Raw vegan salad and wrap recipe

Ingrediets:
Cucumber - 1/2 medium
Romaine lettuce (1-3 leaves)
Tomato- 1/2 large or 1 medium
Avocado - one ripe (or half if you are worried about calories)
Celery -1 stick
Cilantro -1/4 cup
Carrot -1 small

Optional:
Whole mung bean (soak overnight to sprout)

Optional seasoning:
cumene powder - 1/4 tsp
crushed black pepper -1/4 tsp

Procedure:
1. Peel cucumber and carrot (and avocado)
2. Cut all veggies into small or medium pieces.
3. Mix them all togather
4. Mix the sprouted mung beans (optional)
5. Garnish if needed with cumene powder and crushed black pepper.

Yummy salad is ready!!

Here are some variations to make the salad interesting.

Variation 1: Spread hummus on a large leaf of Romain lettuce and have it as a salad wrap.

Variation 2: Spread some hummus on bread and have it as a sandwich

Varioation 3:Make mung dal -soup (skip sprouted beans in the above recipe) and have alongside the salad.

Variation 4: Have with a rich marinara sauce as wrap inside a romaine lettuce leaf

Variation 5: Add some Bragg liquid aminos and soy sauce for some flavor

Pacha Payiru Kari - Green moong dal curry

Recipe Courteousy: Sashi Prakash

Green moong dal - 2 cups
Garlic - minced 1 tsp
Turmeric -1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 2 small
Red chilli - 1
Cocunut - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1/2 tsp

For tadka
-----------
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2
Oil - 2 tbl sp

Procedure:
----------------
--Pressure cook 2 cups green moong with 6 cups water in pressure cooker with one spoon of garlic and a pinch of turmeric.
--in the blender, add some green/red chillies, coconut, cumin (jeera), garlic and blend well.
--in a pan, fry mustard seeds in oil, add curry leaves. As soon as the mustard starts popping add the paste from the blender and turn the stove off.
--as soon as the moong dal is ready, add this mixture in it, with salt and bring it to a boil...
--if the moong is not done fully, you can mash a part of it (in blender or using a beater) so that the curry is thicker

Voila, your payaru kari is ready:)

Moong Dal

Moong dal recipe:
--------------------

Ingredients:
--Moong dal (1 cup, for 3 servings)
--Ginger (1/2 inch cube, finely chopped)
--Turmeric powder (1/2 tsp)
--Salt (to taste)
--Asofetida powder (1 pinch)
--Black pepper (1/4 tsp)
--Mustard seeds (1/2 tsp)
--Cumene Seeds (1/2 tsp)
--Cilantro (finely chopped, 1/4 cup)
--tomatoes (1 medium)

Procedure:
Step 1: Take 3/4 cup (or 1 cup) of moong dal and add to pan
Step 2: Add 3-4 times water
Step 3: Add finely chopped ginger (1/2" cube finely chopped)
Step 4: Add 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
Step 5: Add hing powder (asoefetida powder, sprinkle 10 times)
Step 6: Add 1/2 tsp of salt
Step 7: Add freshly crushed black pepper (grind 5-8 times with pepper grinder)
Step 8: Bring to boil at medium-high heat
Step 9: Cover pan and simmmer at medium-low heat (if dal starts to boil outside, open lid to let steam out and cover again). Keep stirring when water level is low, to make sure the dal doesn't stick at the bottom of the pan. Add more water if needed
Step 10: Once dal is fully cooked, add chopped cilantro to garnish
Step 11: Tadka: on a smaller pan, add 1 tsp of ghee, 1/2 tsp mustard seed, 1/2 tsp cumene seeds and heat at medium flame until mustard seeds start popping. Add chopped tomatoes, and let it cook (optional). Add this tadka to dal and mix.

Done!

