Mirchi Ka Salan

Ingredients:

12 medium-sized large green chillies
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
2 large onions, cut lengthwise
4 dried red chillies, roasted
1 tsp each, coriander seeds, cumin, cinnamon and cloves, toasted lightly.
1 tbsp oil

Method:

• Heat about a tablespoon of oil.
• Bring the oil to smoking point and sear the chillies retaining their colour.
• Add onions and a paste of ginger, garlic, salt and tamarind juice to the seared chillies.
• Add about a cup of water and mix.
• Adjust salt and tamarind to taste.
• Cover the pot and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring in-between.
• The Salan is ready once the colour of the sauce darkens and it thickens.

Holi Hai

Ingredients:

60 ml Thandai syrup
15 ml kesar syrup
15 ml Almond Syrup
1 kullad dahi
30 ml malai
1 cup vanilla ice cream

Method:

• Half fill shaker with crushed or cracked ice.
• Pour in all ingredients.
• Blend using a hand blender and pour into 4 kullads.
• Sprinkle with milk masala powder.

Chatka Mary

Ingredients:

150 ml guava juice
10 ml lime juice
A wedge of lime
3-4 drops of wooster sauce
8-10 drops of tabasco sauce

Method:

• Take a tall glass.
• Rim the glass with salt and red chili powder.
• Fill it with ice cubes, add all the ingredients, squeeze a wedge of lime and drop it in.
• Place a green chilly in the glass instead of stirrer.

Spice Girls

Ingredients:

15 ml Khus syrup
10 ml litchi crush
15 ml Manama Ginger lime
A wedge of lime Soda
Sprite (half and half)

Method:

• In a tall glass with lots of ice and Khus syrup, litchi crush, and ginger lime.
• Top it up with lemonade and stir.

Varai

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups varai
4 tbsps pure ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies, chopped
3 cups buttermilk
Rock salt to taste
2 tbsps fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1/4 cup roasted peeled peanuts, crushed

Method:

• Clean, wash and soak varai in three cups of water for half an hour.
• Drain and set aside.
• Heat sufficient ghee in a pan.
• Add cumin seeds and when they begin to change colour, add green chillies and saute for a minute.
• Add varai and mix well.
• Saute for a minute or two.
• Add buttermilk, rock salt and boil, then cover and cook on medium heat.
• Add crushed roasted peanuts and garnish with coriander leaves.

Makhane Ki Kheer

Ingredients:

1 litre milk
3 tbsps pure ghee
1 cup makhanas
1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
6 tbsps powdered sugar
6-8 almonds, blanched and slivered
6-8 pistachios, blanched and slivered

Method:

• Heat ghee in a pan, add makhanas and fry them till light golden in colour.
• Add milk and let the makhanas cook.
• The milk should boil down and get reduced.
• Add green cardamom powder and mix well.
• Add sugar and cook till it dissolves.
• Add almonds and pistachios and cook till the makhanas are completely soft.
• Serve hot or cold.

Vrat Ki Kadhi

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups yogurt
2 tbsps waterchestnut flour
1/4 tsp rock salt
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tbsps pure ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 whole dry red chillies
10-12 curry leaves
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste
1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 tbsp turmeric powder

Method:

• Add waterchestnut flour, rock salt, red chilli powder, cinnamon powder and turmeric powder to yogurt and whisk well.
• Add four cups of water and mix.
• Heat ghee in a kadai, add cumin seeds, whole red chillies and curry leaves.
• Saute and then add the yogurt mixture and cook till it thickens slightly.
• Add sugar, salt and mix.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 avocados
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tbsps chopped onion
2 tbsps chopped tomato
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsps olive oil

Method:

Cut the avocados into halves. Remove the seeds and scoop out the pulp. mash with a fork and stir in lemon juice, onion, tomato, salt, and olive oil. Cover andrefrigerate for one hour before serving.

Assembly-Salsa Mexicana

200 gms ready made corn chips
200 gms cheddar cheese
Mexican refried beans
200 gms sour cream
50 gms green spring onions
100 gms black olives

On a heatproof plate, lay a base of corn chips, mexican refried beans and cheese. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for five minutes.

Add a serving spoon of Salsa Mexicana, a spoon of Guacamole and another of sour cream. Top with cut black olives and sliced spring onions.

