Whole Dhal

Ingredients:
Whole Dhal (Lentils)- 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Garlic - 2 cloves (crushed & chopped)
Tomatoes - 1 (chopped)
Green chilli - 2 (slit)
Tandoori masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Coriander leaves
Oil


Method:
Pressure cook the dhal and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When the mustard seeds starts to splutter add the onion and fry. when the onion changes colour Add garlic and stir fry for 1 minute.
Add the green chilli and stir.
Add the tomato pieces and stir.
Add the salt to tomato and continue stirring.
Add tandoori masala powder and stir.
Add the boiled dhal and let it be in medium flame for 4 to 6 mts.
Remove from fire and garnish with coriander leaves.
Goes well with roti or rice.

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Sprouts Salad

Ingredients:
Sprouted Green gram - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Cucumber - 1
Capsicum - 1
Tomato - 1
Coriander Leaves
Salt
Pepper powder
Lime juice


Method:
Cut onion, cucumber, capsicum into pieces of desired size.
Cut tomato into 2 and scoop out the seeds. Then cut into pieces.
Mix all the pieces with sprouts.
Add pepper powder, salt, coriander leaves, and few drops of lime juice.
Mix and have the healthy salad.


Sent off to the 15-Minute event.

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Carrot Kosumalli

Ingredients:
Carrot - 4 (grated or cut into small pieces)
Moong dhal - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 2 (slit)
Green peas - 2 tsp
Salt
Coconut - 1 tsp (grated)
Lime juice - 2 drops
Coriander leaves - chopped

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Urad dhal
Asafoetida
Oil
Curry leaves

Method:
Soak the moong dhal for half an hour.
Take a salad bowl and add the grated carrot.
Drain the water from moong dhal and mix the dal with the carrot.
Take green peas and mix.
Take a small kadai and add the oil.
To the heated oil add urad dhal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter add the green chillies and curry leaves. Now add this to the carrot mix.
Finally add the salt,coconut gratings and chopped coriander leaves.
While serving add the lime juice.

Sent off to the 15-Minute event.

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

Chicken tikka -1 lb
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Garlic cloves - 2 (crushed and chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (small-finely chopped)
Cardamom - 2 pods
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Ground cinnamon - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Ground almonds - 1 tsp
Oil
Coriander leaves -chopped
Salt
Cream-(optional)


Method:

Heat the oil in a kadai.
Add the onion and cardamom pods and fry until the onion is soft.
Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.
Add the tomato and little salt and stir till the tomato becomes paste.
Add chilli powder,cinnamom ,garam masala,sugar and stir for 1minute.
Add the ground almonds and cream (optional)
Then add the chicken tikka and simmer for 4 to 6 minutes..
Garnish with coriander leaves.

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Chicken Tikka

Ingredients:
Skinless chicken breast fillets - 2 lb (cut into cubes)
Garlic cloves - 4 (big-finely grated)
Ginger - 4 inch (finely grated)
Paprika - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Lime juice - 2 tsp
Curd - 1/2 cup
Dry mint leaves - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Salt as required.
Food colour - 4 drops (orange or red)
Oil for basting.

Method:
Mix all the ingredients except oil to the chicken in a bowl (without any water).
Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
Heat the oven to 400 to 450 degree F.
Thread the chicken pieces onto four metal skewers .
Keep these metal skewers on a baking tray.
Bake for 15 minutes. Baste it with oil.
Again keep for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
Serve with mint chutney.

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Mysore Pak (Ghee)

Ingredients:
Gram flour (or) besan- 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cup
Pure ghee-2 cup
Water

Method:
Take a pan and add 2 tea spoons of ghee and the flour.
Fry in low flame till the raw smell goes off.
Seive the flour.
Take a heavy bottom pan, add sugar and add water till it cover the sugar.
Heat in medium flame till the sugar dissolves. (Stir occasionally).
Sprinkle few drops of milk on the sugar syrup and remove the scum.
Bring the syrup to one string consistency. (kambi padham)
Add one cup of ghee and mix.
Keep adding the gram flour in little quantities and mix continously without any lumps.
Continue the low flame.
Add remaining ghee and mix.
Keep stirring continuosly.
When the mixture froths up pour it in a greased plate.
Cut after 10 mts. in desirable shape.

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Thattai

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 200 gm
Channa dal - 2 tbsp
Peanuts - 25 gm
Whole red chilli - 3
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp(optional)
Garlic - 1 clove ( big)
Curry leaves- 10 leaves
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Salt as required.
Oil for deep frying.

