Preparation Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 10-20 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Penne Pasta - 125 grams
Oil - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

Olive oil - 1 tbsp.
Garlic finely chopped - 1 tbsp.
Capsicum - half each

Cauliflower - 1 cup 

Carrot-1 cup

Mushroom-5-6

Pepper powder to taste
Salt as required
Oregano -3/4 tsp or to taste

Butter - 1 1/2 tbsp.- 2 tbsp.
Corn flour - 2 tbsp

Milk - 1 1/2 cup (boiled and cooled)
Cheese - 3-4 tbsp (use mozzarella )
Salt and pepper powder to taste

 Oregano –Pinch

Directions:

1.    In a wide pan, bring plenty of water to boil, add salt and oil. Then slowly add the pasta and cook till the pasta is al dente.( it should be soft but firm) Stir in between to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

2.    After it is cooked, drain it in a colander and pour cold water on it. This is done to prevent it from getting cooked further. Mix another 1/2 tsp oil to it and keep it aside.

3.    Boil the vegetables carrot and cauliflower

4.    Heat oil in a pan, saute garlic for a few seconds, then add capsicum, Mushroom and boiled vegetables. Cook uncovered till done.

5.    In a pan/ kadai, melt butter, simmer and add cornflour stirring continuously. Saute till it changes color slightly.At this stage, add 1/2 cup of cold milk and stir continuously with a whisk to prevent formation of lumps.When it starts thickening, add the remaining milk gradually stirring continuously with the whisk.
Bring it to boil, reduce the flame, add cheese, salt, pepper powder and oregano herb to taste.

6.    Cook for another few minutes, till it thickens slightly and remove from flame and add the vegetables and cooked pasta.

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 40 to 45 mins
Serves: 4 to 5

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 2 cup

Carrot – 1, grated

Beans - ½ cup, cut  into thin round pieces

Frozen green peas – ½ cup(Here i didn't used green peas)

Onion – 1 (medium-sized), thinly sliced

Raisins – ¼ cup(Here i used black raisins)

Cashew -1/4 cup

Cloves – 6

Cardamom – 4

Cinnamon stick – ½ inch

Black pepper corns – 8

Bay leaves-1

Ghee / oil – 1.5 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Directions:

1. Soak the rice for 20 minutes.

2. Drain it and keep aside.

3. Shallow fry the raisins, cashews in ghee and keep aside.

4. Fry the sliced onion until brown.

5. Then shallow fry the beans with a pinch of salt.

6. When the beans are half-done add the carrots, little salt and shallow fry them (add more ghee /oil if needed).

Keep these fried vegetables aside.

7. Heat a heavy nonstick pan, add the ghee and fry the drained rice in low flame for 5 mints.

8. Meanwhile in another vessel boil water (4 cups for 2 cups of rice) with salt and whole garam masala.

9. Pour the boiling water to the pan containing fried rice and stir well. Close it with a lid and cook in medium heat.

10. Check for water in between.

11. After 25- 30 mints the rice will be 98% cooked and there will be no water in the pan.

12. Then remove it from the heat and add the green peas (don’t stir), close it again with the lid. Let it cool.

13. The rice will be fully cooked by that time. Now add the fried Vegetables, fried onion, cashews, raisins to the

rice and mix gently with a fork.

Ingredients:

• Raw plantain:2, medium-sized, cubed

• Elephant Yam :1.5 cup cubed (I used frozen yam)

• Carrot, pumpkin: 1 cup (optional)

• Black chickpeas/kadala/chana cooked :1 cup

• Chilly powder: 1 tsp

• Turmeric powder:½ tsp

• Curry leaves :2 sprigs

• Salt :To taste

• Jaggery:3-4 tbsp or to taste

For grinding

• Grated coconut :1 cup

• Whole pepper corns : 1 tsp

• Cumin seeds :½ tsp

For seasoning

• Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

• Dry red chillies :2-3

• Curry leaves :1 sprig

• Coconut slices :¼ cup

• Grated coconut:1/2-3/4  cup

• Whole pepper corns:5 crushed

• Ghee / coconut oil: 1 tbsp

• Coconut oil : 2 tsp, to season

Directions:

1. Soak the kadala / black chana in enough water for at least 8 – 10 hrs. Pressure cook it in enough water adding salt till 4 – 5 whistles or until it is fully done.

