Hearty Spices

Vada Pappu - Soak 5 tbsp of Split Yellow Moong Dal (Pesara Pappu) in water for ½ hour and strain. Uncooked chalimidi - Soak 1 cup of Raw Rice for 2-3 hours in warm water. Drain and dry the rice on a dry cloth until completely dry and powder coarsely. Mix the coarse powder with ½ cup of Sugar or Jaggery adding 1-2 tsp of Water . Add 2-3 tbsp of Grated / Chopped Coconut and ½ tsp of Cardamom Powder . Mix well to make smooth dough. (Can use ready-made rice powder too.) Cooked Chalimidi - Add the rice powder is to the warm sugar or jaggery syrup and cooked in low heat to form the dough. Add the Coconut and Cardamom Powder to it and stir till no lumps are visible.

Veggies - Peel 2 medium Potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces. Take a stock pot with water, add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to it. Par boil the potatoes in until half cooked. Remove and Keep aside. Cut 1 small Cauliflower into small florets and blanch in the same hot water. Keep it separately.  Curry - Heat 2 tbsp Oil in a saute pan until smoking hot. Add ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder and 2 tsp of Ajwain (Carom Seeds) and wait for them to crackle. Add finely chopped or grated 1" Ginger and saute it. Add finely chopped 4 Green Chillies and again saute for a minute. Add the par-boiled potato cubes and fry till light brown in color on Medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower florets and stri-fry till thy appear to be in light brown shade too. Add 1 tsp Garam Masala and chopped Cilantro . Sprinkle ½ tsp of Lemon Juice and mix well. Adjust Salt to taste. Serve hot with Roti, Naan, or Rice.

Potatoes - Boil 2 medium Potatoes in water until tender. Peel the skin off and chop into cubes. Methi (Fenugreek) Leaves- Pluck the leaves off a bunch of fresh Methi Leaves . Wash and pat dry the leaves. Curry - In a saute pan, heat 1 tsp Oil . When hot, add 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds and 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds and toss. Add finely chopped 1 Red Onion, 4 Green Chilies and 4 Garlic cloves . Saute till the onions turn transparent. Add a pinch of Turmeric Powder and Salt to taste . Mix well. Add the cubed potatoes and sauté them for few minutes until they turn light brown in color. Now, stir in fresh methi leaves and cover cook till they wilt. Remove from heat and close the lid and allow them to absorb the flavors for few minutes. Serve hot with white rice or rotis.

Masala Red Chili Powder - Dry roast ¼ tsp of Coriander Seeds and 1/8 tsp of Cumin Seeds in a pan. Using a mortar and pestle, powder them along with a Garlic Clove . Dry it for a few minutes and grind again adding 2 tbsp Red Chili Powder and ¼ tsp Salt . Keep aside. Brinjals (Eggplants) - Wash 10 - 12 small Brinjals (Vankaya) and pat them dry. Place them in a single layer in a heavy bottomed, wide skillet on medium heat. Pour 2 tbsp Oil over them and cover the skillet. After 5-7 minutes of cooking on one side, turn the eggplants to the other side. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow cooling. Stuffing - Puncture each eggplant in the middle without breaking it. Put ¼ tsp (to ½ tsp) masala red chili powder in the puncture and close gently. Return the same skillet back to medium heat. Add 4-5 Curry Leaves , 3 tbsp chopped Cilantro and Salt to taste . Toss the skillet until curry leaves are fried well. Place the brinjals back in the sk...

Prep - Soak ½ cup of Chana dal in water and pressure cook upto 2 whistles. Cook ¾ cup of Saggubiyyam (Sago) in 2 cups of Water till soft. Payasam - In a cooker, add the 1 cup of Jaggery, soaked in 1 cup of strained Chana Dal Water (for 10 minutes) and let it cook for 7-8 minutes on low heat. Add the cooked chana dal and sago along with the liquid and let it slowly simmer for 6-7 minutes, stirring in between. Add 2 cups of Milk, ½ tsp of Cardamom Powder and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Garnish - Heat a pan, add ½ tbsp of Ghee , toast 8-10 Cashewnuts and few Raisins till golden brown. Add them to the payasam and serve hot or cold.

