Tag: 80

Meal for Meal-makers- Recipes to Relish !

Holidays are over and we have entered a new calender year. Lets keep the spirits high even after the party is over and keep learning and preparing good recipes just to sink in the feeling that though holidays are over good times are not over yet . I always love the month of January as we always make new year resolution and are charged up to fulfill the long lost targets that we set cautiously but do not meet the deadlines. We have loads of festivals, weddings , birthday parties to attend and we love the food and foggy weather. Not only that, we plan holidays with family generally during that time or may be its a time off from work to simply relax and have awesome home cooked food.We often put up our orders to Mums , wives, or the cook but why don’t we change the format a little a cook for those who always spare their time in kitchen busy to feed monsters like us and still not complaining.This article is dedicated to those few people who cook for us and feed us 365 days . We often neglect their space, their holidays and even their Sundays keeping ourselves too comfortable to come out of that comfort zone. Its totally not fair and we must show a little gesture by cooking for them and making them smile. So are you ready to be a good Samaritan ??? If yes, then note down the heavenly recipes and bring in a smile to someone’s face.

Orange Chicken with Steamed Rice !!!

Ingredients : 500 g boneless chicken cut into small pieces, 2 tablespoon corn starch , 2 eggs beaten well, 1 cup refined flour seasoned with black pepper , salt , red chilly powder, and garlic powder, 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped, 1/2 tablespoon ginger chopped, 1 cup diced bell peppers, 1 teaspoon chilly flakes, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 cup orange juice,1 tablespoon orange zest,1 teaspoon olive oil, salt to taste, Vegetable oil for shallow frying chicken pieces. 200 g soaked rice for steaming.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly we need to season the chicken and coat it well . For that Take a large zip lock bag and add 1 tablespoon corn starch in it. Dry the chicken pieces by dabbing it against a cloth and put it in the zip lock bag. Shake it well it the chicken pieces get evenly coated with corn starch. Now dip each piece in beaten egg and again coat it well with refined flour seasoned mixture . Keep the chicken separately for 10- minutes and then shallow fry in a pan . Now heat a pan and add orange juice with a cup of water. Then add salt , brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, olive oil, dark soy sauce ,chilly flakes and orange zest. Bring to a boil and then add chicken pieces to it and cook for 5 more minutes. Make a solution of corn starch and pour it over the chicken gravy and stir it for another 2 minutes. Steam cook the rice and serve it with hot orange chicken . You will be a good Samaritan for the one you are cooking for.

Bean and pasta in red sauce :

Ingredients : 1 1/2 cups of uncooked macaroni, 1 can baked beans, 1/2 cup fresh corns or frozen sweet corn kernels, 1/2 large red bell pepper sliced, 1/2 large capsicum sliced, 1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced, 3 large tomatoes, 1 large onion sliced, 1 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2 cubes of processed cheese grated, 1/2 cup tomato ketchup, few garlic cloves finely chopped, 2 table spoon mixed dry herbs, salt to taste, 3 tablespoon olive oil for cooking.

Servings : 4

Method : Heat one teaspoon oil in a pan and sauté the onions and bell peppers for 2 to 3 minutes. Divide this mix into 2 equal portions and keep it aside. Just boil the corn kernels for 4 to 5 minutes and set aside. Boil the pasta and tomatoes together in a separate pot and after few minutes just remove the tomatoes and cool it for sometime (its called blanching) . Let the macaroni cook . Once done drain the pasta add few drops of oil and set aside. Once the tomatoes are cool enough peel of the skin from the tomatoes and finely chop it for the pasta preparation. Preheat the oven at 180 degree centigrade for 8 to 10 minutes. Now heat 2 teaspoon of oil and sauté garlic for 1 minute and add one portion of onion and bell pepper mixture. Stir in red chilly powder and sauté for few seconds only. Add blanched and chopped tomatoes , salt to taste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the boiled corn and baked beans , cook for one minute .Mix the pasta , tomatoes and grated cheese, simmer it for couple of minutes. To get desired consistency add little bit of water and adjust the salt amount for perfect taste. Now place this cooked dish on a greased baking dish sprinkle remaining sautéed onion and bell pepper mixture and a bit of grated cheese bake it for 10 minutes till golden brown and serve it hot. A perfect winter recipe is ready .

Date Fudge :

A healthy and yet tasty dessert . It takes little time to prepare this dish but the innovation will win hearts as perfect meals do not complete without perfect desserts.

Ingredients : 100 g of dates de-seeded and sliced in long strips, 6 Marie biscuits crushed very finely with hands only, 3 tablespoon of dry coconut powder, 1 tablespoon butter.

Servings : 5 (serving size being 2)

Method : Heat the butter in a pan . Add the sliced dates into the pan and sauté it for 3 to 4 minutes in slow flame. Stir in 1 tablespoon coconut powder in it and sauté for another 10 to 12 seconds. Divide the mixture in 10 equal parts after mixing it with crushed Marie biscuits while its still hot.shape each part into a ball and then slightly press it to flatten it. Roll each piece on remaining coconut powder separately and refrigerate it for few minutes. Serve it on a bowl .

January 8, 2015
Hostel Bites !!!

Do you remember the old Bollywood number “Ande ka Funda“ ? the song shows us the true value of a egg. Those who have stayed in hostels or PG’s you will definitely agree with me. Without Egg and Maggie we cannot survive hostel days. They are the only source of maternal love we get outside our homes. To cook Egg Bhurji on a slow flame electric heater without hostel wardens permission is super duper fun.Gone are those days of anticipation, friendship, fun, notorious activities, late night addas, smoking for the first time with roomies, having a pajama party organised to tease the boys , going on dates and getting decked up for fresher party in college. We all miss those fun reckless carefree days where we could achieve world in a snap. Today there is Old boring meetings, Hitting deadlines, Getting KRA’s listed, appraisals, promotions, pink slips, recession …..every evil on this planet. Are we done with life ? Are we done with all those carefree fun reckless days spend in hostels ? Are we done with the bunking? Are we too old to fool around with friends ? For me answer is NO!

Yes we can dress up like teens , full around , date, go out on midnight binge on , Can plan a late night bike ride with friends .We can do that its just the way we plan stuff. If you feel like 40 you will behave like 50. So stop cribbing about today and missing old days ….we can create memories today as well. Go and make those tasty recipes which you guys use to make with your hostel mates and invite them and grab a bite in memory of those days to re create that magic again and make fresh super fun memories again.

