Heat oil in a oven proof bowl and add sugar and cumin seeds. Saute for one minute and then add ginger paste, cumin powder, red chilli powder and again saute them for five minutes.

Add the sembu or sweet potato and slit green chillies and stir for two minutes. Pour the coconut milk and cook for 2-3 minutes and then add salt.

In the end sprinkle garam masala and ghee on top and serve. RELATED RECIPES Punjabi samosa Microwave beetroot halwa Easy Matka Pista Malai Kulfi Sweet potato cucumber cheesecake served with black pepper ice cream Vada pav Ingredients: 400 g - any one of kolakeshiya or sweet potato 2 tbsp - ginger paste 1 tbsp - cumin seeds 2 tbsp - cumin powder 1 tbsp - chilli powder 6 - green chillies slit 1 tbsp - turmeric powder 1 tsp - garam masala powder 1 1/4 - coconut milk 2 tsp - sugar 3 tbsp - oil 2 tsp - ghee salt as required (less)

After boiling keep aside. For Tempering: Heat oil.

Add chopped garlic flakes, hing, cumin seed & red chilly whole. After getting the brown color, add to the dal.

Served with boiled rice. RELATED RECIPES Paneer jalfrezi Tur dal rice Chinese chicken and prawns combo curry Sindhi dry masala fish Chow chow kurma Ingredients: 50 g - moon dal 50 g - masoor dal turmeric powder salt to taste For Tempering: 4 flakes - garlic 2 tbsp - mustard oil 2 g - cumin seed 2 - red chilly, whole 1 pinch - hing (less)

Take a little oil and fry coriander, cumin curry leaves and red chillies (10/12 ) and grind it along with the coconut. Mix it with the pulp of vegetables and add a spoon of jaggery.

Add the well beaten curd and let the entire contents boil just once. Season with curry leaves, mustard and methi seeds.

Use coconut oil to get the authentic taste. Add salt as per requirement.

Rasakalan is ready to be served with rice. Ingredients: bottle guard or drumstick well beaten curd coconut, shredded half a mould coriander seeds cumin seeds red chillies jaggery lemon ball sized tamarind curry leaves oil and salt to taste (less)

Once they stop popping, add chana dal, urad dal and pepper. Roast for a minute Add asafoetida, cumin (if using powder, don`t add now), red chillies, followed by fenugreek seeds and coriander seeds.

Take off heat when chillies turn bright red and fenugreek seeds turn a darker shade of golden brown. Let cool.

Grind along with sambhar podi (and cumin powder if using) into a coarse powder. In the meanwhile, wash and nip the ends of the kundru Make `plus` shaped slits for three-fourths the length of each vegetable (I actually cut the vegetable lengthwise till three-fourths along the length from one side then make a cross-like similar cut from the other end.

) After this, you can either pressure cook it for two whistles or microwave uncovered with some water sprinkled 4-5 times for 2 mins each time. (Or if you have the patience, cook directly on the wok with water for about 45 mins, which is what I did) Spoon a little ground masala into each of the slit vegetables.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a wok. Splutter mustard seeds and cumin (if using).

Gently drop all the stuffed vegetables into the wok and add salt. Stir fry for 5 mins and check if the vegetable is thoroughly cooked.

If not, add some water and cook for a while longer Once cooked, add chopped coriander, mix well and serve. Recipe courtesy: foodiliciousnan RELATED RECIPES Beetroot curry with onion Sri Lankan dry pumpkin curry Colacasia curry Sheep`s head curry Pakistani Style Fish curry Ingredients: 250 gms - kundru 2 tsp - oil 1 tsp - mustard seeds 1 tsp - cumin/cumin powder (optional) 5 - dry red chillies 2 tsp - dry coriander seeds 1 tbsp - Bengal gram/chana dal 2 tsp - urad dal 4-5 - black peppercorns 1/2 tsp - fenugreek seeds 2 tsp - coconut, grated 1 tsp - ready sambhar powder (you can leave it out and add 1 more red chilly and an additional teaspoon of coriander seeds) Asafoetida, a pinch 2 tbsp - chopped coriander leaves (less)

Once they stop popping, add chana dal, urad dal and pepper. Roast for a minute Add asafoetida, cumin (if using powder, don`t add now), red chillies, followed by fenugreek seeds and coriander seeds.

Take off heat when chillies turn bright red and fenugreek seeds turn a darker shade of golden brown. Let cool.

Grind along with sambhar podi (and cumin powder if using) into a coarse powder. In the meanwhile, wash and nip the ends of the kundru Make `plus` shaped slits for three-fourths the length of each vegetable (I actually cut the vegetable lengthwise till three-fourths along the length from one side then make a cross-like similar cut from the other end.

) After this, you can either pressure cook it for two whistles or microwave uncovered with some water sprinkled 4-5 times for 2 mins each time. (Or if you have the patience, cook directly on the wok with water for about 45 mins, which is what I did) Spoon a little ground masala into each of the slit vegetables.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a wok. Splutter mustard seeds and cumin (if using).

Gently drop all the stuffed vegetables into the wok and add salt. Stir fry for 5 mins and check if the vegetable is thoroughly cooked.

