Cherry Jam for desserts

Ingredients

• Cherries - 2 1/2 cups
• Sugar - 3 - 4 tbsp
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method

• Wash & pit the cherries.
• Reserve a cup of cherries separately.
• Mix all other ingredients for the cherry jam together & bring it to boil in the large pan.
• Cover & cook it on low medium flame till it becomes soft & slightly mashy.
• Now add the reserved cherries & continue to cook on high medium flame till it becomes thick.
• Switch off the stove, when it reaches the consistency of the jam as shown in the picture.
• Allow it to cool completely before using.

Whipped Cream for desserts

Ingredients

• Heavy whipping cream - 1 cup
• White sugar - 1/4 cup
• Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp

Method

• Chill the utensil in which the cream is going to be prepared.
• Mix all the ingredients in the bowl & start whipping the cream.

• Beat it till the cream holds soft peaks.

• Now give very few beats to make the cream stiff peaks. (Do not over beat the cream)

Usage of the soft or stiff peaks depends upon the dessert you prepare.
You can make different flavors of whipped cream by using appropriate extracts.

1 cup of fresh cream gives 2 cup of whipped cream.

Beetroot Curd Pachadi

Ingredients

• Beetroot - 1 medium size (grated)
• Curd - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 small size (chopped)
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Mustard & urad dal - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1/4 tsp (grated)
• Hing - a pinch
• Green chillies - 2 (slitted)
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in the pan and let the mustard, urad dal & cumin seeds splutter on high-medium flame.
• Then add the chillies, ginger, hing and onions.
• Add salt & saute till the onions turn transparent. 
• Then add the beetroot & fry well.
• Sprinkle some water if necessary.
• Switch off the flame when it is done.
• Allow it to cool slightly & mix curd.
• Serve it as a side dish for rice or roti.

Tips for the recipe - No need to add water if the vegetable is very juicy. It is not necessary to cook the vegetable completely. You can remove it from flame when it is 3/4th done or to your taste.

Adai

Ingredients
Group I

• Rice - 1 cup
• Chana dal - 1 cup
• Toor dal - 1/4 cup
• Whole Moong dal  - 1/4 cup
• Urad dal - 1/4 cup
• Onion - 1 (chopped)
• Cumin - 2 tsp
• Coconut  1/2 cup
• Red chillies 5
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Coriander leaves - handful
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1/4 inch
• Salt to taste

Group II

• Onion - 1 (chopped)
• Cumin - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 3 (chopped)
• Red chillies 2 
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Coriander leaves - handful 
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1 tbsp (chopped)
• Salt - to taste

Method

• Soak the rice & dals together for 3 hours.
• Grind the soaked rice & dals with little water, till it is done. Not necessary to grind it very smoothly.It can be little coarse.
• Now add all the rest of the group I ingredients & grind for 1 minute or coarsely.
• Now the batter is ready. Keep it aside.
• Now heat oil in the pan & splutter cumin seeds, chillies, curry leaves & hing.
• Add onions, ginger, little salt & continue frying till it is slight brown in color.
• Pour this mixture in the batter. Also add a handful of coriander leaves & mix well.
• Heat the Dosa tawah on medium high.
• Rub the pan with oil/ghee dipped cloth or tissue towel.
• Spread one ladle of batter on the tawa, starting from the middle in a rotating motion.
• Try to make a thin layer.
• Flame should be on medium.
• Drizzle some oil on top of the adai.
• Cook till it becomes golden brown in color.
• Once it is golden brown, flip the adai on the other side to get cooked.
• Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

Tips for the recipe - Batter can be used directly after grinding without any fermentation process. But for better taste allow the batter to ferment for 3-6 hours.

Lemon Rasam

Ingredients

• Tomato - 1 
• Lemon Juice - 3 - 4 tbsp(adjust) 
• Toor dal - 1/4 cup 
• Turmeric powder - little 
• Garlic - 6-7 
• Green chillies - 4 (slitted)
• Curry leaves - 1 spring 
• Mustard - 1/4 tsp 
• Pepper corn - 1/2 tsp 
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp 
• Oil - 1 tbsp 
• Fenugreek seeds - 2 pinches 
• Hing - 3 pinches 
• Coriander leaves - handful (chopped) 
• Salt for taste

Method

• Boil dal & tomatoes with salt & turmeric powder. 
• Allow it to cool & mash it completely. Add some water if necessary & bring it to the consistency of rasam. 
• Crush the garlic & keep it aside. 
• Make a powder of cumin & pepper. 
• Add green chillies & curry leaves to the dal water. 
• Adjust salt. 
• Heat oil in the pan & splutter mustard. 
• Add fenugreek seeds & hing. 
• Now pour in the dal water. 
• When the water starts bubbling, add the crushed garlic along with the powdered cumin & pepper. Also add the lemon juice. 
• Allow it to boil for very few seconds. 
• Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves & remove it from fire. 

Tip for the recipe - Do not allow the rasam to boil for a long time. It makes the rasam less tasty.

Fish Fry II

Ingredients

• King Fish - 6 fillets
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Orange red food color - 1-2 pinches
• Egg white - 1 (large)
• Vinegar or lemon juice - 1 tbsp
• Chilly powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Corn flour - 3 tbsp
• All purpose flour or maida - 4 1/2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method

• Mix all ingredients together with the fish.
• Sprinkle little water & bring it to medium consistency.
• Cover & refrigerate it for at least 1 hour.
• Heat the pan with oil.
• Then deep fry the fish between medium high & low flame.
• Remove the fish from the oil when it is done.
• Drain the excess oil & serve hot with lemon & onion.

Tip for the recipe - You can use any fish which taste good for roasting like catla, rogh & so on. You can marinate the fish over night for good taste. You can also place the fish in the sun for 30 minutes if you don't have much time.

Capsicum Stew

Ingredients

• Capsicum - 1 1/2 cup (cubed)
• Onions - 1 small size
• Tomato - 1 medium size
• Coconut milk - 1/2 tin (200 ml) 
• Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp 
• Aniseed powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Coriander leaves - handful
• Mint leaves - 2 handfuls
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Dry Masala

• Cinnamon - 2 pieces
• Cardamom - 2
• Black cardamom - 1 (crushed)
• Cloves - 6
• Aniseeds - 1/2 tsp
• Bay leaves - 2
• Anistar- 3

To Grind

• Whole cashew - 7
• Green chillies - 5 (adjust)
• Garlic - 4
• Ginger - equal to garlic

Method

• Grind the cashews separately.
• Grind green chillies, garlic, ginger together & keep aside.
• Heat oil in kadai on high medium flame.
• Add the dry masalas & fry for a while.
• Add curry leaves, onions and fry till it becomes transparent.
• Now add the grounded garlic paste and fry for few minutes.
• Add in the tomatoes, mint leaves & fry till the tomatoes becomes mashy.
• Add salt, garam masala powder, aniseed powder, coriander powder & turmeric powder.
• Now add the capsicums & fry for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Pour the coconut milk along with the grounded cashews & mix well. 
• Add water if needed.
• Cover & cook till the raw small leaves the gravy.
• Remove it from flame when the gravy becomes slightly thick. 
• Garnish it with coriander leaves.
• Serve it with roti. 

Tips for the recipe - Thick coconut milk will give good taste. You can use aniseed powder or you can grind the aniseed along with green chillies. Using different colors of capsicum will give good taste & also it makes the gravy very rich & colorful.