Tasty and Healthy beverage to fight against the intense summer heat.

Ingredients:

Raw Mangoes – 2

Sugar – As per taste – ½ cup

Rock Salt – As per taste

Jeera Powder – 1 tsp

Chaat Masala Powder – 1 tsp

Method:

Wash and Peel the mangoes. Cut them into pieces.
Pressure cook the cut mango pieces.

Once done, Mash the boiled mango pieces and strain.

Add Sugar, Rock Salt, Jeera Powder and the Chaat Masala Powder.

Mix well and store in the refrigerator, else, add a couple of ice cubes before you serve.

Serve Chilled.

Ingredients:

Tur Dal – 1 cup (Soak for 7 hours)     

Moong dal – ½ cup (Soak for 7 Hours)

Bengal Gram Dal – ¼ cup (Soak for 7 Hours)

Coriander – Chopped – ¼ cup

Grated Coconut – ¼ cup

Green Chilli – Finely Chopped – 2

Onion – Finely Chopped – ½ cup

Carrot – Grated – ½ cup

Onion – Finely Chopped – ½ cup

Salt – As per taste

 Method:

 Wash and Soak all the 3 types of dal for 6-7 hours.

Drain and grind to a smooth paste.

Add the chopped onion, grated carrot, coriander, green chillies, salt and coconut and mix well.

Add water if required to form a Idli Batter.

Pour into greased idli moulds and steam for 12-15 minutes.

Serve hot with your favourite chutney.

Ingredients:

Methi- 1 big bunch, washed thoroughly and chopped roughly

Tur Dal- 1 Cup soaked in water for 2 hours (You can replace channa dal for Tur dal)

Fresh grated Coconut- 4 Tbsp

Green Chilies- 4 to 6

Jeera/Cumin- 1 Tsp

Asafetida- 1/8 Tsp

Mustard Seeds- 1/2 Tsp

Turmeric Powder- 1/4 Tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil- 3 Tbsp

Lemon Juice-  2 Tsp

Method:

Grind the Tur Dal, coconut, green chillies, jeera, and some asafetida in a blender to make a course paste.

Heat the oil in a kadai. Add the mustard seeds, once spluttered, add the chopped methi leaves. Sauté the methi leaves till they are completely cooked.

Add the salt and the turmeric powder. Add the Tur Dal paste and stir continuously till the dal is completely cooked and oil separates from the mixture and starts drying out. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice.

Serve with Roti or you can add this mixture to the steaming rice and ghee…..which tastes awesome. …

Simple and quick recipe. )))

Ingredients:

Mixed Vegetables – Chopped – 2 cups

(Carrot, Beans, Peas, Corn and Cabbage-grated)

Cornflour – 2 tbsp

Salt – As per taste

Pepper – A pinch

Vinegar – 1tsp

Method:

 Boil the mixed vegetables in 4 cups of water.

Meanwhile add little water to the cornflour to form a smooth paste.

Mix the cornflour paste to the boiled vegetables and stir well for 1 minute.

Now, add salt and pepper as per the taste and mix well.

Turn the heat off and then add 1 tsp of vinegar to get the tangy taste. Else you can replace lemon juice for vinegar, which adds a twist to the taste. J

Serve HOT.

An Evening Time snack… with hot cup of Tea/ Coffee or for people like me, who never drinks tea/coffee…. A good accompaniment even with fruit juice….…. J

Ingredients:

Puffed Rice – 8 cups

Haldi / Turmeric – 1 tsp

Salt – As per Taste

Groundnut – 2 tbsp

Cashewnut – 1 tbsp

Curry leaves – 15 leaves

Garlic – 5-6 cloves

Dry Red Chilly – 3

Sugar – 1tsp

Red Chilli Powder – 1 ½ tsp

Dalia Split (Hurigadale/Kadlepappu/chutney dal) – 2 tbsp

Mustard Seeds – ¼ tsp

Hing / Asafoetida – A pinch

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat Oil in a deep bottom pan, add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add peanuts, Hing / Asafoetida, Cashewnut, Garlic Cloves, Dalia Split and Curry Leaves and Fry for couple of minutes, till they turn golden brown.

