Mango dhokla

Ingredients:
Mango pulp: 1 cup

Sooji: 1 cup
Yogurt: 1 cup
Dosa batter: 1 cup
Green chillies; 2-3
Lime juice: 1 teaspoon
salt to taste

For seasoning:
Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida: 1 tinge

Method:
 Step1: Mix all the ingredients together. Add salt to taste
Step2: Grease a pan and pour the mixture. Steam for 10-15 minutes.
Step3: Allow it to cool down. Do the seasoning and pour it on the dhokla.

Garnish with coconut flakes and cilantro!

Rajma chawal

Ingredients:

Rajma: 1 cup (soaked in water overnight).

Onion: 1 (finely chopped)

Tomatoes: 3 (finely chopped)

Garam masala: 11/2 spoon

Red chilli powder: 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon

Oil to fry  and some cilantros.

Method:

Step1: Pressure cook rajma for 8-10 whistles with salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder.

Step2: Fry onion until transparent. Add tomatoes and little water. Close lid until tomatoes are cooked.

Step3: Add rajma, garam masala powder and mix well.

Step4: Crush some od the rajma dhal to thicken the gravy (optional) 

Rajma dhal is ready and is best with steamed rice!.

Egg less Mango Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the crust:

Graham cracker powder: 1 cup

Butter: ½ stick

Sugar: 1/4^th cup

For the filling:

1 large ripe mango

Cream cheese: 8 oz (thawed at room temperature)

3/4^th cup of sugar

1 teaspoon corn starch

Method:

For the crust:

Step1: Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

Step2: Mix the graham powder, sugar and butter.

Step3: Put the graham cracker mix in a pie plate and spread evenly and firmly.

Step4: Bake for 6 minutes at 350 degree F.

For the filling:

Step1: Peel mango and chop into small chunks.

Step2: Blend mango chunks, cream cheese, sugar, corn starch.

Step3: Pour mixture on the baked crust and bake again for 35 minutes at 350 degree F.

Step3: Let the cheese cake cool and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Step4: Garnish cheesecake with mango pieces and strawberries (this step is optional).

Tomato chutney

Ingredients:
Tomato: 3
Onion: 1
Chana dhal: 3 table spoon\
Red chillies: 2
Garlic: 1 clove
Ginger: 1 table spoon
Tamarind: 1 small piece

For seasoning:
Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
Split urad dhal: 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves: 4-5 leaves

Method:
Step1: Fry onion until transparent Add tomatoes and fry until it turns mushy.
Step2: Fry chana dhal, red chilies, tamarind.
Step3: Grind them together into a fine paste
Step4: Heat oil. Add mustard, urad dhal, curry leaves.

Broccoli Dhal

Ingredients:


Moong dhal: 1 cup (boiled and mashed well)
Broccoli: 1 (cut into florets)
Onion: 1 cup
Tomatoes: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2
Ginger and garlic: 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida: 1 tinge
Garam masala: 1 teaspoon
Tamarind paste/Amchur powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Turmeric powder, chilli powder: 1 tea spoon

Method


Step1: Boil dhal with turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, asafoetida.
Step2: Boil broccoli florets in microwave for 5-8 minutes and blend once they cool down.
Step3: Take a saucepan and fry ginger, garlic, green chillies.
Step4: Add onions and fry. Once they turn translucent add tomatoes.
Step5: Add ground broccoli and close the lid for 5 minutes.
Step6: Add dhal to the above mixture and mix well for 5 - 10 minutes.

Broccoli dhal is ready :)

Mango Corn salad

Ingredients:


Mango: 1 large (cut into small cubes)
Corn kernels: 1 cup (frozen)
Onion: 1 large (fine;y chopped)
Tomato: 1 medium (finely chopped)
Green pepper: 1 small (finely chopped)
Mint leaves: 10-12 leaves (finely chopped)
Oregano and Thyme leaves dried
Salt & pepper, lemon juice.

Method:


Mix the above ingredients together and keep aside for 10-15 minutes :-)

Masala Vada

Ingredients:

Chana dhal: 1  cup

Onions: 2 medim sized (finely chopped)

Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder: ½ teaspoon

Chilli powder: ½ teaspoon

Fennel seeds: 1 teaspoon

Green chillis: 3 (finely chopped)

Ginger: shredded (1 teaspoon)

Cilantro (Optional)

Method:

Step1: Soak chana dhal for 3-4 hours and grind into semi-coarse paste with cumin seeds, fennel seeds, green chillis, ginger, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder.

