RICE AND CURRY SIZZLER

Cooking Time : 15 min.
Preparation Time : 10 min.
Serves 1.

Ingridents
For the rice
2 teacups cooked rice
2 pinches saffron
2 small sticks cinnamon
2 cloves
2 tablespoons ghee
salt to taste

For the curry
mutter dhingri, or a curry of your choice

Method
1. Warm the saffron in a small vessel, add 2 teaspoons of water and rub until the saffron dissolves.
2. Heat the ghee on a tava and fry the cinnamon and cloves for a few seconds. Add the rice, saffron water and salt and mix well.

How to sizzle
1. Heat a sizzling cast iron plate or tava until red hot. Keep the rice and curry warm in separate vessels.
2. When you want to serve, put a large leaf of lettuce or cabbage on the red hot cast iron plate so that the food will not stick. Then, spread the rice on the sizzling plate first.
3. Make a well in the centre and put the curry into it. Mix 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of water and spread over the rice to get the sizzling effect.
4. Serve with papad, sweet mango pickle and tomato-onion kachumber (salad).

BAKED BEANS DIP

Cooking Time : 5 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Makes 2 teacups.

Ingredients
1 large can (450 grams) baked beans
3 tablespoons grated cheese
4 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
3 teaspoons chilli sauce
salt to taste

To serve
potato wafers salted biscuits (e.g. Monaco)

Method
1. Put the contents of the can in a liquidiser.
2. Add the grated cheese, tomato ketchup, chilli powder, chilli sauce and salt.
3. Boil for 5 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add water.

How to serve
1. Take out the dip in a small bowl. Put the bowl in the centre of a serving dish, surround with potato wafers or salted biscuits and serve.

NACHOS WITH MANGO SALSA

Cooking Time : 10 mins.
Prepartion Time : 10 mins.
Serves 4.

Ingredients
1 cup finely ground maize flour (makai ka atta)
¾ cup plain flour (maida)
1½ teaspoons carom seeds (ajwain), optional
½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
1 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste

Other ingredients
Oil for deep-frying

To be mixed together into a mango salsa (for serving)
½ cup chopped ripe mangoes
½ cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped spring onion whites
1 tablespoon chopped spring onion greens
½ teaspoon chopped green chilli
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste

Method
1. Roast the cumin seeds on a tava (griddle) for a few seconds.
2. Add the carom seeds and roast again for a few seconds. Pound them coarsely.
3. Mix all the ingredients together and make a dough by adding warm water. Knead very well.
4. Divide the dough into small portions.
5. Roll out each portion into thin rotis with the help of a little flour, prick all over with a fork. Cook lightly on a tava (griddle).
6. Cut each roti into 25 mm x 25 mm. (1" x 1") squares and deep-fry in hot oil until crisp.
7. Drain thoroughly on absorbent paper. Store in an air-tight tin.
8. Serve with the mango salsa.

POTATO DAHIWADA

Ingredients:

green chillies chopped as per taste

3 tbsp chopped corriander leaves

6 potato

1 1/2 tsp garam masala powder

2 tsp jeera powder

salt to taste

4 bread slices

1/2 tsp black salt

1 tsp chat masala powder

1/2 kg curd

2 tsp red chilli powder

oil to fry

Method:

1. Boil and mash the potatoes.
2. Spice up with salt,1 tsp red chilli, 1tsp jeera powder,1tsp garam masla,1 tsp chaat masala powder, 2 tblsp green corriander leaves, green chilles and mix well.
3. Take the bread slices and cut them in a round shape, with a help of a mould.
4. Apply little water on the round bread slices, just enough water to let the potato mixture to stick to the bread slices.
5. Take approximately 2 tblsp potato mixture and spread on the round slices evenly. Make it smooth.
6. Heat the oil for frying and fry the rounds till golden brown.
7. Take off on a paper towel to get off excess oil.
8. Let them cool.
9. Mean while cream the curds and spice up it with common salt and black salt.
10. When the rounds are cool assemble them in a dish and pour out the curd on it.
11. Spice up it with red chilli, jeera powder, garam masala ,corriander leaves and green chillies.
12. Serve with sweet tarmarind chutney

POTATO TIKIS

Cooking Time : 15 min.
Preparation Time : 15 min.
Makes 5 sandwiches.

Ingredients
2 boiled potatoes
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 green chillies, chopped
1 teacup boiled and mashed green peas
3 teaspoons amchur powder
1 tablespoon choppedcoriander
1/2 teaspoon kalonji (onion seeds)
2 tablespoons ghee
salt to taste

Method
1. Cut the potatoes into very small pieces.
2. Heat the ghee and fry the cumin seeds until they turn brown.
3. Add the green chillies and fry again for a while.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
5. Shape into 5 small flat thin circles. If you find it difficult to shape, add 1 tablespoon of cornflour.

CHOLE TIKI CHAAT

Cooking Time : 20 min.

Preparation Time : 30 min.

Serves 8.

For the chole
1 1/2 teacups chick peas (kabuli chana)
1/2 teaspoon soda-bi-carb
2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons coriander-cumin seed (dhana-jira) powder
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon amchur powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons ghee
salt to taste

Other ingredients
potato tikis

To serve
beaten curds
green chutney
sweet chutney
sev
chopped coriander
tomato wedges for decoration

For the chole
1. Soak the chick peas for at least 6 hours.
2. Add the soda bi-carb and cook in a pressure cooker.
3. Heat the ghee and fry the onions for a few minutes.
4. Add the coriander-cumin seed and chilli powders and fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the boiled chick peas and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add the amchur powder, garam masala, pepper powder and ketchup and cook for 2 minutes.

