Hearty Spices

Pappu (Dal) - In a pressure cooker, take  a cup Kandi Pappu (Toor Dal), a cubed Dosakaya (Lemon Cucumber), a chopped Onion, a chopped Tomato, Big pinch of Turmeric Powder, 2-3 Slit Green Chillies, ½ tsp chopped Ginger (optional) and Salt to taste . Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook upto 3 whistles. Popu - Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a heavy pan, splutter  1 tsp of Mustards Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds, 3-4 Crushed Garlic Cloves, 2 Dry Red Chillis, 4-5 Curry Leaves and stir-fry for a few seconds. Remove from heat and add it to the pressure-cooked dal and mix. Cook on slow to medium flame for a few minutes till you get the desired consistency. Serve with white rice.

Methi Leaves - Soak a cup of picked Methi Leaves in about ¼ cup of Water, ½ tsp of Salt and a pinch of Sugar for 15 minutes. Strain water and squeeze the leaves off water and keep aside. Pulav - Heat 1½ tbsp of Ghee in a vessel; saute  a Bay Leaf, 2" Cinnamon Stick, 4 Cloves, 2 Caradamom, a Star Anise, ½ tsp of Sugar and stir for a minute. Add  2 sliced Onions, ½ tbsp of Ginger Garlic Green Chilli paste and saute till Onions turn transparent. Add ½ tbsp of Coriander Leaves, methi leaves and saute for 4 minutes. Add washed and drained 2 cups of Basmati Rice , ¼ cup of Green Peas and saute for 2 minutes. Add 3¾ cups of Water and bring to a boil. Add Salt to taste, pinch of Nutmeg Powder and reduce heat to medium and cook covered with lid. Once the rice is cooked, turn off heat. Serve warm with raita.

1 Apple, peeled, deseeded and chopped 2½ cups Milk 4 tbsp Sugar Run apple, milk and sugar in mixie, till apple is crushed completely. Chill the Shake. Pour into glass, from a height; so froth forms. Serve cold.

Preparation - Wash, wipe and slit 8 Brinjals/Eggplants  keeping the stem intact and immerse it in salted water. Masala Paste - Grind 2 medium Onions, 2 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, Salt to taste, ¾ tsp of Tamarind Pulp, a pinch of Turmeric Powder and 2 Garlic Pods to a coarse paste. Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan; add the ground paste and fry until the raw smell goes away (approximately 8-10 mins). Remove the paste and keep it aside. Heat  a tbsp of Oil , place the brinjals carefully in the oil, sprinkle some Salt and saute for 2 minutes. Pour few tbsp of Water and cover cook with a lid on low heat for 8-10 minutes until brinjals are tender and cooked. Remove from heat, let them cool and stuff the brinjals with the fried onion mixture. Heat a tsp of Oil in a pan; splutter  ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, few Curry Leaves and place the stuffed brinjals in the pan. Add the remaining onion mixture to it and fry on medium...

Dry roast ½ cup of Sooji for 4 minutes and keep aside. Soak 2 tbsp of Moong Dal in water for 15 minutes, drain and keep aside. Heat  a tsp of Ghee in a pan and saute 1½ tbsp of Grated Coconut and ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds and keep aside. In a saucepan, add a cup of Water , pinch of Salt and bring to a boil. Immediately add the roasted sooji and stir continuously ensuring that no lumps are formed and once all the water is absorbed and appears like a big lump, cover and remove from heat. Once cool, add and mix the drained Moong Dal, sauteed Cumin seed mixture. Make lemon sized balls and serve or steam for 10-11 minutes in pressure cooker (optional).

¼ cup Sooji ¾ cup Ragi flour Salt to taste 1 tbsp ghee Dry roast the rawa until the aroma begins. In a big pot bring 3 cups of water to a boil, add the roasted rawa and salt and cook until the rawa is cooked. Now add the ragi flour, do not stir it and let it cook for 8-10 mins under medium flame. Now stir it with a thick wooden kitchen stick rigorously in one direction until it gets the thick consistency. Check at this point,if it is very dry add some hot water and stir once the flame is off. Finally add a spoon of ghee and stir properly and make mudde (Rounds) out of it once it is slightly cooled.

