METHI PAKORA

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 cups besan/chickpea flour1 tbsp semolina

1 tbsp water or yogurt – add more if required
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped methi leaves
1 tsp powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt or as per taste
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp white sesame seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander/dhania powder
1/2 tsp cumin/jeera powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp ginger and green chili paste
oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients  and make a smooth dough and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
2. Make small elongated cylindrical rolls.
3. Heat water in a pan and keep a greased steel strainer over it so that the water does not touch the strainer and keep the rolls on the strainer and cover it with lid.
4. Let them cook for 10-12 minutes and then switch of the gas now let the rolls get cool.
5. Or Boil plenty of water in a pan and cook the rolls in boiling water for 7 to 8 minutes till they float on top. Drain and keep aside to get cool and dry.
6. Now cut slices out of these rolls and deep fry them in hot oil till golden brown in color.
7. Drain on kitchen paper towels.
8. Serve hot with some chutney or tomato sauce.

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FILLED CHOCOLATE

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients:
Dark chocolate
White chocolate
pink color
butter
silver balls
Method:

1. Melt both the chocolates separately.
2. Pour the dark chocolate in such a mold so that you get a cavity in the centre.
3. In the white chocolate mix some butter and pink edible color till you get the desired color.
4. Now quickly pour out the pink chocolate in a piping bag or piping gun and fill the cavity with pink chocolate and decorate it with silver balls. 
5. It is a bit difficult to fill the cavity with piping bag as the chocolate gets hard very quickly (and when you pour in very hot pink chocolate on dark chocolate then the dark chocolate starts to melt).so you need to be extra careful and you  can fill it with spoon and make a design with any thing like a fork,tooth pick.knife,spoon or any thing else available with you.

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CHOCOLATE SHELLS

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves: 5

Ingredients:
dark cooking chocotate
white cooking chocotate
double boiler
shell shaped mould

Method:

1. To make double boiler place a bowl on top of a pan of simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water, but it should create a seal with the bottom pan to trap the steam produced by the simmering water. The trapped steam keeps the top bowl going at just about 212F (100C), a far lower temperature than could be achieved by putting the bowl directly on that burner. Inside the top bowl, you can melt chocolate without worrying that it will stick and burn. 

1.  Melt dark and white chocolates in different bowls in a double boiler or in a micro wave for that you keep the chocolate in a glass bowl and first set the temperature at high and microwave the chocolate for 1 minute then check and then again for 1/2 to 1 minute and check,and repeat the procedure till you get the rigth consistency, the time taken will depend on the quantity,brand and the temperature of the chocolate.
2. Now spread a thin layer of dark chocolate in the shell shaped mold and then pour in white chocolate and fill the mold to top.
3. Now keep the mold in the refrigerater and de-mold the chocolate when it becomes hard. 

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QUICK MEAL IDEA

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 packet chings or knorr or maggi  man-chow soup or hot and sour soup for four
150 gms cottage cheese

Method:

1. Boil soup as per instructions and after 5 minutes or till the soup is half cooked add cottage cheese to it and cook further for 5  minutes.
2. Enjoy this with freshly cooked  plain rice or jeera rice or any left over rice.

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SOOT KE LADDU

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

2 cups of all purpose flower (maida)
1/3 cup of water (for making dough)
1/2 cup pure ghee or refined oil
1 cup of boora or icing sugar
pure ghee or refined oil for frying
Method:

1. Sieve all purpose flour and add ghee or oil for moyan to it. Mix properly with fingers.
2. Now add water make a very tight dough just like you make for mathris.
3. Let the dough rest for some time under damp cloth.
4. Make small balls out of it. Press between both palms.
5. Heat ghee or oil in a wok and fry them on  medium flame till golden brown in color.
6. Drain them out and let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Break them into small pieces.
8. Grind them in a mixer to make a powder out of these broken pieces. 
9. Sieve this powder through a sieve.
10. Mix 1 cup of boora or icing sugar whichever is available, in two cups of  powder. 
11. Mix thoroughly icing sugar or boora with the prepared powder using your hands.
12. Make round balls out of it just like we make ladoos by using both hands. Prepare all the ladoos. Generally it is made in big size.
13. Soot ke ladoos are ready to serve.

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HOW TO EXTRACT COCONUT FROM ITS SHELL

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time : 5 minutes

Serves: 10

Method:

1. Hit the shell of the coconut with a hammer till it breaks and pour out the water in a bowl.
2. Now you have two halves of coconut, keep them directly on gas and heat the shells for 4-5 minutes while rotating it after short intervals.
3. Now remove them from fire and wait till you can handle it with your hand.  
4. Now hit then on a solid surface or hit the shell with a hammer till you get the whole shell removed from the coconut.

