Gooseberry Lemon Rice

Ingredients:
Cooked rice - 1 cup
Note: Add 1 tsp of oil while cooking rice, so it won't be sticky.
Lemon - 1 (whole)
Roasted peanuts - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Seasoning:
oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Channa dhal -1 tsp
Dry red chillies - 2
Asafoetida - pinch
Green chillies - 5
Curry leaves - 1 twig
Gooseberries - 8
Note: Di seed the gooseberry and grate it into coarse.
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Cilantro - 4 twigs (chopped)
Coconut powder - 1tbsp (opt)


Method:
- Heat oil in a vessel, add the mustard seeds and as they begin to splutter, add the dhals and allow them to turn slightly red, add curry leaves, green chillies, grated gooseberries, red chillies and stir fry for few more secs.
- Add asafoetida and turmeric, roasted peanuts and mix it. Turn off heat.
- Add salt to taste and the lemon juice and combine well. Add the seasoning to the cooled rice and mix it.
- Garnish with cilantro and grated coconut.

Koothimeera Vanakayya (Eggplant curry)

Ingredients:
EggPlants– 10
Cilantro (Coriander leaves) – 1bunch
Green chillies – 6
Cumin – 2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 whole
Oil – 2tsp
Salt - 1tsp

For Stuffing:
- Grind the coriander leaves, greenchillies and salt into a smooth paste.

Method:
- Wash and slit each brinjal into four sections length wise without cutting off the crown.
- Now stuff all the brinjals with coriander paste.
- Take a oil in the pan, add cumin seeds, add stuffed eggplants and saute for a couple minutes.
- Squeeze the lemon juice on the eggplant mixture.
- Cover the pan and cook the brinjals for 20 min on slow heat.
- Can be served with chapathis and rice.

Gooseberry Pickle

Ingredients:
Big Gooseberry - 25 or 1 packet(one packet of frozen Big gooseberry) Salt - 1tbsp
Chilli powder - 1tbsp
Oil - 1tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
Lemon juice - 1tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2tsp
Asafoetida Powder - few pinches

Method:
- If using the frozen gooseberries, thaw the gooseberry for a minute in the microwave.

- Chop the gooseberries. Keep it in a separate mixing bowl.

- Mix in salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, fenugreek powder and mustard powder, asafoetida powder and lemon juice to gooseberries.
Note: dry roast the fenugreek seeds and mustar seeds and grind it together.

- Heat oil, add mustard seeds. When it pops, Add gooseberry mixture and cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat and allow the oil to cool off completely.

- Store it in airtight container.

Badam Phirni

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 tbsp rice
3 tbsp sugar
1/4th cup blanched almonds (sliced)
1 tsp green cardamom (crushed)
1/2 tsp kewra essence
silver or gold foil paper (varak)

Method:
Soak rice in water for few hours, then drain water and grind rice into a smooth paste.
In a non-stick saucepan bring milk. Over a moderatly low heat add rice, sugar and cardamom and stir constantly till milk turns thick.
Remove from heat and add almonds.
Put in serving bowl and chill.
Garnish the badam phirni with silver or gold foil paper (varak) and serve.