Dal Makhani

   Ingredients - Serves around 4 people         

   Whole Urd dal (black lentils) 100 grams
   Rajma (red kidney beans) 50 grams
   Bengal gram whole (kadle kalu) 50 grams
   Ginger 1 inch piece (grated)
   Garlic cloves 3-4 grated
   (instead ginger garlic paste 1+1 tsp can be used)
   Green chillies 2
   Ghee 3 tsp
   Oil 2 tsp
   Cumin (jeera) 1 tsp
   Methi seeds 1/4 tsp
   Tomato paste or tomato purée 100 grams
   Butter 50 grams
   Milk cream 1/2 cup (50 ml)
   Garam masala 1/2 tsp
   Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
   Salt to taste
   Coriander leaves for garnish

Procedure

• Wash the 3 dals together and soak in 5 cups of water for 6-8 hours. Drain the water.
• Cook in a pressure cooker with 4-5 cups water for 5-6 whistles in a low flame (until cooked).
• Heat a pan (with a heavy bottom), add oil, ghee and 1/2 portion of butter. Add jeera and methi seeds and stir until they splutter. 
• Add ginger, garlic and green chillies. Fry a little. 
• Add tomato purée or paste. Fry for 1-2 minutes.
• Add cooked dal and water. Mix well and bring it to boil. 
• Add chilli powder, garam masala, salt, remaining butter and 1/2 portion of cream. Cook in low flame for about 1/2 hour until the consistency is somewhat thick. 
• Garnish with the remaining cream and coriander leaves.
• Serve with chapati, roti, kulcha, nan, etc. 

Tips - keep for 5-6 hours before serving for the flavors to sink in.

Gajar Halwa

   Ingredients - Serves around 4 people     
   Fresh carrot washed, peeled and grated 4cups
   Sugar 1 cup
   Ghee 8 to 10 tsp (1/2cup)
   Cashew, raisin , almond and pista mixed 1/2 cup
   Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
   Kesar 7-8 flakes ( soaked in warm milk for 5-10 minutes)
   Milk 2 cups     
   Tips
   Milk can be reduced to 1 cup and sugar to be adjusted according to taste and condensed
   Milk 3-4 table spoon and koa 2-3 tsp can be added
   

 
Procedure

• Heat ghee half portion in a pressure cooker, add dry fruits, fry little and keep it in a plate.
• Add carrot to cooker fry in low flame for 3-4 minutes. Add milk.pressure cook for 2-3 whistle.cool it
• Add sugar, khoa, condensed milk and kesar. Heat it on medium flame by stirring until the milk is absorbed.
• Add remaining ghee, cardamom powder and fried dry fruits. Fry for 2-3 minutes under low flame. Serve hot

Vegetable Pulav

   Ingredients - Serves around 4 people        

 For masala powder
   Shah-jeera (black jeera) 5 tsp
   Cinnamon 1 piece (2 inch)
   Cardamom 4-5
   Clove 4-5
   Maratha moggu 4-5
   Star anise 1
 
 Grind the above ingredients in a mixer and use 1.5 to 2 tsp. Remaining  can be preserved for future use.
 
 Other Ingredients 
   Basmati rice 250 grams (water 1:2)
   Mixed vegetables (peas, beans, carrot and cauliflower) sliced and washed 3 to 4 cups
   Onion small 1 (sliced length wise)
   Capsicum medium size 1/2 (sliced length wise)
   Green chillies 3 to 4 (depending on spiciness)
   Coriander leaves 1 small cup
   Mint leaves 1 small cup
   Ginger grated small piece
   Salt to taste
   Oil 4 to 5 table spoon
   Ghee 2 tsp
   Cashew 10 to 15 pieces
   Turmeric 1/4 tsp
   Fried bread pieces about 10 small pieces

 
Procedure

• Prepare rice in a pressure cooker. Add some turmeric powder to the rice before cooking. (water 1:2 ratio)
• Grind green chillies, mint leaves, coriander leaves and ginger in a mixer without water and keep it aside.
• Heat a pan, add oil, ghee and the ground masala powder (1.5 to 2 tsp). Fry a little. 
• Add the ground paste and fry a little. 
• Add onion and fry until light brown. 
• Add capsicum and fry a little. 
• Add vegetable and a little salt. Mix well. Fry until cooked.
• Add the cooked rice and some more salt (to taste) to the above . Mix well. Heat on a low flame. 
• Garnish with cashewnuts (fried separately in little ghee) and fried bread pieces. 
• Serve with raita.
  
