Uzhunnu Vada

Ingredients

1. Urad Dal -2cups 
2. Onion - 1/2 cup (chopped)
3. Green chillies -3-4nos
4. Curry leaves -1 spring
5. Crushed Black Pepper Corns -1tbsp
6. Ginger -1 inch piece
7. Salt to taste
8. Baking Soda -1 tsp
9. Rice Flour-2tbsp
10. Oil to fry

Method Of Preparation

• Soak urad dal in a vessel and  keep aside for 1hr.
• In a wet grinder, grind the dal in small portions without adding water,If  unable to grind well, sprinkle some water and grind again till you get a smooth, thick paste,the batter has to be as thick as possible. 
• To this dal batter, add chopped ginger, green chillies, onion, curry leaves, crushed whole black pepper corns,  baking soda and salt and mix well. 
• To have a crispy vada, add 2 tbsp rice flour to the batter,Let the batter sit for 15 mins.
• Heat oil in a kadai 
• Make round shapes ball with the batter either using the palm of your hand.
• Wet the palm of your hand with water and place a ball of the vada mix on it, Press it down slightly with the fingers of your other hand. Now using one finger make a hole in the middle of it. Drop it slowly and carefully into the hot oil. 
• Wet your palm each time to prevent the batter from sticking on your hand.
• Fry the vadas till golden brown

Cup Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients-For CupCake

1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3. 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
4. 2 large eggs, room temperature
5. 2/3 cup sugar
6. 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
7. 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8. 1/2 cup milk

Ingredients for Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup frozen strawberries pureed

Method Of Preparation-Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla.
• While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients, then add all the milk, and follow with the rest of the dry ingredients. Take care not to over mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared tin.
• Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove

Method of Preparation-Frosting

• In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the vanilla extract. (The rest of the puree is leftover but can be used in smoothies or on ice cream for a delicious treat.) Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.
• Use a rubber spatula spread the icing on the top of the cupcakes.

Chicken Varutharacha Curry

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 1 lb
2. Vinegar-1 tbsp
3. Onions - 3 nos(chopped)
4. Garlic minced- 1 1/2 tsp
5. Ginger minced- 1 1/2 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 2 Tbsp
9. Garam masala - 2 tsp
10. Coconut grated - 3/4 cup
11. Small onions(Kunjulli) (shallots)- 2 - 3 nos
12. Fennel seeds(Perinjeerakam) - 1 pinch
13. Coconut oil
14. Potatoes - 2 medium size
15. Red chillies - 2 nos or as reqd
16. Salt - As reqd.
17. Curry Leaves

Method Of Preparation

• Wash and clean chicken .
• Marinate chicken peices with vinegar and salt
• Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a pan.
• Fry coconut with small onions  fennel seeds.
• When it turns brown ,Remove from fire.
• When this cools, Grind it using little water.
• Heat oil in pan add onion and saute till it becomes transparent
• Add ginger,garlic and saute for 5-7 mins
• Then add turmeric powder ,chilly powder,Corainder powder,garam masala and saute for 2-3 mins
• Add chicken and cubed potatoes and mix well.Add 1/4 cups of water 
• Cook until chicken is half done and then add the ground mixture.
• Again cook until the chicken if fully done.
• Pour 2 tbsp of coconut oil in a sauce pan and add small onions ,red chillies and curry leaves and saute for 2-3 mins.(here i dint have curry leaves)
• Pour this to prepared curry
• Serve hot with paratha,chappathis and appam.

French Toast

Ingredients

1. Bread Slices-3(Remove crust)
2. Egg-1
3. Milk-1/4 cup
4. Sugar-3 tbsp
5. Ghee

Method Of Preparation

• Beat egg well.Add Sugar and milk to this and beat well
• In a sauce pan heat ghee/butter
• Dip bread into the above mixture,allow to soak for 30 secs on each side 
• Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown

Moru Kachiyathu

Ingredients

1. Curd/Butter milk-1 cup
2. Mustard-1 tsp
3. Ginger-1 tsp minced
4. Garlic-1 tsp minced
5. Corainder leaves - a Handful
6. Red Chillies- 2 nos
7. Fenugreek  powder or seeds - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder-1 tsp
9. Oil
10. Salt
11. Water-1/2 cup

Method Of Preparation

• Add water and salt to curd and mix well.If you are using butter milk do not add water
• Splutter mustard.
• Add Red chillies and fenugreek seeds or powder and saute for 2 mins
• Add ginger,garlic and saute well for 5 mins
• Add Corainder leaves and saute .
• Add turmeric powder and saute for 2 mins
• Turn into low flame.Finally add curd .
• This should not boil ,just heat this
• Serve hot with rice

