Elephant foot yam fry

       Yam fry or elephant foot yam fry is a delicious Indian spicy dish which can be served as a side dish. Let's see how to prepare this spicy dish.

Ingredients

Elephant foot yam (cooked) - 1 cup

Coconut oil                           - as needed

Turmeric powder                 - 1/4 tsp

Dried red chilly                    - 8-12

Yam fry
© Monushajj

Garlic cloves                        - 4

Ginger                                  - a small piece

Small onion                           - 6

Fenugreek                              - 7-10

Rice powder                          - 2 tsp

Fresh curry leaves                 - 2 sprigs

Fennel seeds                          - 1/2 tsp

Salt                                         - as needed

Water                                     - as needed

Preparation

• Take 2 teaspoon coconut oil in a pan and fry the dried red chillies. Allow it to cool for few minutes. 
• Then grind these chillies with garlic cloves, ginger, turmeric powder, salt, small onion, fenugreek, rice powder and little amount of water (to make paste).

Cardamom Black tea

       In the present era, there are different black tea varieties are available in all over the world. Cardamom Black tea is a simple black tea with the flavour of cardamom. Let's see how to prepare this.

Ingredients

Tea powder       - 1/4 tsp

Cardamom        - 2

Sugar                 - as needed

Water                 - 2 1/2 cup

Preparation

• Boil water in a saucepan and add tea powder, cardamom and sugar to it. Allow to boil for few minutes. 
• Then strain the black tea immediately and enjoy the cardamom taste of black tea.

Sweet lassi

       Sweet lassi is a traditional curd or yoghurt based cooling and refreshing drink which is very popular in Punjab. Let's see how to prepare sweet lassi at home. 

Ingredients

Sweet lassi
(Photo courtesy: Vivekpat30/
Wikimedia Commons)

Yogurt/curd                   - 2 cup

Water (chilled)              - 1 cup

Sugar                             - as required

Cardamom powder        - a pinch

Crushed ice (optional)   - 1/4 cup

Preparation

• Add all ingredients except crushed ice in a blender jar and blend until smooth.
• Then add ice and continue blending until frothy. 
• Then pour lassi in serving glasses.

Useful tips:

• You can add rose water instead of cardamom powder. 

Cinnamon leaf black tea

                 

       Have you ever tried cinnamon leaf black tea? Not yet! Cinnamon leaf black tea is an amazing tea recipe that refreshing your mind and promotes your immunity. 

Ingredients
Cinnamon leaf  - half of the leaf

Tea powder         - 1/4 tsp

Tulsi leaves       - sufficient amount

Cardamom        - 2

Sugar                 - as needed

Water                 - 2 1/2 cup

Milk Chapati

       Chapati is a very popular Indian flatbread made with wheat flour. Here I am sharing the recipe of easy, tasty and soft milk chapati. Let's see how to prepare this. 

Ingredients

Wheat flour            - 500 g

Milk                       - as sufficient amount

Salt                        - 3/4 tbsp

Oil or ghee            - 2 tbsp

Preparation

• Prepare a dough by kneading wheat flour, salt, oil, and milk. Keep it for 15 minutes. 
• Take about 40 g of the dough, which needs to be rounded and sheeted to the desired thickness. 

Potato gravy (Aloo Ki Sabzi)

       Potato gravy or aloo ki sabzi is a delicious flavorful potato gravy that even a newbie can try. Let's see how to prepare this spicy gravy.

Ingredients

Potato (cooked)            - 3 or 4 medium-sized

Onion                           - 1 medium-sized

Tomato                         - 1

Oil                                - 2 tsp

Green chilly                 -1

Mustard seed                - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds                 - 1/4 tsp

Ginger (grated/paste)   - 1/2 tsp

Garlic (chopped/paste) - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder          - 1/4 tsp

Red Chilly powder       - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder         - 1/4 tsp

Garam masala               - 1/4 tsp

Freshly chopped coriander leaves - as required

Salt                               - as needed

Water                            - as required

Preparation

• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds into it and let it splutter. After that add cumin seeds and mix it well. 
• Add ginger and garlic paste and saute it for few seconds.

Avial

       Avial is a traditional south Indian dish which is also considered as an important side dish of sadhya. There are some stories which suggest that it was one of the five Pandavas, who created this dish. Let's see how to prepare this deliciously easy recipe.

Ingredients

Grated coconut                        - 1 cup

Cumin seeds                            - 1 tsp

Green Chillies (sliced)            - 2 to 3

Turmeric powder                    - 1/2 tsp

Raw Plantains                          - 1 cup (green unripe bananas)

Sliced elephant foot yam        - 1 cup

Snake gourd (sliced)                - 1/2 cup

Long beans (sliced)                  -  1/4 cup

Drumsticks (Chopped)             - 1/2 cup

Carrots                                      - 1/2 cup

Pumpkin                                   - 1/2 cup

Brinjal                                       - 1/2 cup

Cucumber                                 - 1/2 cup

Tindora (optional)                    - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves                              - 1 spring

Coconut oil                                - 2 tbsp

Salt                                             - as required

Water                                         - 3 cup

Preparation

1. To Prepare Paste:

                   Coarsely grind the grated coconut into a paste. While making the paste, add cumin seeds, two green chillies, turmeric powder and 4 -5 tbsp water (add more water if it is too thick).

2. To Prepare avial:

Avial
(Photo courtesy: Samphotography/
Wikimedia Commons)

                   

• Take 3 cups of water in a pan and add chopped vegetables. Cover the pan for some time and cook them till soft. 

