QUINOA SALAD

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30 min.

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa,
2 cups water
1 cup cooked chickpeas (soaked overnite then boiled)
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped red onion 

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

1 green chili finely chopped

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice 

1 tbsp honey (optional)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Rinse quinoa in a colander. Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. 
2. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes, 
3. Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes, to give it time to fluff up.
4. In a large serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, bell peppers, onion,tomatoes,green chili and coriander. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, honey,garlic ,black pepper and salt. Whisk until blended, then set aside.
6. Once the quinoa is mostly cool, add it to the serving bowl, and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss until the mixture is thoroughly combined. ckeck for salt and add an extra pinch of salt if necessary. For best flavor, let the salad rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
7. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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SABUT MOONG DAAL

 

Ingredients:

1 cup saabut moong dal / whole green gram

2 tbsp pure ghee / clarified butter

1/2 tsp cumin

a pinch of asofotida

1 onion finely chopped

2 tomatoes pure

1 green chili

1 tsp ginder paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp degi mirch

1 tsp dhania powder

1/2 tsp sabzi masala/ garam masala

1 tsp rajmanh masala

Method:

1. Wash sabut moong dal 2-3 times then soak dal in water for 1-2 hours.
2. Cook moong dal in a pressure cooker along with 4 cups of water, salt, and turmeric powder.
3. Simmer the gas after first whistle and cook dal for another 3-4 whistles.
4. Turn off the gas, and wait until pressure releases by itself.
5. In the meanwhile prepare the tempering for sabut moong dal .
6. Heat ghee in a pan and add asafoetida and cumin seeds and let them crackle.
7. Add chopped green chilli, ginger and garlic paste and chopped onions. Cook them till onion are  brown in color.
8. Now add pureed tomatoes and cook the tomatoes till the masala leaves the sides of the pan.
9. Add rest of the spices to the masala and mix well.Cook further for another 3-4 minutes if required add 1-2 tbsp of water so that the spices don't get burnt.
10. Add the masala to the cooked dal, adjust the consistency , if required add some more water and close the lid and give 2-3 more whistles.
11. Take out the dal in serving bowl. Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a pan and crackle 1/2 tsp cumin seeds along with 2-3 dry red chilies and a pinch of degi mirh powder. 
12. Switch of the gas and pour the tempering over dal.
13. Serve dal with rice , roti or parantha.

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KULFI FALUDA

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30-40 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For kulfi
4 cups+ 1/2 cup full cream milk
3 tsp cornflour
3 tbsp milk powder/or 1/2 cup koya or mawa

6 tsp sugar or as per taste
20 almonds

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

Other ingredients
1/2 cup vermiceli
rose syrup
green syrup
yellow syrup
1 tbsp chia seeds


Method:

1. Soak almonds in 1/2 cup water for an hour and peel them.Make a fine paste using a tbsp. of milk.Keep aside.
2. Boil 4 cups milk in a pan and reduce it to half.
3. Combine  rest of the milk with rest of the ingredients i.e. milk powder, cornflour, badam paste and sugar and mix it with boiling milk stirring continuously and bring to a boil. Add cardamom powder.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes or untill the mixture thickens stirring continuously. Cool completely.
5. Pour into an aluminium container and freeze for 4-5 hours or till firm.
6.  Boil 2 cups of water in a pan , add a tsp of oil and the vermiceli . Cook for about 4-5 minutes till the vermiceli is almost cooked . Stain out excess water and put it immediately in cold water to stop further cooking. Strain the vermiceli once again and again put it in cold water. Keep it in the fridge soaked in cold water.
7. Soak chia seeds in 1 cup water for half an hour then keep it in fridge.
8. Take ready made red , green  and yellow syrups or make some one string consistency sugar syrup, divide in three equal parts, add red , green and yellow colours in each separate part and add rose essence in red syrup,kewra essence in green syrup and almond essence in yellow syrup. Keep aside.
9. To assemble take some kulfi in a serving glass then add some chia seeds and vermiceli then add red sugar syrup,repeat the layers with rest of the syrups and serve chilled. 

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PATRA

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

10 medium sized colocasia leaves/ taro leaves or arbi ke patte
For The Besan Mixture
2 1/2 cups besan / gram flour
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida
3/4 cup grated jaggery
3 tbsp tamarind pulp
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

For tempering:
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
2 tsp sesame seeds (til)
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

For The Garnish
2 tbsp freshly grated coconut
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

Method :

