Hearty Spices

Egg Balls: 4 Eggs 1 Onion, finely chopped Salt to taste 1/8 tsp Turmeric Powder 1/8 tsp Red Chilli Powder 1/8 tsp Garam Masala 1 Green Chilli, finely chopped 8 – 10 Curry Leaves, finely chopped 4 tsp Corriander Leaves, finely chopped Gravy: 1½ tbsp Oil 2 Onions, finely chopped 2 Tomatoes, finely chopped Salt to taste 1 tsp Turmeric Powder 2 Green Chillies, finely chopped ½ tsp Coriander Powder ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder ½ tsp Garam Masala ¼ tsp Cumin Powder Few Curry Leaves, finely chopped Few Corriander Leaves, finely chopped 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste Egg Balls: Break open the eggs and mix all the other ingredients. When they are well blended, keep a gunthaponganalu pan on the stove. When the pan is hot, add oil and pour just to fill half of the hole. Cover and cook in slow heat for 2 - 3mins. Turn over and cook for 2 mins. Remove and leave it aside Gravy: In a pan add oil, when the oil is hot; add the onions and green chillies. Fry till they are transparent, then add the tomatoes and gi...

½ kg Brinjals 2 tbsp Oil ½ tsp Mustard Seeds 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 1 tsp Urad Dal 6 Curry leaves Salt to taste ½ tsp Turmeric Powder For Paste: ½ cup Coriander leaves,chopped 10 Green chilies, according to your taste 1 tsp Cumin Seeds Add little water and make a paste with these 3 ingredients and leave a side. Juice of 3 one-inch Tamarind pieces. Wash and cut the brinjals in to bite size pieces. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan add mustard seeds and let them popup then add urad dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves and fry till light brown then add brinjal pieces, salt to taste, turmeric powder cover and cook till brinjal half cooked. Now add 3 tbsp of thick tamarind extract and cook for 10 min. Now add ground coriander paste mix well and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat before all the juices are absorbed. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

2 cups boiled Elbow Macaroni 1½ tbsp Olive Oil 1 large Onion, finely chopped 1 Bell Pepper, finely sliced 6-7 Garlic Flakes, crushed 1 large Tomato Fistful of boiled Sweet Corn (optional) Salt to taste Freshly Ground Pepper, as per taste Big pinch Mustard Powder (optional) 1 tbsp Grated Cheese for garnish 1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley, for garnish For White Sauce: 1 tbsp Maida / All Purpose Flour 1 tbsp Butter 1 cup Milk (room temp) 1 tbsp Grated Cheese Salt and Pepper to taste Cook macaroni in salted rapidly boiling water until al dente, drain and keep aside. Heat olive oil in a vessel, add the onions, capsicum and crushed garlic and saute till transparent. Add the chopped tomato and salt. Cook for 8-10 mts, stirring once in a while. Add the boiled corn and combine. While the onion-tomato base cooks, prepare the white sauce. Heat a pan, on low flame, add the butter and let it melt. Add maida and keep stirring using a hand whisk over a low flame till well blended. Slowly add the milk, s...

Line a small baking dish (7x7) with parchment paper and set aside. In a non stick pan, add 15 oz of Ricotta Cheese, 14 oz of condensed milk and cook over medium heat stirring frequently for 20-25 minutes.  Add a tsp of Cardamom Powder and mix well. Remove from heat. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and press evenly with a silicon spatula. Press down silvered Pistachios, dried rose petals and cut into 1to 2 inch pieces. Set aside for it to set and cool down completely. 

Bendakayalu / Okras - Wash 20 Bendakayalu and wipe and dry with a dry cloth. Slice each one into small thick pieces. Spice Powder - Take 6-7 Garlic Cloves, a tsp of Cumin Seeds, Salt as needed and a tsp of Red Chilli Powder and grind to a coarse paste. Vepudu / Fry - In a pan heat 2 tbsp of Oil , add 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds and after they splutter, add and saute 2 tsp of Urad Dal, 3 broken Red Chillies, few Curry Leaves, a pinch of Turmeric Powder  and saute till the Urad Dal turns golden brown. Add and saute the bendakaya pieces on medium heat for 15 minutes, tossing ocassionally. Once the bendakaya pieces are soft and slightly crispy, remove from heat.  Serve hot with steamed white rice.

10 BananaPeppers, slit lengthwise, remove seeds ½ cup Besan/Chickpea flour Salt to taste 2 tsp Sesame Powder (Optional) 1/8 tsp Turmeric Chilli powder to taste Oil ¼ tsp Cumin Seeds Lightly dry roast besan for couple of minutes and cool it down. In a mixing bowl, add besan, salt, turmeric, sesame powder and chilli powder and combine well. Fill the peppers with the besan stuffing. Heat some oil in a wide-bottom pan, add cumin seeds. Then add the stuffed peppers. Cover and on a low flame (to prevent burning), cook the peppers until all sides are equally charred. Keep turning couple of times in the middle. If you have any extra filling left out, sprinkle over the peppers, just 5 minutes before turning off.

2-3 cups Phool Makhani/Puffed Lotus Seeds 1 large Onion, finely chopped 2 large Tomatoes, finely chopped 1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds 1 tsp Garam Masala ½ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional) 1-2 tbsp Sugar (Adjust acc to taste) Small bunch of Coriander Leaves, finely chopped 1 tbsp Oil + Oil for Deep Frying Salt to taste Ground to Smooth Paste: ½-¾ cup Coconut, fresh/frozen 1 tbsp Cashews 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds, dry roasted till light golden 1 inch Cinnamon Stick 3 Cloves 3 Green Cardamoms 1 inch Ginger, peeled Deep fry phool makhani in heated oil till it turns light golden brown in colour and place them on paper towel to drain excess oil. Grind cashews, roasted poppy seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and coconut to smooth paste adding little water at time. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add finely chopped onion and sauté till they turn golden brown. Mix in ground paste and keep stirring for about 4-5 minutes till the masala paste turns light brown in c...