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METHI MALAI MUSHROOM

Preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time : 10 mins
servings : 4

Ingredients:
200 gms mushrooms
1tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tsp dry fenugreek leaves
2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/4 tsp black/white pepper powder
1 tbsp all purpose flour / maida
1 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh cream
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Wash the mushrooms and cut them in to pieces. Boil the mushrooms in hot water for 2-3 minutes and drain out the water.Keep aside.
2. Heat butter in a pan and add the chopped onions and garlic,cook till the onions become pink in color.
3. Add maida and stir for a while, now add milk stirring continuously.
4. Add dry fenugreek leaves and fresh cream.
5. Add the Mushrooms and mix well.
6. Add salt and pepper and cook further for around 2-4 minutes.
7. Serve hot with chapati or prantha.

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SHAHI TUKRA

Preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time : 30 mins
servings : 6

Ingredients:
6  slices of bread
3 tbsp. home made condensed milk or ready made condensed milk
a few strands of kesar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
canned cherries, fresh fruits or dry fruits for garnishing
oil for frying

Method:

1. Cut the bread slices in circular shape with the help of a round cutter or a katori (round bowl) or in any other shape as desired.
2. Deep fry the  bread slices in hot oil and keep aside.
3. Mix condensed milk and milk and bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Add the kesar strands and cardamom powder and mix well.
5. Switch off the gas and keep this rabri aside.
6. Make a one string sugar syrup by boiling 1/2 cup sugar in 1/4 cup water.
7. Now dip the fried bread slices one by one in the sugar syrup and then take them out of syrup and arrange them in a plate.
8. Pour the prepared rabri on the bread slices and garnish as desired.

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MANGO CHEESE CAKE

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

8 to 10 marie biscuits
3 tbsp melted butter

2 tsp powdered sugar (optional)

3 mangoes or 2 cups of mango pulp
200 gms plain cream cheese
200 ml cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or essence
1 cup sugar or as per taste
5 to 6 tbsp chopped agar agar strands or 3 tsp agar agar powder
1/2 to 1 cup water

Method:

1. Break the biscuits and dry grind them to make a coarse powder, add  butter and powdered sugar and blend them once more to mix the butter and sugar with biscuits.
2. Grease a detachable pie mold bottom with butter or oil.
3. Spread the powdered biscuits mixture on the pie mold and press them to make an even layer.
4. keep in the fridge for about 15 to 20 mins till the bottom crumb layer is set.
5. Cut the agar agar sticks and soak them in 1/2 cup of warm water for 20 to 25 mins.
6. Peel and chop the mangoes and prepare a smooth puree of the chopped mangoes in a blender. 
7. Divide the mango puree into two equal portions in separate bowls and keep aside.
8. Take the cream cheese, cream, vanilla extract and sugar and mix them well in a mixer till it becomes smooth.
9. Now add half of the mango puree and gently mix it with the cream cheese mixture.
10. Now in a pan heat the agar agar and water on a sim or low flame.
11. Keep on stirring and cook this mixture till the agar agar dissolves completely in the water and you see a smooth gelatinous liquid.
12. When the agar agar solution gets cools, take equal portions of it and add one portion of the warm agar agar solution to the mango cream cheese mixture and stir quickly and vigorously.
13. Add the remaining half portion to the mango puree and again stir quickly. if the mangoes are not sweet, then do add some sugar to this half of the mango puree before you add the agar agar solution.
14. Pour the mango cream cheese mixture on to the biscuit crumb layer.
15. Keep the pan in the fridge for about 30 to 35 mins.
16. remove and then layer the mango puree and agar agar mixture gently on the middle cream cheese layer with a flat spatula.
17. If the mango puree has become thick with the agar agar setting in it, then just lightly microwave it.
18. Keep it in the refrigerator for the mango cheese cake to set for 3 to 4 hours.
19. Unmould carefully and then place the cheesecake on a serving tray or plate or cake stand.
20. Decorate with whipped cream, chopped cherries,chopped pistachios or as per your creativity.

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CHECKERS SANDWICH

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 0

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

3 slices brown bread

3 slices white bread

2 tbsp mayonnaise or cream cheese or any other spread 

Method:

1. Trim the edges of 3 brown bread slices and 3 white bread slices.
2. Take one brown bread slice and spread some mayonnaise (or cream cheese or any other spread so that bread slices stick to each other) on it.
3. Then a white bread slice and spread some mayonnaise over it, repeat the process with rest of the slices.

4.   Now cut this sandwich into four equal slices and again spread mayonnaise over each slice.

        5.  Now place the slices over each other in such a way that one brown strip is placed over one white and then a layer in which one white strip is placed over one brown strip.

       6.     Now again cut the bread into four slices and your checkers sandwich is ready.

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TORTILLA

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup warm water

Method:

1. Mix flour, salt, vegetable oil, and knead a dough using as much warm water as required.
2. Keep the dough on rest under damp cloth for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Make small balls and roll them with a rolling pin (dust the balls with dry flour if required). 
4. Roll them into thin 7-8" circular disks .
5. Heat a flat pan or tava and let the chapatis cook flipping side until there are little brown specks on both sides.

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