GOBHI PARANTHA

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves:4

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup grated cauliflower
1/2" ginger grated
1 green chili
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1/2 tsp dhania powder
1/2 tsp sabzi masala
1/4 tsp carrom seeds (optional)
1/4 tsp degi mirch
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Take wheat flour in a bowl and knead a soft dough using water as required like you knead for chapati. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes under damp cloth.
2. Grate the cauliflower and squeeze by pressing it tightly between your hands. 
3. Add grated ginger,chopped green chili, coriander leaves, carom seeds and all the spices and mix well. Do not add salt.
4. Take a medium size ball dust it with some dry flour and roll it with the help of a rolling pin, place 1 tbsp full of stuffing on it. sprinkle salt to taste and gather the edges to seal the stuffing.
5. Again dust it with some flour and roll it with the help of a rolling pin.
6. Place it on a a hot griddle pan (tava)and turn the side after 1 minute.
7. Cook from the other side for 2-3 minutes or till you see spots.
8. Now spread some oil on first side and turn the side spread some oil on the other side as well.
9. Cook pressing with a spatula from both sides till well cooked from both sides.
10. Serve hot with butter and pickle or green chuttney.

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GULAAB JAMUN

Preparation  time:  30 mins

Cooking time:  10 mins

Serves: 15-20

Ingredients:
200 gm khoya/mava
100 gm grated cottage cheese
3 tbsp maida/all purpose flour
2 tbsp fine sooji/rava/semolina
1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
1 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp baking powder
oil for deep frying
2 cup sugar
1 tbsp rose water

Method:

1. Mash or grate khoya/mava in a bowl.There shouldn't be any lumps.
2. Add grated cottage cheese,semolina, all purpose flour and baking powder to the mashed khoya.
3. Add milk and gently mix all the ingredients to make a smooth dough.
4. Cover the dough and keep aside for 30 mins.
5. Make small balls from the dough. cover the balls and keep aside for another 10-15 minutes.
6. Heat one cup water in a large pan and add sugar and cardamom powder to it. Switch off the gas before the syrup reaches a one thread consistency.
7. Heat oil in a wok (kadahi) till it is medium hot. Lower the flame and gently fry the gulaab jamuns in medium hot oil.
8. Keep on rotating them in the oil till the gulaab jamuns are evenly browned.
9. Take out the gulaab jamuns from oil and place the hot gulab jamuns in the sugar syrup. 
10. Continue frying the gulaab jamuns this way in batches.
11. When all the jamuns are placed in the sugar syrup, then keep the whole pan with the sugar syrup and gulaab jamuns, on a low flame for a few minutes till the gulaab jamuns become soft.
12. Don't over cook as then the gulaab jamuns will break.
13. Garnish with slivered pistachios and serve gulab jamuns hot or warm.

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ROASTED BROCCOLI SOUP

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2-3


Ingredients:

1 head broccoli (250-300 gm)
5-6 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sized onion
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all purpose flower
1 cup milk
 salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Take 2-3 garlic cloves and thinly slice them lengthwise. 
2. Heat olive oil in a pan a and fry these garlic slivers  in it with a pinch of salt.
3. When they become nicely brown take them out and keep aside
4. Wash the broccoli and cut medium size pieces of the florets with very little stem attached to them and roast them in the same pan in which you fried the garlic.
5. Add very little salt and pepper to it. When they start getting brown switch off the gas.
6. Roughly chop rest of the broccoli, garlic and onion and boil them along with  2 cups of water in a pan or pressure cooker till they become soft.
7. Puree the boiled vegges in a mixer or with a blender.
8. Melt butter in a pan and add all purpose flour to it stir for a while and add milk stirring continuously.
9. Now add the pureed liquid and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
10. Strain the soup and add roasted broccoli .
11. Boil further for a minute, garnish with fried garlic and serve hot.

