Pesarapappu Masala Vada

Ingredients:
1. Pesarattu left over batter: 2 cups
2. Onions: 1
3. Gram flour/senaga pindi: 1 cup (if the batter is too loose)
4. Cornflour: 1 tbsp
5. salt to taste
6. Ginger: 1" piece finely chopped
7. Red chilli powder: 1tsp (optional) (I add green chillies while grinding the batter for pesarattu)
8. Oil for frying.


Procedure:
1. Add all the above ingredients except the oil into the batter and mix well.
2. Heat the oil in a big kadhai. Take a big table spoon and drop a spoonful of batter in the hot oil. Keep the flame in medium and cook the vadas.This will take some time.
3. Let the vadas cook properly. Keep turning in between.
4. Once the vadas are golden in colour remove from the oil on a paper napkin. See that u take it out on a paper napkin as u dont want the vadas to be full of oil. The paper napkins will take all the excess oil from the wada.
5. Moong dal masala wada is ready to be served.

Serve it hot with tomato ketchup or mint chutney... Enjoy!

Samosa

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1. All-purpose Flour: 1 1/2 cups
2. Salt: 3/4 tsp
3. Ajwain (Carrom Seeds): 1/4 tsp
4. Oil: 2 Tbsp
5. Lemon/Lime Juice: 1 Tbsp
6. Water: 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp

For the filling:

1. Potatoes: 1 1/2 lbs, boiled, peeled and cubed
2. Salt: to taste
3. Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp
4. Dry Mango Powder: 1/2 tsp
5. Cilantro (Coriander Leaves): 10 sprigs, chopped
6. Ginger/Green Chili: 1 Tbsp, minced
7. Lime/Lemon Juice: to taste
8. Oil: 2 Tbsp
9. Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp
10. Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp
11. Asafoetida: 1/8 tsp
12. Frozen Green Peas: 1/2 cup

Method:

1) In a bowl, mix All-purpose flour, Salt and Ajwain.
2) Add 2 Tbsp Oil and mix until all the oil is well incorporated into the flour.
3.) Add Lemon/Lime Juice and Water and knead into a smooth firm dough. Wrap in wet cotton cloth and let it rest for 20 minutes.
4) To the boiled, cubed Potatoes, add Salt, Garam Masala, Dry Mango Powder, Cilantro, Ginger/Green Chili, Lemon Juice. Mix well.
5) Heat Oil in a pan on medium heat.
6) Add Cumin Seeds, Mustard Seeds, Asafoetida and Green Peas. Cook for 1-2 minutes until peas are tender.
7) Add Potato mixture and cook for a few minutes until heated through. Keep aside to cool to room temperature.
8) Divide Dough into small portions (slightly bigger than a golf ball).
9) Roll out each portion into a thin round shape.
10) Place this in the Samosa Mould. or cut each roti into two and roll into cone share.
11) Lift one side of the flat edge and brush plain water on it. Lift the opposite side and overlap the two edges to form a cone shape. Press the seams gently to seal.
12) Stuff the Potato mixture into the cone. Brush plain water around the top edge and seal shut.
13) Deep fry until golden.
14) Serve hot with Tamarind Chutney, Mint Chutney or Ketchup.



Tips: 1] After making the roti's, heat them a bit not roasting completely so that while frying they dont open....
2) Let the Samosas dry for 10-15 mins after filling, this is will avoid them open while frying.
3} Don't kneed the dough before rolling...as that might make air bubbles.
4] In Step 11 instead of water, plain flour mixed in water can also be used.

Dosa

Ingredients:
1. Urad dal / minnapappu : 3/4 cup.
2. Rice / biyyam : 2 cups.
3. Toor dal / Kandi pappu : 1 tsp.
4. Chana Dal / Senaga pappu : 1 tsp.
5. Moong Dal / Pesara pappu : 1 tsp.
6. Poha/Atukulu : 1/4 cup.
7. Methi seeds / menthulu : 10.
8. Salt as per taste.

Procedure:
1) Soak all ingredients expect salt for more than 4 hrs.
2) Grind them, adding salt while grinding.
3) Heat the flat pan till very hot.
4) Pour 1/4 cup of batter each time to make the dosa and spread on the pan.
5) Put 1 tsp of oil for each dosa.

Tip: Pan should be very hot before poring the batter.

