Mango - Rava Kesari

Ingredients:

• Bombay Rava - 1 cup
• Water - 3 cups
• Mango pulp - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 2 Table spoons
• Dry fruits (badam, cashew, raisins, pistachio nuts of your choice)

Procedure:

• Heat 2 table spoons of ghee in a pan.
• Add the dry fruits of your choice and fry them for a while. Once done, take the dry fruits aside leaving the ghee in pan.
• In the same pan, add Bombay rava and fry it for a while till it turns light brown.
• Later on add water and stir the mixture without any lumps and allow rava to cook.
• Finally add sugar, mango pulp and stir the whole mixture for 2 minutes.
• Once you feel the consistency is reached, switch off the stove and garnish with dry fruits.

Chinta Chiguru Pappu

Ingredients:

• Tamarind Leaves - 1 to 1 1/2 cups
• Tomatoes - 2 - Medium
• Onions - 2 - Medium
• Garlic - 3 pieces
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Green chillies - 6 to 7
• Thur Dhal - 1 cup
• Dhaniya Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Salt - As required
• Red chillies - 2
• Oil - 2 to 3 Tea spoons
• Mustard - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Urud Dal - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Jeera Seeds - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Methi powder - 1 pinch
• Inguva - 1 pinch

Procedure:

• Take thur dal in a vessel and soak it for 20 minutes and drain the water.
• Later on take a pressure pan, add thur dhal and water till dhal gets covered by water.
• On top of thur dhal add chopped tomatoes, half onion, turmeric powder, dhaniya powder, garlic pieces, green chillies and pressure cook the whole content for 3 whistles.
• Once done, switch off the stove. Now add tamarind leaves and salt to the content existing in the pressure pan, close the lid and cook for 10 more minutes without placing the whistle on the lid.
• After 10 minutes, switch off the stove, slightly mash the whole content.
• Now heat oil in a pan, add mustard, urud dal, jeera seeds and wait till the mustard pops down.
• Later on add chopped onions ( 1 1/2 onion), curry leaves, dry chillies, methi powder, inguva and saute till the onion pieces become transparent.
• Finally add dhal+tamarind leaves (which has been already mashed) mixture to the fried content, along with required salt and water based on the consistency and allow to cook for 5 minutes with occasional stirring.
• Switch off the stove and serve with hot rice, dosa, idly... based on your choice. 

Beans - Coconut Curry

Ingredients:

• Beans - 1/4 kg - Washed and chopped
• Oil - 2 to 3 Tea spoons
• Mustard - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Urud Dal - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Channa Dal - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Jeera Seeds - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Dry chillies - 2 to 3
• Onions - 1 - Medium - Finely chopped
• Curry Leaves - 1 stem
• Grounded Coconut - Quantity as desired - Minimum of 1/2 cup
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Dhaniya Powder - 3 pinches
• Salt - As required

Procedure:

• Heat oil in a pan, add channa dal, mustard seeds, urud dal, jeera seeds and wait till the mustard pops down.
• Later on add dry chillies, finely chopped onions, curry leaves and saute them, till the onion pieces turn transparent.
• Later on add chopped beans, turmeric powder, dhaniya powder, salt and stir them for a while.
• Add required water to the mixture, close the lid and allow the content to boil.
• Once the pieces turn soft, add grated coconut and stir the entire mixture for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Finally add salt if required and switch off the stove.
• Serves as a healthy side dish for chapathi, sambar and it can be taken along with plain steamed rice as well.

Sorakaya Podupu Koora

Ingredients:

• Sorakaya (Bottle Gourd) - Big - 1
• Salt - As desired
• Oil - To deep fry the vegetable pieces
• Sompu - 1/4 tea spoon
• Jeera Seeds - 1/4 tea spoon
• Chakka - 1 to 2 pieces
• Cloves - 5 to 6
• Onions - 2 - medium - Sliced
• Tomatoes - 2 - medium - Finely chopped
• Green chillies - 2 - Make a slit in the middle
• Garlic - 5 to 7 pieces
• Ginger - a medium size piece
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Coriander - As required 
• Cashew nuts- 6 to 7
• Chilli powder - 2 tea spoons
• Dhaniya powder - 2 1/2 tea spoons
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Garam Masala Powder - 1 tea spoon

Procedure for piercing the Bottle Gourd:

• The speciality of the dish lies in its making procedure itself. The term "Podupu" means we completely pierce the Bottle Gourd and remove the water from it. Later on the making procedure follows.
• Take 1 big bottle Gourd and pierce it completely and deeply with out any gap with the help of a blunt needle or screw driver. You could see water oozes out of the vegetable through the minute holes which we made with the help of the screw driver. 
• Once this is done, coat the vegetable with salt, so that the water will come out completely. If possible put some weight on it after coating with salt and place it in a plate or vessel. After an hour we could see the water comes out completely. Later on cut the bottle gourd into medium size pieces, squeeze them and now this is ready for making curry. The entire process takes time, so make this ready the day before you cook this dish and refrigerate the chopped and squeezed bottle gourd pieces in an air-tight box.

