American-Style Rice Recipe

 1)CUP UNCOOKED RICE
 2)2 CUP COLD WATER
 3)1/2  TO A 1 TEASPOON SALT
 METHOD

1.	Put rice, water, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan; cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a vigorous boil then turn heat as low as possible. Continue to cook 14 minutes. Do not stir or lift cover. Turn off heat; allow rice to steam, covered, for 10 minutes more Makes 3 cups.

How to make…Muttakose vada

Muttakose vadai is a dish I learnt to make from my mother. Because it is a steamed dish, it hardly absorbs oil and retains the nutrients.

A vadai with the goodness of cabbage

What you need

Chopped cabbage: 3cups

Bengal gram (Channa dal): 1 cup

Split pigeon pea (Toor dal): 1cup

Green gram (Moong dal): 1 cup

Oil: 4 tsp

Red chillies: 10

Asafoetida: 1tsp

Salt: to taste

Curry leaves: a few

Cooking instructions

Soak all three varieties of gram in water for 30 minutes.

Grind it with chillies and salt and curry leaves.

Add chopped cabbage and asafoetida.

Make vadais by steaming it on idli plates.

Fry the steamed vadai in a pan with 2 tsp of oil till it turns crispy.

Serve with coriander chutney.

Manipal Idlis

Ingredients
1 cup rava (sooji)
1 3/4 cups thick fresh yogurt
3 tsps ghee
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. split black gram dal
1 tsp. split bengal gram
1 tsp. finely chopped ginger
1/4 cup grated coconut
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
1/4 tsp baking powder
manipal idlis

Method
Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they sputter add the grams. Fry until
light brown.
Add chilies, ginger, coconut, salt and rava. Fry for two minutes over medium heat. Cool.
Add yogurt (curd), coriander leaves and baking powder to the rava mixture. Pour into 12
lightly greased moulds of an idli stand. Steam for ten minutes.
Cool slightly before removing from moulds. Serve with saar and mint chutney.

Mal Puris

Ingredients
1 litre full milk cream
4 tbsp maida (white flour)
3 tbsp sooji
1 kg sugar
1/2 litre water
ghee (butter) for frying
mal puris

Method
Boil milk so that it reduces to half of the original quantity.
Keep the reduced milk to cool and then add sooji and maida together and mix so that it
does not form lumps.
Keep the batter for 10-15 mins.
Take a pan and put in ghee for shallow frying.
Put 1 tbsp of batter in ghee and spread it (to give the shape of a pancake) and cook on
slow fire.
Meanwhile, make sugar syrup with water.
Take out the pancakes when they are light brown and dip them in sugar syrup.
Garnish with pista/dryfruits and serve hot.(with kheer or rabri)

Kheema Paratha

Ingredients
500g wheat flour
200g mutton kheema
1 tsp coriander powder
2g garam masala
50g onions, chopped
1/2 tsp chili powder
a pinch of turmeri

Method
Boil the kheema in salted water until it is tender.
Heat oil in a pan, add onions and fry until brown. Also add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric,
chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, boiled kheema and fry for 5 minutes
Add chopped coriander leaves and remove from heat. Keep aside.
Mix wheat flour with salt, water and knead to smooth dough. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
Then make small balls from the dough, roll into thin triangle shaped chapathis.
In the middle, place kheema curry and spread till end. Place another chapathi over this
and close the edges by pasting using beaten egg.
Fry these parathas over flat pan on both sides until golden brown using oil
75g oil
1 egg
1 bunch of cilantro
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
salt to taste
kheema paratha

Dhokla (Khaman)

Ingredients
1 cup gram flour
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp citric acid
1 tsp soda bicarb
2 green chillies
1/2" piece ginger grated
2-3 drops yellow colouring
salt to taste

Method
Warm the water. Take flour in a large bowl. Place sugar and citric acid in a cup. Place
soda bicarb in another cup. Pour a little of the water over each. Pour remaining water in
gram flour, add chilli and ginger. Mix well with palm till smooth.
Place the pressure cooker on gas with 1 litre water and stand.
Grease a round cooker or cake tin and place in the cooker. Allow to heat. Add sugar
solution and colour to better.
Mix well till light and fluffy. Add soda solution and mix well. Pour into prepared tin before
the foam goes down. Do not touch spoon now. Cover tin with a perforated lid and close
cooker.
Cook without whistle for 13-14 minutes. Remove tin and allow it to cool. Cut in cubes and
remove with spatula. Heat oil in a small pan.
Add mustard seed, allow to splutter. Pour over dhokla cubes. Sprinkle coconuts and
coriander. Transfer to serving dish. Serve hot or cold with green chutney.
For Seasoning:
1/2 cup coconut grated
1/4 cup coriander chopped
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp oil

Gobi Paratha

Ingredients
1 cup of grated gobi(cauliflower)
3 cups of wheat flour for paratha
4 green chillies
2 spoons butter
1 spoon salt
coriander leaves

Method
Cut the chillies into very small pieces.
Take wheat flour in a vessel, add grated gobi, cut chillies,butter,coriander leaves and salt.
Mix all this with warm water , in such a way that you must be able to make paratha/roti with
the dough.
Take small pieces of dough and press it with roti maker into round paratha.
Place the non-stick tawa on the stove . After heating, place the paratha on it and add
1spoon of oil on either sides of paratha.
Keep it on the tawa until it becomes brown on both sides by repeatedly changing the
sides.
Serve this hot with some pickle.

