Chocolate cake with coconut-date topping

Happy Birthday to dear Bharath ! Hope it surprises you.

Egg - Potato Gravy

Ingredients

Eggs - 3

Potatoes - 1 (large) cubed

Onion - 1/2 (large) chopped

Tomato - 1/2 (large) chopped

Mint leaves - 2 tbsp chopped

Tamarind paste - 3-4 tbsp

Jaggery/sugar - 2 tsp

Cilantro Leaves - handful

Oil

Salt

For masala

Onion - 1/2 (large)

Tomato - 1/2 (large)

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

coconut powder - 3-4 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Ginger-garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Peanuts - 2 tbsp

Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Yoghurt - 1 tbsp

Steps

1. Hard boil eggs with some salt in a pot of water. Drain and cool them. and remove hard shell. Halve them and set aside.

2. Grind the masala ingredients into a fine paste.

3. Heat oil in a pot. Add mustard and cumin seeds. After they splutter, add the onions and salt and fry for few minutes. Now add the tomatoes and potatoes and fry them for a few minutes.

4. Add the masala and fry till the raw smell goes away. Now add the mint leaves, tamarind paste and water and cook till the potatoes are tender. Lastly add the jaggery/sugar and cilantro leaves. Turn off the heat.

5. Now add the eggs into the curry and rest for a while so that flavours seep into the eggs. Take care not to mix the curry too much after adding the eggs as it will disrupt the yolks.

6. Serve with white rice or biryani or rotis.

Meal Today: Coconut Rice and Egg-Potato Gravy

Tips

You can fry the whole eggs before adding them to the curry. Also, you can marinate the potatoes in the masala to make them taste better.

Rasmalai

Ingredients

(makes 10-12 pieces)

milk - 7 cups

sugar - 2 cups

water - 3 cups

lemon - 1

cardamom powder - 1/2 tbsp

Chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews)

saffron - few strands

Steps

For the syrup

1. Take a thick bottomed pot and boil 3 cups of milk on medium heat for about half an hour. The milk level should be slightly reduced by now.

2. In a bowl, add about 2 tsp of custard powder with a bit of milk/water and mix it into the pot. Take care that you do not add too much of custard powder and cardamom powder as the milk should not be too thick. The milk should be light yellow in colour. Keep stirring regularly so that the milk does not burn and stick to the bottom. Pour this in a bowl and cool.

For the patties

1. Boil 4 cups of milk in a pot. Squeeze out the lemon juice into a separate bowl.

2. Add the lemon juice to the milk and stir it continuously at the same time. The milk breaks and water will separate. Turn off the heat.

3. strain using a muslin or cotton cloth. Pour some cold water immediately over the paneer and squeeze it thoroughly. Hang the paneer in this cloth for atleast 40 minutesto get rid of the remaining water.

4. Now knead the paneer and make small patties out of it. Pat the edges as they tend to crack up.

For Rasmalai

1. In a pot,boil 3 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Add the paneer patties and boil for 5 minutes. They will swell up.

2. Put them into cold water for a minute or two to stop the cooking process.

3. Now transfer them into the cooled syrup and sprinkle the chopped nuts and saffron on it.

4. Let it rest in the fridge for atleast two hours before serving so that the syrup is absorbed into the rasmalai.

Tips

You can add powdered cashews and almonds to the milk (for the syrup) while boiling and strain it before adding the custard powder. This enhances the flavour further.

Rasmalai tastes very good when you rest it for a few hours after cooking. All the flavours get absorbed by then.

Coconut Rice / Kobbari annam

Ingredients

Grated raw coconut – 1 cup

Coconut milk - 1 cup

Rice - 2 cups

urad dal- 1 tbsp

Green chillies – 4

Ghee- 2 tablespoons

mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

curry leaves - 4-5

Cashew nuts - 6 (broken)

salt

oil

Steps

1. Cook the rice using three cups of water and one cup of coconut milk. Meanwhile, scrape the coconut and keep aside.

2. In a pan, heat some ghee and add the mustard, cumin seeds and curry leaves. After they splutter, add the green chillies, salt, urad dal and cashew nuts.

3. Now turn off the heat, add the coconut scrape and mix well.

3. Now add this to the rice and mix well. Serve with any curry.

Meal Today: Kobbari annam with Egg masala

Tips

You can avoid adding the scraped coconut if you do not like texture to your rice. Instead you can use coconut milk instead of water to boil the rice.

To extract coconut milk - Add hot water to grated coconut and rest it for half an hour. Grind it to a fine paste and strain into a bowl using a muslin or cotton cloth.

Repeat this process of grinding and straining once again.

You can add vegetables and cook this rice.

