Moong Dal Mangodi

Ingredients

1 Cup Moong dal (soaked for 2,3 hours)
1 Onion Small (finely diced)
3-4 Cauliflower florets (grated)
2-3 Spinach leaves (optional )
2-3 Coriander stems
2 Green Chillies
1/2 inch Ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp Red Chilly powder
1 tsp garam Masala
Salt to taste
Pinch of asafoetida(hing)

Method

1. Soak moong dal in a cup of water for 2,3 hours.
2. Add coriander stems, jeera, asafoetida ,green chillies and ginger to it and grind it to a paste of a smooth batter consistency in a blender.
3. Add salt, garam masala ,red chilly powder and onions to the mixture.
4. You can now add cauliflower to half of the mixture and spinach to half of it to create two flavors or add both to make it mixed.
5. You can add vegetables of your choice too like bell peppers, carrots, methi leaves etc to make it taste different. I used cauliflower and spinach.
6. Now deep fry in hot oil the small dumplings made out of the mixture.
7. Drain it out on paper towels.
8. Serve hot and crispy with coriander or mint chutney or tomato ketchup.

Tomato Soup

Ingredients

5-6 ripe tomatoes
2x2 inch size beetroot (to add color)
4 Coriander stems
1 onion/shallot
1 small carrot
1 inch ginger
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
2 bread slices (for crumbs)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Sugar       to taste

Method

1. Cut tomatoes into 4 parts. Dice onion, carrot and ginger into pieces of size enough to boil.
2. Add corriander stems, bay leaf, star anise and pressure cook upto 3-4 whistles by adding 3 cups of water.
3. You can also alternatively cook them on stove top for 5-10 minutes or microwave them on very high for 6-8 minutes.
4. Cool it and remove the spices.
5. Grind the contents and sieve or else sieve directly ( this will prevent the tomatoes seeds from grinding, but will take a little longer and more effort). 
6. Boil the soup and add sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve the tomato soup hot with toasted bread

Gaajar Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients

4 cups carrots, grated
1 Cup beetroot, grated               
1 litre Milk                                 
1 cup sugar      or according to your taste                          
1/2 tsp cardamon powder               
8-10 Cashew nuts (chopped for garnishing)


Method

1. Roast the cashew nuts and set aside for the garnish.
2. Boil milk in a deep heavy bottomed pan.
3. Add the grated beetroot and carrots to it.
4. Let it cook till the mixture thickens. Stir often to ensure the halwa does not burn in the bottom of the pan.
5. This will take around an hour or so. The mixture will be tender and pinkish in color.
6. Add sugar and cardamon powder to it when the milk dries. The mixture will change its color to deep red.
7. Keep on stirring till the sugar dissolves and halwa thickens again and start to leave the sides of the pan.
8. This will take another four to five minutes.
9. Garnish with cashew nuts

Halwa is ready to serve. Serve it hot or cold as you like. When refrigerated it can be stored for a week.


Tips

• Donot roast the cashew nuts and add them when a little amount of milk is left. This will soften the nuts and remove their raw taste and give a slight taste of cashews to the halwa.