Ingredients

• 1 cup Rice
• ½ cup Urad dal or Black gram dal
• 2 tbsps Soaked Channa dal
• Onions
• Green chillies
• Cilantro

Directions

• Soak the rice and urad dhal for few hours.
• Grind them into smooth batter with using just enough water.
• Ferment it overnight for a nice sour taste
• Add finely chopped green chillies, cilantro, soaked chana dal, cumin and salt to the batter and mix thoroughly.
• Serve hot using peanut, tomato or coconut chutney.

Ingredients

• Bell Peppers – red, orange, yellow,green – 1 each ( Cut into Long Pieces)
• Mustard – 1 1/2  tsp
• Cumin – 1 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds(Methi) – 1/2 tsp
• Dried Red Chili – 4-5
• Black Gram (Urad dal) – 2 tsp
• Asafetodia (Hing)
• Coriander – 1/4 bunch
• Tamrind Paste – 1 1/2 – 2 tsp (as desired)
• salt  – 1 tsp
• Oil – 2-3 tsp

Directions

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Fry Mustard, jeera,methi, hing, Red mirchi, Urad Dal  (like tadka). Once done, take it out into a container and allow it cool.
• Use the same pan and fry Bellpeppers until well roasted.
• Blend the Tadka, Roasted Peppers, Tamrind paste, salt,coriander leaves all together.
• Enjoy with Rice, Roti, Idli or Dosa.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Soft cooked white rice (sona masoori or basmati can be used)
• 1 cup Yogurt or homemade Curd
• 1 cup Milk
• Salt as desired
• 1/2 inch Ginger
• 1/2 of small Mango
• 1/4 inch of finely grated Carrot
• a few black grapes
• a few seeds of Pomegranate
• Cilantro for Garnishing
• 2 spicy Green Chillies
• For seasoning I use Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, Cashew nuts and Red chillies

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl, add cooled down white rice and mash till its soft, the soft the better it absorbs the flavors
• Add salt, green chillies, yogurt and milk and mix well to form a very thin consistency.
• Set aside for 15 minutes.
• Heat oil and prepare the seasoning by adding mustard, cumin seeds, cashew nuts, curry leaves and red chillies.
• Add the seasoning to the rice mixture and mix well.
• Garnish by adding the resting of the ingredients – Ginger, Carrot, Grapes, Pomegranate seeds, Cilantro.
• Mix very gently and set aside in the fridge until served.
• Serve with any spicy pickle or tomato chutney.

Ingredients

• 3 Red bell peppers
• 5 Red chillies
• 5 Garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup Roasted Peanuts
• 1 tbsp Tamarind paste or juice from tamarind
• Salt as desired

Directions

• Heat oil is a heavy bottomed pan.
• Add garlic, red bell peppers, salt and red chillies.
• Let is cook till all the ingredients are soft.
• Set aside for it to cool down.
• Blend the roasted peanuts to coarse powder.
• Blend the cool down pepper mixture, peanut powder and tamarind paste.
• Don’t add water unless its needed. The pepper contains water and that should be self sufficient.
• Season with mustard seeds, curry leaves, fenugreek seeds and red chillies.
• Enjoy with some plain white rice or even Dosa or Idli.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound of crumbled fresh paneer
• 1 tbsp Garlic Ginger paste
• 1 medium Onion, chopped finely
• 4 medium Tomatoes, chopped finely
• 1-2 Green Chillies, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp Garam Masala powder
• ½ tsp Chilli Powder
• ½ tsp Cumin/jeera
• salt as desired
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• freshly chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

• Finely chop onions, tomatoes and green chillies.
• Take large sauté pan, heat oil, add cumin/jeera and fry for a minute.
• Add ginger garlic paster, chopped onion and green chilles, add little salt and cook till the onions are golden brown.
• Add chopped tomatoes and let it cook till soft.
• Add  garam masala and chilli powder. .
• Add paneer and to the onion-tomato mixture. Keep stirring continuously till all the flavours are blended together.
• Let it cook for 5 minutes.
• Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with rotis or phulkas.

Dear family, friends and readers –

Yugadi Shubhakankshalu and Happy Gudi Padwa!

Best wishes for a wonderful and successful year to you and your family

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup Rice
• 1 Lemon
• 1 tbsp peatnuts
• 1 tbsp Blackgram
• 1 tbsp Bengalgram
• 3 Green chillies
• 3 Red chillies
• 1 tbsp Cashewnuts
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Asafoetida
• 3 tbsp Ghee
• coriander leaves for garnish

Directions

• Cook rice and allow it to cool. Season the spices in oil till roasted well.
• When rice cools down mix the seasoned spices and juice from the lemon.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

As a kid i loved this chaaru, used to cherish the taste of the sour and tangy tomatoes with a hint of spice and sugar… Today being a slow Friday, made a Pachi Koora and Tamato Chaaru with Brown Rice for Lunch…Very rarely i get cook a full lunch on a weekday…Hope you all experience the joy of these tastes!

