Bottle Gourd Kootu (without coconut)

Ingredients :

• Bottle Gourd - 1
• Toor Dal - 250 g
• Onion - 2
• Tomato - 3
• Ginger-Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Green Chili - 5
• Curry leaves - 2 sprig
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 3tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Wash and pressure cook toor dal.
• Peel the skin and remove the centre soft portion of bottle gourd. Finely chop them.
• In a pan/kadai heat oil. Add in mustard seeds and let it splutter.
• Add finely chopped onions, slit green chili, curry leaves and saute till onions are translucent.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes away. Add turmeric powder and mix well.
• Add chopped bottle gourd, water and let it cook.
• Add chopped tomatoes, salt and cook till they are soft.
• Add cooked dal, required water and let it cook till everything gets combined well.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice. It goes well with roti/ dosa/ idli too.

Veg Pizza

Veg Pizza - the all time favorite snack/ appetizer. Here is a simple pizza recipe made with store bought pizza base topped with easy homemade pizza sauce, your favorite toppings available at home and shredded mozzarella cheese. You can bake it in a microwave oven, conventional oven or simply on a pan/ tawa with lid.

Ingredients :

• Pizza Base - 4 small
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Capsicum - 1
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese as needed
• For the sauce :
• Tomato - 3 medium-sized
• Garlic - 5 cloves
• Capsicum - 1/2
• Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chili Powder/ Chili Flakes - 1/4 tsp
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Dried Oregano - 1/2 tsp
• Dried Basil Leaves - 1/2 tsp

Method :

To prepare the sauce :

• Blanch the tomatoes : Wash the tomatoes and make cuts on them. Put them in boiling water and let them stay in for a minute. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and put them in cold water. Once it cools down, remove its skin.
• Finely chop 1 tomato and make a puree of other two. Finely chop garlic and capsicum.
• In a pan heat olive oil. Fry chopped garlic. Add chopped capsicum and fry for a minute.
• Add in chopped tomatoes and saute till they are soft.
• Add tomato puree and cook well. 
• Add the herbs, spices, salt, sugar and mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
• Set aside to let it cool down.

Assembling the pizza :

• Wash and chop onion and capsicum into 1/2" cubes. Remove the seeds from tomato and chop into 1/2" cubes.
• Take a pizza base. Brush olive oil on the pizza base.
• Spread prepared pizza sauce uniformly, make sure to leave the sides of the base free from sauce.
• Top with the veggies and drizzle little olive oil.
• Spread grated cheese.
• Bake the pizza in microwave oven on medium power for 5 minutes or till the cheese melts.

• Slice them with a pizza cutter or knife and serve hot.

Tips & Variation :

• Pizza base I used here is small in size. If you are making pizza using a bigger pizza base, accordingly increase the ingredients used for making sauce.
• You can use mushrooms, paneer, baby corn, olives, red/yellow/orange bell peppers for veg pizza. Cut the veggies in any desired shape or even finely shred them. Optionally you can saute them lightly in olive oil.
• Use chicken chunks sauteed in olive oil with pepper and salt till cooked or cooked mutton chunks for non-veg pizza.
• You can use cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese or combination.
• Sprinkle pepper powder,chili flakes, herbs and little salt on toppings and cheese for more spice and flavor.
• Cooking in oven : Preheat the oven at 180 degree C for 15 minutes. Bake the pizza at 180 degree C for 12-15 minutes or till cheese melts.
• Cooking in pan : Heat the pan/ tawa on medium low heat for a minute. Place the pizza and cook it with lid till cheese melts. Keep the toppings thinly sliced or saute them.

French Toast

French toast is thick slices of bread soaked in a mixture of beaten egg with milk and sugar mixture, toasted on a pan. Vanilla Essence and Cinnamon powder are added to give richness of flavor.
French toast comes out best with thick and 2 day old bread slices which are firm enough to hold up better when u dip them in egg mixture.

Ingredients :

• Thick Bread Slices - 2 to 3
• Egg - 1
• Milk - 2 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 1/2 tsp
• Vanilla Essence - 3 to 4 drops
• Cinnamon Powder a pinch

Method :

• In a deep plate take egg. With a fork beat egg, then add milk and sugar. Mix them and set aside for sugar to dissolve.
• Add vanilla essence and cinnamon powder and mix them well.

• Heat a tawa on medium heat and drizzle a little bit of oil.
• Dip each bread slice in the mixture allowing them to soak in some of it and place them on tawa.

• Fry the bread until golden brown on one side, then flip and fry on other side.
• Serve hot with honey or maple syrup.

