Sprouts-Aloo masala

INGREDIENTS: Serves 4 to 5

1. Green gram sprouts - 1 cup
2. Potatoes -  3 medium sized
3. Onions - 3 medium sized
4. Tomatoes 2 medium sized
5. Ginger and garlic - shredded - two teaspoons
6. Coriander , cumin seeds,mustard seeds - for seasoning
7. Green chillies - 2 cut vertically

METHOD:

• Pressure cook the potatoes and sprouts together for two or three whistles. If you like mashed version leave it upto 5 whistles.Add the salt necessary for the potatoes and sprouts before pressure cooking.
• Peel the potatoes and mash them . Keep it aside.
• Take a kadai and add 5 to 6 teaspoons of cooking oil. After it heats add the mustard seeds and allow it to crack.
• Add the cumin seeds,coriander and shredded ginger and garlic and fry well for about 30 seconds.
• Add the onions and after they are half fried,add the tomatoes.
• Add the salt needed for the onions and tomatoes as we have already added some salt for the potatoes.Also add turmeric powder and chilli powder according to taste.
• Stir well and fry it for 5 mins.Add the mashed potatoes and sprouts and mix well.
• Pour one or two cups of water , mix well and keep the stove in low flame covering the kadai.
• Leave it covered for around 10 minutes.
• After this , taste the masala and add salt or chilli powder if needed.
• Add one spoon garam masala ,stir well and keep it for 5 more minutes.
• Leave it on stove until you have reached the consistency you need.
• Yummy sprouts - aloo masala is ready to serve. You can use few drops of lemon if you like the tangy flavor after switching off the stove.

Chandrakala

INGREDIENTS: Makes around 20 to 25

FOR KHOA: (Stuffing)

1. Milk - 1.5 liters preferably milk with fat.
2. Sugar - 2 cups - around 250g sugar or even more if needed
3. Elachi powder 
4. Cashews and almonds - 10 numbers each

FOR SUGAR SYRUP: 

1. Sugar - around 1 cup 
2. Water - as needed

FOR OUTER LAYER: 

1. Maida(All purpose flour) - 1.5 cups
2. A pinch of salt
3. A pinch of baking soda
4. Ghee - 4 tea spoons
5. Water - as needed

METHOD: 

KHOA : 

• Take a thick bottom vessel and add the 1.5 liters milk. Add the sugar and keep stirring until it thickens .
• After it thickens, keep the stove in medium flame and stir until it becomes light brown khoa.
• This usually takes 1 to 1.5 hours. You can also get unsweetened khoa and add the sugar after grinding it .
• Once the khoa is ready add the elachi powder.Roast the cashews and almonds and cut them into fine pieces.Add this to the khoa, mix well and keep aside. Make cylindrical shape khoa and keep it ready to stuff inside the outer layer.
• You can taste the khoa and see if the sugar is sufficient.Else if needed add powdered sugar accordingly. 

SUGAR SYRUP:

• Add the sugar and water to just cover the sugar.That is the usual way i do.Allow the mixture to boil until it reaches just one string consistency. 
• The mixture will be slightly thick and not too thin. 

OUTER LAYER DOUGH: 

• Mix all the ingredients to the consistency of poori/chapati dough.
• After mixing the dough well , apply one or 2 spoons of ghee so that the dough is very soft.
• Leave it aside for 1 to 2 hours.

FRYING:

• Make chapatis/pooris out of the dough using ghee or oil. 
• Place one or 2 spoons of khoa in the center and and cover is with the other half . This should resemble half moon shape. Join the sides and give a slight twist and seal the cover.Remove the remaining pinch of dough and use it for subsequent pooris.
• Take a kadai and pour cooking oil and allow it to heat. 
• Fry the moon shaped sweet to golden brown.
• After removing from oil, put it in the sugar syrup for 15 mins.
• Remove it from the syrup after 15 mins and its ready to serve:)
• 
  

Cheese-Aloo Balls

INGREDIENTS:

1. Grated Cheese - 3/4 cup
2. Potatoes cooked and mashed - 1 cup 
3. Onions - 1 or 2 finely cut.
4. Rava and maida - 2 teaspoons each
5. Bread crumbs - 2 teaspoons
6. Salt,chilli powder , garam masala powder - according to taste
7. Coriander leaves,green chillies,curry leaves - finely cut 

