Beetroot Kheer

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup grated beetroot

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp cardamom powder

1 tbsp ghee

5 almonds, chopped

5 cashews

5 raisins

How to Prepare:

Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashews, raisins and almonds. Now add grated beetroot and fry it for 5 minutes.

In a heavy bottomed vessel pour milk, bring to boil. Add carrot,  roasted cashews, raisins  and almonds, boil on medium flame untill carrot is cooked or untill milk is slightly thickened.

Add sugar and cardamom powder and boil it for another 5 minutes. Now let it cool for sometime. Refrigerate it for cold serving. Serve cold.

Mushrooms in Green Chilli, Mint & Coriander Sauce

Recipe Ingredients:

500 gm mushrooms

50 gm fresh coriander leaves

25 gm fresh mint leaves

25 gm green chillies

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

85 gm natural yogurt

1 onion finely chopped

4 tbsp oil

1 tbsp turmeric

salt according to taste

How to Prepare:

Place coriander, chillies,  mint, 1/2 tbsp of lime and 1 tbsp of salt in a food processor or blender and process to a smooth puree. Add little water, if necessary, to facilitate blade movement in blender. Remove and set aside.

Whisk the yogurt untill smooth and set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and cook the onions for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly untill soft.

Add ginger garlic paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Now add mushrooms and stir fry over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, untill mushrooms turn opaque. Add turmeric and salt , stir fry for further 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and add half of the yogurt, then continue cooking over a medium heat untill the yogurt resembles a thick batter and oil is visible.

Add the pureed ingredients and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Cover the lid and allow to cook untill done. Finally add remaining yogurt and remove from the heat and serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice.

Tomato Dal

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup toor dal

1 cup chopped tomato's 

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

4 green chillies finely chopped

1 tbsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

10 curry leaves

2 dry red chillies, broken into two

4 tbsp oil

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Wash dal untill water runs clear and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Pressure cook toor dal, tomato's, 3/4 of the chopped onions (reserve the remaining chopped onions) turmeric, salt, red chilli powder and green chillies with 3 cups of water and cook for 40 minutes or untill 3 whistles. Mash toor dal into smooth paste with the laddel.

Heat oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat, when hot add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. As as the mustard seeds pop add dry red chillies, reserved chopped onions, chopped garlic and curry leaves. Let the seasonings sizzle untill dry red chillies have ligtly darken in colour.

Pour the contents of seasoning over the tomato dal, scraping off every bit from the saucepan. Turn off the heat and keep the saucepan covered untill you are ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Tamarind & Lemon Rice

Recipe Ingredients:

225 gm rice

450 ml water

4 tbsp sunflower oil

1/2 tbsp mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp split black gram

1/2 tbsp split golden gram

1/2 tbsp bengal gram

1/2 tbsp cashew nuts

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

2 green chillies, slit into two (length wise)

2 dried red chillies

10-12 curry leaves

1 tbsp salt, or to taste

1/4 cup tamarind puree

1 juice of lime

How to Prepare:

Wash the rice in several changes of cold water untill the water runs clear. Leave to soak in fresh cold water for 20 min, then drain the water. Cook rice by adding 500 ml water for 20-30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. When hot, but not smoking, add the mustard seeds, cumin, split black gram, split golden gram, split bengal gram, followed by the curry leaves, dried red chillies and green chillies.

Stir in the turmeric, quickly followed by adding cooked rice and salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, now add tamarind puree & lime juice. Mix well to combine. Serve immediately.

Spinach in Milk

Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups chopped spinach leaves, washed

1 onion, finely chopped

4 green chillies, finely chopped

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1 cup milk

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp turmeric

2 dry red chillies, broken into two

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds when the mustard seeds start crackling add chopped onions dry red chillies and green chillies. Cook for a minute and add salt.

Add chopped spinach leaves and cook for 2-5 minutes, mix well and cover with lid, cook untill the spinach leaves turns little soft. Add red chilli powder and milk, stir well and close the lid.

Cook for about 30 minutes or untill most of the milk is absorbed by the spinach leaves. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice.

Carrot Halwa

Recipe Ingredients:

55 gm butter/ghee

25 gm flaked almonds

25 gm cashew nuts

25 gm seedless raisins

450 gm grated carrot

600 ml full-fat milk

125 gm sugar

1/2 tbsp freshly grounded cardamom seeds

1/2 tbsp freshly grated nutmeg

50 ml double cream

How to Prepare:

Melt ghee/butter in heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Add almonds and cashew nuts and cook stirring, untill lightly browned. Remove a dessert spoon of nuts and reserve.

