Gourmet Veggie Pizza

About the recipe:
Making pizza from scratch is simply awesome. So here it is. Divertiti, enjoy! Makes 2 pizzas. 

Pizza Dough:
Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
• a pinch of sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 4 gms of dried baker's yeast (or half a sachet)
• 2 tbsp olive oil or any cooking oil
• Mix the sugar, warm water and yeast in a bowl and keep aside for 5 minutes. You'll notice that the mixture has turned frothy. Next, mix the salt and flour evenly. 

Pour the liquid mixture that you rested previously and knead well to form a soft, stretchy dough, takes roughly about 7-10 minutes. Add the olive oil to finish off the dough. Cover with cling wrap and place it for about 45 mins in a warm place. You'll notice that the dough has doubled in size. 

Pizza Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 2 large tomatoes
• 3-4 garlic cloves - finely chopped
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt to taste
• 3 red chillies - chopped

Heat oil in a pan, sautee the chillies and the garlic. Immerse the tomatoes in boiling water (tip: mark a shallow cross at the bottom before immersing) for a minute. Peel the skin off and mash with the back of a fork. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients. You may add some water if the sauce is too thick. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes and you'll notice the sauce thickening. 

Preheat the oven to 250C. Line your tray with foil and smear with oil. 

Divide the dough into half. Spread one half of it using a rolling pin or with bare hands into a base of desired shape about 1/4 inch thick. Leave it a bit thicker - 1/2 inch if you like a thicker crust. Smear some olive oil on top and add the tomato sauce. 
You may opt to store the remaining half of the dough in the freezer for a couple of days. However, do remember to leave it out for a couple of hours before you roll it. 

Toppings:

Add your choice of toppings. 
I normally pick from:

• Onion
• Capsicum
• Tomato
• Garlic
• Mozzarella / Bocconcini
• Corn
• Olives
• Spinach /Basil
• Topped with some grated 
• pizza cheese 

Leave it in the oven for about 12-15 minutes in the bottom most tray until the cheese melts, crust is crispy and the sides golden in color. Serve piping hot. Mmmmmm.....

Chunky Guacamole

About the recipe:
This was my reason to visit Chipotle often. Now I make it in the comfort of my home.

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1 shallot - finely chopped
• 1 small tomato - finely chopped
• 1 tsp lemon juice 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Halve the avocado and scoop the flesh into a bowl discarding the stone and the peel. Mash it up with the back of a fork, don't overdo it. It tastes best when chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. 

Optional toppings: 

• Cilantro/Coriander - a few sprigs
• Chillies - finely chopped

This tastes best with nachos or a slice of toast mmmmmmm..

Adai/ Lentil Crepes

About the recipe:
This healthy and filling snack is my most favorite breakfast option. 

Ingredients:

• Toor dal, - 3/4 cup
• Channa dal - 3/4 cup
• Moong dal - 1/4 cup
• Urad dal - 1/4 cup 
• Idli rice - 2 cups
• Red chillies - 13 nos. 
• Ginger

Soak the above in water for 2 hours and grind coarsely to form the batter. Add salt to taste. 

For Seasoning: 

• Jeera - spoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
• Hing
• Curry leaves - few
• Oil

Heat oil in a small pan, add the above ingredients and once the mustard and jeera splutter add the rest of the ingredients. Add this seasoning to the batter. 

Additional toppings: 

• Onion - 2-3 finely chopped
• Coriander - a few sprigs
• Ginger - 1 piece

Chop the above and add to the batter. 

Heat a flat pan/ tava and take a ladle of this mixture to make a flat dosa like shape. This will be thicker than a normal dosa. Add oil on sides to roast, cook each side for about 1 minute and flip sides until it turns golden brown. 

This tastes best when served piping hot with coconut chutney, a piece of jaggery and a dollop of amul butter! 

Spicy Lemon Rasam

About the recipe:
This aromatic,tangy Indian soup is the ultimate accompaniment to steamed rice on a nice rainy day! 

