Bataka poha

A yummy breakfast served in Gujarat and Maharashtra,Bataka poha is made of pressed rice flakes and potatoes and onions.It is a quick anytime dish too.

Ingredients:

 11/2 cup Thick poha

 1 potato finely chopped

 2-3 green chillies finely chopped

 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

 Few curry leaves

 Raw groundnuts about 10

 1 tbsp chopped cilantro/Corrainder

 1 tsp coconut grated(optional)

 3 tbsp oil

 1 tsp chana dal

 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

 1 finely chopped onion

 Salt to taste

 2 tsp sugar(optional)

Procedure

 Wash poha well and drain it.Set it aside

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. 
When they splutter add chana dal and fry till the dal is light golden. 

 Now add the groundnuts and roast in oil till they are reddish
Now add the curry leaves and saute for 10 seconds. 
Now add the chopped onions and turmeric powder and saute till onions turn to light golden brown colour.
Add the chopped potatoes and salt.Stir till potato is slightly fried and cooked.

 Add the poha now and stir well

Add sugar if you like a bit of sweetness
 You may now add the shredded coconut which is again optionalServe hot garnished with chopped cilantro.

Jeera Rasam

This rasam is supposed to be very good for the stomach and for curing cough and cold. It is a rasam you cant stop having when you start eating.It is pretty addictive ;)

Here go the ingredients:

• Jeera 2 table spoons
• Tur Dal 2 table spoons
• Tomato 2 small 
• Tamarind extract : 1 spoon
• Rasam/Sambar powder : 1 tea spoon
• Salt to taste
• Corrainder leaves for garnishing

For Seasoning

• Ghee: 2 tea spoons
• Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon
• Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1 teaspoon

Procedure:

• Soak the two tablespoons of jeera and tur dal for 15-20 mins in little water
• Meanwhile,chop the tomatoes ,add 3 cups water to the tamarind extract to make it thin.
• In a cooking vessel add the tomatoes, tamarind water,rasam powder and salt and let it boil for about 20 mins.
• This boiling brings out all the flavour of the tomatoes to the water.
• Take the soaked jeera and dal and grind it with the water in a mixer to a fine consistency.
• Add the jeera paste to the boiling rasam and let it boil for 3-4 mins only.If we boil it for a long time the flavour of jeera will be lost.
• Prepare the seasoning by adding the mustard and cumin seeds to hot ghee.Once the mustard seeds splutter , remove from flame and pour on the rasam.
• Garnish the rasam with corrainder leaves and serve hot with rice or drink as a soup!

Palak/Spinach Soup

A healthy soup which can be served anytime of the year.

Ingredients:

• Palak/Spinach one bundle cut, washed and cleaned
• Milk one cup
• Black pepper powder 2 tsp
• Sugar 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Butter or oil 1 tsp
• One Onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp chopped Ginger
• 2 tsp Maida/all purpose flour

Procedure:

• Boil the spinach in 2-3 cups of water till it is cooked.
  
• Take the butter or oil in pan and when it is hot add the ginger and onions .Stir it on medium flame till the onions become translucent
• Add 2 tsps Maida to the onions and stir for 2 mins.
• Remove the onion mixture from flame and allow to cool
• Blend in a blender the spinach and onion mixture with water just enough to blend.You can use the same water in which the spinach was boiled to retain its nutrients.
• Add the blended mixture to a cooking pan.If needed add some more water to make it of soup consistency.
• Add salt, black pepper powder, sugar and stir well.Add milk and bring to a boil.
• Remove from flame.
• You can add white butter or cream if you want to indulge a bit .
• Serve hot with bread

khara pongal

A very simple and tasty form of pongal which hardly takes any time.

The following quantity serves 2

Ingredients:

Rice : 2 cups

Moong dal: 3/4th cup

Ghee: 3 tbsps

Cumin seeds/jeera : 1 tbsp

Black pepper powder: 2 tsps

Water: 5.5 cups

Ginger shredded: 1tsp

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Dry roast the rice and moong(do not wash the rice and dal before) together for about 1 min in a pan. The roasting gives a good flavour to the dish

Now wash the roasted rice and moong dal.

Add the washed dal and rice to a pressure cooker.Add the 5.5 cups of water and shredded ginger and 3 tsps salt .Cook for 2 whistles.

After the steam goes away open the cooker lid.

