Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

Oats - 2 cups

Raisins - 1/2 cup

All purpose flour (maida) - 1 cup

White sugar - 1/2 cup

Dark brown sugar - 1/2 cup

Butter - 1/2 cup

Egg - one

Baking powder - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - pinch

Cinnamon powder - 1/8 tbsp

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Procedure:

• Take a wide mixing bowl, add butter, white sugar, dark brown sugar and whip them together with the help of hand mixer to form a smooth mixture.
• Add egg, vanilla essence and continue whipping. Now add maida, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder and mix under medium speed for 1-2 minutes.
• Then add oats, raisins and stir under low speed for not more than one minute. Just all the ingredients should mix well to get uniform dough. Do not stir for long time which may yield hard cookies.

• Preheat the oven at 350 F and grease a baking sheet.
• Now take a small portion of dough and make in to round balls. Place each ball on the greased sheet at least 1-2 inch apart.
• Now gently press each ball until they are flat enough. Transfer the tray in to oven and bake for 15-16 minutes. 

• After 15 minutes, remove from oven, cool them completely and store in an air tight container.

Methi Pulao/Methi Paneer Pulao

Ingredients:

Basmathi Rice - 1 cup

Methi leaves - 2 cups

Paneer cubes - 3/4 cup

Onion - 1, chopped lengthwise 

Green peas - hand full

Green chillies - 4-5

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic pods - 4-5

Fennel seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Bay leaf - 1

Cinnamon - 1 inch stick

Cloves - 4-5

Star anise - 1

Marati moggu - 1

Cardamom - 2

Cashews - 2 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Water - 1 1/2 cup (or adjust according to quality of rice)

Butter - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Pluck all methi leaves from stems, wash thoroughly, pat dry and keep aside.
2. Grind green chillies, ginger and garlic together to get a smooth paste.
3. Add paneer cubes in warm water and keep aside.
4. Heat butter in a pressure cooker, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, star anise, marati moggu, bay leaf, cashews and fry them until nice aroma comes out.
5. Add chopped onion, ground ginger-garlic-green chilly paste and fry until the raw smell disappears.
6. Now add methi leaves, garam masala and fry for just 30-40 seconds.Drain all the water, add paneer cubes, green peas and stir gently.
7. Add water, adjust salt and let them boil. When water is boiling, add washed basmati rice and cook until you get one whistle. After one whistle, turn to low flame and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
8. Once all the steam escapes by its own, open lid and gently stir with a wooden spatula without disturbing the texture of rice. Serve hot with raita and enjoy.

TIP: Do not chop methi leaves. This may add bitterness to the dish.

If paneer is not available, you prepare this pulao by skipping paneer. But the combination of methi and paneer has great taste. So, if possible use them in combination. Sprinkle some lemon juice while serving for extra taste.

Vankaya Pakodi Koora

Ingredients:

Brinjals/Baby Egg plants - 250 gm (preferably small violet brinjals)

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/4 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 1-2 tbsp

For Pakoda:

Onion - 1

Green chillies - 1-2, finely chopped

Besan/Gram flour - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves - 4-5, finely chopped

Salt - as per taste

Water - as required

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Take a small mixing bowl, add roughly chopped onion, chopped green chillies, besan, chopped curry leaves, water and mix well to form a sticky dough.
2. Take a small kadai, heat oil, drop a little portion of batter as small fritters and fry them until they turn to nice golden yellow.
3. Take another kadai, heat oil, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and fry them.
4. Add chopped brinjals and fry well until they are well cooked and turns to golden brown. 
5. Add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric, salt and mix well. Then add deep fried pakoda and sprinkle some water (just 1-2 tbsp). 
6. Close the lid and cook under very low flame for another 2-3 minutes until they are well sauted. Serve with hot steamed rice.

