Mixed Nuts recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups roasted and unsalted peanuts
1 cup roasted and unsalted cashews
1 cup almonds
1 cup walnuts
1 cup pistachios
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon butter
A few teaspoon thyme leaves
A few mint leaves
A few sage leaves
A few rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Preparation:  Take a baking tray.  Mix all of the nuts and bake at 375 degrees F or 190.6 C in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.

To a bowl with 1 tablespoon of butter add the herbs, paprika and salt.  After the nuts are baked.  While it is still hot add it to the bowl with the butter and herbs and mix and serve.

Okra Pachadi

Ingredients:
8 oz or 227 gm okra
3 tablespoon oil
1 green chili or to taste
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few chopped cilantro leaves
1 cup yogurt

Preparation:  After washing remove and discard the top and bottom of each okra.  Rest of it cut into small round bits.

Place the cut okra in a microwaveable bowl add a tablespoon of oil mix it and microwave it for 5 minutes and keep it aside.

Prepare the seasoning:  Heat a pan with 2 tablespoon of oil to it add the mustard seeds and wait for it to pop.  When the mustard seeds pop add the green chilies saute it and add the microwaved okra, mix and cook for a couple of minutes until the sticky strings disappear.  Turn the heat off and add salt and cilantro leaves mix and transfer it to a serving bowl.  Before serving add the yogurt mix and serve.

Molaga Podi - Chutney Powder

Ingredients:
1 cup urad dal
1 cup channa dal
10 to 15 whole red chilies or according to taste
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
3 to 4 teaspoons of oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder

Preparation:  To a pan on medium heat roast the urad dal, channa dal and red chilies separately in oil.  After roasting combine them and keep it aside to cool.

Next heat the same pan with one teaspoon of oil add the mustard seeds and wait for it to pop.  When it pops turn the heat off and to the hot pan add asafoetida, let the asafoetida fry for about 10 seconds and add it to the roasted dals.  

When the dals have cooled to room temperature add some salt and grind them to a coarse powder.

This can be stored for sometime.  It lasts for at least 3 months.

Serve with dosa, idli or adai.

Masala Vadai

Ingredients:
1/2 cup tur dal
1/2 cup channa dal
1/2 cup urad dal
2 green chili or to taste
a pinch of asafoetida
a few cilantro leaves (hara dhania)
1 cup finely chopped onions
water as needed
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:  Wash and soak the dals together for 1 1/2 to 2 hours before grinding.
After it has been soaking grind it to a coarse batter with green chillies asafoetida salt and cilantro leaves.  Add water as need the batter needs to be thick and not watery.  To the ground batter add the chopped onions mix.  This is now ready to make vadais

To make the vadai heat a pan on medium heat with about 2 inches of oil for deep frying.  Check to see if the oil is hot by dropping a little bit of batter, if the dropped batter floats up right away it is hot enough to make vadai.
Take some batter to fit your palm, flatten it and slowly and carefully put into the cooking oil.  In the same way make about five of them and put it in the oil for deep frying.  Fry them a few at a time in batches without overcrowding.
While frying turn them around so that they are evenly fried all over.  When the sizzling has come down and they are golden brown they are ready to come out and are ready to serve.

Stuffed Bitter gourd (melon)

Ingredients:
430g or 15.20 oz bitter gourd (karela, pargarkai)
4 cups shredded carrots
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon shredded ginger
2 green chilies or to taste
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder or to taste
2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
a few chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoon amchur or dry mango powder
2 tablespoon mustard oil to make filling and 6 tablespoon oil to fry the stuffed bitter gourd

Prepare the bitter gourd:  Scrape the outside of the bitter gourd to remove the bumps.
Chop the removed skin into bits and keep it aside it is going to be used for the filling.

Cut the bitter gourd in half in the middle and remove and discard the seeds.

Line the prepared bitter gourd on a microwaveable plate and microwave it for about 3 to 4 minutes to partially cook it.
Keep it aside and prepare the filling.

Prepare the filling:  To a pan on medium heat with 2 tablespoon of mustard oil, add the chopped onions and saute until it is light brown.  When it is light brown add ginger, green chilies and garlic and saute for a few seconds.  Next add turmeric powder, chili powder and saute for 10 seconds, add the garam masala saute for a few seconds, add the grated carrots and the chopped skin of the bitter gourd, mix add the chopped cilantro leaves mix add salt and cover and cook until the filling has become soft and cooked.  Cook it to form a dry filling.
When done turn the heat off, add the amchur or dry mango powder, mix and let it cool after which the gourd can be stuffed.

To stuff the bitter gourd.  To one fill the cavity with some of the filling, cover it with its corresponding side and tie it with a string and keep aside for pan frying.

To fry, using a pan on medium heat with 6 tablespoon of mustard oil place the bitter gourd inside and fry by turning them over as each side is done.  When it is fried all over remove from heat and serve.  Before serving remove the strings that tied the two sides together.  Serves 4 to 6.