SAAGU

Ingredients:

Finely chopped mixed vegetables like Beans,Carrot ,Potato,Peas,cauliflower.etc.
Onion 2
Tomato 2
Lemon -1
Asafoetida powder 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - to garnish ; chopped
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For The Masala:

Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Roasted chana dal  - 2 tbsp
Soaked Poppy seeds / Khus khus- 2 tsp
Coriander seeds  - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon sticks - 1" stick 3 pieces
Cloves - 3 -4 nos
Morathi Moggu 1
Cardamom / Elaichi -2 no
Ginger - a small piece
Garlic - 3-4 pods
Onion - 2 -3 slice
Green Chillies - 4-6
Pudina /  - a handful
salt and oil as required
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For Tempering :
Oil - 2-4 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1tsp
Split black gram / urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Turmeric / Haldi -1/4 tsp
Red chillies -1 ; broken
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Method:
Cook the veggies with some salt and water till done. Ensure that they are cooked just right - neither crunchy nor too mushy.

For the masala, grind all the ingredients mentioned under masala to a smooth paste adding some  water.

Heat oil in a kadai or pan.Temper with mustard seeds and urad dal .When they splutter add broken red chillies,curry leaves and asafoetida powder..Add finely chopped onion .Fry till  brown.Add chopped tomatoes. Fry till mushy
Add cooked veggies and masala paste.Add salt and water.Mix well and allow it to boil well.
When it boils,it thickens a bit. If requied add some more water to get the desired consistency. Switch off. Add chopped coriander leaves and squeeze lemon juice.

Serve hot  with poori,chapathi,dosa,rava idly.

Masal Vadai

Ingredients:

Channa Dal 1 cup
Raw rice 1 tblsp
Fennel 1 tsp
Cinnammon 1 piece
Clove 2 (lavangam)
Ginger 1 inch piece
Green chillies 2
Garlic 2 cloves
Hing 1 tsp
Onion 1
Curry leaves few
Coriander leaves few
salt and oil as required
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Method:

Wash and soak the dal and rice for 3 hours.
Drain the water and set aside.

In a mixie jar take the cinnammon,clove,ginger,green chillies,clove,fennel seeds,slat and grind it well.
Add 3/4 of the drained dal and grind coarsely to a paste.

Take a bowl.
Add the ground paste,remaining channa dal,finely chopped onion,curry leaves,coriander leaves,
Mix well.

Heat oil in a kadai.
Take small balls of vada dough and press it in the centre .
Gently drop it in the oil and fry on both sides till it becomes brown and crispy
Drain on paper towel.

Enjoy with a pipping cup of tea.

Kambu (Pearl Millet ) Idli

Ingredients:

Kambu 3 cups
Urad dal 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds 1 tblsp
salt as required
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Method:

Wash and soak urad dal,Kambu and fenugreek seeds separately for six hours.

Drain water and grind to a nice batter.

Transfer the batter to a container and then add salt and leave it for fermentation for 8 hours.

In a idli cooker fill the idli batter and steam for 15 minutes.

Serve hot with coconut chutney and idli powder.

Colourful Bean Salad

Ingredients:

For Salad:

Kidney Beans (Rajma) 2 cup
Black bean (karamani) 1 cup
coriander leaves 1 bunch
Corn 1 cup
tomatoes 3
avocado 1

For Dressing:

Lime 2
cumin 1 tsp
olive oil 1 tblsp
pepper 1 tblsp
salt as required

Method:
To prepare salad:
Soak kidney beans and black beans overnight in water.
Put it in the cooker with the soaked water and allow 3 whistles.
Drain and keep aside.
Boil corn for five minutes till it becomes tender.
Drain and keep aside.
Take a large deep bowl.Put the drained kidney beans,black beans and corn.
Add chopped tomatoes and chopped coriander leaves.Mix well.

To prepare dressing:
Squeez the lime essence in the bowl.
Add cumin,olive oil,pepper and salt.
Stir well.
Cut the avocado into half inch pieces and add to the salad just before serving.
Serve chilled

Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:

Asparagus 1 cup (cut into pieces)
Black eyed bean 1 cup (cooked)
Ginger 1"piece
1 clove garlic chopped finely
Ground pepper 1/2 tsp
Chopped cilantro 1/4 cup
Lime juice 1 tblsp
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Method:

Boil asparagus in a large pot of salted water for 5 minutes.
Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a medium bowl combine boiled asparagua,boiled black eyed  bean ,ginger.chopped garlic,cilantro
and lime juice.Gently stir until evenly coated.
Season with salt and pepper.

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.

Black Urad dal Idli

Ingredients:

Idli Rava 2 cups
Whole black urad dal 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds 1 tblsp
salt to taste
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Method:

Soak whole black urad dal for 24 hours and fenugreek seeds overnight.
Drain the urad dal but don't throw the water,reserve the water.

In a grinder add black urad dal and fenugreek seeds.
Add reserved water and grind well until the batter should be light and fluffy (grind for about 30 to 40 miutes)
Soak idli rava at the time of grinding the urad dal.
Add the ground dal with the soaked idli rava.
Add salt in the batter and mix it well.
Cover and allow the batter to ferment for 8 hours.
Steam the idlis for 10 to 12 minutes.
Serve soft idlis with chutney,sambar and chutney podi.