Bow-Tie Pasta with fresh tomatoes

Ingredients (serves for 1) :

Bow tie pasta - 2 cups (1 cup size = 150 ml)

fresh tomato - 1 

grated  paneer / cheese - 2 tsp

cilantro / basil leaves (chopped) - 3 tsp

tomato sauce - 4 tsp

olive oil - 4 tsp

salt - 1 tsp

red chilli flakes - 1/2 - 1 tsp

black pepper powder - 3/4 tsp

finely chopped garlic - 1 tsp

Method:

• cut tomato in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl
• chop the tomato and add to the bowl
• add basil, 2 tsp oil, chopped garlic, red chilli flakes and black pepper powder
• mix and cover it for 10 - 15 mins. 
• heat a vessel with enough water to cover pasta and bring it to boil.
  
• once boiled , add salt, 2 tsp of olive oil and pasta. Cook it untill the pasta is fully cooked. Drain the water.
  
• Toss the pasta with tomato sauce and grated cheese / paneer.
  
• once the sauce is nicely blended with pasta, add the chopped tomato mixture. Toss it for a minute and switch off the flame. 
  

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Gobi Manchurian (semi-gravy --- north indian style)

Ingredients (serves for 3)

Cauliflower - 1 (big size) / 30 - 35 florets

tomato - 1

onion - 1

spring onion  (optional)

soy sauce - 1/2 tsp

red chilli sauce - 1 tsp
tomato sauce - 2 tsp

oil 

corn flour - 4 tsp

rice flour - 4 tsp
all purpose flour - 8 tsp

salt - as needed

turmeric - 1/4 tsp

chilli powder - 1 - 1 1/2 tsp

cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

• Soak the cauliflower florets in hot water, turmeric and little bit of salt for few mins
• Prepare a paste with corn flour, rice flour, all purpose flour, chilli powder, little bit of salt and turmeric powder
  
• dip the cleaned florets in the mixture and deep fry in the oil
  
• keep the fried florets in a tissue paper to wipe out the oil
• heat a vessel with 2 tsp of oil and add the chopped onion and salt.
  
• once the onion is fried, add the chopped tomatoes
  
• cook till the tomatoes become mushy. 
• Add chilli sauce, tomato sauce and soy sauce and saute it for 5 - 8 mins. 
  
• Add the fried florets now and mix it until the gravy coats all the florets. 
• Garnish it with spring onions (optional)
• Serve hot with roti / chappathi
  

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Paal Kozhukattai

Ingredients (serves for 8)

Rice flour - 2 cups + 4 tsp (1 cup size = 150 ml)

jaggery - 1 cup

grated coconut - 6 tsp

salt - as needed

water for making the liquid - 800 ml

elachi powder - a pinch

Method:

• mix rice flour(2 cups) with water and little salt and make a dough
  
• make small round balls and keep it aside
  
• heat a vessel with 800 ml of water and let it boil
  
  
  
  
• once the water gets boiled, add the rice flour balls.
  
• let it cook for few mins. Balls color will get lightly changed and when you press it , it won't be sticky.
  
• Crush the jaggery. 
  
• Grind the coconut with little water and make a paste
  
• dissolve 4 tsp of rice flour in water. 
  
• once the balls get cooked, add the jaggery, grounded coconut and watery rice flour mix
• let it cook for 8 - 10 mins. The liquid will become thicker at this stage.
• Add elachi and a pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness. If you want more sweet, add few spoons of sugar.
  

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Zucchini Rice

Ingredients (serves for 2)

Basmati rice - 2 cups (1 cup size = 150 ml)

zucchini - 2

onion - 1

mint leaves - 1 fist full

cumin seeds - 1 tsp

bay leaves - 1

cinnamon sticks - 2

ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

salt - as needed

green chilli - 2 - 3 nos

ghee - 3 tsp

Method:

• Wash and soak the basmati rice for 1/2 an hour. cut the onion to big pieces.
• grate 1 1/2 zucchini and chop the remaining 1/2 zucchini into big chunks
  
  
  
  
• heat a heavy bottomed vessel with ghee and add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and cumin seeds
  
• saute it for a minute and add chopped onion, green chillies and mint leaves. (If you want it more spicy, then you can add green chili paste or slited green chilies)
  
• fry it for a minute and add ginger garlic paste
• saute it till the raw smell goes off and then add the basmati rice and zucchini cubes (don't add the grated zucchini now)
• fry till the rice becomes dry and non sticky.
  
• transfer this to a pressure cooker and add the grated zucchini
  
• add 2.5 cups of water, salt (as per your taste) and switch off the flame after one whistle. Serve hot with gobi manchurian or any other subzi and raitha.

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Parupu urundai kuzhambu

Ingredients (serves for 4)

Toor dal - 1 cup ( 1 cup size = 100 ml)

gram dal (kadalai parupu) - 1 cup

curry leaves - 2 strands

mustard seeds - 1 tsp

onion - 1

chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp

grated coconut - 6 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

salt - as needed

tamarind - 1 small lemon sized

green chilli - 1

oil - 3 tsp

cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Method:

• Soak toor dal and gram dal in water for 1/2 an hour and grind it coarsely with green chilli. ( no need to add water)
  
• Soak tamarind in two cups of water and extract tamarind juice. Keep it aside
• heat a vessel with oil and add mustard seeds, 3/4th of chopped onion, curry leaves. 
• Saute it for a minute and add the grinded dal mixture
  
• let the dal cook for 2 mins and take off from the flame
  
• make small balls out of the cooked dal mixture.
  
• heat a vessel with extracted tamarind juice.
• Grind coconut and cumin seeds with water and add it to the tamarind juice
• add turmeric, salt , asafoetida and chilli powder and let it boil for few mins. 
  
• add the balls now and let it cook for 8 - 10 mins. Don't stir to avoid breaking the dal balls. Switch off the flame once cooked
  
• heat little oil and add mustard seeds, remaining finely chopped onions, curry leaves. 
• Saute it till onion becomes golden brown in color and add it to the curry / kuzhambu. Serve it with hot rice.

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Pepper rasam

Ingredients (serves for 3) :

pepper - 2 1/2 tsp

garlic - 4 pods

tamarind - 1 gooseberry sized

red chilli - 1

cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

curry leaves 

asafoetida - a pinch

salt - as needed

oil - 1 tsp

Method:

• Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water (1 cup size = 150 ml) and extract the tamarind juice.
  
• Grind pepper, garlic (with skin) and red chilli coarsely
  
• Heat a vessel with oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and half of the grinded mixture
  
• saute it for a minute and add the tamarind extract.
  
• Add salt, 1 cup of water and remaining grinded mixture. let it boil for few mins and switch off the flame. 

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Minty lime cooler

Ingredients (serves for 4):

lime zest - 1 tsp (zest is the outer peel of the fruit, no white pith attached. You can remove the zest from the fruit using shredder or just peel off using an ordinary potato peeler)

sugar - 3/4 cup (1 cup size = 150 ml)

fresh squeezed lime juice - 1/2 cup 

mint - 3 big sprigs

water - 4 cups

ice cubes

Method:

• Mix lime zest, mint, sugar and 1 cup water in a vessel. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Bring it to boil in high flame and then remove from the heat after 1 minute. 
  
• Let it cool for 30 minutes
  
• Take out the mint leaves from the syrup.
• Combine this syrup with lime juice and 3 cups of water.
• Serve over ice in glasses garnished with lime wheel and mint leaves.
• You can refrigerate for up to 1 week. 

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Sending this recipe to Made with Love Mondays

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