Step2: Mix onion and cilantro with the batter and toss well.

Step3: Make small batches of batter and fry in oil until it turns golden brown.

Moong dhal kheer

Ingredients:


Moong dhal: 1 cup
2% Milk: 4 cups
Jaggery: 1 cup
Cardamom powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Dry ginger powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Cashews, raisins and pistachios for garnishing
Ghee: 4-5 table spoon

Method:

Step1: Fry moong dhal in ghee until it turns light brown in color.
Step2: Add 4 cups of milk and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
Step3: Boil jaggery in water until  it melts down and forms a thick water.
Step4: Add cardomom powder, dry ginger powder and mix well.
Step5: Add boiled moong dhal to the jaggery water and  mix well.
Ste6: Roast cashews, raisins and pistachios in ghee and add them in the end for garnishing.

Serve chilled for best taste.

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients

Tomatoes: 6 (chopped)

Onions: 2 large (chopped)

Paneer: cut into cubes

Butter: 1/2 stick

Green chillies: 2 (chopped)

Ginger: 1 tea spoon (shredded)

Cumin seed powder: 1 tea spoon

Garam masala: 1 table spoon

Corriander powder: 1 tea spoon

Tomato ketchup: 2 tea spoon

Method:

Step1: Heat oil and fry onions. When they turn golden brown, add tomatoes, green chillies and fry until they turn soft.

Step2: Set aside and allow the mixture to cool down. Later, make into a puree.

Step3: Fry paneer. Drain the excess oil in a paper towel and transfer them immediately into cold water. After 5 minutes, pat dry and set them aside.

Step4: Heat butter and add the tomato/onion puree and boil for 5 minutes.

Step5: In a bowl, mix corriander powder, garam masala, shredded ginger, cumin powder, tomato ketchup and make into a paste.

Step6: Add the paste to the boiling mixture and mix well for 5 minutes. Add paneer in the end.

Semiya Upma

Ingredients:

Semiya Upma:

Vermicelli: 2 cups

Onion: 1 laqrge (finely chopped)

Tomato: 1 large (finely chopped)

Carrot: ½ cup

Beans: ½ cup

Cabbage: ½ cup

Potato: ½ cup

Ginger: ½ teaspoon

Green chilies: ½ tea spoon

Cilantro for garnishing

For seasoning:

Mustard: 1 teaspoon

Urad dhal: 1 tea spoon

Cumin seeds: ½ teaspoon

Red chilies: 3-4

Method:

Step1: Dry roast vermicelli until it turns light brown and nice aroma comes.

Step2: Heat oil and season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dhal, red chillies, green chilies, ginger. Fry onions until it turns transparent.

Step3: Add other vegetables mentioned above nad boil until they are soft.

Step4: Add vermicelli, salt and close lid for 10 minutes.

Garnish with cilantros (optional).

Beans parupu Usili

Ingredients:


Beans: 2 cups (finely chopped)
Toor dhal, channa dhal, moon dhal: 1 cup (measured in equal portions)
Green chllies: 3 - 4 (chopped)
Ginger: 1 tea spoon (chopped)
Red chillies: 3 - 4
Asoefetida: 1 tinge

Method:


Step1: Soak the three dhals in water for half an hour
Step2: Grind (until it forms a coarse mixture) with asoefetida, salt, green chillies, red chillies, ginger.
Step3: Steam cook for 10 minutes in cooker.
Step4: Boil cabbage/ beans (of your choice) with salt. Filter all the water.
Step5: Crumble/ separate the dhal with your fingers.
Step6: Heat oil (2 tea spoons) and fry the crumbled dhal for 5-7 minutes.
Step7: Mix with beans and add tempering in the end with mustard seeds, urad dhal, cumin seeds.

Yummy beans parupu usili is ready :)

Masala Dosa

Ingredients:

Dosa batter: 2 cups

Potato: 4-5 (Boiled and chopped into cubes)

Onion: 2-3 (cut lengthwise)

Frozen peas: 1 cup

Green chillies: 4-5 (finely chopped)

Ginger: 1 tea spoon (finely chopped)

Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon

Channa dhal: 1 tea spoon

Urad dhal: 1 tea spoon

Red chillies: 4-5

Turmeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon

Method:

For the masala:

Step1: Heat oil. Add mustard seeds, urad dhal, channa dhal, green chillies, red chillies, ginger, turmeric powder.