Tofu-Kale Stir Fry

Tofu-Kale Stir fry Recipe: Courtesy of Juliana Milo

Here's the recipe(this is about 1-2 big servings):

1 bunch of Kale
1/2 of a 16oz. container of soft or medium tofu
1/2 onion chopped
Ground Pepper
Braggs Liquid Aminos(generously use for the marinade, cooking the onion and for the kale dressing but be careful of over using it because it can get salty esp with ghee)
Lemon juice
Olive oil(you can replace this with ghee if you like)

Marinade for the tofu:
1-2 tablespoons of minced garlic
3-4 tbs. Braggs Liquid Aminos(Can also use Tamari instead. Tamari is a form of soy sauce)
3-4 tbs. Olive oil

For the marinade: cube the tofu and set it in a bowl, mix in the marinade ingredients cover and let sit for at least 15 minutes.

In a frying pan mix about 2 tbs. of olive oil, onion, a little bit of ground pepper, at least 1 tbs of braggs and cook until the onion turns light to medium golden. While you do that you can go ahead and start steaming the kale. You can also boil it until it becomes tender if you don't have anything that steams. Once the kale is tender drain and chop it up(kind of like the size of lettuce in a salad). Add at least 1 tbs. of olive oil and 2 tbs. of braggs, black pepper, and about 1-2 tbs. of lemon juice and mix.(adjust to your liking) After you're done mixing the kale add the cooked onion to it. Lastly, cook the tofu with the marinade juice until it starts to turn golden. When that is done mix it in with the kale and onion and It is ready to eat.

Indian Cooking - Shopping list

List of Items you might need for Indian cooking

Commonly used Spices
--------------------
Salt
Hing powder (Asofetida)
Dhania (Coriander powder)
Turmeric powder
Urad dal
Chana dal
Red chilli powder
Cumene seeds
Mustard seeds
Red chillies whole
Black Pepper (whole)
Fenugreek
Sambar powder
Rasam powder
Cinnamon sticks
Bay leaves
Garam masala
Amchur powder



Veggies (for garnishing )
------------------------
Ginger
Garlic
Grated coconut (frozen)
Green chillis (small)
Curry leaves
Cilantro (Coriander leaves)
Tomato
Onion


Beans/ Grains Etc
---------------------
Toor dal (yellow split pea lentil)
Moong dal
Urad dal
Chana dal (Not to confuse with Toor dal, they look similar)
Garbanzo beans (canned)
Kidney beans (canned)
Pottu kadalai (Don't know english name)


Dairy etc
--------------
Organic milk
Organic yogurt
Butter
Ghee
Cooking oil (olive oil or sesame oil)
Paneer block

Staple food
---------------
Rice (sona massuri)
Basmati rice
Chappati (frozen)
Paratha (frozen)

Flour
--------
Rice flour
Rava
Whole wheat flour
All purpose flour
Besan
Baking soda

Veggies for cooking
---------------------
Various veggies

More Kuzhambhu

Recipe Courtesy Balaji R

Ingredients:

*Buttermilk (Dilute yogurt in water to make a creamy consistency)
*Okra

For paste:
*Cocunut
*Green chillies (3-4)
*Cumene seeds
*Coriander seeds
*Ginger
*Turmeric powder
*Fenugreek seeds

For Tadka
* Mustard seeds
* Red chillies (2-3)

* Salt to taste


Procedure:
-- Soak fenugreek seeds in hot or warm water for 90 mins
-- Lightly suate in oil Green chillies, ginger, coriander seeds, cumene seeds and turmeric powder and put it in the blender
-- Lightly saute coconut in remaining oil and add it to the blender
-- Add the soaked fenugreek seeds to the blender and make a fine paste with all the indgredients in the blender
-- pour buttermilk (or add water to yogurt) into a pan and heat it till it becomes luke warm (don't heat too much or the buttermilk will start separating)
-- Add the paste to the warm buttermilk and mix well and heat in medium flame (don't overcook)
-- on a separate pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds and red chillies (tadka)
-- Add cut okra and salt to the tadka (can use frozen) and cover the pan and cook for 4-5 mins
-- Let the okra and tadka to cool down (you can place the pan on water) and add it to the buttermilk (if you add this when hot, the buttermilk will start separating)

More kuzhambhu is ready to serve. Goes well with Paruppu saadam or lentil rice.

