Mirchi Ka Salan

Ingredients:
5 - Long Chillies
1/2 TeaSpoon - ShahJeera
1 - BayLeaf
3- Cardamon
3- Lavang
1 inch - Cinnamon Stick
1/2 TeaSpoon - Ginger
1/2 TeaSpoon - Garlic
1 - Onions, Finely Chopped
1/8th Tea Spoon - Turmeric
1/2 TeaSpoon - Garam Masala
1/2 Cup - Curd
1 TeaSpoon - Kasouri Methi
2 Pinches - Jaggery
1 TeaSpoon - Amchur
2 TableSpoon - Oil
1 TableSpoon - Butter
Cilantro for Garnishing

Masala:
1 TeaSpoon - Oil
4 TeaSpoon - Dhaniya
1 TeaSpoon - Jeera
1/2 TeaSpoon - Methi
2 TeaSpoon - Peanuts
2 TeaSpoon - Sesame Seeds
1 1/2 TeaSpoon - Dry Coconut Shredded
1 TeaSpoon - 6 - RedChillies

Procedure:

Masala Procedure:
1. Add oil to a pan and fry red chillies. Take out the red chillies and fry rest of the masala ingredients.
2. Grind them.

Salan Preparation:
1. Heat Oil and butter in a pan and fry the chillies.
2. Take out the chillies and add shahjeera.
3. After the shahjeera starts to sputter, add bayleaf, Cardomon, cinnamon stick, lavang and saute for couple of minutes.
4. Add ginger garlic paste, after couple of minutes add onions.
5. Let the onions sweat and add turmeric, above prepared masala powder, garam masala powder, Kasouri Methi, curd, above fired chillis, salt, amchur, jaggery and let it boil. Add little water to get the desired consistency.
6. When the oil starts to separate, switch off the stove.

7. Garnish with Cilantro and serve hot.
8. Mirchi Ka Salan goes well with Biriyani or Roti's.

Goddu Sambar - For Idli

Ingredients:
2 - Medium Size Onions
3 - Tomatoes
1 TableSpoon - Dry Shredded Coconut
6 - Cloves of Garlic
1/8th TeaSpoon - Turmeric
3 Table Spoons - Sambar Powder
1/2 TeaSpoon -Red Chilli Powder
Salt
1/2 TeaSpoon - Thick Tamarind Paste [or adjust based on Tomato sourness]
1/4th TeaSpoon - Sugar / Jaggery
Cilantro for Garnishing

Tadka:
2 TableSpoons - Oil
Mustard Seeds
1 - Red Chilli
Curry Leaves

Procedure:
1. Grind onions, tomatoes, shredded coconut, garlic, turmeric, salt, sambar powder, Chilli powder and tamarind.
2. Heat oil in a pan and prepare tadka.
3. Add sugar and the above ground mixture to the pan. Add water to get thin Sambar consistency. Bring it to a boil.
4. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
5. Serve hot with Idli's.

Vegetable Biriyani

Ingredients:
2 Cups - Basmathi Rice
1- Carrot, Cut into Cubes
1 - Capsicum, Cut Length wise
1/2 Cup - Beans, Cut into 1 Inch Pieces
1- Onion, Cut Length wise
1 - Potato, Cut Length wise
1 Cup - CauliFlower Florets
1/4th Cup - Peas, Optional
1/4th Cup - Corn, Optional
1 TableSpoon - Ginger Garlic Paste

6 - GreenChillies

1 Cup - Mint Leaves
1 Cup - Corriander Leaves

1/2 Cup - Curd

2 TeaSpoons - Lemon Juice, Or adjust to your taste

2 - BayLeaves

1 Inch - Cinnamon Stick

4 - Cardomon, Whole

4 - Cloves

1 - Biriyani Flower, Optional

1 TeaSpoon - ShahJeera

Salt to taste

3 TableSpoons - Ghee / Oil

Procedure:
1. Grind GreenChillies, Mint and Corriander leaves and keep it aside.
2. Heat ghee/oil in a wide pan and add ShahJeera, bay Leaves, Cinnamon Stick, Cardomon, Cloves and Biriyani flower.

