Hearty Spices

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together the ¾ cup of Butter at room temperature and 1 cup of Sugar until fluffy. Beat in a Egg, 1 tbsp of Milk and 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract until smooth. Whisk in 2 cups of All Purpose Flour, 1 tsp of Baking Soda and ½ tsp of Salt into butter mixture, stirring until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Stir in ½ cup roasted, salted Pistachio, 1 cup of White Chocolate Chips and combine. Drop 1-inch balls of dough onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies to allow for spread. Bake for 11-14 minutes, until edges of the cookies are light golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen.

Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan, add 3 Cloves, A small Cinnamon stick and a Bay Leaf . Fry for 3 minutes and add 5 slit Green Chillies, 2 sprigs of Curry Leaves and 4 Onions (cut lengthwise). Fry till the onions are soft. Add 3 washed, peeled and cubed Potatoes . Cover and cook them on low flame for about 7-10 minutes stirring in between till the potatoes turn soft. Add 1 tsp of Turmeric Powder, 1 tbsp Chilli Powder and Salt to taste . Mix well, cover and cook for another 3 minutes in low flame. Add 2 cups of Water and bring to boil. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the potatoes to cook on low flame till thick gravy is formed. Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves . Serve hot with rice.

Dal (Lentils) - Pressure cook 1 cup of Toor Dal (Kandipappu) with 2 cups of Water till 3-4 whistles and mash to smooth. Set aside. Charu (Soup) - In a sauce pan, add 2 cups of Water , 1 Brinjal (cut into cubes), 1 Onion (cut length wise), 3 Lady’s Fingers (cut into 2 inch size pieces), ¾ cup White Radish (cut into cubes), 1 Tomato (cut into cubes) and 6 Green Chillies (slit length wise) and on medium heat cook till the vegetables turn soft for 15-20 minutes. Add mashed dal, tamarind juice (1 big lemon-sized Tamarind, soaked in 2 cups of water and pulp extracted), Salt to taste, 1 tbsp of Sugar, 1 tsp of Turmeric Powder and allow to boil in low heat for 15 minutes. Adjust tamarind juice and salt according to taste while cooking. Popu (Seasoning) - Heat 1 tbsp of Ghee in a pan. Add 3 crushed Garlic, 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds , 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 4 Red Chillies and 2 sprigs of Curry Leaves and allow them to splutter. Add this seasoning to pappu charu. Allow to cook for 3 more...

Marinade - Marinate washed and cubed 1 kg Mutton with 1½ cups of Yogurt, 2 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder, 1¼ tbsp of Coriander Powder, ¾ tsp of Cumin Powder and ½ tbsp of Ginger Garlic paste for 30-40 minutes. Masala - Dry roast 1½ tbsp of Poppy Seeds for 4 minutes and soak in water for 10 minutes. Soak 4 Cashewnuts in water for 4 minutes. Make paste of the poppy seeds, cashewnuts and 4 tbsp of grated Fresh Coconut . Kurma - Heat 1½ tbsp of Oil in a heavy bottomed vessel or pressure cooker; add 4 Cloves, 2 Cardamom, 1″ Cinnamon stick and a Bay Leaf . Fry for few seconds and add chopped 2 large Onions and fry till transparent. Add the slit 5-6 Green Chilies and 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and sauté for 3 minnutes. Add a chopped Tomato and fry for 4-5 minutes. Add the marinated mutton and cover cook over medium heat till the water from the meat and yogurt is almost absorbed. Add the poppy seeds-coconut paste and Salt to taste to the mutton an...

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups of All Purpose Flour, 1 tsp of Baking Soda and ¼ tsp of Salt . In a large bowl, cream together ¾ cup of Butter and 1 cup of Sugar until light. Beat in a Egg, 2 oz of melted White Chocolate and 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract . Gradually incorporate the flour mixture, mixing until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Stir in 2/3 cup of Dried Cranberries and 2/3 cup of White Chocolate Chips . Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2-inches between each cookie to spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies turn lightly golden around the edges. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 36 cookies.

