Carrot Sago Kheer

Ingredients:

1 cup Finely grated Carrot

1/4 cup White Sago Pearl

3/4 cup Fine Sugar

11/2 cups Boiled Fresh milk

2 tbsp Condensed milk

2 tsp Cardamon powder

1/2 cup Water

4 tbsp Ghee

6-7 Cashew nuts (broken into small pcs)

2 tbsp Golden Raisins

Method:

• Clean and soak the sago pearls for 30 mins. Drain the water and keep aside.
• Now heat a thick bottom pan over medium low heat, add ghee and fry cashew nuts till golden. Drain and keep aside.
• Add the raisins and fry till they plump up well. Drain from ghee.
• To the same pan, add the grated carrot and fry on low flame for 5-7 mins.
• Then add the drained sago and water and bring to boil and cook till sago turns transparent.
• Now add the fresh milk and sugar and cook till it turns thick consistency.
• Then add the condensed milk and cardamon powder. Cook for another 2-3 mins and switch off the stove.
• Finally add the ghee roasted cashew nuts and raisins and stir to mix everything well.
• Serve the carrot sago kheer warm or chilled.

Prawn Sambal

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Tiger prawns

2 Onions (thickly sliced)

2 tbsp Thick Coconut Milk

4 tbsp Cooking oil

Salt to taste

For the Sambal:

20 Dry chillies

1 Onion

1 Tomato

10 Garlic 

1 small piece Ginger 

2 tbsp Vinegar

11/2 tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Belacan (dried shrimp paste)

Salt to taste

Method:

• Clean, shell, devein the prawns and keep aside.
• Cut the dry chillies into small pieces, discard the seeds and soak in warm water for 30 mins. Drain and keep aside.
• Grind all the ingredients given sambal together with soaked dry chillies into a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a wok and add the ground chilli paste and fry over medium low heat till raw smell leaves and oil separates to the top.
• Then add the sliced onions stir fry for few mins.
• Then add the cleaned prawns and fry for few mins till prawns are cooked.
• Now add coconut milk and stir fry for few mins and switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot with Pandan Nasi Lemak.

Pandan Nasi Lemak

Ingredients:

4 cups Long grain Basmati rice

7 Pandan leaves

1 big piece Ginger (Sliced)

4 cups Coconut milk

4 cups water

2 tbsp Coconut oil

11/2 tbsp Sugar

Salt to taste

Method:

• Separate the pandan leaves, wash clean and roughly chop it. Grind it coarsely together with 1 cup of water. Strain the pandan juice through a fine seive and keep aside.  
• Wash rice and soak it in water for 30 mins. Keep aside.
• Add the coconut milk to the pandan juice and add enough water to make it 8 cups.
• Now add the soaked drained rice, pandan coconut milk, sliced ginger, coconut oil, salt and sugar to a rice cooker. Cook till rice is fluffy. 
• Once ready, let it stand for 5 mins before serving. Fluff the rice with a fork.
• Serve the Nasi Lemak rice warm.

Spicy Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken drumstick and wings

2 tbsp Garlic ginger paste

1 Whole Egg

3 tbsp Corn Flour

1/2 tbsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp Chicken masala

1 tbsp Chilli powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

1/2 tbsp lime juice

salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Wash and clean the chicken wings.
• Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, then add the all the ingredients except oil. Rub everything together with fingers to mix well.
• Marinate the chicken pieces in the marinade for atleast 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat enough oil in a kadai over medium low heat. Fry the chicken pieces in batches till it is crispy and well browned.
• Drain in a kitchen towel and serve it pipping hot.

Banana Balls

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Self Raising Flour

1 Egg

3 tbsp Coarsely Grated Coconut

5 tbsp Palm Sugar (Gulam Melaka)

5 tbsp Fine Sugar

5 Large ripe Bananas

Salt to taste

1/4 cup Ghee or oil

Few tbsp boiled milk (optional)

Method:

• Smash the bananas well with a potato masher. Make sure there are no lumps.
• In a big bowl, add the mashed banana and the rest of the ingredients except ghee/oil. 
• Mix well to combine everything. Make sure the batter is not too thick or too thin. The consistency should be like idli/pancake batter.
• Few tbsp of boiled fresh milk can be added to adjust the consistency of the batter.
• Allow the batter to ferment for atleast 5-6 hours.
• To make the banana balls, 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 2-3 mins. Now using a tooth pick or paniyaram stick, turn the balls and cook for another 2 more minutes till it turns golden brown.
• Remove the balls from the pan. Again drizzle few drops of ghee into each hole and repeat with the rest of the batter.
• If you don't own a kuzhi panniyaram pan, not a problem, the batter can be made into small pancakes or dosas drizzled with a little ghee around it.
• Serve it hot with a good cuppa coffee.