Aaloo paalak (Potato spinach) and other Sabjis , North indian style

Ingredients:

-Garlic (3 pieces, finely chopped)
-Green chilli (2 medium size, cut into medium slices)
-Onion (1/2 large onion, finely chopped)
-Potato (1 large or 2 small, peel skin cut into medium size cubes)
- Tomato (1 large, finely chopped)
-Paalak (Frozen spinach, one pack)
-Red chilli powder (1/4 tsp)
-Turmeric powder (1/4 tsp)
-Salt (to taste)
-Ghee or cooking oil

For tadka
-Ghee (1/2 tsp)
-Jeera (cumene seed, 1/4 tsp)
-Mustard seed (1/4 tsp)
-Onion (1/2 onion, thin slices)

Procedure:
- Heat ghee or oil in a pan
- Add finely chopped garlic and sliced green chillies and cook for a minute or two
- Add finely chopped onion and cook on medium-high to high heat for few minutes until onions turn golden brown (keep stirring ocassionally)
- Add cubes of cut potato and cook for few mins in medium high heat. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and cook for few mins
- Add chopped tomato and cover the pan with a lid and cook for few mins
- Add the frozen spinach to the pan and 1 cup of water and cover the pan and cook in medium heat
- Open the lid every few mins and stir the preparation, and make sure there is sufficient water. If you notice that subji is becoming dry or sticking to the pan, add more water
- Close the lid and keep cooking and stirring until the potatoes are fully cooked
- You can check if potates are cooked by checking the softness with a spoon. once fully cooked, switch off the heat

Tadka:
-Heat ghee in a pan
- Add jeera and mustard seeds and allow them to pop
- Add sliced onions and cook in medium high heat until the onions turn golden brown
- Add tadka to Aaloo palak

Variation:
You can use this recipe for preparing any sabji. You can use ginger-garlic paste instead of garlic, or you can skip garlic if you don't like garlic. Istead of Spinach, you can substitue other vegetables like beans, cabbage, Cauliflower etc.

Panner-pyaz (Onion-paneer)

Recipe courtesy: Rahul Bhatia

This is a really simple but tasteful sabji that you can prepare when you don't have much time.

Ingredients:

*Paneer (Chop into small cubes)
*Onion (Chop into small pieces)
*Jeera (1/4 tsp)
*Mustard seeds (1/4 tsp)
*Green chillies (1, slice lenghtwise)
*Red chilli powder (1/4 tsp)
* Turmeric powder (1/4 tsp)
* Salt (to taste)
* Cooking oil or ghee

Procedure:

* Heat oil or ghee in a pan
* Add Jeera, mustard seeds and green chilli and heat until the mustard seeds pop
* Add finely chopped onion to the pan and cook until it turns golden brown
* Add paneer cut into small cubes. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and mix well.
* Close the lid of the pan and cook for few minutes.
* Stir well and cook until paneer is fully cooked.
* Serve with Chappati

Tomato Thayir Pacchidi

Recipe courteousy Rajesh Partha

Ingredients: (for two to three people)

-Tomato (2 medium size)
-Mustard seed (1/2 tsp)
-Urad dal (1 tsp)
-Chana dal (1 tsp)
-Green chilli (2-3 small)
-Yogurt
-Salt to taste

Procedure:
-Heat oil in pan
-Add mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, cut green chillis and heat until mustard seeds pop
-Add chopped tomatoes to the pan and heat for a few mins
-Cook until the tomatoes become soft and paste like
-Remove from fire and let the paste cool down
-once the prepartion is cool add yogurt and salt to taste (if you add yogurt before it cools down, the yogurt will start separating (tirunjidum))
- Store in refrigrator and serve cool

