Lemon Rasam

Ingredients:

Tomato - 1
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Rasam Powder - 1.5 tsp
Lemon - 1 medium (add more if needed)
Masoor Dal - 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves - a few
Salt
Green chili - 1 slit lengthwise

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Ghee - 1 tsp

Red Chili-1

Method:

In a vessel, add 2 cups of water, chopped tomato, salt, hing, rasam powder, green chili, masoor dal and boil it for 12 minutes or until tomato turns soft.

Add 1.5 cups of water again and bring it to a boil.

Turn off the heat.

Tamper with mustard seeds, red chili,curry leaves and jeera in ghee.

Garnish with coriander leaves and squeeze lemon juice. 

Mix well and serve with hot rice and curry!

Tip of the day: Store the ice cream container in a big Ziploc plastic freezer bag. This will stop ice crystals from forming when it is in the freezer.

Black Eyed Beans with Okra

Ingredients:

2 potatoes, diced, parboiled and drained

16-20 okra, topped and tailed

2 cans black eyed beans, drained

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

oil

salt

Seasoning:

3 tbsp ghee/butter

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 onion finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp chili powder

2 tomatoes chopped

Method:

Deep fry or fry the potatoes in medium hot oil. Next, fry the okra in very hot oil until just soft and put them aside.

Put the beans in the pan, add a little water and bring it to a simmer. Heat thoroughly and set aside.

For the seasoning, heat the ghee/butter in a pan. Then add the cumin seeds,and as soon as these brown, put in the onion. Fry that until golden,and ass the ginger and garlic. Cook for a few minutes and then put in the coriander, turmeric, chili powder, stir for a few minutes.

Next, add the tomatoes, stir and cook for 5 minutes.

Spoon this mixture into the cooked beans. Add the potatoes, bring it to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Finally gently mix in the okra and seasoning,and cook for another minute until it is heated. Scatter the fresh cilantro on top before serving.

Serves 4

Tip of the day: To keep milk past it's expiration date add salt. A pinch of salt in a gallon will do it. The salt slows the rate of bacteria growth.

Sabudana Upma(Javvarisi Upma)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sabudana
• 4-5 pearl onions chopped
• 2-3 green chillies chopped
• 1/2 tsp ginger finely chopped
• 2 tsp shredded coconut
• 2 tsp peanuts
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• chopped cilantro
• salt for taste

Seasoning

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• a few curry leaves

Method:

Rinse sabudana thoroughly and soak them for about 4-5 hrs. Add required water for soaking the sabudana. Before cooking, drain the sabudana completely.

Dry roast peanuts till light golden brown. Remove the skin and grind them coarsely in a blender.

Heat oil and season with mustard, cumin, curry leaves. Add turmeric, onions, ginger, green chillies and saute   them. Add sabudana which is already drained. Saute sabudana with the other seasonings.

Finally add the coarsely grounded peanuts, shredded coconut, salt and little juice of lime and mix well. Cook for 3-5 minutes and garnish with cilantro.

Tip of the day:  Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

Potato Bell Pepper Rice

Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Potato - 2 medium
Green Bell Pepper - 1 medium
Carrot - 1/4 cup chopped
Spring onion - 2 tbsp chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Sambar powder - 1.5 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp(optional)
Slit green chili - 1
Oil - 4 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp

Method:
Cook rice in 2 3/4 cups of water and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera. When they crackle, add chopped potatoes and green chili. Sprinkle salt and saute till potatoes are partially cooked.
Add chopped carrot, bell pepper, turmeric powder, sambar powder, garam masala powder and some salt. Saute till the veggies are cooked.
Gently toss rice with the veggies without mashing the rice. Add salt if needed. Garnish with spring onion.
Serve with raitha or chips.



Tip of the day: Brown sugar will not harden if stored in the freezer.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1/8 cup melted butter
1/8 cup flour
1 cup half-and-half/1 cup 1% milk
1 cup veggie stock or bouillon/water
1/4 pound fresh broccoli
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg(optional)
4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Method:
Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half. Add the veggie stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.


Tip of the day:  To clean a blender,  add a cup of  warm water, run for a few seconds. Now add a drop of dishwashing detergent and another cup of water and blend. Let it sit for a few seconds. Rinse clean. 

Spinach Sambar

Ingredients:
150g yellow lentils(thuvar dal)
150g spinach chopped
2 tbspns sunflower oil
1 tsp coriander seeds
3 dried red chillies
4 tbspns grated coconut
1 tspn tamarind concentrate, diluted in 4 tbspns water
1/2 tspn turmeric
salt
1 medium onion sliced

Method:

Pressure cook the lentils and keep aside.

In a pan, wilt the the spinach in a little hot water for a couple of minutes.

Heat half the oil in a sauce pan and fry the coriander seeds until they turn dark, then add the chillies and the coconut. Reduce the heat and stir for a couple of minutes, take off the heat, cool slightly and grind with the tamarind and few tablespoons of water until you get a fine paste.

Add this paste and lentils to the spinach, together with the turmeric and salt.

Heat the remaining oil in a sauce pan and fry the onions until golden, then add them to the lentils. Reheat thoroughly and serve hot with rice.

Tip of the day: To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.