3. Once shahjeera seeds start to sputter, add ginger-garlic paste and fry it until you can smell the flavor. Then add onions and saute them for a minute.
4. Add potatoes first and cook them for 3-4 minutes. Later add rest of the vegetables and saute them for couple of minutes.
Note: The vegetables need not be cooked completely in this step as they will be cooked later.

5. Add curd and mint paste prepared above to the pan and mix well.
6. After 5 minutes add washed rice and water just enough to cover the rice in the vessel. This way each grain of the cooked rice will be separate.

7. Add Lemon Juice, salt and mix well. Cover the pan with a lid.
8. Simmer the stove and check on it after 15 minutes. The rice should be ready by then.
Note: If you feel, the rice is not cooked enough and the water is less, sprinkle some water, mix the rice and cover it with a lid and cook for some more time.
9. Vegetable Biriyani is ready to be served with Raita or Masala curry.

Dosakaaya Pappu / Yellow Cucumber Dal

Ingredients:
1 - Medium Size Yellow Cucumber, Peel and Cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 Cup - Toor Dal
1 Table Spoons - Lemon Juice
Salt as per your taste
1/8th Tea Spoon - Turmeric

Masala:
4- Green Chillies
1 Table Spoon - Fresh Grated Coconut
1/2 Tea Spoon - Jeera
1/8th Tea Spoon - Methi Seeds
1/8th Spoon - Hing
1 Tea Spoon - Coriander Seeds

Tadka:
1 Table Spoon - Oil
Mustard Seeds
Urad Dal
1 Pinch - Hing
1 - Red Chilli
10 - Curry Leaves

Procedure:
1. Cook toor dal, mash it and keep it aside.

2. Grind all the ingredients mentioned in masala section along with some water.
3. Prepare tadka and add dosakaya pieces and cover the pan with a lid.
4. After dosakaya pieces become soft, add the above prepared paste and some water. Mix well.
5. When it starts to boil add salt, turmeric and cooked toor dal. Mix well
6. Cook it for 2-4 minutes. Switch off the stove and add lemon juice.
7. Garnish with cilantro.
8. You can serve this with plain rice or Chapaties.

Note: You can also use 1 TeaSpoon of tamarind instead of Lemon juice. If using tamarind, add it after step 3.

Dondakaaya Gutti Koora / Tindora Bhaji

Ingredients:
20 - Tindora
1 Table Spoon - Red Chilli Powder
1 Tea Spoon - Jeera OR 1/2 Tea Spoon - Vaamu/Oma
Salt as per your taste
2 Pinches - Turmeric
2 Table Spoons - Oil
1/4th Tea Spoon - Hing

Procedure:
1. Slit tindora vertically and pressure cook them for 2 whistles.
2. Heat oil in pan and add the above tindora pieces and fry them.
3. After tindora pieces are fried, add chilli powder, jeera/vaamu, salt, turmeric, hing and mix well.
4. You can serve this bhaji with plain rice and ghee.

BeeraChekku PesaraPappu Koora / Ridge Gourd Peel and Moong Dal Bhaji

Ingredients:
1 Cup - Ridge Gourd Peel, Finely Chopped
1/3 Cup - Moong Dal, Soak it for 30 minutes
1 Table Spoon - Shredded Fresh Coconut
Salt as per your taste
1/8th Tea Spoon - Turmeric
1 Cup - Water

Tadka:
1 Table Spoon - Oil
Mustard Seeds
Urad Dal
1/2 Table Spoon - Hing
1 - Red Chilli
10 - Curry Leaves, Chopped
4 - Green Chillies, Slit

Procedure:
1. Heat oil in a pan and prepare tadka.
2. Add moong dal and ridge gourd peel to the above pan and mix well.
3. Add salt, turmeric, water and mix well. Cover the pan with a lid and keep the stove in medium flame.
4. Keep stirring in between.
5. When all the water evaporates, add coconut and mix well.
6. You can serve this with rice or chapaties.

