Vegetable Kurma

Ingredients:
Oil 2 Tbsp
Broken Cashew Pieces 2tbsp
Golden Raisins 1tbsp (optional)
3tsp Salt to taste                                                                                                                                             
Cumin Powder 1/2 Tbsp
Coriander Powder 1Tbsp
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp
Evaporated Milk or regular milk  5ounces
Yogurt  1/2 cup, well beaten                                                                                               
½ cup chopped onions
Tomato 1large cubed
Carrots 1cup cubed
Cauliflower 2 cups cut to bite size florets
Potatoes 2 medium, peeled & cubed
Frozen Green Peas 1 cup
Green Beans 1 cup cut to 1 inch pieces
Cilantro for garnish
Water 1cup

Grind to Paste:
Bay Leaf 1
Cinnamon Stick 1”piece
Green Cardamom 3                                                                                                           
Cloves 5 pieces
Black Peppercorns 1/4tsp                                                                                                   
Broken Cashews 1/4 cup
Onions 2 medium, finely chopped                                                                                
Garlic 2 Tbsp, finely chopped
Ginger 2 Tbsp, finely chopped
Dry Red Chillies 2 broken                                                                                                
1tbsp oil

PASTE: Heat Oil in a non-stick pan & fry ¼ cup Cashews. Add onions, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Stick, Green Cardamom, Whole Cloves and Peppercorns. Roast for few seconds. Add Ginger, Red Chilies and Garlic to this and cook for 2-3 additional minutes or until golden brown. Turn off stove and allow mixture to cool. Grind it in to a fine paste with adding less water.


Preparation:
•    In a microwave safe bowl add ½ cup water, Potatoes, carrots and a little salt & boil for 3 mins. Later add Cauliflower, Green Peas, beans, carrots, water & microwave for another 3 minutes. Check if the veggies have been cooked and are soft. Remove veggies and water into a separate bowl.
•    Heat 2tbsp oil in the same pan & fry broken cashews .Once they are golden brown remove from oil & keep aside for garnishing.
•    In the same above oil fry the chopped onions. Later add the onion paste to this pan & add turmeric Powder & Salt. Mix, cover and cook for 3 minutes, stirring in between till the oils separates.
•     Add in Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder and Red Chili Powder. Add little water if needed.
•     Add Tomatoes, stir and cook for another 1-2 mins.
•     Add Evaporated Milk or regular milk and stir.
•     Reduce heat to low and add beaten yogurt slowly while stirring. Allow mixture to come to a boil.
•    Add the cooked vegetables to this above mixture and stir well.
•    Add additional water to get to your desired consistency. Cook for another 5 mins or till it comes to a boil.
•    Garnish with Cilantro & with roasted cashews.
•    Serve hot with roti, naan, or rice.

TAWA PULAO

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice 2 cups (cooked)

Oil 2 tbsp

½ tsp Cumin seeds

1 medium onion finely chopped

½ tsp Ginger paste or fresh ginger

½ tsp Garlic paste or fresh garlic

2 tomatoes finely chopped

1 cup Green capsicum, finely chopped

½ cup Green peas boiled and mashed

¼ cup grated carrot

2tsp Pav bhaji masala

1tsp Red chilli powder or to taste

2tsp Salt or to taste

Fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnish

2 tbsp Lemon juice

METHOD

• Cook rice with a little salt & cool it.
• Heat oil in a pan & add cumin seeds and sauté till well browned.
• Add the onion, ginger, garlic paste and add the green capsicum & sauté till they become soft.
• Add the tomatoes & cook till they are soft.
• Add mashed green peas, grated carrot, pav bhaji masala, red chilli powder & salt. Mix and cook for two to three minutes. Add the cooked rice and mix.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon juice.
• Cook on high heat for a couple of minutes. Serve hot.