1. Combine all the ingredients listed under besan mixture in a bowl, add water  and mix thoroughly till the jaggery melts and the mixture becomes smooth. Keep aside.
2. Wash the colocasia leaves and dry using a kitchen towel.
3. Place the leaves with the vein side facing you on a clean dry surface and remove the veins using a sharp knife.
4. Place a leaf with the tip facing towards you, apply little besan mixture and spread it using your fingers to make an even layer.
5. Apply little besan mixture on another leaf and place it in on the first leaf with the tip in the opposite direction.
6. Repeat the procedure 3 more leaves.
7. Fold the leaf around 1” from one side.
8. Apply the besan mixture on it. Repeat the same with the other side.
9. Fold the leaf around 1” from your side.
10. Apply the besan paste on it with your fingers.
11. Roll it up tightly, while applying besan mixture with each fold. Keep aside.
12. Repeat with the remaining 5 leaves and besan mixture to make 1 more roll and steam in a steamer for 20 to 25 minutes or till it becomes firm.
13. When cool, cut into 12 mm. (½”) thick slices. Keep aside.
14. Heat the oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.
15. When the seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds and asafoetida and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds, while stirring continuously.
16. Add the patra pieces, toss gently and sauté on a medium flame for a minute.
17. Serve immediately garnished with coconut,pomegranate and seeds.

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DAHI PURI / SEV PURI

Ingredients:

6-8 dry gol gappas or pani puri papads
oil for frying
2 medium size boiled potatoes peeled and mashed
1/2 cup boiled black chick peas
200 grm curd
2 tsp sugar
green chuttney to taste
tamarind chuttney to taste
salt, red chili powder, jeera powder and chat masala to taste
sev to sprinkle
pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat oil and fry gol gappas. Keep them aside to cool.
2. Stain curd through a soup strainer and mix some powdered sugar and salt to taste in it.
3. Add some salt, red chili powder, jeera powder and chat masala in the mashed potatoes and mix well.
4. Break the gol gappa from the center and fill mashed potato mixtue,boiled chick peas,curd and both the  chuttnies.
5. Pour some more curd over the puries.
6. Sprinkle some sev,pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately.     

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MANGO WITH ICE CREAM

Ingredients: 
2 mangoes pealed and chopped into small pieces
1 brick vanilla  ice cream

Method:

1. Put a tbsp of chopped mangoes in a serving bowl then 2 scoopes of vanilla ice cream, repeat the layers.
2. Garnish with a cherry and a mint leaf and serve chilled.

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FRUITS IN RICE KHEER

Ingredients:

1 bowl  rice kheer
1/2  bowl chopped fruits as per choice and availability
2tsp chia seeds soaked in  1/2 cup sweetened milk
2 tsp dried cranberries boiled in 1/4 cup water along with a tsp of sugar
mint leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Mix fruits and kheer in a bowl.
2. Fill the mixture in to the short glasses till 3/4 height.
3. Pour some  soaked chia seeds in each glass.
4. Top the glass with 2-3 cranberry pieces and garnish with mint leaf.
5. Serve chilled.

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ECHLAIRS

Preparation time 20 min
Cooking time  30 min

Serves: 8-10


Ingredients:

For the pastry

1 cup water
100gms butter
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
3 eggs
1 tbsp sugar

For cream filling:

1 cup whipping cream 
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp icing sugar or as per taste
fruits as per choice and availability

For chocolate sauce:
1 cup chocolate

1/2 cup whipping cream 
2 tbsp sugar or to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees  C. Grease a baking sheet.
2. Heat water,sugar and  butter to boiling point. Add 1 cup flour and stir constantly.
3. Remove from heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time and whisk well so that the eggs incorporate into the dough.  
4. Fill the mixture into a piping bag and cut the tip approx 1 cm. thick and pipe the dough of desired length onto the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 180 degree C or until light brown. Set aside to cool.
6. Prepare the filling by beating the whipping cream along with sugar till stiff peaks are formed then add vanilla extract.
7. For the icing, heat the whipping cream in a pan then add chocolate and sugar and remove the pan from the gas and beat till the chocolate and sugar are incorporated well in the cream .
8. To assemble: Slice pastry puffs lengthwise with a serrated knife, but not all the way through. Pipe whipped cream filling into the center. Frost the tops of the eclairs with chocolate icing.
9. You can also place chopped or slice fruit pieces of your choice along with whipping cream filling.

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CHURROS

Ingredients:

For churros:

100g butter
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup caster sugar, extra
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs
oil for deep-frying

For chocolate sauce:
100g dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) whipping cream



Method:

1. Combine the butter, sugar and 1 cup (250ml) water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat. Remove from heat. Add flour and stir to combine. Place over high heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 mins or until dough is smooth and leaves the sides of the pan. Set aside for 10 mins to cool.
2. To make the chocolate sauce, combine the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.Keep aside.
3. Combine the extra sugar and cinnamon on a large tray.
4. Transfer the dough to a bowl. Whisk well until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until mixture is smooth and glossy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 2cm fluted nozzle.
5. Add enough oil to a large saucepan 
6. When oil is  medium hot pipe the dough into the oil, cutting the dough with kitchen scissors.
7. Cook until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Add to the cinnamon sugar and toss to coat. Repeat with remaining dough.
8. Serve churros warm with the chocolate sauce for dipping.

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