Dahi Bhendi

Ingredients

2 cups bhindi (ladies fingers), cut into 50 mm. (2") pieces 2 teaspoons coriander (dhania) powder 2 teaspoons chilli powder 1 cup curd ½ teaspoon Bengal gram flour (besan) 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera) 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai) 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf) 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida (hing) 5 to 7 curry leaves 1 teaspoon oil salt to taste

For the garnish

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

Method

1. Steam the bhindi for 5 to 7 minutes till soft. Keep aside. 2. Combine the curds, coriander powder, chilli powder, gram flour and salt with 2 tablespoons of water and keep aside. 3. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. 4. When the seeds crackle, add the curd mixture and steamed bhindi and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. 5. Serve hot, garnished with the coriander.

kaadhi chaat

Ingredients: For the coconut kadhi

1½ cups coconut milk 2 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp water ¾ cup fresh curds (dahi) 2 cardamom (elaichi) 2 cloves (laung / lavang) 25 mm. (1") stick cinnamon (dalchini) 1 bay leaf (tej patta) 6 curry leaves (kadi patta) 1½ tsp chopped green chillies 1 tbsp oil Salt to taste

To serve

3 tbsp khajur imli ki chutney 3 tbsp green chutney 2 tbsp chopped coriander 6 samosas Method: For the coconut kadhi 1. Add the corn flour mixture to the curds, mix well and keep aside. 2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and curry leaves. 3. When the curry leaves splutter, add the green chillies and stir for a few seconds. 4. Add the coconut milk and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil, while stirring continuously. 5. Add the corn flour-curds mixture and salt and mix well. Simmer on a slow flame till the kadhi thickens while stirring constantly. Keep aside. How to serve 1. Place the hot samosas in a serving bowl and spoon the hot kadhi over them. 2. Top with the khajur imli ki chutney and green chutney. 3. Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Raw Banana Wedges

Ingredients

4 peeled raw bananas 1 teaspoon red chilli powder 1 teaspoon castor sugar(optional) Salt to taste

For the batter

½ cup plain flour (maida) 2 tablespoons cornflour ½ teaspoon green chilli paste Salt to taste

Other ingredients

Finely crushed cornflakes for coating Oil for deep-frying

For the garnish

Lemon wedges

Method

1. Slit the bananas into half and cut each half into 3 wedges. 2. Mix bananas with chilli powder, sugar and salt and steam for 5 minutes in a steamer. Leave aside to cool. 3. Mix all the ingredients for the batter together with enough water to a thick paste. 4. Dip the raw banana wedges in the batter, roll out in the finely crushed corn flakes and deep-fry in hot oil till crisp and golden brown. 5. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot garnished with lemon wedges and onion. Note:Steaming the bananas before frying helps retain the original flavour and to seal in the moisture content.  Cooking Time : 15 mins. Preparation Time : 15 mins. Serves 4.

Soya Chunks Biryani - Rich in protein

Ingredients

1 cup rice (basmati works great here)
1 cup Soya granules (or use chunks)
1 tsp  cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup peas, frozen
1 onion, chopped finely
2-3 tomatoes,chopped finely
1 inch grated ginger
2-3 cloves of garlic
2-3 green chillies, sliced thinly (or as per taste)
1 bay leaf (optional)
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts (optional)
salt and butter/ghee to taste
few sprigs of coriander and mint  to garnish


Method:


In a skillet in 1 tsp of oil, add fennel, bay leaf, onions etc and saute until aromatic. Then add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, spices along with chillies and saute it with some salt for few more minutes.


Add the Soy granules. There are two ways of going about this. Usually the packet suggests to soak the granules/chunks in some warm water and then add it to the recipe. I sometimes in a fit of laziness, add it directly to the recipe but increase the quantity of water in the recipe and it works equally well. But you can soak it in water and then add to the recipe. Whatever works for you.


Then add the rice and saute for 1-2 minutes.Add 2-1/2 cups of water (or vegetable stock) along with salt. Close it with a lid and cook for 6-10 minutes.


When almost done, add the frozen peas to the rice and give it a gentle stir. Cook for a minute.Garnish with the herbs. if you have finicky kids, then add in little ghee or butter right at the end for additional taste.


Serve it warm garnished with toasted peanuts.  I serve this with Raita or sometimes with spicy side dish.

Badam Kheer/Badam Milk/Almond Pudding

Ingredients –  Serves 6-8 people

2 cups blanched almonds(soak almonds in water,peel and then grind to paste along with little milk)
1/4 -1/2 cup sugar (sugar substitute works too)
1-1/2 -2 cups milk, as needed for consistency (use low fat for lower calories)
1/4 cup ghee (you can use less or none to suit your needs)
1 tsp cardamom powder
few strands of saffron
few blanched almonds for garnish (optional)


Method:
Take a non stick pan and add ghee (if using) and add the almond paste. Cook it in low heat for 20-30 minutes until it gets thick and turns lightly golden


Heat rest of the milk until hot and then slowly add it to the almond paste. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes and then add sugar. Stir well.


Add the cardamom powder and the saffron.


Cook for another few minutes until everything is well dissolved.


I prefer to serve it chilled, garnished with blanched almonds.


