Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

Broccoli florets - 1 cup

Carrot (medium) - half

Onion (small) - half

Garlic pods - 2

Cinnamon - half inch piece

Cloves - 3

Anise - small piece

Nutmeg - small piece

Bay leaf - half

Ground black pepper - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 tbsp

Water - 2 cups

Shredded cheese - 2 tbsp

Butter - 1/2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and chop broccoli in to medium sized florets. Similarly chop carrot in to 3-4 pieces.
2. Add cinnamon, cloves, anise, nutmeg, bay leaf along with broccoli florets and carrot pieces in to a pressure cooker containing 1 cup of water. Wait until one whistle and switch off the flame.
3. After some time, open lid, separate the water (do not discard the water)  and remove all the spices.
4. Grind broccoli florets and carrot together to form a fine paste.
5. Now take a wide cooking vessel, heat butter and add finely chopped garlic and onions. Saute until the onions are tender.
6. Add the separated water and prepared broccoli paste in to onions and boil for some time.
7. Mean while mix 1 tbsp of maida in a cup of water and prepare a smooth solution without any lumps.
8. Add this slowly by continuous stirring in to boiling mixture.
9. Add salt, pepper and boil it for few more minutes. Finally sprinkle cheese and serve hot. 

Gutti Vankaya Koora (Stuffed Brinjal/Egg plant Curry)

Ingredients:

Vankayalu (Brinjals) - 8

Onion (large) - 1

Ginger - one inch

Garlic pods - 2

Bengal gram - 1 tbsp

Urad dal - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Cashews - 3

Green chillies / Red chillies - 4-5

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Milk - 1/4 cup

Coriander leaves - 4 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and cut the brinjals from the lower end in both sides to three-fourth of it and place them in plenty of water until used. Similarly chop onion length wise and set aside.
2. Take a pan, heat oil and add bengal gram, urad dal, cumin seeds, chopped ginger, garlic, chopped green chillies/red chillies, cashews, turmeric and fry them until they change their color.
3. Let them cool for a minute and grind them with salt and 2 tbsp coriander leaves.
4. Add chopped onions in the same hot pan and saute for 1 minute. Wait until they are cool.
5. Add half of the fried onions to prepared mixture and grind one more time (just for few seconds only, the mixture should be coarse and not smooth).
6. Mix the remaining fried onions in the coarse mixture and stuff it in between the four quarters of brinjals.
7. Take a skillet, heat oil and place all the stuffed brinjals side by side. Saute under low flame with closed lid.
8. After few minutes, turn the brinjals to other side and cook for some more time. Repeat the process until all the sides of brinjals are evenly cooked.
9. Add milk little by little and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the brinjals turn soft. Finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with white rice. The stuffed brinjals melt in your mouth.....Relish the taste!!!!!

TIP: Small, tender, violet brinjals are prefered for better taste. Do not grind the fried onions in to smooth paste. Green chillies or red chillies, anything of your choice can be used in preparing the stuffing. Optionally tamarind pulp can also be added in stuffing. The entire process of  cooking has to be done under low to medium flame only. Do not stir the brinjals continuously by applying pressure (turn them carefully for even cooking). Add milk only at the end.

Mixed Vegetable Sandwich

Ingredients:

Bread slices - 8

Boiled potato (medium) - 1

Carrot (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup

Green Capsicum (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup

Yellow/Red Capsicum (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup

Green peas - 1/4 cup

Onion (finely chopped) - 1

Green chillies - 3

Ground pepper - 1/4 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp

Tomato ketch-up - 1 tbsp (optional)

Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Butter - 1-2 tbsp

Procedure:

Preparation of stuffing:

1. Take a pan, heat oil, add finely chopped ginger, cumin seeds, green chillies and fry them.
2. Add onions and saute them until they are tender.
3. Now add finely chopped vegetables one by one like carrot, capsicum, mashed potato, green peas  and cook until they turn soft.
4. Add ground pepper, garam masala, salt and stir well.
5. Finally add tomato ketch up and mix well (Adding tomato ketch-up is not mandatory. It adds a special flavor to the stuffing. So you can skip if not necessary).

Preparation of sandwich:

1. Take bread slices and cut them diagonally (then they will be convenient to eat).
2. Add some butter on a flat pan and heat it.
3. Now place all the triangle shaped bread slices on pan and roast according to your taste (mild roast or deep roast). Be sure that you do not overcrowd the pan (bread slices will not be roasted evenly if the pan is overcrowded).
4. Let them cool for a minute. Then add required stuffing in between the two pieces and serve. Garnish with extra sauce if necessary.

