Hearty Spices

3 sheets Puff Pastry, defrosted 8 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature 3 oz White Chocolate, melted 3 tbsp Sugar 1 tsp Vanilla Extract ½ cup Jam Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to smooth out the pastry and remove any folds. Divide pastry into eight squares (or each sheet into quarters) using a pizza cutter or sharp knife. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, melted white chocolate, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy. Place 2 tbsp creamcheese mixture in the center of each pastry square. Make an indentation on the top of each dollop of cream cheese with the tbsp measure. Place 1 tbsp of jam in each indentation. Draw corners of the pastry up towards the center of the danish and pinch together. Press each pastry down lightly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until pastry is a light golden brown. Puff pastry may spread slightly and the Danish will “open” as the pastry bakes. Makes 9.

Marinate  ¼ kg boneless bite-sized Chicken pieces with  ¼ tsp Pepper Powder,  1 Egg White,  Salt to taste,  1½ tsp Ginger Garlic Green Chilli paste,  ½ tsp Soy Sauce,  1 tbsp All Purpose Flour,  2-3 tbsp Corn Flour  and keep aside for an hour to 2 hours. Heat oil for deep frying and carefully drop the marinated chicken pieces into it.  Cook on low medium heat and towards the end of the cooking process increase flame to high and deep fry to a golden brown shade. Drain with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Heat a stir pan; add  1½ tbsp of O il and saute  ½ tbsp of minced Garlic  on high heat for about 30 secs. Add  ½ tbsp of minced Ginger  and  3-4 Green Chilies  and sauté for a few more secs. Add  6-7 tbsp Spring Onion Whites  and sauté for 3 minutes on high heat.  Reduce to medium heat and add  ½ tsp of Red Chili Powder ,  2 tsp Soya Sauce ,  2 tbsp Tomato Sauce , ...

Cook 2 cups of Rice in 4 cups of Water along with a tsp of Oi l and keep aside. Blanch 4 Tomatoes, remove skin and puree after cooling. Keep aside. Dry roast 4 dry Red Chillies, a tbsp of Coriander Seeds, a tbsp of Channa Dal,   ½ tbsp of Urad Dal,  Large pinch of Fenugreek Seeds and make coarse powder.  Heat  a tbsp of Oil in a pan, spluter  ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, few Curry Leaves, a pinch of Asafoetida and a pinch of Turmeric Powder.  Add and saute 2 medium sliced Onions, 4-5 slit Green Chilies for 6-8 minutes. Now add the pureed tomato paste, Salt to taste and combine well. Reduce heat and add the cooked rice, masala powder, 2 tbsp of Roasted Peanuts and combine well. Remove from heat once completely incorporated and garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves . Serve hot with raita. 

For Kofta: ½ Cabbage, finely chopped/grated 1 big Potato, boiled & smashed 2 tbsp Besan 1 tsp Red Chili Powder Salt and Oil as required For Gravy: ½ cup Curd 1 Onion, finely chopped 1 Tomato, finely chopped or pureed 1 tsp Cumin seeds 1 tsp Coriander powder 2 tsps Red Chili Powder Garam masala (optional) Salt and Oil as required Boil the grated cabbage in water. Add little salt and water should be just enough till it covers the cabbage. Remove from heat once the cabbage is soft, this will take appx. 5-7 minutes. Filter the cabbage using a colander and transfer the cabbage to a muslin cloth. Squeeze out to remove the excess water. In a bowl, add the cabbage, potato, salt and chilly powder and mix well. Sprinkle the besan little at a time and mix well. You can make round koftas and place it on a plate. Heat oil in a kadhai, and fry the koftas till they turn brown. Place the koftas in a tissue paper to soak excess oil. In a pan, add little oil and the cumin seeds. Saute for a minute ...

