Mirchi ka Salan

This is a typical Hyderabadi speciality. As in most cases, there is a simple version and exotic versions. This version is more exotic than most versions and makes a lovely accompaniment to Jeera rice, Fried rice or plain Basumati rice. 

Ingredients: 
200 gms Long Green chillies (aka wax peppers) - Wash and slit (remove seeds if you cannot tolerate the heat) 
Tamarind- one small gooseberry size- soak and extract juice 
Coriander leaves- chopped 3 tbsp 
Oil- 5-6 tbsps 
Salt to taste

A	For tempering	1 tsp Mustard 1 tsp Jeera ¼ tsp Methi seeds 6-8 curry leaves
B	Grind together	6 cloves garlic ¾” ginger 1 large onion 2 medium tomatoes 3 tbsp grated coconut
C	Roast and powder	2 tbsp ground nuts 2 tbsp sesame seeds 1 tbsp jeera
D	½ tsp turmeric powder 1 tbsp jeera powder 1 tbsp coriander powder 1 tsp chilli powder

Method: 
Heat oil in a kadai, fry prepared chillies till white and keep aside. To the same oil, add “A” and let the seeds crackle. Add paste “B” and fry for a minute. Add “C” and “D”. Cook till the oil separates. Add tamarind juice, salt and 2 cups water. Boil till the gravy thickens. At the end, add the prepared chillies and boil. Remove from fire and garnish. This tastes better if served a couple of hours after preparation when the flavours blend. You can use regular chillies with or without the seeds if you can stand the spice.

Usili

You can prepare this vegetable side dish with French beans, Cluster beans or Snake Gourd. Essentially you prepare the vegetable like a dry kari (Poriyal). Prepare the dal mixture separately and blend the two together. This can be a side dish for Sambar and rice or Rasam and rice. Or you can mix rice to this and eat with either a thayir pachadi or vathal kozhambu. 

Ingredients: 
Vegetable of choice: 200 gms 
Toor dal- 150 ml 
Red chillies- round- 6 
Curry leaves-10 
Hing powder- 1/4 tsp 
Coconut scraped- 1 tbsp 
Salt to taste 
Mustard, urad dal, channa dal- 1/2 tsp each. 
Oil for cooking 

Method: 
Wash and soak the dal with the red chillies for half an hour. Grind together with curry leaves and required salt for the dal into a coarse mixture. Grease an idli plate, put the ground mixture and steam for 10 minutes. Check if cooked by passing a knife through- if cooked, the knife should come clean. Remove the steamed dal, cool, cut into 4 pieces each and powder in mixie. Keep aside. Wash and chop the vegetables. Heat a little oil in a kadai, add mustard, urad dal and channa dal in that order each 10 or 15 seconds after the previous one. When mustard seeds have crackled and the dals turned golden, add the cut vegetable, required salt (for vegetable only) and saute. Sprinkle a little water and cook covered until done. Remove from pan. Add some oil to the pan and add the dal mixture. saute a little so that the dal separates into crumbs, add the coconut and finally the vegetable. Keep on low heat for a couple of minutes. Your paruppu usili is ready.

Corn Curry

Ingredients: 
Boiled Corn- 400 ml 
Onions- 2- chopped fine 
Coconut milk- from 1/2 coconut or reconstitute from powder 
Oil- 3 tbsp 
Salt to taste 

Grind together: 
Coriander seeds- 1 tsp
Green chillies-5 small 
Cloves-3 
Cinnamon- 1 inch piece 
Khus Khus- 3 tsps 
Garlic- 6 pods 

Method: 
Heat oil in a pan, add onions. After some time, add the ground masala paste. Fry on low flame till the raw smell disappears and then add corn and the coconut milk. Add salt and boil for some time. Remove from fire and serve with rotis or parathas.

