Rava Ladoo

Ingredients:

1 cup of rava(suji or semolina)

1 cup of powdered sugar(icing sugar)

1/2 cup of dry coconut finely shredded

3 tbsp of ghee(clarified butter)

1/2 tsp of cardamom powder

1 tbsp of broken cashew nuts

1 tbsp of kishmish(raisins)

1/4 cup of worm milk (approximately)

Procedure:
Heat ghee in a wok or heavy based deep pan. Once the ghee is hot, simmer the flame and fry cashew nuts and kishmish.
Once the kishmish puffs up, remove them into a small bowl and set aside.
In the same pan, stir in rava and roast it on medium to low flame by stirring continuously. Around 10-15 minutes, now add dry coconut and roast altogether for another 5 minutes.
Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, roasted cashew nuts    and raisins to the rava mixture. Mix altogether, switch of the flame and remove the mixture into bowl. 
Immediately make ladoos before the mixture cool down.
Add little milk at a time and prepare ladoos. (Adjust milk, if you are not able to make ladoo) 

Bhindi Fry

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of oil

1 medium size onion chopped

3 green chillies, chopped

1 tsp garlic ginger paste

1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

few curry leaves

500g okra(bhindi), chopped

1/2 tsp of chilli powder

salt to taste

a hand full of fresh coriander, chopped

Procedure:

Wash bhindi and dry them before chopping. Chop them according to your wish.

Heat oil in a deep non stick pan, add green chillies and onions. Fry them for 3-4 minutes, stir in turmeric powder, garlic ginger paste and curry leaves.

Cook them for a minute or so then add bhindi, fry them for 4-5 minutes with out placing lid on top. Turn the heat to medium, add chilli powder, salt and 1/2 of the coriander leaves and continue stirring for further 4-5 minutes or until okra is tender.

Serve hot, with a lemon wedge on the side.

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.