Prepare a 8x8 cake pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F. Bring 1/2 cup of Butter to the room temperature in a bowl. To it, add a cup of Sugar and whisk until fluffy. Add 2 tsp of Vanilla Essence, 2 Eggs and beat until creamy. Add 2 1/2 cups of Wheat / All Purpose Flour, 2 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp of Salt and mix gently. Add 160 ml of Milk and a cup of mashed Banana in batches. Do not over mix.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and knock it gently against the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 28 minutes and do the toothpick test. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

½ cup Toor Dal ½ tsp Turmeric ¼ cup chopped Tomato a small walnut-sized knob of tamarind 2 tbsp fresh or dry dessicated Coconut 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds 3 dry Red Chillies ½ tsp Fenugreek Seeds 10-12 Okra / Bendakaya, chopped 1 sliced Shallot or 2 tbsp Red Onion 2 Green Chillies ½ tsp Asafoetida 12-15 curry leaves 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 1 tsp jaggery or sugar ½ tsp brown mustard seeds 2 tsp Oil Salt to taste Pressure cook the toor dal with 1½ cups of water, tomato and the turmeric until soft - 2 or 3 whistles. Add ¼ cup of water to the tamarind and microwave for 30 seconds. Let it sit for a few minutes, and extract the pulp. Toast the coconut in a pan until it begins to turn golden, keep it aside. Then toast the red chillies and half the fenugreek seeds for a few seconds, and separately toast the coriander seeds until they turn just a little darker. In 1 tsp. of oil, fry half the curry leaves, the green chillies and the shallot until the shallot turns a little translucent. Grind...

Gravy - Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a pan, crackle ¼ tsp of Cumin Seeds.  Add a finely chopped medium Onion, finely chopped 3 Green chillies and fry until they are translucent. Add a finely chopped Tomato, a finely chopped Capsicum and fry for 2 minutes until they are slightly done. Add a medium grated Carrot , ½ tsp of Red Chili Powder, ½ tsp of Chat Masala, a pinch of Sugar, Salt to taste,  mix well and cook for a minute. Add 2-3 tbsp of Chopped Coriander Leaves, 2 tsp of Tomato Ketchup and mix well. Remove from heat and keep aside. Toast - Heat a tawa, apply Butter and toast 2 Bread Slices on one side. turn them over, apply the Gravy on the toasted sideand level it with a spoon. Apply butter to the tawa again and toast the other side until golden brown and crisp. Repeat the same process for the 6 more Bread Slices . Serve hot with Tomato Ketchup (optional).

Rice - Cook 1½ cups of Rice and keep aside to cool. Veggies - Take a cup of finely chopped Carrots, Cabbage, Beans and Peas in a bowl and par-boil for 2 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Fried Rice - Heat 1½ tbsp of Sesame / Peanut Oil in a large wok till piping hot, add finely chopped whites of 2 Spring Onion , finely chopped 2 Garlic cloves and stir fry for 1 minute on high. Add the par-boiled veggies,  ½ of Chopped Capsicum  and toss them on high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add Salt and Black Pepper Powder as neeeded, combine and cook on high for a minute. Add Cooked Cold Rice, combine well on medium high for a minute. Combine again, spread out and leave on medium high for another minute. Add ¾ tbsp of Vinegar and toss all the contents on high heat for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, garnish with finely chopped Spring Onion Greens and serve hot along with Chilli Paneer or any other curry.

3 very ripe large bananas, mashed 1 cup all purpose flour ½ cup whole-wheat flour 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp cinnamon powder ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup white sugar 2 tbsp yogurt 1 tsp vanilla essence ½ cup chocolate chips (optional) For crumb: 1½ tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp all purpose flour ½ tbsp butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. In a large bowl combine the flours, sugars, baking powd, baking soda, cinnamon pwd, salt and chocolate chips. Use a whisk to combine. Set aside. In another bowl combine the mashed bananas, yogurt, butter and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick. Do not over mix the batter. Prepare crumb by combining together the brown sugar, flour and butter. Keep aside. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin liners half way through and sprinkle...

2½ cups Rice Flour 1 medium Onion, finely chopped 1 Carrot, grated 1 Cucumber, grated (deseed if seeds are large) 2 Green Chillis, finely chopped Coriander Leaves, roughly chopped 1 tsp Cumin Seeds ½ cup Yogurt 2 tbsp Oil Salt as per taste 1 cup of Water, accordingly Combine rice flour and chopped and grated veggies, add cumin seeds, salt, yogurt and mix well. Add water to it slowly and keep on mixing till you get a thick consistency like uttappam batter. How to prepare the rotis on pan: Take a light weight non-stick pan, pour some oil, I use canola oil spray, pick handful of the batter and spread it with your hand on the pan and then lit the stove. Remember the pan should be cold and greased when you pour the batter into it. You may brush some oil on the top side and then turn around. It will take around 2-4 mins to cook on each side of the roti. For the next roti, run the bottom side of the pan in cold tap water, so that the temperature is reduced and repeat the same procedure. Serve...