    

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NAMKEEN DALIA / DALIA UPMA / VEGETABLE PORRIDGE / VEGETABLE DALIA

Preparation time:


1 cup dalia/broken wheat
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped
1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped potatoes
1/4 cup shelled green peas
1/4 cup chopped french beans
1/4 cup finely chopped cauliflower
1/4 cup finely chopped capsicum
3-4 cups water
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp oil or ghee
1/2 tsp catch sabzi masala
1/2 tsp dhania powder
1/4 tsp degi mirch
1/2 lemon

salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil or ghee in a kadahi (wok).
2. Crackle cumin seeds in the hot oil then add chopped onions and saute till they become transparent.
3. Add chopped ginger, green chilies and stir for a while.
4. Now add all the veggies and cook for a while.
5. Meanwhile dry roast dalia in a separate pan till it starts changing color.
6. Add roasted dalia and 3 cups water to the vegetables. Add all the spices and salt.
7. Cook on low flame under lid till the dalia is cooked well.
8. If the dalia has not cooked completely, then add some more water and cook further till it softens.
9. Add lemon juice and mix well .
10. Garnish vegetable dalia with coriander leaves and serve hot or warm with curd or chuttney or ketchup.

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CHANA DAAL KEBAB / CHANA DAL VADA

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 cup, chana dal
1/2 cup, fresh fenugreek leaves(methi), roughly chopped or 1 tbsp dry kasuri methi
1/2cup, corn kennels
1" ginger, roughly chopped
2 green chilies, roughly chopped
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp, coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp, degi mirch powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp, cumin seeds
1/2 tsp, dry mango powder
salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Wash and soak chana dal overnight or at least for 5-6 hours.
2. Drain water and grind chana dal along with green chilies and ginger to a coarse paste. Do not add any water while grinding.
3. Slightly grind the corn kennels.
4. Transfer the ground chana dal and corn kennels to large bowl.
5. Add methi, onion, coriander leaves,degi mich powder,cumin seeds, dry mango powder,turmeric powder and salt and mix well.
6. Heat oil in heavy bottom pan.
7. Now, take lemon size mixture on your palm and make kebabs of desired shape.
8. When the oil is hot, gently slide-in the kebabs and fry on medium heat until golden brown in color.
9. Take them out and drain onto absorbent paper. Repeat the same for rest of the kebabs.
10. Serve them hot with chutney or sauce of your choice. 

Notes:

1. Fry one kebab first and if you feel that the kebab mixture is not binding properly you can add breadcrumbs or roasted chick pea flour  to the mixture. This can happen if the ground mixture is watery.
2. If serving in a party half fry them and keep aside and re- fry at the time of serving. 
3. It is important to fry them on medium heat otherwise the kebabs may remain uncooked from inside.
   

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EGGLESS CAKE USING SWEET BUTTERMILK

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : 40 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup sweet buttermilk
3/4 cup refined oil or unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp  vanilla essence
1 tsp baking powder
nuts of your choice (optional)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180 C.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix butter/oil and powdered sugar  using a whisk or blender.
4. Add buttermilk and vanilla essence to the creamed mixture and mix until well combined.
5. Add the all purpose flour  mixed with baking powder in to the above mixture and use cut and fold method to make a batter or thick consistency without any lumps.
6. Finally, add the nuts and fold in gently.
7. Pour the mixture into a greased pan and lightly tap on the kitchen counter to remove any air bubbles.
8. Keep the pan in the oven first for 10 minutes at 180 C and then at 150 C for 30 mi0nutes.
9. Check with the help of a knife if it comes clean then it is done,now remove it from oven and serve hot.

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PASTA IDLIANA

Ingredients:

For idli
1 cups semolina (rava)
2 cups buttermilk(yogurt mixed with water)
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp fruit salt (eno)

oil or any other for greasing

For sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp pizza pasta sauce
1-2 tbsp Amul cheese spread(preferably) or you can use any other processed cheese (as per taste)
1/4 tbsp mixed herbs
2 tsp tomato ketchup
2 medium onions cut into cubes
1 cup red,yellow,green capsicum cut into cubes
2 florets broccoli (blanched) and cut into small pieces (optional)
2 -2 baby corn  (blanched) and chopped or corn kernels which ever is available
2-3 olives black/green or both sliced
10-12 french beans chopped
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper or as per taste

Method:


For idli:

1. Combine the semolina, buttermilk, oil and salt together in a bowl.
2.  Keep aside for 30 minutes.
3. Add the fruit salt and sprinkle a little water over it, when the bubbles form mix it gently.
4. Pour spoonfuls of the batter into greased idli moulds and steam for 8 to 10 minutes.
5. When cool take them out from the molds and keep aside.

