Spinach Corn Sandwich

Ingredients:

4 medium sized leaves of spinach finely chopped

1 tbsp corn

1/4 tomato finely chopped

1/4 onion finely chopped

1 clove of garlic finely grated

1" ginger finely grated

1 green chilli finely chopped

1/4 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1 slice of cheese

2 slices of bread

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

Method:

• heat a tsp of oil in a kadai. Add the ginger and garlic and stir, add the

Paneer Kheer

2 litrs milk

1/4 cup sugar

pista and almond for garnish

2 tbsp rose water

pinch of saffron

eailaichi powder

100 gms paneer

Dhokar Dalna

Ingredients:

for the dhoka:

1/2 cup chana dal

1" ginger

1/4 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

2 1/2 tbsp oil-dal

salt to taste

for the dalna (gravy):

1 elaichi

2 laung

1" dalchini

1 medium onion

5 cloves of garlic

1" ginger

1 large tomato pureed

2 tsp oil

1 tsp coriander powder

3/4 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp kashmiri mirch

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cup water

salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the chana dal for 4-5 hours. After soaking, drain the chana dal, add ginger and grind the dal and ginger. Add coriander powder, jeera powder, haldi powder, red chilli powder and salt to the dal mixture.
• Heat a kadai, add 1 tbsp of oil and fry the ground dal. Once the dal leaves the sides of the kadai, which will take around 5-7 minutes switch off the gas.
• Grease a plate with oil and spread the dal mixture, cut into diamond shaped pieces.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a pan and shallow fry the dal pieces. keep aside the fried dal pieces.
• For the gravy, puree the onion , ginger and garlic in a mixie.
• Heat 2 tsp of oil on medium high flame, add elaichi, laung and dalchini, when they crackle add the onion ginger garlic puree and let it fry.
• Once the onion paste turns light brown in colour, add the tomato puree and fry for a minute.
• Add coriander powder, jeera powder, red chilli powder, kashmiri mirch and let the masala cook well. Cover and cook for 3 mins. Once the gravy leaves the sides of the kadai add 1 1/2 cup of water, sugar and salt and bring it to boil on a medium flame.
• After one boil add the fried dal pieces and give another boil. Switch off the gas and serve.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Tips:

• Mostly the dal for the dhokas(dal pieces) is finely ground, I however, grind in a mortar and pestle so leave it slightly coarse. However anything ground on a mortar and pestle taste divine, so I don't mind the dal being ground slightly coarsely. You can however grind it to a smooth paste.
• Traditionally people also add potato to this gravy. I do not. You can also add black chana, green peas to this gravy.
• You can even have combination of other dals for the dhokas.
• You can add other spices like nigella seeds, fennel seeds to the dhokas.
• You can also add onion and coriander leaves to the dhokas.
• Becareful when you fry the dhokas, it should not crumble.
• If you want the gravy to be thick you can add cornflour for binding.
• The dhokas can also be added in curd based gravy too, will post the recipe soon.
• You can add cream to the gravy to make it rich. I however prefer it without cream!
• If the dhokas are left in the gravy for too long they tend to absorb the gravy. Hence, if you plan to make this dish well in advance, add the dal pieces at the time of serving and just heat it for sometime.
• This preparation taste good with rice as well as any Indian bread!

Varn (Goan Style)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup arhar dal(toor dal)

1/2 cup grated coconut

1 tsp jeera

1/2 tsp haldi powder

1 tsp sugar

1 cup water

salt to taste

for the tempering:

1 tsp ghee

1/2 tsp oil

pinch of hing

7-8 karipatta

1/4 tsp rai

Method:

• Wash the arhar dal and soak for 15 minutes.
• In a pressure cooker add the dal, water, haldi powder and salt and cover with the lid. Cook for one whistle on high and two whistles on sim. Switch off the flame and let the pressure drop by itself.
• In a mixie add the grated coconut, jeera and ground to fine paste. Keep aside.
• Heat a small kadai for tempering, heat ghee and oil on medium high flame. Add the mustard seeds, when the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add the karipatta leaves and hing.
• Add the tempering over the cooked dal. Mix well.
• Add the ground coconut paste to the dal and cook the dal in the uncovered pressure cooker.
• Add sugar and bring to a boil.
• Serve hot with rice!!!

