Sooji Halwa

1.5c milk
1/4c. water
1 dash cardamom
1/4c (or a little less) sugar
saffron- few strands

Combine these in a saucepan, bring to a boil, stir and turn off.

1/4c. Ghee
handful cashews
handful raisins
1/2c. sooji or rava

Melt ghee in a skillet, add cashews and stir until they begin to turn golden, add raisins. Add sooji and continue stirring for a minute or two, then add in milk syrup from saucepan. Be careful as the milk will splatter when added to the sooji. Reduce heat to low-med and stir for another minute or two until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting!

Sri Lankan Style Chickpeas

I've been trying to include more chickpeas in my diet, and found this great recipe. I didn't have lemon juice or cilantro, which would have made the dish even better. I liked this dish so much that I immediately made another batch for lunch tomorrow, but left out the green chili (my mouth was on fire!) and added a pinch of chili powder.

Sri Lankan Style Chickpeas

Ginger Chutney

2" piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 dried red chili, seeded
2 tsp oil
salt to taste
1 Tb. tamarind paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
handful cilantro
1/4c. shredded coconut

Sautee red chili, ginger, and tamarind in oil. When ginger is cooked (light brown), remove from pan. Sautee tomato and coriander leaves together for a few minutes. Add ginger mixture and tomato mixture together in a food processor, add coconut. Add salt and blend until smooth, adding water as needed.

Enjoy with dosa or iddly.

Amma's Mango Pickle

1 unripe (green) mango, peeled and diced
2 tsp. oil ( olive oil or sesame oil)
1/4 tsp. black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder (the spicy variety, not American chili powder)
pinch turmeric
pinch asafoetida (optional-I skip this step)

Heat sesame oil on medium-high heat in frying pan. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds and fry until seeds start to pop and splutter. Reduce heat to med-low. Add in salt, chili powder, turmeric, and asafoetida. Stir in mango and sautee for 5 mins. If mango starts to brown or stick to pan, you can add a few tablespoons of water and stir more frequently.

From my mother-in-law's kitchen in India, this is a fresh version of the traditional Indian canned pickle, a spicy condiment. Fresh pickle is best eaten as a side dish with "curd rice" (rice, plain yogurt, and salt mixed) and you can vary the chili powder according to your spice tolerance. I don't like the "mouth on fire" feeling, so I went easy on the chili powder. While the mango should be "green", not ripe yet, I think it would also taste good with a ripe mango. My husband is South Indian and said "yuck" to that idea. Maybe I'll be making ripe mango pickle for ONE next week!

Onion Chutney

1 large onion (I prefer red)
1 green chili
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tb. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. urad or channa dal (optional)
1 Tb. dry tamarind
1 tsp. brown sugar

Coarsely chop the onion. In a frying pan heat oil to medium-hi heat. Add mustard seeds, urad/channa dal, and green chili. Fry until dal turns light brown and mustard seeds start to pop. Add onion and salt, cook until onion becomes translucent and the raw onion smell is gone.

Add onion mixture into a blender or food processor, and add tamarind and brown sugar. Puree and serve with delicious Indian dishes like dosa or uttapam. Be sure to have gum and breath mints handy if you're going to indulge in onion chutney!!

Amma's Tomato Rice

1 c. cooked basmati rice
2-3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 T. channa dal
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. masala powder
pinch mustard seeds
pinch turmeric
pinch asafoetida
salt to taste
mustard seed
channa dal
onion- sautee

In a skillet, heat sesame oil over med-high heat. Add mustard seeds and cook until spluttering (popping), then add channa dal and roast until red. Add diced onion and cook for 1 min then add tomato. Reduce heat a bit and simmer until tomato begins to turn into a thick paste. Mix in turmeric powder, asafoetida, masala powder, and salt. Turn heat off. Combine with cooked rice. 1 or 2 tsp sesame oil can be added for flavor.

Similar to lemon rice, this light main dish pairs well with papad or potato chips. Another favorite from amma's kitchen!

Rating: not rated yet

Potato Curry

4 medium potatoes (cook them in microwave first, approx 8 mins)

3-4 Tb. olive oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp chili powder (to taste)

dash cayenne pepper

dash salt

Cube potatoes (I leave skin on) after they have been cooked in
microwave.
Heat olive oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds, cook until they splutter
(crackle and pop) then add potato and stir.
Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and stir well. Extra oil may
be needed to prevent burning and add to flavor.
Cook over medium-high heat until potatoes begin to brown and crisp on
the outside. I cook them as long as possible without burning it!

This yummy side dish pairs well with sambar, rasam, and dal rice.

Rating: 5 stars

South Indian Curries

South Indian Curries can be made with a variety of vegetables. My
favorites include:

Capsicum (Pepper)
Cauliflower
Cabbage (I prefer red cabbage)
Okra
Green Beans

You need:
3-4 Tb olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder (if using mexican or indian chili powder, just a
pinch or it will be too spicy!)
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
salt to taste (1/2 tsp?)
pinch cumin seeds (optional
mustard seeds (1/2 tsp)

Chop vegetables into small pieces. If necessary (cauliflower, okra,
green beans) cook vegetable for a few minutes in microwave.
Heat 1Tb olive oil (or sesame oil) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp
mustard seeds and pinch of cumin seeds. When the seeds start to
crackle and pop in the pan, add the chopped vegetable and stir.
Add the salt, chili powder, and cayenne pepper and mix well. Continue
cooking over med-high heat, you may need to add another few
tablespoons of olive oil so it doesn't burn. Curry is ready when
vegetables begin to brown or get a little crispy.

Serve warm as a side dish with rasam, sambar, or dal.