Add raisins, grated carrot, milk and sugar to the saucepan, increase the heat to medium and bring the milk to boiling point. Continue to cook over a low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes, untill the milk evaporates completely, stirring frequently, and scraping the sides of the saucepan.

Stir in cardamom powder, nutmeg and cream. Remove from heat and leave to cool slightly. Serve with whipped double cream or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle over the reserved nuts to decorate.

Balti Prawns

Recipe Ingredients:

700 gm prawns

4 tbsp ghee

2 large onions sliced

3 tomatoes sliced

1/2 tbsp kalonji seeds

4 black peppercorns

3 green cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbsp natural yogurt

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

2 fresh green chillies

2 tbsp lime juice

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Heat ghee in a large heavy-based frying pan. Add the onions and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or untill golden. Add the tomatoes, kalonji seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, chilli powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste and salt. Cook stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Add prawns and cook, stirring constantly, or untill well coated in the spice paste. Stir in the yogurt. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add some water if required.

Stir in the chopped coriander, chillies and lime juice. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice/roti.

Bhel Poori

Recipe Ingredients:

For Chat:

300gm new potatoes

200gm chickpeas, soaked and cooked

100 gm sev noodles

55 gm puffed rice

4 tbsp raisins

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

1 tbsp fennel seeds toasted and cooled

pooris crushed

salt

For Chat Masala:

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp black peppercorns

2 dried red chillies

For Serving:

natural yogurt

tamarind chutney

green chutney

How to Prepare:

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil and cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, untill tender. Drain and run under cold water to cool, then peel and mash them. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make chat masala, heat a dry fry pan over a high heat. Add the coriander and cumin seeds, peppercorns and dry chillies and stir around untill they give of their aroma. Immediately tip them out of the pan to stop the cooking, watching closely because the cumin seeds burn quickly. Grind the toasted spice mixture in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar.

Use your hand to toss together the potatoes, chickpeas, sev noodles, puffed rice, raisins, coriander, fennel seeds and crushed pooris. Sprinkle with chat masala and toss again.

Divide the mixture in serving plates and drizzle with yogurt, tamarind chutney and green chutney according to taste. Garnish with puffed rice, corn flakes, raisins and sev noodles.

Beetroot Raita

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup grated beetroot

1/2 cup grated onions

175 gm yogurt

2 tbsp milk

1/4 tbsp salt

How to Prepare:

Put yogurt in a bowl and beat with a fork untill smooth. Add salt, grated beetroot, grated onions, milk and mix well untill well combined. Transfer the raita to a serving dish and serve with spicy rice varieties or biryani.

Dates Milk

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup dates, quaterd

2 cups soy milk

1 tbsp honey

How to Prepare:

Soak dates in 1 cup of hot soy milk for 2 hours. Add to blender and blend it into a fine paste. Add the remaining milk, honey and blend again untill well combined. Once it done pour in a bowl to cool down in a refrigerator. If required add some cold milk and mix. Pour in a glass and serve chilled.

Cahews, Almonds & Pine Nuts Dessert

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup cashews

1 cup almonds

1 cup pine nuts

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup ghee

2 cups milk

1 tbsp cardamom powder

How to Prepare:

Soak almonds, cashews and pine nuts separately in large bowls of water for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.

Peel the skin of almond. Grind cashews, almonds and pine nuts into a fine paste in a food processor.

Melt ghee in a heavy-based saucepan, preferably non-stick, stir well. Add cashews, almonds and pine nuts paste and mix well. Add sugar and milk, stirring constantly for 10-12 minutes, scraping the base of sauce pan.

Increase the heat untill the mixture thickens. Allow to cool & Transfer the mixture to a dish and allow to refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve chilled.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

Recipe Ingredients:

1 kg chicken

5 tbsp oil

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup yogurt

1 juice of lime

2 medium onions, diced

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

3 small red/green chillies finely sliced

1 tbsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp chicken masala powder

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp black pepper powder

1/2 tbsp cumin

1/2 tbsp paprika

1/2 tbsp turmeric

1/2 tbsp cardamom pods

1/2 tbsp cloves

2 cinnamon stick

3 bay leaves

10 curry leaves

4 dry red chillies, broken into two

Salt (According to taste)

How to Prepare:

Heat oil over a medium heat in a heavy-base saucepan, add onions, chillies, dry red chillies, bay leaves, curry leaves, salt and ginger garlic paste. Cook for approx 8-10min or untill the onions are soft.

Add turmeric,ground coriander,cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon sticks, paprika and chicken masala powder,red chilli powder and cook for a further 5min.

