Ragada Patties

1. Soak 4-5 handful of ragada(white pattani) in water for around 6 hrs.
2.Drain all the water and wash well.
3.Boil this with turmeric powder and salt for around 25-30 min in an open pot until it gets boiled well.
4.Then smash it partially with the back of a spoon/spatula.The consistency will get slightly thicker - homogenous texture.Donot mash evrything - just a partial amoount.
5.Take a teaspoon of oil and fry jeera,curry leaves,onions cut into small pieces,red chilly powder and garam masala. Add the ragada to this with water and boil.
6.Boil around 5 potatoes in water and mash them well with a teaspoon of corn flour.
7.Fry onions,corn,beans,carrot in oil and add these to the mashed potatoes and mix them well.
8.Make medium sized balls from this mixture and flatten them into patties.Donot make them too thin - let the thickness be medium.
9.Shallow fry these in a pan turning them both sides.Donot turn them very often.Leave them for a while on each side so that it gets cooked.
10.While serving add onions cut into small pieces,coriander leaves and lemon juice over these patties along with the ragada.
11.Serve hot.
12.Makes around 4-5 servings.

Soup with Pasta sauce and Vegetables

Ingredients :
1. 1/2 a bottle of Pasta sauce.
2. 1 big onion - cut into pieces.
3. 2 carrots - cut into pieces.
4. celery - a handful cut into pieces
5. corn and peas - frozen/fresh - a handful
6. frozen lima bean - a handful
7. boiled chick peas/ boiled red kidney beans - a handful
8.1 tsp oil.

Method :
1. Fry the onions in the oil until reddish brown.
2. Add the vegetables and fry them.
3. Add the pasta sauce and equal amounts of water.
4. Allow these to boil and add the boiled chick peas/red kidney beans
5. Add salt and allow to boil for another 10 min
6. Creamy soup is ready to serve hot with bread/croutons.

Carrot/Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
1. 2-3 carrots cut into pieces.
2. 1 big onion - cut into pieces
3. 2 tomatoes - cut into pieces.
4. 2-3 cloves and about an inch of a cinnamon stick.

Method:
1.Boil all the cut vegetables with the cloves and cinnamon in a pressure cooker with water or broth.
2. Remove the cloves and cinnamon.
3. Allow this to cool and then grind the mixture in a mixie and pepper powder and salt.
4. Bring this to a boil.
5. Serve hot with bread/croutons.

Vegetable Soup(Carrots or Spinach or Cauliflower)

Ingredients :
1. 1-2 bulbs of garlic
2. 1-2 inches of ginger - cut into pieces
3. 1 big onion cut into pieces.
4.1 big potato - cut into pieces.
4. 2-3 carrots(cut into pieces) or 2-3 handfuls of spinach or a cup of cauliflower flowerlets.
5. slit green chillies - acc to extent of spice required.
6. Vegetable Broth(2 cups).You can even use equal parts of broth and water - 1 cup of broth and 1 cup of water.
7. 1 tsp of oil.

Method:
1.Fry the garlic,ginger,greenchillies in oil.
2.Then add the onions and fry until they are golden brown.
3. Add the broth/water to this and bring it to a boil.
4. Add all the vegetables and allow them to boil.
5.Once they have boiled, switch off and allow it to cool down.
6.Later remove the garlic bulbs and green chillies, and grind the mixture in a mixie.
7.Add salt and bring this to a boil again.
8.Serve hot with bread/croutons.

Urulaikezhangu Paal Kootu (Aloo + Coconut Milk)

1.Empty one tin(400 ml) of coconut milk into a pot.
2.For 400 ml of coconut milk, you would require 6-7 medium sized potatoes.
3.Boil the potatoes.Peel them and mash them well.
4.Cut ginger and green chillies (according to the level of spice required) and mash these too along with the potatoes. Mix them well.
5.Add these to the pot with coconut milk and mix well. Just add a little bit of water.Do not make it watery.
6.Add salt to taste.
7.Add curry leaves and corrainder leaves and heat it just for a while in the stove.Donot allow to boil. Just heat the mixture.
8.Finally fry mustard seeds in oil and add to this.
9.Serve with rice.

Puli ittu keerai (Spinach with tamarind)

1.Cut and boil a bunch of spinach along with 1-2 sliced tomatoes and 3-4 sliced green chillies.
2.Boil toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder.
3.Soak some amount of tamarind in water and make an extract.
4.Add the boiled spinach and the toor dal to this tamarind extract.
5.Add salt to taste and a little amount of asafoetida.
6.Allow this to boil for about 10 min.
7.Fry a teaspoon of mustard seeds,a teaspoon of methi seeds and 3-4 red chillies in oil and add to this.
8.Serve hot with rice.

Thengai arachi vittu keerai (Spinach with coconut)

1.Cut and boil a bunch of spinach.
2.Boil some toor dal along with a pinch of turmeric.
3.Grind about 3-4 tbspns of grated coconut,a teaspoon of jeera, red chillies(acc to the level of spice reqd) and 1-2 tsp of rice flour along with water.
4.Add the ground mixture to the boiled spinach and add salt to taste and a little asafoetida.
5.Add the boiled toor dal to this and allow to boil for about 10 min.
6.Fry a tsp of mustard seeds in oil and add to this.
7.Serve hot with rice.