1. Rice Rava Pongal Recipe Prep & Cooking: 30 mts Serves 4-5 persons Cuisine: South Indian .

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups coarsely ground rice/biyyam rava 1/2 cup split yellow moong dal (pesara pappu) 1 tbsp ghee 1 tsp cumin seeds 10-12 fresh curry leaves 1/4 tsp whole black pepper, coarsely crushed 1 tsp grated ginger salt to taste 4 cups of water 10-12 cashewnuts lightly fried in ghee till golden brown 1 Wash the rice rava and dal and soak them together in water till you prepare the seasoning. 2 Meanwhile in a heavy bottomed vessel or pot, heat ghee. Add the cumin seeds, let them splutter and turn slightly brown. Add the curry leaves, grated ginger and black pepper corns and fry for a few seconds. 3 Add the drained rice rava and dal and combine with spices and fry for a mt. 4 Add water and salt and pressure cook till the rice rava and dal are cooked and mushy. You can also cook in any vessel other than a pressure cooker. 5 Garnish with fried cashew nuts and serve with tomato chutney or avakai.

.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2.

Last evening I made a light evening tiffin for Nehal. Kanda Pohe, a popular Maharastrian breakfast/snack that is easy to prepare, light on the stomach and filling too.

Kanda Pohe Kanda Pohe Recipe Prep & Cooking Time: 25 mts Serves 4 persons Cuisine: Maharastrian . Ingredients: 2 cups atukulu/beaten rice/rice flakes/poha, wash, sprinkle water and leave aside for 6-7 mts 1 onion, chopped 2 green chilies, slit 1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

1 potato, cubed (optional) 3/4 tbsp grated jaggery or sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice pinch of cinnamon-clove pwd 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves salt to taste 1 tbsp peanuts or broken cashewnuts For tadka/seasoning/tempering: 1 tbsp oil 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1/4 tsp cumin seeds 10-12 curry leaves 1 Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the cumin seeds, broken cashews, green chillis and curry leaves and saute them till the cumin seeds turns slightly brown and a nice aroma emanates the kitchen. 2 Add the chopped onions and saute for 4 mts. Add the turmeric pwd and combine. Add the cubed potato, grated jaggery and salt and saute for 7-8 mts, placing lid. Cook till the potato turns soft. 3 Now, add the softened poha and mix it lightly and see that no lumps form and it combines well. Cook on low flame for 4-5 mts. Add lemon juice and cinnamon-clove pwd and combine. Turn off heat, and garnish with coriander leaves. 4 Serve hot with any pickle of your choice. Note: For variation, you can add green peas and garnish with grated coconut.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nope Bread Halwa Recipe

Cooking Time: 30 mts Cuisine: South Indian Serves 6-7 persons . Ingredients: 3/4 cup 1 cup ghee (clarified butter) 1 loaf bread 6-8 cardamoms (elachi) 2 tbsps almonds (badam) 2 tbsps cashewnuts 1 lt milk (low fat) 1 cup sugar (increase or decrease as per your taste) 1 Tear the bread into bit sized pieces. Heat three fourth cup of ghee in a cooking vessel and add the bread pieces and fry them till they turn a golden brown. 2 Grind elachi, almonds and cashewnuts (leave a few toasted almonds and cashewnuts aside for garnish) to a fine paste. 3 Meanwhile boil the milk, add sugar and keep stirring it till it blends into the milk. Add the fried bread pieces and the remaining ghee to this mixture. 4 Let it simmer till the bread pieces turn soft and cook in the milk mixture. Combine the nuts paste. Garnish with the toasted almonds and cashewnuts. 4 Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled and serve. It tastes good both warm and cold.

3.

Bobattu Sweet Lentil-Stuffed Indian Bread

Spinach Parata
By : sumalatha This is a great anytime meal. Spinach Parathas are whole-wheat Indian flatbread stuffed with a spicy spinach filling.

Ingredients:
Ingredients: Dough: 1 cup whole-wheat flour 1/2 cup water (Add more water as needed) Pinch of salt Spinach Filliing: 2 cups chopped spinach

Pinch of asafetida 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon red chilly flakes 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour for rolling Oil to cook

Process:
Method Dough: Mix flour, salt and water togather to make soft dough (if needed add more water). Knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly greased surface to make soft, smooth and pliable dough. Set the dough aside and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough rest for at least ten minutes. Filling: Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Oil is the right temperature when cumin cracks immedialety after being put the oil. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds. After the cumin seeds crack, add the spinach. Stir-fry, making sure to press the spinach down so the water can evaporate. Cook the spinach until most of the water has evaporated. Spinach still should be moist and should be able to form a ball. Add the salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside until the spinach cools off. Making of paratha: Divide the dough and spinach filling into 6 equal parts. Roll the dough into 3 inch circles. Put the filling in the center. Seal by pulling the edges together and make into a ball. Procced to make all six balls. Each ball needs to settle for two minutes before you start rolling. Note: If you dont wait long enough spinach mixture will seep through the edges when rolling the paratha. Heat the skillet on medium high. Note: An iron skillet works best. To see if the skillet is ready, put a couple of drops of water on it. If the water sizzles right away, the skillet is ready. Press th filled ball lightly on dry whole-wheat flour from both sides. Roll the ball light handed to make 6-inch circle. Note: Keep the sealed side of the ball on the top. If the paratha sticks to the rolling pin or rolling surface, lightly dust the paratha with

dry flour. Place the paratha over the skillet. After paratha start changing color and start puffing in different places flip the paratha over. You will notice some golden-brown spots. After few seconds, spread 1 teaspoon of oil on the paratha. Flip the paratha and lightly press the puffed areas of the paratha with a spatula. Flip again and press with the spatula making sure the paratha is golden-brown on both sides. Cool the parathas on a wire rack so they dont get soggy. Parathas can be kept outside for up to 2 days wrapped in aluminum foil or in a closed container. For later use paratha can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Serving suggestions Parathas can be served with plain yogurt, potatoes with gravy, and with any Indian pickle. Put cheese in the middle, fold over, heat, and eat like a quesadilla 4. Pulihora 5. Dadojanam 6. Carrot beetroot halwa 7. Sajapallu 8. ravakesari