BLUEBERRY SHRIKHAND / FROZEN YOGURT

Preparation time:15 minutes
cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup Hung Yogurt
2 tbsp.  sugar or as per taste or as per natural sweetness of the fruit
½ cup blueberries

Method:

1. Wash the blueberries. Put them in a nonstick pan.
2. Add sugar and 1-2 tbsp of water mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Once the blueberries are soft, mash them using the back of a spoon or spatula.
4. Make sure to scrape the edges while cooking. 
5. Cook till the puree comes to boil.Let it cool. 
6. Pass this through a fine sieve for a smooth and shiny fruit puree or just leave it as it is if you like bits of fruit in your Shrikhand.
7. To make hung yogurt, put fresh yogurt in a muslin or cheese cloth, tie the ends and put it in a sieve and put the sieve in a bowl and keep the bowl in fridge overnight.
8. Once all the water is drained out, transfer the thick yogurt to a bowl .
9. Pass the hung yogurt through a sieve to make it smooth and creamy. Add the blueberry puree to  bowl. Add 2 table spoon of puree at a time and whisk well. Add more or less puree depending on color, taste and consistency requirements. 
10. Check sweetness and if required add some more icing sugar.
11. Mix well and serve chilled. 
12. You can serve it with fresh fruits, fresh cream, or a drizzle of fruit puree on top. You can even fill the Shrikhand in plain tarts or chocolate tarts.

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COUSCOUS UPMA

Ingredients:
1 cup  dry couscous
1.5 cup - water
1  onion finely chopped
1/4 cup - peas
1/4 cup carrot finely chopped
1 lemon 
8-10  curry leaves
2 green chillies
2 tbsp vegetable oil
a pinch of asafotida powder
1 tsp  mustard Seeds
1 tsp urad Dal
1/2 tsp black pepper powder or as per taste
salt to taste

Method (vidhi);

1. Heat a non-stick pan and add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil.
2. Add asafotida powder then mustard seeds and let them splutter.
3. Add urad dal, curry leaves and finely-sliced green chilies. Saute until the dal turns light brown.
4. Add thinly sliced onions and stir until they turn transparent.
5. Add chopped carrots with the peas.
6. Add salt, and pepper powder and mix well.
7. Add water and boil for a few minutes.
8. Add the couscous and lemon juice mix well, turn the heat off and cover with lid until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with the help of a fork.
9. Serve hot or cold.

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COCKTAIL PIZZA

Onion, mushroom, capsicum Pizza

Ingredients (for 6 to 8 cocktail pizza's)

For the pizza bread/ base:

    3 cups all purpose flour/maida

    1 cup warm water

    2 teaspoon dry yeast (check expiry date)

    ¼ tsp sugar 

    2 tbsp oil

    ½ tsp salt

    olive oil for brushing

    flour for sprinkling
    

For the sauce:

    3 medium sized onions finely chopped

    2 tomatoes finely chopped

    1 capsicum finely chopped

    1 mushroom finely chopped

    2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped

    2 tbsp olive oil

    1 tsp dried basil

    1 tsp dried oregano

    2 tsp sugar (optional) 

    freshly crushed or ground black pepper to taste

    salt 1/2 to 1 tsp as per taste

For toppings pizzas:

    1 onion, roughly chopped

    1 any color capsicum chopped
    2 mushrooms thinly sliced lengthwise or chopped
    2 tbsp corn kennels

    grated mozzarella cheese as per taste

fresh or dried herbs(oregano and chili flakes)

    Method:

 Pizza bread:

1. Mix sugar in warm water.
2. Add yeast. stir and let the mixture at rest at room temperature for 10-15 mins till it becomes frothy.
3. In a bowl add one cup flour, salt, oil and the frothy yeast mixture.
4. Stir and add another cup of flour .
5. Add the last cup of flour and continue to stir.
6. Knead the dough into a smooth, springy ball.
7. Apply some olive oil all over the dough.
8. Cover loosely with a damp cloth and keep in a large bowl at room temperature for 2 hours.
9. The dough will double up.
10. Make balls and roll the dough lightly to make a circular thick diskette of 4-5" diameter.

Pizza Sauce:

1. Take olive oil in a pan and when it is hot add chopped garlic,onions,capsicum,mushrooms and saute
2. When the onions are pink in color add tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes become soft.
3. Add dried herbs ,salt ,sugar and black pepper powder and mix well.

Assembling :

1. Place the rolled bases (two to four at a time as per the size of the baking tray) on a greased dusted baking tray
2. Grease the top of the bases with olive oil 
3. Spread 1 tsp ready made pizza pasta sauce(optional)
4. Spread the home made sauce on it
5. Place the toppings on it
6. Now add grated mozzarella cheese
7. Bake the  pizza in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes at 200 degrees C or till the cheese melts and becomes slightly brown in color.
8. Sprinkle the dried herbs.
9. Serve  hot pizza with cold drink. 

Tips:

1. You can use a ready made cocktail pizza base instead of making a pizza bread.
2. You can use any other toppings as per taste like pitted black or green olives.

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MANGO MASTANI

Ingredients:

2 cup ripped mango roughly chopped
½ cup thick milk cold
7 scoops vanilla ice creams
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp chopped nuts of your choice like almonds, cashews,pistachios
2 tsp tutti frutti colour of your choice

Method:

1. In a large blender add 1 cup ripped mango along with ½ cup thick cold milk.
2. Add 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream or mango ice cream.
3. Now add 2 tsp sugar and blend.
4. Blend smooth to form a thick milk shake. keep aside.
   in a large glass, firstly add few pieces of mangoes.
   Now, pour prepared mango milk shake, leave space at the top for ice cream scoop and nuts.
5. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
   Now top with few more chopped mangoes.
6. Garnish with chopped cashews, almonds and pistachios.
   Also add some tutti frutti.
7. Serve mango mastani chilled with a spoon and straw.

