Ingredients: 1 medium cabbage
1 tbsp channa dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad daal-washed
2 sprigs of curry leaves
1 green chilli
a pinch of turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
1/2 bunch of coriander
3 tbsp grated fresh coconut

Method: Shred the cabbage very finely. Chop the green chillies.

Wash the coriander and chop very finely. Heat oil in a deep pan and add the mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal one after another.

After mustard seeds crackle, add cabbage and green chillies to it. Stir and keep it covered at medium flame for a minute.

Add turmeric and salt. Stir and keep it covered for another minute. Add the grated coconut and chopped coriander. Serve hot.

Ingredients: 1 cup (180 gm) long grained rice
water
lemon juice

Method: Clean the rice and wash well till the water is clear.

Soak the rice in 2 cups of water for at least 1/2 hour.

In a heavy bottomed pan, put the rice and water over high heat and bring to a boil, adding the lemon juice also.

Once it comes to a boil, cover, and let it simmer over low heat, till cooked through, and the water is absorbed. Takes about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Ingredients: 1/2 kg tinda - scraped and cut into 6-8 pieces lengthwise
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli powder (lal mirch powder)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
2-3 green chillies-slit
1 tbsp coriander leaves-chopped (dhaniya)

Method: Heat the oil and add cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to splutter, add the green chillies and tinda, and stir-fry 2-3 times.

Add coriander powder, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, and the garam masala. Stir to mix well.

Cover and cook over low heat, stirring a few times till cooked.

Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Ingredients: 6 tomatoes
1 tbsp besan
2 curry leaves
oil
250 gm moong dal
1 tsp jeera
3 cloves
2 big elaichi
2 sticks of dalchini
3 green chillies - chopped
1 tsp ginger - chopped
1 tsp garlic - chopped
1 cup peas
1 potatoes
half lauki
1 carrot
4 bhindis
2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp dhania powder
salt - to taste

Method: Pressure cook the tomatoes and moong dalalong with salt and green chillies. Let it cook for upto three whistles.

Keep aside to cool and then make a paste out of it.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, kadi patta, laung, elaichi, dalchini, ginger, garlic and saute.

Add besan and keep stirring so that no lumps are formed. Keep mixing till the besan turns brown in colour.

Add peas, potatoes, bhindi, lauki and carrot. Add little water and tomatoes and let it boil.

Add garam masala, dhania powder, haldi and salt. Let it boil for some time. Serve hot with rice.

Ingredients: methi
palak
250 gm gobhi
2 aloo
1 carrot
1/2 kg onions - chopped
2 tbsp oil
salt - to taste
coriander seeds
4 elaichi

Method: Boil palak and methi in water. Let it cool and make a paste.

Heat oil in a pan and fry onions in it. Let it cool and then grind it.

Mix all the vegetables in the onion paste and let it cook for some time. Also mix salt in it.

Add the methi-palak paste and let it cook on slow flame. Serve hot.

Ingredients: palak
1/2 kg paneer
3 onions - peeled
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 big tomatoes - pureed
3 tbsp cream
3 tbsp milk
3 tsp ghee
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp dhania powder
heeng
1/4 tsp haldi
salt - to taste
1 stick dalchini
3-4 cloves

Method: Boil the palak in water. Let it cool and then make a paste.

Heat oil in a kadai and add heeng, jeera, onion, ginger-garlic paste and mix well.

Add dalchini, cloves, tomato puree, milk and cream. Mix well.

Add the paneer and salt. Serve hot.

Ingredients: 1/2 kg bhindi
oil - for deep frying
3-4 tsp jeera
4 tsp dhania seeds
4 tsp peanuts
4 tsp chana dal
7-8 red chillies
10-12 garlic cloves - crushed
3-4 tsp grated coconut
salt - to taste

Method: Dry roast the jeera, dhania, peanuts, chana dal and red chillies. Keep aside to cool and then grind them together.

Mix in the crushed garlic, coconut and salt.

(This masala can be stored for six months in an air tight jar in a refrigerater.)

Heat oil and deep fry the bhindi. Remove and sprinkle the masala over it. Mix well and serve hot.

Ingredients: 1/2 kg potatoes - medium sized
oil
5 tbsp oil
water
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
2 1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp saunth
1 tsp saunf powder
2 green cardamom
3-4 tsp of curd
salt - to taste

Method: Cut the potatoes in half, deep fry them and keep aside.

Prick the potatoes with a toothpick and keep aside.

Mix all the dry powders in a bowl. Add enough water to the bowl to make a paste.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the cardamom. Pour in the paste and stir for about 4-5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and mix well. Then mix in the curd.

Cover and cook for five minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Ingredients: 1 kg gobhi-cut into small flowerets
3-4 green chillies-slit a little
1 cup grated onions
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 cup tomato-grated
1/4 cup oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp powdered red pepper
1 tbsp powdered coriander seeds
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves - for garnish

Method: Heat oil and add the cumin seeds and the bay leaves. When seeds splutter, add the onions, ginger and garlic and saute till brown and fat separates.

Add the tomatoes, turmeric, salt, garam masala, red pepper and the coriander powder, and stir fry till the fat separates.

Add the gobhi and the green chillies and saute over high heat till the vegetables look glossy. Lower the heat and simmer, covered till cooked through.

Serve hot, garnished with the coriander leaves.

Ingredients: 2 cups long grained rice
1/2 cup sliced onions
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp salt
a few drops of lemon
2 tbsp oil

Method: Pick and wash the rice and soak for at least 1 an hour.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds begin to splutter, add the sliced onions and saute till transparent but not brown.

Now add the rice and turn around a few times before adding 3 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil uncovered.

When it comes to a boil, sprinkle a few drops of lemon cover the pan and lower the heat.

The rice should cook in 10 minutes. In case you want it to cook slower, place a griddle or something under the pan after it has come to a boil and you have lowered the heat.

Serve hot.