Spicy Tuna Pasta

Ingredients:

2 cups of any dried Pasta (Spaghetti/Penne)

1 can of tuna in olive oil

2 tbsp Finely chopped Garlic

1 White onion (Finely chopped)

2 Tomatoes (Finely chopped)

3 tbsp Tomato puree

1 tbsp Dried Chilli flakes

1/4 tsp Dried Oregano

1 tbsp Fresh chopped Parsley

1/4 tsp Fine sugar 

2 tbsp EVOO

Salt to taste

Method:

• Cook the pasta in salted boiling water with a few drops of olive oil till al dente. Drain and keep aside. Save some pasta water.
• Open the tuna can and drain the oil in a separate bowl. Using a fork, break the tuna chunks into small pieces. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a wok and add the chopped garlic and fry for few mins, then add the onion and fry till it is translucent.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, dried chilli flakes, Oregano, salt and sugar. Stir fry for few mins. 
• Then add the tuna flakes and stir everything together, cover the wok and cook till the oil separates from the sauce.
• Now add the cooked pasta, chopped parsley and a few splashes of the pasta water and mix well to coat the pasta with the tuna mixture. 
• Serve the spicy tuna pasta hot, with some grated Parmesan cheese.

Aloo Matar

Ingredients:

2 medium Potatoes

1/2 cup Frozen Peas

1 Onion (Finely chopped)

1 Tomato (Finely chopped)

1 tbsp Garlic ginger paste

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Bay leaf

2 whole Cardamom

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp Special masala (Chilli pwdr + Cumin Pwdr + Turmeric Pwdr)

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

Few stalks of Coriander leaves

2 tbsp oil/Butter

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash 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/butter in a wok and add the whole garam masala (Bay leaf, Cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick). Fry for a min.
• Then add the cumin seeds together with garlic ginger pastes and fry till the raw smell leaves.
• Then add the onion and fry till it is well browned.
• Then add the tomatoes and the special masala powder. Stir everything together and cook till tomatoes are tender, then add the potatoes, peas and salt. 
• Sprinkle the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
• Stir fry for couple of mins under medium flame till the potatoes and peas are well coated with the masala mixture. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot with Naan/Roti.

Carrot Raita

Ingredients:

11/2 cups Finely grated Carrot

1/4 cup thick yogurt

1 green chilli (Finely chopped)

1/4 tsp freshly grounded black pepper

1/4 tsp freshly roasted grounded cumin

Few stalks of Coriander leaves

salt to taste

Method:

• Beat the curd with a fork to smoothen and set aside.
• In a bowl, combine the grated carrots, green chilli, grounded black pepper, cumin and salt. Rub everything together with fingers.
• Add the beaten yogurt to the bowl and mix well.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Refrigerate atleast for 1 hour before serving to allow the raita to set.

Cabbage Stir Fry

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Cabbage (Shredded)

3 cloves of garlic (Crushed)

1 onion (Chopped)

3 Red chilli padi (Slit)

1/2 chicken seasoning cube

1 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the cabbage and drain it well in a colander, keep aside.
• Heat oil in a wok, and add onion, crushed garlic, chilli padi and salt. Fry for 2 mins.
• Now add shredded cabbage and seasoning cube. Cover the wok and cook on medium heat for 3 more mins.
• Cabbage must not be over cooked, it should be crisp to taste . Stir well to combine everything. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot with steamed Thai rice and sardine sambal.

Sardine Sambal

Ingredients:

1 Ayam brand Sardine tin

1 tbsp Garlic ginger paste

3 White onions (Finely chopped)

2 Tomatoes (Finely chopped)

5 Red chilli padi (Cut into small pieces)

1/2 tbsp Chilli powder

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Open the sardine tin, split the sardines into two and remove the bone and dirt. Keep aside on a plate. Reserve the tomato sauce from the tin.
• Heat oil in a wok and add the garlic ginger paste and fry till the raw smell leaves, then add the onion and chilli padi and fry for 2 mins.
• Now add the chilli powder, salt and chopped tomatoes. Stir fry for few mins. 
• Then add the cleaned sardines and the reserved tomato sauce from the tin. Stir everything together, cover the wok and cook till the oil separates from the sambal.
• Take care to stir the sambal gently as the sardines tend to break easily into small flakes. 
• Serve it hot with steamed Thai rice.

Chicken Varuval

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken (Cut into small pieces)

1 Bay leaf

3 whole Cardamom

3 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 Star anise

1 tbsp Fennel seeds

1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seed

5 Dry red chillies

5 cloves of Garlic (peeled and sliced)

2 Onions (Chopped)

1 Tomato (Chopped)

3 strands of curry leaves

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1 tbsp Chicken masala (Chicken curry powder)

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

1 tsp garam masala

Few stalks of Coriander leaves

3 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Clean, wash the chicken and drain water from it completely.
• In a bowl, place the chicken, garlic ginger paste, chicken curry powder, special masala and salt. Mix everything and marinate for few hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan and add the whole garam masala (Bay leaf, Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and Star anise). Fry for a min and splutter the black peppercorns, fennel and fenugreek seeds. 
• Then add the onion, dry chillies, garlic pieces and curry leaves. Fry for 2 mins.
• Then add the chicken and tomatoes. Stir everything together, cover the wok and cook for 10 mins under medium high flame.
• Then add the garam masala and stir fry on low heat till the chicken is cooked and turns crispy on the outside.
• Serve it hot with plain rice and lemon rasam.

Lemon Rasam

Ingredients:

2 Ripe tomatoes

2 cloves of Garlic

1 Green chilli

1 Ripe Lemon

2 strands of curry leaves

1 Dry red chillies

1/4 tsp Mustard seed

1/4 tsp Urad dhal

1/2 tsp Freshly coarsely ground Cumin and Black pepper

A pinch of hing (perunkayam)

1/2 tsp Rasam powder

1 tsp Gingerly oil

Salt to taste

Few stalks coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

• In a pan, add 1 cup of water, tomatoes, crushed garlic, green chilli, hing, rasam powder, pepper and cumin powders and salt. Smash it together with hands and check the seasoning and adjust accordingly.
• Now place the pan on stove and set it to medium flame. Let it come to boil and till the raw smell of the rasam powder leaves. When it is frothy, add the juice of one lemon and switch off the stove.
• In a separate small pan, heat the oil, splutter mustard and urad dhal, then add the red chillies and curry leaves. Add it to the rasam.
• Serve the lemon rasam garnished with coriander leaves.