Avocado Smoothie

Ingredients:
Avocado - 1
Litchi juice - 1/2 cup
Plain yogurt - 1/2 cup
Honey - 1 tbsp.
Sugar - 3 tsp.
Ice cubes - 4

Method:
Scoop out the flesh of the avocado and add in a blender.
Combine all the other ingredients in the blender and of course you what to do with a blender.
After blending, pour the smoothie in a glass and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Serve chilled and enjoy.

Sent off to Divya's "Show Me Your Smoothie" event.

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Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
Fusilli Pasta - 2 cups (tri-color)
Farfalle pasta - 2 cups
Red capsicum - 1 (cubed)
Yellow capsicum - 1 (cubed)
Cucumber (big) - 1 (peeled and chopped)
Carrots - 2 (grated)
Olive oil
Basil (dry)
Oregano (dry)
Thyme (dry)
Dry red chilli flakes
Salt (to taste)
Lemon juice - few drops
Tomato sauce - 2 tsp.
Scallions - 2 (chopped)
Lettuce (to garnish)

Method:
Cook pasta as per instructions.
In a mixing bowl, add cooked pasta, cubed capsicums, scallions, cucumber and carrot
Sprinkle dry basil, oregano, thyme and red chilli flakes and mix well.
Add a few drops of olive oil, tomato sauce, salt and lemon juice. Toss well.
Garnish with lettuce and serve immediately.

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Chana Masala-My Own Version

Ingredients:
Chana (boiled) - 1 cup
Onions (sliced) - 4
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves - 5
Byadgi chillies - 2
Coriander leaves - a small bunch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Oil
Salt
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp.
Tomato puree - 1/2 cup

Method:
Fry onions, coconut (both till golden color) and byadgi chilli separately.
Grind onions, chillies, coconut, garlic and coriander leaves into paste with little water.
Heat oil and add cumin seeds.
Add the paste and saute for a few minutes.
Add tomato puree and saute till oil separates.
Add cumin, red chillies, coriander, turmeric powder and salt and saute.
Add chickpeas and water. Stir.
Allow to cook for few minutes till the gravy thickens.
Enjoy with roti, puri or whatever the main course is.

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Wheat-Rava and Sprouted Green Gram Pongal

Ingredients:
Wheat-rava - 1 1/2 cup
Sprouted green grams - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 inch (chopped)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Peppercorn - 1/2 tsp.
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Cashewnuts - 5-6
Asafetida - a pinch
Ghee - 2 tsp.
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.

Method:
Dry roast the wheat-rava for 5 minutes in low flame.
Pressure cook the wheat-rava and sprouted green grams with 3 1/2 cups of water, required salt and turmeric powder.
Meanwhile fry the cashews in 1/2 tsp. of ghee. Keep it aside.
In a small pan, add ghee.
To the ghee, add coarsely powdered pepper-cumin, ginger, curry leaves and asafetida.
Saute for 30 seconds and add it to the pongal with cashewnuts. Mix well.
Serve hot (or warm) with favorite chutney.

Note:
Don't serve it cold.

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Curd Curry

Ingredients:
Curd - 2 cups
Onions - 2 (sliced)
Garlic - 2 cloves (big)
Green chilies - 3 (slit lengthily with the base intact)
Ground coriander - 2 tsp.
Whole dry red chilies - 3
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Oil
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp.


Method:
Add turmeric powder and a little amount of water to the curd.
Beat the curd till it becomes smooth.
Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds.
Add onions and saute till it changes color.
Add garlic and green and red chilies and saute for 2 minutes.
Add ground coriander and saute for a minute.
Remove from heat and add the mixture to the curd.
Mix the curd in a new vessel in simmer mode for 2 minutes (don't let it boil).
Remove from heat and mix in salt and coriander leaves.
Serve with hot rice!

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Coriander and Cucumber Idlis

Ingredients:
Idli rice - 2 cups
Raw rice - 2 cups
Urad dal/split black gram - 1 cup
Oats - 1 cup
Sprouted fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp.
Sprouted green gram (left-over) - 2 tbsp.
Salt

Method:
Soak rice and dal for 6 hours.
Grind urad dal with fenugreek and green gram.
Meanwhile sprinkle water on oats.
Grind rice and at the final stage add oats and grind.
Mix well with salt and ferment overnight.

Next morning after fermentation

Ingredients:
Coriander leaves - 1 big bunch (chopped)
Cucumber (fresh and big) - 1 (grated)
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chilies - 3
Dry roasted cumin seeds - 1 tsp. (coarsely pounded)
Curry leaves - 15 leaves (chopped)

Method:
Grind ginger and green chilli.
Take half of batter and add coriander leaves, grated cucumber, ground ginger and green chilies, coarse cumin seeds, chopped curry leaves and mix well.
Pour the batter in the idli plates.
Steam the idlis and enjoy with favorite chutney.

Note:
With the remaining batter add grated carrot or cucumber which can be prepared as dosa, uttappam or paniyaram.

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