Rice - Wash and soak 2 cups of Basmati Rice for ½ hour. Prep - Clean and wash ½ kg (approx 1 lb) Mutton and marinate with 1 tsp of Turmeric Powder, ½ tsp of Salt and ½ tsp of Chili Powder . Grind 6 to 7 Green Chillies with 1 cup of diced Tomatoes and set aside. Grind 1/4 cup of chopped Mint Leaves and 1/4 cup of Cilantro and set aside. Masala - In a heavy bottomed vessel or a pressure cooker, heat 1 tbsp of Oil, 1 tbsp of Ghee and add 2 inch Cinnamon, 4-5 Cloves, 4 Cardamom and 2-3 Bay Leaves . When they pop, add 1 cup of finely sliced Onions and saute until they turn golden brown. Add 2 tsp of Ginger Garlic paste and saute well for another minute. Add the ground chillies mixture and saute until the raw smell goes. Now add 1 cup of diced Tomatoes and saute for few minutes. Then add the mint-cilantro paste and saute for few minutes, add 1/4 cup of Mint Leaves and 1/4 cup of Cilantro and mix well to the masala. To this add the mutton pieces and mix well. Close the lid a...

Rasam Powder – Dry roast and powder 4 tbsp of Coriander Seeds , 3-4 Dry Red Chillies, 2 tbsp of Dry Coconut, 1 tbsp of Cumin Seeds, ½ tbsp of Pepper Corns, ¼ tbsp of Fenugreek Seeds and few Curry Leaves. Rasam - Cook ¼ Cup Toor Dal and 3 Beetroots with Leaves, chopped in 2 cups of Water in a pressure cooker. After 3 whistles, add 2 tbsp of Cilantro, 1 tbsp of Tamarind Juice, Salt to taste and a pinch of Hing . Simmer for few minutes. Add 2-3 tsp of Rasam powder or as much as you need. Simmer again. Seasoning - In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of Oil and Ghee . Saute 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds and sauté till they splutter. Add 2 Dry Red Chili, sliced ½ Onion, minced Garlic Clove and few Curry Leaves . Saute till onion is light brown and add this to the rasam.

Heat 1 tsp of Oil in a pan, add 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds and a pinch of Asafoetida . Once they sizzle, add the minced 2 inch Fresh Ginger and let it brown. Add 1 tsp of Coriander Powder, a pinch of Turmeric, 1 tsp of Chilli Powder and fry for a minute, taking care not to burn and add the cauliflower florets from 1 head . Let the masala coat the florets , add ¼ cup of Water and Salt to taste . Reduce to low heat and cover cook for 10 minutes or until done stirring in between. Remove the cover, increase the heat and let the water, if any, evaporate and remove from heat. Add 1 tsp of Garam Masala and 1 tsp of Amchur Powder , mix well and cover again for 2-3 minutes for the flavours to blend. Squeeze 2 tsp of Lemon Juice on top. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. In a bowl, whisk together 2 cups of All Purpose Flour, 1½ tsp of Baking Powder and ¼ tsp of Salt . In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of Sugar, 3 tbsp of Oil, 1 Egg, 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract and 2 large Mashed Bananas until smooth. Add in flour mixture and stir until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Fold in 1 1/3 cups of Blueberries with a spatula, then pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Makes 1 loaf.

Alasandalu (Black Eyed Peas) - Soak 1 cup of Black Eyed Peas in water for 1-2 hours and then pressure cook for 4 whistles with 2 cups of Water . Drain the water from the cooked beans. Popu (Seasoning) - Heat 1 tsp Oil in a saute pan, add 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds and 1 tsp Urad Dal . Once they splutter, add chopped Onion, chopped 2-3 Green Chilies and Salt to taste . When the onions are cooked, add the cooked peas and mix well. Remove from heat and sprinkle 2 tsp of Lemon Juice and garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves.

Marinade - Marinate the cleaned and de-veined ½ kg Prawns in 1 tbsp of Tomato Ketchup, ½ tbsp of Vinegar, 1 tsp of Soya Sauce, ½ tsp of Brown Sugar and 1 tsp of Red Chili Paste for 15-20 minutes. Prawn Fry - Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a wok till smoking hot. Add 1 tsp of minced Garlic, 1 tsp of minced Ginger and sauté for a few seconds. Add finely chopped ¼ cup of Spring Onion Whites and 2 Green Chilies and stir for 2 minutes. Add the marinated prawns along with any leftover marinade and cook on high heat for a minute without tossing. Flip the other side and cook for another minute. Combine once again and cook on medium heat for 3 mts or till done, tossing constantly. Season with Salt to taste and garnish with Spring Onion Greens and serve hot as an appetizer or stir fry. Prawn Fried Rice - Rice - Cook 1½ cup Basmati Rice and keep aside to cool. Vegies - Finely chop a cup of Carrots, Beans and Capsicum and keep aside. Fried Rice - Heat 1½ tbsp of Oil in a wok until smo...