Anda Bhurji With Paav :

Ingredients : 10 eggs , 2 large onions finely chopped, 2 to 3 green chillies finely chopped, 2 to 3 tomatoes finely chopped, 2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon paav bhaji masala, 1 /2 cup chopped coriander, 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, Oil for cooking, 10 Paav’s cut into two halves, 1 Tablespoon butter for grilling the paav.

Serving : 5

Method : Its the easiest recipe in the world ….the only reason of being popular in hostels.Heat a pan after adding oil and once the oil heats up add Cumin seeds,green chillies, onions, Sauté it for 2 minutes and then add tomatoes and all the dry spices along with salt. Cook it for good odd 5 minutes .Once the tomatoes separate oil add ketchup and chopped coriander and Bhurji is ready. Now take a neat shallow pan, heat it and grease all the Paav’s and grill it on the heated pan. Eat generously and carefree.

Sabji Wali Masala maggie:

Ingredients : 5 packs of Maggie instant noodle, 2 Large onions roughly chopped, 3 to 4 green chillies , `two large tomatoes chopped finely, 1 cup boiled green peas, 1 cup French beans roughly chopped, 1/2 cup capsicum finely chopped, Oil to cook, Salt to taste, a pinch of turmeric powder,1 teaspoon of red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns freshly crushed.

Servings : 5

Method : Heat a deep pan and add oil in it. Once the oil gets hot stir in green chillies, onions and French beans, sauté it for 2 minutes, Now tomatoes, salt dry spices green peas, capsicum, and Maggie masala (all the five pouches). Cook it till tomatoes separate oil and add all the Maggie noodles simply by breaking into two halves. Add 5 cups of water and cook it till maggie soaks up all the water and becomes dry. Sprinkle crushed black peppercorns and tomato ketchup and eat it before someone else comes ….:).

Kheera Sandwich :

I survived bad hostel lunch days all because of kheera sandwich made by my roomie. I hope many relate to me as they must have compromised some day without a good food day in hostel and someone came as a saviour and brought you out of the suffering.

Ingredients : 2 large cucumbers cut into thin slices, ten pieces of brown /white breads (Whichever you prefer but host-elites use to get plain white bread only), two tablespoon butter, 5 Cheese slices, 1 teaspoon black salt, two tablespoon tomato ketchup.

Servings : 5

Method : Spread butter on five slices and spread ketchup in rest of the five. Now place cucumber/ kheera slices on the breads having butter, sprinkle a pinch of black salt on each slice of butter and kheera and then top it up with cheese slice. Sandwich it with the ketchup slice ,cut the edges of the bread from all the four corners and diagonally make two pieces out of each sandwich. You are ready to eat heavenly food.

Teekhe Murmure / Jhal Muri :

Ingredients : One large bowl full of puffed Rice/ Murmure/ Muri, 1 large onion finely chopped, 2 to 3 green chillies, 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder, 1 teaspoon black salt, 1 tespoon red chilly powder, 1 cup bhujia , 1 cup Green moong Sprouts, a bit of mustard oil, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, 1 large cucumber very finely chopped, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander.

Servings : 4

Method : Mix all the ingredients very evenly and check the amount of chaat masala and salt and adjust the taste accordingly. Make a paper cone can serve it immediately.

Masala Papad:

Ingredients : 5 papads, 1 cup finely chopped cucumber, 1/2 cup finely chopped onions, 1 cup coriander chopped, 1/2 cup tomatoes de-seeded and chopped finely, 1 teaspoon green chilly powder, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, 1 taespoon black salt, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1 Fresh lemon .

Servings : 5

Method : Deep fry the papad(optional) or you can simply roast the papad. Spread evenly onions , green chillies, coriander, cucumber and tomatoes. Then sprinkle chaat masala, black salt and squeeze in few drops of lemon juice on it. Dont keep it for long as it might soggy the roasted papad.

A sheer dedication to my four Roomies whom I have lived happy two years outside home. They were my friends , my sisters my only source of entertainment. We were the famous five in our Hostel.

January 8, 2015
Chickpea Bonanza !!!

Vegetarian dishes are always under rated . People believe we do not have variety in vegetarian cuisine. Which is so not true as a single kind of pulse or lentil can be prepared in 100 different ways and all taste different. Are you surprised ? Don’t be its a the fact by changing few combination of ingredients and spices we can create variety in vegetarian dished. The Plain Jane Potato can be eaten in different forms and all very different from each other in taste. India is a country for vegetarian cuisine. The variety of veg food we get here is in no comparison with other parts of world . Each state ion India has its variety of vegetarian food and all are so different in look, taste , texture , colour and surprisingly the key ingredients remain the same. We truly are land of diversity not only in language , costumes but also in food. Today I will discuss a very popular key ingredient pulse which can be recreated in different varieties and all taste just yum . That key ingredient is none other than our very dear Chole / Chickpea. Chole sounds like a north Indian dish and it is a very popular dish in North India but widely eaten in all parts on India . You will get Chole in all forms , curry, salad, fried balls, falafel, in sandwiches, etc etc.

To raise your craving a bit more lets have some awesome popular Chickpeas recipe.

Kadai Chole :

Ingredients : 2 cups of chickpeas soaked overnight, 2 tea bags , 1 cup of onion paste freshly blended, 1 tablespoon of ginger and garlic paste, few ginger juliennes,1 cup of tomato puree, 1 tablespoon Chole masala, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon green cardamom, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2 to 3 red dried chillies, 1 tablespoon Ghee, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, few sprigs of coriander leaves finely chopped.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly we need to pressure cook chickpeas by adding two teabags (You may make a muslin pouch of 2 teaspoon tea), cinnamon stick and few green cardamom, salt to taste. Once the the chickpea is boiled you will get blackish tinge in chickpeas not throw away the cardamom, tea bags , and cinnamon stick as they have done their job . Do not throw the boiled water in the pressure cooker. We will need that to make a bit of gravy as it has all the protein of the chickpeas intact. Now its time to heat a pan with a lid add ghee , cumin seeds wait fr few seconds till it splutter then add dry red chillies , onion paste, ginger and garlic paste with a bit of salt. Sauté it till the onion looses out its poacity and becomes transparent . Now add ginger juliennes, Tomato purée, and chole masala . Cook this mixture until tomato separates oil. Now add boiled chickpeas , boiled water that we kept aside, red chilly powder. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes. Now higher the flame make dry up a bit of gravy. Serve it hot with coriander garnish on top. Its teamed with Indian flat breads, or simply eat it with steamed rice or Pulao.