In a small pan add 3 tbsps ghee(you have to be generous on ghee for pongal to taste good). Once the ghee is hot add the cumin seeds and black pepper powder to the ghee.Once the cumin seeds get brown, remove the pan from flame and add the contents to the pongal in the pressure cooker and mix it well.

Serve hot with chutney or vetta kozhambu

Tomato Rice

When I am bored of cooking and want to have something quick, this is my favourite option!

Ingredients

1	tbsp	broken cashewnuts
1/2	tsp	channadal
	to taste	chilli pdr
		chopped coriander to garnish
1	piece	chopped ginger
2	piece	chopped gr chilli
4	cup	cooked rice
1	pinch	cumin
1	springs	curry leaves
2	tbsp	ghee/oil
1	pinch	hing (optional)
1	pinch	mustard
1/2	an	onion
3	piece	red chilli
	to taste	salt
3		tomatoes finely chopped
1/2	tsp	urad dal

Procedure

Heat the ghee(you can use oil too but ghee gives a wonderful flavor) and add the red chillies,mustard ,cumin.and hing, add channadal ,urad dal and broken cashew nuts and add hing
When they turn color, add the chopped onions and fry them till they turn transperent

add chopped gr chilli and curry leaves and chopped tomatoes
Fry for 5 minutes.Add any  spices and keep frying 
for a minute.
Add the boiled rice and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Enjoy the yummy tomato rice hot!

Asparagus with Ginger

A healthy stir fried asparagus dish that serves as a good appetizer as well as a good main course accompaniment
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

1. Break off the ends of asparagus, holding the stalk at both ends, bend the stalk until it snaps.
2. Cut them into about 2 inch pieces at a slight diagonal.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan large enough to hold the spears over medium heat.
4. Add cumin seed after seeds crack add ginger, lemon juice, salt black pepper. Stir-fry for a minute and add the asparagus.
5. Stir-fry for about 4 to 5 minutes until asparagus are tender but still crunchy.
   Serve hot or at room temperature.

Masala French Fries

Masala French Fries are is an Indian version of french fries.This dish is an excellent appetizer and wonderful to serve when you have unexpected guests.

Recipe serves 2 to 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (kali mirch)
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon jaljeera or amchoor powder
  
• Oil to fry

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes wash and cut into French fries.
2. Mix the salt with potato and let it sit for about ten minutes.
3. Drain the salt water well and lightly pat dry.
4. Mix cornstarch, salt, Jaljeera/amchoor powder, red chilli powder and black pepper powder together.
5. Sprinkle the spice mix over potatoes and mix well so all the fries are covered with spices.
6. Heat the oil in frying pan on medium high heat.
7. The frying pan should have at least 1 1/2 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, just put potato strip in frying pan. Potato should sizzle.
8. Fry the fries till they become gold in color all around, turn the fries a few times while frying.
9. Remove fries from oil and place on paper towel.
10. Serve hot and enjoy!

Masala Poori

A yummy snack that can be had anytime with tea,coffee or while traveling. Very quick and easy to make,these pooris are also crispy and spicy.

Ingredients:Makes about 25 medium sized pooris

• Maida/All Purpose flour : 2 cups
• Red Chilli Powder: 1 teaspoonful
• Salt :1 teaspoonful
• Oil: 2 table spoons to knead the dough
• Water to knead the dough
  
• Oil to fry

Procedure:

• Mix the Maida,red chilli powder, salt and 2 tablespoons oil to knead the dough.
• Add water little by little to make a smooth dough.Don't add a lot of water. Just add enough water to make a dough.The dough should be soft and easy to roll.
  
• Divide the dough in to small portions and roll into medium sized pooris.
• Heat oil for frying in a pan. Set the pan on medium flame to fry.
• Once oil is hot, fry the pooris till light red.
• Serve hot or store after it cools in a air tight container. These pooris can be stored for about 2 weeks.

Doodhi Chana/ Lauki Chana

Ingredients:

• One medium sized Doodhi/Lauki
• Chana Dal : half cup
• 2 tomatoes
• One large onion
• Jeera 1 tsp
• Oil 2 tbsps
• 1 tsp - Sambar powder
  
• 1/2 tsp - Dhaniya Jeera powder
  
• 1 tsp - Chana masala or Amchoor powder
• 1 tsp - Red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon Wheat flour