Stuffed Capsicum

Ingredients:

Capsicum (medium) - 3

Roasted gram (Gulla Senaga pappu) - 1/4 cup

Red chillies - 5

Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean, cut the upper portion and remove seeds from capsicum and set aside.
2. Take a pan, add roasted gram, cumin seeds, red chilly pieces and roast them without oil under low flame until they start changing color.
3. Now grind the roasted ingredients with salt in to fine powder. Add 2 tbsp of oil in the powder and mix well.
4. Stuff the prepared powder inside the capsicum.
5. Take a pan, add 1 tbsp oil, place the capsicum and saute them by covering the lid under low flame.
6. Continue to saute them until they change to brown color on all the sides. Serve with hot rice ....Its a great side dish with sambhar or rasam.

TIP: You can substitute bengal gram in place of roasted gram to prepare the stuffing. Do not fill the entire capsicum with stuffing. Only fill half of it with prepared stuffing. 

Dhaniyaala Charu (Coriander Rasam)

Ingredients:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Green chillies - 2

Red chillies - 2-3

Ginger - one inch 

Garlic pods - 2

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Tomato (large) - 1

Tamarind - lemon sized

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Jaggery/Sugar - 2 tbsp (optional)

Water - 2 -3 cups

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Soak tamarind in luke warm water and set aside.
2. Take a wide vessel, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves and stir well.
3. Add finely chopped tomato and cook for a minute. Squeeze tamarind juice and add.
4. Add water and boil for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile grind ginger, garlic pods and coriander seeds to form a coarse powder.
5. Add the prepared powder, turmeric and boil the rasam for few more minutes.
6. Add salt, jaggery and mix well. Finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

TIP: Jaggery/Sugar adds a special taste to this rasam. If you are not interested in sweet flavor, you can skip adding this. 

Broccoli Curry

Ingredients:

Broccoli florets - 2 cups

Tomato (large) - 1

Green-peas - 1/4 cup

Onion (large) - 1

Green chillies - 2

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and chop broccoli in to medium sized florets. Similarly chop onion and tomato length wise and set aside.
2. Steam cook broccoli florets and set aside (should be crisp enough)
3. Take a skillet, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter.
4. Add chopped green chillies, onions and saute until they are transparent.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, red chilly powder, salt and stir well.
7. Add broccoli florets, green peas and cook for 2-3 minutes with closed lid. Tastes great with roti.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Eggs - 3

Onion (medium) - 1

Garlic (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp
Green beans (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup

Carrot (very finely chopped) - 1 big
Capsicum (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup (optional)

Green peas - 1/4 cup

Green chillies - 2

Green onions (Spring onions) - 3-4 tbsp

Soya sauce - 1 tbsp

Hot sauce - 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste 

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Cook rice and cool it by spreading as thin layer on a plate.
2. Take a small mixing bowl, add 1 tbsp oil, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and mix well without any lumps. Now crack the eggs in to same bowl and beat them thoroughly.
3. Take a skillet, heat oil, add chopped green chillies, onions and saute until they are tender.
4. Now add chopped garlic and stir well.
5. Add chopped green beans, carrot and cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Then add chopped capsicum and saute for one more minute. Now add scrambled egg mixture and mix thoroughly using spatula until the egg mixture turns to small pieces.
7. Then add soya sauce, hot sauce and stir well. 
8. Add green peas, salt and cook for 1 more minute.
9. Finally add chopped green onions, coriander leaves and mix well.
10. Add cooked rice and stir well. Close the lid and saute it under very low flame for 2 minutes, so that all the tastes will be incorporated to the rice. Enjoy!!!

Kothimeera Annam (Coriander Rice)

Ingredients:

Kothimeera (Coriander leaves) - 1 small bunch

Rice - 1 cup

Onion (large) - 1

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1/4 tbsp

Green chillies - 4

Shredded coconut - 3 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Lemon - 1 

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash and cook rice. Spread the rice on a plate and cool it.
2. Wash, clean and finely chop coriander leaves, onion (length wise) and green chillies.
3. Grind chopped coriander leaves, green chillies, shredded coconut and salt to form a fine paste (add little water if necessary).
4. Take a pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds.
5. Add chopped onions and saute them until they turn tender.
6. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric and stir well.
7. Now add coriander paste and fry for 1 minute. Then add garam masala and mix well.
8. Add boiled rice and mix well. Sprinkle lemon juice all over and stir well.
9. Saute the prepared rice under very low flame for 2 minutes and switch-off the flame. Serve hot with raita.