Chickpeas Falafel Patties :

Ingredients: 2 cups of chickpeas soaked overnight , 1 cup of finely chopped onions, 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves, 1 teaspoon of dry mango powder, 1 teaspoon of green chilly chopped, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of red chilly powder, 1 tablespoon of refined flour, 1 teaspoon of black pepper powder, 1/2 cup of water of required, Salt to taste, Oil for deep frying.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly blend soaked and dried chickpeas along with onion, green chillies. Now add into the blended mixture , chopped coriander leaves,dry mango powder, cumin powder, coriander powder,red chilly powder,black pepper,Salt,refined flour and make into a smooth dry dough . Now oil your palms and make equal size balls out of the dough and flatten it in the center to give it a patty shape. Dab these patties on refined flour and deep fry them until golden brown, Now take burger buns spread a bit of ketchup and stuff in the falafel patties on each bun and eat it as a burger or simply eat them with your favourite dip.

Chickpeas in spinach Gravy :

Ingredients : 500 g of spinach leaves cleaned thoroughly and dried, 1 cup uncooked chickpeas (soaked overnight and then dried, 2 large tomatoes, cut roughly into quarters, Two large onions chopped finely, Garlic cloves chopped finely approx 5 to 6 , green chillies approx 3 to 4, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2 teaspoon cumin powder, Salt to taste, Oil for cooking.

Servings : 5

Method : Pressure cook chickpeas by adding salt to it. Discard the spinach stems and chop the spinach coarsely. Now comes the real trick , place the spinach , tomatoes a bit of salt in a pan cover the lid and cook for 10 minutes without adding water.Once cooked separate spinach and tomatoes after cooling and grind tomatoes and green chillies in a blender.Making a smooth paste. Grind spinach leaves too but coarsely. Heat oil in a pan , sauté chopped garlic cloves, add onions and cook until light browned. Add the tomato paste and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in cumin powder and red chilly powder. Cook until tomato paste separates oil in the pan , add spinach purée and cook for few more minutes .Do not cook more than 2 to 3 minutes as it will discolour the spinach and spoil its texture. Add the boiled chickpeas stir well and slow the flame cook for 1 minutes and switch of the flame immediately. Serve it hot with steamed Rice or plain parathas. They are a delight to have in winter season and very nutritious too.

So, here is a bag full of vegetarian recipes breaking the myth that variety is not found in veg cuisine. Why don’t you surprise the meat lovers with these recipes and click tee expressions once they enjoy eating these yummy dishes and want a second serving.

January 8, 2015
Stuffed Parathas from North India !!!

When I talk about stuffed parathas I might tickle your memory of Old Delhi’s famous “Parathe wali gali” if you have been there any time. If not then do not waste your time and plan a trip to the capital city of India and do visit this awesome place with narrow and bust lanes full of colours and amusing personalities. And if you have little time to spare with me then read this article and make few at your home itself and enjoy the parathas of heavenly taste. Do oil your jammed tread mill as you are going to need that badly after having these heavy loaded stuffed parathas . You have unique range and varieties and each of them is standing out on its own in taste. You just cannot ignore a single variety. Not only Delhi the whole of North India just eats it on a day to day basis. Its yummy taste to compel you to cook more and more for your loved ones and you will be there master chef for sure.

Gobi Paratha :

For filling : 2 cups of grated cauliflower, 2 tablespoon of coriander chopped, 1 teaspoon of red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 tablespoon of roasted gram flour (besan). 1 teaspoon of finely chopped green chillies, oil for cooking and shallow frying.

For the dough : 3 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of carom seeds, 1 teaspoon of oil , Luke warm water for kneading the dough.

Servings : 4 parathas

Method : Firstly kneed the dough mixing all the ingredients for the dough. Kneed it with gradual addition of Luke warm water making a soft dough. Keep it for half an hour so that dough absorbs moisture for soft texture.

For filling heat a pan and add oil and all other ingredients together and cook it until grated cauliflower looses all the moisture and all the spices get cooked well, lastly add chopped coriander and mix well and keep it aside till its cold as hot mixture wont stuff well for neat looking parathas. Now make equal portions of dough and take one portion and flatten it with the help of the rolling pin. grease the upper layer with oil and put in the stuffing at the top . Seal the edges of the round shaped chapati holding the stuffing carefully and make a ball shape out of it. Now flatten it to a certain limit with hands with light pressure and then slowly make a bigger round with the help of rolling pin. Be careful about the edges as the loads of pressure might rupture it from corners and stuffing may come out. Once its made shallow fry it in a flat pan and serve with butter topping and curd .

Muli/Radish paratha :

Ingredients :

For filling:2 cups of grated Radish, 1 teaspoon of crushed pomegranate seeds, 1 teaspoon of dry mango powder, 1 teaspoon asafoetida , salt to taste, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 2 tablespoon of coriander chopped, 1 teaspoon of finely chopped green chillies, oil for cooking and shallow frying.

For the dough : 3 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of carom seeds, 1 teaspoon of oil , Luke warm water for kneading the dough.

Servings : 4 parathas

Method : Firstly kneed the dough mixing all the ingredients for the dough. Kneed it with gradual addition of Luke warm water making a soft dough. Keep it for half an hour so that dough absorbs moisture for soft texture.

Heat a pan heat oil and add all thee spices along with green chillies and grated muli . Sauté it till dries out completely and then stir in chopped coriander and mix well. Keep it aside to cool of in room temperature and then its ready for stuffing into the dough prepared earlier.Make equal portions of dough and take one portion and flatten it with the help of the rolling pin. grease the upper layer with oil and put in the stuffing at the top . Seal the edges of the round shaped chapati holding the stuffing carefully and make a ball shape out of it. Now flatten it to a certain limit with hands with light pressure and then slowly make a bigger round with the help of rolling pin. Be careful about the edges as the loads of pressure might rupture it from corners and stuffing may come out. Once its done shallow fry it crust gets crispy and serve it with coriander chutney.

Green Peas Paratha / hare matar ke parathe :

For filling : 2 cups of boiled and mashed green peas, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon green chilly paste, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon asafoetida, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder , Oil for shallow frying.

For the dough : 3 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of carom seeds, 1 teaspoon of oil , Luke warm water for kneading the dough.