Capsicum Rice

Ingredients:
4 - Capsicum, Cut into 1-inch pieces
4 Table Spoons - Oil / Butter
1 Cup - Rice
2 Cups - Water
Turmeric
Salt as per your taste
2 Table Spoons - Lemon
Cilantro for garnishing

Masala:
1 Tea Spoon - Mustard Seeds
1 Tea Spoon - Jeera
2 Tea Spoons - Dhaniya
1/2 Cup - Peanuts
3 Table Spoons - Sesame Seeds
6 to 8 - Red Chillies
20 - Curry Leaves

Procedure:
1. Soak rice for 30 minutes.
2. Dry fry all the ingredients mentioned in masala section and grind them.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add capsicum pieces.
4. When capsicum pieces become soft, add the above ground mixture, salt, turmeric and mix well.
5. Remove water from the rice and add the rice to the above pan.
6. Fry the rice for few minutes.
7. Boil the water and add the water to the above pan and mix well.
8. When the water starts to bubble, cover the pan with a lid and put the stove in low flame.
9. After 5-10 minutes the rice will be cooked. Switch of the stove and add lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.
10. Serve Capsicum rice along with raita.

Kakarakaaya senaga pindi gutti koora / Bitter Gourd and Besan Stuffed Bhaji

Ingredients:
4 - Medium Size Bitter Gourd
8 Table Spoons - Oil

Stuffing:
4 Table Spoons - Besan
1 Table Spoon - Red Chilli Powder
Salt as per your taste
1/8th Tea Spoon - Turmeric
1 Tea Spoon - Jeera
1/2 Tea Spoon - Hing


Procedure:
1. Cut Bitter Gourd into 2 inch pieces and slit them vertically as shown in the picture below.

2. Mix all the ingredients mentioned in stuffing section and stuff the mixture in bitter gourd.

3. Heat oil in a pan and place bitter gourd pieces in the pan. Sprinkle some water and cover the pan with a lid. Put the stove in medium to low flame.
4. Mix in between and when the bitter gourd pieces become soft, remove the lid and fry them.
5. Add extra oil if required.
6. You can serve the bhaji with plain rice and ghee.

Kale Pappu / Kale Dal

Ingredients:
3 Leaves- Kale
1/2 Cup - Toor Dal
4 - green Chillies, Cut into Small Pieces
1 - Onion, Chopped
Cilantro for Garnishing
2 Table Spoons - Thick Tamarind Pulp
Salt as per your taste
1/8th Tea Spoon - Turmeric

Tadka:
1 Table Spoon - Oil
Mustard Seeds
Urad Dal
Hing
1 - Red Chilli

Procedure:
1. Remove center hard portion of the kale and cut into small pieces.
2. Cook Toor dal and mash it and keep it aside.
3.Heat oil in a pan and prepare tadka.
4. Add onions and once they turn light brown color add chillies, kale and mix well. Cover the pan with a lid.
5. Once Kale becomes soft add tamarind juice, salt, turmeric and mix well. Add water if required.
6. Once the tamarind water boils add cooked toor dal and mix well. Let it boil for another 5 minutes and switch off the stove.
7. Garnish with Cilantro.
8. Kale pappu is ready to serve with Plain rice, ghee or chapaties.

Fried Bhaaji's with Menthi Kharam

Brinjal Fry with Menthi Kharam

Ingredients:
1 Table Spoons - Menthi Kharam (Or adjust per your taste)
3-4 Table Spoons - Oil
1/8th Tea Spoon - Hing
1/8th Tea Spoon - Turmeric
Salt as per your taste

Vegetables:
1/2 Kg - Brinjal, Cut into 1-inch Pieces OR
2 - Potatoes, Cut into small Cubes OR
2 - Raw Banana

Note: You can also use the below vegetables:

- Bhendi
- Dondakaya / Dhondli

Procedure:
1. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the vegetable of your choice.
2. After the bhaji is thoroughly fried, add salt, hing, turmeric, menthi kharam and mix well.

