Spinach and onion Pakora

Ingredients:

1 large onion finely chopped

1 cup of spinach finely chopped

1 cup of gram flour

1 tbsp full of rice flour

1 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves

1 tbsp of curry leaves chopped 

2 green chillies finely chopped

1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

1/4 tsp of chilli powder

1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda

1/3 cup of water

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

Procedure:

Take a bowl and add all the above ingredients except water and oil.

Mix them together by adding little water at a time. Make thick batter as much as possible, adjust seasoning if needed. 

Heat oil in a medium size saucepan or kadahi(wok). Drop little  bit of batter into the wok and check whether oil is hot or not.

Now drop 1 tsp of batter at a time as shown in the picture.

Prepare these pakoras in batches, fry them on medium flame till they turn golden brown in colour.

Drain excess oil and remove them onto the paper towel.

Serve hot as an evening snack. It is very easy to prepare, I am sure you will love it. 

  

Uthappam

Ingredients:

Dosa batter - 4 cups

1/2 cup of finely chopped onions

1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes

1tbsp of freshly chopped coriander

few curry leaves

2 green chillies finely chopped

oil for greasing

salt to taste

Procedure:

Add finely chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves and salt to the dosa batter, mix well.

Heat a tawa and grease it with oil. Now spread two tablespoonful of batter evenly, little bit thicker than a dosa.

Sprinkle few drops of oil on top, cover it and cook till it is golden in colour.

Turn it and cook for a minute or so. Serve hot with coconut & peanut chutney, ginger chutney and sambar.

Coconut & Peanut Chutney 

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh coconut chopped

3/4 cup of peanuts, roasted and skin off

1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

1/3 tsp of mustard seeds

1 tsp of coriander seeds

1 tbsp of curry leaves

3-4 green chillies

2 garlic cloves

2 red chillies, broken into half

1 1/2 inch of tamarind piece 

1 tsp of urad dal

1 tsp of chana dal

1 cup of water

2 tbsp of oil

salt to taste 

Procedure:

Heat oil in a medium sized sauce pan, add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, garlic cloves, green chillies and tamarind.
Fry them for 2 minutes until they turn golden in colour, then switch off the flame.
Drain the excess oil, blend coconut pieces, peanuts, fried ingredients, water and salt all together. Adjust water to get the consistency you prefer.

Tadka:
Now heat the leftover oil in the saucepan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, red chillies and curry leaves. Fry them until chana dal turns golden in colour, stir in the blended mixture and check the seasoning. 
You can serve with idli, dosa, upma or vada.

Baked Chicken Legs

Ingredients:

4 chicken drumsticks, skinned

about 50 ml milk

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp of garlic ginger paste

2 or 3 fresh red chillies, chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander

1 tablespoon ground almonds

1 tsp of coriander powder

1/2 tsp of garam masala

1/2 tsp of cardamom powder
100 grams plane yogurt(curd)

1/2 tsp of fennel seeds(optional)

1/2 tsp of salt

Procedure:

1) Make small gashes in the chicken drumsticks using a sharp knife, marinade the chicken by adding all the above ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
2)To cook, put the chicken drumsticks, topped by any excess marinade in an oven tray. Cover with foil and cook in a preheated oven, 190 degree centigrade/ 375 degree fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
3)Turn the drumsticks over, cover again with the foil and cook it for another 10 more minutes.
4)Using the sharp knife, cut to the bone to test that the chicken is fully cooked - the juices should run clear.
5)There will be a reasonable amount of cooked marinade in the oven tray. Place this in a sauce pan and cook on medium flame till it is nice and thick, stir occasionally. When the oil starts oozing out, turn off the heat.
Pour it over drumsticks to serve.  

Omelette Stuffed Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 Medium size bread slices (white or brown)

2 tsp of butter(slightly salted)

1 tsp of vegetable oil

2 medium size eggs

1 tsp of water

pinch of turmeric powder

pinch of pepper powder

1/4 tsp of red chilli powder

1/4 tsp of garlic ginger paste

salt to taste

Procedure:

In a small mixing bowl add water, red chilli powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder, garlic ginger paste and salt. Mix them all together with fork or whisk. 

Add eggs and whisk for 15-20 seconds. Heat oil in a non stick flat surface pan, pour the mixture into the pan and cook it on medium to low flame, by placing lid on top. Cook it for a minute or so, turn the omelette and cook for few seconds. 

(Cook the omelette on low flame to get nice and soft omelette)

Slightly toast the bread slices and spread butter evenly.

Place the omelette between the bread slices and cut it diagonally.

Serve this dish for breakfast with a glass of milk or orange juice, to make it even more nutritious. 

