Hearty Spices

Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a pan and splutter a tsp of mustard Seeds, Add a tsp of Chana Dal, a tsp of Urad Dal and roast until they are golden brown. Add 3/4 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 2 broken Red Chillies, a spring of Curry Leaves and roast for another 30 seconds. Add 2 slit Green Chilies, a cup of thinly sliced Onion and cook for 3 minutes on high heat while mixing in between. Add 1/2 ltr of Water, Salt as needed and cover cook for 15 minutes on medium heat.  In the meantime, take 50 ml Water in a cup and add 2 tbsp of Chickpea Flour (Besan) and mix well without any lumps. Add a tsp of minced Ginger, the besan mixture, boiled, mashed medium Potato (optional), a tsp of Lemon Juice and remove from heat.  Serve warm with Poori. 

Heat a pan and sauté a cup of Sooji along with a tsp of Cumin Seeds on low heat until it is golden brown in color. Add Salt as needed and keep aside. Heat 1/4 cup of Oil in a pan and add a tsp of Mustard Seeds, 2 tsp of Chana Dal, 2 tsp of Urad Dal and saute until the dals are golden brown. Add 15 Cashews, a sprig of Curry Leaves, 3 finely chopped Green Chillies, a tbsp of minced Ginger and saute for few seconds. Add 4 cups of Water, a cup of Milk and let it come to a boil on high heat. Add the roasted Sooji and mix well on high heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set it aside for 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of Ghee and mix well.  Serve warm.

Take a cup of Quinoa, 1/2 cup of Rolled Oats, 1/2 cup of Urad Dal, a tsp of Methi Seeds, 1/2 cup of Chana Dal (optional)  in a bowl. Rinse and drain out the water and then soak in 3-4 cups of Water for 5-6 hours. Drain out all the water and blend with required Water to the desired consistency (like pancake batter). Add Salt and mix well. Allow to rest for an hour or can ferment for couple hours before making dosas. Preheat the griddle, spread the dosa batter in the shape of a dosa. Add Ghee, as needed and allow the dosa to become crisp. Remove it on to a plate and serve hot with peanut chutney.

Toast 2 slices of Bread slices with Butter . Place a Cheese slice on one of the slices and allow to melt. Remove from the heat on to a plate. Scoop Avacado into a bowl, Sprinkle a tsp of Lemon Juice, Salt and Pepper as needed and mash coarsely. Scoop a tbsp of this avacado mixture onto a the cheese slice and place the other bread slice over it to make a sandwich.

Break 2 eggs into a mixing bowl and add in Salt and 1/2 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, 2 tbsp of finely Chopped Onion, a finely chopped Green Chilli,  a tsp of finely chopped Coriander Leaves and mix well. Add a tbsp of Butter on to a hot pan and let it melt. Pour the whisked egg mixture on to the pan and let it spread. Immediately place 2 slices of Bread on it for few seconds and turn them over so the other side soaks the egg mixture too. Once the Omelette can be lifted, turn it over along with the bread (on to the bread side). Let it roast for a minute and then turn again. Place a slice of Pepper Jack Cheese in between the 2 bread slices and stack the 2 slices of bread + Omelette. Serve hot with or without Ketchup.

To a "Ball'" container, add 1/3 cup of Rolled Oats, 1/3 cup of Milk, 1/2 tbsp of Chia Seeds, a tbsp of Honey / Maple Syrup, a tbsp of Greek Yogurt, 6-7 cleaned and drained Raspberries and 1/4 tsp of Vanilla Extract . Give it a good stir and close the lid. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to eat, give it another stir and Enjoy!

In a 8 oz widemouthed "Ball" container, add ½ cup of Rolled Oats, ⅓ cup of Greek Vanilla Yogurt, ⅔ cup of Milk, a tsp of Chia Seeds, 1 tsp of Honey/Maple Syrup . Mix well and refrigerate overnight.  Before serving, top it off with ½ chopped ripe Banana and 2 tbsp of Chocolate Chips . 

Add 1/2 cup rolled Oats to 8 oz widemouthed "Ball" container and pour in 1/2 cup of Milk and 1/4 cup of low-fat Yogurt . Add in a layer of 1/2 cup chopped Apples, and top off with 1/8 tsp of Cinnamon, a tsp of Honey, and a tsp of Chia Seeds .  Place in fridge overnight and serve.

In a 8 oz widemouthed "Ball" container, add 1/2 cup rolled Oats, a tbsp of Chia Seeds, 1/2 cup Milk and 1 tsp of Honey . Mix well and refrigerate overnight. Add 1/2 cup diced Mango pieces and a tsp of sliced Pistachios before serving. 