Aloo paratha

Ingredients

1. Cumin-1 tsp
2. Potato -3 nos
3. Onion- 1 large
4. Green Chillies -1
5. Turmeric powdeer-1 tsp
6. Gara Masala-2 tbsp
7. Garlic -2-3 pods
8. Ginger-3 tbsp
9. Atta-2.5 Cups
10. Butter
11. Salt

Method of Preparation

• Cook Potatoes in Pressure Cooker for 4 whistles
• Prepare dough with atta as we do for chapathi
• Splutter Cumin seeds in oil or butter.
• Add minced onion and saute till it turns light brown in color
• Add ginger garlic and green chillies and saute
• Add turmeric and garam masala and saute for 2 mins
• Finally add mashed potatoes ,salt and mix well
• Mix this with the prepared atta dough
• Roll the dough into  circles as we do for making chapathi
• Place the paratha over the pan. After a few seconds you will see the paratha change color and puff in different places
• Serve hot with curd,pickles.

Grape Jam

Ingredients

1. Grapes-2 cups
2. Sugar-2 cups
3. Lemon juice-Juice of one lemon
4. Corn Starch-2 tbsp
5. Water -1 cup

Method Of Preparation

• Cook grapes with water in a Sauce pan until grapes are fully cooked
• Mash grapes with a spoon while cooking
• Add lemon juice and stir well.
• After that add sugar and stir for 10 mins.
• Add Cornstarch blended with water  and keep stirring  till it thickens
• After it is thickened remove from heat and allow it to cool
• Transfer it into a air tight jar and refrigerate.

Peas Pulav

Ingredients

1. Peas-1/2 cup
2. Basmati Rice-1 cup
3. Cumin seeds-1 tbsp
4. Cinnamon stick-1 nos
5. Cloves-3-4 pods
6. Cardamom-2 nos
7. Ghee-4 tbsp
8. Salt
9. Coriander Leaves-1 handful

Method Of Preparation

• Cook peas in pressure cooker(for 3 whistles) with salt
• Splutter cumin,cinnamon,cloves,cardamom in ghee ,after that saute rice in ghee for 5 mins
• After that cook rice by adding water and salt
• Finally add peas and coriander and mix well.

Chicken Fry

Ingredients

1. Chicken-1 lb
2. Ginger-4 tbsp
3. Garlic -3 tbsp
4. Soya Sauce-3 tbsp
5. Corn Flour-3 tbsp
6. Yogurt-1/2 cup
7. Salt
8. Oil to fry

Method of Preparation

• Cook chicken in yogurt 
• Make a paste out of ginger-garlic paste,soya sauce and corn flour
• When it is cooked marinate chicken with the above  paste and keep aside  for 1 hr.
• Deep fry or shallow fry in oil.Here i have made a shallow fry
• Chicken fry is ready.

Fruit Custard

Ingredients

1. Diced Fruits(Apple,Grapes,Strawberry,Banana etc ) of your choice
2. Milk-3 1/2 cups
3. Custard Powder-6 tbsp
4. Sugar -1 1/2 cups
5. Whipping cream-1/2 cup

Method of Preparation

• Mix custard powder with 1/2 cup of milk without lumps .Milk should be in room temp.
• Boil rest of the milk and sugar and when milk is boiled add the custard powder mix and stir well.
• Keep stirring until it thicken.
• When this thicken allow it to cool completely.
•  After that add whipping cream and fruits and refrigerate

Cherupayar Vada

Ingredients

1. Cherupayar(green gram)-1 cup
2. Green Chillies-3
3. Ginger-3 tbsp
4. Onion-1 big
5. Salt
6. Oil-To fry
7. Garam Masala - 1 tbsp

Method Of Preparation

• Soak Cherupayar in water overnight
• Grind Cherupayar to a coarse paste or semi ground  without adding water.(Don't grind them for long) 
• Mix chopped onion,ginger,garam masala,salt,green chillies with the ground paste
• Heat oil in a pan for deep fry on medium heat.
• Wet your palms and take small amount of the mixture and make a ball.Place in the center of the palm and flatten to a round shape and drop into the hot oil.
• Flip after 5 minutes and Cook until the vada is a dark golden brown color

• This is my entry for "Sunday-Healthy Snacks" event being hosted by Divya at "Dil Se".

Chicken Curry in Yogurt(Curd)

Ingredients

1. Chicken-1  lb
2. Ginger-3 tbsp
3. Garlic -3 tbsp
4. Red Chilly-4-5 
5. Onion-1 Big
6. Cumin Powder-1 tbsp
7. Garam masala-1 tbsp
8. Yogurt-1 cup
9. Oil
10. Salt

Method of Preparation

• Marinate chicken with minced garlic and ginger ,salt and keep aside for 10-20 mins
• Heat oil in a pan add saute chicken for 10 mins
• After that add onion and Red chilly and saute for another 10 mins
• Add yogurt and cook until chicken is done
• After the chicken is done add cumin powder and garam masala and cook for another 10 mins