WHEAT RAVA UPMA

One of the healthy and easily digestible breakfast is cracked wheat upma. This is very healthy and good recipe for elderly people and diabetic patients. This is very simple to make and can form a good dinner for  lazy evening.
INGREDIENTS

• Cracked wheat ( godhuma rava)            1 cup
• Onions                                                   1 (chopped)
• Tomato                                                  1(chopped)
• Green chilies                                          2
• Ginger                                                    1/2 inch piece
• Water                                                     3 cups
• Salt                                                         to taste
• Oil                                                           4 Tsp
• Chana dal                                                1 tsp
• Urad dal                                                  1 tsp
• Mustard                                                  1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves                                            a few

PROCEDURE
Heat a pan and add the oil. When oil is heated add the chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds. When the dals turn golden brown add the curry leaves, chopped green chilies and the chopper ginger. Now add the onions and tomatoes and when they turn soft add the water. Boil the water and now add the salt. Add the cracked wheat and give it a mix. Cook for five minutes and when the water is completely absorbed by the rava cover with a lid, lower the flame and let cook for 3-4 minutes in its own vapors . Serve hot with chutney and curd.
TIPS

• Add your choice of veggies to enhance the taste.

SUNNUNDALU

This is a typical Andhra sweet. Delicious, soft urad dal ,sugar and ghee balls just melts in the mouth. I remember my mom making these very often in my childhood. As urad dal is used, this is a protein rich sweet. My mom used to make the powder and store it and made the sunnundalu with pure ghee as soon as we came from the school. Some make these with whole urad dal( black gram dal) and jaggery, as they are good for health. The taste of these two versions is completely different. Choosing the dal is up to you.
INGREDIENTS

• Urad dal 1 cup
• Sugar 3/4 cup
• Ghee 1/2 cup
• Cardamom 4
• rice 1 Tsp

PROCEDURE
Dry roast the urad dal on a slow flame until golden brown and u feel a distinct aroma from the dal. Dry roast the rice also until it changes to white color . Now cool the dal and grind the rice and dal to a fine powder(some what like rice flour and not like maida). Grind the sugar and cardamom to a fine powder. Mix the sugar and urad dal powder well. Now heat the ghee and cool it slightly above room temperature. Slowly add the ghee to the powder by mixing until you could form the mixture into ladoos. Make the sunnundalu and store in a air tight container.

TIPS

• When using black gram dal with skin use grated jaggery instead of sugar.
• The ghee used should not be hot. Very hot ghee makes them hard.
• Rice is used so that the sunnundalu doesn't stick in mouth.
• Make the powder and store in a airtight container and make the sunnundalu with pure ghee when required.

ALOO SAAG

Aloo saag is a popular North Indian dish usually had with roti/naan or rice/pulao.  The preparation is some what similar to the palak paneer  recipe but is spicier than palak paneer.   Spinach is good in its nutritional values . It is high in iron, vitamins A and C and calcium.  Paneer is rich in calories so I prefer aloo saag to palak paneer. Some use pureed spinach and some others use chopped spinach. Use the fresh spinach rather than the canned one as it yields good color and enhances the taste. Here I used the pureed fresh spinach. Make any variations that suits your taste.
INGREDIENTS

• Potatoes                          2
• Palak(spinach)                  1 big bunch
• Sugar                                1 Tsp
• Ginger, garlic paste          1 Tsp
• green chilies                    2 (cut length wise)
• Jeera powder                   1 tsp
• Coriander powder            1 tsp
• Heavy cream                    3 Tsp
• Oil                                    1 Tsp
• Onion                               1 small( finely chopped)
• Salt                                   to taste
• Chilly powder                    1 tsp(optional)

PROCEDURE
Boil the potatoes until soft but firm. Peel them and cut into cubes and set aside. Now cook the palak in open pan with little water and 1 Tsp of sugar till it becomes soft(about 2 minutes) . cool it and  Grind to a fine paste. In a pan add the oil and when it is heated add the jeera, green chilies, ginger garlic paste and chopped onion. Fry for two minutes and add the jeera powder and coriander powder. When the mixture oozes out oil add the palak puree and stir. Cover the lid and cook for 5 minutes on a slow flame. Add the cut potatoes ,salt and chilly powder. Again stir and leave for few minutes . Finally add the heavy cream and serve.
TIPS

• Potatoes can be deep fried till golden brown and then added to palak puree.
• Heavy cream gives a silky texture to the gravy. Alternatively fresh curd - beaten smooth can be used.
• Sugar added to palak helps to retain its color and enhances the taste of the dish.
  

