Hearty Spices

Preparation - Par-boil 2 cups of Basmati Rice in 3-4 cups of Water and set aside. Cut 500 gm of Panner into 1-inch pieces and lightly sauté in a tsp of Butter . Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; splutter a tsp of Cumin Seeds and sauté 2 finely sliced medium Onions, 5-6 slit Green Chillies on medium heat till golden brown. Add and sauté a tbsp of Ginger Garlic paste, an inch of Cinnamon, 2 Bay Leaves, 7-8 Peppercorns, 4-5 Cloves for about 2 minutes. Add 2 finely chopped Tomatoes, Salt to taste, a tbsp of Red Chili Powder, a tbsp of Coriander Powder, a tsp of Garam Masala, a tsp of Cumin Seeds and cook till the gravy dries up. Add the sautéed paneer pieces and cook for 5-6 minutes till it forms a thick, rich and dry gravy base. In a non-stick deep pan, put a layer of the paneer gravy, without the paneer. Add a layer of rice, topped with a layer of paneer. Alternate layers of gravy, rice and paneer till everything is used up. Make sure that the top layer is rice. Mix  a pi...

Wash the 75 gms of Gongura Leaves and finely chop them. Cook the gongura leaves with a cup of Water and ¼ cup of Toor Dal with a cup of Water in separate bowls for 3 whistles. Keep aside. Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; saute a big pinch of Fenugreek Seeds, 2 tsp of Channa Dal, 1 ½ tsp of Urad Dal till golden brown. Splutter a tsp of Mustard Seeds, few Curry Leaves  and add the cooked leaves, dal and mix well. Add a pinch of Turmeric Powder, a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, Salt to taste and water as needed. Mix well and cook till the desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat, stir well and serve hot with steamed rice.

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Brown ½ cup of Butter in a small saucepan and cool it for 10 minutes. Take it into a bowl and whisk in a cup of Brown Sugar, an Egg, 2 mashed Bananas, 2 tbsp of Milk and 1½ tsp of Vanilla Extract and mix till soft. Add in a tsp of Baking Powder, ½ tsp of Salt, 2 cups of All Purpose Flour and mix till no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Add in ½ cup of toasted chopped Walnuts (optional) and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely before frosting with Brown Sugar Frosting. Brown Sugar Frosting: Melt 3 tbsp of Browned Butter / Butter in a microwave-safe bowl and stir in 3 tbsp of Light Brown Sugar . Once the sugar dissolves, add 2 tbsp of Milk, a tsp of Vanilla Extract and 1½ cups of Confectioner’s Sugar, whisking until very thick and smooth (spreadable on the...

Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in pan; splutter ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds and few Curry Leaves . Add and sauté a chopped large Onion till golden brown. Add quartered ¼ kg of Eggplants and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Add a tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, 1¼ tbsp of Grated Coconut and mix well.   Add Salt to taste, a big pinch of Turmeric Powder and sauté without lid for 4-5 minutes till the rawness disappears. Add a tsp of Coriander Powder, ¼ tsp of Cumin Powder, a tsp of Red Chilli Powder and mix. Cover cook on low heat till the eggplants become soft. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice.

Preparation - Wash and soak the 3 cups of Basmati Rice for 15 minutes. Heat a tbsp of Ghee in a pan and sauté drained basmati rice for 5 minutes on low heat. Remove to a dry plate. In the same pan, heat a tbsp of Oil and ½ tbsp of Ghee and slutter an inch of Cinnamon, few Cloves, a Bay Leaf, 2 Cardamoms and a tsp of Fennel Seeds . Add and sauté a finely sliced Onion until golden brown. Add 6 slit Green Chillies, 1½ finely chopped Tomato and sauté till the tomatoes are mashed. Add 2 cups of sliced Mushroom, few Mint Leaves, a tbsp. of Ginger Garlic Paste and sauté till the raw smell disappears. Add a tbsp of Red Chilli Powder, Salt to taste and sauté till mushrooms are soft. Add the sauted rice, 6 cups of Water , mix well and bring to boil. Pressure cook or cook for 15 minutes till the rice is fluffy. Garnish with Cilantro leaves and serve hot with Raita.

Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan and splutter few Curry Leaves and a tsp of Fennel Seeds . Add and sauté a large finely chopped Onion, 3-4 slit Green Chillies till golden brown. Add and sauté 2 finely chopped Tomatoes, sprinkle some Salt and mix well. Add a tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and sauté for 2 minutes and cover cook for 3 minutes. Add the washed and sliced cup of Mushrooms and toss well. Add ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, a tbsp of Red Chilli Powder and mix well. Cook till the mushrooms are cooked, add a cup of Coconut Milk to the curry and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat, garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve hot.

Heat 4 tbsp of Ghee in a pan and saute 2 tbsp of Raisins, 2 tbsp of Cashewnuts and   a cup of Rava  till golden brown in color on low heat. Add 3 cups of hot Water and keep mixing until the rava is cooked. Add 1 1/2 cup of Sugar and mix well. Add a pinch of Food Color, a tsp of Cardamom Powder, 1/4 cup Ghee and mix well.   Keep stirring and cook till it starts leaving the sides of the pan.  Remove from heat and serve warm. 

