SOUTH INDIAN STYLE CABBAGE/CABBAGE THORAN

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 5-10 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 onion chopped (optional)
1/4 cup chana dal (split bengal gram)
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

7-8 curry leaves

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
2 red dry  or green chillies
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

Method :

1. Soak the chana dal in water in a bowl for half an hour and boil it in a pan for 3-5 minutes or till it becomes tender and drain out excess water well. Keep the chana dal aside.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick kadhai and add asafoetida and mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard seeds crackle, add curry leaves and red or green chillies and sauté for a few seconds.
4. Add chopped onions and cook till they become pink in color. 
5. Add chana dal and cook it with onions for two minutes.
6. Add the cabbage, turmeric powder,black pepper powder and salt and sauté on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add the coconut and  mix well and cook  for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

CHANA PULAO

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice

1 cup boiled white chick peas

1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds

1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing) powder

1/4 tsp black pepper powder

1/2 tsp degi mirch powder

1/2 tsp amchoor powder

1/2 tsp channa masala

1 onion chopped

1-2 green chilies

1 tbsp coriander leaves

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for ten minutes.
2. Boil the rice and keep them a side.
3. Take oil in a pan and make a tempering by adding asafoetida powder, cumin seeds, red and black pepper powder , amchoor powder and chana masala stir for a while and then add boiled chick peas in it and cook for two minutes.
4. Now add this to the cooked rice and mix well.
5. Add chopped onions,chopped green chilis and chopped coriander leaves as well.
6. Serve hot just like that or along with yogurt. 

HUMMUS

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serves: 12

Ingredients:
8 cloves garlic
2 cup boiled white chick peas
2 tbsp white sesame seeds (til)
2 lemons
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp salt
white pepper to taste
red chili flakes to taste (optional)

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients except red chili flakes in a mixer and make a fine paste.
2. Pour it out in a bowl and sprinkle red chili flakes.
3. You can add a bit more olive oil at this stage if you like. 
4. Serve it with nachos, falafel kebabs or with toasted pita bread.

DHANIA ADRAK MIRCHI

1. The best way to keep Dhania (coriander),Adrak (ginger),Mirchi (green chili) fresh is to wash and keep them in a jar or glass filled with water and keep the jar in the refrigeator.
2. This way you can keep coriander fresh for at least 2-3 days.
3. Green chili and Ginger can be kept this way for a week or even more than that but you need to change water after 2 days and need to check and remove the green chili or ginger pieces which you feel are decaying.

PINEAPPLE RAITA

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : nill

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
2 cup curd
3-4 slices of canned pineapple
1/2 cup milk
salt to taste
chaat masala to sprinkle

Method:

1. Take a clean muslin cloth and tie curd in it.
2. Hang the curd tied in muslin cloth on the tap of the kitchen sink for 15-20 minutes.
3. Squeeze out all the excess water from the curd.
4. Or keep the curd in a strainer for half an hour (stir a spoon in between two to three times).
5. Now put he curd in a bowl and pour in cold milk in it.
6. Blend it withe help of a hand blender.
7. Cut he pineapple slices in equal size pieces in the shape of your choice and keep it in the fridge.
8. Sprinkle some salt and chaat masala over it at the time of serving.

GUR WALE CHAAWAL /JAGGERY RICE

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
2 cup basmati rice
1 cup Jaggery/gur
1 black cardamom
2 green cardamoms
4 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fennel seeds
2-3 tbsp pure ghee
10 cashews
10 almonds blanched ,peeled and sliced
1 tbsp slices of dry coconut
10 raisins
1/2 cup milk
a few strands saffron
4 cup water

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for 10-15 minutes.
2. Soak saffron in  1/2 cup warm milk and jaggery in 1 cup warm water.
3. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker or in a big open vessel and add the dry spices i.e. black cardamom,green cardamom,cloves and bay leaves one by one.
4. Now add rice along with 3 cups of water in it , add fennel seeds as well and cook under lid till the water evaporates and rice are half cooked. If you are using pressure cooker then cook for two whistles and then switch off the gas and open after the pressure releases.
5. Now add jaggery dissolved in one cup water and saffron dissolved in milk and all the dry fruits and cook under lid till all the water and milk are absorbed in the rice.

ONION KULCHA

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves: 12
Ingredients:

For dough:

4 cups refined flour (maida)
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp powdered sugar
oil for frying

For filling:

2 cups onions finely chopped
2 green chilies
salt to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/2 cup coriander chopped and 1 tbsp black sesame seeds for garnishing

Method:

1. Take flour and add baking powder, soda bi-carbonate and salt. Mix well and pass it through a sieve. 
2. Mix yogurt and powdered sugar. Add this to the flour and add water as per need and mix gradually to make a soft dough by light kneading. 
3. Incorporate 2 tbsp oil into the dough and cover the dough with a wet cloth. Keep it aside for an hour. 
4. Roll the dough into balls of same size and keep them a side for 5-10 minutes for fermentation. 
5. Mix onions, green chilies,garam masala and red pepper powder and make filling.
6. Now grease the balls or dust them with a little flour and roll them a bit.
7. Now place a tablespoon full of filling on it and sprinkle salt over the filling.
8. Gather all the edges in center to seal the filling inside.
9. Again grease the balls or dust them with a little flour and roll them to make round not very thin kulchas. 
10. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves and some black sesame seeds and roll over the rolling pin once again over the kulchas so that both the things stick over it properly.
11. Heat a tava or griddle and cook the kuchas applying oil on both the sides and cook till light brown spots are visible on both the sides.
12. Serve them hot with cholley , dal makhni,pickle and pyaz ki chuttney.

