aloo sagu

Ingredients:

• 3 large potatoes cubed small
• ¼ cup of fresh or frozen green peas
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 2 to 3 green chilies slit
• ¼ cup of fried gram, putnala pappu
• Pinch of mustard
• ¼ tsp. cumin
• Generous pinch of turmeric
• Salt as needed
• 2 tbsps. Oil
• 2 tbsps lemon juice (adjust)

Method:

1. Heat a pan with oil, add cumin, mustard and curry leaves.
   
2. Let the spices begin to splutter, then add green chilies, potatoes and peas. Fry for around 2 to 3 mins
   
3. Add enough water to cover the potatoes and allow the potatoes to soft cook.
   
4. While the potatoes cook, powder the fried gram.Add little water just enough to make a thick paste of the gram flour. It must be of pouring consistency. Add salt and turmeric to the paste.
   
5. When the potatoes are cooked, pour the mix and stir well to prevent lumps. Simmer the gravy till it thickens. Switch off the stove
   
6. Add lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves
   

Pudina raita

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup fresh mint leaves/pudina  leaves
• ½ tsp cumin
• salt as needed
• 1¼ cup curd
• 1 to 2 tbsp. chopped cucumber
• 1 to 2 tbsp. chopped onions

Method:

1. Wash mint leaves in a lot of water and drain them.
   
2. Dry roast cumin and cool it.Add cumin to a blender jar and powder.
   
3. Add 1 tbsp of yogurt, mint, coriander and salt to the jar.Blend well and mix with the rest of the yogurt.
   
4. Add few chopped onions or cucumber pieces.serve With vegetable  briyani or any other rice.
   

Chicken pulao

 chicken pulao is mildly spiced and is not heavy like the chicken biryani. It is best to serve it with a good onion raita. 




Ingredients:

• 1 ½ to 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 large onion thinly slices
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 medium tomato chopped
• Salt as needed
• Pinch of Turmeric
• Handful of chopped mint/ pudina
• Few coriander leaves chopped
• 1 ½ cups rice (prefer basmathi)
• 2 ½ cups water

dry spices

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 Star anise

• ½ tsp jeera

• 8 cloves

• 1 inch cinnamon

To Marinate

• 250 grams chicken

• ¾ tsp ginger garlic paste

• ¼ to ½ tsp red chili powder

• Generous pinch of turmeric

• Salt as needed

• 1 tsp oil

• 1 ½ to 2 tbsp. Curd / yogurt 

Method:

1. Wash rice and soak for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
   
2. Marinate chicken with ingredients mentioned under to marinate. Set this aside till we use it. 
   
3. Heat a pot  with oil, add spices along with saunf and saute till it begins to smell nice.
   
4. Add onions, green chili and fry till lightly golden. Fry ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell disappears.
   
5. Add marinated chicken and fry until it turns pale and white. This takes around 3 to 4 minutes. Take care not to burn.
   
6. Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Fry until the tomatoes turn mushy, pulp and looks completely cooked. Add mint and coriander leaves and fry until it smells good for a minute.
   
7. Make sure tomatoes are cooked, blended well with the mixture, then water.
   
8. When it comes to a boil, add salt and rice.
   
9. cook until the rice is done completely. Towards the end. Simmer the flame and cover the pot. Cook on a low flame for 3 to 5 minutes. Fluff up after 5 minutes.serve with raitha.
   

Egg butter masala

egg butter masala goes very well as a side with almost anything like plain rice, roti, butter naan and even with biryani. This is one of my most preferred dishes to go with variety rice and even with biryani



Ingredients:

• 4 boiled eggs
• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 cup cubed onions

• 1 cup ripe tomatoes 

• 10 cashew nuts

• salt as needed

• 1 tsp red chili powder
• turmeric as needed
• 2 cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick 
• 1 top coriander powder 
• ¼ tsp kasuri methi
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste

• 
  

Method:

1.  Boiled eggs saute them in hot butter until golden. Set these aside.
   
2. In the same pan add butter, saute onions, cashews, tomatoes and salt on a medium to high flame.
   
3. Add chili powder and turmeric.Fry until the raw smell goes away.
   
4. Cool this and blend with ¾ cup water.
   
5. Heat ¾ tbsp butter and fry cinnamon, cloves and1 ginger garlic paste, saute it now until the raw smell goes off.
   
6. Pour the puree to the pan and add little more water to bring the gravy to a consistency.
   
7. Cook until the gravy thickens. Add  coriander powder, cook until you see the fats separated. Add kasuri methi and cook for 1 to 2 mins.
   
8. Add eggs and stir.Cover and cook for 2 to 3 mins.
   
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.
   

Gutti vankaya fry

Ingredients:

• 10 brinjals / vankaya
• 2 medium sized onions
• ¼ cup coconut
• ¼ cup peanuts
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• ½ tsp cumin / jeera
• 1 ½ tbsp oil
• 1 ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 to 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder 
• salt as needed
•  tamarind pulp as needed
• coriander leaves few

Method:

1. Dry roast peanuts until nicely done. Saute sesame, cumin and coconut in the same pan. cool them.
   
2. Saute onions until golden in 1 tsp oil. Saute also ginger garlic until the raw smell goes off.
   
3. Add chili powder, coriander or garam masala powder and salt. Cool all these and blend to a coarse paste. Add lemon juice or tamarind as desired and mix well. Taste it and adjust the salt and chili.
   
4. Wash and slit brinjals by keeping them intact towards the stem.
   
5. Stuff this mixture and set them aside.
   
6. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil and add these brinjals along with curry leaves. Toss them well to coat with oil. Cover and cook until done. Occasionally toss them or flip them to cook evenly.
   
7. When the eggplants are cooked completely, the skin wilts off. Sprinkle coriander leaves.Serve hot with rice and ghee.
   

Dondakaya curry

Ingredients:

• 250 grams ivy gourd / dondakaya 
• 1 to 1 ½ tbsp. oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ½ tsp. cumin
• Pinch of turmeric
• 2 medium onions finely chopped 
• 1 large ripe tomato chopped 
• ½ tsp. red chili powder
• ¾ tsp garam masala powder adjust as needed
• Coriander leaves chopped finely
• Salt as needed
• 2 to 3 tbsp. Fresh grated coconut 

Method:

1. Nip off the edges and chop them to desired size.
   
2. Heat oil in a pan, crackle mustard and cumin.Add curry leaves.
   
3. When the curry leaves turn crisp, add onions and fry until they turn slightly golden.
   
4. Add tomato, salt and turmeric. Saute until they become mushy and blend well with onions.
   
5. Add ivy gourd and fry for 2 to 3 mins. Add red chili powder and saute for another minute.
   
6. Cover and cook on a very low flame stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
   
7. When the gourd is half cooked, add Coriander psaute for 2 mins.
   
8. Cover and simmer until cooked. Sprinkle coconut. Stir well. 
   
9. Serve dondakaya curry with rice or chapathi.