Coconut chutney

Ingredients:
4 tbsp grated coconut frozen or fresh
1" piece ginger peeled and chopped
2 tsp fresh coriander leaves chopped
2 green chillies sliced
4 curry leaves
5tbsp roasted dalia /gram dal
1tsp salt or to taste
Seasoning Ingredients:
Mustard seeds ½ tsp
Urad dal ½ tsp
2 Dry Red chillies (optional)
Curry leaves 3 or 4
Oil 1tsp
Method:
• Grind the coconut, roasted gram, green chillies, coriander leaves and ginger to a fine paste using very little water.
• For seasoning: Heat oil in a pan for about 2mins till it is hot enough. Add the mustard seeds. Let them splutter & add the urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves. Fry briefly till the urad dal turns red and pour it on the chutney.
• Add salt & serve with idly or dosa.

Onion Tomato chutney

Ingredients:
Onion 2 cubed
Tomato 1 chopped
Ginger 1” piece
Garlic 2 or 3 flakes
Red chillies 2
Tamarind paste 1 tbsp
1tbsp chana dal
1tsp Salt or to taste
Oil 3 tsp
 Seasoning Ingredients:
Mustard seeds ½ tsp
Urad dal ½ tsp
Curry leaves 3 or 4
Oil 1tsp
 Method:
• Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot add the chana dal, red chillies, garlic, ginger, onions & fry till the onions becomes slightly brown color.
• Add the tomatoes & sauté till they become soft. Add the tamarind paste in the end.
• Remove from heat and allow it to cool for some time.
• Add the sautéed ingredients in a mixer grinder & grind to a fine paste without adding any water.
• Take another pan add 1tsp of oil and heat & add the mustard seeds and urad dal & when they start to crackle add curry leaves.Let the urad dal turn slight brown .
• Add this to the final chutney and mix well and adjust salt.
• Serve with idly or dosa.

Bhindi Masala

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup Gram flour (besan)
10 to 15 pieces of Ladyfingers (bhindi)
1tsp salt or to taste
½ tsp Turmeric powder
1tsp Garam masala powder
11/2 tsp Roasted cumin powder (jeera)
11/2 tsp Amchur powder(dry mango powder)
1tsp Fennel seeds (saunf), crushed
11/2 tsp Red chilli powder or to taste
1tbsp Coriander powder
5 tbsp Oil
½ tsp Onion seeds (kalonji) optional
1tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
METHOD
• Trim the lady fingers and make a slit on one side without cutting it completely.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, roasted cumin powder, amchur powder, fennel seeds, red chilli powder and coriander powder in a small bowl and mix. Fill this mixture into the slits. Sprinkle the remaining mixture (if any) over the bhindi & add a tbsp of oil. Toss a little & set aside.
• Add the rest of the oil in a pan, add cumin seeds & saute. Add gram flour and sauté for a couple of mins on medium heat.
• Add the stuffed lady fingers/bhindi & toss well to coat the gram flour.
• Lower the heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, till the lady fingers get cooked and turn crispy. (don't add water)
• It will take sometime to cook these ladyfingers on medium heat, but they turn out to be Scrumptious.
• Serve hot with Roti’s or naan

Tips:
Clean the ladyfingers using a tissue or wet cloth don’t wash it in water.
Don’t add water while frying b’coz ladyfingers already has lots of moisture in it.

Spicy Brinjal Fry

Ingredients:
8 to10 small Brinjals
¼ cup sliced onions
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
½ tsp turmeric powder
1tsp curry powder/ Sambhar powder
1tbsp tomato ketchup
Salt-to taste
Cilantro-to garnish
1tbsp Olive oil/any oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp urad dal
½ tsp jeera/cumin seeds
Few curry leaves

Method:
• Cut Brinjals lengthwise into 4 to 6 parts each, depending on the size of each.
• Discard the green calyx. Add brinjals, pinch of turmeric powder, water & microwave for 3 mins. Avoid over cooking. Strain the brinjal pieces & keep the water aside
• Heat oil in a pan or a wide kadai, splutter mustard seeds and the urad dal. Add the chopped garlic and the onions and sauté till they turn golden & add the curry leaves.
• Lower the flame & add the curry powder/ sambhar powder, salt & sauté lightly, immediately add the tomato ketchup & then the brinjal pieces.
• Keeping the flame medium, toss or turn the pieces lightly, allowing the gravy to coat well. If needed add a little water. The brinjals pieces need to be visible clearly. Don’t make it mushy by mixing it many times.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice, chappathi, naan.