Spinach Upma (Palak Upma)

Ingredients:

Rawa (Sooji or Semolina grits) 1.5 cup
Spinach leaves 2 cups packed
Papdi Lilva beans (I used frozen) (optional) 1/2 cup
Onion 1 medium chopped
Ginger 1 inch piece 
Curry leaves few
Cashew nuts 10
Chana dal 2 sp
Urad dal 2 sp
Mustard seeds 1/2 sp
Cumin seeds 1/2 sp
Dry Red chilli 1
Hing little pinch
Green chillies 2 slit
Oil 1.5 sp
Ghee 1.5 sp (add more if you want to)
Lime juice 3 sp
Freshly grated coconut 3 sp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 1/2 sp oil in a pan, add Sooji and roast it till nice aroma comes and make sure there are no lumps and keep it aside.
2. In the same pan, heat remaining oil, ghee and then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them crackle.
3. Now add chana dal, urad dal, cashew nuts in the order and fry till they get golden colour.
4. Then add dry red chilli, hing, ginger finely chopped, curry leaves, onions and cook till onions get translucent. Then add green chillies and fry for a minute.
5. Now add the spinach leaves chopped and cook for 2-3 mins.
6. Now add  Papdi lilva beans (you can pre boil them with little salt if needed) to any other vegetables like green peas, potato, carrot, French beans etc can be added.
7. Then add 3.5 cups of water and bring it to boil and then add salt, lime juice, coconut geared and mix well.
8. Now slowly add the Sooji while mucking continuously to avoid any lumps.
9. Then cook covered for another 10 mins or till it is done.
10. Serve hot with any pickle.

Tomato Soup

Serves 2 persons

Ingredients:

Tomatoes 2 small chopped

Carrot small finger length 

Onions 1/2 small size one chopped or 1 shallot

Butter 1 sp

Bay leaf 1

Biryani powder very small pinch

Garlic cloves 3 chopped 

Pepper corns 1/4th sp

Pepper powder 1/4 th sp

Sugar 1/4th sp

Corn flour 1 sp

Bread slice 1

Fresh cream 1 sp optional

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat butter in a pan, add bay leaf, onions, garlic, biryani powder, pepper corns and sauté till onions become translucent.

2. Now add carrots and then add tomatoes, salt, sugar and cook for 5-10 by adding 1 cup water.

3. Now cool it and remove the bay leaf and then grind it to a fine paste.

4. To make bread croutons, cut bread slice into small cubes of 1/2 inch size and put them in microwave oven and heat for around 2 mins till they become nice crispy.

5. Take a colander and pour the ground mixture and strain out the pulpy bits and take the smooth paste to make the soup.

6. Now add 2 cups of water into it and boil in a pan for few mins.

7. Add 1/4th cup of water to corn flour and mix without any lumps and add it to the boiling soup and mix well so that there are no lumps.

8. Adjust salt, add pepper powder and take it to a serving bowl, add bread croutons on top and serve hot.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

Mushrooms thinly sliced 1 cup
Garlic crushed 1 sp
Butter 1 sp
Onion finely chopped 2 sp
Lemon juice 2 sp
Dry oregano 1 sp
Biryani powder very small pinch
Black pepper powder 1/4th sp
Red chilli flakes 1/4th sp
Maida (All purpose flour) 3 sp
Vegetable stock 2 cups
Olive oil 1 sp
Milk 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Heat butter in a nonstick pan, add the onions and sauté till translucent.
2. Now add the mushrooms and cook till all the water in mushrooms evaporate and they get dry.
3. Then add the garlic, salt, oregano, biryani powder and mix well and cook for a min.
4. Now switch off the flame, add 1 sp lemon juice and mix well and take them into another bowl.
5. Then in the same pan,  heat olive oil, then add 1 sp maida and keep stirring and make sure there are no lumps. When the flour gets light brown colour, add the vegetable stock and let it boil.
6. Take the remaining 2 sp maida in a small bowl, add cool water and mix well without any lumps add this mixture to the boiling vegetable sock and stir well and let it boil.
7. Now add the mushrooms to this boiling soup, add milk, red chilli flakes and add let it boil again for 2 mins.
8. Finally add black pepper powder, 1 sp lemon juice, and adjust salt and spice as required.
9. Serve hot with any bread, pizza or noodles.

10. You can also add chopped baby spinach along with mushroom while sauteeing.

Onion Tomato Uthappam

Ingredients:

Dosa batter 2 cups
Onion 1 small finely chopped
Tomato 1 small finely chopped
Green chilli 1 small finely chopped
Cumin seeds 1/2 sp
Curry leaves finely chopped 1-2 sp
Coriander leaves finely chopped 2 sp
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients except onions and tomatoes.
2. Heat a non- stick pan, spread some oil and then take ladleful of batter and spread.
3. Sprinkle some onions and tomatoes on top and drizzle some oil too.
4. Flip to the other side and cook for a min.
5. Serve hot with any chutney.

