Pineapple Salad

Ingredients:
1 medium firm pineapple, grated coarsely
5 small spring onions with greens
5-6 tender french beans chopped 1" long pieces
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup raw peanuts coarsely pound or crushed
2 flakes garlic peeled, crushed
1 stalk lemon grass finely chopped
2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
1 tomato, inner seeds removed, thinly slivered
1 tbsp. soya sauce
1 tsp. sugar
salt to taste

Method:

Parboil beans till slightly tender, but not overcooked.
Chop spring onion greens finely, and scallions to thin slivers
Mix all ingredients, tossing with a wooden spatula, to blend well.
Keep covered and refrigerated for 15-20 minutes, before serving.
Serve as a crisp fresh salad, garnish with chilli or onion flowers.

Green Grapes Salad

Ingredients:
200 gms - seedless green grapes
200 gms - sour cream
100 gms - chopped pecans
2 tbsp - brown sugar
1 packet - cream cheese
1/2 cup - white sugar
1 tsp - vanilla extract

Method:
Wash and dry grapes.
In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla.
Add grapes and mix until evenly incorporated.
Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans, mix again and refrigerate until serving.

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
Orange - 2 large
Bananas - 2 large
Pineapple slices - 4-5
Mangoes* - 2
Tender coconut - 1
Walnuts - 4 tbsp
Honey - 2 tbsp
Fresh curds - 2 cups
Sweetened condensed milk - 1/2 cup

Method:
Grate the orange rind and the segments. Slice the bananas. Cut pineapple and mangoes into pieces. Chop tender coconut pulp.

Mix all the fruits and coconut together .Toss with honey. Keep in the refrigerator.

Drain the curds through a thin cloth till it is reduced to ½ cup. Mix it with condensed milk and orange rind. Place in the refrigerator.

Just before serving, mix the fruits with condensed milk mixture and sprinkle walnuts on top.

Apple Bananna Salad

Ingredients:
One Apple
Two Bananas
Two Red Chillies
25 gm Grated Coconut
2 tea spoons chopped Corriander leaves
Half a teaspoon Sugar and Salt to taste.

Method:
Wash and deskin the apple and grate it.

Chop the bananas into small pieces.

Take a 'Kadai' (or a frying pan) and add 2 teaspoons of cooking oil, few mustard seeds & Cumin seeds (Jeera) and wait untill they splutter. Add the two red chillies and fry till brown.

Cool the mixture in the frying pan. Add in grated apples, chopped bananas, coconut, corriander leaves, sugar and salt.

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cup pure watermelon pulp
1 tsp lemon juice
1-1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Method:

Put sugar in a heavy vessel.

Add water, and heat, without stirring on medium low heat.

Once sugar dissolves, and water starts boiling, stir a little.

Simmer for 5 minutes. Keep aside to cool.

To prepare pulp, take 3-1/2 to 4 cups watermelon pieces.

Remove all seeds, run in a mixie till smooth.

Make sure there are no seeds in the pulp.

Do not add water while preparing pulp.

Add lemon juice, mix well.

Add cooled sugar syrup, mix with spoon.

Set mixture in lidded container in freezer, till softly set.

Remove from freezer, beat till smooth, but do not allow to melt.

Return to container, refreeze.

Beat again, and return to freezer, till well set.

Serve in scoops accompanied with segments of oranges, kiwi, a sprig of mint leaves,etc.

Molded Watermelon Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups - watermelon, cubed
½ cup - carrot, grated
¼ cup - green grapes (seed less), halved
¼ cup - back grapes (seed less), halved
2 tbsp - celery stalks, chopped
3 tsp - gelatin
3 tbsp - water
1 tsp - green chilies, minced and crushed
1 tsp - ginger, minced and crushed
2 tbsp - mint leaves, chopped
1 tsp - chaat masala or to taste
1 tsp - dry mango powder
lettuce, tomato and cucumber to garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Blend watermelon pieces in mixer. (do not strain)
Soak gelatin in water for 10 minutes.
Stir it over a low flame till completely dissolved.
Add to the watermelon.
Add rest of the ingredients and place the mixture in a bowl, in a tray filled with ice cubes.
Stir the mixture till it thickens and begins to set.
Pour in a ring mold and keep in refrigerator to set.
Just before serving, turn it out on a serving plate and decorate with lettuce, tomato and cucumber slices

Panna (Raw Mango Juice)

Ingredients:
1 raw mango
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp saffron strands
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tiny bit nutmeg

Method:
Peel and chop mango into chunks.

