Appe

 Appe are soft, bite-sized South Indian dumplings made from fermented rice and lentil batter, cooked in a special appe pan. Crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, they’re perfect for breakfast or snacks.

Ingredients

• Rice – 2 cups

• Moong dal – 1 cup

• Urad dal – ¾ cup

• Chana dal – ¼ cup

• Fenugreek seeds (methi) – ½ tsp (optional, for softness & flavor)

• Salt – to taste

• Oil – for greasing appe pan

Optional add-ins for masala appe:

• Onion – 1 small (finely chopped)

• Green chili – 1 (finely chopped)

• Ginger – 1 tsp (grated)

• Curry leaves – few (finely chopped)

• Coriander leaves – handful (chopped)

• Carrot – 1 small (grated)

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Method

1. Soaking:

• Wash and soak rice, moong dal, urad dal, chana dal, and fenugreek seeds together for overnight.

2. Grinding:

• Drain water and grind to a smooth batter with little water (consistency like idli batter – slightly thick but pourable).

3. Fermentation:

• Transfer to a large vessel, cover, and allow it to ferment for 8–10 hours (or overnight) until the batter rises and turns slightly airy.

4. Preparing batter for appe:

• Add salt to the fermented batter.

• If making plain appe → keep as is.

• If making masala appe → mix onion, chili, ginger, curry leaves, coriander, and carrot.

5. Cooking appe:

• Heat appe (paniyaram) pan and grease with a few drops of oil in each cavity.

• Pour batter into each cavity till ¾ full.

• Cover and cook on medium flame for 3–4 minutes.

• Flip with a skewer or spoon, drizzle a little oil, and cook until golden brown and crisp on both sides.

6. Serving:

• Serve hot mint chutney

Stirfry Noodles

A bold, flavourful noodle stir-fry tossed in a rich dark soy sauce and the signature sweet-spicy kick of ABC chilli sauce. Fresh carrots, crisp capsicum, and tender onion add colour and crunch, making every bite a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and savoury depth. 

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 150g noodles

• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1½ tbsp ABC chili sauce (adjust to taste)

• 1 medium carrot – julienned

• 1 small capsicum – sliced into thin strips

• 1 medium onion – sliced

• 2 cloves garlic – minced

• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• 1 tsp sugar (optional, balances heat)

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Spring onion or sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

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Instructions:

1. Cook noodles

   • Boil noodles according to packet instructions until just cooked (al dente).

   • Drain, rinse briefly with cold water, and toss with 1 tsp oil to prevent sticking.

2. Prepare stir-fry

   • Heat a wok or large pan over medium-high heat.

   • Add 2 tbsp oil, then garlic and onion. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.

   • Toss in carrots and capsicum. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until slightly tender but still crisp. 

   • Add 1 tbsp dark soy sauce over the veggies and mix well

   • Add noodles to the wok, tossing well so sauce coats evenly.

   • Add 1 tbsp dark soy sauce and ABC chilli sauce and sugar aand toss well again.

   • Season with salt and pepper as needed.

3. Serve

   • Garnish with chopped spring onion or sesame seeds. Serve hot.

Dal Tadka

Dal Tadka is a warm and comforting Indian dish made with yellow lentils, cooked until soft, and then topped with a flavourful tempering of ghee, cumin, garlic and spices. It’s simple yet packed with taste, and goes perfectly with rice or roti for a hearty, home-style meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups toor dal 

• 3 cups water

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp chili powder

• Jaggery

• Salt to taste

For tempering (tadka):

• 2 tbsp ghee (or oil)

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 green chili, slit

• Hing

• 5 Curry leaves 
  
  

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Instructions:

1. Cook the dal

   • Wash the toor dal thoroughly.

   • Add them to a pressure cooker or pot with water and salt.

   • Pressure cook for 4–5 whistles or simmer in a pot until soft and mushy. Mash slightly.

2. Prepare the tempering

   • Heat ghee in a small pan.

   • Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.

   • Add hing

   • Add garlic, sauté until golden.

   • Add green chilies 

   • Add curry leaves

   • Turn off the gas and add red chili powder

3. Combine and finish

   • Boil the cooked dal with jaggery and turmeric powder. Also add salt as needed.

   • Let it boil for 5 mins, while you prepare the tempering.

   • Once the tempering is ready, pour the tempering over the cooked dal. Mix well.

   • Put off the gas and cover.

   • Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

4. Serve

   • Serve hot with steamed rice, jeera rice, or roti.

Palak Puri

Palak Puri is a vibrant, deep-fried Indian bread made by mixing spinach purée with whole wheat flour and spices. Soft yet crisp, it’s a nutritious twist on the classic puri, perfect with potato curry, yogurt, or pickles.

Ingredients (makes ~12 puris)

• Whole wheat flour – 2 cups

• Spinach (palak) – 2 cups (tightly packed, washed)

• Chili powder - 1 tsp

• Ajwain (Caram seeds) - 1 tsp

• Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

• Oil – 2 tsp (for dough) + enough for deep frying

• Water – as needed

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Method

1. Prepare the spinach puree

1. Take boiling water in a pot.

2. Wash the spinach leaves

3. Add washed spinach leaves and blanch for 1–2 minutes until wilted.

4. Drain and immediately transfer to a plate to cool down

5. Once its cools down, blend blanched spinach and keep aside

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2. Make the dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, add wheat flour, salt, chili powder, ajwain and 2 tsp oil.

2. Add the spinach purée gradually and mix.

3. Knead into a firm but smooth dough (like puri dough—slightly stiffer than roti dough).

4. Rest for 10–15 minutes, covered.

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3. Roll the puris

1. Divide dough into lemon-sized balls.

2. Roll each ball into a small circle

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4. Fry the puris

1. Heat oil in a deep pan until hot (medium-high heat).

2. Fry each puri, gently pressing with a slotted spoon so it puffs up.

3. Flip and fry until both sides are golden-green.

4. Drain on paper towels.

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Serving suggestion

• Best served hot with potato curry, chole, or plain yogurt with pickle.

Vangi Batatyachi Bhaji / Brinjal & Potato Dry Sabzi (Maharashtrian Style)

This is a traditional Maharashtrian-style dry sabzi made with small eggplants (brinjals) and potatoes, enriched with a variety of aromatic spices, coconut, and peanuts. It pairs perfectly with hot rotis or chapatis.

Goda masala is at the heart of this regional flavor, known for its rich, mildly sweet, earthy, and subtly smoky taste. It adds a warm and layered aroma without overwhelming the dish. The combination of coconut and peanut powder lends a hearty texture and depth, while jaggery softens the heat from the green chilies, creating a beautifully balanced sweet-spicy profile. A tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, fennel, curry leaves, and hing forms the aromatic foundation that ties all the elements together.

 Ingredients

4–5 small brinjals (eggplants), cut into quarters (keep them in salted water)

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

half tsp fennel seeds

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp jeera powder

1 tsp goda masala

2 tsp jaggery

2 tbsp grated coconut

2 tbsp peanut powder

Curry leaves

2 green chilies - slit vertically

Oil

Salt

Procedure

1. In a small pan, heat a bit of oil and add the mustard seeds.

2. Once they splutter, add the cumin seeds, and fennel seeds

3. Next add the hing, curry leaves and green chilies

4. Finally add the chopped brinjal and potatoes and add salt (as per taste)

5. Cook this on a high flame. In the mean time, add all the masalas. Ass turmeric powder, chili powder, goda masala, corainder powder, cumin powder and stir nicely

6. Next add the jaggery, grated coconut and the peanut powder and mix well.

7. Turn it on a low flame and cook it covered for another 15 mins. Keep strring in between

8. The eggplants cook very fast, Once the potatoed are cooked, it is ready to serve

Serve it hot with rotis or chapatis.