Fruit Cream

A colorful chilled dessert for summers that takes hardly 10-15 minutes to prepare. If you are calorie conscious you can omit the whole cream part and use cream cheese instead. It tastes the same and is healthier enough. You can use any seasonal fruits of your choice . Just remember they shouldn't be sour enough and should have a bit soft pulp to combine with the smooth texture of the dessert. 

 Ingredients

1 Apple
2 Bananas
100 gm Grapes
2 slices papaya
1 pomegranate
2 Oranges or Mosambi
1 Mango
200 ml low fat cream (I used amul's at room temperature)
50 gm hung curd or cream cheese
Sugar to taste

Method

1. Slice all the fruits to bite size pieces except 1orange ( to balance the sweetness of the cream. You can even use any citrus fruit such as lime if you dont have orange). Keep them in juice of one orange. This avoids discoloration of the fruits. Keep aside.
2. Mix cream, hung curd and sugar till the sugar dissolves.
3. Add this over the chopped fruits. 
4. Keep in refrigerator for 3-4 hours so that the fruits release their flavors. 
5. Serve chilled garnishing with few mint leaves.

Dahi vada

 

Ingredients

For vada
2/3 cup urad dhuli dal
1/3 cup moong dhuli dal
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp Ginger-green chilly paste
Oil to fry
Salt to taste

For final preparation
1 Cup thick curd, chilled
Roasted cumin seed powder
Red Chilly Powder
sweet-and-sour-tamarind-chutney
Salt to taste

Method

1. Soak urad and moong dal in water for 2 hours. Blend to a coarse paste with very little water.
2. Add ginger-chilly paste, salt and baking powder and whisk till it becomes a bit fluffy. This will take a minute or two.
3. Heat oil. Take a serving spoon. Wet it and take a helping of mixture and slide it in the oil for frying. Do the same for each dumpling wetting the spoon everytime. 
4. Fry each batch till all the dumplings turn golden brown on each side. Strain on a tissue paper Keep aside.
5. Before serving whisk the curd. Add salt. 
6. In hot water add the dumplings and keep for a minute to soften them. Drain the water out of them by squeezing them in your palms, maintaing the shape of dumplings.
7. Add them to curd. Cover the entire dumplings with curd.
8. Garnish with roasted cumin powder, red chilly powder and sweet-and-sour-tamarind-chutney. Keep in refrigerator for 10-12 minutes so that vada's soak all the flavors.
9. Serve chilled.

Sweet and Sour Tamarind Chutney

 Ingredients

50 gms tamarind
50 gms jaggery
10-12 raisins
1/2 tsp red pepper powder
1/2 tsp fennel seeds powder
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder (or juice of 1 inch piece of fresh ginger)
Salt to taste

Method

1. Boil tamarind in a cup of water for a minute. Cool it and strain to get tamarind pulp ( press the tamarind gently through strainer till you are left with pulp below and seeds atop strainer.)
2. Cook this pulp along with all the spices, jaggery and salt.
3. Adjust the consistency of jaggery and salt according to your taste. Cook till pulp turns thicker as per your requirements. 
4. In the end add raisins after turning flame off. They will eventually soak the flavor.

Garlic Kulche and Chholey

Ingredients

For dough
2 cup maida
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup curd
6-7 garlic pods, chopped
Warm water

For chholey
dry-chhole-masala

Method

1. Mix salt and flour, on your working space. Make well in centre. 
2. Put curd in well. Sprinkle baking soda over curd. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes.
3. Pour oil in well and mix gradually. 
4. Use water as required, to make a soft stiff dough. 
5. Brush dough will oil. Keep aside for 4 hours in a warm place in a bowl covering with a cling film. Longer if weather is cold.
6. Grease palms well and punch dough till soft and elastic. Cover again and keep aside for 10 minutes. 
7. Break a lump of dough. Roll or pat to a thick round.  Brush lightly with oil, sprinkle some garlic. Seal the lump into a bun and roll out again into a thick chapati of around 4 inches. The kulche are made thicker than chapatis.
8. Roast on a hot griddle, or tandoor, till golden spots appear. Serve hot with dry-chhole-masala

Curd Rice, South Indian Style

 Ingredients

1 cup boiled rice
1 cup curd
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp bengal gram dal (chana dal)
1 tsp dhuli urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1 green chilly, chopped
2 inch piece ginger, chopped
3 pods garlic, chopped
7,8 curry leaves
3,4 coriander twigs, chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh coconut
A pinch of asafoetida
Oil

 

Method

1. Just before serving mash the rice a bit, add curd and milk to it and mix well. Keep aside.
2. Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds, when they start spluttering, add bengal gram and urad dal. Cook till they turn slightly brown.
3. Add green chilly, ginger garlic, asafoetida and black pepper. Stir a bit and add curry leaves. Stir for few seconds.
4. Add this to the curd rice mixture. Garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut. Mix and serve hot immediately.

