Peas kachori

Method

- Grind 1/2 cup frozen/ fresh peas along with ginger and green chilli into a coarse paste.
- Heat 1.5 tsp oil. Add jeera.
- When jeera crackles, add turmeric, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, fennel powder( optional), garam masala and amchoor powder.
- Fry for a few seconds and add the ground paste.
Fry for a few minutes. Keep aside to cool.

- take 1/2 cup maida, 1/2 tsp rava, salt and 1.5 tbsp oil in a bowl. Mix well with hand so that oil mixes well with the flour.
- add water little by little and knead into a soft dough
- keep covered with a wet cloth for 15 minutes.
- pinch small balls from the dough and flatten it with hand. Keep the stuffing inside and seal the edges ( similar to paratha). flatten it slightly with hand.
- deep fry in medium hot oil on a low-medium flame till golden brown.

Pasta with white sauce

Ingredients

Pasta
Maida
Milk
Cheese
Butter
Salt
Chilli flakes
Mixed herbs

Method

Boil pasta in water( with salt and oil added to it)till soft.
Drain water and pour cold water or keep the colander under a running tap till pasta cools down.
Spread on a flat plate and add a little oil. Mix well so that oil coats the pasta. This ensures that pieces don't stick to each other.
Heat butter in a pan. Add maida and fry till it becomes light brown.
Add milk and whisk well so that lumps are not formed.
Cook till a thick paste is formed. Add salt, chilli flakes and herbs.
Add cheese and pasta and cook till pasta is coated with the white sauce

Optional
Vegetables like carrot, peas, onion, sweet corn can also be added.

Kakarakaya fry

Ingredients

Bitter gourd - 1/4 kg
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Lemon -1/4
Onion -1 ( optional)
Besan - 4 tbsp
Corn flour - 3 tbsp
Maida - 2 tbsp
Butter(softened) - 2 tsp
Oil - for deep frying
Salt

Method

Cut bitter gourd into thin round slices.
Add chilli powder, salt, turmeric and lemon juice and mix well. Cut onion into slices and add to the above mixture.
Mix besan, corn flour,maida and butter.
Add this to the pieces and mix well. Quantity of besan and corn flour can be adjusted so that the pieces are coated with a thick layer of this.
Keep aside for 10 minutes.
Heat oil and deep fry the pieces till golden brown and crisp.

Notes-
Stays well for 3-4 days if stored in a glass container.
Butter, onion are optional
The same method can be used for aakakarakaya also.

Kaju masala

Ingredients

Cashews - 80-100g
Milk - 3 tbsp
Onions - 2
Tomatoes- 3
Capsicum - 1
Cinnamon - small piece
Cloves - 3-4
Star anise - 1
Bay leaf - 2
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Chilli powder
Salt
Kasuri methi - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

Soak a handful of cashews in 3 tbsp milk( or enough to cover the cashews) for 1/2 hour. After 1/2 hour grind cashews with the milk and a little water to a fine paste.
Grind onions into a smooth paste
Grind tomatoes to a smooth paste
Heat 1 tbsp oil and add Bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon and cloves and fry till you get a nice aroma.
Add onion paste with some salt and fry covered till oil oozes out.
Add the tomato paste and fry till done.
Add chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and kasuri methi and keep covered again till oil oozes out.
Add the cashew paste and cook again for some more time.
Meanwhile heat another tbsp of oil in another kadai and fry sliced capsicum.
Add this to the gravy.
Heat ghee and fry cashews till golden brown. Add these to the gravy as well.
Serve garnished with freshly cut coriander leaves

Bobbarla cutlet

Ingredients

Bobbarlu/ alasandalu/ black eyed peas - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Green chilli - 1
Ginger - 1/4 inch piece
Coriander leaves- small bunch
Cooked rice - handful
Salt
Oil

Method

1. Soak the peas for 5-6 hours.
2. Grind them with chilli, ginger, rice and salt.
3. Add onion pieces and coriander leaves to the paste.
4. Make small, thin cutlets and shallow fry on a tawa till golden brown on both sides.