Rava Dosa

Ingredients
--------------
Rava 1 cup
either maida or rice flour (optional) -3/4 cup
Green chilli -1
ginger - finely chopped(optional)
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Jeera
Yogurt
Salt to taste

Procedure
------------
-Add water and 2 tbspn of yogurt to Rava and rice flour, and make into a batter with consistensy similar to a dosa batter, but slightly thinner
- cut onion, green chilli, ginger into very small pieces and mix well with the batter along with a tsp of jeera
- Heat the tava and pour 1-2 karandi of batter onto the hot tava in a circular fashion starting from the circumference to the center of the circle.
- Add oil around the dosa and in any vent holes that form
- Invert the dosa and cook the other side
- Try to make the dosa cripsy for better cooking and taste

Rava dosa is ready to serve

Sambar

Ingredients
-------------
* Vegetables: (One of )Onion, Potato etc
* Tamarind (Can substitute tomato instead of tamarind)
* Tomato -2 (optional)
* Sambar powder (contains red chilli powder, dhania powder, turmeric)
* Toor dal
* curry leaves
* Salt to taste
* Hing powder (asofoetida)
*Mustard Seed (1/2 tsp)
*Jeera (cumene) seeds (1/2 tsp)


Procedure
-----------
-Pressure cook dal
--Soak small piece of tamarind in water and strain out tamarind and use the water
--Add vegetables to tamarind water and heat with sambar powder, salt, hing (perungaya podi or asofoetida powder), curry leaves and bring to boil
--Add cooked dal to the boling sambar
-- Prepare tadka (talichhu kottu = heat oil and add jeera and mustard seed until they pop and add cut tomatoes -optional). Turn off fire when tomatoes are cooked (if you are not using tomatoes, turn off fire as soon as mustard seed and jeera (cumene) start popping), and add cilantro.
-- Add above tadka  to sambar.

Idly Chutney

The difference between Tuvayal and chutney is that in Chutney you do not use any oil

Ingredients
--------------
Cocunut - 1/4 cup
Pottu kadlai (Roasted chana) - 1/2 cup (twise of cocunut)
Inji (Ginger) - 1 inch piece
Paccha mologa (Green chilli) - 2-3
Puli(Tamarind)- small amount
Uppu (Salt)

Procedure
---------
Blend all the ingredients with water into a paste. Add tadka. Simple!

Togayal (Tuvayal) - South indian style

Ingredients
---------------
Urad dal- 3 tsp
Red chillies - 2-3
Hing powder - pinch
Tamarind
Vegetable to be used: (One of ) Cilantro, Karuvapulla (curry leaves), Cabbage, Onion, Cocunut, Chow chow, Zuccini, Tomato


Procedure
----------
--Fry urad dal, red chillies, hing powder in oil until dal is golden brown
--Remove contents from oil and in remaining oil saute the cut vegetables and heat until cooked**
**In case of tomato, put full tomato, in case of cilantro or curry leaves switch off the fire before putting in pan and just cook for few seconds
--allow to cool and make a paste of veggies and the masala items in a blender with salt and small amount of tamarind

variation: Instead of tamarind, you can substitute with a full tomato

Pattiya Kootu

Pattiya Kootu has therapeutic value and good for health.

Ingredients
------------
Vegetable: Any Gourd variety execpt bitter gourd, (or) chow chow , (or) cauliflower, (or) cabbage
Ghee
Jeera (Cumene seeds)
Pasi paruppu (Moong dal)
Curry leaves
Black pepper powder
Salt to taste

Procedure
-----------
--Cut vegetable into small pieces
--Heat ghee in pan and add jeera and vegetables and saute for 2-3 mins (surula vadakkavum)
--Heat pasiparuppu (moong dal) with water 1:4 ratio (open cooking)
--Add the vegetables to paruppu and water and cook in medium heat (simmer) 15-20 mins with curry leaves
--Add black pepper and salt (salt should be roated for few seconds before adding to the kootu)

