Ragi Puttu

Ingredients:

11/2 cups Ragi flour

1/2 cup Red rice puttu flour

A pinch of Cardamon powder

water

salt to taste

1/4 cup grated jaggery

1/2 cup freshly grated coconut

Method:

• Heat a non stick pan and dry roast the ragi and red rice flour on a very low flame till it emits a nice aroma. Cool the flour and sieve it.
• In a wide bowl, add the ragi, red rice flour, cardamon powder and salt and rub well to mix.  
• Sprinkle water little by little to the flour and mix well till it resembles bread crumbs. 
• In the meanwhile, boil water in the idli maker pan.
• Now place the puttu flour on a clean wet cloth and steam for 5-7 mins.
• Remove the puttu to a wide bowl, add the grated jaggery and coconut. Stir well to mix everything.
• Serve the puttu hot.

Kathirikai Chutney

Ingredients:

4 small Brinjals (Chopped)

1 Potato (Chopped)

3 Tomatoes (Chopped)

10 Shallots

5 cloves of garlic

3 Green chillies

A small tamarind piece

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Cumin

2 strands of Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Urad dhal

2 Dry chillies

Oil for seasoning

salt to taste

Method:

• Heat a tsp of oil in the pressure cooker, splutter the cumin seeds.
• Then add the brinjals, potato, tomatoes, shallots, garlic, green chillies, turmeric powder and salt. Stir fry for few mins.
• Now add the tamarind piece and water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• When the pressure is down, open the cooker and mash the content coarsely with the masher while it is still hot.
• Heat oil in a small pan, splutter the mustard seeds and urad dhal. Add the dry chillies and curry leaves. Fry for a min.
• Then add the seasoning to the mashed brinjal chutney and stir well. 
• Serve it hot with Idly or dosa.

Tuna Sambal

Ingredients:

1 can Tuna in olive oil

2 Onions (Chopped)

2 Tomatoes (Chopped)

4 Red chilli padi (Chopped)

1 tbsp Garlic ginger paste

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1 tbsp Tomato puree/sauce

1/2 tsp Lime juice

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Open the tuna tin, drain the oil to a pan. Keep tuna aside on a plate. 
• Heat the drained oil and 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add the garlic ginger paste and fry till the raw smell leaves, then add the onion and chilli padi and fry till onion turns translucent.
• Now add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and chopped tomatoes. Stir fry for few mins till tomatoes are mushy. 
• Then add the tomato puree and salt and stir everything together.
• Now add the drained tuna and lime juice.  Stir everything together, cover the pan and cook till the oil separates from the sambal.
• Serve it hot with steamed Thai rice or toasted bread and Fresh salad.

Iced Lemon Tea

Ingredients:

1 Yellow Lemon

2 tbsp Caster sugar

2 Black tea bags

1/4 cup Fresh lemon juice

Few mint leaves

Method:

• Peel the skin from the lemon. In a pan, boil 2 cups of water with the lemon peel and sugar for about 5 mins till all the sugar is dissolved. 
• Now add the tea bags to the sugar mixture and let it seep for 10-15 mins.
• Then add the lemon juice and water. Taste and adjust accordingly.
• To serve, strain the tea into a tall glass filled with ice cubes and garnish with lemon slice and mint leaves.

Aloo Bonda

Ingredients:

For the filling:
2 medium Potatoes
1 Onion (Finely chopped)
1 tsp Ginger (Finely chopped)
2 Green chillies (Finely chopped)
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Few pinches of Garam masala
Few stalks of Coriander leaves (Finely chopped)
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

For the batter:
1/2 cup Besan Flour

2 tbsp Rice flour

A pinch of Baking soda

A pinch of hing

1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

salt to taste

water

Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Wash the potatoes, cut into big chunks and boil it in salted water till cooked. Cool and peel the skin and smash a bit. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard and cumin seeds.
• Then add onion, ginger, green chillies and turmeric powder and fry for few mins.
• Then add the onion and fry till it is well browned.
• Then add the smashed potatoes and salt. Stir fry for 2 mins.
• Sprinkle the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
• Stir fry for couple of mins under medium flame till the potatoes are well coated with the masala mixture. Switch off the stove.
• Cool the filling and roll into small lime size rounds. Keep aside.
• Now for the outer cover, prepare the batter.
• In a large bowl, Combine all the ingredients for the batter except oil.
• Mix well and make sure the consistency of the batter is not too thin or too thick.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan over medium high heat.
• Now dip the potato balls in the batter to coat it well and drop them in the hot oil.
• Turn the bondas around the pan till they are golden brown on both sides. Drain in a kitchen towel.
• Serve the hot aloo bondas with tomato ketchup or mint chutney.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups Cooked sona masoori/Basmati rice

