Maladdu

Ingredients:

Pottukadalai / Split chickpea - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 1
Cashews - 8-10

Method:

1. Dry roast pottukadalai for 3-4 minutes om medium heat till its raw smell is gone. Powder it in a mixie. Keep aside.
2. Now powder sugar and cardamom and keep aside.
3. Melt the ghee in a small skillet and fry the cashews.
4. In a bowl, add the powder pottukadalai, sugar and cashews. Give it a mix. Now slowly add melted ghee to this and mix well. Make small balls when the mixture is still warm.

Apple muffin from pancake mix

Ingredients:

Pancake or waffle mix  - 1 cup
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Brown sugar - 1/3 cup , packed
Sugar - 1/3 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1 cup
Oil - 1/3 cup
Egg - 1
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Apple - 1, peeled,cored and chopped

Topping

Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 3 tsp


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the muffin tray or line the muffin tray with cups.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, pancake mix, all purpose flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon powder.
3. In another small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients( milk, oil, egg and vanilla essence).
4. Pour the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients . Mix gently until the ingredients are well combined.
5. Add the chopped apples and mix together. Pour the batter into muffin cups till 3/4th of the cup.
6. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle 1 tsp of it over the muffin .
7. Bake to 15- 20 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Paneer Jalfrezi

Recipe adapted from Edible garden

Ingredients:

Paneer - 1 cup, cubed
Onion- 1 , thinly sliced
Carrot - 1, cut into long slices
Capsicum - 1 cup , cut into long slices
Tomato  - 1, pureed
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Oil - 2-3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp, crushed
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a pan, heat 1-2 tsp of oil, and fry the paneer cubes till lightly browned on the sides. Keep aside.
2. Return the pan to heat. Add the remaining oil and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds splutter , add onions and saute till it turns translucent. Now add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute or two.
3. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder and fry for a minute.
4. Add the pureed tomato, capsicum and carrots and 1 cup of water.
5. Mix well and cook for about 5 minutes on medium flame till the carrots are cooked.
6. Now add the paneer cubes and cook for another 3-5 minutes till the gravy has become thick.
7. Add kasuri methi and switch off the flame .

Serve hot with roti/chapathi.

Homemade sambar powder

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds - 2 cups

Whole dried red chilly - 4 cups

Toor dal - 3/4 cup

Channa dal / Split chick peas - 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder - 2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp

Black pepper corns -  1 tbsp

Jeera / Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp powder or a small piece

Oil - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. In a pan, dry roast all the ingredients separately.First dry roast toor dal and channa dal on low heat till it starts changing colour to golden brown. Remove and keep aside.

2. Then roast coriander seeds for about 5 minutes. Keep aside.

3. Now add fenugreek seeds and roast for 2-3 minutes till it starts changing color. Keep aside.

4. Next roast jeera, pepper corns and asafoetida for a couple of minutes. Keep aside.

5. Lastly , add 1/2 tsp of oil and fry the red chilly for a minute . Remove and keep aside.

6. Allow all the ingredients to cool completely. Then mix everything together and grind it in a mixer or coffee grinder in batches.

7. Store it in an air tight container.

Notes. 

- Sambar powder stays good in freezer for about a year.