Methi rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• oil as needed
• 1 onion
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp red chili powder 
• 1 to 2 slit green chili
• ½ cup green peas
• 1 cup methi leaves 
•  ½ tsp garam masala
• Turmeric as needed
• salt as needed

Dry spices:

• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 tsp jeers
• 2 cloves
• Half inch cinnamon stick

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for about 20 minutes. Cook rice to grainy and cool completely.
   
2. Saute dry spices in hot oil. Add onion,green chilies fry 2 minutes.
   
3. Saute methi leaves and peas for 3 to 4 minutes.
   
4. Add gram masala powder,Red Chili Powder and turmeric and mix well.
   
5. Switch off the stove.Add rice and salt to the pan. Mix everything well. 
   
6. Serve with raita .
   

Rajma curry

Ingredients:

• 1.5 tbsp ghee or oil
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
•  ½ cup onions puree
• ¾ cup tomato puree 
• 1 cup rajma soaked over night
• water 1 cup 
• turmeric as needed
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ¼ tsp cumin powder
• ½  tsp garam masala
• ¾ tsp red chilli powder
• coriander leaves for garnish
• salt as needed

Method:

1. Wash and soak rajma for 8 to 10 hours in lot of water. If you prefer to pressure cook them first, you can do it for 3 to 4 whistles on a medium flame with 2 cups of water.
   
2. Heat a pan with oil and saute cumin until it sizzles.
   
3. Saute ginger garlic paste until a nice aroma comes out.
   
4. Add onions and saute until it turns golden.
   
5. Saute tomato puree until the raw smell vanishes.
   
6. Add all the spice powders and salt. Saute until oil begins to leave.Add kidney beans and pour water. 
   If you have pressure cooked them already in the first step, then you can add them here along with left over stock. Simmer for 10 to 15 mins.
   
7. Pressure cook on a medium flame for 1 whistle. Reduce the flame to low and pressure cook for 2 whistles. When the pressure goes off, open the lid and stir.
8. Sprinkle some coriander leaves.serve with chapati.
   

Beerakaya pappu

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of Toor dal /kandhi pappu
• 8 green chilies
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 large tomatoes
• Tamarind as needed
• 2 cups of chopped tender beerakaya 
• Salt to taste
• 
  
•  Seasoning

• 3 sprigs of fresh curry leaves
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp cumin / jeera
• Oil as needed 

Method:

1. Wash and pressure cook dal, ridge gourd, onions, green chilies,turmeric  and tomatoes with 2 to 2 ½ cups of water till smooth. cook for 3 whistles.
   
2. Once the pressure is off, add tamarind pulp and salt and bring it to a boil. Mash the dal.
   
3. Heat oil in a pan for tadka, add red chilies, mustard, and cumin when they begin to splutter, add garlic and curry leaves and fry till the curry leaves turn crisp. Pour this over the boiling dal. Off the heat and mix well.
   
4. Serve with rice.
   

Beerakaya fry

Ingredients:

• 250 grams ridge gourd / beerakaya
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 ½ tsp. chana dal and urad dal each
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 2 red chili broken
• 1½ to 2 tbsps. Putanala pappu powder
• 1 to 2 tbsps. Grated fresh coconut 
• ⅛ tsp. turmeric
• ¼ tsp. mustard
• ½ tsp. cumin
• Oil as needed
• Salt
• 
  
• Method:

1. Wash the gourd under running water, brush it well since we are using the skin too. wash well. chop to bite sized pieces.
   
2. Heat a pan with oil, add mustard, cumin, dals, and fry till the dals turn golden.
   
3. Add curry leaves, red chili and garlic, fry till the curry leaves turn crisp.
   
4. Add gourd, sprinkle turmeric and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes stirring.
   
5. Reduce the flame to low to medium and fry till the gourd is cooked completely. If your gourd is not tender and juicy. You can sprinkle water, cover and cook.
   
6. Add putanala pappu powder and coconut. Fry till you get a nice aroma for about 3 to 5 minutes.
   
7. Serve with rice.
   

Chicken pakoda

Ingredients 

½ cup chicken strips or cubes

½ cup sliced onions layers separated

1 green chilies chopped

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp. lemon juice (adjust)

½ tsp red chili powder

¼ tsp garam Masala powder

⅛ tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

10 curry leaves washed and chopped

4 to 6 tbsp. besan ad

1 tbsp. corn flour 

Oil to deep fry

Method:

1. Cut chicken to thin strips of 2 by ¾ inch. Wash and drain up the water thoroughly.
   
2. Mix together chicken, onions, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, green chili, red chili powder, garam masala powder, turmeric, lemon juice and salt. Set aside for 20 to 30 mins.
   
