Poha: Ingredients:

2 cups poha (flattened rice) 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 5-6 curry leaves 2 green chillies slit lengthwise (optional) 1 medium onion chopped fine 1 large/2medium potatoes quartered and sliced very thin Handful of unsalted peanuts (skins removed) Pinch of turmeric powder Juice of 1/2 a lime Salt to taste Chopped coriander to garnish

Preparation:

Put the poha in a sieve and wash under running water for 2 minutes. Keep aside to drain. Heat the oil in a pan on a medium flame and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry till the spluttering stops and then add the onion. Fry till soft and translucent. Add the peanuts and potatoes and stirring frequently, cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain the poha completely to remove all water and add it to the above mix. Add the turmeric powder and stir well to blend all ingredients. Cook for another minute. Turn off the fire. Pour lime juice over the poha and mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve while hot. Poha tastes great with Mint-Coriander Chutney!

Dhokla: Ingredients:

500 gms bengal gram flour (besan) 1 1/2 cup sour yoghurt 1 tsp ginger paste 1 tsp green chilli paste (add more if you like it spicier) 2 tsps sugar 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp lime/lemon juice 2 tsps fruit salt/ baking soda Salt to taste For tempering: 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tsp sesame seeds 6-8 curry leaves 2 green chillies slit lengthwise 1/2 cup warm water For garnish: 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

Preparation:

Sieve the gram flour. Mix it with the yoghurt and keep aside for 2 hours. Add the ginger and green chilli pastes, turmeric powder, salt to taste, lime juice and sugar and enough warm water to make a batter of pouring consistency. Mix well. Divide the batter into 3 equal portions. Prepare the steamer and grease a square/ rectangular pan to steam the dhokla in. Divide the fruit salt/baking soda into 3 equal portions and add one portion to a portion of the batter. Mix well. Pour this batter into the greased dish and put it into the steamer. Cook till done - when you touch the surface of the Dhokla your fingers should come away clean. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding the fruit salt/ baking soda to each batch of batter just before steaming.

Allow the steamed Dhokla to cool slightly and cut into 2" squares. To temper, heat the oil in a wide, thick-bottomed pan and add the curry leaves, mustard and sesame seeds and green chillies. Fry till the seeds stop sluttering. Pour these into the warm water. Sprinkle this mixture all over the prepared Dhokla. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve with Tamarind Chutney and Mint-Coriander Chutney.

Upma: Ingredients:

1 cup semolina 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil 5-6 curry leaves 2 green chillies slit lengthwise 1" piece of ginger grated 3/4 tsp mustard seeds 2 medium-sized onions chopped fine 2 medium tomatoes chopped fine Salt to taste 2 cups hot water Pinch of turmeric powder Juice of 1/2 a lime Chopped coriander to garnish

Preparation:

Heat a griddle or flat pan on a medium flame and roast the semolina lightly. Stir frequently and do not allow it to brown. Once done, remove onto a tray or platter and keep aside. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. When the spluttering stops, add the grated ginger and stir well. Cook for 1 minute. Add the onion and fry till translucent and soft. Add the tomatoes and cook till soft. Add the hot water, turmeric and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Add the roasted semolina, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Simmer and cook till the Upma is like a very thick porridge. Turn off the fire. Squeeze the lime juice over the Upma and mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve piping hot.

Dosa: : Prep Time: 12 hours, Cook Time: 5 minutes Ingredients:

3 cups rice 1 cup skinless split urad daal (skinless black gram) 3/4 tsp fenugreek seeds Salt to taste Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil

Preparation:
Learn how to make Dosas with my handy step-by-step photo tutorial.

Wash the rice and urad daal well. Add the fenugreek seeds to the mix and fill enough water in the rice-daal bowl to cover them about 2" deep. Soak overnight. The next morning, drain all the water from the rice and urad daal. Now put some in a food processor and grind adding very little water if necessary - to a smooth yet slightly grainy paste.

