Random creative cooking;

start with chutneys

Peanut chutney
Ingredients

1/2 cup - Roasted Peanut
1 big - Shallot, diced
2 - Dry red chili
3 tbsp - Yogurt/
Salt to taste

Seasoning

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp - Jeera / cumin seeds
A pinch or two - Hing / Asafoedita
1 sprig - Curry leaves
2 - Dry red chili
Sesame oil

Method

1 ) Heat oil in a pan, add shallots, dry red chili and fry lightly till shallot is fried a bit. Cool.

2 ) Into a blender, add roasted peanuts, fried ingredients, yogurt, salt to taste and little water and grind to a smooth paste.

3 ) In a pan heat oil, pop mustard seeds, then add jeera, dry red chili, curry leaves and hing. Pour this seasoning on top of the chutney and mix in.


Chilli Mango chutney
Ingredients

2 big - Ripe & firm mangoes, cut to small pieces
1 medium size - Onion, chopped
1 - Capsicum, chopped
1 - Green chili, chopped
1 tsp - Finely grated ginger
1 tsp - Finely grated garlic
1/4 tsp - Red chili powder
3 tsp - Red chili sauce
3 tsp - Tomato sauce
3 tsp - Soya sauce
1.5 tsp - Vinegar
1.5 tsp - Cornflour

Garnishing

1 stalk - Greens of the spring onion, chopped finely

Method

1 ) Mix and combine the sauces - Red chili sauce, tomato sauce and soya sauce in a bowl. Then in another bowl mix and combine cornflour, vinegar and 2 to 3 tbsps of water.

2 ) Heat 2 to 3 tbsp butter in a pan, add onion and fry till it turns pink in color in medium heat. Then add ginger, garlic and green chili. Fry for a minute then add capsicum and fry till capsicum is fried lightly and still crisp.Add chili powder, lower the heat and then add the mixed sauces and stir in well with the ingredients in the pan. Then add the cornflour mixture, salt to taste, stir and mix well

3 ) Add mango pieces, mix well and cook on very low heat for a minute. Let the mango not get over cooked. Now when still hot i was not so keen on the taste, but when it cooled down a bit and flavors got balanced, it really tasted good. Serve into a serving bowl and garnish with spring onion.


Mango chutney sweet and sour
Ingredients

3 big - Ripe mangoes, chopped to small pieces
1 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 tbsp - Grated jaggery
Coarsely grind

3/4 cup - Fresh coconut
1/4 tsp - Jeera /cumin
1/4 tsp - Mustard seeds,crushed
Salt to taste
Seasoning

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
2 - Dry red chili
1 or 2 sprigs - Curry leaves
Coconut oil
Method

1 ) Cut the mango into small pieces. Coarsely grind, coconut, jeera in a blender. Then add mustard seeds and pulse 2- 3 times.
2 ) In a pan heat a cup of water add, chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Add mango pieces and cook mango for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add grated jaggery and let it melt in.

3 ) Mix the ground ingredients with the cut mango and mix. Cook for 2 minutes more and turn off the stove.

3 ) To season - Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and pop it, then add chili and curry leaves. Pour this seasoning on the mango and mix.

 here comes the random part................

Chicken manchuriyan

Ingredients

1 kilo - Boneless chicken, cut into small pieces
1 - Egg white
1 tbsp - Cornflour

To marinate chicken

2 tsp - Red chili powder
1 tsp - Black pepper powder
2 tsp - Worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste

For Sauce

8 big flakes - Garlic, crushed & chopped finely
2 - Green chili, chopped
2 to 3 stalks - Spring onion, chopped
1/2 tbsp - Vinegar
1 cup Water
1 tbsp - Corn flour
1 tbsp - Soya sauce
1/2 tsp - Sugar
1/4 tsp - Pepper powder

Method

1 ) Marinate chicken pieces in ingredients listed for marination. Marinate for 3o minutes. Mix egg white and cornflour well. Add this mixture to chicken pieces and mix well.

2 ) Heat enough oil to deep fry. When the oil is hot, add chicken pieces in batches and fry till brown and done. Drain off the oil and set aside.

3 ) To make the sauce - Mix cornflour, vinegar, soya sauce, sugar, salt, pepper powder to one cup water and keep aside.Heat some oil in a pan , add garlic and green chilies and saute till garlic looses its raw smell, then set aside some spring onion for final garnish, rest add to the pan and saute for a minute. Then add the mixed ingredients in water to the pan, stir and bring to a boil. Simmer and add the chicken piece to the sauce and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, closed with a lid. Once the sauce has thickened and coated the chicken pieces, take off the stove and serve garnished with some chopped spring onion.

Bitter melon curry

Ingredients
2 medium size - Bitter gourd
Grind to a smooth paste with little water
1.5 cup - Freshly grated coconut
2 big - Small onions/ Shallots
3/4 tsp - Chilly powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
Seasoning
1 tsp - Mustard seed
6 big - Small onions / shallots,chopped
2 - Green chili, chopped
3 sprigs - Curry leaves
Method
1 ) Cut bittergourd into very small fine pieces. Heat little oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and pop it. Then add onion, chili and curry leaves. Fry for a minute then add bitter gourd. On a slow flame, fry till bitter gourd is light brown in color.
2 ) Add ground coconut mixture into the pan with bitter gourd. Add just little water to make a thick gravy. Add salt to taste and just bring to a boil. Don't boil over. Take off the stove.


Kale apple salad
Ingredients
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves very thinly sliced
1/4 cup dates
1 Honeycrisp apple
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 ounce pecorino, finely grated (1/4 cup)
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the kale, toss to coat and let stand 10 minutes.
While the kale stands, cut the dates into thin slivers and the apple into thin matchsticks. Add the dates, apples, almonds and cheese to the kale. Season with salt and pepper and toss well.


Crock Pot Indian Butter Chicken
Ingredients
1 C. raw unsalted cashews
1/4 c. curry powder
1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
2/3 c. green yogurt ( not fat free )
1/4 c. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
4 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, cut into one inch pieces
1/4 c. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. cardamon seeds
/2 tsp. cayenne
1 can diced tomatoes plus juice
2/3 c. chicken broth.
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/3 c. cream
cilantro, garnish

Instructions
Cook cashews, curry and fennel seeds in a dry skillet for two minutes stirring until fragrant.
Put into a blender and process until finely ground.
Put yogurt in a bowl along with. tomato paste, white wine vinegar, garlic and grated fresh ginger. Stir together and add cashew mixture and mix well.
In a large bowl combine two pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in one inch pieces with
the yogurt cashew sauce. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, or for several hours.
When you are ready to cook, put butter in a large skillet and melt over medium heat.
Add onion, cinnamon stick, cardamon.
Stir fry until onions are tender.
Then add cayenne, diced tomatoes plus juice and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil and cook for three minutes.
Put chicken and sauce into a large crock pot.
Add the tomato mixture and stir well.
Add salt and black pepper.
Cover crock pot and cook on high for three hours or five-six hours
on low.
Add in cream to the pot and stir well. Cover and cook on low for ten minutes.
Serve over rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.

To all who may concern:  All the recipes you find on my blog have been tried and tested in my kitchen. Most of them have been passed down to me from my mom ,mother -in-law, grand mother, family and friends or are my own creations in times of need. Some have been taken from old recipe books, magazines or online, and in all such cases a mention of such is made.

Chicken Tikka masala:

Ingredients
6 garlic cloves, finely grated
4 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
4 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 cups whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cardamom pods, crushed
2 dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish
Steamed basmati rice (for serving)
Preparation
Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl. Whisk yogurt, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and chill 4-6 hours. Cover and chill remaining spice mixture.
Heat ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and chiles and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until bottom of pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes.
Add cream and chopped cilantro. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet. Arrange chicken on rack in a single layer. Broil until chicken starts to blacken in spots (it will not be cooked through), about 10 minutes.



Pasta with potatoes

 11/2 Pounds Of Fusilli Pasta
A Medium Sized Eggplant Peeled And Cut Into About 3/4 Inch Cubes
A Medium Yukon Gold Potato Peeled And Cut Into About 3/4 Inch Cubes
1/2 Cup Of Olive Oil, Divided
Two Teaspoons Of Sea Salt, Divided
1/2 Teaspoon Of Ground Black Pepper, Divided
Six Fresh Roma Tomatoes Sliced In Half
15 Fresh Basil Leaves
A Minced Garlic Clove
1/4 Cup Of Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place the cut potatoes and the cut eggplant on a sheet pan that has been lightly brushed with olive oil. Brush the vegetables with a 1/4 cup of olive oil. Sprinkle the potatoes and the eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Roast the vegetables in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes until they are lightly browned.
Place the tomatoes, the basil leaves, the garlic, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and the grated Romano cheese into a food processor. Pulse until fairly smooth but not soupy. Taste and add more sea salt, ground black pepper, and/or grated cheese, if desired.
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions in a pot of boiling, salted water. Drain the pasta well in a colander.
Place the cooked pasta into a large mixing bowl. Add the tomato pesto. Mix well so that all of the pasta gets coated with the pesto sauce. Add the roasted potatoes and the eggplant on top of the pasta. Serve with more grated Pecorino Romano cheese.


