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.