Five Bean Stir Fry

You will need these ingredients:

White Cow peas (lobia) - 3 tbsps
Brown Cow peas - 3 tbsps
White kidney beans (rajma) - 3 tbsps
Bengal gram (Black chana) - 3 tbsps
Green gram (Moong) - 3 tbsps
Chilli powder - 2 tsps
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Garlic - 6 cloves
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Green Chilli - 3 small ones (increase or decrease the number according to taste)
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Coconut (optional) - 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated
Oil for tempering
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak all the beans in water and keep overnight.
2. Cook the beans in enough water, chilli powder, turmeric and salt
    - The kidney beans, bengal gram and white cow peas can be cooked together. These will take more time.
    - The brown cow peas and green gram can be cooked together. These will take lesser time.
3. Heat oil in a wok.
4. Crackle the mustard, add salt, and asafoetida.
5. When the raw smell from the asafoetida goes, add garlic and saute until it is slightly browned.
6. Add the green chillies and the curry leaves and saute for a few minutes.
6. Add the cooked green gram and the black cow peas and mix well.
7. Add the other three beans and mix them all well until they are combined.
8. Check and adjust the salt.
9. Add the coconut, mix, and remove from the fire.
10. This can be served with rice or rotis.

Note:

1. The cooking time depends on the pressure cooker you are using. I used the 3L cooker from Prestige. It took 10 whistles to cook the kidney beans, bengal gram and white cow peas. It took 4 whistles to cook the green gram and brown cow peas - lesser if you don't want the gram to be totally mashed.
2. You can use any beans you like. It doesn't have to be these five.
3. The coconut is optional. You need not add it. Coconut will definitely add to the taste.

Grilled Chicken with Herbed Mushroom Sauce

You will need these ingredients:

Chicken breasts - 2 boneless, skinless 
Olive oil ( I used coconut oil) - enough to drizzle the chicken with
Button mushrooms - 200gms 
Olive oil - just enough to coat the pan (you can also use spray)
Butter (again, I used coconut oil) - 1 tbsp
Flour (all-purpose or corn) - 1 tablespoon
Chicken or beef stock - approximately 1 cup
Fresh herbs (I used rosemary, thyme, and chives)Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste

Method:

1) Drizzle the chicken breasts with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
2) Grill over high heat until cooked through.  Let rest under aluminum foil while you prepare the sauce.
3) Wash and dry mushrooms and cut in half.  Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan to high. 
4) Add dry mushrooms and stir them around until they begin to brown. 
5) Lower the temperature to medium and cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender.
6) Add butter and flour to the mushrooms.  Stir it all around and cook for 2 minutes. 
7) Add the stock and stir well. 
8) Raise the heat and let the sauce boil to reduce and thicken. 
9) When it’s the consistency you like, taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper.
10) Add the fresh herbs (rosemary/thymes/chives - Since I didn't have fresh herbs, I didn't add these. I added pepper instead).
11) Serve the sauce over the chicken with mashed potatoes on the side.

Quick and Easy Bisi Bele Bhaath

You will need these ingredients:

Rice - 1/3 cup
Toor Dal - 1/3 cup
Frozen or fresh Green Peas - 4 tbsp
Carrots - 2 cubed or cut into medium thick slices
Any other choice of vegetables - 1/3 cup
Sambar Powder - 2 tbsp or according to taste
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece chopped into small pieces
Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp dissolved in 2/3 cup of water
Coconut milk - 2/3 cup
Water - 3/4 to 1 cup
Curry leaves - one sprig chopped or left whole
Green chillies - 2 chopped 
Asafoetida - few pinches according to taste
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the rice and the toor dal and soak them in warm water for an hour.
2. Mix the coconut milk, Tamarind water and 2/3 of a cup of plain water with a little salt.
3. Cook the peas, rice and tool dal in the coconut milk and tamarind mixture until well done. The dal must be a bit mushy.
4. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed kadai.
5. Crackle the mustard and add the asafoetida.
6. When the asafoetida gives out a cooked aroma (Make sure this is done on a low flame so that the mustard does not burn).
7. Add the green chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Saute for a few minutes.
8. Add the vegetables and saute them until they are partially cooked. 
9.Add the sambar masala and saute until a fried aroma emanates from the masala.
10. Add the remaining plain water and salt and let the mixture cook for a while.
11. When the sambar water is boiling, add the rice and mix well until the excess water has evaporated and the bhaath has a mushy consistency.
12. Remove from the flame.
13. Serve hot with poppadom or vegetable raita or mixture.

Note:
1) I used Eastern Sambar Masala. 
2) The salt needs to be balanced between the rice and the vegetables.
3) Green Chillies and the sambar masala can be used according to your taste. 
4) The water that is added to the rice while cooking it, will depend on the type of rice you use. I use a type of Sona Masoori rice which requires 3 cups of water for one cup. I have adjusted the coconut milk, tamarind and water accordingly. 
5) Ensure that the vegetables are not overdone. They must be firm to the touch.
6) This is the quantity of the ingredients I used. You can adjust the quantity according to your taste. 