Step2: Once the mustard starts to crackle, add onions and fry until it turns transparent. 

Step3: Add frozen peas and close the lid for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Add potatoes and sprinkle little water.

Step5: Mash few potatoes with ladle and let the rest of the potato as it is.

For the dosa:

Step1: Heat the griddle up to 300 F. Fill the ladle up to 3/4 level with dosa batter. 

Step2: Gently pour the batter on to the center of the pan till the ladle is empty. 

Step3: Now start spreading the batter in circular motion to form a pancake of roughly 8 inches diameter.

Step4: Drizzle oil over the surface of dosa and around its edges.

Step5: Flip the dosa to the other side and wait for 2 minutes (this step is optional).

Masala dosa is ready :)

Coconut Rice/ Thengai sadam

Ingredients:


Rice: 1 cup (boiled)
Coconut: 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal: 1 teaspoon
Channa dhal: 1 teaspoon
Red chillies: 2-3
Green chillies: 2-3 (Chopped)
Ginger: 1 teaspoon (chopped)

Method:

Step1: Heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add cumin seeds, urad dhal, channa dhal, red chillies, green chillies, ginger and saute well.
Step2: Add finely shredded coconut and fry until it turns golden brown.

Coconut rice is ready :)

Methi Mattar Malai

Ingredients:


Methi leaves: 1 pack (washed and finely chopped)
Green pea: 1 cup (frozen)
Onion: 1 (finely chopped)
Tomato: 2 (finely chopped)
Green chillies: 2-3 (chopped)
Ginger: 1 tea spoon (grated)
Garlic: 1 clove (chopped)
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Chilli powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Corriander powder: 11/2 table spoon
Garam masala: 1 tea spoon
Milk: 1 cup
Salt to taste

Method:
Step1: Soak methi leaves in salt for at least one hour before cooking.
Step2: Heat oil and add cumin seeds. When it starts to spluttering, add green chillies, ginger, garlic, turmeric, chilli powder, onion and fry well.
Step3: Once the onion sturns transparent, add tomatoes and saute together. Now add corriander seeds, garam masala.
Step4: Once the tomatoes are cooked well, add peas and close the lid for 5-6 minutes.
Step5: Add methi and 1 cup of milk and boil well for 5 minutes.

Methi mutter malai is ready :)

Onion Pakoda

Ingredients:

Onion: 1 large (finely chopped)
Besan flour: 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Green chillies: 1 tea spoon (finely chopped)
Ginger: 1 tea spoon (finely grated)
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Chilli powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste and oil to fry
Water: 3-4 spoons
Method:
Step1: Mix onion, besan flour, green chillies, ginger, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and little water and mix well
Step2: Deep fry in oil.

Hot pakodas goes well with tea on a rainy Sunday evening :)

Cilantro/Corriander leaves chutney

Ingredients:


Cilantro leaves/corriander leaves: 1 cup (washed and stem removed)
Red chillies: 3-4
Pepper cons: 5-6
Urad dhaal: 3 table spoon
Channa dhaal: 3 table spoon
Asafoetida: 1 tinge
Tamarind: a small piece

For seasoning:
Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tea spoon
Urad dhal: 1/2 tea spoon
Curry leaves: 4-5

Method
Step1: Heat oil and fry urad dhal, channa dhal, pepper cons, red chillies until the channa dhal turns golden
 brown.
Step2: Allow them to cool down and grind along with corriander leaves. Add little water while grinding.
Step3: Do seasoning with mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dhal, cumin seeds.

Goes well with rice, toasted bread, chapathis.

Mango Cake

Ingredients:

Mango pulp: 1.5 cup
All purpose flour: 1 cup
Granulated Sugar: 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder: 1 tea spoon
Baking powder: 1 spoon
Baking soda: 1 spoon
Melted Butter: 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence: 1 tea spoon

Method:

Step1: Mix all purpose flour, granulated sugar, cardamom powder, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter, vanilla essence.
Step2: Add mango pulp and slowly mix all ingredients together.
Step3: Grease the baking pan and pour the mixture on it. Preheat the oven at 350 F
Step4:  Bake the cake for 30 minutes at 350 F.