METHOD:

• Wash and pressure cook the potatoes with salt.Mash them well.
•  Take a frying pan, add two teaspoons of cooking oil and sputter few mustard seeds. 
• Add the cut chillies,curry leaves and coriander leaves.Add the finely cut onions and add the salt needed for onions.
• After the onions turn golden brown add the mashed potatoes. Add chilli powder and garam masala powder and mix well.Once the mixture is well mixed remove from flame.
• Take an amla sized potato ball  and flatten it with your palms.Take  1/2 spoon of grated cheese and place it in the center of the flattened potato and close it so that the potatoes covers the cheese and forms a proper lemon sized ball for frying.
• Mix the maida,bread crumbs(crush a rusk if you do not get bread crumbs) and rava in a clean bowl.Add a pinch of salt for taste. Do not any water . This is a dry mixture that forms the outer covering.
• Roll the cheese stuffed potato ball in this mixture and deep fry using normal pan and cooking oil or using a kuzhipaniyaram pan if u have one.I used my kuzhipaniyaram pan as it consumes less oil and it is quicker.

Rava kesari

INGREDIENTS:  Serves 4 to 5

1. Rava - 1 cup
2. Sugar - twice of rava. 
3. Water - twice of rava.
4. Ghee - more or equal to the measure of rava.
5. Cashews - for seasoning

METHOD:

• Roast the rava till golden brown adding few spoons of ghee.
• Add the measured water and stir well without any lumps and close it with lid for 3 to 5 mins .
• After it has got cooked, remove from flame and add the sugar little by little and stir continuously.You will notice many lumps as you add sugar. Remove all the lumps and then keep it again on stove.
• Add the ghee and stir well till it reaches the desired consistency.
• Roast the cashews in a spoon of ghee separately and add it finally after switching off the stove.You can add almonds and dry grapes too if you like them.

French Fries

INGREDIENTS: Serves 3 to 4

1. Potatoes - 7 or 8 medium sized 
2. Salt 
3. Oil for deep frying

METHOD:

• Peel the potatoes and cut the potatoes lengthwise.
• Add the salt needed and pour enough water to cook the potatoes.Close the vessel with a lid so that the steam does not escape.Let the potatoes boil only for 15 min. If you take lesser number of potatoes allow only 10 min. 
• Switch off the stove after 15 min, drain the water and cool the potatoes with the help of  a kitchen towel or any plain dry cloth which absorbs moisture. Keep the potatoes under fan for 10 min or so. Spread the potatoes well in the towel.
• Now , you can deep fry the potatoes taking a handful at a time. The potatoes need not become brown , once the potatoes turn golden brown remove it from stove and serve hot.

Onion and Tomato Chutney

INGREDIENTS:  Serves 4 to 5

1. Onions - 3 medium sized onions 
2. Tomatoes - 2 medium sized
3. Red chilly - 6 to 10 depending on taste
4. Salt
5. Bengal gram and roasted gram(pottu kadalai) - 1 spoon each
6. tamarind - roughly the size of a cashew (Optional)
7. Mustard seeds ,Urad dhal and Bengal gram(1 spoon each ) - For seasoning.

Cut the onions and tomatoes into big pieces.No need to cut them finely.

METHOD:

• Take a small kadai and pour 3 to 4 teaspoons of oil.
• Add the onions,tomatoes,red chilly ,bengal gram, roasted gram and tamarind . Remove from flame after they get fried. For the amount specified it  roughly takes 7 to 8 min.
• After it cools ,add the salt needed , some water and grind it .You can taste the chutney and add more salt/chilly if needed before you remove from the mixie jar.
• Take a spoon of oil and sputter few mustard seeds and Urad dhal , bengal gram  and add it to the chutney for seasoning.

