LAUKI HALWA / DOODHI HALWA / GHIYA HALWA

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

500 gms bottle gourd (doodhi / lauki/ghiya)
2 cups milk or 1 cup mava (khoya)
1/2 cup sugar or as per taste
2-3 tbsp ghee
cashewnuts (kaju)/almonds as per taste
1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
2-3 drops green color or 2 tsp brahmi badam syrup (optional)

Method:

1. Peel,wash and grate bottle gourd.
2. Heat ghee in a pan, add the bottle gourd and saute on medium flame for 2 minutes.
3. Add the hot milk and keep stirring till it reduces and become thick or add mava and stir till lauki and mava blends completely.
4. Add the sugar, mix well and cook ,till the water released by sugar evaporates.
5. Add cashews/almonds and cardamom powder and mix well.
6. When the halwa is cooked and becomes thick, add green color or brahmi syrup and mix well.
7. Serve hot.

Note:

1. If you are using mava instead of milk then cook bottle gourd in ghee till it becomes tender.
2. If using brahmi badam syrup instead of color then take care while adding sugar as some sugar is present in syrup also.

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KUTTU KE AATE KA CHEELA

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 tbsp kuttu ka aata
2 small or 1 big potato
1/4 tsp red pepper powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)
1/4 tsp cumin powder(jeera powder)
sendha namak to taste
oil for shallow frying

Method:

1. Peel and grate potatoes and mix rest of the ingredients in it except oil.
2. Now pour approximately 1/2 cup water in it to make a batter of pouring consistency.
3. Heat a non-stick griddle (tava) and grease it with a little oil.
4. Now pour a ladle full of batter and spread it on tava in a circular motion  like dosa but don't make a thin cheela otherwise you wont be able to flip the side.
5. Cook it from one side on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and gradually flip the side with the help of a spatula and cook from the other side also.
6. Pour a little bit of oil all around the cheela and gently press it with the help of the spatula.
7. When both the sides are done then serve it hot along with vart ke aalo,petha(pumpkin),lauki (bottle gourd),tamarind chuttney or simply with curd.

Variations:

1. You can replace potato with grated cucumber ,bottle gourd or raddish etc.

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KALAKAND / MILK CAKE

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serves: 4
Ingredients:

1 litre or 6 cup full cream milk
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp pure ghee
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
a few strands or saffron (kesar)
sliced pistachios for garnishing

Method:

1. Boil milk over low medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan.
2. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes and then add lemon juice to it till it starts curdling.
3. Now when the whey separates from milk solid pour out one to two cups of whey water from it to reduce the sourness.
4. Cook the milk solid and the whey water on medium to high flame stirring occasionally till all the liquid evaporates.
5. Now add ghee,cardamom powder and sugar and cook further for 3-4 minutes till the mixture completely binds together and the water released by the sugar evaporates.
6. Grease a rectangular try and evenly spread the mixture in it, sprinkle the sliced pistachios and saffron strands on it and keep it aside to get cool.
7. Cut the pieces of desired shape and size and serve.

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SABUDANA KHEER

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time : 20-30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
½ cup sabudana or tapioca pearls
2 cups full cream milk
4 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
2 tbsp sliced blanched almonds
½ tbsp raisins
3-4 saffron strands (optional)

Method:

1. Wash and soak sabudana in 2 cups of water at least for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Heat milk in a thick bottomed pan and add the soaked sabudana along with water in the pan
3. Cook for 20-25 minutes on a low to medium flame stirring occasionally.
4. When you reach the desired consistency add sugar and cardamom powder and sliced blanched almonds. 
5. Garnish the sabudana kheer with saffron strands and pistachios and serve sabudana kheer hot or warm.
6. You can also serve cold kheer and add fruits of your choice.
   

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AALOO CHEELA

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time : 5 minutes

Serves: 1
Ingredients:
1 potato
sendha namak or regular salt to taste
pepper to taste
oil for shallow frying

Method:

1. Peel the potato and wash it.
2. Heat a non stick griddle(tava)  on low medium heat and grease it with a little oil.
3. Grate the potato directly on the tava and spread it evenly on it with the help of a spoon or with your hand.
4. Now cook it on high flame and flip the side and cook from the other side as well.If required apply some oil on it.
5. When it turns out to be golden brown in color remove from fire sprinkle salt and pepper and serve hot along with a dip or sauce of your choice.

