DRY VEG MANCHURIAN

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30-40 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients: 

For The Manchurian Balls
2 cups finely chopped cauliflower(gobhi)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup carrot grated
1/2 cup cabbage grated
1/2 capsicum chopped (optional)
3 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp plain flour (maida)
2 slices of Bread
1 tbsp rice flour
1/2 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soya sauce (optional)
3 to 4 cloves of garlic (lehsun) , finely chopped
1 slit green chilli , finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper powder to taste
oil for deep-frying

For The Tempering:
2 big onions finely chopped
1 capsicum finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic (lehsun) , finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
1/2 cup clear vegetable stock or water
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tsp schezwan sauce
2 tbsp oil
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
Manchurian Balls 

1. Combine the cauliflower, onions,capsicum,carrot,cabbage, cornflour,rice flour, plain flour,bread soaked in milk,baking powder,soya sauce, garlic, green chilli, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well. 
2. Shape spoonfuls of the mixture into small balls. 
3. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside. 

For the tempering

1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan on a high flame. Add the garlic and green chillies and stir fry over a high flame for a few seconds,then add onions and capsicum and cook for 2 minutes. 
2. Add the stock, soya sauce, ketchup, vinegar,schezwan sauce, salt and pepper and simmer for a few minutes. 
3. Just before serving, put the vegetable balls in the tempering and mix well so that the tempering is coated well, garnish with spring onions and coriander(dhaniya leaves) and serve hot with fried rice of haka noodles. 

STUFFED BREAD PAKORA

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
6 bread slices
3 cups chick pea flour (besan)
3 boiled potatoes
1 green chili
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp dhania powder
1/8 tsp carrom seeds (ajwain)
a pinch of baking powder (optional)
1/2 chaat masala powder
oil for frying

Method:

1. Make a thick batter of coating consistency by adding approximately one cup water to chickpea flour.
2. Add   salt to taste,turmeric powder,1/4 tsp chili powder,1/2 tsp garam masala,1/2 tsp dhania powder,carrom seeds  and baking powder to it and keep aside.. 
3. Mash boiled potatoes and mix salt to taste,1/4 tsp chili powder,1/2 tsp garam masala,1/2 tsp dhania powder, chopped coriander leaves and chopped green chilies with potatoes.
4. Take one bread slice and spread the above stuffing evenly over it.
5. Place another slice over it and press it with soft hands.
6. Cut it diagonally to make two triangles.Repeat the same with rest of the bread slices.
7. Dip each triangular piece one at a time in the chick pea batter and deep fry it in hot oil till it is half fried (the chick pea batter becomes dry but still yellow in color).
8. Now drain out the bread pakoras and cut them into half and fry again till it becomes golden brown in color.
9. Sprinkle chaat masala on it an serve it with a tbsp full of tamarind chuttney and the same quantity of dhania chuttney or pudina chuttney mixed together.

Pineapple Sponge Cake / Pineapple upside down cake

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 cup maida(refined flour)          

4 eggs

1 cup coaster sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
5-7 drops pineapple essence
1 cup or 100 gms refined oil
8 slices tinned Pineapple
4 cherries/strawberries for garnish


Method:

1. Sieve maida along with baking powder two to three times.
2. Switch on the oven (OTG) for preheating at 200* CG or 400* F.
3. Break the eggs in a bowl and beat them with a blender.
4. Mix oil and sugar and blend it till the sugar dissolves completely.
5. Mix beaten eggs mixture with oil sugar mixture.
6. Add one after one spoon of maida mixed with baking powder in the above mixture using cut and fold method with a wooden spoon(do not use blender now) .
7. When the batter is ready add essence and mix with light hand.
8. Grease the 4 baking bowls, and pour in the cake batter till it is half filled.
9. Place the tinned pineapple slices over the batter.Then pour some more batter till 3/4 hight and place another pineapple slice over it.
10. Repeat the same process for remaining bowls.  
11. Bake it for 10 minutes at 180*CG or 350*F and and after that for 25-30 minutes at 150* or 300* F. Check it with knife if it is not baked completely then bake it for 5 more minutes.
12. Let it cool and then bring it out of the container and place a cherry/strawberry in the center.The cake is ready to be served.  

Note:

1. You can also use use a single large baking dish placing four slices at once and the remaning four slices over the rest of the batter

CHEESE CORN MACARONI IN WHITE SAUCE

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 20-30 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp refined oil
1 small onion chopped
1 small capsicum chopped
1 tbsp corn kernels
1 cup macaroni
3-4 tbsp white sauce
1/2 tbsp fresh cream (optional)
1-2 tbsp processed cheese
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
oregano or mixed herbs as per taste

Method:

1. Boil 4 cups of water in a big vessel,add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp refined oil.
2. Add macaroni when the water is boiling hot and boil for the time as per the instructions on the packet,when it is done drain out extra water and put the pasta in cold water.
3. When the macaroni becomes completely cool,drain out the water and toss the macaroni in some refined oil and keep it aside.
4. Heat olive oil in a pan add diced onions,capsicum, american corn and salt and black pepper and cook for a minute or two.
5. Add white sauce, fresh cream (optional) and Amul cheese spread to it and mix well.
6. Now add boiled macaroni to the above mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes.
7. Sprinkle mixed herbs as per taste.
8. Now the macroni is ready to be served.

