BEETROOT CUTLET / BEETROOT TIKKI / BEETROOT KEBAB

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

Ingredients:
2 potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
1 beetroot boiled and grated
3 slices of bread crumbed
1 small onion finely chopped
1 green chili finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
1/4 tsp degi mirch powder
1//2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp dhania powder (coriander seed powder)
1/2 tsp amchoor powder (dry mango powder)
salt to taste
oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except oil and half of the bread crumbs.
2. Heat oil in a wok (kadahi).
3. Make lemon sized balls of the mixture and roll each in the breadcrumbs.
4. Deep fry them in hot oil till crisp and lightly browned.
5. Serve hot with ketchup , chuttney or sweet and salted hung curd dip.

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GOBHI MATAR / KEEMA GOBHI

Preparation time: 10 minute
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower 500 gms
250 gms peas
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato pureed or finely chopped
1 tsp garlic finely chopped
1 tsp ginger finely chopped
1 green chili finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp grated cottage cheese
1 tbsp cream (optional)
1-2 tsp ketchup (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp degi mirch
1 tsp dhania powder
1 tsp catch sabzi masala
salt to taste
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnishing or 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves or both 

Method:

1. Wash and chop cauliflower into small florets.Wash peas as well and keep both aside in a strainer to drain out excess water.
2. Heat oil in a wok (kadahi) and crackle cumin seeds then add chopped ginger, garlic,onion and green chili  and cook till the onions become brown in color.
3. Now add tomato puree and cook till the masala leaves the sides of the pan.
4. Add 2 tbsp water, turmeric powder and  salt and cauliflower and peas. Mix well and cover with a lid.
5. Cook on low flame stirring after short intervals till veges are almost cooked. 
6. Now add rest of the spices,grated cottage cheese,cream and ketchup and mix well.
7. Cook further for 2 to 3 minutes till the veges are well cooked.
8. Add chopped coriander and fenugreek leaves and mix well.
9. Serve hot with chapati parantha , poori or naan.

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GARLIC BREAD

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 bread slices
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic (preferably green garlic)
2 tbsp salted butter at room temperature
1 tsp olive oil
pepper to taste

Method:

1. Mix butter and chopped garlic in a bowl.
2. Spread it on bread slices and cook it either on a  griddle pan, in a grill toaster or in OTG till it becomes crisp an brown from both the sides.
3. Sprinkle some black pepper and serve.

Notes:

1. If you are cooking it in an OTG then spread the mixture on one side only otherwise on both sides.
2. If green garlic is not available then add any chopped or dried herb of your choice like parsely,oregano, mint or coriander as per taste along with garlic.

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BOILED BEETROOT SALAD

Preparation time : 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

2 beetroots

Method:

Beetroot is low in fat, full of vitamins and minerals and packed with powerful antioxidants. But it is not very good in taste when you eat it in raw form . The easiest way to make it taste very good is just put it in pressure cooker along with some water and give 2 whistles (in a 3 ltr. capacity cooker). Let the pressure release by itself and then take it out and let it be cool. then peel it, cut it in desired shape and serve it as salad with or without any seasoning or dressing. If the beetroot is big in size then you may need to give one more whistle. The key is not to over cook nor under cook.

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KHAS KHAS BAADAM DOODH / KEASR BAADAM MILK

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

Ingredients:

2 tsp pure ghee (clarified butter)
750 ml full fat milk

2-3 tsp khas khas (poppy seeds)

30-35 almonds, blanched, peeled and coarsely ground paste
a pinch of saffron
sugar as per taste
1/4 tsp crushed black pepper or as per taste (optional)

1/2 tsp, cardamom powder
slivered almonds ,pistachios saffron strands for garnish

Method:

1. Soak saffron in 2 tbsp hot water and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
2. Soak poppy seeds in warm water at least for an hour and after one hour drain out the water and grind it in a mixer grinder jar along with 3-4 tbsp water. 
3. Strain the mixture and collect the poppy seed's milk in a bowl.Discard the husk.
4. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and add poppy seed milk and almond paste to it.
5. Cook both for 2-3 minutes. (You can take out this mixture in a bowl and keep it in fridge for later use. )
6. Otherwise bring milk to boil. Simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
7. Add the prepared paste to the milk stirring continuously until mixed well. 
8. Add saffron water and mix well. Simmer until milk is reduced to 3/4 amount. Stir intermittently to avoid burning and sticking at the bottom
9. Add sugar as per taste, cardamom powder and black pepper powder and mix well.
10. Simmer further for 3-4 more minutes.
11. Take it off the heat and serve hot in serving glasses, garnish with slivered almonds, pistachios and saffron strands.