3. Add in the flour, cornflour  as needed to make stiff moist dough. If needed sprinkle little water to the dough and do not make it floury either. Just use enough flour to bind them.
   
4. Heat oil in a pan, drop these chicken pieces one after the other along with the onions. Do not crowd them in the kadai. Keep stirring and fry till they turn golden brown.
   
5. Once all the pakoras are done, Take care not to burn.serve hot with tomato sauce.
   

Dal khichdi

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin / jeera
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 tsp grated ginger or ginger paste
• very few onion slices (optional)
• ½ cup tomato chopped
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• turmeric little
• 1 green chili slit (optional)
• salt as needed
• ¾ cup rice (any kind of rice)
• ¾ moong dal (refer notes)
• 2 ½ cups water (refer notes)

Instructions

1. Wash and soak rice and dal. Drain water completely.Heat ghee in a pressure cooker or pot.
   
2. Allow cumin to crackle and saute curry leaves as well.
   
3. Fry ginger until fragrant. Do not burn.
   
4. Fry onions until the raw smell goes. Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric and saute until they turn mushy.Add red chili powder and cook for one to 2 mins.
   
5. Add drained rice and fry for 3 mins. Pour water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. If cooking in a pot, cook until soft.
   
6. Serve dal khichdi with papad.
   

Vegetables paneer fry

Ingredients:

• 1 cup paneer tiny cubes 
• 1.5 tsp oil
• ½ tsp tsp cumin
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 cup carrots
• 1 cup peas 
• ¼ kasuri methi
• pinch of amchur powder 
• pinch of turmeric
• pinch of pepper powder
• Pinch of gram masala 

Method:

1. Cut paneer to tiny cubes. set aside.
   
2. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin and saute till they begin to sizzle.
   
3. Add ginger and fry until it begins to smell good.
   
4. Add peas and carrot. Sprinkle salt and fry until carrot and peas is done.
   
5. Add paneer, garam masala, turmeric and kasuri methi and amchur powder. MIx and stir fry just for 2 minutes.
   
6. Transfer immediately to a serving bowl.garnish with chopped spring onions.
   

Chicken briyani

Ingredients:

dry spices to Temper

• 1 bay leaf
• 3 green cardamoms
• 4 to 6 cloves
• Small Cinnamon stick
• 1 Star anise
• ½ tsp. shahi jeera

marinate

• 1 ½ tbsp curd/ yogurt

• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste

• Salt as needed

• ¼ tsp. turmeric

• ¼ tsp. red chili powder

• ½ to ¾ tsp biryani masala  

Other ingredients

• ½ kg chicken
• 2 cups basmathi rice
• 3 ¼ water  
• 2 tbsp. Oil
• Salt as needed
• 1 medium tomato  
• 1 ½ tbsp curd
• 12 mint leaves / pudina finely chopped
• coriander leaves from 12 stems finely chopped
• 1 ½ ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chilies sliced or chopped
• 1 large onion sliced thinly
• ¼ tsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsplease chicken briyani masala

Instructions

1. Soak rice for at least 20 to 30 minutes. If using normal rice (not basmathi) soak it for 30 minutes.
   
2. Marinate chicken using ingredients under marination. Set this aside.
   
3. Add oil to a kadai and heat it. Add the dry spices and saute till they begin to sizzle.
   
4. Add onions and fry till they turn  light golden, add ginger garlic and fry till the raw smell goes off.
   
5. Add chicken and fry till the color changes.
   
6. Add chopped tomatoes, corinader, pudina and salt.fry until chicken cook soft.
   
7. Pour water and bring it to a boil.
   
8. Drain off the rice completely and add it to the cooker.
   
9. Cook till the water very little is left, cover the lid and turn on the flame to very low. If using basmathi rice, cook it for about 3 to 5 minutes,a If using normal rice that is slightly on the harder side to cook allow it to whistle onces,transfer it immediately to a wide utensil to prevent turning mushy.
   
10. Granish with coriander leaves and boiled eggs.Serve chicken biryani with onion raita.