Mango Thokku

Ingredients:

sour mangoes - 2 ½ kg

fenugreek - 50 gm

gingily oil - 250 gm

salt - 250 gm

chilli powder - 300 gm

turmeric powder - 1 tbsp

asafetida powder - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Cut mangoes into thin slices or grate them.
• Crush the fenugreek seeds.
• Heat ¼ of the oil and cook the mangoes in it till soft, for about 10 minutes.
• Add salt, chili powder and continue to cook stirring for another 10-15 minutes.
• Add asafetida and fenugreek powder, remaining oil and cook on slow fire for 10 more minutes.
• Cool and store in jars. It is ready to use.
• Preserve it by keeping in an air tight container for almost more than two months in refrigerator. 
• This is a perfect combination for curd rice.

Curry Powder

Ingredients:


Udad Daal : 1 cup
Chana Daal : 1 1/2 cup
Red chillies : 10 - 15 nos. (according to the spiciness)
Salt as per taste
Hing : 2 tbsp.
Coconut shredded : 1 coconut


Method:

• Dry roast all the ingredients except coconut.
• Dry roast coconut separately and keep aside.
• Let it cool.
• Now add it all and grind it coarsely.( as seen in the picture above.)
• This is perfect for making all the curries.
• It will come out crispy and non sticky.

Curd Rice

For 5 Persons

Ingredients:


3 cups Plain Curd 
6 cups Uncooked Rice 
1 twig Curry Leaf (Kadipatta) 
1 tsp Mustard Seeds 
2 tsp Coriander Leaves (chopped) 
2-3 Dry Red Chilies 
2 tbsp Cooking Oil 
Salt to taste




Method:

• Wash rice, put it in a pressure cooker and cook it till done.
• Take a small pan and put some oil into it. Heat the oil.
• When the oil becomes hot, put mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chilies into it. Cook till the chilies are almost black.
• While stirring, add curd and salt to it.
• Now, add the cooked rice to the curd mixture and mix them well.
• Garnish the rice with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with any pickle.

Aviyal

For 4 persons 

Ingredients:

Potatoes           3 Nos

Green Beans       few

Carrots           2 Nos

Peas               1/4 cup

Drumstick         1 NO

Eggplant           3 Nos small

Plaintain Bananna 1/2   

Pumpkin White & orange few pieces

Curry leaves   few

Salt Acc to taste

Fresh Curds   1/2 Cup

Coconut Oil   2 tbsp 

rice flour   1 tsp

For Grinding :

Fresh Coconut   1 Cup

Green Chilies   3 Nos

Fresh Curd instead of water

Method:

Cut all the vegetables in the same length and size and pressure cook for two whistles.
Grind coconut and chillies and keep it aside.
Add curd instead of water to make a fine paste.
In a bowl mix rice flour, salt and the ground paste.
Add it to the vegetables when it is cooked.
Sprinkle curry leaves and coconut oil when they are done.

Lemon Rice

For 2 Persons

Ingredients:

Rice (cooked) : 2 cups

Lemon : 4 nos.

Oil : 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

bengal gram : 1 tbsp

black gram : 1 tbsp

Red chillies :  2 nos.

Hing :  A pinch

Curry leaves : few nos.

Turmeric Powder :  1/2 tsp.

Salt as per taste

Method :

• Heat oil in a pan and put mustard seeds.
• When it splutters, add bengal gram, black gram, red chillies, curry leaves, hing, turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
• Now add this mixture to the cooked rice and mix well.
• Serve hot with papads.

Coconut Rice

For 2 Persons

Ingredients:

Rice(cooked) : 1 cup

Coconut : 1/2 shredded

Curry leaves : few nos.

Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

Green chillies : 1 no.

Udad dal (half) : 1 tbsp.

Cashew nuts: 5 nos.

Red chillies : 1 no.

Hing : a pinch

Ghee : 2 tbsp.

Oil : 2 tbsp.

Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and put mustard seeds.
• When it splutters, add udad dal, cashew nuts, green chillies, red chillies, hing.
• Add curry leaves, then add shredded coconut, salt and fry for 5 minutes.
• Make sure it should not burn.
• Add this mixture to the cooked rice and mix well.
• Serve hot with papads.

Matki Ki Sabzi

For 5-6 Persons

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole green gram, picked and washed

Cooking Oil : 1 1/2 tbsp.

Cumin seeds  :1/2 tsp.

Onion : 2 nos. finely chopped

Tomato :1 no. finely chopped

Salt as per taste

Red chilli powder : 2 tsp.

Garam masala Powder : 1 tsp.

Dry mango powder : a pinch

1/2 cup of water

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

• Soak the gram in water overnight then throw away the water, cover the gram with a wet cloth and leave for another 8-10 hours in a warm place.
  At the end of this time, you will find the gram has sprouted and is crunchy to taste.
  The sprouted tails will however be short you may keep it longer if you like.
• Heat oil in a pan and put cumin seeds, when it splutters, add onion and fry until transparent.
• Add tomato and fry till oil separates.
• Now add salt, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, dry mango powder and mix well.
• Add the sprouts and water and close the lid and let it cook for 15- 20 minutes.
• The length of time you cook actually depends on how soft or crunchy you like the sprouts.
• Check on them after 10 minutes and then decide how much longer you want to keep it on fire.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis or rice.

