Rava(sooji) Upma

Ingredients

• Rava - 1 cup 
• Onion - 1 (chopped lengthwise)
• Green chilles - 5 (slitted)
• Red chillies(optional) - 2 
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• Mustard seeds & Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
• Channa Dal - 1 tsp
• Ginger - 1/2 tsp(chopped)
• Hing - 2 pinches
• Coriander leaves - handful
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in the pan and let the mustard seeds splutter on high-medium flame.
• Then add the urad dal, channa dal, chillies, curry leaves, ginger, hing and onions.
• Saute till the onions turn transparent. Add salt.
• Reduce the flame to low-medium.
• Then add the rava & fry well.
• Add 2 cups of hot water.
• Mix well & cover it for 10 minutes.
• Open the lid & mix the upma by adding the chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve it with chutney.

Tips for the recipe -  A spoon of coconut oil can be added while serving for good taste.

Beetroot Poriyal I

Ingredients

• Beetroot - 2 medium size (finely chopped or grated)
• Onion - 1 medium size (chopped)
• Curry leaves - few
• Mustard - 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies - 5 (slitted)
• Coconut - 1 tbsp (shredded)
• Oil as required
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in kadai on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves & green chilies one by one.
• Add onions, salt and fry till it becomes light brown in color.
• Now add the vegetable and fry well.
• Sprinkle little water & cover the pan.
• Reduce the flame to low medium & cook till it is done.
• Finally add the coconut & mix well.
• Remove from heat & serve as side dish.

Tips for the recipe - If you are using grated beetroot & if it is very juicy then there is no need to add water.It will cook on its own juice. If you wish you can also add a tsp of chana dal while spluttering mustard.

Fish Fry I

Ingredients

• King/Seer/Vanjaram Fish - 5 fillets
• Ginger - 1 1/2 inches
• Garlic - 8
• Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Aniseeds powder - 1 tsp
• Chilly powder - 1 tbsp or adjust
• All Purpose Flour - 2 Tbsp
• Lemon - half lime
• Salt to taste
• Oil for shallow frying

Method 

• Grind ginger, garlic to smooth paste. 
• Mix all the other ingredients together except fish.
• Apply it on the fillets & keep it in the sun for 1 hour or it can be marinated overnight.
• Heat oil on the pan & place the fillets.
• Roast it on medium flame.
• Drizzle some more oil if necessary.
• Flip the fish & roast both the side till it becomes dark brown in color.

Tips for the recipe - While placing the fish on the pan check that the fillets has enough masala on it. You can use any fish which taste good for roasting like catla, rough, tilapia, salmon & so on.

Mango Ice Cream

                                         This recipe directs you to make ice cream without an ice cream maker. If you have an ice cream maker at home, you can directly pour the mixture into it & no need to follow the rest of the process. Others still can make good & soft homemade ice creams without an ice cream maker.


Ingredients

• Sweeten Mango Pulp - 1 cup
• Fresh cream (heavy whipping cream) - 3/4 cup
• Condensed milk - 1/2 cup
• Pistachios for garnishing

Method

• Pour fresh cream into the deep mixing bowl.
• Beat the Cream until it begins to form soft peaks.
• Now add the condensed milk & mango pulp.
• Mix gently till it gets incorporated with the whipped cream.
• Transfer it to any deep container or any metal vessel with tight lid.
• Cover it tightly & put it in the freezer for 1 hour.
• After an hour remove it from the freezer & beat the mixture well. Again cover it & transfer it to the freezer.
• Repeat the same process for 6 times with 45 minutes of time interval.
• By doing this you are breaking the ice crystals & making your ice cream soft.
• After finishing the beating process transfer it to an another container & cover it tightly.
• Put it in the freezer till the ice cream is ready.
• While serving garnish it with pistachios.

Red beans (Karamani) & Pumkin Masala

Ingredients

• Red beans (Karamani) - 1/2 cup
• Pumpkin - 2 cups (medium size cubes)
• Curry leaves - few
• Mustard & Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
• Onion - 1 medium size (chopped)
• Tomato - 1 medium size (chopped)
• Chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red chillies - 2 (halved)
• Coconut - 1 tbsp (shredded)
• Jaggery (optional) - 1/2 tsp

Method

• Boil Red Beans till it is half broken. Do not drain the water completely. Keep at least 1/2 a cup of cooked water & drain the rest if any.
• Cook the pumpkin with little salt & keep it aside.
• Heat oil in kadai on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, cumin, chillies, curry leaves one by one.
• Add onions and fry till it becomes light brown in color.
• Add the tomatoes & fry till it becomes slightly mashy.
• Add salt & chilly powder.
• Now add the pumpkin & the beans with cooked water.
• Cook till the gravy becomes thick & slightly mashy.
• Add the coconut & jaggery. 
• Mix well & remove from heat.
• Serve it with roti or rice.

Tips for the recipe -  If the pumpkin is already very sweet then it is not necessary to add jaggery. Or else you can add little jaggery for good taste.

Horse gram sundal

Ingredients

• Horse gram - 1/2 cup 
• Red onions - 1 small size (chopped) 
• Green chilly - 4 or adjust according to spice level needed 
• Mustard & Urad dal - 1/4 tsp 
• Ginger - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp 
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp 
• Curry leaves - 1 strings 
• Coconut - 2 tbsp (shredded) 
• Coriander leaves - handful 
• Salt to taste

Method

• Add some water & pressure cook the horse gram on high for 3 or 4 whistles. 
• Drain the water completely & reserve it for horse gram curry or rasam. 
• Heat oil in kadai on high medium flame. 
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, curry leaves, ginger & green chilies one by one. 
• Add onions and fry till it becomes slight brown in color. 
• Now add the boiled gram and salt. 
• Fry well & add the coconut & mix well. 
• Garnish it with coriander leaves. 

Tips for the recipe - Drain the water from the gram completely so that the sundal looks dry after frying.You can also soak the gram over night if you have time. In that case do not pressure cooker the gram. Just cook it on heavy bottom pan till it becomes soft.

Keerai Masiyal

Ingredients

• Frozen greens - 200 g
• Shallots - 2/3 cup (chopped)
• Green chillies - 8 (cut into1/2 inch pieces)
• Cumin - 1 tsp
• Garlic - 7 (crushed)
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - as required

Group II (Optional)

• Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
• Cumin - 1/2 tsp
• Red chillies - 2 (whole)
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Garlic - 2-3 (crushed)
• Shallots - handful (chopped)
• Salt to taste

Method 

• Heat oil in the kadai & splutter cumin seeds on high medium flame.
• Then add curry leaves, green chillies, garlic & onions one by one. Fry well.
• Now add the greens & fry well. Sprinkle some salt & water. (If you want the greens to be little watery then add 1/2 cup water or else just sprinkle some water & cook. I have added 1/2 a cup of water).
• Reduce the flame. Cover & cook till the greens becomes soft.
• Remove from fire & allow it to cool slightly.
• Now mash it with the masher & keep aside.
• Add coconut oil in the separate pan & fry the group II ingredients one by one in the same order.
• Add it to the greens & mix well.
• Serve it with rice.

Tips for the recipe - I have used frozen greens. If you can use fresh greens then it taste much better. Go for good variety of greens which can be used for masiyal. If you are omitting the group II instructions, then just add a spoon of coconut oil to  the greens (after mashing) & serve hot.