Preparation - Peel and slice ½ an English seedless Cucumber into thin slices. Cut the sides off 8 slices of white or soft wheat bread and keep aside. Leave 8 tbsp of Cream Cheese outside till it reaches room temperature.  Prepare the ½ cup of cilantro mint chutney in advance.  Cilantro Mint Chutney -  Take a cup of Cilantro Leaves, ½ cup of Mint leaves, ½ fresh minced Green Chili,  1/8 tsp of Cumin seeds, a Garlic clove, ½ tbsp of Lemon Juice, Salt and 2 tbsp of Water , if needed into a food processor and process into smooth sauce. Store the chutney in an air tight container in the fridge. Sandwich -  Spread a tbsp of Cream Cheese on one slice and spread tsp chutney over the cream cheese. Arrange 6-7 slices of cucumber on top. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the cucumbers. Spread a tbsp of Cream Cheese and then one tsp of chutney on the other slice of bread. Place this on top of the cucumbers, to make a sandwich. Repeat...

Veg filling: Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a pan, sauté an inch of minced Ginger, 2 sliced Garlic pods until light brown.  Add a thinly sliced small Onion or 3 thinly sliced Spring Onion Whites , sauteing till translucent. Add 1½ cup of julienne Carrots, Cabbage, Beans and Capsicum (optional) , sauteing on high for 3-4 minutes. Add a tsp of Tomato Sauce, ¾ tsp of Chili Sauce, ¾ tsp of Soya Sauce, a tsp of Vinegar, ½ tsp of Pepper Powder, Salt to taste and mix well. Remove from heat. Dosa: Prep the tawa for dosa on medium heat. Pour a ladle full of batter in the middle of the pan and spread in a circular motion to form a 9 " thin dosa and pour some oil (a tbsp) all over the edges and in the center cover it with a lid. Spread a tbsp of Butter on the dosa and increase the heat to high. Once golden brown and crispy, place the veg filling in one corner and roll to the other side. Remove it from the tawa and cut it diagonally using a...

Aloo Ki Taari - Grind 2 medium diced Onion, 2 big diced Tomatoes, 4 cloves of Garlic, ½ inch minced Ginger  into smooth paste and keep aside. Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan and crackle a tsp of Cumin Seeds . On low heat, add  ½ tsp of Turmeric powder, 1 tsp of Red Chilli powder and stir once. Add the onion-tomato paste and cook for 7 minutes, adding Salt to taste . Mix well and add 4 medium Potatoes (previously peeled, boiled and diced) and 2 cups of Water . Mix and cover cook for 15 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and serve hot with Kachori (Puri) Kachori - Mix a cup of Maida / Wheat Flour, a pinch of Salt and a tbsp of Ghee in a bowl (looks like bread crumbs). Add enough  water to make soft dough and leave it covered for 10-30 minutes. Make small puris out of the dough and deep fry till golden brown in a hot oil. Serve with Aloo ki Taari. 

Grind a medium sized ripened Banana along with 2-3 tbsp of Sugar (as needed) and take it into a bowl. Slowly start mixing  1½ cups of All purpose flour along with a big pinch of Baking Soda, Salt to taste,  ½ tsp of Cumin seeds (optional) to the puree. Mix in 3-4 tbsp of Yogurt to the mixture and make into thick sticky dough. Add 2 tsp of Oil and knead it for 3-4 minutes. Cover and refrigerate it overnight / 24 hours allowing it to ferment. Remove it from the fridge 2-3 hours before cooking.  Heat Oil in a kadai / deep pan for frying. Slightly knead the dough and divide the dough into 8-9 big lemon sized portions. Roll each portion by dusting it with flour into a 3-4" diameter thick disc (thicker than the poori). Remove the extra dusting of flour by gently patting on the discs. Gently slide the rolled discs into the hot oil and after few seconds try to press the middle portion of the disc gently with a slotted spoon. Turn to the other side and fry unti...

  Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a pressure cooker, add and saute 6-8 broken Cashewnuts until light golden in color. Remove them using a slotted spoon and keep aside. In the remaining oil, splutter ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, a pinch of Turmeric Powder, a tsp of Cumin Seeds, 3-4 slit Green Chillies, ½ " of Ginger, few Curry Leaves and saute. Add ¾ cup of Yellow Moong Dal and saute until golden brown. Add 4 cups of Water and pressure cook for 4 whistles. Once pressure dissipates, add Salt, 8 crushed Peppercorns and 1¼ cup of quick cooking Oats and stir well. Cover cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes mixing well. Remove from heat when you feel the consistency is thickening. Garnish with fried cashew nuts and serve  hot with Gojju. Huli Gojju: Heat a tsp of Oil in a saucepan, sauté ½ tsp of Mustard seeds, few Curry Leaves and a chopped Garlic for a minute. Add a finely sliced medium Onion and sauté till they turn slightly brownish. Add 2 tbsp of Tamarind paste, 2 cups of Wa...

