More Kulambhu

Ingredients :
Pumpkin : 2 cups
turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
Curd : 1.5 cup
Water : 1.5 cup
Coriander seeds : 1.5 tsp
Channa dal : 1.5 tsp
Toor dal : 2 tbsp
Red chillies : 4
Coconut : 2 tbsp
Methi : 1 tsp
oil
mustard seeds
curry leaves


Method :
1. Soak the toor dal in water for 20 min.
2. Pressure cook the pumpkin with turmeric powder and a bit of hing.
3. Dry roast, coriander seeds, channa dal, coconut, red chillies, methi and toor dal. Add a bit of curd and grind them into a paste.
4. Add the paste to rest of curd and pumpkin. Cook for 10 min.
5. Garnish with mustard, curry leaves and red chillies fried in oil. 

Paneer Bajji

Ingredients  

Rice flour : 1/4 cup
Gram flour : 1 cup
chilli powder : 1 tsp
Salt
Paneer : 100 grams
Oil

Method

1. Cut the paneer into very thin slices.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together with water. Make it a bit watery.
3. Put the paneer slices into the flour mix and deep fry in oil.

Jeera rice

Ingredients 

Rice : 1.5 cup
Butter : 1 tbsp
Jeera : 2 tsp
Coriander : a handful
Green chillies : 2
Salt
Water : 3 cups
Onion :1

Method

1.  Heat butter. Add jeera, chillies and corriander. Add water.
2. When the water starts boiling, add salt and rice.
3. Slice the onions and fry them in oil separately.
4. When the rice cooks to about 75%, add the onions.
5. Wait till the rice is cooked and becomes fluffy.

5 minute cake

One of the most simplest recipe that I have come across. Takes around 5 min to prepare the mix and 3 1/2 min in the oven. The cake comes out very spongy and delicious to eat.

Ingredients 

Flour : 4 tbsp
Sugar : 4 tbsp
Cocoa : 2 tbsp
Egg : 1
Milk : 3 tbsp
Oil : 3 tbsp
vanilla extract : 1 tsp
baking powder : 1/2 tsp

Method :
Mix the flour, cocoa and sugar. Add egg, milk, oil, baking powder and vanilla extract. Mix well. Put in the microwave for 3 min. That's it!

Rava Dosa

Ingredients :

Rice Flour : 1 cup
Rava : 1/2 cup
Maida : 1/4 cup
Onion : 1
curry leaves
salt
pepper balls : 1 tsp
coriander leaves
chillies : 2
Cummin seeds : 1 tsp

Method:

1. Cut the chillies, onion, curry leaves into small pieces
2. Add all the ingredients together.
3. Add water and mix. The mixture should be thinner than the idli batter mixture.
4. When pouring the batter on the pan, make sure that the pan is very hot. And pour the batter from outside in.
5. Add ghee and serve with coconut chutney.

Coriander chutney

A good recipe that can be prepared over the weekend. It will last the whole week if refrigerated.

Ingredients

Corriander leaves : 1 bunch
Curry leaves : 1 bunch
Mint leaves : 1 bunch
Fenugreek seeds : 1 tsp
Red chillies : 5
Tamarind : size of half gooseberry
garlic : 6 pods
Urad dal : 1/2 cup

Method :

1. Dry roast urad dal, fenugreek seeds and red chillies. Grind them without any water.
2. Roast all the leaves, garlic and tamarind. Add very little water if necessary.
3. Grind them all together. Add salt as necessary.

This chutney has a long shelf life as it is prepared without any coconut.

A cup of calcium : Custard apple milkshake

Custard apple milkshake contains a good deal of calcium. It is also high in calories. So calorie conscious people could stay away. 

Ingredients :

1 custard apple

1 cup milk

1 tbsp sugar

1 scoop of vanilla icecream(optional)

Method:

1. Deseed the custard apple. Add it to milk and blend.

2. Add sugar and icecream.

Granola bar

A healthy and easy to carry snack.

Ingredients

Oats : 2 cups
Dry grapes : 1/2 cup
Walnut : 1/2 cup
Almonds : 1/2 cup
Cardamon :  8-9  (powdered)
Sugar : 1 tbsp
butter : 2 tbsp
Honey : 1/2 cup

Method :
1. Break the walnut and almonds into small pieces
2. Mix oats, dry grapes, walnut, almonds and cardamon powder together.
3. In a pan, heat the butter. Add sugar and honey and make a good mix. Add to the other ingredients.
4. In a silver foil, put the entire mix and make a cuboid. Or any shape that you want.
5. Pop it into the refrigerator.
6. Wait for 2-3 hours and your granola bar is ready to be served.

Garlic chutney

An easy and healthy recipe. Another recipe which can be prepared over the weekend and used for the whole week.

Nutritional value :
It contains red chillies and garlic. Both the ingredients are very helpful for people suffering from hay fever or wheezing.

Ingredients :

Red chillies : 15 nos
Garlic pods : 15 nos
Salt

Method :

1. Dry roast the red chillies.
2. Grind the red chillies with garlic. Add a bit of water if necessary.
3. Mix salt.

Pav Bhaji

This works either as a snack or dinner. It has a good mix of vegetables and is perfect for kids. One thing to keep in mind about this dish is that it tastes better the longer it cooks.

Ingredients 

2 big onions(finely chopped)
2 potatoes
3 tomatoes (finely chopped)
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 cup chopped cabbage
1/2 cup peas
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 tbsp pav bhaji powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3 tbsp butter
1 1/4 tsp salt
coriander

Method :
1. Boil and smash the potatoes
2. In a microwave bowl, add carrots, peas, cauliflower and cabbage. Add 1/2 cup water and microwave for 8 min. Blend the mix a bit. Take care not to make it into a paste.
3. In another bowl, add oil, onions, ginger garlic paste, 2 tbsp pa bhaji masala and turmeric powder. Microwave for 6 min.
4. Add tomatoes, mashed vegetables, mashed potatoes, butter and salt to the above mixture. Add one cup of water. Microwave for 5 min.
5. Add 1 tsp pav  bhaji masala and 1 tbsp butter and mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander and chopped onions.

Nellikai uruga (Gooseberry pickle)

I love this recipe! Not only does it taste very good but this is the only way I can ever eat gooseberry. My husband never had a problem eating it raw.  He has been doing it from his childhood and I guess that's the reason. I read about the high vitamin content in gooseberry everywhere and end up feeling guilty because I can never get past the first bite of raw gooseberry. My teeth tingles with every bite.

Anyway, here is the wonderful recipe -

Ingredients :

Gooseberry : 5
chilli powder : 1tbsp
salt : 1tbsp
lemon : 1
fenugreek seeds : 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
Oil : 1 tsp
mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

Method :

1. Remove the seeds of the gooseberry. Cut the flesh into small pieces.
2. Add chilli powder, turmeric, salt and lemon juice.
3. Pop the mustard seeds in oil. Cool it completely.
4. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. Powder them finely.
5. Add the oil and the powder. Stir well.

That's it. As simple as that and it taste amazing.