Halibut made simple

Ingredients
1 tablespoon corn/vegetable oil,
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1/4 teaspoon fish masala spice (any kind)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound canned artichokes,
1 cup white wine (optional) you can also use chicken broth/fish broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the halibut and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Cook the fish on the grill pan until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
In a medium saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and artichokes and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and stir, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
Ladle the artichoke and tomato broth into shallow bowls. Top with the grilled halibut. Serve immediately.



Sardine/mathi curry 

Ingredients
Mathy/sardine                                              5 nos
Mango                                              1 big
Grated coconut                            ½ cup
Red chilly powder                       2 tsp
Turmeric powder                        ½ tsp
Small onion                                    2 nos
Ginger                                               1 piece
Curry leaves                                   1 strand
Green chilly                                   3 slit (length wise)
Coconut oil                                    3 tsp
Water                                               2 cup
Salt

Method:
Clean and wash mathi cut into 3 pieces.
Peel and remove the seeds of mango and then chop it to small to medium sized pieces
Grind the coconut, small onion, ginger, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, and water as req to a fine paste; keep it aside.
Heat a chatti/kadayi/pan add ground coconut mixture water, curry leaves, green chilly, coconut oil
When it boils add mathi, mango pieces, salt allow it to boil for 5 minutes.
Cook covered for about 20 minutes, keeping the stove at low flame.
Garnish with curry leaves, coconut oil.


Country egg curry

Ingredients
To grind
1. Onion – 1/2, medium
    Tomato – 1.5, medium-small
    Garlic – 3 large cloves
    Ginger – 1 inch
Grind all the above ingredients to a fine paste, in a blender
Remaining Ingredients
2. Eggs – 8, hard-boiled
3. Onion – 1 large, chopped
4. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
    Chilly powder – 1 – 1.5 tsp
    Coriander powder – 1.5 – 2 tsp
    Garam masala powder – 1.5 tsp
5. Sugar – 1 tsp
6. Fennels / perumjeerakam – 1/2 tsp, crushed
7. Pepper powder – 1/8 tsp
8. Oil – 1.5 tbsp
    Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
    Dry red chilies – 3 – 4
   Curry leaves – 1 sprig
9. Cilantro – To garnish

Method
Heat oil in a deep pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry dry red chilies and curry leaves. Add chopped onion, little salt and saute until transparent. Add the ground onion-tomato mixture mentioned under ‘To grind’ and saute until oil appears. Bring down the heat. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Saute at low heat for about 1 minute taking care not to burn the powders. Add the boiled eggs and stir for a few seconds. Add the crushed fennel's, sugar and mix well. Add 1.5 – 2 cups hot water, salt and bring to a boil. Cook covered for 2 – 3 minutes. Open and add 1/8 tsp pepper powder. Check for salt. Garnish with cilantro.


Chicken tortilla soup in crock pot

2 C shredded chicken
1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 small can chopped green chilies
2 cans chicken broth
1 can corn
1/2 C onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C water
1 tsp cumin
1/2 – 1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried cilantro or 3 Tbsp fresh
Combine all ingredients in crock pot.  Cover and cook low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.  Add in cooked chicken 30 minutes before serving.  Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese and black olives.

New experiments!

Bell pepper stuffed

Ingredients
Nuts Powder –
Peanuts – 1 tablespoon
Cashew nuts – 1 tablespoon
For gravy –
Onion – 1 medium (1 cup), chopped roughly
Tomatoes – 1 ½ medium (1 ¼ cups), chopped roughly
Ginger – ½ inch piece
Garlic – 2 large cloves
Green chilies – 3 or to taste
Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon
Other ingredients –
Oil – 3 teaspoons +1 teaspoon
Capsicum (green bell pepper) – 1 large (1 ½ cups), cut into cubes
Bay leaf -1
Cloves – 3
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
Salt – to taste
Method:
Let them cool completely. Then grind it into fine powder.
Heat the pan on medium heat. Dry roast the peanuts and cashew nuts till they get light brown.
Take onion, tomato, green chili, ginger, garlic and green chili in a blender
Make smooth gravy out of it without adding any water
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cubed capsicum
And cook them till they are done 70%. Rest of cooking will done in gravy. Remove them in a bowl.
Heat the same pan again with 3 teaspoons of oil on medium heat. Once hot add bay leaf, cloves and cumin seeds. Let cumin seeds sizzle.
Then add onion-tomato gravy. Mix well. Cook till all the moisture from gravy evaporates. And the oil will start to leaves from the gravy.
Then add salt and red chili powder. Mix well.
Add 1 ¼ cups of water. Mix it well. Let it come to a boil.
Add nuts powder.
Mix it.
Add cooked capsicum.
Mix it and let it cook for about 3 minutes. (Adjust water as per your liking gravy consistency.)
And lastly add garam masala.
Mix well and switch of the stove.
And serve hot.
Additional info
Taste – little bit crunchy capsicum in Punjabi style spicy onion-tomato gravy
Shelf life – I prefer to serve it fresh and hot the day its made. But you can keep in refrigerator in air tight container once cooled completely for 3 days.
Serving suggestions – my family like to have it with paratha or roti and sliced onions w/lemon drops on side. You can also have it with plain rice.

Banana fritters

You will need:
Fully ripe plantains-2
Enriched Flour (Maida)-1 cup
Rice flour (optional)- 2 tbsp
Sugar -1tbsp
Black sesame seeds- 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - 1/8 tsp
Water - 1/4 cup
Salt -a very small pinch.
Oil - for frying
Preparation Method:
1. Peel and cut the banana into 2 sections.Then cut them lengthwise into 4 pieces of equal thickness.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add water slowly while stirring to make a smooth paste. It should be lump free and not too watery. If it does become watery, add a little more flour.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Dip each banana slice in the batter to coat it on both sides and slide it into the oil.You could fry 4 or 5 at a time based on the size of your pan. Deep fry on medium heat till it turns a golden brown. Drain onto paper towels and serve.

Bitter gourd fryums

You will need:
Bitter gourd- 2 big ones.
Green Chilies- 5 vertically slit
Tomato- 1 small one cut into 4 pieces
Onion- 1 small one sliced
Red chili powder-3/4 tsp
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder(Dhania)-1tsp
Coconut Milk Powder- 5 tbsp mixed with 1 cup water (or 1 cup coconut milk)
Yogurt- 1cup
Salt to taste
Oil- 2 tbsp
For seasoning:
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Cumin (Jeera)-1tsp
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Canola oil-1 tbsp

Preparation:
1. Scrape the outer projections on the bittegourd and slice the bitter gourd into thin rounds. Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp yogurt and let it sweat for 10 minutes. Squeeze the pieces and wash them well to remove extra salt and the bitterness. If you like the bitterness, skip this step. If you are using Chinese bittter gourd or bitter melon, which is light green and bulbous in shape, it is not as bitter so you can directly fry it.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil and shallow fry the bitter gourd rounds on medium heat till slightly crisp. Not very crisp. Then add the onions and green chilies and sauté for a couple of minutes.
3. Lower the heat and add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric and 1 tablespoon water. Fry for a while till the powders get cooked and then add the tomato and salt. Cook for a minute and add ½ cup water and 1 cup coconut milk. If the coconut milk is thin, then reduce the quantity of water. Vary the quantity of chili powder and green chilies as per taste. My recipes tend to be on the slightly spicier side, so be warned.
4. Check the salt and liquidity of the curry and add more salt and water if needed. Take it off the flame and do not let it come to a full boil. After it cools down, add 1 cup beaten yogurt.
5. Tempering: Heat the oil in a small wok/pan and as it heats up, add mustard seeds and cover till it tops sputtering.Reduce the heat and add the curry leaves and cumin. Pour the flavored oil over the curry.
Serve with hot steamed white rice.