Rice Rava - Boil 3¼ cups of Water, ½ tsp of Salt, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder in a saucepan. Add 2 cups of Rice Rava (Uppidi Pindi) and combine. Place lid, reduce heat and cook till soft. Remove from heat, spread out the cooked rice rava on a wide plate to cool. Squeeze juice out of 2 big Lemons , add ½ tsp of Salt to the juice and mix well. Keep aside.    Popu - Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan, splutter ¾ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ¾ tsp of Cumin Seeds, a tbsp of Channa Dal, a tbsp of Urad Dal, 2-3 broken Red Chillies for few minutes. Add 4 slit Green Chillies, 1¼ tsp of finely minced Ginger, Peanuts as needed, few Curry Leaves and a pinch of asafoetida , saute for 30 seconds or till the peanuts are roasted. Add the popu and lemon juice to the cooked rice rava and combine well. Let it sit for at least 1-2 hrs for the flavors to set in. Serve hot with yogurt or papad.

Wash 2 cups of Idli Rice in a bowl, add ¼ cup of Poha to it and soak in water for 4-5 hours. Wash ½ cup of Urad Dal in a bowl, add a pinch of Fenugreek Seeds and soak in water separately for 4-5 hours. Drain and reserve the water. Grind the urad dal, methi seed with some of the reserved water for smooth and fluffy batter. Grind the rice to to a smooth batter. Mix both the batters together in a large bowl, add Salt as needed and mix well. Cover and let the batter ferment for 8-9 hours. Gently mix the batter. Grease the idli moulds. Pour the batter in the moulds steam the idlis in a pressure cooker for 10-12 mins or until the idlis are done. Peanut Dal Chutney -  Heat a tsp of Oil  in a pan, roast ¼ cup of Peanuts  on a low heat for 3-4 minutes. Add few Curry Leaves, ¼ cup of Roasted Chana Dal, ½ tbsp of Sesame Seeds and saute for 2-3 minutes. Allow to cook and grind to smooth paste along with 3-4 Green Chillies, half inch Ginger pieces, ...

Poori -  Mix a cup of Wheat Flour, Salt to taste and tsp of Oil and Water as needed to make a soft dough. Keep aside covered for 10 minutes. Make small lemon sized balls of the dough and roll them into thick round shaped. Heat 2 cups of Oil in a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, slide the poori into the hot oil and using the laddle press in the center and gently along the edges. Once the pooris start to puff, turn the poori other side fry till light golden brown. Remove it from oil and keep it on tissue paper. Potato Curry -   Wash, peel and boil 3 Potatoes in microwave till you are able to crumble them. Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; splutter ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, a tsp of Urad Dal and 1 tbsp of Channa Dal . Add and sauté fresh Curry leaves, 4-5 slit Green Chillies and an inch of finely minced Ginger for a few seconds. Add and sauté finely sliced 2 Onions , a pinch of Turmeric Powder till the onions turn transparent. Add the crumbled potatoes and adjust Salt . ...

Heat a tbsp of Olive Oil  in a pan; saute a tsp of Mustard Seeds till they splutter. Add and saute a tbsp of Bengal Gram Dal, Black Gram Dal, few Curry Leaves, 2 tbsp of Peanuts  till the dals turn golden brown. Add and saute  a sliced Onion, 4 slit Green Chilies, 1" minced Ginger for 2 minutes. If using tomato, add  a chopped Tomato and sauté on medium heat for 4 minutes. Add Salt to taste, 4 cups of Water and bring to a boil. Now, reduce heat, slowly add 1½ cups of W heat Ravva to the water and mix continuously. Cover cook on low heat for 12 minutes. Remove fom heat, garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve hot. 

Topping – Heat a tbsp of Butter / Olive Oil in a pan and sauté 2 tbsp of All Purpose Flour till it acquires a mild brown color. Add ½ cup of Milk and whisk it thoroughly to avoid lumps. Sprinkle Salt and Pepper as it thickens. Add in 1½ cup of Boiled Corn Kernals, ½ cup chopped Onions, 1 tbsp Chili Sauce, 1 tbsp Tomato Sauce and mix well. Sprinkle Salt and Pepper to taste.  Toast – Apply the topping on 6 slices of White / wheat Bread and top with grated Mozzrella Cheese . Broil them in the oven for about 10 minutes and garnish with Coriander Leaves before serving warm.

Soak ½ cup of Moong Dal for 4 hrs or overnight. Grind soaked Moong Dal, 100 gm of Grated Cheese, Salt to taste, few chopped Coriander Leaves and 4 chopped Green Chillies to a fine paste in a mixer grinder. Heat a pan and apply Oil to it. Apply 2 tbsp of paste on one side of a bread slice and place the applied side on the hot pan. Turn it over and roast on the other side until the bread turns light brown. Serve hot with Tomato Sauce or hot garlic sauce.