Salsa Mexicana

Ingredients:

2-3 tomatoes each, small dice
1-3 jalapenos each, minced
1 onion each, small dice
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 limes each or lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Mix all together in a bowl. Set for at least 30 minutes to allow flavours to mingle.

Mexican Refried Beans

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked rajma
100 gms butter
1/2 tsp garlic
1 green chilli, slit
Salt to taste

Method:

Rinse beans, put them in a large pot and fill with seven cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer for two hours. if water level gets low, replace with more boiling hot water. When beans are extremely soft, prepare a large skillet by heating butter over medium heat and cook the chilli and the garlic for two minutes. Add half a cup of beans and mash. If the mixture seems thick, add about a tablespoon of the cooking liquid from the beans. Continue to add beans and mash them together, adding liquid as necessary. Remove chilli and discard.

Bhindi Masala

Ingredients:

1/2 kg okra (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
2 big onions (cut into medium-sized square pieces)
2 tomatoes (cut into medium-sized square pieces)
1/2 tbsp garlic chopped
1 tbsp ginger chopped
4 green chillies chopped
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp kasoori methi powder
Salt to taste
oil for frying
1/4 cup coriander leaves chopped

Method:

Heat oil, deep fry bhindi and drain. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil and saute chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies. Add chopped onion and saute for five minutes. Now add turmeric powder and chopped tomatoes and saute for another two minutes. Add chilli, cumin, pepper, coriander and kasoori methi powder and fry for one minute. Now add the fried bhindi and salt and saute for five minutes. Finally add the chopped coriander leaves and remove from fire.

Penne With Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup penne
2 tbsp refined flour
2 tbsp clarified butter
2 cup milk
1/2 cup diced mushroom
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat a saute pan on slow flame. Add clarified butter followed by refined flour. Cook, but do not allow it to go brown. Once you get the sandy texture, add boiled milk and cook till you get a saucy consistency. Add blanched mushroom dices to white sauce. Toss the mushroom with blanched penne. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot with grated parmesan cheese.

Fusili With Tamato Sauce

Ingredients:

1 finely chopped onion
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups chopped tomato
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 crushed clove
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
1 cup vegetable stock/water
1 cup fusili
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Heat the olive oil. First add cloves and chopped garlic saute followed by chopped onion and cook till translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and cook on a slow flame then put mixed herbs in the preparation.

Pour veg stock/water, to dilute the sauce and cook further. Once cooked, take it off the flame and cool down. Blanch fussili and toss in the tomato sauce. Serve hot with sprinkled grated parmesan cheese.

Peanut Chutney

Ingredients:

100 gm peanuts
8 dry red chillis
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
Tamarind, lime-sized ball
1 small onion
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat the oil and fry the cumin and coriander seeds. Add peanuts and the red chillies and fry till they turn golden brown. Remove from fire; and tamarind, salt and the raw onion. Sprinkle a little water and pound to a rough paste.

Serve with steaming rice or dosas/idlis/vadas. The secret lies in pounding the chutney and not grinding it in a mixer.

Grilled Prawns Italiano

Ingredients:

8-12 jumbo prawns
2 tbsps olive oil
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
7-8 black peppercorns, crushed
few leaves fresh basil, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dry rosemary
1 medium green capsicum, cubed
1 medium red capsicum, cubed
1 medium yellow capsicum, cubed

Method:

Shell and de-vein prawns; keep the tails intact. Make a marinade using one spoon of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, crushed black peppercorns, basil leaves and dry rosemary. Thread prawns on satay sticks and marinate them. Refrigerate for half and hour. Preheat the grill. Arrange the prawns under the hot grill and cook on all sides till done. Heat remaining olive oil in a pan and add coloured capsicums and saute. Add the remaining marinade and mix. Serve the grilled prawns with sauteed capsicums.

Khatte Meethe Vegetable Seekh

Ingredients:

1 medium potato, boiled and mashed
1 medium carrot, boiled and mashed
1/2 cup green peas, boiled and mashed
300 gms cottage cheese, grated
1 inch piece ginger paste
1 tsp dry mango powder
2 tsps chaat masala
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsps fresh coriander leaves, chopped
3 tbsps mango chutney
2 tbsps butter
3 tbsps roasted channa powder
2 tbsps oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Mix all ingredients except oil in a bowl. Divide into 16 equal portions and spread each around a skewer in a cylindrical shape. Preheat a grill. Bruch seekhs with oil and place under the grill. Cook evenly from all sides, to a golden brown. Serve hot with chutney.

