Wheatflour Ladoo/Gothumai Ladoo with dryfruits and jaggery

INGREDIENTS: Makes 5 - 6 medium sized ladoos
1.Wheat flour - 1 cup
2. Jaggery (powdered) - 1/2 cup
3. Almonds & Cashews (Optional) - 10 - 12 pieces
4.Elachi powder - 1 pinch
5. Ghee - 1/3 cup

METHOD:
1. Dry roast the nuts and make a powder
2.Dry roast the flour till nice aroma comes out( takes about 5 to 7 minutes)
3. Switch off the stove ,mix everything together and make ladoos :)
4. Add more ghee if needed. 

Pudina pulav/Mint Rice/Mint Leaves Pulao

INGREDIENTS: Serves 2

1. Basmati Rice or Raw Rice - 1.5 Cup
2. Mint Leaves - Leaves from 10 to 12 Strands of Mint/Pudina - Approximately 2 fistful 
3. Coriander Leaves - 1 fistful
4. Onion - 1 Big or 2 medium sized. 
5. Tomato - 1 small or half big sized 
6. Ginger - 2 inch piece
7. Garlic - 5 to 6  pods 
8. Green chilli -  6 to 7 Small, adjust to taste 
9. Coconut(Optional) - 1 teaspoon grated or 5 inch piece 
10. Cashew (Optional) -  4 to 5 pieces  whole (break to pieces and keep it ready) 
11. Ghee/Oil - 6 teaspoon
12. Bay Leaf / Biriyani Leaf - 1 piece
13. Pinapple flower/Stone flower - 1 piece
14. Cardomom whole - 1 piece
15. Cloves - 1 piece 
16. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece 
17. Water - 2 cups
18. Peas (optional) - 1/2 cup 
19. Potato (optional) - 1 finely cut

METHOD: 

1. Wash the basmati rice and soak the rice for 30 minutes.
2. Grind  the pudina leaves,coriander leaves, onion (take half onion and cut it finely for frying),tomato,ginger,garlic,green chilli,coconut using little or no water to a fine paste
3. Take a cooker and add the ghee/oil. 
4. Once oil/ghee is hot add the bay leaf,pineapple flower,cardomom,cloves,cinnamon stick and cashews and fry a bit. Add the finely cut onions and fry well till golden. 
5. You can add the potatoes and peas if you are using now. Add the ground paste and let the raw smell of paste subside. 
6. Drain the basmati rice and add the rice and add 2 cups of water. 
7. When water starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and close the cooker. Do not put the whistle/weight, instead invert a small cup on the vent to prevent steam from escaping.
8. Keep in low flame for 10 mins and switch off the stove . Leave it without opening the cooker for 5 to 7 mins . 
9. Open the cooker and yummy pulav is ready to serve! Enjoy it with Mix Veg raita/Raita of your choice.
10. NOTE: If you cook rice and the paste separately and mix later, you cook rice as you normally do but I do not recommend this unless you have leftover rice.

Andhra Style Idli Podi(Spicy Version)

INGREDIENTS: Yields around 200 to 250grams of podi

1. Coriander Seeds - 1/2 cup
2. Black Gram Dhal - 2.5 Tablespoons 
3. Bengal Gram Dhal - 1 tablespoon
4. Cumin Seeds - 1.5 teaspoon
5. Dry red chillies - 5 or 6 or more according to your spiciness.
6. Garlic pods - 4 to 5
7. Curry Leaves - 1/2 cup 
8. Tamarind - 1/2 lemon sized ball.
9. Asafoetida cube - 1/2 inch
10. Oil - To fry these.
11. Salt - To taste.

METHOD:

1. Add  a small drop of oil and roast all ingredients separately. Grind them together and store them in airtight container ! 
2. You can have this along with hot white rice or as a side dish for idlies/dosa/curd rice.

Kalyana Rasam

INGREDIENTS:  Serves 4 to 5

1. Tomato - 1
2. Toor Dal-Cooked - 2 tablespoon
3. Ghee - For tempering
4. Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
6. Asafoetida - 1 small cube or 1/4 teaspoon
7. Coriander leaves - For seasoning
8. Tamarind - 1 small ball(Roughly half size of a lemon)

 TO ROAST AND GRIND:

1. Toor Dhal - 1 tablespoon
2. Black pepper - 1 teaspoon
3. Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
4. Curry leaves - one sprig
5. Red Chillies - 2 or 3 

METHOD:

1. Chop the 1/4 th tomatoes finely and keep them aside. Reserve the other 3/4th portion to grind with the roasted items.
2. Roast the ingredients under the “TO ROAST AND GRIND” table with 1/4 tsp of ghee.
3. Allow it to cool along with the 3/4 tomato and grind it into a fine paste by adding little water.
4.  Extract tamarind water and add turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt to this.
5. Add the ground paste to the tamarind water.Allow this to boil in a low flame for 8-10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile cook the toordal and add 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of water to the dal and add this to the tamarind-tomato mixture.
7. When it comes to a froth switch off the flame and garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.
8. Temper the mustard seeds in ghee and add coriander leaves,finely cut tomatoes to the rasam and serve hot!You can add few cumin seeds and pepper seeds during tempering and add along with the mustard seeds.

Panakam/Panagam - Jaggery based energy drink

INGREDIENTS:

1. Water - 1 litre
2. Jaggery - 125 grams
3. Cardomom powder - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Dry Ginger (Sukku) powder - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Lemon/Lime juice - 1/2 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. Powder the jaggery /Take a bowl add all the ingredients. and mix well.
2. You can taste and add more jaggery if needed.
3. Finally filter and Serve ! 

NOTE: Jaggery is very rich in iron and is not fattening. All the ingredients are known for its medicinal properties and this provides a great shot of energy.Can be given to all ages. It is time to go back to our ancestors recipes:) to save our health:)

Coconut - Coriander leaves Chutney

INGREDIENTS: Serves 3 to 4

1. Coconut - 1/2 coconut shredded
2. Salt - To taste
3. Mustard seeds,urad dhal - for seasoning
4. Oil - 1 teaspoon for seasoning.
5. Coriander leaves - handful 
6. Pottu kadalai/Fried gram - 1 tablespoon
7. Green chillies - 2 medium sized(increase if you want spicy version)
8. Ginger - 1 inch piece peeled.
9. Tamarind(Optional) - peanut sized piece.

METHOD:

1. Grind the coconut,salt,coriander leaves,fried gram,green chillies,ginger,tamarind together using water.
2. Take a pan, add the oil ,and allow the mustard seeds to splutter and then add the urad dhal.Add this to the ground chutney and serve.
3. This goes best with any upma/dosa/idli varieties.

Lemon Rice

INGREDIENTS: Serves 3 to 4

1. Lemon - 1 
2. Peanuts - handful for seasoning.
3. Oil - 3 to 4 spoons for seasoning.
4. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon for seasoning.
5. Urad dhal - 2 teaspoons for seasoning.
6. Chana dhal - 2 teaspoons for seasoning.
7. Curry leaves -  for seasoning
8. Coriander leaves - for seasoning
9. Asafoetida powder  - 1/4 teaspoon
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
11. Rice - 250 grams
12. Salt - As per taste

METHOD:

1. Wash the rice, and add 2.5 times of water(625ml) and cook in pressure cooker. Allow the rice to cool after cooking.
2. Take a pan, add the oil and add the items in the following order. Allow the mustard seeds to splutter.Add the peanuts,urad dhal,channa dhal,asafoetida powder,turmeric powder and curry leaves.
3. Remove from flame and add this to the cooked rice.Squeeze lemon and add salt to taste.Mix well and add the coriander leaves. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed.