Yellow Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin- 1/4 kg
• Onion- medium (roughly chopped)
• Garlic- 2-3 (roughly chopped) (optional)
• Water- 1/2 cup
• Salt- 1/2 tsp or so
• Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
• Milk- 1 1/2 tbsp or less
• Turmeric- 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Fresh Cream- 1 tsp or Homemade Malai- 1 tbsp (optional)
• Toasted bread cubes or Rusk pieces- optional (I used flavored rusk slices because those were handy)

Method:

1. Peel the hard skin of the pumpkin and roughly chop into one-inch pieces. 
2. Wash the pieces and add 1/2 cup water to a pan. 
3. Add the pumpkin, onion and garlic pieces, cover with a lid and cook until tender. (Appx. 10-12mins cooking on medium heat)
4. Let the pieces cool down to room temperature. 
5. Keep the water aside and grind the pieces into a thick pulp by adding milk.
6. Now add the pulp back to the water. 
7. Add salt, pepper powder and cook again on simmer for 5 minutes. 
8. The soup will boil and thicken up a bit. 
9. Add a bit of turmeric powder if the soup is pale in color. 
10. Turn off the heat and after 1 minute add fresh cream or malai. 
11. Mix well. 
12. Do not add cream when the heat is on.
13. Take into a serving bowl and serve hot with toasted bread cubes or flavored rusk slices.

Note:

• Add one clove and a quarter inch of cinnamon while boiling the pieces. 
• take care not to grind the spices. The flavor will be overpowering. 
• The thick soup is perfect for winter evenings. 

Flattened Rice Jaggery Payasam- Aatukulu Payasam

Ingredients:

• Flattened rice- 1 cup (Atukulu/ Chidwa)
• Moong dal- 1/3 cup (Pesara pappu)
• Jaggery- 3/4 cup 
• Ghee- 2-3 tbsp (Clarified butter)
• Milk- 1 cup 
• Water- 1/2 cup 
• Half dried coconut- 1 tbsp (pieces)
• Cashews, Almonds, Melon seeds- roughly chopped
• Nutmeg grated or Elachi powder

Method:

1. Wash, soak and moong dal for 1-2 hours. 
2. Cook it in half cup of water for 15 minutes or until the dal becomes semi-soft. 
3. Keep it aside, ready to be used when preparing the payasam. (The dal can be cooked a few hours in advance. Just do not throw away the remaining water)
4. Take a nonstick pan and add 2 tbsp of ghee. 
5. Add the flattened rice to it. Fry until golden brown on simmer. 
6. To it, add milk and keep stirring to avoid lumps. 
7. Increase the heat to medium and let it cook. 
8. Once the flattened rice becomes soft (in 10-15 minutes) add the cooked moong dal. 
9. Mix well. 
10. Take a small pan. Add 1/2 tbsp ghee and fry the chopped cashews, almonds, melon seeds, etc until golden brown. 
11. Keep a portion aside for topping. Add the rest to the cooking payasam. 
12. Grate a piece of nutmeg or add 1 tsp elachi (cardamom) powder. 
13. In the same small pan fry the thinly sliced coconut pieces until golden. 
14. Keep a portion aside for topping. Add the rest to the cooking payasam. 
15. Mix well. Add 1/2 tbsp ghee to it and mix again.
16. Once it starts to thicken up, turn off the heat. 
17. Add the grated jaggery (or use jaggery powder). 
18. Mix well until it melts. Be gentle. Do not smash the flattened rice or dal.
19. Let it sit for a few minutes. 
20. I served it hot by topping with the remaining nuts and fried coconut pieces. 
21. It can be served cold as well.
22. Since we are using a nonstick pan the payasam will thicken up after taking it from the heat. Make sure it is a bit runny when you turn off the heat. 

Note: If you want it liquidy, add 1/4 cup water or milk when cooking. Turn off the heat when it's still in the liquid stage.

Pumpkin Jaggery Halwa

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin- 1/4 kg
• Jaggery- 100-150 gms
• Clarified butter/ Ghee- 4 tbsp
• Nutmeg- 1/8 tsp of powder
• Cashews, Almonds, Pistachios, Melon seeds, Chironji- chopped (except melon seeds and chironji)- 2 tbsp 

Method:

1. Wash, peel and grate the pumpkin. 
2. Also, grate/chop the jaggery into small pieces. Or use powdered one instead.
3. Take a non-stick pan and add 2 tbsp of ghee. 
4. Keep the heat on simmer. 
5. Add the grated pumpkin and cook until tender. 
6. No need to add water. The pumpkin will release enough of it.
7. Mix in between to prevent it from getting burnt.
8. Once the pumpkin is soft, add grated jaggery.
9. No need to add water. Keep stirring it.
10. The jaggery will melt and the mixture will cook in it.
11. Add nutmeg powder. (Can use any spice powder. I find grating nutmeg easier to pounding the cardamom)
12. In a small pan, heat 1 tsp ghee and fry the nuts until golden brown. 
13. Keep a little portion aside for topping and add the rest to the halwa.
14. Mix well. Once the halwa starts to thicken up, turn off the heat.
15. Remember we are using a non-stick pan. The halwa will turn hard if overcooked.
16. Turn off the heat when there is still moisture. That way as it cools down, the consistency will be correct for serving. 
17. Serve it hot or cold. 

Spicy Lemon Dip II

Ingredients:

• Lemon- 4
• Coriander seeds- 2 tbsp (Dhaniya) 
• Chana dal- 1/4 cup 
• Urad dal- 1/4 cup 
• Cumin seeds- 1 tbsp (Jeera)
• Jaggery- 1 tbsp (or less) 
• Salt- 1 tsp (or so)
• Dry red chili- 12-15 broken (varies according to taste)
• Black peppercorns- 8-12
• Oil- 1/2 tsp 

Method:

1. Add oil to a pan. 
2. Add chana dal, urad dal fry until the color becomes golden.
3. Add coriander seeds, cumin, and peppercorns.
4. Continue to stir to avoid burning to spices.
5. A minute later add dry red chili pieces. 
6. Make sure to turn off the heat before the dry red chilies become dark. We only want those to turn glossy and crisp. 
7. Keep the heat in simmer at all times.
8. Let the mixture cool down.
9. Once it comes to room temperature, add to a mixer jar and grind once.
10. Add salt and grind again into a smooth powder. 
11. Do not add jaggery until the powder is smooth. Jaggery releases moisture and the mixture will not grind into a softer texture. 
12. Add jaggery (or sugar) at the end and grind again. 
13. Take it into a separate bowl and add lemon juice.
14. You can squeeze the lemons previously and keep the juice ready. Do not forget to add a pinch of salt to the juice to prevent it from turning bitter. 
15. Slowly add the lemon juice and mix well. 
16. The powder will absorb the juice and become a sticky thick paste. 
17. It can be diluted with more lemon juice or take a small portion and add water to it.
18. The thick paste can be stored up to a week in the refrigerator. 
19. Take a small quantity, add water (warm) and serve with idli, dosa, rice, paratha or curd rice. 
20. Dilute it further and serve with chips or fries as well. 

Note: Here is the link to Spicy Lemon Dip Version I