Karela (Bitter Melon)

3 cups chopped bitter melon, discard skin and seeds
Salt to taste
Extra salt
Half an onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 chilies, chopped
Sauf (Fennel Seeds), 3 pinches
Jeera (Cumin Seeds), 3 pinches
Methi (Fenugreek Seeds), 2 pinches
6 Tej Patti (Curry Leaves)
4 Tablespoons of oil

Method:
Mix some salt in bitter melon and set aside for 2 hours. Squeeze and drain liquid out of bitter melon and spread on tea towel to dry for one hour. Heat up a medium size pan, add oil and fry onion, garlic, chilies, fennel seeds, cumin , fenugreek and curry leaves. Fry for a couple of minutes. Add better melon and let cook on very low heat for about 20 minutes and until light brown in color. Serve with roti or rice.

Garam Masala (curry powder mix)

1 cup coriander seeds
Quarter cup cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
(lightly roast the above 3 ingredients in a frying pan on low heat), set aside
3 dried chillies
1 cinnamon stick, broken up
2 teaspoons cloves
2 teaspoons cardamom pods
2 teaspoons black pepper (whole)
20 dried curry leaves
1 star anise
2 teaspoons turmeric powder

Method:
Grind the first 10 ingredients in a coffee grinder. Add turmeric powder. Mix well. Store in a jar. Use as necessary.

Yogurt Kadhi with Lentil Dumplings

Ingredients:

2 cups yellow dhal (split peas), soaked overnight
½ teaspoon jeera (cumin)
½ teaspoon sarso (mustard seeds)
¼ teaspoon methi (fenugreek)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
¼ inch ginger, chopped
2 chilies, chopped
6 tej patti (curry leaves)
½ teaspoon haldi (turmeric)
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt to taste
4 tablespoons oil
Half a cup of plain yogurt
½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
6 cups hot water (may need more)
10 pholouris (follow third recipe)

Method:

Grind daal with some water. Take 1 cup ground daal and make pholouris (dumplings) (see third recipe) and set aside. Heat up oil. Fry onion, garlic, ginger, chili, mustard seeds, fenugreek, cumin, curry leaves, tumeric and curry powder. Stir and let cook for about two minutes. Add 1 cup ground dhal, salt and 1 cup hot water. Cook on very low heat for about 15 minutes. (If it sticks to pan, you may have to add some hot water at intervals) Now add 3 cups of hot water and cook for a further 15 minutes. Add yogurt and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add pholouris and let them get soaked in. Lastly add coriander leaves and turn off heat. Serve with rice, puri or roti.