Banana Salad

Ingredients

Banana 2

Honey 2 tsp

Fresh grated coconut 3 tsp

Dry fruits(any of your choice)

Method

Remove the outer skin and chop banana into round chunks.

In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients and mix well.

Serve banana salad as a nutritious food

Apricot Halwa

Ingredients

Dry Apricots 5-6

Honey  4-5 tsp

Salt a pinch

Method

Soak apricots overnight in just enough water to cover them.

Next day strain the apricots and remove the seeds.

Puree the apricots adding little water or you can use the water it was soaked in.

Heat a pan on medium heat add pureed apricots, salt and honey.

Stir regularly to avoid scorching of the pan.

Cook till required consistency(halwa consistency)

Serve apricot halwa with dry fruits of your choice or fresh cream.

Apricot halwa can be refrigerated to increase the shelf life upto 15 days.

Nippatu

Ingredients

Besan/Gram Flour 2 tsp

Rice Flour 2 tsp

Dalia/Roasted chana 2 tsp

Peanuts 2 tsp

Chilly powder 2 tsp

Curry leaf 3-4

Salt as per taste.

Oil for deep frying.

Method

Heat oil in pan for deep frying.

In a bowl add besan, rice flour, salt, chilly powder, finely chopped curry leaf, peanuts, dalia and salt.

Knead everything adding little water to chapathi consistency.

Close the dough for 10-15mins and keep aside.

Apply a drop of oil to palm, pull out lemon size dough to hand and slightly flatten and deep fry until golden brown.

Serve nippatu as a tea time snack.

Suggestions

Fresh grated coconut can also be added while kneading.

A tsp ghee can also be added to the dough.

Sesame Raita

Ingredients

Sesame seeds 3 tsp

Tomato 1

Mustard 1/4 tsp

Chana dhal 1/4 tsp

Urad dhal 1/4 tsp

Green chilly 1

Coriander leaves few

Turmeric 1/4 tsp

Oil 1 tsp

Salt as per taste.

Method

Roast sesame seeds on a heavy pan for 3-4 mins or until it starts to pop and colour changes to golden brown.

Cool the sesame seeds and grind to fine powder.

Was and finely chop tomato, green chilly and coriander leaves.

In a bowl add finely chopped tomato, green chilly, sesame powder and salt.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard, chana dhal, urad dhal, green chilly and turmeric.

Fry everything for 2-3 mins or dhals change colour.

Pour the tempered items to the bowl and mix everything well.

Serve sesame raita as a side dish with plain rice or with any pulao of your choice.

Apple Milkshake

Ingredients

Apple 1(Red)

Milk 1 cup

Honey as per taste

Pistachios few

Cardamom Powder a pinch

Method

Roughly chop apple and remove the seeds.

Blend together apple, milk, honey, cardamom powder into smooth juice.

Serve apple milkshake with pistachios and ice cubes.

Rava Laddu

Ingredients

Rava 1 cup

Powdered Sugar 1/2 cup

Ghee 1 tbsp

Raisins 5-6

Milk 2-3 tsp

Method

In a wide pan heat ghee and fry rava on low heat for 10mins or until rava turns golden.

Remove from heat add sugar and raisins.
Cool the rava mixture to room temperature

Make medium sized ladoo with cooled rava mixture adding little milk when required.

Store rava laddu in airtight container and it stays for a week.

Veg Kolhapuri - My Style

Ingredients

Potato medium 2

Beans 4

Carrot 1

Onion medium 1

Tomato 1

Ginger Garlic paste 1 tsp or Grated ginger 2 tsp and minced garlic 2 tsp

Cinnamon 1 inch

Sesame seeds 2 tsp

Peppercorn 1 tsp

Coriander powder 2 tsp

Red Chilly powder 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil 1 tsp

Coriander leaves.

Method

Chop tomato roughly and grind to smooth paste

Chop all the vegetables into medium size, wash, boil and keep aside.

In a pan roast cinnamon, sesame seeds and peppercorn one by one for 2-3 mins or until aromatic and colour changes.

Cool the fried items and grind to fine powder.

Heat oil in a pan and fry finely chopped onion, when it turns slight brown add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins or until the raw smell goes.

Now add the ground masala powder of cinnamon, sesame and peppercorn and mix well.

Add tomato paste half a glass of water and saute for 4-5 mins, toss in coriander powder, chilly powder and salt.

Add the boiled vegetables, increase the flame and cook for 2-3 mins.

Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve Veg Kolhapuri with chapathi or roti.

Suggestions

Paneer cubes can also be added to veg kolhapuri.

Garam masala powder can be added for a different version.

Puffed Rice Upma

Ingredients

Puffed Rice 1 cup

Onion 1 medium

Green Chilly 2

Coriander and Curry leaves few

Mustard 1/4 tsp

Chana dhal & urad dhal 1/4 tsp each

Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Oil 1 tsp

Salt as per taste.

Method

First take a big bowl and fill it with water . In it pour puffed rice ,wash it and squeeze water with ur hand and put it in a bowl. Dont soak the puffed rice for a long time, else it will become like a paste.