Dough - In a bowl, add 2 cups of Wheat Flour, 2 tsp of Besan (Bengal Gram Flour), 2 tsp of Rice Flou, Salt to taste and 1 tsp of Oil (optional). Mix the flours well with water to prepare a dough. Keep aside covered for 30 minutes. Mooli (Radish) - Clean, peel and grate 2 medium Mooli (Radish) to get about 400gm. Squeeze out the water by pressing betwewn palms. Stuffing - Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan, add 1 tsp Ajwain (Carom Seeds) and a pinch of Asefotida . Add 2 tbsp of Besan (Bengal Gram Flour) and fry for a minute. Add squeezed mooli and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of Green Chilli paste , 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, ½ cup of chopped Coriander Leaves and 1 tbsp of Lemon Juice . Combine well and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add Salt to taste and keep aside to cool. Paratha - Knead the Paratha dough for few seconds. Divide and shape the dough into round balls. Roll it out to the size of a small-sized puri. Place 2 Tbsp of stuffing in the centre. Raise the sides ...

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease the muffin pan or a bundt pan. Raspberry Crush - Lightly mix 2 cups of fresh Raspberries with 1/3 cup of Brown Sugar / Maple Syrup and set aside for an hour. Mix well with a spoon. Batter - Mix 2 cups of All Purpose Flour, 2/3 cup of Sugar, 1 tsp of Baking Powder, ½ tsp of Baking Soda and 1/8 tsp of Salt in a bowl. Combine 1 cup of Yogurt/Sour Cream, ¼ cup of Butter, ½ tsp of Vanilla Extract, 2 Eggs in a separate bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Lightly mix in the raspberry crush and 2-4 tbsp Milk if needed, to make a thick batter. Spoon into the muffin pan to 2/3rds or into the bundt pan. If you want to omit the frosting: Top with ½ cup lightly toasted and chopped almonds. Cupcakes - Bake muffins for 21 to 23 minutes, or about 40 minutes for a bundt cake. Cool on a wire rack before frosting. Makes 15 cupcakes or one bundt cake. Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting - Bring 5 oz of Cream Cheese to room temperature and mix 2½ tsp of Lemon Juice,...

Preheat the oven on broil. Veggies - Wash, peel and cube a Potato . Boil the potato cubes along with ½ cup of Peas . Eggs - Beat 4 Eggs lightly in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp Water and 1 tsp of Hot Sauce and keep aside. Frittata - Heat 1 tbsp Oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add finely chopped Garlic clove, finely chopped Onion and 4 finely chopped Green Chilies and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add finely chopped Tomato, boiled veggies, ½ tsp of Cumin Powder, ½ tsp of Coriander Powder and 1 tbsp of chopped Fresh Cilantro and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. When the mixture is well blended, season with Salt and ½ tsp of Chili Powder and saute for few minutes. Add the beaten eggs to the veggie mixture, cover and cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the underside is golden brown. Sprinkle 4 tbsp Cheese over the omelet and cook briefly under the preheated broiler until the cheese has melted and the top of the omelet is set. Slide out of t...

Beat 2 cups of Yogurt with 1 tsp of Sugar in a bowl. Add 2 handsful of Boondi, ½ tsp of Dry Mint Leaves and 1 tbsp of Coriander Leaves to the yogurt and mix well. Sprinkle ½ tsp of Roasted Cumin Powder, a pinch of Garam masala powder, a pinch of Black pepper powder, a pinch of Red Chili Powder, a pinch of Black Rock Salt Powder and Salt to taste and mix well. Serve chilled as a side dish for any Pulav.