Haldi Doodh (Turmeric Milk)

The mixture of turmeric and milk is often touted as an all-natural cure for a variety of ailments and to promote good general health. Fights free radicals, helps in digestion and gives a great relief in common cold and cough. These are few of the benefits of turmeric. Follow the simple recipe below

Ingredients

A glass of milk
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
A pinch of black pepper powder
Honey to taste

Method

1. Boil milk. When it reaches a boil add ginger and black pepper and boil the milk for a minute on low flame so that the spices release their flavor.
2. Just before serving add turmeric powder. Strain the contents in a glass.
3. Add honey. Serve hot

Knol knol Curry

Ingredients

3-4 medium sized knol-knol (peeled, washed and cut into cubes of 1 inch)
1 tomato, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 green chilly, chopped
3 garlic pods, chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, chopped
2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
Few twigs of corriander, chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
Salt to taste
Oil
Juice of a lemon

Method

1. Boil knol- knol in a pressure cooker with a glass of water till it turns soft. i.e. after first whistle lower the flame and boil for 10 minutes.
2. Now in a deep fry pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds, when they start spluttering, add onion and green chilly.
3. When onions turn translucent add coriander powder and turmeric and salt. Stir and add tomato, garlic and ginger.
4. Cook till tomatoes turn soft. Now add boiled knol-knol along with its water and grated cocunut. Cook for a minute, add lemon juice in end and garnish with coriander leaves.
5. Serve hot with chapati.

Deli sandwich

  Ingredients

2 Brown bread slices
Lettuce leaves ( dipped in chilled water before serving)
1 paneer-cottage-cheese-pattie
Onion slices
Tomato Slices
Cucumber Slices
1 egg omellette
Salt and black pepper
Mayonnaise

Method

1. Arrange a bread slice. Top it up with lettuce leaf, tomato slices, onion slices, cucumber slice and salt and pepper on it.
2. Prepare a small omelet just to cover the bread slices and top the above bread slice with this omellete.
3. Top this up with paneer pattie and mayonnaise on it.
4. Cover it with another slice and enjoy the meal :)

Cheese Croquettes

 Ingredients

4 medium sized  boiled potatoes
4 tbsp fresh bread crumbs, crushed
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder to taste
Oil to fry

For Filling :
100 gm Cottage Cheese, grated
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp Coriander Twigs, chopped
1 green chilly, chopped
1 tsp Ginger, chopped
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
1/2 tsp saunf powder (fennel seeds)
Dry Bread Crumbs, crushed
Cheddar cheeese
Olive oil, to brush
Salt to taste

 

Method

1. Mash potatoes and add fresh bread crumbs to it with salt and pepper to make a soft dough.
2. Mix all the ingredients of the filling , apart from dried bread crumbs.,olive oil and cheddar cheese for filling the croquettes.
3. Take a small portion of dough (lemon sized ball) and flatten it. Fill a tablespoon of filling in it and grate some cheese on top and shape it into cylindrical form. Seal edges with a bit of water.
4. Brush top of croquettes with olive oil and roll in dried bread crumbs.
5. Fry each croquettes on all sides till golden brown on top.
6. Serve hot with green chutney and tomato ketchup.

Crisp Okra Fry

Ingredients

250 gm Okra (Bhindi)
Juice of half lemon
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp Besan (Gram flour)
1/8 tsp asafoetida
4 tbsp Mustard Oil 
Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash thoroughly , pat dry and slice the okra into pieces of 1 inch length.
2. Add all the spices and salt to okra, mix well so that spices coat up the okra. Leave aside for 5 min.
3. Add enough besan to coat the sliced okra.
4. Heat oil in a wok and fry the okra in batches till they are tender.. Each batch will hardly take 2,3 minutes. Draine excess oil while taking it out in serving dish.
5. Now mix lemon juice to the fried okra in end.
6. Serve hot with chapati.

