Zardha Pulav

Ingredients :

• Basmathi rice - 1 cup
• Cardamom - 3to 4
• Pure ghee - 3 tbl. sps.
• Kesari powder - 1 / 4 tsp
• Milk - 1 / 4 cup
• Water - 1 1 / 2 cup
• Sugar - 1 / 2 cup
• Peeled almonds - 5to 6
• Broken walnuts - 1 tsp
• Rose water - 1 1 / 2 tsp
• Sweetles khova - 100 gms.
• Powdered sugar - 2 tsp

Method :

Wash and soak rice for half an hour. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel, add cardamoms and fry for a minute. Add 1 1 / 2 cups of water with kesari powder. When it starts boiling add rice and hot milk. Close the vessel and cook in low flame till rice becomes tender. Make a thick sugar syrup by dissolving it in 1 / 2 cup of water and boiling it, crumble khova and powdered sugar, rose water, finely chopped nuts. When rice is cooked and moisture is evaporated add sugar syrup and khova mixture. Mix gently and cook in low flame for 10 to 12 minutes till moisture dries up. Arrange in a serving plate and garnish with kesar and chopped nuts. Enjoy your yummy zardha pulav.

Stuffed Ladies Finger

Ingredients :

• Ladies finger - 1 / 2 kg [ tender ones ]
• Onion large - 3
• Green chillies - 8 to 10
• Salt - as required
• Oil - for frying
• Fresh grated coconut - little [ for garnish ]
• Chopped coriander leaves - little [ for garnish ]

Method :

Wash and cut ends from ladies finger. Using a sharp knife make a long slit in the center and carefuly take seeds from inside. Then mince onions, green chillies, and the seeds [ which is taken away from ladies finger ] into very fine pieces. Fry them in oil till raw smell is lost. Then mix salt to that, and stuff inside ladies finger. Then take a non- stick flat pan and arrange stuffed pieces in it with oil. Cook in reduced flame, with a lid on top turning gently in between.  When vegetable become soft remove from the gas and garnish with fresh grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice and roti.

Chocolate muffins

Ingredients :

Sift together :

• Maida - 2 level cups [ 200 gms. ]
• Baking powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cooking soda - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cocoa - 3 tbl. sps. [ level ]
• Salt - a pinch

 
Blend in a mixie :

• Sugar - 1 cup [ heaped ]
• Fresh cream - 3 / 4 cup
• Fresh thick curds - 3 / 4 cup
• Vanilla / Chocolate essence - 1 / 2 tsp

Method :

Powder sugar in a mixie [mixer]. Add other ingredients and whip lightly. Mix sifted ingredients to that in clock wise direction. Blend with spatula using cut and fold method. Pour in muffin moulds, top with choco chips and bake at pre-heated oven at 180˚C for 20 to 25 minutes.

Raisin vanilla muffins

Ingredients :

Sift together :

• Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
• Cornflour - 1 / 4 cup
• Milk powder - 1 tbl. sp
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Baking soda - 1 tsp
• Salt - a pinch

Boil together :

• Milk - 1 1/2 cups
• Raisins - 1 / 2 cup

Cream together :

• Butter - 1 / 2 cup
• Powdered brown sugar - 3 / 4 cup
• Vanilla essence - 1 / 2 tsp

Method :

Sift the mentioned ingredients together twice. Boil raisins in milk until it becomes soft. Allow it to become luke warm. Then add [cream] butter and sugar until it becomes light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence and whip again. Mix sifted ingredients and raisins with milk. Mix gently. Pour in muffin moulds and bake in a preheated oven at 180˚C to 200˚C for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve muffins when it is warm.

Carrot Pulav [ rice ]

Ingredients :

• Rice - 1 cup
• Carrots - 3 [ big ]
• Onions - 2 medium sized
• Roasted peanuts - 2 tbl.sps.
• Oil - 2 tbl. sps.
• Ghee - 2 tbl. sps.
• Salt - as required
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cloves - 2

For masala powder :

• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 3 / 4 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 3 to 4
• Grated dry coconut - 2 tbl. sps.

 [ heat a tea spoon of oil fry the above ingredients, finally add coconut fry till brown and powder. ]

Method :

Cut onions into small pieces. Blanch whole carrots in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes and then grate it. Cook rice, allow it to cool and separate the grains. Then heat oil, fry cinnamon, clove and onions. Fry till it becomes transparent. Add grated carrots, fry till the raw smell goes. Sprinkle water if necessary. Add rice, salt, powdered spices and fry over high flame for few minutes. Before removing from the gas, add powdered  peanuts and ghee. Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with fried papad and thick curd.

Tender Coconut Pancake [Dosa]

Ingredients :

• Tender coconut [ vazhukai] - 1 cup
• Coconut water - 1 / 4 cup
• Corn flour - 3 tbl. sps.
• Green chillies - 3 to 4
• Salt - as required
• Coriander leaves - little [ chopped ]
• Oil - 1 / 4 cup

  
Method :

First take tender coconut, green chillies, salt and grind them in mixer, adding little coconut water and make a smooth paste. In that mix chopped coriander leaves. Then heat a nonstick tawa and pour thick dosa. [do not spread]. Fry both the sides with oil. Cook in low flame only. Cook till there is no raw batter on top of the dosa. Serve hot with green chilli chutney and tomato chutney. Enjoy your tasty and soft pancake. [dosa].

Aratikaya podi [ vazakkai podi ] [ andhra dish ]

Ingredients :

• Raw banana - 3
• Finely cut onions - 1 / 4 cup
• Tamarind - gooseberry sized
• Salt - as required
• Oil - for frying
• Fresh curry leaves - few [ for garnish ]

Fry and powder :

• Red chillies - 4 to 5
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Black gram dhal - 1 tsp
• Bengal gram dhal -1 1 / 2 tsp

Method :

Peel outer skin and cut banana into four lengthwise pieces and then slice into thin pieces. Keep immersed  in water till  required. Then remove pieces from water and fry it in oil till it turns golden. Cool down to room temperature. Grind fried ingredients to coarse powder, add salt, tamarind and run the mixie once. Add fried vegetable pieces and pound coarsely. [ run the mixie at low speed for short intervals stirring once or twice in between ]. Then heat rest of the oil and fry onions till crisp and golden. Add pound pieces and fry for few more minutes. Remove from the gas. Serve with steamed rice,roti  etc.Garnish with fresh curry leaves.