White Pumpkin (Poosanik kai)koottu :
1\2 kg white pumpkin
A pinch of turmeric powder
Chana dal 2 tsp (Kadalai paruppu)
Grated coconut 1 cup (atleast 1\2 of medium sized coconut)
2-3 cashew nuts or badam(only optional)
3 green chillies
salt to taste
For seasoning: 
1tsp coconut oil
1\2 tsp mustard seeds
1\2 tsp split urad dal
curry leaves and pinch of asafoetida 
Wash and cut pumpkin to small cubes.Grind grated coconut, green chillies and cashews to a fine paste and keep aside. Add little water and a pinch of turmeric powder and 1tsp salt. Add chana dal. Boil. When it is half cooked add the paste to it.While grinding the paste, add little milk instead of water. This will add rich colour. Add little water if necessary. Do the seasoning with coconut oil, mustard, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida.
This is a good side dish for mixed rice like Tamarind rice, lemon rice, Curry leaves rice etc. and also with 'vathal kuzhambu'.

Rasam powder
Ingredients:
Red chillies 400 gm
Coriander seeds(dhania) 1/2 kg
Black pepper 300 gm
Thurdal 200 gm
Cumin seeds(zeeragam) 100 gm
Fenugreek 50 gm
Turmeric 4 pieces(virali manjal)
Sun dry the ingredients and grind in the mill.

For people who cant go to the mill:
Red chillies 50 gm
Coriander seeds 80 gm (buy 100 gm and take out a handful and use the rest.)
Black pepper 50 gm
cumin seeds 2 tbs
Fenugreek 1 tsp
Grind in a mixer and add turmeric powder.

Sambar powder
Ingredients 
1/2 kg Red chillies
1/2 kg Coriander seeds (dhania)
200gm Thur dal
200gm Chanadal
3 tsp Fenugreek (methi )seeds
1 tsp raw rice
4 pieces turmeric
Dry all the ingredients in hot sun and grind to a fine powder in a mill.
Those who cant find a mill or live abroad, can follow the ratio given below to grind it in a mixer.
50gm chillies
50gm coriander seeds
2 tbs thur dal
2 tbs chana dal
1/4 tsp fenugree
Add turmeric powder after grinding all the ingredients.
 

Methi pulav
Ingredients:
1 big bunch methi , (leaves 2 hand fulls)
1 glass any rice (soaked for half an hour)
2 tsp olive oil or any cooking oil
2 tsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cardamom
1 small piece cinnamon stick (dhal cheeni)
2 cloves
1 star anish
1 piece garlic(finely choped)
6 small onions (finely choped)
little grated ginger
1 tsp amchur powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
2 green chillies, slit 
6-7 cashew nuts
Salt to taste (generally for 1 glass (200gm)  of rice you need 1 tsp salt)
Heat pan or cooker. 
Pour oil add cumins, when it splutters add green chillies, garlic, ginger, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, star anish and onion. 
Fry well. Add chilli powder and methi leaves. 
Fry a little and add amchur powder and garam masala.
Add rice and 1 tsp ghee and add 2 glasses of water and cook well. You can cook it without the whistle in the pressure cooker and in medium flame, and mix it occasionally.
If you use electric rice cooker, turn it over occasionally.
Fry the cashews in the rest of the ghee.
Decorate it with the cashews and serve.
Healthy, sumptuous methi pulav is ready.