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.

Chakkilalu/Murukulu

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 1 1/2 cups

Roasted bengal gram (dalia) - 1/2 cup

Butter - 1 tbsp

Hing - pinch

Red chilly powder - 3/4 tbsp

Ajwain - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Water - as required

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Transfer dalia in to mixer bowl and blend them to get a fine flour. Sieve it to remove excess particles.
2. Take a wide mixing bowl, add rice flour, dalia flour, salt, hing, red chilly powder, ajwain, melted butter and mix well.
3. Take a wide cooking vessel and add sufficient water. When water is boiling, add above mixture and stir well. Switch off the flame and wait until it reaches to room temperature.
4. Add little more water if required and mix well to form a smooth dough.
5. Take a wide kadai and heat oil. Meanwhile transfer a portion of dough in to muruku press/jantikala gottam with star shaped blade.
6. Squeeze the dough on a greased plate by applying pressure in to required size chakkilalu/murukulu.
7. When the oil is sufficiently hot, drop this in to oil and fry on both sides until they turn to golden brown.
8. Transfer them in to air tight container once they reaches to room temperature.

TIP: Do not prepare all the chakkilalu at a time, because they turn dry and breaks easily. Prepare only those sufficient to one batch. In order to prevent breaking of chakkilalu, squeeze each one on back side of ladle and slowly drop them in hot oil.

Palak Pakoda (Spinach Fritters)

Ingredients:

Spinach/Baby Spinach (finely chopped) - 2 cups

Onion (large) - 1 (optional)

Besan flour - 4 tbsp

Rice flour - 3 tbsp

Green chillies, chopped - 2-3

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Curry leaves - few

Water - required 

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Take a wide mixing bowl, add chopped spinach, chopped onion, green chillies, ginger garlic paste, red chilly powder, turmeric, curry leaves, besan, rice flour, salt and mix well so that all the spinach will be well coated with flour (sprinkle some water if required).
2. Take a wide kadai, add oil and heat it. When oil is sufficiently hot, take a small portion of batter and add as fritters. Fry them until they turn to golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy.

TIP: Do not add more water. The batter should be thick enough to make fritters. Similarly do not add too much of flour. Just the spinach should be coated with batter.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

Bananas (large) - 3 (preferably fully ripe)
Blueberries - 3/4 cup

All purpose flour(maida) - 1 1/2 cup  

Sugar - 3/4 cup(I used half light brown sugar and half white sugar)

Milk - 1/4 cup

Butter - 1/3 cup (at room temperature)

Vanilla essence - 1 tablespoon

Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
Baking powder - pinch

Salt - 1 pinch

Procedure:
1. Take a large mixing bowl, sieve maida, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
2. Take another bowl, add butter, sugar, mashed banana, vanilla essence, milk and mix well until the sugar dissolves completely.
3. Add blueberries to flour mixture and gently stir.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
5. Now add the mixture in to muffin cups and bake them for 18-20 minutes.
6. Once the muffins are done, the inserted tooth-pick comes out clean. 

TIP: The entire trick of making best moist muffins lies in baking. Do not bake them for long time. This makes them dry and hard.

Mamidikaya Pachadi (Mango Chutney)

Ingredients:

Raw mango (medium) - 1

Red chillies - 8-10

Garlic pods - 3-4

Coriander seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

To temper:

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Urad dal - 1/3 tbsp

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 1 tbsp

 

Procedure:

1. Wash, clean and peel mango. Roughly chop in to small chunks and set aside.
2. Take a small pan, heat oil, add garlic pods, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and fry them until they change their color.
3. Blend all this together with mango chunks and salt to get a coarse mixture.
4. Finally season with urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Serve this with hot rice, idli or dosa.

Carrot Paneer Sandwich

Ingredients:

Bread - 4 slices

Grated carrot - 1/2 cup

Shredded paneer - 1/4 cup

Finely chopped onion - 1/4 cup

Green chutney - 2 tbsp

Sweet Chutney - 2 tbsp

Chat masala - 1/4 tbsp 

Ground black pepper - pinch

Salt - as per taste

Butter - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Take a wide mixing bowl, add grated carrot, shredded paneer, chopped onion, chat masala, black pepper and mix well.
2. Take two slices, apply 1 tbsp of green chutney on one side of first slice and apply 1 tbsp of sweet chutney on one side of other slice.
3. Add 2-3 tbsp of carrot-paneer stuffing in between chutney spread sides.
4. Now take a flat pan, add butter and heat it. Place this sandwich on the pan and roast until it turn to golden brown. After sometime, slowly flip the sandwich to other side and continue roasting.
5. Repeat the same procedure with remaining slices. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Aaku Pakodi/Ribbon Pakodi

