Hearty Spices

Dal - In a saucepan, add washed 1 cup of Moong Dal, ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder, a drop of Oil, 2 cups of Water and cook till the lentils are cooked without loosing their shape, about 10-15 minutes. Curry - Heat ½ tbsp of Oil in a pan, add 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds, ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, few Fenugreek Seeds (Optional), ¼ tsp of Asafoetida, halved 1-2 Dry Red Chillies, Few Curry Leaves and saute till the spices are golden brown. Add finely chopped 2-3 large Garlic Cloves, slit 2-3 Green Chilies and saute for few seconds. Add thinly sliced 4-6 Spring Onion Whites, finely chopped an inch of Ginger and sauté till onions are translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Add ½ - 1 tsp of Garam Masala, finely chopped 2 medium Tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes till tomatoes are mushy. Add the cooked moong dal, 1 tsp of Jaggery, Salt to taste, 1- 1½ cups of Water and simmer the dal for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle juice of ½ medium Lime, Spring Onion Greens and let it cook for another 2-3 min...

Garnish - Heat a pan, add 1 tbsp of Ghee and toast 2 tbsp of Cashewnuts and 1 tbsp of Raisins till golden brown. Remove and keep aside. Dal & Jaggery Syrup - In the same pan, add  ½  cup Split Yellow Moong Dal and roast it for approx 4 minutes till it turns a light brown shade. Remove from pan and pressure cook in 1 cup of Water till soft and mushy. Add 3/4  cup of Jaggery and ¼ cup of Water and bring to boil till the jaggery melts. Remove from heat and keep aside. Payasam - In a heavy bottomed vessel, boil  ½ cup  of Milk , stirring once in a while. Once the milk is boiled, add the cooked dal and combine well. Next, add the jaggery syrup and keep stirring on low heat till well combined for 12-15 minutes. Add the ½ tsp of Cardamom Powder and toasted cashews and raisins. Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled.

Masala Powder - Heat ½ tbsp of Oil in a non-stick pan. Add chopped 4-5 Garlic Pods, 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 1½ of tbsp Urad Dal, 1 tbsp of Chana Dal, 1-2 dry Red Chillis, ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds and stir on medium heat till they turn slightly red. Immediately remove the roasted spices, straining the left over oil and keep aside. Veggies - In the same pan, add slit 2-3 Green Chilli, 2 cups of Grated Carrot and on medium flame saute till the rawness of carrot disappears (approx 3-4 mts). Remove and keep aside. In the same pan, add a tsp of Oil and saute ¾ - 1 cup of chopped Coriander Leaves for a minute. Remove from heat and cool. Chutney - Grind the roasted Masala, followed by the sauteed carrot and coriander, 1 tbsp of Jaggery and Salt to taste , to a coarse paste adding little water. Popu - Heat 1 tsp of Oil in a pan, add ½ of Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp of Urad Dal, few Curry Leaves and fry till the dal turns red. Remove from heat and add to the chutney along with juice of...

Preheat oven / Airfryer to 400F. In a bowl, mix in 1 finely chopped Capsicum, 1 small finely chopped Onion, 1 tbsp of Butter (optional), 2 tbsp of Tomato Ketchup, 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder and Salt to taste . On a baking pan, place an aluminium foil and then the  6 Wheat Bread slices over it. Over the bread slices, evenly place the capsicum-onion mixture. Sprinkle 2 tsp of Shredded Mozarella Cheese over them and bake for 10 minutes or till cheese melts. Serve hot.

Rice - Wash and soak 2 cups of Basmati Rice for 10 minutes. Pulav - Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan; add 2-3 Bay Leaves, an inch of Cinnamon Stick, 2-3 Cloves, 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds and 5-6 Cashew Nuts . Fry for a minute or till the nuts change to golden color and add a sliced Onion and lengthwise cut 2-3 Green Chillies . Saute and add 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic paste, Salt to taste, 1 tsp of Garam Masala Powder, ½ cup of Green Peas and mix well for 2-3 minutes. Add a cup of Milk and stir in the rice and 3 cups of Water . Stir once and cook on medium high heat uncovered for 10 minutes and then cover and cook for another 5 mins. Once cooked fluff the pulav with fork. Serve hot with spicy curry.