Tips:

• This is my version of the varn. You can add jeera while boiling the dal.
• You may add grated coconut only instead of the ground coconut (and jeera while boiling the dal). However I prefer to add the ground coconut.
• You can add jaggery instead of sugar.
• If you want the consistency of the dal to be thinner, add water along with the coconut.
• You can add 1 tbsp of water while grinding the coconut.
• This is a very light dal and taste fantastic with rice.

Batata Kaap/Fodi ( Crispy Pan Fried Potatoes (Goan Style))

Ingredients:

1 potato

3 tbsp sooji (+ 1/2 tsp haldi powder and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder)

1 tbsp red chilli powder

pinch of haldi powder

salt to taste

Method:

• Cut the potatoes into round of 1/4 inch thickness. Wash, and sprinkle salt, haldi powder and red chilli powder. Keep aside.
• Heat a pan on a medium flame and add oil.
• Spread the sooji on a plate. Add 1/2 tsp haldi powder and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder to the sooji and mix well.
• Take each piece of the potato and roll it in the sooji so that the sooji coats the potato completely and place it in the pan.
• Sprinkle some drops of water on th epan and cover the pan with a lid.
• Let the potatoes cook on a very low flame.
• Uncover the pan and check if the potatoes are cooked. If the potatoes are cooked turn each piece of potato and cook it on the other side on a medium heat.
• Cook both the sides of the potato till golden brown.
• Serve hot with rice and varn!!!!

Tips:

• The thickness of the potatoes can be varied. Even if you slice them thin they taste good.
• I also add 1/2 tsp of haldi and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder to the sooji to enhance the flavours.
• The potatoes must be moist only then will the sooji stick to the potato. If its dry add a tsp of water.
• Do not marinate the potato for too long, it will turn dark and very soft.
• You can check if the potatoes are cooked by pricking a knife/fork.
• Only one side has to be cooked with the lid closed. do not cover the pan while cooking the other side.

fried stuffed modak

1 cup maida

1/4 cup water

salt to taste

1 cup grated coconut

1/3 cup jaggery

1 tsp elaichi powder

salt to taste

oil for deep frying.

Mirch Gawar Phali (Spicy Chitki/ Cluster Beans)

Ingredients:

1 cup gavar phali

1 tomato

4 cloves of garlic

1" ginger

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp jeera

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp kashmiri mirch powder

1/4 tsp haldi

3 tbsp water

salt to taste

Method:

• Cut the cluster beans into 2 inch long pieces. Add salt and microwave covered for 3 minutes. Stir and keep aside.
• Grind the tomato, ginger and garlic into a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a kadai, and jeera and let it crackle. Add the tomato ginger garlic paste and let it cook. Once the tomato leaves the sides of the kadai, add jeera powder, coriander powder, kashmiri mirch powder and haldi. Let the masala cook well.
• Add the cluster beans and 1 tbsp of water and salt. Cover the kadai with a lid and let the cluster bean cook in the masala. Stir occasionally and keep adding 1 tsp of water at a time if required.
• Once the cluster beans are cooked and coated with the masala...its done!!! serve!!!

Tips:

• This is a dry vegetable, its almost like a stir fry vegetable coated with masala.
• You can add sugar to balance the flavours.
• You can temper with mustard seeds and ajwain too.
• You can add whole garlic too, it gives a good flavour.
• You can grate the tomato, ginger and garlic, incase its difficult to grind the tomato, ginger and garlic in the mixie.

Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup cabbage shredded

1/3 cup broccoli, cut into medium sized florets

1/2 cup carrots, cut into 1" cubes

1 spring onion, sliced

1/2 cup mushroom, cut into 4 pieces

1 tbsp sweet corn

1/2 tbsp green peas

1 green chilli slit into 4

juice of 1/2 medium sized lemon

1/2 tsp roasted jeera powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

salt to taste

pinch of cardamom powder

pinch of cinnamon powder

Method:

• Heat a kadai on a medium high flame, add oil in the kadai and once its hot add all the vegetables together.
• Simmer the gas and let the vegetables cook.
• Cover the kadai with the lid and stir occasionally. The vegetables should be just done. They should be crunchy.
• Once the vegetables are done, add black pepper powder, roasted jeera powder and salt.Mix well.
• Turn off the gas and sprinkle lemon juice, cardamom powder and cinnamon powder. Stir well and serve!!!

Tips:

• Don't overcook the vegetables. They must be crunchy.
• You could add the vegetable one by one but adding them together also works fine.
• You can add any other vegetable or avoid any of the vegetables given above to suite your taste and of course availability!!!
• This salad has Indian spices and it really tastes good. You can serve this with any Indian meal.

Khatta Meetha Sitaphal (Sweet and Sour Pumpkin)

Ingredients:

1 cup sitaphal/pumpkin/doodhi/kaddu

1 medium sized onion, sliced

1 medium sized tomato, roughly chopped

1 green chilli slit into 2

7-8 leaves of karipatta

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp rai

1/2 tsp haldi powder

1/2 tsp jeera powder

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp tamarind pulp

salt to taste

2 tbsp water

Method:

• Cut the sitaphal into 1" cube along with the skin.
• Heat a kadai on medium high flame.
• Add oil, add rai. When the rai begins to crackle, add karipatta leaves. Add onion and fry on medium heat till the onion turn light brown in colour.
• Add sitaphal and the tomato and mix well.
• Add the green chilli, haldi powder, jeera powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, sugar and salt and mix well. Add 1 tbsp of water and close the lid and let the sitaphal cook well. Stir occasionally. Add 1 tbsp of water if required.
• Once the sitaphal is almost cooked, add the tamarind pulp and cook for 3 minutes.
• Take the vegetable off the flame and serve!!!

Tips:

• You can add jaggery instead of sugar.
• You can add amchoor powder (dry mango powder) instead of tamarind.
• You can add fenugreek seeds to the tempering.
• You can also add asafoetida.
• The sitaphal should hold its shape even after cooking hence do not overcook the sitaphal.
• Adjust the sugar and tamarind to get the right balance of sweet and sour for this recipe.
• Tis vegetable tastes good with rotis or puris esp. stuffed kachoris!

Dry Paneer

Ingredients:

75 gms paneer, cut into small bite size cubes.

8 black pepper balls

1 " cinnamon

2 cloves

1 medium sized onion finely chopped

1 medium sized tomato finely chopped

1/4 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp kashmiri mirch powder

1 tbsp coriender leaves finely chopped

3/4 tsp sugar

salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai on a medium high flame. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick and black pepper balls together. Let the oil infuse the flavours for 1 minute.
• Add the chopped onion and saute till the onion turn light pink in colour.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and stir well.
• Add the haldi powder, red chilli powder, kashmiri mirch powder, salt and sugar and stir well.
• Add 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Cover the kadai with a lid and bring it to one boil.
• Uncover the kadai and add the paneer pieces. Bring to one boil. and dry the vegetable.
• Once all the water dries up add the coriander leaves and serve!!!!

