Potato Podimas recipe

Ingredients

To temper

Method

1. Chop onion finely, chop green chilli into circles. Pressure cook halved potatoes for 3 whistles. Peel the skin and make it a crumble. Do not mash.Heat a kadai with oil and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table. Add onion and green chilli, fry till onion turns transparent without changing its colour. Add more oil if needed.
2. Add salt and give a quick stir, add the potato crumble.
3. Add grated coconut and give a stir to mix well. Drizzle little coconut oil if desired. 

Notes

• Do not mash the potatoes, just crumble it roughly.
• You can add a tsp of lemon juice too, but we generally don’t do that.
• Coconut oil enhances the flavor.
• You can also add turmeric along with salt to make it yellow.

Coconut chutney recipe

Ingredients

To temper

Method

1. Grate coconut, place it along with chilli, fried gram dal, salt and little water in a blender to grind it until smooth or desired consistency.

Notes

• Always use freshly broken and scrapped coconut for best tasting chutney. Dont use dried up coconut.
• If the coconut is little bit on the tender side, then it will taste great.
• How to troubleshoot  a watery chutney? – Add more grated coconut or little more fried gram dal and grind it again. Adjust salt and chilli accordingly.
• My chutney is not white, why? – Do not scrap the coconut with the brown part, scrap carefully only the white part. Do not add more fried gram dal or chilli, which will also affect the colour.
• Fresh and a bit tender coconut gives whitish chutney.
• Add little milk for getting a rich and whiter chutney.
• Add water carefully while grinding, you can add less while grinding and always can add more if needed later.
• If you want chutney in runny side, add little more fried gram dal and grind it watery. If you want thick, then no need.
• I sometimes never add fried gram dal also and grind with very less milk or water to make ‘getti chutney’.
• Add a few drops of coconut oil and mix after grinding for a nice flavor or you can use coconut oil for tempering too.
• Variations with this chutney : 
  * Add a small pinch of tamarind (Add more chilli to balance)
  *Add a garlic flake while grinding
  *Add a piece of ginger while grinding
  *Add a small onion (Shallots) while grinding
  *Add few curry leaves while grinding
  *Add a half sauteed tomato while grinding (Add more chilli to balance)
  *Add half sauteed onion while grinding
  *Add roasted channa dal in place of fried gram dal
  *Add roasted channa dal and red chillies in place of fried gram dal and green chillies.
  *Add roasted peanuts and red chillies in place of fried gram dal and red chillies.
  *Temper 2 tblsp finely chopped small onions
  *Fry some carrot and grind along to make carrot chutney
• Do not use your hands while grinding if you are packing it and makes sure you temper the chutney as my mom / MIL says it keeps the chutney longer without getting spoilt.
  

Mango Sorbet recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. Slice the mangoes along the sides and scoop out the pulp using a spoon. Scrap the pulp from the seed as well and collect 1 cup of pulp. Place it in a blender, puree it first.
2. Make a simple sugar syrup by heating sugar and water and just bring to boil to dissolve the sugar completely. Cool down and blend it with the mango pulp, lemon juice.
3. Transfer to a freezer safe airtight container and freeze it for an hour.
4. Take it out, mix it until smooth, with a fork. (For smoothest texture of all, you can grind the sorbet in mixie instead of mixing with fork).Repeat the same every half hour for 5 more times. Then freeze for 6 to 12 hours depending on your freezer temperature and conditions. Scoop and serve.

Notes

• If you have icecream maker, you can churn the sorbet as per the instructions. This will give you the best result of all - Smoothest sorbet, equal to icecream's texture.
• I used alphonso mangoes for vibrant yellow coloured result.
• Lemon juice not only adds a tangy taste, but also must be helping in its texture. So do not omit.
• MIxing with fork every half hour for 5-6 times helps in smooth texture.

Methi dal recipe

Ingredients

To temper

Method

1. Pressure cook dal with enough water for 3 whistles. Chop onion and tomatoes finely, slit the green chillies. Clean the leaves and keep it ready.
2. Heat a kadai with ghee and add cumin seeds in low flame. Add onion and fry till transparent. Add green chilli (I didnt add), ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute in medium flame.
3. Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and fry until tomatoes turn soft.
4. Add washed methi leaves and fry till its reduced in volume.
5. Add cooked dal, enough water (I added 1 & 3/4 cups) and let it boil for 2 minutes.
6. Let it be in low flame for 5 minutes or until the desired consistency reaches also the methi leaves gets cooked.

