Poha

Ingredients

1 cup beaten rice (poha)

1/4 cup crushed groundnuts

1/4 cup grated or scraped coconut

1/4 cup coriander leaves

1 stalk curry leaves chopped

1/4 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

5-6 green chilies

1 tsp lime juice

1 1/2 tbsp oil

2 onions chopped

1 small potato chopped

1/2 tsp cumin & mustard seeds each.

Method:

Wash poha till clean. Drain water sprinkle a handful of clear water and keep aside.

After 15 minutes loosen the poha gently, and break lumps with fingers. In a heavy saucepan, heat oil, add seeds and then potatoes. Stir for

2-3 minutes. Add onion, chilies and curry leaves. Stir and fry onions till tender. Take off fire.

Add poha and all other ingredients. Save some coconut and coriander leaves for garnishing. Mix very well. Adjust salt and lime as per taste.Return to low flame till hot. Stir gently every now and then. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with coriander and coconut. Serve hot with freshly brewed coffee.

Making time: 15 minutes (excluding soaking time)

Serves: 3

Shelf life: best fresh

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp hing (asoefetida)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp methi(fenugreek) seeds

1 tablespoon coconut, shredded

3 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp dhania (coriander) powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 very small ball of tamarind, de-seeded

1 small onion, minced finely

2 clovettes of garlic, minced finely Salt to taste

3 tablespoons oil for frying

Method

Heat 1/2 the amount of oil and add the methi.

Fry for a minute and then add the tomatoes.

Fry till the tomatoes turn soft.

Blend this into a smooth paste, along with the tamarind and the coconut.

Set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil and add the chopped garlic and onion.

Fry till the onion turns translucent and the garlic browns.

Now add the spices (red chili, turmeric and dhania) and fry for half a minute.

Add the blended paste, salt and hing and heat through.

It goes very well with plain rice or chapatti.

Dahi Vada

Ingredients

For the wadas

Udad dal (Black gram dal) 1 cup

Mung dal (Green gram dal) 1/4 cup Salt to taste

Method for Wadas

Soak the two dals for 7-8 hours or overnight.

Grind it to a smooth paste.

Add salt to taste.

Heat oil for deep frying in a pan and add spoonfuls of dal and fry until the wadas are golden brown.

Drop the hot wads in a bowl of cold water and leave for about 3-4 minutes.

Take each wada out from water, squeeze the water out and set aside.

For the Dahi (yogurt)

Dahi (yogurt) 5 cups

(You can use homemade yogurt or low-fat yogurt from the market)

Green chilies, chopped 1 tsp

Ginger grated 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves 7-8

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida pinch

Salt to taste

Sugar 4 tsps (yogurt should taste little sweet)

Method for making dahi

Blend the yogurt with little water until it is smooth.

Add sugar, salt, green chilies and ginger.

Make a tarka (seasoning) of mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves and add to yogurt.Keep the yogurt in refrigerator until it is chilled.

Serving the wadas

Arrange the squeezed wadas in a deep dish. Pour the yogurt on the wadas such that all the wads are covered well by the yogurt. Sprinkle red chili powder, roasted jeera powder and black salt

(sanchal).Serve with sweet tamarind(imli) chutney.

Aloo Palak

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped spinach

2 large onions chopped fine

2 large potatoes boiled and peeled

1 tomato

2 green chilies

1" piece ginger

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. wheat or other flour

1 tsp. red chili powder

1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 pinches asafetida

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1/2 tbsp. butter

4 tbsp. ghee

salt to taste

METHOD:

Put the washed spinach in a pan; add very little water (just a sprinkle) and a pinch of salt.

Cover and boil over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool quickly, or hold under running water in a colander.

Put in a mixer, add green chili and run for a minute. Keep slightly coarse, do not make very smooth.

Keep aside.

Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Heat ghee and fry potatoes till light brown.

Drain the potatoes, keep aside.

In the same hot ghee add the cumin seeds.

Add the ginger, onions and fry till very tender.

Add the tomato and further fry for two minutes.

Add all the dry masalas and fry till ghee separates.

Add spinach and potatoes.

When it resumes a boil sprinkle the flour and stir well. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice

Just before serving heat butter in a tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida.

Pour over the vegetable and mix gently.

Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice.

Note: You may use boiled peas, boiled corn kernels or paneer chunks in the above dish, instead of atoes.

Making time: 45 minutes

Makes for: 6

Shelf life: Best fresh