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CARAMELIZED PEACHES WITH ICE CREAM

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
few drops of vanilla essence
6 peaches, de.seeded, peeled and cut into halves
1 brick vanilla ice cream

Method: 

1. Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water in a pan.
2. Place the pan on the gas and cook until the butter melts.
3. Remove from gas and stir to combine well.
4. Cut each peach into half and remove the pits.Now remove the peel and arrange the peach halves in the pan cut-side down.
5. Turn them and cook the other side as well.
6. Cook until the peaches are tender from both sides.
7. Put a scoop of the ice cream in the service bowl and put half caramelized peach over it, spoon the pan juices over the top, and garnish with a mint leaf .

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FRUIT PUNCH

Ingredients:

1 pack mixed fruit juice 200 ml
1 tbsp. canned mixed friuts
1 scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Method:

1. Put canned fruits in the glasss  then pour in mixed fruit juice.
2. Add crushed ice and top each glass with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
3. Garnish with canned cherry and a spring of mint. 
4. Serve chilled.

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GOOSEBERRY JAM / AAML JAM

sau

Ingredients: 

100 gms gooseberry
100 - 150 gms sugar as per taste
1 lemon
250 ml water

Method:

1. Wash the Gooseberries thoroughly and put them in a pressure cooker along with 250 ml. water.
2. Switch off the gas after 2 whistles and let the pressure release by itself.
3. The Gooseberries will become tender, strain the water in a pan and remove the seeds from the Gooseberries.
4. Put the De-seeded Gooseberries in a mixer and make a paste.
5. Add this paste to the strained water along with sugar and cook the mixture till the sugar dissolves.
6. Add lemon juice and check the consistency.
7. Cook further for some more time till it thickens and reaches the desired consistency.
8. Fill the jam in a sterilized container and keep it in the fridge.   

 
 Recipe contributed by:
Mrs. Indu Aggarwal

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RONGI CHAAT / LOBHIA CHAAT / BLACK EYED BEAN CHAAT

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup black eyed beans (rongi)  or  lobhia
1 large onion chopped
1 large tomato chopped
1 boiled potato dice (optional)
1-2 green chilies chopped
1 lemon squeezed
1 tsp tamarind chuttney (optional)
salt to taste
1/2 tsp chaat masala or to taste
1/4 tsp degi mirch powder
1 tbsp chopped coriander or mint

Method:

1. Soak black eyed beans at least for 2 hours.
2. Drain out excess water and boil them in a pressure cooker along with 1/4 tsp salt and 2 cups of water till they become soft but not mushy
3. Drain out excess water and add rest of the ingredients and mix well.

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LOBHIA MASALA / RONGI MASALA

Preparation time: 15 mins.
Cooking time: 45 mins.
Serves: 6


Ingredients:

2 cups black eyed beans(Rongi/lobhia) soaked overnight
1.5 tsp salt or to taste
3 tbsp refined oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium sized finely chopped onions
1 inch piece ginger finely chopped
6-8 cloves garlic
1 green chili finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes pureed
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp rajma masala or garam masala
1/4 tsp red chilli powder (degi mirch)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (optional)

Method:

1. Pressure cook rongi with five cups of water , salt and turmeric till totally cooked and soft.
2. Heat oil in a deep pan. Add cumin seeds and onion (you can grate the onion if you wish). Add ginger and garlic and continue to saute till the mixture turns golden.
3. Add chopped chilis and tomato puree, mix and continue to cook. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder,rajma  masala  and cook till the oil leaves the masala. 
4. Add rongi along with the cooking liquor and mix. Adjust salt . Lower the heat and simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes or till you reach the desired consistency.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed jeera rice .

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MISAL PAV

Ingredients

1 cup moth sprouts or whole green gram / matki
salt to taste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp oil
¼ onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
2 tbsp dry coconut / kopra
water as required, for blending 

3 tbsp oil
½ tsp jeera / cumin seeds
few curry leaves
¼ onion, finely chopped
1-2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder, adjust to your spice level
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder
1 tomato, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp tamarind pulp
1 tsp jaggery (gur)(optional)
2-3 cups water, adjust to required consistency
salt to taste
for serving:
6 pav
1 cup farsaan / mixture
½ onion, finely chopped
few coriander leaves, finely chopped
few lemon wedges 

Method:

1. Pressure cook a cup of moong sprouts adding 2 cups of water, salt and turmeric powder.
2. Pressure cook for 1 whistle or till sprouts get cooked well. Keep aside.
3. Take a tsp of oil in a kadahi and add sliced onions, garlic cloves and ginger. 
4. Saute till the raw smell of ginger and garlic disappears.
5. Add dry coconut and continue to saute till you get aroma from coconut.
6. Cool the masala completely and then blend smooth in a mixer adding required water. Keep aside.
7. In the same kadai add oil along with jeera. allow to splutter. and add few curry leaves, finely chopped onion and saute till they become pink in color.
8. Add all the spices saute for a while then add tomato and saute till they start releasing oil.
9. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add prepared masala and fry for a minute or 2.
10. Add cooked sprouts and give a good mix.
11. Boil for 10 minutes on medium flame. keep mixing in between so that it doesn't get burnt from bottom.
12. Then add 2-3 cups water, adjusting the consistency. you need to keep watery consistency as we will be boiling further.
13. Add salt to taste. Then add tamarind pulp and jaggery.
14. Boil further for 10 minutes on low flame so that spices get absorbed by sprouts.
15. In a serving bowl, add some farsan and then pour prepared misal.
16. Top with 2 tbsp of mixed farsaan, chopped onions and coriander leaves over it.
17. Serve immediately with pavs and lemon wedges.

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