Procedure for making curry with pierced bottle gourd pieces:

• Heat oil in a pan for deep fry, just squeeze the chopped bottle guard pieces and deep fry them till they turn light brown and put them aside.
• Meanwhile, prepare masala. Take sliced onions, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts, corriander and grind the ingredients well as a fine paste.
• Now heat pan with  5 to 6 tea spoons of oil. Add sompu, jeera seeds, cloves, chakka, finely chopped tomatoes, curry leaves, green chillies and fry them well.
• Later on add the paste which has been grounded already. Add chilli powder, Dhaniya Powder, Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala Powder and stir the mixture till the oil comes out of masala and also the masala should leave the borders of the pan.
• Later on add the bottle gourd pieces which have been already fried and kept aside.
• Care should be taken while adding salt, as we already coat the bottle gourd with salt in the piercing procedure. Add salt based on your taste and allow the pieces to  boil along with masala, till the gravy turns thick.
• Serves as a great combination with hot steamed rice.

Potlakaya Perugu Pachadi

Ingredients:

• Curd - 2 cups (Adjust the consistency by adding water if you feel the curd is too thick)
• Potlakaya (Snake gourd) - 1 -  Medium - Finely chopped
• Oil - 2 to 3 Tea spoons
• Mustard - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Urud Dal - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Jeera Seeds - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Onion - 1 - Large - Finely chopped
• Green chillies - 3 to 4 - chopped
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Red chillies - 2
• Ginger - Small piece - Pounded
• Turmeric - 1/2 Tea spoon
• Salt - Based on taste
• Methi powder - A pinch
• Inguva - 2 Pinches
• Coriander - Finely chopped

Procedure:

• Heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds, urud dal, jeera seeds and wait till mustard seeds pops down.
• Later on add finely chopped onions, green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves, pounded ginger and saute till the onion pieces become transparent. 
• Later on add a pinch of methi powder, 2 pinches of inguva, finely chopped snake gourd pieces, turmeric powder, salt and allow the whole content to cook, till the vegetable pieces turn soft.
• Once done switch off the stove and add it to the curd. Adjust salt and garnish with chopped coriander.
• Can be served with steamed rice and roti.

Beerakaya Pottu Vepudu

Procedure:

• If you are planning to cook ridge gourd (Beerakaya) curry today, then once you peel off the skin don't throw it aside. 
• Wash the Peeled off skin thoroughly, take it in a big plate, mix with little salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder and allow to dry under the sun (put it on the terrace) for whole day.
• Later on the cooking procedure follows.
• Heat 4 to 5 Table spoons of oil in a pan. Adjust oil based on the quantity to be fried.
• Fry these dried ridge gourd (beerakaya) peels for 1 minute or less and take them aside.
• A crunchy and variety side dish is ready to have with sambar, rasam, curd etc..,,based on your choice.
• Care should be taken while adding salt.

Fruit Custard

Ingredients:

• Milk - 1 Litre
• Custard Powder (Vanilla Flavor) - 50 Gm 
• Sugar - Based on taste - Minimum of 5 table spoons
• Bananas - 4
• Green Apple - 1
• Apple - 1
• Green seedless Grapes - 1 cup (optional)
• Pineapple - 1 cup (optional)
• Cashew nuts - As desired - chopped
• Pistachio nuts - As desired - chopped
• Raisins - As desired
• Badams - As desired - Chopped
• Tuity fruity - red and green - As desired

* Fruits can be added based on your choice and availability.

Procedure:

• Take 50gms of custard powder, mix it with 1 cup of water and keep it aside.
• Place a thick bottomed vessel on the stove, add 1 litre milk and allow it to boil.
• Once milk reaches to it's boiling point, add custard (which has been already mixed in water and kept aside) and stir the whole mixture without any lumps.
• Finally add sugar, stir the whole mixture well and switch off the stove and allow it to cool for sometime.
• Later on add all the chopped fruits, nuts and tuity fruity to the custard mixture and mix well.
• Refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours and serve.

