Carrot Salad

2 Cups Carrots, Grated (About 2 and 1/2 Large)
2 Tbsp Water

Add carrot, water to pan, close and cook for 3 minutes in high flame and switch off the stove.

1/4 Cup Big Onion Chopped
1 Serrano Pepper, Seeded and Finely Chopped.

1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper Powder
1/4 Tsp Cumin Powder

1/4 cup Coconut Grated
2 String Cilantro Leaves Chopped
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Raisins
2 Tbsp Peanut - Dry Roasted and Coarsely Ground

Mix all the above with boiled carrot.

Taste Note: Tastes GREAT.
Yields: 2 and 1/2 Cups
Source: Dr. Nivetha, owner of Padmasoorya Naturopathy and Yoga Hospital

Peas Pulav

2 Cups Hand Pound Rice

Wash and soak rice in water for 30 minutes, drain well and keep aside.

2 Tbsp Ghee
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

1 Bay Leaf
1" Cinnamon Stick
2 Green Cardamom
2 Cloves

1/2 Cup Onion, Thinly Sliced
4 Serrano Peppers, Chopped into 2 Lengthwise Pieces

1 and 1/2 Cups Frozen Peas

Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, when it starts to crackle, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom, clove, saute till nice aroma comes.

Add onion, serrano peppers, saute till onion turns light brown.

Add frozen peas, saute for a minute.

Add drained rice and mix well.

Add this to the rice cooker.

2 and 3/4 Tsp Salt
4 Cups Water

Mix Salt and water to the rice cooker, keep the setting at white rice, once the rice is cooked, open the rice cooker, DO NOT mix immediately, allow it to cool a bit and then mix well.

Yields: 9 cups
Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME

Bitter Gourd Fry

2 Tbsp Oil
4 Cups Bitter Gourd, Thinly Sliced (about thin 6 Bitter Gourds)

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
1 Tsp Cumin Powder
2 Tsp Coriander Powder
1 Tsp Fennel Seeds
1/4 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/8 Tsp Asafoetida
3/4 Tsp Salt

Grind all the above to make powder in magic bullet. If you have fennel powder, you don't have to powder everything, since I had only fennel seeds, i powdered everything.

Heat oil in a pan, add sliced bitter gourd for 25 minutes in medium to low flame (I did 5 minutes in medium flame, 7 minutes in low and 10 minutes in medium flame and 3 minutes in high flame), slices should be lightly browned.

1 Tbsp Oil

Add the ground powders, oil, saute in low flame for 5 minutes and medium flame for 10 minutes, kept in high for 1 minute in the middle of frying.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME
Serves: 4
Yields: 1 and 1/2 Cups
Source: vegrecipesofindia

Italian Eggplant Poriyal

3 Red Chilies
1 Tbsp Garlic, Chopped
1 Tsp Fennel Seeds
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Water

Grind all the above to make fine paste

2 Tbsp Oil
1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds
1 Sprig Curry Leaves
1 Large Italian Eggplant ( 4 and 3/4 Cups Chopped)

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Water

2 Tbsp Cilantro, Chopped

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, when it starts to splutter, add curry leaves, saute for a minute. Add chopped eggplants, salt and saute for 3 minutes in medium flame.

Add ground paste, saute for 2 more minutes in medium flame.

Add water, mix, close the pan and cook for 8 more minutes.

Add cilantro leaves, mix well.

Taste Note: Tastes GREAT

Yields: 1 and 3/4 Cup

Source: naliniscooking

Black Pepper Mushroom

1 Tbsp Whole Black Pepper (2 tbsp) Yields: 2 tbsp + 1 tsp coarsely ground

Dry roast whole black pepper for 2 to 3 minutes, take it out, coarsely powder it with mortar and pestle.

