Potato kurma (aloo kurma)

To serve 4 people:

Ingredients:
• 2 large onions
• 2 medium size tomatoes
• 5 tbps of poppy seeds (gasagasalu)
• 2” ½ inch of fresh coconut
• 20 cashew nuts
• 15 cloves
• 1” ½ inch of cinnamon
• 3-4 large potatoes cut into large cubes and boiled
• 1 ½ tbp of red chilli powder
• ½ tbp of turmeric
• 3 tbps of oil
• Salt to taste
• 3 cups of water
• Pinch of saffron socked in 1 tbp of milk
• Coriander leaves

To grind:
1. Fry onions with 1 tbp of oil and grind it to a smooth paste.
2. Cut tomatoes into large cubes and grind it to a smooth paste(Don’t cook use the raw tomatoes).
3. Grind poppy seeds, coconut pieces, cashew nuts, cloves and cinnamon into a smooth paste adding 5-6 tbps of water.

Method:
• In a nonstick pan heat oil and add onion paste. Cook until oil starts separating.
• Add boiled potatoes and cook it for 4mins.
• Add tomato paste and mix well. Cook for another 3-4 mins.
• Now add the masala paste, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and 3 cups of water.
• Cook for another 10-15 mins. Add saffron milk.
• Add some fresh cream, coriander leaves and serve hot with puri, roti or hot rice.

Tip:
• If fresh coconut is not available you can also use 6 tbps of desiccated coconut.
• Frying onions and grinding it to a paste will add lot of taste to the curry.
• Instead of fresh tomatoes you can also use 150gms of tomato puree.

Cabbage curry

To serve 4 people:

Ingredients:
• 250gms of finely chopped and boiled cabbage
• 3 tbps of oil
• 2 tbps of Channa dal
• 1 ½ tbps of Urad dal
• 2 dry chillies
• 5-6 green chillies
• 6-7 curry leaves
• ½ tbp of Turmeric
• Salt to taste

To grind:
• 2 tbps of mustard seeds
• 3 tbps of sesame seeds(nevvu pappu)
• ½ tbp of turmeric
• 7-8 tbps of water

Method:
• In a nonstick pan add oil,channa dal, urad dal and fry till they start to turn brown in colour. Add dry chillies, green chillies and curry leaves.
• Add boiled cabbage and fry for about 3 mins. Add salt.
• Now add the smoothly grinded paste with 1 tbp of oil and let it fry for about another 3 mins.
• Serve hot with plain rice.

Tip:
• Boil the chopped cabbage with ½ tbp of salt and ½ tbp of turmeric till it appears to be transparent.
• Don’t forget to add oil with the paste. This adds lot of taste to the curry.

Upma

To serve 2 people:

Ingredients:
• 1 ½ cup of semolina (Bombay rava)
• 2 tbps of oil
• 1tbp of ghee
• 10-12 cashew nuts broken into half
• Channa dal
• Urad dal
• 2 red dry chillies
• 3-5 green chillies finely chopped
• ½ tbp mustard seeds
• 5 curry leaves
• 1 medium size onion
• 1 large tomato
• Salt to taste
• 3 cups of water
Method:
• In a nonstick pan add oil, ghee and after it heats up add cashew nuts, channa dal and fry for about 1min and add urad dal, mustard seeds.
• When they start to turn brown add red dry chillies, green chillies and curry leaves.
• Add finely chopped onion and let it fry till it becomes soft.
• Add finely chopped tomato and let it cook for about 3-4mins
• Add semolina and fry till it turns light white in colour. Add salt.
• Now add water and keep mixing till it reaches desired consistency.
• Serve hot with a dash of lime.

Apple Milkshake

To serve 2 people

Ingredients:
• 1 medium size apple
• 500ml cold milk
• 3-4 tbps of sugar
• 1 scoop of vanilla ice-cream(optional)

Method:
• Remove the skin and seeds of the apple and cut it into small pieces.
• In a blender add apple, sugar, vanilla ice-cream and 50ml of milk.
• After the apple becomes a paste now add the remaining milk and grind it.

Tip:

• Add 3-4 ice cubes while grinding.

Capsicum curry (Bell pepper curry)

To serve 4 people

Ingredients:
• 3 medium size capsicum(I used yellow, red and green)
• 2 medium size onions(chopped length wise)
• 4 tbsps of Oil
• Salt to taste
To grind:
• 2 tbsps of cumin
• 5 dry red chillies
• 3 tbsps of besan (gram flour)
Method:
• Add oil, capsicum and onions in a pan and fry till they are soft.
• Now add salt and the grinded powder and fry for another 3mins
• Serve it with hot rice,puri or chapathi

Lemon Rasam (Nimmakayya charu)

To serve 4 people
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cup Moong dal (pesara pappu)
• 3 cups of water
• 4 tbsps of lemon juice
• Mustard seeds
• Cumin seeds
• 2 dry chillies
• Asafoetida a pinch
• 5-6 Curry leaves
• 3 Green chillies slit length wise
• 1” inch ginger
• Turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsps Oil
Method:
• In a pressure cooker add dal and water. Cook for 3 whistles and let it cool.
• In a small pan add oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry chillies, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies, and after they start to pop add this to the dal.
• Now add 3 to 4 cups of water, turmeric, ginger finely chopped, salt and let the dal cook in high flame for about 8-10mins.
• Add lemon juice and serve with hot rice.

Palak puri and Aloo curry

To serve 4 people

Spinach puri
Ingredients:

• Spinach 1 1⁄2 cups (I used frozen but if you are using fresh boil it for 6 to 10mins in water)
• Wheat flour (Atta) 4 cups
• Salt half tablespoon
• Baking soda two pinches
• Oil 1 Tbp

Method:

• Grind the spinach into smooth paste if needed add little amount of water.
• In a large bowl add atta, spinach paste, salt, baking soda and oil and knead it into tight dough. Let it sit for 15mins
• Divide the dough into small balls and press them into desired size not making it very thin.
• Fry them in oil and serve them with curry.

Potato curry
Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes
• 3 medium size onions
• 2 tomatoes
• Hand full of kidney beans soaked in water over night (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Chilli powder
• Turmeric powder
• Mustard seeds
• Cumin seeds
• 2 red chillies
• Asafoetida a pinch
• Coriander leaves

Method:

• In a pressure cooker add 3 to 4 tbps of oil and mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, red chillies and sauté them.
• Cut onions length wise and add them after the seasoning starts to pop. Let them cook for a while.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook them till they become soft. Add salt, turmeric, chilli powder.
• Now cut potatoes into big pieces and add them along with kidney beans.
• Close the lid and after 2 to 3 whistles put it aside.
• Add coriander leaves and serve hot