Coconut Chutney (Hotel Style)

Ingredients:

Freshly grated Coconut 1 cup
Dalia 1/4th cup
Green chillies 2-3
Ginger 1/2 inch piece
Garlic cloves 3
Salt to taste

For tempering:

Oil 1 sp
Mustard seeds 1/2 sp
Red chillies 2
Curry leaves few

Method:

1. Grind all the ingredients except those mentioned for tempering by adding some water as required.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when they crackle, add red chillies and curry leaves and then pour this immediately onto the ground chutney.
3. Serve with idli or dosas.

Tomato Dal

Ingredients:

Toor dal 1 small cup
Tomatoes 4 small chopped
Green Chillies 4 slit
Oil 1.5 sp
Turmeric powder 1/2 sp
Cumin seeds 1 sp
Ghee 1/2 sp (optional)
Mustard seeds 1 sp
Garlic cloves 2+4
Curry leaves few
Onion 1 small chopped
Hing small pinch

Dry Red chillies 3 Lemon juice 2 sp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves 1/2 cup chopped

Method:

1. Take toor dal in a pressure cooker, wash and add around 4 cups of water, 1/2 sp oil, 4-5 curry leaves, 1/2 sp cumin seeds,  turmeric powder, garlic cloves 2 and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles depending on your cooker and let it rest till all the pressure releases.
2. Heat 1 oil and ghee in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them crackle, and then add dry red chillies, crushed garlic, curry leaves, hing and onions and fry till the onions turn little brown.
3. Now add the green chillies, fry for a minute and then add the chopped tomatoes, salt and cook till the tomatoes start getting mushy.
4. Now add the cooked dal, mix well and cook for another 5-10 mins. Add some water as required to adjust the consistency.
5. Finally add lemon juice, adjust salt and add lots of chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice or with phulkas.

Methi Raw Banana Fry

Ingredients:

Raw banana 3
Methi leaves 1 cup tightly packed
Onion 1 small finely chopped
Green chilli 1-2
Ginger 1/2 inch piece
Garlic cloves 4
Carom seeds (Ajwain) 1/2 sp
Oil 1 sp
Turmeric powder 1/2 sp
Red chilli powder 1 sp
Coriander powder 1/2 sp
Amchoor powder (Dry Mango Powder) 1/2 sp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Boil raw banana by adding some salt and then peel the skin and chop them into small cubes.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add ajwain and let them crackle and then add the paste made of ginger garlic and green chilli and cook for a minute.
3. Add onions, and cook till they get light brown and then add turmeric powder and mix well.
4. Now add the chopped methi leaves, salt and cook till all the water in methi evaporates and become dry.
5.Then add the raw banana pieces, give it a stir and cook for 2 mins.
6. Now add the red chilli powder, coriander powder and amchoor powder and add little salt if required and mix well.
7. Now add 1/4 cup of water and cook for another 5 mins till all the spices coat the raw banana pieces and the curry looks dry.
8. Serve as a side dish with rice or with rotis.

Pan Cakes

These pan cakes are a great choice for breakfast and they are very easy and quick to make. This recipe makes around 6 pan cakes.

Ingredients:

Plain flour (Maida) 1 small cup
Egg 1
Sugar 2-3 sp as per taste
Milk 1 small cup same as cup taken for flour
Baking powder 1/2 sp
Melted butter 2 sp
Salt a pinch

Method:

1. Beat egg in a bowl and beat it nicely.
2. Then add all the remaining ingredients and mix well and make sure there are no lumps in it. The batter should not be too thick or too thin. It should just coat the back of the ladle when dipped.
3. Heat a non stick pan, add a ladle full of batter and pour in the middle.
4. Do not spread with ladle, but just twist the pan little bit so that the batter spreads evenly. But don't spread too much as they taste better if they are little thick and fluffy.
5. Cook in a slow flame for few seconds as they get too dark colour otherwise.
6. Flip it around and cook for few more seconds.
7. Serve hot with a piece of butter on top and drizzle dome honey around.
8. These pan cakes are so fluffy and absorb the honey and taste delicious.
9. I served it with some almond flakes also on the top which give a nice crunch.
10. You can also use any other dry fruits or even chocolate spread goes well with it.

