Ingredients

1lbs Bhindi (Okra)
3 Medium Tomatoes
1 Green Chili, finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Ginger Paste
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (jeera)
1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
Salt To Taste
A Pinch of Asafoetida
3 Tablespoon Oil
Oil for Frying

Bhindi Masala is Okra sauteed with Tomatoes and spices. It is delicious Indian curry which is generally served with chappati or roti

Method:

1. Cut bhindi (Okra) in diagonal pieces.
2. Heat the oil in frying pan and shallow fry bhindi (okra).
3. Keep fried bhindi (okra) aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds wait until seeds crack.
5. Add pinch of asafoetida, then add green chili and ginger paste, fry for one minute.
6. Add tomato pieces, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and mix well, cover the pan and cook for a few minutes until tomatoes become soft. Stir if needed to avoid the mixture from sticking to the pan.
7. Add fried bhindi (okra) and mix gently. Keep on heat for two minutes and then remove the pan.
8. Serve hot with chappati or roti.

Ingredients:

1 litre milk
1/2 tsp. citric acid
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups water
2-3 drops rose essence

Method:

Heat the milk and bring to boil.
Cool the milk for a couple of hours. Remove the cream layer.
Reheat the milk and bring to a boil.
Add the citric acid dissolved in some water.
Stir slowly till the milk is fully curdled.
Keep as it is for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile heat the sugar and water in a wide sauce pan. Bring to a boil.
Strain the milk through a muslin cloth. Wash the chenna in the cloth under cold running water.

Press out the excess water and remove in a wide plate.
Gently knead into a soft dough by passing between fingers.
Make twelve equal sized balls of the dough.
Let them into the boiling water. Cover with a perforated lid. Boil for 13 to 15 minutes.
Take off from heat and cool them to room temperature.
Add essence and chill for at least 4 to 5 hours.

Serves: 6 helpings
Time required: 1/2 hour.

Ingredients:

1 cup rava
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. ghee
1/4 cup milk

METHOD:

Take ghee in a deep saucepan and heat.
Add rava and cook on low heat. Stir continuously.
When the rava turns light brown add the sugar. Stir for 3-4 minutes.
Keep aside cool for some time. Add cardomom powder, coconut flakes and saffron.
Add half the milk. Mix well. Wet hand with milk and shape the mixture in ladoos.

Serves: 12 helpings
Time required: 1/2 hr.
Shelf life : 15 days

Ingredients

1 kg beetroot
1 1/2 litre milk
400-500 gm sugar
elaichi powder (cardomon)
saffron few flakes
1 tbsp ghee

Method

Peel and grate beetroot Put milk and dudhi in a heavy saucepan. Boil till thick, stirring occassionally. Once it starts thickening, stir continuously. Add sugar and cook further till thickens. Add ghee, elaichi, saffron and colour. Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or the ghee oozes out. Serve hot, decorated with a chopped almond or pista.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. wheat flour
2 1/2 tbsp. ghee
3/4 to 1 cup sugar or molasses (jaggery)
elaichi powder
chopped pista and almonds

Method

Add flour and roast on slow fire, stirring continuously Side by side add to sugar 2 1/2 cups water and keep to boil When the atta becomes a golden brown, add the boiling sweet water Stir gently and continuously till xcess water evaporates and the ghee separates. Decorate with chopped nuts

Ingredients
Potatoes 1 pound
Turmeric 1/4 t.spoon
Hing a small pinch
Green Chillies 6
Ginger a small piece minced/gratted
Urad dhall 1/2 t.spoon
Channa dhall 1 t.spoon
Mustard 1/4 t.spoon
Curry leaves
Cilantro a small bunch washed and finely chopped
Lemon 1
Cooking Oil 2 t.spoon
Salt 1 t.spoon (or to taste)

Method

Boil potatoes with turmeric and salt.Peel skin and mash them and keep it aside.Fry mustard, urad dhall, channa dhall, hing, turmeric, curry leaves, red chillies, finely chopped ginger, lemon juice andsalt in 2 t.spoons of oil and then add the mashed potatoes. Letthis cook for a few minutes and then garnish with cilantro.

Ingredients
Rice 2 cups
Moong dhall 1/2 cup
Hing a small pinch
Curry leaves
CashewsPepper 1/2 t.spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 t.spoon
Ginger a small piece finely chopped
Ghee 1/2 t.spoon
Salt 1 t.spoon

Method

Cook rice, moong dhall and turmeric powder with extra water andkeep it aside.Fry pepper, cumin seeds, hing, curry leaves, and ginger in 2 t.spoons ghee, and add this to the above pongal.Fry cashews in 1 t.spoon ghee and add to the above.Add salt and remaining ghee and mix everything well.

Ingredients
Almonds (Badam) 1 cup
Milk 4-6 cups
Sugar same amount as almond paste (about 1 cup)
Saffron 1/2 t.spoon
Kesari powder (color) a small pinch (optional)

Method

Soak saffron in little cold milk, and keep it aside.Soak almonds in hot water for 1 hour. Peel skin and grind the almond into a fine paste with 1 cup of milk instead of water.Measure the amount of almond paste, and keep the same amount ofsugar aside.Cook the almond paste for 5-10 while stirring it constantly, till the flavour comes out. Now add sugar and keep stirring. Add the remaining milk, and boil for 10-15 minutes. Add the soaked saffron and serve it cold.

Almonds 1/4 cup
Sweetened condensed milk
1 canEvaporated milk
1 canCream of wheat (Rava)
2 t.spoons
All purpose flour (Maida)
2 cupsSugar
4 t.spoonsSaffron
1/4 t.spoon
Edible camphor (Pacha kalpooram)
optional
Kesar color a small pinch
Cooking oil for frying

Method

Soak saffron in little cold milk, and keep it aside.Soak rava in little water for 10 minutes.Soak almonds in hot water for 1 hour. Peel skin and grind thealmond into a fine paste with 1 cup of milk instead of water.Boil evaporated milk, condensed milk, and almond paste for 10-15 minutes. Add saffron, and kesar color to above and let it cool.Knead maida,
soked rava, and sugar into a nice dough, using somecold after. Make small puris (roll small balls and flatten them with a rolling pin and deep fry in oil) and soak the puries in the boiled milk mixture. Serve it cold/hot.

500 gm Moong dal (green)
500 gm sugar
500 gm ghee
saffron soaked in a little milk
elaichi powder
water about 250 ml.

Method

Soak the dal for 5-6 hours.
Wash and remove the skins well.
Grind dal fine either in a stone grinder or electric grinder or mixie.
Use as little water as possible.
Put sugar and water in a pan and put to boil.
Once sugar dissolve add a few tblsp. of milk.
As the syrup boils the scum will rise.
Remove with a strain.
Further boil till the syrup become sticky between the fingers.
(One thread should fall when poured from a tilted spoon) keep aside.
Heat the ghee in a heavy kadai (vessel) and add dal.
Keep stirring rigorously to avoid burning.
Once the dal stops sticking to the vessel, stir gradually till golden brown, and ghee b egins to separate.
Pour the hot syrup, add elaichi and dissolved saffron.
Stir very carefully, not allowing hand to be scalded. Cook slowly till all water is absorbed.
Decorate with chopped dry fruit.
Serve hot especially on a cold day.