ALOO KI SUBZI
This recipe is especially for my sweetheart, Mum.. :)
An easy way to cook potatoes which can be served with chapatis as well as with dal- chawal !!
Also the best part about this subzi is that it is cooked without water hence it can be taken for the train journeys..:) :)
Ingredients:

• Potatoes- 4 large
• Finely chopped green chillies- 2
• Grated ginger- 1" piece
• Fresh coriander leaves- 3 tbsp
• Oil- 3 tbsp
• Cumin and Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder- 1 tbsp or as per taste
• Coriander powder- 1/2 tbsp
• Garam masala powder- 1/2 tbsp
• Amchur powder- 1/2 tbsp
• Sugar- 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Peel the raw potatoes, wash and cut into wedges and then into small pieces.
• Heat oil in a kadhai, add the cumin and mustard seeds.
• Once they crackle, add the chopped green chillies and ginger.
• Saute for 2 mins, add the chopped raw potatoes and turmeric powder.
• Saute every 5-7 minutes for 20-25 minutes till the potatoes are almost done.
• Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt and sugar and mix for another 3-4 minutes.(At this point if the subzi looks too dry, another tbsp of oil can be added)
• Then, add the garam masala powder, amchur powder and coriander leaves and mix well.
• Serve hot, garnished with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

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BADAM KA HALWA
An all time favourite of my husband as well as me.. and probably of loads of others..!! :)
This sweet is very good for health during winters!!
Ingredients:

• Almonds/Badam- 1/2 kg
• Milk- 1/2 kg
• Sugar- 400 gms
• Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
• Ghee- 300 gm
• Saffron- 6 strands (optional)

Method:

• Soak the almonds overnight, next morning drain and remove the skin of the almonds.
• Puree the almonds with little milk into a smooth paste using a mixer.
• Heat ghee in a non stick kadhai and add the almond puree.
• Cook over low flame and keep stirring for 25 minutes till it turns light brown.
• Add the milk and saute for another 15-20 minutes.
• Add the sugar, cardamom powder and saffron till the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly.
• Serve hot, garnished with almond pieces or silver foil.

Note- This halwa can be cooled and kept in the refrigerator for upto one month in an air tight container. Then it can be microwaved every time you want to eat.. :)

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STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
I really dont remember but had seen this recipe on some tv show!!
Serves ?????
I can eat it all alone.. :P
Ingredients:

• Fresh strawberries- 250 gms
• Glucose biscuits- 200 gms
• Melted butter- 3 tbsp
• Greek yoghurt- 1 cup
• Sugar- 3/4 cup
• Heavy fresh cream- 1 cup
• Gelatin- 1 tbsp
• Water- 4 tbsp

Method:

• Finely grind the biscuits in a mixer and mix in the melted butter.
• Line the base of a bowl(in which cheesecake is to be set) with butter and layer the biscuit mixture on it.
• Pat till it becomes smooth and evenly spread.
• Put it in the freezer to set for half an hour.
• Puree the strawberry and sugar together using a blender.
• Add Greek yoghurt and fresh cream and blend again to make a smooth puree. Keep aside.
• Heat 4 tbsp of water in a double boiler and then mix gelatine and stir vigorously till it gets dissolved and no lumps are formed.
• Then, pour the gelatine drop by drop into the strawberry puree, stirring constantly.
• Now pour the strawberry mixture on the set biscuit base.
• Cover and put in the refrigerator to set overnight.
• Garnish with sliced strawberries and serve chilled.

Note: A little melted chocolate can be mixed while making the biscuit base for the chocolate maniacs.. :P

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MEXICAN PARATHA
This is my sister in law's all time favourite dish and now being in Bangalore, whenever i make this, i seriously miss her.. :(
Since the ingredients are readily available, it can be made for guests who come at a very short notice!!
Ingredients:
For the dough-

• Plain flour- 1 cup
• Oil- 1 tbsp
• Warm water for kneading
• Salt- 1/2 tsp

For the stuffing- 

• Finely chopped tomatoes- 1/2 cup
• Finely chopped onions- 1 cup
• Finely chopped coriander leaves- 2 tbsp
• Finely chopped green chillies- 1
• Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper- 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil/Ghee/Unsalted butter to cook the parathas

Method:

• Make a soft dough, cover and keep aside for half an hour.
• For the stuffing, mix the ingredients together and keep aside.
• Roll out a 3" diameter paratha with the dough and put the filling in the centre of the paratha.
• Bring the corners of the paratha together and seal it with a little water.
• Dust it with plain flour and lightly roll the parathas into 5" diameter parathas.
• Cook on a hot and greased tawa(gridle) using oil/ghee/butter until golden brown on both the sides.
• Garnish with a cube of butter and serve immediately with tomato ketchup or coriander chutney.