Egg Vermicelli

Ingredients
2 boiled eggs
500g vermicelli
3 onions, chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
40g bengal gram
1 sprig curry leaves
4 tbsp ghee or butter

1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 red chilies
2 small cinnamon sticks
3-4 cardamoms
salt to taste
Method
Mix coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chilies, cinnamon, cardamoms and grind to a fine
powder.
Heat ghee in a pan, roast the vermicelli until golden color and keep aside.
In the remaining ghee, add mustard seeds, bengal gram, curry leaves, salt, ground
powder and fry for few minutes.
Add 1 cup of water, vermicelli and cook until the vermicelli is tender.
Cut the eggs into four pieces and add to the vermicelli mixture.
Mix well and serve with tomato chutney

Egg Paratha

Ingredients
1/2 kg maida
salt to taste
1 egg for each paratha
1 tsp pepper powder
1 cup ghee or dalda

Method
Add maida salt ghee with little water kneed well
Roll into a paratha fry both sides with ghee
Add one egg to a paratha on top add little salt
Smash every thing with a spoon add pepper powder
Serve hot with gongura pachadi

Egg & Cheese Toast

Ingredients
2 boiled eggs
2 raw eggs
4 bread slices
50g cheese
2 green chilies, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1/4 lemon
1 tsp chili powder
few curry leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
egg & cheese toast

Method
Cut the eggs into small pieces. To this, add grated cheese, eggs, green chilies, curry
leaves, chili powder, lemon juice, salt and mix well.
Heat the butter on a pan, roast the bread slices on both sides with the above mixture on it.
Serve with tomato ketchup.

Egg & Bread Masala

Ingredients
8 bread slices, made into small pieces
3 eggs
2 green chillies
1 onion, cut into very small pieces
1 tomato, cut into very small pieces
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp oil

Method
Heat oil in pan, fry the onions and green chilies.
Add bread pieces and fry well. Also add to it the beaten egg and scramble it.
Now add the chili powder, salt and tomatoes and fry till all mix well.

Dahi-bread Vada

Ingredients
1 pkt of bread
500 ml curd (yogurt)
salt to taste
8-10 green chilies, chopped
few coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chili powder
oil for frying

Method
Soak bread slices in water for few seconds, remove and squeeze all the water. Make balls
from this in the shape of cutlet or vada and fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Dip these fried bread vada in salt water for few seconds again. Remove and lightly
squeeze all the water. Place them in a bowl.
Beat curd well without any lumps in it. To this, add chopped coriander leaves, green
chilies, salt and mix well.
Pour this curd mixture over the vadas. Also sprinkle cumin powder and chili powder.
Optional: You can add seasoning too by frying mustard seeds and red chilies in oil.

Corn Parathas

Ingredients
For the filling:
1 1/4 cups corn, boiled and mashed
2 tbsp fresh coconut, grated
1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp cashews, cut into small pieces
salt to taste
3-4 green chilies, cut into small pieces
1/3 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder

150 gms gram flour
50 gms sooji
1 tsp yogurt
1/3 tsp ajwain seeds
4 tbsp oil for making the dough
oil or ghee for frying

 
Method
Mix gram flour, sooji, salt and sieve. Add ajwain seeds, yogurt, oil to the flour and make a
dough with enough water. Cover the dough with a cloth and keep aside for a few minutes.
For the filling, heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, asafoetida, green chilies and fry for a
minute. Then add coriander powder, mashed corn, cashews, raisins, grated coconut, salt,
garam masala and mix well. Fry on low heat stirring continuously until it is done.
Make small balls from the gram flour mixture, keep in the middle of a greased polythene
paper. Keep another polythene paper on the top and roll over into thin puris.
Stuff the corn mixture in the middle of the puri, cover the edges and again roll it into a
paratha. Heat oil in a flat pan and fry the parathas on both sides until they are golden
brown in color.

Chole Hatred

Ingredients
For chole:
200g kabuli chana
1/2 tsp garam masala
10g
1 tsp aam chur
50g ginger
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 onions, chopped
oil for frying
salt to taste

For bhature:
500g maida (all-purpose) flour
125g oil
200g yogurt
25g baking powder

Method
Soak the chana overnight and boil until tender.
Make a paste of ginger, garlic, and coriander seeds and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan, fry onions, garam masala until brown, add ground paste and fry for few
minutes.
Then add soaked chana, salt, chili powder, some water and cook until the gravy thickens.
Later add aam chur powder, chopped cilantro and fry for 2 minutes. Remove and keep
aside.
Sieve the maida flour, add ghee, yogurt, baking powder and knead to a smooth dough.
Cover with a muslin cloth and keep aside for overnight.
Make small balls from the dough, roll into thick puris and fry in oil on both sides until
golden brown.
Serve with the above prepared curry.

