Rice Kheer

Rice Kheer

Ingredients:

1 small cup rice
2 small cups sugar
1 glass water
1 litre milk
a pinch of cardmom powder
few strands of kesar (optional)
4-8 almonds
4-8 cashews

Procedure:

1. Wash the rice well and soak it in 1 glass of water for 2-3 hours.
2. Soak the almonds and cashews for 2-3 hours. Then, peel the almonds and chop them into slivers.
3.Boil the milk in a thick bottomed vessel. Add the rice to milk. After one boil, let the rice and milk simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Stir gently every 5 minutes to enusre it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
4.Once the milk and rice mixture thickens add sugar and cook for 10-15 minutes more. Add kesar (safforon) and cardmom (elaichi) powder.
5. Remove the kheer from the fire. Bring it to room temperature.
6. Garnish with chopped almonds and cashews.

Moong dal ghavan

Moong dal ghavan

Ingredients

1 cup moong dal (soaked overnight)
1/2 inch ginger
2 cloves garlic
1-2 green chillies
handful of coriander leaves
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of garam masala
1 tsp jeera
salt
oil 2 tbsp

Procedure:
1. Soak the dal overnight.
2. Grind the dal, ginger, garlic and green chillies together.
3. Add jeera, garam masla, turmeric, finely chopped coriander and salt.
4. Mix well. The batter should fall from the spoon in a ribbon like consistency.
5. Heat a pan, grease it with oil. Put a spoonful of batter and spread it like a dosa.
6. Fry well from both sides.

Serve hot with chutney and ketchup.

Jeera Rice

Jeera Rice

Ingredients

1 cup rice (preferably basmati)
1 tsp jeera (cumin)
Water
1 heaped tsp ghee
a pinch of salt
a few drops of lemon juice.

Procedure:

1. Wash the rice properly and soak it for 10 -15 minutes. After 10-15 minutes drain the water from rice and keep aside.
2. Boil about 6 cups of water in a vessel.
3. Heat ghee in a pan, add jeera. After the jeera crackles add the rice. Toss well in the ghee.
4. Add the boiled water. Add salt and 4-5 drops of lemon juice.
5. Let the rice cook (it would take about 5-7 minutes).
6. Drain the water from the rice.

Serve hot.

Daily Dal

Daily Dal

1 small cup moong dal (yellow dal)
1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
few fenugreek seeds
1 tomato (finely chopped)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 green chilly (slit)
1 tsp red chilly powder
salt to taste
1 tsp ghee 1/2 tspgaram masala

Procedure:
1. Wash the dal properly.
2. Add ginger, green chilly, fenugreek seeds, tomato, turmeric to the washed dal.
3. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. Wait for the cooker to cool. Remove the dal and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan, keep the gas on a low, add ghee, jeera, red chilly powder and garam masala. Immediately add the dal to this tempering.
5. Add salt and mix well. If the dal is thick add a little water. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
6. Garnish with coriander.

Serve hot with jeera rice or rotis.

Salt and pepper mushrooms

Salt and Pepper Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Mushrooms 200 gms
Capsicums 2
Onions 2
Salt
Pepper 1-2 tsp (preferably freshly ground pepper)
Lemon juice to taste
Butter
Olive oil
Garlic 2-4 cloves (finely chopped)

Procedure:
1. Heat butter and olive oil in a pan on a slow flame till the butter melts.
2. Add garlic and saute till it is brown and fragrant.
3. Add the onions and stir fry them till transluscent.
4. Add the capsicum and stir fry.
5. Add the mushrooms and stir fry.
6. Add the salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Serve hot.

Chat masala potato wedges

Chat masala potato wedges

Ingredients:

Potatoes 2-3 medium size
oil - to fry
cornflour - 1 tbsp
maida (Refined flour) - 1 tbsp
salt - to taste
turmeric - a pinch
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
garam masala - 1/4 tsp
chat masala - 1 heaped tsp

Procedure:

1. Peel the potatoes. Make wedges and soak them in water.
2. Mix together cornflour and maida with a pinch of salt.
3. Coat the potatoes with the cornflour and maida mixture.
4. Deep fry them till golden brown.
5. Take the fried potato wedges in a bowl, add turmeric, salt, red chilly powder, garam masala and chat masala and toss well.
Serve hot.

Tip: To pan fry the potatoes, parboil the potato wedges and the follow the procedure from step 3 onwards.

