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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