3/4 cup Finely grated fresh coconut

1/4 cup Boiled peanuts

6 Cashew nuts (Broken into small pieces)

1 tsp Mustard seed

1/2 tsp Urad dhal

1/2 tbsp Chana dhal

5 Dry red chillies (Broken into 2/3 pieces)

A pinch of hing

3 Strands of Curry leaves

1 tbsp Coconut oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat coconut oil in a wide pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Then add urad dhal, chana dhal, red chillies and curry leaves. Fry for few mins till the dhals are well roasted.
• Then add a pinch of hing and cashew nuts.
• Now add grated coconut and salt. Fry on low heat till the coconut get roasted.
• Then add the boiled peanuts and cooked rice.
• Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
• Serve tasty coconut rice with the spicy Garlic Potato Masala.

Fish fry with Curry Leaves

Ingredients:

5 slices of Fish

6 strands of curry leaves

2 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tbsp Whole Black pepper

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

2 Cloves of garlic

3 Shallots

1 tsp lime juice

salt to taste

Oil to shallow fry

Method:

• Wash, clean the fish and pat it dry with kitchen towel. Keep aside.
• In a spice grinder, grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste except 2 stands of curry leaves.
• Rub the fish slices with the  grounded spice paste and marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours .
• Heat enough oil in a pan to shallow fry the fish pieces. Once the fish is crispy and browned, flip it over and fry on the other side also.
• Fry the 2 strands of curry leaves also in the hot oil. Drain to a paper towel.
• Serve the spicy fish fry garnished with crispy fragrant curry leaves.

Thool Murukku

Ingredients:

1 cup Idiyappam rice flour

1/4 cup Urad dhal powder

1 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp Ajwain/Omam

1 tbsp Black sesame seeds

water

salt to taste

Oil to fry

Method:

• In a big wide bowl, add all the ingredients except water and oil and rub to mix well.  
• Now sprinkle water little by little and knead it well with hands till it comes like chapathi dough.
• Use the star shape disc with the murukku press. Grease the murukku presser with oil.
• Heat sufficient oil in a deep pan over medium high heat.
• Now fill the murukku presser with enough dough and squeeze into the hot oil. Do not overload the pan.
• Deep fry on both sides till golden brown and remove with a slotted spoon. Drain in kitchen towel or tissue.
• Repeat with the rest of the flour.
• Once murukku is cool, store in an air tight container and enjoy.

Karunai Kilangu Kulambu

Ingredients:

5 Karunai Kilangu

10 shallots (peeled and quartered)

10 cloves of Garlic (peeled and quartered)

2 Tomato (quartered)

3 Green chillies (Slit)

3 strands of curry leaves

1 small lime size tamarind ball

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seed

1/2 tsp Mustard seed

1/2 tsp Cumin seed

A pinch of hing

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

2 tbsp Sambar Powder

2 tsp Coriander Powder

1/2 tsp grated Jaggery

3 tbsp Freshly grated coconut

2 tbsp Gingerly oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the karunai kilangu, boil it in water with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder till it is 3/4 cooked. 
• Cool and peel the outer cover and cut thick round pieces. Keep aside.
• Grind the grated coconut to fine paste.
• Soak the tamarind in a cup of warm water for 15 mins, mash the pulp and strain the water.
• Heat the oil in a pan and splutter the mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds. 
• Then add  garlic, shallots, curry leaves and green chillies. Stir fry for few mins.
• Then add the chilli powder, hing, sambar powder, coriander powder and salt. Fry  for 2 mins and add tomatoes and cook till the oil separates from the masala. Keep on low flame.
• Now add tamarind pulp and the grated Jaggery. Wait for the gravy to boil, then add the cooked karunai kilangu. Cook for 5 mins.
• Then add the grinded coconut paste and cook for few more mins on low flame till the oil separates and comes to the surface.
• Serve it with steamed rice, chow chow poriyal and rice vadagam.

Sweet Bonda

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Plain flour
1/4 cup Wheat flour
1 Egg

1/2 cup Grated Jaggery
1/2 tsp Cardamon powder
A pinch of baking soda
A pinch of salt
Few tbps of milk

Oil for deep frying

Method:

• In a big bowl, Combine all the ingredients for the bonda except oil.
• Beat everything together with a whisk till thick batter like consistency is reached and well combined.
• Cover and keep aside for about 1/2 hour.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan.
• Using a round spoon, scoop a little batter and drop it carefully into the hot oil.
• Keep the stove on medium low flame as jaggery makes the bonda turn dark very easily. Bondas are ready when they float to the oil surface. 
• Drain on a kitchen towel.
• Serve the sweet bonda with a hot cup of filter coffee.