Chocolate Marble Cake

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes one 8-inch cake

Ingredients

1 Cup Confectioners Sugar (powdered sugar)
1 Cup Self Raising Flour
1/2 Cup Olive oil (Can use vegetable oil too)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 large Egg
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 tsp instant coffee powder
A pinch of salt
4 tbsp Coke

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Grease and line your baking tin with butter paper and flour it lightly.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Using a hand-held electric mixer or wire whisk beat until the mixture is creamy and light in color.
3. Add oil, and continue beating until well blended.
4. Sieve the flour, salt and the baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat just until the batter is smooth and the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Add Coke to adjust the consistency of battter. It should be not flowy but drop into a thick streak. DO NOT OVERBEAT to prevent air pockets from forming in the batter.
5. Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions. I added the Vanila essence to one part.
6. Add cocoa powder and coffee powder into the other part of the batter and mix well.
7. Layer the vanila and chocolate batter alternatively in the cake tin. 
8. Give a gentle swirl with a chop stick (with the tip of the chop stick touching the bottom of the pan).
9. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or till a skewer inserted in middle come out clean.
10. Mine cracked a bit at the top. It turned out to be very soft and spongy cake. Could top it up with chocolate sauce or frosting.

Poached Pears

Poaching is gentle, stove-top cooking. Firm and ripe pears are ideal candidates. They can be refrigerated or can be diced and used as ice cream or cake toppings or mixed with yogurt and can also be added to jams.
You can customize the poaching liquid to suit your taste, adding various spices, fresh ginger, vanilla beans, or wine to the mix. And can also change sweeteners, swapping out honey for sugar. 

 

Ingredients

1-2 firm ripe pears
2 cups sugar approx 250 gm
1litre water
Lemon peels of half a lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
Food coloring, a pinch ( I used red)
Spices of your choice ( I used 1 cinnamon stick , ginger,1/2 tsp nutmeg powder and 4 cloves)

Method

1. Peel the pears. Leave the stems intact. If you want to cook them whole cut a very small section at the bottom and remove the seeds. or slice the pears to make them cook early. Immediately drop them in a bowl of water added with juice of a lemon, to avoid discoloring of pears.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the water and sugar until warm and the sugar is dissolved. Add any of the additions that you wish.(lemon peel and spices) and the food coloring. Make sure saucepan is heavy bottomed else the liquid will burn while reducing it.
3. Add in the pears, you can either use the whole pears which will take a longer to cook or sliced pears which will cook early. 
4. Keep the liquid at a very low boil and simmer the pears until cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the pears. In between keep on pushing the pears carefully into the  liquid, occasionally, if they float to the top.
5. Remove from heat and let the pears cool in their liquid.
6. After poaching the pears, reduce it to a sauce like consistency. Make sure you do it at a low flame else the liquid may burn and turn bitter. While the liquid is still warm, add approximately 1/2 cup (120 g) dried sour cherries, raisins, or dried currants and let them plump.

Serving

Serve the pears warm or at room temperature. Accompany with a scoop of ice cream and dark chocolate sauce, or just serve them whole topped with the poaching liquid you just reduced with some cookies at the sides.

Storage

Store the pears in their liquid in the refrigerator, in a covered container, until ready to use. Remove the pears from the refrigerator a few hours prior to serving, and re-warm them gently in the liquid, if you wish. The pears will keep for up to 5 days.

Makki Ki Roti (Maize flour bread)

Ingredients

2 cups maize flour
1 tsp salt
5-6 coriander twigs, cleaned washed and chopped
1 green chilly, chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, chopped
Hot water to knead the flour

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in the flour, except water.
2. Make a hole in the middle of the flour and pour very hot water to it. Mix it lightly with a spatula (it'll burn your hand, otherwise). Let it sit for few minutes or until you can handle the dough. Hot water helps the flour to settle well and also makes it easier to flatten it .  Make a dough which is not too tight or soggy. You should be able to shape the dough into a ball without it sticking all over your palm.
3. Divide the dough into balls big enough you want your roti to be. The roti will be a bit thick from original wheat roti.
4. Now thoroughly flour a platform (that you can later lift), you can use chopping board, or the same platform used to flatten roti's. 
5. Flatten the ball a bit with your hands on the floured surface, gradually increasing it's size and flouring in between to avoid it sticking to the counter surface. Do all the flattening with hands.
6. Now place your palm on the roti, lift the counter with other hand, invert it and slowly and carefully take the roti in your palm.
7. Put it over a heated flat griddle or pan. Turn it on the other side after about 3-4 minutes of cooking or when you see light brown spots.
8. Now cook on both sides with few drops of ghee to give it a thick brown colored spots.
9. Serve hot , and oh yes, don't forget  sarson-da-saag