Servings : 4 parathas

Method : The process is same for dough making .Firstly kneed the dough mixing all the ingredients for the dough. Kneed it with gradual addition of Luke warm water making a soft dough. Keep it for half an hour so that dough absorbs moisture for soft texture.

Heat a pan and saute all the filling ingredients till the green peas are totally dry and become darker in colour. Cool it off for a while until it is ready for stuffing else it will d- shape the parathas.Make equal portions of dough and take one portion and flatten it with the help of the rolling pin. grease the upper layer with oil and put in the stuffing at the top . Seal the edges of the round shaped chapati holding the stuffing carefully and make a ball shape out of it. Now flatten it to a certain limit with hands with light pressure and then slowly make a bigger round with the help of rolling pin. Be careful about the edges as the loads of pressure might rupture it from corners and stuffing may come out. Once its done shallow fry it crust gets crispy and serve it with sweet mango chutney Or Mango pickle.

January 1, 2015
Healthy Drinks for Party-Lovers !!!

I am talking sense when I put party and health together. Yes we can have healthy menu for a party without compromising the taste. Its no robot science to achieve that . Simply having healthy food prepared in a tasty way can make you feel detoxified even when you are partying full on. Grabbing a few healthy ingredients blending it with complimenting substitutes can easily make your party fun and healthy . It would be great for a change to not hit the gym immediately you had attended a party instead you can just chill out more an stop worrying about weight gain. Isn’t it a idea of generation next to have a blast with a sigh of relief. I have few secret recipes for the much hot topic of the parties” DRINKS“. Yes! No matter how hard you try to not eat food in a party you often binge on drinks (hich by the way carry a lot of calories) thinking that fluid will be no harm . Not eating fat through solid dishes is not the way out . You often avoid eating tikkas , fried balls, naans, butter chicken in a party but you never forget to grab a glass of drink with 300 kcal per glass. So back to square one your tummy feels empty but you still gain weight wondering where did I go wrong ?Specially chicks conscious about eating often attend to much more calorie stuff than those who controlled over for few dishes but at least had tummy full evening. You must be thinking what a waste ! Yes its a waste , really you need to organise a party now with few delicious party drink recipes and create a aura of comfort for diet conscious people and prove them that party can be so fun without gaining weight (New concept be prepared for critics ).

Healthy drink is not an alien concept .Its simply blending few healthy ingredients with a twisting flavour and get a tasty healthy drink ready for hitting the floor. With much applause I now present the wonder party drinks which can bring to you a great punch of flavours and obvious smile on your face.

Mint and Cucumber refresher :

Ingredients : Few sprig of mint leaves, 1 teaspoon caster sugar, Juice of Lime, Thinly slices Cucumber for dressing up the drink (You may not be very professional in slicing the cucumber ), Your favourite sparkling water (Lime , Cranberry , Strawberry but avoid a too much of it ).

Servings : 1

Method : Chop a few mint leaves and mix it with the caster sugar. Rub a little Lime around the rim of a pretty glass and dip it in the minted sugar. Leave it to dry and settle on the rim. Mix rest of the Lime juice ,cucumber, and mint- some chopped ans some whole – in a jug and chill. To serve , pour the Lime and cucumber into the prepared glass and top up to taste with chilled sparkling water and Ice cubes. A perfect blend of taste and health will sparkle up your party .

Apple and Celery Revitaliser:

Ingredients : 1 Edible apple (not very Sour) peeled, cored and diced. 100g of celery chopped , 600 ml Milk, Pinch of Sugar (Its Optional), Salt (Optional), Strips of celery to decorate.

Servings : 2

Method : Put the apple , celery , milk into a blender or food processor and mix until it combines with each other smoothly and thoroughly. Stir in a pinch of sugar and some salt, if using. Pour into chilled glasses , decorate with strips of celery and serve.

Red Pepper Reactor :

Turn your party hot with this specific drink . It will sizzle up the X factor quotient in your party.

Ingredients : 250 ml carrot juice freshly strained from a blender, 250 ml Tomato juice freshly strained from a blender, 2 large red peppers (Very commonly available in markets ) de seeded and roughly chopped, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, strips of shredded carrot , to decorate.

Servings : 2

Method : Pour the carrot juice and tomato juice into a food processor or blender and process gently until combined. Add the red peppers and lemon juice. Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and process until it smooth. Pour the mixture into glasses, decorate with the strips of shredded carrot and serve.

On the beat :

Ingredients :200 g cooked beetroot, chopped. 125 ml of Orange Juice freshly strained or (you may use canned juice too ) chilled, 5 tablespoon natural yoghurt, chilled. Salt , Slices of Orange to decorate.

Serving : 2

Method : Put the beetroot, orange Juice ,yoghurt and water into the food processor or blender and season to taste with salt. Process until smooth , then pour into the chilled glasses and serve , decorate with slices of orange .

Watermelon Whiz:

A watermelon is perfect ingredient for classic mock tails and cocktails . A variety of drinks and be prepared out of it . But the fun would be not to try anything fancy and simply serve a juice with loads of ice . The icy cool effect will create a aura of wonders and you will chill without doing much.

Ingredients : Wedges of watermelon, weighing about 400 g, Ice cubes, Slices of watermelon to decorate.

Servings : 2

Method : Put the Watermelon and ice cubes in a blender or food processor and blend well until smooth and then pour in the drink to a glass and decorate it with watermelon pieces.

Passionate Juice Fizz :

The name suggest it would be tough to prepare but if you actually view the recipe its the simplest of the drinks served to you ever and that might click the idea to you of throwing a surprise party at home.

Ingredients : 1 Pomegranate, 1/2 orange, 4 passion fruit (Easily available in markets ), 100 ml of sparkling water/ Plain Soda water.

Servings : 2

Method : Peel the rind from the pomegranate and peel the orange, leaving on the with pith. Scoop the flesh from the passion fruits. Process or blend the pomegranate with the orange and pulp of three passion fruits. Pour into the glasses and stir in the remaining passion fruit pulp . Top up with the sparkling soda water and serve .

December 20, 2014
Heart-filled Bengali Recipes!!!