Note: Instead of making a single paratha and stuffing and re rolling it, two very thin rotis can be made. The stuffing can be spread lightly onto one of the rotis and the other roti can be covered on it. The sides of the rotis can be sealed together using a little water.And then this can be cooked as above.
To make the dish healthy, instead of making the dough with plain flour(maida) completely, wheat flour(gehun ka atta) and plain flour can be mixed in equal proportion.

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MINTY JALAPENO LEMONADE
I was cleaning my fridge compartments and found a single jalapeno left in the can and just made a lemonade thinking about the peppery jalapeno and the mint combination and indeed it came out to be neat!!
It was so yum that i gulped down the whole glass and forgot to click a snap.. :P
And now i m out of jalapenos.. well next time will upload the pic..!!
Makes 1 glass
Ingredients:

• Lime juice- 1 tbsp
• Castor sugar- 1 tbsp
• Fresh mint leaves- 5
• Water- 1 glass
• Fresh jalapeno- 1
• Pinch of black salt

Method:

• In a glass of water, stir the lime juice, black salt and sugar.
• Chop the mint leaves and jalapeno finely and mix it with the water.
• Keep refrigerated for 2 hours atleast so that the jalapeno releases its flavour.
• Serve chilled.

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JODHPURI PYAAZ KI KACHORI
Its mahasaptami today, if i were in Calcutta, i wouldve been getting ready for the day like a typical bengali.. But being in Bangalore has just made this day so dull.. Hence today morning thought of making something nice and spicy which could uplift my mood.. This dish is a speciality of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, the land of sand, camels, colours and great people.. Though i havent spent much time in Rajasthan but i very well know about this dish.. With the coming festive season, thought to share this great delicacy with you!! Though this recipe is taken from some other website but i have made some alterations as per my taste..:)
Makes 6 kachoris
Ingredients:
For the outer crust-

• Plain flour- 1 cup
• Melted ghee- 1/4 cup
• Salt- 1/2 tsp

For the yummy onion filling-

• Finely chopped onions- 1 cup
• Fennel seeds(saunf in hindi)- 1 tsp
• Nigelle seeds(kalonji in hindi)- 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Bayleaf(tejpatta in hindi)- 1
• Finely chopped green chillies- 1
• Bengal gram flour(besan in hindi)- 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder- 2 tsp
• Red chilli powder- 2 tsp
• Garam masala- 1 tsp
• Chopped corriander leaves- 3 tbsp
• Oil- 1 tbsp
• Sugar- 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method:
For the outer crust-

• Combine all the ingredients and make a semi soft dough using warm water.
• Keep kneading for 8-10 mins making sure no lumps remain.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll them into a ball.
• Cover it with a dampened muslin cloth and keep aside.

For the onion filling-

• Heat oil in a pan. Add coriander seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, green chillies, bayleaf and onions and saute till the onions become translucent.
• Add the bengal gram flour, coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, sugar and salt and saute for another 4-5 minutes on low flame.
• Remove the bayleaf and add the coriander leaves and mix well.
• Let the mixture cool completely and divide into 6 equal portions.

Then,

• Roll out each dough ball into a circle(using a little plain flour and not wheat flour) into 2" diameter cicle.
• Put one onion portion in the centre of the rolled dough circle.
• Bring the ends together amd seal the ends tightly, using a little water.
• Dab some flour again and lightly roll the filled dough into a 2" diameter circle.(make sure its done lightly else the filling would come out).
• Gently press the centre of the kachori with the thumb so that an impression is formed.
• Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the kachori on slow flame.
• Fry till the outer crust becomes puffy like a puri and becomes golden brown.
• Repeat with the other kachoris.
• Serve hot with tamarind-date chutney, green coriander chutney or plain yoghurt.

Note: The kachoris should be deep fried on low flame else the thick crust and the inside would not be cooked well.
Variations: Pyaaz kachori chaat can also be made with these kachoris.
Simply keep the kachori on a plate, top it well with fresh beaten yoghurt, green corainder chutney, tamarind chutney, red chilli powder and "sev"!

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VERY BERRY STRAWBERRY

This is one yummy drink i must say..

I had some over ripe strawberries in the fridge yesterday and also had some yoghurt, so keeping in mind the strawberry yoghurt by Nestle, i thought to try this..!! And the result was yummy..:) 

5 minutes and voila, the drink is ready!!

Makes 1 glass

Ingredients:

• Rinsed and chopped strawberries- 9
• Castor sugar- 2 tbsp
• Chilled Milk- 1/4 cup
• Fresh yoghurt- 1 cup
• Ice cubes as desired

Method:

• Using a blender, blend strawberries, castor sugar and yoghurt for 1 minute.
• Add milk and blend for another minute and the yummy drink is ready.
• Serve chilled with ice cubes, garnished with strawberry pieces.

