Versatile Cranberry Orange Filling Recipe

Basic Cranberry Orange Filling

Makes about 5 cups

1 medium orange
1 12 oz. package fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups)
2 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice

1. Cut the orange into eights, place the pieces in the food processor, and process, scraping the sides once, until very finely chopped.
2. Transfer the orange to a medium saucepan.
3. Add the cranberries, sugar, and orange juice.
4. Stir to mix.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
   When the mixture is at a full boil, turn the heat to low.
6. Simmer, mashing the berries with a potato masher, and stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from heat; let cool thoroughly.
8. The filling will thicken upon cooling.

Almond Biscotti with Cappuccino

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour (maida)
1/4 cup almond (badam) slivers
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup castor sugar or powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon rind
1/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 tbsp cold milk

Method

1. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the vanilla essence, castor sugar and lemon rind.
2. Rub the butter into the flour mixture till the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
3. Add the cold milk and almonds. Gently knead it into a dough.
4. Refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Roll into a 12 mm. ( ½") thick sheet.
6. Cut into 3" x 5" rectangles. Re-roll the scraps to get more rectangles.
7. Place them on a baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 160°C (320°F) for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
8. Serve with cappuccino.

SPAGHETTI WITH WHITE SAUCE

6 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1 c. clam broth, bottled or from can (use wine to top off)
1/4 c. dry white wine
6 to 8 qts. water
1 tbsp. salt
1 lb. spinach spaghetti (fettucini)
2 tbsp. soft butter
1 can clams, drained but reserve broth
Parsley
Fresh Parmesan cheese

First, cook spaghetti al dente (7 to 12 minutes). Drain well, lifting strands with a fork. Transfer spaghetti to large heated serving bowl and toss it with soft butter. Keep warm.In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil until light haze forms over it. Stir in garlic and cook over moderate heat 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Pour in clam broth and wine (1 1/4 cups liquid when combined) and boil briskly over high heat, until liquid has reduced to about 3/4 cup.
Add clams and cook 1 to 2 minutes stirring constantly. Pour sauce over cooked spaghetti, sprinkle with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese and toss until well mixed. Serve at once.

SAUCE

1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. butter
1 can mushrooms, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 c. sour cream

Saute onion, butter, hamburger, garlic powder, pepper and salt in pan until brown. Add mushrooms and chicken soup, stir in sour cream. Heat through. Serve over spaghetti or noodles.

Rajma (red kidney bean curry)

Ingredients:

• 2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed under running water
• 2 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 medium-sized onions chopped fine
• 2"piece of ginger jullinned
• 6 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 large tomatoes chopped into 1" cubes
• 2 fresh green chillies chopped fine
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of asafetida
• Chopped coriander to garnish

Preparation:

• Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the cumin seeds. When they stop sizzling, add the onion and fry till soft.
• Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the green chillies, tomatoes, coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala powders and fry till the oil separates from the masala.
• Add the red kidney beans, 3 cups of warm water, asafetida, salt to taste and cook till beans are very soft (aproximately 10 minutes).
• Mash some of the beans roughly (this thickens the gravy).
• Garnish with corainder and serve piping hot with plain boiled rice and Kachumbar salad and a pickle of your choice.

Palak Paneer (spinach and cottage cheese)

Ingredients:

• 500 gms Paneer (look below for recipe to make your own Paneer)
• 2 medium-sized bunches of fresh spinach (approximately 1 lb or 500 gms)
• 1/2 bunch fresh fenugreek leaves (approximately 1/4 lb or 125 gms)
• 4 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 1 large onion chopped fine
• 1 large tomato diced
• 2 tsps garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp of butter to garnish

Preparation:

• Cut the paneer into 1" cubes. Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and stir-fry the paneer till golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep aside.
• Add 2 tbsps of oil to the same pan and fry the onions in it till soft.
• Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for a minute.
• Add the spinach, fenugreek leaves, tomato, coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala powders and mix well. Add salt to taste and mix well.
• Cook till the spinach and fenugreek leaves are soft and like pulp. Mash well into a rough paste. If you prefer, you can also blend this paste in the food processor to get a smoother consistency.
• Add the previously fried paneer cubes to this gravy and mix to coat the pieces.
• Garnish with butter and serve hot with Chapatis (Indian flatbread), parathas (pan-fried Indian flatbread) or Makki Ki Roti (pan-fried maize bread).

