Hearty Spices

2 cups All Purpose Flour 1¼ cups Wheat Flour 1½ tsp Salt ½ tsp ground Ginger 2 tsp Baking Soda 1½ tsp ground Cinnamon 2 cups Sugar 1 cup light Brown Sugar, not packed ¾ cup Vegetable Oil 1 cup Egg Substitute / 4 Eggs 1/3 cup Water 2 cups grated Zucchini 1 tsp Lemon Juice 1 cup chopped Toasted Pecans Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, egg substitute, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry – be careful not to overmix!, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 or 6 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes. OR the muffin versions cooked in about 25 minutes.

2 large Green Capsicums, cut into big squares 1 large Onion, finely chopped ¼ tsp Ginger Garlic Paste 2 Tomatoes cut into big pieces 1 tsp Red Chili Powder ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder 1 tsp Coriander Powder ½ tsp Kasuri Methi (Dry Fenugreek Leaves) 1½ tsp Roasted Sesame Seeds Powder 1½ tsp Roasted Peanuts Powder Salt to taste Few Curry Leaves 1 tbsp Oil Chopped Coriander Leaves for garnish Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add chopped onions and curry leaves and fry till onions turn transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 3 mts. Add red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd, coriander pwd and salt and combine. Add the chopped capsicums and tomatoes and fry for 7-8 mts, without lid. Add a cup of water and cook for approx 10-12 mts with lid on low to medium flame. Allow the gravy to thicken. Add the groundnut and sesame seeds pwds and kasuri methi and combine. Cook without lid for 5 mts. Turn off heat. Remove onto serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice or roti...

Heat 1 tbsp oil /butter in a pan. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds . When they sizzle, add a pinch of asafetida, ¼ tsp turmeric powder . Immediately add 3 cups of corn kernels (from about 3 ears of corn), 1 cup water, salt to taste, 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro, 12 curry leaves, 2 to 4 fresh Thai or serrano chillies, sliced crosswise. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the corn is juicy and tender. If using frozen corn, thaw for a minute in the microwave before using, and reduce the cooking time a bit. Add a dash of lime before serving if you wish.

1 Cinnamon Stick, about 1 inch and broken 1 - 2 tbsp Oil (and another 1-2 tsp oil for the last step) 3 Bay Leaves 3 Whole Cardamoms 1 tsp Fennel Seeds 3 Cloves 2 tsp Urad Dal ½ tsp Turmeric Powder 2 medium Onions, chopped fine 2 tbsp Tomato Paste 8 Chicken Breasts, boneless and skinless, diced into bite-size piece 20 Curry Leaves Salt to taste For the paste: 1½ tbsp Cumin Seeds 5 Dried Red Chilies 3 tbsp Coriander Seeds 1½ tsp Fennel Seeds 1½ tsp Black Peppercorn 1½ tsp White Poppy Seeds (optional) 3 - 4 medium Garlic cloves, chopped 2 inch Ginger, chopped Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in the pan of your pressure cooker. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel seeds, cloves and urad dal. Stir and fry over medium heat until the urad dal turns a golden red. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté until they are soft and slightly golden. While the onions are cooking down, lightly roast cumin seeds, red chilies, coriander seeds, fennels seeds, black peppercorn, and the poppy seeds till they are fra...

2 cups All Purpose Flour ½ tsp Baking Soda ½ tsp Salt ½ cup Butter ¾ cup Cocoa Powder 2 cups Sugar 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 2/3 cup Buttermilk 2 cups Chocolate Chips Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Melt the butter in a small, microwave safe bowl. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter (still warm) with cocoa powder and whisk until very smooth. Whisk in sugar, vanilla extract and buttermilk. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop dough in 1-inch balls into prepared baking sheet, leaving about two inches between cookies to allow for spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set around the edges. Cool for 2-3 minutes on a baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack with a spatula to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Chikkudikaya (Broad Beans) - Wash, trim and cut the 250 gms Chikkudikayalu into 3 pieces. Boil 2 cups of Water in a pan and cover cook the beans along with salt till almost cooked. Drain and keep aside. Vepudu (Fry) - Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan; splutter 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 4 Curry Leaves and 2 crushed Garlic cloves;  fry for 5 seconds. Add  a chopped Onions, a finely chopped Green Chilli  and saute till transparent. Add ½ tsp of Red Chilli Powder, ½ tsp of Coriander Powder, ¼ tsp of Cumin Powder, Salt to taste and 1 tsp of Sugar ; mix well. Add the boiled beans and cook covered for 5 minutes on low heat. Garnish with Coriander Leaves (Optional)  and serve with steamed white rice. .

Soak 2 cups of chickpeas in water overnight or atleast 6 hours. Take them in a pressure cooker; add salt, one teabag (optional) and 4 cups of water and pressure cook them until they are just tender. Drain the water and separate ½ cup of cooked chickpeas. Blend these separated ones into into thick, smooth paste with little water. 1 cup Finely chopped, Juicy Tomatoes 1 Onion, finely chopped lengthwise 1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste (Optional) Popu: ¼ tsp Cumin seeds ¼ tsp Mustard Seeds 1 tbsp Chana masala powder ½ tsp Red Chili Powder ¼ tsp Turmeric Salt Fresh cilantro and lime juice - for garnish Heat 1tsp of oil or ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add and toast cumin and mustard seeds. When seeds start to pop, add the onion and ginger garlic paste. Cook until translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook on high heat until the tomatoes turn to soft. Press with a spatula and mush them. To this tomato sauce, add the cooked chickpeas, pureed chickpea paste, chana masala powder, salt, red chilli...

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.

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.