Bhel Puri

Ingredients:
• 250gms murmura or puffed rice
• 1 cup sev
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• 2 green chillies finely chopped
• 1 boiled potato finely chopped (optional)
• Potato chips handful crushed
• Cornflakes hand full
• ½ teaspoon of sugar
• ¼ teaspoon of red chilli pwd
• ½ teaspoon of chat masala
• 3tbp of tamarind paste
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
• In a large bowl mix all ingredients other than puffed rice and sev.
• Now add puffed rice, sev and mix it well.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Tip:
• You can also mix date and tamarind chutney.

Palli Pachadi (Peanut Chutney)

Ingredients:
• 100gms roasted peanuts
• 2 garlic pods
• 3 green chillies
• 1tbp of tamarind paste
• Salt to taste
• 100ml of milk
• 1 teaspoon of oil
• ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds
• Asafoetida a pinch
• 2 dry red chillies

Method:
• Grind peanuts, garlic, green chillies, tamarind paste and salt to a smooth paste by adding milk.
• In small pan heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and red chillies.
• Add seasoning to the grinded paste.
• Serve it with idly, dosa etc.

Capsicum and Green peas curry (Bell pepper and Green peas curry)

To serve 4 people

Ingredients:
• 3 medium size capsicum(I used long light green once)
• 2 medium size onions(chopped length wise)
• 1 cup of green peas
• 3tbps of Oil
• Salt to taste
To grind:
• 2 tbps of cumin
• 5 dry red chillies
• 3 tbps of besan (gram flour)

Method:
• Heat oil in a nonstick pan add capsicum, green peas and onions and fry till they are soft.
• Now add salt and the finely grinded powder and fry for another 3mins.
• Serve it with hot rice.

Tip:
• Besan adds lot of taste.
• It is always better to use a nonstick pan as the curry consumes less oil.

Simple Fried Rice

To serve 4 people:

Ingredients:
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 4 medium size carrot finely chopped
• 1 small cup of beans chopped in 1” inch length
• 400gms rice cooked
• 3 tbps of oil
• 1 tbp of pepper pwd
• Salt to taste

Method:
• Cook rice and put it aside.
• In a nonstick pan add oil and fry onions. Cook them till they r soft.
• Add chopped vegetables and cook till they are soft. Add pepper pwd and salt.
• Now cooked rice and mix well. Fry rice for about 3mins.
• Serve with raitha.

Tip:
• You can also add chopped spring onions.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Onion

Ingredients:
• 1 good loaf of Italian bread, sliced thin
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 2 pods garlic
• 1large onions finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 tbp of dry basil or (2 tbps chopped fresh basil )
• ½ tea spoon pepper
• Salt to taste

Method:
• Slice your Italian bread into 1/2 inch slices on the diagonal. Put slices onto baking sheet and place in oven to brown on one side (say at 350 for 5 minutes) then flip bread and toast the other side till light brown.
• Now remove it from the oven and rub the garlic pod on one side of each slice and bake it for another 2mins.
• In a bowl add chopped onions, tomatoes, basil, pepper, salt and 2 tbps of olive oil.
• Take 1 tbp of the above mixture and place it on each slice and add ½ teaspoon of olive oil on top.
• Now bake it for about 5 to 8 mins. Serve it hot.


Tip:
• Fresh basil will add lot of taste than the dried once.
• Rubbing garlic will also add lot of flavor.

Semiya/Vermicelli Payasam

To serve 4-6 people:

Ingredients:
• 150gms of vermicelli
• 750ml milk
• 100ml of condensed milk(optional)
• 50gms sugar
• 15 cashew nuts broken into half
• 15 raisins
• 1 tbp of ghee

Method:
• In a pan add ghee and fry nuts, raisins until golden brown and put them aside. In the same pan fry vermicelli and put it aside.
• Boil milk and add sugar. Add the roasted vermicelli and condensed milk. Cook for about 10 to 15mins. After the vermicelli becomes soft turn off the heat and cool it.
• Garnish it with fried nuts and serve it.

Tip:
• Add 100ml of cold milk after it cools. This will prevent from absorbing milk.
• Condensed milk will add lot of taste.

Fruit Salad

To serve 6 people:

Ingredients:
• 750ml milk
• 50ml cold milk
• 3tbps of custard pwd (I used vanilla flavor)
• 1tbp of corn flour
• 80gms sugar
• 1 apple finely chopped
• 1 banana chopped
• 5-6 strawberries

Method:
• In a pan boil milk. Add sugar and mix it well.
• Take cold milk in a small bowl. Add custard pwd and corn flour pwd and mix it well.
• Add the above mixture to the boiling milk and stir continuously. When it becomes little thicker turn off the heat and cool it down.
• Add chopped fruits, refrigerate it for few hours and then serve.

Tip:
• You can also add any other fruits of your choice like mango, pineapple, peach, grapes etc.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Cheese

Ingredients:
• 1 good loaf of Italian bread, sliced thin or normal bread slices
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 2 pods garlic
• 100gms of grated cheese
• 3 tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 tbp of dry basil or (2 tbps chopped fresh basil )
• ½ tea spoon pepper
• Salt to taste

Method:
• Slice your Italian bread into 1/2 inch slices on the diagonal. Put slices onto baking sheet and place in oven to brown on one side (say at 350 for 5 minutes) then flip bread and toast the other side till light brown.
• Now remove it from the oven and rub the garlic pod on one side of each slice and bake it for another 2mins.
• In a bowl add chopped tomatoes, basil, pepper, salt and 2 tbps of olive oil.
• Take 1 tbp of the above mixture and place it on each slice. Add grated cheese on top and add ½ teaspoon of olive oil.
• Now bake it for about 5 to 8 mins till the cheese melts. Serve it hot.


Tip:
• Fresh basil will add lot of taste than the dried once.
• Rubbing garlic will also add lot of flavor.