Veg Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

100 gms romaine lettuce
1 garlic crouton
5 parmesan cheese flakes

For dressing:

50 ml eggless mayonnaise
5 ml lemon juice
2 gms mustard paste
2 gms garlic, freshly crushed
5 gms parmesan powder
Salt to taste

Method:

Shred the lettuce. Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients. Gently toss the lettuce in the dressing. Garnish with crouton and parmesan shavings.

Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

100 gms romaine lettuce
5 rashers crispy bacon
1 garlic crouton
5 parmesancheese flakes

For dressing:

50 ml mayonnaise
5 ml lemon juice
2 anchovy fillets
2 gms mustard paste
2 gms garlic, freshly crushed
5 gms parmesan powder
Salt to taste

Method:

Shred the lettuce and add dices of crispy bacon rashers. Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients.

Gently toss the lettuce in the dressing. Garnish with crouton and parmesan shavings.

Almond Sheera

Ingredients:

1 cup badam
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
A few strands saffron mixed with 1 tsp warm water
2 tbsp sliced almonds for the garnish

Method:

Combine the almonds along with 1/4 cup of milk in a mixer and blend to a smooth paste. Keep aside. Heat the ghee in a non-stick pan, add the almond paste and cook over a medium flame while stirring continuously till it turns light pink in colour.

Add the milk and 1/4 cup of water mix well and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar, cardamom powder and saffron mixture and cook, while stirring continuously till the sugar dissolves and the ghee separates. Serve hot garnished with almonds.

Rasmalai

Ingredients:

1 cup milk powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp maida
1 tbsp oil
1 litre milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup condensed milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
few pistas

Method:

Mix milk powder, baking powder, maida and oil together till it becomes soft. Heat one litre of milk separately. When it starts boiling, add sugar and condensed milk. Make small balls (Like marbles) of the mixture and add the boiling milk. Let it cook till the milk becomes thick. Add cardamom powder and garnish with crushed pistas.

Puran Halwa

Ingredients:

2 cups channa dal
1 cup ghee
1/2 cup condensed milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp saffron
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp jaifal powder
few pistas
few almonds

Method:

Boil the channa dal. Add ghee and cook, pour in condensed milk and cook some more on low heat to avoid sticking. Keep stirring continuously, then gradually add sugar and cook till it starts reducing. Flavour with saffron, cardamom powder and jaifal powder. Garnish with crushed pistas and almonds.

Dream Anjeer

Ingredients:
*************
12 nos. dried figs
1/3 cup chopped dry fruits (almonds, pista, cashewnuts, and walnuts)
1 tablespoon ghee
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
A few saffron strands

For the garnish:
*****************
2 edible silver leaves

Method:
********
Blanch the figs in boiling water for about two minutes. Drain and puree them in a food processor. Combine the fig puree, dry fruits, ghee, cardamom powder and saffron to make a soft dough. Roll out into a rectangle of 100 mm. x 75 mm. (4" x 3"). Garnish with varq. Cut into 25 mm. x 25 mm. (1" x 1") squares.

No Fuss Brownies

Ingredients:
*************
3/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup crushed digestive biscuits
1/4 cup condensed milk
1/2 cup mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashewnuts) chopped
Butter for greasing

For the garnish:
****************
Slivered almonds
Whipped cream mixed with chocolate sauce

Method:
********
Grease a 150 mm. x 150 mm. (6" x 6") cake tin. Combine the chocolate and butter in a bowl and melt over a double boiler till it becomes a smooth sauce. Remove from the fire and add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into the greased tin and put in the refrigerator to set. Cut into wedges. Garnished with slivered almonds and pipe out swirls of the cream and truffle sauce mixture. Serve chilled.