TIP: Do not fry the coriander paste for long time (more than 1 minute). Coriander leaves have a natural flavor, which will be lost by over frying. The moisture present in the coriander paste will also be lost by frying for long time, so that the cooked rice will not be mixed well in the gravy.

Bangaladumpa Masala Koora (Potato Masala Gravy)

Ingredients:

Potatoes (large) - 2

Green peas - 1/2 cup (optional)

Onions (large) - 2

Green chillies - 2

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Curry leaves - 5-6

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and peel potatoes. Chop potatoes in to half-inch cubes and place them in water until used. Similarly wash, chop onions and set aside.
2. Take a pan, heat oil and add chopped green chillies, curry leaves.Stir them for 1 min.
3. Add finely chopped onions and saute them until they turn transparent.
4. Add washed potato cubes,ginger garlic paste, little water and cook with covered lid until the pieces turn soft.
5. Once the potato cubes start turning soft, add coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, red chilly powder and mix well.
6. Add washed green peas and cook for 1-2 minutes. Finally garnish the gravy with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or roti.

TIP: Here I used frozen green peas readily available in market, which are soft and cooked immediately.If normal hard green peas are used, soak them overnight and boil before using them.

Chapati

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

All purpose flour(maida) - 1-2 tbsp

Milk - 10-15 ml

Luke warm water - required

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 1-2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Take a wide mixing bowl, add wheat flour, salt, oil and mix well.
2. Add milk, water and mix well to form a smooth dough.
3. Knead the dough for few minutes with your palms to get soft and fluffy dough.
4. Apply little oil all over the dough and cover it with thin cloth for at least 30 minutes.
5. After 30-40 min, take a small portion of dough and rub under your palms for half a minute.
6. Now sprinkle some maida on a clean platform, place the dough on it and roll it using rolling pin until desired thickness is attained.
7. Now take a flat pan, heat it and place the prepared chapati on the pan.
8. Roast it on both sides and serve hot with your favorite gravy.

Cauliflower Carrot Avakaya (Cauliflower Carrot Pickle)

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets - 2 1/2 cups

Carrot slices - 1 1/2 cup

Green chilly slices - 1/3 cup

Mustard seeds powder - 1 cup

Fenugreek seeds - 3 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1 cup

Salt - 3/4 cup

Oil - 1/2 cup

Lemon (large) - 1

Garlic pods - 1/2 cup

Procedure:

1. Take a large mixing bowl, add mustard seeds powder, red chilly powder, salt and mix well.
2. Wash all the cauliflower florets, carrot pieces and dry them.
3. Now take a pan, heat oil and add chopped carrots and cauliflower florets one after other.
4. Fry them just only for 1-2 min (pieces should retain their crispness and should not turn soft).
5. Remove all the pieces from oil and set them aside.
6. Take a large bowl, add fried carrot and cauliflower pieces, all powder mixture (prepared in first step), mustard seeds, garlic pods (outer layer peeled), oil and mix well.
7. Finally squeeze lemon juice and stir all the contents. Set pickle aside for 2-3 days so that the pieces will be well marinated.

TIP: Adjust salt and oil according to your taste. Refrigerate the pickle after 3 days, so that the pickle remains fresh for long time.

Gummadikaaya Pulusu (Pumpkin cooked in tamarind gravy)

Ingredients:

Gummadikaaya (Pumpkin) - 8 pieces

Onion (large) - 1

Tamarind - lemon size

Jaggery - 2-3 tbsp

Green chillies - 4

Red chillies - 2-3

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Garlic pods - 3

Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Water - 2 cups

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, remove seeds and chop pumpkin in to one inch pieces. Similarly finely chop onion and green chillies length wise.
2. Take a wide sauce pan, heat oil and add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds,cumin seeds, crushed garlic pods, green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves and stir well.
3. Add chopped onion and saute for 2-3 minutes with covered lid.
4. Now add pumpkin pieces, water, tamarind juice and cook for few minutes.
5. Add turmeric, jaggery, salt and cook for 2 more minutes.
6. Finally garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with plain dal and papad.

TIP: Pumpkin pieces can be cooked directly or the outer layer can be peeled and used. Pumpkin naturally has a sweet taste. So the addition of jaggery can be increased or decreased based on your taste.