Veg Soupy Maggi Noodles

Ingredients

1 pack of instant maggi noodles
1 small capsicum, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
Water to boil
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Heat oil in a skillet. Add cumin seeds.
2. When they start spluttering ad onion, capsicum. Cook till onions turn glossy.
3. Add maggi masala, Stir and add tomatoes.
4. Cook till oil separates on low flame. Add 3 cups of water now.
5. Add in the noodles. Cook till noodles turn tender. Let the gravy be in the recipe.
6. Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Ricotta Cheese

Ricotta is Italian for "recooked" because it is made by "cooking" whey. Ricotta cheese are creamy white in appearance, slightly sweet in taste, and contain around 13% fat and is bit like cottage cheese but much creamier. It makes delicious lasagna, gnocchi, cannoli or a type of cheese cake.

Ingredients

Leftover whey after making Cottage Cheese

Method

1. Save the clear whey from making cottage cheese in a non-reactive heavy bottomed pan. Let it cool down at room temperature for 12-24 hours to develop acidity.
2. Heat the acidified whey while stirring to avoid burning.
3. Continue heating till it starts boiling and forms a foam at the top.
4. Remove from heat and cover and allow the cooked whey to rest for 4-5 hours or till the curd is firm enough to take out.
5. Do not stir the curd. Line a muslin cloth on a colander placed on a deep bottomed pan. Drain the contents in muslin cloth.
6. Do not squeeze the cloth contents and let the whey drain out completely. 
7. Pick up the corners of the cloth, suspend it like a bag over the drainage pot (or sink), and allow the last of the whey to drain out. It will take several hours, and can be done in the refrigerator over night.
8. Remove the ricotta from the cloth, pack into a container, cover and store in the refrigerator. Use it soon after making. Alternatively, ricotta will freeze very well. It's highly perishable.

Cottage Cheese (Paneer)

Ingredients

1 litre full cream milk
2-3 tbsp lemon/ 1 tbsp vinegar

Method

1. Boil the milk in the deep and heavy bottom  pan. Let it come to a gentle boil and stay there for a minute. Make sure the milk is not vigorously boiling. If it does, reduce the heat and bring the milk back to gentle boil.
2. Add a tbsp of lemon juice to milk. At this point you'll see that milk will curdle. There wont be a clear whey visible. Keep stirring.
3. Add another tbsp of lemon juice  and the curdles will increase and you will slowly begin to see the greenish whey. Depending on the acidity of the juice, the amount of juice you require may differ. Start with one tablespoon at a time till you achieve the results.
4. Switch off the flame now and let the curd cool now.
5. Meanwhile line a cheesecloth on a colander that's placed over a deep bottomed pan and transfer the contents to this cheese cloth.
6. Once the whey has drained off completely,  wrap the ends of the cheesecloth over the cheese. Preserve the whey in refrigerator for future use to make ricotta cheese or as a stock for dals or to knead flour to make soft chapatis.
7. Now you need to place some weights over this to make a firm block of cheese. I placed a plate over it and then my stone mortar. 
8. Leave the weights on for about 2-3 hours and then what you get is firm and fresh cottage cheese. It'll make around 400-500 gm of cottage cheese.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp Active dry yeast
1/2 tsp Honey/sugar
1/2 cup Warm water
10-12 pods garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter(salted), melted
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp oregano

Method

1. Add lukewarm water and honey to yeast.Let the yeast proof for 5 min till you see a frothy mixture.
2. Take 1 cup flour and add yeast mixture to it and mix nicely with hands. Rest this batter for 45 min till it doubles.
3. Add the remaining flour, (8,9) garlic grated and salt and mix nicely. At this stage you may need to add couple of tbsp of water to get the dough together.Knead it nicely and transfer to a floured counter space and knead the dough for the 8-10 min till the dough is smooth and springy.
4. The dough will be a bit sticky so i added olive oil in my hands to get the dough together.
5. Transfer the dough on generously floured baking tray and shape into a circle with hands.
6. Let the dough double again which can take from 1 hr or more. Keep it in some warm space like your switched off oven.
7. Now prepare "garlic butter" (3 tbsp butter + 2,3 crushed garlic + 1/2 tsp black pepper powder).
8. Preheat the oven to 170C. Brush 1/3rd of this butter on top of the bread dough. Slice the dough with pizza cutter.
9. Bake the bread for 12 min on 170C and then for 2-3 minutes on 200C or till its slightly brown on top.
10. Generously spread leftover garlic butter on the bread and let it soak it.
11. Serve hot.