For pasta sauce:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan add diced onions,capsicum ,broccoli ,baby corn or corn,french beans and black pepper and salt to taste and cook for a minute or two.
2. Add pizza pasta sauce,tomato ketchup,1/2 cup water and Amul cheese spread to it and mix well. Cook further for a minute or two.
3. Add mixed herbs and mix well.

 How to serve:

1. Take out the sauce in a bowl and place idlis in the sauce.Serve hot.

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BOTTLE GOURD CURRY / LAUKI KI SABZI / GHEEYA KI SABZI

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
500 gm bottle gourd /lauki /gheeya
1 onion roughly chopped
2 tomatoes pureed
1/2" ginger
1 green chili (optional)
3/4 tsp salt or as per taste
1/4 tsp degi mirch powder
1/2 tsp dania powder
1/2 tsp catch sabzi masala
1/2 tsp turneric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp desi ghee (pure ghee or claified butter)

Method:

1. Peel ,wash and cut bottle gourd in desired shape. Keep aside.
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds.
3. When they start to crackle add roughly chopped onions and saute for one minute.
4. When the onions are pink in color add all the spices and give a stir.
5. Now add bottle gourd pieces and 1/2 cup water and close the lid of the pressure cooker.
6. Pure tomatoes along with ginger and green chili in a mixer and keep aside.
7. After two whistles switch off the gas and wait till the pressure releases by itself.
8. When the pressure releases add pureed tomato and again put the lid on for two more whistles.
9. When the pressure releases check and if required cook for some more time and if you need more gravy add some water as well and cook for a while.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapati,rice or khichdi. Curd along with bottle gourd curry makes an awesome combination.

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SPICY CHEESE BITES

Ingredients:

200 gm cottage cheese
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp chick pea flour
1-2 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1tbsp chili sauce or schezwan sauce
a pinch of baking soda
salt to taste
oil for frying

Method:

1. Cut the cottage cheese in cubes and wash them.
2. Drain out extra water but don't let them get dry and sprinkle cornflour over cheese cubes and let it coat the cheese cubes from all sides.
3. Mix rice flour,chick pea flour,all purpose flour,ginger garlic paste,salt,baking soda and chili sauce along with some water to make a batter of coating consistency . 
4. Heat oil in a pan, dip the cheese cubes (one at a time) in the batter and pick it up with a fork and drop it in medium hot oil. Do this in batches not all at a time.
5. Cook till they become crisp and brown from all sides and serve hot with any dip,sauce,chuttney or ketchup of your choice.

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PUNJABI MOONG DAAL FRY / MOONG DAAL TADKA

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves:4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup moong daal/spilt skinned mung lentils
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped

1/2 inch ginger/adrak, finely chopped or grated
2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1/4 tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
2 tbsp + 1tsp pure ghee or clarified  butter

1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1/4 tsp red chili powder
1 green chilli fnely chopped

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak split skinned moong daal in water for 1-2 hour.(it is not a must to soak this daal but if you will soak it the daal will taste better)  
2. Take daal, turmeric powder,salt,1 tsp ghee and 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker.
3. Pressure cook on high flame till first whistle then simmer the gas and switch off the gas after second whistle.
4. Once the pressure settles down, remove the lid and stir the dal.
5. Check the daal if required cook further without lid till you reach the desired consistency.
6. Heat ghee or butter in a pan and crackle cumin seeds.
7. Then add ginger, garlic and stir for a while then add onions and cook till they become brown in color.
8. Now add chopped green chili and chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes become soft and the masala leaves ghee.
9. Switch off the gas and add the garam masala powder, red chili powder  and chopped coriander leaves.
10. Mix well and pour the tempering mixture in the daal.
11. Mix well and serve hot moong daal with steamed rice or chapatis.

Note:

1.  How many whistles are required will depend on the size of cooker , quality of daal and hardness of water. So give one whistle and then open the cooker when the pressure settles by itself and then cook the daal till it becomes almost mushy (the grain and water mix well).

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HOT CUSTARD / DRY FRUIT CUSTARD

Most of the winter desserts are quite time consuming and heavy so try this quick and lighter dessert this winter.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
 
1/2 ltr +2tbsp. full fat milk
2 tbsp strawberry custard powder
6 tsp sugar or as per taste
1/2 cup chopped nuts (almonds,raisins,cashew nuts,pistachios,chirongi)
saffron strands for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat 1/2 ltr milk in a pan and let it come to a boil.
2. Dissolve the strawberry custard powder in 2 tbsp milk and add this to the boiling milk stirring continuously so that there are no lumps in the custard.
3. Add sugar and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat stirring continuously to avoid burning of the custard.
4. Add the nuts and switch off the gas.
5. Garnish with slivered pistachios,almonds and saffron strands and serve hot .