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together ½ cup of Butter, 1 cup of Sugar and ½ cup of Brown Sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 Eggs one at a time, 1½ tsp of Vanilla Extract and ½ cup of Mashed Banana (1 medium) . Stir in 3 cups of All Purpose Flour, 1 tsp of Baking Soda and 1 tsp of Salt , then mix in 1¼ cups of Chocolate Chips / Chocolate Chunks until well-mixed. Shape dough into 1 to 1½ inch balls and place on baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between cookies to allow for spread. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until cookies are a light golden brown. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 40 cookies.

Marinade - Marinate 4 Chicken Legs, slit with ¼ cup of thick Yogurt, 2 tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp of Lemon Juice, 2 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp Pepper Powder, ½ tsp of Cumin Powder, 1 tsp of Garam Masala, Salt to taste and pinch of Tandoori Color (optional) for at least 3 hours or overnight in fridge. Stove - Heat 2 tbsp Oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces to the pan. Cover the pan and let it cook on slow heat. Cook slowly until cooked on one side, then turn and cover again. Add oil if necessary. When cooked, increase the flame and let it cook until it changes its color to brown. Oven - Preheat the oven to 450C. Add Oil to a grill pan and place the chicken legs in the pan, cover with an aluminium foil and grill for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and grill for 10 minutes. Turn the pieces and grill for another 10 mins. Sprinkle some lime juice on top and serve.

Veggies - Peel and chop a Carrot finely . Finely chop handful of Beans and keep aside. Boil ¼ cup of Peas and keep aside. Finely chop 4 Spring Onions and seperate the whites from greens. Fried Rice - Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan, add finely chopped 3-4 Garlic pods and fry for a minute. Then add the carrot, beans, peas and fry for 2 – 3 minutes mixing regularly. Add spring onion whites and fry till the onion pieces are translucent. Break open 3 Eggs and fry until they are scrambled. Add ¼ tsp of Ajinomoto (optional), 1 tsp of Soya Sauce, Salt to taste, 2 tsp of Pepper Powder and mix well. Add 1½ cup of Cooked Rice and fry for 2 – 3 minutes. Now add the spring onions greens and fry for 2 – 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Spice Powders - Grind 4 tbsp of Besan(Chickpea Flour), 8 dried Red Chillies, 1 tsp of Sugar and 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds to fine powder and keep aside. Brinjal - Remove the stems of 12 small Brinjals (Eggplant/Vankaya), slice them into thin pieces lengthwise and drop them in salted water in a bowl. Fry - In a wide skillet, heat 1 tbsp of Oil and toast few Curry Leaves and 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds . Add brinjal pieces and 1 tsp of grated Ginger to the skillet. On medium-high heat, saute turning often with a ladle till the pieces turn to gold color. Just before turning off the heat, stir in besan mix along with Salt to taste and 1 tsp of Turmeric Powder . Mix and fry for few more minutes and sprinkle ¼ cup of Roasted Cashews . Serve hot with rice.

Biscuits - In a bowl, cream together ¼ cup of Butter and 1/3 cup of Sugar until well blended. Add ½ tsp of Vanilla Essence, 2 tsp of Honey and combine. Add the 1 cup of All Purpose Flour (Maida), ¼ tsp of Baking Soda, 1 tsp of Baking Powder and 1 tbsp of Cocoa Powder to the butter mixture and mix. Add 2-3 tbsp of Cold Milk to form soft dough. Roll the dough into a large roti and using a knife, cut into thin rectangle shape pieces. Use a fork to prick over the rectangle pieces and sprinkle Sugar on top of each. Bake - Grease a baking tray and place each rectangle piece on the tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 155 C / 310 F for 16-19 mts or till the edges are toasted. Once baked, the cookie will feel soft on touch but once cool it will harden. Cool for 3 minutes before proceeding with the filling. Repeat the process with remaining dough. Filling - Mix ¼ cup of Butter with 1/3 cup of Icing/Powdered Sugar, 1 tsp of Cocoa Powder and Few drops Vanilla Essence in a bowl...