Spicy Chicken Roast

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken (Cut into small pieces)

2 Onions (Chopped)

6 Shallots (Sliced)

10 Cloves of Garlic (Chopped)

1 small piece Ginger (Chopped)

6 Dry red chillies

1 Tomato (Chopped)

5 strands of curry leaves

2 tbsp Chopped coriander leaves

1 tbsp Fennel seeds

1/2 seasoning chicken cube

1 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli powder

2 tbsp special masala (Chilli pwdr + Cumin Pwdr + Turmeric Pwdr)

2 whole Cardamom

1 cinnamon stick

1 Star anise

1 Bay leaf

3 cloves

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp Ghee

Salt to taste

Method:

• Clean and wash the chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Drain well.
• Take the chicken in a wide bowl. Add all the ingredients except ghee, oil, whole garam masala and fennel seeds.
• Mix well and make sure all the chicken pieces are well coated with the masala.
• Cover and marinade for atleast a couple of hours in refrigerator.
• Heat oil in a deep non stick pan and add the whole garam masala (Bay leaf, Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and Star anise) and the fennel seeds . Fry for a min.
• Now add the marinated chicken and stir everything together, cover the pan and cook for 10-15 mins under medium high flame.
• Stir fry  in between till the oil separates from the masala.
• When chicken is cooked, add ghee and let it slow roast on medium low flame for 5 mins. Give a final stir and switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Dosa Batter

Ingredients:

3 cup Idli rice

1 cup Raw rice

1 cup Whole urad dhal

1 tsp Fenugreek seeds

Salt to taste

Ghee/oil to make dosa 

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice with fenugreek seeds and urad dhal separately for 4-5 hours.
• Then drain the water and grind urad dhal first by adding water little by little till it has butter like consistency.
• Remove to a big wide bowl and add the soaked rice to the grinder and grind to a smooth paste.
• Now add salt, mix everything together using hands and allow to ferment overnight or atleast 12 hours.
• Next day, mix the batter well and make sure it is of pouring consistency, not too thick or too thin.
• Now heat a iron griddle, when it is hot, add a few drops of oil and wipe clean.
• Then pour a ladle of batter and move in circular motion to create thin crepe.
• Drizzle few drops of oil or ghee around the edges to get crispy dosa. Keep the stove on medium high through out the cooking.
• Serve it hot with any chutney or sambar.

Vendakkai Puli Kulambu

Ingredients:

10 Lady's Finger

8 shallots (peeled and quartered)

10 cloves of Garlic (peeled and quartered)

2 Tomato (quartered)

4 Dry red chillies

3 strands of curry leaves

1 small lime size tamarind ball

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seed

1/2 tsp Mustard seed

1/2 tsp Vadagam

A pinch of hing

21/2 tbsp Sambar powder

1 tbsp Coriander powder

1 tsp grated Jaggery

1/4 cup Freshly grated coconut

2 tbsp Gingerly oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the lady's fingers, wipe clean and cut each into 2 or 3 pieces.
• Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a non stick pan, add the lady's finger and stir fry for few mins till it is half cooked. Keep aside.
• Grind the grated coconut to fine paste.
• Soak the tamarind in a cup of warm water for 10 mins, mash the pulp and strain the water.
• Heat the oil in a wok and splutter the mustard, vadagam and fenugreek seeds. Then add curry leaves and dry chillies. Stir fry for few mins.
• Now add the garlic, shallots and hing.  Stir fry for 2 mins and add tomatoes.
• Then add the salt, sambar and coriander powders. Fry till the oil separates from the masala. Keep on low flame.
• Now add the lady's finger. Fry for few minutes. Add the tamarind water and cover the pan.
• When the lady's finger is cooked, add the grated Jaggery and coconut paste and cook for 5 more mins on low flame.
• Vendakkai puli kulambu is ready when the oil separates and comes on top.
• Serve the spicy  Vendakkai puli kulambu with plain rice and pappadam.