Lamb rice (biryani)

Basmati or Jeera Rice               500 gm
Chicken                                          500 gm
Onion (chopped)                       1 nos
Tomato (chopped)                     3 nos
Green chillies                             5 nos 
Cinnamon                                  5 to 6 strips
Cardamom                                6 to 10 nos
Cloves                                       8 to 10 nos
Fennel                                        1 tsp
Cashewnuts                               10 nos
Garam Masala powder               1/2 tsp
Chilli powder                             1 tsp
Turmeric Powder                    1/2 tsp
Bay leaves                                 2 nos
Curd                                             2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste                      2 tsp
Coconut milk                             200 ml
Curry leaves                              1 spring
Coriander leaves                        1 spring
Mint leaves                                a few
Salt                                            to taste
Oil                                             15 ml
Ghee                                          2 tbsp
Procedure:
1. Wash Basmati rice and soak it in 800 ml of water for 15 to 30 mins.
2. Wash Chicken and cut into small pieces. Add chilli powder, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, curd and salt. Mix well and keep aside for 3 to 4 hours. Marinating Chicken overnight gives best taste.
3. Heat oil in a 5 ltr pressure cooker. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cashewnuts, fennel and fry in a slow flame till the cashewnut colour changes slightly brown.
4. Add chopped Onion, green chillies(slit vertically) and curry leaves and continue frying till the raw smell of onion subsides.
5. Add chopped tomatoes, remaining ginger garlic paste, garam masala, turmeric powder, corinader leaves, mint leaves, salt and continue frying in slow flame till tomato get mashed well.
6. Add chicken and continue frying till the chicken gets slightly cooked.
7. Add Basmati rice and continue frying for 2 mins.
8. Add water which we soaked rice and coconut milk. Bring to boil and pressure cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
9. Remove from  heat and transfer to a big plate.
10. Add ghee and mix well.
11. Serve hot with kurma and raita.


Brussel sprouts dry mix

Brussels sprouts------------------  1 cup, thinly sliced
Grated coconut-------------------  1/4 cup
Green chilly------------------------ 2, cut round wise
Small onions-----------------------  1/4 cup, sliced
Curry leaves-----------------------  a few
Mustard seeds--------------------- 1/4 tsp
Dried red chilly-------------------- 1
Oil------------------------------------- 1 tsp

METHOD

In a bowl mix together with hand or slightly crush it using mortar and pestle the grated coconut,green chilly and small onions. Do not grind it in a blender. A nice flavor will come when the juices of coconut,small onions and green chilly is incorporated. Keep this aside.
Now in a medium heat pan,add oil and sputter mustard seeds,dried red chilly and curry leaves.
Then add in the coconut mixture followed by Brussels sprouts.
Add needed salt and slow cook it.

Note:
Do not grind the coconut mixture, just crush it with hand or mortar and pestle.
Do not add water for cooking as there is enough moisture in coconut and small onions.
Slow cook it.

Rice stick dish

INGREDIENTS

Rice stick noodles---------------approximately 2 cups
Grated carrots-------------------1 cup
Onion ------------------------------1 medium sized , cut lengthwise
Green chilly-----------------------2 cut lengthwise
Ginger------------------------------1 tsp grated or cut lengthwise
Curry leaves----------------------a few
Oil-----------------------------------1 tbsp
Mustard seeds-------------------1/2 tsp
Channa dal-----------------------1/2 tsp
Urad dal---------------------------1/4 tsp
Dried red chilly------------------1 or 2
Salt ---------------------------------to taste


METHOD

Soak rice noodles in cool water for 15 minutes.
In a medium heat pan add a tbsp of oil and splutter mustard seeds, dried red chilly, channa dal, urad dal and curry leaves.
Next add onion,green chilly and grated carrot.
Saute it till the raw smell of carrot goes. Do not saute the onions and carrot too much. It should be little crunchy. Add a pinch of salt to it.
Transfer this to a bowl and keep it aside.
Then drain off the water from noodles and add it to the above pan. 
Add needed salt and keep stirring.Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes till the noodles is fully cooked.
Once the noodles is fully cooked, add the carrot mixture to it and give a slight mix.
Check the seasoning and transfer to a serving bowl.
Serve hot.


Chipotle asado sauce

Ingredients
12 ripe tomatoes, preferably Roma
1 small yellow onion, julienned
5 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons canola oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tablespoons chipotle chiles in adobo or 5 re-hydrated dried chipotles
3 cups heavy cream
To make the Asado Sauce:
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.
Quarter the tomatoes and then place into a stainless steel mixing bowl and combine with the onions, garlic, oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Turn onto a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven about 15 to 20 minutes or until the tomatoes and onion start to turn black. Remove from the oven and process mixture in a food processor, working in batches if necessary. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the processed onion-tomato mixture with the chipotles and heavy cream and heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and keep the sauce warm until you're ready to serve.
To serve:
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the stuffed chiles into the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until heated through. Ladle enough of the warm asado sauce on 4 dinner plates to form large pools and then place 1 chile relleno on each plate and serve.




ASPARAGUS ALMANDINE
2 pounds fresh asparagus
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon grated onion
1/3 cup diced almonds
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
Place asparagus which has been cooked for 15 minutes and drained in a buttered, ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with the grated onion, almonds, and breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Pour the butter over the dish and put under the broiler until the top is browned.



Kande Pohe (rice flakes with Potato mixture)

Poha (Thick beaten rice) – 3 ½ cups
Oil – 4 tablespoons
Peanuts – ¼ cup
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida – ⅛ teaspoon
Curry leaves – 8
Onions – 2 medium, chopped
Green chilies – 4, chopped
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Sugar – 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice – 4 teaspoons
Cilantro leaves – 10 sprigs, finely chopped for garnishing
Desiccated coconut – 2 tablespoons, for garnishing
Salt – to taste
Instructions
Take poha in a strainer and wash them under running cold water and moisten them with water. (Do this step first. So poha get chance to absorb water and become soft while cooking onions)
Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat.
Once hot add peanuts and fry them till they become lightly brown. Take them out from the pan and keep aside for garnishing.
In the same pan with remaining oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Let them sizzle.
Then add asafoetida, curry leaves. Cook it for 30 seconds.
Add chopped onions and sauté them till onions become light brown.
Then add turmeric powder and green chilies and sauté them for 1 minute.
Add soaked poha, salt, sugar and lemon juice. Mix well so all the poha become yellow color from turmeric powder.
Then lower the heat, cover the pan and cook it for 4-5 minutes. Stir in between to make sure that poha does not stick to bottom.
Garnish with fried peanuts, cilantro leaves and desiccated coconut and serve hot.

Corn curry 

Ingredients
For gravy –
• Cilantro leaves – ¾ cup
• Onion – ¼ of small or 2 tablespoons, sliced
• Desiccated coconut – ½ tablespoon
• Broken cashews – ½ tablespoon
• Garlic cloves – 2 large
• Ginger – ½ inch piece
• Green chilies – 3 or to taste **Notes
• Lemon juice – ½ teaspoon
Other ingredients –
• Oil – 3 teaspoons
• Cinnamon stick – 1 inch piece
• Cloves – 2
• Corn kernels – ¾ cup, boiled **Notes
• Coconut milk – ½ cup **Notes
• Salt – to taste
.............................................................................................................................................
**Notes –
Green chilies – amount of chilies is depends on how spicy you like. But keep in mind that this is the only which gives spicy flavor to the curry as we are not adding any dry spices.
Corn Kernels – I have used frozen corn kernels. I had just defrosted it and microwave it (covered) for 4-5 minutes. If possible use fresh corn and boil it in microwave or stove top.
Coconut milk – I have used thick coconut milk which is quite heavy. If you are using thin verity then use more (about ¾ -1 cup) according to your taste.
METHOD:
Take all ingredients for gravy in grinder.
Grind it into a smooth paste using little water.
Heat the oil in pan on medium heat. Once hot add cinnamon stick and cloves. Let it cook for few seconds, you will get nice fragrance.
Then add paste and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
Cook it till all water part from paste evaporates
Then add boiled corn kernels. Mix well.
Add coconut milk and water to adjust the consistency of gravy. Mix well.
Cook it for 5 minutes uncovered with stirring in between. Then switch off the stove.
Serve hot.