Bread Upma

INGREDIENTS: Serves 1 to 2

1. Bread - preferably Salt or sandwich bread.
2. Onions - finely chopped - 1 medium sized onion
3. Tomato medium sized- 1 finely chopped 
4. Coriander and curry leaves - for seasoning
5. Mustard seeds - for seasoning
6. Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch
7. Salt - to taste
8. Chilli powder - half spoon
9. Ghee/butter- 4 teaspoons
10. Green chillies - 1 finely cut

METHOD:

• Take the ghee/butter in a kadai and add 5 to 6 slices of bread cut into square pieces. If you do not like the corners remove them and then cut the bread into pieces.
• After it gets fried remove it from stove and keep it aside.
• Take 2 spoons oil in the kadai and after it heats up put few mustard seeds and allow it to sputter.
• Add the asafoetida powder,green chillies,coriander and curry leaves.
• Add onions ,tomatoes, salt needed and chilli powder if you need spicy flavour and fry well.
• After the onions and tomatoes gets fried well add the roasted bread and stir well.
• Bread upma is ready to fill your tummies now:)

Rava/Vermicilli Upma

INGREDIENTS:

1. Rava - 1 cup
2. Onions - cut length wise - 1 medium sized
3. Green chillies - 1 or 2 chopped 
4. Coriander and curry leaves - for seasoning
5. Mustard seeds - for seasoning
6. Asafoetida powder -  a pinch
7. Bengal gram and urad dhal - 1 spoon each

METHOD: 

• Dry roast the rava/vermicilli in a kadai . Fry it until it turns golden brown. Even though the rava or vermicilli is roasted you have to dry roast it in kadai again. Only then the rava/vermicilli will not stick to mouth.
• Keep the roasted rava/vermicilli aside.Add 2 teaspoons of oil and add mustard seeds  .After they splutter add the bengal gram, urad dhal ,green chillies ,asafoetida powder, coriander and curry leaves. 
• Add onions and after they turn to golden brown add 2 cups of water. The water should be twice of the rava/vermicilli you measure. 1:2 is the ratio of RAVA /VERMCILLI : WATER .
• Add the roasted rava and stir well.
• Keep the stove in low flame ,add the salt needed and close it with a lid so that the steam does not escape.
• After 10 to 15 min(Rava will cook faster than vermicilli) open the lid and check if it has got cooked.
• After all the water has got drained switch off the stove and enjoy your easy upma:)
• You can squeeze half lemon to the rava upma if you like tangy taste. Squeeze it after you switch off the stove.

Tasty Malai Kulfi

INGREDIENTS:

1. Milk - 2 litres
2. Cashews - 100 grams
3. Almonds - 100 grams
4. Pista - 100 grams
5. Plain unsweetened khoa - 1/2 cup
6. Sugar - 2 cups
7. Powdered elachi - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Kesar - 3 to 4 strands
9. Cornflour - 1 table spoon

METHOD: 

• Soak the almonds in hot water and remove the skin. 
• Grind the almonds,cashews and pista along with little milk. Let the texture be coarse.
• Take a heavy bottomed vessel and pour the milk. Let the milk become half of what we have added i.e thick stage.
• Add the coarse paste to the thickened milk and simmer the stove.After 5 min add the sugar,elachi,kesar and cornflour and mix well.
• When the milk starts boiling after adding these switch off the stove.
• Let the mixture cool and the pour it to the kulfi mould .
• Deep freeze them and enjoy the coool kulfi:)

P.S : If you do not get unsweetened khoa, take half litre milk in a heavy bottomed pan and keep stirring until it comes to khoa state. I used the khoa i made at home without adding any sugar.

Few Kitchen Tips

• To find out if honey is original or not, refrigerate the honey bottle . The honey should maintain the same texture even after refrigerating.If the texture changes it is not original honey.
• For pooris to come out fluffy add a handful of rawa to the dough you make with wheat/maida. It will be crispy and stay fluffy longer.

Capsicum Curry Masala

INGREDIENTS : Serves 3 to 4

1. Capsicum - 4 to 5 medium sized - cut into squares
2. Bengal gram - 1 table spoon 
3. Coconut shredded - 1 table spoon
4. Red chillies - 10 to 12 according to taste
5. Coriander seeds - 2 tea spoons 
6. cashew - 2 pieces
7. Garam masala 
8. Kasuri methi 
9. Ginger - Garlic - Paste
10. Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon
11. Cumin seeds - 1/2 spoon

METHOD: 