Chili Prawn Noodles

Ingredients
2 pkt noodles, prawns flavor
100 gms prawns, cleaned
1 onion, finely chopped
1" piece ginger, chopped
2-3 green chilies, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method
Heat oil and fry onion, ginger and prawns for 1-2 minutes.
Add chopped tomato, green chilies, salt, and cook till the prawns are tender.
Add 3 cups of water to the prawns and bring to a boil.
Add noodles and cook for another 2 minutes.
Serve hot with tomato soup.

Chawal Ki Roti

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups rice flour (chawal ka atta)
4 tbsp cooked rice
2 tsps garlic, grated
2 tsps green chilies, chopped
2 tsps ginger, grated
3 tbsp curd (yogurt)
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste
oil for cooking

Method
Combine all the ingredients and knead into a firm dough using enough water. Divide the
dough into 6 equal portions.
Roll out each portion into a circle of 150 mm. (6") diameter and 6 mm. (¼") Thickness.
Heat a tava (griddle) and cook each roti on both sides with a little bit of oil until brown.
Press down with a spoon on the thicker edges to ensure the roti also gets cooked through
on the inside.
Repeat with the remaining dough to make 5 more rotis. Serve hot with any gravy or curry.

Chatpati Chapathis

Ingredients
4 chapathis
2 boiled potatoes, peeled & grated
1/2 cup grated paneer
1 carrot, peeled & grated
1 cheese cube, grated
2 tsp. chat masala
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tomato, cut into strips
1 capsicum, cut into strips
salt to taste

Method
In a mixing bowl, add potatoes, paneer, carrot, cheese, 1 tsp. Chat masala, lemon juice,
salt and mix well.
Divide the mixture into four equal parts and roll each part into a long roll of the size of
chappaties. Keep aside.
Warm the chappaties and place on a serving plate. Put one roll of potato & paneer mixture
in the center of a chapati.
Also add some capsicum and tomato strips, sprinkle chat masala on the top and roll up the
chapati.
Repeat the same procedure with the other chappaties and serve hot.

Cabbage Paratha

Ingredients
1/4 cabbage
salt
3-4 cups wheat flour
any garam masala 1 tsp.
ghee
green chillies
coriander

Method
Shred the cabbage (with sharp knife,) finely.
Put it in a large bowl, sprinkle some salt over it and keep aside.
Chop chillies and coriander very fine and add to cabbage.
Put garam masala, wheat flour, add little water and knead well. (Try to use less water, as
cabbage will leave some juice.) you can add more flour if necessary.
Heat tava, roll out paratha of kneaded flour, use ghee for roasting. Roast well.
Eat with pickle, dahi or lasanachi (garlic) chutney.

Bread Upma

Ingredients
5 dry bread slices
(each cut into nine squares)
1 big onion (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp dhania-jeera powder
a pinch of red chilli powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
3 tsps of oil
salt to taste
a pinch of turmeric powder

Method
In a hard bottomed pan, add oil. Add mustard seeds and after it starts spluttering, add
urad dal.
Add the onions and fry till it changes colour. Add the bread pieces and sprinkle a little
water to soften the bread.
Add salt, turmeric powder, dhania-jeera powder and chilli powder. Mix well in a low flame.
Notes:
This requires very little salt as the bread already contains salt.

Bombay Toast

Ingredients
bread : 5 slices
milk : 1 cup
egg : 1
sugar : 2 tbsp
butter : 1 tbsp

Method
Beat together egg, milk and sugar to a batter.
Heat a pan and spread a little butter.
Dip a slice of bread in the batter and fry till golden brown turning it once on either side.
Careful not to break the bread.
Can be used as breakfast or evening snack.

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients
chapati atta - 200 gms
jeera - 1 tsp
chilli powder - 2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
yoghurt (dahi) - 3 - 4 tbsp
cooking oil - 2 tbsp
potato - 2 - 3 medium sized
salt to taste

Method
Boil 2 - 3 medium sized potato, remove skin and mash it.
In one bowl take 200 gms chapati atta. Add jeera, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Mix it well.
Add mashed potato, mix it with 3 - 4 tbsp yoghurt, 2 tbsp cooking oil. Add little water to
make a soft dough. Keep a side for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Make frying pan (tava) hot on medium heat.
Take small ball from dough and roll it for a while. Then just apply a little oil by four fingers
and fold it into half. Again apply little oil and fold it. It will get triangular shape.
Roll it in triangular way.
Place it on hot tava. When it gets little brown, apply oil or ghee. Turn it and again apply oil
or ghee on other side. Keep turning simultaneously until it gets golden brown.

