Recipe Name: Palak Paneer

Recipe Name: Palak Paneer

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup paneer (cut into cubes)
• 4 cups spinach leaves (chopped)
• 1/2 cup onions (finely chopped)
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 inch ginger piece (grated)
• 4 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup tomato (pureed)
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 4 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

How to cook?

1. Take little water in a vessel.
2. Add chopped spinach and salt to it.
3. Bring it to a boil.
4. Blend the spinach in a blender to make a smooth puree.
5. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the paneer cubes. Set aside.
6. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the onions till they turn pink and soft.
7. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies. Fry for about 30 seconds.
8. Add the tomato puree and stir fry it.
9. Add the spinach puree, garam masala, paneer, salt and little water and bring it to a boil.
10. Switch off the stove.
11. Serve hot with chapatis.

Recipe Name: Pineapple Raita

Recipe Name: Pineapple Raita

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 2 cup fresh curd
• 1 cup pineapple (chopped into cubes)
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tsp roasted jeera powder
• Sugar as per taste
• Black Salt as per taste

How to prepare?

1. Mix all the above ingredients together.
2. Chill the raita in a fridge.
3. Serve with Vegetable Biryani.

Recipe Name: Adai

Recipe Name: Adai

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup dosa/idli rice (soaked for 2 hours)
• 1 handful each of urad dal, chana dal and tur dal (soaked for 2 hours)
• 2 red chillies
• 2 green chillies
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 5-6 curry leaves
• Salt to taste
• Oil to prepare Adai

How to cook?

1. Grind rice, dals, green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida to form a not-so-smooth batter.
2. Add required salt to the batter.
3. You can add few curry leaves to the batter (it is optional).
4. Heat a pan and add little oil and spread it to the pan. (Please note that if it's a non-stick pan, do not add oil.)
5. Spread 1 1/2 ladle batter on the pan in a circular motion.
6. Once it's cooked, flip it to other side and allow it to cook.
7. Remove from pan. 
8. Repeat the procedure from point 4 to 6 to make required number of adais.
9. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Recipe Name: Dosa

Recipe Name: Dosa

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 4 cups dosa/idli rice (soaked for 6-8 hours)
• 1 cup urad dal (soaked for 6-8 hours)
• 1/4 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
• Salt to taste
• Oil to prepare dosas

How to cook?

1. Grind rice, dal and fenugreek seeds to form a smooth batter.
2. Add required salt to the batter.
3. Heat a pan and add little oil and spread it to the pan. (Please note that if it's a non-stick pan, do not add oil.)
4. Spread 1 1/2 ladle batter on the pan in a circular motion.
5. Once it's cooked, flip it to other side and allow it to cook.
6. Remove from pan. 
7. Repeat the procedure from point 4 to 6 to make required number of dosas.
8. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Recipe Name: Jhatpat Chole

Recipe Name: Jhatpat Chole

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 300 gms kabuli chana (soaked overnight)
• 2 medium onions (finely chopped)
• 3 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp chole masala (I prefer Everest Chole Masala)
• 2 tbsp oil for frying
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)

How to cook?

1. Pressure cook the kabuli chana.
2. Heat oil in a pan.
3. Add onions and ginger-garlic paste and saute well till the onions turn pink and soft.
4. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, chole masala and salt. Mix and saute well till the tomatoes turn soft and the oil separates.
5. Add kabuli chana and little water and cook well for about 5-7 minutes and the gravy becomes thick.
6. Switch off the stove.
7. Add chopped coriander leaves.
8. Serve hot with chapathis or dal rice.

Recipe Name: Bhindi Pyaaz Fry

Recipe Name: Bhindi Pyaaz Fry

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 400 gms Lady's Finger (Bhindi)
• 2 medium onions (sliced)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder (jeera powder)
• 3/4 tsp chilli powder
• 3/4 tsp coriander powder
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

How to cook?

1. Cut the Bhindi into halves and slit in the middle (though not fully slit).
2. Heat oil in a pan.
3. Add jeera and allow it to splutter.
4. Add curry leaves and saute for about 10-12 seconds.
5. Add bhindi, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, jeera powder and salt.
6. Allow it to fry for about 5 minutes. Stir occassionaly, not too often though.
7. Add onions and allow it to cook and fry for about 7 more minutes. Mix well.
8. Switch off the stove.
9. Serve hot with dal rice or chapatis.