2 cups All Purpose Flour 1 tsp Baking Powder ¼ tsp Salt 1 tbsp Instant Espresso Powder ½ cup Sugar ¼ cup Brown Sugar 2 medium Bananas, mashed (approx 1 cup) ¼ cup Vegetable Oil ½ cup Buttermilk 1 large Egg 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 2/3 cup Milk Chocolate Chips Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two two 5×3-inch loaf pans (or use disposable foil pans). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, instant espresso, sugar and brown sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, vegetable oil, buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Pour into dry ingredients and stir only until no streaks of flour remain. Add in chocolate chips and stir to evenly distribute. Divide evenly into prepared pans. Place pans in a baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack. Makes 2 mini loaves Note: This bread can be baked in a 9×5-inch loaf pan, increasing the baking time t...

2 Potatoes, boiled, peeled, cubed 1 cup Yogurt 1 tsp Red Chili Powder Salt to taste 1 tsp Coriander Powder 1/8 tsp Turmeric Powder ¼ tsp Garam Masala A pinch of Asafoetida 2 sprigs Curry Leaves 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste 2 Green Chillies, slitted 1 Onion, chopped 1 Tomato, diced 1 tsp Cumin, Mustard Seeds each 2 tbsp Oil Coriander leaves for garnishing Mash 3-4 pieces of boiled potatoes to fine paste and keep it aside. (Optional) In a pan heat oil, once it's hot add mustard and cumin seeds, once they start to splutter add onion, green chillies, tomato, ginger garlic paste, asafoetida, curry leaves and fry till the raw smell of ginger garlic paste is gone. Then add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder and ¼ cup of water and fry for about 3mins. Then add beaten curd and fry for 5 minutes till the curd is mixed with masalas, stir continuously after adding curd. Then add boiled potato pieces, mashed potato paste, ½ cup of water, cover and cook on medium hig...

1 small Cabbage, shredded, about 6 cups 2 cups grated Carrots 2 tbsp fresh grated Coconut 2 tbsp Chana dal, soaked in water for 30mts 1 tsp Coriander Powder Popu: 1 tbsp peanut Oil 1 sprig of fresh Curry Leaves Pinch of each - cumin and mustard seeds 1 Onion, finely chopped Turmeric, salt and chilli flakes - to taste Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add curry leaves and toast to gold. Add cumin and mustard seeds and when seeds start to pop, add the onion and chana dal. Saute, stirring often until they are light brown. Stir in cabbage and carrot. Saute until cabbage has slightly wilted. Add coconut, turmeric, salt and chilli flakes. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Turn off the heat before the whole thing turns into a mush pile. Sprinkle coriander powder and serve the curry hot.

2 Raw banana 1 medium Onion, chopped 1 tbsp Oil 1 tsp Mustard seeds 1 tsp Cumin seeds 1 tsp Urad dal Few curry leaves ½ tsp Turmeric Powder Salt to taste For Masala: Grind all these ingredients with little water in to a coarse paste 1 small Onion, cut in to small pieces 1 tbsp Grated Fresh Coconut 1 tsp Red chilli powder 4 Garlic Cloves Peel the skin of the raw banana and cut in to ½ inch cubes and leave them in water Heat oil in a fry pan add mustard seeds and let them popup then add urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and let them fry for 1 sec. then add chopped onion and fry for few sec. Remove raw banana pieces from water, then add raw banana pieces, salt to taste, turmeric powder, mix once and cover and cook in a very low flame till raw banana become soft this will take 10-15 min. cover and cook, stir in between (if you feel it is sticking just sprinkle little water cover and cook). Now remove the lid and add ground masala and stir fry till nice aroma comes out. Remove from heat ...

