Poha/Avil (Flattened Rice) Recipe -Indian Recipe

Ingredients

Poha/Flattened Rice - 2 cups

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn

Chilli powder - 1/4 tspn

Salt to taste

Olive oil - 2 tblspn

Mustard seeds - 1 tspn

Cardamom - 3

Green chilli -1 (chopped)

Ginger - 1 tspn (chopped)

Onion - 1/2 (medium size-chopped)

Lemon Juice - 1 tspn

Cilantro - 2 tblspn (chopped)

Preparation

1.Gently wash poha  and let it sit/drain for approximately 10 minutes.
2.Sprinkle turmeric, chili powder and salt and toss with a fork.

3.Heat oil in a pan.

4.Add cardamom, ginger and green chili and stir for a few seconds. Then add Onions and saute until they are tender.

5.Add poha and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, mixing gently.

6.Remove from heat and add lemon juice and cilantro. Mix and cover for few minutes.

Serve with Chutney

Sambar Sadam/Rice (BisiBelaBath) - Tamilnadu Recipe

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1 1/2  Cup

Toor Dal /Tuvara Parippu - 1/2 Cup

Extra virgin Olive oil - 2 tblspn

Mustard seeds - 1 tspn

Dried Red chillies- 2 (broken into two)

Curry leaves - 2 springs

Urad dal /Uzhunnu parippu - 1 tspn

Channa dal /Kadala parippu) - 1 tspn

Asafoetida powder- A pinch

Vegetables -  2 cups (potato-1,drum sticks,Beans)

Onion - 1 (medium size-chopped)

Tomato - 1 (chopped)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn

Sambar powder - 2 tspn

Tamarind Extract -1/2 tspn

Salt to taste

Ghee - 1 tspn

Preparation

1.Wash together rice and dal. Keep aside.
2.Heat oil in a pressure cooker and Splutter mustard seeds.Add curry leaves,red chillies and asafoetida.
3.Add onion and fry for a few minutes. Add all the vegetables and tomato. Fry for a min.
4.Add rice and dal, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, sambar powder, tamarind, salt. Mix everything.
5.Pour in 6 cups of water and add tspn of ghee.Let it cook for 3 whistles in high heat.And simmer for 5 minutes.Remove from the stove.
6.Let it cool for 30 minutes and serve.

Chena Van Payar Erissery (Yam and Black Eyed Peas Curry) -Kerala Recipe

Ingredients
Elephant yam(Chena) - 2 Cups
Black-eyed beans(Vanpayar) -1 Cup
Grated coconut  -1/2 cup (3 tblspn for seasoning and the remaining coconut for grinding)
Pearl Onions  -5 – 6 nos
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Black pepper - 4 nos
Garlic pods - 1 - 2 nos
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilly Powder -1 tsp
Salt to Taste
Seasoning:
Coconut Oil -2 tsp
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Black gram (Uzhunnuparippu/Urad dal) -1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves- 1 Spring
Red chillies -3 – 4 nos
Preparation
1)Cook vanpayar by adding enough water, turmeric powder and chilly powder.
2)When the vanpayar is nearly cooked, add chena and allow it to cook.
3)Grind together grated coconut, cumin seeds, black pepper,pearl onions and garlic into a coarse form.
(Make sure that it doesn’t become a paste)
4)When the chena and vanpayar are fully cooked, add the above ground mixture.
5)Add some water and salt and allow it to cook.
6)Remove from flame when it’s done.
7)Heat oil in a pan and Fry 3 tbsp of grated coconut and add it to this mixture.
8)Again Heat oil in a pan.
9)Splutter mustard seeds and add dry red chillies ,urad dal and curry leaves.
10)Add the above seasoning into the chena curry.
Serve with Rice.

Summer vegetable Curry

Ingredients
Butter-2tbspn
Onion (medium size)-1 (sliced)
Garlic cloves -2 (chopped)
Ginger – 2tspn
Pepper to tatse
Salt to taste
Potato(medium size) – 1 (cubed)
Zucchini -1(sliced)
Bell pepper – 1 (sliced)
Corn starch – 4tblspn
Curry powder-2tblpsn (I used chilli powder-1 1/2 tspn,coriander powder-1 tspn.turmeric powder-1/2 tspn)
Bay leaf – 1
Ketchup – 1 tblpsn
Milk-3tblspn
Soy sauce-1tblspn
Green peas- ¼ cup
Vegetable broth-946 ml pkg
Apple-1/4 (grated)
Cilantro for garnishing
Preparation
1.Heat butter in a deep pan
2.Sauté garlic, ginger and onion.
3.Add zucchini, bell pepper and potato, sauté a little more.
4.Mix cornstarch and curry powder. Stir well for a minute, making sure not to burn.
5.Add vegetable broth, bay leaf,soy sauce and ketchup. Add salt and pepper to taste.simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
6.Once the vegetables are cooked through, add milk, grated apple and green peas and cook for another 5 minutes
7.Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve with Brown Rice

