Strawberry Smoothie

Strawberry Smoothie is a healthy and refreshing smoothie that's easy to make and perfect for any time of day.

Ingredients:
Strawberries : 6
Plain Yogurt : 3 tbsp
Milk : 250 ml
Ice cubes : 8
Sugar : 2 tbsp

Method:
Remove the stalks from your strawberries.
To give the drink a thick consistency and keep it cold, freeze the strawberries in advance.
Pour milk, sugar and plain yoghurt into a blender.
Add the frozen strawberries from the freezer and about 8 ice cubes. Put the lid on firmly, and blend until smooth.
Stir with a spatula to ensure the drink is evenly blended.
If the smoothie is too thick, add a little more milk and blend.
Yummy Strawberry Smoothie is ready to enjoy.

Bisi Bele Bhath

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice (uncooked)
3/4 cup Toor Dal (uncooked)
Beans (about 20) cut into half inch pieces
Large carrot: 1 cut into half inch pieces
Small potato: 1 cut into small cubes
2 tsp Tamarind
Few Cashews(optional)
6 cups Water

Masala:
1/2 cup grated Copra or Coconut powder
2 tsp Sambar Powder
2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1" Cinnamon
3-4 Cloves
1 sprig Curry leaves
2 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp Ghee
2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 sprig Curry Leaves
1 tsp Turmeric
Salt for taste

Method:
Fry the masala ingredients except the coconut powder and the sambar powder.
Grind the fried masala ingredients along with coconut powder and sambar masala to a paste with a little water. Set aside.
In a pressure cooker, do the tadka. Add the onion fry for few seconds.
Then fry beans and carrot for a few seconds.
Now add the rice and dal and fry for a few more seconds.
Now put in ground masala, water, tamarind and salt to taste.
Cook in the pressure cooker for 3 whistles. It is a whistle more than when you cook plain dal.
Bisi Bele Bhath is ready! Serve with papad.

Aloo Gobi

Ingredients:
2 cups of cut Cauliflower or Gobi(cut into small florets)
2 medium potatoes peeled (cut into small cubes)
1/2 inch shredded ginger or ginger paste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
2 green chilies, sliced in long pieces
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro (green coriander)
1/4 cup water as needed

Method:
In a small bowl, mix the shredded ginger or ginger paste, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric $and 3 tablespoons of water to make a paste.
Heat the oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds to the oil after seeds crack add the green chilies and stir for a few seconds.
Next, add the spice paste and stir for a minute until spices start leaving the oil.
Add cauliflower, potatoes, 2 tablespoons of water and salt as per your taste. Mix well. Cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Make sure to stir gently every 3 to 4 minutes.
Lastly, add the mango powder and fresh cilantro (green coriander). Mix everything and cover for a minute.
Aloo Gobi is ready to serve.

Paddu or Gundpangli

Paddu or Gundpangli is made with the same batter of dosa but the tava is different. To prepare this we need special paddu tawa.

Ingredients:
Parboiled Rice or Plain Rice : 3 cups
Urad Dal : 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds/menthe kaalu - 1/2 tsp
Salt for taste
Pressed Rice /Avalakki : 1/2 cup OR Puffed Rice/Mandakki/Puri : 1/2 cup
Oil

Method:
Soak rice,urad dal with fenugreek seeds around 5 hours.
Make a smooth paste of this soaked mixture (batter should be like normal dosa batter).
Allow it to ferment for 6-8 hours (I normally keep it overnight)
Add salt to this batter .
Heat the paddu or gundpangli tawa.
Add 2 drops of oil to each of the holes, pour this batter and close with plate or close lid.
After a min, remove the lid and turnover paddu using the wooden stick or a spoon.
Cook on both sides until it turns golden brown.
Serve it hot with a coconut chutney or groundnut chutney of your choice.

Variation:
Onion Paddu / Gundponglu :
Add chopped Onion , Chopped Green Chilli to the paddu batter and make paddus as explained above.

Hot Kachori

Hot Kachori
Ingredients
For cover:
1 1/2 cup plain flour
3 tbsp. oil
salt to taste
cold water to knead dough
For filling:
1 cup yellow moong dal washed and soaked for 1/2 hour
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. dhania (coriander) powder
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds crushed coarsely
1/2 tsp. fennel (saunf) seeds crushed coarsely
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
salt to taste
2-3 pinches asafoetida
1 tbsp. oil
oil to deep fry
1 tbsp. plain flour for patching

Method :
For cover:
Mix flour, salt and oil, knead into soft pliable dough.
Keep aside for 30 minutes.
For filling:
Put plenty of water to boil. Add dal.
Boil dal for 5 minutes, drain.
Cool a little. Heat oil in a heavy pan.
Add all seeds whole and crushed allow to splutter.
Add asafoetida, mix. Add all other ingredients.
Mix well. Do not smash the dal fully.
But enough to make the mixture hold well.
Remove from fire, cool.
Divide into 15 portions.
Shape into balls with greased palms.
Keep aside.
To proceed:
Make a paste with water, of flour for patching.
Keep aside.
Take a pingpong ball sized portion of dough.
Knead into round. Roll into 4" diam. round.
Place one ball of filling at centre.
Pick up round and wrap ball into it like a pouch.
Break off excess dough carefully.
Do not allow cover to tear.
Press the ball with palm, making it flattish and round.
Repeat for 4-5 kachories.
Deep fry in hot oil, on low flame only.
If the kachori get a hole anywhere, apply some paste.
Return to oil and finish frying.
Turn and repeat for other side.
Fry till golden and crisp. Small bubbles must appear over kachori.
Drain and serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys.

Note: Take care to fry on low. Hurried frying will result in soggy and oily kachories.