Cabbage Paneer Sandwich

Ingredients:

Bread - 4 slices

Cabbage - 1 cup, finely grated

Potato - 1, boiled and mashed

Paneer - 1/4 cup, finely grated

Green chillies - 2, finely chopped

Garam masala - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Finely chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Take a kadai, heat oil, add finely chopped green chillies and fry them for 1 minute.
2. Add finely grated cabbage and fry until the raw smell disappears. Probably it might take 2-3 minutes.
3. Add boiled and mashed potato, finely grated paneer and give a nice stir. Continue cooking under low flame for one more minute.
4. Add garam masala, salt, chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Switch off the flame and close the lid for 1-2 minutes until all the flavors are well incorporated.
5. Toast bread slices in a toaster or you roast on a flat pan with butter.
6. When the stuffing reaches to room temperature, add 1-2 tbsp of stuffing in between two slices, press gently and cut diagonally to get two set of triangles. Finally serve hot with tomato ketch up and enjoy.

Chamadumpala Vepudu/Arbi Fry/Roasted Taro root

Ingredients:

Chamadumpalu / Arbi - 250 gm

Roasted bengal gram - 2-3 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 3/4 tbsp (or adjust accordingly)

Ground black pepper - 1/4 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/8 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 1-2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash thoroughly, clean and boil arbi in pressure cooker until you hear 1 whistle.
2. Mean while grind roasted bengal gram to get fine powder. Add 1/2 tbsp of red chilly powder, black pepper and salt to this powder and mix well. Keep aside until used.
3. When all the steam escapes, open the pressure cooker. Transfer boiled arbi in to colander to drain all the excess water.
4. After sometime, once they reaches to room temperature, peel off the skin of arbi and cut in to slices of desired thickness (I chopped them in to thin slices for easy roasting and crisp taste).
5. Take a kadai and heat oil with a pinch of turmeric. When the oil is getting hot, dip each slice of arbi in to roasted bengal gram powder and fry them for few minutes on both sides until you get a nice golden brown crust. 
6. Finally sprinkle remaining red chilly powder all over the roasted slices and serve them. This is a great side dish for sambhar or rasam.

TIP: After boiling in pressure cooker, if you feel that the boiled arbi is still hard and not well cooked. You can microwave them at high heat for 3-4 minutes or until they are tender.

Rasam

Ingredients:

Water - 5 cups

Onion (small) - 1, finely chopped length wise

Tomato (large) - 1

Green chillies - 2

Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Jaggery - 1/4 tbsp or adjust according to taste

Tamarind - gooseberry size

Salt - as per taste

Coriander leaves - to garnish

To blend:

Garlic pods - 3-4

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Pepper corns - 1/2 tbsp (adjust according to your spice level)

Coriander leaves - 1-2 tbsp (you can also use thin stems of coriander)

To temper:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Red chillies - 2

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Hing - small pinch

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Soak tamarind in luke warm water and keep aside.
2. Take a wide cooking vessel, switch on the flame, add water, finely chopped onion, chopped tomato, green chillies, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilly powder, salt, jaggery and mix well. 
3. When the water starts boiling, add squeezed tamarind juice and continue cooking with lid closed.
4. Mean while, pound garlic pods, cumin seeds, pepper corns, coriander leaves together to get a coarse powder. Keep it aside until used.
5. Once the water level reduces to 70-80% you can start tempering.
6. Take a small frying pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, hing and let them splutter. Add coarsely ground powder to the seasoning and fry for one more minute.
7. Transfer the seasoning immediately in to rasam, close the lid and switch of the flame. Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

TIP: For extra taste, freshly grated coconut can also be added just before seasoning.

Oats Dosa/Instant Oats Dosa

Ingredients:

Oats - 1 cup

Wheat flour - 1/2 cup

Rice flour - 1/2 cup

Semolina - 3 tbsp

Onion, finely chopped - 1

Green chillies, finely chopped - 2-3

Ginger, finely chopped - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves, chopped - few

Coriander leaves, finely chopped - few

Salt - as per taste

Water - required

Oil - to roast

Procedure:

1. Take a wide mixing bowl, add oats, wheat flour, rice flour, semolina, chopped onion, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt, water and mix well to get runny batter (similar to that of rava dosa).
2. Heat a flat pan, pour batter all over, sprinkle oil around and roast it under medium flame until it leaves the pan easily. Serve hot with your favorite chutney.

TIP: You also add chopped onion separately on the pan and pour batter on it. 