Masala Dosa

Ingredients
1 cup plain rice.
1 cup parboiled rice.
1/4 cup white urad dal.
1/2 tsp. methi (fenugreek) seeds
1 /2 tsp soda bi carbonate
1/2 cup curds the batter.
10-12 tsps. ghee
or oil as preferred
water for grinding

Method
For masala:
2 large onions in vertical slices 2 large potatoes boiled and peeled 4-5 green chillies 1
tbsp. Chopped coriander 8-10 cashews halved 1/2 tsp. Each urad dal, cumin & mustard
seeds 2 tbsp. Oil 1/4 tsp. Turmeric salt to taste
Wash the rice and dal together. Add plenty of water and methi seeds. Allow to soak for 7-
8 hours or overnight. Re wash the rice by draining the water 2-3 times. Grind to a paste.
Rawa-like grains should be felt in
Add soda bicarb and salt and mix well. Keep aside in a warm place for 8-10 hours. Beat
the curds well. Add to the batter, add more water if required. The consistency of the batter
should be enough to thickly coat on a spoon when dipped.
Heat the iron griddle or non-stick tawa well. Pour a spoonful of batter in the centre, spread
.with the back of the spoon to a thin round. Pour a tsp. Of ghee or oil over it. Spread
chutney spread over dosa.
Place a tbsp. Masala in the centre. Fold into triangle to cover masala. Remove with spatula
when crisp. Serve hot with chutney and/or sambar. Chop potatoes coarsely. Chop green
chillies. Heat oil, add cashews and brown lightly.
Add dal, seeds and splutter. Add chillies and onions. Fry till tender. Add turmeric, salt,
otatoes, coriander. Mix well.

Spicy Roti

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1/2 cups gram flour
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
1/2 turmeric powder

2-3 pinches asafoetida
1/2 tsp each cummin
oregano seeds
finely chopped coriander
1 tbsp water

Method
Knead a slightly stiff dough, adding all above ingredients, cover with wet cloth.
Break off bits and make small potato sized balls. Roll to 3-4 mm thickness.
Roast on griddle (tawa) as for phulka.
Or after brown spots appear place direct on gas flame and puff, with help of tongs.
Phulka also may be done similarly if puffing with cloth, feels difficult.
Apply ghee or butter and serve hot with sweetened mango preserve (chunda) or curds or
jam.

Spicy Puris

Ingredients
1 raw mango chopped
1/2 cup green coriander paste
1 tbsp mint paste
10-12 green chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2-3 cups wheat flour

Method
In a mixie bowl, put chopped raw mango, chat masala, coriander paste, chopped chillies,
mint paste, cumin seeds, salt, garam masala and anardana. Switch on the mixie and make
a thick paste.
Sieve the flour. Add curd, ginger-garlic and onion paste and oil. Mix them, add mango
mixture and knead well to make a dough.
Cover for 1/2 hour with a damp cloth. Divide the dough into equal parts. Make balls.
Flatten and fry poories in hot oil. Serve these chatpati poories with curd or tea.

Rice Roti

Ingredients
2 cups rice flour
1 cup overcooked soft rice
salt to taste
water

Method
Blend the cooked rice to a smooth paste in a blender. Use water as required. Add salt to
the flour.
Add blended rice paste, knead into a soft dough. Take a ping pong ball sized dough. Roll
in some dry flour, pat into a thin chappati.
Do the above with your palm or with a rolling pin. Place on a warmed griddle, apply water
with hand on upper side.
Invert and roast on wetted side till cooked. Invert again and puff up like chappati or on
direct flame.
Serve hot with saag, or other gravy vegetable.

Rawa Dosa

Ingredients
sooji / rawa - 1 cup
green chillies - 5
(increase or decrease the
quantity depending on your spice level)
jeera - half a tsp (optional)
onions - 2 medium
cilantro - a small bunch
curry leaves - a few
coconut grating - about two tbsp.
salt to taste.
water.

Method
Fry rawa like you would for upma. (I fry rawa in big quantities and store for ready use. In
fact, this prevents the rawa from getting spoilt/worms too.) allow it to cool a bit.
Finely chop onions, green chillies & cilantro (coriander leaves) and add it to the rawa.
Add salt, jeera, curry leaves and required amount of water for dosa consistency & mix
really well. After a few minutes you will notice that the batter absorbs water and becomes
thicker. Add little more water and mix well till you get the right consistency. When the
consistency is okay, start making dosas.
Grease the griddle / tawa well. Add oil droplets to the dosa to cook it well on both sides.
When the dosa starts browning faintly in patches, you know it's done. Smear a little ghee
on the dosa(sometimes it's okay to forget the calorie-count!).

Rava Dhalia

Ingredients
250g wheat sooji
100g carrots, cut into 1" pieces
50g potatoes, cut into small cubes
10g mustard seeds
5 sprigs curry leaves
30g refined oil
1 onion, chopped
4 green chilies, sliced
salt to taste

Method
Heat oil in a pan, fry mustard seeds and curry leaves until the mustard seeds splutter.
Then add chopped onions, green chilies, carrots and potato pieces to the pan and fry
them for few minutes.
Now, add 3 glasses of water to the vegetables along with salt, cover the pan and boil until
the vegetables gets tender.
Add wheat sooji to the above boiled mixture and mix well, so that no lumps should be
formed.
Cook for 5-6 minutes and remove from heat.
Serve hot with any chutney.