  Tips --- To reduce the cooking time, mixed vegetable can be half cooked separately with a little salt and without water in
  a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes or in a pressure cooker for just one whistle and then cooked as above.

Vegetable Kurma

/div>

   Ingredients          

   Mixed vegetables (cubed and par boiled/half boiled): cauliflower, potato, carrots, beans, peas, etc. 3-4 small cups
   Onion medium size 1
   Tomato medium size 1
   Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
   Garam masala 1/2 tsp
   Red chilli powder 1 to 2 tsp
   Coriander powder 1/2 to 1 tsp
   Thick yoghurt/curds 1 to 2 tablespoon
   Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing 1 tablespoon
   Salt to taste
   Oil 2 tablespoon
   Curry leaves 1 string stripped
   Bay leaves 1

 Masala for grinding (grind with a little water in a mixer)
   Fresh grated coconut 1/2 cup or 3-4 tablespoon
   Cashew 5 to 6
   Poppy seeds (khus khus or gasgase) 1 tsp
   Saunf (fennel seeds) 1/4 tsp
   Green chillies 2 to 3
   Fried gram (dahlia/putani)  2 to 3 tsp
   Cinnamon 1 small piece.
   Cardamom 1
   Cloves 2 to 3

 
Procedure

• Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaves and curry leves.
• Add chopped onion and fry a little. Add ginger garlic paste, fry a little.
• Add tomato and mix well. Add red chilli powder, Garam masala and coriander powder. Fry until tomato is cooked.
• Add ground masala paste and 1 cup of water. Fry in a low flame until raw masala smell vanishes.
• Add vegetables and salt, mix well and boil in a medium flame until the consistency is thick. Add a little water if necessary.
• Add yoghurt/curds, mix well and boil for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Pooris or Dosas.

Poori

   Ingredients          
   
   Wheat flour 250 grams
   Maida (all purpose flour) 3 tsp
   Chiroti rava (Soji) 2 tsp
   Salt to taste
   Yoghurt/Curds 2 tsp
   Oil for dough (hot) 2 to 3 tsp
   Rice flour 2 tsp
   Oil for deep frying 

 
Procedure

• Mix all the above ingredients except rice flour and oil for frying. Add water little by little and make soft dough.
• Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Take it out, add rice floor and knead well.
• Take a small ball of dough. Roll it into 3-4 inch circle with medium thickness. (Don't make it too thin, else it will come out too crispy.) Roll 5-6 pooris before starting frying. Don't roll all the pooris at once as they will start drying and not puff while frying.
• Heat oil for deep frying. To check oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of dough into oil. It should fry up immediately and come to the surface. 
• Add a rolled poori to the frying pan. Press the top of the poori with a skimmer so that the poori puffs up with steam.
• Turn over and cook till both sides are light brown. Remove it and place it on a paper napkin to absorb excess oil. 
• Serve hot with vegetable kurma.

Soft dosa

  Ingredients         
    
  Dosa rice (medium grained rice in the US)  5 small cups
  Urd dal (split black gram) 1 small cup
  Methi (fenugreek) seeds 1 tsp
    (soak the above three ingredients in hot water for 5 to 6 hours)
  Medium thick poha (avalakki) 5 table spoon
  Puffed rice (murmura) 5 table spoon
  Plain oats 5 table spoon
    (soak the above 3 ingredient in water 1/2 hour before grinding)
  Oil (optional)
  Butter for topping (optional)
  Salt to taste
  Suger 1 to 2 tsp

 
Procedure

• Drain the first six ingredients off all water.
• Grind them together in a mixer/grinder with some water to make a slightly thick batter. (Approximately 20-25 minutes in a grinder, 10-15 minutes in a mixer. Divide into two portions if grinding in a mixer.). 
• Keep it aside overnight (longer in winter, maybe 2 days). Next day morning before preparing the dosas, mix sugar and salt to the batter.
• Heat tava/griddle. Sprinkle with a little water and wipe it with a cloth or tissue paper (every time).
• Pour 1 to 1 1/2 ladle of dosa batter. Spread a little in a circular motion (it should be thick, see picture).
• Add 1 to 2 tsp oil (optional). Bake it. Then turn  it onto the other side and bake a little. Turn back, and add a little butter (optional) and let it melt. Remove from the griddle
• Serve with chutney and onion curry

For the "iyer hotel" way, place the onion curry in a small plate leaving some space in the center, pour chutney in the center, heat ghee until it starts smoking and pour it onto the chutney. Mix the ghee with the chutney and onion curry with the dosa and enjoy!