Chole (chickpea curry)

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of chickpeas (400 gm each)
• 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 5-6 cloves
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 5-6 peppercorns
• 3 large onions sliced
• 2 large tomatoes chopped
• 2 tbsps garlic paste
• 1 tbsps ginger paste
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsps garam masala
• 1"piece of ginger julliened
• 2 tbsps fresh coriander leaves chopped fine

Preparation:

• Grind 2 onions, the tomatoes, ginger, garlic together into a smooth paste.
• Heat the oil in a deep, thick-bottomed pan on a medium flame.
• Add the bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and peppercorns and fry for 1/2 a minute.
• Add the remaining sliced onion and fry till light golden. Add the onion-tomato paste and fry till the oil begins to separate from the paste.
• Add the dry spices - cumin, coriander, red chilli, tumeric and garam masala powders. Fry for 5 minutes.
• Drain the water in the can from the chickpeas and rinse them well under running water. Add the chickpeas to the masala. Mix well.
• Add salt to taste and water to make gravy (about 1 1/2 cups).
• Simmer and cook covered for 10 minutes.
• Use a flat spoon to mash some of the chickpeas coarsely. Mix well.
• Garnish with juliennes of ginger and finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.
• Serve piping hot with Poori/ Bhatura.

Lachcha Paratha (layered Indian bread)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• Water to make dough
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

Preparation:

• Mix the flour and salt and knead into a soft dough with a little water at a time. Keep aside.
• Mix 3 tbsps of ghee with 1 tbsp of flour and keep aside.
• Divide the dough into equal-sized balls. Divide each ball into 2 portions.
• Take each portion and roll into a long, finger-thick noodle shape.
• Coil the first shape into a spiral.
• Flour a rolling surface lightly and very gently roll out the spiral into a flat circle about 5" in diameter (1/3" thick).
• Grease the top surface with the ghee-flour mix.
• Roll the next shape in the same way and place over the first circle. This makes one Lachcha Paratha. Make up all the remaining dough the same way.
• Heat a flat pan on a medium flame.
• Fry each paratha like this: After placing it on the pan the first time, turn after 30 seconds. Spread ghee on the top surface and turn again. Grease the side now on top. Turn often and fry till crisp and golden.
• The resulting paratha will be crisp, layered and flaky!

Mutter Paneer (peas and cottage cheese)

Ingredients:

• 500 gms paneer cubed
• 200 gms shelled peas
• 2 large onions
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsps garlic paste
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsps garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 green chillies chopped fine
• 6 tbsps of oil
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsps thickened/ double/ heavy cream
• Coriander leaves chopped fine to garnish

Preparation:

• Grind onions into a fine paste in a food processor. Keep aside.
• Next grind tomatoes into fine paste and keep aside.
• Heat 2-3 tbsps of oil in a pan and gently stir-fry the cubes of paneer till golden. Remove onto a paper towel and keep aside.
• In the same vessel heat 2-3 tbsps of oil and add the onion paste. Fry till it turns light brown.
• Add tomato paste, ginger and garlic paste and fry for another 2 minutes.
• Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala powders, green chillies and fry, stirring continuously till the oil begins to separate from the masala (spice mixture).
• Add the peas to the masala and fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Then add the paneer, water and salt, reduce flame to a simmer and cook till the gravy thickens.
• When the gravy is as thick as you would like, turn off the flame and stir in the cream.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
• Mutter paneer tastes great with parathas, naans and even jeera rice

BAJRE KA KHICHDA

A delightful bajra grain and jaggery snack.  Preparation Time : 2-3 hours Cooking Time : 15-20 minutes Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS Black millet (bajra), soaked 1 1/2 cups Ghee 2 tablespoons Jaggery (gur), grated 3/4 cup Salt a pinch

METHOD Heat ghee in a kadai. Add the bajra and sauté for two to three minutes. Add sufficient water to cover the bajra. Add jaggery and salt and mix well. Cook on a medium heat for fifteen to twenty minutes or until completely done. Serve hot.

VEGETABLE KHICHDI RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 cup rice1 cup
2 tblsp ghee
1/2 cup green gram divide (moong dal)
1/2 cup french beans chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup carrots chopped
a pinch asafoetida
1 cup peas
4 cup water
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

How to make vegetable khichdi :

• Wash rice and dal together.
• Heat up the ghee in a vessel and mix in cumin seeds and asafoetida, when the seeds crackle mix in the vegetables and dal and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Mix in rice and turmeric powder and continue to stir fry for 2 minutes.
• Mix in 4 cup of boiling water and salt.
• Cover and stir fry on low heat up till done.
• Serve with pure ghee.

