Moong Khichidi (Sweet)

Moong khichidi is mouth-watering sweet dish made by simmering whole green gram in ghee and jaggery flavored with cardamom. It’s a pretty simple dish with few ingredients and quick one to make. This dish is usually made on special occasions like Makara Sankranti or Subramanya Srishti.

Ingredients	Quantity
Whole Green Gram	250 gms
Jaggery (grated)	250 gms
Fresh grated Coconut	½ cup or half of a coconut
Cashew Nuts	2-3 tbsps.
Cardamom	2-3 pods
Ghee	3-4 tbsps.
Water	3-4 cups

Method

Wash and pat dry whole green gram. Heat 1tbsp ghee in pressure cooker; fry the green gram for a minute stirring continuously. Add 2-3 cups of water, close lid and pressure cook on high heat for one whistle and then lower flame and cook for 5-7 minutes more. The green gram should be completely cooked.

Meanwhile peel the cardamom and grind it to a fine powder using a mortar pestel.

Heat 2-3 tbsps ghee in a large pan, fry the cashew nuts till golden brown and keep aside. Add the grated jaggery, let it melt. Then add cooked green gram and cook for 3-4 minutes add ¼ cup water if you feel it’s too dry. Add grated coconut, cashew nuts and cook for 5-7 minutes or until you see the gram has started to melt and all jaggery is melted and mixed well with rest of the ingredients.

Now add cardamom powder and close lid. Let stand for 2 minutes. Serve hot with few drops of ghee on top.

Peanut and Onion Chutney

Peanut and Onion Chutney is very quick, simple, yet flavorful chutney and a perfect combination with South-Indian breakfast like Dosa, Upma or Idlies. The chutney has a unique nutty, sweet taste as we use peanuts and onions. This is perfect for people who do not like coconut chutney.

You can also combine this with Parathas for a change. I usually serve this chutney with Pesarattu. I also serve it with Ragi rotti and Akki rotti or even Avrekalu Rotti.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients Quantity Peanuts ½ cup Oil 1 tbsp. Onion ½ cup or 1 large Garlic 2 cloves Red Chili Whole 1 Green Chilies 2 or 3 Tamarind juice 1 tsp Jaggery ½ tsp(optional) Salt To taste For Seasoning Oil 1 tsp Mustard Seeds ½ tsp Cumin Seeds ½ tsp Red Chili Whole 1 Asafoetida a pinch Curry Leaves 5-6 leaves Urad Dal ½ tsp

Method

In a pan dry roast peanuts till they turn golden brown and peel them. Keep aside.

In the same pan add oil, when it is hot, add in the red chilies, garlic and fry for 10 secs. Add in onion and cook till they are soft. Add pinch of salt just to cook onions faster. Cook for 3 mins on low flame with lid covered. Set aside in a bowl to cool down.

Add the onion mixture, peanuts, salt, jaggery (optional), tamarind into the blender jar and blend till smooth. Remove it from jar set it aside.

Heat oil in a small wok (tadka pan), when hot, add mustard seeds, allow it to splutter, add in cumin seeds, urad dal and fry for 10 secs. When they start to sizzle and change color add red chili, curry leaves stir once. Add asafoetida and turn of the heat. Let it stand for 30 seconds then add it to the chutney. Serve with dosa, idli or upma.

Bhindi Fry

Bhindi Fry is stir fried ladies’ finger (okra) that is slit and stuffed with spice mix such as garam masala or other locally available ground spices. Not to be confused with batter-fried okra which involves deep frying, this dish is just stir fried or sautéed lightly. It can be served as a side dish in accompaniment with steamed rice and dal or with chapati as a form of sabzi.

Okra is one of the most popular and nutritious vegetables in India.  It’s known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers, bhendi, bhindi. Okra is a non-leafy, green vegetable that is widely consumed in India and abroad. It’s popularly called “Bhindi” in Indian households. This vegetable is tender, slightly sticky and dense in nutritional content. 