Coconut & Fried gram (Dahlia/Putani) chutney

  Ingredients          
    
  Fresh grated coconut 1 cup
  Green chillies 2 to 3
  Coriander leaves chopped 2 to 3 tsp
  Pudina (mint) leaves chopped 2 to 3 tsp
  Tamarind small piece 1
  Salt to taste
  Jaggery small piece 1
  Fried gram (dahlia or putani) 3 to 4 table spoon

  For seasoning
       Oil 1 tsp
       Mustard 1/2 tsp
       Hing (asafoetida ) a pinch

 
Procedure

• Powder fried gram in a mixer/grinder. 
• Heat a pan. Add green chillies, pudina and coconut. Stir fry a little and cool it.
• Take the above two in a mixer. Add tamarind, salt, jaggery and some water. Grind it.
• Season it by heating oil in a small pan, add mustard, allow it to splutter and add hing. Mix it to the chutney. 
• Serve with dosa. 

Onion Curry

  Ingredients          
  
  Onion 1/2 kg (sliced thin and lengthy )
  Green chillies 2-3
  Coriander leaves a small bunch 
  Oil 2 table spoon
  Mustard 1/2 tsp
  Turmeric 1/4 tsp
  Salt to taste
  Lemon juice 1 tsp
  Sugar 1/4 tsp

 
Procedure

• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard. Allow it to splutter. Add green chillies and fry a little.
• Add turmeric powder and stir. Add sliced onion and mix well. Add salt and sugar.
• Stir fry in a medium flame until cooked.
• To finish, add lemon juice and coriander leaves and mix. 
• This makes an excellent accompaniment for a dosa.
  
  Tips-microwave onion for 3 to 4 minutes before adding for quick cooking. 

Baingan Bartha

  Ingredients - Serves around 4 people         

  Big brinjal (eggplant)  1
  Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
  Salt to taste
  Jeera powder 1/4 tsp
  Jeera 1/4 tsp
  Garam masala 1/2 tsp
  Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
  Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp (garlic is optional)
  Chopped onion big size 1
  Sliced tomato medium size 2
  Ghee 2 tsp
  Oil 3 tsp
  Coriander leaves for garnish 

 
Procedure

• Apply a little oil on the brinjal and burn it directly on a flame. Turn it frequently until it becomes soft. Cool it, remove the skin, mash it and keep it aside in a container.
• Heat ghee and oil in a pan. Add jeera, allow it to splutter, add ginger garlic paste and onion, and fry till brown. 
• Add tomato and fry until soft. 
• Add turmeric powder, jeera powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste. Mix well and fry a little.
• Add mashed brinjal to the above and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve it with chapati, Roti, etc.

Sutta Badanekayi Bajji (Baingan/Eggplant Bartha Bangalore Style)

  Ingredients - Serves around 4 people         

  Big brinjal/eggplant 1
  Green chillies 2
  Red chillies 2
  Salt to taste
  Coriander leaves
  Tamarind 1 marble size. Soak in hot water and extract juice. (Instead you can also use yoghurt/curds 4-5 table spoon)
  Mustard 1/4 tsp
  Oil 2 tsp

 
Procedure

• Apply a little oil on the brinjal and burn it directly on a flame by turning frequently until it becomes soft.
• (Instead, you can also cook it in a pressure cooker for 1-2 whistle with a little water.)
• Cool it, remove skin, smash it and keep it aside in a container.
• Add tamarind juice, salt and coriander leaves to the above and mix well.
• Seasoning -- heat oil in a small pan, add mustard and allow it to splutter. Add both red and green chillies and fry a little . Add to the above and mix well.
• Serve with ragi rotti, rice rotti, chapatis, etc.