Add chicken pieces and cover the lid, cook for about 30 minutes. Add coconut milk, yogurt then simmer on a low heat for 25-30min. Finally add lime juice and pepper powder, mix well untill well combined and cook for further 5 minutes, turn off the heat and serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice.

Egg Biryani

Recipe Ingredients:

6 hard boiled eggs

3 cups basmati rice

1 onion, finely sliced

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp turmeric

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1 onion, finely sliced

2 cup chopped mint

2 cups chopped coriander

4 green chillies (slit length wise)

4 cardamom pods

4 cloves

1 tbsp cumin seeds

4 cups of water

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Blend mint and coriander leaves into a fine paste. Strain through a seive into a jug, pressing down on the mint and corriander with the back of a wooden spoon. Discard the contents of the seive and reserve the mint and coriander paste water.

Wash rice in several changes of cold water untill the water runs clear. In a large heavy base vessel add ghee, when hot add onions, green chillies, ginger garlic paste, cumin seeds and cherry tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes now add cardamom pods, washed rice, reserved mint and coriander paste water, mix well and let it cook for a while, now add water and allow to cook untill rice is half done, once when the rice is half done add hard boiled eggs and mix well to combine, allow to cook for 15 minutes or untill done. Serve hot. Mix well before serving.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with raita or vegetable koorma or khatta dal.

Tomato Eggplant Chutney

Recipe Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup chopped eggplant (small cubes)

2 cups chopped tomatoes

2 strands of tamarind

4 green chillies

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 tbsp mustard seeds

1/2 split black gram

2 dry red chillies, broke into two pieces

5 curry leaves

5 tbsp oil

salt (according to taste)

How to prepare:

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan over a medium high heat. Add few cumin seeds and green chillies and cook for 3 minutes. Add chopped eggplant and tomatoes and stir for further 2 minutes. Now add tamarind strands and then stir around. Cover the lid and let it cook untill tomatoes are well cooked and pulpy and the eggplant is half done.

Transfer the contents in the saucepan to blender, add garlic and salt and blend into a slushy paste, transfer the tomato eggplant paste into a bowl. Heat remaining oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat, when hot add mustard seeds followed by adding remaining cumin seeds, split black gram, curry leaves and dry red chillies and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.

Pour the contents of saucepan over tomato eggplant chutney paste scraping off every bit from the saucepan, mix well untill combined.

Serving Suggestions:

It goes well with hot rice and ghee or with dosa.

Golden Dosa

Recipe Ingredients:

2 cup golden gram

1/4 cups rice

1 inch ginger

4 green chillies

1 tbsp cumin seeds

salt (according to taste)

5-6 tbsp oil

How to Prepare:

Soak golden gram, rice, ginger and chillies in enough water overnight or for at least 4-6 hours. Drain the water and keep the drained water aside, grind the soaked golden gram into silky smooth batter add the drained water that had kept aside, as needed to the batter or till soft and fluffy. Add salt and cumin seeds, mix well untill well combined.

Preheat a heavy-base cast-iron griddle (tawa) or a large heavy-base frying pan over a medium-high heat, add 1/2 tbsp oil.Spread oil all over the pan. Pour 2 or 3 ladelful of dosa batter on the griddle and spread it all over the pan, cook for 2-3 minutes. Using a thin spatula, turn over and cook for 30 seconds.Remove from the pan and keep hot by covering in a piece of foil lined with kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining dosa batter.

Place 1 or 2 dosa on serving plate and serve with chutney.

Pea nut Sundal

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup pea nuts, soaked and cooked

2 tbsp oil

5 curry leaves

1/2 tbsp mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 tbsp split black gram

1/2 tbsp split golden gram

1/2 tbsp split bengal gram

1/2 tbsp red chilli powder

2 dry red chillies, broken into two

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, when hot add cumin seeds and mustard seeds followed by adding curry leaves, dry red chilli, split black gram, split bengal gram and split golden gram, cook untill bengal gram turns golden in colour. Finally add pea nuts, mix well untill combined, cook for about 5 minutes and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Moong dal Rasam

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup moong dal

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

4 green chillies finely chopped

1 tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

10 curry leaves

2 dry red chillies, broken into two

4 tbsp oil

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Wash dal untill water runs clear and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Pressure cook moong dal, 3/4 of the chopped onions (reserve the remaining chopped onions) turmeric and green chillies with 2 cups of water and cook for 40 minutes or untill 3 whistles. Mash moong dal into smooth paste with the laddel

In a large saucepan add 2 cups of water bring it boil and add cooked moong dal and allow to boil, reduce the heat to low for 15 minutes. Now add salt and let it for another 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat, when hot add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. As as the mustard seeds pop add dry red chillies, reserved chopped onions, chopped garlic and curry leaves. Let the seasonings sizzle untill dry red chillies have lightly darken in colour.