Note:If it becomes thickened with time, add little more warm milk to the almond mixture. 

Mango Kulfi

Ingredients:
2½ cups milk (about 500 milliliters)
¼ cup milk powder
½ cup condensed milk (I used sweetened condensed milk)
¼ cup sugar
1 cup alphonso mango pulp 

* I had regular mangoes on hand. I took the pulp of about 4 mangoes, processed them, strained them of any strings to make 1 cup of fresh mango pulp.

Method:

Combine all the ingredients except the mango pulp in a non-stick pan and mix well. Bring this mixture to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes till thickens. Cool completely.

Add the mango pulp and mix well.

You can set these in any container you want. But traditionally Kulfi icecream are served in these special moulds where the icecream is set. That shape has all the significance for me .You might finds these here in local stores.

Pour the icecream into individual kulfi moulds and freeze till set. Or you can wait till its half set and place a icecream stick in the center of it (the half frozen cream will help the stick to hold it in place). Refrigerate again till completely set.

Unmould the Kulfi. You can easily do that by placing it under running water for few seconds. Pull the stick gently and it will come out.

And Kulfi Icecream is ready..!

Soya Kofta Curry

For the Koftas
• 1 cup Soy beans
• 1 large potato
• 1 small onion, (shallots/red onions work great.)
• 1-2 green chillies, finely sliced (or as per taste)
• few cilantro sprigs for garnish
• juice and zest of one lemon
• salt to taste
• About 1/2-1 cup of Soya chunks 
• For Simple Gravy
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
• about 1/4-1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 bay leaf
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak the soy beans overnight. Cook them in a pressure cooker. No problems if it gets mushy. boil potatoes.Now mix all the ingredients for the koftas together except the soya chunks. 
2. Mash them with your hands or pulse it up in your food processor – whatever works for you.If you are not able to make it into a ball and the dough seems moist, add some soy flour to thicken it up.
3. Spread the soy chunks on a plate and coat the balls with them.Repeat with all the balls and place them in a lightly greased  baking sheet. Bake for about 10-15 minutes in an 400F oven.
4. Meanwhile in a skillet, in a 1/4 tsp oil (or skip the oil. Just place the onions and cumin on the hot skillet with some salt. The salt will bring out the moisture and help the onions cook easily. That way you cut the oil and make this dish oil free), saute the cumin seeds along with onions, ginger garlic paste and the spices together for a minute until soft.
5. Add the tomato paste (if using) and the puree.Add enough water to make sufficient gravy and once it comes to a boil, thicken it up with little soy flour/cornstarch and bring it to a simmer.
6. Remove the koftas from the Oven and pour half the sauce over each of the koftas until they are soaked in the gravy.Bake them for another 10 minutes and before serving pour out the remaining gravy.

Simple Fish fry Recipe

Ingredients:

Fish pieces 6
Oil
Tamarind pulp 1 tea spn
Red chilli powder 1 tea spn
Salt
Sooji (rava) 3 tbl spns
Garlic 5-6





Method:



Clean fish and apply crushed garlic, tamarind, chilli, salt to the pieces and leave it for around half an hour.
Heat tava and put one tea spn oil. Roll the fish in sooji so that there is a coating of it arond fish. Fry on a low flame on all sides.
Serve hot with rice .

Paneer tikka masala

Ingredients

2 cups paneer cubes
1/2 cup curd
5 to 6 cinnamon pieces
3 to 4 tej patta
6 tomatoes paste
2 tsp green paste
1/2 cup white paste
7 onions paste
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp tumeric powder
3 tsp garam masala
2 tsp redchilly powder
1 tsp sugar
50 gms khoya
oil & ghee
fresh cream to taste
1 tsp garlic paste
salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil & ghee in a pan. Add cinnamon, tejpata, jeera powder, then add 1 tsp garlic paste, green paste (green chilly & ginger paste), saute for 5 minutes, than add all the masalas and saute for 5 minutes
Add curd , sugar and khoya and saute for 5 minutes, add tomatoes paste (boil tomatoes in water remove its peel & crush it in mixture an saute it,
Add onion paste (cut onion into big pieces and saute it in 1 tsp oil and than make its paste in mixture, than add than add white paste (1 tsp khaskhas, 8 to 10 kajus, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp watermelon's seeds churn all these in mixy)
Add little water and cook it till oil comes out.
Add paneer pieces and saute it while serving serve with fresh cream and capsicum pieces.

Mushrooms in Ginger sauce

Ingredients:
Mushroom - 1/4 kg
Onions - 2, medium size, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2, medium size, finely chopped
Ginger - 1-inch piece, boiled and then ground to a fine paste
Garlic - 3 beads, crushed
Black pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
Vinegar - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil+ghee - 1+1 teaspoons
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:
Mix the mushrooms with vinegar, turmeric powder, salt, and 1 cup of water and cook for 3 minutes or until only semi-cooked. Heat oil in a frying pan and when very hot put in the garlic and onions. When onions turns brown here and there, add the tomatoes and saute till the oil separates. Add ginger and black pepper powder and saute for a minute over the moderate heat. Add the cooked mushrooms along with its sauce and cook until the gravy thickens to the desired consistency. Serve hot.