Puffy Puris

Ingredients
2 cups wheat flour
1 tbsp ghee
salt to taste
1 tbsp curds
1 tbsp milk
water to knead dough
ghee or oil to deep fry

Method
Make soft pliable dough using all ingredients. Make some rounds rolling to about 3" - 4"
diameter.
Make 8-10 at a time, then fry in hot ghee or oil, till light brown.
Turn once and fry other side.
Drain with strainer and serve hot with either spicy vegetables curries, or curds.
Or with sweetened mango pulp.
Variations:
Use few seeds of oregano in the dough
Use paste of spinach instead of water to get green puris. (Boil one bunch washed
spinach, drain. Add one green chilli and blend in a mixie)
Add red chilli powder chopped coriander and turmeric to dough for masala puris
Boil jaggery water (strained) to dough for sweet puris.
Grind a handful of boiled peas + 1 chilli & add to dough.

Pudina Puris

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour (maida)
1/2 cup mint leaves (pudina)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
2 green chillies, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Method
Pound the mint leaves, cumin seeds, green chillies, lemon juice, sugar and salt together.
Combine this mixture with the flour, add enough water and knead into a firm dough. Divide
into small portions
Roll out on a lightly greased surface into thin circles
Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown and drain on tissue paper

Plain Dosa

Ingredients
250g black gram
500g rice
salt to taste
100g oil
 

Method
Soak the rice and black gram in water for 4 hours and grind to a smooth paste for 2-3
minutes. Keep aside for overnight.
Add salt and water to the batter and spread on a flat pan with a spoon.
Add 2 tbsp of oil and fry until golden color.
Remove from heat and serve hot with any chutney.

Phulka

Ingredients
2-1/2 cups wheat flour
salt
thin buttermilk or water.
 

Method
Knead soft dough with above ingredients. Break off to a table tennis - ball sized (even
smaller) bit of dough.
Roll with help of dry flour to a thin round. Roll as thin as possible (about 2 mm thick).
Heat griddle (tawa) and place phulka it.
When dry on one side, turn. When brown spots appear on second side, turn again. Use a
kitchen towel and lightly press and phulka, rotating at same time. It will puff. Make as crisp
as desired.
Apply ghee on crisp side and serve hot. Practice is required to make the phulka puff fully,
so don't lose heart. Serve hot with vegetable curries.

Pesara Vada

Ingredients
250g green gram
25g ginger
5 green chilies
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 onions, chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves
oil for frying
salt to taste

Method
Wash the green gram and soak in water overnight. Drain all the water and blend them for
25-30 seconds. These should not be blended to fine paste.
To this batter, add chopped green chilies, onions, ginger pieces, cumin seeds, curry
leaves, salt and mix well
Heat oil in a pan, place the batter on your palm, form an oval shape, insert your finger to
form a hole in the middle of the batter and drop into the oil.
Fry them on both sides until golden brown in color and crispy.
Serve hot with any chutney.

Medhu Vada

Ingredients
4 cups urad dal
1 cup ordinary rice
1 tsp. ginger grated
1 tbsp. coconut grated coarsely
8-10 whole pepper corns
1 tsp. cumin seeds
salt to taste
oil to deep fry

Method
Wash and soak dal and rice together in plenty of water overnight. Drain, grind to a soft
batter, a fine grain should be felt in it.
Do not make the batter thin. It should be thick enough to shape vadas.
Add all ingredients and beat well with hand to incorporate air.
Heat oil, wet palm and take an idli sized lump on fingers palm side up.
Make a hole in the middle with thumb.
Slip gently into hot oil, repeat for more.
Or use a medhu vada press.
Fry 5-6 at a time on medium flame.
Drain, serve hot with chutney and sambar, or accompany with idli.

Masala Idli

Ingredients
2 idlis, cubed
1 cup mixed vegetables of your choice
2 onions, chopped
1 small piece ginger, finely chopped
2 green chilies, chopped
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
1 tbsp of fresh coriander
mint leaves
(for garnishing)


Method
Heat oil in a pan and add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Then add the chopped
onions and stir for few minutes till they turn golden brown.
Now add the vegetables and saute for few minutes. Then add the ginger, salt, chili powder,
turmeric and coriander powder.
To this add the idlis and stir till contents are thoroughly heated. Transfer into serving dish
and garnish with mint and coriander leaves.
Tip: Garlic can also be added. Add few tomatoes if desired. The idlis can be made to very
small pieces using your hands instead of cutting into cubes for this dish. Try out the
masala idli instead of the usual fried rice or biryani for a change.