If not, add some water and cook for a while longer Once cooked, add chopped coriander, mix well and serve. Recipe courtesy: foodiliciousnan RELATED RECIPES Beetroot curry with onion Sri Lankan dry pumpkin curry Colacasia curry Sheep`s head curry Pakistani Style Fish curry Ingredients: 250 gms - kundru 2 tsp - oil 1 tsp - mustard seeds 1 tsp - cumin/cumin powder (optional) 5 - dry red chillies 2 tsp - dry coriander seeds 1 tbsp - Bengal gram/chana dal 2 tsp - urad dal 4-5 - black peppercorns 1/2 tsp - fenugreek seeds 2 tsp - coconut, grated 1 tsp - ready sambhar powder (you can leave it out and add 1 more red chilly and an additional teaspoon of coriander seeds) Asafoetida, a pinch 2 tbsp - chopped coriander leaves (less)

Now puree the spinach and coriander in the blender to fine paste and keep it aside. Make paste out of ginger and garlic.

Heat oil in a frying pan, add cumin and after they splutter, add chopped onions. Saute till golden brown and add ginger garlic paste till aroma disappears.

Add tomato and fry well until they are mashed well then add all spice powders. Then to this add grilled corn kernels, after 2 to 3 minutes, add pureed spinach.

Add kasoori methi and one tbsp ketchup, let it come to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Serve with a tbsp of butter on top and garnish with cream.

Ready to serve with breads and rice. RELATED RECIPES Baby Corn Manchurian Microwave corn flour halwa Palak mamsam Corn on the cob korma Makai ka halwa Ingredients: 1 bunch - palak (spinach) 1/4 bunch - coriander leaves 2 - corns, roasted over flame 2 small - tomato 1 - onion, chopped finely Ginger, small piece 2 pods - garlic 2 tsp - cumin 1 tbsp - coriander powder 1/2 tbsp - cumin powder Chilli powder, as required 1/4 tsp - tumeric powder 1 tsp - garam masala 1 tsp - Kasoori methi 1 tbsp - tomato ketchup Salt as required Butter and cream for topping (less)

Powder the dal, red chillies, pepper corns and cumin then add other ingredients and coarsely grind. This can be used according to your taste.

Leftover can be stored in the fridge for later use. For rice: Heat oil in the pan, splutter the mustard.

Add the steamed sprouts. Saute until the waters are absorbed.

Now add the cooked rice. Add the spice mixture, salt and mix until well blended.

When the rice becomes hot, put off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve this with your favourite chips and onion raita.

Note: Steam the sprouts in a pressure cooker or microwave. Don`t over cook, as it has to be half cooked only.

RELATED RECIPES Fish fried rice with veggies Pulikachal Crispy Puffed Rice Snack Bisi bele bath Sakkarai pongal Ingredients: 1 cup - cooked basmathi rice 1/4 cup - sprouts steamed 1/2 tsp - mustard Coriander for garnishing Enough salt and oil For spice mixture: 8 - shallots (small onions) 8 pods - garlic 1/2 tsp - urad dal 1/2 tsp - channa dal 8 - red chillies, or according to your spice level Curry leaves, a few Asafoetida, a little 1/4 tbsp - tamarind 1/4 tsp - pepper corns 1/4 tsp - cumin seeds Turmeric, a little (less)

Soak tamarind in warm water and extract the juice. Add rasam powder, salt, asafoetida, and a few curry leaves to the tamarind juice.

Boil the mixture till the raw smell disappears. Now add the ground tur dal, cumin and curry leaf paste to the rasam, and immediately add 4 cups of water.

Let the rasam stay on low flame till it forms a lot of froth on top. Remove from flame when it is just about to boil.

(Note: Do not actually boil the rasam, as this spoils the aroma) Heat ghee and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add the dry neem flowers and fry.

Pour the seasoning on the rasam and cover with a lid immediately. Recipe courtesy: Chitra Amma's Kitchen RELATED RECIPES Milagu rasam Tengapal Rasam Rasam powder Quick jeera chicken Aloo Jeera Raita Ingredients: 1 - tamarind, small lemon size 1/4 tsp - asafoetida 1&1/2 tsp - salt 1 tsp - rasam powder (I use my omni potent sambar powder as usual) 1 small cup - curry leaves 2 tbsp - red gram dal (tur dal) 1 tbsp - cumin seeds 1/4 tsp - mustard seeds 1 tsp - dried neem flowers 2 tsp - ghee (less)

Soak tamarind in warm water and extract the juice. Add rasam powder, salt, asafoetida, and a few curry leaves to the tamarind juice.

Boil the mixture till the raw smell disappears. Now add the ground tur dal, cumin and curry leaf paste to the rasam, and immediately add 4 cups of water.

Let the rasam stay on low flame till it forms a lot of froth on top. Remove from flame when it is just about to boil.

(Note: Do not actually boil the rasam, as this spoils the aroma) Heat ghee and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add the dry neem flowers and fry.

Pour the seasoning on the rasam and cover with a lid immediately. Recipe courtesy: Chitra Amma's Kitchen RELATED RECIPES Milagu rasam Tengapal Rasam Rasam powder Quick jeera chicken Aloo Jeera Raita Ingredients: 1 - tamarind, small lemon size 1/4 tsp - asafoetida 1&1/2 tsp - salt 1 tsp - rasam powder (I use my omni potent sambar powder as usual) 1 small cup - curry leaves 2 tbsp - red gram dal (tur dal) 1 tbsp - cumin seeds 1/4 tsp - mustard seeds 1 tsp - dried neem flowers 2 tsp - ghee (less)

Method Wash mango, remove water using a towel, remove green skin, cut into small pieces of about 1 inched, remove seeds, add 1/2tbsp of salt and turmeric powder, put it on a tray, mix well with clean hands, set aside for one hour, yellow water separates, remove it, put mango pieces in a jar. Add chili powder and crushed fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, black cumin seeds.

Heat oil on medium flame for 1 minute only, add slowly to jar. Mix it.

Salty mango pickle is ready, you may use it but better to use after 2 days (less)