BADAM DOODH

Ingredients:

Almonds, blanched and roughly chopped 1/4 cup
Milk 4 cups
Green cardamom powder a pinch
Nutmeg powder a pinch
Honey 3-4 tablespoons
Silver warq 1-2 leaves

Method:

1 Heat milk in a thick-bottomed vessel and bring to a boil. Reduce heat,
add chopped almonds and simmer on low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes.
2 Add green cardamom powder and nutmeg powder and continue to boil for another two minutes.
3 Remove from heat, add honey and stir. Serve warm in individual earthenware glasses,
garnished with silver varq.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients
3 eggs
3/4 cup butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2-1/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1-oz. bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. vinegar
Small chocolate heart-shaped cookies (optional)
Powdered sugar (optional)

Method:

Directions

1. Let eggs and butter stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 28 2-1/2-inch cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

2. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and 3/4 tsp. salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium-high 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined. One at a time, add eggs; beat on medium after each. Beat in food coloring on low.

3. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture; beat on low to medium sped after each just until combined. Stir together baking soda and vinegar. Add to batter; beat just until combined.

4. Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 15 to 17 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely. Top with small chocolate cookies, if desired. Dust with powdered sugar. Makes 28 servings.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories 172,Total Fat (g) 6,Saturated Fat (g) 3,Monounsaturated Fat (g) 2,Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 0,Cholesterol (mg) 36,Sodium (mg) 124,Carbohydrate (g) 28,Total Sugar (g) 17,Fiber (g) 0,Protein (g) 3,Vitamin C (DV%) 0,Calcium (DV%) 2,Iron (DV%) 4,Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Chinta Chiguru Pappu Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup chinta chiguru (tender tamarind leaves)- remove the leaves from the stalks
1/2 cup split yellow moong dal (pesara pappu) OR tur dal/red gram lentil/kandi pappu
1 small onion finely chopped
4-5 green chillis (slit length-wise) adjust to suit your spice level
pinch of turmeric pwd
salt to taste

Tempering/Seasoning/Poppu/Tadka:
1 tsp oil
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
¾ tsp cumin seeds
5-6 garlic pods or pinch of asafoetida
2-3 dry red chillis ,de-seed and tear into two
10-12 curry leaves

METHOD:
Wash the split yellow moong dal. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, turmeric, onion and green chillis to the washed dal and let it cook till half done, i.e the dal should be half cooked.crush the tender tamarind leaves with your hand and add to the half cooked dal. Cover and cook on low heat till the leaves and dal are fully cooked and soft.oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter, add the cumin seeds, dry red chillis, garlic, curry leaves and fry for a few seconds till you find the flavor of the spices fill your kitchen.this tempering and salt to the cooked dal-tender leaves mixture, combine and cook for a minute. Turn off heat and leave covered for a few minutes before serving.with hot steamed rice, ghee, pickle of choice and papad or vadiyaalu.

ULAVA CHARU

Ingredients:

Black ulavalu - 250 g
Tamarind - lemon size
Green chilies - 3
1 bunch curry leaves
Red chilies - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds
2 tbsp oil Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash ulavalu well and soak in water for 6 hours. Pressure cook them for 30-40 minutes. Separate the water from the seeds and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, fry red chilies, mustard and cumin seeds, curry leaves for 1 minute and add tamarind water.
3. Then add the boiled water, salt, green chilies and boil for 15-20 minutes.
4. Now blend the boiled ulavalu to a fine paste and add to the tamarind water. Mix well and cook until a thick gravy is formed.
5. Remove from heat and serve with rice.

Gutti Dondakaayi

Ingredients:
1/4 kg fresh tender dondakaayalu (gherkins,tondli,kunthroo)
4 dry whole red chillis
1/2 cup roasted channa dal(dalia,putanalla pappu)
1 tsp cumin seeds
7-8 garlic flakes,peeled
salt
oil for frying
10-12 curry leaves

METHOD:
Clean the gherkins and make a vertical slit on one side length wise..i.e each gherkin should be intact and not cut into two pieces.
Heat oil for deep frying the slit gherkins.Deep fry the gherkins till slightly brown and cooked.Remove on absorbent paper and cool.
In the same oil add curry leaves and fry for one minute.Remove and cool.
Dry roast cumin seeds and red chillis.Cool.Now blend to a fine powder cumin seeds,red chillis,roasted channa dal and garlic.
Stuff this powder in the fried gherkin slits.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet and add the stuffed gherkins and fry on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring till well blended.
Remove onto a dish and garnish with fried curry leaves.
Serve with rice.
Here in Andhra we use dondakai a lot in our cooking.You can also use the same method for cooking stuffed brinjals.

capsicum potato fry

Ingredients:
3 capsicums – chopped
2 big potatoes- peeled and cubed
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeelakara, jeera)
10 whole pepper corns
1 cardamom (elaichi, elakayyi)
1” cinnamon stick (dalchini, dalchina chekka)
1 clove (lavanga)
oil & salt to taste
pinch of garam masala (optional)
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
10-15 leaves curry leaves

METHOD:
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the whole spices and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Now add the potatoes and salt and let them cook with lid on medium heat till half cooked. Now add the capsicums and cook with lid on medium heat till completely cooked. Add pepper powder and pinch of garam masala and mix well . Turn of heat and serve hot with chappati / rice.

Corn Bhel

Ingredients:
3 tbsps of sev
2 tbsp of crushed roasted peanuts
1 boiled potato diced into small cubes
¼ cup of boiled chick peas (kabuli channa)- optional
small cup of boiled corn kernel
1 small onion chopped finely
1 green chilli finely chopped
1 small tomato de-seeded and chopped finely
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
big pinch of chaat masala pwd(optional)
¼ tsp red chilli pwd
½ tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste

METHOD:

Combine all the ingredients and just before serving drizzle with tamarind chutney.The above ingredients would make 2 portions and is a meal by itself.If sev (gram flour based crispy savoury)isn't available,dont worry,as it tastes great even without it.
Tamarind Date Chutney is a brown color,sweet and sour flavored dipping sauce made with tamarind pulp and pureed dates.It is generally used as a stir in with chaats or salads or drizzled over deep fried savoury snacks.

Tamarind Chutney:

Ingredients:
1 cup tamarind pulp
½ cup fresh dates pureed
3/4 cup grated jaggery or brown Sugar
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp cumin pwd
1 tsp saunf pwd (aniseed)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp jeera powder
2 cups water

METHOD:
Add the tamarind pulp, chopped dates,grated jaggery and water to a pan and cook on a medium flame stirring once in a while and once the dates and tamarind turn soft turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool.Grind to a smooth paste.
Heat this ground sauce in a vessel on medium flame and cook it for 2-3 minutes.Add the spices and mix well.Bring to a boil and turn off heat.Cool and serve.

Note: This chutney should have more of a sweeter flavour and less sour.So check the taste before turning off the heat and if you find that its more sour,add some more grated jaggery.This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks.