I have this tendency of feeling home-sick rather fast, & the first thing I start missing is the comfort of home made food. When you start craving for the bowl of rice or rotis, even a warm bowl of pasta or the most delicious slice of pizza can satisfy those cravings.

• 1 cup rice - any variety
• 1 cup Masoor Dal/Red Lentils
• 1 onion - finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes - chopped
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup french beans - chopped
• 1 carrot - diced
• 1 potato - diced
• 1 green bell pepper - diced
• A handful of green peas - fresh/frozen
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3 green chillies
• 2 pods of garlic
• A small piece of ginger - grated
• A handful of curry leaves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tsp Desi Ghee/clarified butter ( substitute with vegetable/sunflower oil )
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• A Pinch of garam Masala
• A handful of chopped cilantro - for garnishing

Method:

• Heat ghee/oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add cumin seeds, once they crackle, add green chillies, curry leaves, garlic pods, grated ginger & saute for about 10 secs
• Add chopped onions & turmeric powder & saute till onions are browned.
• Add chopped tomatoes & potatoes & saute for a minute.
• Add rice & dal & add enough water to cook. Add salt & close the lid. Keep stirring in at regular intervals.
• When it is half done, throw in the rest of the vegetables & add some more water & red chilli powder.
• Let it cook on medium flame, Keep adding water as per requirement.
• Keep stirring at regular intervals till the rice & lentils are completely cooked. They should have a semi-solid consistence.
• Adjust salt, add lemon juice & Garam Masala & garnish with chopped cilantro.

Drizzle some desi Ghee on top (highly recommended) & Serve HOT with some fresh yogurt/pickle/Papad. Enjoi !!!

We devoured ours with some spicy mango pickle. My Dad makes the best kichuri ever, & it did rekindle those fond memories when he served us bowls of kichuri filled with warmth & love & ofcourse I did put a soothing end to our cravings.

• I like my kichuri rather runny so I add more water. If you do not want it to be runny, reduce the quantity of water.
• I you feel the dish has turned out rather thick, Add some more water & heat it up. This dish is rather forgiving that way .
• You can prepare this with a pressure cooker too. If you are a little short on time or rather busy with things, use a pressure cooker. I personally prefer the stove top method. Watching the kichuri cooking up & the fragrance the emanates from the pot is pure bliss.
• You can vary the proportion of Rice:Dal. You can either make it 1:2 or 2:1. Its entirely up to you.
• You can pretty much use any combination of vegetables. If you are a little short on vegetables, this tastes great with only onions & tomatoes too.
  

My favorite way of serving cauliflower is this simple stir fry that my mum has been making since ages. Unlike my husband who loves Aloo Gobi, I love this one, mainly because I grew up with this.

• 2 cups of even sized cauliflower florets
• 1 cup green peas - fresh/frozen
• 2 tsp red chilli powder ( more if you want a bit more heat )
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tbsp oil
• A pinch of Garam masala (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon juice

• Heat oil in a large skillet. When hot, add cumin seeds, when the seeds pop & splutter, add grated ginger, coriander powder, turmeric & red chilli powder. Saute for about 30 seconds on low heat. Do Not burn them.
• Add cauliflower florets & saute until each floret is well coated with spices. This takes about a couple of minutes.
• Add very little water & salt as per taste, & cover with a lid for 5 minutes. Let the cauliflower cook on mediun flame. Keep sauting at regular intervals to avoid the florets from getting burnt.
• Add green peas & mix well. Close the lid again. If necessary add a little bit of water at this stage. Let it cook again.
• When the cauliflower florets & peas are well cooked( This should take about 15 minutes) thrown in a pinch of garam masala & add lemon juice. Mix well.

Punjabi cuisine is wholesome & full of rustic flavors. If you love punjabi food, I bet you will love Baingan Ka Bharta. This simple dish from the land of Punjab, has a very distinct flavor because of the use of mustard oil. Smoked eggplant gives it a very earthy flavor that you will love.