* If desired, honey can be substituted to sugar.

Soya Granules dry curry

Ingredients:

• Soya Granules (Readily Available)  - 2 to 3 cups
• Oil - 3 to 4 Tea spoons
• Jeera seeds - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Onions - 1 - Finely chopped
• Green chillies - 2 to 3 - chopped
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Tomatoes - 1 - Large - finely chopped
• Cloves - 3 to 4
• Chakka - 1 piece
• Ginger - small piece - Pounded
• Garlic - 3 pieces - Finely chopped
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Chilli Powder - 1/2 Tea spoon
• Dhaniya Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Salt - To taste

Procedure:

• Take readily available soya granules in a vessel, add water and boil for 5 minutes and keep it aside. Allow them to soak till we complete the rest of the procedure.
• Heat oil in pan, add cloves, chakka, jeera seeds, finely chopped onions, curry leaves, green chillies and saute them till the onion pieces turn transparent.
• Later on add finely chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhaniya powder and allow them to cook till the tomato pieces turn soft.
• Take  the soya granules which have been already soaked in hot water, squeeze them and add.
• Finally add salt and stir fry the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Switch off the stove and garnish with coriander.
• Can be served as a side dish and also tastes good with roti.

Munaga Aaku - Senagapappu Koora

Ingredients:

• Channa Dal - 1 cup
• Drumstick Leaves (Munaga Aaku) -  2 cups
• Oil - 2 to 3 Tea spoons
• Urud Dal - 1/2 Tea spoon
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tea spoon
• Jeera Seeds - 1/2 Tea spoon
• Red dry chillies - 2 to 3 No.s
• Green chillies - 2 to 3 No.s - chopped
• Onion - 1 - Large - Finely chopped
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Tomatoes - 2 - Large - Finely chopped
• Garlic - 3 pieces - Finely chopped
• Chilli Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Dhaniya Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Inguva - 2 pinches
• Methi powder - A pinch
• Salt - As desired

Procedure:

• First of all soak Channa Dal in water for 20 minutes and drain the water.
• Boil it in pressure cooker for 3 to 4 whistles. Dal should not become too soft.
• Now heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urud dal, jeera seeds and wait till mustard pops down.
• Later on add finely chopped onions, green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves, chopped garlic and saute them till the onion pieces turn transparent.
• Now add methi powder, inguva, tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhaniya powder and allow the mixture to cook till the tomato pieces become soft..
• Once done, add boiled channa dal, salt and little water and stir fry the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Finally add drumstick leaves and leave the whole content to boil for 5 minutes. Adjust salt and consistency based on your taste
• Over boiling of drumstick leaves brings out sour taste. That is the reason we are adding drumstick leaves in the final step.
• Switch off the stove and serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.

Beet root Halwa

Ingredients:

• Beet root - 2 cups - Grated
• Boiled milk - 1 1/2 cups
• Ghee - 3 Table spoons
• Cashew nuts - For garnishing
• Raisins - For garnishing
• Badams - For garnishing
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Elaichi powder - For flavor

Procedure:

• Heat 1 table spoon of ghee in a pan and fry the dry fruits (cashew nuts, raisins, badams) till light brown.
• Once done take the dry fruits aside leaving the ghee in pan.
• Now add the remaining ghee to the pan and add the grated beet root and fry for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Once the grated beet root turns little soft, pour the milk and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Leave the mixture till the beetroot gets completely cooked.
• Now add sugar and stir fry the mixture until it leaves the borders of the pan. 
• Once  the mixture reaches the desired consistency, finally add elachi powder and switch off the stove.
• Garnish with dry fruits and serve warm.

Pappu Charu

Ingredients:

• Thur Dal - 1 cup
• Tomatoes - medium - 6 - Finely chopped
• Oil - 3 Tea spoons
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Urud dal - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Jeera Seeds - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Dry chillies - 4 to 5
• Curry leaves - 2 Stems
• Garlic - 5 pieces - Pounded
• Inguva - 2 to 3 pinches
• Methi powder - 2 pinches
• Pepper powder - 1/2 Tea spoon
• Jeera Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Tamarind - small lemon size
• Coriander - Finely chopped
• Salt - As desired

Procedure:

• Soak the tamarind and keep it aside.
• Soak thur dal for 20 minutes. Later on drain the water and pressure cook thur dal for 4 whistles by adding fresh water.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urud dal, jeera seeds and wait till mustard pops down.
• Later on add dry chillies, curry leaves, pounded garlic, methi powder, inguva, pepper powder, jeera powder and fry for 1 minute.
• Once done, add finely chopped tomatoes and allow the whole mixture to cook on occasional stirring till the tomato pieces turn soft.
• Later on, squeeze the juice from soaked tamarind and add it to the content in the pan.
• Finally add the boiled thur dal along with the water in which dal has been boiled.
• Now add salt and chopped coriander and allow the entire recipe to cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Switch off the stove and serve hot with steamed rice.