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

Palak (Spinach) - 1 big bunch

Paneer cubes - 1/2 cup

Tomato (large) - 1

Onion (large) - 1

Green chillies - 2-3

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Whole garam masala - cloves-2, cinnamon-1 inch, star anise-small piece

Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) - 1/2 tsp

Fresh cream - 2 tbsp (You can also substitute with milk - 1/4 cup)

Salt - as per taste

Butter - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash thoroughly, clean and roughly chop spinach leaves.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, add chopped spinach and saute them just for few seconds (less than one minute). Do not cook them for long time. Just the chopped leaves should shrink and come together.
3. Let them cool for few minutes and blend with chopped green chillies to get a smooth paste.
4. In the same kadai, heat butter, add whole garam masala and fry them until nice aroma comes out.
5. Add very finely chopped onion and saute them until tender. Add ginger garlic paste and continue frying for one more minute.
6. Then add finely chopped tomato and cook until it turns mushy. Add kasoori methi and give a nice stir.
7. Meanwhile transfer paneer cubes in to bowl with warm water until used.
8. Now add spinach paste, little water and stir well to get a smooth gravy. Add paneer cubes and stir gently.
9. Now add fresh cream and mix well. You can also substitute fresh cream with milk. In case of adding milk, add little by little and mix well until it gets incorporated in to gravy. Finally adjust salt and serve hot with roti. 

TIP: Alternately you can also boil spinach in hot water for 1 minute and blend them. I personally prefer sauteing them in pan.

Chop onion and tomato as finely as possible. They should be incorporated in to gravy to get smooth texture.

Mulakkada Pulusu (Drum stick cooked with tamarind gravy)

Ingredients:

Drumsticks - 2

Tomato (large) - 1

Onions (medium) - 2

Green chillies - 2

Tamarind - goose berry size

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp (If you want little more spicy, you can add up to 1 tbsp)

Jaggery/Sugar - 1/2 tbsp (optional)

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Curry leaves - 1 strand

Coriander leaves, finely chopped - 2 tbsp

Water - 1&1/2 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash thoroughly and trim the ends of drumsticks. Cut them in to 1&1/2 to 2 inch pieces. Similarly chop onions and tomato finely and keep aside.
2. Soak tamarind in luke warm water until it turns soft.
3.  Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add green chillies (slit length wise), curry leaves and fry them.
4. Add finely chopped onion and saute until they are tender. After few minutes, add chopped tomato and cook until they are mushy. Then add drumsticks and give a nice stir.
5. Add required water and continue cooking. When the drumsticks are half cooked, add squeeze tamarind juice and pour in to cooking vessel.
6. Add turmeric, red chilly powder, salt and mix well. Let the gravy boil until the drumsticks are well cooked. Add jaggery at this point and cook for 2 more minutes. Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

TIP: You can also prepare this by skipping tomato. In this case add little more tamarind pulp to adjust the tanginess.

Drumsticks in some areas look very thick and do not get cooked easily. In this case, pressure cook drumsticks separately and add in to the gravy.

Allam Pachadi (Onion Ginger Chutney for Idly & Dosa)

Ingredients:

Onion (large) - 1

Ginger - one and half inch

Red chillies - 2-3

Bengal gram - 1 tbsp

Tamarind pulp - 1/2 tbsp

Jaggery / Sugar - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Roughly chop onion, ginger and set aside.
2. Take a small frying pan, heat oil, add bengal gram, red chillies and fry them until they change their color. Remove out and let them cool.
3. Add chopped ginger and onion in to same pan and continue frying until they are tender. Once they are done, switch off the flame and cool them until they reaches to room temperature.
4. Now transfer roasted bengal gram, red chillies in to blender to get fine powder. Add fried ginger, onion, tamarind pulp, salt, jaggery, chopped coriander leaves and continue grinding to get a smooth paste. Add required water to get desired consistency. You need not season this. Serve it with idli or dosa.

TIP: Unlike other chutnies add only few red chillies as it already contains ginger which gives enough hotness. Similarly you can adjust the quantity of jaggery/sugar according to your taste.

Vegetable Puffs

Ingredients:

Puff pastry sheets (frozen) - 1 sheet (I used Pepperidge farm pastry sheets)

Mixed vegetables, finely chopped - 1 cup (I used carrot, capsicum, beans and green peas)

Potato (large) - 1, boiled & mashed

Onion (medium) - 1, finely chopped

Green chillies - 2-3, finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Salt - as per taste

Coriander leaves, finely chopped - to garnish

How to thaw Puff Pastry sheets?

Remove pastry sheet from packaging and place frozen sheet on a counter. Thaw at room temperature for at-least 40-45 minutes. 

In other way, you can also thaw by transferring the frozen sheet in to refrigerator overnight. Remove it when ready to use.

Procedure:

1. Take a kadai, heat oil, add chopped green chillies, onion and saute them until tender.
2. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell disappears.
3. Add finely chopped carrot, beans and cook them. After few minutes, add chopped capsicum, green peas and continue to cook until all the veggies are done.
4. Now add boiled, roughly mashed potato, salt, red chilly powder, garam masala and stir well. Cook under very low flame for 1-2 minutes and switch off the flame. Finally garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and keep it aside until it gets cool down.
5. Preheat the oven at 400 F. Mean while grease a baking tray and set aside.
6. Sprinkle generous amount of flour on a clean counter, open pastry sheet carefully (after enough thawing). Take a rolling pin, and gently roll the sheet without applying pressure.
7. When the sheet slightly stretches, cut it with a knife in to 9 equal parts (If you want to make bigger puffs, cut in to 6 pieces).
8. Now take each piece and  roll gently until it stretches to half inch greater than the original size.
9. Place required stuffing (say 1-2 tbsp) in center of the sheet and close it by attaching both the ends of pastry sheet. You can also seal the ends by pressing with a fork as shown in picture.

  10. Finally spray some oil on the surface to get nice golden brown to the crust. This is      completely optional. You can also skip this step, if not interested.
  11. Transfer the baking tray with puffs in to preheated oven and bake for at-least 15      minutes or until they are done.
  12. Once they are done, remove out and serve warm at room temperature.

TIP: The stuffing can be of your personal choice veg or non-veg. You can also add or skip vegetables according to your taste and availability.

Mysore Pak

Ingredients:

Senaga pindi (Gram flour/Besan) - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1 1/2 cup

Ghee - 1 cup (I used only half cup)

Procedure:

1. In a mixing bowl, add besan, 2 tbsp of oil and mix well until all the oil absorbs in to flour. Now sieve besan to get fine flour without any lumps.
2. Take a wide cooking vessel, add sugar, little water (say half cup) and stir well. 
3. Once the sugar syrup reaches one thread consistency, add besan with continuous stirring. Meanwhile on other flame heat ghee. Ghee should be hot, so let it be in very low flame until used.
4. Now add ghee little by little (almost 2-3 tbsp at a time) in to besan mixture with continuous stirring. You will observe continuous bubbling while stirring.
5. Continue the process until all the ghee is used. The entire process has to be done in medium flame only.
6. After sometime, the mixture turns to pale yellow, thickens and you will notice that the bubbling comes to an end.
7. This is the time where you should act quickly. So, immediately transfer the mixture in to greased tray and level it (all this has to be done in very few seconds).
8. After some time, when it slightly cools down, cut it with a knife in to pieces of desired shape and size.

Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients:

Jalapenos - 6

Potato (large) - 1, boiled and mashed

Onion (small) - 1, finely chopped

Red chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp

Ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Roasted bengal gram - 1/4 cup

Red chillies - 2, small

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and pat dry all the jalapenos. Now slit them length wise, open wide, scrap all the seeds with backside of spoon. Keep them aside until used.
2. Take a small kadai, add cumin seeds, red chillies and roasted bengal gram and dry roast them for 1-2 minutes. Once they cool down, blend them with little salt to get fine powder. Add 1-2 tbsp of oil in to powdered mixture and mix well.
3. In the same pan, heat oil, add chopped onion and saute them for 1 minute. Add mashed potato, red chilly powder, ground black pepper, salt and mix well. Switch off the flame, add lemon juice and stir well.
4. Now take each jalapeno, stuff half of it with roasted bengal gram mixture (lower layer) and fill the other half with potato mixture (upper layer).
5. Take a wide kadai, heat 1 tbsp of oil, place all the stuffed jalapenos one by one and roast them under medium flame until the bottom layer slightly changes its color. Serve hot with rice as a side dish.

