Ulundu vada

Ingredients

Urad dal

Green Chillies

salt to taste

Method

Soak dal in water overnight. Grind dal in little water.

Then make vada shape and deep fry in oil.

Sweet Pongal

Ingredients

Moong Dal - 1/2 cup.
Rice - 1/2 cup.
Milk
Coconut
cashew
jaggery
raisins (kishmish - dry grapes)
cardamom
ghee

Method

Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it will start smelling). 

Soak rice and dal separately for 10 minutes.
Thoroughly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water and cook it separately (in two different containers). 

Meanwhile cut coconut in very small pieces and fry in ghee. 

Fry cashew and raisins also separately. 

Break the jaggery and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. This is done because sometimes jaggery as mud and stones. After we make the syrup strain it through tea strainer. Put the rice and dal in a big vessel and add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed. 

Add jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed. Add three big table spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while. 

Add fried coconut, cashews and raisins.

Serve hot in two cups with a spoon of ghee.

Serve: 2 people

Sarson ka Saag

Ingredients

1 bunch sarson greens
1 bunch spinach
1 onion grated
1/2 tsp. each ginger & garlic grated
3 green chillies
1 tbsp. grated cheese o r paneer (optional)
1/2 lemon juice
salt to taste
2 tbsp. ghee
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tbsp. maize flour

Method

1.Chop both greens, wash, drain.
2.Heat oil in the pressure cooker direct.
3.Add both greens, green chillies, stir.
4.Add ginger, garlic, stir.
5.Add few pinches salt, 1 cup water.
6.Pressure cook till done. (2 whistles).
7.Mash well.
8.Heat ghee in a pan, add onion, saute till brown,
9.Add all other ingredients, except cheese.
10.Stir well and cook till oil separates.
11.Garnish with cheese.
12.Serve hot with makki ki roti or paratha.

Making time: 25 minutes (excluding pressure cooking time)
Shelf life: Best fresh

Makes: 3-4 servings

Green All-Purpose Chutney

Ingredients

15 green chillies
1/2 cup coriander
1/2 lemon
1 tbsp. sev or potato wafers crushed
1/2 tsp. jaggery
salt to taste
1 tsp. oil
1 clove garlic

Method
Put all the ingredients , except oil and asafoetida , in a small mixie.
Heat the oil and add the asafoetida and put in the mixie.
Run the mixie till a smooth chutney is obtained.
Try using no water or as little as possible to make the chutney keep longer.
Add water as and when required.
Store in a clean glass bottle.

Note: Sev is a fried Indian snack made of gramflour.

Making time: 5 minutes
Shelf life: 1 week (refrigerated)

Makes 1/2 cup chutney

Pear and Mango Chutney

Ingredients

250 gms. raw firm mango
250 gms. pears.
500 gms. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tbsp. marshmelon (kharbooja) seeds.
1 tbsp. raisins.
2 cloves powdered
8 each almonds and cashews chopped finely.

Method

Peel and mash and pear.
Put 1 tbsp. sugar in a heavy saucepan.
Heat on a low flame, stirring and cooking till it turns brown.
Add 500 ml. water and boil.
When the sugar has fully dissolved in the water add remaining sugar.
When it begins to boil again add the mashed fruit, cashew, raisins, seeds, chilli and salt.
Boil till a thick jam consistency is obtained. Stir occasionally.
Add the clove powder and garam masala.
Cool a bit and transfer to clean airtight jar.

Making time: 1 hour
Shelf life: 1 month
Makes 1.5 kgs. chutney.

Spicy Sev

Ingredients

2 cups gram flour (Besan)
1/2 tsp. ajwain (omam) seeds
1 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tbsp. oil
salt to taste
2-3 pinches asafoetida
water to make dough
oil to deep fry

Method

• Mix the chilli powder, oil, salt and seeds into the flour.
• Add enough water to make a dough which is quite gooey.
• It should not be pliable but sticky.
• Grease the inside of a Sev-press, fill with the dough.
• Press into hot oil, and fry lightly on both sides.
• Drain well and cool before storing.

Variation:
You may adjust the chillies as per taste.
You may omit chillies to make bland sev.
You may add finely crushed dried herbs (eg. mint) for add flavour.

Note: A sev press is similar to a vermicelli press, but it should be small enough to handle over hot oil.

Making time: 15-20 minutes
Makes: 250 grams approx.