Jeera rice

Ingredients 

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• 1 cup basmathi rice 
• 2 ½ to 3 tsps. Jeera / cumin 
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 to 4 green cardamoms
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 to 6 cloves
• Salt as needed
• 2 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 green chili slit and deseeded
• 3 ½ cups water(adjust if needed)
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Method :

1. Wash and soak rice for at least 20 to 30 mins. Drain it completely in a colander
   
2. Heat ghee or oil in a pressure cooker or a pot.
   
3. Saute spices until they begin to sizzle. Roast cumin on a low flame until they get roasted well.
   
4. Add sliced onions and green chili. Fry until they turn golden.
   
5. Add drained rice and roast for 2 to 3 mins.
   
6. Pour 2.5 cups water and add salt.
   
   
7. Bring it to a boil and cook. Cover the pressure cooker with a lid. Cook on a high heat for 1 whistle. For cooking in pot, cook on a medium heat until the water is absorbed. when the rice is still soggy, cover and cook until done.
   
8. Serve hot.
   

Vankaya curry

Ingredients:

Vankaya -3 
onions -2
Tomato-2
salt to taste
coriander powder-1 tbsp
chilli powder-1 tbsp
Water half cup

Method :

Heat oil in a pan,add chopped onion fry until transparent. 

Add tomato pieces and fry until mushy. 

Add vankaya pieces and fry until soft.

Add red chili powder, salt and coriander powder, fry for 1 min.

Add water, fry for 15 mins.

 Serve with rice. 

cauliflower pakoda

Ingredients:

• 300 to 350 grams of cauliflower (3 heaped cups florets)
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 2 green chilies (adjust)
• 1 ¼ tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 ½ tsp ajwain/ carom seeds/ vaamu
• 1 tsp red chili powder (adjust)
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• ¼ cup + 3 tbsp besan 

Method:

1. Add cauli flower florets to salted hot water and leave for sometime. Drain the water and rinse them thoroughly. Drain in a colander.
   
2. Add them to a mixing bowl.Add ginger garlic paste, curry leaves, green chilies. Sprinkle chili powder, vaamu  and  chaat masala.
   
3. Mix well. Evenly sprinkle the flours and salt. Sprinkle water and coat the gobi well with flours. Use water as needed.
   
4. Heat oil in a fry pan. When the oil is hot enough fry until golden on a medium heat. The bubbles in the pan reduce when the florets are fried well.
   
5. Drain on a kitchen tissue. Serve hot with a cup of hot tea or coffeep
   

Indian style pasta

Ingredients 

• 2 cups pasta
• ½ tsp. cumin
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves chopped finely
• 1 large onion
• 2 chopped carrots
• ¼ to ½ cup green peas
• ¼ cup chopped capsicum / bell pepper
• ¾ to 1 cup chopped tomatoes 
• Salt as needed
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp garam masala

Method 

1. In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add salt, pasta and cook till al dente. I suggest referring the instructions on the pack.
   
2. Drain off to a colander and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
   
3. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, when they begin to splutter add garlic and fry till it begins to smell good.
   
4. Add onions and fry until they turn pink.
   
5. Add chopped veggies and fry for about 2 minutes. 
   
   
   
6. Add tomatoes  and add along with salt.
   
7. Cook until the tomatoes turn soft and blend well with veggies. The raw smell of tomatoes should disappear. red chili powder and masala powder.
   
8. Stir well and fry for a minute. Switch off the stove. If using cream add now and stir.Add cooked pasta and the left over oil. Toss well. Adjust salt as needed. 
   
9. Serve masala pasta hot.
   
   
   

Goru Chikkudukaya Fry

Ingredients:

• Chikkudukaya / Broad beans
• Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Chana dal – 1/2 sp
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies
• Putnala pappu powder
• Onion
• Turmeric
• Salt
• Curry leaves
• Oil

Method:

• First wash the board beans
• Now remove the ends and cut them into 3 pieces.
• Now pressure cook it for 2 whistles.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves. let them fry for 1 min.
  
• Now add onions and fry them well.
  
• Now add turmeric powder, salt and mix them well.
  
• When onions are cooked add board beans and mix them well and fry them for 10 min.
  
• Now add Putnala pappu powder and mix well, fry for 2 mins.
  
• Garnish with coriander leaves.Serve with Rice and Chapati.
  

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Goru Chikkudukaya Tomato Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 kg chikkudukaya/broadbeans, tear each into two pieces, boil in salted water and strain

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 slit green chilli

2 tomatoes finely chopped

pinch of turmeric

1 tsp red chilli pwd 

pinch of garam masala pwd (optional)

1 1/2 tbsps grated coconut (optional)

salt to taste

fresh coriander leaves for garnish

For tempering:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 dry red chillis

3-4 crushed garlic cloves (optional)

few curry leaves

1 tbsp oil

Method:

1 Heat oil in a cooking vessel, once hot, add the mustard seeds and let them pop, add the garlic, cumin, red chillis and curry leaves, stir fry for a few seconds.

2 Add the slit green chilli and onions and saute till soft. Add turmeric and tomatoes and saute further for a mt. Add chilli pwd, mix, cover and cook on medium heat for 5-6 mts.

3 Now add the boiled beans and salt and cook for another 2-3 mts. Add a small cup of water and let it cook covered on medium heat for another 5-6 mts or till the beans are cooked and soft.

4 Adjust salt, add garam masala pwd, mix and turn off heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice or chapatis.

dondakaya curry

Ingredients :

• 250 grams ivy gourd / dondakaya / tindora
• 1 to 1 ½ tbsp. oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ½ tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. mustard (optional)
• Pinch of turmeric
• Pinch of hing
• 3 tbsp of green peas
• 2 medium onions finely chopped or sliced
• 1 large ripe tomato chopped (½ cup pieces)
• ½ to ¾ tsp. red chili powder
• ¾ tsp garam masala powder 
• Coriander leaves chopped finely
• Salt as needed
• 2 to 3 tbsp. Fresh grated coconut (optional)

Method:

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