Grandmother's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sesame seeds
• 1 cup roasted peanuts, skins removed
• 1 cup dry coconut (copra), in small pieces
• 1 cup jaggery cubes
• ½ cup roasted gram (hurigadale)

Method

1. Dry-roast the sesame on low heat until it smells nutty, then cool.
2. Cut the copra and jaggery into small, even pieces.
3. Mix everything in a large bowl.
4. Pack into small bags with a sugar-candy figure (sakkare acchu) if you have one.

Ingredients

• ½ cup rice
• 2 tbsp moong dal
• 2½ cups water
• ¾ cup grated jaggery
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 10 cashews, a few raisins
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder, a pinch of edible camphor (optional)

Method

1. Lightly roast the moong dal, then pressure-cook rice and dal with water until very soft.
2. Melt the jaggery in ¼ cup water and strain.
3. Mash the rice and dal, add the jaggery syrup and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Fry cashews and raisins in ghee and pour over, with cardamom.

Ingredients

• 1 cup besan (gram flour)
• ⅓ cup ghee
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• Chopped almonds or pistachios

Method

1. Roast the besan in ghee on low heat, stirring all the time, for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and fragrant.
2. Cool until warm.
3. Mix in sugar, cardamom and nuts.
4. Shape into balls while still warm.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp almonds
• 1 tbsp each melon seeds, poppy seeds and fennel
• 8 black peppercorns, 6 cardamoms
• 1 litre cold milk
• 4 tbsp sugar
• A few saffron strands, rose petals

Method

1. Soak the nuts, seeds and spices for 2 hours.
2. Grind to a smooth paste with a little milk.
3. Stir into cold milk with sugar and saffron, and strain.
4. Chill and serve with rose petals.

Ingredients

• A few tender neem flowers
• 2 tbsp grated jaggery
• 1 tsp tamarind pulp
• A little raw mango, finely chopped
• A pinch of salt and pepper

Method

1. Mix everything together.
2. Offer it at the altar first.
3. Everyone eats a small spoon before breakfast.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chana dal
• 1 cup jaggery
• ¼ tsp cardamom
• 1 cup maida or fine wheat flour
• A pinch of turmeric, salt
• ½ cup oil, ghee to serve

Method

1. Make a soft dough with flour, turmeric, salt, water and plenty of oil. Rest for 2 hours.
2. Cook the dal until soft but not mushy, drain, and cook with jaggery until thick. Grind with cardamom.
3. Wrap a ball of filling in a little dough, flatten thin on oiled paper.
4. Cook on a hot tava on both sides and serve with ghee or milk.

Ingredients

• ½ cup moong dal, soaked 2 hours
• 1 cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 2 tbsp fresh coconut
• Lemon juice, salt, coriander
• Tempering: oil, mustard seeds, green chilli, hing

Method

1. Drain the dal well.
2. Mix with cucumber, carrot, coconut and coriander.
3. Add salt and lemon just before serving.
4. Pour the hot tempering on top.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup water, 1 tsp ghee, pinch of salt
• 1 cup fresh grated coconut
• ¾ cup jaggery
• ¼ tsp cardamom

Method

1. Cook coconut and jaggery until thick, add cardamom, and cool.
2. Boil water with ghee and salt, stir in rice flour, cover and rest 5 minutes, then knead smooth.
3. Flatten a ball, pinch pleats around the edge, fill, and close at the top.
4. Steam for 12 minutes and serve with ghee.

Ingredients

• ½ cup thin vermicelli
• 1 litre milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp ghee
• Cashews, raisins, cardamom, saffron

Method

1. Fry cashews and raisins in ghee and set aside.
2. Roast the vermicelli in the same ghee until golden.
3. Add milk and simmer until soft, 10 minutes.
4. Add sugar, cardamom and saffron, then the nuts.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chickpeas or other beans, soaked overnight and boiled
• 2 tbsp grated coconut
• Oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, dried red chilli, hing
• Salt

Method

1. Heat oil and add mustard, urad dal, chilli, curry leaves and hing.
2. Add the boiled chickpeas and salt.
3. Toss in coconut and stir for a minute.

Ingredients

• ½ cup rice and ½ cup toor dal
• 2 cups mixed vegetables (beans, carrot, peas, chayote or potato)
• Tamarind, lemon-sized ball, soaked
• 3 tbsp bisi bele bath powder
• Ghee, cashews, curry leaves, mustard

Method

1. Pressure-cook rice and dal together until very soft.
2. Cook vegetables with tamarind water, salt and the powder.
3. Mix in the rice and dal, adding hot water for a flowing consistency.
4. Finish with a ghee tempering of mustard, curry leaves and cashews.