Notes

• Chopping the methi leaves or adding as such is your choice.
• You can add either finely chopped ginger or garlic alone instead of ginger garlic paste.
• If adding ginger, adding asafoetida will enhance the taste.
• Add enough tomatoes for tanginess to supress the bitterness of the methi leaves.
• You can add 1/2 tsp of manchoor powder if you are short of tomatoes.
• If the tanginess and spice level is not balanced then it may taste bitter.

Iced lemon tea recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. Bring water to boil until it bubbles, then add the tea and boil in medium flame for 3 minutes.
2. Filter through a tea strainer and add sugar, mix to dissolve it. Cool down to room temperature.
3. Squeeze lemon in the tea. Fill a tall glass with ice and pour the tea over it and enjoy!

Notes

• Add tea powder only after water boils for best results. Do not boil more than 3 minutes as it may turn strong and bitter.
• Keep covered while the tea comes to room temperature to retain its flavor.
• Adjust lemon juice and sugar as per your taste. I used one whole lemon’s juice.

Ilaneer Sorbet recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. First collect the tender coconut water and then cut open the coconut and scoop, collect the tender coconut using a spoon. Do not scrap the yellow part, gently scoop the tender coconut alone.
2. Grind it with coconut water, sugar and lemon juice if desired until smooth. Transfer to a freezer safe box with lid and freeze for 3 hours.
3. Take out every 1 hour after that and grind it smoothly. Repeat this hourly for 5 times minimum for a completely dream soft sorbet.
4. Then again freeze overnight and scoop and serve it the next day.

Notes

• How much ever you grind the sorbet, you get the smooth texture like ice cream. I know its a messy job, but no other way. (think about the best part, licking it each time )
• I used a fork to dig the sides of the frozen sorbet for breaking it for grinding. You can use any hard thing to do the same. I made very little so for was enough.
• This recipe can be halved to make 3 scoops, like what I did.
• I have made this without lemon and tastes great too. Actually I like it without lemon better as we get the full taste of the tender coconut.
• You can make this by churning it in an ice cream maker as per the instructions given along it.

Grape popsicle recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. Wash and reserve few grapes and grind the grapes with water. Filter it through a metal strainer. Add sugar and dissolve completely.
2. Fill 3/4th of the popsicle moulds with this juice and add few sliced grapes in each mould.
3. Cover it with the lid/handles that comes with the popsicle moulds, or like me, cover it with cling wrap, slit in middle, insert the popsicle sticks and freeze it for minimum 12 hours. Once frozen hard, show the body of the popsicle moulds under running tap water for 30 seconds to remove the popsicles easily from the  moulds.

Notes

• You can do it without adding water too, but u may need to add more sugar as it would be more tangy.
• If not frozen properly, the stick wont hold the Popsicle while you take out.
• You can add ginger while grinding to give it a twist.
• Adjust sugar quantity as per your taste.

Mango Ice cream recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. Scoop and collect pulp of mango with a spoon and place it in a blender with sugar, milk and blend well until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add whipping cream and whip for a minute or until all the ingredients are mixed well.
3. Pour into a broad, freezer safe airtight box. Freeze it for 3 hrs.
4. Take out and grind again in a mixer until smooth and repeat the same every 1 hour for 4-5 times.
5. Last time add tutti frutti and freeze for 6 hrs or overnight. Scoop and serve.

Notes

• Adding tutti frutti is optional and you can skip it.
• If you do not get whipping cream you can try using regular cream too. But this tastes best.
• Grinding few times ensures soft texture of the ice cream, so make sure you grind it and dont mind the mess.
• You can use ready made sweetened mango pulps available in tins. Reduce sugar accordingly.

Masala Coke recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. Cool the cola drink until you are going to prepare the drink. I used coke zero, but you can use any brand. In a tall jar or big enough container, place all the ingredients except the coke.
2. Pour the coke slowly and it will bubble and raise very much, so let the container you use be apt for that.
   