Egg plants / Brinjals - Wash, pat dry and chop 1 big green Binjal or 10 – 12 Purple Brinjals into small cubes and place in salted water for 10 mts. Curry - Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan, add  1 tsp of Cumin Seeds and let them splutter. Add 3-4 crushed Garlic cloves, finely minced 1" Ginger, Few Curry Leaves, 2 slit Green Chillies and fry for a few seconds. Add a finely chopped Onion and saute till transparent. Add the chopped Brinjals and saute them for few minutes. Add  1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, Pinch of Turmeric Powder, 1 tsp of Coriander Powder and combine. Add Salt to tast and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Cover cook till the brinjals are almost cooked. Add 1 cup of Milk, stirring till well combined and cook till the desired consistency is reached for 7-8 minutes.  Remove from heat, garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves and serve with steamed rice or rotis.

Marinade - Marinate a kg of washed and diced Chicken with 1¼ tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp of Green Chili paste, ¾ cup of Yogurt, ½ tsp of Red Chili powder, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder in a bowl for at least ½ hour or overnight.  Masala - Dry roast ½ tsp of Peppercorns, ½ tsp of Cumin seeds, 1½ tsp of Coriander Seeds, 1” Cinnamon, 4 Cloves, 2 Cardamoms for 3 minutes and keep aside. Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; add and saute 4 cloves of Garlic and 2 large sliced Onions for 6-7 minutes till they turn brown. Remove and keep aside to cool. Make a fine paste of the sautéed onions, garlic and dry roasted ingredients, by adding a little water (approx 4-5 tbsp) and keep aside. Chicken - Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; add the chicken pieces only and roast them for 6-7 minutes till they are lightly browned. Remove and keep aside. Curry - Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; add and saute the ground paste for 3 minutes, adding Salt and a tsp of Re...

2-3 cups Water ½ tsp Ginger Powder or 1tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger 2-3 tbsp Grated Jaggery ½ tsp Crushed Peppercorns 1 Crushed Cardamom Dissolve the grated jaggery in water and add fresh chopped ginger or dry ginger powder to it. Boil the mixture and filter it. Add crushed cardamom and peppercorns to it before serving.

Wash, peel and cut 2 Ridge gourds into small pieces. Wash and cut a Drumstick into 2 inch pieces. Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; and saute 3 minced Garlic cloves till light brown. Add few Curry Leaves, 2 slit Green Chilies, 2 Red Chillies, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds  and saute for a minute. Add a finely chopped Onion, Salt to taste, ¼ tsp Tumeric  and saute till light brown. Add drumstick pieces and saute for 3 minutes. Then, add the Ridge Gourd pieces, mix gently, cover and cook till soft for 8-10 minutes. Add in drumsticks and fry them for 3 minutes. Add in ridge gourd pices, mix gently. cover and cook till soft on medium flame for about 6 to 8 minutes. Add ½ cup of warm Milk and cook till the curry comes together. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

Heat a tsp of Oil in a pan; splutter ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, a pinch of Fenugreek Seeds and few Curry Leaves.  Add and saute a finely sliced medium Onion and 4 slit Green Chillies for a minute. Add ¼ kg Bendakaya / Okra (washed, pat dried and cut into 1 inch pieces), Salt and combine. Cook on medium heat for 12-14 minutes or till the onions and okra are lightly browned. Add a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, a tsp of Coriander Powder, a pinch Turmeric Powder and combine well. Add a medium chopped Tomato (optional)  and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add  a tbsp of grated Jaggery, a tbsp of Tamarind Pulp along with 3 cups of Water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover cook for 8-10 minutes till the gravy thickens slightly. Remove from heat and serve warm.

