EGGLESS COOKER CAKE

Ingredients

Maida: 2 cups
Powdered Sugar: 1 cup
Butter: 100 gms
Curd: 1/2 cup
Milk: 1/4 cup
Baking powder: 1 tsp
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence: 1/4 tsp

Preparation

1. Take cooker, add 2 cups of sand, spread and keep a stand on it. Close the lid without gasket, heat in low flame(pre heating) and then start making the batter
2. Sieve maida, baking powder, baking soda together twice and keep aside.
3. Take mixing bowl  add butter, powdered sugar and blend it properly with a blender or beater.
4. When butter sugar mixture turns fluffy then add curd and beat again till mixed properly (for 4-5 minutes).
5. Add maida mixture, vanilla essence and mix properly.
6. Add milk little by little and keep mixing. Bring the batter to a consistency similar to that of idli batter.
7. After mixing pour in a greased aluminum vessel, keep in the cooker(pre heated), close and bake for 50 minutes.
8. You can check once done by poking the cake in the middle with a tooth pick or a knife, if it comes out clean then its done, if not keep for 10 minutes more. 
9. Once done let the cake rest on a rake for 3 to 4 hours or till it has cooled completely.
10. Now unmould the cake  from the baking tray and is ready to serve.

Notes 

• Crystallized salt can be used instead of sand.
• All ingredients should be at room temperatur.

SAKKARE PONGAL

Yields: 5 cups

Ingredients

Rice: ½ cup
Moong dal/Hesarubele: ¼ cup
Jaggery/Gud/Bella: 2 cups
Milk: 1 cup
Badam/Almond: 8 nos
Fresh grated coconut: 1 cup
Cardamom powder: ½ tsp
Saffron: 3-4 strings(soaked in 2 tbsp hot milk)
Khas khas/Poppy seeds: 1 tsp
Cashewnuts/Kaju: 1 tbsp
Raisins/Draksh: 1 tsp
Edible camphor: a pinch
Ghee: 4 tbsp

Preparation

1. Roast lightly both rice and dal (just warm it) and pressure cook it together by adding 2¼ cups of water.
2. Soak almond and remove skin.
3. Now make jaggery syrup by adding ¼ cup of water to jaggery dissolve and remove impurities. Boil it till you get one string paka.
4. Grind soaked almond, khas khas, grated coconut, saffron, camphor, cardamom powder in a mixer.
5. Take a big pan(with thick bottom) or pressure cooker and add 1 tbsp ghee, fry cashewnuts, raisins and transfer to a bowl.
6. Now add cooked rice-dal mixer, milk, grinded almond mix.
7. Mix and cook in a low flame for 15-20 minutes till it thickens.
8. Switch off the flame, add jaggery syrup and mix it properly. Switching off the flame and adding the jaggery syrup will help the milk not getting cuddled.
9. Switch on the flame, cook for 15-20 minutes by adding 1 tbsp ghee in between.
10. Keep stirring continuously so that it doesn't stick the pan.
11. Once the pongal thickens, switch off the flame and garnish with fried dry fruits.

INSTANT RAGI, WHEAT FLOUR DOSA

Yields: 5 nos 

Ingredients 

Wheat flour: ½ cup
Ragi flour: ¼ cup
Salt: as required
Hing powder: ¼ tsp
Curry leaves: 5-6 nos(chopped)
Jeera: ½ tsp
Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp(chopped)
Water: as required
Oil: for roasting the dosa

Preparation

1. Take a mixing bowl and add all the ingredients.
2. Mix all the ingredients by adding water little by little.
3. Batter should be of pouring consistency(without lumps). No need to rest the batter.
4. Now heat a tawa and pour the batter in a circular motion (without touching the tawa by just pouring with the help of a ladle/spoon) to shape like a dosa.
5. After a couple of minutes or once dosa is cooked add 1 tsp of oil and flip over.
6. Cook for a minute or two and serve with Instant no cook tomato chutney.
7. It can even be had with Coconut chutney, Chutney powder, Dosa molaga pudi, Tomato chutney.

Notes

• Grated carrot, finely chopped onion and capsicum can be added for extra taste.

