Shanthi's Cookbook

Cooked rice - 2 cups

Lemons - 2

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - according to taste

Tadka - 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, urad dal , chana dal , jeera and 2 red chillies + Asafoetida powder

Curry Leaves - 8

Oil - 3 tbsp

Peanuts - 2 tbsp

Green Chillies - 2

1. Cook rice and let it cool. Spinkle turmeric powder on top.

2. Take a pan and put some oil. Get the tadka done. Add curry leaves and peanuts. Roast them till they become brown. Put this mixture on top of the rice. Also add sliced green chillies. Mix well.

3. Squeeze out juice from lemons without the seeds in a cup. Add salt according to the quantity of the rice and mix well till the salt completely dissolves in the juice.

4. Mix well and serve.

Samiya - 1 cup

Milk - 6 cups

Sugar - 1/2 cup or according to taste

Cardamom / Elachi Powder - 1/2 tsp

MTR Badam Mix powder - 2 tsp

Ghee/ Clarified butter - 3 tsp

Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp

Sliced Almonds - 1 tbsp

Raisins - 1 tbsp

1. Roast Samiya in a pan till it turns light brown. Keep aside.

2. In a pan, heat up some ghee / clarified butter and roast cashews, almonds and raisins.

3. In another deep bottom pan, boil milk and sugar. Add Cardamom/ Elachi powder. Now put the roasted samiya. Put the flame on medium and put a lid on top. Let it boil till it starts thickening. Remove the lid.

4. In a glass, mix milk and badam powder without any lumps. Pour this mixture into the Samiya and milk and let it simmer.

5. According to taste and consistency .. add milk , sugar accordingly. Mix and turn off the heat. Take it out in a serving bowl.

Serving Suggestions : Can be eaten hot or cold.

Small grained/ Sona masoori Rice - 1 cup

Chana dal - 1/2 cup

Yellow Moong Dal - 1/2 cup

Jaggery - 2 cups

Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp

Sliced Almomds - 1 tbsp

Raisins - 1 tbsp

Cardamom/Elachi Powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee / Clarified butter - 3 tsp

Milk - 8 cups

1. Roast Chana dal, Moong dal and rice in a non-stick pan on a low flame. Occasionally keep stirring the mixture with a spatula to prevent burning. Roast till they turn light brown and you can smell a nice roasted aroma.

2. Add 5 cups of milk and pressure cook it. Wait for 5 to 6 whistles and turn off the stove.

3. In a deep bottom pan, heat up some ghee/butter and on a low flame roast - cashew, almonds and raisins. Keep aside.

4. In the same pan, now add 1 cup of milk. Grate the jaggery and add 2 cups of it to the milk. Add the elachi powder to it and bring it to a boil.

5. Now put the cooked rice,moong and chana dal mixture into the milk and jaggery. According to taste and consistency , add more milk and jaggery. (you can also add sugar at this point of time instead of jaggery)

6. Put the roasted nuts and raisins on top and let it simmer.

Serving Suggestion : It can be served hot or cold. I personally like it cold :-)

Potatoes - 4 medium

Onions - 1 or 2

Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli powder - according to taste

Tadka - 1/2 of each : mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera and red chillies + Asafoetida powder

Oil -according to taste

Curry Leaves - 8 to 10

Salt - according to taste

Oil - 5 tbsp

1. Peel Potatoes and cut into small cubes. Chop up onions into small pieces.

2. In a wide pan, add oil and get tadka done. Add curry leaves.

3. Put the onions, fry till they become translucent. Add potato cubes. Do not put a lid, keep the flame on a medium

4. Keep stirring from time to time without overdoing it.

5. After the potatoes become soft and look roasted, add turmeric , salt and red chilli powder.

6. Add some more oil and cook them on a low flame. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.

Serving suggestions : Best eaten hot. Served with rice or rotis. Left over curry can be refrigerated. Microwave for at least 2 minutes, before serving.

Urad dal - 2 cups

Green Chilli and Ginger paste - 3 tbsp

Salt - according to taste

Oil

Plain Yogurt / Curd - 1 cup

Tadka - 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds, jeera and Red Chillies

Sambar Powder - 1/4 tsp

Water - 1/2 cup

Coriander Chopped - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves - 6-8

1. Soak Urad dal overnite in water. (Needs at least 6 to 8 hours)

2. I use a wet grinder to make the vada batter. But you can also grind it in a regular grinder or blender. Just make sure you don't add too much water. Grind it till it becomes a thick smooth paste.

3. Take the paste in a bowl and add ginger-green chilli paste. Put some salt and mix well.

4. Take a deep bottom pan and pour oil enough for deep frying.

5. This is how I do it - I keep the Urad dal paste in a bowl, a cup of water and a cup of oil beside it. Take a big zip lock bag and put it on the palm of your left hand. Dip your right hand fingers in the oil and spread it on the zip lock bag. Now take a small ball of Urad dal paste and put it on the greased part of the zip lock bag. Now dip the right hand fingers in water and pat it on top of the paste and spread it into a round paste and make a hole in the center. The vada slides right out when you remove it and drop into the oil kept for deep frying.

Rice - 2 cups

Whole Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Jeera, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 3 Cardamom and 3 to 4 Cloves.

Biryani leaf - 1

Oil - 4 to 5 tbsp

Salt - according to taste

Onions - 2

Green Chillies - 1

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Chopped Mint / Pudina - 1/2 cup

Cilantro - chopped

Biryani/ Pulao masala - 1 tsp

Water - 4 cups

1. Make thin onion slices vertically and 1 or 2 green chillies.

2. In a sauce pan, heat up some oil and saute whole garam masala along with the biryani leaf. Add chopped onions and green chillies. After the onions turn translucent, add ginger garlic paste and chopped mint. Let it cook for a while.

3. Add the Biryani Masala. Put a lid on and put the flame on low. Let it cook.

4. Meanwhile wash rice and put it in a rice cooker and pour water. Now add the onions and masala to this and mix well. Add salt. Throw in some chopped Cliantro on top.

5. After the rice cooks, mix and serve hot.

Serving Suggestion : Serve hot with Raita.