AALU PURI / RASEDAAR AALU

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4-5 medium sized potatoes, boiled,peeled and chopped into dices
2 medium sized tomatoes, pureed
1" ginger grated
1 green chili chopped
1.5 tbsp desi ghee or refined oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch or asafoetida (hing)
7-8 curry leaves or 1 tsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1/2 tsp degi mirch
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp catch sabzi masala or kitchen king
1 tsp fennel seeds powder sounf powder
1/2 tsp dry mango powder (amchoor powder)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
salt to taste
chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat ghee or oil in a pressure cooker and add asafoetida,cumin seeds,mustard seeds,curry leaves,ginger and green chilies.
2. Stir for a while and add pureed tomatoes.
3. Cook till the mixture leaves oil and then add degi mirch, turmeric powder, coriander powder,
4. sabzi masala or kitchen king,sugar and salt and cook for a minute.
5. Add 4 cups of water and the potatoes and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or till the potatoes are cooked completely.
6. Open the lid and simmer the aloo sabzi by pressing a few cooked potatoes with the ladle on the sides of the cooker.
7. This is to get a slightly thicker consistency of the gravy. the starch from the potatoes makes the gravy a little thick.
8. Now add fennel powder and dry mango powder and cook till you get the desired consistency.    
9. Sprinkle chopped coriander and serve hot with ajwain ki crisp puri or urad dal puri , methi puri , tri colored puris onion,green chili and pickle  .   

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INSTAT CARROT PICKLE / GAJAR KA ACHAAR

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 2 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup carrot
2 tsp  mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Peel wash and cut carrots in to thin slices.
2. Coarsely grind mustard seeds in a mixer.
3. Combine all the ingredients, except the oil, in a bowl and mix well. Keep aside.
4. Heat the mustard oil in a small pan, add it to the carrot mixture and mix well.
5. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated till use.
6. This pickle stays fresh for 3 to 4 days.
7. This goes realy well with aalu puri or bhature chole.

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GAJAR PAAK/CARROT BURFI

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40-50 minutes

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

1 kg carrot

250 gms khoya / mawa

250 gms bura sugar(powdered sugar)

2-3 tbsp pure ghee

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Peel ,wash and grate the carrots.
2. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a kadahi and cook grated carrots in ghee stirring occasionally till all the water present in carrots evaporates. It will take approximately half an hour.
3. Now add sugar and cook till the water released by the sugar also evaporates stirring continuously.
4. Now take another pan and roast khoya/mawa in one tbsp of pure ghee till it becomes completely dry and statrs changing color.
5. Switch off the gas and mix roasted carrots,khoya/mawa and cardamom powder very well with the help of a potato masher.
6. Grease a thali or a rectangular plate with ghee and spread the mixture evenly on it.
7. When it cools down keep it in the fridge.
8. When it is set, cut it in the desired shape and serve. 
9. You can store it in a container and consume it within a week.

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CHEESE CORN ROLLS

Preparation time : 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cup grated cottage cheese
1/4 cup corn kernels
1 small onion finely chopped
1 green chili finely chopped
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp catch sabzi masala
1+1 tbsp corn flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs
oil for frying

Method:

1. Take cottage cheese, corn kernels,onion, green chili ,salt, pepper, sabzi masala and 1 tbsp corn flour in a bowl and mix well.
2. Mix rest of the cornflour (or you can take maida/all purpose flour) with 1-2 tbsp water,add a pinch of salt and make a slurry.
3. Now make rolls out of the mixture of desired shape and dip them in the slurry first and then roll them in the bread crumbs.
4. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the rolls till golden brown in color.   

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MAKKI KI POORI

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves :6-8 pooris

Ingredients:

2 cup Maize flour

2-3 tbsp whole wheat flour for binding

1/2 cup chopped fenugreek leaves or grated raddish along with grated ginger and chopped green chilies or 1/2 tsp carrom seeds(ajwain) as per availability and taste
1/2 tsp sabzi masala

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp degi mirch

oil for deep frying
salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients except oil in a bowl.
2. Add warm water as required and knead into a firm dough.
3. Keep the dough on rest under damp cloth for 10-15 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into 6 or 8 balls according to the size required.
5. Take 1 cup water in a bowl and a clean polythene bag.
6. Spread the polythene bag on a rolling board(chakla) and sprinkle few drops of water on it.
7. Take one ball at a time and spread it evenly on the polythene bag with the help of damp fingers and try to make a round poori.
8. Heat oil in a kadahi.
9. Pick up the polythene bag along with poori with one hand and transfer the poori on the other hand peeling off the polythene and immediately put it in hot oil. 
10. Cook from both sides turning sides after regular gaps till it is done from both sides.
11. Top the makki ki poori with butter and serve hot with sarson ka saag,ghee shakker or gur.

Note:

1. It is better to make makki ki poori than makki ki roti because it will take lesser time to cook, will be softer than makki ki roti, completely cooked from inside and if you are serving it in a party you can make them pre-hand and heat the pooris on a griddle or tava at the time of serving. Re-heating will also extract (if there is any) excessive oil from it.
2. If fresh 1/2 cup fenugreek leaves are not available then you can replace it with 2 tbsp dry kasoori methi.