In a pan, put mango, sugar and nutmeg.

Boil till the mango is soft. Cool.

Blend in mixie till smooth. Sieve.

Add cardamom, saffron and bring to boil, stirring continuously.

Take off heat. Cool.

As and when required add a tbsp or more to a glass of chilled water and mix with an egg-beater, to froth.

The pulp may be stored in the freezer for over a month.

Healthy Fruit Juice

Ingredients:
1 cup grapes
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 orange
1 tbsp honey
1/8 tsp grated ginger
1/2 cup chilled water
Salt as per taste


Method:
Clean the grapes
Peel and deseed the orange
Mix all the ingredients except honey
In a blender, blend together all ingredients
Strain with a not-too-fine strainer
Pout into glass, and mix honey
Stir it well
Serve chilled

Paneer Paratha

Ingredients
1 recipe paratha dough (refer introduction)
1 cup paneer crumbs
4-5 green chillies finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1 tsp. mint leaves finely chopped
salt to taste
2 tbsp. ghee
ghee or oil to shallow fry

Method
Roll dough to a large square.
Spread some ghee all over.
Fold in half. Spread ghee.
Fold in quarter. Spread ghee.
Roll again to full size. Repeat above procedure.
Roll into a tight swissroll. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Break off lumps and use as regular paratha dough.
Mix all filling ingredients.
Take a lump of dough.
Roll halfway. Spread some filling.
Make a tight swissroll. Twist to a spiral.
Press roll to full size.
Shallow fry. Serve hot with any gravy vegetable.

Black Eyed Beans Savoury Rice

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups long grain rice washed & soaked 30 minutes
1/2 cup black eyed beans soaked overnight
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
1/2 tsp. sambhar masala
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 stalk curry leaves
2 whole red chillies
1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1/2 tsp. each cumin seeds, mustard seeds, urad dal
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. oil
salt to taste

Method
Pressure cook black-eyed beans till tender. Drain, keep aside.
Boil rice till each grain is separate. Drain, cool, keep aside.
In a heavy sauce pan, heat oil, add seeds and urad dal.
Allow to splutter, add curry leaves, whole chilli, stir.
Add onions, cook till light pink and tender.
Add all masalas, beans, salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, stir.
Add rice and stir gently with a spatula, till the gravy coats rice evenly.
Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes till hot.
Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve piping hot

Phirni

Ingredients
3 cups milk
3 tbsp. rice washed and soaked in water for 2 hours
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. almonds, blanched and slivered
1 tbsp. pistachios, peeled and slivered
3/4 tsp. cardamom powdered
1/4 tsp. kewra, saffron, or icecream essence as desired
silver foil (optional)

Method
Grind rice to a fine, smooth paste, keep aside.
Put milk to boil. on high flame, in a heavy deep pan.
Slowly pour in rice paste, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
Stir and cook till mixture is thick.
Add sugar, stir to dissolve.
Mix cardamom in 1 tsp. cold milk or water, mix into mixture.
Mix in essence, pista and almonds, saving some for garnishing.
Pour mixture into a glass bowl or individual bowls.
Cool, chill till it looks set.
Garnish with silver foil and remaining chopped almonds and pistachios.

Brinjal Chips

Ingredients:
2 Big Brinjals (light green color, seedless)
Salt to taste
Red Chili Powder
Rice Flour
Oil for frying

Method:

Cut Brinjal into round pieces (don't cut it very thin. Approx. 6-7 pieces of 1 Brinjal).

Apply Salt and chili powder evenly to all pieces.

Take rice flour (dry) in a plate and deep one piece into it.

Shallow fry it on a tawa till crisp. Don't burn it.

