Avarekalu/Val beans Pongal

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Rice	2 cups
Moong dal	½ cup
Vaal beans/avarekalu	1 cup
Salt	To taste
Turmeric	¼ tsp
Black Pepper	½ tsp	Optional
Water	As required
Hing	¼ tsp
Jeera	1 tsp
Ghee	¼ cup
Dried Red chillies	2-3	Broken

Method:

Wash and soak rice and moong dal in a cup of water for 10-15 minutes. Set aside. 

Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a cooker. Add the vaal beans/avarekalu and saute for a minute. Drain the soaked rice-dal mixture and it to the cooker. Mix well and add turmeric, pepper (I have not added), salt and 2 cups of water and cover the lid. 

Cook the mixture on low flame up to 3-4 whistles or until rice is soft. Cool and temper with the remaining ghee,jeera, hing and dried red chillies.

Serve hot with curd or raita.

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Sprouts Salad

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Whole Green gram (moong)	1 cup	Sprouted
Jeera powder	1-2 tsp
Coriander powder	1-2 tsp
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Onion	1 big	Chopped finely
Lemon juice	1 small
Salt	As per taste
Salad dressing	1-2 tsp	(Optional)
Coriander leaves	2 tbsp	Chopped

Method:

Mix all the ingredients and set aside for 5 minutes. Serve with rice, roti, or as a snack.

Tip:

For making sprouts, just soak the green gram in water for an hour covered. Drain and tie it in a cotton or muslin cloth and keep it covered in a vessel overnight. Sprouts will be ready in the morning.

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Pudina / Mint rice

Servings: 50 grams

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Pudina / Mint leaves	1 bunch	Cleaned, washed and drained
Green chillies	2 big	If not spicy, add more
Salt	To taste
Sugar	½ tsp
Oil	2 tbsp + 2 tbsp	For tempering
Jeera	1 tsp + 1tsp	For tempering
Tamarind juice	2-3 tbsp
Channa dal	1 tbsp	For tempering
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Cooked rice	500 grams

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add jeera and allow it to start spluttering. Now add green chillies and saute for 30 seconds. Add the pudina leaves and let reduce. Now add tamarind juice, salt and sugar and cook covered till the leaves are done. Cool and grind it to a paste.

       

       

       

In a bowl mix half of the prepared chutney and 500 grams of cooked rice. Add salt if required. Heat 2 tbsp of oil, add jeera and curry leaves and let the jeera splutter. Add the rice mixture to the tempering and mix well on low flame for a minute.

      

         

Serve with onion raita or curd.

Note:

Add only as much chutney as required. The chutney made can be stored for 2 weeks in refrigerator.

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Homemade Chocolates

Servings: 25-30 chocolates

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Dark chocolate compound	½ of compound	Grated or sliced
White chocolate compound	½ of compound	Grated or sliced
Raisins/Gems/Nuts	As stuffing
Water	For melting

Method:

Combine both the compounds in a bowl. Heat water in a thick bottom pan. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat. Place the bowl with chocolate compound in the hot water. Mix using a spatula until it melts.

      

      

Let it cool a bit. Place the stuffing in the chocolate mould, one each. Pour the molten chocolate using a spoon. Place the moulds in freezer for 10 minutes. Remove after 10 minutes and demould the chocolate.

       

       

               

Serve.

Tip:

1. You can alternatively microwave at 100% for 30-50 seconds depending on your microwave.
2. You can use milk chocolate instead of white chocolate compound.
3. You can vary the proportion of dark and white/milk chocolate compound based on the amount of sweetness you wish to serve.
4. If the molten chocolate hardens, you can reheat it in the double boiler a bit and scoop out the rest of it.

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Corn Palak

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Palak leaves	1 cup	Blanched
Onion	1 big	Sliced thinly
Sweet corn	1-2 cups
Salt	To taste
Sugar	¼ tsp
Water	As required
Garlic	3-4 pods	Finely chopped
Oil / Ghee	2-3 tbsp
Oregano	1 tsp	Optional
White Pepper powder	½ tsp	Optional
Lime	½ medium
Jeera	1 tsp

Method:

Heat a tbsp of oil in a small pan and fry onions till translucent. Cool. Blanch the palak leaves and grind it with onion to a smooth paste. Pressure cook the corn with ½ tsp of salt to 3-4 whistles or until soft.

                                     

Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add jeera. Once it starts spluttering, add garlic and red chillies and saute till light brown. Add the pureed palak mixture, corn, salt, sugar, pepper powder and oregano and bring it to a boil. Lower the flame and simmer for 1-2 minutes more. Add lime juice and take it off the heat.

Serve hot with rice, roti, chapati.....

Tips:

You can add cooked potatoes instead of corn or combine both corn and potatoes for a better flavour. 

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