Curry Leaves Powder

For 3-4 Persons

Ingredients:

2 cups curry leaves, picked, washed and dried

4 tbsps bengal gram

2 tbsps split black gram dal

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 1/2 tbsps coriander seeds

6-7 dried red chillis

1 small lemon sized tamarind

salt to taste

1 1/2 tbsp oil

Method:

• Add a tbsp of oil in a pan and add the Bengal gram and split black gram dal and fry them on medium heat till they turn red. Don’t burn them. Keep tossing them around continuosly. Remove from pan and keep aside.
• In the same pan add the cumin and coriander seeds and toss them on medium heat till they turn brown..approx 2-3 mts. Remove from pan and keep aside.
• In the same pan add the dry chillis and toss them about for 2 mts. Remove and keep aside.
• Now add a tsp of oil and add the curry leaves and toss them about till they are crisp and roasted. Keep tossing them about while roasting the leaves. Turn off heat and cool all the roasted ingredients.
• Once cool, grind the dals first (grind them coarse), followed by coriander, cumin seeds and red chillis and grind again.
• Now add tamarind ball and grind. Remove and keep aside.
• Now add the curry leaves and grind to make a powder (remember all the ingredients should be cool before grinding). Mix it with the coarsely ground spices and salt and store in an air tight container.
• Serve hot with white steamed rice and ghee.

Venn Pongal

For 3 Persons

Ingredients:

Rice : 1 Cup

Moong Dal  :1/4 Cup

Black Pepper Powder to taste

Jeera Powder :1 Tbsp

Ginger Paste :1 Tsp

Dry Dinger (Sukku) :1 Tbsp

 Heeng :1 Tsp

Cashew for garnishing

Margaring/Ghee 2 Tbsp

 Water: 6 Cups

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash rice and dal together and drain nicely.
• In the Rice cooker heat 1 tbsp ghee.
• Add rice and dal. Fry till the ghee coats the mixture. 
• Add the rest of the ingredients, except Cashews.
• Add water. Cover and cook.
• Keep testing the water level and stir frequently as it has a tendency to stick to the bottom. 
• When rice gets fully mashed garnish with cashews.
• Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

Mixed Vegetable Kootu

For 4-5 Persons

Ingredients:

Chow Chow-1 small
Beans-10 cut into pieces
carrot-1  cut into pieces
peas-1/4 cup
Moong daal-1/4 cup
Sambar powder-1.5 tsp
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Hing-a pinch
Salt

Seasoning:

Coconut oil-1 tsp
Jeera
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves

Method:

• Chop and pressure cook all the vegetables adding all other ingredients and water for about two or three whistles.
• Do the seasoning and mix it well.
• Serve it hot with rice or rotis.
• Enjoy :-)

Coriander and green chilli chutney

For 3-4 persons

Ingredients: 


Coriander : 1 bunch 
Green chillies :6 nos.
Tamarind : half lemon size
Salt as per taste
Hing : a pinch
Oil gingely : 4 tbsp.
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp.


Method: 

• Grind coriander, green chillies, tamarind and salt.
• Now heat pan and put oil, saute mustard seeds to it.
• When it splutters add hing and add it to the ground paste. 
• Serve it with dosa or idlis.

You can preserve it for 3 days if kept in air tight container in fridge.

Chana Masala

For 4-5 Persons

Ingredients:

Chick peas : 250gms.
Green chillies : 3 nos. Medium
Garlic : 4-5 
Ginger : 1 inch size
Onion : 2- 3 medium size
Tomato :2 nos.
Bay leaves : 1 
turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
Garam masala Powder : 1 tbsp
Dry mango powder : 1 tbsp.
Salt as per taste
Vegetable Oil  : 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves : For Garnishing


Method 

• Soak chickpeas for 8- 10 hours.
• Grind garlic, green chillies, ginger and keep aside.
• In a pressure cooker heat oil and saute bay leaves.
• Add onion and fry till transperant.
• Now add ground paste and fry for more 3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and fry till the oil separates.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, garam masala pdr, dry mango pdr and mix well.
• Add the chana and pour water until the chana level.
• Close the lid and let it for 5 whistles . 
• Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot with parantha or roti.

Lady's Finger Fry

For 2 persons

Ingredients:


Lady's finger :250 gms cut into pieces
Salt as per taste
Oil  : 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp.
Curry powder : 5 tbsp.


Method:

• Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan.
• Put mustard seeds and when it splutters, add lady's finger.
• Fry it without adding water, otherwise it will stick to one another.
• Keep frying it for every one minute until it cooks well.
• Add salt, curry powder and  mix well.
• Serve it hot as a side dish for sambar rice or any rice.