Masala Dosa

Ingredients:

Ingredients for preparing Dosa:

Urad dal - 1cup

Rice - 2 cups

Fenugreek seeds - 1tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - as per requirement

Ingredients for preparing Masala:

Potato (large) - 1

Carrot (medium) - 1

Onion (medium) - 1

Green peas - fist full

Ground nuts - 2 tbsp

Green chillies - 4

Finely chopped ginger - 1 tbsp

Bengal gram - 1 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

Preparation of Dosa:

1. Soak, urad dal, rice and fenu greek seeds together overnight and grind them with sufficient water until a smooth batter is formed. 
2. Add salt, mix well and set the batter aside for at least 6 hour before using.
3. Add water if required to get proper consistency of batter.
4. Now take a non-stick pan and heat it.
5. Add required batter in the center of pan and spread it as thin layer with ladle.
6. Now add oil around the dosa and roast it until yellowish brown color is obtained.

Preparation of Masala for Dosa:

1. Wash, clean and boil potato. Once it becomes cool, mash it.
2. Similarly chop onion, carrot, green chillies, ginger and set aside.
3. Now take a pan and heat oil. Add bengal gram, urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies, ginger, ground nuts, curry leaves and stir well.
4. Add finely chopped onion and saute until they turn transparent.
5. Add chopped carrot, mashed potato, salt, turmeric, garam masala and mix well.
6. Add green peas and cook for 2 more minutes. Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
7. Place the required amount of masala in between dosa and serve hot. 

Aaloo Chips (Potato Chips)

Ingredients:

Potatoes (large) - 2

Salt - required

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Oil - sufficient

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and peel potatoes. Chop potatoes in to very thin slices using slicer. 
2. Drop all the slices in cold water for 10-15 min.
3. Take a pan, add oil and heat it.
4. After 10 min, remove the chips from water and press under a dry cloth (excess moisture will be absorbed).
5. Now add the chips little by little in to hot oil and fry them until the desired color is obtained.
6. Sprinkle required salt and red chilly powder on the chips immediately, when they are hot.

Bread

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 300 gm

Yeast - 10 gm

Salt - 1/2 tbsp

Sugar - 5 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Water - 150 ml

Procedure:

1. Heat water for 1 min, add sugar and stir well.
2. Check the temperature of water using candy thermometer. 37 degree C is optimum for development of yeast.
3. Add yeast to the sugar solution and stir well at this temperature. Set the solution aside for 10 min (the solution turns foamy).
4. After 10-15 min, add salt and mix well. Then add maida little by little, until the whole flour is completely incorporated in to foamy mixture.
5. Knead thoroughly the flour mixture with your hand until soft and sticky mass is obtained.
6. Apply oil all over the dough by covering it with thin cloth.
7. After 20 min, you will find the fluffy dough. Once again knead it for 1 min and set aside.
8. After 1 hour you will observe almost thrice the original size of dough.
9. Knead the dough finally in the shape of a log and transfer it in to greased loaf tin.
10. Set aside until it raises 2-3 times the original size.
11. Preheat the oven to 200 degree F.
12. Once the desired size is obtained, Bake it at 200 degree F for 40 min.
13. Apply ghee or butter on the surface of the loaf to get better color to the crust. Check the doneness of the bread and bake further 5-10 min, if necessary.

Tangy Sweet Corn

Ingredients:

Sweet Corn - 1 cup

Onion (medium) - 1

Green chillies - 2

Ginger (Finely chopped) - 1 tbsp

Garlic (Finely chopped) - 2 tbsp

Soya sauce - 1 tbsp

Hot sauce - 1 tbsp

Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp

Corn flour - 1/2 tbsp

Green onions (Spring onions) - 2 tbsp

Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Black pepper - 1/2 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Add sweet corn in little boiling water, wait for 1 min and discard the water. Set the sweetcorn aside until used.
2. Take a sauce pan, heat oil and add chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic and stir well.
3. Now add finely chopped onions and saute until they turn transparent.
4. Mix corn flour in very little water and keep aside
5. Add soya sauce, hot sauce, tomato sauce, corn flour mixture and stir well.
6. Then add sweetcorn and mix well.
7. Add salt, pepper and stir well.
8. Finally garnish with finely chopped green onions and coriander leaves. Serve hot and enjoy the flavor. 