TIP: You can also stuff only one stuffing in each jalapeno like roasted bengal gram flour alone in one and potato mixture alone in other. Alternately instead of frying in pan, you can also bake these at 400 F in oven.

Chikkudukaya Tomato Koora (Indian broad beans cooked with tomato)

Ingredients:

Chikkudukayalu (Indian broad beans) - 200 gm

Tomatoes (large) - 2

Onions (large) - 2

Green chillies - 2-3

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves - few, finely chopped

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and trim the tips of broad beans. Chop them and set aside. Similarly chop onions finely and tomatoes in to medium chunks.
2. Take a kadai, heat oil, add slit green chillies, curry leaves, finely chopped onions and saute until they are tender.
3. Add chopped broad beans and cook for few minutes.
4. Add tomato chunks and cook along with broad beans by covering the lid. Continue cooking with occasional stirring until the broad beans are well cooked along with tomatoes. 
5. Add turmeric, red chilly powder and stir well. Finally adjust salt and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

TIP: Naturally tomatoes have lot of water in them. So usually the moisture in tomatoes is sufficient to cook broad beans. But sometimes the gravy may turn dry and do not support better cooking. So add little water if required. You can also temper this curry with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bengal gram and urad dal.

Vankaya Allam Koora (Eggplant cooked with ginger)

Ingredients:

Brinjals/Egg plants - 200 gm

Ginger - 1 to 1 1/2 inch (finely grated)

Green chillies - 2-3

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Salt - as per taste

Coriander leaves - to garnish

To temper:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Bengal gram - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Red chillies - 2

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and chop eggplants in to medium chunks. Place them in water until used.
2. Take a kadai, heat 1 tbsp of oil, add chopped green chillies, chopped egg plant and cook them.
3. After few minutes, add finely grated ginger, turmeric and stir well. Continue cooking until the egg plant turns soft.
4. Adjust salt and temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bengal gram, urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves. Finally garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot. 

TIP: This curry will have a special flavor because of ginger. Ginger is a great combination with eggplant. Alternately you can also prepare this dish by adding a coarse paste of ginger and green chillies instead of adding chopped green chillies and grated ginger seperately.

Oats Upma

Ingredients:

Oats - 1 cup

Onion (medium), finely chopped - 1

Green beans, finely chopped - 1/4 cup

Carrot, finely chopped - 1/4 cup

Green peas - hand full

Green chillies, finely chopped - 2

Ginger, finely chopped - 1 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Coriander leaves, finely chopped - to garnish

Water - 1/2 cup

To temper:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Chana dal - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 strand

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Take a kadai, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves and fry them.
2. Add finely chopped green chillies, ginger, onion, green beans, carrot, green beans and saute them until they are tender.
3. Add water and salt. When water is boiling, add oats and cook for 2-3 minutes under medium flame by closing the lid.
4. Finally garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with lemon juice.

TIP: It is advisable to have all oats recipes as soon as possible. Enjoy them hot or they will turn dry.

Vegetable Biryani/Layered Veg Biryani/Veg Dum Biryani

Ingredients:
For making rice:
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - one inch piece
Cloves - 2-3
Star Anise - 1
Cardamom - 2
Marati moggu - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - as per taste

For making gravy:
Mixed vegetables - 2 cups (I used cauliflower, carrots, potato, green beans, mushrooms)
Paneer cubes - 1/4 cup (optional)

Green peas -  hand full

Onion (large) - 2

Green chilli paste - 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Shahijeera - 1/4 tbsp

Whole garam masala paste - 1 tbsp (I prepared this by blending cloves,anise,big cardamom and marati moggu)

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/4tbsp

Turmeric - pinch
Yogurt - 1/2 cup

Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

For layering:
Coriander leaves, finely chopped - 3 tbsp
Mint leaves, finely chopped - 3 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cashews - 12
Fried onions - 1/4 cup
Saffron milk - 3 tbsp (Take few strands of saffron and mix in warm milk)

Procedure:

1. Take wide cooking vessel, cook basmati rice by adding plenty of water along with cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, marati moggu, star anise, salt and oil. Do not over cook. Once the rice is 80% cooked, drain all the excess water and set aside until used.
2. Take a kadai, heat oil/ghee, add cashews and fry them until they turn to golden brown. Transfer them in to a bowl and add paneer cubes in the same pan. Fry them under medium flame until their edges are colored. Transfer them in to another bowl and keep aside.
3. In the same pan, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, shahijeera and fry them. Add finely chopped onion, ginger garlic paste, green chilly paste and saute them until the raw smell is disappeared.
4. Meanwhile half boil all the mixed vegetables (like cauliflower, potato, carrot, green beans) except mushrooms and keep aside.
5. Now add whole garam masala paste (prepared by blending cloves,anise,big cardamom and marati moggu) and stir well.
6. Take a small mixing bowl, add yogurt, red chilly powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala and stir well to get a smooth lump free mixture.
7. Transfer this yogurt mixture to the sauted onions, add half boiled vegetables, chopped mushrooms, green peas and continue cooking under medium flame by closing the lid (add little water if required).
8. Once the vegetables are almost cooked (not fully cooked), adjust salt and switch off the flame.
9. Here comes the fun part i.e; layering. Preheat the oven at 300 F. Take a wide oven proof vessel, add a layer of rice followed by vegetable gravy, paneer cubes, cashews, fried onions, chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. 
10. Continue the same process until all the rice and gravy are completely used. Be sure that the final layer or the top layer should be rice.
11. Finally add 1 tbsp of ghee and sprinkle saffron milk all over the rice. Now wrap the bowl with aluminum foil tightly and transfer it in to the oven. Leave the wrapped bowl in oven for at least 20-25 minutes.
12. After some time, remove the bowl from oven and gently transfer biryani in to a serving plate from one side of the bowl. Serve hot with your favorite gravy or onion raita.

TIP: Alternately the layering can be done on stove top also. Continue the same process in a cooking vessel, cover it with aluminum foil. Cook at medium flame for 5 minutes followed by low flame for 10-15 minutes. If the cooking vessel is not thick, you may have chances of burning at the bottom. You can prevent this by placing a flat pan below your cooking vessel.

Jantikalu/Murukulu

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 2 cups

Urad dal flour - 1/2 cup+2 tbsp

Ajwain - 1/4 tbsp

Hing - pinch

Butter - 1-2 tbsp

Water - required

Salt - as per taste

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Add urad dal in a pan and fry under medium flame until they turn to golden brown color. Let them cool and blend to get fine flour. Sieve it to remove particles.
2. Take a mixing bowl, add rice flour, urad flour, ajwain, hing, salt, butter and mix well.
3. Take a wide cooking vessel, add sufficient water and heat it. When water is boiling, add all dry ingredients and mix well. Close the lid and keep aside for few minutes.
4. When the mixture turns warm, add little cold water if required and mix well to form a smooth dough without cracks.
5. Squeeze the dough on a greased plate by applying pressure in to required size jantikalu/murukulu.
6. When the oil is sufficiently hot, drop this in to oil and fry on both sides until they turn to golden yellow.
7. Store them in an air tight container once they reaches to room temperature.

Egg Bonda

Ingredients:

Eggs (boiled) - 4

Besan/Gram flour - 1/4 cup

Rice flour - 2 tbsp

Ajwain - pinch

Baking soda - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Water - required

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Cut each egg horizontally in to three slices and keep aside.
2. Take a wide mixing bowl, add gram flour, rice flour, ajwain, baking soda, salt, water and mix well to form a smooth and lump free batter.
3. Heat oil in a kadai. When oil is sufficiently hot, dip each egg slice in to batter and slowly drop in to oil. Fry them until they turn to golden yellow. Serve hot with tomato ketch-up or green chutney.

TIP: Unlike regular bajji batter, the batter prepared for egg bonda should be thick enough to coat egg slices evenly.

Rava Dosa

Ingredients:

Godhuma Rava (Sooji) - 1 cup

Rice flour - 1 cup

All purpose flour (maida) - 1/2 cup

Green chillies, finely chopped - 2-3 tbsp

Grated ginger - 2 tbsp

Cuury leaves, finely chopped - few

Ground black pepper - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Water - as required

Oil - to roast dosa

Procedure:

1. Take a mixing bowl, add sooji, rice flour, maida, grated ginger, chopped green chillies, chopped curry leaves, ground black pepper, salt, water and mix well to get a runny batter similar to butter milk.
2. Take a flat pan, spread half tbsp of oil all over and heat it. Now pour required batter all over the pan evenly. 
3. After one minute sprinkle some oil all over dosa and spread it evenly.
4. Roast it under medium flame for 1-2 minutes and turn it gently with the help of a flat ladle and serve hot with any chutney.

