Set Dosa

Set Dosa is small, soft, thick and fluffy dosa. Its usually served in sets of 3 or 4, hence the name Set Dosa. It is usually served with Bombay Potato Sagu or Mixed Vegetable Sagu and chutney.

Ingredients : (To make set of 3 dosa)

• Dosa Batter - 1 1/2 cup
• Grated Carrot - 1/4 cup
• Coriander Leaves chopped 
• Oil for frying

Method : 

• Heat a tawa on medium flame. When hot enough grease it with oil.
• Pour a ladle of batter (approx 1/2 cup) and spread it gently. Don't spread it too much as dosa should be thick.

• Sprinkle grated carrot and chopped coriander. Skip this step for plain dosa.

• Drizzle oil around the sides and on top of the dosa.
• Let it cook for a minute or less till golden on the bottom. Don't make it crispy.
• Flip and let it cook for a minute. Remove to a plate.
• Prepare other 2 dosa in the same way.

• Serve them hot with Bombay Potato Sagu/ Mixed Vegetable Sagu/Potato Carrot Curry and Coconut Chutney.

Raw Banana Fry

Ingredients :

• Raw Banana - 2
• Onion - 1 medium
• Coriander Powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Oil - 2tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Coriander for garnishing

Method :

• Wash and peel the skin of raw banana. Chop them into cubes. 
• In a vessel take the raw banana cubes. Pour water such that it is immersed. Add salt and boil them till it is cooked. Strain and keep aside.
• In a pan heat oil and splutter mustard seeds.
• Add long-sliced onions, curry leaves and fry for a minute. Don't fry the onions for long, else it would burn while frying the bananas.
• Add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, salt and mix well.
• Now add cooked banana cubes and mix well. 
• Sprinkle water in between and saute for 5 mins 
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve as a side dish with steamed rice, sambar/ dal/rasam and curd rice.

Pumpkin Sambar

Ingredients :

• Pumpkin - 2 cups (cubed pieces)
• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 small
• Pearl Onions - 15
• Tomato - 2 medium
• Tamarind Paste - 1 tbsp
• Sambar Powder - 2 tbsp
• Mustard - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Jaggery - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method :

• Wash and pressure cook toor dal for 3-4 whistles or till it is cooked well.
• In a pan heat oil. Add in mustard seeds and let it splutter.
• Add chopped onion, whole pearl onions and curry leaves. Saute till onions are transparent.
• Add in cubed pumpkin pieces and saute. Add water and allow cook the pumpkin until half done. (Do not over cook as the pumpkin would get smashed by the end of cooking).
• Add chopped tomatoes, tamarind paste, sambar powder, jaggery, salt and cook till tomatoes are soft and raw flavor of tamarind goes away. 
• Add cooked dal along with required amount of water and allow it boil for 5-6 mins on medium flame.
• Serve hot with steamed rice. It goes well with idli too.

Variation :

• In the same process you can make sambar with any vegetables (Drumstick, Brinjal, Raddish, potato, beans, carrot, pearl onion) or combination of them. 
• As pumpkin has sweetish taste, jaggery is added to give sweet taste for the sambar. Skip adding jaggery while preparing sambar with other veggies.

Avalakki Payasam

Avalakki also known as Aval, Poha, Atukulu, flattened rice flakes and so on. Avalakki Payasam is preapared especially on Krishna Janmashtami and offered to Lord Krishna.
Avalakki Payasam can be prepared in no time. Texture of avalakki is such that it gets cooked very fast. Avalakki and condensed milk are star ingredients in this recipe. Use of condensed milk gives richness and flavor to this dessert.

Ingredients :

• Rice Flakes (avalakki) - 1 cup
• Full Fat Milk - 4 cups
• Condensed Milk - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2 tbsp 
• Saffron(kesar) - few strands
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Chopped Nuts (Cashew, Badam, Pista) - 1/4 cup

Method :

• Wash rice flakes well with water and drain them onto a strainer.
• In a pan heat 1/2 tbsp ghee and fry chopped dry fruits until golden and crispy. Remove them and keep aside. 

• In the same pan heat remaining ghee and fry cleaned rice flakes until it is coated evenly with ghee.

• Meanwhile boil milk in another pan. Or transfer fried rice flakes onto a plate and boil milk in the same pan.