Water, Tomatoes & Tamarind - Heat a deep pan, add 3 cups of Water, finely chopped large Tomato, 2 tsp Tamarind paste, Salt to Tast, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, 4-5 Curry Leaves and ½ tsp of Jaggery (optional). Bring to boil and continue boiling for 3 minutes. Dal - Cook and mash 2 tbsps of Toor Dal (optional). Keep Aside. Charu Masala - Roast and grind 1 tsp of Toor Dal, 2 tsp of Peppercorns, 1½ tsp of Coriander Seeds, ¾ tsp of Cumin seeds, and a pinch of Fenugreek Seeds into a coarse powder. Add mashed dal and masala to the boiling charu and boil for 5 minutes. Popu (Seasoning) - Heat 1 tsp of Oil in a pan. When hot, add ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds and as they splutter, add a desseded & torn dry Red Chilli and 3 Curry Leaves . Toss for few seconds and add ¼ tsp of Asafetida (Hing) and remove from heat. Add this seasoning to the Charu and mix well. Garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves . Serve hot with rice.

Masala - Heat a tsp of Oil in a pan. When hot, add 1 tbsp of Urad Dal (minappapappu), 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds and 1-2 torn and de-seeded dry Red Chilies . Stir fry for few seconds till the dal is golden brown in color. Remove and keep aside. Chilli & Peels - In the same pan, heat another tsp of Oil . When hot, add 2 slit Green Chillies and saute for a minute. Add the peels of 2 large Ridge gourds chopped into pieces and fry on medium-heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp Tamarind Paste to it and leave aside to cool. Grind - After cooling, grind the masala to coarse mix and then add the Chili and peels to it. Grind to a coarse paste by adding Salt to taste . Popu (Seasoning) - Heat ½ tsp of Oil in a pan and add ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds . Once they pop, add 1-2 Dry Red Chillies and a big pinch of Asafoetida . Toss for few seconds and pour the seasoning over the ground pachadi / chutney. Serve with hot rice.

Eggs - Boil 4 large Eggs in a pan filled with water for 20 minutes. After cooling, shell the eggs and make 3 - 4 slits halfway on them. Keep aside. Spices - Heat 2 tbsp Oil in a saute pan. Once hot, add 1 tsp Cumin Seeds, 2-3 Cardamom Pods, 3-4 Cloves and 3-4 Peppercorns . Toss them till they start to sizzle and pop. Veggies - Take a medium-sized Onion and 1-2 Green Chilies and finely chop them. Add them to the saute pan and fry till browned. Clean and chop a large Tomato and a cup fresh Fenugreek Leaves and add them to the pan too. Spice Powders - Add Salt to taste, ¼ tsp of Red Chilli Powder, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, ½ tsp of Coriander Powder and ½ tsp of Cumin Powder to the pan and mix well. Cook till the tomatoes are pulped and the oil comes out from the sides. Curry - Beat 1 tbsp Yogurt in a cup of water and add it to the pan. Stir till the mixture is mixed well with the onion-tomato mixture. Allow it to come to a boil, and then add the slit boiled eggs to the ...

Dry - In a mixing bowl, seive 1½ cups of All Purpose Flour, ¼ tsp of Baking Powder, ½ tsp of Baking soda and a pinch of Salt together into a smooth mix. Then, add a cup of Freshly chopped Strawberries and ½ cup of semi sweet or dark Chocolate Chips to it. Wet - In a blender / mixer or in a bowl, mix ½ cup of Vegetable Oil, ½ cup of Sugar, 2 ripe mashed Bananas and ½ tsp of Vanilla Essence into a smooth mixture. Bread - Gently incorporate the dry and wet ingredients together and mix in ¼ cup of sliced Almonds. Pour into a well greased loaf pan. Top off with some silvered almonds. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 50 mins. Serve warm or cold.

Dal Mixture - Heat 1 tsp of Oil in a small pan. When hot, add 1 tbsp of split Black Gram Dal (Minapappu), 1 tsp of Bengal Gram Dal (Senagapappu) (optional) and 1 tsp of Coriander Seeds . When golden brown, add 2 slit Green Chilies and 2 dry Red Chilies and toss for a minute. Finally add a big pinch of Asafetida and immediately remove from heat. Keep aside to cool. Ginger & Coriander - Remove the skin on 1½ - 2 inch Ginger and slice into thin pieces. Clean a big bunch of Coriander Leaves (about 1½ cups) and chop them. In the same pan, add 1 tsp of Oil , add ginger and sauté till it turns red (approx 3 minutes). Add the coriander leaves and sauté further for a minute. Remove from heat and cool. Grind - Grind the roasted dal mixture, sautéed ginger-coriander, 1 tbsp of grated Coconut (optional), 1 tbsp Tamarind paste, 2-3 tbsp Jaggery along with Salt to taste , to a slightly coarse paste by adding about ¼ cup of Water . Popu (Seasoning)- Heat 1 tsp of Oil in a small pan. ...

