Coconut Laddoo

Ingredients

1 can condensed milk
2 cups of dessicated coconut
1 tablespoon sugar

Procedure 

- Mix the condensed milk and the coconut in a bowl.
- Add the sugar and stir on a low flame for about 4 minutes.
- Set aside till the mixture has slightly cooled down.
- Shape into laddoos(small round balls).
- Roll each laddoo in a little dessicated coconut.
- Store in airtight jars.

Rava Laddoo/Sooji Laddu

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups rava(semolina)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup ghee(clarified butter)
4-5 cardamoms , powdered
2 tbsp cashewnuts cut into very small pieces
2 tbsp raisins.


Procedure

Roast the rava in the 2 tbsp ghee till light golden
in colour.
Mix the sugar,roasted rava and cardamom and powder
fine in a dry grinder.
Heat the remaining ghee,fry the cashewnuts and
raisins.
Add to the rava-sugar mixture.
Shape into tight laddoos(small round balls).
The laddus can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.

Dhal Makhani

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups toor dal, washed and drained
2 tomatoes, medium sized, cut into large pieces
A pinch of turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander leaves, chopped

For seasoning:

1 small onion, chopped
A pinch of hing
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dhania powder
4-5 green chillies, chopped
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 stick butter
Salt to taste

Procedure

Boil the dal and tomatoes with a pinch of turmeric powder
and 1 cup water till the dal is soft.
Add salt to taste.
Set aside.
In a saucepan, prepare the seasoning by heating the butter.
Add the cumin and mustard.
When the cumin is slightly fried, add all the other seasoning
ingredients except the red chilli, turmeric and dhania.
Fry till the onion starts turning color.
Now add the powders and fry for a minute.
Remove from heat and add the boiled dal/tomato to this.
Add the chopped coriander leaves.
Mix well.
Adjust the salt if necessary.
Add 1 cup of water.
Bring it to a boil and remove.

Serve hot with rotis or plain rice.

Sweet Pongal

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice
1/2 cup green gram dhal
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups water
3 cups jaggery powdered
4 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp cashewnuts
2 tbsp raisins
5 cardamoms powdered
2 cloves powdered
1 small piece nutmeg grated or powdered
A pinch of saffron

Procedure

Roast dry the green gram dhal for a couple of minutes.
Cook the rice and green gram dhal with 2 1/2 cups of
water and 1 cup milk in the microwave and set aside.
Dissolve the jaggery in 3/4 cup water and cook on a low
heat till the jaggery melts.
Strain the jaggery to remove the dirt.
Put the syrup once more on the heat and stir till it
becomes slightly sticky.
Add the cooked rice and dhal.
Heat the 4 tbsp ghee.
Fry the cashewnuts and raisins and add t o the pongal.
Add the powdered cardamoms,cloves nutmeg and saffron.
Mix well.
Serve hot.

Rasam Powder

Ingredients
1 tbsp toor dal
5-6 dry red chillies
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp dry curry leaves
Ghee(clarified butter) for roasting

Procedure

Roast each of the above till they turn aromatic.
Powder to a fine powder using a coffee grinder and
use as required.
This will keep well for months in a airtight
container.
You can make a larger quantity of this by
using the above ingredients in the same ratio.

Vaangi Baath

Ingredients
1 long purple brinjal(eggplant), cut into large pieces
1 1/2 cup raw rice, washed and cooked such that the
grains of rice remain seperate
5 red chillies
6 peppercorns
1/2 tsp turmeric
4 tbsp ghee(clarified butter)
4 cloves
Salt to taste
1 tsp urad dal
1" cinammon
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies
1 tsp channa dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp oil for frying the masala
1/2 cup sour buttermilk or 2 tsp lemon juice

Procedure

Fry in the 1 tsp oil 4 out of 5 red chillies, turmeric,cloves,
cinammon, cumin, coriander and peppercorns.
Powder them using a coffee grinder and set aside.
Heat the ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds, red chilli,
green chillies, urad dal and channa dal.
When the seasoning is almost done, add the brinjal pieces
and fry till the brinjal is done.
Now add the buttermilk and mix well.
Add the powdered masala and mix.
Add salt to taste.
Bring to a boil and remove.
Mix this with the cooked rice and heat through.
Serve hot.

Dhokla

Ingredients

Gram flour 200gms.
Curd (yogurt) 1 cup
Chopped green chili 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.
Mustard seeds 1 tsp.
Chopped ginger 1 tbsp.
Soda bi-carb 1 tsp.
Chopped green coriander 1 tbsp.
Fresh grated coconut ½ cup
Lemon 1 no.
Oil 2 tbsp.
Salt As per taste

Procedure
 
1.Take gram flour in a bowl. Add beaten Yogurt and warm water. Whisk
well to remove all lumps. The mixture should have a thick consistency. Add
salt and cover it and leave it to ferment for 3-4 hours.
2. Make a paste of ginger and green chilies.
3. Add this paste to the fermented mixture. Add turmeric powder and
correct seasoning.
4. Keep the steamer ready on the flame.
5. Grease a dhokla mold or a shallow cake tin with a little oil. In a small
bowl take one teaspoon of soda bi-carb, 1 teaspoon oil and juice of 1
lemon. Mix well and add this to the Gram flour mixture.
6. Pour the batter into the greased mold and steam for 10-12 minutes.
7. Cool for sometime. Cut into squares and arrange in a serving
platter/bowl.
8. Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to
crackle, remove and pour over the dhoklas.
9. Serve garnished with chopped green coriander leaves and grated
coconut.