You keep whole India on one side and Bengalis on other side when it comes to eating and love for food. I have mentioned in my very first article that Bengalis just crave for food at every second of the day. Being a Bengali boumaa I know the responsibility on my shoulders and that’s why I would cut the drama out and straight away take you to the soulful cooking heaven ….ABengaliskitchen. You can never go out of aroma if you enter a Bengali house and all thanks to the heartfilled mums and granny’s who never let

you step out without a wholesome meal. They will feed you till brim and still think you are so skinny. ( No wonder I enrolled for a gym).You can excuse out of anything but meals no chance. My mother- in -law will frown badly if any day I don’t eat my rui macher jhol Or if I skip through rice and only have a bowl of chicken stew. They keep you on high maintenance (Even if you don’t want to be ).The speciality of Bengali food lies in the perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavours. For Bengalis, food is one of the most essential aspects of their day to day lives. Ladies spend lot of time in the kitchen cooking delicious feast for the family.

Max mueller once said : “If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully Developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions , I should point to India .”

And according to me Bengal shines in every aspect of that most talked about India. We Bengalis love to celebrate life even if we are part of a bizarre and slow pace city. For every moment in life we celebrate it with food (Little salty, Little sweet, Little sour).

So enough of self praises lets take you to real kitchen of Bengalis with mouth watering daily recipes which are made with loved adoration .

Ghee Bhat (Bengali Rice Preparation):

Ingredients : I kg Fine long grained rice (Preferably basmati ) washed and dried, 250 g of ghee (I told you we don’t care about calories), 30 g raisins picked ,washed, and soaked in water to soften, Salt to taste, 3 Large bay leaves, 1 Long Cinnamon stick, 3 Cardamom, 6 Cloves, 250 g onions , peeled, halved, and sliced thinly.Fry the onions till crisp and golden brown . Drain excess oil and leave aside., 1 teaspoon Garam Masala powder.

Servings : 8 to 10 (We believe in feeding people wholeheartedly )

Method : Measure the rice in cups. Using the same measure, pour double the measure of water to rice in a large pan and set to boil. When water comes to a boil , add the rice , stir and half cover , and let cook on medium flame till rice is done. (Approximately it will take 15 to 20 minutes).Next wash out rice with cold water to remove starch . Drain thoroughly.Heat ghee in separate deep pan and fry all the whole spices till they start to splutter.Stir in rice using a skewer. Fry till the rice starts to brown . Add in salt and raisins and cook for few more minutes.Sprinkle with previously browned onions and Garam masala powder and serve hot.

Shukto (Mixed Bitter-sweet Vegetables):

Ingredients : 2 Medium Sized Potato, I medium sized Eggplant, 1 Horse Radish, 1 green Banana, 4 Parwals( Pointed Gourds), 3 Drumsticks, 2 small bitter gourd, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon ground ginger paste, 1 tablespoon ground cumin paste, 1 teaspoon ground mustard paste, salt to taste, 6 medium sized Boris ( Optional ), 2 tablespoon oil, 2 to 3 cups of water, 1 tablespoon ghee, A pinch of panch phoran, 1-2 tablespoon milk, 1-2 teaspoons sugar.

Servings : 6 to 8

Method :Peel and but potatoes in half lengthwise, and then crosswise. Slit the eggplant in four lengthwise and then crosswise into half inch thick slices,Slit the horse radish in four and then cut on the bias into one inch length.

Trim and scrape the parwals, cut in half lengthwise and cut in four pieces on the bias. trim drumsticks and cut into small sizes. Slice the bitter gourd (It gives the bitter taste to the recipe).

Fry the boris in hot oil and keep it aside, fry the bitter gourd slices and add all the other vegetables and fry for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add all the spices and pastes ands mix thoroughly with vegetables. Add salt and finally two cups of water .ontinue simmering until veggies are all cooked. Heat teaspoon of ghee in another pan , add panch phoran, Fry till it stops spluttering and pour this over the simmering veggies. Mix thoroughly. Add a tablespoon of milk and sugar to taste . Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from fire .

This hot Shukto is generally served during summers . But you may enjoy this on any occasion , any season.

Kumro Chenchki (Red Pumpkin Fried with spices):

Ingredients : 500 g of pumpkin , diced medium thick, 2 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon whole onion seeds, 2 whole red chillies, 1 onion halved and sliced fine, 1 &1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon chilly powder, salt to taste.

Servings : 6

Method : Heat oil in a pan. When a blue haze appears , add onion seeds and whole red chillies.Stir -fry for couple of minutes and then add the pumpkin and some salt, Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the cover .To the water given out by the pumpkin , add the sliced onion and spice powders. Cook over high heat , stirring all the while . When the pumpkin is cooked and the boil rises to the surface , remove it from fire. This particular preparation of the pumpkin is quiet dry.

Try these recipes and you would feel the real hard work goes through a Bengali kitchen. These mouth watering dishes are just splendid and easy to prepare. If you ain’t a Bengali just prepare and invite your bong friends over and they will worship you . If you don’t believe me just try.

December 16, 2014
Goodness of a Salad

Salads the natural way of having nutrients with raw flavours. Salads can be simple easily from easily available veggies , nuts , pulses , cereals , fruits etc.Packed full of goodness, salads bring flavour to your diet plan each day. Eating salads is an easy way to eat your daily serving of vegetables and it is not so difficult. You can prepare a salad and take it to work with you or to an outing with family and friends. Why is it so important to have salads with each of your meal ? You can only answer this question once you have had addicted yourself to have salads each meal or each day . Its simple to prepare , easy to consume , jam-packed with nutrients , Highly fibrous which is another valid reason to addict yourself to salad. We often emphasis on fibre content in food and the reason being simple, eating a high-fibre diet can help lower cholesterol levels
and prevent constipation, eating more fibre can help you feel fuller, eat less, and ultimately lose weight. Salads are full of fruits and vegetables , which increases your intake of nutrients and lowers your risk of getting ill fatally. Diabetes ,High Blood pressure, Low Blood pressure, Nausea , Weakness, Malnourishment these are fatal diseases you can avoid and prevent yourself from by consuming salads with your meals.If losing weight is your goal, you may want to start your meals with a green salad. That’s the best trick for a girl to move happily from XL to XS ( Why should I spare the boys from this joy ). Even if you team up your salad with a slice of fat its still okay rather than having a full fat mealand suffer the rest of your day as fat makes you lazy and dull ( Ugly too If I am being honest ). Raw vegetables and fruits are good source of water specially tropical fruits which help you get feel fuller and also charged up . If we talk more about goodness of fruits and vegetables so they are delicious, so mixing them in different combinations to create a salad ensures exciting meals.First, you eat food with your eyes. Salads have varied textures, shapes, sizes and colours which make them visually appealing and satisfying. We enjoy foods that are entice our eyes and also eat more of them.Eating a variety of textures keeps mealtime interesting. Salad ingredients can add a nice crunch which is much better for you than munching on cookies or potato chips.So by far I have given you enough of reasons to check out your diet plan and indulge yourself to healthy meals. It will not only give you reason to eat more also you can commit sin guilt-free by having junk sometimes. And moreover our gyms are running quiet well so admit yourself to a healthy regime.