RASMALAI

Rasmalai is a milk delicacy from India. The chilled cheese dumplings in thick milk tastes awesome. The cheese dumplings are prepared the same way rasgullas are prepared and then they are transferred to thick milk flavored with cardamom, rose water,saffron.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE DUMPLINGS

• Milk        whole milk 4cups
• Lemon juice      2 Tsp
• Sugar       2 cups
• Water      4 cups

FOR THE FLAVORED MILK

• Milk              3 cups
• Sugar            1 cup
• dry fruits     chopped     2 Tsp
• Cardamom  a pinch
• rose water   1 Tsp(optional)
• saffron    a pinch(optional)

PROCEDURE
MAKING OF DUMPLINGS
First boil the milk on a medium flame, slowly add the lemon juice and keep stirring .The milk curdles slowly and slowly the fat separates. This fat is called ‘paneer’.  Switch off the stove and transfer the whole paneer with whey into a sieve or a strainer with muslin cloth on it. Slowly run cold water on the paneer. This removes the lemon flavor and also makes the paneer to remain softer without hardening. Squeeze out excess water from the paneer. There should not be any water traces in paneer. Slowly knead the paneer on a dry surface till it is smooth. Work on by kneading for 10minutes.Cover the paneer with a cloth and let remain for 10 minutes.  Again knead the paneer and make round balls and flatten them. See that the edges are not cracking. If u find cracks again kneed the paneer and make the balls. Now is the critical part in making rasmalai/ rasgullas. There are two ways of making them.The first one is as follows.
In a pan add the sugar and water and let boil. now add the flattened paneer balls to the sugar syrup and cook on a medium high flame. When the sugar syrup tends to thicken sprinkle water on the syrup. The process takes about 10 minutes and the paneer balls puffs up to double their size. Now switch off the flame and remove the flattened balls and keep aside.These balls are called rasgullas.
The second procedure is simple and easy. Heat the water and sugar in a pressure cooker and when the sugar dissolves add the paneer balls and put the lid. Wait for one whistle and then reduce the flame to sim/low. After 5 minutes keep the pressure cooker under running water to reduce the inside pressure. Now remove the lid and you will see the puffed-up  cheese balls.
FOR THE FLAVORED MILK
In a thick bottomed pan add the milk and keep stirring till the milk reduces to half of the original quantity. Now add the sugar, cardamom powder. Boil for another 5 minutes. At this point of time saffron can be added.
Squeeze the rasgullas(cheese balls) a little bit and drop them in the milk. It takes about 5minutes for the rasmalai to absorb the milk. Switch off the flame, transfer to a serving bowl and decorate with chopped nuts. Serve chilled.
TIPS

• Use suji or maida but not both. This helps to bind the paneer together.
• The more the paneer is kneaded the more softer are the rasmalai .
• See that the sugar syrup do not over boil in the first procedure. When you find the syrup is over boiling sprinkle the water.
• Once the balls puffs up to double their size switch off the flame immediately otherwise the rasmalai will harden.
• In the pressure cooker method the exact procedure is to be followed to get perfect rasmalai.
• Do not add too much of suji/ maida. Excess of maida/suji makes rasmalai hard.

RASGULLA

Rasgulla /Rosogulla is a traditional Indian sweet made with chana(Indian cottage cheese). It is the first dessert made with chhana. There came many sweets after this by making slight variations to rasgullas (adding color, varying the shape, using milk instead of sugar syrup, using jaggery instead of sugar). Some say that Rasgullas had their origin in Orissa. Bengali’s own rasgullas as their traditional sweet. Where ever the origin may be these puffed cheesy balls in sugar syrup are famous throughout India, why not……… whole world.
INGREDIENTS

• Whole milk             4 cups
• lemon juice            2 Tsp
• Suji or Maida            1 tsp
• Sugar                     2 cups+1 cup
• Water                    4 cups
• Cold water             1/2 cup
• Cardamom               a pinch (optional)
• Rose water             1 Tsp(optional)

PROCEDURE
First boil the milk on a medium flame, slowly add the lemon juice and keep stirring. If extra lemon juice is needed add. The milk curdles slowly and slowly the fat separates. This fat is called ‘paneer’.  Switch off the stove and transfer the whole paneer with whey into a sieve or a strainer with muslin cloth on it. Slowly run cold water on the paneer. This removes the lemon flavor and also makes the paneer to remain softer without hardening. Squeeze out excess water from the paneer. There should not be any water traces in paneer. Slowly knead the paneer along with suji or maida on a dry surface till it is smooth. Work on by kneading for about 10minutes. Cover the paneer with a cloth and let remain for 10 minutes.  Again knead the paneer and make small balls . See that the edges are not cracking. If u find cracks again kneed the paneer and make the balls. Now is the critical part in making rasmalai/ rasgullas. There are two ways of making them.The first one is as follows.
In a pan add the sugar and water and let boil. Now add the  paneer balls to the sugar syrup and cook on a medium high flame. When the sugar syrup tends to thicken sprinkle water on the syrup. The process takes about 10 minutes and the paneer balls puffs up to double their size. Now switch off the flame and remove the balls and keep aside. Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar to the hot sugar syrup and mix well till all the sugar dissolves and make a medium thick syrup. Cool the syrup and again add the rasgullas to the syrup. Add the cardamom powder and rose water. Chill and serve.