INDIAN DESERTS

AATA KHOYA PINNI

RASMALAI



MAALPUA



KULFI



RICE KHEER



RASGULLA



SEVIYAN



BADAM HALWA



BESAN KE LADDU



PEDAS

AAM KA ACHAAR /MANGO PICKLE

Preparation time: 1hour

Cooking time : 0

Serves: more than 100 

Ingredients:
1 kg cubed raw green mangoes (Ramkela variety is best for this pickle,this is small in size)
1tbsp +3 tbsp salt

15-20 dry red chilies
1 tsp red chili powder  (lal mirch)
1 tbsp turmeric (haldi)
3 tsp fennel seeds crushed(Saunf)
3 tsp fenugreek seeds (sabut mathi)
3 tsp nigella seeds/onion seeds/kalonji
2-3 cups mustard oil

1 tbsp white vinegar

Method:

1. Wash and dry the mangoes and cut in small cubes with skin.
2. Put the mango in a bowl and add with 1 tbsp salt and mix well.
3. Set aside for about 3-4 hour in a big plastic strainer. The mangoes will release water,discard the water.
4. Clean each piece of mango with  dry muslin cloth  and let it dry out preferably in sun light for 4-5 hours. Mango slices should be little dry but still moist. they will reduce in volume.
5. Take half of fennel seeds and half of fenugreek seeds and coarsely grind them in a grinder.
6. Add all the ground and whole spices and rest of the salt  and gently rub them with your hands with mango slices.
7. Heat oil till it start releasing smoke ,then keep it aside to get cool. When it is completely cool add 2 cup oil to mangoes.If required you can add more oil later on.
8. Take a transparent plastic jar or a glass jar and spread vinegar all over in the jar, drain out if some excess vinegar is left in the jar.The inner walls of the jar should be coated with vinegar that will protect the pickle from fungus. 
9. Keep the Mango pickle in jar with lid on in sunlight. If possible keep a muslin cloth between jar an lid for a week then you can remove this. This will absorb  moisture present in the pickle.Pickle should be ready in 4-7 days.
10. Do check the pickle regularly and press it downwards with a wooden spoon after a day or two during the first week.
11. Once it is ready it will last for years. Always use a dry spoon while taking out the pickle from the jar.

PUDINA CHUTTNEY

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 0 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 cup mint leaves without stem
1 onion
1-2 green chili as per taste
1 raw mango/kairi/ambi pealed and sliced or juice of one lemon or 1 tsp dry mango powder (which ever is available)
1 tsp salt or as per taste
1 tbsp sugar (optional)

Method:

1. Wash mint leaves and put them in the mixer jar along with other ingredients.
2. Grind them to a smooth paste of desired consistency.
3. Pudina chuttney is ready.

INSTANT CHATPATE AALU

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time : 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
3-4 boiled potatoes
2 tbsp tamarind chuttney
oil for frying
salt as per taste

Method:

1. Take boiled potato(without removing the skin) between your palms and press it.
2. Do the same with rest of the potatoes.
3. Deep fry them in hot oil till they become brown and crispy.
4. Drain out on an absorbent paper.
5. Put them in a bowl and drizzle tamarind chuttney and salt.

Notes:

1. Sprinkle salt keeping in mind that tamarind chuttney also contains salt.
2. You can sprinkle red chili powder,jeera powder and chhat masala if you like it to be more spicy.

South Indian Basic Recipes

Sambhar Vada



Instant Uttappam



Idli



Coconut Chutney

Curd Rice



Madras Onions

SWEET LEMON PICKLE

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking time : nill

Serves: 40

Ingredients:
500 grms. lemons
100 grms. salt
1 tsp degi mirch
500 grms sugar
1 tbsp garam masala


Method:

1. Cut lemon into cubes (8 cubes per lemon).
2. Keep a strainer on a bowl and squeeze lemon cubes over the strainer so that most of the seeds are removed.
3. Now put the lemon juice collected in the bowl in a jar and the lemons as well.
4. Mix the salt and keep the jar aside at least for 15-20 days or till their skin of lemons becomes soft. Shake the jar after regular intervals(after two or three days) so that all the pieces of lemon become soft evenly.
5. The time taken will depend upon the quality of lemons.
6. When the skin of almost all lemons become soft then add rest of the ingredients and keep the pickle in sunlight for a week.
7. Do check and shake the jar after regular intervals.
8. When the sugar is dissolved the pickle is ready you can store this in a cool and dry place for years. 

KULFI

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 cups+ 1/2 cup full cream milk
3 tsp cornflour
3 tbsp milk powder

6 tsp sugar or as per taste

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

Method:

1. Boil 4 cups milk in a pan and reduce it to half.
2. Combine  rest of the 1/2 cup milk with rest of the ingredients and mix it with boiling milk stirring continuously and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer for 10 minutes or untill the mixture thickens stirring continuously. Cool completely.
4. Pour into kulfi moulds and freeze for 4-5 hours or till firm.
5. To unmould, allow the moulds to remain outside the refrigerator for 5 minutes and then unmould by inserting a fork, in the centre of the kulfi and pulling it out.

