Hearty Spices

Cream - Whip 2 cups of chilled Heavy Whipping Cream until soft peaks appear. Cover and refrigerate it. Gelatin mixture - Soak 1 packet of Gelatin in 1/3 cup of Cold Water for a few minutes. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds till the gelatin is dissolved. Mango Puree - Mix 2 cups of Mango Puree with 1/3 cup of powdered Sugar . Add it to the gelatin mixture and mix well. Then add the whipped cream until combined. Chill for 4 hours or overnight covered. Serve cold.

Almond / Badam paste -  Soak 8 Almonds in water for about an hour. Drain the water and peel the almond skins. In a mixer or mortar, grind the almonds, a pinch of salt to smooth paste. Curry - Peel  3 Ridgegourds / beerakaaya , wash and dice them in to bite-sized pieces. Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan, saute  few Curry Leaves, a pinch of Cumin and Mustard Seeds . Add the 4 slit Green Chilies , ridgegourd pieces, Salt to taste and cover cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add 3 tbsp of Almond/Badam Paste , mix and cook till desired consistency is reached.  Serve hot with rice or chapathi.

3 cups Whole Wheat Flour Salt to taste 2 tsp Ghee / Clarified butter 2 -3 tsp Ghee + 3 tsp wheat flour 2 -3 tbsp flour for dusting Water as required making the dough 2 -3 Oil Take the flour in a bowl along with salt and ghee. Mix well. Slowly add the water and knead to soft pliable dough. Cover with a wet muslin cloth and let it rest for 20 - 30 mins. Make a mix of the ghee and flour together separately. Divide into equal balls. Flatten the ball over the flour, and using a rolling pin, roll out the balls into thin circles. Spread a little of the ghee and atta mix over the top and roll inwards tightly as a rope. The way you do it, you will end up with a tight rope, circled with the mix inside all covered. Over the top of the rope, dip your fingers in the ghee atta mix and spread over the rope. Circle as a spiral with ends nicely closed. Dust the flour over this and gently roll it again. Meanwhile heat a tawa and once it's hot, fry the rolled out paratha. When one side is co...

Rava Idli - Heat a tbsp of Ghee / Oil in a pan; saute ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds and once they splutter, add  a tbsp of Chana Dal and saute till the dal turns golden brown. Add 3 slit Green Chillis, few Curry Leaves and 1" inch grated Ginger . Immediately add  a cup of Sooji (Ravva) and stir-fry the rava constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool. Add 2 Grated Carrots, 2 tbsp of chopped Coriander Leaves, 2 tbsp of Grated Coconut, a cup of beaten Yogurt, ½ cup of Water, Salt to taste and mix well. Allow the mixture to sit for atleast ½ hour. Grease the idli plates, place a roasted Cashewnut in ghee on each of the greased idli plates and pour the rava batter over the cashewnut. Steam the ravva idlis on medium flame for around 10 minutes. Remove the rava idlis carefully and serve hot with chutney. Groundnut Chutney - Dry roast a cup of Peanuts and keep aside. Heat a tsp of Oil in a pan; saute 3 crushed Garlic Cloves, 3...

Dal and Sago - Soak 1 cup of Senagapappu (Chana Dal) and ¼ cup of Saggubiyyam (Sago) in water for atleast 2 hours seperately. Pressure cook Chana Dal with a cup of Milk and a cup of Water for one whistle. Kheer - Heat ½ cup of Water , a cup of Powdered Jaggery / Sugar and stir cook until sugar/jaggery melts. When the syrup starts to thicken, add the soaked sago and 2 cups of Milk . Cook on medium heat for atleast 15 minutes, stirring in between. Stir in the Chana dal mixture also and mix well ocassionally for another 10 minutes till it reaches the desired consistency. Flavor - Heat a tbsp Ghee in a small pan, saute ¼ cup of Cashews and Golden Raisins and toast till light brown. Add them to the kheer. Finally, stir in the powdered Cardamom Powder (of 2 pods) . Switch off the heat and let it stand for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Boil or pressure-cook 4 medium sized Potatoes to tender. Peel and remove the skin. Cut the potatoes to small cubes. Heat 1 tbsp of Oil In a pan. Add & toast  a ½ tsp each of Cumin Seeds, Mustard Seeds, 3 Dried Red Chilli Pieces, a pinch of Turmeric Powder and few Curry Leaves . Add the potato cubes. Sprinkle Coriander Powder, Red chilli powder and Salt as needed. Combine and cook on medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes until potato pieces brown a bit. Serve hot with rice and rasam.

Preparation - Roast 2 tbsps of roasted Peanuts and 2 tbsps of Sesame seeds in a pan on low flame and make into slightly coarse powder. Wash 8-10 small Purple Brinjals with stems intact and make a + slit shape. Heat 3-4 tbsps of Oil in a pan on medium high heat; saute the brinjals for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the brinjals till tender (about 20-25 minutes), while stirring in between. Once tender, remove and set aside. Heat 2 tbsps of Oil ; add and saute chopped 3 medium Onions, 3 slit Green Chillies and on medium heat till the onions turn soft and light golden brown. Add and saute a tsp Ginger Garlic Paste and saute for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool and grind to a smooth paste. Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan; add a tsp of Mustard Seeds, a tsp of Cumin Seeds, a pinch of Fenugreek Seeds and let them splutter. Add a pinch of Asafoetida, 2-3 dried Red Chillies, few Curry Leaves and toss them for a few se...