Back to roots: my native place and God's own country Kerala:
Kerala cuisine is a blend of indigenous dishes and foreign dishes adapted to Kerala tastes. Coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala, and consequently, grated coconut and coconut milk are widely used in dishes and curries as a thickener and flavouring ingredient. Kerala’s long coastline, numerous rivers and backwater networks, and strong fishing industry have contributed to many sea- and river-food based dishes. Rice is grown in abundance, and could be said, along with tapioca (manioc/cassava), to be the main starch ingredient used in Kerala food. Having been a major production area of spices for thousands of years, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon play a large part in its food. Most of Kerala’s Hindus eat fish except the Brahmin community and because Kerala has large minorities of Muslims and Christians that are predominantly non-vegetarians, Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and dishes prepared using fish, poultry and meat. Rice and fish along with some vegetables is the staple diet in most Kerala households. Kerala also has a variety of breakfast dishes like idli, dosa, appam, idiyappam, puttu and pathiri.

Here are some recipes that i like making for my family and friends.

Dosa dumplings

What do we need :-
4 Cups Rice
1 ½ Cups Skinned Black Gram (Dhuli urad dal)
1 tsp Fenugreek (methi) seeds
Salt to taste
Water for grinding
Oil for frying
How do we do it :-
1 Soak the Rice, Urad dal and methi seeds separately for minimum of 4 hours.
2 After 4 hours grind them separately with minimum water. The rice should be ground to a rava (suji/semolina) consistency and the urad dal to a smooth paste.
3 Mix both the paste in a big vessel and keep it to ferment overnight.
4 The next day stir the batter. If its too thick u can add little water to make it to a dosa consistency batter (pouring consistency)
5 Add the salt to taste and mix well.
6 Prepare Appe’s with the batter with the use of a appe tawa. If it’s a non-stick tawa it will require lillte oil. When the tawa is hot pour the batter in the individual appe slots. Cover it and wait for 2 mins. Flip them with the help of a spoon and fry them to the other side also till golden brown.
7 Remove from the tawa serve hot with coconut chutney.


Tomato chutney

6 to 8 ripe tomatoes
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp powdered fenugreek seeds
4 tsp of red chilli powder (use less for mild flavor)
1/4 tsp asafetida powder (optional)
12 to 15 fresh curry leaves
Salt to taste
Boil water in a large pan.
Score an X at the stem end of each tomato.
When the water boils, drop the tomatoes into boiling water for about 30 seconds only
Take them out promptly and drop them into cool water. This process makes it easy to peel the tomatoes.
Once they are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin
Cut the peeled tomatoes in half, discard the seeds, and thinly slice the tomatoes.
Cook the tomatoes with two tablespoons of water, turmeric powder and salt.
Once cooked, remove the pan from the stove and mash well with a fork till you have a thick purée.
Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the cumin powder, powdered fenugreek, chilli powder, asafetida, and curry leaves. Do not leave this on the stove for longer than a minute as the fenugreek powder will burn and taste bitter. As will the chilli powder.
Combine the cooked tomatoes with the spices in the oil, and mix well.

Kozhi (chicken curry)


Ingredients:-

Chicken – 1 lb.
Sliced Onion-1 cup;
Tomato-1 nos;
Ginger grated-1 tsp
Garlic pods-3 nos;
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Chilli powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tbsp
Garam masala powder-1 tsp
Coconut grated-1/2 cup
Shallot-3 nos;
Fennel seed-a  pinch
Curry leaves-1 strand
Green chilli-2-4 nos,slitted
Salt
Water

Directions:-

  Cut the chicken into medium size pieces and wash well. Keep it aside
 Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan fry coconut with shallot, garlic pods, curry leaves, and fennel seed.
When it turns brown add all powders and fry few seconds. Remove from fire and keep aside. When it is cool grind using little water into smooth paste.
Mix the chicken, sliced onion, tomato, slitted green chilli,grated ginger and the ground paste and cook till done, by adding enough water.


Aviyil (mix veggie curry)

Ingredients:-

Yam sliced thinly 1 1/2" length pieces - 1 cup
Cucumber sliced thinly 11/2'' length pieces - 1 cup
Carrot sliced into 11/2'' length pieces - 1/4 up
Long beans cut into 11/2'' length - 1/2 cup
Green beans cut into 11/2" length - 1/2 cup
Drumstick cut into 2" length pieces - 2-3 nos,
Raw banana sliced thinly 11/2 cup length pieces - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Shallot - 2-3 nos.(You can use Onion 2- 3 slices)
Green chilli - 2-3 nos.
Cumin Seed - 1/4 tsp
Yogurt/Curd - 1 cup
Curry leaves - 2 strands
Salt
Coconut Oil
Directions:-
·Wash, cut vegetables. Cook with enough water, turmeric powder and salt till vegetables are done (if using pressure cook, cook for two whistles and immediately release the pressure) · Coarsely grind coconut, green chilli, shallot, 1-2 curry leaves, cumin seeds. Keep it aside. ·Put the heat on lower flame, add curd/yogurt to cooked vegetables along with the coconut paste, 6-8 nos. curry leaves and mix well. Carefully, do not mash vegetables and remove from the flame after 4-5 minutes. · Finally add  cocnut oil to the top of avial.


Kootu curry (another vegetable curry)

Ingredients:-

Diced Yam/Suran - 1 cup
Diced Raw Plantain - 1 cup
Black Chickpeas (kadala) - 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder - 11/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Thinly sliced coconut - 2 tbsp(can use 3 tbsp grated coconut)
Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp
Dried red chilli - 2 -3 nos,splitted
Curry leaves - 2-3 strands
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil
Salt

Directions:-

·Soak chickpeas in water overnight or soak at least 6-8 hours.
·Cut yam and plantains into small cubes.
·Pressure cook chickpeas by adding water and little salt for about 4-5 whistles
·Cook yam and plantain by adding water,salt,turmeric powder,chilli powder,pepper powder .Use just enough water(Cook for 1-2 whistles)
·Meantime grind coconut,cumin seed,green chilli, 2-3 curry leaves by adding little water.
·Mix ground coconut paste, cooked yam, plantain and cooked chickpeas, cook for another 10-15 minutes.
·Take a pan and 2 tbsp oil, add the mustard seed ,when start to spluttering add the coconut slices and splited red chilli and sauté till the coconut become brown.
·Pour brown coconut slices into cooked kootucurry and mix well.


Cashew nut brittle

3 cups cashews, unsalted and unroasted
1.5 cups vitamin d milk
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon ghee
1 pinch saffron, crushed and soaked in 1 tsp milk
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
Soak cashews in room-temperature water for about half hour and then drain.
Grind soaked cashews in a food processer with up to 1.5 cups milk to make a thick paste. Only add as much milk as required.
In a medium saucepan, combine cashew paste, sugar and ghee and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously.
When the mixture begins to thicken, add cardamom powder and saffron threads soaked in milk. Continue to stir and cook down until a small amount of the mixture can be rolled into a ball when cooled. This usually takes about 30 minutes or so. The final quantity will be about half of the initial quantity.
Moving quickly, spread the mixture evenly in a quarter-sheet non-stick tray. If you don't have a non-stick tray, grease the tray with some ghee.
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and then make markings for 1.5"x1.5" squares. Allow to cook completely and cut with a bench knife or a sharp knife along the markings.
Store in an air-tight container for up to one week.


Paneer butter masala (cheese butter masala)

Ingredients
•Cottage cheese (paneer),cut into triangles500 grams
•Butter5 tablespoons
•Oil 1 teaspoon
•Bay leaves 2
•Cloves 2
•Cinnamon 2 one-inch sticks
•Dried red chillies,broken 2
•Coriander seeds,crushed 2 tablespoons
•Onion ,sliced 1 medium
•Ginger paste 2 teaspoons
•Garlic paste 2 teaspoons
•Coriander powder 1 teaspoon
•Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
•Tomatoes,chopped 5-6 medium
•Salt to taste
•Kasoori methi ,crushed 1/2 teaspoon
•Fresh cream 2 tablespoons

Method
Heat three tablespoons butter with one teaspoon oil in a kadai. Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, red chillies and half of the crushed coriander seeds. Sauté for half a minute. Add onion and stir-fry for thirty seconds and add ginger paste and garlic paste. Cook for another thirty seconds. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and tomatoes. Cook on high heat till oil leaves the masala. Puree the mixture. Heat the remaining butter in a pan, cook the pureed mixture for two minutes. Add paneer pieces and salt. Add half a cup of water. Cook covered on low heat for five minutes. Sprinkle kasoori methi and mix in lightly. Remove from heat and mix in cream. Serve hot, garnished with remaining crushed coriander seeds.