   
3. Mix gently and immediately pour over ice to serve.

Baingan Bharta recipe

Ingredients

Aubergine/ eggplant	1
Onion	2
Tomato	3
Ginger garlic paste	2 tslp
Red chilli powder	2 tsp
Garam masala powder	1 & 1/2 tsp
Turmeric	1/4 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves	2 tblsp
Salt	As needed

To temper

Method

1. Wash, remove the stalk of the aubergine by cutting that part. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel, apply oil all over the aubergine and cook it over medium to low direct flame. I used my paniyaram turner metal stick for this to hold it. Turn it often for even cooking. Make sure the heat is moderate so that it is not burnt outside and uncooked from inside. Cool down and peel off the skin. It comes out very easily if its cooked properly and evenly.
2. Mash it/ tear it roughly and grind it in a mixer. Smooth or rough its up to you, but I did smoothly.
3. Heat a kadai with oil and temper with jeera. Add finely chopped onion, fry till transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
4. Add finely chopped tomatoes, salt, 1/2 tsp of garam masala, red chilli powder and turmeric. Fry till everything becomes mushy.
5. Add the ground aubergine and 3/4 cup to 1 cup water and mix well. Let it boil in low flame for 5 minutes. Stir in between for even cooking.
6. Lastly heat 2 tsp of oil, switch off the flame, add garam masala immediately and stir it. Pour it to the gravy and mix well. Add coriander leaves lastly and mix well. 

Notes

• Cooking the aubergine in moderate heat is very important. If the brinjal is uncooked, then it may taste bitter.
• You have to add enough tomatoes too, otherwise bitter gravy.

Watermelon granita recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour in a freezer safe broad container. Freeze for an hour and again take it out, wipe the sides inside the box especially corners, that would have started to freeze.
2. Repeat once again after an hour. Again freeze overnight or minimum 6 hours and use a fork to scrap the frozen mixture and serve immediately.

Notes

• Do not add more mint leaves as it will over power and ruin the taste.
• While freezing, refrain opening the freezer door often.
• Granita is supposed to be grainy, so make sure you scrap with fork and there should not be any lumps too.

Methi pulao recipe

Ingredients

To temper

Method

1. Soak the rice in warm water for atleast 30 mins. Heat a pressure cooker (I did in my non stick kadai itself) and add ghee, temper with the items under ‘To temper’ table. Add the cleaned methi leaves.  
2. Fry in medium flame until it shrinks in volume without changing its colour. Add green chillies, red chilli powder, coriander seeds powder, amchoor powder, salt and give a quick stir.
3. Add water(1 & 1/2 cups) and bring to boil. Add the soaked rice and bring to boil again. 
4. Keep the flame in lowest possible and cook covered for 10 minutes or until the water is fully dried up.
5. Stir only once in between, carefully for even cooking.

Notes

• Soaking in warm water is very important as it helps the rice to get cooked in short time and also helps in giving long grain.
• Do not stir much after the rice gets cooked, just do it on between once for even cooking.
• If you are cooking in pressure cooker, after the water boils, close the lid and cook in lowest flame for 10 mins. Or if whistle, use 2 cups water and let 2 whistles in medium flame.
• If you don’t have amchoor powder, use 1 tsp lemon juice in place of it.
• Do not chop the leaves as it may turn bitter while cooking.

Eggless carrot muffins recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. Gather all the things required to the counter top. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Mean while wash, peel and grate carrots. Keep aside. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. This is to ensure even mixing.
2. In another mixing bowl, using a whisk mix well curd and oil.
3. Add sugar, vanilla and mix until it is dissolved.
4. Add the sifted flour mixture (dry ingredients) and mix gently. Do not over mix.
5. Lastly add carrots and fold (mix gently) the mixture so that carrot is mixed with the batter.
6. Line a muffin tray with muffin liner (I use two for better looks) and pour batter until 3/4 th of it. Make sure to spoon equal amount of the batter in all the muffin liners.Bake for 15- 18  minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Cool over a wire rack before storing. Keeps good at room temperature for 2 days.

Notes

• Any cooking oil can be used, I used sunflower oil. Other than this, Canola, olive oil or vegetable oil is recommended.
• Do not over mix after you add the dry ingredients.
• Bake immediately once you prepare the batter.