Matar(Peas) Mushroom

 

Ingredients

1 cup button mushroom
1 cup peas (frozen better)
1 onion medium sized, finely sliced
1 tomato, coarsely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 inch cinnamon
1 tbsp curd
2 cardamon
1 inch ginger(finely grated)
5-6 garlic pods, grinded into a paste
salt to taste
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp oil

Method

1. First clean the mushrooms and boil them in microwave with 1/2 cup water and 1/4 tsp salt for 10 minutes. Cool and cut them into 2 pieces. Keep aside and dont throw away the water left. ( If you are not using frozen peas boil them along with mushrooms)
2. Heep oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cardamom and cumin seeds.
3. When cumin starts spluttering add green chillies ,onions fry till onions are glossy. Add salt as required.
4. Add Coriander powder. Stir. 
5. Then add the tomatoes and ginger garlic. Fry it untill it leaves oil at the edges .
6. Now add mushrooms and peas and yogurt. Fry them for 5-10 minutes.
7. Finally if u need a gravy you can add water left from boiling mushrooms.Boil it for 2 minutes.
8. Serve hot with chapaati.

Tiramisu Cake in a Glass

Ingredients (for 4-5 people)

200 gm Mascarpone Cheese
2 eggs
50 gm confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 tsp vanila essence
15 ml brandy/rum
1 cup of strong espresso coffee
20-24 ladyfinger biscuit/ marie biscuit (I used britannia marie)
Cocoa powder
1/2 tsp Lemon zest

Method

1. Make regular but strong coffee, without milk and with sugar. Add 5 ml rum to it when its cool and pour it in a wide mouth bowl ( large enough to soak biscuits). Keep aside.
2. Bring eggs to room temperature and separate yolks and whites into separate bowls.
3. Whisk egg whites with few drops of lemon juice ( lemon juice help in hardening of whites) till they are hard enough and form stifff peaks. It will almost double to original volume Dont overdo after this as egg whites will start liquifying and breaking after this. Keep it in refrigerator after this to avoid making egg whites loose stiffness.
4. Now take the yolk bowl and whisk it till they turn to pale yellow. Add sugar now and whisk till sugar dissolves. It'll turn to a pale white color. 
5. Now add mascarpone cheese, vanila essence, rum and lemon zest to it and fold the mixture till all is mixed well.
6. Take out egg whites from refrigerator and fold in the mixture and mix well. It'll turn to creamy texture.
7. In a small glass add a spoonfull of this cream. Soak one biscuit in espresso (make sure its still crunchy and not soggy) and line on top of the cream. Line up with cream again on top of biscuit.
8. Repeat the process till glass in fulled with last layer being of cream. Keep it in refrigerator to set for almost 5 hours.
9. When serving sprinkle a layer of cocoa powder on top. Donot make the dessert stay out of fridge for long as egg whites will start melting.

Mascarpone Cheese

Ingredients

1 tetra pack of Amul fresh Cream(200 ml)
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Make a double boiler by boiling approx 2 in of water in a skillet. When water boils, lower the flame and put a heat resistant deep pan on it.
2. Pour the cream in the pan. Heat the cream (stirring occassionaly) enough so that small bubbles start appearing on top layer.
3. At this point add lemon juice and continue stirring and heating the cream until the cream curdles.
4. Do not expect the same action as you see during paneer making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir.
5. Remove the cream from heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes. Meanwhile line a muslin cloth on a sieve and transfer the contents( cream) in the sieve. Donot squeeze or stir the mixture now.
6. Put the sieve on a deep bottomed pan. Cover with a cling film and put it in refrigerator overnight to rest and firm.
7. Next morning it comes out as a thick, firm creamy mixture, ready to be used in your dessert's recipes or as a spread on pizzas and breads.

