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.