Lentils (Dals) - Soak ½ cup of Toor Dal (Kandipappu), ½ cup of Channa Dal (Senagapappu), ½ cup of Moong Dal (Pesarapappu), ½ cup of Urad Dal (Minapappu), ½ cup of Rice in enough cold water for atleast 6 hours. Batter - Grind the soaked lentils along with 6 dried Red Chilies and Salt to taste into a smooth dosa like batter. Seasoning (Popu)- Heat 2 tsp Oil in a small pan. When hot, add ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin seeds and a pinch of Asafoetida . Once they splutter, add 6 Curry leaves and toss for 10 seconds and remove from heat. Add the seasoning to the batter. Ada - Heat a griddle / dosa pan on medium heat and pour about a ladleful of batter. Spread the batter around with the ladle in the form of dosa. Add ½ tsp of Oil around the dosa and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the dosa and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve hot accompanied with Allam Kothimeera chutney (Ginger Coriander Leaves Chutney).

Yogurt Mixture - Beat a cup of Yogurt with ½ cup of Water smoothly without lumps for about 30 seconds. Onions, Green Chilies, Ginger and Turmeric Powder - Finely chop 2 medium Onions, 4 Green Chilies and an inch of Ginger . Add these to the beaten yogurt along with ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder . Popu / Seasoning - Heat 2 tsp Oil in a small pan, add ½ tsp of Cumin seeds and ½ tsp of Mustard seeds . After they splutter, add 4 Dried Red Chillies , 1 tsp of Split Black Gram Dal (Minappappu), ¼ tsp of Fenugreek seeds and a pinch of Hing . Once the dal is golden brown reduce to low heat and add 2 sprigs of Curry Leaves . Add this to the beaten yogurt mixture and mix well. Garnish - Finely chop a small bunch of Coriander leaves and keep aside. Add Salt to taste to the beaten yogurt mixture and garnish with the chopped Coriander Leaves. Serve cold with hot white rice.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Batter - In a mixing bowl, combine ¾ cup of All Purpose Flour, ¾ cup of Sugar, 1 tsp of Baking Powder, ½ tsp of Baking Soda and ¼ tsp of Salt ; set aside. With an electric mixer, combine 6 tbsp of Unsweetened Dutch-process Cocoa Powder and 3 tbsp of Hot Water until a thick paste forms. Add melted 3 tbsp of Unsalted Butter, 6 tbsp of Buttermilk, 1 large Egg and 1 Egg White ; beat until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until smooth. Cream Cheese Icing - With an electric mixer, beat 3 oz of Cream Cheese and 1 cup of Confectioners Sugar until light and fluffy. Cupcakes - Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread Light Cream-Cheese Icing over tops.

V eggies - Wash, peel and cube 2 medium Potatoes and a Carrot . Boil the veggies and mash them together. Add a tsp of Grated Ginger,  2 minced Green Chili and 2 tbsp of chopped Coriander Leaves  to the mashed mixture. Add 3 tbsp of Soaked Poha , a pinch of Turmeric Powder, a tsp of Amchur, a tsp of Red Chilli powder, a tsp of Cumin Powder, Salt to taste and mash well to form a smooth consistent mixture. Tikkies - Make Lemon-sized balls and flatten them out in the form of tikkies. Shallow-fry them in a pan until golden brown. Keep aside. Peas - Pick and wash 1½ cups of whole dried Yellow Peas . Soak for 6 hours in water. Drain the peas and add 2 -3 cups of Water, Salt to taste, a pinch of Turmeric Powder and pressure cook for 1-3 whistles or until they are well-done. Keep aside until cool. Ragda - In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp Oil . Add finely sliced small Onion and ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder . When the onions are translucent, add finely chopped small Tomato...

2 large Red Bell Peppers 2 large Tomatoes, peeled and chopped 2 tbsp minced Garlic 1½ cups Water or stock ½ cup Milk ½ cup sliced Onions 1 tsp Red Chili Powder ¼ tsp Curry Powder Salt and Pepper to taste 1 tsp olive oil 1 tbsp fresh Lemon Juice For the garnish: Thinly sliced Green Onions Garlic Croutons Cream Grill the bell peppers turning them on and off till the skin starts to turn black for about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes. Peel, remove the seeds and chop. Heat oil in a large enough saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Cook till the onions start to soften. Add the chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, red chilli powder, curry powder and cook for about 10 minutes stirring frequently. Add the water/stock and milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and grind into a smooth liquid. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve hot and garnish with garlic croutons, sliced green onio...

