Pumpkin Pachadi

Ingredients:-
1.Pumpkin 1 cup (cut into small pieces)
2.Turmeric powder 1 tsp
3.Tamarind 1 lemon size
4.Jaggery 1 tblsp
5. salt and water as required
For grinding:-
a.grated coconut 1 tblsp
b.mustard 1 tsp
c.green chillies 2

For seasoning:-
a.mustard 1 tsp
b.fenugreek 1 tsp
c.red chilli 2
d.curry leaves few
Method:
1.Take a kadai. Add little water.
Put pumpkin pieces,turmeric powder and salt.
Boil for five minutes. Add tamarind water.
2.Grind all the grinding items into a paste.
Add this paste along with pumpkin and allow to boil for some more minutes.
3.Reduce the flame and add jaggery.
Heat oil in another kadai.Add seasonings and mix well with
the prepared pumpkin pachadi.

Puli Inji

Ingredients:

Ginger 2" piece
Tamarind a small ball size
Red chilli 4
Green chilli 2
Fenugreek 2tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Jaggery 1 tblsp (powdered)
Salt and oil as required

Method:

* Fry cumin seeds,red chilli and one tsp fenugreek with little oil and grind it
into a fine paste.
* Cut ginger and green chillies into small pieces.
* Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract the juice.

* In a kadai heat oil (sesame oil preferable) and add mustard seeds and one tsp
fenugreek seeds, When the mustard crackles add the ground masala.
Stir well.Add chopped ginger and green chillies.
Add tamarind water and salt
Bring to a boil.
Add some more water and allow to boil till the gravy is thick.
Puli Inji is a very good side dish for Pongal,idli and dosa.

Watermelon Popsicles

Ingredients:

Seedless Watermelon 4 cups (cut into 1" dice)
Sugar 1/2 cup
Lemon juice 2 tblsp

Method:

Combine the watermelon,sugar and lime juice in a blender
and process until smooth.
Pour the mixture into popsicle moulds.Insert the woodden sticks.
Freeze for atleast 10 hours.
To unfreeze the ice pops insert the moulds in hot water for 5 to 10 seconds.
Serve immediately.

Shredded Papaya Salad

Ingredients:-

1.Papaya 1 cup (shredded and raw)
2.Cherry 1 cup
3.Tomatoes 2 (cut into pieces)
4.Beans 1/2 cup (chopped)
5.Green chillies 2 (chopped)
6.Garlic 4
7.Red chillies 3 (fried)
8.Peanuts 1/2 cup (roasted and pounded)
9.Sugar 2 tblsp
10.Tamarind pulp 2 tblsp
11.Soya sauce 1 tblsp
12.Lemon juice 2 tblsp
13.Coriander leaves 2 tblsp (chopped)
14.salt as required

Method:-
.Peel papaya and cut into long thin shreds.
Grind fried red chillies,green chillies and garlic.
Then mix in shredded papaya,peanuts,tomatoes,beans.soya sauce,tamarind pulp
and salt.
Finally add lemon juice,sugar and coriander leaves.

Mint Chutney

Ingredients:-
1.Mint leaves 1 bunch (washed and chopped)
2.Onion 1 (chopped)
3.Garlic 4 crushed
4.Ginger one small piece
5.Red chillies 2
6.Grated coconut 2 tblsp
7.Urad dal 1 tsp
8.Asafoetida little
9.Tamarind little
10.salt to taste
11.oil as required

Method:-
1.Heat some oil.Add mint leaves.Fry for a minute.
Set aside. Fry onion till it becomes brown.
2.Heat the rest of the oil.
Fry red chillies, urad dal,asafoetida and tamarind separately.
Fry garlic,ginger separately.
3.Blend all the ingredients to a smooth paste with little salt and water.

Ragi Koozh

Ingredients:

Ragi Flour 1/2 cup
Water 1 cup
Sugar 1 tblsp
Milk 1/4 cup
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Method:
In a pan mix ragi flour with water.
Keep the pan on medium flame and stir well until the mixture starts to bubble.
Stir continuously .
After few minutes a nice aroma emanates.
That is the indication that the kooz is  done
Add milk and sugar.
or
Add butter milk and salt instead of sugar and milk.

Wheat Flour Dosa

Ingredients:
Wheat flour 1 cup
Rice flour 1 tblsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Green chillies 2 (chopped)
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Red chillies 2 (make it into 4 pieces)
Curry leaves few
oil and salt as required
------
Method:
Take a bowl.
Mix wheat  flour,rice flour,salt and water.
Make it quite watery.
In a tblsp of oil tamper mustard seeds.
When it starts popping add cumin seeds,chopped green chillies,red chillies and curry leaves.
Add this to the batter
Heat a pan in a medium flame.
Pour the flour.Apply oil and cover the pan.
After a moment turn the dosa to other side to get cooked.

Serve hot with peanut chutney or with coconut chutney.

Fruity Muffins

Ingredients:
Maida 1cup
Butter 1/2 cup
Pine-apple squash 1 tblsp
Sugar 1/2 cup
Condensed milk 1/2 cup
Raisins 15
Cream 1/4 cup
Soda bicarbonate little

Method:
Sieve the maida flour.Add soda bicarbonate. Mix well.Keep aside.
Take a kadai.Cream the butter.
Add pine apple squash and sugar.Stir well.
Add the condensed milk,raisins,cream and maida.Mix well.
Fill the mixture in 10 muffin moulds.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degree C for 15 minutes.
Cool slightly and remove from mould.

Black Beans soup

Ingredients:
Black Beans 2 cups
Vegetable broth 6 cups
Onion 1 (chopped)
Bell pepper 1 (chopped)
Tomato paste 1 tblsp
Garlic 3 flakes (chopped)
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Ground cumin 1 tsp
Ground pepper 1 tsp
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Method:
Pressure cook black beans with water.
Allow four whistles.
Puree half of the cooked black beans with vegetable broth in a blender.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add chopped onion,bell pepper,garlic and cook until tender.
Add black bean puree.
Add tomato paste,chilli powder,ground cumin and ground pepper.
Add salt.
Add the remaining whole beans.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat,cover the pan and simmer,stirring frequently until the flavours are melded to form a soup.

Radish with Moong Dal

Ingredients:
Radish         3 (finely chopped)
Moongdal    1/2 cup
Powdered pepper 1 tsp
Grated coconut   2 tblsp
Oil  and salt    as required          
-------
For seasoning:
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds    1 tsp
Red chillies      2 (broken into bits)
Asafoetida powder 1/2 tsp
---------
Method:

Take a medium sized pan.
Add enough water with moongdal.
Allow to boil for ten minutes.

In a Kadai heat oil and add mustard seeds.
When they pop add cumin seeds,broken red chillies,asafoetida powder.
Add chopped radish.
Cover and cook on medium flame for five minutes.
Add the boiled moong dal with enough salt and mix well.
Add the grated coconut and the ground pepper.Mix well.
Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Strawberry delight

Ingredients:
Strawberry jelly 1 packet
Water 2 cups
Strawberry sliced 2 cups
Vanilla ice cream 2 cups
Sugar 3 tblsp
Fresh cream 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar 2 tblsp
Ice cubes as required
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Method:
Mix the sliced strawberries with sugar.Keep aside.
Dissolve the jelly in water and boil until the crystals dissolve.

Take a deep  bottomed vessel full of ice.
Mix the icecream and the jelly and blend  using an electric beater.
The mixture should be of a smooth texture.

Drain the excess water from the strawberry pieces and add it to the above mixture.
Mix well. Mix the fresh cream and powdered sugar.Whip it until stiff.
Decorate the pudding with whipped cream and strawberry
Serve chilled.

Melon Fantasy

Ingredients:
Water melon juice     3 cups
Musk melon              1 cup
Lemon juice               1 tsp
Pepper                      1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Puree the Musk melon and pass it through a sieve.
To the water melon juice add the musk melon and lemon juice.
Blend in a mixer.
Add pepper and salt to taste.
Mix well and serve chilled.

Mango Kulfi

Ingredients:

Milk    5 cups
Sugar  1 cup
Mango 1 (finely chopped)
Mango Puree 1/2 cup
Fresh cream  1 cup
Cardamom powder 1 tsp

Method:
Take a deep bottomed pan.
Pour the milk.
Allow to boil till it reduces to half the quantity.
Add sugar and boil for another 5 minutes.
Allow it to cool.
Add the mango puree,fresh cream  chopped mangoes and cardamom powder in this.
Mix well.
Fill this mixture in Kulfi moulds.
Leave it to set in a freezer.