Remove it on a paper napkin

Pumpkin Kheer

Ingredients:
250 g - pumpkin
15 - almonds (blanched and peeled)
1 liter - milk
¾ cup - sugar or to taste
½ tsp - cardamom powder

Method:
Peel the pumpkin and cut into big cubes. Steam till very soft and mash well.
Grind the almonds with ½ cup of milk to a smooth paste.
Boil the remaining milk. Add sugar and almond paste and stir till the sugar is dissolved.
Add pumpkin and cardamom powder. Mix well and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes.
Cool and keep in the refrigerator. Serve chilled.

Nankatai

Ingredients

½ cup sugar
½ vegetable shortening
a pinch of saffron, soaked in a little water
elaichi powder, to taste
3-4 tbsp ground almonds (optional)
½ to ¾ cups all purpose flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
3. Cream together the shortening and sugar till the mixture is light and fluffy. A hand mixer works best for this task.
4. Add the saffron, elaichi, and almonds if using.
5. Add ½ cup all purpose flour. Using your hands knead this dough slightly.
6. Add more flour as you go along. You want a dough that is soft and moist. Do not add more than 1½ times the quantity of the shortening used.
7. Use your finger tips to pull of a piece of the dough, or you could use a melon-baller. Roll in between your palms to form a ball.
8. Place the cookies on the sheet, about 2 inches apart. Sometimes I press each cookie with the back of a fork.
9. Bake for about 15 minutes (oven times may vary).
10. After 10 minutes, keep a close eye on the cookie.
11. Take them out of the oven at the first sign of any browning around the edges.
12. Let them cool slightly before using letting anyone steal them for taste-testing purposes.

Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Bourbon Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey

Bread Pudding:
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch squares (about 6-7 cups)
1 qt milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup raisins (soaked overnight in 1/4 cup bourbon)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Method

Bourbon Sauce:
In a saucepan, melt butter; add sugar and egg, whisking to blend well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Whisk in bourbon to taste. Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk before serving. The sauce should be soft, creamy, and smooth.

Bread Pudding:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Soak the bread in milk in a large mixing bowl. Crush with hands until well mixed and all the milk is absorbed. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spices together. Gently stir into the bread mixture. Gently stir the raisins into the mixture.
3. Pour butter into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour in the bread mix and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, until set. The pudding is done when the edges start getting a bit brown and pull away from the edge of the pan. Can also make in individual ramekins.

Serve with bourbon whiskey sauce on the side; pour on to taste. Best fresh and eaten the day it is made. Makes 8-10 servings.

Bread Pudding With Raisins

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 slices white bread, without crust
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins, optional

PREPARATION:
Heat milk over low heat until hot, but not boiling. In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and salt; stir well. Gradually stir about 1/4 of the hot milk to the egg mixture and stir in. Add remaining milk, stirring constantly

Stir in vanilla.

Place bread slices in a buttered baking dish, (sprinkle raisins over bread, if used), about 2-quart size. Pour the milk mixture over bread. Combine cinnamon and nutmeg; sprinkle over pudding mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 300° for about 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla sauce or other dessert sauce, if desired.

Banana Pudding

Ingredients
3 cups milk
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
12 ounces vanilla wafers
5 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

Method

Bring the milk and vanilla beans to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Using tongs, remove the beans from the milk. Using the tip of a small sharp knife, scrape the tiny seeds from each bean back into the milk.

Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Add the egg yolks and whisk well. Gradually whisk in about half of the hot milk, then pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding comes to a full boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover the pudding with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and pierce a few holes in the wrap with the tip of a knife. Let stand until tepid, about 30 minutes.

Spoon about 1 cup of the pudding into a 2- to 2 1/2-quart glass bowl. Layer the cookies, bananas and pudding in the bowl, ending with the pudding. Cover tightly and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar in a chilled medium bowl until stiff. Spread the whipped cream over the pudding. Serve chilled, spooned into bowls.

