Murukku and Thenkuzhal

Thenkuzhal:

Rice Flour-400 ml
Urad flour-100 ml
Salt- 1 tsp or to taste
Ghee or butter- 1 tbsp
Cumin- 1 tsp
Hing powder- 1/4 tsp
Oil for frying

Method:

Mix salt and hing powder in 1/2 cup water. Add the flours, ghee/butter, cumin and mix into dough. Add water little by little. The dough should be more pliable than for chapatis; or else, it will not be possible to press. Heat oil in a pan. When it is hot, fill Thenkuzhal mould with the prepared dough and make into two or three murukkus. Keep the stove on medium heat and turn the murukkus after a while. Both sides should cook and turn golden. Usually it is time to remove the murukku from the oil when the sound subsides. Remove and drain on tissue. Make further batches similarly. Store in an airtight container when cool.

Note: If Urad dal is lightly roasted and ground into flour, it will be very fragrant. Remember to sieve the flours before mixing.

Muthusarai or Mullu Murukku:
Rice flour-400 ml
Gram dal flour-100 ml
Moong dal flour- 75 ml
Fried gram flour- 25 ml
Butter/ghee- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Hing powder- 1/4 tsp
Oil for frying

Method:

Lightly roast gram dal and moong dal before powdering. Mix the dough like for Thenkuzhal and follow the same procedure for frying. You should use the correct plate in the mould. You can also make the murukku on a cloth or plastic sheet into perfect circles like Kai murukku and remove and put in hot oil and fry.

Golgappa

Ingredients:

Puri- 1 packet
Soaked channa- 100 gms
Whole Moong- 100 gms
Potato- 2 medium
Cardamom- 2
Cloves-2
Cinnamon-1/2 inch
Garlic- 2-3 pods
Mint and coriander- a handful each
ghee- 1 tsp
Tamarind- gooseberry sized ball
Jaggery- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Pani puri masala powder- 3 tsp ( Everest or Badshah brand)

Method:

Pani:
Extract tamarind juice. Heat the ghee and lightly roast the spices including garlic. Powder in a mixer together with mint and coriander. Add to tamarind juice, add salt, jaggery and pani puri masala powder. Add more water to make about 1 litre of ‘pani’.

Fillings:
Boil the soaked channa with salt, moong with salt and water and potatoes (whole) in a pressure cooker. When pressure has abated, open the cooker, drain the excess water from the channa and moong and mix well. Peel and dice the potatoes. Sprinkle a little salt and mix well.

Chutneys:Green Chutney: Grind together 1 cup chopped coriander, 2 tbsp grated coconut, 2 green chillies, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp sugar and salt to taste. Add a little water if required for grinding.

Sweet Chutney:Wash and soak 100 gms dates (deseeded) and a gooseberry sized ball of tamarind in hot water for about an hour. Cook for 5 minutes. Cool and grind in a mixer and strain and remove fibres if any. Lightly roast 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. Pound them and add to pulp. Add 1/2 tsp chilli powder and salt to taste. Mix well

Venn Pongal

Ingredients:

60 ml rice
30 ml moong dal
100 ml milk
a pinch of asafoetida powder
ghee 3-4 tbsp
pepper corns- 1 tsp
cumin seed- 1 tsp
curry leaves- 10
ginger root- peeled and grated.
Cashew for garnishing.

Lightly dry roast the dal and rice in a pan. Transfer to a dish, add the milk, salt, Asafoetida powder and 150 ml water and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles until soft. Roast the cashew in a little and ghee and set aside. Heat ghee in a pan, add the pepper, cumin and when it crackles, add curry leaves and ginger, saute for half a minute and then add the mashed dal/rice mixture and all the ghee. Mix well and remove from fire. Garnish with cashew

Chakkara Pongal

Ingredients:
60 ml rice
30 ml moong dal
1 tbsp channa dal
100 ml milk
jaggery about 150 gms
ghee 3-4 tbsp
cardamom, cashew and raisins for garnishing.

Lightly dry roast the dals and rice in a pan. Transfer to a dish, add the milk and 150 ml water and cook in the pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles until soft. Roast the cashew and raisins in a little ghee and keep aside. Powder the jaggery, add about 50 ml water and keep in a wide thick bottomed pan. Heat until it froths and forms a single thread. Add the mashed rice/dal mixture and the ghee and mix well. Remove when well blended. Add the cardamom powder. Optionally you can add some roasted grated coconut. Pongal will set when it cools and so make sure that it is not too dry or thick. Garnish with cashew and raisins.

Vegetable Kurma

Ingredients:
50 gms French beans- Remove strings and cut into half inch pieces. 
50 gms carrot- cubed 
50 gms potato- peeled and cubed 
50 gms shelled peas 
50 gms turnip or knol khol- peeled and cubed 

Pressure cook the vegetables with minimum water and required salt and keep aside. 

Grind together: 
3 medium onion peeled and chopped
3 green chillies 
1″ piece of ginger- peeled and chopped 
A fist full each of mint leaves and coriander leaves- washed and chopped 
4-5 garlic pods- peeled 
1 tsp garam masala (alternately, you can use 2 each of cardamom, cloves and cinnamon) 
1 tsp aniseed 
salt for the masala 

Soak and grind separately: 
6-7 whole cashews 
2 tsps poppy seeds (khus khus) 

Blanch in hot water, peel and grind: 2 medium tomatoes. 

Heat oil in a pan, add the ground masala and fry till oil oozes out, add the vegetables, ground tomatoes and boil for some time. Finally add the cashew/khus khus paste, blend well and remove from fire. Adjust salt if required.

Dal Makhani

Ingredients:
Whole urad- 125 ml- soak overnight in 500 ml water 
Fresh Curd- 80 ml 
Green chillies- chopped- 1 tsp 
Ginger- chopped- 1 tsp 
salt 1/2 tsp 

Method:
Wash, drain the urad, add 250 ml water and cook in the pressure cooker till soft with curd, chillies, ginger and salt as above. 

Onion-1 medium 
Tomato-2 medium 
Boil both till soft and puree. 

Oil- 2-3 tsp 
Jeera- 1 tsp
Peppercorns- 2 
cardamom-2 
cinnamon- 1″ piece 
green chilli- 1 
chopped ginger- 1″ piece 

Heat oil in a pan, add jeera, allow to crackle, add all the above items one by one and fry well. Then add tomato-onion paste and fry well. Add the pressure cooked urad and the following spices/ condiments: 

1 tsp each of red chilli powder, chaat masala, coriander powder, mango powder, sugar and salt. 

Then add tomato puree ( 1 tomato), 1/2 cup milk, one cup water and mix well. Simmer on low fire. You can add a drop of red food colour (optional). Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, green chilli and ginger juliennes, garam masala powder, butter and/or cream.

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.