Tips:

• This is a very dry vegetable with suttle flavours of whole masalas.
• This preperation goes well with rotis.
• You can adjust the red chilli powder to suite your taste.
• I have not ground the whole spice as I like the subtle flavour. This also helps to discard the whole spices once the dish is ready, so that you don't end up biting into the whole spices while eating.
• Its important to add all the whole spices together. Normally whatever goes first into the oil, the food will get its taste till the end. Hence, I have added all the whole spices together so that the flavours of all the three spices are infused into the oil.

dhokal dalna

Ingredients:

for the dhokal:

1/2 cup chana dal

1" ginger

1/4 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

2 1/2 tbsp oil-dal

salt to taste

for the dalna (gravy):

1 elaichi

2 laung

1" dalchini

1 medium onion

5 cloves of garlic

1" ginger

1 large tomato pureed

2 tsp oil

1 tsp coriander powder

3/4 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp kashmiri mirch

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cup water

salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the chana dal for 4-5 hours. After soaking, drain the chana dal, add ginger and grind the dal and ginger. Add coriander powder, jeera powder, haldi powder, red chilli powder and salt to the dal mixture.
• Heat a kadai, add 1 tbsp of oil and fry the ground dal. Once the dal leaves the sides of the kadai, which will take around 5-7 minutes switch off the gas.
• Grease a plate with oil and spread the dal mixture, cut into diamond shaped pieces.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a pan and shallow fry the dal pieces. keep aside the fried dal pieces.
• For the gravy, puree the onion , ginger and garlic in a mixie.
• Heat 2 tsp of oil on medium high flame, add elaichi, laung and dalchini, when they crackle add the onion ginger garlic puree and let it fry.
• Once the onion paste turns light brown in colour, add the tomato puree and fry for a minute.
• Add coriander powder, jeera powder, red chilli powder, kashmiri mirch and let the masala cook well. Cover and cook for 3 mins. Once the gravy leaves the sides of the kadai add 1 1/2 cup of water, sugar and salt and bring it to boil on a medium flame.
• After one boil add the fried dal pieces and give another boil. Switch off the gas and serve.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Tips:

• Mostly the dal for the dhokas(dal pieces) is finely ground, I however, grind in a mortar and pestle so leave it slightly coarse. However anything ground on a mortar and pestle taste divine, so I don't mind the dal being ground slightly coarsely. You can however grind it to a smooth paste.
• Traditionally people also add potato to this gravy. I do not. You can also add black chana, green peas to this gravy.
• You can even have combination of other dals for the dhokas.
• You can add other spices like nigella seeds, fennel seeds to the dhokas.
• You can also add onion and coriander leaves to the dhokas.
• Becareful when you fry the dhokas, it should not crumble.
• If you want the gravy to be thick you can add cornflour for binding.
• The dhokas can also be added in curd based gravy too, will post the recipe soon.
• You can add cream to the gravy to make it rich. I however prefer it without cream!
• If the dhokas are left in the gravy for too long they tend to absorb the gravy. Hence, if you plan to make this dish well in advance, add the dal pieces at the time of serving and just heat it for sometime.
• This preparation taste good with rice as well as any Indian bread!

mix veg bengali dal

Ingredients:

1/4 cup moong dal

1/4 cup carrot

3/4 cup lauki

2 tbsp green peas

1/4 cup karela

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp haldi

1 cup water

1 tsp sugar

cardamom powder

cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp panch phoren

1 tsp ghee

Method:

• Wash the dal and soak in water for 1/2 hour.
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Beans poshto

1 cup beans

3/4 tsp posto

1 green chilli

1/4 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp kalonji

1 1/2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp sugar

3 tbsp coconut

only posto and green chilli on silvatta

veg kurma

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup vegetables (french beans, carrot, potato, green peas,corn)

1 tetra pack of coconut milk

4-5 curry leaves

3 green cardamom

3 black pepper corn

3 cloves

1" cinnamon stick

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 green chilli

1 tsp corn flour

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tsp of oil

1 cup water

salt to taste

Method:

• Mix All the vegetables and add into a microwave proof dish. Add salt and sprinkle 1/2 tsp of water. Microwave covered for 4 minutes.
• Heat a skillet and add oil. Add green cardamoms, black peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon stick. Add onions and stir well. Add ginger garlic paste and stir well. Cook the onions on flame. The colour should not change.
• Add the microwaved vegetables and mix well. Add the green chillies and curry leaves and mix well.
• Add the Coconut milk and mix well on low flame.
• Mix cornflour in 1/2 cup of water and add to the vegetable.
• bring to boil.
• Add salt and sugar and mix well.
• Serve hot with malabari paratha!!!

