Methi Matar Malai

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh methi leaves chopped
1/2 cup boiled peas
1 onion chopped
1/2 tsp ginger chopped
1/2 tsp garlic chopped
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp amchur powder(mango powder)
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 cup fresh cream/malai
salt to taste
pinch of sugar
1 tbsp oil

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and fry till translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and methi leaves. Fry for about 6-7 minutes. Add the peas, salt, sugar and chilli powder. Fry some more. Add the amchur powder and stir well. Switch off the heat. Add the cinnamon powder and garnish with fresh cream. Serve with chapathis.

Serves 4

Maddur Vada

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour/maida
1 cup rice flour
1/4 cup fine sooji/chiroti rava
1 onion chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp grated ginger
4-5 green chillies chopped fine
1/4 cup dry coconut(kobri)
1 tsp hot oil/ghee
pinch of hing
salt to taste

Method:

Combine all the ingredients together. Add water and make a dough. Divide the dough into small balls and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Take a ball, flatten it with your hand and deep fry until golden brown. Serve as is, or with ketchup.

Makes around 20 vadas

NOTE: Fry the vadas on medium heat so it turns to a golden brown color gradually. Do not make the vadas too thick, they turn out much crispier if they are thin.

Sabudana Vada

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sabudana/sago/sabbakki
1 peeled boiled and mashed potato
3-4 chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp roasted and coarsely powdered peanuts
chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste
oil to deep fry

Method:

Soak the sabudana in water for about 2-3 hours. Drain and keep aside. Add boiled and mashed potatoes,green chillies,coriander,crushed peanuts,salt,cumin seeds and mix well. Make balls and flatten it with your hand. Heat oil in a pan, add the vadas 3 or 4 at a time and fry until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. Serve with ketchup.

Serves 4

Nucchin Unde with Majjige Huli

Nucchin Unde

Ingredients:

1 cup toor dal
1/4 cup chana dal
5-6 green chillies
2-3 red chillies
1-2 tbsp chopped coconut bits(optional)
1/8 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp chopped curry leaves
hing
ghee
salt to taste

Soak the dals for an hour. Grind soaked dal, green chillies, red chillies, hing and salt together. Do not add too much water, it should be a thick coarse paste. Add coconut pieces, shredded coconut, coriander and curry leaves and mix well.



This is what it looks like before steaming



Steam for about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve warm with a tsp of ghee and majjige huli or chutney.

Majjige Huli:

2 cups chopped spinach
1/4 cup chana dal
1/4 cup shredded coconut
6-7 green chillies
coriander leaves
hing
curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup sour curd/yogurt
1-2 red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Soak chana dal for an hour. Grind dal with coconut, cumin seeds, salt, hing, curry leaves and coriander leaves to a fine paste. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When it sputters, add red chillies and the chopped spinach. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add the ground paste, salt, water and bring to a boil. Switch off the heat and allow to cool a bit. Add the sour curd and mix well.

Serves 4

Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:

5 roma tomatoes chopped
1 red onion chopped
1 small garlic clove(optional)
1/2 tsp ginger minced
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 cup basil leaves + 1 tbsp chopped, for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cream(optional)

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, add the onion and brown sugar. Saute until the onions are caramelized. Add the ginger, garlic and saute for a minute. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Allow to cool. Blend the mixture along with basil leaves until smooth. Sieve through a strainer, so there are no lumps. Before serving, warm the soup and garnish with chopped basil leaves and cream.

Serves 4

Farfalle with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked farfalle(bowtie) pasta
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
5-6 mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

For the pesto sauce:

1 bunch basil leaves
1 clove garlic
6-7 roasted walnuts
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3-4 roasted red chillies
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp heavy cream

Method:

Place the roasted walnuts, garlic clove, basil leaves, parmesan cheese and red chillies in a food processor and pulse until well blended. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil and pulse again. Transfer the paste into a bowl, add salt and pepper and keep aside.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add salt and the uncooked pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, saute onion and the bell peppers until soft. Add the brocolli and mushrooms and saute until cooked. Lower the heat and add the pesto paste, reserved pasta water and salt. Now add the cream and the cooked pasta and mix until combined. Sprinkle grated mozzarella on top and serve!



Serves 4

Khara Biscuit (Masala Cookies)

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup(1 stick) cold unsalted butter
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp chopped green chillies
1 tsp chopped curry leaves
1/4 tsp ajwain seeds or cumin seeds
4 tbsp yogurt

Method:

Mix the flour with sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut the butter into cubes and mix it in with the flour using a hand held mixer. It should be a bread crumb consistency. Add the chillies,curry leaves, ajwain seeds, yogurt and mix until the dough comes together. Roll the dough into 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shape and place on a baking sheet.



Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15-16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes around 25 cookies

NOTE: Once the dough comes together, do not knead it too much or else the cookies are going to get hard once baked.