Semiya Upma (Vermicelli Upma)

Ingredients:

Semiya (Vermicelli) - 1 cup

Onion (Medium) - 1 
Carrot (small) - 1 finely chopped
Green peas - 2-3 tbsp

Green chillies - 3

Finely chopped ginger - 1 tbsp

Bengal gram (Senagapappu) - 1 tbsp

Urad dal (Minapappu) - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Curry leaves - 4-5

Cashews - 5-6

Salt - as per taste

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Take a cooking vessel, add plenty of water. When water is boiling add vermicelli with 1/2 tbsp oil and mix well.
2. After 1-2 min (once the vermicelli turns little soft), discard the water and set the vermicelli aside. Sprinkle some cold water on it.
3. Wash, clean and chop onion length wise in to fine pieces.
4. Now take a pan, heat ghee and add bengal gram, urad dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds,green chillies, chopped ginger, cashews, curry leaves and stir well.
5. Add finely chopped onions, chopped carrot and saute for few minutes.
6. Add green peas, salt and mix well. Finally add cooked vermicelli and stir well. Serve hot with lemon.

TIP: While cooking vermicelli in water, it should turn little soft and not too soft (overcooking may alter the taste of vermicelli).

Pulihora (Tamarind Rice in Andhra Style)

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Tamarind - large lemon size
Green chillies - 5 
Red chillies - 3 
Ground nuts - hand full 
Cashews - 2-3 tbsp 
Bengal gram (Senagapappu) - 2 tbsp 
Urad dal (Minappappu) - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Finely chopped ginger - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - 2 leaflet

Asafoetida - pinch

Turmeric - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - sufficient

Procedure:

1. Wash rice and boil it.
2. Now soak tamarind in warm water and set aside.
3. Take a pan, heat oil and add bengal gram, urad dal, green chillies, ground nuts, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chopped ginger, cashews, curry leaves and stir well.
4. Add turmeric, asafoetida and mix well.
5. Add salt, tamarind juice to the seasoning and cook until the desired consistency is obtained (almost thick paste).
6. Now switch off the flame and mix with white rice. Serve alone or with yogurt.

TIP: Sesame seeds powder or mustard seeds paste can be added to this dish to improve the flavor.

Paramannam

Ingredients:
Rice - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 1/2 cup
Grated Jaggery/Sugar- 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 4
Cashews - 8
Raisins - 8
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak the rice (at least 20 min) and set aside.
2. Now take a deep vessel and add milk.
3. When milk is boiling, add rice and mix well.
4. Stir the rice continuously to prevent sticking to the vessel.
5. Meanwhile take a small pan,add 1 tbsp of ghee and heat it. Add cashews and raisins one by one and fry them until they turn to golden brown.
6. When the rice start turning soft, add grated jaggery and stir well.
7. Once the rice is boiled absorbing all the milk and semisolid consistency is attained, add the remaining ghee, cashews, raisins, crushed cardamom powder and stir well. Serve hot with extra ghee for taste.

Garelu

Ingredients:

Urad dal (Minapappu) - 1 cup

Onion (large) - 1

Green chillies - 4

Coriander leaves - 4 tbsp

Curry leaves - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - sufficient to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak urad dal overnight.
2. Wash and finely chop onion, green chillies & coriander.
3. Next day, drain all the water and grind the urad dal with very little water (usually it may take 25-30 ml) in mixer or wet grinder.
4. Grind the urad dal in to smooth paste. The prepared batter should be soft and fluffy.
5. Add salt, cumin seeds, chopped onion, green chillies, curry leaves , coriander leaves and mix well.
6. Take a large kadai, add oil and heat it.
7. Now take a plastic paper or banana leaf, place little batter on it and press with your fingers to form a disk. Put a hole at the center of disk with your finger and drop it slowly in to heated oil.
8. Follow the same procedure to make remaining garelu.
9. Roast them in oil until they turn to golden yellow.

TIP: The most important step in making this recipe is preparation of batter. Do not add water at the same time to grind. Add little by little in different parts. The batter should be tight, soft and fluffy. After adding salt, the batter will turn little bit loose, so it is advisable to to add little water during grinding. Be sure that the entire process of frying is done in medium flame only. High flame may result in immediate color change externally, but the batter inside remains uncooked.