AJWAIN KI CRISP PURI

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
4 cup Whole wheat flour (Aata)
1/4 tsp ajwain (carrom seeds)
1 tbsp suji/(rawa)/(semolina)
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1-2 tbsp oil for the dough + oil for frying

Method:

1. Take whole wheet flour in a big vessel or bowl and mix suji, ajwain,and salt well.
2. Pour 1 tbsp oil and mix well.
3. Now knead a tight dough using as much water as required.Pat the dough with a hand full of oil.
4. Keep the dough on rest for 15-20 minutes under damp cloth.
5. Divide the dough into equal sized portions and make lemon sized balls.
6. Grease the aata balls with little oil by slightly dipping each ball at a time in oil.
7. Roll the balls into small circular disks with the help of rolling pin .
8. Heat oil in a deep frying pan or kadai.
9. When the oil is sufficiently hot then add one poori at a time and fry gently by pressing down with the frying spoon or slotted spoon in a circular motion.
10. Turn over when puffed up and fry the poori till golden brown in color.
11. Serve Poori hot with a vegetable curry or sweet dishes like suji ka halva ( known as sheera in maharashtra ) or pethe or kaddu  ki or cholley or aloo tamatar ki sabzi.

CHEESY MACRONI

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
2 cup macroni (uncooked)

3 tbsp refined oil
2 tsp pizza pasta sauce
1-2 tbsp Amul cheese spread (preferably) or you can use any other processed cheese (as per taste)
2 tbsp fresh cream
1/4 tbsp mixed herbs
2 medium onions (chopped)
3/4 cup red,yellow,green capsicum (chopped)
1/2 cup carrot (chopped)

1/2 cup american corn
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper or as per taste

Method:

1. Boil 8 cups of water in a big vessel,add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp refined oil.
2. Add macroni when the water is boiling hot and boil for the time as per the instructions on the packet,when it is done drain out extra water and put the pasta in cold water.
3. When the macroni becomes completely cool,drain out the cold water as well tossing the same in some oil and keep it aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan add diced onions,capsicum , carrot, american corn and salt and black pepper and cook for a minute or two.
5. Add pizza pasta sauce, fresh cream and Amul cheese spread to it and mix well.
6. Now add boiled macroni to the above mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes.
7. Add mixed herbs and mix well.
8. Now the macroni is ready to be served.

Note:

1. You may as well use veggies like mushrooms, brocoli, french beans etc. depending upon your taste and availability. 

VERMICELLI UPMA

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
2 cups vermicelli
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1" ginger chopped or grated
1 onion chopped
1green chilli chopped
7-8 curry leaves
1 potato 1/2 inch cubes
1 carrot 1/2 inch cubes
5-6 florets cauliflower /broccoli
1/2 cup green,red,yellow capsicum cubed all together
1/2 cup french beans and peas all together
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, ginger and onions and sauté well till the onions turns light brown. Add green chillies and curry leaves and further stir for a while.
2. Add all the vegetables and sauté for four to five minutes.
3. Add vermicelli and stir for 4-5  minutes.
4. Add 3cups of water, salt,black pepper and stir gently. Cook under lid for five to six minutes or till the water evaporates and all the vegetables and vermicelli are cookked. Remove from heat. If required you can add more water and cook.Mix in lemon juice and serve hot.

SNACKS SKEWERS

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
6 pieces mccain pototo nuggets
6 cubes soya cheese/masala cheese
6 cubes palak(spinach) dhokla
2 tbsp mayonnaise

Method:

1. Fry nuggets and cut soya cheese and paalak dhokla in cubes and arrange them in long toothprick, sereve with mayonnaise or ketchup.

MATRI

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves: 12

Ingredients:
2 cups maida/all purpose flour
1 tsp ajwain/carom seeds
1 tsp crushed black pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp ghee
salt to taste
oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Seive the maida, cooking soda and salt together.
2. Mix the carom seeds with the seived flour.
3. Add  ghee and mix well with hands till you get a bread crumb like mixture.
4. Add water and  knead a very tight dough.
5. Keep the dough for rest under wet cloth for 10 minutes.
6. Now make small balls out of dough ,grease these balls with some oil and roll out with the help of a rolling pin into thick chapatis.
7. Cut the chapatis in peas sized strips.
8. Pick up them with the help or knife and fry the matris in low to medium hot oil till browned and crisp.
9. You can store them in a container when they are completely cool,they will become more crisp after they become cool.

ONION CAPSICUM RAITA

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time : 2 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 cup hung curd
1/2 cup milk
1 onion finely chopped
1 small capsicum finely chopped
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 tsp oil
Method:

1. Beat hung curd and milk with a blender or with a whisk and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and stir onion and capsicum for a minute.
3. Add the veges to the curd and give a stir.
4. Add salt and pepper at the time of serving.
5. Serve chilled.