Ingredients

• 6 Roma Tomatoes
• 1 tsp Tamarind paste
• 5 cloves of Garlic
• Green Chillies
• Small Onion
• Coriander seeds
• Cumin seeds
• Cilantro
• Curry leaves
• Salt as desired

Directions

• Chop tomatoes into big pieces, add water, tamarind paste and boil till they become soft
• Add salt and turmeric . Let it cool aside.
• Grind to form a liquidy paste.
• Fry green chillies, onion, garlic, coriander and cumin seeds.
• Grind them to a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a vessel,  add mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves as seasoning.
• Now add the liquid, ground paste and let it boil.
• Garnish with coriander and enjoy as a soup or chaaru.

Ingredients

• 1 cup, shredded cabbage
• 1 cup, finely grated carrot
• 1 tablespoon, lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped green chillies
• Salt as desired
• Cilantro for garnish

Directions

• Mix cabbage and carrot in a bowl
• Sprinkle salt and lemon juice and let it stand for few minutes
• Now add the green chilles and coconut
• Gently combine
• Garnish with cliantro and enjoy !

Ingredients

• 1 ripen Avocado
• 1 cup low fat milk
• 2 tsps Sugar
• some ice cubes
• a few sprigs of mint leaves

Directions

• Slice and peel the avocado, save the pit. I use the pit from discoloration.
• Scoop the pulp
• Place the pulp, sugar and milk in a glass or a juicer. Ensure to use low fat milk, due to the high fat content in avocados this milkshake always turn out very creamy.
• Using a juicer or blender , blend to smooth.
• Add some ice cubes and blend for few more seconds
• Decorate with mint sprigs and enjoy !!

• 1 Banana
• 5 Strawberries
• 3 Peaches
• 1 Apple
• 5 Ice cubes
• a pinch of nutmeg
• a few sprigs of mint leaves

Directions For Cooking

• Slice peaches and peel and chop apples into pieces. Blend all the ingredients exceot for ice until smooth. Add ice and churn once again in a blender. Pour into a glass and sprinkle nutmeg on top.
• Serve chilled, garnished with mint leaves.

• 2 cups mixed sprouts
• 1/4 cup sweet corn kernels cooked
• 1 tsp Chaat masala
• 1 tbsp Sweet chutney
• Salt to taste
• Sev
• Corriander leaves
• papdi

Directions For Cooking

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
• Garnish with sev, coriander leaves and crushed papdi.

• 2 cups Fresh raw peanuts in shell
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp Grated fresh coconut
• 5 Green chillies
• a few Curry leaves

Directions For Cooking

• Wash and pressure cook nuts along with salt till soft to touch. Unshell the peanuts and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, curry leaves and nuts. Fry for few minutes.
• Pound fresh coconut, green chillies. Add this to the above and mix well.
• Squeeze lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.

• 3 firm Tomatoes
• 2 Cucumber
• 1 Onion
• 1 tsp Pepper powder
• 2 tsp Lemon juice
• as desired Salt

Directions For Cooking

• Dice tomatoes, cucumber, onion into even sized small cubes.
• Sprinkle salt, pepper, lemon juice and mix well.
• Serve chill !

• 10 White bread slices
• 1/2 can Condensed milk
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 2 tsp Cardamom powder

Directions For Cooking

• Chop of the edges of the bread slices.  Spread butter on the bread and cut into desired shapes.
• Place these pieces in oven proof dish in two layers. Mix condensed milk and cardamom powder and pour over the bread slices. Sprinkle some sugar if needed
• Pre heat the oven to 450 F. Bake the mixture to golden brown.
• Serve hot or cold.

• 3 Potatoes
• 1 Onion
• 5 Green chillies
• 1 inch Ginger
• a few Coriander leaves
• as desired Salt
• 3 tsp Lemon juice
• 2 cups Wheat flour
• a dash of Salt

Directions For Cooking

• Boil the potatoes and mash. Add onion, ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves, salt , lemon juice and garam masala. Mix well.
• Knead the flour to form a soft dough. Make two medium size chapati, add the filling to the one chapati and cover it with the second one and roll it slowly.
• Pre-heat the oven at 450-degree . Place the paratha on a greased cookie sheet. When top side is done change the side and bake till properly done.
• Spread butter over it and serve hot with raitha or yogurt.

