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.

Peanut & Tomato Chutney

Recipe Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup peanuts

1 cups chopped tomatoes

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 peanuts and tomatoes and stir for further 2 minutes. Cover the lid and let it cook untill tomatoes are well cooked and pulpy and the peanuts are roasted.

Transfer the contents in the saucepan to blender, add garlic and salt and blend into a fine paste, transfer the peanut & tomato 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 peanut tomato chutney paste scraping off every bit from the saucepan, mix well untill combined.

Serving Suggestions:

It goes well with idly's or with dosa.

Onion Dosa

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup black gram

3 cups rice

1 tbsp fenugreek seeds

salt (according to taste)

5-6 tbsp oil

1 cup finely chopped onions

How to Prepare:

Soak black gram, rice 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 urad dal 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 mix well untill well combined. Cover and keep it for overnight fermentation in warm place. By morning the batter will be ready for making dosa.

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 cook for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions on the top of it and cook untill dosa is done. Using a thin spatula, turn over and cook for 30 seconds (carefully turn the other side, or else the onions may spill). 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.

Banana Cake

Recipe Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

1 cup plain flour

1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup sugar powder

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tbsp banana essence

75 gm butter

3 eggs

whipped cream (to serve)

sugared cherry's (to serve)

How to Prepare:

Mash bananas in bowl into fine paste and keep it aside untill needed. In a bowl add butter and sugar, beat them untill the mixture turns pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Now add banana essence, soy milk, flour and baking powder, stir through till u don't find any lumps. Finally add mashed banana paste and mix well untill well combined with the cake batter.

Grease the baking tin with butter and dust it by sprinkling flour over greased surface evenly. Pour the mixture into the greased baking tin.

Preheat oven to 180º C or 160º C fan. Place on baking tray and bake for 18-20mins, remove from the oven. Put a skewer inside the cake, it should come out clean, if it comes out sticky let it cook for some time. Serve with whipped cream and sugared cherry's.

Prawns Biryani

Recipe Ingredients:

For Prawns Marinate:

500 gm prawns

1/2 cup chopped mint

1/2 cup chopped coriander

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1 cup fresh sour cream

2 tbsp salt

For Biryani:

3 cups basmati rice

4 1/2 cups water

4 cardamom pods

4 cloves

1 onion, finely sliced

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp red chilli powder

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

In a non metallic bowl add prawns, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, ginger garlic paste, chopped mint, chopped coriander, and cream, mix well untill well combined. Cover and leave to marinate for 3 hours in the refrigerator.

In a heavy base saucepan add oil, when hot add marinate prawns and cook untill prawns are soft and tender, while cooking do not cover with lid.

Wash rice in several changes of cold water untill the water runs clear. In a large heavy base vessel add ghee, when hot add ginger garlic paste, cumin seeds and chopped onions, cook for 5 minutes now add cardamom pods, cloves, washed rice,  water, mix well and let it cook untill rice is half done, once when the rice is half done add cooked prawns and mix well to combine, allow to cook for 15 minutes or untill done. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with raita.

Tamarind Rasam

Recipe Ingredients:

1/2 cup tamarind pulp

4 cups water

1 onion, sliced

2 tbsp rasam powder

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

5 curry leaves

1/2 cup coriander leaves

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Heat oil in thick bottomed vessel over a medium-high heat when hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and onions, cook untill onions turns transparent add turmeric powder and tamarind pulp, mix well, cover the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes. Pour water and bring to boil untill water reduced to half, finally add rasam powder, coriander leaves and cook for another 15 minutes. Cover the lid and keep it aside untill you are ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice.

Cherry Tomato Raita

Recipe Ingredients:

5 cherry tomatoes, chopped

175 gm yogurt

2 tbsp grated carrot

2 tbsp grated coconut

2 tbsp milk

1/4 tbsp salt

How to Prepare:

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

Carrot Rice

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup grated carrot

225 gm rice

450 ml water

1 small onion finely chopped

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

2 green chillies, slit into two (length wise)

4 cloves

4 cardamom pods

1 tbsp salt, or to taste

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 cumin, chopped onions, ginger garlic paste, cloves, cardamom pods, followed by the grated carrot and green chillies.

Stir well and  add cooked rice and salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute . Mix well to combine.Serve immediately. Serve with raita.