Ugadi Thali

Greenery in the neighbourhood, fresh blossoms everywhere, jasmines adorning every woman's hair, sparkly clean houses, entrances filled with vibrant rangolis, the aroma of poli and pulihora, the recital of Panchangasravanam can mean only one event - the festival UGADI

Ugadi is a Telugu festival marking the beginning of a new year. While it is called Ugadi in Andhra and Karnataka, it is Gudipadava in Maharashtra. Ugadi is celebrated on the Shukla Paksha of the first month (Chaitra Masam) in the first season of the year i.e. Spring (Vasanta Ritu). It is believed that the creator of the world Lord Brahma started creation on this day - "Chaitra Suddha Padhyami" or the Ugadi day.

Ugadi Pachadi and Poli (bobbattu) are a must on Ugadi. Mango pulihora provides a nice contrast to the poli. Vadalu are made for most festivals. Pappu, Potato talimpu and Poli charu are other mouthwatering dishes that accompany the rice. Finish it off with a glass of majjiga (lassi) to digest everything. Being well-fed, you will find sleep just around the corner and your bed inviting you.

Ugadi Meal : Ugadi pachadi, Poli, Mamidikaya pulihora, minapa vadalu, pappu, bangaladumpa kura, poli charu and majjiga

Ugadi Pachadi

"Ugadi Pachchadi" is a dish that is synonymous with Ugadi. It is traditionally made of shadruchulu (6 tastes) using jaggery from fresh crop of sugarcane, raw mango, neem flowers, chillies, salt and new tamarind. This dish signifies that life is a mixture of good and bad, joy and sorrow and they have to be treated alike.

Medicinally, Ugadi pachadi is a great cleanser. It acts as a prophylactic.

Ingredients

Raw mango - 1 cup (grated)

Jaggery powder - 1 tbsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

neem flowers - 1 tsp

Chilli/pepper powder - 1/4 tbsp

Salt

Steps

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl

Tips

You can add slices of fresh coconut.

If neem flowers are not available, you can use fenugreek powder.

If you like the pachadi to be runny, add some coconut or plain water.

Minapa vada / Urad dal vada

Vadas are a must on any festival. But they don't need an occasion to prepare. They are good for breakfast or snack or just as an accompaniment to another dish. Here is one of the many types of vadas.

Ingredients

Urad dal - 2 cups

Green chilli - 3

sooji - 1 tsp

soda - 1/4 tsp

Whole peppercorns - 2 tsp

Raw coconut slices - 2 tsp

Salt

Oil

Steps

1. Soak the urad dal for 3 to 4 hours.

2. Drain the water and grind the dal, green chillies and salt into a coarse paste. Do not use any water.

3. Rest the vada dough for 20 minutes.

4. Now add the peppercorns, salt, soda and raw coconut slices to the dough and mix well.

5. Heat the oil in a deep pan. Meanwhile, take a plastic sheet and rub it with oil. Apply some oil on your fingers and take a spoonful of dough onto the sheet and make a patty out of it. Put a small hole in the center.

5. Deep fry the vadas in the oil on medium heat. Pat them with a tissue to absorb any extra oil.

Serving ideas

Serve with spicy sambar or chutney or masala curry. Chicken curry makes a good combination with these vadas.

Meal Today: Minapa vadalu with spicy mango chutney

Tips

You can also add onion and green chilli pieces in the dough.

With leftover vadas you can make vada curry.

Dahi vadas are also one way to eat them. Just soak them in hot water for a few seconds and sqeeze the water. This makes them soft. Now put them into seasoned youghurt and let it rest for a few hours so that vadas absorb the curd well.

Fruit salad

Ingredients

Papaya - 2 cups (cubed)

Grapes - handful

Orange - 1

Strawberry - 1/2 box (halved)

salt - 2 pinches

honey - 2 tbsp

chat masala - 1/2 tsp

Steps

In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and toss well.

Mushroom sandwich

Ingredients

Mushrooms - 1/2 pack

Spinach leaves - 6-8

Garlic - 2 cloves (grated)

Tomato slices

French bread

Butter

Salt

Pepper

Steps

1. Slice the mushrooms. Heat some butter in a pan and saute the mushrooms till they are tender. Season them with salt, pepper and garlic.

2. Slice the french bread horizontally and heat toast them with butter on a pan till they are a little brown.

3. Layer the sandwich with spinach leaves, tomato slices and mushrooms.

Tips

You can make this sandwich with lettuce wraps also.

This dish makes an excellent side too.

French onion soup (veggie version)

French onion soup is a rich and classic soup. Traditionally, it is made of beef broth, caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese and white wine. I have tweaked it to suit the Indian plate using mushroom broth instead of beef. The sweetness of the caramelized onions, the earthiness of the mushrooms and the bubbly cheese make it my favourite.

Ingredients

Butter - 1 stick

Onions - 4 (large)

Vegetable broth - 2 cups

Mushroom stock - 2 cups

Garlic - 3 cloves (minced)

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

French Bread Or Baguette

Cheese

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a thick-bottomed pot. Add onions and stir them so that they get covered in the butter. Cook the onions on medium heat for 30 - 40 minutes on medium or low heat till they turn very tender and brown. It is very important that you keep stirring during the cooking process so that the onions won’t stick to the pot and burn. Also, scrape off the brown bits from the pan once in a while. The taste lies in these little brown bits.

