Hearty Spices

Masala Paste - Dry roast 5-6 Dry Red Chilies, 1 tbsp of Poppy Seeds, Fistful of Peanuts and 1 tbsp of White Sesame Seeds and grind them into powder. Curry - Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan, add and sauté  2 medium chopped Onions, 4 slit Green Chillis, a tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste  till translucent for 4 minutes on medium heat. Add  a Kg of cleaned , diced Chicken pieces and cook on high heat for 5-6 minutes, mixing once in a while. Add ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder, 1 tbsp of Coriander Powder, ¼ tsp of Cumin Powder, 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder, Salt to taste and mix well. Add the ground masala paste and a cup of Tomato Puree and mix. Reduce heat to medium, cook without lid for 7-8 minutes. Add ½ cup of Water and cook covered for 20-25 minutes or till the chicken is cooked. Add the a cup of Coconut Milk and cook without lid for a few minutes till you get the desired gravy consistency. Finally add  a tsp of  Garam Masala Powder , mix well....

Batter – Add a cup of All-purpose Flour, 1/8 tsp of Cardamom Powder, a tsp of proofed Rapid Rise Yeast (in ¾ cup fo Warm Water till frothy) and 2 tsp Corn Flour/Starch in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add a tsp of Oil, a tbsp of Yogurt and Water as needed ; mix well until there are no lumps. Take very warm water in a larger bowl and place the batter bowl inside the larger bowl. Cover the larger bowl and allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes. Mix the fermented batter well and fill the batter into a ketchup bottle. Syrup – Cook a cup of Water, 1¼ cup of Sugar and pinch of Saffron in a heavy bottom pan for 15 minutes on medium heat. Reduce heat to a low simmer and add ¼ tsp of Cardamom Powder, a tsp of Lemon Juice; mix. Jalebi - Squeeze out the batter into the hot oil to about 2-3 inches in diameter. Fry until the bottom side looks golden and flip once to cook the other side. Drain the Jalebi and place directly into sugar syrup. Allow jalebi to remain in the syrup for just a...

Chat - Combine 3 tbsps of Sev, 2 tbsp of crushed roasted Peanuts, a boiled Potato (diced into small cubes), ¼ cup of boiled Chick Peas (optional), small cup of boiled Corn Kernels, 1 small Onion, finely chopped, a Green Chilli, finely chopped, a small Tomato (de-seeded and chopped finely), 2 tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves, big pinch of Chaat Masala Powder (optional), ¼ tsp Red Chilli Powder, ½ tbsp Lemon Juice, Salt to taste in a bowl. Drizzle a tbsp of Tamarind Chutney over it and serve. Tamarind Chutney - Add  a cup of Tamarind Pulp, ½ cup of pureed fresh Dates, ¾ cup of grated Jaggery or Brown Sugar and 2 cups of Wa ter to a pan and cook on a medium heat till the dates and tamarind turn soft. Remove from heat and allow cooling. Grind to a smooth paste. Heat this ground sauce in a vessel on medium flame and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Add ½ tsp of Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp Cumin Powder, 1 tsp Fennel Seeds Powder, 1 tsp Salt and m...

Wash the 250 gm of Ivy Gourds / Dondakayalu and nip the tip and tail ends. Slit each into two, length wise and slice them into thin long strips. In a pan, dry roast ¾ tsp of C umin Seeds , 2 torn Red Chillies and 1½ of Peanuts for a few seconds stirring continuosly. Remove from heat and grind to make a coarse powder. Heat 1½ tbsp of Oil in a pan and splutter ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp of Channa Dal, 1 tsp of Urad Dal and few Curry Leaves . Immediately add the sliced dondakayalu, Salt to taste, a pinch of Turmeric Powder and combine. Saute on medium heat for 3-4 minutes,while stirring continously. Reduce to low heat and cover cook till soft, approximately 12-15 minutes. Add the ground coarse powder, combine well and let it cook uncovered for another 2 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice, dal or sambar.

Preparation - Wash, dry and cut 4 Drumsticks / Munagakayalu into 3 inch pieces. Soak ½ cup of Cashews in water for ½ hour. Gravy - Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a pan and splutter ¼ tsp each of Mustard & Cumin Seeds . Saute few Curry Leaves, a large roughly chopped Onion and 2-3 slit Green Chilies till the onions are soft. Add ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, a diced Tomato and saute till the tomato pieces are soft. Add in the drumstick pieces, soaked Cashews, ½ tsp of Red Chilli Powder, ¼ tsp of Coriander Powder, Salt to taste and 2 cups of Milk . Cover cook on medium heat till drumsticks and cashew pieces are soft and the desired consistency is reached. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Paneer -  Bring 4 cups of Milk in a saucepan to a rolling boil. Dilute ¼ cup of Lemon Juice in 2 tsp of Water and add to the boiling milk. Mix till the milk curdles completely and remove from the heat. Drain the whey and run water through the curdled milk into a wash cloth. Hand it over the sink for 30 minutes till all the whey is drained. Remove the drained paneer from the wash cloth and place in a plate. Knead the paneer for about 5 minutes into a smooth soft dough.Add few drops of Food Color to it and knead. Divide the paneer into 8 equal sized balls and oval shape them. Syrup -  Take 5 cups of Water in a wide pan and bring it to boil. Add 2 cups of Sugar and stir to dissolve it well. Add the paneer balls to the syrup and bring it to boil. Turn to medium heat and cover cook for 10 minutes. Flip the chum chums and cook for 15 more minutes on medium heat. Check the paneer is cooked well - A perfect chum chum will have pores in it. Now turn off the heat and let the...