1 cup Rice Flour 2 cup Water Pinch of Salt ½ cup Grated Jaggery 8 tbsp Grated Coconut pinch of Cardamom powder Add salt and bring water to boil, add the rice flour and immediately cover it with a lid without stirring and reduce heat. Let it cook for a mt. Turn off heat and cool. Make small balls and keep aside. In another vessel add the grated jaggery and grated coconut and stir for few mts. Add the elaichi pwd. The jaggery will begin to melt. Let it cook on low flame till it forms a thick mass. Turn off heat and cool. Make small gooseberry sized balls and keep aside. Make a thin layer of the rolled rice flour balls and stuff with the jaggery-coconut balls and seal. You can shape it like a ball or modak. Place in a vessel and steam for 10-11 mts like you would steam idlis. Cool.

Potatoes - Wash, peel and cube 3 medium Potatoes . Saute in 1½ tbsp of ghee for 8-10 minutes till light brown in color. Chop a tbsp of Coriander Leaves, a tbsp of Mint Leaves, 5 Green Chillies and add to a bowl. To it, add a cup of thick Yogurt, ½ tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, ½ tbsp of Coriander Powder and Salt as required. Add the sauteed potatoes and Combine well. Marinate for 30 minutes. Caramelized Onions - Finely slice a large Onion and saute on low heat in a pan along with a tbsp of Oil and a tbsp of Ghee till brown in color for 10 minutes. Keep aside. Take a pinch of Saffron soaked in 3 tbsp of luke warm Milk for 10 minutes in a small bowl. Rice - Cook 2 cups of Basmati Rice in 4 cups of Water along with a Bay Leaf, 3 Cloves, an inch of Cinnamon, 2 Cardamoms, 1 Marathi Mogga, 6-7 Mint Leaves, a tbsp of Oil and Salt to taste till the rice is half cooked. Strain the water and spread the rice o...

¾ cup Besan/Chickpea flour 1 medium Onion, chopped 1 medium Tomato ¾ cup Yogurt (preferable sour) 6 Green Chiles (Serrano pepper), chopped fine Salt - to taste 2 tsp Kasuri Methi, (crushed, optional) 1 tsp Oil 4 cups Water 1 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander leaves, chopped For Tempering: 1 tsp Mustard seeds 2 tsp Cumin A pinch of Hing/Asafoetida ½ tsp Turmeric powder Curry leaves - a few leaves Heat oil in a kadai/pan and let the mustard seeds splutter. Add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, hing and turmeric powder. Add the onions, a pinch of salt and saute for a few minutes. Add the chopped green chillies and tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are mushy. In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt and water. Add the besan and whisk to mix well, without forming any lumps. Add salt to taste. Add the mixture and mix well. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is glossy and shiny and the raw smell of besan goes away. Finish with chopped cilantro leav...

  Arbi - Wash and boil ¼ kg of Chamadumpalu / Arbi / Colocosia in microwave for 8 minutes. Once they are cool enough, peel and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Curry - Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan, splutter ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, a big pinch of Methi Seeds and few Curry Leaves.  Add a chopped Onion, 3-4 slit Green Chillis and saute for a minute. Add the arbi pieces, Salt to taste and cook for 10-12 minutes or till the onions are lightly browned. Add a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, a tsp of Coriander Powder, a pinch of Turmeric and combine well. Add  2 chopped Tomatoes and cook further for another 4-5 minutes. Add  a tsp of grated Jaggery, a tsp of Tamarind Pulp along with 3 cups of Water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and cover cook for 8-10 minutes till the gravy thickens slightly. Garnish with few Coriander Leaves and serve hot.

1¾ cup All Purpose Flour 2 tsp Baking Powder ¼ tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Salt ¾ cup Brown Sugar 2/3 cup Chocolate chips 3-4 Bananas (overripe), peeled 1/3 cup Oil 2 Eggs Oil and flour for lining and dusting Heat the oven to 350F. Grease and dust a loaf tin. Sift the dry ingredients together. Combine the bananas, eggs, oil and brown sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend all these to a rough paste. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and add the chocolate chips. Mix well and pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 35-40 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean). Cool on a rack for a few minutes. Note: Can use 1/3 cup of chocolate chips + 1/3 cup toasted walnuts also.