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LOW FAT EGGLESS TUTI FRUTTI CAKE

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

1 cup maida (all purpose flour)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup curd

1/4 cup refined oil or butter

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup tuti frutti (green, red, yellow) / candied fruits

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180 C.
2. Grease a baking dish with some butter or oil and dust with flour.Keep aside.
3. Sieve together all purpose flour,baking powder,baking soda in a bowl  
4. Add three fourth of the tuti frutti to it and mix well.
5. In another bowl mix rest of the ingredients i.e. curd,sugar ,oil and vanilla essence, mix well till the sugar is completely dissolved.
6. Now gradually mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients using cut and fold method.
7. If the mixture is dry you can add 1/4 cup of milk to the batter.
8. Now Put the mixture in the baking dish and top it with the remaining tuti frutti. 
9. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes on 180 C.
10. Check after 30 minutes with a knife if it comes out clean then its o.k. otherwise bake it for 5-10 more minutes as required.

Contributed by:

Ayushi Singla 

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MAKKI KI ROTI / MAKKI DI ROTI

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves :6-8 rotis

Ingredients:

2 cup Maize flour

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

1/2 cup chopped fenugreek leaves or grated raddish or 1/2 tsp carrom seeds(ajwain) as per availability and taste
1/2 tsp sabzi masala

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp degi mirch

oil or ghee for shallow frying the rotis
salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients except oil in a bowl.
2. Add warm water as required and knead into a firm dough.
3. Keep the dough on rest under damp cloth for 10-15 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into 6 or 8 balls according to the size required.
5. Take 1 cup water in a bowl and a clean polythene bag.
6. Spread the polythene bag on a rolling board(chakla) and sprinkle few drops of water on it.
7. Take one ball at a time and spread it evenly on the polythene bag with the help of damp fingers and try to make a thin round chapati.
8. Heat a griddle pan and grease its surface with some oil or ghee.
9. Pick up the polythene bag along with roti with one hand and transfer the roti on the other hand peeling off the polythene and immediately place it on the hot tava or griddle. 
10. Turn the side after 1 minute using a spatula grease the upper side with some oil and then again turn the side and grease it as well. Press each side with spatula after turning the side. 
11. Cook from both sides turning sides after regular gaps till it is done from both sides.
12. Top the makki ki roti with butter and serve hot with sarson ka saag,ghee shakker or gur.

Note: 

you can roast it without oil as well.

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BIRD NEST

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

4 boiled,peeled and mashed potatoes

2 tbsp grated cottage cheese

1 green chili de-seeded

1 tbsp chopped coriander
4 tbsp bread crumbs
1/2 tsp catch sabzi masala
1/2 tsp dhania powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder or red chili flakes
 salt to taste
6 ,1" cubes of any processed cheese (preferably mozzarella cheese)
1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp water and a pinch of salt

oil for frying

1/2 cup thin sewian







Method:

1. Mix mashed potatoes,cottage cheese,green chili,chopped coriander,bread crumbs,all spices and salt in a bowl and divide the mixture in 6 equal portions.
2. Make small balls and then flatten them and keep cheese cube on each flattened ball and gather the sides of the mixture so that the mixture completely covers the cheese cube. 
3. Shape each like a nest.
4. Roughly crumble the sewian in small pieces and keep in a plate.
5. Dip each nest in the cornflour water mixture and then roll them in sewian  and fry in hot oil.
6. Serve them hot with the dip or chuttney of your choice.

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CHAPPAN KADDU

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4-6


Ingredients:
500 gms chappan kaddu (summer squash)
1 tbsp desi ghee/clarified butter or refined oil
1 onion chopped
1 green chili chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp degi mirch
1/4 tsp dry mango powder
1 tsp dhania powder
1 tsp catch sabzi masala
salt to taste
chopped coriander for garnishing

Method:

1. Peel and wash summer squash , then cut it into desired shape.
2. Heat ghee in a kadahi (wok) and add cumin seeds, when they start to crackle add chopped onion and green chilies to it , cook for a while and then add summer squash,salt and turmeric powder to it and mix well.
3. Cook under lid for 2-3 minutes on low flame.
4. Check if any water is required , if needed add 1/4 cup water and cook further for 7-8 minutes stirring occasionally or till it becomes tender (if required add 1-2 tbsp water but don't make it too watery).
5. Add rest of the spices and mix well and cook for 2 more minutes stirring continuously.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with daal and chapati.

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HONEY CHILI POTATO

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1/2 kg potatoes
3 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp chilly sauce 
2 tbsp Tomato sauce
1/2 tsp green chilies  chopped.
1tbsp  honey or to taste.
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp white sesame seeds
 4 -5 flakes garlic  crushed (optional)
1/4 tsp degi mirch
1/4 tsp pepper or to taste

1/2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp of water

salt to taste

1 tbsp oil + for frying

Method:

1. Peel, wash and cut potatoes into fingers.Keep them in cold water for 15 minutes. 
2. Drain out excess water and dust potatoes with cornflour,salt to taste and degi mirch and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry potatoes till crisp and golden brown in color. Drain out on a tissue paper and keep aside.
4.  Heat 1 tbsp oil, fry green chilies and garlic. 
5. Reduce heat and add salt ,pepper,soya sauce, tomato sauce ,chilly sauce and honey. Add cornflour mixed in water and cook for 2 minutes. Now add fried potato fingers and mix well.
6. Cook for a few seconds till the sauce coats the potatoes.
7. Sprinkle roasted white sesame seeds (roast them on griddle for a minute) and coriander leaves or spring onions and serve hot.

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