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PAALAK CHANA

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time:20 minutes

Serves:6-8

Ingredients:
For Paalak

1 bunch paalk(spinach)

1 onion chopped

1 tomato chopped

1 green chili

1" ginger chopped

5-6 cloves garlic

1/2 cup tomato puree

1 tbsp gram flour

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp catch sabzi masala

1/2 tsp degi mirch

1/2 tsp amchoor (dry mango powder)

1 tsp dry kasoori methi

1 tbsp fresh cream

salt to taste

boiled chick peas 1 cup
Method:

1. Soak 1/2 cup chick peas overnight and boil them with some salt and water in a pressure cooker till they become tender. Keep aside.
2. Clean ,wash and chop spinach.
3. Take spinach,onion,tomato,green chili,ginger and garlic a pan and cook for 5 minutes till all the ingredients are cooked.
4. Now puree the spinach along with other ingredients with the help of a blender.
5. Dissolve gram flour in 2-3 tbsp of water and pour it in spinach puree and cook for five minutes stirring occasionally
6. In another pan heat one tbsp of butter and add cumin seeds and when it turns brown in color add tomato puree and all the spices and salt one by one. Add 1/4 cup of water.
7. Cook for 2 minutes and mix the tempering with the cooked spinach and mix well.
8. Mix boiled chick peas and mix well and cook further for 5 minutes.
9. Serve Paalak chana hot with rotis or naan. 
10. Garnish the Paalak chana with some cream or  grated paneer . 

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GRILLED CORN COB

Method:

1. Pull the outer husks down the ear to the base. Strip away the silk from each ear of corn by hand and place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with 1 tsp of salt for 10 minutes.
2. Remove corn from water and shake off excess water from it. 
3. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Or grill it on open fire on a gas stove turning sides constantly.
4. Remove from fire when it is evenly grilled from all the sides.
5. Rub a fresh lemon wedge and sprinkle salt to taste or rub  juice of lemon pickle over the cob and serve hot. You can also rub salted butter over it instead.

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BUTTERED CORN COB

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

Ingredients:

1 corn cob
1 tsp butter
salt to taste
red/black pepper to taste
chaat masala to taste
honey to taste
1 lemon wedge

Method:

1. Boil or microwave the corn cob or take frozen corn cob.
2. Heat butter in a pan and roll the corn in melted butter and cook for a while to make the corn cob warm. 
3. Now take it out from the pan and rub lemon wedge,honey,salt,pepper and chaat masala on it.

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DABELI

Preparation time: 10 minute

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 15
Ingredients:

For The Dabeli Masala
1 dry kashmiri red chilli
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2" stick cinnamon (dalchini)
2 cloves (laung / lavang)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

For The Filling
1 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp dabeli masala
2 tbsp tamarind chuttney

2 tsp garlic chuttney  ( blend 8-10 garlic cloves with 2 dry red chilies,1 tsp lemon juice and salt to taste in a mixer)
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Other Ingredients:
15 burger buns
butter or for cooking
1 onion , chopped
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup chopped coriander (dhania)
1/2 cup sev
1/2 cup fresh pomegranate (anar)
6 tbsp tamarind chutney

Method :

1. Roast all the ingredients listed under dabeli masala in a pan for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Grind to a fine powder in a blender.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the asafoetida, dabeli masala, potato and salt and mix well.
4. Remove from the fire, add the 2 tablespoons of tamarind chutney and mix well. Keep aside.
5. Slice the burger buns into halves horizontally and cook the buns in a pan using a little butter.
6. Place a portion of the filling on the lower half of each bun.
7. Top with the chopped onion, peanuts, coriander, sev, pomegranate , garlic chuttney and tamarind chutney.
8. Sandwich it with the top halves of the burger buns and serve.

Contributed by:

Era Juneja

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VEGETABLES IN THAI RED CURRY

Ingredients:

For red curry paste

10 whole dry kashmiri red chilles , soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained or 5-6 thai red bird eye chilies
1/2 cup roughly chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped lemon grass
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp roughly chopped ginger
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
2 tsp roughly chopped garlic
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
salt to taste

Vegetables:
1 onion diced
1 capsicum diced
5-6 mushrooms diced
2-3 baby corn blanched, cut in desired shape
5-6 french beans blanched, cut in desired shape
2 cups coconut milk (nariyal ka doodh) fresh or canned
1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp finely chopped basil leaves
1-2 tbsp ketchup (optional)
salt to taste

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients listed under red curry paste in a mixer and blend them together into a smooth paste using as much water as reqiured. Or you can use 1 tbsp thai red curry paste readily available in market for one can of coconut milk.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and add 5 to 6 tbsp of the red curry paste and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute.
3. Add the basil and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut-milk , cornflour-coconut milk mixture, ketchup and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for another 5 to 6 minutes, while stirring continuously.
5. If required add 1-2 cups of water or thin coconut milk.
6. Saute all the vegetables in a separate pan in a tbsp of oil till the become tender. then add all the vegetables to the curry and mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 more minutes.
7. Serve hot with plain or coconut rice.

Notes:

1. You can add vegetables like broccoli,peas or cottage cheese as per choice and availability.
2. If lemon grass is not available add more of lemon rind and basil can be replaced with holy basil i.e. tulsi.

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