Garlic Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Chicken (Cut into small pieces)

10 cloves of Garlic (peeled and halved)

1 Onion (Cut into wedges and separated)

1/2 Tomatoes (chopped)

6 Dry red chillies (Broken into small pieces)

4 strands of curry leaves

1 cinnamon stick

1 Bay leaf

2 whole Cardamom

3 cloves

1 Star anise

1 tbsp Fennel seeds

3 tbsp Whole black pepper

11/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp Chicken masala (Chicken curry powder)

1 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp Pure ghee

Salt to taste

To Grind:

8 Garlic

1 inch Ginger

2 Red Onions 

Method:

• Dry roast black peppercorns in a pan over low flame for few mins. Cool and grind into a coarse powder.
• Grind the garlic, ginger and red onions to a fine paste with little water.
• Heat oil in a wok, when hot add the small cut pieces of 4 dry red chillies and curry leaves. Fry till crisp and keep aside.
• Now add the whole garam masala (Bay leaf, Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and Star anise) to the pan and then 1 tsp fennel seeds. Fry for a min.
• When they splutter, add the remaining dry chillies and the grinded onion paste.
• Keep the flame medium low and add salt and fry till oil separates from the paste and the raw smell goes off.
• Now add the cleaned chicken and turmeric powder and cover the pan and let it cook for 15 mins.
• Then add the chicken masala and garlic slices. Stir everything together, cover the wok and cook for 5 mins under medium high flame.
• Now add chopped tomato and stir well to mix everything and cook for 5 more mins. 
• Add few strands of chopped coriander leaves and quartered onion wedges. Mix everything well and keep on low flame.
• Then add the grounded pepper powder and 1 tsp garam masala powder to the pan and stir well.
• Keep on low flame till oil separates from the masala.
• Then add the roasted dry chillies and curry leaves and mix well. Add the ghee and give a final stir and switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Spicy Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

3 Large potatoes

2 tbsp Cooking oil

2 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Black pepper

1 tsp Crushed dried Italian herbs

11/2 tbsp Red Chilli flakes

salt to taste

Method:

• Dry roast the black pepper in a pan over low flame, cool and grind it coarsely.
• Wash, clean the potatoes and pat it dry with kitchen towel and cut it into thin even size wedges.
• Place the potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle the chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt over the potatoes and mix well to combine everything.
• Then add the grounded pepper powder, Italian herbs and chilli flakes. Toss well to mix everything.
• Heat oil in a good non stick pan over medium heat to shallow fry the potato wedges. Once the wedges are crispy and browned, flip it over and fry on the other side also.
• Once done, drain to a paper towel.
• Serve the spicy potato wedges with tomato ketchup or garlic mayonnaise.

Puran Poli

Ingredients:
For the outer covering:

11/2 cups Whole wheat flour

2 tbsp Ghee

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Water to knead

A pinch of Salt

For the filling:

1 cup Channa dhal

1 cup grated jaggery

3/4 cup freshly grated coconut

1/2 tsp Cardamon powder

Method:

• Clean and soak the channa dhal for 3-4 hours. Then cook it till soft, drain and keep aside.
• For the outer covering, in a wide big bowl, sift the whole wheat flour. Add the turmeric powder, ghee and salt. Mix well. Then add enough water slowly and knead to form a very soft pliable dough.
• Apply a layer of oil over the dough and let it rest in an airtight container for about 1/2 an hour.
• Now for the filling, firstly add the grated jaggery to few tbsp of warm water. Stir well till it melts, strain and keep aside.
• Then grind the cooked channa dhal together with the grated coconut into a coarse paste.
• Now heat a non stick pan and add the strained jaggery water along with the channa dhal mixture and cardamon powder. Stir fry over very low flame till it becomes dry.
• While the filling is still warm, make small balls out of it and keep aside.
• Now pinch a small ball of dough and form a cup and place the filling mixture ball in the center and enclose it carefully.
• Grease both the hands with oil and take a banana leaf or plastic sheet. Place the dough ball on the sheet and try to spread it out using your fingers as thin as possible. Make sure the filling doesn't com out. You can do the same using a rolling pin.
• Now heat a tawa or nonstick pan on medium heat, place the rolled out poli on the tawa and cook it both sides till brown spots appear. Smear it with ghee.
• Serve the poli hot.

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.