Red Capsicum Chutney

Ingredients

Red Capsicum small	2
Tomatoes small	2
Red chillies	3-4
Peanuts	2 tbsp
Curry leaves	a  few
Fresh coconut	1 tbspn
Mustard seeds	½ tspn.
Asafoetida	¼ tspn
Oil	2 tbs
Salt	As per taste

Method

1.      Wash and chop capsicum and tomatoes into small pieces and keep aside.

2.      In a pan heat 1 tbsp. of oil and add red chillies and peanuts and fry until they are cooked.

3.      Now add capsicum and fry for few minutes and then add tomatoes and fry  until they are soft.

4.      Let it cool completely.

5.       Now grind everything along with coconut and salt into a smooth paste, and transfer it into a bowl.

6.       Heat oil and add mustard seeds and when splutters add hin and curry leaves and pour it over the chutney.

7.       This chutney goes well with anything like rice, dosa,idli, pongal & chappathi.

Lemon Pickle

Ingredients                                        

Lemons	5-10
Green chillies (long)	1 optional
Mustard seeds	1 tspn
Hing	1 tspn
Pickle masala	2 tbspn
Salt	As per your taste
Oil	10 ml

Method

1. Wash and cut lemons into very tiny pieces. Put it in a bowl and keep aside.
2. Add salt and mix thoroughly. Keep it in the fridge for about 10 days.
3. The lemons have soaked in the salt and become soft and juicy. Now add pickle masala and mix everything well with a dry spon. If you are using readymade pickle masala, then add only a tiny bit of salt as the masala already contains salt.
4. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add hing and pour this over the lemons. Mix it and store it in an air tight container.  

Tomato Thokku

Ingredients                                        

Ripe tomatoes	1  kg
Methi seeds	2 tspn
Mustard seeds	1 tspn
Asafoetida	½ tspn
Chilli powder	2 tspn or as per taste
Salt	As per taste
Oil	50 ml

Method

1. Wash and dice tomatoes into very tiny pieces and keep aside.
2. Heat about 40 ml oil in a heavy bottom pan and add methi seeds. When it turns brown, add the tomatoes and fry for few minutes. It will leave water but don’t worry! Cook in a medium heat stirring occasionally. Make sure it does not get burnt or stick to the pan.
3. When all the water has evaporated and it starts to become thick, add chilli powder and salt. Keep frying until the oil leaves the side of the pan and the tomatoes have changed the colour and become thick.  Make sure it is not watery as this has to be thick and chutney-like consistency.
4. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add hing and pour this over the fried thokku.
5. When it is completely cooled, store it in a dry container and keep it in the fridge. It will last up to a month when stored properly. This goes well with anything.

Peas Pulao/Peas Rice

Ingredients

Basmati rice	2 cups
Fresh/Frozen peas	¾ cup
Green chillies (optional)	2-3
Jeera/cumin seeds	1 ½ tsp
Cinnamon sticks	3-4   ¼ inch pieces
Cloves	2-3
Cardamom	2-3
Bay leaves	3-4
Coriander leaves chopped	2-3 tbsp
Salt	According to the taste
Saffron for color and flavor	2 strands
Oil & Ghee	2 tbsp each

Method

1. Wash rice and keep aside.
2. Heat oil and ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds followed by cinnamon sticks, clove, cardamom and bay leaves and fry for few seconds and then add peas. If using fresh peas make sure to boil before this. If using frozen peas you can add this straight away and fry for a minute.
3. You can cook this rice in 2 ways: by using the electric rice cooker or cooking on the stove in a heavy bottomed pan. For 1 cup of rice use 1 ½ cups water, add the fried mixture and salt mix everything and cook.
4. Serve this rice with any kurma / gobi manchurians or any curry of your choice.

Green Pears Pickle

Ingredients                                        

Green pears (very firm & raw)	2 or 3
Lemon	1 big
Mustard seeds	½  tspn
Hing/Asafoetida	¼  tspn
Pickle masala	2 tbspn
Salt	As per your taste
Oil	1 tspn

Method

1. Wash and cut the pears into very tiny pieces.
2. Squeeze lemon juice and put it in a bowl and keep it aside.
3. Add pickle masala and salt and mix it thoroughly. If you are using readymade pickle masala, then only add a tiny bit of salt as the masala already contains salt. If you don’t have readymade pickle masala, then fry about 10 red chillies and 1 tsp of methi seeds without oil and when it is cool, powder them.
4. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add hing and pour this over the pears and mix it. Store it in an air tight container in the fridge. It will last up to 2 weeks. 

Please feel free to leave your comments below. 

Green Apple Pickle

Ingredients                                        

Green apples	2 or 3
Lemon	1 big
Mustard seeds	½  tspn
Hing/Asafoetida	¼  tspn
Pickle masala	2 tbspn
Salt	As per your taste
Oil	1 tspn

Method

1. Wash and cut the apples into very tiny pieces.
2. Squeeze lemon juice and put it in a bowl and keep it aside.
3. Add pickle masala and salt and mix it thoroughly. If you are using readymade pickle masala, then only add a tiny bit of salt as the masala already contains salt. If you don’t have readymade pickle masala, then fry about 10 red chillies and 1 tsp of methi seeds without oil and when it is cool, powder them.
4. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add hing and pour this over the apples and mix it. Store it in an air tight container in the fridge. It will last up to 2 weeks. 

Please feel free to leave your comments below. 

Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients

Cauliflower	1 big
Spring onions	1 bunch
Green chillies	4 or 5
Ginger/garlic paste	1 ½ tbs each
Soy sauce	40 ml
Tomato ketchup	100 ml
Oil	For deep frying
Corn flour	1 cups
Ajinomoto /MSG (optional)	½ tsp
Salt	As per taste
Chopped coriander leaves	2 tbs

Method

1. Wash and cut the cauliflower into small flowerets and keep it aside.
2. Chop spring onions and green chillies.
3. Make ginger garlic paste.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large pan. Add green chillies and then ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add chopped spring onions and ajinomoto and fry for about 3 minutes.
6. Add soy sauce, tomato ketchup and salt and fry for 1 minute.
7. Heat oil in a pan to fry the cauliflowers. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, mix corn flour with water to make a thin batter (like bhajji). Take a few flowerets and dip it in the batter. Fry in hot oil until it is crispy.
8. Once everything is fried, put them together in the sauce and fry for 2 minutes in medium heat until the cauliflower is thoroughly coated with sauce.
9. Sprinkle coriander leaves on top and serve it with ghee rice or fried rice.    

Please feel free to leave your comments below.