Method:
Soak the channa dal for 1 & 1/2 hr. Drain and keep aside.
Fry the peanuts in the low flame. Cool them and remove the skin.
Dry grind coarsely together - peanut, whole red chilli, curry leaves, garlic
Fry the rice flour lightly in the low flame till the raw smell goes off.
In a bowl take the rice flour and add salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida and mix.
Add the channa dal and mix.
Add the coarse ingredients and mix.
Add the butter and mix.
Sprinkle little water and mix into dough.
Make small balls and flatten them on wax paper. (make shape like marie biscuit, but half thickness).
In heated oil, deep fry, flip, remove when light brown.

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India Barbeque Chicken (Tandoori Chicken)

Ingredients:

Chicken drumsticks - 6 pieces
Fresh Ginger - 2 inch (finely grated)
Garlic - 2cloves (finely grated)
Tandoori masala powder (salted) - required
Cumin powder -1/4 tsp
Lime juice - 2 tsp
Thick curd - 3 tsp


Method:
Wash and pat dry the drumsticks. Do not leave water stay on them.
In a bowl add chicken drumsticks, ginger, garlic, taondoori masala powder, cumin powder, lime juice, and thick curd.
Mix well.
Marinate overnight in the fridge.
Pre heat the oven to 450 F.
Keep drumsticks in a tray.
Place the tray in the upper rack of oven for 15 minutes.
Baste with oil after removing from oven.
Again put it back in the oven for 20 minutes or till done.
To get tandoor effect, set the oven to broil low for 5 minutes.
Serve with onion and lemon wedges.

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Bajji

1) Raw banana (vazhakkai) sliced vertical.

Ingredients:
Raw Banana (vazhakkai) or potato or green pepper (sliced thin)
Bengal gram powder (besan) - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Maida - 4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda- 2 pinch
Asafoetida- 2 pinch
Salt as required
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Mix besan, rice flour, all purpose flour, red chilli powder, salt, asafoetida, baking soda.
Pour water and make a thick batter (like idli batter).
Heat the oil in medium flame.

When hot, dip the slice in batter and drop it gently in the oil.
Flip when one side is done.
Remove when the other side is also done.

Method for Stuffed pepper bajji:
Stuffing for pepper:
Potato - 1 (boiled and mashed)
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1 tsp (cut into pieces)
Salt as required.
Coriandar leaves - finely chopped.

Method:
Mix all the ingredients.
Slit the pepper and stuff the above mix.
Dip in the batter and deep fry.

2) Vazhakkai Bajji


3) Bajji milagai stuffed with potato masala.

4) Bajji in the middle is the milagai.

5) Potato Bajji


6) Leftover potato masala became aloo bonda !!

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French Bread Pizza

Ingredients:
French Bread
Capsicum pieces
Cheese
Tomato Sauce
Onion (optional)

Either use frying pan or oven for making this dish.

1) Pan fry method:
Cut the bread into two pieces vertically.
Spread the tomato sauce, capsicum pieces, cheese on the bread
Toast the bread on pan in low flame.
Place a lid on the pan.
Item is ready to eat when cheese is melted.

2) Oven method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
Spread tomato sauce, capsicum pieces, cheese on the bread
Keep in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes or till cheese melts


Pan fried french bread pizza



Oven toasted french bread pizza

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Red Health Salad

Ingredients:
Mix of Fruits

Method:
Cut the fruits into likable shapes and toss together in a bowl.
Enjoy the salad.
p.s. In this salad, I used water melon, cantaloupe, red grapes, and black grapes. I used melon scooper to make half ball shaped water melons and cantaloupes.



Sent off to the 15-minute event.

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Poha

Ingredients:

Thick poha - 250 gm (Aval)
Potato - 1 (boil with salt, peel, cut into cubes)
Green peas - 25 gms
Peanuts - 2 tsp
Green chilly - 3 (slit vertically)
Onion - 1 (cut into small pieces)
Ginger - 1 inch (grated)
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Oil

Method:
In a strainer wash poha in running water. Do not let it soak too long. Keep poha aside in the strainer.
Kadai, oil, heat, .....
Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds in the oil.
When mustard cracks, add peanuts and fry.
Add onion, ginger, green chilly, and fry.
Add potato and peas and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the poha, salt and turmeric.
Mix gently (light-aa oru kalakku kalakkunga)
After 3 minutes turn off the burner. (Handle poha carefully and do not let it burn at the bottom of kadai)






p.s. I did not include the garnishing part to save preparing time. You have to add coriander leaves, and use lime.

