Hearty Spices

Masala Powder – Roast ¼ cup of Groundnuts, 2 tsp of white Sesame Seeds, 2 tbsp of grated dry Coconut, 1 tsp of Roasted Gram Dal, 5-6 Red chillies, 1 tbsp of Coriander Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin seeds, 3-4 Cloves, 1" Cinnamon, 2 Green Cardamom and grind into smooth powder. Masala Paste – Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan and sauté a thinly sliced Onion (sprinkle a tsp of Sugar over it) till golden brown. Add and sauté a tbsp of Ginger Garlic paste for a minute. Cool and grind along with the masala powder adding water as needed to make smooth paste. Curry - Wash and slit 6 big Green Chillies and remove the veins and seeds of it. Heat  a tbsp of Oil in a wide bottomed pan and sauté the chillies for 2 minutes, cover cook for another 5-6 minutes until they are slightly soft, remove and keep them aside. In the same pan, heat a tbsp of Oil ; crackle and saute ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds and a thinly sliced Onion until they turn pink. Add few Curry Leaves , gro...

In a small bowl, microwave  2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips ,  3 tbsp + 1 tsp half-and-half cream  and a tsp of coffee granules   for 45-60 seconds or until chips are melted; stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature. In another bowl, beat   2/3 cup heavy whipping cream  until it begins to thicken. Add  3 tbsp confectioners' sugar ; beat until stiff peaks form. Add 3 oz of softened Cream Cheese and a  ½ tsp  of Vanilla extract to cooled chocolate mixture; beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into serving dishes. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls . 

Wash, peel and cube a medium sized Bottle Gourd and keep aside. Cook the bottle gourd pieces, a finely chopped Tomato, 3-4 slit Green Chillies, a tsp of Turmeric Powder in a cup of Water until soft. Add  Salt to taste, 2 tsp of Tamarind Paste and cook for 5 more minutes, remove from heat and mash with a ladle to a semi paste.  Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan, splutter ½ tbsp of Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds and 2 sprigs curry leaves . Add and saute a tbsp of Channa Dal and a tbsp of Urad Dal till golden brown. Add and saute a roughly chopped Onion till transparent and then add the above bottlegourd mixture to the curry. Cook for 3 minutes, garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Poori -  Mix a cup of Wheat Flour, Salt to taste and tsp of Oil and Water as needed to make a soft dough. Keep aside covered for 10 minutes. Make small lemon sized balls of the dough and roll them into thick round shaped. Heat 2 cups of Oil in a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, slide the poori into the hot oil and using the laddle press in the center and gently along the edges. Once the pooris start to puff, turn the poori other side fry till light golden brown. Remove it from oil and keep it on tissue paper. Potato Curry -   Wash, peel and boil 3 Potatoes in microwave till you are able to crumble them. Heat a tbsp of Oil in a pan; splutter ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, a tsp of Urad Dal and 1 tbsp of Channa Dal . Add and sauté fresh Curry leaves, 4-5 slit Green Chillies and an inch of finely minced Ginger for a few seconds. Add and sauté finely sliced 2 Onions , a pinch of Turmeric Powder till the onions turn transparent. Add the crumbled potatoes and adjust Salt . ...

Wash and nip the ends of 250 gm of Ivy Gourds . Slice them into rounds and sauté on medium heat in a pan with a tbsp of Oil for 3 minutes. Cover cook for 15 minutes sautéing in between till the Ivy gourd pieces are wrinkled. Remove the lid and saute on low for 4-5 minutes. Heat ½ tbsp of Oil in a pan; splutter ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds and few Curry Leaves . Add and sauté a large sliced Onion, Salt to taste and a pinch of Turmeric Powder on medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add ½ tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, a pinch of Coriander Powder and a pinch of Garam Masala Powder and combine. Add the sauted Ivy Gourds, ¼ cup of Fresh Grated Coconut , mix and cook on low heat for 15-18 minutes without lid. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice.

In a large bowl, beat 8 oz softened Cream Cheese, 8 oz Sour Cream, 1/3 cup of Sugar and 2 tsp of Vanilla until blended. Add 2 pounds of halved Red Grapes, 2 pounds of halved Green Grapes and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with 3 tbsp of Brown Sugar and 3 tbsp of chopped Pecans just before serving.  Yields 21-24 servings

Marinade - Wash, skin and make 1-inch slits with a knife to the 6 Chicken Drumsticks . Place them in a box, add a tbsp of Lemon Juice, 1½ cups of Yogurt, 2 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, a tbsp of Tandoori Masala Powder, a tsp of Coriander Powder, Salt to taste and few drops of Red Food Color and mix well. Store in the refrigerator to marinate overnight. Baste - In a small cup, mix ½ cup of Lemon Juice, ½ tsp of Tandoori Masala Powder, Salt to taste and few drops of Red Food Color . Bake & Broil - Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 450 F. Prepare the baking tray by placing an aluminium foil and spraying oil. Place the chicken pieces on the prepared tray and put the tray in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, basting in between and flip the pieces and bake again for 20 minutes. Broil the chicken for 5 minutes turning the pieces once in between. Serve hot.

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.