Recipe Name: Aloo Baingan

Recipe Name: Aloo Baingan

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 6-8 brinjals (sliced)
• 1 large potato (sliced)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 3/4 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 3 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

How to cook?

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add jeera and allow it to splutter.
3. Add curry leaves and saute for about 10-12 seconds.
4. Add brinjal, potato, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala and salt and mix well.
5. Cover the lid and allow it to cook for approximately 10-12 minutes while stirring occassionally.
6. Switch off the stove.
7. Serve hot with dal rice or chapatis.

Recipe Name: Aloo Gobi Mattar ki Sabzi

Recipe Name: Aloo Gobi Mattar ki Sabzi

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 medium cabbage (finely chopped)
• 1 large potato (chopped)
• 3/4 cup green peas
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp jeera 
• 3 green chillies (halved and slit)
• 6-8 curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

How to cook?

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
3. Once it starts crackling, add jeera and allow it to splutter too.
4. Add green chillies and curry leaves and saute for about 10-12 seconds.
5. Add cabbage, potatoes, green peas, turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
6. Cover the lid and allow it to cook for approximately 10-12 minutes while stirring occassionally.
7. Switch off the stove.
8. Serve hot with dal rice or chapatis.

Recipe Name: Pal Payasam (Kheer)

Recipe Name: Pal Payasam (Kheer)

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 litre milk
• 1 handful rice
• 3/4th cup sugar
• 1 tsp ghee
• 2 tbsp cashewnuts broken & roasted in ghee (optional)

How to cook?

1. Wash the rice.
2. Pour milk in a vessel along with rice and pressure cook it for about 25 minutes in low flame.
3. Once the pressure cooker has cooled down, remove the vessel from the pressure cooker.
4. Add sugar and boil it for another 15 minutes in low flame.
5. Switch off the stove and add ghee.
6. You can also add cashewnuts if required. It is optional.
7. Serve hot.

Recipe Name: Coconut Vermicelli Payasam (Kheer)

Recipe Name: Coconut Vermicelli Payasam (Kheer)

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups vermicelli
• 1/2 cup jaggery (mashed and powdered)
• 5 cups water
• 2 cups coconut (grated)
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

How to prepare?

1. Heat ghee in a pan.
2. Add vermicelli and roast it till the colour starts changing.
3. Keep the vermicelli aside.
4. Heat the pan and add water.
5. Add jaggery, cardamom powder, coconut and vermicelli.
6. Allow the vermicelli to cook well.
7. Keep stirring the mixture often.
8. Cover the lid and let it cook till the mixture thickens and all the water is gone.
9. Switch off the stove.
10. Serve hot or cold.

Note: You can add dryfruits like Cashewnuts or Almonds before serving.

Recipe Name: Onion Raita

Recipe Name: Onion Raita

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 large onion (chopped/sliced)
• 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 1 cup curd 
• 1 tsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• Salt to taste

How to prepare?

1. Mix all the above ingredients to make onion raita.

Recipe Name: Vegetable Biryani

Recipe Name: Vegetable Biryani

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• 2 medium onions (finely chopped)
• 2 large tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 1 cups mixed vegetables (potato, cauliflower, green peas, carrot - all chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp biryani masala (I prefer Everest Biryani Masala)
• 4 tbsp Oil 
• 1/4 cup curd
• Salt to taste

How to cook?

1. Wash and soak rice for 10 mins.
2. Drain water and cook rice in fresh water with salt added.
3. Drain water. Cool.
4. Cook the mixed vegetables in a vessel for about 10 minutes.
5. Heat oil in a pan.
6. Fry onions till they turn pink and soft.
7. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell of garlic goes off.
8. Add tomatoes, chilli powder and biryani masala powder. Saute till the tomatoes becomes soft and oil separates.
9. Add curd and salt and mix well.
10. Add the chopped mixed vegetables. Mix well.
11. Add half of the rice and mix well.
12. Add remaining rice.
13. Add ghee and mix well.
14. Let it cook for 2-3 more minutes.
15. Switch off the stove.
16. Serve hot with onion raita.

Recipe Name: Sabudana Khichdi

Recipe Name: Sabudana Khichdi

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cup sabudana (soaked overnight)
• 2 potatoes (boiled and chopped finely)
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts (coarsely powdered)
• 3 green chillies
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

How to cook?

