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
  

Dal Bukhara (Kali Dal)

Serves Twelve

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup black urad dal
  
• Half cup rajma
  
• Half cup chana dal
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• Half cup ginger/garlic paste
• Half teaspoon turmeric powder
• Three teaspoon coriander powder
• Two teaspoon chilli powder
• Two cups thick tomato puree
• One teaspoon garam masala
• Two tablespoon dried methi leaves
  
• One tablespoon oil
  
• One stick butter (or alter to suit diet :))
• One cup half and half cream (or yogurt for the healthier alternative)
• Salt to taste

Preparation

• Soak all the dal/lentils in water overnight.
• Pressure cook the dal mixture in little water for 15-20 min.

How to

• In a deep non-stick pot, crackle the cumin seeds in oil.
• Add the ginger/garlic paste and turmeric and saute for 5-10 min stirring frequently
  
• Add the tomato puree, salt, chilli and coriander powder and saute for 20 min on a medium flame, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is a thick paste.
• Add the butter to the pot and cook for 5 min
• Mix in the dal, garam masala, methi leaves and 3 cups of water to the pot. Reduce flame to avoid spatter and let the mixture cook for at least 30 min. The longer you let the mixture cook, the better the end result!
  
• Stir in the cream and cook for 10 more minutes.
• Bonus points - transfer the dish to a slow cooker at least 3-4 hours before serving and enjoy the compliments :)

Serving Suggestion

• Best with hot rotis/naan.

Torta di Spinach

Courtesy Lauren Veisz

Ingredients

• 1 pk. chopped spinach, cooked and drained
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• small container of ricotta
• 2 eggs

How To

1. Combine all the ingredients mentioned and place in a pie crust, top and bottom.
2. Place in oven at 475 for 10 min., 325 for 1/2 hour or until golden brown