Ingredients:

• Oil
• Toor dal, - 2tsbsp (boiled)
• Tomatoes - 2 
• Juice of 1 lemon 
• Coriander powder - 1 spoon
• Coriander leaves to garnish
• Salt to taste

For Masala: 

• Black pepper corn - 1 tbsp
• Jeera - 1 tbsp
• Hing
• Curry leaves - few
• Garlic - 2 pods

Coarsely grind the above

How to:

• Pressure cook the toor dal with some turmeric and mash well
• Mash the tomatoes well
• In a pan add the above 2 ingredients then add coriander powder and the ground masala
• Add water to adjust the consistency
• Add salt and turn off the heat as soon as it turns to a boil. Boiling it too much might in fact turn it bitter. 

For seasoning:

• Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
• Jeera - 1spoon
• Curry leaves - few
• Hing (Asafoetida) - a pinch
• Red chillies - 2
• Oil for tempering

Heat oil, add the above ingredients to prepare the seasoning and add this to the rasam after turning off the heat. 

Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and add juice of 1 lemon for the tangy flavor. 

Masala Potato Mash

About the recipe:
My take on a south Indian potato poriyal, I like to mash it now and then as it incorporates the masala evenly. Hope you give it a try!


Ingredients:

• Potatoes (any kind really, I used red potatoes)- 3
• Onion- 1
• Green Chilli (Serrano peppers in the US)- 1 large
• Tomatoes diced - 2
• Garlic/Garlic paste -1 tsp
• Oil - enough to saute onions

Seasoning:

• Split urad dal (for crunch)
• Black Mustard seeds
• Red chilli powder  - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder -1 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves -  about 10
• Tomato ketchup -1 tsp 
• Salt to taste

How to:

• Boil potatoes 
• Mash boiled potatoes, keep aside
• Heat oil in a pan, add urad dal, mustard, green chillis and ginger garlic paste
• Stir for a few secs till raw garlic smell is gone
• Add onions and wilt them, you can add a bit of sugar to speed up the caramelization
• Spices in, stir.
• Tomatoes in, integrate with masala and stew till a paste is formed
• Add curry leaves
• Add a dash of tomato ketchup, stir
• Add potatoes and vigorously mix the masala with the potato
• Cook for 2 min and remove.
• Serve hot with rice and sambar.

Tomato Thokku

About the recipe:
A spicy, versatile chutney that goes with just about anything!

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 3
Red chilly powder  - 1 spoon 


Seasoning:
Oil - 2 spoons
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Turmeric - 1 spoon
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt to taste


How to:
Blanch the tomatoes for just about 5 minutes or less until the skin cracks. Peel off the skin and grind it to a puree. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter and add the curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric and red chilly powder. Add the tomato puree and cook on low flame for a few minutes until the oil separates. It is done when the mixture thickens. Add some salt to taste. 
Goes well with idli, dosa, bread or just mix it with steamed rice and a dab of ghee! 

Spinach and yogurt dip

About the recipe:
This is my innovative recipe. Cool and absolutely refreshing for a warm summer afternoon. 

Ingredients:
Spinach - 1 bunch
Green chilly  - 2 nos. 
Onion - 1 medium
Yogurt - 2 tablespoons


Seasoning:
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Oil - 1 spoon
Garlic - 2 pods
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt to taste


How to:
Blanch the spinach for just about 3 minutes. Overdoing will rob it of its valuable nutrients and give you a soggy mess in the name of Spinach. Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin and mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter and add the onions, asafoetida, toss in the garlic and remove from heat. Grind this mixture along with the spinach, yogurt to a rich creamy consistency like the one showed in the picture blow. Add some salt to taste. 
Goes well with fresh cut veggies, nachos, chips, french fries or just mix it with rice! 

Sambhar Podi/Powder

About the recipe:
The Sambhar podi is the most crucial ingredient that can decide the fate of your Sambhar. Different people have different versions of the Sambhar podi, this one is from my Mom's kitchen and on the request of a number of friends who love the taste of my Sambhar I have included the much coveted recipe here! 
Please note: This is the recipe of the Sambhar powder and not the actual Sambhar. That should follow sometime soon. 
The quantities given below are for 1/2 kg worth of Sambhar podi which can last easily for a couple of months. 