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 3 cups

Besan flour - 1 cup

Red chilly powder/Green chilly paste/Ground pepper - 1-2 tbsp

Hing - pinch

Butter - 2 tbsp

Ajwain - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Take a wide mixing bowl, add rice flour, besan, red chilly powder, hing, ajwain, salt, butter and mix well to form a smooth dough.
2. Take a wide kadai, add oil and heat until it is sufficiently hot.
3. Now take a little portion of dough and transfer in to the jali with ribbon pakoda blade.
4. Squeeze the dough in to hot oil all over the kadai and fry until they turn to nice golden yellow.
5. Transfer them in to a plate with tissue paper, let them cool for few minutes and transfer in to air tight container.

Navaratri Special Recipes

Boondi Ladoo

Senagala Talimpu

Alasandalu/Seasoned Black-eyed peas

Rava Kesari

Pongali/Katte Pongali

                                                                       Podi Pulihora

Paramannam

                                                                      Semiya Payasam

Poornam Boorelu/Poornalu

                                                                    Lemon Rice

Chekkara Pongali

Garelu

Pulihora (Tamarind Rice)

Pongali/Katte Pongali/Ven Pongal

Pongali/Katte Pongali/Ven Pongal

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Moong dal (Pesarapappu) - 1/2 cup

Green chillies (finely chopped) - 3

Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp

Cashews - 10

Black Pepper corns/ Crushed black pepper - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt - as per taste

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Water - 4 cups ( or you can reduce half cup)

Procedure:

1. Wash and cook rice and moong dal together in a pressure cooker with salt until you hear 4 whistles. After few minutes, when all the steam escapes, open the lid and mash them.
2. Take a small pan, heat 1 tbsp of ghee, add chopped green chillies, ginger, black pepper, cashews, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Fry them until a nice aroma comes out.
3. Add the seasoning immediately in to cooked rice and dal. Mix well.
4. Finally add remaining ghee, give a nice stir and serve hot.

Sweet Boondi & Seasoned Black-eyed peas

Sweet Boondi

Ingredients:

Besan flour (Senagapindi) - 1 cup

Water (for besan flour) - slightly more than 1/2 cup (approx 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp)

Sugar - 1cup

Water - 1/2 cup

Elachi powder - one large pinch

Baking soda - pinch

Yellow food color (optional) - 1 drop

Oil - to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Take a wide kadai, heat oil to deep fry boondi. Meanwhile take a wide mixing bowl, sieve besan and baking soda together. Now add slightly more than half cup of water and mix well to get a smooth batter without any lumps. Add a drop of food color if required. Remember that the quantity of water purely depends on the nature of the besan flour. So adjust accordingly. You can test the batter consistency by dipping the other side of spoon in to batter and add a single drop in to oil. If the drop turns round without any tail formation, then the consistency is perfect. If you notice tail formation, then the batter is dilute and you can add one more tbsp of besan.
2. On the other flame, take a deep cooking vessel, add sugar, water and stir well. Boil sugar syrup until one thread consistency is obtained. Sprinkle some elachi powder and let the syrup stay warm.
3. Now take a wide perforated ladle on top of the oil and add some batter on it. Let the boondi fell in to oil. Fry them until they are almost cooked.
4. Repeat the process in batches until all the batter gets used.
5. Now transfer the boondi in to sugar syrup and stir well.

TIP: After making each batch of boondi, clean the perforated ladle on both the sides. This prevents uneven shape and tail formation of boondi.

Seasoned Black-eyed peas

Ingredients:

Alasandalu (Black-eyed Peas) - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Green chillies - 2

Red chillies - 2

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Freshly grated coconut - 2 tbsp (optional)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak black-eyed peas overnight. Boil them in a pressure cooker with salt. Drain all the excess water from boiled peas and set aside.
2. Take a kadai, heat oil, add urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves and fry them for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add boiled peas and fry them in the seasoning for two more minutes.
4. Sprinkle some red chilly powder, salt and mix well. Finally garnish with freshly grated coconut and serve.