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Kondakadalai Masala

Ingredients:

Vellai Konda kadalai - 250 gms (Also called Channa, garbanzo beans)
Onion - 1 (big-diced)
Garlic - 2 cloves (grated)
Ginger - 2 inch (grated)
Tomato (medium) - 2 (cut into pieces)
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 1/2tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric - 1 pinch
Garam masala - 2 pinch
Salt
Oil

Method:
Soak the channa 6-8 hours.
Boil the channa in the pressure cooker with salt.
Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds.
Add onion and stir till fried.
Add ginger, garlic.
Add tomato and little salt.
Stir till tomato is cooked.
Add chilli, coriander, and turmeric powders. Stir again.
Take 1/8 portion of boiled channa and mash.
Add boiled channa and mashed channa in the kadai.
Stir for some time.
Add water to the consistency you like.
Add garam masala.
Let it boil for 3 minutes.
Garnish ??

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Poori

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt
Oil for deep frying


Method:

Mix wheat flour with water and salt and make the dough. The consistency should be similar to play dough.
Take a small ball (about key lime size) from the dough and flatten it using roller. After flattenning it should look like a thick DVD without hole.
In heated oil in medium flame slowly immerse the disc. It should puff.
Flip the poori to other side.
Remove when golden brown.

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Medhu vada

Ingredients:
Urad dhal - 2 cups
Rice - 2 tsps
Ginger - 1 inch (cut in pieces)
Green chilli - 3 ( cut in to pieces)
Curry leaves- 7-10 (chop)
Coriander leaves (chop)
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Soak the urad for 2 hrs. Rice in hot water for 2 hours.
Drain the water from urad dhal, rice and grind them coarsely along with ginger and chilli pieces.
To the batter, add curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt, and mix.
Make a ball (about golf ball size) of the batter.
Flatten it on your palm (about 1 inch thick)
Make a hole at the center.
Drop it in heating oil carefully.
Remove when golden brown.
p.s. To prevent the batter from sticking, wet the hands with water and then work on the batter.

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Pudalangai Masala

Ingredients:
Snake gourd -2
Green chilli (big) - 1
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 10
Cut onion - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Mustard seeds
Channa dhal
Urad dhal
Oil
Salt


Method:

Cut the snake gourd (pudalangai) into small pieces. Take a kadai and add oil.
To the oil, add channa dhal, urad dhal.
Fry till dals become golden colour.
Then add mustard seeds, when it starts to crackle add the pudalangai pieces and stir.
Add 1/4 tsp red chilli (optional) and salt. Let it cook.
Add required quantity of water if needed.
Meanwhile in a blender add grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chilli, onion pieces, curry leaves and grind into a paste.
Once the vegetable is cooked add the paste and stir for 2 minutes.
Remove from fire.

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Mor Kozhambu

Ingredients:
White pumpkin - 2 cups (cut into cubes)
Yogurt - 1 1/2 cup
Turmeric - 2 pinch
Salt

Grind into paste:
Rice - 3 tsp
Grated coconut - 4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Green chilli - 2 (big)
Ginger -1 inch (peel the skin)

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves
Asafoetida
Whole dried red chilli - 1 (optional)

Method:
Soak rice, cumin seeds in a small bowl for 1 hour.
Cook the white pumpkin with salt and turmeric powder (seperately).
Whisk the curd with little salt in blender.
Grind the soaked rice, cumin seeds withgrated coconut, ginger and green chilli into nice paste.
In a pan add the whisked curd, cooked white pumpkin, and the paste.
Stir and Keep it in low heat.
When foam comes up remove from stove.
In a small kadai add oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asfoetida .
When mustard seeds starts to crackle add the whole red chilli (optional).
Mix this with mor kozhambu.

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Paruppu Usili

Ingredients:
Green Beans - 2 cup (cut)
Tuvar dhal - 1/2 cup
Channa dhal - 1/2 cup
Whole dry red chilli - 4
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 2 pinch
Salt

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, Urad dhal, oil

Method:
Soak tuvar dhal & channa dhal in hot water for 2 hours.
Grind these dhals in a mixer with red chilli, asfoetida, salt, turmeric powder coarsely.
Steam this mixture in idli cooker for 10 - 12 minutes.
Let it cool. Then crumble the cooked dhals.
Meanwhile boil the green beans in water with little salt. Drain the water from beans.
In a kadai heat the oil, then add crumbled dhals and fry till golden crispy.
Stir continously in medium flame .
Then in another kadai add oil,mustard seeds,cumin seeds,urad dhal.
When mustard seeds crackle add the boiled beans and stir for 2 minutes. Then add the golden crumbled dhals and stir.

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Keerai Masiyal

Ingredients:
Amaranth greens - 1 bunch
Moong dhal (paassi paruppu) - 50gm
Onion - quater diced
Garlic - 1 clove
Tomato - half
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Salt

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds
Black gram (Urad dhal)
Asafotida
Whole red chilli - 2

Method:
Remove the leaves from the stalk and wash the leaves. Heat moong dhal in water.
When moong dhal is half cooked add onion, garlic, tomato.
After 4 mts add the greens, cumin seeds and cook.
Add this mixture with salt in a mixie and grind coarsely.
For seasoning take a small kadai and add oil, to the oil add mustard seeds, urad dhal, asafotida. When mustard seeds crackle add whole red chilli and fry. Add this to the Greens.

