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.