Dondakaya Koora (Tindora Curry)

Ingredients:

Dondakaayalu (Tindora) - 250gm

Onions (medium) - 2

Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp

Red chillies - 4-5

Curryleaves - 1 leaflet

Coriander leaves - 2tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and finely chop tindora, onions in to small pieces.
2. Take a pan, add cumin seeds and red chillies. Roast them without oil for 1 minute by continuous stiring.
3. Now grind the roasted red chillies and cumin seeds in to fine powder and set aside.
4. In the same pan, heat oil and add curry leaves. Stir them for 1 min.
5. Now add finely chopped onions and tindora pieces together and cook them by closing the lid with occassional stiring (or else they will stick to the bottom of the pan).
6. Once the tindora pieces start turning soft, add turmeric and salt. Stir well and again add the fine powder of red chillies and cumin powder.
7. Cook the entire ingredients for few more minutes until the tindora pieces are well cooked.
8. Finally switch off the flame and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

TIP: The main step in cooking this recipe is stiring. If stiring is not done properly the ingredients may char easily and the taste of the dish may alter. Unlike other recipes, here chopped onions are added along with tindora pieces. This is because tindora takes a long time to be cooked. So, once they are added after frying onions, by the time tindora is fried the onions will be charred. To prevent this and for even cooking both are added together. 

Vaangi Bhath (Brinjal Rice)

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Vankaayalu (Brinjals) - 250 gm

Onions (large) - 2

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

For preparing masala:

Bengal gram (Senagapappu) - 2 tbsp

Urad dal (Minappappu) - 2 tbsp

Ground nuts - 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp

Red chillies - 4

Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Wash rice and boil it with 1/2 tbsp butter and lemon juice.
2. Wash, clean and chop the brinjals vertically in to thin slices and place them in salt water until used.
3. Take a small pan, add bengal gram, urad dal, ground nuts, coriander seeds, red chillies, shredded coconut, turmeric, salt and roast them without adding oil under low flame with continuous stiring.
4. Grind all the ingredients to form a coarse masala powder and set aside.
5. Now take another large pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Stir well for 1 min.
6. Add finely chopped onions and saute for 1 min. Then add brinjal slices and cook for 10-15 min with continuous stiring.
7. Add the coarse masala powder and stir well. Cook it for 2 more minutes.
8. Add boiled rice and mix well with brinjal gravy using fork (so that rice will not be crumbled) and saute it for 1 minute under very low flame by covering the lid.
9. Finally garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with raita.  

Rava Laddu (Semolina Laddu)

Ingredients:
Godhuma Rava (Sooji/Semolina) - 1 cup
Shredded coconut - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Cashews - 12
Raisins - 12
Powdered Cardamom - 1/2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Milk - required to make laddus

Procedure:

1. Finely grind the sugar to powder and set aside.
2. Take a small pan, heat ghee and roast cashews & raisins one by one until they turn to golden brown.
3. Take a pan, add rava and roast under low flame until the flavor of the semolina is obtained (it may take 7-8 min). Remove rava from pan and transfer in to another bowl.
4. Similarly roast shredded coconut until it turns a bit crisp.
5. Now add roasted rava and powdered sugar in to fried coconut and mix well until the sugar starts melting.
6. Add powdered cardamom, cashews, raisins and stir well.
7. Switch off the flame, let it be cooled. 
8. Now add milk little by little in to mixture to make laddu of required size. Sprinkle just 1-2 tbsp of milk at a time, and make laddu. Do not wet the entire mixture at a time.

TIP: Be sure that you add milk little by little (sufficient to make 2-3 laddus). If the entire mixture is made wet at the same time, it will turn runny and it is not possible to make a laddu.

Cauliflower Vepudu (Gobi 65)

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets - 20

Gram flour (Senagapindi) - 3 tbsp

Rice flour -1 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Orange food color - 1/8 tbsp (optional)

Oil - for deep frying

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and boil cauliflower florets in water with turmeric for just 1-2 min. 
2. Drain all the hot water, sprinkle some cold water on them (to prevent over-cooking) and set aside.
3. Take a medium sized mixing bowl, add cauliflower florets (without any water), gram flour, rice flour, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, red chilly powder, garam masala, pinch of turmeric, salt and mix well with your hand (add very little water if necessary).
4. Be sure that all the florets are coated evenly.
5. Take a pan, heat oil and add all the coated florets little by little. 
6. Fry them in oil until they turn to golden brown and serve hot.

TIP: Deep frying should be done under medium flame only (high flame changes the color of florets immediately, but they remain uncooked inside). While mixing all ingredients with florets, the batter should not be runny. Only the florets should be externally coated with the masala and flour. So, add very little water while mixing. Rice flour add crispness to the florets. So, they taste crunchy.