Black Bean , Corn , Potato and Pepper Salad :

Ingredients :

For Salad: 1/2 cup kidney beans soaked overnight , 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme , 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano , 1/2 teaspoon salt , 1/2 cup boiled corn kernels , 1 onion finely chopped , 1 tomato finely chopped , 1/2 cup red pepper (red capsicum ) cubes , 1/2 cup green pepper(green capsicum )cubes , 100 g baby potatoes boiled and peeled , 100 g baby onions boiled and peeled .

For dressing :1 tablespoon lemon juice , 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic , 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind ( the outer surface of lemon ), 1 teaspoon salt , 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chilly flakes , 1/2 teaspoon pepper , 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint , 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander, 1 tablespoon chopped green chillies ,5 to 6 tablespoon olive oil .To garnish you may use mint and coriander sprigs.

Servings : 2

Method : Boil the kidney beans with thyme , oregano and salt until soft but firm . drain the beans and set aside .Mix the remaining ingredients in the bowl.To prepare the dressing you need to blend all the ingredients listed above for it in a small bender jar .Toss the prepared veggies mixture in the dressing and lastly add the beans .Adjust the salt if you feel it doesn’t suits your taste.Garnish it with mint or coriander sprigs and serve it at room temperature.

Tip : Prepare this dish just before serving it else the nutrient value gets reduced and flavours do get mingled giving it a very liquid texture due to addition of salt before hand.

Carrot and almond Salad :

Carrot being my favourite I always try and make different recipes which eventually turns out to be very tasty and nutrients. There is natural sweetness in carrots and we do get best of it during winter season . To sum up I would implement the richness of carrot in this recipe which is tasty , different and worth a try .

Ingredients :

For Salad :1/2 kg carrots peeled and coarsely grated, 2 small cucumber thinly sliced , 1/4 cup raisins soaked in water for 10 minutes , 1/2 cup sliced almonds without the skin ( to remove the skin just soak it overnight skin is peeled of easily ).

For Dressing :
I tablespoon lemon juice , 1 tablespoon honey,1 teaspoon dried ginger powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1/3 cup olive oil , salt to taste , Pepper to taste .To garnish finely chopped parsley. ( You may use dry parsley too)

Servings : 4

Method : Place carrots and cucumber in a glass bowl. Add raisins and toss to mix .

For dressing :
Add lemon juice , honey , ginger , cinnamon , olive oil , salt and pepper in a screw top jar . shake well to combine.Toast the almonds on a flat pan until they are golden brown in colour.Pour the dressing over the salad , and toss well .Sprinkle with almonds and garnish with parsley. Serve at room temperature.

Yes ! I am slowly turning you all to health freaks which is why I am posting this article so that we all realise that health is a factor to be taken seriously . Today we all undergo a lot of stress and distress . Which gives us mental and physical fatigue. To avoid the same we all need to maintain a balanced diet , eat on time , and maintain a healthy lifestyle . It takes 15 minutes of our time to prepare such good recipes which are healthy and much better to eat than just plain oatmeal bowl. So do try them and Live Love Louder !!!

December 15, 2014
The Great Indian Breads !

Indians are known for their eating habits and their love for food . In India there is a wide range of cuisines and varieties with every 100 km you stretch . We live to eat that’s proven and we are the most natural host when comes to throw a party . If you sit and think Why I am claiming that Indians are such big foodies and party lovers , you just need to visit an Indian family for lunch or dinner (Even breakfast is not spared ) and see how they treat you as God ( We truly believe in Atithi Devobhavah….its not just for a commercial ). If I have mentioned about lunch and dinners I am talking about full rich 5 course meals (Yes! we eat that daily …at least I do) .Not only do we cook great curries and starters we have wide variety in flat breads too.We do have in offer variety in flat breads with every changing season.

All have great value addition to their taste , be it fluffy, rich in taste, soft, their fillings , sweet , salty , spicy , rich in proteins and minerals . You name it and we have it. India is diversified in its customs , culture , tradition and each part of India has their specific preferred breads be it chapati , Fulkas, Naan, Kulchas, rumali rotis , parathas, various flavoured pancakes, tandoori roti etc that too with different kind of cereals. Our flat bread preparation largely depends on what kind of crop is grown in that region .For example : Western part of India eats a lot of Bajra , Ragi, Northen India eats Maize or Wheat , Eastern eats a lot of Rice flour or refined flour and if we consider Southern India they eat mostly rice flour in fermented form .Breads are staple food for any country, city or tradition.

We actually consider breads to be very important for a wholesome 5 course meal. Its practically not possible to avoid a meal without adding bread to it . we don’t feel yummy tummy until we eat bread. Today its very simple and convenient to barge into a supermarket and get frozen breads ,which my generation people gladly do , But if asked to me I would prefer preparing it at home as any dish has to be fresh to consume and for that packed food is totally a “No No” for me.When I started cooking after my marriage making rotis or chapatis was my biggest challenge (many do agree with me- its a common syndrome )but tummy wants food , so slowly I learned how to get the perfect shaped chapatis to not impress anyone …but to satisfy my own hunger. With every occasion we have specific choices in food and we do set our happy menu accordingly, so today my attempt is to bring a variety in your life .If you are done with frozen parathas or frozen chapatis try out few of my simple recipes of very commonly eaten Indian breads .Today I have tried to assemble few regional breads for you variety and taste change. Some of it is widely eaten but Do you really want to eat frizen or try these simple recipes with much nutrition and taste.

Garlic Naan :

Ingredients :2 cup Plain refined flour, 1 cup yoghurt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate, 1 teaspoon onion seeds, 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped, 1 tablespoon butter to glaze the naans.