Baingan Ka Bharta is relatively healthier as compared to other punjabi dishes as it does not require liberal use of desi ghee or oil. This is simple enough to be tried by a novice too

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 red onions - finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes - chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 cup green peas - fresh/frozen
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 chopped green chilli
• 1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp kitchen king masala
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• A handful of chopped cilantro

• Make tiny slits around the eggplant, coat with mustard oil & roast it in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 mins, till the eggplant gets charred on all the sides. You could even roast the eggplant on the stove top.
• Once the eggplant is roasted, allow it to cool. Later, peel off the skin & mash the eggplant with the back of a fork. Add salt & lime juice, mix well & set it aside
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, Add cumin seeds, once the seeds pop & splutter, add green chillies & ginger garlic paste & saute
• Add chopped onions & saute until they turn transparent.
• Add chopped tomatoes, add red chilli powder & saute till the tomatoes are cooked & oil separates
• To this, add mashed eggplant & green peas. Mix well & cook for a while on low heat.
• Add salt as per taste. Add garam masala & kitchen king masala, mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro
  

Serve HOT with Rotis/Rice. Enjoi !!!

Serve as a dip with pita chips for a change. Iam sure your guests will love this.

NOTE:

• You could use vegetable oil/sunflower oil too. But Mustard oil gives it a very different flavor.
• DO NOT wash the smoked eggplant in cold water to cool it down. Else, it will lose the smoky flavor.
• You can even use charcoal to roast the eggplant, It will taste even better.
  

• 2 cups Penne Rigate
• 1/2 an eggplant - cubed
• 1 green bell pepper - cubed
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes
• 1 tsp pine nuts
• 1 tbsp dry basil leaves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
• Salt as per taste

Method:

• Boil Pasta in heavily salted water as per package instructions.
• Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan, Add chopped eggplants, broccoli florets & saute for a while.
• Add chopped bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts & saute over medium flame until the vegetables are well roasted. See to it that the vegetables retain their crunch. Do Not over cook the vegetables.
• Mix in cooked pasta, basil leaves, parmesean cheese & some salt. Mix well & simmer on low heat for about 4 - 5 minutes until the pasta is well coated with vegetables.

Serve HOT with some grated cheese. Enjoi !!!

NOTE:

You could also add some roasted artichoke & olives. I omitted it as I didn't want to mix in too many flavors. I DO NOT recommend adding these. But you can go ahead & add them if you like to.

While looking out for a Baby Corn recipe, I came across this dish on Monsoon Spice. The moment I saw the picture, I knew this would be our lunch the next day.

• 12-15 Baby Corn - cut vertically into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup green peas - fresh/frozen
• 1 red onion - finely chopped
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 small tomato - finely chopped
• 2 Green chillies - slit length wise
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• 1/2 tsp Kitchen King masala
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Boil baby corn juliennes in heavily salted water with turmeric for about 10 - 12 minutes. Baby Corn should be tender fork.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, Add cumin seeds, once the seeds pop & splutter, add green chillies & ginger garlic paste.
• Add chopped onions & saute till they turn transparent.
• Add chopped tomatoes & saute for a minute. Add red chilli powder, & cook until oil separates.
• Add yogurt & kasuri methi & bring the mixture to a boil.
• Add cooked baby corn & grean peas. Add some more water & cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
• Add Garam Masala & Kitchen King Masala. Check for salt. Mix well.

Serve with Rotis/Pulao/Biryani/Jeera Rice. Enjoi !!!

We had our with some plain paranthas, rice & yogurt. It was one wholesome meal for the weekend. This recipe is a definite addition to my list regular recipes. It will definitely be making this again.

How about you trying this for lunch today?

NOTE:

If you do not want to use yogurt, add an additional tomato for the tangy taste. I have added yogurt to get a creamier texture as this dish is rather dry.

As with any popular recipe, there are several versions of preparing Biryani. I myself have three versions of this dish which is make alternately.

• Basmati/Long grained rice - 1 1/2 cups
• A pinch of saffron dissolved in a tbsp of warm milk
• 2 red onions - sliced into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper - cubed
• 1 carrot - cut into long strips
• 2 potatoes - cubed
• 1/2 cup french beans - cut into long strips
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 cup green peas - fresh/frozen
• 2 tomatoes - chopped
• 1 cup yogurt
• 3 green chillies - slit length wise
• A pinch of turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 star anise
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 3 green cardamoms
• 2 cloves
• A small stick of cinnamon
• 4 -5 black peppercorns
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp kitchen king masala
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• Salt as per taste
• Oil
• Juice of half a lemon

Method:

• Wash rice in several changes of water. soak in water for 30 mins
• Pressure cook the rice with saffron in 1 1.2 cups of water. Oncc done, spread rice on a large tray & let it cool completely.
• Heat Oil in a heavy bottomed pan, Add cumin seeds & let it pop & splutter
• Add ginger-garlic paste, Bay leaves , turmeric & green chillies
• Add green cardamoms, cinnamon sick, cloves, star anise, peppercorns & saute for a while.
• Add onions & saute till they turn transparent.
• Add chopped tomatoes & saute for a while.
• Add all the dry powders except kitchen king masala & garam masala
• Saute till oil separates.
• Add potatoes & carrots & cook till almost done.
• Add french beans & cauliflower florets & cook till tender. At this stage you may require more oil for cooking.
• Add green bell pepper & green peas & saute until tender
• Add yogurt & mix well. bring it to a boil. Add Garam Masala, kitchen king masala & salt as per your taste
• Add cooked rice, squeeze lemon juice. Mix well & garnish with chopper cilantro

Serve with onion raita or any gravy of your choice. Enjoi !!!

I thoroughly enjoyed playing around with the spices & inhaling the aroma that emanated from the kadhai . . .

• 2 cups rice flour
• 1 cup chickpea flour/besan
• 1 tbsp butter - unsaltedred
• 2-3 tsp Red chilli powder
• A generous pinch asafoetida
• Salt as per taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Mix together all above ingredients except oil in a large bowl
• Add water to the mixture & knead well to form a soft non-sticky dough
• Meanwhile. Heat oil in a wide saucepan for deep frying
• Place a small portion of the dough inside a Murukku Maker, squeeze into hot oil & make a big circle. DO NOT overcrowd the pan
• Deep fry till golden brown
• Place them on absorbent towels to soak up excess oil
• Store them in air-tight containers & when completely cool

Enjoy with HOT Tea/Coffee or whenever you feel like munching on to something !!!

Here is what a Murukku Maker looks like :

NOTE: Other versions call for using either equal quantities of rice flour & chickpea flour or reversing the proportions used here. Feel free to adjust the proportions as per your taste.

• 1 1/2 cups cabbage - shredded
• 1 cup - moong dal
• 1 onion - finely chopped
• 1 tomato - finely chopped
• 1 green chilli - slit lengthwise
• 1 tsp - red chilli powder
• 1 tsp - ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp - cumin seeds
• A handful of curry leaves
• A pinch of turmeric
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tsp oil

Method:

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, When hot, add cumin seeds, once the seeds pop & splutter, add green chilli, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, curry leaves & saute
• Add onions & fry until transparent.
• Throw in chopped tomatoes & add red chilli powder. Cook till oil separates & the raw smell disappears.
• Add moong dal & saute for a minute
• Add about 2 cups of water & cover the pan with a lid & let the dal cook for a while. Keep stirring in between.
• Once the dal is half cooked, add shredded cabbage & add another 2 cups of water.
• Add salt & mix well, cover the pan again & let it cook. Keep stirring in between. Add additional water, if necessary,
• When done, check the taste & mix well. Transfer into a bowl.

Serve HOT with rotis or steamed rice. Enjoi !!!

NOTE: The proportion of Dal:Cabbage is entirely upto you. If you want a creamier taste. You could add more of Dal. Or, you could even keep the proportions equal.

• 1 cup long grained rice - cooked. Leftovers will work wonders
• 2 onions - sliced into long strips
• 1/2 cup - American sweet corn - fresh/frozen
• 1/2 cup - Green peas - fresh/frozen
• 1 carrot - sliced into long strips
• 3 green chillies - slit length wise
• A pinch of turmeric
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tbsp oil

• If not using leftover rice, clean rice in several changes of water & let it soak for 15 mnutes. Drain out excess water & pressure cook rice with 1 1/4 cups of water. When rice it cooked, spread it evenly on a plate & let it cool completely
• Meanwhile, Heat oil in a wok, add ginger-garlic paste & green chilles
• Add sliced onions & a pinch of turmeric. Saute until onions turn transparent. Add chopped carrots & stir fry till carrots are tender.
• Throw in sweet corn & green peas & saute for a couple of minutes
• Add rice, vinegar & soy sauce. Now add salt as per taste
• Mix well