Manchurian Dosa

Ingredients
2/1150 gms urad dal (black gram)
500 gms rice
10 gms methi (fenugreek) seeds
50 gms chana dal (bengal gram)
250 gms carrots
150 gms beans
100 gms green peas
5-6 green chilies, chopped
150 gms spring
(green) onions
chopped
50 gms oil

3-4 garlic cloves
finely chopped
a small piece of ginger
finely chopped
2 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp chili sauce
1/4tsp ajinomoto
2 tsp corn flour
few coriander leaves
chopped
salt to taste

Method
Soak urad dal, rice, methi seeds, chana dal in water for 1-2 hours. Drain the water and
grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside for 6-8 hours until it gets fermented.
Cut the carrots, and beans into small pieces and boil until they are tender along with
green peas. Drain the water and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped green chilies, ginger and garlic pieces. Also add
boiled carrots, beans, green peas, soya sauce, ajinomoto, chili sauce, little water and
cook for a while.
Mix little water to the corn flour and mix well. Add this to the above carrots mixture and mix
well. Sprinkle green onions and coriander leaves and remove from heat. The manchurian
curry is ready.
Heat non-stick dosa pan and rub the pan with wet cloth. Now make dosas from the above
dosa batter. Add the curry on the top and spread throughout the dosa. Sprinkle little oil,
roll the dosa and remove. Repeat for the remaining dosas.

Layered Roti

Ingredients
2/1/2 cups wheat flour
salt
thin buttermilk or water.
 

Method
Knead soft dough with above ingredients.
Make 4 mm thickness round about 6" diameter. Apply 1/2 tsp ghee and spread all over
with fingers.
Fold into half. Press greasy fingers onto it. Fold again to quarter. Press with fingers.
Roll in dry flour. Now roll out again to a triangle about the size of a roti.
Heat griddle (tawa) and place roti on it. Turn to roast other said.
Now put a little ghee on both sides and shallow fry till crisp. Serve hot with any desired
accompaniment.

Kancheepuram Idli

Ingredients
pepper : 2 tbsp powdered
jeera : 1 tbsp
asafoetida : 1/2 tsp
ginger : 1" grated
urad dhal : 2 tsp
bengal gram : 2 tsp
g.chillies : 8 (finely chopped)
oil : 100 grams
Method
Pour water into the idli vessel and let the water boil.
Place the plate without the idli cloth.
Take small steel cups and pour 1 tsp ghee or oil into it and pour the prepared idli batter
into the cup. Place the cups on the plate in the idli vessel. Steam the idli's for twenty
minutes.
These idli's are best served with ginger kuzhambu.

Dahi Vada

Ingredients
urad dal - 1 cup
moong dal - 2 tablespoon
curd/yogurt - 3 cups
jeera - 2 tablespoon
dry red chillies- 2 - 3
coriander leaves- a small bunch
sugar - 1/4 teaspoon
salt to taste
oil for frying.

Method
Soak both the dals overnight or 6-8 hours, grind it to smooth paste.
Now take the curd and beat it nicely with a spoon along with salt and 1/4 teaspoon of
sugar.
Fry jeera and the red chillies without oil and grind it to powder, add this to the beaten curd
with very little water.
Now fry the vadas in oil, and as soon as you take it out put the vadas in warm water for 5-
10 second, after that take the vadas out and squeeze any excess water with hand and put
it in the curd.
Finally, you can garnish your dahi vada with coriander leaves. If you like you can add
mustard, jeera, curry leaves and asafoetida seasoning to this.
 
P.s. : To make this dahi vada more appealing you can garnish little tomato ketchup and
date and tamarind chutney.

Banana Dosa

Ingredients
250g all-purpose flour (maida)
4 bananas, mashed
1 egg
75g sugar
2g cardamom powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 glass milk
50g oil

Method
Beat the egg well and to this, add sugar, milk and mashed bananas. These ingredients
can also be mixed in a blender.
To the all-purpose flour, add the above banana mixture and mix well to form dosa batter.
Now add cardamom powder and baking powder to the batter and mix well.
Heat a flat pan and make thin dosas. Fry on both sides until golden brown in color with
little oil.
Serve hot with any juice.

Coconut Puri

Ingredients
For Dough:
2 cups maida (all-purpose) flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
for filling:
1 cup finely grated coconut
1/2 cup gram flour
2 tbsp oil
8-10 sprigs curry leaves
cut into fine pieces
8 green chilies, chopped
1 cm ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp salt
a pinch of asafoetida

Method
Mix maida, wheat flour, salt, oil with enough water to make a firm dough.
Heat oil in a pan, season with mustard seeds and asafoetida. When mustard splutters,
add green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and fry for few minutes.
Then add coconut, gram flour and fry till roasted. Allow it to cool.
Also add salt, chili powder, little water and mix well. Make into small balls.
Make larger balls of the dough, fill them with the coconut gram flour balls, flatten them and
gently roll them out into small puris. (Be careful that the filling does not come out).
Deep fry in hot oil till puffed, golden and serve hot with any chutney.

How to make eggs

Eggs are a breakfast staple, and a quick dinner. Although easy to make, eggs taste best when they are properly prepared. The first step is to buy eggs as fresh as possible. A fresh egg is heavy and should feel well filled. Keep eggs refrigerated and use within a month.
Always crack an egg on a flat surface, not the edge of a cup or pan. Cracking on an edge can cause the shell to point inward, piercing the yolk. Tap a few times gently to crack.
 