• Dry roast bengal gram, red chillies,cashew, coriander seeds separately .Do not mix all these items and roast together. Fry them separately. Add coconut (do not roast the coconut) along with these items.
• Add 3 or 4 spoons of water for the items to blend well.If you do not have ginger garlic paste,add ginger and garlic pods to this mixture before grinding.
• Take a kadai and add 5 spoons of oil. Add half spoon of cumin seeds.Add the  paste first and fry it for 2 minutes.
• Add 2 or 3 cups of water and add salt,half spoon turmeric powder according to your taste.
• Put the cut capsicum and keep the stove in medium flame covering the mixture with a lid for the steam not to escape.
• After 15 min or so remove the lid and check the taste .Add salt and chilli powder if needed now.
• Once the curry reaches the gravy stage add garam masala and simmer the stove. 
• Add kasuri methi and give one more final minute on low flame. Switch off and add coriander leaves for seasoning.

chenna masala

INGREDIENTS: Serves 6 to 8 ppl

1. Chenna dhal( Soak overnight or in hotwater in a hotcase for 4 to 6 hours. ) - 1/4 kg . 
2. Onions - medium sized finely chopped  - 6 to 7 
3. Tomatoes - 3 finely chopped
4. Coriander leaves and curry leaves - finely chopped for seasoning
5. Chenna Masala - 3 teaspoons
6. Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Bay leaves - 1 
8. Elachi - 1 piece
9. Cloves - 3 pieces
10. Cinnamon - 2 pieces
11.  Green chillies - cut vertically - 4 
12. Cumin seeds for seasoning
13. Chilli powder - 2 teaspoons
14. Salt - to taste
15. Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
16. Potatoes cut  into medium size - 3 medium sized potatoes
17. Butter/Ghee - as needed
18. Ginger(around 2 inches)  and garlic 10 pods - shredded

METHOD : 

• Take a pressure pan add around 10 to 12 teaspoons of ghee or butter.Once the butter heats up add the chillies,coriander and curry leaves,ginger and garlic shredded to the butter and fry for one min.Add the bay leaf,elachi,cumin seeds,cloves,cinnamon too and fry for one more min.
• Add the finely chopped onions and add the salt needed for the onions.Once they are half fried add the finely chopped tomatoes. Add more salt needed for the tomatoes. Also add the 2 spoons chilli powder , turmeric powder .
• Now add the soaked channa and potatoes and add around 4 to 5 cups of water roughly around half litre. Add the salt needed for potatoes and chenna. Add 2 spoons of chenna masala and close the pressure pan. Allow 7 to 10 whistles then switch off. 
• Once the pressure is down check the salt and spiciness. You can add salt and chilli powder if needed at this stage. Put a lid and allow the extra water to get steamed for 10 to 15 mins.
• Once the water becomes less and it comes to the desired consistency add half spoon of garam masala and mix well. 
• After 2 min switch off the stove, and add coriander leaves and finely chopped raw onions (two medium onions). Enjoy the chenna masalaaaaaaaa:)

Bread Pizza

INGREDIENTS:

1. Sandwich bread 
2. Pizza/Pasta Sauce 
3. Salt
4. Red chilli flakes - You can grind dry chillies for lesser time to reach the flakes state
5. Sweet corn 
6. Capsicum - 1 cup
7. Onions - 1 cup
8. Cheese - grated
9. Paneer cubes - 1/2 cup 

METHOD: 

• Boil the sweet corn adding a pinch of salt 
• Fry the onions adding a pinch of salt needed for the onions . Do not fry it completely , fry it just for 2 or 3 minutes.
• Fry the capsicum also separately in the same method above. Use olive oil instead of cooking oil if its available.
• Take the sandwich bread and spread the pizza sauce. Arrange the capsicum ,onions,sweet corn,panner and add chilli flakes as needed.Finally add the grated cheese on top.
• Take a tawa and keeping it in low flame, place the bread. add ghee on the corners of bread and cover the bread with lid so that the steam does not escape.
• Let it be for 3 to 4 mins always in low flame. 
• The bread pizza is ready to serve! :) You can add or remove any of the toppings and create innovative pizzas:)

Tiffin Sambhar

INGREDIENTS: Serves 6 to 8 people

1. Tamarind - Roughly size of an amla
2. Cut carrots - 1 normal sized cut into small cubes
3. Drumstick - 1 cut
4. Small onions/shallots - 12 to 15 onions peeled
5. Toor dhal - pressure cooked 2 table spoons
6. Coriander leaves and mustard seeds - for seasoning
7. Tomatoes - 1 finely cut

