Bonda

Ingredients:
1 onion - thinly sliced
1 medium sized potato - thinly sliced
3 Tbsp besan
1 Tbsp rice flour
1 tsp cumin seeds
Salt
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2-1 tsp red chilli powder
Baking soda (optional)
Oil for deep frying
Water

Method:
1) Mix all the ingredients except oil. Consistency should be like thick yoghurt.
2) Heat oil for deep frying on a high. When it is hot enough, dip about 8-10 onion slices in the batter and carefully put it into the pan. Depending on the size of the pan, add a few more. Deep fry until it turns golden brown. Remove and place it on a plate lined with paper towel to soak excess oil.
3) Similarly, for potato - dip individual slices in the batter and deep fry.
DONE!!!

Khara Pongal

Ingredients: (Serves 1):
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Ghee
1/2 cup rice
3-4 cups water
2 Tbsp moong dal
2 Tbsp dessicated coconut
5-6 pepper corns
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt

Method:
1) Boil rice and moong dal with 3 cups of water until done.  I microwaved it for 15 minutes. Note pongal will be watery.
2) In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. Add pepper corns, cumin seeds, curry leaves and turmeric powder.
3) Add cooked rice and moong dal, dessicated coconut and stir. If you want it more watery add another cup of water and boil it for 5 minutes. Keep stirring once every minute or two.
4) Check for salt. Add ghee.
DONE!!!
Serve with coriander-mint coconut chutney :)

Mango milkshake

Ingredients:
1 big ripe mango
1 cup cold milk
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp cream/ vanilla ice cream
3 cardamom pods - seeds crushed
1-2 tsp sugar

Method:
1) Cut the mango into slabs and scoop the pulp out.
2) Put the pulp and the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and frothy.
3) If you want it more cold, use a couple of ice cubes instead of water while blending or chill it in a fridge.
DONE!!!

Pineapple kesaribath

Ingredients:
1/2 cup semolina
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup water
3 pineapple slices - diced
7-8 strands of saffron - soaked in 2 tbsp water
1/4 cup sugar (adjust based on pineapple juice sweetness)
Pinch of salt
10 cashew nuts
5 raisins
4 cardamom pods - seeds crushed
Ghee

Method:
1) Take 1 tsp of ghee in a frying pan and roast semolina. Stir until it starts to turn brown. Keep aside
2) Take pineapple, pineapple juice, water, sugar, salt, 1 tsp ghee, cardamom powder, saffron strands in a pan. Bring it to boil.
3) Add semolina and stir. Make sure no lumps are formed. Keep stirring until semolina completely absorbs the water. Check for sugar.
4) In a small skillet, take 2-3 tsp of ghee. Add cashew nuts and fry until it starts to change colour. Take it off heat. Add raisins. After 10-15 seconds add it to the kesari baath. Stir again.
DONE!!!

Peanut Onion paratha

Ingredients (Serves 4):
3 cups atta - wheat flour
1 cup peanuts
1 medium sized onion - 3/4 of it finely diced, rest chopped
2 dry red chilli
1 clove garlic
1/2 inch ginger
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ajwain seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp amchur powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida
Water
Salt
Oil
Ghee

Method:
For the stuffing.
1) In a pan, dry roast peanuts.
2) In a pan, heat a Tbsp of oil, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, chopped onion, chopped garlic, ginger, asafoetida, red chilli. Fry for a minute. Mix with garam masala powder, amchur powder, turmeric powder and peanuts. Allow it to cool. Once cool, grind it without adding water
3) In a pan, heat 2 Tbsp oil. Add ajwain seeds, fennel seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds and finely chopped onion. Fry until onion starts to turn brown. Mix the ground peanut paste.Check for salt. Allow it to cool

For the paratha.
1) Mix atta with water, 3 tbsp oil. Check for salt.
2) Take a lime-sized dough and roll it into a 3 inch small disc.
3) Take 2 Tbsp of the stuffing and place it at the centre. Seal it by pulling the edges of the dough together and make a ball.
4) Roll it into a circular disc.
5) Heat a pan, place the paratha. Add a few drops of ghee. Flip over to the other side after a minute.
6) Add a few drops of ghee again. Once the under side is done, flip again to the other side and remove when done.
DONE!!!
Serve with yogurt and pickle :)

Wheat dosa

Ingredients (Serves 2):
2 cups wheat flour
5-6 cups water
Oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 sprig of curry leaves - chopped
1 green chilli
1/4 tsp  pepper powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt

Method:
1) In a skillet, heat 2 Tbsp oil. Add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida. Add this to the wheat flour. Add turmeric, pepper and red chilli powder as well.
2) Add water. Mix to remove any lumps. Consistency should be like that of thick butter milk - more watery than dosa. Check for salt
3) Heat a pan(tava). Once hot, take a ladleful of batter and pour it on the pan in a spiral motion. Note that  you cannot spread the batter like a typical dosa but you'll need to pour it like a rava dosa.
4) Add few drops of oil on the dosa. Wait for 2 minutes and flip to the other side and wait again for 2 minutes.
DONE!!!

Appam with vegetable stew

Ingredients(Appam):
2 cups rice
1 cup steamed rice
Water
1 tsp Yeast
Salt
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tsp sugar

Ingredients(Stew):
2 cardamon
2 cloves
4-5 pepper corns crushed
2 green chilli
Ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup thick coconut milk
3 cups water
2 potato - peeled sliced
1 onion sliced
2 carrots  sliced
1 cup beans sliced
2 tsp sugar
Oil
Salt

Method (Appam):
1) Soak rice for 5-6 hours. Grind to smooth paste along with steamed rice, coconut, sugar and yeast.
2) Cover and allow it to ferment overnight. (Note: Use a big vessel as the batter is going to raise 4-5 times)
3) Next day, check for salt
4) Heat a pan on high. Take a ladle full of batter and spread it into a disc. Cover and cook for a minute or two. Remove from pan once done.

Method (Stew):
1) Boil the sliced vegetables except onion. Keep aside
2) Heat oil in a pan. Crush cardamom, cloves, pepper corns and add it to the pan. Wait for it to splutter.
3) Add green chilli, onion, ginger garlic paste, cinnamon powder and fry until onion turns translucent
4) Add the veggies, water, sugar and 1/2 cup coconut milk. Bring to boil.
5) Add the rest of coconut milk. Check for salt.
DONE!!!!