Sesame seeds poha / Ellu aval

Ingredients

Poha - 1 cup
Red chillies - 3
Sesame seeds (till) - 3 to 4 tbps
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Spilt moong dal - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method
Fry sesame seeds and red chillies until the seeds turn reddish-brown. Don't burn it. Ground this to a coarse powder.
Soak the poha in water before starting for not more than 5 minutes.
Heat the oil add mustard seeds. When it pops, add dal. After dal is fried
add onion and curry leaves. Fry until onion turns translucent.
Now filter the poha from the water and mix with onion. After a few minutes add sesame seeds, powder and salt, stir for few minutes.
When poha is hot remove from heat and serve with chutney.

Lemon rice

Ingredients :
1 ½ cup of cooked rice
¼ cup of peanuts
few cashew nuts
1 tbs channa dal
1 tbs urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
few red chilli
pinch of asafoetida
few curry leafs

Heat gingelly oil in a shallow pan or a kadai. Add the all ingredients one by one. Cook until dals change colour to light brown.then add curry leaves follwed by turmeric powder,lemon juice and salt. Stir fry for half a minute. Add cooked rice.

Garnish with coriander .

Moong sprout salad

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh moong sprouts
1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped/grated carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped raw mango pieces
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp chopped dried apricots or dates or raisins
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

for the dressing:
3-4 finely chopped/minced green chillies
1/2 tsp grated ginger(optional)
1/4 tsp chat masala(optional)
generous drizzle of lemon juice
few drops of honey(optional)
salt to taste

Fry the moong sprouts in a pan with few spoons of water for about 5 min. Take mixing bowl add the all ingredients one by one.(if you give lunch box you have to separate the tomato and cucumber) Then add dressing mix.

Variations: You can avoid honey,ginger in the above salad and add grated coconut to the salad.You can even add raw soaked groundnuts,chopped fresh grapes,sliced oranges/Mesambi for different flavors.

Vermicelli / Semiya Upma

Ingredients:
1 cup semiya (vermicelli)
1 onion medium size
3 to 4 green chillies
1\2 inch ginger
6 to 8 leaves curry leaves
1 tea spoon Mustard
1 tea spoon Urad dal
2 tea spoons Chana dal
1 and 1\2 tea spoons oil
1 tea spoon salt (as per taste)
1\2 tea spoon lemon juice (optional)

Method:
Heat half tea spoon of oil/ghee in a pan and fry semiya to golden color and keep it aside. Heat 1 tea spoon of oil in a pan. Add mustard seed, urad dal and chana dal. When they starts spluttering add finely sliced onions, green chillies,curry leaves and finely chopped ginger. Fry in a low flame until onions turn pink. Now add fried semiya, mix well with salt. Then cook while occasional sprinkle some water, reduce the flame and cook for 5 mins until cooked. Switch off the flame and add lemon juice (optional).
Take it into a serving bowl and garnish with fried cashew nuts.Serve hot... with chutney.

Vegetable Fried Rice & Egg fried rice

Ingredients

3 cups of cooked rice (I used basmati rice)
3-4 tbsps of cooking oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 cups of mixed vegetables diced (carrots, green peas, french beans,capsicum or any other veggies of your choice. I parboil veggies like carrots, green peas, potatoes before frying)
1 tsp ginger & garlic paste
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp white pepper powder (adjust)
1 tsp kasuri methi leaves crushed
a pinch of ajinomoto (optional)
2 tsp soya sauce
Salt to taste
Spring onions for garnish

Veg fried rice

In a wok, heat oil to smoking point and throw in the chopped onions. Saute them for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
Now throw in the diced vegetables, add salt and fry on high heat for another 2-3 minutes stirring frequently. Do not over cook the vegetables. Just cook them till tender.
Add ginger & garlic paste and sauté for another 2 mts. Add red chilli powder, white pepper powder, crushed kasuri methi leaves, and saute for a minute. Add ajinomoto and soya sauce, and saute for a minute.
Now throw in the cooked rice, and mix well with all the vegetables. Adjust salt. Continue to fry on high flame for another 3-4 minutes. Just before switching off the flame, add chopped spring onions.
Serve hot.


Egg fried rice

Make one omelet your choice cut in to slices and arrange over the rice. Otherwise fry 2 nos egg and mix it with rice.