Onion Chutney

Ingredients: 
2 large onions- chop into long slices 
4 red chillies (round) 
1 tbsp urad dal 
Tamarind- the size of a small gooseberry 
Jaggery- 1 tsp 
Salt to taste 
Oil for cooking 

Method: Heat 2 tsps of oil in a kadai. Add urad dal and red chillies and fry over medium flame. When the dal turns light brown, add the chopped onion and fry for 2 minutes over medium flame. Remove from fire, cool and grind with tamarind, salt and jaggery. Serve with adai.

Vegetable Adai

Ingredients: 
Raw rice- 180 ml 
Channa dal- 30 ml 
Urad dal- 30ml 
Toor dal-30 ml 
Onion- 1 large- chopped fine 
Carrot- 1- grated 
Cabbage- chopped fine- 100 ml 
Coriander leaves- chopped fine- 2 tbsp 
Curry leaves- 10- chopped fine 
Grated coconut- 2 tbsp 
Green chillies-3- chopped fine 
Red chillies (round)- 6 (If long chillies are used, adjust number suitably) 
A pinch of hing powder (optional) 
Grated ginger- 2 tsp 
Salt to taste 
Oil for Cooking

Method:
Wash rice and dals and soak together with red chillies for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Drain and grind to a coarse batter- not too coarse. Add the rest of the ingredients (except oil) and mix together. Let it stand for 15 minutes. Add a little water if required. Heat a heavy tava. When it is hot, pour half a spoon of oil and spread well. Sprinkle a little water. This helps spread the oil. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread like dosa. Apply a little oil along the periphery of the adai. Make a couple of holes on the surface of the adai with the spoon and apply half a spoon on the adai and holes to improve the cooking. You can optionally cover the adai with a lid for a minute. When the edges turn brown, turn the adai over and cook the other side.

Chop Suey

Ingredients: 
Noodles- 300 gm 
Onion- 2 medium 
French Beans- 6 
Carrot- one 
Capsicum- 1 small 
Cabbage- chopped- 150 ml 
Spring onion- half a cup 
Baby corn- chopped into juliennes- 1/3 cup 
Corn Flour- 1 tbsp 
Soy sauce- 2 tsp 
Tomato Sauce- 60 ml 
Pepper powder 1/2 tsp 
Salt to taste 
Aji no moto- 1/4 tsp 
Oil- 4 tbsp 

Method: Cook noodles in plenty of boiling water to which salt and a tsp of oil has been added. Do not cook too soft. Drain and wash in cold water to prevent further cooking. Drain. Dry out one third of the noodles on a kitchen towel. Deep fry the dried out noodles till crisp and golden in colour and set aside. Heat a spoon of oil in a pan and fry the rest of the noodles with a dash of salt till they change colour a little. Transfer to a serving plate. Chop all vegetables into juliennes. Heat two tbsp oil in a pan and saute all the vegetables for a few minutes. Add the sauces, salt, pepper, aji no moto and the cornflour mixed in 1.5 cups of water. Simmer till thick and remove from fire. Pour the gravy over the noodles on the serving plate. Top with fried noodles and serve.

Raw Banana Gravy

Ingredients:
Raw Banana Cubed: 1 Cup (250 ml)
Onion Chopped: Half a cup
Tomato Chopped: 2/3 cup
A handful each of Mint and Coriander leaves
2 green chillies
1 inch ginger root
Half tsp each of Chilli powder and Garam masala powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp cummin seed
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp Coconut milk powder
salt
Oil

Method:

Heat some oil and deep fry the banana pieces till slightly brown and set aside. Take some of the same oil and saute tomato, onion, ginger, chillies and the green leaves for a couple minutes and grind into a paste. Heat two tsp of oil, add mustard, jeera and after they crackle, add the ground paste and saute for a few minutes. Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and sugar. After a while add the fried pieces. When everything has blended mix the coconut milk. If needed, add a little water to bring it to gravy consistency. Remove from fire and add the lime juice. Mix well and serve with plain rice or any fried rice or jeera rice.