Adai Dosai

 1 and 1/2 cup par boiled rice or idly rice

3/4 cup thoor dhal
1/4 cup gram dhal
1/2 cup of moong dhal
2 spoons of urud dhal

Ratio of rice : dhal is 1:1
Moong dhal is my addition and so 1/2 cup of rice also added. I like to add all these lentils . You can soak for 4 hrs or so and you can grind them coarsely with dried red chilli, fennel seeds, salt and asafetida

Need not ferment. you can use it right away, with some sauted onions and curry leaves, with some corriander leaves.

Mushroom Fried Rice

 Slice one full onion 

Slice the mushrooms

finely chopped three garlic cloves

Cook the rice with a little oil and cool it down after it's done.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add the sliced onions and chopped garlic cloves and saute well. Add the mushrooms now and cook until the water evaporates. Now add chili garlic sauce or chili sauce and salt as per your taste. Now add the cool down rice to this and saute it in a low flame for a few minutes or until you are about to eat.

Fried rice is ready. Garnish it with spring onions. 

Sweet Corn Vegetable Soup

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup sweet corn 
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons oil use oil of choice
• 1/2 inch ginger finely chopped (6 grams)
• 3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped (7 grams)
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 2 stalks green onions chopped, white & green parts separated
• 3 cups water or vegetable broth
• black pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• 1.5 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2- 3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup water

Instructions 

• To a blender add 1/2 cup sweet corn and 1/2 cup water. Blend to a smooth paste and set it aside.
• Heat a large pot on medium heat. Once its hot, add oil to it and then add the chopped ginger, garlic and green chili.
• Saute the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds and then add the carrots, green peas and green onion whites.
• Also add  the remaining 1/2 cup of sweet corn along with the sweet corn paste that we had prepared earlier.
• Cover the pot with a lid and let the veggies cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes.
• Then stir in 3 cups of vegetable broth or water. Add black pepper and salt.
• Also add the white vinegar, soy sauce and sugar and mix to combine.
• Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 1/2 cup water. Stir well and then add to the pot.
• Stir and let the soup come to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 2-3 more minutes.
• Garnish the sweet corn soup with green onion greens and serve hot!

Semiya Payasam in Instant Pot

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water 4 oz/120 ml
• 3 cups whole milk 24 oz/720 ml
• 1/2 cup roasted vermicelli 50 grams
• 1/3 cup sugar 75 grams
• 3 whole green cardamom pods crushed
• 1 tablespoon golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons broken cashews
• 1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon rose water

Instructions 

• Before you begin, make sure that the lid and the sealing ring of the Instant Pot are completely clean and dry. They should have no residue on them.
• To the inner steel pot of your Instant Pot add all the ingredients in this order- water, milk, roasted vermicelli, sugar, cardamom pods, golden raisins, cashews and 1 tablespoon rose water.
• Stir and close the pot with the lid. Press the porridge button and set the time to 8 minutes. The pre-set time for porridge mode is 20 minutes so you have to use the "-" and "+" button to lower down the time to 8 minutes.The pressure valve should be in sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally.
• Open the pot and press the saute button. Add additional 1 teaspoon rose water, if using. Simmer on saute for 2 to 3 minutes until the payasam thickens a bit.The payasam will continue to thicken as it cools down, so do not thicken it a lot at this point.
• Garnish with more nuts and serve Semiya Payasam warm or cold. 
  

Cream of Zucchini Soup

 

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon celery salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pinch cayenne, optional
• 5 cups zucchini, cut into chunks
• 3 cups chicken broth (I used Water, you can use even vegetable broth)
  
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, (or Worcestershire sauce)
• 2 Russet potatoes, equal to 1 pound
• 1/2 cup Half and Half, or heavy cream (I used whole milk instead)
  
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

• Note: There is no need to peel the zucchini for this soup unless yours is jumbo sized, in which case it's possible that the skins are tough and slightly bitter.
• Shred the cheese from a block for best results. Set aside to allow to come down to room temperature. This will allow it to melt and combine into the soup smoothly.
• Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
• Add diced zucchini and seasonings: (1/4 tsp each of: dried rosemary, thyme, celery salt, kosher salt, pepper, and an optional pinch of cayenne.) Sauté for 5 minutes.
• Peel and rinse the potatoes. Cut them into small pieces of equal size so that they cook evenly and quickly.
• Add diced potatoes, chicken broth, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Scrape up any brown foam from the top if desired.
• Let simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are very fork tender. About 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender in batches to blend until smooth.

Optional:

• Transfer back to the heat on low. Stir in the half and half.
• Slowly sprinkle in the cheese and stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve!

Ginger Thokku

 ingredients:

Ginger

Red chili

Tamarind 

salt

Jaggery

Soaked Walnuts 

Peel and cut ginger into small pieces, and sauce it with a little oil in a pan. 

take all the above ingredients , including Tamarind, jaggery and soaked walnuts (each of them in a little larger quantity, since ginger will be pungent) in a mixie and grind it to a smooth paste. Now take oil in a pan and pour this blended paste and sauté in a medium to low heat for quiet some time until the oil oozes out. 

Enjoy it with rice, dosai or idly.

Mushroom Masal

Mushroom – 1 pack

Ginger paste – 3 tsp

Garlic paste – 3 tsp

Onion paste – 3 tbsp

Red chili powder – 2 tsp

Coconut milk – 1 cup

Finely chopped onions 

Finely chopped ginger

Finely chopped garlic

Curry leaves

Cinnamon sticks, cloves, elachi powder, fennel seeds for spluttering

Cut mushrooms and fry them in a little butter with salt in a pan. Keep this aside. Now take a pan and add a little oil and then ginger garlic paste, then add chili powder. Add the fried mushrooms and 1 cup of coconut milk to this. In a different pan, add a little oil and splutter the cinnamon sticks, cloves, eliachi powder, fennel seeds and then addfinely chopped giner, garlic, onions, curry leaves and add this to the mushroom gravy. Add a little bit of soy sauce and tomato sauce to this and switch off the flame. This is now ready to be served with roti or chappathi.