Bombay Misal Pav

Ingredients
For poha:

1 cup poha (flaked or beaten rice)
1 tbsp. peanuts
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
salt to taste
lemon to taste
1 tbsp. oil

For misal:

1 cup small variety matki (brown variety of kidney bean) (soak overnight)
2 med. potatoes boiled
1/2 tsp. black maharashtrian masala
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. red chilli powder
salt to taste
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. crushed ginger
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. oil
4 cups water

To serve:

1 cup indian farsan mixture (chivda)
1 cup onions finely chopped
2 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1 lemon cut into bits
10 slices of plain bread

Method

For poha:

1.Wash drain and allow the poha to soften for 15 minutes.
2. Lightly fluff up with fingers to separate grains.
3. Heat oil in a saucepan, add peanuts and brown on low.
4. Add poha, salt, turmeric and stir gently.
5. Cover and allow to heat well. Stir once in between.
6. Add lemon, and toss to spread evenly. Keep aside.

For misal:

1.Chop potatoes into big pieces.
2. Wash, drain matki.
3. Boil the matki in plenty of water, till tender, but do not allow seed to burst.
4. Drain and keep aside.
5. In one cup water, make paste of all masalas.
6. Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan, add ginger garlic and stirfry for 1 minute.
7. Add masala paste and mix well. Add potatoes.
8. Stirfry till oil separates. Add boiled drained matki.
9. Add remaining 3 cups water. Allow to boil.
10. Simmer on low for 10- 15 minutes till oil forms layer on top.
11.Add salt, lemon juice, and check seasoning, adjusting as required.

To serve:

1. In individual serving bowls, place a tbsp. of poha on bottom.
2. Spread a tbsp. of farsan over it.
3. Pour a ladle full of misal (stir while taking) over it.
4. Garnish with chopped onion, coriander, and a piece of lemon.
5. Serve hot with slices of plain bread.

Making time:45 minutes (excluding soaking time)
Makes: 5 servings
Shelflife: Misal may be frozen and reused after thawing.

Besani Murgh

Ingredients
920 grams chicken
250 ml milk
345 ml water
3 nos. cloves
3/4 inch ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 inch cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
3-4 tablespoons curds
3-4 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
2 teaspoons salt
oil (for frying)

Method
1. Clean and cut the chicken into pieces and grate the ginger.
2. Combine milk, chicken pieces, ginger, cloves and cumin powder.
3. Boil until the chicken is tender and the liquid absorbed.
4. Sprinkle with red chilli powder and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt.
5. Make a batter with curd and gram flour; beat well, adding one or two tablespoons of water
and remaining salt.
6. Set aside for an hour. Coat cooked chicken with batter and fry until golden brown.
7.Lift out and drain on paper.

Microwave Eggless Date and Walnut Cake

Ingredients
12 dates, pitted and chopped
1 1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda (not baking powder)
12 walnuts, chopped

Method
1. Boil the milk in a saucepan. Remove from heat.

2. Add the dates and let it stand until cool.

3. When cool put into a blender or food processor and process or blend until the dates are ground.

4. Add the oil into blender/food processor and blend/process again until incorporated and mixture becomes thick. Add sugar to the mixture in the blender/food processor and blend until incorporated.

5. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Seive flour and baking soda well. Fold in the flour until it is mixed well. Add chopped walnuts.

Note: You can at this point add a little more milk in case you find the batter a little thick. The batter should be of pouring consistency like most cake batters.

6. Pour batter into a greased glass microwavable dish.

7. Place in microwave and bake for 10 to 11 minutes on High.

Serve cake warm or cold with chilled Vanilla Custard for a dessert version of this cake.

Eggless Wheat Sponge Cake

Ingredients
2 cups Wheat Flour
1 and 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
2 tbsp Milk powder
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
4-5 medium-sized chocolate chip cookies
1/2-1 tsp Baking Soda
1 and 1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup White Unsalted Butter (you can use regular yellow butter too if you don't mind the salt) 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 cup grated semi-sweet chocolate

Method
Take a bowl and mix half of the milk, butter and essence properly. Seive the wheat flour, sugar, milk powder,cocoa powder and baking soda. Now add this to the milk and butter mixture and beat properly in one direction. Whisk continuously for 5-7 mins till the mixture starts to fold and form peaks. If it's too thick, add the reamaining of the milk slowly while stirring till desired consistency is achieved. Take a microwaveable dish and grease it with oil or non-stick spray. Dust it with some flour and pour the mixture into it. Bake in the microwave oven for about 8 mins, or until done. You can test this by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake and see that it comes out clean. Remove from the microwave, let it cool for some time. Meanwhile, crush the cookies in a grinder. Then garnish the cake with the crushed chocolate chip cookies and the fresh shredded chocolate. You can also use dessicated coconut shavings. They go well with chocolate too.