Padavalanga/Podalangai kootu (Snake gourd with lentils and coconut) – South Indian Recipe

Ingredients
Channa dal-½ cup
snake guard – 1 (cubed)
Grated coconut-1/2 cup
Turmeric powder- ½ tspn
Chilli powder- 1 tspn
Oil-1 tblspn
Mustard seeds-1 tspn
Red chilli(broken into two)-2
Salt to taste
A few curry leaves
Preparation
1.Cook channa dal until it is ¾ done.
2.Add snake guard,turmeric powder and salt.cook for 15 -20 mins
3.Add chilli powder and boil till the water dries up.Switch off the flame.
4.Heat oil in another pan and splutter mustard seeds.
5.Add red chillies, ½ cup grated coconut and curry leaves.Saute it until coconut becomes golden brown.
8.Add this to the above vegetable and mix well.

Peas Fried Rice (Matar chawal)-Indian Recipe

Ingredients
Basmati rice – 1 cup
Dried green peas – 1 cup (soaked overnight-about 6 to 8 hours)
Carrot - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Water – 3 cups
Ghee/oil – 1½ table spoon
Bay leaves – 1 to 2
Black pepper corns – 1 tea spoon
Fennel seeds – 1 tspn
Cumin seeds – 1 tea spoon
Star Ani seed – 1 to 2
Cloves – 3 to 4
Green cardamom – 3
Cinnamon – 1½ inch long stick 1 or 2
Onion – 1 (small size) (chopped)
Green chillies – 5 (sliced)
Salt to taste
Few coriander leaves for garnishing
Lemon juice – few drops
Preparation
1.Heat ghee/oil in a pressure cooker.Add fennel seeds,cumin seeds,star ani seed,cloves,cardamom,cinnamon and bay leaves.
2.Then add onions and green chillies. Saute for a while.
3. Then add green peas and carrot .Fry for 1 minute.Now add rice and gently fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add water (I used 3 cups water for 1 cup basmati rice), salt, lemon juice and mix; pressure cook for 3 whistles in high. And simmer for 5 minutes.Remove from the stove.
5.Let it cool for 30 to 45 minutes and add coriander leaves and mix gently .
Serve with raita.

Spicy Sundal made with ChickPeas -South Indian Recipe

Ingredients

Chickpeas-1 cup

Extra virgin olive Oil - 2 tblspn

Mustard Seeds - 2 tspn

Red Chilies (broken into 2 pieces) -2

Curry Leaves - 2 springs

Asafoetida powder- a pinch

Pearl onions (chopped) - 1/2 cup

Green Chilies  -4 (chopped)

Coconut (grated) - 1/2 cup (optional)

Salt to taste

Preparation

1.Soak chickpeas in water overnight. Drain, add fresh water and cook chickpeas in a pressure cooker along with salt until soft. 

2.Drain excess water from cooked chickpeas, retaining about 3-4 tablespoons. 

3.Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds. Then, add red chili, curry leaves and asafoetida powder to it. 

4.Add chopped pearl onions and green chilies . saute it.

5.Add chickpeas .Simmer for 3-4 minutes. 

6.Add grated coconut(if using) to the above and mix it well. Turn off the flame.

Broccoli with Capsicum –Crunchy side dish

Ingredients
Broccoli-1 bunch ( cut into florets)
Extra virgin olive oil-1 tspn
Garlic (minced)-4 pods
Ginger(minced)-2 tspn
Onion(chopped)-1
Turmeric powder-½ tspn
Capsicum(sliced)-1
Pepper-1 tspn
Salt to taste
Preparation
1.Steam broccoli for 5 minutes and keep aside.
2.Heat oil in a shallow pan.
3.Add ginger ,garlic and onion.Saute for a while.
4.Add Capsicum and turmeric powder.Stir well for 2 mins.
5.Add steamed broccoli florets and salt.stir well for 1 minute.
6.Add pepper and serve hot.
Serve with Rice,noodles and pasta.