Bread Omlette

Recipe Ingredients:

2-4 bread slices

2 eggs

1 tbsp milk

1 cube butter

pinch of red chilli powder

salt (according to taste)

How to prepare:

In a bowl add eggs and beat well untill smooth, to the beaten eggs add milk, salt and red chilli powder and mix well. Heat griddle by adding butter, dip each bread slice in the egg mixture and toast them. Serve immediately.

Andhra Chicken

Recipe Ingredients:

1 kg chicken

5 tbsp oil

500 ml water

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 tblsp cloves

1/2 tbsp cardamom pods

1 tbsp turmeric

2 medium onions,diced

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

5 small green chillies, finely sliced

2 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp chicken masala powder

2 tbsp garam masala powder

Salt (According to taste)

 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, cardamom pods, cloves and chicken masala powder and cook for a further 5min.

Add chicken and then simmer on a low heat for 25-30min.Add 500ml water and garam masala powder .Cook untill 85% of water is absorbed by the chicken.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice .

Ridge Gourd & Channa Dal

Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups chopped ridge guard

1 cup split bengal gram (soaked)

1 onion, finely chopped

2 green chilli, finely chopped

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp red chilli powder

4 tbsp oil

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Cook split bengal gram over a medium low heat, cook untill bengal gram is cooked well. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add cumin seeds, green chillies, chopped onions and ginger garlic paste, cook untill onions turn soft.

Add chopped ridge gourd, salt and sprinkle little water on the top of it so that the ridge gourd will be cooked well, cover the lid and allow the ridge guard to sweat. Once the ridge guard is 3/4th cooked, add cooked split bengal gram and mix well and cook for further 20 minutes or untill done. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice.

Vermicelli Halwa

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup vermicelli

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup ghee

1 cup water

3-4 cardamom pods

10 cashew nuts

How to Prepare:

In a thick bottomed pan add ghee, fry cashew nuts and vermicelli, now add water and cardamom pods to the vermicelli, let it cook on a medium heat without the lid for about 30 to 40 minutes or untill the water is absorbed by vermicelli. Keep stirring in between.

Add sugar and keep stirring till the mixture becomes thick and starts leaving the sides of the pan. Now the halwa is ready to serve. Transfer halwa to serving bowl. Serve hot.

Yoghurt Puri

Recipe Ingredients:

20 small puris

For Stuffing Puris:

2 medium potatoes, boiled

1 tbsp black salt

1 tbsp chat masala

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tbsp red chilli powder

1/2 tbsp pepper powder

1/2 cup yogurt

1/4 cup sev noodles

coriander leaves (for garnish)

For Tamarind Chutney:

1/2 cup tamarind pulp

1/4 cup chopped molasses sugar

1/2 cups warm water

1 tbsp red chilli powder

salt (according to taste)

For green chutney:

1 cup mint leaves

1 cup coriander leaves

4 green chillies

salt (according to taste)

How to prepare:

In a bowl add boiled potatoes (peel the skin off) mash the potatoes and add black salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder, chat masala and salt, mix well untill combined keep it aside untill needed.

In a blender add mint leaves, coriander leaves and green chillies and whizz untill it is all blended well into a fine paste, reserve untill needed.

Put the tamarind pulp and warm water in in a heavy-based saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar and salt and continue to simmering for further 10 minutes, or untill desired consistency is reached. Leave to cool.

Fill the puris with mashed potato mixture and serve with green chutney, tamarind chutney, yogurt and sev noodles, garnish with coriander leaves and sprinkle red chilli powder and black salt on top of it.

Stir Fried Noodles with Sunny-side Up Omlette

Recipe Ingredients:

200 gm dried noodles

1 eggs

1/4 cup onions, chopped

1/4 cup sweet corn

1/4 cup green peas

1/4 cup chopped red pepper

2 tbsp oil

For Seasoning:

1/2 tbsp pepper powder

1 tbsp sweet soy sauce

1 tbsp chilli sauce

1 tbsp fried onions/ onion flakes

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Boil water in a vessel, add noddles and simmer, cook untill done. Remove noodles from water and drain well. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry onions for a minute or two, add chopped red pepper, sweet corn and green peas and stir fry for another minute. Add seasonings and cooked noodles, stir well so that the seasonings are absorbed evenly.

Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan. Break egg into a flat saucer and slide them into the pan. Cook on a low heat untill egg becomes solid or untill done. Serve omlette with noodles.

