Garlic Dal Tadka

Ingredients:
For dal:

100 g (1 cup)  toor dal
300 ml ( 3 cups) water
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tomato  finely chopped
2 green chillies

For tadka :

1 tablespoon oil
1 tea spoon mustard seeds
1 tea spoon jeera
6-8 garlic cloves (Finely choped)
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method:

For dal:
Wash and soak moong dal / tur dal in 300 ml (3 cups) water for half an hour and pressure cook along with turmeric powder, onion and tomato and green chillies for 20 minutes or until done and soft (Reduce heat after 2 nd whistle and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes. Do not open the lid. Allow the cooker to cool naturally).

For tadka:
In a wide pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, jeers and garlic clove sand fry till pink color on a low to medium heat and add  red chilli powder and turmeric powder and add to add and Stir well on a low heat for 2 minutes.

serve hot with rotis and rice

Kheema Curry

Ingredients:

• 3/4 kg minced meat (kheema), washed and drained
• 3 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• few curry leaves
• 4-5 green chillis, slit
• ½ tsp turmeric pwd
• garam masala pwd (1 elaichi, 2 cloves, 1/2″ cinnamon stick)
• salt to taste
• 2 1/2 tbsps oil
• coriander leaves for garnish
• Dry roast for 3-4 mts and make a pwd:
• 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
• 3 dry red chillis
• pinch of methi/fenugreek/menthulu seeds
• pinch of saunf/sompu/aniseed (optional)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add green chillis, curry leaves and chopped onions and saute till the onions turn transparent, approx 4 mts.
2. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute further for another 3 mts. Add the minced meat and turmeric pwd and cook on high without lid for 4-5 mts. Stir in between.
3. Add the ground masala pwd and salt and combine well. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3 mts on medium flame. Add a cup of water and place lid and cook on pressure upto 4 whistles or until the meat is almost cooked. Turn off heat. After 3-4 mts, remove lid, add garam masala pwd and coriander leaves. Again cook on low flame for 8-10 mts or till you get the desired gravy consistency.
4. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis or white steamed rice.

Ragi Dosa

Ingredients:

Ragi Flour - 2 cups
Urad dal - 1/2 cup
Raw rice - 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1.2 tsp
salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak urad dal, raw rice and fenugreek seeds for 4 hrs.
2. Later grind the soaked urad dal,raw rice and fenugreek seeds to s smooth paste with some water.
3. Take the grinded urad dal and raw rice paste in a big mixing bowl and to it add ragi flour and salt and mix well and allow it to ferment over night.

to make dosas:

1. Heat a tawa and take a laddle full of ragi dosa batter and spread it on the tawa and spray some oil and cook it on both sides.
2. Serve hot with any type of chutney.

Simple Broken Wheat Upma

Ingredients:

1 cup Broken Wheat / Gothumai Rava in Tamil and Dalia in Hindi
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
5-6 curry leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1-1/2 teaspoon chopped green chillies
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon ghee
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste

Method :

1. Heat oil in a medium size sauce pan that has a light fitting lid; add mustards seeds, cumin seeds and allow them to crackle. Add the chopped onions, curry leaves and sauté until the onions are tender and the color changes to light pink.
2. Add turmeric powder, green chillies, broken wheat and salt. Stir for about a minute on medium heat until you get a roasted aroma of the broken wheat.
3. Add 1½ cups of water to the above mixture and cover the pan with a lid. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until all the water has been absorbed by the wheat and feels cooked and looks grainy. If uncooked, sprinkle more water and simmer a little longer. Once done turn off the heat and allow the mixture to sit covered for 5 minutes.  the ghee and coriander leaves until well combined.
4. Serve the delicious Broken Wheat Upma hot along with coconut chutney.

Ragi Halwa

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ragi flour
1 cup ghee
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 cup cashew nuts( fried in ghee)
1-1/2 cups water

Method:

1. Melt the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat; add both the ragi and wheat flours into the ghee and stir them along with the ghee on low heat until you get a roasted aroma.
2.  In another sauce pan; dissolve the water and sugar. Stir in the cardamom powder to this. 
3. After about 10 minutes and the roasted aromas come out, add in the hot sugar water mixture to the four mix and stir continuously for about 2 minutes or till the water is all absorbed into the flour.
4. Once absorbed, add a tablespoon of more ghee and keep stirring for another 5 minutes until you get the flavors and the right texture.
5.  Turn off the heat, transfer to a serving bowl and serve the Ragi Halwa with the cashew nuts

Namak Paare

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour   1 cup
Carom Seeds (Ajwain)   1/4 tsp
Salt   1/2 tsp
Clarified Butter (Ghee)  2 tbsp
Water  1/4 cup
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Heat Oil for deep-frying.
2. Mix the following together: Flour, Salt & Ajwain.
3. Mix in the Ghee and rub well till all the Flour is coated with Ghee.
4. Add a little Water at a time and form a stiff dough. It needs to be stiffer than Chapati dough.
5. Rub a little Oil/Ghee on the dough ball, cover and allow to rest till the Oil is ready (minimum 5 min.)
6. Grease the rolling surface and the rolling pin.
7. Take a part of the dough and form a ball and roll it into a square or a round.
8. It needs to be just a hair thicker than a Chapati.
9. Grease a sharp knife and cut strips, rotate 45 degrees and cut again to form diamond shapes.
10. Fry once the Oil is hot.
11. Allow them to cook on one side and flip allowing them to cook on the other side as well.
12. Once done, take them out onto a paper towel, sprinkle some Chaat Masala.
13. Serve hot (if you want them soft or allow them to cool (if you want them crispy)
14. Once cooled down, transfer into an air-tight container and store at room-temperature.

Puffed Rice Mixture

Ingredients:

200 gms puffed rice
3 tbsp oil
10 garlic cloves
7 green chilies (Cut lengthwise)
few curry leaves
1/2 cup peanuts
1/4 cup roasted chana dal 
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wide pan and add oil and garlic, green chilies.and curry leaves and fry them till garlic gets the golden brown color
2. Add the peanuts and roasted chana dal, salt and turmeric and fry it for few minutes
3. Add the  puffed rice and mix well and let it cook for 5 mins on slow flame
4. Store in a air tight container and serve it with tea.