Eggless Microwave Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
400 g sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup softened butter
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup sugar (if you would like a richer cake, halve the sugar and use 50g of melted plain chocolate)
150 ml soda water

Method
1. Grease a ROUND microwaveable cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and the sugar.
4. Add the condensed milk, melted chocolate (if using it) and vanilla essence and beat well to mix.
5. Add the dry ingredients (from step 2) and mix well together.
6. Slowly pour aerated soda into the mixture and mix in well.
7. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin.
8. Microwave on High for 4-5 mins (depending on the power of your microwave) and on Medium 4-5 mins (bake for on Medium for the same amount of time as you did in High).
9. Hold in dish for 2-4 after baking (MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS AS HOLDING IS VERY IMPORTANT BUT DO NOT LET IT REMAIN IN THE TIN FOR LONGER THAN THE HOLDING TIME).
10. Then, remove from the cake tin and place it on a wire rack to allow it to cool.
11. Decorate if desired before cutting into slices to serve.

Channa In Tomato And Curds

Ingredients
6 tomatoes firm, red
1 cup channa, soaked overnight
(pressurecooked, drained)
2 tbsp. channa dal
salt to taste
1 tsp. each ginger and garlic grated
1 green chilli finely chopped
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
1/2 tsp. amchoor (dried mango) powder
2-3 pinches clove-cinnamon masala

For garnishing:
1 cup fresh beaten curds
1 tbsp. coriander finely
chopped
1 tbsp. tamarind chutney
1 tsp. green chutney
1 onion finely chopped
1 tbsp. fine sev
cumin powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp. oil

Method
1. Snip off tomatoes from the base end, with a sharp horizontal stroke Snip off a similar but
smaller piece, from other end, to make it stand erect.
2. Carefully deseed, remove all juice, stand hollow tomatoes aside. Heat half tbsp. oil, add
gingergarlic, cored tomato juice and seeds.
3. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, add all masalas, Mix well, add channa, simmer till liquid is absorbed.
4. Fill tomatoes with this mixture, press down lightly. Bakein preheated oven or steam in colander for 2-3 minutes.
5. Place carefully in serving dish. Mix salt, cumin powder in curds. Pour curds over it, to cover tomatoes.
6. Drizzle both chutneys, chopped onion, sev and coriander for garnishing. Serve hot or cold. 7. Makes a lovely light evening meal accompaniment.

Stuffed Baby Potatoes

Ingredients
10 baby potatoes, about 4 cm in diameter

For the Filling
6 teaspoon corn, boiled and crushed
2 teaspoon thick curd or cream
1 teaspoon coriander leaves, chopped
2 mint leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
For the Topping
5 teaspoon grated cheese
a few small mint leaves

For the Red Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup tomato puree
salt, pepper and sugar to taste
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon red chili sauce
1 teaspoon tomato ketchup


Method
1. Thoroughly wash the baby potatoes and scoop out the centers with a knife, large enough
to hold at least one teaspoon of the filling.
2. Do not peel the potatoes.
3. Cover the potatoes and cook on microwave high for four minutes.
4. Stir them once in - between for even cooking. Stand for 10 minutes.
5. Mix all the ingredients for the filling and stuff the potatoes with it.
6. Arrange them on a greased baking dish.