Tomato Rasam

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup chopped tomatoes

4 cups water

1 onion, sliced

2 tbsp rasam powder

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

5 curry leaves

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Heat oil in thick bottomed vessel over a medium-high heat when hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and onions, cook untill onions turns transparent add turmeric powder and tomatoes, mix well, cover the lid and cook untill tomatoes turn pulpy. Pour water and bring to boil untill water reduced to half, finally add rasam powder and cook for another 15 minutes. Cover the lid and keep it aside untill you are ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice.

Cabbage & Moong Dal

Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups chopped cabbage

1 cup split golden gram

1/2 cup chopped onions

4 green chillies, finely chopped

5 curry leaves

1 tbsp cumin seeds

4 tbsp oil

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Cook split golden gram over a medium low heat, cook untill golden gram is half cooked. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, green chillies and chopped onions cook untill onions turn soft.

Add chopped cabbage, salt and sprinkle little water on the top of it so that the cabbage will be cooked well. Once the cabbage is 3/4th cooked, add golden gram and mix well and cook for further 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice/chapatis.

Chickpea Sundal

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea, 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 chickpea mix, well untill combined, cook for about 5 minutes and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Saffron Rice

Recipe Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup basmati rice

good pinch of saffron strands

2 tbsp hot water

3 tbsp ghee

1/2 tbsp salt

2 1/2 cups water

How to Prepare:

Wash the rice in several changes of cold water untill the water runs clear. Leave to soak in fresh water for 20 minutes, then drain the water. Soak the saffron strands in hot water for 10 minutes. Cook rice by adding 2 1/2 cups of water, ghee and salt for 20-30 minutes, drizzle saffron water over basmati rice and mix well untill well combined. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

It goes well with non-veg curries.

Indian Rice Pudding

Recipe Ingredients:

55 gm ground rice

good pinch of saffron threads

2 tbsp hot milk

40 gm ghee

25 gm almond flakes

25 gm seedless raisins

600 gm full fat milk

450 ml evaporated milk

55 gm sugar

12 ready to eat dried apricots, sliced

1 tbsp freshly ground cardamom seeds

1/2 tbsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp rose water

25 gm walnut pieces (for garnish)

15 gm unsalted pistachio nuts (for garnish)

How to Prepare:

Place the saffron in the hot milk and leave to soak untill needed.

Reserve 2 tbsp of ghee and melt the remaining ghee in a heavy base saucepan over a low heat. Add the ground rice, almonds and raisins and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add milk, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring, untill it begins to bubble gently. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for 10-12 minutes, to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the evaporated milk, sugar and apricots, reserving few slices to decorate. Cook, stirring, untill the mixture thickens to the consistency of a poring custard.

Add the reserved saffron and milk mixture, the cardamom, nutmeg and rose water, stir to distribute well and remove from the heat. Leave to cool, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Melt reserved ghee in a small saucepan over a low heat. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring, untill they brown a little. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Leave the pistachio nuts to cool, then lightly crush.

Serve the pudding decorated with the fried nuts and the reserved apricot slices.

Ridge Gourd in Milk

Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups chopped ridge gourd

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

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 and green chillies. Cook for a minute and add salt.

Add chopped riddle gourd pieces and cook for 2-5 minutes, mix well and cover with lid, cook untill the ridge gourd pieces 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 ridge gourd pieces. Serve hot

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice.

Plain Dosa

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup black gram

3 cups rice

1 tbsp fenugreek seeds

salt (according to taste)

5-6 tbsp oil

How to Prepare:

Soak black gram, rice 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.

Add salt and mix well untill well combined. Cover and keep it for overnight fermentation in warm place. By morning the batter will be ready for making dosa.

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 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.

Mango Dal

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup split red gram

1 raw mango, finely chopped (deseeded)

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 split red gram untill water runs clear and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Pressure cook split red gram, chopped mango, 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 split red gram into smooth paste with the laddel. If need add some water. Now add salt and let it cook 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 ligtly darken in colour.

Pour the contents of seasoning over the mango 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.

Egg Plant in Milk

Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups chopped egg plant

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

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 and green chillies. Cook for a minute and add salt.

Add chopped bottle gourd pieces and cook for 2-5 minutes, mix well and cover with lid, cook untill the egg plant pieces 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 egg plant pieces. Serve hot

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice .