Hearty Spices

Ras – Heat 4 cups of Milk in a non-stick pan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and cook the milk till it reduces to half the quantity, stirring continuously. Add a pinch of Saffron, a tbsp of Sugar to taste and mix well. Once the milk is reduced, add 2 tbsp of chopped Almonds and Pistachios, a pinch of Cardamom Powder and remove from heat. Malai - Heat 4 cups of Milk to a boil and slowly add 2 tbsp of Lemon Juice to it. When the milk curdles, remove from heat and strain in a cheesecloth. Pour cold water over the cheese cloth and drain the water off the paneer by hanging it over the tap for 30 minutes. Remove the paneer from the cheese cloth and knead till it becomes smooth dough. Make 12 small portions into balls and flatten them out without any cracks on the side. Heat 5 cups of Water in a pressure cooker, dissolve 1 cup of Sugar and add the flattened paneer discs. Close pressure cooker lid and cook until one whistle. Immediately switch off the stove and set the time...

Rice - Wash and soak 4 cups of Basmati Rice in a big bowl for about 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Add 1 tsp of Oil to a pan and sauté 1 tsp of Black Cumin Seeds till they sizzle and add the soaked rice along with Salt to taste . Add 9 cups of Water to the pan and bring to a boil and let it cook till the rice grains are just done. Drain and keep aside. Garnish – Peel and thinly slice 2 big Yellow Onions and keep aside. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of Oil/Butter and fry the onions on low-medium heat until they are golden brown in color. Remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl and keep aside. Toast 3 tbsp of Almonds, Cashewnuts and Raisins in 1 tbsp of Butter/Oil and keep aside. Soak a pinch of Saffron in ½ cup of Warm Milk in a small bowl and keep aside. Mutton Gravy - In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of Oil/Butter and add washed and cubed 1 kg of Lean Lamb leg Meat . Stir fry till the meat has browned on all sides and add ½ of the fried onions, 2 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and ½...

Roasted Red Pepper - Spray a large Red Pepper lightly with oil and roast over a flame, or broil in the oven at 450 F, till charred on the outside. Set aside and allow cooling. Once it comes to room temperature, peel the outside skin of the pepper and slice thinly. Caramelized Onions -  Heat 1 tbsp of Butter in a non-stick pan and saute a finely minced Garlic Clove, a large Onion, finely sliced with Salt to taste, Pepper to taste & ½ tsp of Curry Powder till caramelized and tender. Panini -  Layer roasted red pepper slices, caramelized onions, and top with Chopped Coriander Leaves and top with other slice of bread and heat in a Panini grill / pan till warm.

Marinade - Clean and cut the 500 gm of Chicken into bite-size pieces and marinate with 2 tsp of Vinegar, Salt to taste, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder and 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder for 3 hours. Then, boil the chicken in microwave or pan with closed lid for 10 minutes, till the water is evaporated. Masala Powder - Grind 3 tsp of Black Pepper Corns, 3" inch of Cinnamon, 5 Cloves, 2 Cardamoms, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder and ½ tsp of Coriander Powder  to a fine powder. Keep aside. Vepudu (Fry) - Heat a pan with 2 tbsp of Oil . Add 2 finely chopped medium Onions, few Curry Leaves and saute till they are brown in colour. Add 2 tsp of Ginger – Garlic Paste and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the boiled chicken, cook for 5-10 minutes, and add the masala powder. Cover cook for 20 minutes or till cooked. Remove from heat, garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve hot.

Grind ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds, ½ tsp of Fenugreek Seeds, a tsp of minced Ginger, 1 Green Chilli, 1 tsp of Mint Leaves, 1 tsp of chopped Corainder Leaves, 3 chopped Curry Leaves to a paste. Add 3 cups of Yogurt and 2 cups of Water to it and blend again. Add Salt to taste and couple of Ice Cubes and blend once again. Serve chilled.

In a saucepan, boil 5-6 cups of Water along with 2 tsp of Tamrind paste . Add Salt to taste, 3 tsp of Rasam Powder, ½ tsp of Sugar,  ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder and finely chopped 2 Tomatoes . Boil for 12-15 minutes and keep aside. Heat ½ tbsp of Oil in a pan, splutter  1 tsp of Mustard Seeds, 2 Red Chillies, few Curry Leaves, 3 crushed Garlic Flakes and a pinch of Hing . Add the seasoning to the boiled charu and garnish with 2 tbsp of Coriander Leaves . Serve with steamed white rice.

Paneer Filling -  Grate Paneer to get a 1 cup of Grated Paneer . Wash, peel, boil and mash a small Potato to get ½ cup of mashed Potato . Mix them both together in a bowl. Add Salt as needed, 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp of Garam Masala Powder, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, finely chopped 2 Green Chillies and chopped Coriander Leaves  to the bowl and mix well. Keep aside. Dough for Samosas (Shingaras) - Take 1 cup of All Purpose Flour In a bowl, add 3 tbsp of Oil and ¼ tsp of Salt to it kneading thoroughly for about 5 minutes. Add tsp of Water at a time to it, kneading for 3-5 minutes until the flour is made into a tight dough ball. Pinch off five equal sized balls from the kneaded dough, roll between your palms to get a circular shape, and keep aside covering with a moist cloth. Using a rolling pin on a smooth hard surface, flatten out the dough ball into an oval shape. Bisect each of them across the width to get two triangular pieces. T...

Use a mandolin / chef’s knife to slice  2 Cucumbers and 2 Carrots into matchsticks. Trim and cut 4 oz of Sugar Snap Peas into thin strips on a diagonal and combine them with the cucumbers and carrots in a large bowl. In a small microwave safe bowl, combine  2 tbsp of Brown Sugar, ½ cup of Rice Vinegar and microwave on high for 30 seconds, and then whisk to dissolve the brown sugar in the vinegar. Stir in ½ tsp of Chili Garlic Paste and pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables in the bowl. Stir to toss the salad in the dressing, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve chilled.

Seive a  cup of Besan / Gram Flour in a mixing bowl and add a cup of Oil  to this and mix well to a pouring consistency batter.  In a saucepan, add 1½ cups of Sugar to ½ cup of Water and stir in till the syrup starts boiling. Keep checking and stirring till one string consistency is reached. When the sugar syrup is ready, add the besan batter to it slowly and keep stirring. Keep stirring till the mixture starts balling up making sure the mixture don’t stick to the sides of the pan. Add  ½  cup of Ghee to it and keep stirring.  When the mix is pretty thick, move it to a greased plate, tap the plate couple of times to release air bubbles and let it sit for 10 minutes. Unmould the mysore pak and use a knife to cut into desired shapes. Let it sit for 15 more minutes before serving.

Marinade - Marinate ¼ kg of Paneer, cut into 1” pieces in a bowl with a large pinch of Black Pepper Powd er, Salt to taste, ½ tsp of finely chopped Ginger, ½ tsp of finely chopped Garlic and 5 tbsp of Water mixed with 1 tbsp of  Corn Flour for 10 minutes. Paneer - Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan and place the marinated paneer; shallow fry till brown on all the sides. Remove and keep aside. Capsicum Paneer - In the same pan saute 1 tbsp of finely chopped Ginger, 1 tbsp of finely chopped Garlic and saute on high heat for 30 seconds. Add  6-7 tbsp of chopped Spring Onion Whites and saute for 2 minutes. Add a sliced Capsicum and stir fry on high heat for 2 more minutes. Add 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, 1½ tbsp of Tomato Sauce, 2 tsp of Soy Sauce, 2 tsp of Vinegar, ½ tbsp of Sugar and mix well. Add the sauteed paneer, toss for a minute on high heat and add a tbsp of Corn Flour dissolved in 5 tbsps of Water ; Add Salt as ne...

Heat a pan with 2 tbsp of Oil . Add 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp of Channa Dal and sauté till they turn golden brown. Add 2 broken Red Chillies, few Curry Leaves and sauté for few seconds. Add ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, chopped large Onion and 2 slit Green Chillies ; sauté till the onions turn transparent. Add the 3 cups of diced Gummadikaya / Pumpkin and cover cook for 10 -12 minutes on low-medium heat. Add Salt to taste, 1 tbsp of Powdered Jaggery and cover cook till the pumpkin pieces turn soft and the curry comes together. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed white rice.

Marination -  Wash and dry ½ kg of Mutton in a bowl and add Juice of ½ Lemon, 1½ tbsp of Yogurt,  ½ tsp of Salt, ½ tsp of Ginger Garlic paste,  3-4 slit Green Chillis, ¼ tsp of Red Chilli Powder,  ½ tsp of Coriander Powder and Few Mint Leaves . Mix well and marinate for atleast 20 minutes. Masala Powder - Make powder of 3 Cloves, 1″ Cinnamon stick, 1 Cardamom, Pinch of Shahjeera,  pinch of Cumin Seeds and a Small piece of Mace ½ Star Anise . Keep aside. Gravy - Heat  2 tbsp of Oil + 1 tbsp of Ghee in a pressure cooker and saute  a Bay Leaf, 2 Cloves, ½″Cinnamon, 1 Star Anise, 1 Cardamom for a few seconds. Add 2 thinly sliced medium Onions and sauté for 7-8 minutes. Add ¾ tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, ¼ cup of chopped Coriander Leaves,  ¼ cup of Mint Leaves  and sauté further for another 5 minutes. Add ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder (according to taste), sauté for another 2 minutes. Add...

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of Oil, 1/3 cup of Honey and 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract till well mixed. Add and stir in  a cup of All Purpose Flour, 1 tsp of Baking Powder, ½ tsp of Baking Soda, ¼ tsp of Salt and ¼ cup of Light Brown Sugar  until almost combined. Add 1/3 cup of Chopped Walnuts and stir till well distributed. Shape into 1-inch rounded balls, place onto prepared baking sheet and press them lightly. Bake for 10 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes one dozen cookies.

Janthikalu Dough - Mix together 2 cups of Rice Flour, a cup of Besan / Gram Flour / Senaga Pindi, Salt to taste, 2 tbsp of Hot Oil, 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, 1 tbsp of Carom Seeds/Ajwain and 1½ tbsp of Sesame Seeds in a bowl and combine well. Slowly add water little by little to make soft dough, just soft enough that it is pressed through easily with the janthikalu press. Taste the dough for salt and red chilli powder before deep-frying. Janthikalu / Fritters - Heat a wide heavy bottomed vessel with enough oil for deep-frying. Take the janthikalu press and use the disc with medium holes; fill half of it with the dough and once the oil is hot, reduce to medium flame and using circular motion, press the jantikalu press to make concentric layers of the janthikalu dough. As you press the dough into the hot oil, you will find the oil froth up in bubbles, which will eventually subside as the janthikalu turn to a golden shade. When the janthikalu turn a golden color, turn over to th...

Wash, peel and cut 2 Beetroots into small pieces.  Heat 3 tsp of Oil in a pan and splutter ¼ tsp of Mustard Seeds. Add 2 torn Red Chillies, few Curry Leaves, ¼ tsp of Chana Dal & 4 Garlic Cloves, roughly crushed and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the beetroot pieces, Salt to taste, a pinch of Turmeric Powder and sauté till the beetroot pieces are soft. Add ½ tsp of Red Chilli Powder , combine and remove from heat. Garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve with white rice.

Rice - Wash and cook 2 cups of Basmati Rice . Keep aside Mint - Coriander - Chilli Paste - Coarsely crush  5 tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves, 7-8 Mint Leaves and 2 Green chillis, chopped and keep aside. Veggies - Wash and nip the ends of the ¼ kg of Ivy Gourds and slit each of them into 2 long pieces. Heat 1½ tbsp of Oil in a pan; roast the halved ivy gourds on medium heat for 20 minutes, remove onto a plate and keep aside. Rice - Add remaining ½ tbsp of Oil to the pan. Add 4 Cloves, 1 Elachi, 1" Cinnamon stick, 1 Bay Leaf and 1 Star Anise  and saute for 30 seconds. Add a large Onion, finely sliced  and saute for 6 minutes till transparent. Add  1 tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and prepared paste; saute for 3 minutes. Add  2 tbsp of Coconut Paste , mix and saute for 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp of Coriander Powder, ¼ tsp of Cumin Powder, ¼ tsp of Tumeric Powder and 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder along with the sauteed ivy gourds and mix; cook ...

Bring 2 cups of Evaporated Milk to boil on medium heat in a saucepan. Add 2 tbsp of Corn Flour, ¾ cup of Sugar and stir well till no lumps are remaining and it reaches a custard consistency. Add 1 tsp of Cardamom Powder , remove from heat and let it cool. Once cooled, add  2 cups of Ripe Mango Pieces and blend for 2-3 seconds. Pour this mixture Popsicle molds or ice cube trays and keep in the freezer for about 5-6 hours. Serve chilled after garnishing them with finely chopped Almond and Pistachios pieces .

Mix together a cup of Rice Flour, 1¼  Chickpea Flour, Salt to taste, 1 tbsp of Hot Ghee / Oil, a tsp of Red Chilli Powder and ½ tsp of Powdered Carom Seeds (Ajwain) in a bowl. Slowly add Water little by little to make soft dough, just soft enough that it is pressed through easily with the janthikalu press with smallest holes disc. Taste the dough for salt before deep-frying. Heat a wide heavy bottomed vessel with enough Oil for deep-frying . Fill the janthikalu press with the dough and using circular motion, press the jantikalu press to make concentric layers of the sev dough. When the sev turns a golden color, turn over to the other side and let it also cook to a golden brown. Use a slotted ladle to remove onto an absorbent paper and cool. Repeat the same process for the rest of the dough. Cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

Chickpeas - Soak 2 cups of White Chickpeas in Water overnight. Wash and pressure cook chickpeas with enough water along with a tsp of Tea Leaves in a pouch, a Bayleaf and a Cinnamon Stick for at least 5-6 whistles. Make a paste of 3 tbsps of the boiled chickpeas and keep aside. Keep the boiled chickpeas along with the left over water (used to pressure cook the chickpeas) and the boiled chickpeas aside. Gravy - Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan; and sauté  a finely chopped large Onion, 4 slit Green Chillis till golden brown. Add  2 tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and saute till oil separates. Add ¼ of Turmeric Powder, a tsp of Chilli Powder, 2 tsp of Coriander Powder, 1 tsp of Sugar (optional), Salt to taste and mix well. Add  a chopped large Tomato  and saute for 5-6 minutes. Now add boiled chickpeas with the left over water, boiled chickpeas paste, 1 tsp of Garam Masala Powder, 2 tbsp of Chole Masala and combine well. Add more water if required, ...

Combine 2 cups of Salad Greens (Romaine Lettuce), 2 lbs of quartered Strawberries, 2 tbsp of Mint Leaves, ¼ of Red Onion, sliced and ½ cup of Chopped Pecans in a bowl. In a bowl, mix 2 oz of Olive Oil, 2 oz of Blasmic Vinegar and 1 tsp of Sugar . Add Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper and adjust to your taste. Combine the dressing with salad as desired and serve immediately.