The second procedure is simple and easy. Heat the water and sugar in a pressure cooker and when the sugar dissolves add the paneer balls and put the lid. Wait for one whistle and then reduce the flame to sim/low. After 5 minutes switch off the flame and keep the pressure cooker under running water to reduce the inside pressure. Now remove the lid and you will see the puffed-up  cheese balls. Remove the rasgullas and add the remaining 1 cup of  sugar to the hot sugar syrup and mix well till all the sugar dissolves. Make a medium thick syrup and then, to reduce the temperature of sugar syrup add 1/2 cup of ice cubes and again add the rasgullas to the syrup.Add the cardamom powder and rose water. Chill and serve the mouth watering rasgullas.
 TIPS

• Use suji or maida but not both. This helps to bind the paneer together.
• The more the dough is kneaded the more softer are the rasgullas.
• See that the sugar syrup do not over boil in the first procedure. When you find the syrup is over boiling sprinkle the water.
• Once the balls puffs up to double their size switch off the flame immediately otherwise the rasgullas will harden.
• In the pressure cooker method the exact procedure is to be followed to get perfect rasgullas.
• Do not add too much of suji/ maida. Excess of maida/suji makes rasgullas hard.

VEN PONGAL/KATTE PONGALI

Ven pongal or kattepongali is a rice dish from South India. It is a breakfast item from Tamilnadu served in almost all hotels. Venpongal with vada and coconut chutney is a perfect combination. Rice combined with moong dal, peppercorns, curryleaves and the tempering given with ghee, kaju and jeera makes the dish yummy. Some make it soft like butter and some other prefer the rice grains  to be separate.
INGREDIENTS

• Rice         1 cup
• Moong dal      1/4 cup
• Water              2 cups(3 cups for soft kattepongali)
• peppercorns    1Tsp
• Ghee              3 Tsp
• Green chillies      1 (finely chopped)
• Jeera              1 Tsp
• Salt                to taste
• Cashews         2 tsp
• curry leaves     a few
• Hing                 a pinch
• Ginger             finely chopped  1 tsp

PROCEDURE
Dry roast the yellow moong dal till a fine aroma is released. Wash the rice and moong dal and add water(according to the texture of rice you like to have). Add the salt , half of jeera, ginger, peppercorns and cook the rice in a pressure cooker till 3 whistles. Heat the ghee and add the remaining jeera, cashews, green chilies, curry leaves, hing and once it is done add to the rice. Serve with coconut chutney or any raita.
TIPS

• For extra kick add black pepper powder at the end.

MILK PONGALI/KSHEERANNAM

Ksheerannam or milk pongali is a milk delicacy made with rice. Unlike the chakrapongali it  uses very little ghee, less in calories and tastes awesome. This is mainly prepared as a Naivedyam to God. It is very easy to prepare and is made with sugar, not jaggery.
INGREDIENTS

• Rice                1 cup
• Channa dal      2 Tsp
• Sugar              1+1/2 cups
• Milk                2 cups
• water             1+1/2 cups
• Ghee              1 tsp
• dry fruits        any(chopped)
• cardamompowder       1tsp

PROCEDURE
There are two ways of preparing this dish. One is cooking the rice only with milk. But some times this process can be tedious as the rice will not cook with milk.So I found a simple way of making this.
First cook the rice and dal  with 1 cup of milk and 1+1/2 cups of water in a pressure cooker. Now take all the cooked rice in a wide pan and add the remaining milk. When everything comes to a boil add the sugar and mix. Keep on stirring in between and cook for about15minutes. Now the consistency will be slightly thickened. The dish tastes well with a pouring consistency. Anyhow when cooled the pongali becomes thicker. Roast the dry fruits in ghee and add them to the pongali along with cardamom powder. Serve hot or refrigerate to serve cold.

PALAK DAL

Palak is a very high in Iron leafy vegetable. It is not only nutritive but also very tasty. It is widely used in Indian cooking. Here I present a simple palak dal, easy to make and delicious to eat.
INGREDIENTS

• Toor dal                     3/4 cup
• Palak                          2 cups( chopped)
• Onion                         1( chopped)
• Tomato                       1( chopped)
• Green chilies               1 (chopped)
• Tamarind                     small piece (2 inch piece)
• Salt                              to taste

FOR THE TADKA

• Oil                               1 Tsp
• Urad wash                    1/2 tsp
• Chana dal                      1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds              1/4 tsp
• Chopped garlic              1 Tsp

PROCEDURE
Cook the dal along with the chopped palak, chopped onion, chopped tomato, green chilies and tamarind and 1+1/2 cups of water. Keep the tamarind in small cup above the dal in the cooker and mix it after cooking the dal. (Some times dal doesn't cook due to the sourness of the tamarind,so cook it separately). Now add the salt to the cooked dal and mix  well. In a pan add the oil and when it is heated add the tadka ingredients and when the tadka is done add it to the mashed dal. Mix well and serve it with hot rice or roti. Raw onions with a hint of lemon juice over them goes well with palak dal and rice.