 
 
A perfect fried egg to have a soft, fluffy white with a warm, runny yolk. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to achieve this:
• Crack the egg and use your fingers to break open the egg and pour into cup.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan on low heat to prevent the egg white -- the protein-loaded part of an egg -- from coagulating too quickly and becoming tough. Add about 1 teaspoon oil or butter to the frying pan and allow to melt.
• When melted, slowly pour the egg from the cup into the pan. Pouring from a cup prevents the egg yolk from plopping into the pan and breaking.
• Watch as the egg fries to prevent overcooking the lean protein of the white.
• The egg is done when the white is firm but soft. The yolk should be warm and still runny. Sunny-side up is the classic way to serve an egg, but it can be gently flipped and cooked a few seconds longer to firm up the yolk. The yolk should be soft enough to cut with a fork.
• If an egg is fried too quickly on high heat, the white instantly coagulates, rendering the egg tough and compromising the flavor.


 

 
Scrambled eggs are creamy if cooked right, but dry as toast if cooked wrong. Follow these steps for flavorful scrambled eggs:
• Break the eggs into a small bowl and, with a fork, lightly blend the yolks into the whites. For two large eggs, use 1 tablespoon of butter. For more eggs, multiply the ingredients accordingly. Heat half the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. The most frequent mistake is using high heat, which produces dry, tasteless eggs. After the butter begins to foam, slowly pour eggs into saucepan.
• Use a wooden fork or spoon to stir briskly, with backward and forward movements. Be sure to get to the corners of the pan to prevent the egg from sticking to the sides.
• Keep stirring until three-quarters of the egg mixture is a creamy, solid mass and a quarter is still liquid. Remove from heat and add the remaining butter. Continue scrambling with a fork or spoon.
• Serve as soon as there is no liquid left.
Hard Boiled Eggs
• Place eggs in a single layer on the bottom of a saucepan. Add enough water to cover the eggs by about 1 inch. Cover and quickly bring to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and let the eggs stand, covered, in hot water for about 15 to 17 minutes for large eggs; 3 minutes less for smaller eggs.
• Run cold water over the eggs until completely cooled.
• Fresh is better for scrambled, fried and soft-boiled eggs, but 7- to 10-day-old eggs work best for hard-boiled. Fresh eggs are difficult to peel. The older the egg, the greater the separation between the egg white and shell. This gap makes eggs easier to peel.
• To peel, crackle the shell all over by tapping it gently on a table or countertop. Roll the egg between your hands to loosen the shell and then peel it off, starting at the large end.

Arroz con Huevos

From Arizona Republic Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoon bottled taco sauce or red salsa
1/2 cup chopped tomato
4 eggs
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
In medium saucepan combine water, rice, onion, garlic and salt. Cover. Over high heat, bring to boiling. Reduce heat to keep water simmering.
About 10 minutes before rice is done, stir in green pepper and taco sauce. Re-cover and cook until rice is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in tomato. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm while poaching eggs.
To poach eggs on top-of-range, in 1-quart saucepan or 8 to 10-inch omelet pan or skillet, heat 2 to 3 inches of water to boiling. Reduce heat to keep water simmering. Break eggs into bowl. Then, slip eggs into water, holding bowl close to water's surface, letting the eggs slide one by one into the water. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, depending on desired doneness. With slotted spoon, lift out eggs.
Drain in spoon or on paper towels and trim any rough edges, if desired.
To poach eggs in microwave, pour about 2/3 cup of water into 1 quart bowl or baking dish. Break and slip in eggs. Prick yolks with tip of knife or wooden pick. Cover dish with lid or plastic wrap. Cook on high power setting for 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes to complete cooking, if necessary. Lift out with slotted spoon.
To serve, spoon half of the reserved rice mixture onto each of two plates. Top each with 2 of the poached eggs. Sprinkle each egg with 1 tablespoon of the cheese.
Makes 2 servings.

Fresh Corn Frittata

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 ears fresh corn, cut off the cob
3 tablespoons minced onion
4 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add corn and onion; saute, stirring often, three to five minutes, until tender.
Beat together remaining ingredients and pour over corn mixture in skillet. Reduce heat to low and cook, without stirring but shaking the pan to prevent sticking, until bottom is just set, three to five minutes.
Cut frittata into four wedges. With spatula, carefully turn each wedge over. Continue cooking until set, one to two minutes longer. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

How to make fried chicken

How do you fry chicken so it's crisp on the outside and juicy inside? 

1. Select your choice of breasts, backs and wings. Avoid extremely plump pieces and dark meat, which tend to burn on the outside before the meat is fully cooked. Wash and pat chicken dry with paper towels.
2. Beat eggs in a deep bowl. Dip chicken pieces into the egg wash, completely covering them. (Some cooks bathe the chicken in buttermilk, but eggs will make the skin crispier) Liberally season egg-washed chicken with salt, pepper and garlic salt.
3. Fill a shallow baking pan with all-purpose flour. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour until completely coated.
4. Restaurants use a commercial deep fryer, but at home, filling a large, deep, heavy pot with canola oil is a good substitution. Heat the oil on high until it reaches about 350 degrees. Use long tongs to drop a few chicken pieces, one at a time, into the pot. Don't crowd the pot; allow enough room for chicken to float freely in the oil.
5. Each batch of fried chicken takes about 15 minutes. The chicken is done when it floats to the top of the oil and the skin is slightly browned.
6. Remove the chicken and allow the pieces to drain on paper towels. Place the first batch of chicken in the oven and keep warm while cooking the remaining pieces.

