Pesto

Owe this awesome recipe to Valentina :)

Ingredients (Serves 4):
1 bunch basil
3 Tbsp pine nuts - dry roasted
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Pasta for 4 - cooked al dente (I used spinach spaghetti)

Method:
1) Grind basil in a food prcoessor - until finely chopped for a few seconds
2) Add pine nuts, 1/2 cup cheese, about 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp powdered pepper - grind for few seconds. Add olive oil and grind for a few seconds
3) Mix with pasta. Check for salt and pepper. Garnish with remaining cheese. Serve hot :)
DONE!!!

Maddur vada

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup Maida or all purpose flour
1/2 cup fine semolina
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup oil
10 curry leaves finely chopped
2 sprigs of coriander finely chopped
2-3 green chilli
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp grated coconut
Oil for frying
Salt
Water

Method:
1) Grind chilli, cumin seeds and coconut into fine paste. Mix with all the ingredients listed above - except oil, water and salt
2) Heat up oil, add it to the paste above and keep it aside for 5 minutes. Mix it all up once the oil has cooled. Check for salt. Keep it aside for 15 minutes
3) If the dough is dry - add not more than 1/4 cup of water. If it becomes too soggy - it will be tough to fry it.
4) Heat oil for deep frying. Reduce it to medium heat.
5) Cut baking paper into a square - big enough for a maddur vada. Oil it. Take a fistful of dough and pat it into a circle. Dont make it too thin else it will be crispy like a nippat :)
6) Place the maddur vada carefully and deep fry it until it is golden brown on both sides
DONE!!!

Serve with corainder mint chutney

Potato bhaaji

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
1 medium sized onion - sliced
3 medium sized potato - diced
1 cup peas
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala power/curry powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 red chillis
1 Tbsp corn flour
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp asafoetida
2 Tbsp oil
2-3 cups water
Salt

Method:
1) Microwave sliced potato with 1 cup of water for 9-10 mins
2) Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, red chilli. Fry for a minute
3) Add onion. Fry for 2-3 mins. Add turmeric, asafoetida, garam masala/curry powder, ginger garlic paste and mix.
4) Add potato, corn flour and 1 cup of water. Boil for 2-3 mins. If you need a thinner consistency add another cup of water.
5) Add peas. Check for salt. Cover and cook on medium heat for 2-3 mins.

DONE!!!

Rava idli

Ingredients: (Serves 3)
2 cups semolina
1/2 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped spinach
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp kadle bele
2 tsp uddina bele
2 green chilli - finely chopped
2 cups water
2 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp asafoetida
Cashew nuts
2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp baking soda
Salt

Method:
1) Dry roast semolina until an aroma wafts out and it starts to change colour.
2) Heat 2 Tsp oil in skillet. Fry kadle bele and uddina bele until it starts to change colour. Add mustard seeds, asafoatida, green chilli, curry leaves and cumin seeds.
3) Mix it with semolina along with finely chopped greens. Add 1-2 cups water. Add baking soda, yeast. Check for salt. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour.
4) Add 2 cups of water in a steamer. Wait until it boils. Reduce it to medium heat
4) Grease idli moulds with ghee. Place a cashewnut on each of the moulds and fill it with batter. Place the moulds in steamer. Cover and cook for 10 mins.
DONE!!

Hurali saaru-palya

Ingredients (Serves 4):
1 1/2 cup hurali/horse gram
1 cup grated coconut
1 Tbsp rasam powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp sugar
Salt
1 tsp tamarind concentrate
Oil
1 Tbsp ghee
3 garlic pods - chopped
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Asafoetida
1 green chilli

Method:
1) Soak horsegram overnight. Pressure cook to soften - 6 whistles.
2) Drain the water into a different vessel.

For saaru:
1) Take about 1/2 cup boiled horse gram with 1/2 cup grated coconut, rasam powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, coriander seeds, sugar. Grind it into smooth paste with water.
2) Add this to the boiled horsegram liquid. Add tamarind concentrate and bring it to boil. Check for salt
3) Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet. Add 2 tsp mustard seeds - wait for it to splutter. Add cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp asafoetida, 1 sprig curry leaves. Mix it with saaru.
4) Heat ghee in a skillet. Fry thinly sliced garlic until golden brown. Mix it with saaru
DONE!!

For palya:
1) Heat 1 Tbsp oil in pan. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 green chilli, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 1 sprig curry leaves and 1/2 cup grated coconut, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Fry for a minute.
2) Add boiled horse gram. Cover and cook for 5 mins. Check for salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

DONE!!!

Tomato-capsicum Bruschetta

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
8 slices bruschetta bread
2 medium sized tomato - finely chopped
1/2 medium sized green capsicum - finely chopped
1/4 medium sized red onion - finely chopped
2 Tbsp Italian herbs
2 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch of pepper powder
1 garlic pod
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 200 C. Cut garlic and rub it on one side of bruschetta bread.
2) Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl. Let it rest for 15-20 mins and separate out the liquid.
3) Check for salt. Spoon the topping on the bread. Bake in oven for 5 mins.

DONE!!!

Masala puri

Ingredients:
1 big onion - 1/2 finely chopped, other half diced
1 tomato - diced
1 1/2 cups peas (soft)
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1 Tbsp mint leaves (optional)
1 cup grated carrot
1-2 tsp chat masala
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3 green chilli
1/2 tsp
2 cups sev
3/4 cup yoghurt
Salt
Water
1 Tbsp oil

50 Puris
Date-Tamarind chutney

Method (Serves 4):
1) Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, chilli, diced onion, diced tomato and fry for 2-3 mins.
2) Allow it to cool and grind it into smooth paste along with 1/2 cup peas, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, coriander and mint leaves
3) Transfer this back to the pan. Add peas, tamarind concentrate and water to get the desired consistency. Bring it to boil.
4) Add chat masala powder. Check for salt
DONE!!!

Puris - Buy it from the store ;)
Mash 6-8 puris in a plate. Sprinkle with sev, finely chopped onion, grated carrot with a dash of yoghurt and date-tamarind chutney