PLAIN DOSA

Dosa is a typical south Indian breakfast/Tiffin dish made with fermented rice and urad dal batter. It is rich in carbohydrates and protein. It is a simple tiffin which every one likes. We can see hotels and tiffin centers which serve only dosas.There are more than 100 varieties of dosas. With the same dosa batter recipe given below  we can make almost all 20 to 25 varieties of dosas . When the ingredients put inside  the dosa changes the name also changes. Plain dosa, onion dosa, masala dosa, paneer dosa , ghee dosa, paper dosa, chilli dosa etc. Dosa is usually served with chutney and sambar.
INGREDIENTS

• Urad dal            1 cup
• Rice                  2 cups
• fenugreek seeds   1 tsp
• toor dal                1 Tsp
• salt              to taste
• oil/ghee      to fry

PROCEDURE
There should a one day advance preparation for the dosas. Soak the rice and dal separately for about 5-6 hours. Soak the fenugreek seeds and toor dal along with urad dal. Grind all the ingredients to a fine paste. The consistency should be thick and not the pouring consistency. Ferment the batter for about 10 hours and refrigerate the batter. Do not add the salt. A simple trick for a perfect batter is- soak the dal and rice in the morning , grind in the evening and ferment overnight.
When ur ready to prepare dosas take out the batter from fridge and add the salt. Let the batter come to room temperature. Add the water as required. The dosa batter used at hotels will be of thick consistency and that used at home will be of pouring consistency. If ur a beginner make the batter to a pouring consistency.
Keep the dosa tava on the stove and heat it. Pour a ladle full of batter in the middle and spread it into a thin circle. Add oil/ghee along the sides of the dosa and cook for a few seconds. When the bottom turns brown flip the dosa and similarly cook on the second side also. When done serve with chutney and sambar.
TIPS

• Toor dal helps in getting a perfect color for dosa.
• Channa dal can also be added as a substitute for toordal.
• Fenugreek seeds helps to remove the dosa without sticking onto the tava.
• If the dosa starts sticking to the tava try rubbing half cut onion on the tava.
• In hotels a hand full of maida and a hand full of rice flour are added to the batter just before making dosa.
• Don’t mix maida directly to the batter. Make a paste with water and add the paste to batter to avoid lumps.
• Adding salt just before making dosas keeps the batter fresh without any smell.
• Take out the batter out from the refrigerator in small batches and not all at once and use it the same day.

SAMBAR POWDER

Call it sambar or sambhar or sambaru , it is the main dish in the south indian cuisine. Serve it with either idly or steamed rice, it is the preferred dish of every South Indian.The main ingredient of sambar is the Sambar powder.There are many variations in making the powder but here I present my own version. Although we are getting lot of varities of sambar powders in the market the one that is prepared in the home gives the authentic flavor and taste to the sambar. My mother-in-law tells me that freshly prepared sambar powder tastes better than the one that is prepared early and stored. Although it is true as the procedure is time taking I prefer making the powder and refrigerate it to retain its freshness.

INGREDIENTS

• Coriander seeds/dhaniya             1+1/2 cup
• chana dal                                   1/2cup
• black gram dal                              1/8 cup
• red chilies                                   10
• jeera                                            1 Tsp
• mustard seeds                             1tsp
• fenugreek seeds                          1tsp
• rice                                             2Tsp
• asafetida                                  1/8 Tsp
• dry coconut powder                  1/2 cup
• toor dal                                      1/4 cup(optional)

PROCEDURE
Dry roast all the above ingredients individually on slow flame till they are done. Grind them to a fine powder and store in a air tight container. Toor dal is optional and is used to thicken the sambar.
TIPS
1. To make the sambar with fresh ground powder roast all the above ingredients in a tablespoon of oil and grind.
2. To give a fresh taste to the sambar with already made powder add fresh grated coconut or coconut milk to the sambar.

CHAKRAPONGALI

Chakrapongali is a traditional Andhra sweet dish with full of richness. Made with rice,moong dal, whole milk and lots and lots of ghee, the preparation tastes the ultimate and irresistible. Apart from pulihora, this chakrapongali is also made as a naivedyam (offering) to God. This is must sweet in every family on the Sankranti festival. Everyone gets confused with cakrapongali, pongali and milk pongali(palapongali). Pongali is a simple rice kheer made with rice and bengal gram dal and no much of ghee and milk is used. Ghee is used only to roast the dryfruits. The milk pongali is completely cooked with milk and has a liquid consistency. In both the recipes not much of ghee is used and chana dal is used. On the other hand the chakrapongali has lots of ghee and moongdal is used instead of chana dal. As of now I am posting chakrapongali, but very soon I will post the other two also.
INGREDIENTS

• Rice                1 cup
• water              2cups
• moong dal       1/4 cup( can be more as per ur taste)
• milk                 1 cup
• sugar               1/4 cup
• jaggery            1 cup (grated)
• elachi powder 1 Tsp
• dry fruits         1/4 cup (cashew, badam, raisins, dry coconut)
• ghee                1/2 cup