Potato Fry with Menthi Kharam

3. Fry for couple more minutes and switch off the stove.
4. You can serve this bhaji with plain rice and ghee or as side dish for Sambar or Curd Rice. 

Kaakarakaaya Podi Koora / Bitter Gourd Fry Bhaji

Ingredients:
6 - Bitter Gourd, Cut into 1/2-inch Pieces
1 - Big Onion

Salt to taste
Turmeric

10 - Curry Leaves

4-6 TableSpoons - Oil

Masala Powder:
4 Table Spoons - Chana Dal
3 Table Spoons - Dry Shredded Coconut
2 Table Spoons - Dhaniya
6 - Red Chillies
Small Lemon Size - Dry Tamarind

Procedure:
1. Heat oil in a pan and fry bitter gourd pieces thoroughly.
2. In another pan, dry fry chana dal, red chillies, dhaniya and coconut. Switch off the stove and add dry tamarind and saute it. Grind these ingredientes after they cool down.
3. Add this powder along with salt, turmeric and curry leaves to the fried bitter gourd bhaji and saute it for few minutes.
4. Serve this bhaji with plain rice and ghee.

Kakarakaaya UlliKharam Pettina Gutti Koora / Bitter Gourd and Stuffed Onion Bhaji

Ingredients:
6 - Bitter Gourd
6 TableSpoons - Oil

Onion-Chilli Paste:
1 - Big Onion
5 - Red Chillies
1 TableSpoon - Thick Tamarind Pulp
Salt as per your taste
Turmeric

Procedure:
1. Slit Bitter Gourd vertically.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry bitter gourd thoroughly and keep them aside.
3. Grind all the ingredients mentioned in onion-chilli paste section.
4. Using the same pan and the oil that is left over in the pan after removing the bitter gourd, fry onion-chilli paste until the paste thickens and looses the raw onion smell. Use 1-2 TableSpoons of oil for frying onion-chilli paste if required.

5. After the paste cools down, stuff the bitter gourd with this onion-chilli paste.
6. Serve the bhaji with plain rice and ghee.

Pesara Pachadi and Vadiyam / MoongDal Chutney

Ingredients:
1 Cup - Moong Dal
8 - Red Chillies
1/2 Tea Spoon - Hing
1/4th TeaSpoon - Turmeric
3 TableSpoons - Lemon Juice
Salt to your taste

Tadka:
1 TableSpoon - Oil
Mustard Seeds
Urad Dal
1/2 Tea Spoon -Hing
10 - Curry Leaves

Procedure:
For Chutney:
1. Soak Moong Dal for 1 hour.
2. Grind moong dal, red chillies, hing, turmeric, salt and lemon juice. Add little water if necessary. Grind them coarsely.
3. Take the chutney into a bowl and add tadka.
4. You can serve this chutney with plain rice and ghee.

For Pesara Vadiyam:
1. Heat pan and add little oil.
2. Take 4-5 TableSpoon's of this chutney and spread it onto the pan (as shown below).

3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of oil on the circumference of the vadiyam.
4. Roast both sides of the vadiyam.
5. You can serve this vadiyam with plain rice and ghee.

Magai Pappu / Mango Pickle Dal

Ingredients:
3 TableSpoons - Magai Pickle
1 Cup - Toor Dal
2 - Green Chillies
1/2 Cup - Water

Tadka:
1 TableSpoon - Oil
Mustard Seeds
Urad Dal
Hing
1 - Red Chilli

10 - Curry Leaves

Procedure:
1. Cook toor dal separately.
2. In a pan mix magai pickle, green chillies and water and cook them.

3. When magai pickle becomes soft add cooked toor dal and mix well. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add tadka at the end.
5. You can serve this Dal with white rice and ghee or with chapaties.