    FOR GRINDING:

1. Bengal Gram(kadalai paruppu) - 1 table spoon
2. Coriander seeds - 3/4 table spoon
3. Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
4. Methi seeds - 1 teaspoon
5. Turmeric powder - 3/4 teaspoon
6. Dry chillies - around 8 to 10 or more depending on your taste
7. Coconut - 1 table spoon
8. Asafoetida/perungayam - 2 pinches 

METHOD: 

• Dry roast the bengal gram,dry chillies,coriander seeds,cumin,methi seeds, asafoetida(if solid fry it by adding one drop oil else add the powder directly while grinding) separately and powder it ,coconut and grind it.
• Cook the carrots,drumstick and green peas adding the salt needed for them.
• Take a vessel and pour 3 spoons oil and put the small onions and tomatoes. When they are half fried add the cooked vegetables(carrots and drumstick.I added little green peas too.) and fry for 3 to 4 mins. Add half cup of water and allow them to get cooked.
• Pressure cook the toor dhal with a pinch of turmeric powder.
• Add the grounded paste and pour 2 cups of water. Add the needed salt . 
• Add the tamarind water ,Close the vessel with lid and keep it in medium flame for 10 mins.
• Open the vessel and add the cooked dhal.Add one or two cups of water and taste the sambar for salt and spiciness. Add salt and chilli powder now if needed.
• Until the raw smell subsides and the mixture comes to the required consistency add water and keep boiling.
• After the sambar comes to the required consistency switch off the stove. 
•  Take 3 teaspoons of oil and  add popped mustard seeds.Once they crack add vertically cut green chillies and coriander leaves for seasoning.
• This tastes best for Idli,dosa,upma and pongal varieties.

Yummy Soft Chocolate

INGREDIENTS:

1. Cocoa Powder - 2 to 3 teaspoons 
2. Milk Powder - around 100g
3. Sugar (Powdered) - equivalent to Milk powder
4. Butter - around 50 g
5. Milk - about half a cup to mix the sugar.

METHOD:

• Take a plate and keep it greased ready.
• Mix the milk powder and cocoa powder separately in a bowl and make sure there are no lumps.
• Take a heavy bottomed vessel and put the sugar. Make sure the stove is it in low flame always.
• Add milk for dissolving the sugar.
• Once the sugar is dissolved in the milk, add the butter and make sure it gets mixed well.
• After the butter mixes well with the mixture add the mixed powder and stir well continuously.
• Once the mixture reaches the necessary consistency remove it from flame.
• Pour it in the greased plate. Add nuts and raisins on top if you wish.
• Allow it to cool and serve.  Your SOFT CHOCOLATE is ready!!!!
 

 NOTE : The chocolate will not be very thick or frozen. If needed in that consistency you can deep freeze it in the desired shape by pouring it in moulds.

Pani poori

INGREDIENTS: Serves 4

1. Maida/All purpose flour - 1 cup 
2. Rava - 2 to 3 teaspoons
3. Salt - to taste
4. Pudina/Mint leaves -  around  25 to 30 leaves
5. Coriander leaves- around 25 to 30 leaves
6. Chat Masala any brand - 2 spoons
7. Chilli powder - 1 spoon
8. Green chilli - 1 no 
9. Potatoes pressure cooked and mashed - 5 medium sized potatoes
10. Tamarind water - made from a small ball roughly 1 rupee coin size
11. Dates - 3 or 4

METHOD:

• For the pani: Wash the pudina.chilli,coriander leaves and grind to paste adding water.
• Add salt, 1 spoon chat masala and sufficient amount of water(around 2 tumblers or so according to taste)
• You can add boondis if available 
• For the sweet pani , take the tamarind water and grind it along with dates.
• For the pooris : Made a dough with maida,rava and salt.Dont add too much water.Let it be in chapati dough consistency.
• Make small pooris out of the dough and deep fry in oil.
• Add 1 spoon chilli powder,salt needed to the mashed aloo and mix it.