• Add fried rice flakes to milk and let it cook until it comes to a boil. No need to cook it for long time as rice flakes don't take much time to get cooked.

• Now add condensed milk, sugar, saffron strands. Mix well and let it boil for a minute or two.

• Payasam might be very thin. But it will thicken as it cools down. So adjust to your desired consistency.
• Garnish with fried nuts and serve warm.

Methi Dal

Methi Dal is not only easy t make but nutritious and protein rich dish. It is a mixture of methi leaves and cooked dals tempered with Indian spices. You can serve it with any Indian bread and even with steamed rice, papad and pickle.

Ingredients :

• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Methi Leaves - 1 cup chopped
• Onion - 2 medium-sized
• Tomato - 2 medium-sized
• Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Green Chili - 2
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chili Powder - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method :

• Pressure cook washed dal with 2 cups of water for 2-3 whistles or until cooked well.
• In a kadai heat oil and ghee. Add in cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle.
• Add finely chopped onions and slit green chili. Saute till translucent.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes away.
• Add chopped methi leaves and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add in chopped tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
• Add turmeric powder, chili powder, salt and mix well.
• Now add cooked dal, required amount of water. Make it medium thick consistency if serving with roti and thinner consistency if serving with rice. Mix well and let it boil for 4-5 mins.
• Methi dal is now ready to be served and enjoyed with roti or steamed rice.

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is a famous street snack which is everyone's favourite. It needs no description. Just dig into the recipe and enjoy delicious lip smacking pav bhaji at home.

Ingredients :

• Pav Buns - 1 pack
• Onion - 1 large
• Tomato - 2 medium
• Capsicum - 1 medium
• Potato - 1 medium-sized
• Peas - 1/2 cup
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Pav Bhaji Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt to Taste
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Butter - 1 tbsp + for frying & serving
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• Chopped Onion + Lemon wedges for serving

Method :

• Pressure cook potato and green peas in salt water. Peel potato and mash both potato and peas. Reserve and use the water in which peas was cooked.
• Finely chop onion, tomato and capsicum.
• In a pan heat oil and 1 tbsp butter.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes away.
• Add chopped onions and fry till translucent. Then add capsicum and fry till they are soft.
• Add chopped tomatoes and saute till they are mushy and oil oozes out.
• Add turmeric powder, chili powder, pav bhaji powder, salt and mix well.
• Now with the help of a potato smasher/ back of a ladle mash them well.

• Then add mashed potato, peas along with water and mash them together to combine well. 

• Check for seasoning. Add water for desired consistency and let it come to a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves. Bhaji is ready.

• Heat a tawa on medium flame. Melt 2 tsp of butter. Slice one pav bun horizntally into two and fry in butter till crisp and light brown. Similarly fry other pav buns too.
• Serve the fried pav buns with prepared bhaji with dollop of butter, chopped onion and a lemon wedge.

Bitter Gourd Masala / Hagalkai Gojju

Bitter gourd is one of the vegetable most people hate because of its bitterness. But it is a unique vegetable which is used in medicines and is rich in vital vitamins and minerals. Bitter Gourd contains a chemical that acts like insulin to help reduce blood sugar levels. So its recommended for diabetic patients to consume it regularly.
Bitter gourd is fried well and then cooked till tender in tamarind paste to remove its bitterness. It goes well with phulka/ chapathi. Try out this recipe and I bet you will love this vegetable.

Ingredients :

• Bitter Gourd - 2
• Onion - 1 big
• Tomato - 2 medium sized
• Mustard - 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
• Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp
• Chili Powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery - 1 tsp (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Coriander for garnishing

Method :

• Wash the bitter gourd, cut it lengthwise and remove all the seeds. Chop it into medium-thin slices. 
• In a pan heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add sliced onion, curry leaves and saute  for a minute or less. Don't make it soft as it would brown while frying bitter gourd.
• Add in sliced bitter gourd and fry well. Add tamarind paste, salt, jaggery and required amount of water and let it cook until bitter gourd is soft and water is evaporated.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
• Add chili powder, coriander powder and mix well. Check for salt, spice and adjust water for desired consistency.
• When it comes to a boil, Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve with phulka/ chapathi.