Jaggery Dosa (Sharkara dosa)

       Jaggery dosa or vellai dosa is a sweet dosa made with wheat flour and jaggery. You can serve this as a breakfast or an evening snack for kids.

Ingredients

Wheat flour             - 1 cup

Jaggery (grated)      - 1/2 cup

Water                       - as needed

Ghee                        - as required

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Preparation

• Add 1/2 cup of water to jaggery and melt it over low heat and filter it to remove impurities. 
• Allow it to cool. Then take wheat flour, cardamom powder and melted jaggery in a bowl and mix well. Add more water to get a dosa batter consistency. The batter should neither be thick nor too thin.

Tomato curry with coconut gravy

       Tomato curry with coconut gravy is a simply delicious side dish which can be made up very easily. Let's see how to prepare this side dish.

Ingredients

Tomato                      - 2

Onion                         - 1

Grated coconut         - 1 cup

Garlic (sliced)           - 1 tsp

Green chilly              - 2

Mustard seed            - 1/2 tsp

Oil                             - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds             - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves             - 6 to 7

Dry red chilly           - 2 to 3

Turmeric powder     - 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder    - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder     - 1 tsp

Salt                             - to taste

Water                         - as required

Preparation

• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds into it and let it splutter. 
• Then add dry red chilly, curry leaves and sliced garlic to it and fry for few seconds. 

Banana sharkara upperi

       Banana sharkara upperi is one of the traditional sweet prepared in southern India during Onam festival. However, we can prepare this sweet snack in any festival occasions very easily.

Banana sharkara upperi 
(Photo courtesy: Purva Mali)

Ingredients

Banana (sliced)     - 4

Jaggery                  - 1 cup

Coconut oil            - 1 cup

Ginger powder       - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder       - 1/2 tsp

Water                      - 1 cup

Preparation

• Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the banana pieces and transfer into a large bowl. 
• Then take a vessel and pour water into it. Add jaggery and let it boil together over medium flame. 
• Once it starts boiling, turn the flame to low to make the mixture thicker. Keep stirring to avoid lumps. 

Mango juice

       Mango juice is a delicious refreshing drink which can be make up in minutes. Let's see how to prepare this. 

 

Mango juice 

(Photo courtesy : YOYO Beauty)

Ingredients

Ripe Mangoes             - 2 to 3

Sugar                           - as needed

Water                           -  1 cup

Ice cubes                      - a few

Preparation

• Take the mango pieces, water (1/2 cup), sugar and crushed ice cubes in a blender. Blend it till you get smooth puree of mango. 
• Then add remaining water and blend it again till incorporated well. 
• Serve the mango juice in glasses.

Useful tips:

• You can strain the juice, if you wish, to remove the pulp.

Fish fry

Ingredients

Fish                          - 4

Photo courtesy: Arun_velekkat

Chilli powder           - 2 tbsp

garlic                        - 8 cloves

Ginger (chopped)     - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder     - 1/2 tsp

Shallots                    - 15 to 20

Salt                          - to taste

Fennel seeds            - 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil              - for frying

Rice flour                 - 4 tsp

Onion (sliced)          - 1 (for garnish)

Preparation

• Grind chilli powder, turmeric powder, shallots, garlic, ginger, fennel seeds, rice flour and salt to a paste. 

Sweetened Grape juice

Grape juice
(Photo courtesy: Kushi S)

Ingredients

Grapes                    - 500 g

Sugar                     - 1/4 cup

Water                     - 2 cup

Preparation

• Wash the grapes properly and cook the grapes (slightly mashed) with sugar and 2 cups of water on medium heat for around 10 minutes. 
• Then mash up the grapes using a spoon or blend it for 5 seconds. 
• Be sure not to blend them to a puree though. 
• Then strain the juice and pour the grape juice into glasses, chill and serve.

Cucumber juice

Ingredients

Cucumber juice 

(Photo courtesy: Karyn Hinkle)

Cucumber        -  1 (medium-sized)

Sugar               - as required

Water               - 2 cups

Preparation

                   Take the chopped cucumber chunks and sugar in a blender. Blend it till you get smooth puree of cucumber. Then add water and blend it again till incorporated well. Pour the cucumber juice into glasses, chill and serve.

Useful tips:

• You can strain the juice, if you wish, to remove the pulp.

Watermelon juice

Ingredients

Seedless Watermelon             - 4 cup

 

Watermelon juice 

(Photo courtesy: YOYO Beauty)

Sugar                                      - as required

chilled water or ice cubes      - 1 cup (optional)

Preparation

                   Take the chopped watermelon chunks and sugar in a blender. Blend it till you get smooth puree of watermelon. Then add water and blend it again till incorporated well. Pour the watermelon juice into glasses, chill and serve.

Useful tips :

• Adding water is optional. If you require thinner juice, add as the required amount of water.
• You can strain the juice, if you wish, to remove the pulp. 

Passion fruit juice

   

Photo courtesy: Speleolog

Ingredients

Passion fruit - 3 to 4 (medium-sized ripened)

Sugar            - 1/2 cup

Water            - 4 cup

Preparation

• Cut the ripened passion fruits in half and scoop out the flesh in a blender. 
• Add two cup of water and blend it for a minute. 
• The black seeds will separate from the jelly (don't over blend as the seeds will break up and create a grit). 
• Then filter the juice to remove seeds. Then again add two cups of water and sugar to taste and enjoy straight from the fridge with ice.