Dal - Wash and soak 1 cup of Toor Dal for about 20 minutes. Boil the dal in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles in 2 cups of Water . Heat a  tsp Oil &  tsp of Ghee in a deep sauce pan. Add a tsp of Mustard Seeds, a tsp of Cumin Seeds, a pinch of Turmeric and allow them to splutter. Add 2-3 Torn Red Chillies, a crushed Garlic Clove and a sprig of Curry Leaves and saute for 2 minutes. Add a  thinly sliced, small Red Onion, slit 3 Green Chilies ,  a pinch of Hing and saute until Onions are golden brown. Add a big chopped  Tomato and  saute till tomato is cooked. Add a  tbsp of Tamarind Paste , cooked dal, 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder, ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder and Salt to taste . Mix well adding 3 cups of Water and bring it to boil on low heat. Garnish with chopped C oriander leaves and serve warm with rice.

Prep - Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Dry Ingredients - In a large bowl, whisk together 2½ cup of All Purpose Flour, 1½ tsp of Baking Powder, ½ tsp Salt, 1½ tsp of Ground Cinnamon, ½ tsp of Ground Cardamom, ½ tsp of Ground Allspice and ¼ tsp Ground Cloves . Batter - In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup of melted Butter, 2 large Eggs, 1¼ cups of Milk and 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract . Pour into flour mixture and stir until partially combined. Add 2 cups of shredded Apples, ¾ cup of chopped and toasted Pecans and continue to mix until all ingredients are well combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bread - Bake for about 70-75 minutes, or until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then turn loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or cold along with cream cheese. Store in an airtight container when cool; the bread will keep we...

Mutton - Wash 250 gm Goat meat (Mutton) and chop into medium chunks. Pressure-cook the mutton with ¼ tsp of Ginger-Garlic Paste, a pinch of Salt and Turmeric Powder along with a cup of Water . Pressure cook till the mutton is well cooked and tender. Drain the stock from the mutton. Vepudu (Fry) - Heat a pan with 2 tsp Oil , saute finely chopped 1 medium onion, slit 4 medium Green Chilies and 5-6 Curry Leaves . When the onions light brown in color, add 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste and fry till done. Add the cooked mutton pieces and 1 tsp of Chili Powder, 1 tsp of Coriander Powder, ¼ tsp of Garam Masala and ½ tsp of Cashewnut Powder(optional). Cover and cook under low heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tsp Crushed Peppercorns and mix well. When the mutton pieces are roasted well, remove from heat. Serve hot with rice and rasam, pappucharu or sambar.

Pulav - Heat ½ tbsp Ghee + 1 tbsp Oil in a pan, add a Bay Leaf, 2" Cinnamon Stick, 4 Cloves, 2 Green Cardamoms and 1 Star Anise and stir for few seconds. Add 2 Onions, finely sliced and saute till transparent. Add ½ tbsp of Ginger-Garlic-Green Chilli paste and saute for few minutes. Add finely chopped 1½ tbsp of fresh Coriander Leaves and 1½ tbsps of fresh Mint Leaves and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add 1½ cup of chopped Mixed Vegetables (beans, green peas, carrots and potatoes) and cook on medium for 4-5 minutes. Add a chopped Tomato and stir for a minute. Add washed and drained 2 cups of Basmati Rice and saute for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup of thick Coconut Milk and 3¼ cup of Water and bring to boil. Add Salt to taste and a pinch of Nutmeg Powder and reduce heat to low-medium and cook covered with lid. Once the rice is cooked, remove from heat and garnish with 8-10 Cashewnuts that are roasted lightly in 1 tbsp Ghee and with fresh Coriander Leaves . Serve warm with rait...

Masala Paste - Coarsely crush 1½ tbsp of chopped Coriander Leaves , 1 tbsp of chopped Mint Leaves and 3 slit Green Chillis . Spinach Puree - Wash a large bunch of Spinach Leaves and blanch for 3 minutes in hot water. Then puree it and keep aside. Rice - Heat ½ tbsp of Oil + 1½ tbsp of Ghee/Butter in a pan. Add 4 Cloves, 1 inch Cinnamom, 1 Elachi, 1 Star Anise and 1 Bay Leaf and saute for few seconds. Add ½ cup of sliced Onions and ½ tsp of Sugar and saute for 4 minutes. Add 1 tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and crushed paste and saute further for 5 minutes. Add spinach puree and cook further for 8-10 minutes. Add ¼ cup of Yogurt and Salt to taste and cook for a minute. Add 2 cups of washed Basmati Rice and saute for 2 minutes. Add 3½ cups of Water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add ½ cup of lightly sauteed Paneer Cubes (optional), cover with lid and cook till rice is done. Serve hot with raita.