Spinach Rasam

Ingredients:
1 bunch of spinach washed and cleaned
1/2 cup toor daal
1 large onion
1 large tomato
1 small onion fine chopped
5 flakes of garlic fine chopped
8 green chillies
1 teaspoon cummin
1 tablespoon oil
5 cups of water
Salt

Method:
Pressure cook - 4 cups of water, toor daal, spinach, whole onion, tomato and green chillies. Cool and mash it in a blender / food processor

In a large vessel, add a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add cummin. After cummin splutters, add chopped onion, garlic and saute. When the garlic turns golden brown, add the mashed pulp, salt as per taste and remaining water. Let it come to a boil and ready to serve. Can be eaten with rice or drink as rasam.

Crispy Garlic and Onion Pakoda

Ingredients:
3 large onions thinly sliced length wise
Pods of 1 medium sized garlic-skin and edges removed,sliced length wise
1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup semolina (rava/sooji)
1 cup of fine chopped coriander leaves
10 green chillies fine chopped - Its spicy ;)
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
10 fine chopped curry leaves
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (optional)
Salt
Water for mixing the flour (optional)
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Mix all the ingredients except water. Vary the green chillies and red chilly powder as per your taste. Leave the mix aside for about 30 minutes. The onion tends to drain water mixing with the spices (Depends on the quality of onion). Consistency of batter is such that, when you scoop it, it should not drop easily.

Tip: If the batter is too thick (dry flour sticking around), add a couple of teaspoons of water ELSE if the batter is too thin, add a couple of spoons for chickpea flour and salt

Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel. Drop about a teaspoon of batter by hand and deep fry on medium heat. Remove them when they turn golden brown. Once they are completely cool, they can be stored for a about a week. Serve with any flavored tomato sauce.

Akki Rotti made of Dill Leaves

Ingredients:
3 cups of rice flour
1 cup of fine chopped dill leaves
1 large onion fine chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
4 green chillies fine chopped
1 teaspoon cummin
Pinch of asefotedia
Salt
Water for mixing the flour
Oil for roasting the rotti

Method:
Mix all the above ingredients except oil. The consistency is like chapathi/roti dough.

On a nonstick griddle, take handful of rotti mixture and pat it as thin as possible. Smear oil on edges and cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat. Keep the pan covered. (Tip: The steam falls on the hot griddle and sizzles. That's the indication the rotti is almost done on one side)
When the edges are light brown, turn over the rotti and leave it for about 2 minutes - now the pan may remain uncovered.
Cool the griddle to make the next rotti by running it under cold water and follow the same procedure to make the next rotti. Makes about 6 rottis.
This tastes good as is, can also be served with Ghee, butter or any Chutney.

Steamed Sweet Rice Dumplings (kadabu/modak)

Ingredients:
For Shell:
2 cups of rice flour
2.5 cups of water
Pinch of salt

For Filling:
1 cup grated fresh coconut
1 cup of jaggery
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon khuskhus

Oil for smearing steaming container and palms

Method:
In a thick bottomed vessel, fry coconut and jaggery on medium heat. Mix until the jaggery melts and blends with coconut. Add cardamom and khuskhus, mix well and turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

In another vessel, add salt to 2.5 cups of water and bring it to a boil. As the water starts boiling, add rice flour to the water and mix well. Ensure that no lumps are formed. It turns to a smooth paste and the rice dough starts to move as a unit. Now turn off heat.

The dumplings are made while the rice flour is hot, so make it while you feel that you can handle the rice flour mix on your palm. Smear oil onto palms to protect from the heat. Roll rice flour into a small ball and pat it flat to form a circle ( about 5 inch diameter).
Fill 1 teaspoon of the coconut/jaggery filling and seal the edges of the rice flour. (Tip: Use little water to seal the edges)

Smear oil to a steaming container. When all the dumplings are ready, place them in the steaming container. Steam for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for a while before serving. Makes about 10 Steamed Sweet Rice Dumplings.

Radish/Mooli Onion Sambar

Ingredients:
1 Large radish peeled and sliced to thin circles
2 small onions cut to cubes

2 cups of cooked and mashed toordaal

1 tablespoon channa daal

1 tablespoon corriander seeds

1 tablespoon fresh coconut

8 dry red chillies

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

½ teaspoon Jeera

1 small lime size ball of tamarind juice extracted

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard

Pinch of asefotedia

Salt to taste

Few curry leaves

Method:

In a thick bottom pan add radish, onion, tamarind extract and a cup of water and let it cook.

Meanwhile dry roast channa daal, corriander seeds, red chillies, jeera and fenugreek seeds. Grind it with Coconut.

When the radish is almost cooked, add the ground mixture, mashed toor daal and salt. When the sambar boils, add curry leaves.

In a smaller pan heat oil and add mustard, when mustard splutters, turn off heat. Add asefotedia and pour it on the sambar. The whole process took about 30 minutes.

The sambar tastes good with rice and ghee.

Bottle Gourd Steamed Muthia

Ingredients:
1 small bottle gourd peeled and grated
1.5 cup wheat flour
1 cup chickpea flour
½ cup rava (sooji)
4 green chillies
1 inch piece of ginger
4 pods of garlic
½ tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cummin powder
1 teaspoon corriander powder
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Chopped coriander leaves
20 oz yogurt
20 oz oil
salt to taste

For Seasoning:
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon mustard
1 table spoon fine chopped corriander leaves
1 table spoon fresh grated coconut

Method:
Squeeze out all the water out of the grated bottle gourd and mix all the above ingredients
Texture of the mix should not be of dripping consistency, that is when you try to pour the mix, it should not fall.

Note: Add a little bit of the squeezed bottlegourd water if the mixture is too thick OR if the mixture turns too thin add more wheat flour and adjust salt accordingly

Steam the bottle gourd mix for about 30 minutes, check by inserting a knife and it should come out clear, else steam longer. When done let it cool

Cut the cooled muthia to small cubes.

In a large pan, heat oil for seasoning. Add mustard, when mustard splutters, add sesame and the muthia pieces. Mix gently with coconut and corriander.

Bottle Gourd Steamed Muthia tastes good as is. It can also be eaten with tomato sauce, mint chutney or can be eaten with rice and rotis.

Paneer Mint Pulav

This is a very easy and quick recipe. I had made it for my husbands birthday, when I cooked this for my husband and guests, they said it was the BEST PULAV EVER!!

Ingredients:
1.5 cup grated Paneer
1 cup of mint leaves
1 cup of corriander leaves
1 medium sized onion fine chopped
5 green chillies slit
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 cup green peas (optional) ...I used frozen

2-3 small bay leaves
1 teaspoon cummin
1 teaspoon oil
2 cups Basmati rice
3 cups water
Salt to taste

Method:
Grind mint and corriander with little water. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan, add bay leaves, cummin. When Cummin splutters, add onion, ginger garlic paste and saute. Add Paneer and fry for about 2 minutes, then add mint-corriander liquid and mix for 2-3 minutes. In a rice cooker, add washed and drained basmati rice, green peas, 3 cups water, green chillies, paneer masala and salt to taste and lightly mix once. Switch on the cooker.

If this is done outside in a pan follow the same instructions and cook on low heat with pan covered for about 20 minutes.

Decorate with roasted Cashews and serve with pomegranate raitha