Ingredients

• ½ cup fine semolina (rava)
• 1½ cups water
• ¾ cup sugar
• 4 tbsp ghee
• Saffron or a pinch of kesari colour, cardamom, cashews, raisins

Method

1. Fry cashews and raisins in ghee, then roast the rava until fragrant.
2. Add boiling water with saffron, stirring to avoid lumps.
3. When thick, add sugar; it will loosen, then thicken again.
4. Finish with ghee and cardamom.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sabudana (sago pearls)
• ½ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
• 1 potato, boiled and cubed
• 1 green chilli, cumin seeds, curry leaves
• Rock salt (sendha namak), a little sugar, lemon
• 2 tbsp ghee, coriander

Method

1. Rinse the sabudana until the water runs clear, then soak in just enough water to cover for 4 to 6 hours.
2. Mix the soaked pearls with crushed peanuts, rock salt and a pinch of sugar.
3. Heat ghee, add cumin, chilli and curry leaves, then the potato.
4. Add the sabudana and stir gently on low heat until the pearls turn clear. Finish with lemon and coriander.

Ingredients

• 3 cups mixed vegetables in finger-length pieces (carrot, beans, raw banana, drumstick, ash gourd)
• ¾ cup fresh grated coconut
• 2 green chillies, 1 tsp cumin
• ½ cup thick curd, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, curry leaves
• Turmeric, salt

Method

1. Cook the vegetables with turmeric, salt and a little water until just tender.
2. Grind coconut, chillies and cumin to a coarse paste with very little water.
3. Stir the paste into the vegetables and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat, stir in the curd, and finish with raw coconut oil and curry leaves.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice flour (or soaked, ground rice)
• ¾ cup grated jaggery, melted in ¼ cup water and strained
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 2 tbsp grated coconut
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder, a pinch of salt
• Ghee for the appe pan

Method

1. Mix the rice flour, jaggery syrup, banana, coconut, cardamom and salt into a thick, pourable batter. Rest 30 minutes.
2. Heat an appe (paniyaram) pan and put ½ tsp ghee in each hole.
3. Fill each hole three-quarters full and cook on medium-low heat until golden underneath.
4. Turn with a skewer and cook the other side. Serve warm.

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice, soaked 20 minutes
• A pinch of saffron in 2 tbsp warm milk (or a pinch of turmeric)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 4 cloves, 3 cardamoms
• Cashews, raisins and almonds

Method

1. Boil the rice with the cloves until just cooked, then drain.
2. Melt the ghee, fry the nuts and raisins, add the cardamom.
3. Add the rice, sugar and saffron milk. Stir gently on low heat until the sugar melts and is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
4. Cover and rest 5 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp ghee
• ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
• Rock salt (sendha namak) and black pepper
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves

Method

1. Boil or bake the sweet potatoes until soft, then peel and cube.
2. Toss them in hot ghee for 2 minutes until lightly crisp.
3. Add cumin, rock salt, pepper and lemon.
4. Top with pomegranate and coriander.

Ingredients

• 3 small ripe mangoes, peeled (keep the seed with some flesh)
• ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chilli powder, salt
• ½ cup grated coconut and ½ tsp cumin, ground to a paste
• 1 cup thick yoghurt, whisked
• 1 tsp coconut oil, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, dry red chillies

Method

1. Cook the mango pieces and seed with turmeric, chilli, salt and ½ cup water until soft.
2. Add the coconut paste and simmer 3 minutes.
3. Take off the heat and stir in the yoghurt. Do not boil after this.
4. Temper mustard, fenugreek, curry leaves and red chillies in coconut oil and pour over.

Ingredients

• Panakam: ½ cup jaggery, 3 cups water, ½ tsp dry ginger powder, ¼ tsp cardamom, a pinch of black pepper, juice of ½ lemon
• Neer mor: 1 cup yoghurt, 3 cups water, salt, a small piece of ginger, a few curry leaves and coriander leaves

Method

1. Panakam: dissolve the jaggery in water, strain, then stir in ginger, cardamom, pepper and lemon.
2. Neer mor: blend the yoghurt with water, salt, ginger and a few leaves until smooth and thin.
3. Serve both chilled or at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole white urad dal, soaked 3 hours
• Salt
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger, a few curry leaves
• 1 green chilli, chopped (optional)
• Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Grind the drained dal with as little water as possible to a fluffy, thick batter. Beat it with your hand for 2 minutes.
2. Mix in salt, pepper, ginger, curry leaves and chilli.
3. With wet hands, shape a ball, flatten it and press a hole in the middle.
4. Slide into hot oil and fry on medium heat until golden and crisp.