How to make peanut powder (shengdanyache koot)

Ingredients:

250 gms peanuts with skin. 

Procedure:

Dry roast the peanuts in a kadhai (pan) till peel of the peanuts comes off it. There will be an aroma in the air once the peanuts are roasted, remove them from the fire and let them cool. Using your fingers remove the peel of the peanuts. When they are clean coarsely grind them in a mixer-grinder on low for a second, mix it and grind again for a couple of seconds. If you grind for too long it will become peanut butter ....so be careful. :) 

Zunka

Zunka


Ingredients:


5-10 curry leaves
2-3 green chillies
2 onions, finely chopped
2-3 flakes garlic, finely chopped
3 cups gram flour (besan)
4 tbsps oil
3 tbsps coriander leaves
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste


Procedure:


1.Dry roast the besan in a pan till pink. Keep aside.
2.Heat oil in a kadhai and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they pop, add green chillies, curry leaves, garlic and onions. Fry till onion is transluscent and pink.
3. In a bowl mix together besan, red chilly powder turmeric powder and salt with water to make a paste with ribbon like consistency when dropped form a spoon.

4. Stir in this paste slowly. Mix well. Make sure no lumps are formed.
5. Keep stirring as the mixture cooks and becomes thick.


Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with bhakris or chapatis.


Tip: Add drumsticks, finely chopped spring onion or methi leaves as different variations.

Batata Wada

Batata wada

Ingredients:

2-3 medium sized potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed)

a pinch of hing

1 heaped tsp mustard seeds

15-20 curry leaves

2-4 green chillies

salt to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp coriander leaves

1-2 cloves garlic

1 inch ginger

2 heaped tbsp gram flour

1/2 tbsp wheat flour

1 tsp red chilly powder

2 tsp cumin coriander powder (dhania jeera powder)

a pinch of garam masala

1 tsp ajwain (Carom seeds)

Oil to deep fry

Procedure:

1. Grind together ginger, garlic, green chillies and coriander.

2. Mash the potatoes.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seed, hing and curry leaves.

4. Pour this tempering on the mashed potatoes, add the ginger-coriander paste.

5. Add salt. Mix well. Make small balls and keep aside.

6. In a bowl, mix together gram flour, wheat flour, turmeric, red chilly powder, dhania jeera powder, garam masala, ajwain and salt. Add water to make a paste.If lifted by a spatula it should flow in a ribbon like consistency.

7. Heat some oil in a pan (preferably kadhai). To check if oil is hot enough, drop a tsp of batter in it. If the batter immediately floats to the surface the oil is read to fry the vadas.

8. Add a spoonful of oil to the batter and mix well.

9. Dip the potato ball in the batter. Coat it well. Let the extra batter drip away and add it to the hot oil. Add 2-4 vadas in the pan and fry the vadas till golden brown.

Serve hot with green chutney, garlic chutney and tomato ketcup.

Misal Pav

Misal Pav Ingredients:

1 cup sprouted and steamed steamed matki (moth)

1 boiled potato ( if you like it)

2 big onions finely chopped

4-6 cloves garlic

2 tbsp coconut (scraped)

1 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped

2-4 green chillies (as per your spice levels)

2 tbsp kashmiri red chilly powder (it's not very hot, it's just for the color)

1 tbsp oil

1 cup farsan (of your choice)

pav

salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Grind together coconut, green chillies coriander and 3-4 garlic cloves. Keep aside.

2. In a pan heat oil, add 2 cloves of smashed garlic.

3. Add the finely chopped onion, cook till transluscent. Add red chilly powder, mix well. Immediately add 2 glasses of water.
4 . Add the ground coconut mixtur and steamed matki, boiled potato.

5. Add salt and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.

To serve:

In a plate, pour the above mixture. Add farsan. Serve with Pav.

Moong salad

Moong Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup Green Gram (Moong Sprouted (Steamed)
2 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)
1 Cucumber
1 small cup Carrot (grated)
1 small cup Cabbage
1 cup Spinach (Palak)
1 tbsp Fresh coriander (dhania)
1 cup Coconut
2 tbsp Lemon juice
Red Chili powder As per taste
Black pepper powder As per taste
Salt As per taste

Procedure:
1. Mix steamed moong, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, spinach, coriander, scraped coconut, lemon juice, red chilli powder, black pepper powder and salt.
2. Toss well.

