Place the eggplant directly on the stove flame and roast until the eggplant black and soft. Remove eggplant to a plate and let it cool completely.

Meanwhile, heat two teaspoons of oil in a pan. Add the coriander seeds, urad dal and fenugreek seeds and fry until golden brown color.

Then add the red chillies and fry for a minute. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.

Gently peel the eggplant with your hands and discard the stem. Grind the roasted spices and tamarind into a fine mixture.

Then add the eggplant and salt to it and pulse a couple of times. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in pan for seasoning. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal and let them splutter.

When the seeds stop popping, add the curry leaves and hing. Stir for a few seconds and turn off the flame.

Add this tadka to the chutney and mix well. Serve with dosa, roti or rice.

Recipe and image courtesy: Indian cuisine RELATED RECIPES Aam ki chutney Ginger chutney Stuffed cheesy eggplants Tomato chutney Fish in roasted moong dal gravy Ingredients: 1 - large eggplant 1 tbsp - coriander seeds 1 tbsp - urad dal A pinch of fenugreek seeds 8 - dried red chillies Tamarind, a small lemon sized ball 2 tsp - oil Salt to taste For seasoning: 1/4 tsp - mustard seeds 1/4 tsp - urad dal 1/4 tsp - chana dal 1 small sprig - curry leaves A pinch of asafoetida 1 tsp - oil (less)

Finally grated coconut is ground along with the chana dal mixture into smooth paste and seasoned with dals. Serve chana dal coconut chutney with idli, dosa or with steamed rice and ghee.

Makes: around 1 1/4 Cups of Coconut Chutney. Ingredients: 1/4 Cup Grated Coconut 1/3 Cup Whole Red Chiles 1 – 2 Salt to Taste Talimpu: 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4 a Big Pinch 5 Oil 2 tsps Method of preparation: Heat a heavy bottomed pan on low heat, add a drop of oil and chana dal.

Roast the chana dal until it changes color and turns light golden in color. Remove the chana dal onto a plate.

Add another drop of oil and add red chile. Fry for few seconds until it turns crisp and remove from heat.

Cool the chana dal to room temperature and grind it into fine powder along with red chile and salt. Stir in grated coconut and half a cup of water and grind again into paste.

Remove the ground chana dal coconut chutney onto a bowl. Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.

When mustard seeds start spluttering, remove from heat and add to above chutney bowl. Stir well and serve chana dal coconut chutney with idli, dosa or with steamed rice and ghee.

Notes: Make sure not to burn chana dal while roasting. Suggestions: Adjust spice with red chillies.

Variations: You can also add a clove of garlic while roasting chana dal and grind it along with coconut. Other Names: Coconut Chutney, Senagapappu Kobbari Pachadi (less)

Heat mustard oil in a frying pan, add cumin seeds after few seconds add ginger, chili ,garlic, turmeric and dhania, fry it for one minute add soaked gram pulse and salt, stir it well, lower the flame, stir continually, cook it for 5 minutes. Off the flame.

Cool it. Now crush roasted grain by hand to take the form of dough.

Divide it in 10-12 parts. Set aside.

Mix wheat flour, tsp salt, and 1 tbsp refined oil and water well until it forms to soft dough. Knead the dough to make it soft.

Divide the dough in 10-12 equal parts approximately; roll each part of the dough into balls with the help of palms. .

Roll a ball to get a circle of 3-4 inch diameter. Put a part of crushed dal mixture in the center.

Cover this mixture tightly by the dough. Form the shape of ball again.

Roll it again to form circle of diameter of 5-6 inches. Put it on frying pan on medium flame.

Cook using veg. oil so that two sides becomes light brown.

Paratha is ready. Serve hot with curd (less)

Heat mustard oil in a frying pan, add cumin seeds after few seconds add ginger, chili ,garlic, turmeric and dhania, fry it for one minute add soaked gram pulse and salt, stir it well, lower the flame, stir continually, cook it for 5 minutes. Off the flame.

Cool it. Now crush roasted grain by hand to take the form of dough.

Divide it in 10-12 parts. Set aside.

Mix wheat flour, tsp salt, and 1 tbsp refined oil and water well until it forms to soft dough. Knead the dough to make it soft.

Divide the dough in 10-12 equal parts approximately; roll each part of the dough into balls with the help of palms. .

Roll a ball to get a circle of 3-4 inch diameter. Put a part of crushed dal mixture in the center.

Cover this mixture tightly by the dough. Form the shape of ball again.

Roll it again to form circle of diameter of 5-6 inches. Put it on frying pan on medium flame.

Cook using veg. oil so that two sides becomes light brown.

Paratha is ready. Serve hot with curd (less)

Break the beans and remove the fiber. Chop them into small pieces and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a vessel and add the mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal and let them splutter. When the seeds stop popping, add the curry leaves and fry for few seconds.

Now add the beans, salt, turmeric powder and poppy seeds powder to it. Mix well, fry for few minutes and switch off the flame.

Serve hot with steamed rice or roti. Recipe and image courtesy: Indian cuisine RELATED RECIPES Thotakoora Pesarapappu Koora Cluster beans moong dal curry Beans in yoghurt Spicy Pinto Beans Dosa Butter beans with tomato Ingredients: 1/4 kg - beans 1 tbsp - poppy seeds 1/2 tsp - mustard seeds 1/2 tsp - chana dal 1/2 tsp - urad dal 3 to 5 - whole red chillies 1/4 tsp - turmeric powder 1 inch piece - dry coconut 1 stem - curry leaves Salt to taste 1 tbsp - oil (less)

When cool, put all the roasted spices along with curry leaves in a mixer and make a fine powder. Store this sambar powder in an air tight container or plastic box and use when needed.