HEALTHY DRY FRUITS BAR

Yields: 6 nos

Ingredients 

Badam/almond: ½ cup
Kaju/cashew: ½ cup
Walnut: ¼ cup
Fresh dates: 10 nos
Oats: ¼ cup
Honey: 2 tbsp
Vanilla essence: 2-3 drops (optional)

Preparation

1. Coarse grind badam, cashew, walnut and add dates, grind just for mixing.
2. Dry roast oats slightly and transfer to a mixing bowl.
3. Transfer the ground ingredients to the mixing bowl. 
4. Add honey, vanilla essence, mix and make a ball.
5. Grease the chopping board or any plate and tap the ball flat.
6. Cut into a bar shape.
7. Pre heat microwave at 150° and bake for 8-10 minutes.
8. Cool and serve. Can be stored for a week at room temperature.

EGGLESS MULTIGRAIN BEETROOT CAKE

Ingredients 

Beetroot (finely grated): ½ cup
Multigrain flour: ½ cup
Cooking oil: ¼ cup
Powdered sugar: ¼ cup
Vanilla essence: ¼ tsp
Baking powder: 1 tsp
Baking soda: ½ tsp
Curd: 2 tsp
Milk: 3 tsp

Preparation 

1. Sieve multigrain flour, baking powder, baking soda and keep aside.
2. Take a mixing bowl add cooking oil, powdered sugar and mix.
3. Add vanilla essence, beetroot and mix.
4. Now add dry ingredients and mix it.
5. Add curd, mix. Now add milk and mix again.
6. Grease a baking tray with butter or line it with a butter paper and pour the cake batter.
7. Tap it lightly so that batter will spread evenly.
8. Pre heat microwave at 180° and  bake for 50 minutes.
9. Once done, remove form microwave and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
10. Should be consumed within 2 or 3 days.

Notes

• Grated carrot can be used instead of beetroot or mixture of both can also be used.
• Maida or wheat flour can be used instead of multigrain flour.
• All ingredients should be at room temperature.
• Baking time may vary from oven to oven.
• Use fresh ingredients for best results.

INSTANT NO-COOK TOMATO CHUTNEY

Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients 

Tomato: 2 nos (medium size, chopped )
Green chilli: 2 nos
Curry leaves: 7-8  nos
Coconut(grated): 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp
Tamarind: small piece
Hing powder: pinch
Salt: as required

Preparation 

1. Take a mixer jar and add all the ingredients.
2. Grind into a fine paste.
3. Garnish with coriander leaves.
4. Can be had with idli, dosa, chapati.
5. A very quick and instant chutney.
6. Can be stored for 2 days, when refrigerated.

KALAKAND

Yields: 10 to 12 pieces 

Ingredients

Milk: 1 litre
Curd: 2 tsp
Milk powder: 2 tbsp
Condensed milk: 150 ml
Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp
Almonds pieces: 1 tbsp

Preparation

1. Boil milk and add curd(1 tsp at a time), keep stirring till it curdles. 
2. Separate the water and paneer by keeping in strainer for 30 minutes.
3. Take a pan add paneer, milk powder and condensed milk, mix and cook for 10 minutes in low flame. Add cardamom powder and mix.
4. Take a greased plate or plate lined with butter paper and pour the mixture.
5. Flatten it and allow it to cool.
6. Make pieces and garnish it with almonds pieces.

METHI GOBI PARATHA/CABBAGE FENUGREEK LEAVES CHAPATI

Yields: 6 nos

Ingredients 

Multigrain atta/flour: 2 cups
Methi leaves/fenugreek leaves: ½ cup(chopped)
Cabbage/gobi: ½ cup(chopped finely/grated)
Coriander leaves: ¼ cup(chopped)
Curry leaves: 10 leaves(chopped finely)
Ginger: ½ tsp
Sesame seeds: ½ tsp
Chilli powder: 1 tsp
Hing powder: ½ tsp
Salt: as required
Curd: 2 tbsp
Water: for binding the dough
Oil/ghee: for roasting

Preparation 

1. Take a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except oil and mix it.
2. Now add water and bind into a soft dough. Consistency should be like a chapati dough.
3. Let the dough rest for 15 to 30 minutes. 
4. Knead again by applying little oil to your palms.
5. Take small balls and roll into a chapati, by dusting with dry flour.
6. Now roast the chapati on a hot tawa by adding little oil on both sides.
7. Serve hot with tomato chutney.