How to make Tom Ka Gai Thai soup

1. The first step is to make garlic chile paste, the ingredient that gives the soup its robust flavor. The paste, called nam prig pao, is made by dicing 4 large garlic cloves and thinly slicing 1/4 of a red onion. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil on high heat in a saute pan. When hot, add garlic, onion and 1/2 cup dried red Asian chiles. Cook on high, stirring occasionally to prevent the ingredients from burning, for about 5 minutes, or until the ingredients are soft and slightly brown. Allow to cool. Puree in a food processor or blender. Reserve to add later to soup.
2. Use a chef knife or cleaver to chop 2 tablespoons of galanga, a root with a hot, ginger-peppery flavor. Galanga looks like ginger but does not need to be peeled before chopping. The root, along with all other ingredients for the soup, is available in Asian markets.
3. Next, prepare the lemon grass. Chop off the ends and cut the stalks into 2-inch strips. Cut the strips in half lengthwise and use the flat side of a knife or cleaver to smash the sliced pieces to release their flavors.
4. Break apart 3 or 4 kaffir lime leaves to release the citrus flavors and aroma.
5. Bring 3 cups of canned chicken broth or homemade chicken stock to a boil in a deep pot or wok. Add the galanga, lemon grass and lime leaves. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes.
6. Turn heat back to high and return soup to a boil. Add 8 ounces of diced chicken breast. Cook on high another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add 1 cup coconut milk and 1 cup chopped white mushrooms. Stir well. Next, add the following ingredients: 1 tablespoon each of lime juice, lemon juice, fish sauce, chile paste and sugar. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir well until all the ingredients are blended.
8. Pour into hot pot or bowls to serve. The recipe makes four appetizer servings or two dinner bowls of soup. Top with 1 tablespoon each of chopped green onion, cilantro and fresh mint. For added heat, smash two medium Thai chiles and add to soup.

Best coffee and tea recipes

Honey Berry Shiver


4 heaping tablespoons Strawberry White Tea
Ice cubes
1 tablespoon honey
2 strawberries, diced
1 whole strawberry
Bring 8 ounces of water to a boil and let cool 5 to 7 minutes to 158 degrees. Add tea and steep for 2 minutes.
Fill a 16-ounce tumbler with ice. Pour over ice, add honey and diced strawberries. Garnish with whole strawberry.
Makes 1 serving.

Tropical Fruit Chiller


2 heaping teaspoons Pineapple Mango Iced Tea
Sprig of mint
Wedge of pineapple
Ice cubes
Cocktail umbrella, optional
Bring 8 ounces of water to a boil. Do not let cool. Add Pineapple Mango tea. Steep tea for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a 16-ounce tumbler with ice. Pour freshly brewed tea over ice, add a sprig of mint to the glass and a wedge of pineapple to the rim or the glass, whichever you prefer. Add a cocktail umbrella for some fun.
Makes 1 serving.

Hot Sicilian 


5 ounces hot water
3 ounces tangerine-fennel amaro
Cinnamon stick
Orange wheel
Pour hot water into a glass. Add amaro and mix well. Garnish with cinnamon stick and orange wheel.
Makes 1 drink.

Mock Tea Sangria


1 10-ounce package of frozen raspberries, thawed
3 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1 family-size tea bag
2 cups red grape juice
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 16-ounce bottle of orange soft drink, chilled
Ice cubes or cracked ice
Place raspberries in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour puree through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large container, discarding raspberry seeds. Set puree aside.
Bring 3 cups water and sugar to boil in a saucepan, stirring often. Remove from heat. Add tea bag. Cover and steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bag with slotted spoon, squeezing gently. Allow tea to cool. Add tea, raspberry puree and grape juice to a pitcher. Stir gently. Add lemon and lime slices. Chill. Just before serving, stir in orange soft drink. Fill glasses with ice and serve immediately.
Makes 6 drinks.

Iced Cappuccino


Ice
1 ounce espresso (see note)
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon raw brown sugar
Cocoa powder for garnish
3 coffee beans for garnish
Fill a shaker with ice. Pour in espresso, milk, cream and sugar. Shake for at least 30 seconds to achieve a good froth. Pour into a tall glass, sprinkle with cocoa and garnish with coffee beans.
Makes 1 serving.
Note: If you do not have an espressomaker, buy a fresh shot at a coffee shop or brew a small, very strong pot of black coffee.

Cran Mocha


3 ounces espresso
1 1/2 ounces chocolate syrup
1 1/2 ounces cranberry syrup
6 ounces steamed milk
Combine ingredients in a large coffee mug. Stir.
Makes 1 serving.