Batter - Soak 2 cups of Moong Dal and 3 tbsp of Raw Rice (optional) overnight in water in a bowl. Next day,  drain the water, add 8 Green Chillies, 1 inch Ginger, 2 tbsp of Salt and grind into smooth paste adding little water. Remove the batter into a bowl, add 2 tsp of Cumin Seeds and set aside. Pesarattu - Heat an iron pan till hot. Pour a spoonful of batter in the center of the pan and spread into round in shape. Add few finely chopped Onions and finely chopped Green Chilies pieces for topping. Add 1 tsp of Oil on the edges of pesarattu. Lower the heat for 2 minutes and then turn to high. Allow the pesarattu to turn on golden brown color at the bottom, fold into two halves and serve hot with upma and ginger chutney. Upma - Heat 2 tbsp of Oil and a tbsp of Ghee in a pan; saute 2 tbsp of Channa Dal, 1 tbsp of Urad Dal, 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds, few Curry Leaves for 3 minutes. Add and saute 2 slit Onions, ½ inch chopped Ginger, 6-8 slit Green Chilli...

Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan; add ½ tsp of Mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add 5-6 crushed Garlic Cloves, 8-10 Curry Leaves and stir fry for few seconds. Add a large chopped onion and 2-3 Green Chillis split  and sauté till the onions turn pink. Peel, wash and chop the 3 Ridge Gourds (Beerakaya ) into small pieces. Add them to the pan, combine and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and cover with lid and cook further for another 7-8 minutes. Add 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, ¼ tsp of Coriander Powder, Salt to taste  and combine. Add 2 cups of Water , bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with lid and cook till all the water evaporates. On medium flame, slowly add 1 small cup of Milk to the curry, while stirring continuously for 3-4 minutes or till you get the desired curry consistency.  Garnish with fresh Coriander Leaves and serve with hot rotis or steamed white rice.

Dry roast a tsp of Coriander Seeds,   ½ tsp of Cumin seeds,  ¼ tsp of Black Peppercorn   in a small cast iron skillet and grind into a coarse powder.  Heat a tsp of Oil in a saucepan, splutter a sprig of Curry Leaves, pinch of Mustard Seeds and Asafoetida . Sauté for few seconds until leaves start to brown. Add a tbsp of Tamarind Pulp, a tbsp of crushed Jaggery and ground rasam powder. Add Salt to taste and 2 cups of Water bringing to boil. Add a cup of finely chopped Cilantro Leaves while simmering for few minutes until leaves wilt. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice. 

Wash a cup of beaten Rice (Poha), drain well and set aside. Heat  2 cups of Milk on medium heat until warm enough, add the beaten rice and a tsp of crushed Cardamom . Cook for 10-15  minutes and stir ½ cup of Sugar and ½ cup of Condensed Milk (optional). Remove from heat. Heat a tbsp of Ghee and saute a tbsp of Cashewnuts, a tbsp of Raisins till golden brown. Garnish the payasam with the sauteed nuts,  few Saffron strands and serve warm.

1 Cabbage, shredded 1 small Onion, sliced ½ cup Peas 4 Green Chillies 1 tbsp Coriander Powder 1 tbsp Cumin Powder 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder 2 pods Garlic Salt ½ tsp Mustard Seeds ½ tsp Cumin Seeds 1 tsp Urad Dal 1 tsp Chana Dal 2 Dry Red Chillies 1 tsp Turmeric Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, chana dal, cumin seds, urad dal and sauté till they are slightly brown. Add red chillies and fry them for a while. Now add onions, garlic and green chillies. Now take a small bowl and mix all the powders together and mix in the onion mixture. After 2 mins, add the shredded cabbage and close the lid. When the cabbage becomes soft, add the peas and cook for 12 mins with the lid closed. Then when the cabbage looks cooked, remove the lid and cook for 5 mins on high heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.