Sweet Kuzhi Paniyaram

Ingredients:

1 cup Idli rice

1 cup Raw rice

1/4  cup urad dhal

2 tbsp Cooked rice

1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Cardamon Powder

1 cup Grated jaggery

5 tbsp Ghee or oil 

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice, urad dhal and fenugreek together for 4-5 hours.
• Then drain the water and grind it together with the cooked rice to a smooth paste.
• Now add salt, mix well and allow to ferment overnight or atleast 12 hours.
• Melt the grated jaggery in 1/4 cup of water and filter the residue. Now add the jaggery mixture with the cardamon powder to the fermented batter.
• Make sure the batter is not too thick or too thin. The consistency should be like dosa batter.
• Now heat the kuzhi paniyaram pan and drizzle few drops of ghee or oil into each whole.
• When it is hot, pour the batter into each hole and fill it to 3/4.
• Let it cook on medium low flame for 2 mins. Now using a tooth pick or paniyaram stick, turn the balls and cook for 2 more minutes till it turns golden brown.
• Serve it hot.

Mysore Bonda

Ingredients:

1 cup Plain flour
1/4 cup Rice flour
2 tbsp Corn flour
1/2 cup Yogurt

2 Green chilli (Chopped)

1 Big Onions (Chopped)
1/2 tsp Ginger (Chopped)

Few strands of Curry leaves (Chopped)
1/2 tbsp Crushed Fennel seeds
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate soda

Oil for deep frying

salt to taste

Method:

• In a big bowl, Combine all the ingredients for the bonda except oil.
• Mix well and make sure the batter is of vada consistency.
• Keep aside for 1-11/2 hrs to ferment.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan.
• Shape the batter into round balls and drop carefully into the hot oil.
• Keep the flame medium low and fry till bondas turn golden brown. 
• Serve bondas hot with coconut chutney.

Radish Carrot Poriyal

Ingredients:

1 Radish

3 Carrots

1 Onion (Sliced)

1 Tomato (Chopped)

4 Green chillies (Slit)

3 strands of Curry leaves

1 Green Cardamom

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 Star anise

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Urad dhal

Oil for seasoning

salt to taste

For Grinding masala:

3 shallots

1/4 tomato

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Fennel seeds

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/4 cup freshly grated coconut

Method:

• Wash and peel the skin off the radish and carrots and cut it into small bite size pieces. Keep aside.
• Grind the ingredients given under masala with a few tbsp of water into a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a wok, splutter the mustard and urad dhal then add the whole garam masala. Fry for a few mins.
• Then add the onion, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry for 2 mins.
• Then add the carrot, a pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Cover and cook till carrot is half cooked.
• Now add the radish and tomato.Stir, cover and cook till it is almost done .
• Then add the grinded masala and stir fry for few more mins to mix everything together till the poriyal is dry. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot with rice and Kulambu or Rasam.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

2 cups self raising flour (sifted)

21/2 cups Carrots (Finely shredded)

11/2 cups Brown sugar

1 cup Cooking oil
3 eggs (@ room temp)

1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda

11/2 tsp Cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp Nutmeg powder

1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts

A pinch of salt

For the Frosting:

200 gms Cream Cheese (@ room temp)

50 gms Unsalted butter (@ room temp)

250 gms Icing sugar

A splash of vanilla Essence

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
• Grease and flour the baking tin.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, bicarbonate soda, cinnamon, nutmeg powder and salt. Mix well .
• Now add eggs one at a time and blend well.
• Then add the oil and mix well till all is blended.
• Now stir in the carrots and walnuts. Do not over work the flour.
• Pour the mixture into the well greased prepared baking tray/tin.
• Bake it in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Turn onto a wire rack and allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
• Now for the icing, cream the butter and cream cheese together till it turns smooth. Then add in the icing sugar and vanilla essence and beat for few more minutes till all is blended and turns thick.
• Frost the cake and decorate it with any roasted nuts or carrot strips.

Garlic Potato Masala

Ingredients:

2 New Potatoes

1 Onion (Sliced)

8 cloves of Garlic (Sliced)

1/2 Tomato (Chopped)

2 strands of curry leaves

1 cinnamon stick

1 whole Cardamom

2 cloves

1 Star anise 

1 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

Few stalks of Coriander leaves

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp Ghee

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash potatoes, cut into big chunks and boil it in salted water till 3/4 cooked. Cool and peel the skin and cut into big bite size pieces. Keep aside.
• Heat oil and ghee in a non stick pan and add the whole garam masala (Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and Star anise). Fry for a min. 
• Then add fennel seeds.
• Then add the garlic slices, onion and curry leaves and fry for 2 mins.
• Then add the tomatoes and masala powders. Stir everything together, then add the potatoes and salt. 
• Stir fry for couple of mins under medium flame till the potatoes are well coated with the masala mixture, then add chopped coriander leaves and keep it on very low flame for another 5 mins till potatoes are well roasted. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot with steamed rice and Rasam .