Preparation - Wash, peel and finely chop 2 big Beetroots and take in a microwaveable bowl. Sprinkle some Salt and microwave on high for 4-5 minutes. Grind 1/3 cup fresh Coconut, 3-4 Green Chillies and Salt to a coarse paste. Curry - Heat a tsp of Oil in a pan; splutter ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds, a pinch of Asafoetida, a tbsp Chana Dal, a tsp of Urad Dal, 2 broken Red Chillies and few Curry Leaves and saute for a minute. Add the cooked beetroot pieces and stir fry for 2 minutes. Now add the ground coconut-green chili masala and saute for another minute. Remove from heat; add juice of ½ lemon and mix. Serve it with steamed rice.

Roasting - Wash the 3 raw Bananas and prick them at several places with a sharp knife. Place each of them in a paper napkin and wrap them. Arrange the wrapped bananas in the oven and cook the bananas for 4 minutes. Turn the sides of the bananas and cook again for 4 minutes, or until soft. Remove them from the oven and the paper napkins, cut the ends and peel the skin. Mash the bananas well with a masher. Coarsely grind the 4 Green chilles and an inch of Ginger . Heat 3 tsp of Oil in a pan; splutter 2 tsp of Channa Dal, 2 tsp of Urad Dal, a tsp of Cumin Seeds and a tsp of Mustard Seeds . Saute the ginger-chili paste, ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder and few Curry Leaves . Add the mashed banana mixture and mix well till the mixture is combined well. Add Salt to taste, a tbsp of Lemon Juice and mix well till all the mixture is well mashed. Serve hot with plain rice.

Masala - Dry roast 2-3 Red Chillies, 1½ tsp of Chana dal, a tsp of Urad Dal, ½ tsp of Black Peppercorns, ½ tsp of Coriander seeds and grind to a fine powder. Potatoes - Wash 500 gms of Baby Potatoes and pressure cook till soft. Once cool, peel and prick them with a tooth pick to make small holes. Keep aside. Curry - Heat 2 tbsp Oil in a pan; splutter ¼ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ¼ tsp of Cumin Seeds ¼ tsp of Urad Dal, a pinch of Asafetida and few Curry Leaves . Add a finely chopped Onion and saute till golden brown. Stir in the cooked potatoes, a pinch of Turmeric powder, Salt to taste and toss gently. Add the ground spice powder and cook on low heat, turning the potatoes, so that it turns golden brown all over. Once potatoes get a lovely crisp brown texture with the spices, remove from heat. Serve hot with rice or with sambar rice.

Wash and soak 1/2 cup of Saggubiyyam in water for an hour. Grate 1/2 cup of Jaggery and keep aside. Heat a sauce pan with 3-4 tbsp of Water and add the jaggery to it. Once the jaggery melts, sieve it to remove all the impurities. Add the mixture back to the sauce pan and let it thicken till it reaches 1-string consistency. Remove from heat and let it cool completely. In another saucepan, take 1 1/2 cups of Water , the soaked Saggubiyyam and let it cook until they turn transparent/cooked. Add a cup of Milk, a tsp of Cardamom Powder and cook until the mixture thickens. Add the cooled jaggery mixture and mix well. Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl. Heat a tbsp of Ghee in a small pan and saute a tbsp of broken Cashews and few Raisins until golden brown. Remove from heat and add to the payasam. Serve warm or chilled. Note: Replace 1/2 cup of Jaggery with 1/2 cup of Sugar and add after the saggubiyyam is cooked.

Wash and soak 2 cups of Basmati Rice in 4 cups of Water for 30 minutes. Heat 4 tbsp of Ghee in a pan and sauté 10 broken Cashewnuts to golden color and keep aside. . To the same pan, add an inch of Cinnamon, 4 Cloves, 2 Cardamom and let them splutter. Add a medium sliced Onion, 3 slit Green Chilies and sauté till onion turns into golden. Add a tsp of Ginger Garlic paste, ¼ cup of finely chopped Coriander and Mint leaves and mix well. Drain the water from rice in to another bowl and keep aside. Saute the rice for about 3 minutes; add the drained water and Salt to taste . Mix well, cover and cook till done in a low heat. Garnish with sautéed cashews and serve hot.

Masala - Dry roast 1 inch Cinnamon, 2 Cloves, 2 Cardamom, 5 Cashew nuts, 2 tsp of Coriander Seeds and grind to fine powder. Heat 3 tsp of Oil in a pan; sauté a finely chopped medium Onion till light brown. Add and sauté finely chopped 4 Green Chillies and a tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste till the raw smell leaves. Add and sauté a finely chopped Tomato till it comes together like a gravy Add the ground masala powder and sauté till oil separates. Add an lb of washed, cleaned and diced Chicken, a tsp of Red Chili Powder, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, Salt to taste, a cup of Water (add more if gravy consistency is desired) and cook till Chicken is completely cooked and water is completely drained. Garnish with 2 tbsp of finely chopped Coriander Leaves and serve hot. 

