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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TAMARIND CORN COB

Cooking time : 5-10 minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1 corn cob
thick tamarind pulp to taste
salt to taste
red chili powder to taste

Method:

1. Peel the corn cob and put it in a pressure cooker with one cup water and 1/4 tsp of salt. Or you can cook it in microwave.
2. Pressure cook till 3-5 whistles depending upon how ripe the corn is.
3. Take it out and rub tamarind pulp,salt and chili powder and enjoy.

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PIZZA PARANTHA

Preparation time: 15 minutes +2 hours for fermentation of dough
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

For Dough:

1 cup all purpose flour (maida)+ for dusting

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp dry active yeast

For stuffing:

1 onion finely chopped

1 capsicum finely chopped

2 mushrooms finely chopped (optional)

2-3 tbsp mozzarella cheese (as per taste)

1 tbsp pizza pasta sauce

salt, pepper, mixed herbs, chilli flakes to sprinkle

oil for shallow frying

Method:

1. Soak dry active yeast along with sugar in lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes the yeast will bubble  and you will see a good frothy layer on top.
3. Take a cup of flour in a bowl and add oil salt and active yeast to it.
4. Add some water and stir the mixture  untill it becomes sticky and leaves the sides of the bowl.
5. Knead the dough into a smooth, springy ball and apply some oil all over the dough.
6. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and let it rest for 2 hours.
7. After 2 hours the dough will double up and will be ready to use.
8. Heat the Griddle Pan.
9. Divide the dough in 2-4 parts. Take one part at a time roll it into a ball.
10. Dust the ball with some dry flour and make a circular disk.
11. Now spread pizza pasta sauce on it.
12. Then place a tbsp full of all the chopped vegetables and then place some grated cheese on it . Sprinkle some salt, pepper,chili flakes and Mixed Herbs .
13. Now join the edges of the circular disk to seal the stuffing inside and again roll out with the help of a rolling pin using as much dry flour as required.
14. Shallow fry this parantha from both the sides on a non- stick tava (griddle) using oil till it becomes golden brown in color.
15. Enjoy and Savour ... The Yummy Pizza Parantha.

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MICROWAVE CORN COB

Preparation time: 2 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

1 ear of corn, husk on

salt to taste

degi mirch to taste

chaat masala to taste

1/2 lemon

Method:

1. Wash the corn cob without removing its husk.
2. Place the corn in the microwave, do not remove the husk. Microwave the corn on the high setting for 4-5 minutes.
3. Remove the husk and rub the lemon squeezing it lightly all over on the corn.
4. Now rub salt and spices and enjoy. 

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BAINGAN KA BHARTHA

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

Ingredients:
2 medium sized eggplant /brinjal/ baingan (bhartha baingan)
2 tbsp refined oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium sized or 1 big onion chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
1 green chili chopped
1" ginger finely chopped or grated
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 tsp degi mirch powder
1 tsp catch sabzi masala
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp green peas
salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the brinjal and grease it with little oil.
2. Roast it over an open flame turning side occasionally till the skin is charred and can be peeled off.
3. Cool and peel the skin.For this keep the hot brinjal in cold water in a bowl and gently remove the burnt skin.
4. Wash the brinjals with clean water and mash the pulp thoroughly and keep aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
6. When they crackle add the onions and sauté till they turn pink in color.
7. Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and sauté for a few more seconds.
8. Add the tomatoes and peas and cook till tomatoes and peas become soft.
9. Add the mashed brinjal, all the spices and salt, mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
10. Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Notes:

1. Choose the brinjals which are 
2. You can roast the brinjal in an OTG also. Roasting brinjals gives them a distinct flavor.But if you don't have time to roast them . You can either boil it after peeling it with a peeler or simply peel and chop them and put them in roasted masala and cook till they are done. 

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FALUDA KULFI SUNDAY

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

2 scoops kulfi or badam kulfi
faluda as required
few mango slices or any other fruit
chopped nuts or cherry
2 tsp soaked sabza beej
2 tsp rose syrup

Method:

1. Place some faluda in a sunday plate.
2. Now place two scoops of  kulfi  and mango slices over it. Place cherries or chopped nuts on the kulfi.
3. Place some soaked sabza beej on the faluda and drizzle rose syrup over it.
4. Serve immediately. 

  

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