Rava Dosa

Instant Rava Dosa

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Instant Rava Dosa is really quick and easy to make. I couldn't get a better picture of the dosa. This was the only left over dosa.

Ingredients:	Quantity
Rava/Sooji	1 cup
Rice Flour	1 cup
All purpose Flour	1/2 cup
Yogurt	2-3 tbsp
Onion finely chopped (Optional)	1/4 cup
Ginger Grated	1/2 tsp
Green Chilies chopped	1-2 nos
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
Black Pepper	1 tsp
Curry Leaves	1 strand
Coriander Leaves Chopped	1 tbsp
Salt	To taste
Water	As needed
Oil	For pan roast

Preparation:
1) Mix all the dry ingredients, Rava, Rice flour and all purpose flour together.
2) Add the beaten yogurt and enough water to make it into a thin batter. Add enough salt.
3) Add chopped onions, grated ginger, chopped green chilies, cumin seeds, black pepper, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
4) Let the batter sit for 30-45 min's.
5) Heat the griddle/dosa tava and pour in the batter. Let it cook for a few min's and then pour in oil to the sides and turn to the other side and let it cook for few min's.
6) Serve hot with Sambar or Coconut Chutney or Tomato Chutney.

Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney

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Thakkali/Tomato chutney is a very good accompaniment with idli or any type of dosa. I have got this recipe from my hubby.

Ingredients:	Quantity
Tomatoes Chopped	4-5 nos
Onion Chopped	1 nos
Garlic Peeled	2 nos
Ginger Chopped	1 tsp
Dried Red Chili	2-3 nos
Urad Dal	2 tsp
Tamarind	1-2 tsp
Salt	To taste
Oil	1-2 tbsp
Tempering:
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp
Urad Dal
Curry Leaves	1 strand
Sesame/Gingelly Oil	2 tbsp

Preparation:
1) Heat oil in a pan and sauté the urad dal, red chilies, onions, garlic and ginger.
2) Once the onions are caramelized, add the tomatoes, tamarind and salt and sauté until tomatoes are well cooked.
3) Let it cool and blend it finely.
4) Heat gingelly oil in a pan and add the ingredients for tempering and when the mustard sputter add the ground chutney and let it cook for few min's and serve it with any kind of dosa or Idli..

Carrot Halwa

Gajar Ka Halwa

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Carrot Halwa is a simple and easy to cook dish. The basic dish can be done with just four major ingredients. You can add the spices and garnishing to enhance taste and look.

Ingredients:	Quantity
Carrot Grated	1 cup
Sugar	1 cup*
Milk	1 cup
Ghee	1-2 tbsp
Cardamom Powder	1/4 tsp
Saffron (Optional)	2-4 strands
Nutmeg (Optional)	a pinch
Raisins roasted	5-6 nos
Cashews roasted	5-6 nos
Almonds/Pista Silvered (Optional)	2-3 nos

Preparation:
1) Heat the ghee in a pan and add the grated carrot and sauté for few(10-12) min's until the raw smell disappears.
2) Add the sugar and sauté for another 1-2 min's and add the milk into it and let it cook until the carrots are cooked and tender.
3) Meanwhile soak the saffron in 2-3 tbsp of warm water or milk.
4) Mix the soaked saffron, cardamom powder and nutmeg into the Halwa.
5) Garnish with the raisins, cashews and other nuts if using them.
6) It can be served hot and tastes yummy when served with cold vanilla ice cream.

Carrot Halwa with Condensed Milk

Note:* You can adjust sugar according to your taste. You can also substitute or add half quantity of condensed milk to make it more rich. Khoya is mostly used in this dish. I do not prefer to use it.

Rasam

Parupu Thakkali Rasam

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Rasam, the South Indian specialty item is part of lunch menu. It is light and the lemon or tamarind used in it helps in digestion. It has got several variations. Everything is unique and tasty.