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Cauliflower and Peas Fry

Ingredients:

Whole cauliflower - 1 (cut into florets)

Onion - 1 (cut into pieces)

Ginger - 1 inch (grated)

Garlic - 1 clove ( crushed )

Green chilli - 2 (slit)

Turmeric powder-2 pinch

Cumin seeds-1/4 tsp

Salt

Oil

Coriander leaves

Green Peas - 25 gms

Method:

Wash the florets in the warm water with salt.

Take oil in a kadai.

Add cumin seeds, onion and fry.

Add Ginger and garlic followed by green chilli. Stir.

Add cauliflower, salt, turmeric powder.

Let the florets cook in low flame atleast 10 to 15 mts by stirring every 3 minutes.

Turn off the flame.

Add peas and coriander leaves and stir.

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Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

Whole Chicken - 1 (cut into pieces)
Onion (large) - 1 ( cut into tiny pieces)
Ginger - 2 inch (grated)
Garlic -4 cloves ( grated in to fine)
Tomatoes - 2 (cut into fine pieces)
Mint leaves - 10
Green chilli - 1
Curry leaves - 6
Red chilli powder - 1tsp
Paprika - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1pinch
Salt
Oil

Masala for grinding:

Clove - 2
Saunf - 1/4 tsp
cinnamon - 1
cardomon - 2
cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Peppercorn - 6

Method:
Marinate the chicken with paprika, and salt.
Heat oil in kadai.
Add ground masalas.
Add onions. Fry till onion and masalas are fried.
Add ginger garlic. Fry.
Add mint leaves, and green chillies. Fry.
Add tomatoes, and little salt. Fry.
Add chicken and fry.
Add red chillies, corainder, and turmeric powders. Mix everything together.
Cover and Cook in medium flame for 15 - 20 minutes. Every three minutes stir the chicken curry to avoid burning.
Garnish to your liking.

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Mutton Briyani

Ingredients:
Mutton - 1/2 kg
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Onion - 2 (large size cut into pieces)
Ginger paste -1 tsp
Garlic paste -1 tsp
Tomato - 2 (large cut into pieces)
Yogurt - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chilli - 3
Clove - 2
Javanthiri - 2
Bay leaves - 3
Cinnamon stick -2
Cardamom - 2
Saffron - 2 pinch
Nutmeg powder - 1 pinch
Ghee - 4 tsp
Oil
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves
Milk -4 tsp

Method:
Soak the rice with one cup of water and keep aside.
In the cooker add 3 tsp of oil and add dry spices, onion. fry the onion till it becomes translucent. Then add ginger, garlic paste, green chilli and stir.
Then add tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are done.
Add the mutton and stir.
Add salt, 2 tsp ghee and stir.
Add 2 tsp of yogurt and stir for 1 minute.
Add chilli powder,stir and let the meat cook till tender by adding little water.
When the meat is done add the rice which is soaking including the water.
Add one more cup of water.
Let it cook under pressure in medium flame till a whistle.
Remove from heat .
Once the pressure has decreased remove the lid.
Spread the briyani in a tray.
Now add the saffron with milk which should be soaked in warm milk earlier.
Add the remaining 2 tsp ghee and mix gently.
Garnish as you wish and enjoy the briyani.

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Mutton Kurma

Ingredients:

Mutton - 1/2 kg
Onion - 2 (cut into pieces)
Ginger paste - 3 tsp
Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Tomato - 2 (cut into pieces)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder -1 and 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Green chilli - 2
Saunf - 1/4 tsp
Clove - 2
Cinnamon - 2
Poppy seeds - 1/4 tsp
Bay leaves - 2
Curry leaves - few
Corainder leaves
Salt
Oil

Method:
Pressure cook the mutton pieces with little bit salt, turmeric powder, and 1tsp ginger paste.
Add oil in a kadai on medium heat.
When oil is heated, add saunf, clove, cinnamon, bay leaves, onions, green chillis, and curry leaves.
Add ginger, garlic paste and fry.
Add tomatoes and stir till the tomato is boiled.
Add mutton pieces and stir.
Add chilli powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder. Stir again.
Add salt and water. Let it boil for 3 minutes.
Grind the coconut and poppy seeds into a paste by adding required water.
Add the above coconut paste in the kadai.
Cook for 4 minutes.
Remove from burner.
Garnish as you wish.

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