Ven Pongal

Ingredients

• Par boiled rice - 1 cup
• Split moong dal - 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 1/4 cup
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1 tbsp
• Cumin - 1 tsp
• Pepper corns - 1 tsp
• Green chilly (optional) - 1
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• Cashew - 2 tbsp

Method

• Wash & pressure cook (for 1 cup of rice add 5 cups of water) the dal & rice together (app 5 whistles).
• Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in the pan & fry the cashews till it becomes golden brown.
• Remove it from the ghee soon & add it to the cooked rice with some salt.
• Now in the same pan splutter cumin seeds, pepper corns, curry leaves, green chillies & hing one by one.
• Add more ghee if needed. Roast it for 1 minute. Now pour this mixture in the pongal & mix well.
• Add the remaining 2 tbsp of ghee & mix well.
• Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

Tips for the recipe - You can add little milk while cooking the rice, so that the pongal becomes more soft. I add salt later because I always cook venpongal & sweet pongal together. Once the rice is cooked, I take half of rice to prepare sweet pongal & then mix the salt to the remaining ven pongal while doing the seasoning. If you are making only ven pongal then you can add salt in the water & cook the rice.

Sweet pongal

Ingredients

• Par boiled rice - 1 cup
• Split moong dal - 1/2 cup 
• Ghee - 1/4 cup
• Jaggery (crushed, shredded or powdered) - 1 1/2 cup
• Cardamon powder - few pinches
• Raisin - 1-2 tbsp
• Cashew - 2 tbsp

Method

• Wash & pressure cook (for 1 cup of rice, add 5 cups of water) the dal & rice together (app 5 whistles).
• When the pressure releases, open the cooker & switch on the flame to low medium.
• Add the jaggery & keep mixing it till you dont see any jaggery pieces .
• Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in the pan.
• Fry raisins & cashews till it becomes golden brown. Pour it into the pongal.
• Add the remaining ghee & sprinkle some cardamon powder.
• Mix well & serve hot.

Tips for the recipe - You can add 1/2 cup milk while cooking the rice, so that the pongal becomes more soft. 

Shredded Chicken Masala

Ingredients
Group I

• Chicken - 1 breast split (cubed)
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Chicken masala - 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
• Chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - little
• Water - 1/2 - 3/4 liter
• Salt to taste

    
Group II

• Onion - 1 big size (chopped lengthwise)
• Tomatoes - 2 medium size
• Curry leaves - few
• Eggs - 2
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves - handful (chopped)
• Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
• Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil as required

Group III (Dry masala)

• Black cardomam - 1 (crushed)
• Aniseed - 1/2 tsp
• Cloves - 6
• Cinnamon - 4 small pieces
• Anistar - 1 (broken)

Method

• Cook all the group I ingredients together in the pressure pan for 2 whistles.
• If you dont have a pressure pan, you can also cook it in the heavy bottom pan.
• Onces it is done, drain the water & allow the chicken to cool.
• Now shred the chicken with your hands carefully (do not mash it) & keep it aside.
• Heat oil in the pan & fry all the group III dry masalas.
• Then add ginger-garlic paste & fry till the oil separates.
• Add curry leaves, onions &  continue frying with some salt.
• When onion becomes light brown in color, add the tomatoes.
• Fry till the tomatoes becomes mashy.
• Add chilly powder & garam masala powder to it.
• Now add the shredded chicken & mix well.
• Break in the eggs along with coriander leaves & mix well till the eggs are cooked.
• Sprinkle some pepper powder & serve hot.

Tips for the recipe - Do not over fry the eggs. you can also soak the chicken pieces in the group I masala water for 30 minutes before cooking it. So that the chicken is soft & juicy.

Thin crust Pizza

               There are three main steps to make good pizza. First one is the base/crust, second is pizza sause & the third is toppings. It is better if you have pizza pan,but you can still make good pizza by using baking tray. This recipe gives you one 12" pizza. I have divided the dough & made one 8" pizza & one 4 " pizza.

Base crust

• Maida/All purpose flour  - 1 cup
• Active yeast - 1 tsp
• Warm water - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp
• Olive oil - 2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Pizza sause

• Tomato - 2 medium size
• Garlic (or garlic powder) - 2 finely chopped
• Tomato sause - 2 tbsp
• Olive oil - 1 tsp
• Mortadella cheese - 1 tsp
• Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Basil - 1/4 tsp
• Oregano - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - a pinch

Toppings

• Capsicum - 1/2 cup
• Onion - 1/2 medium size (thinly chopped)
• Tomato - 1/2 medium size 
• Jalapenos - 1
• Olives - few 
• Mushroom -1/4 cup (thinly chopped)
• Pineapple - 1/2 cup (cubed)
• Mortadella cheese (grated) - 1/2 cup
• Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Method
For the sause

• Make a puree out of the tomatoes.
• Heat oil in the pan on medium flame & add the garlic & fry for few seconds.
• Now add the tomato puree & mix well for few minutes or until there is no raw smell.
• Now add all the other ingredients for the sause except cheese.
• When it starts becoming thick, add the cheese & switch off the flame.

For the crust

• Add the yeast in quater cup of warm water & allow it to sit for few minutes until you see the foam on top of the water.

• Now add this to the flour & mix well by sprinkling some salt in your mixing bowl. Also add 1tsp of olive oil.
• If the dough is very thick add 1 tbsp of water.
• Finally pour the remaining 1tsp of olive oil on top of the dough to shape a ball.