Note

• Instead of multigrain atta, whole wheat flour can be used.
• If you don't prefer curd, you can replace it with oil (1 tbsp). Curd or oil is mainly used for softness, when we use curd it gives a little tanginess. The same taste of tanginess can be achieved when using oil too, just add 1 tsp of lemon juice to the dough mix.
• Resting the dough and kneading again makes the chapatis more softer.

RAW TUVER/TOGARI KAALU/FRESH PIGEON PEAS KACHORI

Yields: 10-12 nos

Ingredients

For stuffing: 
Tuver seeds/togari kaalu/Fresh Pigeon peas (raw): 1 cup
Green chilli: 3 nos
Ginger(chopped): ½ tsp
Coriander leaves(chopped): ½ cup
Garam masala: ½ tsp
Salt: as required
Oil: 1 tsp

For outer layer:
Maida: 1 cup
Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: as required
Water: for binding the dough

Oil: for deep frying

Preparation

1. Take mixing bowl for outer layer, add maida, oil, salt and mix. Add water little by little and knead into a soft dough, like a poori dough.
2. Cover and give it a rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare stuffing.
3. Coarse grind togari kaalu, green chill, ginger.
4. Take a pan, add oil, ground mixture, salt and cook 5-6 minutes or till cooked. Keep aside for cooling.
5. Take small portion of the maida dough and roll into poori. 
6. Fill it with about 1 tbsp of the stuffing and fold it into a shape of kachori.
7. Now heat oil in a pan. Once hot, lower the flame and deep fry the kachori till crispy and golden color.
8. Serve hot with green chutney and meethi chutney or even with tomato ketchup.

CARROT HALWA/GAJAR KA HALWA

Yields: 2 cups 

Ingredients

Red Carrot: 750 gm (grated)
Sugar: 1½ cups
Milk: ¾ cup
Khova/mava: ½ cup (sugarless, grated) (Approximately 50-75 gms)
Ghee: 5 tbsp
Cardamom powder:½ tsp
Almond/badam pieces: 1 tbsp

Preparation 

1. Take a pan add 2 tbsp of ghee and fry grated carrot for 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add milk, cook carrot till they're soft and the milk is fully absorbed.
3. Now add sugar, once the sugar dissolves the moisture from the sugar comes out. Cook till the moisture is absorbed.
4. Add khova, remaining 3 tbsp ghee, mix and cook for 5 minutes. Switch off the stove.
5. Add cardamom powder and mix.
6. Garnish with almond pieces. 

Notes

• Halwa can also be garnished with ghee-roasted cashews and raisins.
• Red color carrot also know as Delhi carrot tastes best for making halwa, however normal orange color carrots can also be used.

BISIBELE BATH/ SAMBAR RICE

Yields: 10 servings

Ingredients 

Rice: 1 cup
Togaribele/tuver dal: ½ cup
Bisibele bath powder/plain sambar powder: 5 tbsp
Salt: as required
Tamarind: lemon size(soak in hot water and extract pulp)
Gingelly oil: 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Peanuts: ¼ cup
Curry leaves: 10 leaves
Hing powder: ½ tsp
Red chilli: 1 no
Carrot: ¼ cup(cut in cubes)
Beans: ¼ cup(cut in pieces)
Green peas: ¼ cup
Potato: ¼ cup(cut in cubes)
Cabbage: ¼ cup(cut in pieces)
Tomato: 1 no (medium size, cut in cubes)

Preparation 

1. Pressure cook rice and tuver dal together with 4 cups of water. You may cook the rice-dal directly in the pressure cooker or separately in a vessel in the cooker. 
2. Meanwhile in a pan heat 2 tbsp of oil, add ½ tsp of mustard seeds, once it crackles add peanuts and fry for 2 minutes. Add 5-6 curry leaves and all vegetables. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
3. Add bisibele bath powder, salt and tamarind pulp to the vegetables, bring it to boil.
4. Bring the vegetables, rice-dal together in the cooker and continue cooking for 12-15 minutes.
5. Prepare tempering in another pan by adding ½ tsp of mustard seeds to remaining 2 tbsp of hot oil, once it crackles add remaining curry leaves, hing powder, red chilli and pour it on the bisibele bath.
6. A very tasty and filling lunch is ready to relish with papad, onion raita, brinjal raita, or tomato raita.  

RAISINS COOKIES

Yields: 12 nos.