Dahi Arbi (Taro Root Gravy)

Ingredients:

Arbi (Taro root) 15
Onion 2 small finely chopped
Tomatoes 4 small chopped
Garlic cloves 2 finely chopped
Carom seeds (Ajwain) 1 sp
Ginger garlic paste 1 sp
Turmeric powder 1 sp
Red chilli powder 2-3 sp as per taste
Garm masala powder 1/2 sp
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Green chilli 1
Thick Yogurt (Dahi) 1/2 cup
Fresh Coriander leaves chopped 1/4th cup
Oil 1 sp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and clean arbi and pressure cook them for 2-2 whistles by adding some salt. Then peel the skin and cut them into roundles.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add ajwain seeds and let them crackle.
3. Now add the garlic, onions, curry leaves, cut green chilli and fry till the onions turn translucent.
4. Then add ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell goes and then add turmeric powder.
5. Now add the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes become mushy.
6. Then add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and mix well.
7. Now add the chopped arbi roundles, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Then add the yogurt, mix well and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.
9. Finally add garam masala powder, chopped coriander leaves, mix well.
10. Serve hot with roti, phulkas or even with hot steamed rice.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

Bread slices 3

Garlic cloves 3 large

Grated Mozarella Cheese 1.5 sp

Butter 1.5 sp

Green chilli 1

Dried Oregano 3/4th sp

Red chilli flakes 3/4th sp 

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind garlic cloves and green chilli into smooth paste.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients except bread to this and mix well and make it into a smooth paste.

3. Pre heat the oven to 200C.

4. Take a bread slice, spread generous amount of this garlic cheese mixture on one side for all the bread slices.

5. Keep the bread slices on a baking tray lined with foil paper by facing the cheese spread side upwards as shown in the pic here.

6. Bake them for around 10 mins.

7. Serve hot for breakfast with some juice or for a meal with any soup.

Jhatpat Paneer Capsicum Sabji

Ingredients:

Paneer 250 gms cubed
Red bell pepper 1 small
Green bell pepper 1 small
Yellow bell pepper 1 small
Onion 1 small diced
Tomatoes deseeded and diced
Ginger 1 inch piece
Garlic cloves 6
Green chillies 2
Red chilli powder 1 sp
Coriander powder 3 sp
Cumin powder 2 sp
Turmeric powder 1/2 sp
Garam masala powder 1/2 sp
Katsuri methi powder crushed 1 sp
Coconut milk 3 sp
Salt to taste
Ghee 1/2 sp
Oil 1 sp

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan and fry paneer cubes by adding little salt. Keep the paneer cubes in a bowl of warm water.

2. In the same pan, add oil and heat.

3. Make a paste of ginger, garlic cloves and green chillies and add it to the pan and cook for a min.

4. Now add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt and cook for a min.

5. Now add the red, green and yellow peppers and diced onions and cook for 5 mins till the peppers turn little soft.

6. Now add the diced tomatoes and cook for 5 mins.

7. Then add the paneer by draining water, add garam masala powder, crushed Katsuri methi powder, mix well and cook for 2 mins.

8. Now add coconut milk and cook for 2-3 mins and switch off.

9. Serve hot with roti or pulkas.

Lemon Honey Chicken

Hello friends, I was a bit sceptical about this dish before trying as it uses honey and whether it is going to taste sweet. But trust me, the honey and lemon combination in this recipe is so good that honey somehow cuts the tangyness of lemon and blends so well and this recipe turned out so yummy and finger licking good. Try this out and let me know how it turned out for you :)

Ingredients:

Chicken drumsticks skinless 5

Lemon juice 4 sp

Honey 4 sp

Olive oil 4 sp

Dried Oregano 2.5 sp

Red chilli flakes 2 sp or as per taste

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and clean the drumsticks and make few gashes.

2. Mix all the ingredients mentioned and marinate the drumsticks in it and leave it overnight or at least 2 hours.

3. Pre heat oven to 200C. Line a baking tray with foil, grease some oil and keep the marinated drumsticks in a single layer and bake for 20 mins.

4. Now flip them over to the other side and bake or another 20 mins.

5. Serve hot with some onions.

Vellarai Leaves Pachhadi (Brahmi Leaves Chutney)

Vellarai leaves (Brahmi leaves) have many health benefits like improving memory power, brain health, reducing depression etc. So, try to include these vellarai leaves to your diet at least once in a month. Try out this chutney recipe with vellarai leaves and let me know how it turned out for you.

Ingredients:

Vellarai leaves 2 cups packed
Onion 1 medium chopped

Cumin seeds 1 sp

Channa dal 2 sp

Urad dal 2 sp

Pepper corns whole 1/2 sp

Garlic cloves 6

Dry red chilli 1

Grated fresh coconut 2 sp

Jaggery 1/4th sp

Tamarind paste 1 sp

Salt to taste

Oil 1.5 sp

Method:

1. Heat 1 sp oil in a pan, then add cumin seeds, channa dal, urad dal, pepper corns, dry red chilli and fry in medium flame till they get golden colour.

2. Now take out all of them on to a plate, then add the onions, garlic to the same pan and fry till onions turn slightly browns nod take them onto the plate.

