TROPICAL AMBROSIA

Cooking Time : Nil.
Preparation Time : 9 mins.
Makes 2 glasses.

Ingredients
1 cup mixed fruits, chopped (strawberry, pineapple, peaches, pears)
½ cup hung curd
2 tablespoons cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
a few drops vanilla essence

Other ingredients
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons sugar

Method
1. Dry roast the desiccated coconut and sugar together on a pan over a slow flame till the coconut turns golden brown. Keep aside.
2. Combine the hung curd, cream, sugar and vanilla essence and whisk well. Keep refrigerated.
3. Arrange half the fruits in a long stemmed glass.
4. Top with the curd and cream mixture.
5. Sprinkle the desiccated coconut mixture on top and chill.
6. Repeat to make another glass.
7. Serve chilled.

Tips
Approximately 1 cup fresh curds will yield ½ cup of hung curds when hung in muslin cloth for approx. 20 minutes.

KOPRA PAK

Cooking Time : 15 mins.
Preparation Time : 20 mins.
Makes 20 pieces.

Ingredients
2 cups grated fresh coconut
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
a few saffron strands
1 teaspoon milk
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder
2 teaspoons ghee

For the garnish
5 pistachios, blanched, peeled and cut into slices

Method
1. Warm the milk in a small bowl, add the saffron and rub in until the saffron dissolves.
2. Dissolve the sugar with 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil. Add the lemon juice.
3. Remove the floating dirt using a slotted spoon and strain the syrup if necessary.
4. Boil the syrup again until it is of 2 string consistency.
5. Add the coconut, ghee, prepared saffron and cardamom powder. Remove from the fire while stirring continuously.
6. Spread the mixture on a thali (flat metal plate) and allow to cool.
7. Decorate with the pistachios. Cut into desired shape.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package angel food cake mix
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch pan with vegetable oil spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pineapple (with juice). Mix until well blended.
3. Pour batter into prepared 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
Serve with whipped topping

ALMOND PISTACHIOS PRALINE TRIANGLES

Preparation Time : : 10 mins.

Cooking Time : : 15 mins.

Serves 4.

Ingredients
1/3 cup coarsely powdered nuts (almonds and pistachio)
2 tablespoons melon seeds (charmagaz)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds (khus khus)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder
1/2 cup sugar
oil to grease

Method
1. In a heavy bottomed pan, add the sugar and melt it over gentle heat, stirring continuously till the sugar is light brown in colour (caramelised).
2. Remove from the fire, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
3. Pour this mixture onto a greased marble or stone surface.
4. Using a large greased rolling pin, roll out the praline as thinly as you can.
5. While it is still warm, cut into triangles. Allow it to cool completely.
6. Store in an air-tight container.

Tips
Sugar burns very quickly, so give it your full attention.
Remove the sugar from the flame just when it starts to caramelise because it continues to brown even after it is removed from heat.

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.