2. Add the raw plantain, elephant yam, carrot , chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and enough water in a pan and cook till they are done. Add 3 – 4 tbsp jaggery and mix well.

3. Coarsely grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds and pepper corns in a mixer. Add this ground mixture to the cooked vegetables and mix well. Check for salt. Cook for a few minutes or until the raw taste of coconut is gone. Add the cooked chickpeas to the above mixture. Mix well. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Switch off.

4. In another pan add oil, pop mustard seeds, fry dry red chillies, curry leaves, crushed whole pepper corns, grated coconut and coconut slices. Roast the grated coconut and coconut slices(I didnt add them here) till they are reddish-brown in color. Add the roasted coconut mixture to the curry and mix well. Finally add 1 tbsp of ghee / coconut oil for that extra taste. Serve hot with rice. 

Ingredients:
• Chickpeas: 1 and half cup
• Onions: 2 chopped
• Tomatoes: 3 chopped
• Ginger paste: 1 tsp.
• Garlic paste: 1 tsp.
• Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
• Chili powder: 1 tsp.
• Aamchur powder/dry mango powder: 1 tsp.
• Green chilies: 2 slit
• Oil: 1 tbsp.
• Salt
• Black cardamoms: 4-5
• Peppercorns: 5-6
• Cloves: 3
• Bay leaf: 1
• Cumin seeds (jeera):1 and half tsp.
• red chilies: 2
Directions:
1. Wash and soak the chole (chickpeas) in enough water over night.
2. In a pressure cooker add the chole, enough water, salt and cook for 5-6 whistles. The chole should be soft.
3. In a pan, dry roast all the spices on a slow flame.
4. Once they are cooled, grind them into a fine powder.
5. Now in the pan, add oil. Add the chopped onions. Add the ginger paste.
6. Once the raw smell of the disappears, then add the chopped tomatoes.
7. Add a little salt so that the tomato gets cooked fast.
8. Add the powdered spices, red chilli powder and green chillies to the onion-ginger-tomato mixture. Sauté for a minute.
9. Now add the boiled chole with a little quantity of its broth. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.
10. Finally, add the amchur powder.
11. Serve with bhature,chappathi etc...

Ingredients:
• Grated coconut: 1/2 cup
• Green chilies: 5
• Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
• Yam thinly sliced into 11/2" length pieces: 1cup
• Cucumber sliced lengthy into 11/2" length pieces: 1cup
• Snake gourd Sliced into 11/2" length pieces: 1cup
• Carrot Sliced into 11/2" length pieces: 1/4cup
• Long runner-beans sliced into 11/2" length pieces: 1/2cup
• Drumstick cut into 2" length pieces: 2
• Curry leaves
• Coconut oil: 3 tbsp.
• Raw bananas sliced into 11/2" length pieces : 1
• Raw mango pieces : 1
• Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Grind coconut with green chilies and cumin seeds in paste and keep it aside.
2. Heat coconut oil in a thick bottom vessel, add vegetables and cook it on a low flame without adding water.
3. When the vegetables are cooked, add turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
4. Put bananas and mango pieces in cooked vegetables and cover the vessel.
5. When steam comes out, add the coconut paste and stir well.
6. Remove from fire and garnish it with curry leaves .