Paneer rice

Ingredients

Paneer cubes - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Tomatoes -2
Green chilli -1
Bay leaf -1
Masala powder( cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamom) - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cooked rice( leftover rice)
Salt
Corianser powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Amchur - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves

Method

1. Heat oil. Fry paneer cubes and keep aside or put in a bowl of warm water.
2. In the same oil, add bay leafand green chilli. Add onions and fry till translucent.
3. Add tomatoes and fry till soft.
4. Add the powders and fry for some more time.
5. Add the paneer pieces along with the water.
6. Cook for some time without the lid.
7. Add the cooked rice and spread on top evenly. Close the pan with a lid and cook till moisture evaporates. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Senagala vadalu

Grind soaked chickpeas, soaked urad Dal, green chillies, ginger, jeera, onion, Curry leaves, coriander leaves and salt.
Make small vadas and deep fry in hot oil.

Pesarapappu payasam

Method

Heat ghee in a pan. Add pesarapappu( 1 cup) and fry till golden brown. ( Ghee quantity should be such that there is extra ghee even after adding the Dal)
Add 2 cups water and cook the Dal till it turns soft.
Add jaggery(little more than 1 cup)  and cook till jaggery melts.
Add milk and cook for some more time.
Add cashews, kismis and elaichi powder.

Cabbage pakodi curry

Ingredients

Cabbage - 1/4 cup
Corn flour - 2.5 tbsp
Maida - 1 tsp
Besan - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil

Method

Chop cabbage into juliennes.
In a bowl, add cabbage. Add rest of ingredients except oil, to it and mix well.
Sprinkle some water and mix again.
Deep fry in hot oil and serve as a side dish for rice

Paneer butter masala

Ingredients

Paneer - 250 g ( cubes)
Onion - 1 big sized
Tomato - 2 medium sized
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Garlic -4-5 pods
Cinnamon powder - 1.5 tsp ( can also use cinnamon sticks)
Cloves - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Kasuri methi - 2 tsp
Fresh cream - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt
Kashmiri Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Butter - 3 tbsp
Cashew - 10-12 (optional)

Method

Take chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cinnamon and cloves in a pan and add 1.5 cups of water. Boil till tomatoes are cooked.
Cool this and strain. Grind the pieces to a smooth paste. Reserve the strained water.
Heat butter in a kadai. Add bay leaf
Add the paste and boil till the fat is released.
Add the chilli powder, salt and sugar and boil for another minute.
Add crushed kasuri methi and cream and bring it to a boil.
Add paneer pieces and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rotis or pulao.

Milagai podi

Ingredients

Channa Dal - 3 cup
Dania - 4 cup
Salt
Oil - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 4-5
Inguva - a pinch

Method

Heat little oil. Add Dal, Dania and chillies and fry till the Dal turns golden brown.
Keep aside to cool and grind to a little coarse powder.
Add salt and asafoetida and mix well.

Majjiga pulusu

Ingredients

Curd - 2 cups
Vegetable - any 1 ( ladiefinger/ bottle gourd/ ash gourd)
Coconut - 2.5 tbsp
Jeera - 2 tsp
Green chilli - 1
Ginger - small piece
Besan - 2 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tap
Salt
Coriander leaves - few
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seed s - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few

Method

Add water to curd and whisk well to make buttermilk.
Boil the chopped vegetable in little water.
Grind coconut, jeera, chilli and ginger to a smooth paste with some water.
Add the above paste, boiled vegetable, besan, turmeric, salt to the buttermilk and mix well.
Keep this on a low flame and let it come to a boil twice. Switch off and add coriander leaves.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds, urad Dal and Curry leaves. Add the seasonings to the boiled buttermilk.

