Nacho Chips

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Maize Flour
• 1/4 Cup Maida
• 1 Tspn Chilli Flakes (optional)
• 1 Tspn Carom Seeds
• 1 Tspn Dried Parsely (optional)
• 1 Tspn Dried Oregano (optional)
• Salt, as per taste
• Lukewarm Water
• Oil

METHOD

• Combine the maize flour, maida, carom seeds, oregano, parsely , chilli flakes, salt and 1 tspn oil. Make a soft dough out of it, using lukewarm water.
• Pinch out small balls off the dough and roll it out like a chapati. Prick it with a fork (as it should not puff up).
• Cut into diagonal or any desired chips shape.
• Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.
• And, now enjoy with your favorite dip or proceed to make yourself a yummy plate of nachos !
• Can be stored in an airtight container for future munching session too.

Khiri / Kheer / Rice Payas

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Lts Whole Milk
• 1 Tbspn Basmati Rice, soaked
• 5-6 Tbspn Sugar or as per taste
• Ghee, for cooking
• 10-12 Green Cardamom
• 1 Tbspn Cashew Nuts
• 1 Tbspn Raisin
• 1 Bay Leaf

METHOD

• Heat a pressure cooker and add 2 tbspn of ghee. Add the bay leaf and crushed cardamom. Drain excess water from the rice and add. Add a spoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt. Fry for a couple of minutes.The caramelizing sugar shall impart colour to the khiri. 
• Add a cup of water and close the lid. Cook for approximately 3-4 whistles (till the rice is soft).
• After the steam escapes, open the lid and give the contents a stir. Add all the milk. Mix well. Bring o a boil. Then lower the flame and cook till the contents have reduced to its half.Keep stirring occasionally to avoid contents getting burnt/stuck at the base. Also, keep scraping the milk depositing on the sides and add it back.
• Add sugar. Mix well. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. 
• Shallow fry the cashew and raisin in ghee, and add. Mix and switch off flame.
• Khiri, one of the dishes which goes well hot as well as cold. Serve as you desire !!

Panchmel Dal or Panchratna Dal

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 Cup Toor Dal/ Arhar Dal
• 1/4 Cup Chana Dal
• 1/4 Cup Moong Dal
• 1/4 Cup Masoor Dal
• 1/4 Cup Urad Dal
• 1 Medium Onion, sliced thinnly
• 1 Tspn Ginger Paste
• 2 Medium Tomato, Pureed
• 2-3 Green Chillies or as per taste, slit vertically
• 1 Tspn Garam Masala
• 1 Tspn Coriander Powder
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1" Cinnamon stick
• 2-3 Cardamom
• 2-3 Cloves
• 1 Dry Red Chilli
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste
• Ghee for cooking
• A pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing
• 1 Tspn Sugar or Jaggery
• 1 Tspn Lemon Juice
• Red Chilli Powder, as per taste
• 2-3 Sprigs of Coriander Leaves

 METHOD

• Soak all the lentils in water for at least 30 minutes. Pressure it with salt and turmeric, till it is soft and mushy.
• Heat a pan and add ghee.
• Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and dry red chilli. As they crackle, add hing and sliced onions. Fry them till they are well cooked, after which add the ginger paste and green chillies. Saute for a minute. Add the tomato puree, salt and turmeric. Fry till tomatoes are soft.
• Add in the previously boiled lentils. Mix well. Add water if it becomes thick. Bring to a boil. Add garam masala and coriander powder.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• ....and yummy panchmel dal is ready to be served. Garnish with coriander leaves. Sprinkle lemon juice as per taste.

Potala Kasa/ Parwal Curry

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-9 Potala (Parwal/ Pointed Gourd), skin scraped
• 1 Medium Sized Onion, chopped finely
• 1 Tbspn Ginger Garlic paste
• 1 Medium Sized Tomato, pureed
• 1 Tbspn Garam Masala
• 1" Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• Chilli Powder as per taste
• 1 Tbspn Coconut Milk
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste   

METHOD:

• Slit the potala vertically at the two pointed edges. The cuts should go through only till 1/4 of each end, so that the potala remains in one piece. Deep fry the potalas till well-cooked.
• In a pan over medium flame, add oil followed by cumin seeds and cinnamon stick.
• As the cumin seeds turn brown, add onion. Saute till properly cooked.
• Then add ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell disappears. Add the tomato puree, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Sauté till oil oozes out from masala.
• Add coconut milk, chilli powder and garam masala. Mix well. Add a tbspn of water, if the mixture gets too dry.
• Add the potala's and mi well, so that each potala is well coated with the masala. Simmer for about 10 minutes before switching off flame.