In squeezed puffed rice add salt nearly 1 1/2 tspn and 1/2 tspn turmeric powder , mix well.

Heat a deep skillet and add oil, urad dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dry red chilly, chana dhal , green chillies and curry leaves. (Add all one by one ).

Now add onions.

Once onions change colour add the puffed rice and mix well.

Switch off the stove when puffed rice gets heated.

Garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut.

Suggestions

Finely chopped potato and tomato can also be added.

As a variation ginger garlic paste and garam masala can also be added.

Cooked Rice Payasam

Ingredients

 Cooked rice 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Almonds 5-6
Milk 1 cup
Cardamom Powder 1/4 tsp
Golden Raisins 3-4
Ghee 1 tsp

Method

Soak almonds in warm water for 10mins and remove the outer skin.

Put cooked rice, almonds, sugar and milk in a mixer grinder. Grind well.

In a deep pan, pour ghee and fry raisins, add ground mixture and stir well.

Add water to get the payasam consistency.

Add cardamom powder and bring it to a boil.
Your delicious 'cooked rice payasam' is ready.

Cooked rice payasam can be served hot/cold with any dry fruits of your choice for garnishing.

Channa Baingan masala

Ingredients

Black chickpeas - 1/2 cup

Violet Brinjals - 3-4

Onion 1 medium

Garlic 3 pods

Tomato Paste 1/2 cup

Sambhar Powder 2 tsp

Salt as required

Oil 1 tsp

Coriander leaves few spring

Method

Soak channa over night. Pressure cook till it becomes soft.

 Slice brinjals and onions lengthwise.
 Peel and drop garlic into small pieces.
 Heat oil in a frying pan and stir fry garlic followed by onions.
 When it turns golden, add sliced brinjals.
 Fry in medium flame, till brinjal becomes soft.
 Add tomato puree, boiled channa, (strain water and put channa alone) salt and sambar powder.
 Cook till dry and then add  coriander leaves.
 Mix well and serve as a side dish with rice or chapathi

Adai / Rice Dosa

Ingredients

Rice(Normal) 1 cup

Dry chillies 3

Fresh grated coconut/ finely chopped coconut pieces 4 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil 1 tsp

Method

Soak rice and red chilly for 2 hours. Grind the soaked rice, red chilly, coconut and salt with a glass of water to fine paste.

Heat a tava drizzle oil and pour the batter and prepare dosas.

Make sure adai is soft and colour has changed to light brown on both the sides.

Serve adai with any chutney or side dish of your choice.

Hummus

Ingredients

Chickpeas - 1 cup

 Curd - 2-3 tsp. You can add more curd to make the consistency like a paste
Green chilly 1
 2 tsp olive oil.
 (4-5 drops )of lemon. You can add more if you like.
2-3  cloves of garlic (optional).
Salt to taste.

Method

Soak chickpeas over night and then boil. In a grinder, add chickpeas, green chili, curd, garlic and salt. Grind to a paste.
Take it out in a air tight jar and add olive oil and lemon and mix well. Keep in fridge. This can be used for 4-5 days.

Sooji Toast Sandwich

Ingredients

Bread 2 slices(Brown or White)

Sooji/rava/semolina  4 tsp

Curd 3 tsp

Onion 1

Tomato 1/2

Carrot 1/2

Green chilly 2

Coriander leaves few springs

Salt as per taste

Pepper powder 1/2 tsp

Butter

Method

In a bowl add semolina and curd and make a paste.

To this add finely chopped onion, green chilli, tomato , coriander leavas and grated carrot.

 If the paste is extremely dry add little water. Add salt and pepper and let this paste rest for half an hour.

You can also make this paste at night and use it in morning Apply a thin layer on bread. Heat a pan and use little oil. I used oil spray. Now keep the toast on pan, the side which has the semolina layer should face up, put 2-3 drops of oil on the semolina layer.

Let the bread get crisp from down and then flip. Press a little so that the semolina gets cooked well. After 2 minutes flip back (you will see that the semolina is well cooked) Serve hot.

Methi Dhal

Ingredients

Toor dhal 1/2 cup

Methi seeds 2 tsp

Turmeric 1 tsp

Mustard 1/4 tsp

Red chillies 2-3

Jeera seeds 1/4 tsp

Hing a pinch

Curry leaves 3-4

Coriander leaves few spring

Salt as per taste

Oil 1 tsp

Lemon Juice 2 tsp

Method

Roast methi seeds for 2-3 mins or until aromatic and colour changes to golden brown.

Was toor dhal add roasted methi seeds and turmeric pressure cook until dhal is soft.

Heat oil in a pan except salt and lemon juice add all the other ingredients and fry for 2 mins or until mustard splutters and jeera changes colour.

Now add the boiled dhal and methi and a glass of water and salt.

Cook for 4-5 mins or until bubbles form, take off from flame and add lemon juice.

Serve methi dhal with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.

Potato Wedges

Ingredients

Potato 2

Chilly powder 1 tsp

Chaat masala 1 tsp

Salt as per taste.

Oil for deep frying.

Method

In a bowl add chilly powder, chaat masala and salt and mix well.

Wash and pat dry potato and remove the skin and cut into medium wedges

Deep fry the potato in oil until golden brown and put it on an absorbent paper.

When fried potato wedges are still hot, sprinkle the mixture of chilly powder chaat masala and salt.

Toss the wedges to make sure, spices are adjusted properly.

Serve potato wedges with tea/coffee as an evening snack.

Orange Lassi

Ingredients

Orange 1

Curd 1 cup

Sugar 3 tsp

Honey 2 tsp

Badam and pista 2

Method

Peel the skin, remove the seeds and clean the orange and cut into medium pieces.

Beat the curd and keep aside.

To the blender add orange slices, curd and sugar and grind evenly or until all the ingredients are blended.

Drain the lassi in a bowl and add honey and finely chopped badam and pista pieces.

Serve orange lassi chill with few badam and pista pieces on top.

Suggestion

Taste the orange before grinding and according to that adjust honey and sugar.

Other dry fruits like raisin and cashew can also be added to the lassi.

Channa Peanut Kootu

Ingredients

Black Chickpeas 1/4 cup

Peanut 4 tsp

Channa dhal 2 tsp

Urad dhal 2 tsp

Red chillies 3

Peppercorn 4

Fresh greated coconut 3 tsp

Oil 2 tsp

Mustard 1/4 tsp

Cumin/Jeera seeds 1/4 tsp

Hing 1/4 tsp

Green chilly 1

Curry leaves 4-5

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste.

Method

Soak channa overnight and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles with peanuts and keep aside.

Heat a tsp oil in a pan and fry chana dhal, urad dhal , peppercorn and red chillies for 2-3 mins or until aromatic and dhals change colour to golden brown.

Cool the fried ingredients and grind to fine powder and then add grated coconut and half glass of water and grind to fine paste.

Remove the ends and finely chop green chilly.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard, jeera, curry leaves, hing, green chilly and fry for a min or until jeera changes colour.

Now add the ground mixture and 2 glasses of water, boiled channa and peanuts.

Cook on simmer for 5-6 mins. Now add turmeric and salt and mix well.

Cook on high flame for 5-6 mins or until bubbles form in kootu.

Serve channa peanut kootu with steamed rice and dollop of ghee and papad.

Vanghi Bath Powder

Ingredients

Chana dhal 4 tsp

Coriander seeds/powder 3 tsp

Whole red chillies 4-5

Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp

Hing a pinch

Method

Roast all the ingredients on medium flame until its aromatic or the colour of the dhal and red chilly changes.

Cool the fried ingredients and grind to fine powder.

Store in an airtight container, can be stored upto 2months by refrigerating.

Tomato Sesame Chutney

Ingredients

Tomato 2

Sesame seeds 5 tsp

Tamarind 1 inch sized ball

Green chilly 3

Garlic 2 pods

Mustard 1/4 tsp

Urad dhal 1/4 tsp

Hing 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves 3-4

Oil 2 tsp

Salt to taste.

Method

Heat a pan on medium heat and add sesame seeds and roast until its aroamtic and colour changes or until it starts popping.

Soak tamarind in warm water and extract the juice and keep aside.

Wash tomato and finely chop.

Wash remove ends and finely chop green chilly and garlic.

Heat a tsp oil in a pan add chopped tomato, garlic, green chilly and tamarind juice.

Saute for 3-4 mins or until tomato is cooked and the raw smell of tamarind is gone.

Cool the fried items.

To the blender add roasted sesame seeds and grind to fine powder, now add fried tomato, garlic, green chilly and salt. Grind to fine paste, add little water if required.

Remove the chutney to a bowl.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard, urad dhal, curry leaves and hing and fry for 2 mins or until urad dhal changes colour, pur this tempering on the tomato sesame chutney and mix well.

Serve tomato sesame chutney with dosas and idlis.

Spicy Almond Powder

Ingredients

Almonds 10-12

Tamarind 1 small inch

Whole red chillies 3-4

Cumin/Jeera seeds 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 1/4 tsp

Method

Heat a pan on low heat and add almonds, roast them until they change colour.

Add cumin seeds and tamarind to the same pan and fry briefly and keep aside.

To the same pan add oil and fry red chillies until they are aromatic.

Cool the roasted ingredients to room temperature and grind to fine powder adding salt.

Store the spicy almond powder in airtight container and can be used upto a month.

Spicy almond powder can be serve with idly or dosas

Coriander Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

Coriander leaves 1 bunch

Fresh grated coconut 5-6 tsp

Roasted chana/dalia 4 tsp

Green chilly 3

Curd 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil 1/2 tsp

Mustard and urad dhal 1/4 tsp each

Method

Wash clean and chop coriander leaves.

Cut the end wash and finely chop greeen chillies.

To a mixer add dalia, green chillies, coconut, salt curd and as little water as possible and grind to fine paste.

Take the chutney to a bowl.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard and urad dhal and fry for a min or until urad dhal changes colour and pour this on chutney and mix.

Serve coriander coconut chutney with dosa or idly.