Lemon Pickle - Authentic South Indian Pickle

Ingredients

Lemon – 10

Salt as required ( I added 4 tspn)

Chilli powder – 5 tspn

Turmeric powder – 1 tspn

Gingelly oil – 1 tblpsn

Mustard seeds – 1 tspn

Asafoetida powder – ½ tspn

A few curry leaves

Preparation

1.Cut the lemon into 8 qtrs equaly and remove the seeds.

2.In a bowl take the cut lemon pieces and add salt,turmeric powder and chilli powder.Mix all these well. keep it a side for 3-5 days in a jar.

3.Heat gingelly oil in a pan.

4.Splutter mustard seeds. Then add asafoetida powder and curry leaves.

5.Add the lemons from the jar which kept aside. Combine well.

6.Cover it with a lid and cook it in low heat for 20 – 30 mins .Oil should come out.

7.Transfer the pickle into a dry container.

8.keep Refrigerate 

Methi Dal - Indian Lentil soup with Fenugreek Leaves.

Ingredients

Methi ( Fenugreek)  leaves - A bunch

Toor dal  -1 cup

Oil - 1 tblpsn

Mustard seeds - 1 tspn

Garlic clove - 4 (crushed)

Curry leaves - 1 spring

Asafoetida powder - a pinch

Cumin seeds - 1 tspn

Dried red chilli - 2 (Broken into two)

Green chillies - 4 (sliced)

Onion (small size)- 1 (chopped ) 

Tomato -1 (chopped)

Tamaring pulp - 1 tblspn

Salt to taste

Water as required

Preparation

1.Cook the dal with salt,turmeric powder,tomato and water in a pressure cooker.

2.Heat oil in a deep pan.Splutter mustard seeds and crackle cumin seeds.

3.Add dried red chillies,garlic,asafoetida powder,onion,green chillies and curry leaves.

4.Stir fry for about 2-3 minutes at high heat till the onions turn golden.

5.Add the methi leaves and toss it.Cover & cook for about 10 minutes at medium heat.

6.Add the cooked dal and tamarind pulp.It has to be  soup consistency, not like a thick paste, so add water if you need to at this time.

7.Add salt if necessary.

8.Cover & cook at medium heat for about 8-10 minutes.

Serve with Roti or Rice.

Bread Upma

Ingredients

Bread slices - 5 to 6 ( cubed)

Olive oil- 2 tblspn

Mustard seeds-1tspn

Onion-1(chopped)

Frozen green peas - 1/2 cup

Tomato-1(chopped)

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tspn

Turmeric powder-1/4 tspn

Coriander powder- 1/2 tspn

Salt to taste

Preparation

1.Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds.

2.Add onions and fry until golden brown.

3.Add frozen green peas,tomatoes,chilli powder,coriander powder,turmeric powder and salt.

saute well.

4.Add bread cubes and combine well and remove from heat.

Veggie Pasta Dish - Italian Style

Ingredients

Elbow macoroni-1 cup

Olive oil- 4 tblspn

Onion-1(chopped)

Garlic clove-1 (minced)

Tomato-1(chopped)

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tspn

Turmeric powder-1/4 tspn

Pasta sauce-6-7 tblspn

Salt to taste

Shreded parmesan cheese-1/4 cup

Broccoli florets – ½ cup

Mushroom – ¼ cup

Preparation

1.Cook macaroni in boiling salt water until tender and drain it.

2.Heat oil in a pan.Add garlic and onions.cook until soft.

3.Add tomatos and sauté it well.

4.Add mushroom ,broccoli, turmeric powder,red chilli powder and salt.stir well.keep lid closed and cook until mushrooms are tender.

5.Add cooked elbow macoroni and mix it.

6.Add pasta sauce and stir it for 5 mins.

7.Sprinkle top with grated parmesan cheese.

Roman Beans Curry - Indian Version

Ingredients

Roman beans -1 cup (soaked over night or soaked 1 hour in hot water)

Onions(chopped) - 1 (medium size)

Tomato(chopped)-1

Few curry leaves

Mustard seeds- 1 tspn

Dried Red chillies- 4 nos

Ginger -2' inch piece (finely chopped)

Garlic - 4-5 cloves ( crushed)

Chilli powder- 1 tspn

Coriander powder- ½ tspn

Turmeric powder-½ tspn

Coriander leaves

Oil- 2 tblspn

Water as required

Salt to taste

Preparation

1.Cook Roman beans in a pressure cooker with salt and keep aside.

2.Heat oil in a pan

3.Add mustard seeds and let it crackle.

4.Add the chopped ginger ,crushed garlic,dried red chillies ,curry leaves and stir it.

5.Add chopped onions. Sauté till the onions turn golden brown.Then add chopped tomatoes.

6.Add turmeric powder,chilli powder and coriander powder and saute it

7.Add the cooked Roman beans and mix well

8.Once it starts boiling, keep the lid closed and let cook for 15 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Jilebi - Indian Sweet

Ingredients

All purpose flour – ½ cup ( 100g)

Gram flour – 1 tspn

Plain yogurt – ¼ cup

Oil – ½ tspn

Water – ¼ cup

Baking soda – 1 pinch

Ghee or oil for frying
( Note- You can also make with instant jilebi mix )

For Sugar syrup

Sugar- 300g

Water – 240 ml

Pinch of cardamom powder

Few strands of saffron

Preparation

1.Mix the all purpose flour, gram flour, baking soda, curd in a bowl.

2.Mix well, add water and whisk until smooth.