PROCEDURE
In a pan add a teaspoon of ghee and roast the dal till the raw smell is removed. Don’t let the dal burn.Use a low flame. Wash the rice and cook along with moong dal in the pressure cooker with 1+1/2cups of water and 1+1/2 cups of milk untill very soft. In a pan add 1 Tsp of ghee and roast the chopped dry fruits and the coconut pieces into golden brown. Remove them and keep aside. In a large thick bottomed pan (or a non stick pan) add the jaggery and sugar and little amount of water and keep stirring with the flame on low. When the jaggery and sugar melts sieve the liquid so that all the dirt (if any) from jaggery is removed. Again keep the syrup on fire and make the syrup to a thick consistency. Now add the rice to the syrup and keep stirring. When all the moisture is removed add ghee to the rice , a Tablespoon at a time. Keep on stirring continuously on a low flame till ghee oozes from the chakrapongali. Now add the elachi powder and the ghee roasted nuts and serve hot.
TIPS

• Do not try to cook the rice with only milk. Rice will not cook with milk alone. Use milk and water, both.
• Add a couple of table spoons of ghee to the syrup and then add the cooked rice so that less amount of ghee is enough to make the chakrapongali.
• This recipe consumes lot of ghee so if you want a low calorie version try the following

Cook the rice with water alone. In a pan add the cooked rice and milk and set on fire. keep stirring continuously and when all the milk evaporates add this to the sugar and jaggery syrup. Now add 2 or 3 Tablespoons of ghee, add the nuts and elachi , stir and remove into a serving dish. This version also tastes good as the milk forms as khoya when evaporated and moreover less in calories.

CHAPATHI

Chapathi to me is a triangle shaped Indian bread as  served in many of the South Indian restaurants. This layered bread is confused for roti which is round in  shape and no oil is used while rolling the dough. Chapathi rolling is an art and it is simple. The trick lies in making the dough. The dough should neither be too hard nor too soft. Here I give a simple version of chapathi.

INGREDIENTS

• Whole wheat flour               2 cups
• Extra Flour                          for rolling                      
• Salt                                     to taste 
• Water                                 for mixing
• Oil                                      2 Tsp
• Oil                                      for frying the chapathi  
  

                                                                                                                         

PROCEDURE 

Take the flour in a large bowl and add salt and slowly mix the flour by pouring the water little by little. Mix the flour  and water until a soft dough is formed . Add two table spoons of oil and again knead the dough. Knead the dough for five minutes. The dough should not stick to the hands or to the bowl. The more you knead the dough the more soft are the chapathies. Rest the dough for an hour or above.
Now on a flat dry surface sprinkle a little of the flour and knead the dough for a minute. Divide the dough into equal proportions. Make a round large lemon sized ball. Sprinkle little flour on the surface and place the dough on it. Start rolling the dough. The rolling pin should not be held too hard. Roll the dough very gently into a circle of 5inches dia. Now smear some oil on the round and fold it into half, like a half-moon. Again fold this half moon into half so  that a triangle is formed. Now roll the chapathi  evenly into a triangle of 2cm thick. The rolling  should be done gently and evenly.
Heat the tava and place the chapathi on it. Cook on one side for half minute and flip on the second side. Cook for another half minute and smear some oil on one side. Now flip this oiled side onto the tava. Now you will see the chapathi fluffing . Similarly add oil on the second side and fry both sides till chapathi is completely cooked and brown spots appear on it.  Move each edge to middle of the tava and cook so that all the edges are evenly cooked. Serve hot with curry and raita.
TIPS

• The more the dough is rested the more easy is the rolling.
• If making chapathi in the evening make the dough in the morning.
• Milk can also be used in making the dough.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

POTATO CURRY FOR PURI/CHAPATHI

A simple yet delicious curry for puri or chapathi. It can be made in minutes if the cooked vegetables are ready. This is served in every restaurant or hotel throughout South India. I made a small variation by adding Carrots and tomatoes. Add a little bit of water if it is to be had with chapathi or leave it thick if having  with puri.
INGREDIENTS

• Potatoes             2 large
• Carrots                2
• Onions                 1 large(chopped)
• Tomatoes             1 large(chopped)
• Turmeric              1/2 tsp
• Green chilies        1
• Ginger                  1/2 inch piece
• Curry leaves          5-6
• Coriander leaves    3-4 sprigs
• Oil                          1Tsp
• Chana dal               1 tsp
• Urad wash              1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds       1/2 tsp

PROCEDURE Peel the potatoes and carrots, roughly cut them and cook them. Mash them and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add the  chana dal, urad wash, mustard seeds. When the mustard splutters, add the onions, tomatoes,green chilies,turmeric,curry leaves, ginger pieces. When every thing gets well cooked add the cooked and mashed carrots and potatoes. Add the salt and sprinkle a little water. Cover and cook on a slow flame. Finally add the coriander leaves , mix well and serve with puri or chapathi.

