Idli is most famous and common food consumed is South India. I can solely survive by eating just idli :) To make them fluffy my friend "Sowmya" gave me a tip to include 1 cup boiled rice, you can include leftover rice as well. Also we need idli mould , which you can buy from any indian store. I often keep idli batter ready in my refrigeratorso I can use it as quick fix when I am lazy. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cup  raw Rice
• 1 cup Urad Daal
• 1 cup cooked rice
• salt to taste

Direction

• Mix raw rice and urad daal and soak in water for 5-6 hrs.
• Drain water fromsoaked rice and daal. Grind it into smooth mixture , While grinding add water as required.
• Grind cooked rice. Mix all Grinded mixture and make sure its thick smooth batter.
• Add salt and keep it covered for 15 hr to ferment in dark place specially if you live in cold place like Chicago.
• After fermentation you will see batter will rise a little. Add some salt to it. You can add some thinly sliced green chillis to make it spicy.
  
• Grease idli mould with non stick spray or oil. 
• Pour some batter and steam it for about 15 minutes.
• Enjoy idlis with Sambar or Chutney!!!
  

Even though this was my first time, I was completely satisfied how it turned out. Badam Halwa is well known healthy desert especially for pregnant womens. 

Ingredients

• Badam/Almonds - 2 cups
• Milk – 2 cups
• Sugar – 2 cups
  
• Ghee/Clarified Butter – 2 cups
• few Saffron Strands – optional
• Fresh cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Directions

• Boil Almonds for a few minutes until the skins are wrinkled. Immerse them in cold water. Remove the skins and discard.
• Grind Almonds and milk together into a paste. You can stop just short of making a very fine paste.
• Take a heavy bottomed vessel and heat ½ cup ghee on a low flame.
• When the ghee has melted, add the badam and milk mixture. Stir well and begin cooking. Keep the flame in low through-out the preparation. As the mixture cooks, it will thicken.
• Now add the sugar and one cup of ghee and stir and continue cooking. Be very careful not to burn the bottom, as even a slight browning can spoil the taste of badam halwa.
• when ghee starts to seperate, add saffron, cardamom powder. stir for few minutes and Serve HOT!!