Marinate: 800 gm Chicken Boneless Breast Meat, washed, pat dried and cubed into bite size pieces 3 tbsp Ginger juliennes 2 tsp Garam Masala 3 tbsp Yogurt 2 tsp Red Chilli Powder 2 tsp Salt 1/3 tsp Turmeric Powder Others: 3 Cloves 3 tbsp Sunflower Oil 4 Curry leaves 1 Yellow Onion, large, thinly sliced Spring Onions Greens, chopped, for garnishing 1 tbsp Ginger juliennes In a bowl or a resealable plastic bag, marinate the chicken for about 2-4 hours in the refrigerator. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature atleast an hour before cooking. Heat oil in a non-stick heavy bottomed pan at medium high heat and throw in the cloves and thinly sliced onions. Stir fry it till the onion is lightly browned. Add the curry leaves and saute it for just a minute more. Add the marinated chicken and mix it well. Close the lid for about 20 minutes. Later, open the lid and stir it gently and cook uncovered for a few more minutes, till it is quite dry. Garnish with the gi...

Take 1 1/2 cups of Almond Flour, 1 cup Sugar, 2 cups Milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Heat 4 tbsp of Butter in a wide mouthed pan until it melts. Add the almond milk, a pinch of Saffron, 1/2 tsp of Cardamom Powder and cook until it reduces in quantity is reduced. Add a pinch of Yellow Color, a tbsp of Ghee and continue mixing until the halwa thickens (If you touch with wet hands, it should be non sticky) and leaves the pan. Add 1/4 cup of sliced Almonds , remove from heat and let it cool down. Take a parchment paper and cut into small pieces to make halwa balls and wrap.

Marinate  2 lbs of cleaned, boneless, skinless and diced Chicken for an hour with 1 tsp of Black Pepper Powder, 2 tsp of Salt, 1 Egg White, 2 tbsp of All Purpose Flour, 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tbsp of Red Chilli Powder, 2½ tbsp of Corn Flour and Juice of ½ Lemon. Deep fry the chicken pieces till they acquire a golden shade (don’t let them become crispy) in oil. Drain and keep aside. In a bowl, beat 1 cup of Yogurt, Salt to taste, 1 tsp of Garam Masala and a pinch of Red Food Color till the mixture is runny adding ¼ cup of Water if needed. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan; saute 4 cloves of minced Garlic Cloves  and fry till golden brown. Add 12 slit Green Chilies, few Curry Leaves and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add the yogurt mixture to the wok and wait for the first boil. Then add the chicken pieces to it and mix well till the chicken pieces are well coated with the yogurt mixture. Keep mixing till the chick...

½ kg Ridge Gourd/Beerakaaya, peeled and chopped 1 large Onion, finely sliced 2 Green Chillis, slit length wise 1½ – 2 tbsp roasted Sesame Seeds ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder Salt to taste ½ tbsp Oil Popu: ½ tsp Mustard Seeds ¼ tsp Cumin Seeds ¾ tsp Urad Dal (minapappu) 1 tsp Channa Dal (senagapappu) (optional) 1-2 dry Red Chillis, tear & de-seed Few Curry Leaves Sprinkle 3-4 tbsps of water to the ridge gourd pieces, salt and turmeric powder and place lid. Cook on low to medium flame till the ridge gourd is almost cooked and the water evaporates. While the ridge gourd is cooking, heat oil in a separate cooking vessel, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cumin seeds, urad dal and red chillis and saute for a minute till the dal turn red and you get a nice aroma. Add curry leaves, green chillis and onions and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the cooked ridge gourd and combine. Cook on high to medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Lower heat, add the roasted sesame seeds powder and combine. Cook wit...

Dough - In a bowl, mix 2 cups of Wheat Flour with Salt to taste and a tbsp of Ghee , forming into smooth dough with W ater as needed . Separate dough into golf-sized balls and set aside. Mooli Mixture (Radish Filling) - Squeeze out all the water from a cup of grated White Radish and mix Salt to taste, 5 chopped Green Chillies, an inch of grated Ginger and set aside. Paratha - For each dough ball, roll out the dough into a small circle and put around a tbsp of the raddish mixture in the centre. Bring the ends of the circle together and form into a ball. Seal the edges completely so that the stuffing does not come out. Roll out these dough balls into a 6-inch circle. Fry on a heated pan adding a bit of ghee around the edges to crisp it up. Serve hot with Tomato-Chili Ketchup.