2 cups Saggubiyyam - wash 2 - 3 times, then put the washed sago in a broad vessel and add enough water to just cover it. Leave this for about 4 hrs or overnight. Just before proceeding to make the khichadi, first separate out the sago by running your fingers through it. 1 Potato, boiled, peeled and cubed (optional) 1 tbsp Oil / Ghee 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 1 Green Chilli, chopped 1 sprig Curry Leaves 2 tsp Salt or to taste 2 tsp Sugar 2 tbsp lightly crushed Roasted Peanuts ½ tsp Red Chili powder 2 tsp Lemon Juice Heat the ghee in a non-stick kadai. Drop the cumin seeds, then the chopped green chilli and curry leaves. Saute 2 mins, add the potatoes, and saute another 4 - 5 mins. In the meanwhile, mix the salt, sugar, red chilli pwd and crushed peanuts with the sabudana. Add this to the kadai. Cover and cook on low or medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 mins. The sabudana should become a bit transparent by then. Add the lemon juice. Mix well continuously for 8-9 mts and turn o...

1 cup Besan 2½ cup Sugar 1 cup Ghee 1 cup Cashew nut Powder + Grated Fresh Coconut 1 cup Milk Mix all the ingredients in a thick bottom kadai on a high flame. Keep stirring to ensure the flour gets mixed well and sugar starts melting. After 10 mins, reduce the flame to low and continue stirring (till bubbles come and the mixture starts leaving the sides). Take a square or circle plate and grease it with ghee. After 10 mins, the batter consistency will be thick enough to see the bottom. (Ensure it doesn't get burnt in the bottom.)Immediately pour the batter on the greased plate. Allow it to sit for 10 mins, and then with a greased knife make marks either as diamond or square. Allow it to completely cool, then cut on the perforated lines to break into pieces.

3½ cups Grated Sorakaya 2 Tomatoes, chopped 6½ tbsp Chickpea flour / Besan 2 Onion, chopped 2 Sprigs Curry Leaves 1 bunch Coriander Leaves 2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste 2 tsp Red Chilli Powder ½ tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder Salt to taste 2 tbsp Dry Coconut Powder Oil to fry Peel the skin of bottle gourd and grate it. Press the grated kaddu and squeeze out the water and spread it on a plate. To the grated kaddu add besan, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chillie powder, finely chopped coriander leaves, ½ tsp garam masala powder, and salt as required and mix well. Make small balls / flats out of this mixture. Heat oil in a kadai and fry this koftas until golden brown on all sides. Take them out on a tissue paper to remove excess oil. You can serve them as it is with tomato sauce or make a curry with them. Peel and finely chop the onions. Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a flat pan and fry the chopped onions until they are golden brown. Now add curry leaves, ginger garlic paste and turmeric. S...

250 gms Tender Okra, wash and pat dry with a kitchen towel, trim the top and ends and stir fry in a tbsp. of oil for 3-4 minutes. ½ inch Ginger Piece ¼ tsp Peppercorns 1 tbsp Oil 1 dry Red Chill, tear into two pieces 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 2 Green Chillis, slit lengthwise 1 tsp Coriander Powder A pinch Turmeric 1 tbsp Besan, dry roast the flour stirring constantly till it gives a roasted aroma 1 cup Curd (made from skimmed milk) Salt to taste Peel the ginger and make a paste of peppercorns and ginger. Keep aside. Whisk the curds and keep aside. Heat oil in a cooking vessel and add the dry red chilli and cumin seeds and stir fry till the aromas come out. Add the green chillis, coriander pwd, turmeric, besan and stir well for a few seconds. Don’t burn it. Add the trimmed and cut lady’s fingers and salt and cook over medium heat stirring frequently for 4-5 mts. Stir in the ginger-pepper corn paste. Reduce flame and add the whisked curds and mix well and cook covered for 12-15 mts stirring occa...

½ cup Sooji, dry roasted till golden brown ½ cup Yogurt 1 cup Water 1 Tomato, Small Sized ¼ cup Onion 1 tsp Red Chilly Powder ½ cup Coriander, finely chopped Salt - Needed Qty 5 Bread pieces Oil - Little qty 1 tsp Lemon Juice Take yogurt, water, tomato, red chilly powder and salt in a mixer.Blend till smooth. Add this to sooji along with onion and coriander. Mix well and keep it as such for 10 minutes. Now, add 1 tsp of lemon juice. Mix well. Heat a dosa pan. Add little oil. Soak bread in the above mixture and place it on the pan.(you may have to place some mixture above the bread). Cook till that side turns brown on a medium heat. Gently turn the bread to other side. Cook till brown. Serve with a sauce.