Ingredients

Butter: ½ cup
Icing sugar or powdered sugar: ½ cup
Maida/all purpose flour: 1 cup
Black raisins: 2 tbsp
Badam pieces: for decoration(1 tbsp)

Preparation

1. Take a mixing bowl, add butter, icing sugar and mix well.
2. Now add maida, black raisins, mix and bind it into a dough.
3. Take small portions and shape into cookies.
4. Decorate the cookies with almond pieces.
5. Preheat microwave at 180° and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the microwave and leave it on rack till cookies cool completely.

Notes

• Black raisins tastes best and is preferred, however even normal raisins can be used instead. 

TOMATO CHUTNEY/THOKKU

Yields: 1-1½ cup

Ingredients 

Tomatoes: 10 nos(medium size)
Tamarind: playing marble size
Curry leaves: 10 leaves
Gingelly Oil: 5 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Hing powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Red chilli powder: 1 tbsp
Fenugreek powder: ½ tsp(dry roasted and powdered)
Jaggery powder: ¼ tsp(optional)
Salt: as required

Preparation

1. Pressure cook the tomatoes and tamarind with one whistle.
2. Cool, remove skin and grind into a fine paste.
3. Take a pan, add gingelly oil. Once hot add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle, add curry leaves, hing powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, fenugreek powder, mix and add tomato pulp.
4. Now add salt, jaggery, mix and allow to boil till it thickens and starts leaving the pan.
5. Once done, cool and transfer it to any dry container.
6. Can be had as a side dish with palak paratha, paneer paratha, rava pakoda, capsicum pakoda, rava dosa or any dosa/roti.

                                                                                                                                           

Notes

• If the chutney is properly cooked i.e. proper thickening process is done, then it can be stored for more than 10 days at room temperature. If refrigerated, it can be stored for upto a month, if at all there is any left.
• Gingelly oil tastes best for this recipe. However you can use any other oil of your choice.
• I have used normal tomato, if you are using country(naati) tomato then tamarind can be skipped as country tomatoes tend to be tangier.
• This chutney can be mixed with plain rice and instant tomato rice is ready for lunch box.
• It can also be mixed with curd, little salt, fresh coriander leaves and instant tomato raita is ready to relish.

BRINJAL RAITA/BADNEKAI RAITA/BAINGAN RAITA

Yields: 1-1.5 cup

Ingredients 

Brinjal: 1 no(medium size)
Green chilli: 2 nos
Curry leaves: 5 leaves
Curd: 1 cup
Salt : as required
Hing powder: ¼ tsp
Oil: 2 tsp
Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

Preparation 

1. Apply oil to the brinjal and green chilli.
2. Roast both directly on the flame or by keeping it on a stand. (Keep rotating so that all sides get roasted properly)
3. Once done cool the brinjal, put in a vessel with ½ cup water, peel the skin and remove brinjal flesh in a plate. (Peeling skin by keeping in water makes the process easier)
4. Open the brinjal and see that there is no impurities/insect in it. Now mash both brinjal and roasted green chilli.
5. Take curd in a vessel, add salt, mashed brinjal and green chilli, mix it.
6. Prepare tempering by adding oil to hot pan, add mustard seeds, once it crackles, add curry leaves and hing powder. Switch off the stove and cool.
7. Add the cooled tempering to the brinjal curd mix.
8. You can even garnish the raita with fresh coriander leaves
9. Relish with any rice varieties like Onion rice, Lemon rice, Chitranna or stuffed parathas like Palak paratha, Paneer paratha.

Notes

• For this recipe always select fresh, seedless and good quality brinjal, such that there are no insects in it.

HEALTHY OATS DHOKLA

Yields: 25 pieces (approximately 1.5"cube) 

Ingredients 

Instant oats: ½ cup
Rava(medium)/semolina/suji: ½ cup
Curd: 4 tbsp
Idli rava: ½ cup
Green chilli: 2 nos(chopped)
Ginger: 1 tsp(chopped)
Salt: as required
Coriander leaves: ½ cup(chopped)
Hing powder: ½ tsp
Jeera/cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Fruit salt/baking soda: 1 tsp
Oil: 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 10 leaves
Water: as required