Cholar daal (lentil curry)

Bengal gram (Cholar Dal): 1 cup
Coconut (Narkel): ½ cup, cut into very small pieces
Ginger paste (Ada bata): 2 tablespoon
Turmeric Powder (Halud guro): 1 teaspoon
Chili powder (Lal lankar guro): 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder (Dhane guro): 1 teaspoon
Sugar (Chini): 1 teaspoon
Red chili (Lal lanka): 3 /4
Mustard oil (Sarser tel) : 3 tablespoon
Clarified butter (Ghee): 1 tablespoon
Soak the pulses for half-an-hour before preparing
Put the soaked pulses along with salt in a pressure cooker with ample water so that the dhal remains 1cm below the water level, cook till three whistles of the pressure cooker
Take out of flame, let the pressure cooker cool Open the lid, add ginger paste, cumin, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, sugar – mix well with the cholar dal
Heat oil in a heavy bottom wok and fry the coconut pieces till brownish, take out and keep aside
In the same heated oil add the chilies and fry till then turn a darker shade of red, pour in the boiled dal, pour in little more water if required
Cook till the dal attains the desired consistency, pour in the ghee if using Garnish with the fried coconut pieces, serve warm with puri.


 Aloo Kofta (potato dumpling)

2 medium potatoes, peeled (to yield 2 cups cooked and mashed)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 3 cups or as needed for deep frying
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped seeded Thai bird chili, optional
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, optional
Salt to taste
1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan, and add cold water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and mash with a fork.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine 1 tablespoon oil, ginger, garlic, chili, and chili flakes. Sauté until ginger and garlic are golden brown. Add mashed potatoes, turmeric, cornstarch, lemon juice and cilantro. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt to taste.
3. Remove potatoes from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil to a deep fryer or wok to 350 degrees.
4. Make 16 balls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, from the potato mixture. Working in batches if necessary, fry balls until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and serve hot.

MOONG DAL (green lentil curry)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup small moong daal
2 cups water + 1 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons vegetable oil OR ghee(clarified butter)
pinch of asafoetida
6-7 curry leaves
1 tomato finely chopped
2 big cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 green chilly, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chilly powder(depending on how spicy you like it)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste

Method:
Soak the small moong daal in about 2 cups water and let it sit for about an hour. The daal should increase in size. Pressure cook the soaked moong, along with the remaining water from soaking + an additional cup of water. Give it about 6 whistles.
In a pan, at medium heat, put in the vegetable oil, put in the cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, garlic and green chilly. Let the seeds splatter. Now add in all the spices, including chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder. Now add in the pressure cooked moong, tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice, salt to taste and let it cook for about 10 minutes till it boils.
You could eat it this with rice and yogurt, or with rotis. For eating with rotis, let the consistency be a little thick. You dont want too much water remaining in the daal.


 SABOODANA KICHDI
What do we need:-
2 cups Sago/Tapioca pearls (sabudana), soaked overnight
1 large Potato, sliced into quarters
1 tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
2-3 Green chillies, finely chopped
7-8 Curry leaves (kadipatta)
1 inch Ginger (adrak), grated
2 tbsp freshly scrapped coconut
2 tbsp coarsely grinded roasted Groundnuts
2 tbsp Coriander, finely chopped
2 tbsp Oil, for tempering
1 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
Salt to taste
How do we do it:-
Preparation:-
1 Soak the Sago pearls in water overnight or at least for 2 hours. Wash the sago in water 2 times and drain. Keep 1 cup water in it and keep covered overnight to soak. The sago will soak the water and rise in volume.
2 Dry roast the groundnuts. After they cool rub them to remove their outer skin. Grind them coarsely in a mixer grinder. Keep aside.
How to proceed:-
1 Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadhai and then add the potatoes, a little bit of salt and cover it to cook in its own steam. When they are cooked remove them and keep aside.
2 Heat oil in the same kadhai. When the oil is hot enough add the cumin seeds and after they splutter add the curry leaves.
3 Add in the green chillies and the grated ginger. Add the soaked sago (sabudana) and stir continuously.
4 Add in the fried potatoes and salt to taste and stir continuously. You have to stir continuously so that the sago will not stick together.
5 When the sago pearls turn transparent then the sago is cooked. It may take around 15-20 minutes approximately. Keep it on a low flame and stir continuously till the sago becomes transparent.
6 Add the clarified butter, scrapped coconut, coarse groundnut powder and chopped coriander and mix well.
7 The Sabudana Khichadi is ready. Serve hot with a fresh yogurt.


Broken wheat meal 

What do we need :-
1 Cup Broken whole wheat (Dalia)
1 Cup Jaggery (Gur/gul)
1 tsp Fennel (sauf) seeds, crushed or grounded
2 tbsp Dry coconut, Grated
1 tsp Cardamom (elaichi) powder
A pinch of Nutmeg (Jaiphal)
½ tsp Dried Ginger (Sounth/saunth) powder
1 tsp Wheat flour (gehun ka atta), dissolved in water
1 tbsp Ghee
2 cups Water
How do we do it :-
1 Cook the Dalia and Jaggery in 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker to 4 whistles. Let the cooker cool.
2 Remove the cooked dalia. Add ghee to it and if it is very dry add a little water so as to get a kheer consistency. Add the wheat atta dissolved in water and boil it on a low flame.
3 Once it boils put the Masala powder and put any dry fruits u like.
4 Serve hot with ghee on top.
Handy Tips :-
1 After it cools it thickens. To reheat it u can add milk and heat it.


Chickpea souffle squares

What do we need:-
¼ Cup Chickpea flour (Bengal gram flour/besan)
2 tbsp Oil
½ tsp Mustard seeds (rai/sarson)
½ tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
¼ tsp Asafoetida (hing)
½ tsp Turmeric powder (haldi)
8-9 Curry leaves (kadipatta)
1 Large Onion, finely chopped
2 tsp Red chilli powder
2 cups Water
Salt to taste
Coriander, finely chopped for garnishing.
How do we do it:-
1 Prepare the paste of chickpea flour with a very little water. The paste should be smooth without any lumps. Then add the remaining water and keep aside.
2 Heat Oil in a vessel. After the oil is hot enough put the mustard seeds.
3 When the mustard seeds crackle add the cumin seeds.
4 Then add the curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric powder and sauté.
5 Add in the chopped onions and sauté.
6 Add the red chilli powder and sauté.
7 Pour the Chickpea flour paste slowly in a stream and stir continuously so that there are no lumps in it.
8 Add the salt to taste and cover the vessel with a lid and allow it to cook for 4-5 minutes.
9 When the chickpea flour becomes transparent off the flame.
10 Remove the prepared paste in a plate and flatten it with a flat spatula or back of a bowl which is oiled a bit.
11 Allow it to cool. When it is cool enough cut it into squares.
12 Remove the squares and serve garnished with chopped coriander with bhakari, chapatti or any other bread of your choice.

Mango chutney or
MANGA CHAMMANTHI

Ingredients
Coconut – 1 cup, scraped
Raw Mango (pacha manga) – ½ – ¾ cup, chopped (adjust according to the sourness)
Crushed red chilli – 1½ tsp (refer notes)
Small onion – 3-4, sliced
Ginger – ½ tsp, chopped
Curry leaves – 2 leaves (do not add more, it will give a bitter taste)
Salt – to taste
Instructions
Grind together all the ingredients, preferably without water, till all the ingredients are incorporated. Once you grind it, try shaping into a ball & see whether its holding the shape, then your chammanthi is ready :)
Notes
Try not to add water, but if your mixie doesnt cooperate, you can add a tiny bit. Also if you dont have crushed red chilli, you can use 3-4 whole dried red chilli. Do a taste test of the mango first to see the sourness & add accordingly.


Chicken crumble

step by step method:
1)Marinate the chicken with little chilly powder, turmeric powder, yoghurt and salt for 30 mins.
2)Heat oil in a big pan.
3)Add curry leaves, cinnamon, cloves and cumin and fry for a min.
4)Add onions and fry, till they turn brown.
5)Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute.
6)Add tomatoes and fry, until they blend well.
7)Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and pepper powder and fry for 2 mins.
8)Switch off the flame and let it cool.
9)Add the cashews and the above sauteed mixture into a blender or mixer grinder.
10)Grind them into a fine paste adding enough water.
11)Heat some oil in the same pan.
12)Fry the marinated chicken for 5 mins.
13)Add the spice paste onto the chicken.
14)Cover and cook, until the chicken is done.
15)Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.


I am thinking after all these dishes being prepared and consumed, there comes a pause about our health and diet. These are all healthy meals that you can prepare and enjoy. But the key is also exercise and eat in moderation. My advice to you if you are looking to get healthy and lose weight is to stop waiting and start doing! There is never going to be the perfect time. Start off small -- cook more meals at home with fresh ingredients and find a workout you love. Get yourself a support system, whether it's your friends and family or people on an online forum or Facebook page. Never compare yourself to where someone else is and never talk negatively about yourself. You might not be exactly where you want to be right now, but you are beautiful and you are worth it!!!!