• Cover the bowl & keep it in a warm place until the dough doubles (approximately 1 hour).

• Now punch the dough & cover it again & rest it in a warm place,so that it raises again (this time approximately 20 - 30 minutes).
• Now nicely grease the 12 inch pan with olive oil & place the dough in it.

• Slowly spread the dough like a thin layer using your fingers.

For the topping

• Spread some pizza sause on the flattened dough.
• Arrange the vegetables one by one as shown.

• Finally sprinkle some cheese.

• Drizzle some olive oil on the edges of the crust & also some on the top.
• Bake it at 425 degree F for 20-25 minutes or till it becomes golden brown in color.
• Remove it from the pan carefully once it is done.
• Run your pizza cutter or knife to make pieces & serve hot.

Tips for the recipe - I didn't use olives & mushrooms cause i didn't have any at that time.You can also choose your own topping combos. Adding oil to the edges of the crust will give nice crispy crust.

I made small broccoli pizza & here is the topping recipe.

• Mortadella cheese (grated) - 1/4 cup
• Broccoli - 1/2 cup
• Jalapenos - 1 or 2 to taste
• Onions - 1/2 small size (thinly chopped)
• Garlic powder - to taste
• Olive oil - 1 1/2 tsp

Method - Spread some pizza sause on the flattened dough. Arrange the vegetables (broccoli, Jalapenos & onions). Sprinkle some cheese followed by the garlic powder. Drizzle some olive oil on the edges of the crust & also some on the top. Bake it at 425 degree F for 20-25 minutes or till it becomes golden brown in color.

Lemon chicken

Ingredients

• Chicken - 2 breast split (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• Garlic - 4 (finely chopped)
• Ginger - equal to garlic (finely chopped)
• Corn flour - 1 cup
• Egg - 1 (slightly beaten)
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Soya sause - 1 tsp
• Vinegar - 2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 - 1 1/2 tsp
• Lemon zest - 1 - 1 1/2 tsp
• Lemon rings - 6 (thinly sliced)
• Yellow food color - a pinch
• Green chillies - 8 (finely chopped)
• Spring onions - handful (diagonally chopped)
• Coriander leaves - handful
• Oil as required
• Salt to taste

Method

• Mix 1 tbsp of corn flour in 1 cup of water & keep it aside.
• Mix soya sause, salt, ginger-garlic paste, egg & chicken together. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.
• Now coat it with the flour &amp slightly tap it to remove excess flour; deep fry it or shallow fry it immediately.
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil & fry ginger & garlic.
• Then add green chillies.
• Now add vinegar, food color & corn flour water.
• When the mixture becomes slightly thick & saucy, add the lemon zest & juice.
• Also the chicken pieces.
• Give a final & quick mix by adding the spring onions, lemon rings & coriander leaves.

Tips for the recipe - Do not allow the chicken pieces to sit (not even few minutes) once it gets coated with the flour. Fry it immediately or else it will affect the crispiness & texture of the chicken pieces. Use light yellow color lemon(ripe) for good taste or else you may feel some bitter taste in the recipe. Also do not add the lemon juice before the sauce is ready.

Masala Dosai II

              

       In this type of masala dosa, red chilly chutney is not spread on the dosa like Spicy Masala Dosai I. This masala itself includes spices & tastes different than the plain potato stuffing.

Ingredients

• Fermented dosa batter - 2 cups

Potato stuffing

• Potato - 2 medium size (boiled & mashed)
• Onion - 1 medium size
• Tomato - 1 medium size
• Cumin - 1/2 tsp
• Aniseed - 1/2 tsp (crushed)
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Mustard & urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Green chillies - to taste
• Sambhar powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Pepper corns - 1 tsp (crushed & not powdered)
• Coriander leaves - few
• Oil - as required
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in kadai, on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, cumin seeds & aniseeds one by one.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste & fry till the oil separates.
• Add onions, green chillies, curry leaves and fry till it becomes light brown in color.
• Add the chopped tomatoes & continue frying till it becomes mashy.
• Now add sambhar powder, turmeric powder & salt.
• Fry for 1 minute.
• Now add the potato & mix well.
• Then add the crushed pepper & 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 to make dosa.
• Drizzle some oil & cover the dosa for few seconds.
• Now remove the lid & spread the potato stuffing.
• Fold the dosa to cover the stuffing & serve it with coconut chutney.

Special egg omelette

Ingredients

• Egg - 1 (slightly beaten)
• Onions - 1 medium size (chopped)
• Sambhar or chilly powder - 1/2 tsp or adjust
• Curry leaves - few (chopped)
• Garlic - 2 (crushed & chopped)
• Channa dal - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil as required

Method

• Heat oil in the pan & fry channa dal till it turns golden brown in color.
• Then add garlic & curry leaves fry for few seconds.
• Now add the onions & fry well until the quantity reduces to 1/2.
• Add salt & sambhar powder.
• When you see the sides of the onions getting darker, reduce to flame to low-medium.
• Gather the onions in the center of the pan & evenly spread it like a layer without much gap between the onions.
• Now slowly pour the beaten egg on top of the onions & cover the onions completely.
• Drizzle some oil. Adjust salt.
• Flip the omelet & cook both the sides.

Tips for the recipe - It is good to use non stick tawah for this recipe. Do not let the onion mixture to get stuck on the pan, so that it becomes easy to flip the omelet.