1. Drain the sabudana.
2. Add salt, sugar and peanuts powder and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Add cumin seeds and allow it to crackle.
5. Add green chillies and curry leaves and saute for about 20 seconds.
6. Add potatoes and saute for about 2 minutes.
7. Add the sabudana and mix well.
8. Let it cook for about 4 minutes till the sabudana becomes soft.
9. Switch off the stove.
10. Serve hot.

Recipe Name: Palak Dal

Recipe Name: Palak Dal

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup tuvar dal (washed and cooked)
• 1/2 cup masoor dal (washed and cooked alongwith tuvar dal)
• 2 cups spinach (finely chopped)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• a piece of ginger (finely chopped)
• 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp ghee
• Salt to taste

How to cook?

1. Heat ghee in a pan.
2. Add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
3. Add cumin seeds and allow it to crackle as well.
4. Add ginger and green chillies and saute till the raw smell of ginger is gone.
5. Add asafoetida and saute for 10 seconds.
6. Add spinach and allow it to cook well for about 10 minutes.
7. Add the cooked dals, little water and salt to taste and mix well.
8. Cover the lid and allow it to cook for 3-4 minutes.
9. Switch off the stove.
10. Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

Recipe Name: Parippu Vada or Dal Vada

Recipe Name: Parippu Vada or Dal Vada

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup tuvar dal
• 1/4 cup udad dal
• 4 dried red chillies
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

How to cook?

1. Soak tuvar dal and udad dal in water for about 1 hour.
2. Drain the water.
3. Add red chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and salt and grind them to a not-so-fine paste. (It should be a rough and thick batter)
4. Shape them flat and round using your palm.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the vadas.
6. Serve hot with coconut chutney or pudina chutney.

Recipe Name: Pongal

Recipe Name: Pongal

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups raw rice
• 1/2 cup moong dal
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp jeera powder
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• 2 tbsp pepper
• 2 tbsp ghee 
• 1 red chilli (broken into halves)
• 10-12 curry leaves
• Salt to taste

How to cook?

1. Add raw rice, moong dal, turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker and cook them well.
2. Mix the grated coconut to the above mixture.
3. Heat ghee in a pan.
4. Add pepper, jeera, jeera powder, red chilli and curry leaves and saute it for about 15 seconds.
5. Add this to the above mixture and mix well.
6. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Recipe Name: Avial

Recipe Name: Avial

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup white pumpkin (sliced like finger chips)
• 1 cup yam (sliced like finger chips
• 1/2 cup carrot (sliced like finger chips)
• 1/2 cup raw banana (sliced like finger chips)
• 1/2 cup drumstick (chopped like finger chips)
• 1/2 cup other vegetables (like beans & red pumpkin)
• 3 green chillies
• 3/4 cup coconut (grated)
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• Salt to taste

How to cook?

1. Take little water in a vessel.
2. Add all the vegetables, curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt to the vessel.
3. Cook for about 10-12 minutes.
4. Grind the green chillies and coconut in a mixer.
5. Add it to the avial.
6. Switch off the stove.
7. Add curd. Stir well.
8. Add coconut oil and mix well.
9. Serve hot with rice.

Recipe Name: Aloo Matar

Recipe Name: Aloo Matar

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 2 large potatoes (peeled and diced)
• 1 cup green peas
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp oil (for frying)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

To be ground to paste:

• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 2 large tomatoes (chopped)
• 1/2 inch ginger (chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves 

How to cook?

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter.
3. Add the onion-tomato-garlic paste and saute it till the raw smell of onions and garlic is gone.
4. Add turmeric powder and chilli powder and mix well.
5. Add potatoes and green peas and stir well.
6. Add little water and cover the lid till the potatoes and peas are cooked (approximately 10-12 minutes).
7. Add garam masala, mix well and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Switch off the stove.
9. Add chopped coriander leaves.
10. Serve hot with chapatis or puris.

Recipe Name: Phodnicha Bhat

Recipe Name: Phodnicha Bhat

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 2 cups rice (steamed)
• 1/4 cup coconut (grated)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsbp oil for frying
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)

How to cook?

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add crushed garlic and chopped onions.
3. Saute till the onions turn pink and soft.
4. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and rice.
5. Cook for about 4 minutes in medium flame, stirring frequently.
6. Add grated coconut and mix well.
7. Switch off the stove.
8. Add coriander leaves.