SERVING METHOD:

• Keep half spoon of the aloo in each poori, add sweet and the pudina pani and serve:)

Badam/Cashew burfi

INGREDIENTS: Makes around 25 pieces

1. Badam /Almonds - 25 pieces
2. Cashews - 15 pieces
3. Milk - one cup
4. Sugar - 1 and half to two times the paste from almonds and cashews
5. Ghee - 150g to 200g

METHOD:

• Soak the almonds in hot water for about 6 hours. 1 hour is also enough but soaking it more makes it more voluminous.
• Soak the cashews for an hour or 2 hours in hot milk.
• Peel the almond skin and make a paste out of the soaked cashews,almonds and the milk used for soaking.Add more milk if needed for grinding.
• Measure the paste and put it in a thick vessel.The proportion of sugar is 1:2 (paste:sugar) . If your not fond of too much sugar lessen the sugar to 1:1.5(one and a half times )
• Take a thick and wide plate and grease it with ghee and keep aside
• Add 3 to 4 spoons of ghee to the sugar and paste if needed and start stirring the mixture.
• Adding milk instead of water if needed makes the burfi more yummy.So if needed to make the mixture into a well blended paste before stirring the mixture.
• Keep the stove in medium flame and keep stirring without any break.Add ghee as and when required.
• As you keep stirring you will notice the mixture becoming darker in color from white to pinkish/light brown.
• After stirring for about half hour the burfi will stop giving out bubbles.
• You will notice hardly one bubble and the entire mixture will start coming out like a  big ball.
• Switch off the stove and pour the mixture in the greased plate and cut into pieces and cool it.Yummy burfies are ready.
• If the mixture is taken before this stage the sweet will turn out to HALWA and if it is taken after this stage the burfi will be very hard and you wont be able to cut the burfi.

Home made syrup for cough/cold/throat pain

When your really down with cough or common cold or throat pain, this concoction will do magic. Don't worry this will not be bitter but way too spicy.Don't panic if the throat passage has a burning feel after drinking this.Have it possibly 2 or 3 times a day for the cold to subside. Having half glass of this drink before sleep will help in having a sound sleep without nose block.

INGREDIENTS: Serves 1

1. Betel leaves/Vettrilai - 1
2. Tulsi/Basil leaves - 15 leaves
3. Black pepper - 7 or 8 grounded coarsely 
4. Cloves(Lavangam or krambu) - 3 
5. Ginger - 1/2 inch piece grated
6. Lemon or Honey

METHOD:

• Add all the ingredients except the lemon or honey and pour one cup water to this mixture.
• Bring to boil and wait until the mixture reduces to half and switch off the stove.
• Take a masher with which we mash vegetables/greens and mash the mixture along with the water so that the essence of the leaves comes out best.
• Strain the mixture and add few drops of lemon and/or honey . Lemon has vitamin C to fight the infection while honey has soothing properties to soothe the throat passage that has been damaged.Add more honey if you feel the mixture is too spicy.

Peas/Mutter Masala

INGREDIENTS : Serves 4

1. Peas - 1/4 kg fresh peas from pods or yellow/green dry peas(dry peas should be soaked for 7 to 8 hrs).
2. Onions - 3 large onions cut length wise
3. Coriander and curry leaves finely cut
4. Tomatoes - 2 nos
5. Elachi/cardomom - 1 piece
6. Cinnamon / Pattai in tamil - 1/2 inch
7. Ginger - 1/2 inch without peel
8. Garlic - 4 pods without peel
9. Coconut shredded - handful
10. Jeera /Cumin seeds - 1 spoon 
11. Cloves - 4 pieces
12. Green chillies - 1 or 2 according to the spiciness needed
13. Salt - according to taste
14. Oil - to fry the onions
15. Chilli powder - according to taste
16. Black pepper - around 10 seeds
17. Kasuri methi leaves - for seasoning(Optional)

METHOD: 