Nuvvu Chekka

This is a special sweet made for Sankranti.
Ingredients:
1. Sesame seeds: 1 cup
2. Dry coconut: 1 cup
3. Jaggery: 1 cup
4. Green cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
5. Nutmeg powder – ¼ tsp (Optional)
6. Ghee 1tsp.
Method:
1) Roast the sesame seeds until golden brown.
2) Grind the sesame seeds to a coarse powder.
3) Heat the ghee and add jaggery with couple of tbsp of water until you get a thick syrup.
4) Grease a shallow plate to set the cake/chekka in.
5) Mix in the coarsely ground sesame seeds, coconut powder into the syrup. Add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder and mix thoroughly.
6) Spread mixture while hot evenly onto the plate and garnish it with dry coconut. 7) Cut diamond shapes before it cools down completely.
8) Allow it to cool and set and enjoy.

Pappu Pulusu

Ingredients:
1. Toor dal/ kandi pappu: 1/2 cup
2. Tamarind/ Chintapandu: 1 lemon size
3. Onions: 2
4. Tomatoes: 2
5. Jaggery/ belam: 2 tsp
6. Jeela karra/ Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
7. Hing / Inguva: 1 pinch
8. Red chillies: 2
9. Green chillies: 2
10. Curry leaves
11. Salt as per taste.

Procedure:
1. Chop onions, tomatoes, slit and cut green chillies. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water and get pulp.
2. Cook dal and Keep aside.
3. Take 2 tsp of oil in pan. Fry Cumin add Hing, red chillies, curry leaves, green chillies.
4. Add onions and fry till they are transparent. Add tomatoes and fry till soft.
5. Add cooked dal, 2 cups water, salt, tamarind pulp.
6. let the above cook for 15mins.

Serve hot with Rice with a bit of ghee.

Cupsicum Gravy Curry

Ingredients:
1. Capsicum: 6.
2. Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
2. Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp.
3. Onions: 2.
4. Sesame Seeds: 1/2 cup.
5. Groundnut seeds: 1 cup.
6. grated coconut: 1 cup.
7. Coriander leaves: 1 bunch.
8. Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp.
9. Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
10. Salt as per taste.

Procedure:
1) Cut capsicum into pieces & microwave it for 2min. or fry in pan with 1 teaspoon of oil.
2) Heat 1 tsp of oil in pan, add cumin seeds then chopped onion, fry it little light golden then put sesame seeda(white till), groundnut seeds , grated coconut & fry it . Add some coriander leaves off the stove, then grind this. gravy is ready.
3) Then Take 1 spoon of oil in pan heat it put little mustard seeds, cumin seeds when splutter add cut capsicum & the gravy. Add little turmeric powder, chill powder, salt to taste cook it. Garnish with coriander leaves on top, off the stove the capsicum curry is ready.

Note: Can also add Dhaniya powder instead of Coriander while grinding.

Dum Aloo

Ingredients:
1. 1/2 kg Small Potatoes
2. A pinch of Asfoetida
3. 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
4. 1 tsp Chilli powder
5. 1 Medium size onion (grated)
6. 2 cup Fine Curd
7. 4-5 Bay Leaves
8. 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
9. 4 tbsp Ghee or oil
10. 1/2 cup Milk
11. Salt to taste

For Masala:
• 2 Cardamoms
• 7-8 Black Peppers
• 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
• 1/4 tsp Caraway Seeds
• 4-5 Cloves
• 1 Small piece of Cinnamon

How to make Dum Aloo:
1) Make a fine powder by blending together the ingredients of the masala in a blender. Keep it aside.
2) Remove the peel from potatoes and prick them.
3) Take oil in a frying pan and heat it for about one minute. Fry the potatoes on a medium heat until their color changes from white to light brown. Keep it aside.
4) Add grated onion, asafoetida, bay leaves and ginger-garlic paste to the remaining oil.
5) Fry the mixture till the paste turns reddish brown.
6) Add the masala prepared and heat for about 2 to 3 minutes.
7) Add turmeric, chilli powder and salt.
8) Fry again for about a minute.
9) Now pour the milk to make gravy followed by adding fine curd.
10) Keep stirring continuously, add water if the gravy appears too thick.
11) Now add pricked potatoes to this gravy and cook in a pressure cooker. Remove from the flame after 4 to 5 minutes just before the first whistle.
12) Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.
13) Dum Aloo is ready to serve.

Simple Cookies

Ingredients
1. 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2. 3/4 cup powdered sugar
3. 1 pinch salt
4. 1/4 cup milk
5. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 1/2 cup butter, softened
7. 1/2 cup chopped almonds

Procedure:
1) Sift together flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and salt. Stir in milk, vanilla and soft butter. Blend well and fold. Chill well.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with foil.
3) Roll the dough like chapathi pencil thin and cut in required shape. Arrange cookies on the cookie sheet/foil. decorate with chopped almonds.
4) Bake on top rack of the oven for 12 minutes until set, do not brown. Let the cookies cool on pan. While still warm roll the cookies in leftover powdered sugar.