Pressure cook  250 gm of cleaned and diced Mutton with 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp of Fennel Seeds and a pinch of Turmeric Powder and enough Water to cover the meat, for 8 whistles.  Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan and saute a finely sliced medium Onion till they turn translucent. Add and saute 3-4 slit Green Chililes, few Curry Leaves, 1 tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste till the raw smell disappears. Add 1 tsp of Black Pepper Powder, 1 tbsp of Cumin Powder, 1 tbsp of Coriander Powder, 1 tsp of Garam Masala Powder, Salt to taste and mix well. Add the cooked mutton pieces and saute on low heat till the pieces get coated and roasted evenly. Sprinkle a tbsp of Lemon Juice over the curry. Serve hot with rice and sambar.

Boil 4 Eggs , peel and quarter them. Heat  ½ tbsp of Oil in a pan, saute few Curry Leaves, 2 slit Green Chillis, ¼ tsp minced Ginger and 1 sliced Large Onion for 4-5 minutes. Add a pinch of Turmeric Powder, pinch of Methi Powder, pinch of Cumin Powder, ½ tsp of Coriander Powder, ¼ tsp of Red Chilli Powder, pinch of Garam Masala Powder and Salt to taste . Add ½ tsp of Kasuri Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves) and combine. Place the quartered boiled eggs and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes mixing in between. Cook for another minute and remove from heat. Garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves and serve warm with rice.

Heat 1 tbsp of Oil and a tsp of Ghee in a pan / pressure cooker, add and saute 1 tsp of Shahjeera, 6 Cloves, 1" Cinnamon stick and 2 Cardamoms  for 30 seconds. Add  a large thinly sliced Onion, 4 slit Green Chillies  and saute for 3 minutes. Add 1 tsp of Ginger Garlic paste, 12-15 Mint Leaves and ½ tsp of Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves) and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder, a Pinch of Roasted Cumin Powder and mix. Add 2 large chopped Tomatoes, Salt to taste and mix. Cook for 8-9 minutes on low heat till the oil separates. Add 2 cups of Raw Rice and saute for a minute. Add 3¾ cups of Water and bring to a boil, cooking till the rice is done. Garnish with fresh Coriander Leaves and serve with raita.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together a cup of Butter, a cup of White Sugar and a cup of Brown Sugar until light. Beat in 2 Eggs, one at a time, followed by 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract . Whisk in 3 cups of All Purpose Flour, 2 tsp of Corn starch (optional), a tsp of Baking Powder, a tsp of Baking Soda and a tsp of Salt , gradually blend in the flour mixture until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Stir in 2 cups of Chocolate Chips . Drop 1½ inch balls of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies to allow for spread. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until cookies are set and lightly browned around the edges. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 3½ – 4 dozen cookies.

Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; sauté ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds and 1 tsp of Cumin seeds . Add few Curry Leaves, 2 chopped Onions to the pan along with 4 slit Green Chilies and fry till the onions are translucent. Add a pinch of Turmeric Powder and Salt to taste , mixing well. Break 4 Eggs into the pan and stir well breaking the scrambled egg into smaller pieces. Add 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder and combine well. When the egg are cooked, remove from heat, garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves and serve with rotis or rice.

Vegetable Balls -  In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp of All Purpose Flour , 2 tbsp of Corn Flour, ½ tbsp of Rice Flour, a tbsp of Corn Starch, Salt as needed, 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, ½ tsp of Pepper Powder, ¼ tsp of Soy Sauce and 2 packed cups of finely chopped Cabbage, grated Carrot and finely chopped Spring Onion whites . Sprinkle little Water if needed to make a thick mixture and form small balls.  Deep Fry  / Air Fry -   Heat   Oil   for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel.  Carefully place each ball into the hot oil on reduced heat and deep fry the vegetable balls till cooked. Increase the heat towards the end of the cooking process and fry till they turn golden brown. Remove onto absorbent paper and keep aside. If you are using air fryer, set the temperature at 380F and bake the balls for 15 minutes. Manchurian - Heat a tbsp of Oil to piping hot in a large wok, add and stir fry 1½ tbsp of finely minced Garlic for a ...

