Mixed Fruit Jam

These are the fruits I used. You can also add some other seasonal once like mango, papaya etc. But do not add Guava coz it will have too many seeds. Also change the ratio of different fruits according to your taste.

Mixed fruit total 1kg :

Grapes                                       300 gms

Bananas                                     200 gms

Strawberry                                 200 gms

Apple                                         200 gms

Lemon                                        2 Tbl

Water                                         1 Cup

Mixed fruit essence                     5 drops

Strawberry essence                     2-3 drops

Red Color (optional)                   2 drops

Sugar                                          500 gms

Citric Acid(Nimma uppu)             1/4 Tbp

Pectin                                          1 Cup

Method:

• Wash the grapes and soak them in warm salt water for about an hour. Meanwhile cut rest of the fruits.

• Add all the fruits in a cooker and add water. After one whistle remove it and let it cook. Add Lemon juice.

• Grind the above mixture and using a soft cloth ( I used cotton cloth) squeeze out the juice into another cooking pot.
• Now add the sugar, citric acid, pectin (Details below) and bring it to boil. This should take about 5-10 mts.

• Now pore it into glass jars once you turn off the stove. Let it cool down n set.

Tips:

• Stir now and then after adding the sugar. When it starts to boil remove the froth and throw it.

• Transfer it immediately into the glass jars. Coz then it looks like the one which we buy from the shop ;-)

• Close the lid immediately so that it creates vacuum. 

• For 1Kg of fruit we add 500gms of Jam sugar.

• Don't forget to sterilize the glass jars. To sterilize them boil them in water for about 10-15 mts. 
• For people living out of India you can find jam sugar separately. I used Gelier Zucker 2plus1. This contains the gelling agent pectin, the citric acid and the preservative sorbic acid. If you are using this jam sugar please don't add citric acid, pectin and sugar from the above list.

Homemade Fruit Pectin: 
Pectin is a natural carbohydrate found in fruits, causes jam or jelly to set.

• Combine 1 kg (2 lbs) sliced unpeeled apples and 750 mL (3 cups) water. 

• Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, adding water as needed. 
• Drain through moistened cheesecloth. To clear, heat the fruit juice to a boil and can or freeze the pectin for later use. 

Pectin Test:
To determine if a fruit juice has enough pectin for jelly, do a pectin test.

• Stir together 5 mL (1 tsp) fruit juice with 15 mL (1 tbsp) of non-methyl alcohol. (This is a poisonous mixture, so do not taste it and destroy it immediately after the test.)

• If the juice forms one big clot, which can be picked up with a fork without breaking, it has sufficient pectin. If the juice is low in pectin, several small clots will form.

•  If a clot doesn’t form, simmer gently to reduce the water content of the juice. 

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.