Whether you eat them raw or you cook them as you like, you’ll surely benefit in more than one ways. Ladies finger helps control diabetes, prevents heart disease, helps you lose weight, improves your immunity, and prevents cancer.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2-3 people

Recipe Courtesy – Preetha Pai (My Aunt)

Ingredients	Quantity
Bhindi (Ladies Finger)	20-25
Coriander Powder	1 ½ tsp
Cumin Powder	1 ½ tsp
Chili Powder	1 ½ tsp or to taste
Turmeric Powder	½ tsp
Aamchur Powder/Chaat Masala	½ tsp(optional)
Salt	to taste
Lemon Juice	few drops(optional)
Oil	1 tbsp

Method

Wash Okra thoroughly, spread on a kitchen towel to dry for few minutes. Wipe them with a cloth till they are completely dry. Chop of the stalk and tips. Slit in the center using a knife without splitting them into two.

In a bowl mix together coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder, salt, turmeric powder and chaat masala/aamchur powder. Stuff in the slit bhindi.

Heat oil on high heat, in a flat pan which has lid. Once hot, add masala stuffed okra into the pan and keep stirring continuously for 30 seconds. Lower the flame and cook, stir once in a while to avoid burning. Keep cooking for 2-3 minutes. close lid and cook for another minute or so. It’s done cooking when the okra is soft to touch and dark green in color. 

Taste one and adjust salt and spices. Cook more if needed. Serve immediately. Add lemon juice if you like just before serving.

Golden Soup

Golden soup is a hearty soup- a blend of carrots and potatoes with a hint of sweetness and heat from pepper and garam masala. This is one of those things I crave for on a cold winter evening.

There are more than hundred recipes for golden soup using different vegetables. I have tried different recipes myself; this is my favorite one till date.in simple words this is a very simple yet delicious soup.

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4-5 people

Ingredients	Quantity
Carrots sliced	2
Onion chopped	2 large
Potatoes sliced	2 large
Fresh cream	2 tsps
Butter	2tbsp
Black pepper powder	1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder	1/4 tsp
Water	3 cups
Boiled corn	1/2 cup

Method

Boil carrot and potatoes in a medium pot in half cup water on high flame for 8 minutes. Cool and grind to a fine paste adding 2 cups of water.

Heat butter in a skillet and fry onions for 1-2 minutes. Cook the carrot mixture for a minute. Add salt, pepper powder, garam masala and boil for a minute. Cool and grind to paste.

Pour mixture in the same pot, add boiled corn and boil for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with cream and serve hot.

Aloo Paratha

Potato (Aloo) is everyone's favorite. Aloo paratha is filling and tastes best when eaten with pickle and curds. A must try!! This recipe does not include onions, hence it falls under the category of saathvik food!

Paratha is a type of Indian flatbread, sometimes stuffed with different fillings. Aloo paratha is the most popular paratha in India.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes: 10 parathas

Ingredients	Quantity
For filling
Potatoes	3-4
Cumin powder	1tsp
Red chili powder	1 ½ tsp
Coriander leaves (finely chopped)	1 tbsp
Aamchur powder(dry mango powder)	a pinch
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Salt	to taste
Other Ingredients
Chapati dough	10 balls

Method

Boil potatoes for at least 10 minutes in a pressure cooker. Once they are warm to touch peel and mash.

Take mashed potato in a bowl and add cumin powder, salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, aamchur powder and coriander leaves. Mix well and knead.

Divide into 10 balls. Take chapathi dough, flatten with hand, and keep potato ball in the middle and cover from all sides remove extra dough if needed. Roll out into a paratha and fry on tava till it becomes crispy on the outside.

Serve with green chutney and curds.

“A stitch in time saves the nine” I say “A dab in time save a stitch”. How to keep buttons from falling off?

From time to time the buttons on a shirt keep falling off. Finding the matching thread and securing it is a hassle. Sometimes we don’t find the button itself. Like they say “A stitch in time saves the nine” I say “A dab in time save a stitch”. 

Just cut any lose threads and dab with two coats of clear nail polish on both the sides of the button (as shown in the image).

You can also use the Fabric glue to do the same. At first when you apply the glue it looks shabby but it will be clear when it dries. Make sure to apply a very thin coat of glue.