Tamarind Rice

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup - Cooked (make sure the strands are separate)
• Seedless Tamarind - Big lemon size
• Oil - 4 table spoons
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Channa Dal - 2 Tea spoons
• Dry chillies - 4 to 5
• Methi powder - 2 to 3 pinches
• Inguva - 2 to 3 pinches
• Urud dal - 1 Tea spoon
• Curry leaves - 2 stems
• Pea nuts - 1/2 cup
• Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup (optional)
• Salt - To taste

For making powder : 

• Dry roast the dhaniya seeds, dry chillies and methi seeds separately.
• Grind them separately.
• Once done, mix them and store in a plastic container. Can be used whenever we are making tamarind rice.
• More powder can't be used, since it give bitter taste to the rice.

Procedure:

• Soak tamarind in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes and blend until we get a thick paste.
• Later strain the paste by adding little water and keep it aside.
• Heat 2 table spoons of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, channa dal, dry chillies and wait till mustard seeds pops down.
• Now add the strained tamarind paste, simmer and stir fry the whole mixture until the raw smell of tamarind goes off.
• Once tamarind paste reaches its consistency and begin to leave the borders of the pan, add methi powder and inguva.
• If this is done, switch off the stove and cool it.
• Meanwhile cool the rice on a plate.
• Once done, add the cooked tamarind paste, salt, methi dhaniya powder (which has already been grounded and kept aside) in pinches and combine well with the rice.
• Adjust powder and salt based on your taste.
• Finally, heat oil in pan, add dry chillies, urud dal, curry leaves and fry them. Take them aside.
• In the same pan, add little more oil, add ground nuts, cashew nuts and roast them.
• Finally mix the tempered lentils to the rice, combine well and serve.

Tomato Rice

Cabbage - Senagapappu Masala

Ingredients:

• Oil - 4 to 5 Tea spoons
• Cabbage - 1/4 Kg - Finely chopped
• Channa Dhal - 1 Cup - Washed and drained
• Sompu - 1/4 tea spoon
• Jeera Seeds - 1/4 tea spoon
• Chakka (Cinnamon sticks) - 1 to 2 pieces
• Cloves - 4 to 5
• Onions - 2 - Chopped
• Tomatoes - 2 - Big - Finely chopped
• Green chillies - 2 - Make a slit in the middle
• Garlic - 7 to 9 pieces
• Ginger - 1 medium size piece ( peel off and chop into small pieces. approx. 11 pieces)
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Coriander - As required 
• Cashew nuts- 6 to 7
• Chilli powder - 2 tea spoons
• Dhaniya powder - 2 1/2 tea spoons
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Garam Masala Powder - 1 tea spoon
• Salt - To taste 

Procedure:

• Boil chopped cabbage with little salt and keep aside. Dont pressure cook.
• Soak channa dal for 20 minutes and drain the water. Now, pressure cook channa dal for 3 to 4 whistles. Dal should not become mushy.
• For masala preparation, take chopped onions, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts, corriander and grind the ingredients well as a fine paste.
• Now heat pan with oil. Add sompu, jeera seeds, cloves and cinnamon sticks (chakka). Once they splutter, add slit green chillies and Curry leaves.
• Later on add the paste which has been ground already. Fry it well for 5 to 7 minutes. Once done, add finely chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, Dhaniya Powder, Turmeric Powder and stir the mixture till the oil comes out of masala and also the masala should leave the borders of the pan.
• Once done, add boiled cabbage and channa dal to the mixture. Add water if required.
• Now add salt and adjust spice according to your taste. Allow the whole curry to boil till the gravy turns thick.
• Finally add garam masala powder, stir well for 2 minutes and switch off the stove. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with steamed rice.
• Also serves as a good combination with Dosa, Idly, Poori, Chapati.

* I have not used coconut in this dish.
* Instead of using coconut, am using cashew nuts for gravy purpose. If needed coconut milk can be used.