• 1 each – carrot, capsicum, onion, small cabbage,potato, brinjal, tomato, ladyfinger (okra)
• 100 gms.- french beans
• 1/2 bunch each spinach, coriander, khatta (3 leaved) greens.
• 1/2 bunch any other leafy greens.
• 1 cup green gram dal
• 1/2 cup horsegram dal (channa dal)
• 4-5 green chillies
• 2-3 clovettes garlic
• 1 tsp. red chilli powder
• 1 tsp. dhania (coriander seed) powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tbsp. ghee
• 2 pinches asafoetida

Method:-

1. Clean and wash dals.
2. Clean, wash and chop spinach and vegetables except tomato.
3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add all the vegetables, spinach and dals.
4. Mix well, add enough water to cover the contents.
5. Add all masalas and mix well.
6. Place whole tomato on top, cover and pressurecook for 3 whistles.
7. Cool the cooker, open and handblend the contents.
8. Heat 1/2 tbsp. ghee add a pinch of asafoetida and add to the mashed vegetable.
9. Serve hot with fried rice,fried potatoes,paratha along with sindhi papad.

Making time: 30 minutes (excluding cooling time)
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

Ingredients:-

• 3 medium. potatoes boiled and peeled
• 1 cup beaten curd or yogurt
• 1 tsp. red chilli powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp. garam masala
• 2 pinches asafoetida
• few curry leaves
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves chopped
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. garlic grated
• 2 green chillies slited
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. oil

Method:-

1. Cut potatoes into big pieces. Mash 3-4 pieces fine with hand. Keep both aside.
2. Mix all the dry masala in 1/4 cup of water.
3. Heat oil and in a pan.
4. Add the seeds (cumin and mustard). When they starts spluttering, add ginger-garlic, chilli and curry leaves.
5. Add the masala mixture and fry for 2 minutes.
6. Add beaten curd and fry for 5 minutes or till the curd loses its whiteness. Stir continuously after adding curd.
7. Add the remaining water and all the potato and flour. Stir well.
8. Boil and simmer for 10 minutes or till gravy thickens.
9. Garnish with chopped coriander.
10. Serve hot with thin wheat chappaties and plane rice.

Making time: 30 minutes.
Makes for: 4
Shelf life: Best fresh

Photo courtesy by http://www.flickr.com/photos/somagallery/

Ingredients :- (Serve for Two)

• Moong dhal – 1/2 cup.
• Rice – 1/2 cup.
• Milk
• Coconut
• cashew
• jaggery
• raisins (khish-mish – dry grapes)
• cardamom
• ghee

1. Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it will start smelling).
2. Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes.
3. Thoroughly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water (lesser is o.k)and cook it separately (in two different containers).
4. Meanwhile cut coconut in very small pieces and fry in ghee.
5. Fry cashew and raisins also separately.
6. Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup.
7. This is done because sometimes jagerry has mud and stones.
8. After we make the syrup strain it through tea strainer.
9. Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed.
10. Add jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed.
11. Add three big table spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while.
12. Add fried coconut, cashews and raisins.
13. Serve hot in two cups with a spoon of ghee.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/easy-indian-recipes/

Ingredients:-

• 1 small bowl Besan
• 1 small bowl Water
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 tablespoon Lemonjuice
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1 tablespoon Eno Fruit Salt

Seasoning:-

• 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds (rai)
• 2 Sliced Green Chillies
• A few Curry Leaves
• 2 Tablespoon Sugar
• 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 2tablespoon Chopped Corinder
• 1 table spoon Grated Coconut

Method:-

1. Mix together besan, salt, oil, lemon juice and water.
2. In a pressure cooker or big vassle put 1 glass water and keep a mesh upside down. (so that water should not touch the dhokla pan)
3. Grease a baking dish (it should fit in the vassle or cooker)
4. Now add Eno and mix well and pour this mixture right away in the greased pan.
5. Steam it for 20 minutes.
6. Prepare the seasoning adding rai, green chillies and curry leaves in hot oil.
7. Mix together water,sugar and lemon juice and pour into seasoning . boil it.
8. Take out dhokla and cut into pieces. Pour the seasoning mixture over it.
9. Garnish with grated coconut and Coriander.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cookatease/4500544822/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Ingredients:-

• Moong Dal (lentil) – 1 cup
• Coconut – 1/2
• Jaggery – 2 cups (grated)
• Cardamom powder – 1 tsp.
• Cashewnuts – 1/4 cup
• Raisins – 1/4 cup
• Ghee

Method:-

1. Wash and drain the dal. Fry it in hot ghee for 2-3 mins. Keep aside.
2. Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and keep aside.
3. Cut 5-6 coconut rings and chop it further to small pieces. Fry it in ghee and keep aside.
4. Grate the remaining coconut and grind it with 1 cup hot water.
5. Drain and reserve the coconut milk. This will be thicker.
6. Again add 1 cup hot water to the ground and drained coconut and grind.
7. Squeeze the milk out and reserve in a separate bowl from the previous.
8. Add this second milk to the fried dal and pressure cook it.
9. In the meantime, boil 1- 1/2 cup water and add the jaggery to it.
10. Boil it till the liquid obtains a thick consistency. Pour this into the boiled dal mixture and stir well.
11. Cook for a few mins. Add cardamom pwd. and the fried cocunut pieces, cashews and raisins.
12. Keep stirring all the time. Add the thick coconut milk and mix well. Remove from heat and serve hot.
13. It tastes great if eaten cold too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44873114@N03/4351935626/sizes/m/in/photostream/