Pickles!

Pickles are an important part of the South Indian meal, best eaten as an accompaniment to the last course of yogurt rice Pickles in India are very different from the European varieties in that they are preserved in oil rather than vinegar. The acidic element of lemon or lime juice that is added prevents the pickle from going bad (bacterial growth), while the oil acts as a preservative. Turmeric is known for its antiseptic qualities, and women in South Indian rub on their skin (it turns their skin yellow too!). In South Indian Brahmin's homes it is traditional to present married women with manjal roots and vermilion.

my first attempt to make a healthy pickle idea came from my friend who said she brought some fresh turmeric root from whole foods and did not know what to do with it. She asked me and i told her back in the days in India they used to use turmeric root paste in ayurvedic medicines. Then i got curious what can we make with this root which is so good for you. Then i remembered why of course turmeric pickle.

here is my recipe:

   Manjal (turmeric) & Mangai Ingie (mango flavoured ginger)
fresh turmeric root and fresh mango ginger root (enough for 1 cup of minced roots), 3 carrots,  2 green chillies, 6 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, 1tbsp salt, and half tbsp sugar.

1. Scrape the skin off the roots and cut them like matchsticks
2. Mix the turmeric/mango ginger root, and carrots with salt and apple cider vinegar
3.  in a tsp of oil, add the green chili and fry.
4. Add this to the mixture and mix together.
your healthy pickle is ready to be consumed. I kept it for a week to marinate before i used.

TUNA FRY (INDIAN STYLE)
Ingredients:-

Canned Tuna - a 12 oz can( i use tuna in water) you can also use salmon, i prefer salmon as there is less smell to it.
Oil - 1 or 2 table spoons
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves
Onions finely chopped - 1 large
Ginger - Garlic paste  - 1 tea spoon or crush 2 cloves of garlic  and a small piece of ginger
Green chili chopped - 1(optional)
Salt to taste

Red chili powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Coriander powder - 3/4 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tea spoon
Garam masala - 1/2 tea spoon

OR substitute these powders with a 1 table spoon of meat masala powder any brand , plus a Little garam masala for that nice aroma
Directions:-
Open the lid of the canned Tuna around , leave the lid on, push it down with your thumb and drain the water from the can as much as possible.
Heat oil in a non stick pan and mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds. Slide in chopped  onions and saute till it turns brown for like 7-8 minutes. Add ginger and garlic , fry for a minute and add the powders and mix well.
Stir in the Tuna from the can and combine everything well. Saute the mix for nearly 10 minutes , until it is done and dry and brown. Sprinkle some water in between , for it to prevent from sticking to the bottom.
Serve warm as a side , a wrap or sandwich it :)

TUNA CUTLETRecipe for Kerala Style Fish cutlets with Canned Tuna
Serves - 3-4 ; Makes around 20 cutlets
Total cooking time - 30 minutes
Ingredients:-
Canned Tuna - 15 oz
Potato - 2
Onion finely chopped - 1
Curry leaves chopped - 6-7
Meat masala - 1 tea spoon or use a mix of Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp, Chili powder - 1/4 tea spoon + Turmeric powder 1/4 tea spoon.
Egg - 1 or 2
Bread Crumbs
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Bowl 1
Ginger -an inch piece
Garlic - 6-7 small cloves
Green chillies - 4-5 nos
Fennel seeds - 1/2 - 1 tea spoon (optional)
Black pepper- 1/2 to 1 tsp
Method:-
Open the lid of the canned Tuna around and leave the lid on,push it down with your thumb and drain the water from the can as mush as possible.(If using regular fish :-Clean and cut the fish.Cook it with 1/2 tsp of pepper powder and salt and a little turmeric . Shred the fish using a fork or your hands Drain the excess water.)
Cook the potatoes until they are tender,mash it and keep it aside.
Crush all in Bowl 1 in a coffee grinder or small jar of blender.
Heat oil in a pan and add chopped curry leaves and onions,saute it till they are soft.
Add the crushed Bowl 1 mix and fry for till the raw smell disappears.
Add the  spice powders and fry it for a minute or two
Add fish/tuna and salt ; sauté  well for 8-10 minutes, or until it is dry, remove from fire and let it cool
Then add mashed potatoes and mix it well with your hand to make a dough
Make small balls in round,oval or in the shape you want, with your hand.
Dip this balls in beaten egg and roll it in bread crumbs
Deep fry it and drain on paper towels.
Serve Warm with Onion salad or ketchup( Maggie's masala chili is awesome if u r that spice loving )
To make Onion Salad thinly slice Onions,and green chilies . Mix it well with salt and a tsp of vinegar!!!

Kadhi
Ingredients
2 tbsp besan (bengal gram flour)
1 1/2 cups curds (dahi)
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
2 curry leaves (kadi patta)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
salt to taste
For The Tempering
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
a pinch asafoetida (hing)
1 red chilli , broken into pieces
2 tsp ghee
Method Combine the besan, curds and 2 1/2 cups of water in a deep pan and whisk well.
Add the ginger-green chilli paste, sugar and salt, mix well and bring it to boil, while stirring continuously. Keep aside.
For the tempering, heat the oil in a small pan and add the cumin and mustard seeds.
When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and red chillies and stir for 15 seconds.
Pour the tempering over the kadhi and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve hot garnished with coriander.


Badshahi kadhi
Ingredients

For the rice
1 cup rice (chawal)
1/2 cup toovar (arhar) dal
2 cloves (laung / lavang)
1 stick cinnamon (dalchini)
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
2 tbsp ghee
salt to taste
For the potato vegetable
4 medium sized potatoes, cubed
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
2 onions, sliced
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
3 tbsp curds (dahi)
2 tbsp ghee
salt to taste
For the tempered curds
1 cup fresh curds (dahi)
1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
4 to 6 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 tsp ghee
salt to taste
For the garnish
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
Method
For the rice
Clean, wash and soak the rice and toovar dal for about 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker, add the cloves and cinnamon and stir fry for half a minute. Then add the asafoetida and turmeric powder.
Add the rice, toovar dal, salt and 4 cups of hot water and pressure cool till the rice is slightly over-cooked. Keep aside.
For the potato vegetable
Heat the ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds to it. When they crackle, add the onions and fry for some time till they turn translucent.
Add the ginger-green chilli paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the potatoes and salt and saute for some more time.
Add the curds, mix well and keep aside.
For the tempered curds
Whisk the curds with salt and keep aside.
Heat the ghee in a small pan and add the mustard seeds to it.
When they crackle, add the curry leaves and pour over the curds. Mix well.
How to proceed
Place the potato vegetable at the bottom of a serving dish.
Top with a layer of the rice over it.
Pour the curds on top and garnish with the chopped coriander.
serve hot.

rawa idli

Ingredients
For the Batter
2 cups Idli Rava (Cream of Rice)
1 cup Sabudana (Sago pearls/Jevvarisi/Sabakki)
2 cups fat free Greek Yogurt + 2 cups water (see Tips)
1/2 cup grated coconut (frozen works too)
little salt to taste (see Tips)
Tempering/Seasoning for half the batter
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
handful of roasted cashews (see Tips)
1-2 green chillies, thinly sliced, as per taste (optional)
few curry leaves, torn
few cilantro sprigs, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp Baking Soda (see Tips)
1 tsp Ghee (or oil)
 method: easy, you know what to do


JACK FRUIT SEEDS (In Kerala, we make use of almost everything from the Jack fruit tree.  Excuse the exaggeration but think about it.  We use the leaf to scoop gruel and in spite of having cutlery we still do it for fun.  We cook the jack-fruit when its raw and eat it with a gravy, when ripe, of course, we eat them as you would any other fruit.  We seldom stop there.  Steamed rice flour topped with jack-fruit, mix of rice flour and fruit pressed between a banana leaf and pan baked are all but a few things variations.  The outer covering cut into small pieces are fed to the cattle.  Now for the seed.  The topic of today's discussion.  Its hard and seems rock like when raw but when cooked powders like baked potato.  Most times it is sauteed with coconut pieces or otherwise made into the scrumptious gravy paired with mangoes like I am sharing with you.  Another summer treat these are some dishes which makes me nostalgic beyond my own comprehension. Hope you will see now that it is no exaggeration when I say we make good use of Jack-fruit tree!