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ORANGY BERRY SHAKE
Refreshing and healthy..:)
Makes 1 glass
Ingredients:

• Peeled and deseeded Oranges- 2
• Chopped strawberries- 3
• Vanilla icecream- 1 scoop
• Castor sugar- 3 tsp or as desired
• Crushed ice as desired
• Orange and strawberry slices for garnishing

Method:

• Blend the oranges and strawberries to a fine puree.
• Strain in a vessel.
• Add the sugar and vanilla icecream and blend again for a minute.
• Pour over crushed ice in a mocktail glass or a juice glass.
• Garnish with strawberry and orange slices.
• Serve immediately.

Variation: Green grapes can also be added while blending for a soury taste!!

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ROSTI

Rosti is a classic savory dish of Switzerland.

It is extremely versatile and simple to make.

In fact, Rosti is known as the top five delicacies of Switzerland..

Tastes best with a cheese dip.. ahh, my mouth is already watering..:)

Makes 2 pieces

Ingredients:

• Medium sized potatoes- 4
• Unsalted butter- 2 tbsp
• Butter- 3 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground white/black pepper powder to taste.
• Cornflour- 1 tsp (optional, helps in fast binding)

Method:

• Peel the potatoes and wash it well.
• Using the thick sided holes of a grater, grate the raw potatoes and squeeze the liquid.
• Add salt, pepper powder, unsalted butter and cornflour to the grated potatoes.
• Heat the butter in a non stick tawa, put the potatoes and using your fingers flatten it on the tawa.
• Add butter to the corners of the rosti, making sure that the corners of the rosti are even.
• Cover with a lid for 10 mins and let it cook on low heat.
• Remove the lid and if the bottom side has turned golden brown, using a wooden spatula turn the rosti.
• Put a little more butter on the edges and cook till the other side also becomes golden brown.
• Serve hot.

Note: For each rosti roughly 2 medium sized potatoes are needed. Grate the potatoes just before making the rosti else the potatoes turn reddish brown!!

Rosti can also be made with parboiled potatoes instead of raw ones!

Variations:

• Green chillies can be added.
• Finely chopped onions can also be used.
• Cheese can be sprinkled generously after turning one side of the rosti.(my favourite... yummm!!)
• A layer of cheese can be sandwiched between 2 layers of potatoes!
• Grated garlic, green chillies and onions together with a little milk can also be added as a topping.

For non vegetarians:

• Rosti acts as a great accompaniement to fried eggs.
• Finely chopped bacon or sausages can also be added while making rosti.

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MELTY TRUFFLES
Serves ??, well depends at what rate you eat.. ;)
Ingredients:

• Sugar- 1 cup
• Powdered chocolate- 3/4 cup
• Fresh cream- 1/2 cup
• Unsalted butter- 1/4 cup
• Vanilla essence (optional, i like it without it!!)
• Instant coffee powder (if you want to give it a mochalicious flavour)

Method:

• Mix sugar and powdered chocolate and heat over a double boiler.
• Beat fresh cream till soft peaks are formed and add this cream to the sugar and chocolate mixture.
• Bring it to a boil. (it boils almost instantly, so be careful.. i had spilled it the first time i made!!!)
• Take off the heat and mix the unsalted butter.
• Allow the mixture to cool slighly and cool in the refrigerator for about an hour till it becomes a little stiff.
• Take out from the refrigerator and form balls using buttered palms.
• Roll these balls in powdered chocolate and chill.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature, as desired.

Note: Dark rum or any other liquer can also be added before keeping in the refrigerator.

        Instead of coating the balls with powdered chocolate or chocolate chips, it can also be dipped in Ganache and kept on butter paper and then chilled.

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GUAVA'S LOVE

Learnt this refreshing and brilliant drink from my mom..

Though what she makes is uncomparable, but mine is also

not bad.. :P :D

Makes 10 glasses

Ingredients:

• Ripe and large guava- 2
• Ginger- 1" piece
• Lemon- 6 pieces
• Sugar- 1 cup
• Raspberry essence- 1 drop

Method:

• Peel the guavas and using a blender, blend the guavas and ginger into a smooth paste.
• Add the juice of the lemons and sieve it.
• Make a sugar syrup of 1 string and let it cool.
• Mix the sieved guava, ginger and lemon juice mixtue with the sugar syrup.
• Add 1 drop of raspberry essence for a tinge of pink colour.
• Store in a bottle in the refrigeartor.
• When serving, add roughly 2 tbsp of the guava syrup in a glass and mix with chilled water.
• Black salt can be added at the time of serving.
• Garnish with lemon slice or mint leaves and serve chilled.

