Palli Chutney (Groundnut/Peanut Chutney)

Prep & Cooking Time: 15-20 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Peanuts- 1 cup

Green Chillies- 3-4, slit and cut into halves

Tamarind- 1 lemon sized pulp

Mustard Seeds (aavalu)- ½ tsp

Cumin Seeds (Jeera)- ½ tsp

Split black gram (urad dal/minapappu)- ½ tsp

Dry Red Chillies- 2

Curry Leaves- 1 stalk

Salt to taste

Cooking Oil- 1tbsp

Method

• Pre-heat a skillet and roast the peanuts to a golden brown color for 1-2 mins. Cool and rub the skins off.
  
• Take the groundnuts, green chillies, tamarind pulp, 1 cup of water and grind them to a fine paste in a blender/ food processor.
  
• Remove the chutney to a bowl add salt to taste and stir well.
  
• For tempering/ tadka/ talimpu: Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, split black gram, dry red chillies and after the spluttering subsides add curry leaves and remove it from the flame.
• Add the tadka to the chutney and mix well.
  
• Serve with dishes like idli, dosa, vada or upma.
  

Egg Biryani

Prep & Cooking Time: 30-40 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Basmati Rice- 4 cups

Boiled Eggs- 5

Onions- 1 large, finely sliced (equivalent to 2 cups)

Carrots- 1 cup, finely shredded

Green Chillies-7-8, finely chopped

Cardamom/Elaichi- 5-6 pods

Cloves/Lavang- 5-6

Cinnamon stick/Patta- 3-4, 1-inch sticks

Bay Leaves-2

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp

Garam Masala pwd (Preferably homemade)- 2 tsp

Red Chilli pwd- ½ tsp

Turmeric- ½ tsp

Lemon Juice- 3 tbsp

Coriander Leaves- 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Cooking Oil- ½ cup

Method

• Boil the eggs with a tsp of salt, slit them into halves and keep aside.
  
• Heat oil in a deep pan, add elaichi, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and sauté. Once they start spluttering add onions, green chillies and turmeric, cook until the onions turn transparent. Then add ginger garlic paste and salt.
  
• Now add the shredded carrot and cook for about 5-7 mins until the carrot becomes tender.
  
• Add the garam masala, chilli pwd and stir the contents.
  
• Fry the eggs in this onion and carrot mixture for about 2mins, mix carefully and ensure that the yolk doesn’t come out of the eggs. Remove the eggs and keep them aside.
  
• Add the cooked basmati rice to this mixture, add the lemon juice and stir the contents.
  
• Now add the eggs to the rice. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Raitha.
  

Raitha: To the curd/yogurt add finely chopped vegetables like onions, tomatoes, green chillies, cucumber, and coriander leaves, salt to taste, a dash of sugar and a pinch of chilli pwd and mix well.

Tasty Egg Biryani is ready!!!

Tomato Dal

Prep and Cooking Time: 20- 25mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Arhar Dal (Kandi Pappu/ Toor Dal/ Split red gram)- 1 cup

Tomatoes- 2-3 medium, finely chopped

Green Chillies- 3-4, slit and cut

Garlic cloves- 4-5, peeled, crushed coarsley

Mustard Seeds (aavalu)- ½ tsp

Cumin Seeds ( jeera)- ½ tsp

Chilli pwd- 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric- ½ tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 stalk

Cooking Oil- 1 ½ tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

• Pressure cook the dal with 3 cups of water along with turmeric pwd and chillies. Donot over cook the dal as it seems to taste better if the dal is just done and not mushed.
  
• Now add chilli pwd, salt and 1-2 cups of water to the boiled dal and allow it to come to a boil.
  
• Heat oil in a skillet add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and once they start popping add curry leaves and garlic, saute well and then add tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are tender and mush them.
  
• Add these contents to the dal and mix well.
  
• Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes.
  
• Serve hot. Goes well with hot rice accompanied by a spicy mango pickle/pachadi.
  

Carrot Egg Curry

Prep & Cooking Time: 20 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

5 Eggs

Onion- 1 large, finely sliced

Carrots- ¾ cup, finely chopped

Green Chillies- 2-3, finely chopped

Mustard Seeds- ¼ tsp

Split black gram (urad dal/minapappu)- ¼ tsp

Ginger Garlic paste- ½ tsp

Turmeric pwd- ¼ tsp

Red Chilli pwd- 1 tsp

Dhaniya pwd (Coriander pwd)- ¾ tsp

Cooking oil- 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

• Beat the eggs in a bowl and keep it aside
  
• Heat oil in a deep pan, add mustard seeds and split black gram. Once the spluttering subsides, add onion and green chillies, sauté and cook until onions turn transparent.
  
• Add turmeric and ginger garlic paste, sauté it and add the chopped carrot pieces and cook covered for 3-4mins.
  
• Now add the egg mixture to this, do not stir, leave it on medium flame for 1-2 mins
  
• Add chilli pwd, dhaniya and salt and now scramble the eggs and mix well.
  
• Serve with hot Rice or Roti.
  

Yellow Squash Curry w/t Garlic & Cashew

This recipe goes out to all those vegans out there, who might have come across yellow squash but had no idea how to cook it. Yellow squash is a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron and vitamin A & C as well. So the next time you go for groceries don’t forget to stuff your bag with yellow squash, you must definitely try this recipe.

Prep & Cooking Time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Garden Fresh Yellow Squash

Yellow Squash cooked with Garlic & Cashew

Ingredients

Yellow Squash- 3-4, peeled and diced

Onions- ½ medium, chopped

Green Chillies- 2-3, slit and cut

Garlic Cloves- 3-4, finely chopped

Cashew Nuts (Kaju)- 6-7, finely chopped or powdered

Chilli pwd- 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric pwd- ¼ tsp

Dhaniya pwd- ½ tsp

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp, chopped

Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add onions, chillies and turmeric and cook till the onions turn transparent.
  
• Add the yellow squash to this, mix well and add salt to taste. Don’t cook with with a covered lid, this makes the curry liquidy. It is supposed to be semi-dry.
  
• When the squash is soft and cooked, add chilli pwd, dhaniya pwd, cashew nut pwd and chopped garlic, mix the contents and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  
• Garnish with coriander leaves and Serve hot with white rice or roti.