Veg Kadai with Sesame

the veggies...!

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable Mix

• 50gms Potato, cut into cubes
• 50gms Carrot, sliced
• 50gms Green Peas
• 50gms Beans, sliced
• 50gms Capsicum, cut into cubes
• 50gms Paneer, cut into cubes
• 50gms Onion, cut into cubes

For the Ground Masala

• 2-3 Dry Red Chillies, or as per taste
• 1 Tspn Black Pepper Corns
• Whole Garam Masala (1-2 of each kind)
• 1 Tspn Corainder Seeds
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tbspn Sesame Seeds



the roasted dry mix ...!




• 1 Tspn Kasuri Methi

• Oil, for cooking
• 1 Medium Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbspn Ginger Garlic paste
• 1 Tspn Turmeric
• 1 Medium Tomato, pureed
• 1 Green Chilly, or as per taste
• 1 Tspn Sugar
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

Boil the beans, carrots, peas and potato in water till they are cooked. Keep aside.
Heat a pan and add the dry chillies, black peppercorns, whole garam masala, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and sesame seeds. Dry roast them on a slow flame. Then add the kasuri methi and roast for another minute. Blend all the dry roasted ingredients to a coarse powder. Keep aside.

the coarsely ground mix...!

Add oil to the now empty pan and add the sliced onions. Cook till onions caramerlize.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till raw flavour vanishes. To this, add the coarsely ground masala. Save about a tspn for garnishing.
Add the salt, sugar, tumeric, green chillies and tomato puree. Mix well and cover with a lid. Stir occasionally and cook till oil starts oozing. Add the raw capsicum and onion cubes. Cook for a couple of minutes.
Add a cup of water. Add the rest of the vegetables and paneer. Mix well and simmer for another 5-6 minutes.
Sprinkle some of the leftover dry ground masala and chopped coriander leaves.
Goes very well with roti's and plain rice.

Besan Curry

INGREDIENTS

• 200gm Besan/ Gram Flour
• 1/2 Tspn Baking Powder (optional)
• 1 Medium Onion, sliced finely
• 1 Tbspn Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 Medium Tomato, pureed
• 1 Potato, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 Green Chilli, or as per taste
• 1 Tbspn Garam Masala
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• 1 Tspn Sugar
• 1 Dry Red Chilli
• 1Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1" Cinnamon stick 
• 1 Bay Leaf (optional)
• Salt, as per taste

 METHOD

• In a pan, preferably non-stick, heat 200ml water. Let it come to a boil and add 1 tspn of salt, a pinch of turmeric, a pinch of baking powder. Lower the flame.
• Add the besan little by little with one hand, while stirring with the other.
• Keep stirring till the water evaporates leaving a soft dough like consistency. Turn off the flame and let the dough cool for a little while.
• Knead the dough for a couple of times to ensure no lumps. Pinch out balls and roll into 1cm thick layer. With the help of a blunt knife, cut into 1" square pieces. Alternatively, they can be cut into any desired shape like rhombus too. Also, individual small balls could be made.
• Deep fry these pieces in hot oil, over a medium flame. Drain and keep aside on a paper towel.

• Boil the potatoes. Keep aside.

• In another pan, heat some oil. Add the dry red chilly and cumin seeds. Then add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Saute for a minute.
• Add the onion slices and saute for till onions caramelize. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell disappears. Add tomato puree, turmeric, sugar and salt. Saute till oil starts oozing from the masala.
• Add the previously boiled potato. Mix well and cook it in the masala for a couple of minutes.
• Add a cup of water. Bring to boil and add the garam masala. Add the fried besan pieces.
• The besan pieces tend to absorb water from the gravy, leaving the curry dry. Hence, add water a little more water. Simmer for another 5-6 minutes.Switch off flame.
• Goes very well with steamed rice.

Baby Corn Sesame Seed Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS

• 200gm Baby Corn, cut length-wise
• 1 Stalk, Spring Onion, chopped finely
• 1 Tspn Tomato Ketchup
• 1 Tspn Vinegar
• 1 Tspn Soya Sauce
• 1 Tspn Garlic, chopped finely
• 1/2 Tspn Sugar
• 1 Tspn Spring Onions, chopped finely

 For The Batter

• 1 Tbspn Maida/ All purpose flour
• 1 Tspn Cornflour
• 2 Tbspn Sesame Seeds
• 1 Tspn Ginger Garlic Paste
• Salt, as per taste 

METHOD

• Make a thick batter using all the batter ingredients except the sesame seeds. Let it rest for a couple of minutes.
• Add the baby corn and mix well, so as to coat each one well. Then sprinkle the sesame seeds. Mix again.
• Heat oil and fry the coated baby-corns until half done. Drain them out and let them rest.

• Re-fry them to get the 'wanted' crispiness just before making the below gravy.
• In a pan, add 2 tbspn of oil. Heat it and add the finely chopped garlic. When garlic is almost cooked, add the tomato ketchup, vinegar, salt, sugar and soya sauce. Saute for a minute.
• Add the re-fried baby-corns and toss well. Switch off flame.
• Garnish with finely chopped spring onions and serve hot.
• Happy Eating !!