Tips:

• You add any veggies that you like.
• Addition of corn flour gives a good thickness and binding to the gravy you can avoid it too.
• you may cook the veggies in the coconut milk, however in such a case you must use the second milk of coconut to cook the veggies and then add the thick or first milk.
• You can use fresh cocnut milk too.
• Anything between 2-4 minutes is normally good enough to cook the veggies in the microwave.
• the colour of this gravy is white hence ensure that the colour of the onion is not changed when its cooking.
• You can add white pepper powder to increase the spice content.

Bread Anda Pakoda

1 slice of bread

1 egg

2 tbsp finely chopped onion

1/2 green chilli finely chopped

1 tsp coriander leaves finely chopped

pinch of haldi powder

salt to taste

1 1/2 tsp of oil

Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:

1 cup onion finely chopped (1 large)

1 1/4 cup tomato (2 large)

1 capsicum finely chopped

1 1/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala

1/4 tsp haldi

1/2 tsp kashmiri mirch powder

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1/2 tsp coriender powder

2 tsp oil

2 tsp butter

salt to taste

to be boiled together and mashed

2 medium sized potato

1 medium sized carrot

to be made into a paste

5 cloves of garlic

1" ginger

1 green chilli

4 tbsp coriender

garnishing

finely chopped onion

butter

coriender

cucumber raita recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup curd

2/3 cup grated cucumber

salt to taste

1/4 tsp roasted jeera powder

pinch of black salt

pinch of black pepper powder

Method:

• Peel the cucumber and grate it.
• Whisk the curd and add salt, black salt, black pepper powder and roasted jeera powder. Mix well.
• Add the grated cucumber and serve immediately.

Tips:

• Try not to grate the cucumber too thick.
• After adding the cucumber serve immediately. Incase, you have to serve it after sometime, then grate the cucumber and keep it aside for sometime. Mix cucumber just before serving.
• You can also add peanut powder, it gives a distinct and nice taste.
• You could also add red chilli powder or finely chopped green chillies too.

Paneer paratha

1 cup grated paneer

1 green chilli

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp coriander leaves

salt

1/2 finely chopped onion

100 gms paneer

1/2 tsp khuskhus

1/2 sugar

salt to taste

1/4 tsp kashmiri mirch powder

1/2 jeera powder

1/2 coriander powder

6 cashew nut

2 tsp cream

1/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp kasoori methi

1 green elaichi

2 cloves

1" cinamon

1 tbsp raisins

2 tsp oil for frying

1 tsp oil

1 onion

1 tomato

Aam Panha- roasted

Ingredients:

1 raw mango

1/4 tsp black salt

1/2 tsp roasted jeera powder

2 1/2 tsp powdered sugar

5 leaves of pudina-crushed into paste

2 cups water

Method:

• Put deep incisions on the raw mango (4 vertical) on 4 sides.
• Place the raw mango in a microwave proof bowl and microwave for 1 minute.
• Let the raw mango rest for a minute or two.
• Place the raw mango on a open flame and let it roast on a medium low flame.
• Once the raw mango is roasted on all the sides, take it off the flame.
• Remove the dark roasted skin of the raw mango.
• Squeeze out the pulp of the raw mango and discard the seed of the raw mango.Strain the pulp.
• To the raw mango pulp add black salt, roasted jeera powder, sugar, salt, pudina and mix well.
• Add water mix well and serve chilled to beat the summer heat!!!!

Tips:

• If you want to have it immediately use chilled water. You could also add ice cubes, but in such a case just reduce adjust the quantity of water.
• You caould also add coriander paste.
• granular sugar or castor sugar could also be used. just adjust the quantity to suite your taste.
• You could also add a packet of readymade jaljeera powder.
• You could vary the amount of spices given above and also add other spices such as black pepper powder, chat masala etc t