1 Tbsp Oil (2 tbsp)
1/2 Tsp Fennel Seeds (1 tsp)
1 Sprig Curry Leaves

1 Cup Big Onion, Thinly Sliced (2 cups)
1/2 Tsp Ginger, Grated (1/2 tbsp)
1/2 Tsp Garlic, Grated (1/2 tbsp)

When I cooked with Costco mushroom pack, I added 1 pound and 2.73 ounces bell pepper - red, yellow, orange and green bell peppers
1/4 Red Bell Pepper, Julienned
1/4 Orange Bell Pepper, Julienned
1/4 Yellow Bell Pepper, Julienned

8 Oz White Mushroom, Chopped (3 Cups Chopped) (24 ounces, Costco Pack)

1/2 Tsp Coriander Powder (1/2 tbsp)
1/4 Tsp Garam Masala Powder (1/2 tsp)

Heat oil in a pan, add fennel seeds, curry leaves and saute for a minute.

Add onion, saute till onion turns light brown, about 5 minutes in medium flame. Add  ginger and garlic, scute for a minute.

Add bell peppers, saute for 5 minutes in medium flame.

Add mushroom, saute for 5 minutes in medium flame.

Add freshly ground black pepper powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and mix well.

Close the pan and cook for 5 minutes in medium flame.

3/4 Tsp Salt (2 tsp)
Cilantro Leaves, Chopped, to Garnish

Add salt, mix well, switch off the stove and mix with cilantro.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME
Yields: 1 and 1/2 Cups
Source: sharmispassions

Tomato Chutney

1 Tbsp Oil
1/4 Tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 Cup Shallots, Chopped
2 Serrano Peppers, Chopped
1 Sprig Curry Leaves

3 Cups Tomatoes, Chopped
1 and 1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cups Water

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it starts to splutter, add shallots, serrano peppers, curry leaves, saute till the color of the onion changes.

Add tomatoes, salt, water, mix well, close the pan, allow it to cook for 10 minutes in medium flame.

Once its cooked, filter the water and mash the tomatoes with potato masher, add the water back and mix well.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME, really great with dosa.
Source: Mom
Yields: ? Cups (Measure it next time)

Beetroot Pulav

2 Cups Hand pound Rice (3 cups)
5 Cups Water (7 and 1/2 cups)

Cook rice in pressure cooker, allow it to cool.

1/4 Cup Coconut (1/2 cup)

2 Tsp Coriander Seeds (3 tsp)

4 Tsp Garlic, Grated (8 Garlic Cloves)

1 Tsp Ginger, Grated

1 Tsp Poppy Seeds

5 Serrano Peppers / 6 Green Chilies (8 medium red chilies)

1/2 Cup Water

Grind All the above.

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

1 Tsp Cumin Seeds (1/2 tbsp)

1/3 Cup Broken Cashew Nuts

1/2 Cup Shallots, Chopped Lengthwise

1 Spring Curry Leaves

1/4 Tsp Garam Masala (1/2 tsp)

4 Cups Beetroot, Grated (4 X-Small Beet or 3 Medium Beet) (6 cups)

Beetroot Stems, Finely Chopped (If you have it)

Beetroot Greens, Finely Chopped (If you have it)

1 Cup Green Peas (1 and 1/2 cups)

1 Tbsp + 1/4 Tsp Salt (1 and 1/2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp)

1/4 Cup Water

1/3 Cup Cilantro, Chopped to Garnish

Heat Oil in pan, add Cumin Seeds and Cashew Nuts, fry till cashew nuts becomes light brown.

Add shallots and fry till the color of the shallots changes.

Add Curry Leaves and Garam Masala and fry for a minute.

Add Grinded mixture, Grated Beet, Beet Stems, Green Peas, Salt and Water. Let it cook for 10 minutes in medium flame. Add Beet Greens and cook for another 5 minutes.

Mix cooked rice to the beet and mix well.

Mix with Cilantro.

Taste Note: Tastes Awesome.

Note: DO NOT MAKE THIS IN RICE COOKER, it looses the pretty dark red color. I forgot to take the picture of the pulav, will post it when I prepare it next time.

Yields: 10 Cups (17 and 1/2 cups)