Cold Coffee

Not a big fan of hot beverages, I usually am a tad bit partial towards their colder relatives. And, the best part is they usually tend to appease one and all age groups.


The caffeine itself in this beverage sure never fails to give me the high when I most need it - hence, a big fan of cold coffee.

Less time consuming and easy to prepare !!

 INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Whole Milk, Chilled
• Chocolate Ice-cream
• Sugar, as per taste
• 1 Tbspn Instant Coffee Powder
• Cocoa Powder (optional)
• Chocolate Sprinkles (optional)
• Chocolate Syrup (optional)

METHOD

• Blend the milk, coffee powder, sugar and 2 scoops of chocolate ice-cream till ample amount of froth appears.
• Pour into a tall glass and load up with a scoop of ice-cream.
• Can be further decorated with chocolate syrup and a dusting of cocoa powder/ chocolate sprinkles.
• Serving suggestions - serve immediately. But sip slowly :P , enjoying each gulp of this delightful and creamy beverage !!

Tips : 

• Before pouring the milk-coffee blend, drizzle some chocolate syrup along the sides of the serving glass for a more appeasing look.
• For the calorie conscious, omit the ice-cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles and cocoa powder. 
• Blend a little longer for more froth.
• Serve immediately, for the froth waits for no one - dissolves quite soon.

Drizzle chocolate syrup along the sides of the serving glass.

Blend the milk, 2 scoops of ice cream, instant coffee, sugar. Pour it into the serving glass.

One more scoop of ice-cream, a dash of cocoa powder and....

.... it's time to Relish !!

Punjabi Kadhi

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Large Potato
• 1 Large Onion
• 2-3 Green Chillies or as per taste
• 2-3 Sprigs of Curry Leaf
• 1 Tspn Coriander Seeds, crushed
• 1 Tspn Ajwain Seeds
• 1 Tspn Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• Chilli Powder, as per taste
• 1 Cup Sour Curd
• 1 Cup Besan/ Gram Flour
• Pinch of hing/ asafoetida
• 2 Tspn Ghee
• 1 Dry Red Chilli

METHOD

• Cut the potato and onion, into small pieces. Put them into a mixing bowl, along with some curry leaves, minced green chillies, ajwain, crushed coriander, salt as per taste and turmeric.
• Sprinkle besan generously and mix well. For moisture, add curd accordingly. The consistency should be much thicker than dosa batter, for it has to be deep fried like a pakoda or fritters.
• Heat oil and deep fry small portions of the mixture, dropping preferably 1” diameter balls, one by one into the hot oil. Fry on medium flame.
• Once all the pakoda’s are deep fried, keep aside on a paper towel to drain out excess oil.
• Take a small bowl and add 2-3 tbspns of besan. Add water to this and make a smooth paste.
• In another larger container, pour this solution along with the rest of the curd and water to make an almost watery solution. Keep aside.
• Heat a pan, add ghee. When ghee gets heated up, add the mustard seeds and dry red chilli. Cumin seeds are to be added next, after the mustard seeds start crackling. Add hing, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and curry leaves. Saute for around 30 seconds.
• Pour the besan and curd solution. Let it come to a boil, then let it simmer. Keep stirring, lest it gets stuck to the bottom. Frothing shall be observed when this mixture is being cooked. This froth disappears after a while, indicating that the besan is now cooked.
• Add the previously fried pakoda’s and simmer for another 5-6 minutes.
• Yummylicious kadhi pakoda awaits you !!

Lemon Rice

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups Cooked Rice (should be fluffy)
• 1 Dry Red Chilli
• 1 Tspn Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tbspn Groundnuts
• 1 Tbspn Cashew nuts
• 1 Tspn Channa dal
• 1 Tspn Urad dal
• 1 Sprig of Curry Leaves
• Pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
• 1 Green Chilli, chopped finely
• Juice of 1 Lemon

METHOD

• In a pan, add oil. When the oil is hot, add dry red chilli and mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds crackle, add cumin seeds.
• Then add channa dal and peanuts. Saute for about a minute.
• Add cashewnuts and urad dal. Do not let any of the ingredients burn.
• Add hing, green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric and salt. Saute for around a minute.
• Switch off flame and add the lemon juice. Mix well.
• Once it is well mixed, add the rice and stir carefully so as not to break the grains of rice. Mix well till each grain of rice is well coated.
• Hot and yummy lemon rice is ready to be served !!

Oats Dosa

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Oats, Coarsely Blend
• 1 Cup Sooji Rawa
• 1 Cup Cut Vegetables – Tomatoes, Capsicum, Onion
• 1-2 Sprigs of Coriander, chopped finely
• 1 Minced Green Chilly
• 2 Tbspns Whipped Curd
• Pinch of Ajwain
• Salt as per taste
• 1 Tspn Turmeric

METHOD

• With a help of a blender, grind the oats coarsely.
• In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and mix well. Add water to make a dosa batter like consistency. Keep aside for around 15 minutes.
• The oats and semolina tend to absorb water from the mixture. Hence, if necessary add a little water to the batter.
• Heat a tawa, coat it with little oil and spread the batter thinly, enough for a dosa. Cook till one side is done. Then flip and cook other side till golden brown.
• Relish it hot with tomato ketchup.