Bagara Baingan

Ingredients:

Indian eggplant/ brinjal: 5-6
Onion: 2 (finely chopped)
Tomatoes: 2 (finely chopped)
Peanuts: 1 cup
Dhaniya seeds: 1/2 cup
Garam masala: 1 table spoon
Cinnamon: 1 piece
Cardamom: 2-3
Bay leaves: 2
Cloves: 4-5
Ginder: 1 table spoon (grated)
Garlic: 1/2 clove
Asafoetida: 1 tinge
Tamarind: Lemon size
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Red chilli powder: 1 tea spoon
Gingelly oil: 1 cup
Salt to taste and curry leaves.

Method:

Step1: Take a large pan add heat 3 table spoons of gingelly oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and let the mustard seeds splutter.
Step2: Add ginger garlic paste, cinnamon sticks, cardomom, crushed bay leaves, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and finely chopped onions. Now addd salt so that it absorbs all the moisture from onion.
Step3: Once the onion turns transparent, add tomatoes and mix well. Close the pan and let the tomatoes turn mushy.
Step4: In another pan dry roast peanuts, red chillis, chana dhal, dhaniya seeds. Let it cool down and grind them into a coarse/fine powder.
Step5: Heat 4 table spoons of oil in the same pan. Slit brinjals (longitude wise) into 4 with edges still attached. Fry them in oil and set it aside.
Step6: Add the mixture to the tomato onion paste and mix well. Let the raw smell of the masala fade. Add garam msala and mix well. Soak tamarind in lukewarm water for 15 minutes. Filter and add tamarind juice to the mixture.
Step7: Now add fried brinjal to this mixture and let it boil for 15-20 minutes until the masala is well absorbed by the brinjals.
Serve hot. Goes well with plain rice :)

Paal Khova/Milk Khova

Ingredients:

Milk: 5 glasses (2% or whole milk)
Sugar: 2 - 21/2 cups
Cardamom: 1 tinge
Cashews to garnish

Method:

Step1: Take a large pan and add quarter cup of water.
Step2: Add milk and turn the stove to low flame.
Step3: Stir it every 10 minutes to make sure that the milk does not stick to the bottom.
Step4: The milk slowly starts to reduce in volume and turns into sandalwood color.
Step5: Keep stirring continuously and add 3-5 table spoons of ghee.
Garnish with cashews.

Aloo masala

Ingredients:

Aloo: 3 boiled and mashed)
Onion: 1 (finely chopped)
Green peas: 1 cup
Coriander powder: 1 table spoon
Ginger/garlic paste: 1 tea spoon
Cumin powder: 1 tea spoon
Garam masala: 1 tea spoon
Turmeric and chilli powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Cilantro for garnishing and salt to taste

Method:

Step1: Fry onion until transparent and add all the spices.
Step2: Mix aloo and add 2-3 table spoons of oil.
Step3: Add tadka in the end and garnish with cilantro (this step is optional).

Uppu appam

Ingredients:

Idli/Dosa batter: 1 cup
Onion: 1 (finely chopped)
Green chillies; 3-4 (finely chopped)
Ginger: 1 small piece (finely chopped)
Garlic: 1 clove (finely chopped)
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Pepper powder: 1/2 tea spoon
cilantro for garnishing
Salt to taste

Method:

Step1: Mix all the above ingredients together.
Step2: Fry them in kuzhi paniyaram pan (aebleskiver pan) and serve hot.


Step1: Mix

Red Pepper lentil soup

I adopted this recipe from my friend who made this during our cook out :)

Ingredients:

Red pepper: 1 large
Onion: 1/2 (chopped)
Carrot: 1 (chopped)
Green pepper/capsicum: 1/2 (choppped)
Red lentil/Masoor dhal: 1 cup
Oregano: 1 tea spoon
Green chillies: 3-4 (chopped)
Ginger: 1 tea spoon

Method:

Step1: Fry the red pepper in oil for 5-10 minutes and peel the outer skin.
Step2: Boil all the above ingredients together for 5 whistles.
Step3: Blend them into a fine paste and add heavy cream to it.

Pipping hot red pepper lentil soup is ready :)