Til Mil Matar

Ingredients :

• Fresh shelled peas [ matar ] - 2 cups [ boiled ]
• Tomato - 1 [ cut into small pieces ]
• Fenugreek leaves [ kasoori methi ] - 2 table spoon
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Sesame seeds - 1 1 / 2 tsp [ dry roasted, to garnish ]
• Chopped coriander leaves - little
• Fresh cream  - 1 table spoon

Spice mixture for gravy :

• Onions - 2 [ roughly chopped ]
• Garlic flakes - 2
• Sesame seeds [ till ] - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Sugar - 1 / 2 tsp

 [ grind all together using little water to a fine paste in mixcer. ]

Method :

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai. Reduce heat, add the spice mixture and fry for 3 minutes till nice smell comes. Stirring continuously. Add tomato pieces, boiled peas and kasoori methi. Fry for some more time till oil comes out. Fry in low flame. Finely sprinkled with a roasted sesame seeds. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fresh cream. Serve with roti, parathas.

Wheat pongal

Ingredients :

• Broken wheat [ lawpsi ] - 1 cup [ soaked overnight ]
• Rice - 1 / 2 cup
• Toovar dahl - 1 / 4 cup
• Moong dahl - 1 / 4 cup
• Tamarind paste - 1 / 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt -as required
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Ginger - 1 / 2 inch piece [ finely chopped ]
• Green chillies - 2 [ finely chopped ]
• Black pepper - 12 [ crushed ]
• Cummin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Vegetable used :

• Potatoes - 2 [ peeled and cut into small pieces ]
• Carrots - 1 / 2 cup [ cut into small pieces ]
• French beans - 1 / 2 cup [ cut into small pieces ]
• Fresh peas - 1 / 4 cup
• Tomatoes - 2 [ cut into small pieces ]

For seasoning :
Ghee - 4 to 5 table spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 1 [ broken ]
Curry leaves - little
Onion - 2 [ peeled and sliced ]

For garnishing :
Coriander leaves - little
Cashewnut bits - 10 to 12 [ fried in ghee ]

Method :

In soaked wheat rava [big ] add the washed rice, both dahl, green chilli, ginger, crushed pepper, cummin seeds, asafoetida, salt ,  turmeric powder and tamarind paste . Mix well, add more water and to bring it to 2" above the level of the rice. Pressure cook and wait for 3 whistles to come. Cook the vegetables adding just enough water and little salt. Heat ghee in a kadai, add mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and onion slices. Fry till the onion is light brown and crisp. Add the boiled vegetable and saute for 5 minutes in low flame. Add to the wheat pongal, mix well adding 2 tbspn of ghee  at the end. Garnish with coriander leaves and fried cashewnuts. Transfer to a vessel and serve hot with coconut chutney and sambhar.

Papaya milk shake

Ingredients :

• Ripe papaya  - 250 gms [ peeled, seeded and cut into pieces ]
• Sugar - as required
• Vanilla essence - a few drops
• Milk - 5 cups

Method :

Blend all the above ingredients in a mixie.  Keep in the fridge for 1 / 2 an hour or add ice - cubes to that. Serve chilled along with breakfast.

Thakaali pattani bath

Ingredients -:

• Sooji [ rawa ] - 1 cup
• Big onions - 2 [ chopped fine ]
• Green peas - 1 / 4 cup [ shelled or frozen ]
• Big red tomatoes - 3 [ boiled and blended ]
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Ginger paste or chopped finely - 1 / 2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp
• Oil - 3 table spoon
• Salt - as required
• Coriander leaves - little

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Green chillies - 2 to 3 pieces [ slit ]
• Kurry leaves - little
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tsp

Method :

Boil 1 cup of water and salt in a deep non- stick kadai. Add the peas and cook till the vegetable  become soft. Keep aside, in same kadai , heat oil and add  mustard seeds. When it pop add chopped onion, and fry for few seconds. Then add the tomato puree along with 2 cups of water, and allow to boil for 5 minutes in lower flame. Heat a tablespoon of ghee, and the green chillies, ginger and asafoetida powder. Gradully add the sooji stit for a minute, on a low flame till it turns translucent. Add the boiling water and stir fast to avoid lumps. When it becomes soft, add the peas with water, tomato puree, lime juice, salt, turmeric. Mix well. Keep the gas in lower till the whole mixture leaves the kadai. Add remaining ghee, curry leaves. Remove from the gas. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with white chutney and a sambhar.

Fresh home made ghee [ neiy ]

Ingredients :

• Un salted butter - 500 gms
• Deep bottom kadai

Method :

Keep 500 gms of unsalted butter in a heavy bottom kadai over a medium heat. When it melts and comes to boil, lower the heat stirring all the time. The butter will bubble and make bubbling sounds. Skim the froth occasionally with a ladle from the top, till it turns deep golden in colour.  In about 10 minutes it will be clear and become clear. Quickly remove from the gas to maintain  the dark honey colour and cool it for 10 minutes. Strain the contents in to a container with a firm lid remains the black at the bottom of the pan.

Note :
Ghee is traditional medium for frying food. It is served as a topping for white rice and gravy in a south indian menu. Ghee prepared at home with unsalted butter is wholesome and delicious.

Tasty tip :

The black residue can be turned into a tasty snack by mixing with  a table spoon of wheat flour and 1 / 2 teaspoon sugar.

Cabbage thovayal

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Ingredients :

• Cabbage - small one [ chopped ]
• Big onion - 2 [ cut in to pieces ]
• Broken black gram [ urad dhal ] - 4 table spoon
• Dried red chillies - 4 to 5
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
• Green chilli - 1 [ slit ]
• Ginger - very small piece
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 / 2 cup
• Salt - as required
• Oil  - 2 tsp

Method :

Take one pan , heat oil and roast urad dhal, red chillies,until bright red in colour. Add asafoetida, onions and fry till onions turn golden. Add cabbage along with salt, tamarind paste, green chilli, ginger piece. Fry in low flame for 2 mints. Then mix fresh coconut to that, blend all the ingredients in to a coarse paste to make a thick chutney using very little water. Serve with rice, idli, dosas.

Dhideer rasam [ instant soup ]

Ingredients :

• Red big tomatoes - 1 / 4 k. g.
• Sambhar powder - 1 /2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 4 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Lime juice - 1 table spoon
• Salt - as required
• Coriander leaves - little

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Green chilli [ slit ] - 1
• Fresh ghee - 1 tsp

Method :

Boil the tomatoes and extract the puree.Take  a  deep vessel, boil the sambhar powder, turmeric, asafoetida, and salt along with the tomato puree and 3 cups of water.Keep in a low flame for 5 minutes. Add  1 / 2 cup of water if needed. Melt the  ghee in a small pan, add the mustard seeds when it pop add the  cumin seeds. Add slit green chilly in the same ghee saute it and add to the rasam. Remove from the gas and add the lime juice to that and garnish with coriander leaves.

Tasty tip :
Add a pinch of pepper powder to the seasoning for extra flavour.