PINK BASKET SALAD

PINK BASKET SALAD

                      

1 cup spinach finely chopped lengthwise                                              

1  cup beetroot steamed chopped                                     

1 ½ tbs coconut  scraped                                                           

½ tsp mustard seeds powder  (adjust to taste )                                               

1/2 tsp green Chili                                                                     

2 tsp lemon juice                                                          

Procedure:

1.  Blend coconut ,mustard seeds powder, green Chili paste.

2. Mix spinach, beetroot, coconut paste and lemon juice.

3. Serve it.

Coleslaw sandwich

Coleslaw sandwich:

Ingredients:

1 cup cabbage (thinly sliced)

1/2 cup carrot grated

1/2 capsicum (thinly sliced)

2 tbsp mayonaise ( I use Karen Anand's eggless mayo)

a dash of black pepper

2 slices of bread

1 tsp butter

Procedure:

1. In a bowl mix cabbage, carrot and capsicum.

2. Add mayonaisse to the vegetable mixture, add black pepper.

3. Apply butter to the bread slices.

4. Take a bread slice, spread the coleslaw salad generously over it, cover with the other slice.

Eat with some potato chips and a fresh fruit juice. 

Moong Masala Gravy

Moong masla gravy

Ingredients:
1 cup sprouted moong.
1 medium oniom
1 medium tomato
1 inch ginger (juliennes)
2 green chillies
1 heaped tsp dhania jeera powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chilly powder
10-12 curry leaves
salt to taste.

Procedure.
1. Boil water in a pan, add moong, silt green chillies and ginger juliennes and let it cook till the moong is soft.
2. Finely dice the onions and tomatoes.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds followed by cumin seeds and curry leaves.
4. Add onions and cook till they are soft.
5. Add tomatoes and cook till they are soft and ready to leave oil.
6. Add red chilly powder, dhania jeera powder, turmeric and salt.
7. Add a dash of water and let the masalas cook for a minute.
8. Add the masala mixture to the cooked moong and simmer for 5 minutes.
9. Garnish with garam masala.
10. Serve with hot rotis.

Mooli ka paratha

Mooli ka paratha

Ingredients:
1 radish with leaves
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 cup wheat flour
water
salt
ghee

Procedure:

1. Wash the radish (mooli). Scrape it. Grate the mooli.
2. Add salt. Tilt the plate to 45 degrees and leave it aside for 10-15 minutes. (Radish will leave some water).
3. Finely chop the radish leaves.
5. Mix water and wheat flour to make a firm dough.
4. After 10-15 minutes, squeeze out the water from the radish by squeezing it between your palms.
5. Mix together the grated radish, radish leaves, jeera, red chilly powder, salt and garam masla.
6. Make a small cup with the dough and stuff a lemon sized ball into it. Close in all the sides to make a ball. Flatten the ball with your palm.
7. On a flat surface, spread some flour, and roll out the paratha using a rolling pin.
8. Heat a pan, when the pan is hot put the paratha on it, cook on one side. Turn it over, make small dents on the paratha. Spread a spoonful of gheen on it. Now turn it over to the other side and repeat the process.
9. Serve hot with dahi, makhan (white butter) and /or pachranaga achar ( pickle).

Simla Mirchi Paneer Subzi

Simla Mirchi Paneer Subzi

Ingredients:

2-3 Bell peppers (medium size)

2 onions medium size

2 tomatoes

250 gms Paneer

1 inch ginger (juliennes)

1 1/2 tsp red chilly powder

2 tsp cumin and coriander powder (dhania-jeera)

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp jeera

salt to taste 

Procedure:

1. Wash and cut the bell peppers (simla mirchi) lenght wise.

2. Chop the onions and tomatoes length wise. Make ginger julliennes.

3. Cut the paneer into one inch peices lenght wise.

4. Heat oil in a pan, add jeera. After the jeera crackles add the ginger juliennes and stir fry them for a minute.

5. Add the onion and stir fry it till it is soft and transluscent.

6. Add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft.

7. Add the turmeric, red chilly powder, dhania jeera powder and salt. Mix well.

8. Add the simla mirchi. Cover and cook.

9.Add the paneer and toss gently so it mixes well with the masalas.

10. Sprinkle a little garam masala on top.

11.Serve hot with rotis.