Ingredients:
Dhania/ Coriander seeds - 1/2 Kg
Red chilly (long ones) - 250 gms
Tur dal - 50 gms
Channa dal - 50 gms
Urad dal - 50 gms
Hing (asafoetida) - a bit
Rice - 25 gms
Peppercorn - 100 gms
Methi/ Fenugreek seeds - 25 gms
Turmeric pieces/powder- 100 gms
Cumin seeds - 50 gms

How to:
Dry all the above mentioned items in the sun for a day or two depending upon how much sunlight you have access to - keep the chilly separate and the others you could dry them together
If you live in a place where you just don't have enough sunlight you could even dry roast the ingredients - a compromise
Gather them all and grind them to a fine powder either at your local flour mill or at home
Use this to make yummy vegetable sambhar! 
Tip: For that extra aroma roast a bunch curry leaves and add to the mixture before you grind them all. 

Yellu (or Ellu) Podi (Sesame aka Til Powder)

About the recipe:
This one too is from my Mom's collection! A very yummy accompaniment to plain rice served hot with ghee. 



Ingredients:
Black sesame seeds/ Til - 100 gms
Urad dal/ Black gram - 2 spoons
Red chilly - 10 nos.


Seasoning:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 3,4 numbers
Asafoetida/Hing - a very small piece
Salt to taste


How to:
Roast the red chillies in oil and keep aside
Dry roast (no oil) the sesame seeds and keep aside
Roast the other ingredients in the remaining oil - the dal, curry leaves and asafoetida together and keep side
Coarsely grind the dal, chilly, curry leaf and asafoetida mixture first and finally add the sesame seeds for one final whirl before you end.
Add salt in the end and mix well. Goes well with steaming hot rice and a blob of ghee/ clarified butter! 
When stored appropriately it stays for over a month. 
Bon appetit! 

Healthy Cabbage Soup

About the recipe:
Here's a simple,healthy and low-maintenance soup that wont make you wash a bunch of vessels or smoke up your kitchen.Great if you're trying to lose weight/watch your cholesterol. Note: This is a very mild soup,if you want something spicy this is not for you!


Ingredients:
You can use whatever veggies you have, so its a great leftover-utilization dish. And please don't use the frozen stuff as there is very little seasoning all the taste comes from the veggies, so the higher quality veggies you use, the better results you will get. Here's what I used:
(All cut bite sized )

• Carrots - 3
• Cabbage - Half a head
• Green Peppers(Capsicum) - 1 large
• Spring onions(scallions) - 6
• Tomatoes - 3 medium
• Celery - 3 stalks
• Baby Bok Choy - 1lb or how much ever you have (optional)
• Mushrooms-0.5 lbs or how much ever you have (optional, I used a combination of Shiitake and Baby Bella)
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Oil - 1 tsp or less 
• Vegetable stock - as per your level of "soupiness"! Usually at least 500ml. (Water would also work)

Seasoning:

• Bay leaves -2
• Thyme - Fresh is best,dried also works, season to your choice.
• Fresh ground pepper (normal pepper also works fine)
• Salt

How to:

• Heat oil in stock pot or large pot
• Add garlic and bay leaf, saute for a min.
• Add spring onion,saute for a min.
• Dump all other ingredients and add good amount of stock.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 2 hours or so with stirring maybe once in the middle.
• Go watch TV.
• Serve hot.

Bitter Gourd Fry/ Pavvakkai Varuval

About the recipe:
One of the best ways to make this dish taste a little less bitter and without too much oil. Bitter gourd has excellent medicinal values and is supposed to be very good for diabetics. 


Ingredients:
Sliced bitter gourd - 2
Tomato - 1, large
Garlic - 3,4 cloves
Oil - 2 tbsp


Seasoning:
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - 3,4 numbers
Chilly powder - 1 spoon
Turmeric powder - half a spoon
Coriander/ Cilantro for garnishing

How to:
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. When hot add the mustard and cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir fry. Next add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Throw in the sliced bitter gourd, turmeric and chilly powder. Add salt to taste. Sprinkle a little water and cover the pan with a lid so that they cook in the steam without much water. Open the lid and check after 5-6 minutes, stir it once in a while and repeat until well done. This might take about 10-12 minutes as bitter gourd have a thick pointy skin which we have retained in this recipe. 
Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and stir fry without the lid this time for 1-2 minutes for the finishing touch. 
Top it with finely chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves . 
Tastes best with curd rice :)

Potato Fry/ Oorulaikazhangu Varuval

About the recipe:
A traditional South Indian (read Tamil) side dish. I have very fond memories of my mum packing lunch for school with rice, sambar, curd and oorulaikazhangu varuval! It still remains one of our favorite curries at home. Very few people I know can recreate the magic of my mum, let's just say I tried my best!   

