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.