 1 pinch
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Channa Dal : 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal : 1/2 tsp
Oil : for tempering

Preparation

• To the finely chopped spinach,  add Moong Dal,  Turmeric powder,  water and pressure cook them with 3 long whistles
• Make a paste of coconut, green chillies, and Cumin seeds and keep aside
• Heat oil in a pan, saute Cumin seeds, Channa Dal, Urad Dal and Asafoetida.
• Once the spinach and Dal mixture is cooked, mash them well and add it to the pan.
• Add the coconut paste and allow it to make bubbles
• Remove from flame and serve with rice

Bitter Gourd Stir Fry

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes

Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd : 1 Big (Tender One)

Onion: 1 Medium size (Chopped)

Tomato: 1 Big Size (Chopped)

Coconut: 1 tbsp (Grated)

Groundnut: 1 tbsp

Poha / Aval – 1 tbsp

Green chillies – 3

Curry Leaves: To temper

Butter milk: 50 ml (Roughly ½ tumbler)

Oil – To fry

Turmeric: A pinch

Preparation:

• Cut Bitter gourd into thin and small pieces after removing the seeds and inner flesh
• Dilute the butter milk, add the bitter gourd to it and soak for 5 minutes. This will reduce the bitterness from the vegetable. Preferably use sour bitter milk.
• Heat ½ tsp Oil in a pan, sauté the chopped onions. Cook until slight brown. Remove from flame and keep aside. (1)
• Heat ½ tsp Oil in a pan, sauté the chopped tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft. Remove from flame and keep aside. (2)
• Heat ½ tsp Oil in a pan, sauté the grated coconut until it turns light brown and keep aside. (3)
• Heat ½ tsp Oil in a pan and add curry leaves, groundnuts until roasted and keep aside. (4)
• Heat ½ tsp Oil in a pan and roast the poha / Aval and keep aside. Ensure that the poha is crisp and not soggy. (5)
• Heat ½ tsp Oil in a pan and sauté the split green chillies, turmeric powder and bitter gourd (drain it completely from the butter milk). Cook it in low flame with a lid covering the pan so that the bitter gourd is cooked well.
• Once the bitter gourd is cooked and soft, add the cooked items in (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) and give a nice stir.
• Remove from flame and serve with rice and Sambar.

Moar Kuzhambu (Buttermilk Gravy for Rice)

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 

Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Butter milk - 2 cups
Lady's finger / Okra - 4 or 5 cut into 1 inch length
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Hing / Asafoetida- 1 pinch
Curry Leaves - Few
Coriander leaves - To garnish
Salt - to taste
Coconut Oil - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

To grind:

Green Chillies - 3 long ones
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Coconut - 1 tbsp (grated)

Preparation:

• Add Turmeric powder, Hing, and Salt to the Butter milk and blend it well.
• Put Coconut oil in a sauce pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves to temper.
• Add Okra to it with a little salt and give a nice fry. 
• Grind the items listed above and make it to a fine paste.
• Add the butter milk mixture to the Fried Okra and allow it to start bubbling.
• Add the ground paste to it and cook in low flame for a minute
• Garnish with coriander leaves

Tomato Parupu Rasam

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Rasam Powder / Regular Sambar powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1 pinch
Asafoetida : 1 pinch
Pepper and Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Dhania powder: 1/2 tsp
Salt : To taste
Tamarind : 1/2 lemon size
Tomato : 1 Big
Toor dhal : 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves : For Garnishing

To Temper:

Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Ghee : 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves : Few

Preparation:

• Soak Tamarind in warm water for 5 minutes and extract the juice out of it.
• Cook the Toor Dhal with water and mash it finely once done. 
• Heat Ghee in a soup pan and add the items listed above for tempering
• Add the tamarind extract.
• Chop the tomato into big pieces and add it
• Add the Rasam Powder / Regular Sambar powder, Turmeric Powder, Asafoetida, Dhania Powder and Salt.
• Allow it to boil for 5 minutes until the raw smell leaves
• Add water / any excessive water remained from the cooked toor dhal.
• Add the mashed toor dhal and allow it to start bubbling
• Add the Pepper and Cumin powder and give a stir.
• Garnish with lots of coriander leaves

Okra in Cream and Spicy masala

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Okra / Lady's Finger - 200 gms
Tomato - 2 big
Onion - 2 big
Coriander Leaves - to garnish
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chilies - 4-5
Salt - to taste
Dried Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
Fresh cream - 2 tbsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp


Preparation:

• Cut Okra in to 2 inch pieces, deep fry them in oil and keep aside
• Put oil in a Kadai and add red chillies, ginger, garlic, Sliced onions, roughly chopped tomatoes and give nice stir. Remove from stove, allow it to cool and grind it into a fine paste.
• Grind Raw tomatoes and garlic in to a fine paste and keep aside
• Grind a raw onion into paste and keep aside
• Put oil in Kadai and saute Cumin seeds
• Add sliced onions and fry until translucent
• Add the tomato puree, Onion puree and the paste made in step 2
• Add Garam Masala powder, coriander leaves, salt, kasuri methi and give a nice stir.
• Add the fried Okra and cook for 1 min
• Add the fresh cream, give a stir and remove from flame.

Paneer Butter Masala

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Paneer : 200 gms (Cut into small cubes)
Tomatoes : 3 (Roughly Chopped)
Onions : 2 (Roughly chopped)
Cashew nuts : 6 nos
Ginger Garlic paste : 1 Tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder : To taste
Butter : 1 tbsp
Saunf / Soambu : To temper
Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder : To taste
Dried kasuri Methi leaves : To garnish
Fresh cream : 2 tbsp
Salt : to taste

Preparation:

• Heat pan and add butter, saunf, Cashew nuts, Ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute
• Add Chopped onions and saute until translucent
• Add Chopped tomatoes and saute until it turns mushy
• Remove them from the pan, allow it to cool and grind it to a fine paste. Add water while grinding if the paste is too thick.
• Heat the pan again and add butter to it.
• Add the ground mixture to the pan
• Add Chilly powder, Cumin powder and salt according to taste
• Add the paneer cubes to the gravy and allow it to boil for a 2 minutes in low flame. 
• Add the crushed Kasuri Methi leaves to the gravy.
• Switch off the stove and add the fresh cream to the gravy and give a stir.