Semiya (Vermicelli) Upma

 Ingredients:

1 Cup vermicelli
2 Cups of water
1/2 Onion (sliced)
1 Green chill/ Serrano pepper (chopped)
1 tsp chopped Ginger
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp Oil1 tbsp Channa Dal
Salt to taste
Roasted Cashew nuts
Coriander leaves

Directions:

1. Dry roast the vermicelli until it starts getting slightly brown. (this is to avoid the vermicelli sticking to each other)Remove in a plate and keep aside.
2.  Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add Channa dal and fry it until it gets light brown.
3. Add sliced Onions, chopped ginger, chopped green chilli and fry until translucent.
4. Pour two cups of water and add salt to it. When it starts boiling, add the roasted vermicelli slowly and stirring continuously.
5. Simmer the flame, close the lid and allow it cook for 5 mins or till all the water evaporates.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander and roasted cashew nuts.
7. Enjoy the dish when it is hot! (we enjoy it with a spoon of sugar sprinkled on top)

Fried Rice

Ingredients :

2 Cups Cooked Rice1 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tbsp Ginger and Garlic paste
1/2 ground pepper
1 Cup chopped vegetables of your choice  ( carrot, beans, green peas, corn, bell pepper)
1 serreno pepper
1 tomato
salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the pan with 2 tbsp of oil
2. Add chopped serreno pepper, ginger garlic paste and saute them for 5 mins till the raw flavor of ginger garlic paste is gone
3. Now add soy sauce, chopped vegetables, tomato and saute for a 2 mins till the vegetables are little crisp. 
4. Add rice and mix all ingredients together. Stir it to breaking up any clumps.
5. Then add salt  and pepper to your taste.
6. Transfer it to a serving bowl

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

6 Chicken legs

1 tsp Red Chili powder

1 tsp Salt

6 tsp Thick yogurt

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Ginger and garlic paste

2 tbsp Lime juice

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/8 tsp Red Food color

Directions:

1. Make slits in the flesh of the chicken pieces

2. Make a mixture using lime juice, salt and red chili powder and rub on the chicken.(inside the slits)

3. Keep it aside for 15 mins

4. Prepare the marinade by adding yogurt, red chili powder, ginger and garlic paste salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, food color and marinate the chicken with it

5. Keep it in the refrigerator for at-least 1 hour, up-to a maximum of 24 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

7. Cook the chicken pieces in the oven for around 40 minutes (around 20 minutes each side).

8. Serve it with raw onion cut into thick slices, sprinkle some salt and squeeze lemon juice on them

Spinach Dal (video avaiable)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF THIS DISH

Ingredients

1 Cup Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Peas)
1 Cup Chopped Spinach
1/2 Cup Sliced Onions

3 Green Chillies / Serreno peppers
2 Tomatoes
Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Oil

10 Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Smoked Red Chillies
4 clovesof garlic
3 Cups Water

Directions

1. Clean Toor Dal with water and keep it aside
2. Now keep the Pressure cooker on stove and add toor dal, choped spinach, sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped green chillies, turmer, red chilli powder and finally add 3 cups of water to it.
3. Mix it well and close the lid tight
4. Now wait for 3 whistles and turn off the heat.
5. After 10 mins, lift the whistle up and check if all the pressure is gone and open the lid carefully
6. Now add some salt to taste and stir it well with a whisk
7. Then transfer it to a serving bowl
8. Now take a small pan and heat some oil in it
9. Then add garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, smoked red chillies and finally some curry leaves.
10. Fry it for 30 secs and add this on the dal that we have kept aside  
9. This dish tastes good with rice/ chapathi (Indian bread)

Note: Watch the video to know more about this dish

Egg & Spinach Curry (video available)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF THIS DISH

Ingredients

1 Cup Chopped Onions

2 Sliced Green Chillies / Serreno peppers
1 Cup Chopped Spinach
2 Eggs
Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder,
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala powder
2 tbsp Oil

Directions

1. Heat the pan with 2 tsps of oil
2. Add Onions and Chillies and saute them for 5 mins
3. Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder. Saute for a min and add   spinach to it
4. Then add salt to taste and saute for 2 mins
5. Now crack 2 eggs to it and mix it well 
6. Fry it for another 5 mins (Make sure that the curry does not stick to the pan) and turn off the heat
7. Transfer it to a serving bowl
8. This dish tastes good with rice/ chapathi (Indian bread)

Lemon Rice

Ingredients

1 ½ cup cooked rice

Salt to taste

Curry leaves / Coriander leaves / Cilantro

3 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 Green chilies / Serrano peppers  

2 Red chillies whole / smoked Serrano peppers                

2 tbsp Oil 

1 tsp Mustard seeds (optional)

¼ cup peanuts

Pinch of Asafoetida
1 tbsp Black gram split(dhuli urad dal) {kind of lentils}
1 tbsp Bengal gram split (chana dal) {kind of lentils}
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)

Directions

1.     Heat oil in a shallow pan. Then add  dhuli urad dal and chana dal. Cook till dal (lentils) changes its colour into light brown.

2.      Now add green chillies / Serrano peppers (split them into 2 pieces), red chillies whole / smoked Serrano peppers.

3.     Add peanuts, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. As mustard seeds crackle, add curry leaves and turmeric powder and a pinch of Asafoetida.

4.     Stir fry for half a minute in a medium flame.

5.     Finally add the cooked rice, salt to taste and lemon juice to it and mix them well.

6.     Cook on low heat for 2 mins and off the stove.

                                                                   

Carrot Halwa (Dessert)

Ingredients

2 cups of shredded carrot
2 cups of milk
3 tbsp unsalted butter / ghee
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of cardamom powder
10 cashew nuts
5 almonds
Preferably a non stick pan

Directions

1. Fry the cashew nuts and almonds in little butter / ghee for 2 mins and keep them aside.
2. Now add butter and shredded carrot into the pan. Stir it well and let it cook in a medium flame.
3. Boil or Microwave milk till it reduces its quantity.
4. Once you notice the carrot changing its color to little brown, then add the boiled milk into it and stir constantly for 1 min.
5. Keep the flame on medium and let it cook for sometime.
6. After sometime the carrot will absorb all the milk and it will change into dry consistency. And this is the time to add sugar and mix it well.
7. Since the sugar leaves some water, cook it for couple of minutes till you see the water is evaporated.
8. Now its time to add cardamom powder and mix it well
9. Finally garnish it with cashew nuts and almonds.