THANDAI

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : nil

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 ltr full fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
a few saffron (kesar) strands
1/4 cup almonds (badam)
2 tbsp poppy seeds (khus-khus)
2 tbsp fennel seeds powder (saunf powder)
1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
20 preferably white peppercorns or you can use black peppercorns

Method:

1. Take boiled milk and allow it to cool completely. Keep aside.
2. Soak the almonds and poppy seeds separately at least for 2 hours.
3. Peel the almonds and drain out the water in which poppy seeds are soaked ,put soaked poppy seeds and peeled almonds in a mixer.
4. Grind all the ingredients except sugar,saffron and milk in a grinder.You can add some milk if required.
5. Mix the ground paste in the milk and strain the mixture through a sieve, add the sugar and saffron and mix well.
6. Refrigerate the mixture for 3 to 4 hours.
7. Add ice cubes as desired and serve chilled.

PAANI PURI / GOL GAPPE

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For Gol Gappas/Puris
1/2 cup fine semolina (rava)
1/2 tbsp plain flour (maida)
3 tbsp soda water (bottled)
salt to taste
oil for frying

For Pani
1 1/2 cups chopped mint leaves (phudina)
1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
1/4 cup tamarind pulp (imli)
2" piece ginger
4 to 5 green chillies
1 tsp roasted cumin seeds powder / jeera powder
1/2 cup sugar or as per taste
1 1/2 tsp black salt
salt to taste

For serving :
1/2 cup tamarind chutney
1/2 cup mixed sprouts boiled or boiled black chick peas or both
3-4 boiled potatoes peeled and mashed
1/2 cup boondi

Method :
For puris

1. Combine the semolina, plain flour, soda water and salt to make a tight dough and knead well.
2. Keep it to rest under a wet muslin cloth for 10 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into equal portions,make balls and roll each portion into circles.
4. Place these circles under a damp cloth for about 5 minutes.
5. Deep fry in a kadhai in hot oil on a medium flame till they puff up and are golden brown while pressing each puri.
6. Remove, drain on absorbent paper and let them get cool and dry then store them in an air-tight container.

For the pani

1. Combine tamarind pulp with the remaining ingredients except the black salt in a blender and grind to a fine paste using a little water.
2. Transfer the paste into a large bowl and combine with 1 litre of water, the black salt and salt and mix well.
3. Chill for at least 2 to 3 hours after making so that all the flavours have blended properly.
4. Add boondi.

How to serve:

1. Add some salt and red pepper in the mashed potatoes.
2. Crack a small hole in the centre of each puri.
3. Fill with a little sprouts/black chick peas and mashed potatoes then top a little tamarind chutney, immerse it in the chilled pani and eat immediately.

ONION,CHEESE ,CAPSICUM FINGERS

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 slices of bread
1/2 cup grated cottage cheese
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped capsicum
4 tsp pizza pasta sauce/tomato ketchup
4 tbsp grated processed cheese
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Method:

1. Take cottage cheese,capsicum,onions,salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
2. Spread pizza pasta sauce or tomato ketchup on each bread slice.
3. Now spread the mixture on each slice of bread.
4. Sprinkle some processed cheese on each bread slice.
5. Now keep these in the preheated oven at 180 C for 5-7 minutes or till the cheese starts changing color.
6. Sprinkle some mixed herbs or oregano on it and serve hot along with tomato ketchup after cutting each into three strips.

BHEL PURI

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time : 0 minutes

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

4 cups puffed rice (kurmura)                                                              
1 cup Sev
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/4 cup fried chana dal (namkeen channa dal)
20 Papadi
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup boiled potatoes, chopped
1 de-seeded tomato chopped
2 de-seeded green chilies finely chopped
8 tbsp imli ki chutney
4 tbsp Green Chutney
1 tsp black salt (sanchal)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
salt to taste

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently till all the ingredients are mixed well.
2. Serve immediately.

ROTI KI CHURI

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2-3 tbsp sugar as per taste
1 to 2  tbsp pure ghee for shallow frying

Method:

1. Sieve flour and kneed dough using as much water as required to make a soft dough like you make for chapati.
2. Keep the dough aside to rest for 5 minutes then divide it into two or three parts and roll each part into a ball.
3. Roll out each portion into 5" diameter round and brush with melted ghee.
4. Fold into half. Brush again with melted ghee and fold again.
5. Roll out again and cook on a tava (griddle) on both the sides using ghee and pressing it with the help of a spetula till it becomes crisp and brown in color from both the sides.
6. Repeat the process with the remaining dough to make more paranthas. 
7. Now tear these paranthas roughly with your hands and coarsely grind them in a mortar or in a mixer.
8. Take it out in a bowl and mix sugar in it.
9. Add pure ghee as much as you want and serve hot.