Vegetable Navratan Korma

INGREDIENTS

Vegetables

• 1 Medium Carrot, peeled and chopped
• 5-6 French Beans, chopped
• 1 Cup Green Peas
• 1 Medium Potato, cubed
• 1/2 Cup Cauliflower Florets 
• 3-4 Baby Corns, chopped

• 100gm Paneer, cubed

Fruit (Optional)

• 1/2 Cup Pineapple, cubed
• Pomegranate 
• 15-20 Raisins, slightly fried
• 15-20 Cashew Nuts, slightly fried

For the Gravy

• 2 Medium Onion, cubed
• 1 Tbspn Ginger Garlic Paste
• 2-3 Green Chillies, or as per taste
• 1/2 Cup Curd
• 1/2 Cup Cream
• 1/2 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste
• 1 Tbspn Cashew Nuts
• Chilli Powder, as per taste
• 1 Tbspn Poppy Seeds
• 3-4 Green Cardamom
• 1 Black Cardamom
• 3-4 Cloves
• 1" Cinnamon stick
• A pinch of Mace
• 1 Tspn Shahi Jeera
• 1-2 Bay Leaf
• 1 Tspn Pepper Powder
• 1 Tspn Coriander Powder

For the Garnish

• 1 Sprig Coriander Leaves
• A pinch of Saffron
• Ginger, julienned strands

METHOD

• Boil onions and cashew nuts in water, till onions are soft. Let it cool. Then blend the onions and cashew with the poppy seeds to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
• Shallow fry the paneer. Keep aside.
• Boil potatoes, beans, carrots, cauliflower florets and green peas (all the assorted vegetables of your choice). Add salt to the water in which the vegetables boil. Preferably boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker, but use an open container to boil the other veggies. Add the beans, carrots and peas. Add the cauliflower and baby corns later, as they take very less time to boil. Strain the boiled veggies. Keep aside. Keep the broth too for adding later.
• Heat a pan and add ghee. Add the shahi jeera, bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, mace and cinnamon. Saute till they crackle.
• Add the ginger and garlic paste and chopped green chillies. Fry a minute.Then add the cashew onion blend, salt, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder. Saute on a low flame till oil starts separating. Add curd.
• Now add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Add all the vegetables, fruits, paneer, dry fruits, cream and pepper powder. Mix well and simmer for around 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle mace and switch off flame.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves, saffron and julienned strands of ginger.

Baigan Bharta

Ahh! The quintessential soul-food... Baigan Bharta.
Be it a hot summer afternoon or a cold winter night, this roasted side dish of brinjal is the perfect accompaniment to any rice/ roti meal.

Prick, roast, peel. Onions, mustard oil, salt and green chilly. Mash together and its raw yet yummy version is ready. Else, work up the onions, salt and green chilly in hot mustard oil in a pan. Cook the roasted brinjal in this spice mix. 
Either ways, baigan bharta turns out tasty with an added roasted flavor. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Large Eggplant/ Brinjal/ Baigan
• 1 Medium Onion, sliced
• 1 Medium Tomato, sliced
• 1 Tspn Garlic, chopped
• 1 Dry Red Chilli
• 1 Tspn Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Green Chilli, Chopped finely
• A pinch of Hing/ Asafoetida
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste
• 1 Sprig Coriander Leaves

 METHOD

• Roast the brinjal on an open flame. Turn it every 2-3 minutes. Roast till the brinjal is tender. Can be checked with the help of a knife. Let it cool.
• Peel off the charred skin from the roasted brinjal. Cut off the stalk too. Mash the tender brinjal and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil. Add the red chilly, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they crackle add the hing, chopped onion, garlic and green chilly. Add salt. Fry till onion becomes translucent.
• Add tomatoes and turmeric powder. Saute till tomato is cooked and pulpy.
• Add the previously roasted and mashed brinjal. Mix well. Cook for another 5-6 minutes.
• Baigan bharta is all-ready to be devoured.
• Garnish with a couple of coriander leaves.

Banana Kebab / Banana Cutlet

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 Raw Bananas
• 5 Tbspn Flattened Rice/Poha
• 3 Tbspn Bread Crumbs
• 1-2 Green Chillies or as per taste , chopped finely
• 1 Tbspn Lemon Juice
• 1 Tbspn Chat Masala
• 1 Tspn Cumin Powder
• 1 Tbspn Roasted Peanuts, coarsely ground
• 1 Tbspn Roasted Sesame Seeds
• Chilli Powder, as per taste
• 3 Tbspn Coriander Leaves, chopped finely
• Salt as per taste

METHOD

• Rinse the flattened rice and soak.
• Pressure cook the banana till soft. After it cools down, peel the skin off and mash it.
• Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl. Drain excess water from the flattened rice and add. Mix well. 
• Pinch out portions of the mixture and using your palms, give them desired shape. For a crisper cutlet, they raw cutlets can be further rolled in bread crumbs.
• Heat a flat pan or tawa. Add some oil and shallow fry till each side turns golden brown.
• Enjoy your yum yum yummy banana cutlets with ketchup or green chutney.