Kadai Paneer

Kadai Paneer is a popular, delicious and easy recipe with mouthwatering combination of paneer, capsicum, onion, tomato and Indian spices. It is generally served with Indian breads like roti, naan, kulcha, paratha and also can be served with mild flavored rice dish.

Ingredients :

• Paneer - 250 gms
• Onion - 2 medium-sized
• Tomato - 3 medium-sized + 1 small tomato
• Capsicum - 2
• Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Kashmiri Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp
• Kasuri Methi (dry fenugreek leaves) - 2 tsp
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Fresh Cream - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method :

• If using frozen paneer, defrost it and place the cubes in hot for 10 minutes to keep them soft. Drain and set aside.
• Make puree of 1 small tomato. Chop capsicum into 1-inch pieces.
• In a kadai/ pan heat oil on medium flame. Add finely chopped onions are saute till translucent.

• Add ginger-garlic paste and saute until raw smell goes away. Then add finely chopped tomatoes and saute untill they are soft. 

• Add tomato puree and saute till oil separates. Add coriander powder, chili powder and mix well.

• Add chopped capsicum, salt and cook for 3 minutes. Crush dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) by rubbing between the palms and add to the curry. Mix well.
• Add required amount of water and let it come to a boil. Add paneer cubes, mix well and let it cook.

• At last add fresh cream, mix well and switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Ghee Rice

If you are looking for a mild and aromatic rice recipe which pairs with any of your spicy kurma/ sagu, then here is the recipe you are looking for. Ghee Rice is simple and easy to prepare which is tasty and crowd pleasing. You can serve it with Mixed Vegetable Sagu, Chettinad Pepper Chicken Masala, Egg Kuruma, Chicken Kurma or Mutton Kurma.

Ingredients :

• Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cup
• Grated fresh coconut - 3/4 cup
• Onion - 2 medium-sized
• Green Chili - 5
• Saunf - 1 tsp
• Bay Leaf - 2
• Cashew nut - 15
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1/4 cup

Method :

• Wash and soak basmati rice for half an hour.
• Extract coconut milk (approx. 1 1/2 cup). Take grated coconut in a mixer jar and grind it enough water. Strain it through a strainer and press with back of a spoon to extract the milk. Transfer the remaining ground coconut back to mixer with water. Repeat the process for another 2 times or till you get all the milk.
• In a pan heat oil and add saunf and bay leaf. 
• Add slit cashew nuts and fry till golden.
• Add long-sliced onions and slit green chilies and saute till onions are translucent.
• Add coconut milk and remaining water which is equal to 3 cups (Liquid quantity is double the volume of rice). Let it to boil.
• Add salt and drained rice and let it boil on medium flame.
• If using pressure cooker, cover the lid and cook it for 2 to 3 whistles. Else continue cooking till water is all absorbed and then cover the lid and put it on low flame for 10 mins.
• Let it sit for 10 mins. Open the lid and mix gently.
• Serve hot with spicy kuruma/sagu of your choice.

Mixed Vegetable Sagu

Mixed Vegetable Sagu / Kuruma is a popular and traditional combination for breakfast varieties like Set Dosa, Poori, Rava Idli, Chapathi/ Roti, Ghee Rice. Mixed Veg Sagu is must have side-dish served in most of the hotels in Karnataka. Combination of veggies like beans, carrot, cauliflower, cabbage, green peas, potato, knol khol( gedde kosu), chow-chow ( semme badane kai) are cooked in spices and coconut.

Ingredients :

• Chopped Mixed Vegetable - approx. 4 cups
• Onion - 1 medium-sized
• Tomato - 2 medium-sized
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• For Grinding :
• Grated Coconut - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 small
• Green chili - 4
• Oil - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Garlic - 5 to 6 cloves
• Clove - 3
• Cinnamon - 1 stick
• Coriander - fist full

Method :

• For Grinding : 
• In a pan heat oil and fry roughly chopped onion and green chili.
• Once it cools down transfer to a mixer jar along with other ingredients mentioned for grinding except coriander leaves. 
• Add required amount of water and grind it to a fine paste.
• At last add coriander leaves and grind for half minute. Set aside.
• In the same heat oil and fry finely chopped onions till they are translucent.
• Add 3 cups of water and allow it to boil.
• Add chopped vegetable one-by-one starting with the vegetable which takes more time to cook. Ex : Knol khol followed by beans, chow-chow, potato, carrot, green peas, cauliflower and finally cabbage). 
• Add hot water if it evaporates during the process of cooking vegetables.
• Once the vegetables are almost cooked add chopped tomatoes, salt and coconut paste.
• Add water if its very thick and let it boil till all the veggies and spices get combined well and oil oozes out.
• Serve hot with any of your breakfast varieties.

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.