Servings : 3 to 4

Method : mix plain refined flour, baking powder, sodium bicarbonate and sieve it well to add up air . (this process makes fluffy & soft naans). Kneed the flour mixture with yoghurt into a fine soft dough , if you feel yoghurt is little less then u may add some Luke warm milk to make a softer dough. wrap the dough with a damp cloth and keep it for minimum two hours ( You may keep it overnight if you have preparation time ). This gives the dough time to ferment well , more the fermentation more fluffy and softer naan you would get. Once the dough is fermented you can make naans of your desired size with the help of a rolling pin . Once you get the desired shape top it with garlic and few onions seeds and with the help of your hands elongate it from two ends to get a longitudinal naans. Now the way you cook chapatis you just have to repeat it for these naans (No tandoor required , just simply toss it both sides on a hot tava ) the naans themselves will blow u beautifully. Once done glaze it with butter on top and serve hot .

Makke di roti :

Ingredients : 2 cup Maize( Makka /makai ) flour , Luke warm water to kneed , 1/2 cup wheat flour , ghee or unsalted butter to cook and for glazing .

Servings : 3 to 4

Method : Its simple recipe but you need to be very careful while making it as it has a tendency to crack up from sides and eventually break. To avoid that its important to kneed the dough just before serving it. Its easy to make a dough so its not a very difficult thing to maintain

Mix maize flour , wheat flour with the help of a siever and kneed it with Luke warm water. Make a soft dough as hard dough may crumble up easily. slowly with the help of your palms flatten it and increase its size. Try to maintain the shape the sides will crack its something which is obvious , so do not worry. Once you have flattened the bread , bake it in a hot tava from both sides and glaze it with ghee . Serve it with Spinach curry, or simply with jaggery it will taste awesome . Its very commonly eaten in Punjab (North India) on a day to day basis during winters. It has natural warming ability so it keeps warm from within.

Paneer Paratha :

Ingredients:

For Dough :
2 cups whole wheat flour , 1/2 cup refined flour , 1 tablespoon cooking oil( Oil helps the bread to get moistened crusty look ), Luke warm water to kneed , pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon Ajwain ( carom seeds ).

For stuffing :

1 cup grated cottage cheese or Paneer , 1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped , 1 tablespoon finely crushed pomegranate seeds , salt to taste ,1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon Aamchur ( dry mango powder), 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies.

Oil for glazing the parathas.

Servings : 4 to 5 parathas

Method : Sieve whole wheat flour and and refined flour and add cooking oil , salt ,ajwain & Luke warm water to make a soft dough out of it . Keep it for 30 minutes and prepare the stuffing .For the stuffing mix all the ingredients mentioned above for stuffing purpose.

Once you are done preparing both take equal portions from the dough and stuff the paneer mixture into each portions and flatten it with the help of a rolling pin . Bake it on a hot tava from both sides once its crusty glaze it with oil ( you may use butter ) . Serve hot with your choice of curry or you can simply serve it with yoghurt . Enjoy the flavours of these great Indian breads and see your family smiling.

December 13, 2014
My Birthday Party Recipes !!!

I will soon turn a year older an something clicked in my mind. Am I going to throw a party ??? The answer is still uncertain but one thing is for sure I will cook for me and will treat my tummy with dishes Like. It’s a nice nice idea, isn’t it ? If I play rewind record of my earlier childhood or teen-hood birthdays food was never my priority , it was always what birthday gift I got (I am confessing I was materialistic back then). Me and my friends use to party a lot and my mum use to cook best possible recipes for us and we use to just finish it in about 30 minutes. Long gone are those days and those friends are so far from my reach . Though they wish me through social media or a message or a call , few even gift me stuff through couriers but still my birthdays are not so happier the way they use to be earlier. They are now much milder in , much calm , much busy in work types these days . My

Mum still cooks for me on my birthday( Her famous kheer/Sweet rice pudding…a very popular dish among my friends ) but I am too far from her to taste that .If I look now the gifts are more sophisticated , much more expensive , much more “I like Stuff” but somewhere the birthdays with a pencil box gift wrapped or a plastic doll , or a chocolate bar with hideous decorations were more meaningful , lifelike , much more valuable for me. To have that feeling back I have decided to cook the way my Mum use to cook for me , dance on Bollywood cheap songs the way my friends use to entertain my make my parties fun , shout the way they use to scream “happy birthday” for me and Burst a balloon for myself filled with goodies inside. I again asked my self Am I eccentric ….Big deal even If I am. I will have fun the way I use to have a decade ago and cherish these memories a decade later rather than repenting on my arm chair with a ART OF LIVING BOOK on my side desk .I know my friends my parents , my best pal my sister wont be there in my little celebration this time but I am going to celebrate for me. I am going to make this birthday Rock . Will Click selfies of my own , will dress up , Will do make up. I will not repent this birthday to be on a weekday and so I am not celebrating it , No I will make it happier& funny for me. You feel terrible when you don’t try , But I wont give up I will just have a blast ….To celebrate with me try these recipes which I will cook for my birthday .

Mojito:

Yes I am talking alcohol now. BUt its a crime say that I am being drunk here its a celebration drink for my birthday and I have full right to break the rules. Drinks are party showstoppers for me and if its for my celebration I will commit this sin gladly.

Ingredients : Mint sprigs roughly cut , 1 tablespoon sugar syrup , 30 ml Vodka ,15ml Soda water, Ice cubes, Peppermint tablets finely crushed, Lemon wedges , lemon ring for decoration. For serving your choice matters .

Servings : Its crime to count the servings when you are celebrating so please repeat till you find yourself sane.

Method : Its easy and very quick to make. Firstly crush the peppermint tablets powder, mint leaves and lemon wedges together. Now Take a glass (Your choice matters not mine ) add ice cubes, sugar syrup , and freshly crushed mint peppermint and lemon wedges . Now add Vodka and soda water into the glass stir it gently with a stirrer. And Yes do decorate it with lemon ring and serve yourself .Cheers!!!

Cheese Corn Balls :

With a perfect drink we have to have the perfect starter. And to get that we have a very simple and quick recipe too. (Remember Its me who is cooking and I don’t want to get tired on my birthday so planned a quick dish celebration…being smart is justified ).

Ingredients : 2 cups corn kernels , 1/2 cup refined flour, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander, 1 cup grated processed cheese, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon dry mango powder, 1 teaspoon lemon juice , 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilled, oil for deep frying.

Servings : 2 to 3

Method : Crush corn kernels roughly in a blender. Mix blender corn , refined flour, corriander, dry spices, cheese , salt, and lemon juice and bind the mixture well into a fine dough. Adding water is not required as corn kernels hold a lot of moisture into them which will be enough for binding the mixture.