Ingredients:
• Toor dal (tuvaram parippu) : 1/2 cup
• Tamarind water: 1 cup
• Onion (sliced long): 1
• Carrot (cubed): 1
• Potato (cubed): 1
• Drumstick (cut into 4" pieces): 1
• Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp.
• Green chilies (slit): 2
• Fresh sambar powder: 3 tbsp.
• Coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish: 1 small bunch
For tempering:
• Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds (kaduku)  : 1/2 tsp.
• Fenugreek seeds (uluva, vendhayam) : 5-6 nos.
• Hing (kaaya podi, perungaayam) : 1/2 tsp
• A few curry leaves
• Shallots (cheriya ulli, chinna vengaayam), sliced: 4-5 nos
Directions:
1. Cook the toor dal with water in a pressure cooker until it's soft and completely mushy.
2. Soak a small ball of tamarind in warm water and squeeze to extract the juice. Discard pulp and seeds. You should have a cup of liquid at the end. The level or sourness is up to you so add more tamarind if you require. Start will lesser than what you think you require.
3. Cook the vegetables and green chillies in the tamarind water + one more cup of water until soft. Add the sambar powder and the cooked toor dal. Bring to boil. If the sambar is too thick, add more water and bring to boil and if it's too watery, boil until the right consistency is reached.
4. Heat the oil for tempering in a small pan. Add the mustard and when they pop, add the rest of the ingredients. When the shallots turn golden brown, dunk into the prepared sambar. Mix well and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Ingredients:

• Paneer - 1/2 cup cubed
• Onion - 1/2 finely chopped
• Carrot - 2 chopped
• Peas - a handful
• Ginger garlic paste -2 tsp.
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp. chopped finely
• Oil - 1 tbsp.
• Salt - as required

To temper:

• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamon - 1

To be grinded:

Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green chilies - 2
• Fennel seeds  - 1/2 tsp.
• Cashew - 5
• Onion - 1

Directions:

1. Pressure cook carrot and peas until soft. Keep aside.

2. Heat a tawa with little oil and fry paneer till golden brown, switch off and drain in a tissue,keep aside.

3. Then in the same tawa, saute onions and coconut till slightly browned. Add sauted onion and coconut with the ingredients under 'to be grinded' with little water to a fine paste and keep aside.

4. Heat oil in a pan, add cloves, cinnamon , ginger-garlic paste and onions saute till slightly brown then add the ground paste saute till raw smell leaves. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water(adjust according to the thickness) and allow it to boil for 3mins. Add required salt.

5. Add the pressure cooked veggies and fried paneer. Simmer for 5-7 mins until the kurma thickens and nice aroma comes.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and switch off.

Ingredients:
• Mushroom:  10 -15 nos.
• Onion (small):  5 nos.
• Green chili: 3-4 nos.
• Curry leaf:  few
• Coconut (grated):  one small bowl
• Mustard:  few
• Turmeric: 1/2 tsp.
• Salt: as reqd.
• Oil: as reqd.

Directions:
1. Heat oil in pan and put mustard
2. When mustard crackles add curry leaf.
3. Add onion and sauté it well.
4. Add mushroom, turmeric powder, coconut, salt green chilies. Can use either half cooked mushroom for that reduce cooking time. And close the pan cook in low flame for 10-15 mints.
5. Serve as a side dish for rice, even chapatti.

Ingredients:

• Cucumber pieces:                  2 cups 

• Grated Coconut:                    1/2 cup 

• Cumin seeds:                         1 tea spoon

• Mustard seeds:                       1/2 tea spoon

• Green chilies:                       2

• Salt                                      to taste

• Yogurt (Curd):                      1 cup approximately.

For seasoning:

• Mustard seeds                                         1 tea spoon

• Cumin seeds                                            1 tea spoon

• Vegetable oil or Coconut oil                     1 tea spoon 

• Curry leaves                                             few

Directions: 

1. Take cleaned Madras Cucumber cut it into half. 

2. Remove the skin of cucumber. And discord the seeds for center part of cucumber.

3. Now cut into small pieces.

4. Take grated Coconut and Cumin seeds, Mustard seeds in a small mixer grinder jar grind it well with little amount of water. Take this coconut masala paste in a separate bowl keep it aside.

5. Heat pan add cucumber pieces and 1/2 a cup  of water and cook for 2 to 3 min.till pieces has to cook well.

6. Now add salt and green chili (split it into half) and cook for few more min till water to evaporate.

7. Then add Coconut masala paste to cooked Cucumber pieces mix well in high flame for few seconds and switch off the flame.

8. Now take out in a separate bowl and add Yogurt in to Cucumber spice mix'

9. Heat Vegetable oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds fry for few minute. till seeds to splutter.

10. Now add Split green chili fry for few minute .then add Curry leaves and off the flame.

11. Add this seasoning into Mix.

12. Serve as a side accomplishment with Rice.