 Notes:

1. You can choose any other flavour as well as per taste.
2. If you like thicker or thinner custard then adjust the quantity of custard powder accordingly.

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PARSELY TEA

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves:1


Ingredients:

1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 cup water
1/2 lemon
sugar or honey as per taste (optional)

Method:

1. Wash and chop parsley.
2. Boil water in a pan and switch off the gas, add chopped pasley and cover the pan with a lid.
3. Let parsley be in water for 10-15 minutes. 
4. After 10-15 minutes strain it with a strainer and add lemon juice.
5. Serve it warm. It helps flush out excess fluid from the body, thus helps in loosing weight.

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STRAWBERRY CRUSH

Ingredients: 


1 cup strawberries
3/4 to 1 cup sugar (as per taste and the natural sweetness of strawberries)
1 lemon

Method:

1. Wash and roughly chop the strawberries.(If you don't like the chunks of strawberry in the crush then you can puree them.)
2. Take a non-stick pan and put the strawberries in it. Switch on the gas and cook the strawberries.
3. When the strawberries become soft crush them with the help of a potato masher.
4. Add sugar and start cooking on medium to high flame stirring continuously till you get the desired consistency, it will take 10-15 minutes.
5. Add lemon juice and switch off the gas.
6. Store it in a sterilized glass container when it is completely cool.
7. You can serve it in a no. of ways like on bread ,cakes ,waffles,tarts,shakes and with ice- cream. 

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BADAAM PEDA / ALMOND FUDGE

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time : 20-30 minutes

Serves: 20-25

Ingredients:
1 cup almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup desi ghee /clarified butter
1/2+1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Soak almonds at least for two hours.
2. Pour hot water on them and keep aside for five minutes to blanch them and then peel them.
3. Now coarsely grind them along with 1/2 cup milk in a grinder.
4. Heat ghee in a non-stick pan and cook the coarsely ground almond paste in it on low-medium heat till it becomes golden brown in color stirring continuously.
5. Now add remaining 1/2 cup milk,sugar and cardamom powder and mix well.
6. Remove from fire when the sugar dissolves completely.
7. Make small balls and press to make a dent in center.
8. Place them in paper cups and serve.

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BRINJAL FRITTERS /EGGPLANT FRITTERS / BAINGAN PAKORAS

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves:2-3

Ingredients:


200 gm baingan/brinjals/ eggplant
1 cup besan/gram flour
1/4 cup rice flour (optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 catch sabzi masala or garam masala
a pinch of baking soda
salt as per taste
chaat masala to sprinkle 
oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Take gram flour,rice flour,turmeric powder,red chili powder,coriander powder,sabzi masala and salt in a bowl.
2. Add little water at a time and mix to make smooth batter of coating consistency.
3. Wash and slice the brinjals in desired shape.
4. Dip the slices in the batter so that the gramflour coats the brinjal from all sides.
5. Gently drop the slices in medium hot oil and fry the brinjal  fritters from both sides till crisp and golden brown in color.
6. Drain out the pakoras on a paper napkin to remove excess oil.
7. Sprinkle chaat masala and serve hot fritters with coriander chutney or tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup.

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MANCHOW SOUP

 Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil
1-2 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 to 2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped as per taste
1/4 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup grated or finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped french beans

2 tbsp capsicum finely chopped
1 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
salt as per taste
1/2 cup boiled noodles
oil for frying noodles

Method:

1. Wash and finely chop all the veggies and keep them aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic,onion and green chilies.
3. Stir for a while and then add finely chopped vegetables and stir fry them on a medium to high flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Now add soy sauce,salt and pepper and mix well.
5. Add 3 cup water and let it come to a boil then add cornflour dissolved in water and keep on stirring till you reach the desired consistency.
6. Add vinegar and mix well.
7. Boil noodles as you boil for chow mein or chop suey drain out excess water.
8. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the noodles till they become crisp but not brown.
9. Drain out the fried noodles on kitchen paper towels.
10. Serve veg manchow soup hot garnished with fried noodles and coriander leaves.

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