Hearty Spices

3 Sweet Potatoes, diced ½ cup Sugar 3 tbsp Butter Boil sweet potatoes in microwave for 15 minutes. Take a pan and melt butter in it. Then add the boiled sweet potatoes to it. Keep the lid closed so that the sweet potatoes are soft. Then add sugar to it. Serve hot or cold.

Meatballs: 1 lb Ground Lamb (can use chicken / turkey) 1 tsp Minced Garlic 1 tsp Minced Ginger 1 Beaten Egg 2 tbsp Bread Crumbs ½ tsp Red Chili Powder Salt, as needed 1 tbsp Oil 1 tsp Garam Masala Gravy: 1 inch Cinnamon Stick 3 Cloves 2 small Onion, diced 3 Green Chili, chopped 1 tsp Ginger Paste 1 tsp Garlic Paste 2 tbsp Tomato Paste 1 tsp Garam Masala few Coriander Leaves, diced Oil 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder Salt, as needed 1 tbsp Corn Flour, mixed in 2 tbsp water 1 tsp Soy Sauce Clean the ground lab meat and put it in a bowl. Mash it finely and then add salt, red chili powder, garam masala, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, minced ginger, minced garlic and oil. Now mix all these ingredients together and make lemon size balls. Fry them in oil till golden brown. For the gravy: Take a deep fry pan and add oil to it and warm it. When the oil is warm enough add cloves and cinnamon and sauté for a minute. Then add onions and diced green chili and fry golden brown. Add salt, red chili powder, salt...

Pressure cook a cup of Pesara Pappu (Moong dal) till done with a chopped medium Red Onion, a chopped medium Tomato, 3 slit Green Chilies, 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder, pinch of Turmeric Powder and ¼ tsp of Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds). Heat 1 tsp of Oil in a pan and saute a tsp of Mustard & Cumin Seeds . As the seeds splutter, toss in 2 broken Red Chilies and a pinch of Asafetida . Remove from heat and add it to the cooked dal along with  1 cup of Water  and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Garnish with 2 tbsp of Lemon Juice and chopped Coriander Leaves and serve hot with white rice. 

Heat 2 tbsp of Oil and 1 tbsp of Ghee in a pan on medium heat. Add 8-10 Curry Leaves, 2 large Onions,sliced, 4 Green Chillies, slit, 16 Cloves, 2 inch Cinnamon Stick and 4 Cardamoms and stir fry for 10 minutes. Add 2 tsp of Ginger Garlic paste and saute for 5 minutes. Add 2 ripe Tomatoes, chopped, 10 Mint Leaves and 1 tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves and stir well. Add Salt to taste and 2 tbsp of Tomato Puree and cook covered for 10 minutes. Reduce heat, add 2½ cups Basmati Rice , mixing well, saute for 4 minutes. Add 5 cups of Water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook till rice is done. Serve hot with raita / yogurt.

2 cups Peanuts 2 cups Sugar 1 tsp Ghee or Clarified Butter ½ tsp Cardamom powder Dry roast the peanuts in a pan for few minutes till light brown and cool it. Remove the skin and crush them lightly. Heat a pan and add the clarified butter (ghee) and the sugar. Melt the sugar in low flame. Add the cardamom powder. Grease a tray and the back of a spoon for spreading the mixture. When the syrup reaches hardball consistency, remove it from the flame. Add the nuts and coat it well with the sugar syrup. Immediately transfer it to the greased tray. Press the back of the greased spoon onto the mixture to spread evenly and cut them into slabs. Make sure to cut the slabs before it cools. Let it cool and store it in airtight container.

1 medium sized Cauliflower (washed in salt warm water) 1 tbsp Oil / Butter 2 tbsp Oil ½ tsp Jeera ½ tsp Mustard Seeds 1 Onion, chopped Few Curry Leaves ½ tsp Turmeric Powder 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste 2 big Tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp Red Chili Powder 1 tsp Coriander Powder ½ tsp Cumin Powder (Jeera powder) ½ tsp Garam Masala Powder Salt, as needed Coriander leaves, for garnish Heat 1 tbsp oil and add cauliflower florets, stir-fry for 5 minutes continuously on medium flame, remove and keep aside. In the same vessel, heat oil, add jeera and mustards, let them pop, add chopped onions and curry leaves, fry till slightly reddish. Add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste, fry for few seconds, and add all powders and salt except garam masala powder and mix. Fry for few more seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes; cook till oil separates from the edges of the vessel. Add fried cauliflower florets, mix gently, covered, cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Add garam masala powder, mix gently, covered, cook...

Soak the a cup of Urad Dal for an hour. Rinse, drain the water and grind into smooth dough with minimum water. Add a tsp of minced Ginger, tbsp of Chopped Coriander Leaves, 4 finely chopped Green Chillies and Salt to taste before preparing to fry. Heat enough Oil in a pan to deep fry. Using a ziploc bag to shape the garelu, take a ball sized dough, place over the ziplock sheet. Slightly pat the ball with wet fingers to make into round shape with your index finger make a hole in middle of the round. When the oil is hot, take the shaped dough and drop immediately in hot oil. After shaping the garelu, whip clean the ziplock sheet and precede the same with the rest of the dough. Note: If the dough is loose: add a cooked/mashed potato or little rice flour. If the garelu are hard try a pinch of baking soda - but the soda will soak lots of oil.