Masoor Dal Pakodi

Masoor dal-1 cup
Chana dal-1/4 cup
Rice flour-1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Onions-1/2 cup, finely chopped
Green chilles-3 chopped
Ginger- grated 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves-1/4 cup
Mint leaves -1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Cumin seeds-1tbsp
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

1. Soak the masoor dal and chana dal separately for about 3-4 hrs, or till the chana dal absorbs water and swells up. 
2. Coarsely grind the dals into a paste. While grinding, add the green chillies and ginger to the paste.
3. Now to the paste mix the mint leaves, coriander leaves, onion, cumin seeds, and salt. 
4. At the end, add the rice flour.
5. Make into the same shape as vadas or small flat patties. 
6. Fry these in oil, and blot dry before serving. 

"Chaaru" Powder (Alternate method of preparation)

Ingredients needed:

• Toor dal- 1 tbsp
• Whole coriander seeds-1 cup
• Whole black peppercorns-1/4 cup
• Cumin seeds- 1 tablespoon (tbsp)
• Hing or asafoetida-1tbsp

Dry roast all of the above, then grind into a fine powder. 

"Chaaru" Powder (First method of preparation)

Ingredients needed:

Whole coriander seeds-1 cup
Jeera or whole cumin seeds-3/4 cup
Methi or fenugreek seeds-1/4 tablespoon (tbsp)
Whole black peppercorns-1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon (tsp)
Urad or black dal- 1/4 tbsp
Red chillies-about 10
Curry leaves-a handful (optional)
Hing or asafoetida-about 1/4 tsp
Dry coconut powder-1/4 cup

1. Roast each of the above, one by one, in a dry pan. 
2. Once they cool down, grind them together into a fine powder.

Rasam powder

Ingredients needed:

Toor dal-1 cup
Chana dal-1/2 cup
Whole black peppercorns-1/4 cup
Jeera or whole cumin seeds-1/4 cup
Red chilles-10
Whole coriander seeds-1/4 cup

1. Roast everything in very little oil. 
2. Blend into a fine powder.

Sambar Powder

Chana dal-1 cup
Dry coconut powder-1/2 cup
Whole coriander seeds or dhaniya seeds-1/2 cup
Raw rice-1/4cup
Whole black peppercorns- few, say a handful
Dry whole red chillies-about 15, or to taste, according to your spice level
Mustard seeds-1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Fenugreek or methi seeds-1 teaspoon
Jeera or whole cumin seeds-1/4 cup
Hing or asafoetida-1 teaspoon

1. Fry all of the above ingredients in a little bit of oil, making sure to add one after the other.
2. Coarsely grind them, and don't make it into a fine powder. 

Indian Chinese: Vegetable Manchurian

Ingredients needed:

Shredded Cabbage-4 cups
Carrots-2 cups grated
Onion-1, finely chopped

Garlic-4 large pods, finely chopped
Green chilies
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder-1 teaspoon

All purpose flour or maida-6 tablespoon (tbsp)
Corn starch-2 1/2 tbsp
Oil for frying

1. Add all the veggies in a bowl and make sure you don't mix them too much.
2. Also, allow the water to come out of the vegetables. 
3. To this mixture, add the corn starch and the all purpose flour or maida. This is to make it into round shaped balls of nearly equal size using your hands. 
4. Deep fry these balls, and blot dry on tissue paper. 

Now make the sauce.

For the sauce:

• Ginger, 
• Garlic, 
• Green chillies, 
• Soy sauce, 
• Sugar, 
• Corn starch, 
• Vegetable broth,
• Spring onions

1. For the gravy, blend ginger, garlic, and green chillies, and the soy sauce.
2. Add corn starch to it to thicken it.
3. Now add water or vegetable broth. 
4. When the gravy is thick enough, add the sugar and bring to a boil.

Tips:

• Leave the sauce a little watery, as it thickens upon standing.
• When shredding the vegetables, don't shred them too fine, as that will make the water ooze out of the veggies.