TIP: Dosa should be roasted only one side under medium flame for better taste. Add chopped onion to dosa for extra taste.

Halwa Boorelu

Ingredients:

Godhuma rava (Sooji/Semolina) - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Cashews - 2-3 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tbsp

Water - 3 cups

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Oil - to deep fry

For making batter:

Besan flour - 1/2 cup

Rice flour - 1/2 cup

Salt - as per taste

Baking soda - pinch

Water - as required

Procedure:

1. Take a wide nonstick pan, add sooji and roast it under low to medium flame until it slightly changes its color. Now transfer this sooji in to a bowl and set aside.
2. In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp of ghee, add broken cashews and fry them until they turn to golden brown. Transfer them in to other container until used.
3. In the same pan, add water and heat it. When water is boiling, slowly add roasted sooji by continuous stirring without forming any lumps.
4. Once the sooji is cooked, add sugar, remaining ghee, fried cashews and mix well. Cook the mixture for few minutes.
5. Take a wide mixing bowl, add besan, rice flour, baking soda, salt, water and mix well to get a smooth batter (the batter should not be too loose).
6. When the halwa reaches to room temperature, take a small portion and make in to balls of desired size.
7. Meanwhile heat a kadai with oil. When oil is sufficiently hot, dip each halwa ball in to batter and drop them in oil. Fry them until they turn to nice golden yellow. 

TIP: The outer layer of this halwa boorelu can be altered according to your taste.

Instant Jalebi/Jilebi

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (maida) - 1 cup

Corn flour - 1/4 cup

Yogurt - 1 cup

Baking soda - 1/4 tbsp

Water - 3-4 tbsp

Yellow Food color/Turmeric - as required

Oil - to deep fry

For sugar syrup:

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Take a wide mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, corn flour, baking soda, food color, yogurt and mix well to get a lump free batter.
2. Add 1 tbsp of warm oil, water and stir well to get a smooth batter.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 F and transfer the bowl in to oven and wait for at least 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile take a wide sauce pan, add sugar, water and prepare sugar syrup. Finally add cardamom powder and mix well.
5. Transfer the batter in to mustard bottle or zip lock bag and set aside until used.
6. Heat oil in a kadai. When oil is sufficiently hot, squeeze the batter in to oil as jilebis and fry them until they turn to golden brown. 
7. Now transfer each fried jilebi in to warm syrup and soak for 1 minute. Repeat the process with all the jilebis and store them in a clean airtight container.

Mixed Vegetable Bonda

Ingredients:

Mixed vegetables - 2 cups (I used potatoes, carrots, green beans, capsicum, green peas, sweet corn)

Onion (medium) - 1 finely chopped

Green chillies - 3-4 finely chopped

Spring onions - few, finely chopped

Coriander leaves - few

Finely chopped ginger - 1 tbsp

Ground black pepper - 1/4 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - to deep fry

For batter:

Besan flour - 1/2 cup

Rice flour - 1/4 cup

Baking soda - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Water - as required

Procedure:

1. Boil potatoes, peel off the outer layer, mash them and set aside. 
2. Similarly boil all the vegetables and finely chop them.
3. Add finely chopped onion, green chillies, spring onions, chopped ginger, coriander leaves, red chilly powder, black pepper, salt and mix well.
4. Now make the vegetable mixture in to small balls of desired size and set aside.
5. Take a wide mixing bowl, add besan, rice flour, baking soda, salt and mix well with water to get a smooth batter without any lumps.
6. Heat oil in a wide kadai. When oil is sufficiently hot, dip each vegetable ball in to batter and leave slowly in to oil. Fry them until they turn to nice golden yellow. Serve hot with tomato ketch-up and enjoy. 

TIP: The stuffing can be of your personal choice, add vegetables based on your availability and taste. The batter should be thick enough to coat the balls. It should not be runny.