When all the rice-daal mix is ground like this, put it into a large mixing bowl and add enough water to make a batter. The consistency of the batter should be such that it thickly coats a spoon dipped in it. Now add salt to taste and keep the Dosa batter aside in a warm, dark spot, covered, for 6-8 hours. After this fermentation, stir the batter well. It is now ready to make Dosas. Put some cooking oil in a small bowl and keep ready. You will also need a bowl of ice cold water, a large, flat nonstick pan, 2 sheets of paper towel, a ladle, a spatula and a basting brush. Fold one sheet of paper towel into a wad and dip lightly into the bowl of cooking oil. Squeeze out any excess and then rub the paper towel all over the surface of the pan to grease. The correct amount of oil is such that it is barely visible on the pan. Now turn on the heat/ flame at medium high. Fill the ladle upto the 3/4 level with Dosa batter. Gently pour this batter onto the center of the pan - just as you would for a pancake - till the ladle is empty. Now begin to spread the batter in sweeping circular motions to form a pancake of roughly 8" diameter. Do not be alarmed if the Dosa develops tiny holes as you spread the batter. This is normal. As soon as you have finished spreading the batter out on the pan, dip the basting brush in cooking oil and drizzle the oil all over the surface of the dosa and also around its edges. Now hold the pan by its handle, lift up and swirl it so as to make the drizzled oil spread all over the Dosa. When the upper surface begins to look cooked (it will no longer look soft or runny), flip the Dosa. By this time, ideally, the surface that was underneath should be light golden in color. Allow to cook for 1 minute after flipping. The Dosa is almost done. Fold it in half and allow to cook for 30 seconds more. Serve the ready Dosa with side dishes like South Indian Coconut Chutney, South Indian Gunpowder Chutney and Sambar. I like to make and serve Dosas immediately while I cook as this means they are crisp and fresh when eaten. This, however, is not absolutely necessary. You can also make, stack and serve the Dosas later. Just ensure you keep them warm till serving time by placing them - just like with pancakes - in a closed dish. Before you start making the next Dosa, fold another sheet of paper towel into a wad and dip it in ice cold water. Squeeze the wad to remove excess water and then rub it all over the surface of the pan to cool it slightly. This ensures your next Dosa will spread evenly and not break because the pan is too hot. Now proceed as you did for the last Dosa.

Bhature: Total Time: 6 hours Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 cup yoghurt 3/4 tsp salt Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and yogurt in a large mixing bowl. Wash your hands well and dry thoroughly. Mix the ingredients together by hand and knead till a smooth dough is formed. Cover with cling film and keep in a warm, dark place for 5-6 hours at least. After 5-6 hours, the dough will have risen and become fluffy. Remove the cling film and punch the dough to remove extra air from it. Knead again till the dough is smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into several equal-sized balls. Set up the cooking oil to heat, in a large, deep pan, on medium heat. Also prepare a plate or large bowl to place the cooked Bhaturas for draining, by lining it with paper towels. Lightly flour a clean, dry rolling surface and place one ball on it. Roll out into a circular shape of 6" diameter. You could also roll the ball into a long oval shape of the same size. To test if the oil is hot, drop a small ball of dough into it. If the ball quickly rises to the surface oil the oil and sizzles, the oil is ready. Once the oil has reached the correct temperature, add a rolled-out Bhatura to it gently, to avoid splashing hot oil. In 57 seconds, turn gently with a slotted spoon. Wait another 5-7 seconds and press gently in the center of the Bhatura with the slotted spoon. This will cause tit to puff up like a ball! Keep frying and turning gently till both sides are golden. Drain and remove from oil when done and keep in bowl/ plate on paper towels. Serve piping hot with Chole!

Chole: Ingredients:

2 cans of chickpeas (400 gm each) 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil 2 bay leaves 5-6 cloves 3-4 green cardamoms 5-6 peppercorns 3 large onions, sliced thin 2 large tomatoes chopped 2 tbsps garlic paste 1 tbsps ginger paste 2 tsps coriander powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsps garam masala 1" piece of ginger, julliened 2 tbsps fresh coriander leaves chopped fine

Preparation:

Grind 2 onions, the tomatoes, ginger, garlic together into a smooth paste. Heat the oil in a deep, thick-bottomed pan on a medium flame. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and peppercorns and fry for 1/2 a minute. Add the remaining sliced onion and fry till light golden. Add the onion-tomato paste and fry till the oil begins to separate from the paste. Add the dry spices - cumin, coriander, red chilli, tumeric and garam masala powders. Fry for 5 minutes. Drain the water in the can from the chickpeas and rinse them well under running water. Add the chickpeas to the masala. Mix well. Add salt to taste and water to make gravy (about 1 1/2 cups). Simmer and cook covered for 10 minutes. Use a flat spoon to mash some of the chickpeas coarsely. Mix well. Garnish with juliennes of ginger and finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve piping hot with Poori/ Bhatura.