Marinade -  Marinate 2 lb boneless Chicken (thigh meat), cut into bite sized pieces with 3 tbsp of Yogurt, 2 tbsp of Lime Juice, 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, 1½ tsp of Red Chilli Powder, 1½ tsp of Garam Masala Powder, 1½ tsp of Coriander Powder, 1 tsp of Cumin Powder, Salt to taste and refrigerate overnight. Chicken -  Heat 1 tbsp Oil in a pan. Add the chicken with all the marinade and cook on medium high flame, stirring frequently till the chicken is cooked and all the water has evaporated and is dry. Gravy -  Heat the 2 tbsp of Butter in a pan and fry 2 Bay Leaves, 2 Cardamoms and 4 Cloves till fragrant. Add finely chopped Red Onion and saute till brown. Now add 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and fry for a minute. Add 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder and 1 tsp of Garam Masala Powder and fry for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato puree made from 2 medium Tomatoes, blanched, peeled and pureed . Cook till the oil separates and add chicken, ½ tbsp of Kasoori Methi(dr...

Pasta: Bring water to a boil in a big pot and add Salt, 1 tsp Olive Oil, 4 cups of Penne Pasta and cook over medium flame for 10-12 minutes until al dente. Drain and reserve ½ cup of Water for later. Run pasta under cold water to keep the pasta separate. Spinach Pesto: Boil water, add Salt, chopped medium bunch of Spinach and blanch for a minute and immediately run cold water over it. Blend spinach with ¼ cup of fresh Parsley, ¼ cup of Pine Nuts / Walnuts, 2-3 tbsp of grated Parmesan Cheese (optional), 2 Garlic Pods, 1 tsp of freshly ground Pepper, 3-4 tbsp of Olive Oil, Juice of ½ Lemon and Salt to taste in to a slightly coarse sauce. If needed, add some strained spinach water to ease grinding. Bechamel Sauce: Heat 3 tbsp of Butter / Olive Oil in a pan on medium flame. Add ¼ cup of All Purpose Flour and whisk immediately until it forms a smooth paste. Now slowly add 300 ml of Hot Milk and whisk continuously until you get a smooth uniform mixture. Cook it for 2-3 minut...

Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan and splutter ¼ tsp of Mustard Seeds and ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds . Add 3 finely chopped Onions, 2 Mullakadalu (Drumsticks), cut into 2 inch pieces, 5-6 Curry Leaves and Salt to taste . Increase the heat to medium and fry till the onions are soft and light golden brown in color. Add ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder , 2 tsp of Chilli Powder, 2 peeled and cubed Aritikayalu (Plaintains) and mix well. Cover and cook on medium flame for 3-4 minutes stirring occassionally. Add 1½ cup of Water , bring to boil then reduce the flame to medium low. Allow cooking till the plantains turn soft and all the water is absorbed. Now add 1 cup of Warm Milk to the curry and cook till it reaches desired gravy consistency. Adjust Salt and just before turning off the heat, add ¼ tsp of Garam Masala and 3 tbsp of chopped Coriander Leaves . Mix well and turn off the flame. Serve hot with rice.

Cookie Dough - In a bowl, cream together ¾ cup of melted Butter, 1 cup of Brown Sugar and ½ cup of White Sugar until well blended. Beat in the 2 tsp of Vanilla Essence, 1 Egg and 1 Egg Yolk until light and creamy. Mix in 2 cup of All Purpose Flour, ¾ tsp of Baking Soda and ¼ tsp of Salt until blended. Stir in 1 cup of Chocolate Chips and 1 cup of Toasted Almond Powder using a wooden spoon. Cookie - Drop cookie dough atleast 2½ – 3 inches apart using a tbsp onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 325 F for about 20-22 minutes till the edges are slightly toasted or till done. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Store in airtight container

Okra - Heat 1 tsp of Oil and lightly toast ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds . Add a chopped Onion and a chopped Tomato and saute until the onions turns transculent. Add the 1 tsp of Grated Ginger, few Curry Leaves, 2 chopped Green Chillies, ¼ of Turmeric Powder and saute for few minutes. Finally add 2 cups of chopped Okra pieces , saute until they get well cooked in simmer and put off the stove. Yogurt - Whisk  2 cups of Yogurt with Salt and 1 tbsp of chopped Coriander Leaves, keep aside. Once the cooked okra is cool, add to the whisked yogurt and refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve chilled with rice.