Sweet corn dosa

Sweet corn dosa

Ingredients

Sweet corn( boiled) - 1 cup

Soaked moong dal(split)-1 cup

Rice flour - 3 tbsp

Onion - 1

Ginger- small piece

Green chilli - 1-2

Salt

Method

• Soak yellow moong dal for half an hour. 
• Grind onion, ginger, green chilli and sweet corn to a paste.
• Add moong dal and grind again.
• Take this in a bowl. Add rice flour, salt and mix well.
• Make dosas with this batter

Oats paniyaram

Oats paniyaram

Ingredients

Oats - 1 cup

Rice flour - 3 tbsp

Rava - 1 tbsp

Curd - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1

Carrot - 1

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves - few

Mustard - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Oil- as per requirement

Salt - as per requirement

Method

• Dry roast oats in a pan till they become warm. Make sure they don’t turn brown.
• Take the roasted oats in a bowl. Add rice flour, rava and curd. Mix well.
• Heat a spoon of oil and add mustard along with curry leaves. Add onions and grated carrot.
• Fry till onions turn translucent. Add this to the oats batter.
• Add salt, chilli powder and coriander leaves.
• Heat a paniyaram pan and make oats paniyaram.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Koora kaaram

Koora kaaram

Ingredients 

Channa dal - 1 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Dania - 2.5 tbsp

Red chillies - 5-6

Raw rice - 1 tsp

Tamarind - very small gooseberry sized ball

Salt 

Oil - 1 tsp

Method

• Heat oil and fry all the ingredients in oil till the dals turn brown.
• Keep aside to cool and grind to a smooth powder along with tamarind and salt.

This powder can be used for veggies like brinjal, cluster beans and plantain.

Brinjal curry

Vankaya podi kaaram kura

Ingredients 

Brinjal - 1/4 kg

Onion -1

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Koora kaaram - 1.5 tbsp

Mustard seeds -1 tsp

Urad dal -1 tsp

Red chilli -1/2

Curry leaves -few

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt 

Method

• Wash and slit brinjal into small pieces and keep the pieces in water till they are used.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard, urad, red chilli and then curry leaves.
• When the dal turns brown, add onion pieces and fry till they turn translucent.
• Add brinjal pieces along with required salt and turmeric.
• Keep covered and cook till the pieces turn soft.
• Add the koora kaaram powder, mix well and keep covered for a few minutes.

Kandi pachadi

Kandi pachadi

Ingredients 

Kandi pappu/ toor dal - 1 cup

Red chilli - 8

Jeera - 1 tsp

Garlic - 3-4

Tamarind - small gooseberry sized ball

Salt 

Method

• Dry roast dal till golden brown. Keep mixing it to ensure even roasting.
• Transfer to a bowl and add water to soak the dal.
• After some time, take the dal along with the soaked water in a mixie jar. Add red chillies, tamarind, jeera, salt and garlic.
• Grind to a smooth paste.
• Serve with hot rice

Notes 

I usually grind it to a thick paste so that leftover pachadi can be deep fried as vadas. I add a little water while having with white rice

Sarva pindi

Sarva pindi

Ingredients 

Rice flour - 1/2 cup

Bengal gram dal - 2 tsp

Peanuts - 2 tsp

Sesame seeds - 2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Onion - 1

Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves- few

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt 

Method

• Dry roast peanuts and remove skin.
• Soak bengal gram dal for 1/2 an hour.
• Add all the ingredients (except oil) in a bowl.
• Add water slowly and make a smooth non sticky dough. (do not add more water as it will become difficult to spread)
• Take a pan and add 1 tsp of oil.
• Take a large ball of the dough and spread it evenly on the pan. 
• Make holes in it and add the remaining oil in them.
• Place the pan on a low flame and keep it covered.
• Cook till it turns crisp and also gets a nice golden colour.(Can be flipped also

Veg poha cutlet

Veg Poha cutlet

Ingredients

Poha / Atukulu - 1/2 cup

Potato - 1 medium sized

Peas - handful

Sweet corn - handful 

Carrot - 1

Coriander leaves- few

Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Salt 

Oil - for shallow frying

Method 

• Boil potatoes, corn and peas.
• Wash poha under running water and keep aside. 
• Mash the potatoes well. Add grated carrot, poha and all powders and salt and mix well.
• Make small cutlets and shallow fry.
• Serve hot with mint raitha.

