Lunch

Upma
Sooji :             1 cup
Onion:            1/4 cup chopped
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Gram lentil:   1 TBSP
kadi pata:       6-7 leaves
veggies:           1/4 cup
Oil:                  1 TBSP
Salt:                 to taste (otherwise about 1 tsp)
Nuts:   1 TBSP Peanuts and/or Cashews

Roast sooji in a pan until golden. Set sooji aside
In a separate pan put about 3 cups of water to boil
In the meanwhile:
In a frying pan, heat oil on high. Add Mustard seeds and fry until they grey and/or pop
Turn heat to medium and add onion and gram lentil and nuts and fry mixture until lentil is golden-brown and onion pink
Add kadi pata and fry for about 15-20 seconds
Add veggies and salt and fry for 2-3 minutes on low-medium heat
 Add sooji
Add boiling water and stir for 2-3 minutes until all the sooji grains are fully dissolved
Serve

Dahi Vade
The Vade - Mom style
Home made dahi vade mix is made by combing the right amount of skinless urad dhal. The urad dhal needs to be soaked overnight, cleaned nicely (2-3 rinses) the following morning and then drain all water completely. Put the dhal in the blender or food processor and grind to fine. In case the dhal is hard, you can add 2-3tbsp water.  After it has been finely ground, there should be no lumps and it should not be very dry either. Add little (1/8 tsp) Heeng and mix well. In a cup of water drop a piece of the dhal and watch if the mixture floats to the top of the water in cup. If so, dhal is ready to make vade.
Wet your hands with water so that vade don't stick to your hand and form a ball. You can make a donut shape in the palm of your hand. The wet hands help form the ball.
Optionally you can use a fine gauze cloth to make the balls but with practice you can use your hands.
Heat oil in frying pan. Drop a piece of dhal and see if it rises and doesn't stick to pan to know when the oil is ready. Fry as per capacity of oil to light golden brown.
Once fried to cool down (for immediate use), drop the vade into cold salted water.

The Dahi - Mom style
Take 2 cups of plain yogurt (optionally non-fat yogurt) and 1 cup full-cream milk and 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half. Mix all 3 untilo there are no lumps. Add salt to taste.   Add 1 tsp roasted cumin seed, red chilli powder to taste and 1/2tsp powder black salt.  Mix well.
Take out the vade from water and lightly press out the water with your hands - don't press to hard otherwise the vade will break. Add vade to dahi.
You can taste the mixture and add more salt, cumin, chili to taste.

Veggies lightly brushed with Olive Oil and roasted
Vegetables
Olive oil
Basil
Rosemary
Salt

This is one of the simplest and easier dishes to make. Chop your favorite vegetable (like cauliflower, eggplant, asparagus, tomatoes) into thin slices. Spread on a dish that is oven-proof. Using an Olive oil spray or brush, lightly brush the vegetables with the olive oil. Add salt. You can also add some italian spices such as basil to taste.