• 2 cups Whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup Maida
• 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• 3 tbsp Oil
• Salt as desired

Directions For Cooking

• Mix wheat flour, maida, salt and baking powder. Knead to a soft dough by adding water and oil. Keep aside in cheese cloth for an hour.
• Divide the dough into small portions and roll into big, very thin chapathi.
• Heat an inverted griddle, carefully place the roti and cook till done.
• Fold the roti and serve hot.

• 2 cups Rice flour
• 1 Onion
• 5 Green chillies
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup Coconut
• Oil for roasting as desired Salt
• a few Coriander leaves

Directions For Cooking

• Mix all the ingredients(except oil) in warm water. Knead well to make soft dough.
• Grease the pan and your palm very well. Then with your palm pat rotis directly on the tawa. Place pan on the stove and cook well.
• Spread little butter on the roti and serve it with any chutney.

• 2 cups Gram flour
• 2 cups Ghee
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 3/4 cup Water
• 5 tbsp Almonds
• 5 tbsp Cashewnuts
• 1 tsp Cardamom
• 1/4 tsp Saffron color

Directions For Cooking

• Mix gram flour with saffron color and make into a thick batter.
• Melt butter in a frying pan. Using a sieve drop the batter into the ghee and fry to form boondhi. Drain out on paper towel for excess ghee.
• Heat sugar with 3/4 cup water and boil to form syrup of one thread consistency. Add fried boondhi, cashewnuts, almonds and cardamom.
• Shape into round balls while it is warm and let dry.

• 1 cup Black gram dhal
• 2 cups Rice
• 3 Tomatoes
• 5 Green chillies
• a few Coriander leaves
• as desired Salt

Directions For Cooking

• Soak dhal and rice for 6 hours. Grind this into smooth batter with tomato, chillies adding sufficient water.
• Add salt, corriander leaves and cumin and allow the batter to ferment .
• Heat the tava (or nonstick pan), take a big spoonful of batter and put in the center of the pan, spread evenly until you get the required size of dosa. Add a spoon of oil and once it starts turning brown flip it onto the otherside.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney or peanut chutney.

• 1/2 lb Pumpkin
• 1/2 cup Coconut
• 5 tsp Sesame seeds
• 2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 10 Red chilli
• 3 tbsp Tamrind pulp
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 1/8 cup Grated jaggery
• Oil for cooking as desired Salt

Directions For Cooking

• Peel the pumpkin, remove the inner pulp and seeds. Cut into pieces.
• Heat oil add mustard seeds, add pumpkin and salt. Cook till pumpkin is soft and tender.
• Roaste sesame seeds, red chilli and grind with coconut, tamarind to paste.
• Add the paste, jaggery and turmeric to pumpkin and cook till done.

• 1/2 cup Dry coconut flakes
• 1 cup Roasted bengal gram
• 5 Red chilli
• 5 tsp Cumin seeds
• 5 flakes Garlic
• a few Curry leaves
• walnut size Tamarind
• as desired Salt

Directions For Cooking

• Heat oil in pan add cumin seeds and garlic when done keep aside. Dry roast red chillies and curry leaves.
• Grind roasted bengal gram with roasted red chilli, curry leaves, cumin seeds, garlic, salt, tamarind coarsely. Add coconut and salt and process for another minute.
• Serve with hot rice and a drizzle of ghee.

• 4 cups Half-n- Half
• 1/4 lb Almonds
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• a few strands of Saffron
• a few Cardmom

Directions For Cooking

• Soak almonds in hot water for 30 minutes. Peel the skin, grind these almonds along with some water until soft. To this paste, add 1 cup of Half-n-Half milk and saffron.
• Boil 3 cups of Half-n- Half milk on low heat simmer to 2 cups. Now, add almond milk paste, sugar and cardamom powder.
• Cook on low heat for 5 minutes and then remove from heat.
• Serve hot or cold.

• 1 cup Green gram dhal
• 1 cup Black gram dhal
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp Black pepper
• 1/2 inch Ginger
• 5 Green chillies
• a few Cashewnuts
• a few Curry leaves
• a pinch of Turmeric
• a pinch of asafoetida
• as desired Salt

Directions For Cooking

• Soak both the dhals together for 6 hrs. Drain the dhals and grind it into a smooth batter with less amount of water.
• Add salt to taste and allow the batter to ferment for 6 to 8 hours.
• Heat ghee in a frying pan, first add black pepper and cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds and grind coarsely. Add the ground powder, roasted cashew nuts, turmeric powder, asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger and green chilies and mix it with the batter. Add chopped coriander leaves just before steaming the Idlis.
• Grease idli plates and then pour the batter and steam them for 15-20 minutes.
• Serve hot with ginger chutney.