Ingredients:	Quantity
Toor Dal	1/2 Cup
Tomatoes	2 big nos
Garlic Pods	6-7 nos
Cumin Powder	1/2 tsp
Rasam Powder	1-1 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder	1 tsp
Ginger Powder (or Ginger grated) (optional)	1 tsp
Lemon Juice*	2-3 tbsp
Salt	To taste
Tempering:
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
Curry Leaves	1-2 Strands
Dry Red Chilies halved	1-2 nos
Garlic Pods Crushed	2-3 nos
Asafoetida	A pinch
Oil	1-2 tsp
Coriander Leaves	To Garnish

Preparation:
1) Add the Dal, 3 cups water and then add half the turmeric powder, salt, cumin powder and Asafoetida to it in a pressure cooker.
2) Add the tomatoes and garlic pods to the Dal and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.
3) Let the pressure down and remove the garlic pods and tomatoes from the pressure cooker separately. Remove the skin and crush the tomatoes and garlic well.
4) In a pan add the oil and add all the ingredients for tempering.
5) Once the mustard sputters add the crushed tomatoes and garlic.
6) Add rest of the turmeric powder, rasam powder and ginger powder/grated ginger if using it. Sauté until it mixes well.
7) Add the Dal with the cooked water to it. Let it boil for 5-6 min's, then add the lemon juice to it remove from heat.
8) Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot rice.


Note: * You can replace the lemon with tamarind water. But need to let it boil for a couple of more min's if you add tamarind water. Also add it before you add Dal.
** You can add crushed mint to it to make mint rasam.

Banana Muffins

Sweet and Soft Banana Muffins

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Tried the banana muffin to get my kids eat some fruits. It came out so soft and sweet. The below recipe makes up to one dozen muffins. You can go ahead and add nuts to the batter, but I didn't want my little one to get choked, therefore avoided nuts. When it is baking time, my daughter is already there ready to help me out.

Ingredients:	Quantity
Ripe big Bananas	3 nos
All-purpose flour	1 1/2 cups
White Sugar *	3/4 cup
Egg	1 nos
Butter softened	1/3 cup
Baking Powder	1 tsp
Baking Soda	1/2 tsp
Salt	1/2 tsp
Vanilla Essence	2-3 drops
Brown Sugar + White Sugar (Optional)	2-3 tbsp to sprinkle

Preparation:
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2) Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mash the bananas well.
3) Beat the sugar, egg, softened butter, vanilla essence and smashed bananas together.
4) Fold in the sifted flour mixture and mix into a smooth batter.
5) Fill the muffin tin upto 3/4 a cup with the batter and sprinkle the sugar on top if using.
6) Bake for 20-25 min's or until done. Let it stand for a couple of min's and it is ready to serve.

Batter scooped into the muffin tin	Muffin baked and ready to eat

Note: * You can use a mixture of 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar.

Mutton Stew

Lamb and Vegetable Stew

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South Indian style mutton stew is lamb/goat cooked along with vegetables in coconut milk. Vegetable stew and chicken stew can be prepared using the same method.

Ingredients:	Quantity
Mutton with bone on cut into medium pieces	1.5 lbs
Onions finely chopped	2 nos
Potato cubed	1 nos
Carrot Chopped	1 nos
Celery Stalks chopped(Optional)**	1-2 nos
Tomatoes chopped	2 nos
Green Chilies	4-5 nos
Garlic chopped	4-5 nos
Ginger Garlic Paste	1 tbsp
Thick Coconut milk	1 cup
Thin Coconut milk	2 cups
Cinnamon *	1 inch stick
Cloves *	2-3 nos
Cardamom *	2 nos
Bay leaf *	1 nos
Black Pepper	1 tsp
Fennel seeds	1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves	1 Strand
Turmeric Powder	1/2 tsp
Salt	To taste
Oil	2-3 tbsp
Fennel & Cumin Seeds Powder	1/4 tsp each
Dried crushed Rosemary (Optional) **	1 tsp
Tempering:
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp
Curry Leaves	1-2 Strands
Fennel Seeds	1/2 tsp
Pepper crushed	1/2 tsp
Green Chili	1 nos
Ghee	1 tbsp

Preparation:
1) Clean the medium sized mutton pieces and add little salt and turmeric and set aside.
2) Heat oil in a pressure cooker or a sauce pan and add the whole garam masala*, Black Pepper, curry leaves, fennel seeds, green chilies and sauté it for few seconds.
3) Add the chopped onions and chopped garlic and sprinkle enough salt and fry until the onions caramelize. Then add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1-2 min's.
4) Add the chopped carrot, potatoes and celery. Sprinkle the fennel and cumin powder and add the rosemary if using it.
5) Stir in the mutton and the chopped tomatoes.
6) Add the thin coconut milk and pressure cook until 3-4 whistles or well cooked if cooking with a sauce pan. Let the pressure release completely and remove the cover.
7) Stir in the thick coconut milk to the cooked mutton stew.
8) Heat ghee in a small sauce pan and add all the ingredients for tempering and once the mustard sputter remove from heat and add it to the stew and serve with appam, rice or parotta .