Nalla kaaram

Nalla kaaram

KAARAM

Ingredients ( for 250g of kaaram)

Oil-1/2 tsp

Tamarind - small piece

Channa dal -3 tbsp

Urad dal -3 tbsp

Dania -8 tbsp

Jeera - 1.5 tbsp

Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp

Garlic - 4

Curry leaves - few

Red chilli - 10

Method

• Heat oil in a kadai.
• Add the ingredients in the same order given above with a few seconds time interval.
• Fry till they are done. Keep aside to cool.
• Grind it to a coarse powder.
• Serve as side dish for idli, dosa, upma etc

Peanut sesame ladoo

Peanut sesame ladoo

 Ingredients

Peanuts - 1 cup

Sesame seeds - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

• Dry roast peanuts and keep aside to cool. Once cool, remove the skin.
• Dry roast sesame seeds.
• Grind peanuts to a powder. Add jaggery and grind till they mix well.
• Grind sesame seeds and add to the above mixture. Add cardamom powder.
• Mix well and make ladoos. 

Smileys

Ingredients

Potatoes -2 

Corn flour - 1 tbsp

Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup

Salt - as per requirement

Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp

Oil for deep frying

Method

• Boil potatoes and grate them.
• Mix other ingredients except oil. Knead into a non sticky dough.
• Refrigerate for half an hour.
• Spread into a slightly thick circle. Cut small circles using a cutter.
• Make eyes and mouth with a straw or a toothpick.
• Deep fry.

Bottle gourd bread cutlet

Ingredients
Bottle gourd - 1/2 cup (grated)
Bread - 2-3
Salt
Onion -1
Coriander leaves - small bunch
Green chilli -1 or 2
Chilli powder -1/4 tsp
Turmeric -1/4 tsp
Coriander powder-1/2 tsp
Garam masala -1/4 tsp
Sooji - just for coating
Oil for shallow frying

Method

1. Grate bottle gourd. Add salt and keep aside for 2 minutes. 
2. Squeeze out the excess water onto a plate. Soak bread pieces in the squeezed water for a second.( in case water is not sufficient to soak, then add some more water)
3. Crumble and add to the grated vegetable. Add chopped onion pieces, salt and all the other powders and chilli, Coriander leaves. Mix well and make small cutlets.
4. Coat with sooji on all sides and shallow fry till golden brown.

Cabbage chutney

Ingredients
Cabbage - 1/2 cup
Onion -1/2
Tomato - 1
Red chilli -3-4
Urad dal split - 2.5 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Tamarind- small ball
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Salt

Method

1.   Heat oil. Add urad dal and red chillies and fry till the dal turns golden brown.
2. Add chopped onion pieces. Add salt and keep covered till onion turns translucent.
3. Add chopped cabbage pieces and fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add chopped tomato pieces and turmeric. Keep covered till tomato becomes soft. Add tamarind. 
5. Keep aside and when the mixture cools down, grind to a smooth paste.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot rice or idli, dosa. 

Mysore pak

Made it this sweet on our wedding anniversary(completed 15years)😊

Mysore pak

Ingredients

Besan - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Ghee -1 cup
Oil-1 cup
Water -1/2 cup

Method

1. Fry besan in little ghee and keep aside.(optional step.)
2. Heat oil and ghee in a small kadai on a low flame.
3. Keep another kadai, add sugar and water and boil till 1 string consistency.
4. Keep on a low flame and add besan little by little and make sure there are no lumps.
5. Add a ladleful of ghee from the small kadai. Increase the flame to medium. Keep stirring till the ghee is absorbed.
6. Add another ladleful of ghee and stir till it is absorbed again. Repeat the same process roughly 4-5 times till all the ghee is used up.
7. Keep stirring. Increase the flame to high, stir quickly and when it starts leaving ghee and changes to light brown colour, pour the mixture immediately on a greased plate.
8. Cut into pieces when it is still lightly warm.