Veg Hakka Noodles

INGREDIENTS:

Colorful mini bell peppers-4 or 5 chopped
Cabbage- A small portion, chopped
Broccoli- A few florets
Spring onions- 1 bunch chopped
Ginger and garlic- equal portion, chopped finely
Carrot- 1 big sliced thin
Beans- A handful, chopped
Mushrooms- 4 or 5 sliced
Green chilli- 1 sliced(optional)
Cilantro- A handful, chopped for garnish
Chings- Hakka noodles packet-1
Chings- Green chili sauce- To taste
Chings Hakka noodles powder- 1 tbsp
White and black pepper- 1 tsp each
Soy Sauce- 1 tbsp
White vinegar-1 tsp (optional)

PROCEDURE:

• Chop all vegetables.
• Boil the noodles with a dash of oil and salt to aldente.
• In a wok, add oil, add white part of spring onions, ginger, garlic and saute. 
• Add all the vegetables and saute till well cooked.
• Drain the noodles and toss in cold water. Cut the noodles with scissors to smaller threads if needed. 
• Add the noodles to the vegetables.
• Add soy sauce, white pepper, black pepper, rice vinegar, Chings hakka noodles powder, salt and mix the noodles and vegetables.
• Garnish with green part of spring onions and cilantro. Enjoy hot!

Nuts laddoo with jaggery

INGREDIENTS

Cashewnuts- 1 cup
Unroasted unsalted Peanuts- 1 cup
Almonds- 1 cup
Pistachionuts- 1/2 cup
Jaggery- 6 cubes
Elaichi/cardamom powder- To taste
Ghee- To make laddoos

PROCEDURE:

• In a pan, dry roast all the nuts in low to medium flame until raw smell is gone. Be careful in making sure the nuts do not burn. Keep mixing now and then.
• Once cooled down, grind to a coarse powder in a mixie.
• Heat the jaggery cubes in microwave for 20 seconds and grind them in the same mixie to make a sticky powder and add them to nuts mixture
• Add cardamom powder and some ghee enough to be able to make laddoos with your hands.
• Enjoy guilt free. Nice dish for potlucks or quick prasadam for any puja. You can add dates if you like too but you must adjust the jaggery accordingly.

Masala toast

INGREDIENTS:

Eggs- 2
Bread slices- 3 nos
Onion-1/2 small, chopped
Green chillies- 1 or 2 finely chopped
Cilantro- For garnish
Red chilli powder, Turmeric powder, Salt and pepper- To taste


PROCEDURE:

• First beat eggs with all spice powders till frothy. Add onions, chillies and cilantro and mix
• In a hot pan, spread butter on both side, now spread the egg mixture on one side of the bread and keep on pan with egg side down. Then add the egg mixture on the other side of the bread and toss till well cooked. Use medium heat to toast the bread.
• Enjoy while hot. You can add milk and get another slice if needed.

Quick and easy home made Alfredo pasta

INGREDIENTS:

Butter- 1 tbsp
All purpose flour- 1 tbsp
Garlic powder- 1 tbsp
Vegetables optional- Bell peppers, mushrooms, onions,  spinach
Whipping cream or half and half- 1/4 cup
Whole milk-To bring a saucy consistency of your choice
Salt, pepper, Red chilli flakes, Italian seasoning powder- To taste

PROCEDURE:

• Boil pasta in a pot of water, a tsp of olive oil and a dash of salt and cook completely.
• In a pan, let it heat and then add room temperature butter. Let it melt.
• Now add flour, garlic powder and whisk together. Once raw smell goes, add vegetables of your choice and allow to cook , now add whipping cream and milk and whisk together to get a smooth sauce.
• Add salt, pepper, red chilli flakes, Italian seasoning powder to your taste. Add parmesan cheese and Italian cheese to the sauce.
• Add boiled pasta to the sauce. Allow to mi with the sauce for a minute before turning off stove.  Serve hot with more parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
• If you want you can take this to next level by moving this pasta to a baking dish, garnishing with some bread crumbs and bake at 400 F for 10 mins or so until the bread crumbs have become golden brown.
• My kids love this pasta for school lunch and never waste any.

Valakkai bajji

INGREDIENTS:

Raw banana-1 sliced using a mandolin
Besan- 1 cup
Rice Flour- 1/4 cup
Asafoetida- To taste
Orange food color- Optional
Salt-To taste
Red chilli powder- To taste, around 1 tsp
Hot oil- 1 tsp
Baking soda- 1/8 tsp or a pinch

PROCEDURE:

• Slice raw banana using a mandolin
• Mix the bajji batter with all ingredients with water and bring it to a dripping consistency where the batter flows a little but not too watery. Hot oil brings crispiness to the bajjis.
• Dip the raw banana slices in the batter and put in hot oil. Always use medium flame to fry, this will ensure uniform cooking.
• Drain excess oil in paper towels and serve hot with chutney of your choice. 
• Eat with hot chai or coffee and you are in heaven. Perfect weekend or Friday evening snack to enjoy.
• If you have excess batter, you can use bread, onions, potato to make bajjis.
• Tip: Besan flour to rice flour is 1:4 ratio.

Kara pidi kolukattai

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour- 1 cup
Water-2.5 cups
Red chillies- 2 nos
Green chili- 1 nos finely chopped
Cilantro- finely chopped
Curry leaves- 4 or 5
Asafoetida-To taste
Salt-To taste
Urad dal, channa dal, Mustard seeds- To temper
Sesame oil- 1 tsp

PROCEDURE:

• In a pan, add oil allow to heat up then add mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, red chillies, green chilli, asafoetida, curry leaves and cilantro.
• Reduce the heat in stove, add water slowly to the pan. Now allow this to come to a boil.
• Now add rice flour and using a whisk mix it well to form a dough.
• Allow to cool enough for your hands to be able to touch comfortably.
• Meanwhile take a idly pan, pour water and allow to come to a boil.
• Spread sesame oil over the idly plates.
• Rub sesame oil over your palm and finger and make kolukattai or balls and arrange on idly plate.
• Place the idly plate with kolukkattai and steam for 6-8 minutes depending on your stove.
• Serve with coconut or kara chutney or eat plain. Now we have a healthy guilt free snack.

Healthy Idly powder

INGREDIENTS:

Horse gram or kollu- 1/2 cup
Black sesame seeds- 1/2 cup
Urad dal with skin- 1/2 cup
Red chillies- 20 or as spicy as needed
Rock salt or iodized salt- To taste
Curry leaves- A good handful
Black pepper-Optional
Asafoetida- To taste

PROCEDURE:

• In a pan, dry roast all the ingredients one by one till aromatic smell comes and allow to cool completely.
• After turning off stove, add asafoetida powder.
• In a mixer, first add red chillies and curry leaves and grind finely. Then add the other ingredients one by one and grind to the consistency you like. I like my idly powder a little coarse and not very fine. I didn't add pepper but people who like pepper taste are welcome to add some.
• Enjoy with some hot ghee or sesame oil with idly/dosa/oothappam.