Carrot Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Carrot (medium) - 2

Onion - 1 (chopped length wise)

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cinnamon - half inch

Cloves - 3-4

Green chillies - 2

Cashews - 5-6

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Garam Masala - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp (optional)

Chopped coriander - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, cook basmati rice with 2 cups of water, and cool it by spreading on a plate (to retain grainy texture).
2. Wash, clean, peel and grate carrots and set aside.
3. Take a kadai, heat oil, let cumin seeds splutter. Add cinnamon, cloves, green chillies, cashews and fry them for 1 minute.
4. Add chopped onion and fry until they are transparent. 
5. Now add finely grated carrot and fry for 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle some turmeric, red chilly powder, garam masala, salt and mix well.
6. Now turn flame to very low, add cooked rice, lemon juice and mix well. Finally garnish with finely chopped coriander and and close the lid for 1 minute.
7. After one minute, switch off the flame, mix well and serve hot with your favorite raita.

TIP: Do not fry grated carrot for more than 5 minutes. Over frying turns grated carrot too much tender.

Vankaya Tomato Koora (Eggplant Tomato Curry)

Ingredients:

Eggplants/Brinjals - 250 gm

Tomatoes (medium) - 2

Onions (large) - 2

Green chillies - 2

Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 - 1 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp (optional)

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Groundnuts - 1 tbsp

Sesame seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and chop eggplants and tomatoes in to small chunks and set aside.
2. Take a small pan, add groundnuts, sesame seeds and dry roast them. Let them cool for few minutes and blend them to form a fine powder.
3. Take a kadai, heat oil, add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add chopped green chillies and fry them for one more minute.
4. Add chopped onions, ginger garlic paste and saute until they are transparent. 
5. Add chopped eggplants and saute them until they are half cooked. Then add chopped tomatoes and cook for few more minutes with closed lid.
6. Sprinkle some coriander powder, red chilly powder, salt and cook for 1-2 minutes.
7. Finally add groundnut-sesame seeds powder and mix well. Switch off the flame immediately and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Mysore Bajji (Mysore Bonda)

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (maida) - 1 cup

Rice flour - 1/4 cup

Curd - 1/3 cup

Baking soda - pinch

Chopped green chillies - 2 tbsp

Onion (finely chopped) - 1 small

Chopped curry leaves - 1 tbsp

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Water - as required 

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Take a kadai, add oil and heat it until desired temperature is attained.
2. Meanwhile, take a wide mixing bowl, add maida, rice flour, chopped green chillies, onion, curry leaves, coriander leaves, cumin seeds, salt, baking soda, curd and mix well (add little water if required) to form a thick batter.
3. Now drop small portion of batter little by little in to oil and deep fry them under medium flame until desired color is attained.
4. Serve hot with your favorite chutney.

TIP: Sour curd adds special flavor to the dish. After mixing all the ingredients, let the batter stand for 15-20 minutes before adding to oil  to get much more soft and fluffy bonda.

Double Ka Meeta

Ingredients:

Bread - half a loaf

Sugar - 1/2 cup (adjust according to your taste)

Milk - 3/4 cup

Water - 3/4 cup

Elachi powder - 1/2 tbsp

Cashews - 10-12

Pistachos - 5-6

Almonds - 5-6

Raisins - 8-10

Dates - 4

Ghee - 2-3 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Cut each bread slice in to four triangles and roast both the sides on a flat pan by applying some ghee. Continue the process until they reach nice golden brown.
2. Meanwhile chop cashews, almonds, pistachios, dates and fry them in 1 tbsp of ghee along with raisins and set aside.
3. Take a wide cooking vessel, add 1/3 cup of sugar in 3/4 cup of water and boil to form a sugar syrup (Be sure that the syrup should be in very thin consistency and not thick). Sprinkle some elachi powder and switch off the flame.
4. In another vessel, add milk, remaining sugar and boil until they turn thick.
5. Now dip each roasted bread piece in to sugar syrup and place all of them side by side in a flat tray.
6. Add all the roasted dry fruits and raisins on the syrup coated bread.
7. Finally add boiled milk all over the bread and wait  for 4-5 minutes until it absorbs and turn juicy. Serve it warm or chill. 

Kakarakaya Vepudu (Bitter Gourd Stir Fry)

Ingredients:

Kakarakayalu (Bitter Gourds) - 300gm

Crushed garlic pods - 3-4

Ground nuts/Peanuts - 2-3 tbsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Green chillies - 2

Red chillies - 3

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp

Shredded/Grated coconut - 2-3 tbsp

Jaggery - 1 tbsp (optional)

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean, deseed and chop bitter gourds in to very small pieces. Sprinkle some salt, turmeric all over and keep aside. After 2-3 minutes, squeeze all the excess water from them.
2. Take a kadai, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter. Then add urad dal, crushed garlic pods, chopped green chillies, red chillies, ground nuts and fry them for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add chopped bitter gourd pieces and continue cooking them in medium flame with occasional stirring.
4. Once the bitter gourd pieces start altering their color or when they turn tender, add shredded coconut and continue frying for some time.
5. Sprinkle some red chilly powder, adjust salt and mix well.
6. When the bitter gourd pieces are completely cooked and just before you switch off the flame, add jaggery and stir well so that it melts completely. Serve hot with white rice.

