Chingudi Masala ( Shrimp Masala)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Large raw Shrimp
1 Medium Onion diced
2 Medium sized Tomato diced
1 Tbs Ginger garlic paste
1/2 Tbs Coriander powder
1/2 Tbs Cumin powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 Tsp Red Chili powder
Pinch of Garam Masala powder
Oil and salt as required

Preparation:

In a pan heat up some oil, add 1/2 of the turmeric powder and salt to the shrimp and fry until 80% of the fish is cooked. Keep aside the shrimp fry.

In the same pan heat up some oil, add red chilly powder wait for 5 sec then add onion and fry until onions are fully cooked and get brown in color.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell is gone then add tomato.
Fry the mixture for 2-3 minutes and add all the other masalas along with salt. Fry the mixture till the oil gets separated.

Then add fried shrimp to it and cook it for another 5-7 minutes.

Add garam masala powder to it mix it well and thats it.

Serve hot with white rice and dal. 

Dosa

Ingredients:
3 Cups Raw rice
1 Cup of Urad dal (Split black lentils)
2 Tbs of Chana dal (Split Yellow lentil)
1 Tsp of Fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste
Butter for serving

Preparation:
Wash the urad dal, raw rice, chana dal and methi seeds. Soak in enough water for at least 4 hours.
Grind to a smooth paste with a little water. Cover and keep aside for at least 4 hours but keeping the batter overnight is better. Add salt just before you make dosa and mix well
Heat a non-stick pan and grease lightly with ghee or oil. When hot, sprinkle a little water, pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter and flatten it out with a flat base bowl. I use a flat base steel bowl to make my dosa and cook on one side.
Pour a little ghee or oil along the edges while cooking. When crispy, fold and serve hot with Coconut Chutney.

Piaja Saga Kanji (Spring Onion and Rice Soup)

Ingredients:
3 Bunches of Spring Onion
1-1/2 Cup Cooked Rice
3 Dried Mango
4 Cups Water
3 Red Chili
3 Cloves of Garlic crushed
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Mustard seed
Salt to taste
Oil for tempering

Procedure:
In a saucepan add water, rice, turmeric and dried mango and bring it to boil. Boil the mixture until water quantity become half.
Then cut the spring onions, not the thick part only the leaves and add into the water and rice mixture. Add some salt but careful the dried mango itself has enough salt. So check the salt then add enough to it. Bring the mixture to boil until the nice aroma of the spring onion comes may be 5-10 more minutes.
Now we will add tempering to the mixture. In a pan heat up some oil, then add red chili, add mustard seed, after the mustard seed crackles add crushed garlic to it. Saute for few seconds then add this tempering to the water and spring onion mixture.
Boil the mixture for one more minute and voila this is that simple.
Serve hot with rice and some curry. You can just have it just like that as soup.

PS: If you have fermented rice water then reduce the number of dried mango in the recipe.

Egg Provencal

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil

1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce 

1/2 cup half and half

1 spring of rosemary

4 eggs

1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan

Pinch of Italian Seasoning

Salt & Pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Add the tomato sauce and half and half and stir until incorporated. Cut the sprig of rosemary into small pieces and add half of them to the sauce. Bring to a lively simmer.

2. Crack each egg, one at a time, into a small ramekin and gently pour it into the skillet. Make sure to space them evenly.

3. Continue to simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes until the bottoms of the eggs turn white. This is for over-easy poached eggs with loose yolks. If you like your eggs more well done, cook them for another 1-2 minutes.

4. Then sprinkle the Parmesan and Italian Seasoning over the top and place under the broiler for another 30-45 seconds until Cheese melted.

5. Garnish with additional bits of fresh rosemary, salt & pepper. Serve with a toasted baguette. Enjoy while warm.

Baked Eggs

Ingredients:

4 Tbs Thickened cream
2 Tbs Butter
4 Eggs
Handful of Parmesan, Grated
1/2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
Freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation:Preheat the oven to 350F.
Place butter and 2 tablespoon of cream into each of two ramekins.  Place in the hot oven on a tray until the butter melts and the mixture starts to bubble.
Remove from the oven and carefully place two cracked eggs in each dish.  Sprinkle with the parmesan, herbs and pepper, and place back into the oven for around 5 – 10 minutes, or until the whites of the eggs are cooked and the yolk are still runny.
Serve with some crusty bread, I love to have this baked egg with some garlic bread .