Jack fruit seeds curry

Ingredients:
Raw Mango slices- 1/2 cup (3/4th of a mango)
Jackfruit seeds- 10-12
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Coconut grated- 3-4 Tbsp
Cumin seeds(jeera)- 1/4 tsp
Green chillies- 2
Shallot- 1
For seasoning:
Coconut/ any cooking oil- 2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Red chillies- 2
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Method:
1.Slice the mango after removing the skin. Cut each jackfruit seed into 4 pieces.
2.Cook the Mango slices and jack fruit seeds together after adding some salt and turmeric and water in a pressure cooker.
3.Grind together the grated coconut, cumin, green chillies and shallot together.
4.Mix this with the cooked veggies and cover and cook again for 3-4 minutes.
5.In a small pan do the seasoning(heat the oil,splutter the mustard seeds and throw in the red chillies and curry leaves and saute) and pour over the curry. Mix and serve with rice.

SODHEE (a srilankan dish)
Ingredients:
Coconut – 1
Onions (medium sized) - 2 or 3(chopped)
Tomatoes-3(chopped)
Green Chillies - 2 or 3
Fenugreekseeds-1 tsp
Turmeric-1tsp
Potatoes (medium sized) - 2
Carrot (medium sized) – 1
Curry leaves-1 string
Garlic - 1 or 2 cloves finely minced
Lime (squeezed) – 1/2
Chopped Coriander for garnishing
Method
1.Grate the coconut & extract milk 3 times. Keep aside the milk that was extracted the first time. The 2nd & 3rd portions are kept together.
2.Heat the 2nd&3rd portion milk in a vessel. Add Fengu seed,chopped onion,tomatoes,green chillies,garlic,curry leaves,turmeric&vegetables (they should be cut into medium sized pieces).
3.Cook the veg in that. Stir frequently. Add a little water if required. When the veg's are cooked, add desired amount of salt.
4.Then add the first portion of coconut milk. Stir continuously.
5.When you see bubbles in the edges & slight swelling of the kulambu, (curry) remove from fire.
6.After removing from fire add the squeezed lemon & chopped coriander.
7.Serve hot with rice


STEW (vegetable)INGREDIENTS:
POTATO2
CARROT1
ONIONS2
GREEN CHILLI3-4
WHOLE BLACK PEPPER1/2 TSP
THIN COCONUT MILK1 AND 1/41 CUP
THICK COCONUT MILK1/2 CUP
CINNAMON1 SMALL PIECE
GINGER SMALL PIECE
GARLIC2 PODS
CLOVES3
CURRY LEAVES
SALT TO TASTE
 METHOD:
Boil the potatoes , peel the skin and cut them into cubes.
Chop the onions into thin slices.
Slit the green chillis into two.
Peel the skin of the carrots and chop into pieces.
Crush the ginger and garlic using a mortar and pestle.
In a pan, add oil and throw in the cloves, cinnamon, crushed ginger and garlic and green chilli.
Now add the onions and saute for few seconds in medium flame.
Add the whole pepper too
Add the carrots and saute for a minute. Be careful not to burn.
Now add the thin coconut milk. I used the store bought coconut milk. As it was thick i diluted 1/4 of thick coconut by adding  1 cup of water.
If adding green peas add at this stage.
Let this boil in medium flame for about 10 to 12 minutes, till the carrots becomes soft. Add the cubed potatoes and add the thick coconut milk
If adding green peas add at this stage.
Mix well and bring it to a boil. Switch off the flame and add curry leaves and salt.
The gravy will be thick and if you want to make it thin add 1/2 cup of plain milk to this or if you want this to be very thick soak 7-8 pieces of cashew nuts in warm water and grind them into a smooth paste and add it in the last. Mix with the  thick coconut milk and add to the gravy.


EGG PLANT
Ingredients:
3 Chinese eggplants
1 sprig of Spring Onion (Scallion) or a few shallots (small red onions)
1 tblspful Fish sauce
1 tblspful Oyster sauce
1 tblspful Soy sauce
1-2 tblspful brown or white sugar
Some chinese basil (fresh basil is the best)
1 tblspful grated garlic
1 tblspful sweet vinegar
3 tblspful water
A little olive oil
1/2 teasp salt
Method:
1. Cut eggplant into 1 inch long strips. Put in salted water before cooking. Slit spring onion.
11. Heat a wok pan with 5 tblspful of oil. Drain eggplant and put in the wok. Stir fry over high heat until it gets brown and soften. Take out and drain out the oil.
111. Prepare the sauce in a bowl, mixing all three kinds of sauces (fish, soy & Oyster) with sugar, grated garlic, vinegar & water.
1V. Put 1 tblspful of olive oil in the wok. When the oil sizzles, add the prepared sauce and when the sauce gets heated, add the prepared eggplant. Lastly add slit spring onions & basil. Mix well.
Good with any kind of rice, string hoppers, hoppers and pittu. Enjoy !!!

COWPEAS SALADIngredients: (for 5 portions)
3 cups Cow pea
1 tbs chilli flakes
2-3 dry red chilli, cut into pieces
2 springs Curry leaves
half onion sliced
1 tbs ginger,garlic paste
1 tspn mustard seeds
1-2 tbs oil to fry
salt to taste
(Pinch of baking soda-optional)

Method
Soak Cow pea in water for about 6 hours.
Hint: Add a pinch of baking soda when soaking. This will soften cow pea.
When you are ready to prepare the salad,
First boil soaked cow pea.
Drain the water.
Heat 1-2 tbsp. oil in a pan.
Add mustard seed when oil is heated.
Then add ginger, garlic paste.
When you get the fragrance, add onion & curry leaf, also dried red chili.
Mix well.
Then add chili flakes & mix.
Now it is time to add boiled chick peas.
Mix well & add salt to taste.
Remove from the burner .
Cow pea salad is ready to serve...

BAKED FRIES

Ingredients

• 6 large jalapeno peppers
• 4 large poblano peppers
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons spicy mustard (recommended: Gulden's)
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the seeds from all of the peppers and cut into 1/2-inch lengthwise strips.
Set up a breading station: 1 pan of 1 cup of flour, 1 pan of eggs beaten with milk, 2 tablespoons of flour and mustard, and 1 pan of bread crumbs seasoned with cheese, and salt and pepper, to taste.
Coat the peppers in the flour, then in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumbs.
Arrange the chili fries on a nonstick baking sheet and roast for 18 minutes, turning once.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter

CORN BALL

• Boiled potatoes – 3
• Boiled or frozen corn kernels – 1 and 1/4 cups
• Garlic pods – 6
• Small green chilies – 4 to 5
• Cilantro, finely chopped – 1/2 cup
• Corn flour – 3 tbsp
• All purpose flour – 1/4 cup and 1 tbsp
• Freshly ground black pepper – 1/2 tsp
• Paprika powder – 1 tsp
• Cheese – 2 cups (I used mozzarella and Italian blend)
• Italian bread crumbs – 3/4 cup
• Panko bread crumbs – 3/4 cup
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying
•  METHOD:
  • Heat a skillet or pan and spray a little oil and spread the garlic pods and cook till they are soft and brown on both sides.
  • Press it with a fork and cook both the sides. Grind garlic with green chilies and 1/4 cup of corn to a coarse paste and transfer it to a mixing bowl.

• Peel and mash potatoes and add it to the bowl followed by the remaining corn, paprika, ground pepper and salt. Blend everything well.
• Check for salt and add more if required at this stage.
• Now add a tbsp of all purpose flour or maida (all purpose flour) and 3 tbsp corn flour, mix well.
• Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and a cup of cheese. Mix well and add the remaining cheese and blend everything well.
• Take a tbsp amount of prepared mixture and roll into smooth balls. Roll as many balls you want. Refrigerate the balls for a minimum of half an hour.
• Mix 1/4 cup of all purpose flour (maida) with water and make a thin batter.
• Mix panko bread crumbs and Italian bread crumbs together and keep it ready.
• Heat oil for frying over medium heat.
• Remove the balls from refrigerator and drop one by one in the flour batter and coat it nicely.
• Transfer it to the bread crumbs and roll it and fry it in oil over medium heat. Do not fry it for a long time since cheese starts oozing out.Serve hot with ketchup or by itself. If you make it ahead you can heat it in a preheated oven (at 350ºF) for 5 to 8 minutes before serving.