Sweet Corn Soup

Ingredients:
Sweet corn    1 cup
Carrot 1
Potato 2
Onion 1
Capsicum 1
Butter 1 tblsp
Crushed pepper 1 tblsp
Chives ` tblsp (chopped)
Milk 2 cups
salt to taste
Method:
Chop all the vegetables into small pieces.
Heat butter in a kadai.
Add onion and fry till brown.
Add chopped carrot,potato,capsicum and corn.
Saute for five minutes.
Add milk and sprinkle chopped chives over this.
Allow to cook on very low flame for ten minutes.
Season with salt and crushed pepper.
Serve it with bread.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
Cucumber   2
Grated cococnut 1/2 cup
Green chillies       2
Ground nut powder 1 tblsp
Sugar                  1 tsp
Ghee                   1 tblsp
salt as required
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Seasoning:
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Cumin seeds    1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Asafoetida       1/2 tsp
------
coriander seeds few for garnishing
------
Method:
Take a bowl.
Mix chopped cucumber with salt and alow to rest for five minutes.
Blend coconut and green chillies into a fine paste and mix into the cucumber
Add ground nut powder and sugar.
Mix well.
Heat ghee in a pan
Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When they start to splutter add curry leaves and asafoetida.
Add cucumber -coconut mixture
Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.

Orange and Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
Orange juice    3 cups
Tomato Puree  3 cups
Grated carrot   1 cup
Fresh cream     1/2 cup
Butter                2 tblsp
Bayleaf              2
Cloves               2
Sugar                 1/2 tsp
salt and pepper  to taste
Grated cheese    1/4 cup for garnishing
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Method:
Take a kadai and heat the butter.
Add the carrot and fry for sometime.
Add the orange juice and tomato puree
Add little water.
Add bayleaf and cloves.
Allow to boil for sometime.
------
Remove the bayleaves and cloves.
Add salt and pepper.
Cook until the soup thickens.
then add the fresh cream.Mix well.
Finally add sugar.
Garnish with grated cheese and serve hot.

Kadala Curry

Ingredients:
Black channa  1 cup
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To Grind:
Onion 1 (cut into small pieces)
Tomato 1 (cut into small pieces)
Grated coconut 1/4 cup
Garlic 2 pieces
Ginger 1 piece
Roasted gram 1 tsp
Coriander seeds 1 tsp
Cumin 1 tsp
Red chillies 3
--------
Cilantro leaves few
-----
For seasoning:
Onion 1 (cut into small pieces)
Cloves 2
Cinnammom stick 2 (1/2 " size)
Curry leaves few
-------
Method:
Pressure cook channa with little salt.
Saute the cumin,coriander seeds,roasted gram,red chillies,ginger,garlic,onion,tomatoes and coconut.
Grind the mixture into a fine paste.
Take a kadai.Add oil.Add the seasonings.
Add the ground masala and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the cooked channa with salt and water.
Allow to boil for five minutes
Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot.

Paruppu Thogayal

Ingredients:

Toor dal      1/2 cup
Bengalgram dal 1/2 cup
Red chilli           2
Grated coconut  1 tblsp
Pepper               1 tsp
salt and oil          as required

Method:
Take a kadai and add one tblsp of oil.
Fry the dals with red cillies.
Grind adding salt,grated coconut and pepper corn with little water to make a paste.
Add little more wate if required.
Mix with plain rice adding sesame oil.

Broccoli soup

Ingredients:

Broccoli          2 cups (chopped)
Milk                3 cups
Butter              1 tblsp
Maida flour      2 tblsp
Ground pepper 1 tsp
Cheddar cheese for garnishing
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Method:
Wash the Broccoli in running water and chop the same into small pieces.
Take a Kadai.Add one cup of water.
When it starts boiling add chopped broccoli.Allow to boil for sometime.
Heat butter in a saucepan and when it melts add the maida flour.
Stir well until the mixture changes into brown colour.
Lower the flame and pour the milk.
Stir constantly to prevent lumps.
Add broccoli with water.
Add salt and pepper.
Put the grated cheese on top and serve.