To prepare the Red Sauce
1. Put all the ingredients in a small casserole and cook on microwave high for four minutes,
stir in-between.
2. Put a little sauce on each of the baby potatoes. Sprinkle cheese and arrange tiny mint
leaves over them. Microwave high for two minutes. Serve hot.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients
1 cup shredded fresh coconut
1/3 cup gram dal
1 tbsp. peanut peeled, crushed
4-5 green chillies
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
For seasoning:
1 tsp.oil
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
4-5 curry leaves finely chopped
1 pinch asafoetida


Method
1. Grind all the ingredients (except those for seasoning) together.
2. Use a stone hand/electric grinder or mini grinder or a mixie, in that order of preference.
3. Stone ground chutneys will always give a better flavour and texture.
4. Grind till smooth. Heat oil and add the seasoning ingredients.
5. Pour hot oil over the chutney.
6. Mix gently.
7. Serve fresh with dosas, idlis, upma, uthapams, vadas, etc.

Paneer Chunkies

Ingredients
Toss together:
1 cup paneer cubes (1/2"x1/2")
1/4 tsp. each garlic & ginger pastes
1/2 tsp. pepper powder
1/2 tsp. lemon juice.
salt to taste

Mix to a paste:
2 tbsp. corn flour
2 tbsp. plain flour
3 tbsp. water
salt to taste
oil to deep fry

Method
1. Marinate tossed paneer for 15 minutes.
2. Dip each cube in the batter.
3. Deep fry in hot oil till golden.
4. Serve hot with hot or cold soups

Wheat Payasam

Ingredients
broken wheat - 250 g
coconut - 2
jaggery - 500 g
raisins - 10 g
cashew nuts
nuts - 10 g
ghee - 3 tbs
cardamom - 5 g
dry ginger powder - 10 g
cumin powder - 10 g

Method
1. Grate the coconut. Add 1/2 glass warm water to the grated coconut.
2. Extract the first milk. Extract the second milk by adding 1 - 1/2 glass warm water.
3. Again repeat the process to extract the third milk.
4. Fry broken wheat lightly in one teaspoon ghee.
5. Cook the wheat well in 1 1/2 liters of water.
6. When it is done add the third milk and the second milk to the wheat and bring to a boil.
7. When it thickens to a semi solid consistency, add powdered jaggery.
8. Add the first milk, fried nut, raisins, powdered Cardamom, ginger and cumin.
9. Mix well and remove from fire immediately. Serve hot.

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients
1/2 cup maida
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup walnuts.

Method
1. Sift maida, cocoa and baking powder together.
2. Melt butter and add. Mix well.
3. Lightly beat eggs and add. Mix in the vanilla essence.
4. Lastly add the chocolate chips and finely chopped walnuts.
5. Pour into a greased microwavable baking tray and microwave on high for 4 mins.
6. Can be served hot with vanilla icecream or drizzled with kahlua.

Chinese Style Noodle

Ingredients
150 gm egg noodle
150 gm boneless chicken meat
1/2 a fish cake (sliced thinly)(optional)
5 fish balls(halved)
100 gm prawns(with or without shells)
2 cloves garlic(minced)
Seasoning:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
2-3 tbsp thick soya sauce
1 cup chicken stock or plain water, salt, sugar
1 tsp cornflour (mix with 3 tbsp water)

Method
1. Heat 3 tbsp oil .Stir fry garlic until light brown.
2. Add in chicken meat, prawns ,fish cake and fish balls Stir fry until meat cooks.
3. Add noodles and all the seasoning except the cornflour mixture. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Thicken the noodle gravy by adding cornflour mixture
5. Stir one or two time and close the fire.
6. Dish out. Serve hot.

Aamiri Khaman From Idlis

Ingredients
cold steamed idlis
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. sugar powdered
1/2 tsp. each cumin & mustard seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1 stalk curry leaves
1/2'" piece ginger grated
1 green chilli finely chopped
salt to taste
1 tbsp. oil

Other ingredients:
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tbsp. green all purpose chutney
2-3 tbsp.sweet tamarind chutney
1/2 cup fine sev (optional)

Method
1. Warm idlis slightly over boiling water in a colander. Pass idli through large holed sieve, till
it looks like bread crumbs.
2. Add salt,sugar, keep aside. Heat oil in small pan, add seeds, allow to splutter. Add curry
leaves, asafoetida, chilli, ginger.
3. Pour over idli crumbs, add to sieved idli. Toss gently with hands, till well mixed.