Sarson da Saag (Punjabi Mustard Greens)

Ingredients

2 bunch of mustard leaves (sarson, 500 gms)
1 bunch spinach leaves (paalak, 200 gms)
2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
1 large onion, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
2-3 green chillies, chopped
3-4 pods garlic, chopped
2" piece ginger, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves
1 tsp coriander powder
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ghee

 

Method

1. Wash thoroughly , clean and coarsely chop spinach and mustard leaves along with their stems. If the stems are hard, peel them to get a softer core. Don't discard whole stems as they add to flavor.
2. In a pressure cooker add salt, green chillies, mustard and spinach leaves. Boil them for 5 minutes after first whistle on low flame without any water.Switch off the flame, cool and blend in a blender to form a paste. Keep aside.
3. Now in a skillet heat ghee and add cumin seeds and cloves. When they start spluttering add onions and fry till glossy.
4. Add coriander powder now, stir and add tomatoes, garlic and ginger. Fry (stirring occasionally to avoid burning) till tomatoes are tender and start leaving oil on sides of the pan.
5. At this point add the mustard, spinach paste. Cook for 5 minutes on low flame and add besan, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
6. Mix so as no lumps are there. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking of saag in the vessel. Serve hot.
7. Tastes best with an added spoonful of ghee while serving.

Rava Oats Idli

Ingredients ( makes 10-12)

1 cup sooji/rava (semolina)
1 cup instant oats
1 1/2 cup curd, bit sour
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp grated carrots (optional)
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 sachet eno fruit salt
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Method

1. Dry roast sooji till it becomes light brown. Keep aside.
2. Dry roast oats till they change there color a bit. Cool and Grind in a grinder to a powder.
3. Mix sooji, oats, carrots ,curd and salt in a bowl. Add water to make the batter to a consistency of idli batter. Leave for 10 min.
4. Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, asafoetida and pour into the batter. Mix well.
5. Grease the idli moulds with a little bit of oil. Prepare the steamer on flame for steaming.
6. Add eno fruit salt to the batter. Give a stir in one direction only. The batter will rise instantly.
7. Pour immediately into the greased moulds and steam for 10 minutes. Check if idlis are cooked if not steam for another 5 minutes.
8. Serve with cocunut-chutney or sambhar.

Poha (Flattened rice) recipe

Ingredients

1 cup poha (flattened rice, medium thick)
1 small onion , chopped
1 capsicum, diced
1 small tomato, diced
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1-2 green chillies, chopped
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp oil
2-3 strands coriander leaves(optional)
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt

Method

1. Wash poha below running water in a large strainer. Keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they start popping, add curry leaves, green chillies, capsicum and onion. Fry for sometime till onions turn glossy.
3. Now add tomato pieces and all the spices. Cook till tomatoes become tender. Will hardly take 2,3 minutes.
4. Now salt and poha. Mix well. Fry for 1-2 mins on a medium flame. Add coriander leaves. Mix well and remove from flame.
5. Serve with lemon or squeeze lemon juice before serving.

Spicy Veggie Vermicelli

Ingredients

1 cup vermicelli
1 small capsicum, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 small tomato, diced
2 pods garlic, chopped
1 green chilly, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp corriander powder
1-2 cloves
A pinch of cinnamon powder(daalchini)
Oil
Salt to taste

Method

1. Boil vermicelli in a heavy bottomed pan with 1/2 ts salt  for few minutes, till they are tender. Drain and cool under running water. Drop a tsp of oil in it. Mix and keep aside.
2. Now in a flat pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds, cloves.
3. When cumin starts spluttering add onion and capsicum. Fry till onion is glossy.
4. Add spices now. Stir and add tomato and garlic.
5. Fry for a minute and add boiled vermicelli. Add salt according to taste.
6. Saute and serve hot.

Mango Shake

Ingredients (makes 2 glasses)

1 large ripe mango, peeled
1 glass chilled milk (about 200 ml)
2 tbsp honey

Method

1. Blend mango pulp, milk and honey in a blender to a thick consistency.
2. Pour in large glasses. Serve chilled. 
3. Can be served as a healthy breakfast drink.