Note: Since pickle already has salt, no need to add extra salt to this dish.

Besibela Bath

Ingredients:
1 Cup - Rice
1/2 Cup - Toor Dal
6 Cups - Water
1/4th Cup - Peanuts
1/4th TeaSpoon - Turmeric
Salt as per your taste
1 Big Lemon Size - Tamarind

Vegetables:
1 - Potato
1 - Carrot
1 - Raw Banana
1 - DrumStick
6 - Beans
Small Piece (1/2 Cup) - Bottle Gourd OR White Pumpkin
1 - Onion

Note: 
1. Cut all the vegetables into 2 inches pieces (length wise). All the cut vegetables pieces should be uniform.
2. You can use all the above vegetables to prepare besibela bath or use combination of any 5 vegetables.

Tadka:
2 TableSpoons - Ghee/Oil
Mustard Seeds
2 - Red Chilles
Hing
15 - Curry Leaves

Besibela Bath Powder:
1 TeaSpoon - Oil
4 TableSpoons - ChanaDal
1 TableSpoon - UradDal
4 TableSpoons - Dhaniya
6 - Red Chillies
3 TeaSpoons - Grated Dry Coconut
1/8th TeaSpoon - Hing
1 Inch - Cinnamon Stick

Procedure:

Besibela Bath Powder Preparation:
1. Heat Oil in a pan and fry all the besibelaBath Powder ingredients by adding one after the other.
2. Switch off the stove and let the ingredients cool down and grind them.

Besibela Bath Preparation:
1. Soak tamarind and extract the tamarind juice.
2. Cook rice and toor dal in a pressure cooker along with 6 cups of water. Let it cook for 6 whistles/sound.
3. Take water in a wide pan and boil all the vegetables and peanuts.
4. Once vegetables are cooked, add tamarind juice, salt, turmeric, Besibela Bath Powder and mix well. Let this boil for sometime.
5. Add cooked rice and toor dal to this and let it cook for 5 minutes. Stir in between.
6. Switch off the stove and add tadka.
7. Serve hot with Chips or Boondi.

Kandi Pappu Patholi - ToorDal Matoda

Ingredients:

1 Cup - Kandi Pachadi / ToorDal Chutney

Tadka:

3 Table Spoons - Oil

Mustard Seeds

Urad dal

2 - Red Chilli

1/4th Tea Spoon - Hing

15 - Curry Leaves

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add tadka.

2. Add toor dal chutney to the pan and mix well. Put the stove on a medium to low flame.

3. Keep stirring in between and fry until toor dal becomes dry and looks like fried bhaji.

4. This goes well with Plain rice and ghee. You can also serve this along with Menthi Majjiga or Aavapettina Majjiga or Kadhi (Majjiga Pulusu).

Note: This dish requires more oil, by using a Non-stick pan you can reduce the amount of oil used for cooking this dish.

Bachali Pulusu Koora - Malabar Spinach Curry

Ingredients:
2 Cups - Chopped Bachali Koora / Malabar Spinach
4 Table Spoons - Chana Dal
1 Table Spoon - Methi Seeds
1 - Big Onion, Cut long
3 - Green Chillies, Cut long
6 - Curry Leaves
1 Tea Spoon - Menthi Kharam
2 Tables Spoons - Thick Tamarind Pulp
Salt
Turmeric

Tadka:
1 Table Spoon - Oil
Mustard Seeds
Ura dal
Hing
1 - Red Chilli

Procedure:
1. Soak Chana dal and methi seeds for 1 hour.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add tadka. After tadka is done add onions, green chillies and saute them.

3. After onions become soft, add the soaked chana dal and methi seeds and mix well.
4. After chana dal become soft and breaks easily, add the chopped Malabar Spinach and cover the pan with a lid.
5. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and add salt, turmeric, Methi Kharam, tamarind and mix well.
Note: This dish should be semi solid, therefore add/adjust water accordingly.
6. Cook it for 5 minutes on a medium flame, mixing in between.
7. This goes well with Plain dal (utta pappu) and ghee rice, Kandi pachadi (Toor dal chutney) and chapaties.

