Paneer Butter Masala

250 g panir
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
2 cardamom
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
salt, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
3 tablespoons tomato puree
4 teaspoons cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons kasuri methi
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon choppped coriander


Heat 1/2 tbsp butter in a heavy bottom pan.
Add cinnamon, cloves,bayleaf& cardamom.
Fry 4 seconds.
Add paste{ onion, ginger, garlic coarse paste with less or no water}.
Fry it till golden brown.
Add all the dry powders, sugar, tomato puree,fry for 2 minutes.
Now add 2 cups water,reduce heat to low let the gravy simmer for 8 minutes.
Now mix in cream, rest of the butter,kasuri methi& paneer.
also the salt as per taste.
Cook till paneer is soft.
Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander.
One can substitute milk for cream if diet concious.

sweet aflatoon

1 cup very fine white semolina (rava)
1 cup ghee
4 cups milk (cool)
4 cups sugar
1/2 tbsp. each almond and pistas slivers (very thin)
8-10 cardamoms
2 pinches saffron flakes
1 tsp. rose water
2 thick large sheets of clean thick polythene for rolling.



Introduction to Indian Sweets

Deseed cardamoms and crush seeds coarsely. Keep aside.
Grease sheets on one side and keep aside.
Mix rava, ghee, milk and sugar in a large heavy pan.
Place on high flame, and stir continuously, bring to boil.
Reduce flame and go on stirring till a very soft lump is formed.
Add rose water and top with 2 tbsp. ghee.
Take off flame and knead (temper) well with a spatula.
Place lump between the greased sides of the sheets.
Roll evenly as fast as possible. Remove top sheet.
Sprinkle all the toppings evenly. (ie. slivers, saffron broken and cardamom seeds)
Replace sheet and reroll quickly till very very thin.
Cut in 4" squares, store in airtight container when cool.
(Place pieces of butter paper between layers for avoiding sticking.

black pepper chicken

Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp peeled and finely grated root ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp ground white pepper
6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 fresh green chillies, slit lengthways
1 tsp lemon juice
30g/1oz coriander leaves, chopped
For the seasoned potato and cauliflower
2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 green finger chillies, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300g/10½oz white potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm (¾in) cubes
200g/7oz cauliflower florets, cut into 4cm (1¾in) pieces
1 tsp turmeric
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp garam masala
1 tbsp butter or ghee
1 tsp peeled and finely grated root ginger



Method
1. To make the chicken, mix together one tablespoon of oil, the ginger, garlic, salt and black and white peppers, and rub the mixture into the chicken pieces.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a wok and fry the onion for two minutes.
4. Add the marinated chicken pieces and gently stir-fry for 10 minutes.
5. Add the chillies and 200ml (7fl oz) boiling water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked.
6. Stir in the lemon juice and sprinkle over the coriander leaves.
7. To make the potato and cauliflower, heat the oil in a frying pan and add onions, chillies, garlic and potatoes. Fry for seven minutes or until the onion is deep yellow and translucent.
2. Add the cauliflower and fry for a further three minutes until brown.
3. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, and salt and garam masala. Stir and fry for five minutes.
4. Add butter and mix, then add five tablespoons of cold water, cover and simmer for five minutes. Stir in ginger.
5. Serve with the chicken.

eggless chocolate cake

Ingredients:
All purpose flour 1 and 1/2 cups
Cocoa powder 3 tea spns
Baking soda 1 tea spn
Salt 1/4 tea spn
Water 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Vanilla extract 1/2 tea spn
Vinegar 1 tea spn
Oil 1/4 cup

Method:
Mix water, sugar, oil, vanilla and vinegar till the sugar completely dissolves.
Sift together flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda.
Add the flour mix to the liquid mixture one table spoon at a time. Mix well to form a uniform dough.


Preheat the oven for 10mins at 350F.
Grease the oven proof dish or line with a parchment paper. Pour the dough.


Bake in oven at 350F for around 40mins or till a knife inserted comes out clean.


Serve it cold.

Masala Dosa

Ingredients:

For the masala filling
Long grain rice 21/2 cups
Uncle Ben's Converted rice 21/2 cups
Urad dal whole 1 cup
Methi seeds 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Potatoes 3 nos boiled, peeled and cubed
Onions 1 no
Mustard, Chana dal for seasoning
Chillies 2 nos
Besan 1 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Soak the long grain rice for 6-7 hrs and urad dal for an hour.
Grind the soaked rice and urad along with methi seeds to a fine paste.
Mix both of them, add salt and let it ferment atleast for a day.
For those of you who prefer to eat a little less sour, dosa can be made after fermenting for 2 hours.



Masala Preparation:
In a pan with oil, season with seeds, chilli, add onions. Fry for a couple of minutes, add potato, salt and turmeric.
Cook for some time. Mix the besan with water and add the same to the vegetable mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes and garnish with cilantro.
In a griddle or a non stick flat pan pour a laddle and make it round shape. Pour some oil around it and flip it after bubbling spots appear.
Take a spoonful of Masala filling, fill in the center and close the dosa.