VEGETABLE BREAD

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients (For 5 Vegetable roti)

5 uncooked Godamba  (wheat) roti / (paratha) (tortilla)
1 boiled potato-mashed
A handful of sliced spring onion or leeks (I used spring onion)
Sliced mixed vegetables of your choice (Carrot, cabbage etc)
Few curry leaves sliced
Onion sliced
1 tsp Chili powder
Salt & pepper to taste
1-2 tbs oil

Method
To prepare the filling,
Heat oil in a pan, once oil is hot; add mashed potato together with other vegetables. Mix & add chili powder, salt & pepper to taste.
Cook the mix well & switch off from the flame


 PANEER TIKKI
Ingredients:
Grated Paneer - 1 cup
Big Potato - 2 nos.
Big Slice Bread (tear in to small pieces) - 2 nos.
Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup
Chopped Green Chilies - 1 tbsp
Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) - 2 tbsp
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste - Oil for frying - Black Pepper Powder - as per taste
Water as needed - Instructions:
In a bowl,  add paneer, potato, onion, green chilli, cornflour, coriander leaves, bread pieces, salt and pepper.
Shape each portion in to round and flatten slightly to make tikkis and keep aside.
Using a little oil, cook the tikkis on a non-stick tawa till both sides are Golden brown.
Serve hot tikkis with green chutney and tomato ketchup.

Mawa Barfi

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
Mawa - 3 cup
Sugar - 11/2 cup
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Desi Ghee ( clarified butter) - 3 tbsp
Instructions:
Heat the ghee in a heavy bottom pan, add mawa or khoya.
When mawa melted then add sugar.
Reduce the flame and cook till the mixture become thick.
while cooking, keep stirring continuously to avoid burning.
Add the cardamom powder and mix well.
Remove from flame and pour in a well greased plate.
Smooth en the top level.
Press the top level lightly and allow to cool in refrigerate about 1 hour.
Cut into square or diamond shape.



STUFFED TOMATO
Ingredients:
Small Tomatoes 1/4 tsp green chilli finely chopped, 1/4 tsp dry mango powder, 1/2 tsp coriander leaf, 1 tsp cumin powder, rock salt to taste - 4 nos.
Large Potato (boiled and mashed) - 1 nos.
Grated Paneer - 1/2 cup
Chopped Green Chilies - 1/4 tbsp
Dry Mango Powder - 1/4 tbsp
Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Seed - 1 tbsp
Rock salt to taste - Instructions:
Cut tomato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp.
In a bowl, mix the potato(boil and mash), roasted cumin seed, coriander leaf, green chilli, mango powder and rock salt.
Heat the oil in a pan over moderate heat. Add the potato mixture.
Cook for mix for 3 min. then add the grated paneer and mix well.
Cook until mix become little golden brown.
Divide the mix equally between the tomato.
Heat the oil in a pan over moderate heat and place the stuffed tomato.
Cook on a low heat till golden brown.
Serve hot stuffed tomato with tamarind chutney.

Biryani.......
Biryani, biriani, beryani or beriani (Hindi: बिरयानी, Telugu: బిర్యాని, Urdu: بریانی) is a set of rice-based foods made with spices, rice (usually basmati) and meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. The name is derived from thePersian word beryā(n) (بریان) which means "fried" or "roasted". In India, the recipe of biryani developed to its current form. Local variants of this dish are popular not only in the Indian Subcontinent but also in Southeast Asia, Arabia, and within various Asian expatriate communities in the Western World.

Lamb Biryani (malabar style)
You will need:
Mutton - 1kg or 2.5 lbs (you can substitute chicken)
Onion – 500 gm or 4 medium ones
Tomato - 200 gm or 2 medium sized ones
Green chilies – 100 gm or about 15 in number (Use 20-25 for 2 kg mutton..depending on the hotness of the chili.)
Ginger - 50 gm or a 4” piece
Garlic pods – 50 gm or 8 cloves (big)
Pepper powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Plain Yogurt- 3/4 cup (thick)
Fennel(Perinjeerakam/Saunf) - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds (Khus khus) - 1 tsp
Mint leaves (Pudhina) - 1/2 bunch
Coriander leaves (Malli ela/Dhania) - 1/2 bunch
Curry leaves- a handful
Lemon juice- 1 1/2 tsp or juice of 1 lemon.
Clarified butter (Ghee) - 1/2cup or 1/4 cup mixed with ¼ cup oil
Cashew nuts – 20 gm or a handful
Raisins- 20 gm or a handful
For the rice:
Basmati rice - 1 kg/ 4 cups
Cinnamon (Karuvapatta) - 4 sticks
Cloves (Carambu) - 4
Cardamom (Elakkai) - 4
One bay leaf, salt.
Lemon juice- 1 1/2 tsp or juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Biryani Masala:
Cinnamon 2 inch piece
Cardamom 8
Cloves 8-10
Nutmeg 1
bay leaves- 1
Mace 5-6
Caraway seeds 1 tbsp
Star Anise-1
Dry roast all together and grind to a fine powder.
Preparation:
1. Clean the mutton and cut into medium sized pieces. Wash and drain.
2. Soak the fennel seeds and poppy seeds in a bowl with water for an hour at least and grind with very little water to a very fine paste. If it still feels grainy, add a tablespoon of grated coconut to grind it well. Keep aside.
3. Grind together the ginger, garlic and green chilies into a coarse paste. Chop the tomatoes into cubes and slice the onions. One onion should be sliced extra fine. This one is for the fried onion garnish.
4. Marinate the mutton with the ginger garlic chili, and all the other spices and ingredients except the onions, biryani masala and herb leaves. Add salt too and keep covered for an hour at least. Clean and soak rice for 10 minutes. Keep aside.
5. Heat three fourth of the ghee/oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add the garnish portion of the sliced onions and fry, till golden brown and crisp. Sprinkle some sugar over the onions to speed up the crisping. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove the onions and fry the cashew nuts on medium heat till it turns brown on all sides. Drain and remove. Add the raisins now and stir till they plump up. Remove onto paper towels. This ghee/oil is used for flavoring the rice so save it.
6. Heat up the remaining oil and add the rest of the sliced onions and sauté it till it becomes translucent. Add the marinated mutton, the poppy seed mixture, the biryani masala and the coriander, mint and curry leaves and mix thoroughly. Keep it covered and cook on medium heat for an hour, checking frequently till the oil starts to separate and the meat gets almost cooked but still has a bite left. If the mutton normally requires a long cooking time, you can pressure cook it for just one whistle and then simmer on slow heat to concentrate the gravy. Do not add water at all. Check taste and add more salt or yogurt, pepper etc if needed.
7. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
8. Heat 3 tbsp of the remaining onion ghee/oil and add the whole spices- cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves. Sauté for a second and add the drained rice. Stir the rice till it turns opaque and add 6 cups water (three fourth of the quantity required for ghee rice). Cover and cook on slow heat the rice along with all spices and salt, till all the water is absorbed. This would take about 5-8 minutes.
9. In an oven proof dish, spread half of the mutton masala and place half of rice over it. Sprinkle some lemon juice to prevent the rice from sticking. Spread the remaining masala and top it with rice followed by lemon juice. Pour 2 tbsp of ghee/oil on top of it and sprinkle some roasted onion, nuts and raisins. Close it with a layer of aluminum foil and then lid and put it in the oven for 25 - 35 minutes. Remove and let rest for another 5-10 minutes before opening.
10. Serve with coconut chutney (biryani chammandi), Pickled onions (Ulli surka), Yogurt and Papadam.

Raita (yogurt based cucumber) goes with the above dish!

• 3 cups yogurt
• 4 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 baby cucumber
• 1 tablespoon salt

Directions:

1. Whisk yogurt until smooth and set aside.
2. Grate or dice cucumber. I think grated cucumbers enhance the flavor.
3. In a spice grinder or blender crush the mustard seeds into a powder consistency.
4. Combine yogurt, cucumber, and mustard seeds and set aside for 30 minutes. This lets the flavors blend in and the mustard can do its job.
5. A few minutes before you are ready to serve add the salt. Adjust salt according to your needs. Enjoy!

Rava Kheer

Ingredients:
Rava/Semolina (1 cup)

• Milk (1 cup)
• Sugar (1/2 cup)
• Oil/Ghee/fat (1 tbsp)
• Dry fruits (1/2 cup)
• Water (2 cups)

Method:

1. Heat Ghee/fat in a pan. Roast dry fruits in low flame. Remove the roast dry fruits and keep it aside.
2. Add Rava/Semolina to the same pan and roast it till it become ivory color (off white). Pour water and milk and boil it. Stir it frequently till the rava/semolina cooks. Add sugar and cardamom powder and stir. Garnish with roasted dry fruits.
3. Rava Payasam / Sweet Semolina porridge can be served hot or chilled.