Mango pachidi

From an email from my mom...:

Raw green mango. 1 large - peel and chop


Jaggery or Vellam. 1/2 volume of mango or more if you want it sweet

Green chillies. 1

Mustard seeds, 1 tsp 

Sesame oil or ghee. 1 tsp

urad dal 1 TBS 

curry leaves. 10.


Fry mango in the oil with , mustard, udad, salt and curry leaves for 2 minutes
Add little water , let mango become soft but not break. Keep aside. Add 1/2 cup of water to gud (vellam)
Let it become thick but not caramelized (paagu) !! Add all, boil for a mt, add little salt in the end .

My note : I always forget the salt!!  

Pad Thai

http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/06/a-favorite-thai-stir-fry-noodle-dish-at-home-pad-thai-recipe/

Ingredients:
For the sauce -
1. 1 cup tamarind
2. 1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
3. 4 fat cloves garlic chopped
4. 2 tsp Red chili powder
5. 2 TBS soy sauce
6. Thai chili garlic sauce - 1/2 cup (optional)
Method:
Cook the above together in a pan on low flame.

Noodle -
1. Pad thai rice noodles - 4 oz packet
Method:
Bring water to a boil. Add the noodles and let it boil for 5 mins. Turn gas off drain.

Veggies and protein -
1. 1 packet firm tofu, sliced into cubes.
2. 4 medium carrots grated
3. 1 medium red onion
4. 4 fat cloves garlic chopped
5. Green onion 1 bunch chopped
6. Small amount sesame or canola oil
7. 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped.
8. 1/2 a fat lemon, juiced.
9. Sprouted green moong, 1 cup.
Method:
Saute in oil, the garlic and 2 kinds of onion (red first, until it gets translucent).  Then saute carrots, and then at the end, tofu.  Add cilantro at the end.

Mix these three things together (Sauce, noodle, veggies and protein).  Cook a little, turn gas off and add salt and lemon juice to taste (I used juice of half a fat lemon).

Celery Peas soup

http://chefatwork.blogspot.com/2009/05/leek-and-celery-soup.html

This soup was inspired by the one from Arundhati's above.

Ingredients:
1 cup celery
7 leaves basil (large)
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 TBS sesame oil
1 cup fat free milk
salt and lots of black pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cups frozen peas
1 tsp unsalted butter (optional).

Method:
Saute in the oil, the crushed garlic, and chopped red onion, and the basil leaves.

Once it is translucent, add the celery.

Saute a bit and add 2 cups water and 2 cups frozen peas. Let water reduce to about a cup.

Add pepper (lots) and salt and pressure cook for 3 whistles in the 1 cup water with load.

When opened, add 1 cup milk and bring to boil.  Add salt.

Add butter (1 tsp)

Cooking Basmati Rice on stove top

From http://www.vegetarian-cooking-recipes-tips.com/how-to-cook-basmati-rice.html

Cooking basmati rice over a stove top

Ingredients for 3 servings of basmati rice:

• basmati rice - 1 cup.
• Water - 1 3/4 cup.
• Salt (optional)- 1/4 tsp.

Preparation :

• Note : I found this recipe online, and it seems to work perfectly each time.  Specially for pulao.  1 cup of rice is not a huge amount and could get spread too thin if the pan is of a large diameter.  Also, watch for water starting to boil, and turn gas to low at once.  Further, you might need to add more water (1/2 cup or so) if it starts to look too dry.  Do not stir the contents...
• 
  
• Cooking Method

Use a heavy bottomed deep pan or pot which has a good lid. This will ensure that the rice will cook evenly. If you use a thin pot, the rice may not get cooked properly at the top while it will be done at the bottom.

1. In a medium sized heavy bottomed pan, add water, the washed and soaked rice, salt.
2. Bring to boil. Put a lid in such a way that a little steam can escape easily and reduce flame to lowest.
3. Let cook for 15 minutes.
4. Switch the stove off. Close the lid properly and let the pot sit without opening the lid for 10-15 minutes. The rice will be completely cooked by then. Lightly fluff it with a fork and serve hot with any curry or dal.

Tips for cooking rice

1. Care should be taken not to stir the rice vigoriously while it is cooking as that may break the grains.
2. Handle the rice carefully after the it is cooked completely. It will become mushy as the grains will break otherwise.

Read more:http://www.vegetarian-cooking-recipes-tips.com/how-to-cook-basmati-rice.html#ixzz25nZRK4eP

Pottukadalai (dalia split) chutney

Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen coconut (Indian store)
1 cup pottukadalai (dry dalia split)
1 cup cilantro
2 green chilies
heeng to taste
3 TBS udad dal
3 TBS channa dal
15 curry leaves
1 tsp mango powder (aamchur) or 1/2 tsp tamarind paste

Method:
1. Fry udad and channa with heeng and curry leaves.
2. Grind the above, and all other ingredients with salt

Lemon Pickle

Ingredients:
(to make 3 cups pickle)

1. Citrus california lemons (yellow - we got it at HEB) - 4
(Can make it with green limes too - more bitter).
2. Turmeric - 1 tsp
3. Asafoetida - 1 tsp
4. Sesame oil (Idayam Nallennai) - 6 TBS
5. Pickle masala - 3TBS (Stores for 6 years! It's just 1/3 black mustard seeds, 1/3 dried red chili, 1/3 fenugreek seeds).
6. Black mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:
Cut lemons into small pieces.
Heat oil. Add mustard seeds.
Mix lemon pieces, turmeric, salt, and asafoetida.
Keep sauteing in oil until it is cooked soft. Turn off flame.
Cool.
Add pickle masala.
Bottle it in a clean dry bottle.

Amma's Kurma

Ingredients:

Dry masala powder:
Dhania seeds : 3tsp
Jeera seeds : 2 tsp
Black Pepper : 1 tsp
Saunf (fennel seeds) : 4 tsp
Bay leaves (big) : 5
Pineapple seeds (star anise) : 2
Cloves : 5
Cinnamon : one 1-inch stick

For paste:
Cashew (full) : 20
Grind Green chili (small) : 4

Ginger (grated) : 4 TBS

Veggies:
Cut green beans : 1 cup
Chopped arrots : 1/2 cup
Green peas (frozen) : 1 cup
Potato cubed : 1 cup
Chopped cilantro : to taste
1% milk : 1.5 cup


Grind dry ingredients to powder and keep aside.

Soak cashews in hot water for 10 mins.  Grind with chilis and ginger, to paste.

Boil veggies with salt.  No turmeric (you want the final result white/green).  Add masala powder after it all cooks.   Keep boiling, 10 more mins.  Add paste.  Allow to thicken.  1.5 cups 1% milk (or half cup cream). Allow to come to boil.  Add chopped cilantro.