BUTTER MASALA DOSA

Masala dosa is a crispy dosa filled with a special potato curry. It has its origin from udipi in Karnataka. It is often had a replacement for dinner in the evenings in my family. Dosa itself is a tasty food and this combined with potato curry and butter makes it even more tastier.
The batter for this is same as the dosa batter so refer for the Plain dosa for the batter ingredients.
INGREDIENTS

• Dosa batter
• butter( at room temp) for cooking

FOR THE FILLING

• Potatoes                      2 large(boiled, peeled and mashed)
• onions                          1 large(finely chopped)
• chana dal                     1 tsp
• urad dal                        1 tsp
• mustard seeds              1/2 tsp
• jeera                             1/2 tsp
• green chillies                 1
• turmeric                        a pinch
• cilantro                         3 sprigs
• salt                                to taste
• oil/ghee                        1 Tsp

PROCEDURE  Heat the pan on a medium flame. Add the oil/ghee and when it is heated add the chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, jeera, turmeric. When the mustard splutters add the onions and the green chilies. Add the salt and when the onions turn translucent add the potatoes . Mix well and finally add the cilantro. The potato filling is ready. Heat the tava on a medium flame. Pour a ladle full of dosa batter onto the tava and spread into a circular. If you prefer a crispy dosa use a little less of batter. Wait for 15seconds and when the top layer starts to change color spread the potato filling on to the dosa and smear the butter on the edges of the dosa. Be liberal in using butter so that a beautiful color is attained. When the dosa is cooked completely and is crisp and colored from the bottom fold it and serve it hot with sambar and chutneys of your choice. Don’t forget to add a small amount of butter on the top of hot dosa.

ONION DOSA

Onion dosa is a simple South Indian Tiffin made with the dosa batter with lots of onions in the middle. Eating a single onion dosa and having a cup of coffee makes u full. This is called as ullidosa in Andhra and it is a must recipe in the menu of every restaurant or even a kaka hotel.
The batter for onion dosa is same as the plain dosa batter and u can look at my Plain dosa recipe for this.
INGREDIENTS
Dosa batter
onions 1 large(very finely chopped)
oil as required
PROCEDURE
Heat the tava and once it is nicely heated pour a ladle full of batter on it . Spread the batter in a circular motion and spread the onions liberally on the dosa. Pour the oil on the dosa through the edges. Cook the dosa on a medium high flame. Once the dosa is colored from the bottom fold it and serve with sambar and chutney. Do not flip the onion dosa as it is done for plain dosa.

TAMARIND RICE / PULIHORA

Tamirind rice/pulihora do not need any introduction to South Indians and especially Andhrites. Pulihora is a festive rice dish made with tamarind or lemon or mango. It’s made for all occasions - marriages,festivals,poojas. This sour, spicy, tangy delicacy can be made easily . It is the dish that can be taken along for picnic or a long train journey. The addictive flavor of pulihora makes you crave for more.
Apart from ladoo, pulihora is also served as 'prasadam' in most of the temples. When I talk about temples and prasadam I remember the pulihora prasadam at Tirupathi. It is the most tasteful pulihora that I ever ate. The  tadka  has the  mustard seeds paste (aava pettina pulihora) and the peppercorns are also added to give the spiciness. What ever may be the reason, the taste is because , it is the nivedyam offered to God and served as the prasadam to devotees.
INGREDIENTS

• Rice                    1+1/2 cup
• Water                  3 cups
• Tamarind             lemon sized ball
• Oil                       3/4 cup
• Salt                      to taste
• Turmeric              1/2tsp
• Green chilies       4-5
• Red chilies           3-4
• Ground nuts       1/4 cup
• Cashews               2 Tsp
• Chana dal             1 Tsp
• Urad wash            1Tsp
• Mustard seeds      1/2 Tsp
• Hing                      a pinch
• Curry leaves          10
• Fenugreek seeds    1/2 tsp
• sugar/ jaggery         1 tsp

PROCEDURE
Cook the rice, see that it is not sticky, and cool it and keep aside. Soak the tamarind for 30 minutes(5 minutes in hot water) and extract thick juice from it. The juice should be approximately 1/2 cup. If the juice is  more liquid then it will be 3/4 cup. In a pan add the oil and when it is heated add the ground nuts and fry them and remove to a plate. In the same oil add the chana dal, urad wash, mustard seeds and when these are half done add the cashews, turmeric,red chilies,curry leaves. Now when every thing is fried add it to the rice. Add the fried ground nuts also to the rice and mix well. In the same pan add the tamarind extract and let cook on a slow flame. Deseed the green chilies and cut lengthwise and add to the tamarind juice. Stir occasionally and add the salt, fenugreek seeds, Sugar. When the tamarind juice is completely cooked and the raw flavor is gone add this to rice( add this little by little by mixing simultaneously so that the pulihora don’t become sour).  Mix well  till every thing incorporates into rice. Rest for half an hour and serve with curd.
TIPS

• The rice should not be too hot before mixing every thing, otherwise you will end up with sticking of grains  to each other and form to a paste.
• Sugar and fenugreek seeds compensate the sourness.
• A spoon full Mustard seed paste can be used in the tadka to make the aava pettina pulihora
• Alternatively pepper corns and pepper powder can be used in the tadka to get the extra flavor and spiciness.
• Add the turmeric to the oil so that whole rice gets the yellow color.
• Mixing turmeric to the rice directly gives rice the raw flavor of turmeric .