• Chicken 1 No.
• Lemon juice 3 tsp.
• Red chili powder 2 tsp.
• Curd (Yogurt) As per taste
• Garlic paste 1 tsp.
• Ginger paste 1 tsp.
• Garam masala powder ½ tsp.
• Mustard oil 1 tsp.
• Oil For basting
• Salt As per taste

Method:-

1. Skin the chicken and make diagonal incisions all over.
2. Mix 1 tablespoon red chili powder, salt and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Apply this to the chicken and leave it for half an hour.
3. Hang Curd/Yogurt in the muslin cloth for some time.
4. Take Yogurt in a bowl, add red chili powder, salt, lemon juice, Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste, Garam Masala Powder and mustard oil. Mix well.
5. Apply this marinade to the chicken. Put the chicken onto the skewer and roast in the tandoor oven.
6. When chicken is almost done, baste it with oil, roast again till done.
7. Serve hot with onion slices and lemon wedges.

Photograph courtesy by creazione

Ingredients:-

• 1 lb Bhindi, washed
• 1 large onion , sliced finely
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice

For stuffing:

• 1 1/2 tsp red chili pwd
• 1 tsp amchoor
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp saunf(fennel)
• 2 tsp dhania pwd
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste

Method:-

1. Make one slit on each bhendi and set side.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil and fry the stuffing masala till well browned. Not more than a minute.
3. Stuff each bhendi with this masala and keep the remaining aside.
4. Heat the remaining oil, add the cumin seeds and when they splutter add the sliced onions.
5. When the onions start browning, add the remaining masala and the bhendi pieces.
6. Sprinkle some water and salt and cook covered on a low flame for 30 minutes.
7. Keep turning occassionally.
8. When the bhendi is done, take off the stovetop and sprinkle the lemon juice.Mix well.
9. Serve hot with chapati/rice and dal.

Photograph courtesy by musicpb

Ingredients:-

For cover:

• 1 1/2 cup plain flour
• 3 tbsp. oil
• salt to taste
• cold water to knead dough

For filling:

• 1 cup yellow moong dal washed and soaked for 1/2 hour
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1 tsp. red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp. dhania (coriander) powder
• 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds crushed coarsely
• 1/2 tsp. fennel (saunf) seeds crushed coarsely
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
• salt to taste
• 2-3 pinches asafoetida
• 1 tbsp. oil
• oil to deep fry
• 1 tbsp. plain flour for patching

Method:

For cover:

1. Mix flour, salt and oil, knead into soft pliable dough.
2. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

For filling:

1. Put plenty of water to boil dal.
2. Boil dal for 5 minutes and drain.
3. Cool a little. Heat oil in a heavy pan.
4. Add all seeds whole and crushed allow to splutter.
5. Add asafoetida, mix. Add all other ingredients.
6. Mix well. Do not smash the dal fully.
7. But enough to make the mixture hold well.
8. Remove from fire and let it cool.
9. Divide into 15 portions.
10. Shape into balls with greased palm and keep aside.

To proceed:

1. Make a paste with water, of flour for patching and keep aside.
2. Take a pingpong ball sized portion of dough.
3. Knead into round. Roll into 4″ diam. round.
4. Place one ball of filling at centre.
5. Pick up round and wrap ball into it like a pouch.
6. Do not allow cover to tear.
7. Press the ball with palm, making it flattish and round.
8. Repeat for 4-5 kachories.
9. Deep fry in hot oil, on low flame only.
10. If the kachori get a hole anywhere, apply some paste.
11. Return to oil and finish frying.
12. Turn and repeat for other side.
13. Fry till golden brown and crisp. Small bubbles must appear over kachori.
14. Drain and serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys.

Making time: 1 hour (excluding soaking and cooling times)
Makes: 10-12 pieces
Shelf life: 2-3 days
Note: Take care to fry on low. Hurried frying will result in soggy and oily kachories.

Photograph Courtesy by http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashphoto/

Ingredient:-

• 1 teacup kabuli channas
• 2 chopped onions
• 2 potatoes
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons dhana-jira powder
• 2 tablespoons chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon amchur power
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon soda bi-carb
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• salt to taste
• Slices of tomatoes and ginger, chopped coriander and a few whole green chillies for decoration.

Method:-

1. Soak the channas for at least 6 hours
2. Add ½ teaspoon of soda bi-carb and cook in a pressure cooker
3. Cut the potatoes and tomatoes into big pieces
4. Heat the ghee in a vessel and fry the potatoes until soft
5. Remove the potatoes. In the same ghee add the onions and cook for a little time.
6. Add the dhana-jira and chilli powder and fry again.
7. Add the boiled channas and salt.
8. After 5 minutes, add the garam masala, amchur and black pepper powder and cook for 2 minutes.
9. Add the potatoes and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
10. Garnish with coriander, chillies and slices of tomatoes and ginger.

Photograph courtesy by  http://www.flickr.com/photos/linkadnan/

Ingredients

• Almonds (Badam) 1 cup
• Milk 4-6 cups
• Sugar same amount as almond paste (about 1 cup)
• Saffron 1/2 t.spoon
• Kesari powder (color) a small pinch (optional)

Method:

1. Soak saffron in little cold milk, and keep it aside.
2. Soak almonds in hot water for 1 hour.
3. Peel skin and grind the almond into a fine paste with 1 cup of milk instead of water.
4. Measure the amount of almond paste, and keep the same amount of sugar aside.
5. Cook the almond paste for 5-10 while stirring it constantly, till the flavour comes out.
6. Now add sugar and keep stirring.
7. Add the remaining milk, and boil for 10-15 minutes.
8. Add the soaked saffron and serve it cold.

Photograph Courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/49483840@N08/