Clean, peel and chop  a Ridgegourd (Beerakaya) into small pieces. Heat  a tbsp of Oil in a pan; splutter and saute ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds, a pinch of Asafetida, 1 tbsp of Chana Dal, 1 tbsp of Urad Dal and 5-6 slit Green Chilies . Once the dals are roasted a bit, add a pinch of Turmeric Powder and chopped beerakaya to the pan. Cover cook until the beerakaya is done cooked. Add Salt as needed  and remove from heat and let it cool. Grind the mixture into a smooth paste with a tbsp of Tamarind Paste . Garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve with White Rice.

Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare the baking sheet. Cookies - In a small saucepan over medium low heat brown ½ cup of Unsalted Butter by adding it to the pan and let it bubble; stirring constantly. When there is butter starts to turn brown, remove from heat and pour immediately into a bowl. Add 2/3 cup of Brown Sugar. an Egg, a tsp of Vanilla Extract and cream them together. Add  1½ cups of All Purpose Flour, ¼ tsp of Baking Powder, ¼ tsp of Baking Soda and ¼ tsp of Salt . Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes and then roll into 1 tsp balls and bake on the baking sheet at 350 for10 minutes until the edges are just slightly brown. Flatter them a little in between. Let cool completely before adding the frosting. Frosting - Beat together 4 Tbsp of softened Unsalted Butter with the 1 cup of powdered Sugar . Add Zest and Juice of a Lemon / Lime as needed. Stop adding juice if the icing is spreadable.Spread on the cooled cookie and top it w...

Soak ½ cup of Moong Dal for 4 hrs or overnight. Grind soaked Moong Dal, 100 gm of Grated Cheese, Salt to taste, few chopped Coriander Leaves and 4 chopped Green Chillies to a fine paste in a mixer grinder. Heat a pan and apply Oil to it. Apply 2 tbsp of paste on one side of a bread slice and place the applied side on the hot pan. Turn it over and roast on the other side until the bread turns light brown. Serve hot with Tomato Sauce or hot garlic sauce.

Beat 2 cups of Yogurt well into a bowl and add finely chopped ½ of Onion, 3 Green Chilies, ½ of Tomato and Salt as needed to it. Slowly add Water as needed  to the yogurt mixture till the right consistency is acquired. Garnish with few chopped Coriander Leaves and serve with any rice.

Preparation - Wash, peel and cut ½ kg of Ridgegourd (Beerakaya) into small pieces and keep aside. Fry ¾ cup of Pesara Vadiyalu (fritters) in hot oil and keep aside. Curry - Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a pan and sauté ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds and few Curry Leaves . When they splutter, add and sauté  chopped large Onion, 5-6 slit Green Chilies till the onion pieces are transparent. Add a pinch of Turmeric Powder , mix well and add the beerakaya pieces to the pan. Add Salt to taste and cover cook till the beerakaya pieces are soft. When the beerakaya pieces are soft and cooked, add ½ tsp of Red Chili Powder and fried Vadiyalu to the pan and mix well. Remove from heat, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot after garnishing with few chopped Coriander Leaves .

Blend 4 cups of Cold Watermelon Cubes along with a tbsp of Honey and 2 pinches of Chaat Masala . Serve in glasses, add ice cubes and garnish with a sprig of mint .

Batter - Wash and drain 2 cups of Rice, ½ cup of Barli, ½ cup of Beaten Rice/Poha and ½ cup of Sago thoroughly in water. Add 1 tbsp of Fenugreek Seeds, 1 cup of Yogurt, Sufficient Water and soak for 4 hours. Grind to fine batter and add Salt to taste . Mix well and ferment for an hour.  Crepe - Heat a dosa pan and spread a tsp of Oil over it. Spread the batter into a crepe (thick as Uthappam)and cover cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Brown on both sides, remove from heat and serve hot with any chutney. Peanut Chutney - Heat  a tbsp of Oil in pan and saute a crushed Garlic Clove for a few seconds till lightly brown. Add a tbsp of Urad Dal, ½ tbsp of Coriander Seeds, ½ tbsp of Cumin Seeds, few Dried Red Chillies  and saute till golden brown. Remove from heat and allow cooling. Grind along with a cup of Roasted Peanuts, small lime sized Tamarind, Salt to taste, ½ cup of Water till smooth and set aside. Popu for Chu...

Preparation - Clean, peel, boil and mash 2 Potatoes in a bowl. To it, add cleaned and finely chopped 2 bunches of Spinach Leaves, finely chopped 2-3 Fresh Green Chilies, finely chopped large Onion, 1½ tbsp of grated Ginger and finely chopped small bunch Coriander Leaves . Combine well and add crumbled 4-5 Bread Slices, coarsely pounded 1 tbsp of Coriander Seeds, a big pinch of Garam Masala Powder, a tsp of Amchur Powder / 1-2 tbsp of Lemon Juice, Salt to taste . Mix well and shape into round patties. Kebabs -  Heat a non-stick tawa and drizzle some oil. Place the kebabs and shallow fry on both sides till brown. Serve hot with tomato sauce.