MOONG DAL HALWA

Moong dal Halwa

  I know nothing about this halwa and never heard about it until I came across ready to eat recipe of moong dal halwa in a grocery store. When I searched in the web I found that it is a very rich, classic traditional dish from Rajasthan. It is specially made for marriages and special occasions. It is a very high calorie sweet made with lot of ghee and even requires a lot of patience in preparing it. Although I made it for the first time it turned out beautifully. Here is the procedure for making the halwa.

INGREDIENTS

• Moong dal                          1cup
• Sugar                                  1 cup
• Ghee                                  3/4 cup
• Cardamom                          a pinch
• Dry fruits                            3 Tsp
• Milk                                     1 cup

PROCEDURE
Dry roast the dal on a low flame for a few minutes till the raw flavor is gone ( the color should not be changed) and soak the moong dal for atleast 5 hours and grind it into a soft thick paste. In a pan add half cup of melted ghee and moong dal paste and mix well. Now set the pan on fire and keep the the flame to the least( the dal cooks so quickly and tends to form lumps, so keep the flame very low). Keep on stirring continuously and you will see the dal absorbing all the ghee. Keep on stirring until the dal oozes out the ghee. At this point slowly add the  milk,sugar and remaining ghee a Tablespoon of each alternatively and keep stirring. Now you can feel a nice aroma of the halwa. The halwa tend to form a lump and leaves the sides of the pan.  Now add the ghee roasted dry fruits and when a lump of the halwa is formed,take it into a serving dish and serve hot.
TIPS

• The entire procedure should be done on a slow flame.
• Milk can be skipped and khoya can be used at the end.
• Preferably use a non stick pan for making the halwa.
• Mix the milk and sugar well and add the melted ghee to this milk. Add this slowly to the cooked dal.

CHAYOTE CURRY

   Chayote or chowchow or chocho or pear squash, call it by any name but in my place, in India it is called 'Bengaluru vankaya'. I don't know the reason why it is called so, though it doesn't belong to brinjal family. It can be sautéed or cooked or eaten raw ,the vegetable tastes good. It tastes somewhat like bottle guard.  From the childhood I have been eating this chocho. My mom used to make curry or kootu with it. Kootu is dish prepared with dal and vegetables combined with a combination of spices. Chayote is so soft and delicate so it doesn't take much time to cook it. Here I present a simple choyate fry.
INGREDIENTS

• Chayote                2
• Oil                         3 Tsp
• jeera                     1 tsp
• Salt                        to taste
• Green chilies         1

Chayote Curry

PROCEDURE
Peal the chayote and cut it into small pieces. Discard the seed in it. Heat oil in a pan and add the jeera and the chayote pieces. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 minutes. Now add the salt and cook for another 3 minutes stirring in between. Once the pieces turn soft add the cut green chilies and stir one more time. Fry till the pieces turn slightly brown and then remove from fire and serve with hot rice or roti.  

TIPS

• Add a little besan at the end to enhance the taste.
• Cook on a medium flame as the vegetable is very tender.
• It can be cooked in as many ways as bottle guard is cooked.

UPMA AND PEANUT CHUTNEY

A quick and easy South Indian breakfast is upma. It's a must breakfast at least once a week in every household. When you are in a hurry or if a large number of guests come to your house without a notice , upma is the only recipe which can please all. In most of the South Indian marriages upma is a must breakfast. Upma is made either with sooji(semolina), cracked wheat, vermicelli or rice rava. No matter with what rava it is prepared, it is certainly nutritious. Now and then I also make bread upma and poha upma.
Upma served with chutney or sambar tastes yummy. Here I present a chutney made with peanuts and onions. This tastes awesome. This can be tried for a different taste and when you are bored up with the coconut chutney.

UPMA

INGREDIENTS

• Sooji(upma rava/semolina)         1 cup
• Vegetables                                  1/2 cup (onions,potatoes,carrots, greenpeas, tomatoes)
• Water                                          2 cups
• Oil                                               5 Tsp
• Salt                                             to taste
• Ginger                                         1/2 inch
• Green chilies                               2
• Cinnamon                                   1 inch
• Curry leaves                                a few
• Turmeric                                     a pinch
• Ghee                                           2 Tsp
• Chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds 1 tsp each