Pour the contents of seasoning over the moong dal rasam, scraping off every bit from the saucepan. Turn off the heat and keep the saucepan covered untill you are ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Beetroot & Chickpea

Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups beetroot

1 cup chickpea, soaked and cooked

1 tbsp red chilli powder

10 curry leaves

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp mustard seeds

4 tbsp oil

salt (according to taste)

How to prepare:

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over a medium low heat, when hot add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves, once mustard seeds start spluttering add chopped beetroot and salt, stir well, close the lid and allow the beetroot to sweat. Once when the beetroot is almost cooked add cooked chickpea and mix well. Add red chilli powder, stir well untill well combined, cook for another 8-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice or chapati.

Almond Prawns

Recipe Ingredients:

500 gm raw prawns

1 cup ground almonds

5 tbsp oil

1 medium onions,diced

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

5 small green chillies finely sliced

2 tbsp red chilli powder

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp turmeric

250 ml water

salt (according to taste)

almond flakes (for garnish)

How to Prepare:

Heat oil over a medium heat then add onions,chillies and ginger garlic paste. Cook for approx 8-10min or untill the onions are soft.

Add turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, cumin seeds and cook for a further 5min.

Add prawns and then simmer on a low heat for 25-30min.Add 250ml water and ground almonds. Cook untill 85% of water is absorbed by the prawns.

Garnish with almond flakes. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice .

Ridge Gourd & Scrambled Egg

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup chopped ridge gourd

3 eggs

1 onion, finely chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1/4 tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp garam masala powder

4 tbsp oil

salt (according to taste)

How to prepare:

Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and saute till light brown in colour. Now add the chillies, salt and turmeric powder and fry for 2 - 3 minutes. Add chopped ridge gourd and cook for 15-20 minutes or untill ridge gourd is well cooked.

Now add eggs, do not stir immediately, let the eggs settle for few minutes. Now stir the eggs so that eggs will mix with the onion mixture. Once done add red chilli power and garam masala powder, mix well. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice or chapati.

Baby Potato, Fenugreek leaves & Corn

Recipe Ingredients:

12 baby potatoes

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup fenugreek leaves

1/2 cup corn kernels

4 dry red chillies, broken into two

1 tbsp cumin seeds

4 tbsp oil

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Cook potatoes in their skins in a heavy vessel of boiling water for 20 minutes, or untill tender. Drain, then soak in cold water for 30 minutes, peel the skin, then halve or quarter according to their size.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and broken dry red chillies, when the cumin seeds crackle  add chopped onions and and cook, stirring, for 10-12 minutes or untill browned. Add fenugreek leaves and mix well, add salt cover the lid and allow to sweat, once done add potatoes and cook for a while, then corn kernels and mix well. Cook for about 10 minutes, mix well. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with hot rice.

Almond Diamonds

Recipe Ingredients:

75 gm unsalted butter

200 gm ground almonds

200 gm sugar

150 ml double cream

8 almonds, chopped

10 pistachio nuts, chopped

How to Prepare:

Melt butter in a heavy-base saucepan, preferably non-stick, stirring well. Add the ground almonds, sugar and cream, stir well. Reduce the heat and stir constantly for 10-12 minutes, scraping the base of the saucepan.

Increase the heat untill the mixture turns to little darker in colour.

Transfer the almond mixture to a large, shallow serving dish and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.

Decorate the top of the dessert with the chopped almonds and pistachio nuts. Leave to set for 1 hour or preferably overnight, then cut into diamond shapes and serve cold.

Ragi Idly

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup black gram

3 cups par-boiled rice

1 cup red millet powder

1 tbsp fenugreek seeds

salt (according to taste)

oil, for greasing the idly plates

How to Prepare:

Soak black gram and fenugreek seeds in enough water overnight or for at least 4-6 hours. Drain the water and keep the drained water aside, grind the soaked black gram into silky smooth batter add the drained water that had kept aside, as needed to the batter or till soft and fluffy.

Wash the par-boiled rice and take hand full of par-boiled rice and squeeze as much as u can to drain the water. Combine, red millet powder, batter and par-boiled rice, mix well by adding salt.

Cover and keep it for overnight fermentation in warm place. By morning the batter will be ready for making ragi idlys.

Grease oil to the idly plates and fill 3/4th of the idly moulds with batter. Cook ragi idlys on steam for 20 minutes on medium heat. Turn off the heat and separate each ragi idly from the mould using spoon.

 Now ragi idly are ready to serve. Serve with chutney or sambar or spicy powders.