Now, add dry red chilly, sugar, haldi, red chilli powder and salt. Fry for 2 minutes.

Add Puffed Rice and toss couple of times. Turn the gas off and then Mix well.

Once it cools down to the room temperature, store it in an airtight container.

Ingredients:

Bread Slices – 8-10 Slices

Cinnamon Powder – 2 tbsp

Sugar – 1 ½ Tbsp

Butter – 2 Tbsp

Method:

Cut the Brown edges of the Bread Slices and keep it aside.

Combine Cinnamon Powder, Sugar and Butter and Mix well to form a paste. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.

Now, Smear the butter paste on both sides of the bread slices and toast on low flame for 2-3 minutes, till it turns out to be crisp.

Repeat the same with all the bread slices.

Once done, cut vertically to get cinnamon bread sticks

A sweetened variant of the traditional steamed idlis……

Ingredients:

Raw Rice – 2 cups (Soak for 6 hours and drain)

Grated Coconut – ½ cup

Rice Flakes (Jada Poha) – ½ cup (washed and drained)

Curds – ½ cup

Eno fruit salt – ½ tsp

Salt – As per taste

Ghee – for greasing

                     For Serving:

                           Ghee – 1 tbsp

                           Sugar – 2 Tbsp

                           Maple Syrup – 2 Tbsp (Optional)

Method:

Combine the rice and coconut and blend to form a smooth paste

Mix Rice flakes and Curds and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Add Jaggery to the rice flakes and curds, blend to a smooth paste.

Combine the rice-coconut paste, rice flakes paste and salt and mix well into a thick batter. Check the consistency and add a little water, if required.

Just before steaming, add the fruit salt to the batter and sprinkle some water over it and mix well.

Pour the batter into the ghee greased Idli Moulds and steam for 10-12 minutes.

Just before serving, pour a little ghee, sprinkle some sugar and pour the maple syrup over the idlis. ( Soaked in maple syrup gives a better taste)

Wheat Flour – 2 cups

Pudhina / Mint Leaves – 1 bunch – Blend and puree to form a smooth paste – ¼ cup (Do not add water)

Ajwain / Carom Seeds Powder – ¼ cup (Dry Roast the seeds and blend to form a smooth powder)

Salt – as per taste

Ghee – as per taste

Green Chilli Paste – ¼ tsp

Water – Enough to make chapati / roti – dough

Method:

Mix the flour and all the above Ingredients except water.

Add water 1 Table spoon at a time to make soft and pliable dough.

Knead it for few minutes by adding the ghee little at a time. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and make balls. Roll them into chapatis / roti.

Cook the roti with/without ghee on a griddle and serve with side dish of your choice.

Ingredients:

Boiled / Cooked Rice – 2 cups

Spring Onion – Finely Chopped – 1 cup

Carrots – Finely Diced – ½ cup

Cabbage – Grated – ¼ cup

Beans – Finely Chopped – ½ cup

Frozen peas – ¼ cup

Dry Red Chillies – 5-6 (soaked in warm water for 1 hour)

Garlic – 5 cloves

Soy Sauce – 1 tbsp

Salt – As per Taste

Vinegar – 1 tsp

Sesame Oil – 3 tbsp

Method:

Grind the red chillies soaked in warm water and the garlic cloves, keep it aside.

Heat oil in a skillet; add all the chopped/grated vegetables (carrots, beans, cabbage, frozen peas) and fry for 5-6 minutes, till they are crispy cooked.

Add the red chillies-garlic paste and fry for a minute.

Now, add the spring onion, fry for 2 minutes, and add salt, soy sauce and vinegar.

Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cooked rice and mix well.

Serve HOT with your favourite sauce.