Hearty Spices

Heat 1 tbsp of Ghee in a pan; add a cup of Cracked Rava and saute on medium heat till golden brown. Add a cup of Milk, 2 cups of Water to the rava and mix in slowly. Keep sitrring till the rava is cooked thoroughly on low heat till the mixture thickens. Add a Cup of Sugar, 3 powdered Cardamoms and mix well till the desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat, garnish with toasted and crushed Almonds, Pistachios and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Heat ½ tbsp  of Ghee and a tbsp of Butter in a pan; add and sauté ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, a tsp of Cumin Seeds and allow them to splutter. Add  a tbsp of Black Gram Dal, an inch of Cinnamon Stick and saute till the dal turns light brown. Add few Curry Leaves, 6 slit Green Chillies, 1½ tbsp of Broken Cashewnuts  and saute for a few seconds. Add  a large diced Capsicum , and fry them for 7 minutes, taking are not to over cook and retaining their crunchy texture. Add Salt to taste, Black Pepper Powder to taste and mix well. Reduce heat,  add and mix 2 cups of cooked rice. Cook for 2 minutes and add 2 tbsp of Grated Coconut (optional)  and mix with the rice. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Marinade – Clean and cut 1 kg of Chicken into bite-sized pieces . Marinate the chicken in ½ cup of Yogurt, 1 tbsp of Coriander Powder, ¼ tsp of Cumin Powder, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, Juice of ¼ Lemon and ¾ tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste for 15 minutes. Curry - Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan; sauté a Star Anise and 1” inch of Cinnamon Stick . Add 2 medium Onions, chopped, 4 slit Green Chilies and sauté for 4 minutes. Add ¾ tbsp. of Ginger Garlic paste and sauté for another 4 minutes. Add in 1 tbsp of Red Chili Powder , mix well and add the marinated chicken to the pan. Cook on high heat for 4 minutes, mixing once in a while. Reduce to medium heat, add Salt to taste, 1 tbsp of Poppy Seeds soaked in little milk and mix well. Cook for 8-10 minutes till oil seperates. Add 1½ cup of Water and bring to boil; reduce the heat and cook for 12-14 minutes. Add 1½ tsp of Garam Masala Powder, ¾ cup of thick Coconut Milk and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh Coria...

Veggies - Chop 6 Brinjals to small chunks and keep aside. Trim the ends of 15 Broad Beans / Chikkudikayalu and cut into 2 halves. Keep aside. Curry - Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a pan; saute 3 cloves of Crushed Garlic and 3 Slit Green Chillies on medium heat. Add and saute few Curry Leaves, a tsp of Cumin Seeds, a chopped Onion and a pinch of Turmeric Powder till the onions turn to golden brown. Add the brinjal chunks, broad beans pieces and Salt to taste . Cover cook on low heat till the veggies turn soft, for about 10-12 minutes. Add a cup of Water , mix, cover cook on medium heat till the beans are cooked, about 6-8 minutes. Add a tsp of Red Chilli Powder , if needed and  a cup of Milk ; cook till a thick gravy consistency is reached. Garnish with few Coriander Leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Preparation – Grind a slice of Bread, a tsp of Corn Flour and ½ cup of Milk into thick paste, for about 2-3 times. Pound the 5 Cardamoms to make fine powder. Slice 10 Almonds to thin pieces and keep aside. Heat 3½ cups of Milk in a saucepan till it is reduced to 2½ cups of Milk, stirring in between. When the milk is reduced, add the Bread-cornflour paste and mix well. Keep stirring the milk till the mixture is thick. Add ¾ cup of Sugar , powdered Cardamom and mix till the right consistency is reached. Remove from the heat, add thinly sliced almonds and let it cool to room temperature. Spoon this mixture into Kulfi Moulds or into small cups and freeze for 6 hours. Serve chilled.

Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan; saute 5 cups of chopped Sorrel / Gongura leaves . Keep aside. In the same pan, saute a pinch of Asafetida, ½ tsp of Fenugreek Seeds, 1 tbsp of Channa Dal, 1 tsp of Urad Dal, 10 red chilies and 3 cloves of Garlic . Allow it to cool and grind coarsely while adding Salt . Grind the Sorrel Leaves too along with it. Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan and add a tsp of Mustard seeds, 2 Red Chilies, Few Curry Leaves, a pinch of Turmeric Powder and a tsp of Cumin Seeds . Add this tempering to the ground gongura mixture in a bowl; add a tsp of Oil to it. Serve with rice and ghee.

Topping – Heat a tbsp of Butter / Olive Oil in a pan and sauté 2 tbsp of All Purpose Flour till it acquires a mild brown color. Add ½ cup of Milk and whisk it thoroughly to avoid lumps. Sprinkle Salt and Pepper as it thickens. Add in 1½ cup of Boiled Corn Kernals, ½ cup chopped Onions, 1 tbsp Chili Sauce, 1 tbsp Tomato Sauce and mix well. Sprinkle Salt and Pepper to taste.  Toast – Apply the topping on 6 slices of White / wheat Bread and top with grated Mozzrella Cheese . Broil them in the oven for about 10 minutes and garnish with Coriander Leaves before serving warm.

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.