CARROT TOMATO CHUTNEY

Ingredients

2 nos carrot medium size

1 tomato chopped

6-8 dry chilli

5-10 cloves garlic chopped

pinch asafoetida

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tbsp urad dal

1 tbsp coconut oil

salt as per taste

Method

Wash and peel the carrots.  Cut tomatoes and carrots into medium sized cube.
Heat a kadai and heat a tbsp of oil on medium flame.
Add the dry chillies and urad dal  and cook for a minute. Add chopped garlic, asafoetida, cumin powder  and saute till light brown, now add carrot and tomato cubes.
Sprinkle some salt which helps the vegetables to release some water and makes cooking faster.
Cook covered till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.  
Remove the lid and cook for few more minutes till all the water released by tomatoes is almost evaporated.
When cooled, grind the cooked mixture  in a mixer grinder.
Add  salt.
Transfer to a serving bowl.
Goes well with dosas or idlis.

EGG CURRY

Ingredients

8 nos eggs
1 onion finely chopped
2 nos tomato chopped or1 tbsp tomato puree
4 nos green chilli slit
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
2 tbsp coconut milk
salt as per taste
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
8-10 curry leaves

Method

Hard boil the eggs, remove shell and keep aside.
In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves.
Add the chopped onions, ginger garlic paste and the green chillies. Saute well for a couple of minutes till the onions turn slight golden brown in colour.
Add turmeric powder, garam masala powder , saute till raw smell disappear..
Now add the tomatoes or tomato puree , saute for few minutes.
Add the salt and crushed black pepper and stir well.
Lower the heat and add coconut milk. Once it starts to simmer, add the eggs to the curry. If you want you can make small slits in the eggs or cut them in half before you add them.
Remove from heat and serve hot.

VEG HANDI

Ingredients

3 tbsp Cashew Paste

1 medium carrot chopped

8-10 french beanschopped

1 potato chopped

1/4 cup green peas

1/4 cup paneer cubes (optional)

1 onion finely chopped

1 tomato finely chopped

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp curd

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp kasuri methi

2 tsp butter

salt as per taste

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

1 inch cinnamon 

few coriander leaves

Few mint leaves

Method

Soak cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain ad blend the soaked cashews to a smooth paste.

Meanwhile while cashews are soaking steam the veggies in a steamer of cooker until half cooked.

Heat butter in a handi. Add cloves, Cinnamon and bay leaf., saute till fragrant,

Add chopped onions, and saute till golden brown.

Add ginger garlic paste, coriander leaves and mint leaves , stir and saute for a minute.

Now add chopped tomatoes and saute till pulpy .

Add turmeric, chili and coriander powder . Add cashew paste and curd . Stir often and saute till you see fat releasing from the sides.Add water, stir.

Add slit chilies and let the gravy begin to simmer. 

Àdd the steamed veggies alongwith salt and simmer on low.

Now add kasuri methi and garam masala powder . Cook for 10 more minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander or mint leaves and serve with rotis or naan .

LETTUCE SALAD WITH CILANTRO DRESSING

Ingredients

1 Large head of Romaine Lettuce

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large orange or red bell pepper

1 large tomato chopped or 10 cherry tomatoes

1 avocado cut into cubes

For the dressing

1 cup loosely packed cilantro

1/2 avocado or 1/2 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

 1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp vinegar

salt as per taste

Directions

Make the dressing -puree ingredients in blender until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary,

Finelychopp Romaince, tomatoes and bell pepper.

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine,

Toss with dressing.

CROISSANT

Ingredients

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method 

Heat oven to 350F . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Separate crescent roll dough into 8 triangles. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp chocolate chips on top of each triangle. If you think your triangle can hold more , add more. Press chips down lightly to get them to stick. Reserve remaining chocolate chips.
Roll up, starting from wide end and rolling to opposite point, Place into baking sheet and curve into croissant shape.
Bake 15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool for 5 minutes. serve warm. Try adding whipped cream on top. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for 3 days.

VENDHAYA DOSA

This Dosa recipe is taken for Raks Kitchen. This is different from regular dosa batter and it has less of urad dal. I thought of giving it a try and it was really good .

Ingredients

3 cups Idli Rice

2 tbsp Urad dal

3 tbsp Fenugreek seeds

Salt as per taste.

Method

Soak everything except sal for 3 hours.

Grind until smooth with water as needed. It should be a bit watery than idli batter. It takes some time to get ground smooth because of methi seeds.

Lastly add salt while grinding and transfer to a large vessel. Leave it overnight.

Next day morning, mix the batter with a ladle and add water if necessary.

Heat a dosa pan and grease it with few drops of sesame oil.

Spread the batter to t thick dosa and cook it covered in medium flame until gets cooked. It takes less time to cook.

Serve steaming hot dosa wit sambhar or any podi of your choice.

PRAWN MASALA CURRY

Ingredients

20 nos large Prawns

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp fennel seeds

3/4 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp raw rice

1 1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1 onion finely chopped

1tsp  ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp mustard seed

6-8 curry leaves

Salt as per taste

Few coriander leaves

2 tbsp coconut oil

Method

Clean prawns , marinate with Turmeric and 1 tsp chilli powder and salt. Keep it aside for 1 hour.

Heat oil, add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, rice, coriander power roast it.  Turn off the flame and add 1 tsp chilli powder.

Grind the above spices and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, curry leaves. After it splutters add onion , sauté . 

Add ginger garlic paste fry until raw smell goes off.

Add tomato purée , cook .

Add prawns and ground masala along with salt , turmeric . 

Boil until prawns are cooked 

Add coriander leaves.