Kache Kele Ke Kofte

Ingredients:
*************

For kofta:
**********
4 plaintains, boiled and peeled
2 big potatoes, boiled
100 gms paneer, grated
5 gms cumin powder
5 gms red chilli powder
5 gms kasoori methi powder
50 gms roasted channa powder
100 ml oil for frying
Salt to taste


For gravy:
**********
100 ml oil
20 gms ginger garlic paste
10 gms coriander powder
10 gms yellow chilli powder
10 gms cumin powder
5 gms methi powder
500 gms fresh tomato puree
100 gms brown onion paste
50 gms cashewnut paste
5 gms kasoori methi
50 ml cream
20 gms butter
Salt to taste

Method:
*********
For kofta, mash the plantain and potato. Add the grated paneer, masala powder, salt, roasted channa powder and make 16 equal size dumplings. Fry the dumplings till golden brown and keep aside.

For gravy, heat oil and saute ginger garlic paste till light brown in colour. Add coriander powder, yellow chilli powder, cumin powder andmethi powder. Add tomato paste, brown onion paste and cashewnut paste. Saute till it leaves the oil. Season. Finish with kasoori methi, cream and butter. Add koftas to the gravy.

Gutti Vankaya Kura

Ingredients:
*************
500 gms brinjals

For stuffing:
*************
25 gms whole coriander seeds
25 gms copra
15 gms roasted peanuts, peeled
10 gms sesame seeds
5 gms black pepper
20 gms red chilli
Salt to taste

For gravy:
**********
75 gms oil
3 gms mustard seeds
10 gms cumin seeds
2 large onions, chopped
120 gms tomato, chopped
20 gms tamarind pulp
Salt to taste

Method:
*********
Boil all the dry ingredients for the stuffing and make a powder. Make deep cuts in the brinjals and stuff them with the stuffing powder. Heat oil in a pan. Crackle mustard seeds and cumin. Add chopped onion and fry till brown. Add chopped tomato and cook till it forms gravy. Add brinjal and cook till it is soft. Season and finish with tamarind pulp. Cook it for a minute and remove from fire. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Dum Ke Karele

Ingredients
************
4 medium bittergourds
1/4 spoon red chilli powder
1/4 spoon turmeric powder
50 ml oil for frying
Salt to taste

For Stuffing
************
150 gms paneer, graged
50 gms copra, grated
5 gms black pepper, crushed
5 gms coriander powder
5 gms cumin powder
5 gms red chilli powder
Salt to taste

For gravy
**********
100 gms brown onion paste
50 gms cashewnut paste
100 gms curd, churned
100 ml oil
20 gms ginger garlic paste
10 gms red chilli powder
5 gms coriander powder
5 gms cumin powder
5 gms cardamom powder
5 gms mace powder
5 gms fried onion
Salt to taste
A sprig of mint

Method:
********
For stuffing, peel the bittergourds, make a lengthwise slit in the centre and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Soak the gourd shells in salt water for two-three hours to get rid of the bitterness. Pat dry the bittergourd shells and marinate with salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Fry them over moderate heat till they are cooked. Make the stuffing by mixing all the ingredients. Stuff the fried gourd shells with the filling and keep aside.

For the gravy, mix brown onion paste, cashewnut paste and churned curd. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger garlic paste. Saute till it leaves the raw smell. Add all the masala powder and cook for a minute. Add brown onion and curd mixture. Cook over medium flame, while constantly stirring to avoid curdling. Cook till the gravy starts leaving oil. Add the stuffed bittergourds to the gravy Check seasoning, cover the pan with a lid and seal the same (like biryani). Place on a slow fire for around eight minutes. Garnish with fried onion and mint sprigs. Serve with steamed rice or pulao.

Anjeeri Subz Seekh

Ingredients:
************
20 ml refined oil
4 gms royal cumin, whole
200 gms Carrot, finely chopped
200 gms French beans, chopped
3 green chillies, finely chopped
100 gms potato, boiled and mashed
100 gms paneer, grated
25 gms fresh fig, peeled and mashed
10 gms cumin powder
10 gms coriander powder
5 gms kasoori methi powder
25 gms roasted channa powder
70 ml mint chutney
salt to taste

Method:
*********
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan, crackle the royal cumin. Add the chopped carrot, French beans and green chillies. Season and cook on moderate flame till soft. In a bowl, mix the mashed potato, grated paneer, fresh fig and the cooked carrot and bean mixture. Add all dry masala powder and the roasted channa powder. Season and mix properly to form a doughy mix. Apply the mixture uniformly on iron skewers with wet hands and cook it in a tandoor or on a barbeque pit. Cook it for five-six minutes, frequently turning the skewers to ensure uniform cooking. Remove from skewers and serve with mint chutney.