Basic fried rice: Ingredients:

1 - 2 green onions, as desired 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon salt Pepper to taste 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed 4 cups cold cooked rice 1 - 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or oyster sauce, as desired

Preparation:
Wash and finely chop the green onion. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper. Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. Stir in the soy sauce or oyster sauce as desired.

When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the green onion. Serve hot.

Chicken fried rice: Prep Time-10 minutes, Cook Time-10 minutes Ingredients:

4 cups cold cooked rice 8 ounces cooked chicken (or substitute cooked turkey, etc.), chopped 2 eggs (more if desired) 1/2 cup green peas 1 medium onion, diced 1 green onion, diced Seasonings (add according to taste): Light Soy Sauce Oyster sauce Salt Pepper Oil for stir-frying, as needed

Preparation:
Beat the eggs lightly with chopsticks, add a dash of salt (Add a bit of oyster sauce if desired). Chop the chicken meat and dice the onion and green onion. Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, pour 1/2 of the egg mixture into the wok and cook over medium heat, turning over once. Cook the other half the same way. Cut the egg into thin strips, and save for later. Stir-fry the onion on high heat for a few moments, remove and set aside. Do the same for the green peas. Add oil, turn down the heat to medium and stir-fry the rice. Add the soy sauce, salt, pepper and oyster sauce. Add the chicken, onion and green peas and combine thoroughly. Serve chicken fried rice with the strips of egg on top and the green onion as a garnish. (Alternately, you can mix the green onion and egg in with the other ingredients).

Pasta salad: Ingredients:

8-10 oz. thin dried rice noodles (vermicelli size), available in the Asian section of your supermarket 2 tomatoes, cut into small slices 5 green onions, sliced finely 1 can miniature corn cobs, drained and chopped into bite-size pieces 2 cups snow peas, steamed or boiled until bright green but still firm 1-2 cups bean sprouts 1 cup fresh coriander/cilantro, roughly chopped 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts OR cashews, left whole or lightly chopped 1 can cooked shrimp / Or for vegetarians: 1/2 cup deep-fried tofu, cut into small cubes GARNISH: fresh basil, fresh coriander, and chopped peanuts DRESSING: 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 tsp. sesame oil 2 Tbsp. fish sauce OR 2 extra Tbsp. soy sauce if vegetarian 5 Tbsp. soy sauce (use wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets) 1 fresh red chili, de-seeded, OR 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili or cayenne pepper

1-2 Tbsp. brown sugar (to taste) juice of 1 lime 2 cloves garlic, minced

Preparation:
1. Dunk noodles in a pot of boiling water. Remove pot from heat and allow noodles to soften in the hot water 10-15 minutes, or until soft enough to eat ('al dente'). When ready, drain and tip noodles into a large mixing bowl. 2. Add the bean sprouts while noodles are still hot and gently toss (the residual heat from the noodles will lightly cook the sprouts). 3. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a cup, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test for a sweet-sour balance, adding more sugar if too sour for your taste. Note that the dressing will taste quite strong/salty now, but will be milder when combined with the salad. 4. To the bowl of noodles and sprouts, add the tomates, green onion, corn cobs, shrimp or tofu, and fresh coriander. Toss to mix (If you're having trouble combining the noodles with the other ingredients because the noodles are too long and tangled, cut them several times with a pair of clean scissors - this is a great tip I picked up while in Asia!). 5. Now add the dressing, fresh basil, and nuts, tossing well to incorporate. 6. Taste test the salad. If not salty enough, add more fish sauce or soy sauce. If not spicy enough, add more chili. If too salty, add a little more lime juice. 7. Eat immediately, or cover and allow to sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two, or until cold. Place on a serving platter or in a salad dish and sprinkle with fresh basil, coriander, and peanuts. Serve with wedges of lime.