Notes:-

1. Drinking this milk is very useful in cold and for sour throat but there is a bit sedation in this drink due to poppy seeds so drink this milk at bed time for two three days and see the difference in your condition.
2. The prepared mixture is for 3-4 glasses so you can make the cooked paste and add cardamom powder and black pepper powder and store it in fridge and use as required (proportionately per glass).  
3. You can also use low fat milk if you prefer. 

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TAKA TAK AALU GOBHI

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
2 potatoes
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion finely chopped
5-6 garlic cloves chopped
1/2" ginger finely chopped
1 green chili finely chopped
1 tomato pureed or 2 tbsp ready made tomato puree
1/2 capsicum finely chopped
1-2 tsp schezwan sauce as per taste
2 tbsp hung yogurt
1/2 tsp degi mirch
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp catch sabzi masala
salt to taste
chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash and chop cauliflower into medium size florets and potatoes into small cubes. keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadahi (wok) and crackle cumin seeds then add onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies and cook till the onions start changing color.
3. Now add chopped potatoes,cauliflower,salt and turmeric powder and mix well.
4. Simmer the gas and cook under lid till the veges become tender stirring occasionally. If required add a tbsp. of water.
5. Now add rest of the ingredients and mix well.
6. Cook further for 4-5 minutes till all the water present evaporates and all the spices coat aalu gobhi.
7. Sprinkle chopped coriander and mix well, serve hot with daal and chapati or paranta or puri.

Notes: 

1. If you like you can deep fry aalu and gobhi in hot oil and make a masala from rest of the ingredients and mix veges and masala. In that case more oil will be required. 

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BLACK GRAPES SAUCE / BLACK GRAPE CRUSH

Preparation time: 10 minutes
cooking time :5-10 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

200 gms black grapes
1 tbsp sugar or as per taste (depends upon the natural sweetness of grapes)

Method:

1. Wash black grapes and roughly chop them.
2. Put them in a pan and add sugar.
3. Cook for 5-10 minutes till you reach the desired consistency.
4. Switch off the gas and let it cool then churn this with the help of a blender.
5. Serve it chilled with vanilla ice-cream.
6. You can store it in fridge for a week.

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LOW FAT TANDOORI PARANTHA

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

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 radish  grated
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
1/4 tsp degi mirch
salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

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 radish 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 and turn the side after 1 minute.
7. Cook from the other side for 2-3 minutes or till you see spots.
8. Now cook the first side directly on flame using a tong (chimta) then the other side as well like you cook the chapati.
9. Take it off the flame and grease with some olive oil.
10. Serve hot with low fat butter and pickle or green chuttney.

Variations:
Same way you can make aaloo(potato) parantha, gobhi (cauliflower) parantha, cheese parantha,
methi (fenugreek)  parantha, paalak (spinach) parantha.

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CHILI MUSHROOM SANDWICH

Preparation time: 15 minute
Cooking time: 15 minute
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

8 slices of bread
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
1-2 green chili as per taste finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 cup mushroom finely chopped
1/2 cup capsicum finely chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese grated
1.5 tsp soya sauce
1.5 tsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tsp water
 2-3 tsp butter or oil
1 tbsp oil
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add chopped garlic,green chilies and onion and stir for a while.
2. Now add mushrooms and capsicum and stir for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add soya sauce,ketchup,salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Now add cornflour dissolved in water and mix till the mixture comes together and switch off the gas.
5. Take spoon full of mixture and spread on four slices of bread.
6. Now spread mozzarella cheese on each and cover each with the remaining four bread slices.  
7. Now grease upper and lower side of each of the bread slice with little oil or butter and place them on a hot griddle pan and cook from both sides till crisp and brown in color.
8. You can grill them in a sandwich toaster, oven or simply on tava(griddle) as well.

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PATTA GOBHI MATAR / CABBAGE WITH PEAS

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 head cabbage (500 gms)
1 cup peas
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 green chili slit into half
1/2" ginger grated
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp catch sabzi masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp dry mango powder or 1/2 lemon's juice
1/4 tsp degi mirch (cayenne pepper powder)
salt to taste
Chopped coriander for garnishing

Method:

1. Slice the cabbage into fine long shreds and keep shredded cabbage and peas in a big vessel full of warm water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Then put it in a strainer and wash under running water and keep in the strainer for 5 minutes till all the water is drained out.
3. Heat oil in a wok (kadahi) and crackle cumin seeds and slit green chili ,add ginger and stir for a while.
4. Add cabbage along with peas ,salt and turmeric powder and mix well.
5. Cook on high heat for 3-5 minutes while stirring in between,then simmer the gas and cover the wok with a lid and cook further for 3-5 minutes till the veges are cooked but tender.
6. Add rest of the spices and mix well.
7. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with chapati or parantha.  

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