Bread Upma

Ingredients:

Bread slices - 6

Onion (medium) - 1

Green chillies - 2-3

Finely chopped ginger - 1 tbsp

Finely chopped garlic - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Cashews - 1 tbsp

Finely chopped coriander leaves - to garnish

Lemon juice - 1-2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Water - required

Oil - as required

Procedure:

1. Cut bread slices in to small cubes and set aside. Take a pan, heat ghee, add bread cubes and fry them.
2. Once they slightly change their color, transfer them in to a bowl and set aside. 
3. In the same pan, heat oil, add urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter.
4. Add chopped cashews, green chillies, ginger, garlic and stir well.
5. Add finely chopped onion and saute until they are transparent. Now add 1/2 cup water, salt and let them boil.
6. Add fried bread cubes in to boiling water and  stir well. If you feel that the upma is dry, sprinkle some water and mix gently.
7. Finally garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot by adding lemon juice.

TIP: You can also add chopped tomato in this recipe. After adding fried bread cubes, mix gently with ladle and do not apply pressure.

Instant Oats Uthappam

Ingredients:
Oats - 1 cup
Semolina (Godhuma rava) - 2-3 tbsp
Yogurt - 1 cup
Water - required
Salt - as per taste
Oil - sufficient
For topping:
Onion (finely chopped) - 1 large
Carrot (finely grated) - 1 large
Green chillies - 2-3
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 2-3 tbsp
Curry leaves (finely chopped) - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Slightly roast and blend oats in to fine powder.
2. Add semolina, salt, yogurt and mix well (add required water to get consistency exactly like normal uthappam batter).
3. Take a medium sized mixing bowl, add all the ingredients specified under toppings and mix well.
4. Heat a nonstick pan, add required batter in the middle of pan and spread across (it should be slightly thicker than dosa).
5. Now cover the surface of uthappam with desired toppings. Gently press the toppings with ladle, so that they do not separate easily. Add oil all over and cover it with lid.
6. After sometime, slowly flip utappam to other side and roast it for one more minute. Serve immediately with your favorite chutney. 

TIP: In order to get better uthappam, they should be roasted in medium flame only. You can use toppings of your choice. Semolina adds crispness to uthappam.

Masala Puri / Dahi Masala Puri

Ingredients:

Pani Puris - 5-6

Dried green peas - 1 cup

Green chillies - 2-3

Cumin powder - 1/4 tbsp

Chaat masala - 1/4 tbsp + pinch

Onion (finely chopped) - 1 small

Tomato (finely chopped) - 1 small

Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp

Yogurt / Curd - 2 tbsp

Green chutney - 1 tbsp

Sweet chutney - 1 tbsp

Sev - to garnish

Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak dried green peas overnight. Boil soaked green peas in a pressure cooker until you hear 1 whistle. Mean while take yogurt in a small mixing bowl, add salt and mix well until it turns smooth and creamy.
2. Take a quarter portion of boiled green peas and set aside. Blend remaining with green chillies, salt, cumin powder and chat masala to get a smooth paste (add little water to get desired consistency).
3. Take a small bowl, add crumbled pani puris followed by 3-4 tbsp of blended peas mixture and 2-3 tbsp of boiled green peas.
4. Add finely chopped onion, tomato, coriander leaves followed by green chutney and sweet chutney.
5. Add yogurt and sprinkle some salt and chat masala. Finally garnish with sev and serve immediately.

Sweet Chutney / Meetha Chutney

Ingredients:

Dates - 1/2 cup

Raisins - 1/4 cup

Tamarind juice - 1/3 cup

Jaggery - 1/4 cup

Fennel seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Cumin powder - 1/4 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Soak dates and raisins together for 2-3 hours in warm water.
2. After 2 hours blend them with fennel seeds to get fine paste. Transfer this paste in to a kadai, add tamarind juice, jaggery and stir well.
3. Once the mixture starts thickening, add red chilly powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt and mix well. Cool down the mixture and store it in a dry air tight container. Store it in refrigerator. It stays fresh for one month.

Green Chutney for Chaat Recipes

Ingredients:

Mint leaves - 1 cup

Coriander leaves - 1 cup

Green chillies - 6-7

Onion (small) - 1

Lemon juice - 2-3 tbsp

Sugar - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Water - required

Procedure:

1. Blend mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies and chopped onion together to get a smooth paste with sufficient powder.
2. Now add lemon juice, sugar, salt and mix well.