Serve hot with chutney or sambhar.

apple pie

2 1/2 cups white flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter, broken into small pieces
5 tbsp. cold vegetable shortening
8 tbsp. ice water

Measure the flour, sugar and salt togetherl. Stir to combine.
Add the chilled butter pieces and shortening to the bowl. Cut them in with a pastry cutter or knife. Don't over mix them.
Add the ice water. Mix until the dough holds together (add a bit more water, if necessary).
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead it together, then divide in half.
Flatten each half into a disk, wrap in saran wrap and chill for at least half an hour.
Roll out one of the disks on a lightly floured surface until you have a circle that's about 12 inches in diameter.
Put the circle in a 9" pie plate, trimming any extra dough from the edges with a sharp knife (parents only). Return it to the refrigerator until you are ready to make the pie.
Add filling (see below)
Roll out the second ball of dough and cover top. Use a fork or your fingers to pinch the edges together. cut a couple slits in the top.

FILLING
1/3 to 2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
8 medium sized apples (a medium apple = about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons margarine

Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Peel, core and slice the apples. Try to keep the size of the slices even.
Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl.
Stir in apples.
Pour into pastry-lined pie plate.
Dot with margarine.
Cover with top crust and seal the edges. Cut slits in the top.
OPTIONAL: Cover edge with 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent too much browning. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

VEGETABLE JALFREZI

Ingredients:

Carrots , julienned -2
Cauliflower florets 8 - 9
Green beans 11 - 12
Green peppers, small 2
Green peas 1/2 cup
Tomato, small 1
Onions, medium 2
Almonds 7-8
Cashews 7-8
Ginger 2 inches
Garlic 2 - 3 flakes
Cumin seeds 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder 1 tbsp.
Coriander powder 1 tbsp.
Lemon juice 1 tbsp.
Coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing
Salt to taste





Method:

1. Cut vegetables into 1 inch pieces.
2. Grate one onions and keep aside. Make thin slices of the second onion. Keep aside.
3. Make paste of almonds and cashews. Keep aside.
4. Make paste of ginger and garlic. Keep aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. Wait till they sputter.
6. Add grated onions and stir till lightly cooked.
7. Reduce flame. Add ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, chilli powder and coriander powder. Stir. After a minute, add almond-cashew paste. Stir the mixture till it is barely dry and starts separating from sides of the pan.
8. Add carrots, cauliflower and green beans. Mix well. Now add 1 cup water. Stir, cover and let boil for 4-5 minutes.
9. Add green peppers, tomato, green peas and sliced onions while continuously stirring.
10. Cook till vegetables are tender. Now add salt.
11. Leave on heat for a minute more.
12. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

egg fried rice

Ingredients:

Rice 2 cups
Onion 1 medium
Green chillies 4
Eggs 3
Ginger Garlic paste 1 tbsp
Mint leaves 1/2 bunch
Bay leaves 3
Garam Masala Powder 1 tbsp
Vegetable Oil 3 tbsp
Salt according to taste
Coriander Leaves for garnishing




Method:

1. Fry rice in a pan for 3 minutes. Let it cool down.
2. Wash the rice and drain it
3. Add 3 cups of water and cook it.
4. Cut the onions in long slices. Split the green chilies and cut in half.
5. Boil the eggs in water until cooked well.
6. Now add the vegetable oil to skillet and after the oil is warm enough add the bayleaves, onion to the oil.
7. Stir the onions and once they turn half brown add the chillies to the oil. Stir them so that they do not get sticked to the skillet. Add the ginger / garlic paste and stir well.
8. Cut the cooked eggs into long slices. Add the egg pieces and stir well.
9. After 4 minutes add the garam masala and stir for mixing properly.
10. Leave it on heat on 2 minutes and add the mint leaves before turning off the heat.
11. Now add the cooked rice and gently mix, so that that rice does not break.

Decorate with Corriander leaves and serve with any raitha.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

2 tsp: Urad dal
1 cup: Coconut Grated
2 no: Red Chillies(dry)
1 tsp: Mustard seeds
1 small piece: Tamarind (dry)
1 tsp: Sugar
1 tsp: Hing
1 tbsp: Oil
Salt to taste

Method
Grate the coconuts.
In a pan heat the oil and add 1 tsp of urad dal and chillies. Fry for a minute.
Let it cool completely.
Add tamarind, sugar, hing and coconut and grind it to a fine paste
Do the seasoning with the other tsp of urad dal , mustard seeds in a tsp of oil.
Enjoy with steaming plain rice.

Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients:
2 cups Basmati rice,
1/4 cup oil and ghee mixed (any oil),
2 small onions finely diced,
2 cups vegetables cut into small pieces(carrot,beans,cauliflower and peas)

TO MAKE GRAVY: 2 tomatoes,
3 cloves, garlic,
1/2" fresh ginger,
1/4" cinnamon stick,
bunch of coriander leaves,
1 green chillie,
1/4 cup grated coconut

METHOD:
1. Soak the rice in cold water for about 30 mins. Set it aside.
2. Grind the ingredients mentioned to form a gravy.
Pour the oil and ghee combined in a big pan. To this add the diced onions.Fry till it turns golden brown. Later add the gravy and mix it well for about 2 mins.
3. Add the vegetables and make sure they are coated well with the gravy. Stir well. After a couple of mins, add the rice and mix.
4. Finally add water(for 1 cup of rice add 2 cups water) and salt. Allow it to come to a boil before putting the lid on. Simmer the gas and let it cook for about 20 to 25 mins or until rice is done. For garnish you can use some bay leaves and corriander leaves. To make the recipe more enticing you can add some toasted cashews in the end.