Corn Palak

Corn Palak (serves 2)

Ingredients:
1 cup american corn
1 medium bunch palak (spinach)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
1 medium tomato (finely chopped)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
a pinch of turmeric
1-2 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp garam masla powder
1 heaped tsp ghee
1 tsp jeera
1 tbsp cream (malai)
salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Clean and wash the spinach. Steam the spinach in a double boiler. Puree it.
2. Wash the corn. Add a pinch of salt and a dash of lime juice to it. Boil the corn.
3. Chop onion roughly and grind it to a fine paste in a mixer.
4. Puree the tomato.
5. Heat ghee in a pan, add jeera (cumin) and let it crackle.
6. Add the onion paste and saute it till it turns brown.
7. Add the tomato puree and cook on slow fire till it leaves oil .
8. Add turmeric, red chilly powder, garam masala, salt. Mix well.
9. Add the spinach puree and mix well. Allow to simmer for a minute or so.
10. Add the corn. Mix well.
11. Beat the malai and make it smooth. Add it to the gravy just before serving.

Serve with hot rotis or rice.

Dal Methi

Dal Methi (Serves 2-3)


1 medium bunch of methi leaves (cleaned, washed and finely chopped)
1 cup yellow moong dal
2-4 pods of garlic (finely chopped)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
a little jaggery
1 tsp goda masala
hing
ghee
salt to taste

Procedure:
1.Wash the moong dal. Add sufficient amount of water and pressure cook it.
2.Pour the dal in a kadhai or pan. Add turmeric, red chilly powder, goda masala, jaggery and salt. Pour some water if necessary and simmer for a few minutes, till the masalas blend well with the dal.
3.Add the finely chopped methi leaves. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or so.
4.Heat ghee in a separate pan, add hing and finely chopped garlic. Saute the garlic till it become brown.
5.Add this tadka to the dal. Cover immediately.

Serve with hot rotis or rice.

Tip: If you do not want to use garlic for the tadka, cumin and mustard seeds can be used as an alternative.

Matki pulao - A recipe by tarla dalal.

Matki pulao (Serves 2)

This is a delectable dish by Tarla dalal. A small variation which I like is to add a veg maggi cube to this preparation.

Ingredients

1 cup cooked long grained rice
1 cup sprouted matki (moath), parboiled
2 cloves
1 maggi cube (crushed)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1 green chilli, chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 capsicum, chopped
4 to 6 spring onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil, add the cloves and asafoetida and saute for a few seconds.
2. Add the green chilli, ginger, capsicum and spring onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and the matki and mix well.
4. Add 1/4 cup of water and salt and simmer over a slow flame till the matki is cooked.
5. Add the rice and toss well.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve hot with vegetable kadhi.

Vegetable kadhi

Vegetable kadhi (Serves 2)

Ingredients:
1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
1 heaped tbsp besan (gram flour)
2-3 tomatoes
10-20 kadipatta leaves
2-3 green chillies
11/2 tbsp oil
1 potato (boiled or raw)
1 cup carrots (optional)
1 cup bottle groud (dudhi) (optional)
2 drumsticks (peeled and cut in to 2 inch lengthwise peices)
a pinch of turmeric
1 tsp red chilly powder
1-2 tamrind pulp
a pinch of hing
1 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
salt to taste


Procedure:

1.Grind together tomatoes, green chillies and half the kadipatta leaves.
2.Heat oil in a pan, add ginger and toss till it turns brown.
3.Add kadipatta leaves and let them crackle, add hing.
4.Add besan and saute till it becomes light brown.
5.Add the tomato puree and mix well with besan.
6.Add turmeric, red chilly powder and salt. Mix well.
7.Add sufficient amount of water followed by potato, drumsticks and other vegetables.
8.Add tamrind pulp as per your taste. Mix well. Cook on medium flame till all vegetables are cooked.
9.Garnish with coriander.

Serve hot with vegetable pulav or jeera rice or matki pulav.

Spring onions and pomegranate raita

Spring onions and pomegranate raita

Ingredients:
1 pomegranate (medium size)
3 spring onions
500 gms curd
1 tsp black salt
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
salt to taste (if required)

Procedure
1. Finely chop the spring onions alongwith the greens
2. Keep aside some seeds of the pomegranate.
3. Pour curd in a bowl and whisk it.
4. Add black salt, black pepper to the curd.
5. Squeeze some pomegranate juice.
6. Add the chopped spring onions alongwith the greens.
7. Mix all ingredients properly.
8. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

How to make homemade curd (dahi)

Ingredients.