Serve with vattal kozhambu or togayal (paruppu togayal or paruppu podi)

Keerai Masiyal (Spinach Preparation)

Ingredients
--------------------
Frozen Spinach
Jeera (Cumene seeds) - 3tsp
Hing powder (Asoefetida) - 2 pinches (sprinkle from container several times)
Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
Cooked dal - 1 cup
Ghee - 1/2 tsp
Rice Flour - 3 tbl spoon(Optional)

Tadka: Ghee, Mustard seed, Urad dal


Procedure:
--Start heating frozen spinach in a pan after adding jeera, hing powder, salt
--Add a cup of water and close lid on the pan and contine to cook on medium high heat
--After spinach is fully cooked
--Add cooked dal (or dissolve rice flour or wheat flour in water 2 tsp) to the spinach and mix well and heat for few mins
--Prepare tadka (on a separate pan add mustard seeds and urad dal to 2 tsp of olive oil or ghee) and heat till the seeds start popping. Add tadka to the Cooked spinach.

Vattal Kozhambu/ Mendiya Kozhambu

Ingredients
---------------
Mendiya Kozhambu - Vegetables: (One of ) Okra, Egg plant, Radish, Potato or Sweet potato
Vattal Kozhambu: Manatakkali vattal or Sundakka vattal
Tamarind
Oil: Nallenai (sesame oil) 3 tbsp
Channa dal
Fenu greek
Mustard seeds
Salt to taste

--Heat oil in pan, add Chana dal, fenu greek, Mustard seeds, Hing powder
--Add vegetable if you are making mendiya kozhambu, and let it cook for few min
--Add vattal if you are making vattal kozhambu
--Add tamarind water, sambar powder, salt, curry leaves and bring to boil until water quantity reduces to 1/3rd

Serve with rice and spinach, and papad or raita (as there is not much protien in vattal kozhambu)

Paruppu Togayal

Ingredients:
------------

Toor dal 1cup
Black pepper 1tsp
Red chilles 3
Salt 3/4 tsp


Procedure
--------
--Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan add toor dal, black pepper, red chillies and fry until golden brown
--Allow to cook and make a paste in a blender with salt and water

Togayal is ready to serve with rice and rasam (if on a diet have jeera mologu rasam and rice, and paruppu togayal on the side)

Jeera Mologu Rasam

This rasam has therapeutic value and can be served for people suffering from cold/cough, flu or some ailments requiring special diet

Jeera 1tsp
Molugu (black pepper ) 1tsp
Toor dal 2tsp
Kanja mologa (dried red chilli pepper) 3

--Fry the above ingredients in ghee until it becomes golden brown and make paste in a blender
--Soak pebble amount of tamarind in water and strain
--Add paste to the tamarind water, bring to boil after adding salt
--Add curry leaves when boiling
--Can add tadka optionally

Serve the clear portion of the rasam after letting the solid portion to settle
Serve with rice and Paruppu togayal

Kokani dal

Ingredients
-------------
Toor dal
Green chilles chopped
Giner chopped
Hing powder
Turmeric
Salt

Tadka : Ghee, Mustard seeds, Curry leaves (Onion -optional)

Procedure
-----------
--Pressure cook dal
--Add water to dal, and add green chilles, ginger, hing powder, turmeric and salt and bring to boil
--Add tadka

Ambulu Patti Rasam (Poondu Rasam)

Ingredients
----------------
Tomato - 2
Poondu (Garlic) - 6
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Jeera (cumene seeds) 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro
Ghee

Procedure:
---------------
--Cook (Vega vekkavum) Poondu in water and keep aside
--make a paste of 2 Tomatoes, black pepper, jeera
--mix paste with poondu and boil with water and salt for 5-10mins
--Cut cilantro into small pieces (4-5 stems) and garnish after removing from fire
--Tallichu kottavum (pop mustard seeds and jeera in ghee) and add to rasam

Serve with Rice and Appalam