2. Meanwhile, you can prepare mushroom broth by boiling them with some butter and water.

3. Now add the vegetable and mushroom broth to the pot and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cut slices from the french bread roll and butter them. Heat them over a pan so that they brown a little and are crisp.

5. Pour some soup into a microwave-safe bowl. Put a piece of the bread on top and sprinkle grated cheeseon it. Broil in the oven until cheese is bubbly. Serve immediately.

Meal Today: French onion soup

Tips

You can first let the onions cook in the oven in a partially covered pot, then put in on a stovetop and cook in the broth.

Cashew nut Halwa

Ingredients

Cashew nuts - 1 cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Milk - 1 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Cardomom powder - 1/2 tsp

Steps

1. Soak the cashew nuts in water for 30 minutes.

2. Grind the cashews, milk and sugar into a paste.

3. Heat the ghee in a pan. Fry a few cashewnuts and set aside.

4. Add the cashew paste and cook it on slow flame till it leaves the sides of the pan and becomes lumpy.

5. Garnish with fried cashews.

Tips

You can use this halwa as a stuffing to make other sweets. For example, cashew puffs and cashew poli.

Poli Chaaru

Poli charu is a festive soup eaten with rice. While making polis the leftover water after boiling the chana dal is used to make this wonderful charu.

Ingredients

Boiled Chanadal water - 2-3 cups

Whole button onions - 4

Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp

Jaggery - 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 2-3

Asafetida - 1 pinch

Rasam powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Oil

Salt

Steps

1. Heat oil in a pot. Add the mustard, cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves. Add the button onions and saute them for few minutes.

2. Add all the powders and fry for a minute.

3. Add the chana dal water, tamarind juice, jaggery and mix well. Bring this to boil. Serve hot with rice.

Meal today: Poli charu annam on a vadiyam

Tips

While making poli or bobbatlu, put aside some of the purnam (chana dal-jaggery stuffing) and mix it instead of jaggery (step 3) with this charu while cooking.

If you mix dal-jaggery into the charu, it will thicken. So depending on how thick you want your charu to be, add or reduce water.

Poli / Bobbattu / Baksham / Holige

Poli - Bobbattu - Baksham - Holige...... the name can be anything. But it tastes the same - heavenly. In AP, these are made especially for Ugadi, the Telugu New year's eve.

I have some 'sweet' memories associated with it. The day before Ugadi, I would be almost as busy as my mom - putting colourful rangolis all around the house, stringing fresh flowers to hang over the doors, setting up the puja mandir and grinding the dal and jaggery in a big mortar for making polis. Yes, we did it the old way and it was fun. My mom and I used to take turns grinding the dal and jaggery and talk about everything under the sun during that time - so busy yet so relaxed and talking.

To bring some of the past sweetness into the present, I've made all sorts of polis which I've listed at the end. But in my home, the most traditional and original one is the chana dal poli my mom makes on Ugadi which I've listed here.

Ingredients

Chana Dal - 1 cups

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Grated Jaggery - 1/2 cup

All purpose flour (maida)- 1 Cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 pinch

Oil

Ghee/Butter - 1/2 cup

Steps

2 hrs before..

1. Make a soft dough of Maida with ghee/butter and water. Knead it well and rest it for 2-3 hours. It should be sticky.

2. Soak the chana dal for 1/2 hr.

1 hr before..

1. Pressure cook channa dal till it turns very soft. Drain the dal and grind to a smooth paste. Keep the drained water aside. It can be used to make a delicious rasam called poli charu or bakshala rasam.

2. Heat a pot and add the ground dal paste, coconut powder, cadamom powder and powdered jaggery. Cook till all the moisture is gone and they form a thick lump. Add cardamom powder, mix well and let it cool.

Prepare small lemon sized rounds for stuffing and Keep aside.

Take a plastic sheet or banana leaf smeared with oil. Place a medium sized round of maida dough and flatten it like small puri. Place the dal-jaggery stuffing in the center and close with maida dough from all sides. Roll out again like parathas.

On low heat, roast the polis on both sides till you see brown spots. You can use ghee or oil while doing this.

Serving ideas

Serve the poli with a small cup of ghee or milk.

Meal Today: Polilu smeared with desi ghee

Tips

.. For soft polis make sure you rest the dough well and get rid of moisture in the filling.

.. You can make the polis with tuvar dal or moong dal or a mixture of any of these (chana,moong,tuvar) dals.

.. Get creative and try out different fillings. For example you can make many alternative polis like -

Mango poli (Mix mango pulp while cooking the dal and jaggery in step 3)

Kesari poli (Instead of the dal-jaggery-coconut filling use rava kesari)

Carrot poli (Carrot halwa filling)

Almond/cashew poli (use almond/cashew halwa as filling)

Til (Sesame) poli ( pound the sesame seeds and jaggery together)

.. For a healthier version, use wheat flour for the dough and mix freshly grated coconut and honey to make instant stuffing. This Coconut-honey poli is fast, easy and healthy.