Green Gram Khichdi

You will need these ingredients:

Rice - 2/3 cup
Green gram - 1/3 cup
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green chilies - 5
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash green gram and soak it in hot water for about an hour.
2. Wash the rice and soak it in water to for half hour.
3. Melt the butter in a pressure cooker.
4. Add the mustard and let it crackle.
5. Lower the flame and add the green chilies and curry leaves.
6. Saute for a bit and then add the ginger and garlic paste.
7. Saute until the raw smell is gone.
8. Add the rice and the green gram and mix well.
9. Add in the coconut milk and the water and mix it all together.
10. Add the salt and pressure cook for about 5 to 6 whistles or until the rice and gram are tender.

Note: The amount of water to be added depends on the type of rice you are using. The variety of rice I use requires 3 cups of water.

Tomato Rice with Potatoes

You will need these ingredients:

Rice - 1/2 cup
Potatoes chopped into tiny cubes - 1/3 cup
Tomato paste - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 medium sliced thin
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Coconut milk - 1/4 cup
Water - 1 cup
Green chilies slit - 4
Curry leaves - 1 sprig chopped.
Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash the rice and soak it in water for about half hour.
2. Dissolve the tamarind paste in the water which we will use to cook the rice.
3. In a pressure cooker, heat the ghee and splutter the mustard seeds.
4. Add the onions and saute until the onions turn translucent.
5. Add in the Green chilies and the curry leaves and saute further until done.
6. Add in the ginger garlic paste and the garlic paste and saute until the raw smell has gone.
7. Add the tomato paste and saute until the ghee separates from the tomato.
8. Add in the potatoes and saute until the potatoes are completely coated with the tomato mixture.
9. Add the rice and saute for again until the rice is blended well into the mixture.
10. Add the Coconut milk, the tamarind water and salt.
11. Mix well. Pressure cook the mixture for three whistles.
12. Open after the cooker has release all the pressure.
13. Serve hot with curd and appalams.

Quick and easy Chicken Biryani

You will need these ingredients:

Chicken Legs - 4 large or 6 medium sized
Long grained Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onions - 1 large sliced thin
Green Chillies - 4 to 6
Ginger Garlic Paste - 3 tbsps
Garam Masala - 1/2 tbsp
Biryani Masala - 3 tbsps
Chilli Powder - 1/4 Tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Clove - 3 to 5
Cardamom - 3
Bay Leaves - 2 to 3
Coriander Leaves - couple of sprigs chopped
Water - 3 cups
Unsalted Butter - 5 to 7 tbsp

Method:

1. Clean the Chicken well and marinate it with 1tbsp of Ginger garlic paste, the Garam Masala, 1 tbsp Biryani Masala, the Chilli powder, the turmeric Powder, curd and salt.
2. Melt the butter in a pressure cooker.
3. Add in the Clove, cardamom and bay leaves and fry it until the smell emanates from them.
4. Add in the onions and green chillies and saute until the onions turn translucent.
5. Add in the remaining ginger garlic paste and Biryani masala and saute until the raw smell is gone.
6. Add the chicken marinade and stir well until it starts to cook.
7. Take care to ensure that the gravy is not getting stuck at the bottom.
8. Once the chicken starts to cook, add in the rice and mix it well into the gravy.
9. Add water (1.5 cups for 1 cup of rice) and the chopped coriander leaves and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
10. You can also add the whole mixture and cook it in a rice cooker until done.
11. Serve hot with curd and appalam.

Ven Pongal

You will need these ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Mung Dal - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Water - 4 and 1/2 cups
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsps
Mustard - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 2 pinches (If you have whole asafoetida, it must be powdered fine)
Curry leaves - 1 to 2 sprigs
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsps
Green Chillies - 3
Pepper (crushed) - 1 tsp
Whole peppercorns - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Wash the rice and soak it for about 1/2 hour.
2. Dry roast the mung dal until the raw smell goes away. Be careful not to brown it.
3. Mix the water with the coconut milk and salt. Add the rice and dal to this mixture.
4. Cook this in the pressure cooker (5 whistles).
5. Heat the ghee in a kadai and crackle the mustard.
6. Add in the cumin and the asafoetida and stir it lightly until cooked.
7. Lower the flame and add in the ginger garlic paste, the curry leaves, the chillies, the crushed pepper and the peppercorns  and cook until done.
8. Remove this mixture from the flame and mix it until the seasoning has blended well with the rice.
9. Serve hot.
10. This can be served with spicy sambar or chutney or with a curd salad. You can also serve it with pappadam.

Note:
The amount of water depends on the rice. Each type of rice requires different amounts of water to cook.
The rice I used needed 3 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. So I need to add 2 more cups of water so that the pongal is soft and mushy. Since I am using coconut milk I substituted 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup of coconut milk.
This means 1 cup of rice requires 4 and half cups of water and 1/2 cup of coconut milk.