3. Then add 1/2 so oil to the same pan, add the vellarai leaves and cook till the leaves get cooked and all the water in them evaporates.

4. Now add the grated coconut, toss well and keep it aside and cool all of them.

5. Now grind the dals first in the blender then to the same blender, add the onions, garlic and the vellarai leaves, jaggery, salt, tamarind paste and grind again to a coarse texture.

6. This chutney doesn't need any tempering. It goes well with hot rice with ghee or dosa and idlis.

Rava Kesari

This rava kesari is generally made for Naivedyam during festivals. I made this today for Dasara. Try this out and let me know how it turned out for you.

Ingredients:

Coarse Rawa (Semolina Grits) 1 cup (Makes around 4 cups rava kesari when cooked)

Ghee 1 cup

Dry fruits (cashew nuts, badam, pista, sultana) 3/4th cup

Milk 3.5 cup

Sugar 80% in the cup

Cardamom powder 1/2 sp

Ripe Banana 1 chopped

Method:

1. Heat 1/2 cup ghee in a nonstick pan and add the dry fruits and fry them till they turn golden colour and then take them out.

2. To the remaining ghee in the pan, add the semolina grits and fry till it turns light golden colour and take out the rava.

3. Now to the same pan, add the remaining half cup ghee and when it melts, add the milk and let it boil. Do not over heat the ghee before adding milk as the milk will splutter if ghee is too hot.

4. When the milk is boiling, add the cardamom powder.

5. Now add the rava slowly little by little and keep mixing to avoid formation of lumps.

6. Keep stirring continuously.

7. When the rava absorbs all the milk and looks dry, add the sugar and cook till the ghee starts oozing out from the rava.

8. Then add the dry fruits, banana pieces, mix well and switch off.

9. This can be used as Naivedyam or can be eaten as a desert as well.

Chilli Chicken

This chilli chicken recipe doesn't need to deep fry the chicken and uses very less oil. So it is healthy and yummy too. Try it out and let me know how it turned out for you :)

Ingredients:

Chicken boneless 1/2 kg

Pepper corns 1 sp

Corn flour 2 sp

Ginger finely chopped 1 sp

Garlic finely chopped 1 sp

Green chilli 1 slit

Red chilli 1 cut

Onion diced 1 small

Green capsicum 1 small diced

Red capsicum 1 small diced

Yellow capsicum 1 small diced

Soya sauce 3 sp

Chilli sauce 1 sp

Venegar 1 sp

Spring onions finely chopped 1 sp

Oil 3 sp

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut boneless chicken into bite size pieces, add coarsest crushed black pepper corns, salt, corn flour, mix well and let it marinate for 20 mins.

2. Heat 1.5 sp oil in a nonstick pan, add the marinated chicken and cook on uncovered on medium heat till the chicken is fully cooked. Keep stirring once in a while. Don't let the chicken to get burnt as it becomes sticky due to corn flour.

3. Take out the chicken pieces, and add the remaining oil in the same pan and heat.

4. Add the cut red chillies and cook for few seconds.

5. Now add the ginger, garlic, green chillies and cook for a minute.

6. Then add the onions, all the capsicum and cook for 2 mins.

7. Now add soya sauce, chilli sauce,vinegar and little salt if required and cook for a minute.

8. Then add the chicken, toss well so that the sauces nicely coat the chicken and let it cook for 2 mins.

9. Lastly add the spring onions, toss well and serve as a starter with noodles or fried rice or any pulao. We had it with Peas Pulao .

Peas Pulao

Ingredients:

Rice 1 cup soaked in water for 20mins
Peas 1 cup
Onions 1 large thinly sliced

Ginger garlic paste 1 sp

Green chillies 2

Whole garam masala (Cinnamon stick 1/4 inch, cloves 1, bay leaf 1, star anise 1, green cardamom 3, black cardamom 1)

Oil 1 sp

Ghee 1 sp

Cumin seeds 1 sp

Mint leaves fistful chopped

Fresh Coriander leaves fistful chopped

Coconut milk 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker, add cumin seeds and all the sole spices and let them cook for 1 min.

2. Now add the onions and cook till they turn light brown and then add ginger garlic paste and cook afpoe a min.

3. Then add the green chillies slit, mint leaves and coriander leaves and cook for 2 mins.

4. Now add the peas, add salt and cook for 5 mins.

5. Add the rice by draining the water, mix well and cook for 3 mins.

6. Now add coconut milk, 1.5 cup water, mix well, adjust salt if required.

7. Cook for 3 whistles and wil till all the vapor goes away.

8. Now open the pressure cooker and fluff up the rice with a fork.

9. Serve hot with any gravy curry of your choice or with raitha. We had it with Chilli Chicken.