Avial

Ingredients:
1 Cup - Fresh Grated Coconut
6 - Green Chillies
1 Table Spoon - Cumin Seeds
2 Pinches- Turmeric
1 Cup - Thick Curd
2 Cups - Water
3-4 Table Spoons - Coconut Oil

Vegetables:
1 - Potato
1 - Raw Banana
Drum Stick
Carrot
Dondakaya / Tindora
Beans
Ash Gourd
Bottle Gourd

Note:
Avial tastes good when made with Raw Banana and Ash Gourd. You can make Avial with all or any of the 5 vegetables above. 

Tadka:
Mustard Seeds
Hing
Cumin Seeds
1 - Red Chilli
10 - Curry Leaves

Procedure:
1. Grind coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds.
2. Take all the vegitable pieces in a wide pan and add water and boil them. Don't let the vegetables become too soft.
3. Add oil to the boiling water. Add the above ground coconut paste and put it in a medium flame.
4. Add salt, turmeric and mix well.
5. After 3-5 minutes add curd and mix well. Switch off the stove after couple of minutes - Otherwise the curd will break.
6. Add tadka at the end.

Kadai Panner Masala

Ingredients:
1 - Green Capsicum, Cut into 1 inch pieces
1 - Red Capsicum, Cut into 1 inch pieces
1 - Yellow Capsicum, Cut into 1 inch pieces
300 Grams - Panner, Cut into 1 inch cubes
1 - Onion, Cut length wise
2 - Tomatoes, Cut into cubes
1 Table Spoon - Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Inch - Cinnamon Stick
6 - Cloves
5 - Cardamom
1 - Bay Leaf
1 Tea Spoon - Cumin
2 Table Spoons - Crushed Corriander Seeds / Dhaniya
Turmeric
Salt
1 Tea Spoon - Red Chilli Powder
6 - Whole Cashew Nuts
1/2 Cup - Water
3 Table Spoon - Oil
Cilantro for Seasoning

Procedure:
1. Soak cashew nuts for 10-15 minutes and grind them into a thick paste.
2. Heat 1 TableSpoon oil in a pan and fry panner pieces until they turn light brown. Take out the panner pieces and add remaining oil.
3. Add Cumin seeds, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Stick, Cardamom, Cloves and crushed dhaniya. Saute them.
4. Add Ginger Garlic paste and fry for a minute.
5. Add onions and satue them until they turn light brown.
6. Add tomatoes, salt and red chilli powder and mix well. When the tomatoes become soft add capsicum.
7. After couple of minutes add panner, water and mix  well.
8. After 5 minutes add thick cashew paste and mix well.
9. After couple of minutes, switch off the stove and garnish with cilantro.
10. This goes well with Chapaties and Rice.

Methi Rice

Ingredients:
2 Cups - Rice
31/2 Cups - Water
2 Cups - Chopped Methi
3 Table Spoons - Oil
1 Table Spoon - Ghee
2 - Onions, Cut long
4 - Cardamom
6 - Cloves
1 - Bay Leaf
1/2 inch Cinnamon Stick
1/4th Tea Spoon - Sha-Jeera
1 Tea Spoon - Ginger Paste
1 Tea Spoon - Garlic Paste
6 - Green Chilli, Chopped/Paste [Adjust per your taste]
Cilantro for garnishing
Salt as per your taste
2 Pinches - Turmeric
2 Table Spoon - Lemon Juice

Procedure:
1. Cook rice separately.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add sha-jeera, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves.
3. Add Ginger, garlic and green chilli paste.

4. Add onions and saute them. When the onions turn light brown, add chopped methi leaves and mix well.

5. Once methi leaves are cooked, add salt, turmeric, cooked rice and lemon juice. Switch off the stove.
6. Add ghee and mix well and garnish with cilantro.
7. Serve Methi Rice with raita or curd.