Hearty Spices

Using a mortar and pestle, grind together a  tsp of Cumin Seeds, 1 1/2  tsp of Black Pepper Seeds,  4-5 Garlic Cloves and a sprig of Curry Leaves into a coarse paste. T ake 3 chopped Tomatoes, 8-10 Coriander Stalks  into a bowl. Press them with hands and extract the juices. Add 2 cups of Water and repeat the process. Squeeze and discard the tomato skins and stalks out of the bowl and set aside. In a saucepan, add the extracted Tomato mixture, 1/4 tsp of Turmeric Powder, Salt as needed, 3 slit Green Chillies, a tsp of Tamarind Paste and mix well. Let it boil until the green chillies are soft. Add the prepared Cumin-Garlic coarse paste and continue to boil until foam appears on the top.  Tempering - Heat a ts p of Oil in a pan; add a pinch of Asafetida, ¼ tsp of Mustard Seeds, 2 Red Chillies and a sprig of Curry Leaves . Remove from heat. Add the tempering to the rasam and remove from heat. Serve hot with Rice.

Marinade - Marinate 1lb of cubed boneless Lamb with ½ cup of beaten Yogurt and 1 tbsp of finely crushed Garlic for 2 hours. Fry - Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan; add 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp of Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp of Fennel Seeds and few Curry Leaves , allowing them to sizzle. Add a finely sliced Onion and sauté till golden brown. Add 1 tbsp of freshly ground Black Pepper and marinated lamb along with marinade. Cook covered on low heat for 45 minutes or till lamb is tender and cooked through, stirring occasionally and adding Water as needed, if it begins to stick to bottom of the pan. Season with Salt , and add thinly sliced Bell Pepper and cook covered for another 5-10 minutes. Garnish with fresh Coriander Leaves and sprinkle Lemon Juice . Serve hot with rice.

Plantains - Skin 2 raw Plantains and cut them into small cubes. Add a cup of Water to them along with a big pinch of Turmeric Powder and Salt to a pan. Cook till soft but not mushy, keep aside. Masala Paste - Make a coarse paste of 1½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, 1 Green Chilli, 1” Ginger, 2-3 tbsp of Grated Coconut and 2 tbsp of Water . Curry - Heat 1½ tsp of Oil in a pan, add ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds and when they splutter, add ¼ tsp of Split Gram Dal and let them turn golden brown. Add the few Curry Leaves, a slit Green Chilli and a pinch of Asafoetida/Hing . Immediately, add the cooked plantain pieces and combine. Adjust Salt. Add the ground mustard paste and combine. Cook for 2 minutes before removing from heat. Serve hot with rice.

Melt 4 tbsp of Butter in a microwaveable bowl for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of Milk Powder, ¼ tsp of Cardamom Powder and a tin of Condensed Milk and combine well. Return it to the microwave oven for 5 minutes, stirring every 1 minute. Let the mixture to cool. Grease your hands with a little of ghee and take a small ball of mixture and shape the pedas into a desired shape.

Prep - Wash and drain ¾ kg minced Meat and keep aside. Finely chop 3 large Onions, 4-5 Green Chilies, 2 Tomatoes separately and keep aside. Ground Powder - Dry roast ½ tbsp of Coriander Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds, ½ tsp of Poppy Seeds, 3 dry Red Chillis, Pinch of Fenugreek/Menthulu Seeds, Pinch of Fennel Seeds/Saunf (optional) and grind into a coarse powder. Curry - Heat 2½ tbsp of Oil in a pressure cooker, add green chilies, curry leaves, onions and saute till the onions turn transparent, approximately 4 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic paste and saute further for another 3 minutes. Add minced meat and ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder and cook on high without lid for 4-5 minutes stirring in between. Add the ground masala powder, Salt to taste and combine well. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes on medium flame. Add a cup of Water and cook on pressure upto 4 whistles or until the meat is almost cooked. Remove from heat. After 3-4 minutes, remove lid, add 1 tsp...

Veggies - Break off the ends of a bunch of Asparagus (about 20 pencils) , holding the stalk at both ends, bend the stalk until it snaps. Cut them into about 2 inch pieces and keep aside. Clean, peel and mince 1 tbsp of Ginger . Roasted Asparagus - Heat 2 tbsp of Olive Oil in a pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds and let them crackle. Add ginger, 2 tsp of Lemon Juice, Salt to taste and ½ tsp of Black Pepper . Stir-fry for a minute and add asparagus pieces. Stir-fry for about 4 to 5 minutes until asparagus are tender but still have the crunch. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of Grated Parmesan Cheese or Cheddar Cheese and when melted, remove from heat. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Prep - Cook 1lb of Pasta to al-dente and keep aside. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Cheese Sauce - In a microwaveable bowl, heat 1 cup of Veggie Broth, 1 cup of Milk and a crushed Garlic Clove for 2 – 3 minutes or till hot. Discard the garlic clove. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of Butter , add 2 tbsp of All Purpose Flour and toast for about 2-3 minutes. Carefully pour the milk mixture in the saucepan and whisk thoroughly to remove any lumps. Bring to boil and simmer until the mixture thickens. Season with Salt, Pepper and ½ tsp of Nutmeg Powder . Add ¼ cup of grated Parmesan Cheese , mix well and keep aside. Pasta - Mix pasta with the veggie sauce and spoon into a baking dish. Top it with the cheese sauce and 1 cup of grated Fontina Cheese . Bake until the cheese is browned and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes, before serving hot. Veggie Sauce - Chop 20 Asparagus pencils into 1" pieces , peel and chop 2 medium Carrots finely , chop 2 cups of Brocco...