Hearty Spices

Veggies - Peel and finely chop 2 medium Onions and keep aside. Peel and grate / finely chop an inch of Ginger and keep aside. Also finely chop 3 tbsp of Coriander Leaves , 1 tbsp of Curry Leaves and 1 tsp of Green Chilies . Grate about 2-3 tbsp of Fresh Cocon ut and keep aside. Slightly crush about 1 tsp of Peppercorns and keep aside. Batter - Mix 1 cup fine Semolina / Sooji (Rava), ½ cup of Rice Flour, ¼ cup of All Purpose Flour (Maida) with 1 cup diluted Yogurt and enough Water (1½ - 2 cups of Water)  to it and mix until no lumps are formed. The batter should be thin enough to pour over the pan but should not have spreading consistency. Add Salt to taste, 1 tbsp of Cumin Seeds to the mixture and mix. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes. Crepes (Dosa) - Pour a ladle full of batter from the outward base of the hot tawa in a circular motion to the centre; fill the major gaps in between. But do not try to fill all the small gaps, those gaps helps in makin...

2 Eggs 1¼ cup All Purpose Flour ½ cup Sugar ¾ cup Butter 1 tsp Baking Powder A few drops of Vanilla Essence A handful of Dates, stoned and chopped Cream the butter and sugar. Whisk the eggs and add to it. Add the flour and baking powder and mix well. Add the vanilla and dates and mix. Line a muffin tray with baking cases and drop spoonfuls of the batter to each (ideally, ¾ th of the cases should be filled). Place the tray in the centre of a pre-heated oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes at 180C. Cool on wire racks and Serve.

1¼ cup Freshly Grated Coconut ½ tsp Cumin Seeds 1 tsp Urad Dal 1 tbsp Chana Dal 3 Dry Red Chilis, tear and de-seed 5 Green Chillis, cut each into two 4 Garlic Flakes Gooseberry sized Tamarind 2-3 tsp Oil Salt to taste ½ tsp Sugar (optional) Popu: ½ tsp Mustard Seeds 1 tsp Minappa pappu 5-6 Curry Leaves ½ tsp Oil Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and toast them for a few seconds, add the dals and let them turn red. Next add the garlic, red chillis and green chillis and fry them for ½ minute on low heat. Lastly add the coconut pieces (or grated) and stir-fry for a minute. Remove from pan and cool. Once cool, grind the toasted ingredients, tamarind, salt and sugar to a slightly coarse paste by adding very little water (few tbsps). You shouldn’t make it into a smooth paste. Heat oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Add the split black gram and let it brown. Add the curry leaves and toss them for a few seconds till the flavors come out. Turn off heat and add the seasoning ...

Dosa batter -   Wash 4 cup of Rice, a cup of Urad Dal, 1/3 cup of Chana Dal, 1/3 Cup of Moong Dal, 1/3 cup of Toor Dal, 1 tsp of Methi Seeds  together and soak them for 6-8 hrs or overnight. Next day morning soak a cup of Poha for an hour before starting the grinding process of the batter. Grind everything together to a smooth paste in the wet grinder for better results. Let it ferment for 9-10 hrs at room temperature. Pappulu Podi - Grind ¼ cup of roasted split chickpeas/putnala pappu, ¼ tsp of Cumin Seeds, a crushed garlic flake (optional), 2 dry red chilies (de-seeded), 1 tsp of Dry Coconut Powder (optional), Salt to taste to a fine powder and store in an air-tight container. Serve with rice and ghee, sprinkle over idlis with a dollop of ghee or sprinkle some of this podi over stir-fry dishes like beans/capsicum. Erra karam -   Heat a tsp of Oil in a pan; saute a large sliced Onion, 4 Red chilies and 3 Garlic flakes for 3 minutes. Remove and cool. Grind ...

Wash 2 cups of Beaten Rice (Poha /Atukulu) in water; drain and keep aside. Heat a tbsp of Oil , saute 2 tbsp of Peanuts  till they are toasted. Splutter a tsp of Mustard Seeds, a tsp of Cumin Seeds, a tsp of Urad Dal, a tsp of Channa Dal and a sprig of Curry Leaves . Add and saute a finely chopped Onion, 2-3 finely chopped Green Chillies, Salt to taste, a pinch of Turmeric Powder till the onions are soft. Add the drained beaten rice and mix gently to coat with the spices and onions. Adjust salt and Red Chilli Powder if required. Remove from heat, sprinkle a tbsp of Lemon Juice, fresh chopped Coriander Leaves  and let it sit for couple of minutes before serving hot.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F and prepare the baking sheets lined with baking / Wax paper.  In a bowl, sift together 2 cups of All Purpose Flour, a tsp of Baking Soda and 1/2 tsp of Salt and keep aside. In another large mixing bowl, melt a cup of Butter, add 3/4 cup of Brown Sugar, 2/3 cup of Sugar and 2 tsp of Vanilla Essence . Beat in a tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar and an Egg also to make a smooth mixture. Add in the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Add 2 cups of Chocolate Chips to the mixture and mix gently. Drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets with the help of a spoon or shape into 1 inch balls by dampening your hands. Place the cookies at least 2 inches apart as the dough will spread while baking. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, till the edges start to brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for sometime on the sheet and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before storing them into an air tight container. ...

2 cups Shredded Cabbage 2 cups Besan ¼ cup Rice Flour ¼ tsp Ajwan ½ tsp each - Salt and Red Chili Powder A pinch of Baking Soda ¾ cup Water Oil for deep-frying Take the besan, rice flour, salt, chilli powder, ajwan and baking soda into a bowl. Mix well. Add the shredded cabbage and gently toss to cover the cabbage with besan flour mix. Slowly add water, mixing as you go, to make a batter of thick consistency. Pour about 2 cups of peanut oil in a large frying pan and set the pan over high heat. When the oil is frying hot, pick up a handful of cabbage mixture from the bowl and gently drop the batter into oil in small portions. Fill the pan until there is no more space. Fry the pakodas, turning frequently until they are reddish brown and crisp, for about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place the pakodas on a paper towel covered tray to drain. Make the pakodas till the batter is finished.