Schezwan noodles recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. Boil enough water and cook the noodles as per the package instructions. It hardly takes 4-5 minutes after you add the noodles to the boiling water. Drain and wash immediately to prevent sticking to each other.
2. Soak red chillies in hot water for 30 minutes or boil water and add the chillies, cook for 5 minutes. Cool down and grind to a paste. Make sure to grind properly. 
3. Finely chop all the required garlic, vegetables and keep all the other ingredients ready.Heat a kadai with enough oil, add a red chilli followed by the chopped garlic. Fry just for a minute,taking care, not to change its colour.Do not over fry. Add the chilli paste.
4. Give it a fry for minute over medium flame until the oil separates. Add chopped carrot and beans first, fry for 30 seconds in high flame, then lastly cabbage.
5. Stir fry for a minute over high flame. Add sugar, salt, chilli sauce, soya sauce, pepper powder.Stir quickly and add the cooked noodles.
6. Mix or toss well so that everything gets mixed up evenly. Adjust salt, pepper and add oil if needed. Transfer to the serving bowl.

Notes

• If noodles get stuck to each other before you add along with veggies, just sprinkle some water to loosen it. 

• You can add spring onion in this recipe, finely chopped – white part after garlic, green part finally for garnish. 

• You can add sugar as soon as you add veggies to retain its colour, taste and crunchiness. 

• You can grind the chilli paste ahead and store in refrigerator and use it as needed (just for the sake you cannot grind too little chilli to make smooth paste). 

•  Do not over fry garlic as it will not lend the flavor we need for this recipe. 

•  Adding lots of garlic is must for this recipe. Otherwise no flavor.  

•  Sesame oil and olive oil works best for this.

Vegetarian sunny side up in capsicum recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. Slice the capsicum carefully without breaking. Use big and sharp knife. Let it be thick enough to hold the batter.
2. Heat a tawa and smear with some oil. Arrange the capsicums. Pour the batter into each carefully.
3. Let the flame be in low. Spoon the masala in the centre of each, make sure you do not disturb the white part/ shape.
4. Cook covered in low flame, add more oil if needed and check if its done by inserting tooth pick or knife carefully and use a spatula to take it out. Flip if desired.

notes

• Make sure flame is the lowest to ensure cooking.
• Do not cut the capsicum too thick as you  may end up using more batter, then getting cooked will be a problem.
• If flipping, no need to cook covered.

Blueberry  Pancakes recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. Place the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix well with whisk, you can also sift.
2. Add the wet ingredients - melted butter, milk and mix until smooth and no lumps are there. The consistency should be like idli dosa batter.
3. Add blueberries and mix gently. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
4. After ten minutes, heat an iron skillet preferably for even cooking and heating and switch off the stove and leave it for 5 minutes. Again switch on the flame and put it in medium flame. Grease with butter and pour one big ladle full of batter carefully. Do not spread. 
5. Wait until bubbles pop over the pancakes and the colour changes and flip carefully. Cook the other side for a minute and transfer to serving plate.

• Iron skillet (Iron dosa pan) works best to get golden brown colour and even cooking.
• If you want you can cover and cook after flipping, this makes it even more soft and locks the moisture.
• If you heat the pan really hot and make the pancake immediately, the pancakes turn dark brown in colour. That’s why I have heated the pan and switched off for a while to bring the temperature medium. ( I saw this in a video in you tube)
• If the pan is too hot, the pancakes will have edges like flower. that is it wont be a perfect circle. So make sure to keep the heat medium.
• Use a big ladle, so that for all the pancakes, you use only one and so all of them would be on same size.
• You can use whole wheat flour as well, but experiment with the milk volume as it may take more.
• You can add cinnamon or vanilla essence to make it more flavorful.
• You can make this same with non diary milk and make it vegan.

Pirandai thogaiyal recipe

Ingredients

Method

1. First cut the pirandai at each nodes and using a knife, scrap the sharp thin edges.Careful with this as it could be an itchy process or even sometimes irritates the skin. Then chop it into small pieces.
2. Heat kadai with little and roast chilli, urad dal and asafoetida until urad dal is golden in colour. In the same kadai, add rest of the oil and sautee the chopped pirandai well in medium flame with constant stirring, until the colour changes pale.
3. Cool down and first powder chilli, salt, tamarind, asafoetida into a coarse powder. Later add the sauteed pirandai.
4. Grind coarsely. Add little water and grind again. Now it will be bit smooth to look.
5. Lastly add urad dal and grind to a coarse thick paste. Check for salt and transfer to the serving bowl.

Notes

• Make sure to use only the finger tips to avoid itchy and sore fingers.
  
• The pirandai should be sauteed well otherwise it will be even itchy in your tongue.
  
• Make sure to remove the sharp edges as well. The nodes also should not be included.