1 cup milk
1 spoon curd (yogurt)

Procedure:
1.Warm milk in a sauce pan.
2.Pour the milk in the container in which you want to set the dahi(curd).
3.Add the curd to the milk.
4.Stir the curd and mix well for about a minute.
5.Keep the container in a warm place for 5-6 hours.

Tip.
- Curds take longer time to set in cool temperatures.
- If the milk is too hot while setting the curd it will leave a lot of whey water.
- Whey water can be used to make chapati dough as it contains a lot of protien.
- Curd is know to have an excellent cooling effect on the body.
- If you add full cream to the dahi, it becomes creamier.
- If curd is set in an earthen bowl, it is thicker and creamier. As the bowl absorbs most of the whey water.

How to sprout pulses.

Pulses like moong (Green gram), makti, masoor etc at times, need to be srpouted before cooking.

Easy steps to sprout pulses.
1.Wash the pulses properly.
2.Soak them in water overnight.
3.Drain the water and tie them in a muslin cloth. Alternatively, you can also strain the water and keep them in a colander.
4.Keep them in a warm place. (In countries with very cold weather, keep the pulses in the oven for warmth...(not a preheated oven mind you).
5.The pulses should sprout in 24-36 hours depending on the weather conditions. Pulses sprout faster in warm weather.

Matkichi Usal

Matkichi Usal (Serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

Sprouted Matki (moth) 250 gms
1 Onion (chopped)
2 red chillies
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 Maggi cube
1 tsp goda masala
little jaggery
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard
a pinch of hing
coriander leaves for garnishing
salt to taste
water

Procedure:
1.Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add the hing followed by red chillies.
2.Add the onion and fry till soft and translucent.
3.Add red chilly powder,goad masala, turmeric, jaggery, maggi cube and salt. Mix well. (Needs to be mixed really quickly).
4.Add about a glass of water. Now add the sprouted matki.
5.Cover and cook on sim till the matki gets cooked.
6.Garnish with coriander.

Serve hot with phulkas or chapatis.

Vegetable pulav

Vegetable Pulav (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice
1 tbsp ghee
1 carrot (juliennes or diced)
1 bell pepper (juliennes)
1 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup french beans (chopped)
1/2 cup peas
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
2-4 cloves
2 big cardomoms (badi elaichi)
1 bay leaf
A pinch of turmeric (optional)
salt to taste
water

Procedure:
1.Wash the basmati rice. Soak it in water for 10-15 minutes. Drain the water from the rice.
2.Heat ghee in a thick bottomed vessel, add the bay leaf, cardmoms, cinnamon and cloves.
3.Stir fry carrot, french beans, peas, cauliflower and bell pepper.
4.Add it to the stir fried vegetables. Mix the rice with the vegetables and toss it.
5.Add water(the rice and the vegetables should be covered with water). Add salt and turmeric.
6.Cover and cook till rice is done.

Farasbi ( French beans) chi bhaji

Farasbi chi bhaji (Serves 2)

Ingredients:
Farasbi (French beans) 250 gms
1/2 cup grated coconut
1/4 cup coriander leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric
2-3 red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp oil
1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
salt (to taste)

Procedure:

1.Chop the french beans diagonally.
2.Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and hing (asafoetida). When the mustard seeds crackle and the red chillies.
3. Add the french beans and mix well.
4. Add turmeric, salt and a little water. Cover and cook till the french beans are half done.
5. Add the grated coconut and coriander leaves. Mix well. Cover and cook till the beans are completely cooked.

Bajra Aloo roti

Bajra Aloo roti

Ingredients

2 cups bajra flour (millet flour)
¾ cup potatoes, boiled and mashed
¼ cup onions, finely chopped
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped coriander
1 tsp ginger (grated)
2-3 green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
½ tsp garam masala (optional)
salt to taste
Water

Procedure:

1. Take all the above ingredients in a bowl and mix them. Add small amounts of water and knead into a soft dough.
2. Make 6-8 equal peices using the dough.
3. Roll out the dough to make small rotis of about 4-5 inch diameter.
5. Put the roti on the girdle. Drizzle oil/ghee from the sides. When the roti gets brown spots turn over and cook on the other side in the same way.

Serve hot with baingan ka bharta.

