Green Apple Thokku

Ingredients                                        

Green apples	4
Methi seeds	1 tspn
Mustard seeds	1 ½ tspn
Ingu	½ tspn
Red Chillies	3-4 or as per your taste
Salt	As per taste
Oil	50 ml

Method

1. Wash, peel and grate the apples and keep aside.
2. Dry roast methi seeds, red chillies and 1 tspn mustard seeds until they are golden brown. Powder it when it is cooled (if you have pickle masala powder you can use it instead).
3. Heat about 40 ml of oil in a heavy-bottom pan and add grated apples and fry for few minutes. It will leave water, but don’t worry! Cook on a medium flame, stirring occasionally. Make sure it does not get burnt or stuck to the pan.
4. When the water has evaporated and the mixture starts to become thick, add the powders and salt. Keep frying until the oil leaves the side of the pan and becomes thick.  Make sure it is not watery; this has to be thick and chutney-like consistency.
5. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add ingu and pour this over the fried thokku.
6. When it is completely cooled, store it in a dry container and keep it in the fridge. This will last at least 1-2 weeks if kept only in the fridge.

Please feel free to leave your comments below. 

Methi Paratha

Ingredients                                        

Wheat flour	3 cups
Salt	1 tspn
Oil	For frying  chapattis
Methi leaves	1 bunch
Chilli powder	1 tspn
Cumin seeds	1 tspn
Garam masala	1 tspn

  

Method

1. Wash and chop methi leaves finely.
2. Mix wheat flour, methi leaves, chilli powder, garam masala, cumin seeds and water. Knead into a thick dough and keep it aside for 4 hours.
3. Divide the dough into small lemon size balls and keep it aside.
4. Roll each ball with a rolling pin as thin as possible into a round shape.
5. Heat the tava and put the rolled chapatti on it and fry by adding a tsp of oil on both sides.
6. When the chapatti is cooked, put it in a hot case. Serve hot with the curry or chutney of your choice. 

Ghee Rice

Ingredients

Fresh or frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, beans and cauliflower)	150 gms
Basmati rice	2 cups
Bay leaves	A few
Ghee	3 tbsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Black pepper	1 tsp
Green chillies	1 or 2
Salt	As per taste

Method

1. Heat the ghee in a pan and add bay leaves, cumin seeds and pepper and fry for 30 seconds. Then add green chillies and fry for 1 minute.
2. Add mixed vegetables and fry. If using frozen mixed vegetables, fry only for 2-3 minutes. If using fresh vegetables, fry for 5 minutes.
3. Wash the basmati rice and add the vegetables, salt and water. For 1 cup of rice, add 1 ¼ cups of water. Mix everything properly and put it in the rice cooker and cook.
4. Add 1 spoon of ghee once the rice is cooked and mix it. You can serve this rice with kurma or gobi manchurians.

Puri

Ingredients                                        

Wheat flour	3 cups
Salt	1 tspn
Oil	1 ½ cup

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour and salt and mix with water. Knead it into a thick pizza-like dough. Cover it and leave it aside for at least 2 hours.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, preferably a small one in a slow flame.
3. Knead the dough once more and make it into small balls about the size of a lime.
4. Roll each ball with a rolling pin into a round circle. It should not be too thick or too thin.
5. Now increase the flame to medium and start frying the puris. Once the puri is fluffy, turn it to the other side. When it is light brown in colour, remove it and drain it on a paper towel.
6. Serve the puris hot with saagu, navarthna kurma, potato curry or channa masala.

Refer to the curry section for the recipes.

Saagu (Kurma)

Ingredients

Carrots	2
Potatoes	2
Beans	100 gms
Cabbage	150 gms
Chokoes	1
Peas (frozen or fresh)	50 gms
Onion	1 big
Fresh coconut	½ cup
Green chillies	3 or 4
Garlic	3 cloves
Roasted gram	2 tbsp
Poppy seeds	1 tbsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Fennel/Aniseeds	1 tsp
Red chillies	2
Cinnamon sticks	4 big
Curry leaves	2 sprigs
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Turmeric	½ tsp
Oil	1 tbsp

Method

1. Dice all the vegetables except onion into small pieces and boil them with just enough water to cover the vegetables. This curry should not be too watery.
2. Chop onion and keep aside.
3. Heat ½ tsp of oil in a pan and add cinnamon sticks, green chillies, garlic and onion and fry for 2-3 minutes and let it cool. Then, grind it along with coconut, red chillies, roasted gram, poppy seeds, cumin seeds and aniseeds into a smooth paste.
4. Add the ground paste and salt to the boiled vegetables. Boil until the raw smell goes and the gravy becomes thick.
5. Heat oil in a ladle and add mustard seeds and turmeric and curry leaves. When the mustard splutters, add this to the boiled vegetables and mix everything well.