How to serve
1. Place potato tikis on individual serving plates and top with some chole mixture.
2. Spread some curds, green chutney and sweet chutney on top.
3. Sprinkle sev and coriander on top.
4. Decorate with tomato wedges.
5. Serve immediately.

GREEN PEA BHEL

Cooking Time : 15 min.

Preparation Time : 10 min.

Serves 6.

Ingredients
3 teacups steamed green peas
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

For serving
1 teacup fresh yoghurt, beaten
1 tablespoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons roasted cumin seed powder
2 tablespoons sweet chutney
1 tablespoon green chutney
1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

Method
1. For the peas, heat the oil and fry the cumin seeds until they crackle. Add the green chillies and fry for a few seconds.
2. Add the green peas and salt.
3. To serve, put the green peas on a big flat serving dish.
4. Spread the yoghurt, sprinkle the chilli powder, cumin seed powder, sweet chutney, green chutney, coriander and salt. Serve immediately.

Tips
Variation:
Sprouted Moong Bhel. Use sprouted moong instead of green peas.

WALNUT BARFI

Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Cooking Time : 3 mins.
Makes 6 pieces.

Ingredients
½ cup walnuts, crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons milk powder
2 tablespoons milk
a pinch nutmeg (jaiphal) powder
1 teaspoon ghee

Method
1. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, milk powder, milk and nutmeg powder and keep aside.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, mix together the walnuts and ghee and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes, stirring once after 1 minute.
3. Add the milk mixture, mix well and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute.
4. Remove and spread in a greased 125 mm. (5") tray and allow to set for 1 hour.
5. Cut into diamond shapes and serve.

GAUND KE LADDU

Gaund is an "edible gum" that is extracted from the bark of a tree.It is available in crystal form as pearly yellowish translucent pieces of varying sizes. The bigger crystals are more expensive.
Gaund is a "heaty" food i.e. food that provides heat to our body and is usually had only in the winters. It is deep fried in ghee and then added to the dish it is being used in. I have also discovered that if you dry roast it on a non-stick pan, it puffs up just like popcorn. This is a great way to cut down on those unnecessary calories. These delicious gaund laddus are a traditional winter delicacy that are had with a glass of warm milk for breakfast. I personally prefer them as a dessert after a nice meal.

Preparation Time : 15 mins.
Cooking Time : 30 mins.
Makes 15 laddus.

Ingredients:
1¼ cups whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
3 tablespoons gaund (edible gum)
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder
¼ cup ghee

Other ingredients
ghee for deep frying

Method:
1. Heat the ghee in a pan, add the whole wheat flour and roast it over a slow flame while stirring continuously till the flour turns golden brown. Allow it to cool.
2. Deep fry the gaund in hot ghee, one tablespoon at a time till the pieces puff up. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.
3. Add the powdered sugar, fried gaund and cardamom powder to the roasted wheat flour and mix well.
4. Divide the mixture into 15 portions and shape each portion into round laddus using your hands. If you find it difficult to shape the laddus, add a little melted ghee.
5. Store in an air-tight container.

BAKED RASGULLAS

Baking Time : 10 mins.
Cooking Time : Nil.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Baking Temperature : 150ºC (300ºF).
Serves 4.

Ingredients
8 rasgullas, cut into halves
1 cup low fat paneer (cottage cheese)
¼ cup low fat milk
2½ tbsp sugar substitute
1 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tsp water
A few strands saffron (kesar) dissolved in 1 tsp water
A pinch cardamom (elaichi) powder

Method
1. Soak the rasgullas in water for 1 minute, drain and discard the water.
2. Repeat step 1 for 4 to 5 times till all the sugar syrup has been removed from the rasgullas and keep aside.
3. Mix together the paneer, milk, sugar substitute, cornflour mixture, saffron and cardamom powder and blend to a smooth paste in a mixer. Keep aside.
4. Arrange the rasgullas in a rectangular glass baking dish and pour the paneer mixture on top.
5. Bake it in a pre-heated oven at 150º C (300º F) for 5 minutes.
6. Serve hot.

AMRIT PEDA

Preparation Time : 15 mins.
Cooking Time : 15 mins.
Makes 8 pedas.

Ingredients
1 cup grated khoya (mava)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder
1/4 cup pistachios, blanched, peeled and chopped
a few saffron strands

For the garnish
2 to 3 slivered pistachios

Method
1. Combine the khoya and powdered sugar in a heavy bottomed pan and cook on a slow flame, while stirring continuously till the sugar has dissolved and the moisture has evaporated (approximately 5 to 10 minutes).
2. Remove from the fire, add the cardamom powder and mix well. Allow it to cool completely.
3. Divide the mixture into two portions, 2/3 and 1/3.
4. In the 1/3 mixture, add the pistachios and mix well.
5. In the 2/3 mixture, add the saffron strands and mix well.
6. Divide the pistachios mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape into even sized rounds.
7. Divide the saffron mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into even sized rounds.
8. Stuff each saffron round with the pistachio round and seal the edges completely.
9. Make designs on the peda using a toothpick.
10. Garnish with slivered pistachios.