Jaggery Rice (GUR WALAY CHAWAL)

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice – 1 cup
• Hot Water – 2 cups
• Jaggery – 3/4 cup
• Ghee/ Clarified Butter – 1.5 tbsp
• Cashews – 1 tbsp
• Golden Raisins – 1 tbsp
• Saffron – a pinch
• Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Add the Jaggery to the hot Water, mix well and allow it to dilute with the water.
2. In a small pan, heat Ghee on medium heat.
3. Once hot, add in the Cashews and the Golden Raisins.
4. All the Cashews to get a little color and the Raisins plump up.
5. Pour it into the rice cooker.
6. Add the following to the rice cooker: washed, soaked and drained Rice, Saffron, Cardamom Powder.
7. Use a strainer, strain the jaggery water to the rice cooker.
8. Mix well and cook as per the rice cooker instructions.
9. Once done remove the rice from the cooker.
10. Garnish with the saffron and  serve hot.

Dahi Puri.

Ingredients

•  Puffed Puris
•  Churned Curd
•  Coriander Mint Chutney 
•  Date & Tamarind Chutney 
•  Sev
•  Salt
•  Black Salt
•  Red Chilli Powder
•  Cumin Seed Powder
•  Finely Chopped Potatoes
•  Sprouted Moong
•  soaked & Drained Boondi
•  Coriander Leaves

Method:

1.  Make small hole in the puffed puris by tapping lightly so as to spoon all the  ingredients in it.
2.  For the filling, take chopped potatoes, boondi, sprouted Moong, coriander  leaves, salt, red chilli powder, cumin seed powder and black salt in a bowl and  mix everything well.
3.  Fill up the puris with this mixture.
4.  Pour Coriander Mint Chutney, Date & Tamarind Chutney and beaten yogurt.
5.  Shake the puris a little bit so as to spread the mixture.
6.  Sprinkle salt, red chilli powder, cumin seed powder and black salt.
7.  Garnish it with Sev and Coriander Leaves.

khatta Dhokla

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Urad Dal or White Lentils
• 2 cups Rice
• 1/4 tsp eno
• 1 tsp Ginger Chilli paste
• 1 tbsp Methi dana or Fenugreek Seeds
• 1/2 Lemon
• Pepper
• Salt to taste

Method:

For Dhokla batter:

1. Soak Urad Dal and Rice, separately, for 8  to 9 hrs.
2. Grind the Urad Dal into a fine paste
3. Grind the Rice into a coarse paste. 
4. Mix the ground urad dal and rice paste together. Add Methi or fenugreek seeds and let it ferment for a good 8 hrs.

For making Dhokla:

1. Grease the thali or plate .
2. Take a steamer, fill it with water,Cover with a lid  and let the water come to a complete boil. 
3. Take the fermented batter give it a stir and if you feel it is too thick you can add WARM water (do not use cold water) to get a nice pouring consistency.
4. Add ginger chilli paste and salt to the batter and mix well.
5. Since the batter is enough for two rounds, you can split the batter into two.
6. Keep your thali or plate kept ready in the steamer.
7. Add a few drops of lemon to the first batch and without stirring add 1/4 tsp of eno on the lemon juice. Give it a quick stir.
8. Quickly pour the batter into the plate or thali.
9. Sprinkle some ground black pepper and cover it.
10. Let it steam for 10-15 mins on a full flame.
11. After 15 mins check on the dhokla. once they are ready.
12. Remove from flame and let it cool.
13. Cut the dhokla into small squares, separate them.
14. Serve them hot and fresh with your favorite chutney.

Masala Khichdi.

INGREDIENTS-

• 1/2 cup of moong dal
• 1/2 cup of rice
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• coriander leaves
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, green peas, french beans ,sweet corn )
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee)
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon black salt
• salt to taste
• dry red chilli
• 2 pieces of cloves
• 2 pieces of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

METHOD-

1. Mix 1/2 cup of rice and 1/2 cup of moong dal together with 2 cups of water and 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles.
2. Heat 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of clarified butter (ghee) in a round bottom pan. Once its hot, add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and dry red chilli. After few seconds, add onions, coriander leaves, chopped tomatoes. Add all the spices - garam masala, red chilli powder. Add 1/2 teaspoon black salt and regular salt as per taste. Cook this till the tomatoes turn soft.
3.  Add the pressure cooked rice and dal mixture. Add water and mix it well. Add all the mixed boiled vegetables. 
4.  Add water as required. Cover the pan and let the khichdi simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Serve hot with dahi.

PARFAIT (Granola, Yogurt, Berry Parfait)

       Ingredients:

• 1 cup flavored yogurt
• 1 cup your favorite granola
• 1 cup fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries (sliced), or other fruit such as bananas, peaches or mangos, peeled and sliced.
• 1 tbsp sugar

       Method:

1. In a small bowl, mix the all berries and sugar.
2. Layer the berries into the bottom of  wine glass.
3. Then layer with the flavored yogurt, granola .
4. Repeat the layers and  served.

Vegetable Upma

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Semolina ( Rawa / Sooji )
• 1/4 cup chopped Carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped Onions
• 1 tbsp tomatoes ( finely chopped)
• Coriander Leaves
• Grated Coconut
• 2 Green Chilies Chopped
• Curry Leaves
• 1 tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
• 1 tbsp Curd (Yogurt)
• Salt
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tbsp Cashew nut pieces
• 1/4 cup Frozen Green Peas

Method:

1. Heat 2 cups of water in a pan and let it boil.
2.  Add the vegetables, carrots, tomatoes and green peas and boil it for 5 mins and remove it from flame.
3.  In a frying pan, put some Ghee and some mustard seeds.
4. Add green chilies, cashew nuts and curry leaves and fry till the cashew nut is golden brown in color.
5.  Add onions and semolina and roast the whole thing for around 7 mins in low flame.
6.  Add vegetables along with the vegetable stock and stir it well
7.  Boil it in low flame till the water dries out.
8.  Add salt, coriander leaves and beaten curd & cook it for a while.
9. The Upma is ready to be served hot.

Penne Arabiatta

Ingredients -

• Olive oil 
• grated cheese (to garnish)
• 1 tbsp garlic chopped 
• pepper to taste
• Salt to taste 
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• Few basil leaves 
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp Red paprika 
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• Coriander leaves or parsley 
• 200 gms tomato pulp
• 50 gms penne pasta (boiled) 

Method -


Heat little olive oil and add coriander leaves and salt and toss the penne pasta 
and keep aside.



For the arabiatta sauce -

1. Heat olive oil and sauté onion and garlic for 2 to 3 mins. 
2. Add basil leaves and tomato Pulp and all other seasoning ingredients.
3. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 mins. 
4. If the sauce dries out add water as required and pour the sauce on the bed of pasta and garnish it with grated Cheese and basil leaves and serve hot.