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.

Vada

Urad Dal, (without skin) – 1 cup
Green Chillies -2, chopped
Onion, quarter cup – cut into small pieces
Curry leaves – a small bunch cut into small pieces
1 tsp fresh ginger (optional)
1/2 tspn baking soda
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:
Soak the Urad Dal for about 2 hours or overnight. Drain the water and blend it in a mixer along with the green chillies and ginger (if using), till you get a smooth paste. Add little water if necessary. Add the onions, salt, baking soda to the Dal paste . Mix well and keep aside for 5 minutes. Heat oil in a wok. Take portions of the mixture, flatten them between the palm of your hands, make a hole in middle with your little finger, and fry both sides in hot oil. Enjoy!

Lakdi Mithai – no paag

1 cup flour
Quarter cup cold water, (you may need more)
1 tspn cardamom seeds, crushed
Quarter tspn black pepper, crushed
Oil for frying
Quarter cup Icing sugar

Method:
Mix in cardamom seeds and pepper to flour. Add water to flour and knead like roti dough. You may need more water. Dough should be firm. Roll out into thin sheets using very little flour and cut into thin strips. Fry in hot oil until light golden in colour. Strain on paper towel. Add icing sugar and mix well.

Pholouris

1 cup dhal (matar or chana)
1 tspn jeera
Half a tspn sauf (fennel seeds)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 hot peppers, minced
4 tablespoons chopped onion
Salt to taste
4 tablspns chopped dhania
Oil for frying, about 1 cup

Method:
Soak dhal overnight. Next day, drain dhal and grind it. (You may have to add a little water to help with grinding.) Add jeera, sauf, garlic, hot pepper, onion, salt and dhania. Mix well. Fry in hot oil approximately one tablespoonful at a time until golden brown. Enjoy!

Naram Matar (Soft Peas)

1 cup dry green peas
1 tspn jeera
Half a tspn sarso
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 pieces tej patti
1 or 2 hot peppers, chopped finely
Salt to taste
2 tblspns of oil

Method:
Soak peas overnight. Next day drain peas, add fresh water and boil gently for about half an hour until peas become soft. Drain water. Set aside. Heat oil. Add jeera and tej patti. Fry for a minute. Add peas, garlic, hot pepper and salt. Cook for about 7 minutes. If any water remains in the pot, cook until water dries up. Enjoy!

Kadi (Yogurt Curry with Lentil Dumplings)

Jack Fruit Curry

Peda (Sweet Snacks)