3.Set aside for about 2 hours to ferment

4.Whisk thoroughly before use.

5.prepare sugar syrup- Dissolve 300g sugar in 240 ml water.Bring to boil,reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 mins.Add few strands of saffron and cardamom powder to the sugar syrup.

6.Fill the Jalebi batter into a piping bag with a  nozzle. You can also use an empty bottle (i.e. empty ketchup or mustard bottle).

6.Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan.

7.Squeeze to make 3 ½ circles with batter starting from the center and sealing the end in the last half round.

8.Deep fry on medium heat till crisp and golden.

9.Immerse jilebis in warm sugar syrup for 20 secs.Serve hot or cold.

Black Bean Soup - Southwestern Flavored

Ingredients

Black beans -1 cup (soaked over night or soaked 1 hour in hot water)

Onions(chopped) – 1 (medium size)

Tomato(chopped)-1

Ginger-Ginger -2' inch piece (finely chopped)

Garlic - 4-5 cloves ( minced)

Chilli powder- 1 tspn

Coriander powder- ½ tspn

Turmeric powder-½ tspn

Coriander leaves

Oil- 2 tblspn

Water as required

Salt to taste

Lemon juice – 1 tblspn

Preparation

1.Cook Black beans in a pressure cooker with salt and keep aside.

2.Heat oil in a deep pan

3..Add the chopped ginger and crushed garlic stir it.

4.Add chopped onions. Sauté till the onions turn golden brown.Then add chopped tomatoes.

5.Add turmeric powder,chilli powder and coriander powder and saute it

6.Add the cooked black beans and mix well

7.Once it starts boiling, keep the lid closed and let cook for 15 minutes.

8.Remove from heat and add lemon juice.

9.Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve it hot with chappathies,rice and bread.

Pineapple Rasam - Kaithachakka Rasam -Tamil kerala Recipe

Ingredients

Toor Dal (yellow lentils) -1/4 cup

Ripe pineapple(chopped) – ¼ cup

Tomato -1 nos (chopped)

Tamarind- lemon size

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tspn

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves

Mustard seeds

Oil

Curry leaves

Green chillies-2 nos (sliced)

Dried red chilli – 2 ( broken into two)

Asafoetida (hing)- a pinch

Garlic clove- 5-6 ( crushed)

For Rasam powder( or you can use instant rasam powder-2 tspn)

Cumin seeds – 1 tblspn

Whole black pepper – 1 tblspn

Fenugreek seeds – ½ tspn

Coriander seeds-1 tblspn

Dried red chilli-2

Channa dal – 1 tspn

Urad dal- 1 tspn

Preparation

1.Dry roast the ingredients for rasam powder.And grind it to make powder.keep aside.

2.Cook the chopped pineapple pieces in 2 to 3 cups of water until they are done, Meanwhile pressure cook tuvar dal with turmeric in a cup of water till soft and keep aside.

3.Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.Add the asafoetida, rasam powder(which kept aside early- or  instant rasam powder), garlic,dried red chillies and curry leaves.

4.Add tomatoes and sauté it.

5.Add the tamarind extract, cooked pineapple with water,green chili and salt.

6.Bring it to a boil.

7.Garnish with coriander leaves

Serve with rice.

Semiya Payasam - South Indian Dessert

Ingredients

Milk - 1 litre

Semiya ( Vermicelli) - 1/2cup

Sugar – 1/2 cup

Cardamom(Elakka) powder - 1/2 tsp

Cashewnuts - 10

Raisins(Kismis) - As reqd

Ghee for frying

Preparation

1.Heat 1 tblsp ghee in a pan. Fry raisins until they are plump and cashews till they become light golden brown. Keep aside.

2.Add the remaining ghee and roast the vermicelli to a golden brown.

3.Heat milk in a pan and when it boils and starts to rise, add roasted vermicelli.

4.When the vermicelli is cooked, add the sugar and remaining milk.Keep the flame low and stir continuously. Boil for some more time until the payasam is thickened.

5.Add powdered cardamom and Garnish with fried cashew nuts and raisins.

Puttu

Ingredients

Puttu Powder - 2 cups

Salt - 1 tspn 

Grated Coconut -1/2 Cup 

Water as required (almost ½ a cup)

Preparation

1.Add salt to the Puttu powder. Sprinkle water on it till moist. 

2.Spread little coconut to the bottom of the puttu vessel.Spread moist puttu powder over it followed by coconut topping. Continue several layers and end it with coconut at the top. 

3.Cover it with the lid and steam it until strong steam comes out through the holes of the lid.


Serve with Kadala curry

Kadala Curry

Ingredients

Black channa(Kadala) - 1 cup

Onions - 2 nos ( medium size)

Green chillies - 2 nos (slit open length wise)

Tomato - 1 no (medium size)

Curry leaves - 1 stem

Coriander leaves - 2 stem

Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Chilly powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp

Ginger - A small piece(chopped)

Garlic pods - 4 nos(crushed)

Oil 

Salt to taste

Preparation

1.Soak kadala over night or 8 hours.

2.Pressure cook kadala with enough water, turmeric powder and salt. 

3.Add mustard seeds and when they start to splutter, add finely chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves,garlic,ginger, chopped coriander leaves and fry, till the onions turn brown.

4.Add chopped tomato and stir well, till tomato blends.

5.Add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder and stir well, till the aroma of masala comes out.

6.Add enough water and black channa and cook, till water starts boili

7.Add pepper powder and garam masala(optional). llow kadala curry to boil.

Best combination of kadala curry is with Puttu.