Lemon Rice

Ingredients
1.Rice - 1 cup
2.lemon - juice of 1 lemon
3.mustard - 1 tsp
4.urad dhal - 1tsp
5.bengal gram - 1 -1/2 tsp
6.green chillies - 2
7.ginger - 1 tsp (thinly sliced)
8.curry leaves- few
9.turmeric powder - 1tsp
10.salt - 1 tsp
11.oil - 1-1/2 tbsp


Method
1.Cook the rice and let it cool
2. In a pan heat the oil and add mustard and urad dhal and when it begins to crackle, add bengal gram. when this turns slightly brown add the rest of the ingredients except lemon juice and let it fry for a minute. Then turn the heat off and add the lemon juice and mix well.[ adding lemon juice at the end prevents the bitter taste ]. Add this mixture to the rice and mix well and garnish with roasted peanuts.

Era thokku - Prawn masala

Ingredients
1.Prawns - 1/2kg
2.Onions - 2
3.Tomatoes - 3 (ripe and large)
4.Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/4tsp
5.Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
6.Chilly + coriander powder - 2 1/2tsp
7. Green Chilly - 2
8.Fennel - 1tsp
9.Oil - 3 tbsp
10. Salt
11.Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method
1. In a pan add oil and when it is warm add fennel seeds and curry leaves, add finely chopped onions, slit green chillies and fry till they are lightly brown in color, add chopped tomatoes, stir till the tomatoes are cooked.
2.Add ginger garlic paste, stir for a minute add the powders and fry for another minute till the oil separates out.
3.Add the prawns, mix well and close it and let it cook. Do not add water. When the prawns are cooked, to reduce the water content in the masala increase the heat and stir till the masala is absorbed by the prawns and thickens to required consistency, right enough to serve for chapatti or pulav. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Paal Paayasum

Ingredients
1. Milk - 1 litre
2. Sugar - 10 to 15 tbs of sugar
3. Vanilla essence - 3 drops
4. cardamon - 4
5. Cashew nuts - 8-10
6. Raisins - 1 tbs
7. Basmati Rice - 1/4 cup ( about a handful)

Method
1. Boil milk until it reduces to half its content. Break the Basmati rice in a blender, by running it in slow speed for a minute ( do not powder the rice) and cook the rice separately in water and add to the boiling milk. Add sugar, vanilla essence and cardamons. In a separate pan, heat the ghee and roast the cashew nuts and raisins till they are light brown, add it to the milk. Cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Serve either hot or chilled.