PROCEDURE
Cut the vegetables into small pieces. Chop the ginger and green chilies. Heat oil in a pan and add the chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds. when the mustard seeds splutter and the dal turn golden brown add the cinnamon, ginger, green chilies, curry leaves,vegetables. Add the salt and when the vegetables are half cooked add the water. When the water comes to a boil slowly add the rava into the water with constant stirring. See that no lumps are formed. Keep on stirring till all the water is absorbed by the rava. Now reduce the flame and cover the upma with a lid and let it cook with its own steam for about 3 minutes. Finally add the ghee and mix well. Serve after 10 minutes to get the right taste.
TIPS

• If you are a beginner to cooking, roast the rava in a spoonful of oil and then add this to the water so that no lumps are formed.
• Shredded cabbage can also be added to the vegetables.
• Skip all the vegetables and add a quarter cup of cashew nuts to make cashew nut upma(jeedipappu upma). This is a Andhra special upma. In this version do not add the turmeric and cinnamon.
• For making upma with cracked wheat ( godhuma rava) or rice rava (biyyapu rava) add 3cups water to 1 cup of rava.

CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS

• Peanuts/groundnuts                    1/2 cup
• Onions                                          1 medium (chopped)
• Green chilies                                 3-4
• Salt                                               to taste
• Tamarind                                       small piece
• Oil                                                 2 Tsp
• Channa dal,urad dal                      1 tsp each
• Mustard seeds                              1/2 tsp
• Red chilly                                      1
• Water                                           enough to make paste

PROCEDURE
Add a table spoon of oil in a pan. When oil is heated roast the onions, peanuts and slit green chilies. The onions need not turn brown but must become transparent and the raw flavor must be removed. The peanuts must be fully roasted. In a blender add the onions , peanuts, salt ,tamarind, green chilies and make the chutney. In a small pan add the oil and heat it. Add the dals, mustard seeds,red chilies and when done add the tadka to the chutney.
Enjoy the upma with the chutney and a spoonful of ghee on the top.

CABBAGE STIR FRY

Cabbage is one such vegetable which most of keeps away due its pungent odour. Cabbage has high nutritional values and is full of vitamins. It is a high fiber and low calorie vegetable. And now if you are on a diet program cabbage has to be taken. There are a many ways to get rid of the odour from cabbage. Adding a few drops of lemon juice is one such tip. Add a few table spoons of milk to the preparation and this not only eliminates the smell but also enhances the taste of the dish. Do not over cook, keep it crunchy. Here I present the authentic Andhra style of cabbage stir fry.

INGREDIENTS

• Cabbage 1 small
• Green chillies 2nos( finely chopped)
• Ginger 1/2 inch piece( finely chopped)
• Chana dal 4Tsp

for tadka

• Oil 3 Tsp
• Chanadal 1 tsp
• Urad dal 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves few

PROCEDURE

Chop the cabbage very finely. Soak the chana dal 2 hours before making the curry. Heat the oil in a pan add the tadka ingredients and once they are done add the cabbage. Fry for a few minutes . Add the salt and keep stirring in-between . When the cabbage turns soft add the ginger pieces, green chilies and the soaked chana dal and cover with a lid and rest for 1 minute on a slow flame . Remove the lid stir and serve hot with rice or chapathi.

TIPS

• Add freshly grated coconut to enhance the taste.
• Serve with papad and sundried curd chilies.

TOMATO PICKLE

  A simple and easy pickle which can be made even by a beginner in cooking is tomato pickle. As a child I remember my mom preparing two varieties of tomato pickle(store and use). One is so elaborate and the other one is the one which I am going to present now. In both the versions fresh  firm red tomatoes are used.
In the first kind the tomatoes are cut and marinated in salt and turmeric and then sundried and the pickled in oil, chilly powder and fenugreek powder mixture. This pickle has a longer shelf life and remains for months together. The procedure used to prepare maagai is used for this pickle also.
The second version is so simple but this needs to be refrigerated to remain fresh for a longer time. Leave behind the time and shelf life, this tangy and spicy preparation is sure to be completed in a week by your family.
INGREDIENTS

• Tomatoes                      2 kg
• Salt                                1/4 cup
• Red chilly powder          1/4 cup
• Mustard seeds               3 Tsp
• Hing                               1/4 Tsp
• Fenugreek powder         2 Tsp
• Sugar                              2 Tsp
• Tamarind paste              3 Tsp(thick)
• Oil                                  1 cup
• Turmeric                        1 Tsp

PROCEDURE
Heat half of the oil in a pan , add the mustard seeds and once they splutter add hing and turmeric powder. Cut tomatoes into as small pieces as possible and add to the oil. Cook on a slow flame while stirring in between. When all the water evaporates from the tomatoes add the salt ,sugar, tamarind paste and fenugreek powder(Dry roast methi seeds and grind to fine powder). Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes till all the mixture is dry. Now add the remaining oil and red chilly powder and stir again. Adjust salt and chilly powder if required. Switch off the flame, cool and transfer into a dry bottle and refrigerate.
TIPS AND SERVING IDEAS

• Choose ripe yet firm tomatoes for the pickle to last longer.
• Be sure to use a dry spoon every time.
• Serve with rice or idli or dosa or even chapathi.