Make small equal round balls out of the dough and give them smooth round shape. Deep fry the cheese corn balls and serve them as appetisers or have loads of them to fill your tummy. Remember this party is to relax and have fun , extra work not required.

Monte Carlo:

Its easy to make dessert . Indulge yourself with this at the end and have a good nite sleep later.

Ingredients : 2 scoops of vanilla ice-cream (You may use butterscotch flavour also ), few butterscotch drops, Dark chocolate syrup ,1 teaspoon
honey,1 tablespoon whipped cream, choco-chips if you are a chocolate person.

Servings : 1

Method : Take a ice-cream bowl or a fancy glassware , add two scoops of vanilla ice-cream to it , top it up with ,whipped cream , butterscotch, honey, choco-chips and at last chocolate syrup. Serve it .

So, isn’t it a great idea to celebrate your birthday and throw yourself a small party. The only way to keep yourself tempted for life is to appreciate each day and keep yourself engrossed in you to get out of all cribbing’s which we generally do all day. Make a difference and spread happiness.

December 13, 2014
Food Delights!

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”

– George Bernard Shaw

My sister-in-law loves food and everything to do with food. Recently, she took up the massive challenge of maintaining a food blog. Soon, she was deeply engrossed in it and then, gradually all her experiments with food started to bloom– “How about I mash this up and then add a bit of that? I have a gut feeling that it will work”. Well, most of them did. Being The Taster, my job was easy-peasy and I genuinely loved all her food.

From healthy snacks such as South-western Salad with Avocado Dressing to the not-so healthy ones (but super tasty!), like the Gujrati Kadhi; from the nice and sweet Melon Refresher to the spicy Cream of Chilli Soup– all were simply lip smacking. My favourite is her desi Mixed Vegetable Curry. It is an absolute hit among my friends as well. Hence, I thought I would be a little generous and share her super easy, super simple and super awesome recipes with my readers. So, here goes –

Cream of Chilli Soup

Time taken: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients : 2 large corn tortillas (cut into 1/4inch wide strips, 3 tbsp butter, 1 cup chopped onions, 1 clove garlic, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1 bay leaf, 2 cups of White Vegetable Stock, 1 medium potato (peeled and cubed), pepper (to taste), salt (to taste), 3-4 jalapeno chillies (chopped), ¼ cup fresh cream, 1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)

Method: Crispthe tortillas in the oven. In a pan, melt butter; add onions, garlic, oregano and bay leaf. Cook until onions are soft. Stir in the stock, potato, salt and paper. Bring to a boil. Simmer till potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Discard the bay leaf and process the soup in a blender till smooth. Pass through a sieve and return to heat. Add the chillies and simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and stir in the cream. Set aside until ready to serve. Reheat gently just before serving. Add the cheese and spoon thesoup into individual bowls. Sprinkle tortilla chips and serve immediately.

South-western Salad with Avocado Dressing

Time taken: 15 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

For salad- 2 cups of shredded lettuce or salad greens, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, ½ cup chopped white onions, ¼ cup sliced jalapeno chillis, ½ cup chopped red, yellow or green capsicum, ¼ cup grated cheese

For dressing- 1 cup medium ripe avocado (peeled, seeded and chopped), 3-4 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic (crushed), 1 tbsp mustard paste, 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno chillies, ½ cup olive oil, salt (to taste), pepper (to taste), cumin powder (to taste)

To garnish- 2-3 slices of avocado and a sprig of coriander

Method:

For salad- Place the prepared vegetables in a large bowl, cover with cling film and chill thoroughly.

For dressing- Mash the avocado and drizzle lemon juice over it. Add garlic, mustard, coriander, vinegar and jalapeno chillies and mix well. Add oil in a thin stream beating continuously. Add ½ – ¾ cup ice cold water to get the right consistency. Ensure that the dressing does not get too runny. Cover and chill until ready to use. Pour the dressing in a serving bowl and pile the salad on top. With a salad fork and spoon, toss the salad gently to mix. Season with salt, pepper and cumin powder. Garnish with avocado and coriander. Serve immediately.

Melon Refresher

Time taken: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 250 ml natural yogurt,100g galia melon (cut into chunks), 100g cantaloupe melon (cut into chunks), 100g watermelon (cut into chunks), 6 ice cubes, wedges of melons( to decorate)

Method : Pour the yogurt into a food processor or blender. Add the galia melon chunks and process until smooth. Add the cantaloupe melons and watermelon chunks along with the ice cubes and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into glasses and decorate with wedges of melon. Serve at once.

Modified Gujrati Kadhi

Time taken: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 2 tbsp yellow moong dal flour, 1 and a ½ cup sour low-fat curd, 2 and a ½ cup water, 1 inch ginger (finely chopped), 2 to 3 curry leaf stalks, ¼ cup coriander leaves, 2 green chillies (slit), salt (to taste)

For tempering- 1 inch cinnamon, 5 cloves, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp asafoetida powder

Method: Combine the curds and moong dal powder, and then whip to a creamy consistency. Add the water gradually, making sure that there are no lumps. Then add the finely chopped ginger and salt to taste. Put this mixture to boil over a low flame. Stir to avoid lumps. Slit the green chillies and chop the coriander, and keep them aside. Dry roast the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Add slit green chillies and asafoetida. If it burns, you can add a few drops of water. Once the dry tadka is well roasted, drop it into the boiling kadhi. Top the kadhi with freshly chopped green coriander, and serve hot with your recommended rice serving.

Mixed Vegetable Curry

Time taken: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: ½ cup carrots (cut lengthwise), ½ cup beans (cut lengthwise), ½ cup eggplant (cut into 1 inch pieces), ½ cup onions (sliced lengthwise), ½ cup tomatoes (sliced lengthwise), 1 tsp ajwain seeds, ½ tsp garam masala, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp oil, salt (to taste)

Method: Heat oil to high heat in a frying pan (or non- stick pan). Add ajwain seeds and onions. Sauté until onions are transparent. Add the carrots and beans. Sauté for 5 minutes. Then add the eggplant and sauté until all the vegetables are cooked tender. Add turmeric powder, tomatoes, Garam Masala, chilli powder and salt. Sauté for a few minutes until the tomatoes are tender, but not completely pulpy. Leaving the tomatoes half- cooked adds to the fresh flavor. Serve hot.

December 13, 2014