This powder can be used twice for making sambar or according to the quantity of the sambar. RELATED RECIPES Spicy red chilli prawn masala Bread Masala Toast Green peas masala Cauliflower masala restaurant style Masala Bread Toast Ingredients: 3 tsp - whole dhaniya 1/2 tsp - jeera 1/2 tsp - methi seeds 6 to 7 - dry red chillies 1 tsp - chana dal 10 leaves - curry leaves (less)

and sesame seeds are lightly roasted and ground into powder with spices and added to the beetroot curry as a finishing step. Serve beetroot curry with peanuts powder over plain steamed rice or wrapped in a roti.

Makes: around 2 Servings of Beetroot with Powder. Ingredients: Beetroot 1 Raw 1/4 Cup 4 Tbsps Whole Red Chiles 2 ? 3 Salt to Taste Talimpu: 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 5 Oil 2 tsps Method of preparation: Heat a pan on low heat, add raw peanuts and roast them till they turn golden brown on all sides.

Remove the peanuts from heat, add sesame seeds. Toast the sesame seeds for few seconds and remove from heat.

Heat 1/4 tsp of oil in the same pan, add broken red chiles and fry till aromatic or until they are crisp and turn dark. Cool the ingredients to room temperature.

Grind roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, red chiles and salt into somewhat coarse powder. Peel, wash, remove ends and chop the beetroot into small pieces.

Heat oil in a pan on medium flame, add all talimpu ingredients in order. When mustard seeds start spluttering, add beetroot pieces and salt.

Cook covered on low flame for around 10 minutes or until beetroot turns soft but not mushy. Add a splash of water if the beetroot tends to stick to bottom of the pan.

Uncover, stir in a tablespoon or two of ground peanuts sesame powder and remove from heat. Serve beetroot curry with peanuts powder over plain steamed rice or wrapped in a roti.

Notes: Make sure beetroot is cooked properly. Suggestions: If the beetroot or chana dal is not cooked properly, add a splash of water and cook covered on low flame till done.

Store any remaining peanuts sesame powder in a jar for later use. Variations: Check other beetroot recipes Other Names: Beetroot with Powder (less)

Ugadi Pachadi is a combination of 6 tastes. Bitter / Chedu (from neem flowers), Sweet / Teepi (from jaggery), Sour / Pulupu ( from tamarind), Salty / Uppu ( from salt), Spicy / Karam ( from green chile) and ogaru / astringent (from tender mango).

Makes : around 2 Cups of Ugadi Pachadi. Ingredients: Neem Flowers 2 Tbsps (Fresh or Dried) Tender Raw Green Mango 1 – 2 Fresh Coconut 3 (4 inch Pieces) 1/4 Cup (Grated) 3 – 4 inch Sized Ball Red Chili Powder a Pinch Salt a Pinch Method of preparation: Soak tamarind in a 1 1/2 Cups of water and extract all the thick pulp.

Strain the tamarind and collect all the liquid in a mixing bowl. Add grated jaggery to the mixing bowl which has the tamarind liquid.

If using dried neem leaves, soak in few tablespons of warm water before adding to the above mixing bowl. Wash and finely chop the raw mango discarding the seed.

Finely chop the fresh coconut pieces. Mix all other ingredients into tamarind and jaggery liquid.

Mix thoroughly and adjust any seasoning if required. Serve a small bowl full of ugadi pachadi.

Notes: If using banana, make sure to add it just before serving. Suggestions: Adjust the amount of ingredients to make it more sweet, sour or spicy.

Pluck the leaves of the neem flowers and add it for much milder bitterness. Variations: Mashed banana can also be added to ugadi pachadi.

You can also add chopped sugarcane, roasted chana dal, ? Other Names: Ugadi Pachadi (less)

Spread out the raagi on a towel and place in the sunlight to dry well. No water should be remaining.

. Mix all ingredients in a good mixer.

Make a fine powder, the final powder should be as fine as chapathi flour. To cook: Take 1 small cup of water, 2 spoons of this cereal, brown sugar candy and boil well.

This cereal is given to babies from 4 months to 1 year of age upto 2 to 3 times a day. It is very healthy for growing babies.

Note: Diet and nutrition guide for children RELATED RECIPES Potato brinjal stir fry Brinjal stew Roasted chana chaat Garlicky french beans Pudina chicken Ingredients: 750g - red colored rice 500g - whole wheat 250g - ragi/millet 100g - whole moong/green gram 100g - thick poha/rice flakes 2 tsp - fennel/ajwain 4 - jaikai/nutmeg 20 - badam 5 - cardamom/elaichi with chilka 50g - arrowroot powder Optionally: 50g - bhadramusthe 50g - sugandhi beru (less)

Peel and finely chop onion. Wash and finely chop tomato.

Halve the green chiles. Wash and mince cilantro.

Heat oil in a pan, add green chiles, cooked chana and salt. Let excess water evaporate from chana and remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl, add above chana, chopped onion, tomato, cilantro, red chile powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, black salt and salt. Squeeze fresh lemon, mix thoroughly and serve.

Notes: Don’t overcook chana (less)