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GARLIC BREAD

Serves 2, if you can resist it, else serves just 1.. ;)
One of my hubby's favourites..:)

Ingredients:

• Baguette: 1/2 loaf
• Unsalted butter: 4 tbsp
• Garlic pods: 8
• Grated parmesan cheese- 1 bowl
• Salt to taste
• Oregano and chilli flakes to taste
• Finely chopped parsley leaves- 1 tbsp (optional)

Method:

• Slice the baguette into 3/4" slices.
• Roast the peeled garlic on low flame till it turns little brown and let it cool.
• Using a garlic press, squeeze the roasted garlic. Else grate the roasted pods in a bowl.
• Mix butter, salt, parsley and the cheese with the garlic and mix well.
• Coat the baguette slices with butter and arrange on the grilling rack and grill for 2 mins on high stopping once in between.
• Take out the lightly browned and crispy baguette and coat it generously with the garlic- butter mixture all over.
• Grill again for 4 mins on high, checking twice in between.
• Garnish with oregano and chilli flakes.
• Serve hot with pasta or any dip of your choice.

Note: Grilling the baguette should be done as per personal choice as to how crispy or browned one wants!!

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BASIL CORN FUSILLI 
"A comparatively healthier option".. thats what my hubby keeps saying for this recipe.. He says that this has green vegetables like basil which acts as an antioxidant and thus he forces me to make this every fortnight.. ;)
Serves 2
Ingredients:

• Boiled fusilli- 1 cup
• Finely chopped onions- 1/4 cup
• Grated garlic- 1/4 tsp
• Sliced and boiled babycorn- 1/4 cup
• Blanched sweet corn- 1/4 cup
• Finely chopped fresh parsley- 1 tbsp
• Finely chopped basil- 2 tbsp
• Olive oil- 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper powder
• Grated parmesan cheese- 3/4 cup

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and saute the garlic for 2 mins.
• Add the onions and saute till they become translucent.
• Mix the babycorn, sweetcorn and salt and mix well.
• Add parsley, basil and freshly grounded pepper powder and mix well.
• Toss the boiled fusilli and top with parmesan cheese.
• Serve immediately.

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POTATO CROQUETTES
A yummy (though a little unhealthy because of the calorie conent)
evening snack.. Can be served with multiple dips, like coriander,
mint and yes not to forget the all time favourite, Tomato ketchup!!
The best part about these croquettes is that they can be shallow
fried and kept aside. Before serving finally, it can be fried again.
This helps when making for a party or a get together!!
Makes 10 croquettes

Ingredients

• Boiled and mashed potatoes- 2 large
• Mint leaves- 1/4 cup
• Coriander leaves- 1/4 cup
• Finely chopped green chillies- 2
• Finely chopped ginger- 1/2" (optional)
• Freshly roasted cumin powder- 1 tsp
• Garam masala to taste
• Lemon juice to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup beaten rice powdered coursely (chirwa/poha/avalakki)

Method

• Mix all the ingredients well except flour and beaten rice.
• Divide the mixture into 10 equal portions and shape into desired shape.
• Combine the flour with room temperature water and make a thin paste.
• Dip each croquette into the flour paste and roll it on the beaten rice powder.
• Deep fry the croquettes till golden brown.
• Drain on an absorbent paper and serve hot with any dip of your choice.

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SWEET CORN N SPRING ONION SOUP
A little modified version of the great Tarla Dalal's recipe.
A yummy soup for eveings, especially winters..:)
Ingredients:

• Sweet corn- 2 1/2 cups
• Milk- 1 cup
• Finely chopped spring onion greens
• Flour- 2 tbsp
• Unsalted butter- 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Make a course puree with sweet corn, milk and 3/4 of spring onion greens using a blender.
• Heat butter in a pan and saute the flour for a minute till it turns light brown.
• Add the corn puree, 2 cups water, salt and pepper and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
• Garnish with a teaspoon of butter, corn kernels and remaining spring onion greens.
• Serve hot.

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PINE BERRY SMOOTHIE
The uncommon combo of juicy red strawberries and pineapples make it a great drink.. try it folks and do revert back..:)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen strawberry pieces
• 1 cup pineapple pieces
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp castor sugar
• 1 cup crushed ice

Method:

• Blend the strawberry and pineapple pieces using a hand grinder.
• Add milk, greek yoghurt and castor sugar and blend again till smooth.
• Take crushed ice in a glass and pour the smoothie on it.
• Garnish with fresh strawberry or pineapple chunk.
• Serve immediately.

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