Marinate – Clean 500 gm of Chicken , dice into small cubes and marinate them with ½ tbsp of Soya Sauce, an Egg, Salt, a tsp of freshly ground Pepper, a tbsp of All Purpose Flour, a tbsp of Corn Flour, ½ tbsp of minced Garlic and ½ tbsp of Green Chilli Sauce for an hour. Fry - Heat a shallow pan with about ¼ cup of Oil and lightly fry the chicken pieces until golden brown. Set aside. Chilli Chicken - In a pan, heat a tbsp of Oil, add ½ tbsp of minced Garlic, 2-3 slit Green Chillies, a tsp of Dry Chilli Flakes and saute for 2 minutes. Add a cubed Onions, cubed ½ Capsicum and saute until soft for 5-6 minutes. Add ¼ tsp of Vinegar, fried chicken, ½ tbsp of Soya Sauce, ½ tbsp of Green Chilli Sauce, Salt and a pinch of Sugar . Stir until well combined and saute for another 3-4 minutes. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot.

Combine  2 tbsp of Honey, a tsp of Olive Oil, a tbsp of Lime Juice, and a tsp of Cinnamon and whisk to blend in a small bowl. Set aside. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill. Lightly coat the grill rack with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the flame. Lightly brush  an inch of Pineapple round slices with the marinade. Grill or broil, turning once and basting once or twice with the remaining marinade, until tender and golden, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Serve warm with icecream or by itself.

Marinade - Wash and cut 500 gms of boneless Chicken . Grind ½ Red Onion into fine paste.  Marinate the diced chicken with the ground onion paste, 1½ tsp of Red Chilli Powder, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, 1 tsp of Ginger Garlic paste, ¼ tsp of Garam Masala powder, 1 tbsp Lemon Juice for an hour.  Chicken - Add and cook the marinated chicken in a pan with ½ cup of Water till the chicken pieces are tender. Drain the cooked water from the chicken and keep aside. Curry - Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan; add and saute a finely chopped Red Onion, 5 slit Green Chillies and few Curry Leaves till brown. Add the retained cooked water and cook till gravy comes together. Add the cooked chicken and saute till the moisture is evaporated. Garnish with chopped Cilantro and serve with rice, dal or rasam.

Marinade - Clean and dice a kg of Chicken into bite-sized pieces. Marinade the chicken pieces in a cup of Curd, ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, a tbsp of Red Chilli Powder, 1½ tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and keep aside for 30 minutes. Garam Masala -  Dry roast and powder  4 Cloves, 3 Cardamoms, 3 tsp of Coriander Seeds,  1½ inch Cinnamon and keep aside. Gongura Paste - Boil ¼ cup of Water in a saucepan, add and cook 2 cups of fresh Red Sorrel Leaves, a bunch of Coriander Leaves (optional), 4 slit Green Chillies and ½ cup of Mint Leaves for 3 minutes. Keep aside to cool and grind to a fine paste. Curry - Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan; add and saute  finely chopped 2 Onions, few Curry Leaves  till light golden color. Add the marinated chicken and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat, cook for another 10 minutes, add the gongura paste and combine well. Add Salt to taste , ground masal...

Dry roast a small cup of Moong Dal in a sautepan for 3 minutes. Wash the dal and pressure cook with 2 cups of Water, a pinch of Turmeric Powder, 1½ tsp of Ginger Green Chilli paste and a chopped Onion , till soft. Once the pressure is off, remove lid and mash the dal lightly, add a pureed Tomato  and cook for 5 minutes. Add ¼ tsp of Cumin Powder, ½ tsp of Red Chilli Powder, a Pinch of Garam Masala, 1½ tbsp of Fresh Cream , mix and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Heat a tsp of Ghee in a sautepan, saute few Mint Leaves till crisp. Add and saute a finely sliced Onion till transparent. Add them to the dal, mix and serve hot with rice or rotis. 

Roast a cup of White Sesame Seeds on medium heat until they turn golden brown. Keep aside to cool. Chop a cup of Jaggery into a fine powder. Grind both the roasted sesame seeds and chopped jaggery into coarse powder. Make round balls using few drops of milk, if needed.

Wash  250 gms of Ivy Gourds and cut out the tip and tail ends. Slit each of them into 3 lengthwise strips. Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; splutter  a tsp of Cumin Seeds, 3 dry Red Chillis, a pinch of Asafoetida and few Curry Leaves for a few seconds. Add the sliced dondakayalu and combine. Add Salt to taste, a pinch of Turmeric Powder ; mix well and saute on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Now reduce to low heat, add  a finely sliced Onion and let it cook, approx 15-18 minutes (till they begin to have a wrinkled appearance and turn to a deeper color). Add  1¼ tbsps of Toasted Sesame Seeds ; combine and let it cook uncovered for another minute and remove from heat. Serve hot with steamed rice.