Potato in tomato & curd gravy (Aloo tamatar)

Ingredients

4 medium sized potatoes, boiled and peeled
2 medium sized tomatoes, pureed

1 green chilly, chopped
1 tbsp curd, whisked and preferably a bit sour
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp fennel powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilly powder
A pinch of asafoetida(hing)
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing
Salt to taste

Method

1. In a skillet, heat oil and add cumin seeds.
2. When they start spluttering, lower the flame, and add all the spices. Stir a bit.
3. Add tomato puree and green chilly. Flame to medium now.
4. Saute till oil separates from tomatoes. At this moment add curd.
5. Stir for 1-2 min. Now crush potatoes into large pieces by your hands.
6. Drop in the skillet. Fry for a minute.
7. Add enough water for a thick gravy. Lower the flame when it boils and cook for 5 more minutes.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Dry Chhole Masala

Ingredients

1 cup chickpeas (100 gm) soaked overnight
1 small onion, chopped
2 small tomato, chopped
3 pods garlic, chopped
1 green chilly, chopped
1" ginger piece, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 tsp Cholley masala powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida(hing)
1-2 bay leaves
1-2 cloves
1 tbsp oil
1 cup water (to boil chickpeas)
Salt to taste

Method

1. Boil the chickpeas in pressure cooker (adding cloves, turmeric powder, salt) for 15 min on low flame, after 1 whistle.
2. In a skillet heat oil and add cumin seeds and bay leaves. When cumin splutters add onions, green chillies and fry till onions are glossy.
3. Add chholey masala now, stir and add garlic, ginger and tomatoes. Fry till tomatoes leaves oils on skillet sides.
4. Add asafoetida and boiled chickpeas now, along with the leftover water in chickpeas.
5. Cook till water evaporates. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent burning chickpeas.
6. Garnish with chopped corriander leaves. Serve hot.

Spinach Corn cheese grilled Sandwich

Ingredients

3 wheat bread slices
1/2 cup corns
1 bunch spinach (7-8 leaves)
3-4 garlic pods, chopped
1 green chilly chopped
1" piece ginger, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp mozzarella cheese, grated
1 tsp cumin seeds powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp fennel powder(saunf)
A pinch of asafoetida(hing)
2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method

1. In a deep bottomed pan boil water(1 cup). Add 1/4 tsp salt and boil spinach leaves till they are tender. It'll take 2 minutes. Cool and Grind spinach to smooth paste in a blender.
2. Heat a wok, add oil. Add cumin seed powder and fry ginger garlic chillies for hardly a minute.
3. Add rest of the spices, stir and add corns.
4. Let the corns get a slight golden brown color and then add spinach to it.
5. Fry for a minute. Adjust the salt and add lemon juice. Mix and Spinach corn is ready.
6. Now take the bread slices. Top one with spinach corn mixture and cheese on top.
7. Cover with a slice and top again with spinach corn mixture and cheese. 
8. Cover with third slice. Grill the Sandwich and enjoy :)

Vegetable Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

2 Wheat Bread slices
Cucumber Slices
Onion Slices
Tomato Slices
Paneer (Cottage Cheese) slices
Garlic Mayonnaise
A pinch of Black Pepper powder
Salt to taste

Method

1. Spread mayonnaise on both the bread slices.
2. Top a slice with all the veggies layer by layer.
3. Sprinkle pepper and salt. Cover with other slice.
4. Grill the sandwich and enjoy a healthy snack :).

Veg Burger ( Paneer patties)

Ingredients

1 Buns
Tomato slices
Cucumber slices
Onion slices
Lettuce leaves (optional)
Mustard sauce
Mayonnaise
Paneer patties

Method

1. Slice the bun in two and spread mayonnaise on both slices.
2. On lower slice put lettuce leaf, onion, paneer patty.
3. Top up with mustard sauce, onion, tomato and cucumber slice.
4. Add other bun slice bun on it and enjoy fresh.

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) Patties

Ingredients (Makes 4)

100 gm cottage cheese (paneer), grated
1 small onion, diced
1" piece ginger, diced
1 green chilly, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/4 tsp chaat masala powder (optional)
1/4 tsp cumin seed powder
1/2 tsp corriander powder
1/4 tsp fennel powder(saunf)
1 tsp finely chopped corriander leaves
A pinch of asafoetida(hing)
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method

1. Mix cottage cheese onion ginger and chilly properly.
2. Add all the spices, salt and corriander leaves.
3. Make round patties big enough for buns, Flatten them a bit for even cooking.
4. Heat a nonstick flat pan. Add oil and fry them evenly on both sides till they r crisp and light brown, on medium heat.
5. Optionally  you can even grill them without oil. It'll be more healthier.
6. Use them hot for chaats, or burgers or evening snacks