Mixed Vegetable Masala

Serves four

Ingredients

• Mix Vegetables : Cauliflower, Potato, Beans, Carrots, Capsicum, Mushroom, Peas - chopped to medium sized pieces
• Wet Ground Masala 

• One large Onion
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 inch ginger piece
• 10 cloves garlic

• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 4 tablespoon Oil
• Dried Fenugreek leaves

How to :

1. Puree all contents under Wet Ground Masala in a blender. 
2. In a frying pan put two table spoon oil and heat. 
3. Saute all the vegetables for 5 minutes. 
4. In a non stick pan put 2 table spoon oil and heat.
5. Pour the pureed contents into the hot oil and saute for 20 minutes or more on medium flame, stirring frequently till the oil starts to separate out in the pan. 
6. Add the salt, turmeric and chili powder and cook for 10 more minutes. Sprinkle water when needed to make sure that the spices don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
   
7. Add the dried fenugreek, sauteed vegetables and 500 ml water to the pan. 
8. Boil for 10 minutes till the gravy thickens.
   

Serving Suggestion
 

Best eaten with Roti or Parathas

Malai Kofta

Ingredients

For Koftas

• Paneer - 250 gms
• 4 medium sized potatoes - boiled
• 2 table spoon cornflour
• Broken cashew pieces
  
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper 1/4 tsp
• Oil to deep fry

For Gravy

• 3 medium sized onions - boiled and pureed 
• 4 tablespoon ginger/garlic paste
• 4 cups tomato puree
• 2 tablespoom Kasuri Methi
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric - half tsp
• Corrander pwdr - 1 tsp
• Cumin pwdr - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli pwdr - 1 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1 tsp
• Oil to cook - 2 tbsps
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Method

Kofta : 

1. Grate the paneer finely and mash it together with the boiled potatoes. 
2. Add the cornflour and make a smooth mix with no lumps.
3. Add the salt and pepper to and mix the dough
4. Make small balls of this dough and put a small piece of cashew in the center.
5. Deep fry these paneer balls till golden brown.

Gravy : 

1. In a  non-stick deep pan put 2 tablespoons of oil and heat
2. Pour the pureed onion and cook on medium flame till the moisture is gone and starts to turn light brown
3. Add the ground ginger-garlic and fry for another 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the tomato puree and fry for 10 more minutes stirring occasionally
5. Now add the all the powdered spices and Kasuri Methi and fry for 5 more minutes.
6. Add 2 cups of water and boil for 15 minutes
7. Stir in the cream and cook for 5 more minutes on a medium flame.
8. Drop the koftas when u r ready to serve.

Pecan Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 
• Handful of pecans/walnuts
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). 
2. Mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. 
3. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. 
4. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. 
5. Mix in the flour and pecans (save a few for step 7). 
6. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. 
7. Sprinkle a few more pecans on the top.
8. Bake for 1 hour rotating once in between after half an hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Baigan (Eggplant) Chakka

Courtesy Anjana Kumar (aka Mommy)


Serves four

Ingredients

• 2  Chinese Eggplants
  
• Spice mix
  
• 2 table spoons ginger garlic paste
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
  
• 1 tsp red chili powder
  
• 1 tsp cumin powder 
• 1 tsp coriander powder 
• 1 tsp Aamchur powder or 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1 tsp asafoetida powder
  
• 2 tablespoons oil
  

How to :

1. Mix all contents under Spice mix in a bowl and add 2 tablespoon  water to make a thick paste. 
2. Cut the eggplants into 1-2 inches thick circular wheels 
3. Fork the eggplant slices or poke with tooth pick.
   
4. Drizzle oil generously in a non-stick shallow pan and heat.
   
5. Dip the eggplant slices in the spice mix and coat on both sides. 
6. Place the slices on the heated pan surface in a single layer with enough space to ease flipping. If all the slices do not fit on the pan, cook in batches.
   
Cover the pan and cook on reduced flame for 10 minutes till one side is reddish brown. 
8. Drizzle oil on top of eggplant slices before flipping over.
9. Repeat step 7. Before removing the eggplants from the pan you can cook uncovered to remove excess water if any.

Tip:


You can cut thick slices of onions, potatoes or green peppers and dip in any leftover spice mix and saute in the same pan to serve with the eggplants.


Serving Suggestion
 

• Best eaten with Roti or Parathas

Lauki Raita

Serves Six

Ingredients

• 1 small lauki/doodhi (Image)
  
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  
• Salt to Taste
  
• 1 tea spoon dry roasted cumin powder
  
• two pinches crushed black pepper
  
• 2 green chillies - chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon oil 
• 2 cups beaten yogurt

How to :

1. Chop the lauki/doodhi very finely or alternatively thick grate it.
   
2. In a non-stick deep pot - add the oil and let the cumin and mustard seeds sputter.
   
3. Add the chopped lauki, salt, pepper and cumin powder and cover on low flame for 15 minutes till the lauki is soft or mushy.
Remove from fire and let it cool. 
5. Add the lauki into the beaten yogurt and mix well. Keep refrigerated.
   

Serving Suggestion :

Serve with stuffed parathas, naan, or just as accompaniment to any meal

Cracked Wheat (Daliya) Upma

Serves Two

Ingredients

• Curry leaves
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  
• Potato - 1 medium, chopped into small pieces
  
• 1 big Onion - chopped
  
• 1 big Tomato - chopped
  
• 3 green chillies - chopped finely
• 1/2 cup peas
• Small piece of ginger chopped finely
  
• Oil
• Salt to taste
  
• Pinch of black pepper
  
• 1 and 1/2 cup cracked wheat -dry roasted five minutes till it turns reddish
  
• 3 cups hot water
  
• 20 Peanuts - roasted and crushed coarsely
  
• 1/2 cup chopped Coriander
  

How to :

1. In a non-stick deep pot - add the oil and let the cumin, mustard oil and curry leaves sputter.
   
2. Add the potatoes and cook till the potatoes are golden red.
   
3. Add the chopped onions and ginger now and cook and cover till the potatoes are soft and onions are translucent.
   
4. Now add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies, peas and salt and cook covered for 5 minutes till the tomatoes are mushy.
   
5. Add the pepper powder and cook for two more minutes.
   
6. Add the roasted wheat to this and stir it in with the rest of the ingredients.
   
7. Now add the hot water and mix the contents.
8. Cook covered on a medium to low flame for 15 minutes, stirring once in a while
   
9. Now add the crushed peanuts and coriander and mix.
   
10. Cook till it is slightly dry.

Serving Suggestion
 

• Best served with green coriander or garlic chutney

Quick Indian Tomato Soup

Serves Six medium cups

Ingredients

• 1 can Campbell Tomato Soup
• 1 can water
  
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon kalaunji seeds
  
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 stick butter
  
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
  
• 2 pinches of coarse ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
  

How To

1. Melt butter in a nonstick pan and crackle all the different seeds.
2. Add the turmeric, salt, black pepper and chilli powder and saute for 15 seconds.
3. Add the soup and water and bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally.
   
4. Add the coriander leaves before serving

Serving Suggestion

• Serve with mini croutons and thick cream