Baked idli fry

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Spray some oil on the idlis and evenly coat them with salt and chilli powder. Cut into bite-sized pieces and arrange on a pastry sheet/ Al foil. Saute ginger-garlic paste, add to it sliced onions, bell peppers, salt, turmeric powder, garam masala and soya sauce and continue stirring till the veggies are cooked, but crisp. To this add chopped tomatoes. Do not over-cook to avoid making the sauce mushy. Bake the idlis for 30 mins; turn over the idlis in between to ensure even cooking. Coat the baked idlis with the sauce. Mix gently to avoid crumbling of the idlis. Garnish with green onions and/ or corriander leaves.

Chocolate Butter Cookie

Preheat oven to 350F. Slightly heat a stick of butter and add 1 1/2 cups of sugar to it. Slowly add 1 1/4 cup of all purpose flour and 1/4 cup of Hershey's cocoa powder to it. Mix well. Can add very little amount of whole milk to it (it would become sticky if milk is more)

Make a dough and roll into balls. Pat with your hand to make circles or use cookie cutters. You could sprinkle some decors on the top. Bake for 10-15 minutes till the edge of the cookie turns brown and crisp.

Ladies' Finger Fry

Splutter mustard seeds, urd dal and chana dal. Add chopped green chillies. Add onions and saute till the color changes. Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and few drops of soya sauce. Add the cut ladie's finger and mix gently. Ensure that there is enough oil in the pan to prevent sticking. You can add a little curd to increase crispness. Keep the flame low and let it cook. Mix in between. The more time it cooks, the better.. Curry is ready.

Pizza Dosa

A fast to cook and good to taste recipe. Finely chop onion, capsicum, tomatoes and any other toppings of your preference and keep aside. Spread dosa batter (a little thick, but not too thick with simmer flame). Add some tomato sauce on top of it (pour over the dosa uniformly as per taste). Add a small layer of shredded cheese. On top of it add the veggies and add another layer of cheese. Add some chilli flakes if desired. Once the decoration is complete, raise the flame a little and let it cook covered such that both the sides of the dosa are cooked (Do not flip the dosa) Your pizza dosa is ready.

Potato/ Kovakkai Fry

Chop potatoes into cubes and coat with salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida and chilli powder. Temper mustard seeds, red chilli, urd dal and channa dal. Add the potatoes once it splutters. Have enough oil in the pan in order to have a crispy curry. Keep on medium flame and toss in between to ensure that the curry does not stick to the pan.

For Kovakkai: Cut the vegetables into small circles. You can add a pinch of sugar while frying to retain the green color.

Brinjal Fry

Temper mustard seeds. Add brinjal chopped length-wise. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and a little sambar powder to it. Keep in medium flame and keep stirring in between. The more you cook, the better it tastes.

Vegetable Upma

Dry roast 1 glass of sooji keep aside. Boil cubed potatoes and carrots with salt and keep aside. Temper mustard seeds, urd dal, green chillies and curry leaves. Add cashew nuts and fry till golden brown. Add finely chopped onions and capsicum and saute till translucent. Add boiled potatoes and carrots to the same. Add green peas. Add salt, asafoetida and turmeric powder (optional). Add 2 glasses of water and bring to boil. Once the water boils thoroughly, add the roasted sooji slowly stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. Keep stirring till the water dries up. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.