Ingredients:
Half boiled potatoes - 2, large
Garlic - 3,4 cloves
Oil - 2 tbsp


Seasoning:
Salt to taste
A little pepper
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - 3,4 numbers
Chilly powder - 1 spoon
Turmeric powder - half a spoon
Coriander/ Cilantro for garnishing

How to:
Peel the half- boiled potatoes and dice them. The reason I've mentioned half-boiled is because completely boiled potatoes might get squashed and don't quite taste the same way we intend this recipe to. Raw potatoes will take a long time to cook this way. 
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. When hot add the mustard and cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir fry. Next add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Throw in the diced potatoes, turmeric and chilly powder. Add salt to taste. Sprinkle a little water and cover the pan with a lid so that the potatoes cook in the steam without much water. Open the lid and check after 4-5 minutes, stir it once in a while and repeat until well done and looks golden in color. 
Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and stir fry without the lid this time for 1-2 minutes for the finishing touch. 
Top it with some crushed black pepper and finely chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves . 
Tastes best with curd rice :)

Tomato Chutney

About the recipe:
This one is from my Mom's collection! One of those innumerable recipes that she's dictated over phone to me. 

Upside:
If you are craving something tangy - this is it. 

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 4, medium 


Seasoning:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Curry leaves - 3,4 numbers
Asafoetida - a very tiny bit
Chilly powder - 1 spoon
Salt to taste
A little pepper


How to:
Boil the tomatoes with enough water to submerge them until the skin cracks. Peel off the skin from the tomatoes. It should be pretty easy now after boiling. Grind the peeled tomatoes with chilly powder and salt into a fine paste with perhaps a little water. 
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds in that order and allow them to splutter. Add the pinched curry leaves and the asafoetida. Add the tomato paste to this seasoning and cook on a low flame for 2-3 minutes and watch it thicken. Sprinkle a little pepper if you please :) 
Goes well with steaming hot idlis or nachos! 

 

Pineapple Raita

About the recipe:
This is easily one of the yummiest raitas I've had and a very popular one especially in all the potlucks I've hosted or been a part of at school. 

Upside:
Very quick

Ingredients:
Finely chopped:
Onion - 1 large
Tomato - 1 
Cucumber - 1
Pineapple- fresh or canned - 3 slices
Fresh yogurt - 1 cup
Water


Seasoning:
Salt to taste
A little pepper
Coriander/ Cilantro for garnishing

How to:
Mix all the chopped vegetables and the pineapple along with the yogurt. Add a little water to dilute it just enough that it looks like a sauce but not too runny. Add a pinch of salt, black pepper and finely chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves . 
Tastes best with Indian fare like a Biryani, Pulao, Fried rice and the likes. 

Baked Potato Wedges

About the recipe:
I invented this recipe on one such boring day when I craved something sinful but without having to spend an extra hour at the gym.

Upside:
Baked and hence healthy
Easy to customize - throw in some cheese, parsley, bbq sauce, cajun - anything you wish!

Ingredients:
Big sized potatoes, peeled - 3
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Seasoning:
Salt to taste
A little pepper
Chilly powder/ any flavoring paste or seasoning - 1 teaspoon

How to:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking dish with a spoon of oil. Chop the peeled potatoes like wedges and add them to the dish. Mix the seasonings in a bowl and add them to the dish, mixing them well. Alternatively, you could mix the potatoes with the seasoning in a big bowl and toss them over to the baking dish. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over it. Add the remaining oil evenly over this mixture. Bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes and you have a wonderful snack to munch on without worrying about your waistline! 

Parsley Tomato Salad

About the recipe:
I first tasted this dish at a friend's (Vidya) place while we were students at ASU. I was immediately in love with this salad. The freshness and tangy flavor makes it a delectable addition to any meal.

Upside:
Really simple ingredients
Takes hardly 5 minutes to get this done
Healthy

Ingredients:
Finely chopped parsley - 2 bunches
Finely chopped tomatoes - 2 medium
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Seasoning:
Salt to taste
A little pepper

How to:
Mix the chopped parsley and tomato in a bowl. Flavor with salt, pepper and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Toss it lightly and it's ready!