Note: ** You can use celery and rosemary for a slightly different taste.
***You can leave the mutton and add more vegetables like cauliflower, beans and peas to make a vegetable stew or add chicken to make a chicken stew and need not pressure cook.

Zucchini & Cheese Patties

Oven Roasted Zucchini and Cheese Cutlets

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Ingredients:	Quantity
Zucchini grated	2 nos
Carrot grated	1 nos
Potato boiled and smashed	1 nos
Onion finely chopped	1/4 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste	1 tsp
Mozzarella Cheese	1/2 cup
Cheddar Cheese	1/2 cup
Egg beaten (optional)	1 nos
Bread crumbs	1/2 cup
Pepper	To taste
Salt	To taste
Red Chili Powder	1/4 tsp
Garam Masala Powder (Optional)	1/4 tsp
Olive Oil	2 tsp + Extra for brushing

Preparation:
1) Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Apply olive oil on a baking sheet and set aside.
2) Heat oil in a small pan and sauté the chopped onions and ginger garlic paste for a couple of min's until the onions are slightly caramelized.
3) Mix the grated Zucchini, grated Carrot, smashed potato, sautéed onion and ginger garlic, Mozzarella cheese, Cheddar cheese, pepper, salt, red chili powder, and garam masala powder.
4) Make patties and put them in the egg wash and then coat with bread crumbs.*
5) Line the patties on the baking sheet and brush them with a little oil.
6) Bake them for 12 min's and turn sides and bake them for another 10-12 min's.
7) Broil on high for 1-2 min's on each sides and remove from the baking sheet and serve hot with tomato ketchup or mayo.

Note: * You can also add the beaten egg and bread crumbs to the mixture on step - 3 if the patties fall apart and not able to take it out of the egg wash. You can try adding little corn starch for the egg when you mix it. I have not tried adding corn starch.

Schezwan Fried Rice

Indo-Chinese Schezwan Vegetable Fried Rice

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After a short break, back with one of my favorite dish, Indo-Chinese Schezwan Vegetable Fried Rice.

Ingredients:	Quantity
Cooked Rice*	3 cups
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce**	2-3 tbsp
Soy sauce	1 tbsp
Worcestershire sauce (Optional)***	1 tsp
Vinegar	1 tsp
Spring/Green Onions Chopped	4-5 stalks
Garlic Chopped	4-5 nos
Ginger finely Chopped	1/2 tsp
Red Chilies	1-2 nos
Carrots finely chopped	1 nos
Cabbage Shredded	1/2 cup
Capsicum Chopped	1 small
Beans Chopped	4-5 nos
Pepper	To taste
Salt	To taste
Olive oil	3-4 tbsp
Sesame oil	2 tsp

Preparation:
1) Heat half the olive oil in a pan and add the hot chili sauce and let it cook for 2-3 min's or until the raw smell disappears.
2) Add the soy sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce (if using). Schezwan sauce is ready. Remove it and set it aside
3) Heat the remaining oil in a wok and add the red chilies, chopped green onions, ginger & garlic and all the chopped vegetables. Sauté them until the vegetables are just cooked and crisp.
4) Add the Schezwan sauce and sauté it for a min and then add the cooked rice and toss it and let the flavors blend in for a couple of min's. Do not over mix otherwise the rice would get smashed up.
5) Sprinkle pepper and adjust salt as required. As you are using soy sauce and other sauces, they contain salt already, therefore taste the food and then add salt as required.
6) Drizzle sesame oil and toss the rice.
7) Serve hot with just tomato ketchup or with any indo-Chinese curry.

Note: * Rice needs to be cooked 90-95%. You can use any long grain rice or basmati rice or just use raw rice.
** You can make your own hot chili sauce by just soaking 6-8 red chilies in warm water for 10 min's and then grinding it. Cook it in a little oil adding salt, one chopped garlic, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp soy sauce and a little water.
*** If you are a pure vegetarian do not use this sauce. It contains anchovies. Check the label for details.