Baingan Bharta - Punjabi style

Baingan Bharta (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 brinjal/ aubergine 500gms
2 medium size onions
2 medium size tomatoes
2-3 green chillies (finely chopped)
1 inch peice of ginger (finely chopped)
1 cup green peas
1 tsp jeera (cumin)
1-2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp punjabi garam masala
handful of finely chopped coriander leaves

Procedure:

1.Wash and dry the brinjal/aubergine, grease it with oil and roast it on the flame of the gas stove. After the brinjal cools, remove the peel of the brinjal and mash it. Alternatively, you can peel the brinjal, cut it into thick peices and pressure cook it for 2 whistles. Remove from the pressure cooker and mash it. (Only down side of cooking the brinjal this way is you will miss the smoky flavor.)
2.Chop the onion and tomatoes to small peices.
3.Heat oil in a pan, add jeera. After the jeera crackles add the finely chopped ginger peices and saute.
4.Add onions and the green chillies. Fry till the onions are soft and translucent.
5.Add tomatoes and saute till they leave oil.
6.Add the peas, red chilly powder and salt.Mix well. Cover and cook till the peas are soft.
7.When the peas are cooked, add the roasted, mashed brinjal. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.
8.Add garam masala. Mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with roti/ bajra aloo roti/phulka.

Special effect: Put the bharta in a serving bowl. Heat a peice of coal. Keep the burning peice of coal in a small bowl, pour a tsp of ghee or oil on it and cover immediately. This adds to the flavour of the bharta immensely. (Especially, if you have used boiled brinjal to make the bharta.)

Tomato Rice - my style

Tomato Rice (Serves 2)

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (soaked and washed)
2 medium tomatoes (cut length-wise)
2 small tomatoes (pureed)
2 medium onions (cut length-wise)
2 green chillies (finely chopped)
10-25 curry leaves
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 tbsp sambar masala
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
1-2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds
A pinch of hing
Water
Salt

Procedure:
Heat oil in a kadhai or pan, add hing, mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds crackle, add curry leaves. Now, add the onions and fry till they become soft, throw in the finely chopped chillies. When the onion is soft, add the ginger and garlic paste and mix well. Add the tomatoes and the tomato puree ( I think the puree adds to the flavor and consistency of this dish). Mix well and cook till the tomatoes leave oil. Once the tomatoes are soft, mushy and leave oil add the red chilly powder (use kashmiri chilly powder, it gives a brilliant color ..it's not too spicy so works well here), turmeric, sambar masala, coriander leaves (kothimbir) and salt. Mix well and saute. Drain the water from the soaked rice and add it to the masala, mix well for a few seconds before you add water (just enough water to cover the rice). Cover and cook till the rice is done. Serve hot with dahi or raita of your choice.

P.S: I prefer to keep my tomato rice with a little gravy; I don't like to make it very dry.

Kacchya kelyachi (raw banana) bhaji.

Kacchya Kelyachi Bhaji (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 raw bananas (medium size),
1 cup grated coconut,
3-4 green chillies,
4-5 black pepper corns,
2 tbsp tamrind pulp,
jaggery (to taste),
salt (to taste),
1/2tsp mustard seeds,
a pinch of hing (asafoetida),
1 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil,
10-12 kadipatta leaves (Curry leaves),

Procedure:

1. Peel the skin of the raw bananas with a peeler and make medium size peices.
2. Heat the oil, add mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.
3. Add the banana pieces.
4. Add enough water to cover the banana pieces, cover and cook.
5. Grind together green chillies, grated coconut and the black peppercorns.
6. Add this to the half-cooked banana pieces then add salt and jaggery and the tamarind pulp.
7. Cover and cook till the banana is soft (not mushy).
8. Let the gravy be thick when you remove it from the gas stove.

P.S: Coconut oil gives this recipe a special taste and aroma.

Pumpkin and carrot salad.

Pumpkin and carrot salad (Serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 cup grated bottle gourd (dudhi)
1 cup grated pumpkin
1/2 cup grated carrot
a handful of pomegranate (Anar/Dalimb)
1/2 cup pineapple peices.
2 tbsp jaggery syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp rock salt
1/4 tsp pepper powder

Salad dressing: Mix well together jaggery syrup, lemon juice, rock salt and pepper powder.

Method:

In a salad bowl, mix together pumpkin, bottle gourd and carrot. Add the pomegrante and pineapple peices. Drizzle the salad dressing and toss the salad.