Ingredients

• 2 raw green mangoes
• ½ cup sugar or jaggery
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• ½ tsp black salt, a pinch of pepper
• A few mint leaves
• Chilled water

Method

1. Boil or pressure-cook the mangoes until soft. Cool, peel and squeeze out the pulp.
2. Blend the pulp with sugar, cumin, black salt, pepper and mint.
3. Keep this concentrate in the fridge.
4. Mix 3 tbsp concentrate with a glass of chilled water to serve.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup short-grain rice, washed
• 1 litre full-fat milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp ghee, cashews and raisins

Method

1. Boil the milk in a heavy pan, add the rice and simmer on low heat, stirring often, for 35 to 40 minutes.
2. When the rice is very soft and the milk is thick and creamy, add the sugar and cook 5 more minutes.
3. Add cardamom.
4. Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and pour over.

Ingredients

• 2 cups desiccated or fresh grated coconut
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tbsp ghee
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder

Method

1. Grease a plate with ghee.
2. Cook the coconut, sugar and milk on medium heat, stirring all the time.
3. In 12 to 15 minutes it leaves the sides of the pan and comes together. Add ghee and cardamom.
4. Spread on the plate, smooth the top, cut into squares while warm and let it set.

Ingredients

• 1 cup thick poha (beaten rice)
• ½ cup grated jaggery
• ½ cup grated coconut
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp ghee or butter
• A few cashews

Method

1. Rinse the poha once and drain well.
2. Mix the jaggery, coconut and cardamom until the jaggery softens.
3. Add the poha and mix gently with your fingers.
4. Top with a little butter and cashews fried in ghee.

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch kale, cavolo nero or spinach, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp urad dal, a few curry leaves
• 1 dry red chilli
• Salt
• 3 tbsp grated or desiccated coconut

Method

1. Heat the oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli and curry leaves.
2. When the dal turns golden, add the greens and salt.
3. Cover and cook 5 to 6 minutes until tender.
4. Stir in the coconut and serve with rice and dal.

Ingredients

• ½ cup moong dal
• 2 courgettes, cubed
• ¼ tsp turmeric, salt
• ¼ cup coconut, 1 tsp cumin and 1 green chilli, ground to a paste
• 1 tsp oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves

Method

1. Cook the moong dal with turmeric until soft.
2. Add the courgette, salt and ½ cup water and cook 6 minutes.
3. Stir in the coconut paste and simmer 3 minutes.
4. Temper mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil and pour over.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats, dry-roasted 3 minutes
• 1 cup chopped carrot, peas and beans
• 1 tbsp ghee or oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp chana dal, curry leaves
• 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 green chilli
• Salt, lemon juice and coriander

Method

1. Heat the ghee and add mustard seeds, chana dal, curry leaves, ginger and chilli.
2. Add the vegetables and salt and cook 3 minutes.
3. Add ¾ cup water, bring to a boil and stir in the oats.
4. Cook 2 minutes, finish with lemon and coriander.

Ingredients

• ½ cup quinoa, rinsed well
• ¼ cup moong dal, dry-roasted
• Salt
• 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tsp cumin, curry leaves, 1 tsp grated ginger, cashews

Method

1. Cook the quinoa and moong dal with 2½ cups water and salt until soft and mushy, about 20 minutes.
2. Heat the ghee and fry the pepper, cumin, ginger, curry leaves and cashews.
3. Pour over the pongal and mix.
4. Serve with coconut chutney.

Ingredients

• 3 cups grated butternut or Hokkaido squash
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 cup milk
• ⅓ cup sugar or jaggery
• ¼ tsp cardamom
• Almonds and pistachios, chopped

Method

1. Cook the grated squash in ghee for 8 minutes until it softens.
2. Add the milk and cook, stirring, until it is absorbed.
3. Add the sugar and cook until the halwa leaves the sides of the pan.
4. Add cardamom and top with nuts.

Ingredients

• 2 sweet apples, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp ghee
• 750 ml full-fat milk
• ¼ cup condensed milk or sugar
• ¼ tsp cardamom, a pinch of saffron
• Chopped almonds

Method

1. Boil the milk and simmer for 15 minutes until slightly thick. Add condensed milk or sugar, cardamom and saffron. Cool completely.
2. Cook the grated apple in ghee for 3 minutes until soft. Cool.
3. Stir the apple into the cold milk just before serving, so the milk does not split.
4. Top with almonds.