• Pressure cook(3 whistles if the peas is fresh from the pods.8 to 9 whistles if its dry peas) the peas along with the salt needed for peas alone. Keep it aside.
• Make a paste out of the tomatoes,elachi,cinnamon,ginger,garlic,coconut,jerra,green chillies ,cloves and black pepper.
• Take a kadai and add 2 or 3 spoons of cooking oil. Add mustard seeds and allow it to crack.
• Add the coriander and curry leaves. Add the onions and add a pinch of salt needed for the onion alone.Allow the onions to get fried.
• Once the onions are done add the paste and allow the raw smell to subside.Make sure the stove is sim when frying the paste.Add 1/4 glass of water and allow it to boil if you find it very difficult to keep stirring or if your diet conscious for adding oil when frying the paste.
• After the paste's raw smell subsides add the cooked peas along with the water. After 5 mins taste the gravy and add salt/chilli powder according to taste.
• Allow the gravy to cook for 10 to 15 mins in medium flame with a lid.The lid allows the gravy to get cooked faster.
• If the peas is cooked well and the taste is good but if you have added extra water and the gravy is watery , add 1 spoon of besan flour(kadalai mavu) made into a paste with 3 spoons of water and stir well. You will notice that the gravy is getting thicker within 2 to 3 mins of adding this paste
• Check the taste and once it looks blended add few kasuri methi leaves and switch off the stove.
• .Yeah ! The tasty peas masala is ready to play with your taste buds!! mmmmmm :)

Aloo paratha

INGREDIENTS: Makes around 12 medium sized parathas

1. Potato 3/4 kg - pressure cooked with rock salt ,peeled and mashed.
2.Garam masala - 1 tea spoon
3.Coriander leaves - few
4.Chilli powder - 1 tea spoon (according to spiciness needed)
5.Turmeric powder - 1/4 tea spoon
6.Onions finely chopped - 2 or 3
7.Giner garlic paste or shredded - half spoon
8.Wheat flour and salt - for paratha dough

METHOD:

1.Take a kadai and add 3 spoons of oil.Fry the finely cut onions and coriander leaves along with salt needed for the onions.Add the mashed potatoes and add garam masala,turmeric powder and chilli powder and mix well with the onions.Make sure the stove is in low flame.Once mixed well switch off the stove and make lemon sized balls and keep aside.
2.Make dough with the Wheat flour,water and salt.Prepare it like you make for chapatis.
3.Roll the dough to a chapati like the way you do normal roti. apply gingelly oil on one side of the chapati and keep one potato ball in the center. Now seal by pulling the edges of the rolled dough together to make a ball.
4.Now make a thick paratha out of this ball . Don't press it to a very thin paratha. Let it be thick .
5.Take a tawa and place the paratha. Keep the flame in medium always. Let it be for a minute. Turn it the other side and allow to be for half a minute.Don't add ghee or oil until both sides get cooked.After half cooked add ghee on both sides and allow it to be for few more minutes until done.
6.If the potato balls remain , u can create small patties out of them. Put it on a tawa and add oil surrounding it and fry it. Yummy patties are ready from the leftover!!!:)

Me n Meri Maggi

You might wonder what's so great in making a maggi, but this is mere maggi with a twist:)try it out and lemme know your comments please!

INGREDIENTS:  This serves one person
1. Maggi plain(the one without veg) 1 packet
2.Carrot - 1 chopped
3.Beans - 4 or 5 chopped
4.Green peas few pods if available
5.Onion 1- chopped lengthwise
6.few mustard seeds
7.few bengal gram (kadalai paruppu) and urad dhal(ulutham paruppu) for seasoning
8.Any oil - to fry the vegetables
9.Curry leaves and coriander leaves - few for seasoning
10.Salt
11.turmeric powder and chilli power - half tea spoon each
12.Green chillin cut vertically - 1

METHOD:
1.Cook the carrot , beans and peas in a cooker separately along with salt needed for the vegetables and keep aside .
2. Take a kadai  and pour 2 spoons of oil. Put the mustard seeds and wait for them to crack. Then add the curry leaves,coriander leaves ,green chilli and the bengal and urad dal seeds.
3.Add the onion and salt needed for it.. Add chilli powder and turmeric powder and allow them to get fried along with the onion.Once its fried add the cooked vegetables along with the water.
4.Add more water if needed. For one packet add 2 cups of water and add the maggi masala and stir well. Then break the maggi and add it this water.Close the tawa with a lid and keep it in sim for 7 to 10 mins.
5.after u open the tawa u ll see that the noodles has become bigger in size. now keep the stove in high and keep stirring until the maggi becomes dry without the water.
6.The yummy maggi is ready to eat:)yipppieeee!!!!