TIP: In order to make the recipe much more yummy, add some chopped onion before adding bitter gourd pieces. Since onion has natural sweetness, it will decline the bitter taste of kakarakaya.

Dosakaya Pachadi (Yellow Cucumber Chutney)

Ingredients:

Dosakaya (medium) - 1

Garlic pods - 3-4

Green chillies - 4-5

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Tamarind -gooseberry size

Salt - as per taste

Finely chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Red chillies - 1-2

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and peel off the outer layer of yellow cucumber, deseed  and chop them.
2. Take a kadai, heat oil, add crushed garlic pods, green chillies, cumin seeds, chopped cucumber and saute them for just 2-3 minutes.
3. Cool the ingredients and blend them with tamarind and salt to form a coarse paste.
4. Finally season the chutney with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves and finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

TIP: You can directly blend cucumber without cooking them.

Kalakand

Ingredients:

Paneer - 350 gm

Sweetened Condensed Milk - 250 gm

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tbsp

Pistachios - few

Procedure:

1. Crumble paneer to get a grainy texture. If you want to blend in a mixer, just run it for 5 seconds (Be sure that the texture should be grainy and not smooth paste).
2. Take a wide cooking vessel, add crumbled paneer, sweetened condensed milk and stir well.
3. Continue stirring under medium flame until the contents in the vessel thickens.
4. Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well. Once the mixture turns thick and start leaving the vessel, transfer the contents in to a greased cake tin or plate.
5. Cool it for few minutes or until it hardens and cut in to pieces. Finally garnish with chopped pistachios and serve.

Bendakaya Vepudu (Okra Stir Fry)

Ingredients:

Okra - 250 gm

Green chillies - 3

Red chillies - 2

Ground nuts/Peanuts - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Curry leaflets - 1 leaflet

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and remove both ends of okra. Now finely chop them as shown in the image above and set aside.
2. Take a kadai, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, peanuts and fry them.
3. After 1-2 minutes, add chopped green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves and stir well.
4. Now add finely chopped okra and fry with occasional stirring.
5. After frying for some time, add turmeric, salt and mix well.
6. Continue stirring until okra are completely cooked.  

TIP: Okra should be fried without covering with lid. Covered cooking for long time makes the fry sticky and too soft.

Rava Kesari / Godhuma Rava Halwa (Sooji Halwa)

Ingredients:

Godhuma rava (Sooji/Semolina) - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Cashews - 15-20

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Elachi powder - 1/4 tbsp

Water - 3 cups

Procedure:

1. Take a pan, heat ghee, add rava and fry for 2-3 minutes or until it turns light brown color. Transfer rava in to a bowl and keep aside.
2. In the same pan, heat ghee, add cashews and fry until they turn golden brown.
3. Now take a wide cooking vessel, add heat water. When water is boiling, add rava and cook for 2 minutes with closed lid.
4. Once the rava is cooked, add sugar, food color and mix well. Then add elachi powder, 1 tbsp ghee and stir well.
5. Transfer the contents in to a greased plate and cool it for few minutes. Finally cut in to pieces of desired shape and garnish with roasted cashews.

Carrot Kobbari Vepudu (Carrot Coconut Stir Fry)

Ingredients:

Carrot - 250 gm

Fresh grated coconut - 3-4 tbsp

Green chillies - 3

Red chillies- 2

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Bengal gram - 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and peel off the carrots. Chop them in to cubes, par-boil and set aside.
2. Take a kadai, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter.
3. Add bengal gram, urad dal, green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves and fry them. 
4. Now drop all the par-boiled carrot cubes and fry them for few minutes,
5. Sprinkle some turmeric, salt and mix well.
6. Once the carrot cubes are almost cooked, add freshly grated coconut and stir well. Wait for 1-2 minutes and switch off the flame.

Cabbage Vepudu (Cabbage 65)

Ingredients:

Chopped cabbage - 2 cups

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Rice flour - 3-4 tbsp

Corn flour - 1-2 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/4 tbsp

Cumin powder - 1/4 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Chopped curry leaves - 2-3 tbsp

Red food color - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Water - sufficient

Oil - required

Procedure:

1. Take a wide cooking vessel, add water and heat it. When water is boiling, add chopped cabbage and cook them for 2-3 minutes (be sure that the cabbage should not turn soft, it should be crisp).
2. Now drain all the cabbage from water in to a mixing bowl, add ginger garlic paste, rice flour, corn flour, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilly powder, food color, salt and mix well (sprinkle some water if required).
3. Combine all the contents so that the chopped cabbage will be coated with batter.
4. Take a wide kadai, heat oil until right temperature is attained.
5. Now drop the batter in oil as small fritters and fry them in oil until they turn to nice golden red. Its a great side dish for sambhar and rasam.

TIP: The batter should be tight enough. If more water is added, it becomes loose and cabbage will not be coated properly with batter.