Tomato charu (Tomato rasam)

Ingredients:

4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 1/2 tbsps of oil

1/2 tsp of mustard seeds

1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

2-3 green chillies

few curry leaves

2 tsps of toasted sesame seeds powder

1/2 tsp of red chilli powder

2-3 cups of water

coriander leaves

salt to taste

Procedure:

1)First we need to cook the tomatoes till they are soft and kind of pure.

2)In a medium size saucepan add chopped tomatoes, 1/3 tsp of salt and 1/2 cup of water, cook it for around 10 minutes on medium flame. (make sure that the tomatoes are completely cooked)

[If the tomatoes are not tangy you can use little tamarind while cooking the tomatoes.]

3)Add 2 cups of water to the cooked tomatoes and extract the juice from it, set it aside.

[You can use the pulp if you like but i am not using pulp in this recipe.]

4)Now heat oil, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, wait until mustard seeds splatter, add green chillies, turmeric powder and curry leaves.

5)Stir in the extracted tomato juice and bring it to boil. Then add red chilli powder, sesame seed powder, salt and coriander leaves, simmer it for around 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with plain rice, mudha pappu and papads. 

Mamidikaya pachadi(mamidikaya thokku)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp of toasted mustard seeds powder
2 tsps of toasted sesame seeds powder
1/2 tsp of toasted cumin seeds powder
1 tsp of toasted coriander seeds powder
3 tsps of chilli powder
1/3 tsp of toasted fenugreek seeds powder
2 tsps of salt
1 medium size row mango, cut into small pieces 
5-6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 

To Temper:
2 tbsps of oil
1/3 tsp of mustard seeds
1/3 tsp of cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, crushed
pinch of turmeric powder

Procedure:

In a non reacting bowl add all the ingredients except row mango pieces, mix them all together and keep it aside.
Now for tempering, heat oil then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, wait untill they splatter, now add crushed garlic and turmeric powder.
Fry them and turn off the flame, let it cool down.
Add the tempering to the spices mixture, then keep it aside for around 30 minutes.
Now add the row mango pieces to the mixture and mix well.
Cover it and keep it aside for around 24 hours.
Check the seasoning and adjust salt if needed, transfer it into the dry airtight container and store it at room temperature.
It can be used as a condiment for dal rice, idli , dosa , paratha etc.

Namak para

Ingredients:
2 cups of maida flour(all purpose flour)
1 tbsp of ghee(clarified butter)
1/2 tsp of salt
1/3 tsp of carom seeds
1/3 tsp of cumin seeds(optional)
oil to deep fry

Procedure:
In a wide bowl add maida flour, salt, cumin seeds and carom seeds.
Heat ghee, add it to the flour and mix till it is nicely mixed into the flour.
Now add little water at a time and make a soft dough just like chapati dough, keep it aside for around 10-15 minutes.
Knead the dough for a minute then divide the dough into 5 or 6 equal portions.
Take one dough boll and roll it out into a circle( it should not be very thick or very thin), cut it into diamond shape pieces with the help of knife. Repeat the same process for the remaining dough bolls.
Heat oil and deep fry the pieces on both sides evenly till they are light brown in colour.(fry them in batches and on medium flame to get even colouring)
Remove them onto the paper towel and allow them to cool down  completely. Store in an air tight container. 

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Kalakand (Milk cake)

Ingredients:

1 liter whole milk

1/2 lemon juice
3/4 cup of condensed milk
2 tbsps of ghee(clarified butter)
Finely grated pistachios( approximately 8-10)
1/3 tsp of cardamom powder.
Procedure:

First we need to prepare chhana, for preparing chhana heat 1 liter milk, when the milk starts boiling add lemon juice to it and reduce the flame and keep stirring occasionally for around 4-5 minutes. 

At this point you can see light yellow colour water and chhana, if it is not formed then keep stirring until you get it.

Then pour the whole thing into muslin cloth or colander, over a sink. Remove the excess water by squeezing gently, then keep it aside. this channa or fresh paneer is ready.

Heat ghee in a non stick pan, then add the chhana and fry it for around 5 minutes on medium flame.

Then add condensed milk and keep on stirring until it thickens to a waterless firm lump, then add cardamom powder, mix well.

Now grease any tray or plate with little ghee and transfer the kalakand, sprinkle some chopped or grated pistachios on it and leave it to cool down.

Cut according to your wish and enjoy.

Lamb liver curry

Ingredients:

250 gms of lamb liver

1 cup of milk

1 tbsp of fried onion paste

2 tbsps of oil

1 tsp of garlic ginger paste

1/3 tsp of turmeric powder

3/4 tsp of chilli powder
1/2 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of fine coconut powder

1/2 cup of finely chopped coriander
1/4 tsp of garam masala powder
salt to taste
1/2 lemon juice

Procedure:
Cut the liver into small pieces, soak them in milk for around 30 minutes.
Rinse the liver pieces in water and keep them aside.
Heat oil in a non stick frying pan, add 1/2 of the garlic ginger paste and liver pieces. Fry the liver pieces on medium flame till it is 70% done (for around 3-4 minutes).
Remove the fried liver pieces into plate and keep them aside.
Now in the same pan add fried onion paste, garlic ginger paste and turmeric powder. Saute them for a minute or so then add chilli powder, coriander powder, coconut powder,salt and little water(2tbsps), stir and  cook on medium flame.
Drop in the fried liver pieces and garam masala powder.
Mix all together, cover it and cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.
(If you over cook, you will end up with hard liver pieces)
Check the seasoning and adjust according to your taste. Finally Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves and squeeze some lemon juice.
Try this recipe, I am sure it will turn out great. I tried same recipy for chicken it turned very owesome.
Serve this dish with naan bread or roti.

Nuvvula laddu (Til ke laddu)

Ingredients:

1 cup of sesame seeds

1 cup of jaggery

2 tbsp of water
1 tbsp of ghee
1/3 tsp of cardamom powder

Procedure:

Dry roast the sesame seeds and keep them aside. Add grated (or powdered) jaggery to the hot pan, stir occasionally and make sure that the jaggery won't burn at the bottom.
When the jaggery is completely melted add water and cardamom powder.
When the syrup starts bubbling, take a bowl of cool water and put a drop of syrup in it, if the syrup forms a ball then the syrup is ready.
Now add roasted sesame seeds and mix well, remove the mixture onto a plate.
Apply some ghee to your palms and start preparing lemon size balls when the mixture is warm.
(if the mixture cools down it is very difficult to prepare laddus) 

Gavvalu (Sweet shells)

Ingredients:

2 cups of maida flour(all purpose flour)

1/4 tsp of salt

2 tbsp of melted ghee

2-3 tbsp of water(approximately)

Oil for deep frying

3/4 cup of sugar

Procedure:

In a mixing bowl add sifted Maida flour, salt, ghee and mix well. Add little amount of water at a time to make dough.( Make sure the dough is not too soft or too hard)

Cover the dough and rest it for around 5-10 minutes.

Now take a small amount of dough and prepare shell shape with your thumb and pointer fingers. (Or make a small dough ball, press it on the back side of fork and remove it from the opposite direction)

Repeat the same procedure for all the dough.

Keep the shells aside and heat oil for deep frying, fry them in batches for around 4-5 minutes(each batch) on medium to low flame.

After frying remove them into a bowl, keep them aside.

Heat another pan, add sugar and 2tsps of water and let them boil till you get two string consistency.

Add the fried shells to the sugar syrup, mix well.
Once the shells are coated nicely. Transfer them on to another plate and let them cool down.

Store in an airtight container and consume within 2 weeks.