  

Samosas (Triangular filled & fried pastry)

Ingredients:

1 cup of maida flour(all perpose flour)

2 tbsp of oil, plus extra for deep-frying

4 medium size potatoes cooked and lightly mashed

1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas

2-3 green chillies

1 tbsp of curry leaves

1 medium size onion chopped

3/4 tsp of garlic ginger paste

1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

1/2 tsp of cumin powder

1/2 tsp of coriander leaves

1/2 of the lemon, juice

1 tbsp of freshly chopped coriander

salt to taste

Procedure:

1)Heat oil in a medium size non stick saucepan. Fry onions and green chillies for 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic ginger paste, turmeric powder, curry leaves, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt.

2)Add peas, potatoes, fresh coriander and lemon juice, mix them and fry them for 3-4 minutes. Check the seasoning and set aside.

3)For samosa pastry, mix together the measured flour, oil, 1/4 tsp of salt and enough water to make a dough (like chapati dough). Rest it for 15-20 minutes.

4)Divide the dough into 6, then shape each piece into a square. Roll out each square on a floured surface and cut each into 2 rectangular shape pieces. remember the thinner you roll, the crisper the samosas will be.

5) Heat the non stick flat pan and place these pastry sheets on it for 2-3 secounds, each side ( dont cook the pastry sheets).

6)Take one rectangular pastry sheet and brush it with some flour and water, make cone out of it and fill the potato mixture inside and brush some more flore and water on the remaining flap, and seal. Make the remaining samosas in the same way.

7)Deep fry them in batches till nice and slitly golden in colour.

Remove them onto the absorbent kitchen towel.

Serve them hot on its own or with some khatta meetha chutney.

Upma (South Indian Breakfast Dish)

Ingredients:

1 cup of upma rava (bombay rava)

2 1/2 cups of water 

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

1/2 tsp of mustard seeds

1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

1 tsp of urad dal

2 cloves of garlic

2 tsp of pea nuts

1 medium size onion finely chopped

3-4 green chillies chopped

1 tbsp of curry leaves

1/2 cup of freshly chopped coriander leaves

1 medium size tomato chopped

salt to taste

Procedure:

If you are looking for soft and south indian style of upma, then this recipe is perfect for you.
Heat oil in a medium size non-stick saucepan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, wait until they splatter. Now stir in chopped green chillies, garlic, urad dal, pea nuts and onion, cook onion until soft and translucent.

Tip in curry leaves and tomatoes, fry them until tomatoes are cooked (for around 3-4 minutes). Now add chopped coriander, salt and water. Mix them all together and bring it to boil.

Check the seasoning, Slowly add rava by stirring continuously. Stir occasionally until all the water is absorbed (it takes 1-2 minutes), simmer and cook for another 2-3 minutes by placing lid on top.

Serve hot with ginger chutney or peanut chutney. 

Spiced Lamb Burger

Ingredients:

500 grams of lamb mince

3-4 cloves of garlic 

2 inch peace of ginger(skin off)

1 small onion raffly chopped

1/2 cup of fresh coriander

1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves

2-3 green chillies

2 medium bread slices

1 medium size lemon juice

1/2 tsp of chilli powder
1 small egg

1/2 tsp of garam masala powder

1/2 tsp of coriander powder
oil for frying
5-6 burgar buns
3 salad tomatoes sliced
1 large onion sliced
1 cup of roughly chopped lettuce
1 small cup of yogurt chutney or maioneza

salt to taste

Procedure:

1) To the food processor add garlic, ginger, onion, coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies and bread slices( or bread crumbs). Blend them into a course mixture.
2)In a large mixing bowl add lamb mince, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, egg, salt, grind mixture and lemon juice.   

3)Mix them all together, take handful of mince and shape it into a round, flat patty about 2 cms thick.
4)Heat oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the patty over medium heat, cook both sides for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through(make sure each side is evenly coloured). Repeat the same procedure for all patties.
5)Now split burger buns into half with a bread knife, arrange fresh lettuce on the bottom slit of bread. Place the patty on top and spread some yogurt chutney or maioneza, top it with some sliced onions, tomatoes or any salad according to your taste.
Serve this burger on any type of party, it is very easy to prepare.
I am sure you will love it!

Mysore Bonda(Mysore Bajji)

Ingredients:

2 cups of maida flour(all purpose flour)

1/2 cup of rice flour

3/4 tsp of baking soda

2 tsps of chopped ginger

2 tsps of chopped curry leaves

2-3 finely chopped green chillies 

1/2 tsp of cumin seeds

3/4 cup of yogurt

water for preparing batter

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

Procedure:

In a large mixing bowl add all the above ingredients (maida flour, rice flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, curry leaves, green chillies, cumin seeds and yogurt).

Mix all together by adding little water at a time, and make a thick batter.

Rest the batter for 5-10 minutes, meanwhile heat oil for deep frying.

Take 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl and place it aside. Now wet your hand in water, take hand full of batter and drop it in the oil( make sure that each and every time wet your hand while dropping batter in to the oil, that's when you get even and round shape bonda's).

Fry this bonda's in batches on medium flame until nice and golden (for around 2-3 minutes), remove them on to a paper towel.

Serve hot with coconut or peanut chutney.