PRAWN CURRY

Ingredients
1/2 kg prawn cleaned and deveined
2 onions finely sliced
2 tomatoes thinly sliced
2 tsp gingergarlic paste
2tsp chilli powder
11/2tsp coriander powder
1 tsp pepper powder
2 tsp fennel powder
Salt
1-2 piece kodampuli
1tsp turmeric powder
2tbsp olive oil
 1 tsp vinegar

Method
Boil water in a pan . Add the cleaned n deveined prawns , kudampuli with salt and turmeric.
Cook the prawns for 10 mins.
After prawns are cooked drain the water along with the puli.
Place the prawns in a seperate bowl . Don't throw the drained water.
Heat a non stick frying pan . Add olive oil , after oil is warm add onions and saute till soft.
Add gingergarlic paste and saute it till raw smell goes off.
Add tomatoes and saute till soft.
Add chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder , fennel powder and salt.
Mix well untill  all the spices blend with onion n  tomato mixture.
Now add boiled prawns to this masala and saute well.
Add 1/2 of the drained water and vinegar .
Cook for 10 more mins.
Yummy prawn curry is ready .
Enjoy it with chapati or rice.

BHINDI (OKRA OR LADIES FINGER) SUKHI

This dish is very tasty and not much time time consuming.

Ingredients

1 kg bhindi tops and tails cut off and diced into 1" pieces
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt as per taste
2 tbsp grated coconut
coriander leaves

Method

Heat oil in a non stick frying pan.
Add cut bhindi into it and roast in oil. Remove the roasted bhindi and keep aside.
 In the same pan add oil , add cumin seeds. Let it splutter.
Add onions  saute it . Add garlic fry till brown.
Add chilli , coriander, turmeric powders and salt.
Now add the roasted bhindi and mix well.
Cover with a lid and cook on low flame for 10 mins.
Keep stirring occasionally .
Add grated coconut and coriander leaves.

Notes 

If you have an option to pick your okra, select the tender ones. You can test by breaking a small portion of the tail by hand. If it breaks easily that means Okra is good and will cook easily. 
To avoid the secretion of slimy substance from okra during the cooking process , wash and completely dry the okra before cutting and cooking it. While cutting sometimes there may be a build up of slimy substance on the knife. In this case wipe it off before resuming cutting the remaining okra. 
Okra requires slightly more oil than any other veggie, so adjust oil accordinlgy. 

EGG ROAST

Ingredients

6 hard boiled  eggs peeled
2 onions finely sliced
 2 tomatoes finely sliced
1/2 inch  Ginger chopped finely
2 tsp chilli powder
 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp fennel seed powder
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt as needed

Method
Heat oil in a nonstick frying pan.
Now add sliced onions and chopped ginger, saute it till onions become soft.
Add sliced tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mushy.
Now add chilli powder , coriander powder, fennel seed powder .
Mix it well so that the spices blend with the onion tomato mixture.
You can add 1 tbsp water and stir it well
Now slice the boiled egg into half and place the egg (with cut portion faced down) in the pan.
Coat the onion masala on the top of egg and lower the flame.
Cover it with a lid and cook for 10 mins.
Switch off heat and serve with chapati or rice.

QUINOA PAYASAM

I usually have cooked quinoa in my fridge. I saw this recipe and tried it. My kids don't eat quinoa but they really liked this payasam.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup Demera brwon sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp saffron strands
3 nos cardamom seeds (crushed)
2 tsp ghee
10 nos raisins

Method
Cook quinoa in the ratio 1 cup quinoa and 2 parts of water.
Now take 1/2 cup quinoa and add milk, brown sugar, saffron strands, crushed cardamom seeds. 
Cook everything until quinoa ,mixture turns thick.
Heat ghee and fry raisins.
Add this to quinoa payasam and enjoy hot or chilled.

MOONG SPROUT SALAD

Ingredients

1 cup mung sprouts
1 green onion chopped
1 small tomato chopped
1/2 red or yellow pepper chopped
1 small cucumber peeled and chopped
1 small potato boiled and chop into small pieces
1-2 green chilli finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 ts salt
1 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp oil

Method
Combine all the above ingredient's and mix well.
Serve as a  salad or stuff inside a pita with chopped avocado for quick lunch .

TOMATO KADHI

Ingredients

4 nos tomatoes chopped into cubes
2 nos green chilli chopped finely
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seed
3-4 curry leaves
2 nos cloves
2 tbsp chick pea flour (besan)
1 cup water
pinch turmeric powder
2 tsp chilli powder
pinch asafoetida
1 tbsp olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic

Method

Cut the tomatoes into cubes and grind in blender until smooth paste.
Heat a kadhai and add oil .
After it becomes hot add mustard seeds , curry leaves and cumin seed, let it splutter.
Now add cloves, garlic ,cut green chillies, saute till garlic turns light brown.
Add besan and fry for 1-2 mins on low flame.
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and pureed tomato paste alongwith 1 cup of water.
Let it boil for 10 mins.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Enjoy your kadhi with rice.

SPINACH, ONION N POTATO PAKODA

Ingredients
1 onion chopped
1 potato cut into small cubes
1 small bunch of spinach
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 green chilli finely chopped
1 tsp coriander seed coarsely crushed
1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
salt to taste
1 tsp baking powder
oil for frying

Method
Wash spinach , drain the water and  chop it  finely .
Cut the onions and potato and keep it aside
Sift the chickpea flour into a medium bowl. Mix in the coriander, salt, cumin, chili powder, garam masala and fennel.
Make a well in the center of the flour.  Gradually pour the water into the flour mixture and mix to form a thick, smooth batter.
Add green chillies and crushed coriander seed , salt .
Add spinach , onion n potato along with baking powder.
Heat oil in a kadai. To check if the oil  is hot enough, drop a small piece of dough into the oil, if it raises to the surface immediately, then the oil is hot enough to fry the pakodas.

Now reduce the heat to medium and drop roughly shaped balls directly into the oil.
Fry until golden brown. Remove pakodas from the oil and drain them on a paper towel.

Enjoy the rain with hot and crispy pakodas and a cup of steaming hot chai!