Preparation 

1. Take a pan and dry roast oats till it slightly changes colour.
2. Take a mixing bowl, add roasted oats, rava, 2 tbsp of curd, mix and give it a rest for 10 minutes. If its dry then add 1 or 2 tbsp of water.
3. Meanwhile take a broad vessel/pressure pan with water. Keep a smaller vessel in it with water such that a 2" deep steel greased plate can rest over it. Cover the greased plate with a bigger plate. Switch on the stove so that the greased plate will be hot by the time other ingredients are mixed(preheating). (Do not use gasket and whistle weight if pressure pan is used). If water starts boiling reduce the flame, don't switch it off.
4. After 10 minutes of resting add idli rava, green chilli, ginger, coriander leaves, jeera, hing powder, turmeric powder, salt,  remaining 2 tbsp of curd and mix. 
5. If required add 1 or 2 tbsp of water. Batter should be of pouring consistency (Idli batter consistency).
6. Now add fruit salt/baking powder, mix and pour in the hot plate.
7. Cook for 20 minutes in medium to high flame. Check by using a knife, if it comes out clean then it's cooked. If not cooked keep for 5 more minutes.
8. After dhokla cools a little, cut into pieces and keep aside.
9. Now time to prepare tempering. Add oil to a wide pan, once heated add mustard seeds, after mustard seeds crackles add curry leaves, red chilli powder and mix.
10. Switch off the stove, add cut dhokla and mix in such a way that tempering gets evenly coated on dhokla. 

METHI TUVER RICE/MENTHYA SOPPU THOGARIKAALU ANNA

        

Yields: Serves 2 person

Ingredients 

Methi leaves/menthya soppu: 2 cups(chopped)
Tuver seeds/thogarikaalu(raw): 1/2 cup
Green peas/hari matar: 1/4 cup
Potato: 1 no (medium size)(cut in cubes)
Tomato: 2 nos(medium size)(cut into pieces)
Curry  leaves: 5-6 leaves
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp (chopped)
Oil: 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Hing powder: ¼ tsp
Palya pudi: 3 tbsp or as required
Salt: as required 
Cooked rice: 3 cups
Ghee: 1 tbsp

Preparation

1. Take a pan add oil, once hot add mustard seeds. After it crackles add tuvar seeds, green peas, potato, tomato, turmeric powder, little salt(as much required for vegetables) mix and put methi leaves over it so that it covers all other vegetables.
2. Sprinkle 3-4 tbsp of water and let it cook till the peas and potato are soft.
3. Now add hing powder, 1 tbsp of palya pudi, mix well and switch off the stove.
4. Take a broad vessel, add cooked rice, salt(required for rice), palya pudi, ghee, mix and then add cooked vegetable, mix properly.
5. Relish healthy, tasty methi tuvar rice with raita like brinjal raita, tomato raita, papad or plain as it is.

Notes

• To reduce the bitterness of methi leaves, while washing squeeze the leaves in the water and then drain it. This process will also help in removing the fine mud stuck to the leaves.

LEMON PICKLE

Yields: 2 cups 

Ingredients

Lemon: 20 nos(medium sized)
Salt: 3 tbsp or as required
Red chilli powder: 3 tbsp
Hing powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder:½ tsp
Fenugreek/menthya powder: 1 tbsp(dry roasted and powdered fenugreek)
Gingelly oil: 9-10 tbsp

Preparation

1. Cut lemon into 4 pieces or 8 pieces. After cutting 2 or 3 lemons transfer to the bowl and keep sprinkling salt little by little so that lemon doesn't taste bitter.
2. Once all the lemons are cut add turmeric powder, hing powder, fenugreek powder, red chilli powder and remaining salt and mix all.
3. Now add oil, mix properly and transfer into a dry jar.
4. Sprinkle ¼ tsp salt over the pickle, close the lid and and keep aside.
5. Keep stirring daily for first 5-6 days after which keep stirring every alternate day or refrigerate it if you are not using/stirring for longer time. 
6. A very quick and easy to make pickle is ready to be relished.

Notes

• Pickles should never be stirred at night and always use a dry spoon for longer life. 
• There should always be some oil on top/in the upper layer of  the lemon in the jar which increases the shelf life of the pickle.
• Traditionally pickles are prepared in large batches to last for almost a year and is stored in Pickle Jars (ceramic/terracotta). As and when required, every week or so a small batch of the pickle is taken out for use. At such time the pickle in the bigger jar is stirred well. Such regular stirring ensures that the pickle stays good for long. Lack of regular stirring or insufficient oil on top layer of the pickle results in a whitish layer to form on top. The pickle itself will not have spoiled in such case, just remove the top white layer, stir well and it is good for use again.