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup raisins optional
1/28. cup chopped walnuts
1/2 -1 pound carrots, grated

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light yellow. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Fold in the carrots . Add to the batter and mix well.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set over a wire rack.

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon  granulated white sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1/8 to 1/4 cup ice water

Apple Filling:
1 1/2 pounds apples (about 3 large), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/8 cup granulated white sugar
1/8 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)

Preparation:
In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds).

Pour water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.
Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.

After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 9 inch circle. Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 6 inch pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan.

Then remove the second round of pastry and roll it into a 9 inch circle.

Make the Apple Filling: In a large bowl combine the sliced apples with the sugars, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours. Then, place the apples and their juices in a strainer that is placed over a large bowl (to capture the juices). Let the apples drain for about 15-30 minutes or until you have about 1/3 cup of juice. Spray a 4 cup heatproof measuring cup with a nonstick vegetable spray, and then pour in the collected juices and the 2 tablespoons  of unsalted butter. Place in the microwave and boil the liquid, on high, about 5 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1/2 cup  and is syrupy and lightly caramelized.  (Alternatively, you could place the juices and butter in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat on the stove.)
 Transfer the drained apples slices to a large bowl and mix them with the cornstarch (corn flour). Then pour the reduced syrup over the apples and toss to combine. Pour the apples and their syrup into the pie crust. Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Using a sharp knife, make five- 2-inch (5 cm) slits from the center of the pie out towards the edge of the pie to allow the steam to escape.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the oven rack at the lowest level and bake for about 30 minutes or until the juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender (not mushy) when a toothpick or sharp knife is inserted through one of the slits. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Coconut Biscuits or Coconut Cookie

Ingredients:
 1 1/4 Cups All-purpose flour
 1/2 Tsp Baking soda
 1/4 Tsp Salt
 1/3 Cup Butter
 1/4 Cup Packed brown sugar
 2/3 Cup White sugar
 1 Egg
 1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract
 1/4 Tsp Coconut Extract (Optional)
 2 Cups Flaked coconut

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) .
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla and coconut extract until light and fluffy. 
Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut flakes. 
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.

Quick Chicken Haleem

Ingredients:
1 lb Chicken drumsticks
1 cup Whole wheat
1/2 cup Masoor dal, Moong dal, Chana dal
1/2 cup Ghee or clarified butter
4 Tbs Shan haleem masala
Chaat masala as per taste
Julien ginger for garnish
Fried onion for garnish
Lemon juice

Preparation:
In a pressure cooker heat up ghee, then add whole chicken drumsticks(no need to cut into pieces).
Then add the shan hallem masala and fry for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile wash the lentils and wheat then add it to the pressure cooker.
Add 4 cups of water and close the lid of the cooker. That's it.
When the cooker whistle once lower the heat to medium low and let it slow cook for 1 hr.
After 1 hr let the pressure go completely then with a potato masher mash the whole haleem and separate the bone from the meat.
If you like to have really paste like consistency then blend it with a hand blender. But I like to mash with a potato masher to have little grainy consistency.
Garnish with fried onion, chat masala, ginger julian and lemon juice.
This is heaven. Sit back and enjoy your haleem.

Chingudi Poi Saga (Shrimp and Oriental Spinach Curry)

Ingredients:
1 Bunch Poi leaves washed separated the leaves from the stem and finely chopped
1/2 Cup Salad shrimp
2 Small Eggplant cut into small dice size
1 Potato cut into small dice size
1 Carrot cut into small dice size
1/2 Cup Pumpkin cut into small dice size
1 Medium Onion diced
1 Medium sized Tomato diced
1 Tbs Ginger garlic paste
1/2 Tbs Coriander powder
1/2 Tbs Cumin powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 Tsp Red Chili powder
Oil and salt as required

Preparation:

In a pan heat up some oil, add 1/2 of the turmeric powder and salt to the shrimp and fry until 80% of the fish is cooked. Keep aside the shrimp fry.
In the same pan heat up some oil, add red chilly powder wait for 5 sec then add onion and fry until onions are fully cooked and get brown in color.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell is gone then add tomato.
Fry the mixture for 2-3 minutes and add all the other masalas along with salt. Fry the mixture till the oil gets separated.
Now add all the vegetable except the oriental spinach leaves and mix the masala with the vegetable properly, then cook covered until vegetables are 80% done.
When the vegetables are 80% done its time to add the spinach leaves to it. Cover and cook until the leaves are done and mixed with the vegetables properly.

Then add shrimp to it and cook it for another 5-7 minutes.
This poi saga goes excellent with rice and dal.