Sambal - Saute 2 chopped Tomatoes with a pinch of Salt and ½ tsp of Oil till mushy. Place 7-8 dried Red Chillies in a bowl of water; bring it to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow staying for about 10 mins. Drain the chillies and grind with the sauteed tomatoes and 1 tsp of Sugar to a smooth paste. Tofu - Drain and cube 1 packet of Firm Tofu into 1 inch cubes. Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a saute pan, sprinkle a pinch of Salt and fry the tofu pieces, allow them to brown on one side, sprinkle more salt on top and flip them over, allowing the other side to brown as well. Remove from the stove and keep aside. Curry - In the same pan, heat a tbsp of Oil, saute thinly sliced 2 Onions (into 1 inch pieces), an inch of Ginger, chopped and 4 chopped Garlic cloves till browned. Add the sambal along with the a tbsp of Tomato Paste / Puree and 1 tsp of Soy Sauce and fry till thick - about 5 to 8 minutes. To this, add about a cup of Water , mix well and stir ...

Chilli - Coconut mixture - Grind 6 Green Chilies along with 1 tbsp fresh Grated Coconut and keep aside. Popu (Seasoning) - In a saucepan, heat 1 tsp of Oil on medium heat. Toast ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds, ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, 2 dry Red Chilies and 3-4 Curry Leaves in it. Curry - Add 1 cup of cubed Anabkakaya (Bottle gourd) and Chilli - Coconut paste. Stir in ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder, Salt to taste and ¼ cup of Water . Close the lid and cook on medium-low heat, until the pieces are tender. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the 1 cup of Sour Yogurt . Turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the stove. Cover the pot with a lid and let the curry sit for about 15 minutes. Serve warm with rice.

White Cookie Dough - Beat the 1¼ cups of Sugar, ¾ cup of Ghee / Melted Butter / Oil, ½ tsp of Vanilla Essence and 2 tbsp of Yogurt till smooth. Add 2 cups of All Purpose Flour, ¼ tsp of Baking Soda and ¼ cup of Semolina to the sugar-ghee mixture. The dough should be kneaded well for at least 7-8 mts, add few tbsps of cold milk and chill for a few minutes. Divide into two parts. Chocolate Cookie Dough - Take one part of the dough and add 1 tbsp of Cocoa Powder and knead till well combined, add a little milk if required. Make small balls and keep aside. Nankhatai - Pinch dough of the white cookie dough and shape into small balls and roll each of them it into a thick cylindrical shape. Now place a cocoa flavored ball on the surface. Along the edges of this cocoa colored ball, roll the cylindrical shaped white dough and gently flatten. Garnish with almonds on top of each flattened ball by slightly pressing into the dough. Place on a greased tray with enough space between eac...

Rava & Dal - Cook ½ cup of Split Yellow Moong Dal in microwave for 10 minutes. Dry roast 1 cup of coarse Wheat Rava for 6-7 minutes. Wash the wheat ravva and dal and soak them together in water for 15-20 minutes. Pongal -  Heat ½ tbsp of Oil in a pot. Add ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds and once they splutter and turn slightly brown, add 1 tsp of grated Ginger, 3-4 Curry Leaves, 2-3 slit Green Chillies, 1-2 broken Red Chillies and 1 tsp of Peppercorns and combine. Add a pinch of Asafetida, 1 cup of packed chopped Spinach Leaves and saute for 5-6 minutes. Add the drained wheat ravva and dal and stir fry for a minute. Add 5 cups of Water and Salt to taste to the above mixture, bring to a boil, cover and cook on medium to low heat till both the dal and wheat rava are cooked (30 minutes). Alternately can use pressure cook until 2 whistles. Serve hot with a pickle of your choice, curd and papad.

Bread - Cut 6-8 slices of White Bread into small cubes and keep aside. Popu (Seasoning) - Heat ½ tbsp of Oil in a pan on medium heat. Add ½ tsp of Channa Dal, ½ tsp of Urad Dal, ¼ tsp of Mustard Seeds and 1 tbsp of Cashew Nuts , fry them until slightly toasted. Upma - Add 3-4 Curry Leaves, 3-4 slit Green Chillies, finely grated inch of Ginger and finely diced Onion . Saute til the onions are translucent. Now add a big pinch of Turmeric Powder, finely chopped Tomato and Salt to taste . Cover the pan with lid and let the mixture cook for 4-5 minutes or till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy. Add the cubed bread pieces and lightly sprinkle some water . Gently mix until the mixture is incorporated. Turn off the heat and add Juice of ½ Lemon/Lime and mix lightly. Garnish with finely chopped 4-5 sprigs of Coriander Leaves . Serve hot.