PANEER BHARE PAPAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

4 moongdal papads4
1 medium onion finely chopped
salt to taste
1/2 cup cottage cheese grated (paneer)
2 green chillies
2 tblsp coriander leaves finely chopped
1 capsicum finely chopped
oil (if frying) to deep fry
1 tsp chaat masala
for stuffing 

How to make paneer bhare papad :

• Halve the papads.
• Prepare the stuffing by mixing all the ingredients together.
• Roast the papads, one piece at a time.
• While they are still hot roll to make ½" diameter cylinders.
• Spoon in the stuffing carefully and serve immediately.
• Alternatively apply little milk or water to the whole papad, put the mixture on one side and roll cylindrically, deep fry in hot oil and serve.

KESARI BHAAT RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 tblsp cashewnuts
1 tblsp raisins
saffron few strands
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
1 tblsp pure ghee
1/2 cup sugar
25 gms sugar crystals

How to make kesari bhaat :

• Soak rice for half an hour.
• Heat up ghee in a pan, fry raisins and cashewnuts, remove and keep aside.
• In the same ghee mix in rice and stir fry till rice starts separating.
• Dissolve saffron in warm water and keep aside.
• Mix in 11/2 cup of boiling water to the rice and mix in saffron water and let it cook.
• When half done mix in sugar and continue to stir fry till all the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
• Finally mix in the cardamom powder and decorate it with fried dry fruits and sugar crystals.
• Serve hot.

CHANE JAISELMER KE RECIPE

Ingredients:

3 - 4 green chillies chopped
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tblsp oil2 tbsps.
2 inch cinnamon
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 cup bengal gram, black (kale chane)1 cup
1 1/2 cup yogurt
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
4 tsp bengal gram flour (besan)
salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium sized onions
2 tsp chaat masala
2 -3 black cardamoms
1 cup coriander leaves chopped
2 tblsp pure ghee2 tbsps.
5 - 6 cloves

How to make chane jaiselmer ke :

• Soak bengal gram overnight in 4 cup water.
• Drain, mix in 6 cup of water and pressure stir fry till done.
• Mash the grams slightly.
• Heat up ghee and oil, mix in cumin seeds, when they crackle mix in the whole garam masala, fry for 1-2 minutes.
• Mix in asafoetida and choped green chillies, sauté.
• Mix yogurt, gram flour, 1 cup water and dry spices and mix in to the sautéed whole garam masala.
• Keep stirring till it boils.
• Mix in the grams along with the water they were boiled in.
• Mix in salt to taste.
• Mix well.
• Cover and simmer (boil slowly at low temperature) for 8-10 minutes.
• Serve hot decorated with cut coriander leaves and onion rings.

MAKKI PANEER PAKORA RECIPE

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tblsp coriander leaves chopped
oil for deep frying
6 tblsp bengal gram flour besan
salt to taste
2 tsp ginger chopped
2 tsp garlic chopped
2 green chilli chopped
1 cup milk
1 3/4 tsp dry mango powder amchur
1 onion chopped
100 gms cottage cheese (paneer)
200 gm corn fresh (makki)

How to make makki paneer pakora :

• Crush the corn in a blender.
• Grate the cottage cheese.
• Heat up oil in a pan, mix in cut ginger and garlic and stir fry till pink.
• Mix in crushed corn and stir fry.
• Mix in salt and mix.
• Mix in milk and stir fry to get a creamy texture.
• When the corn is cooked, transfer to a round dish and cool.
• Mix in grated paneer, cut onion, cut green chillies, cumin powder, amchur powder and cut coriander leaves.
• Adjust salt and mix well.
• Mix in besan for binding and mix in a little milk if the mixture is too thick.
• Make even sized balls with hand or tablespoon.
• Heat up oil and deep fry the pakoras on medium heat up till golden brown.
• Remove and keep on an absorbent paper to soak excess oil.
• Serve hot.

LAHSUN KI CHUTNEY RECIPE (Garlic Sauce)

Ingredients:

2 heads of garlic, peeled and cloved
6-8 tbsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground
1 Juice Lemon
Salt To Taste

Preparation:

• Grind all the ingredients in a blender using very little water.
• Chill before serving.
• Keep in an airtight container, keeps for a couple of days.

RAJASTHANI CHURMA LADDOO RECIPE

ngredients:

200 gms Wheat flour
400 gms Ghee
100 gms Khoya / Mawa
200 gms Sugar (grounded)
50 gms Soaked almond (finely chopped)
4 Cardamom (small)
1 inch Dalchini

Preparation:

• Melt 150 gms. of ghee and mix it in wheat flour. Make a stiff dough using very little water.
• Heat the rest of the ghee in a kadahi. Make about 15-20 balls with the dough.
• Fry it on low flame till it becomes golden brown. Churn it in grinder after it cools down. Mix khoya. Heat 1 tbsp. ghee in kadahi.
• Add cardamom seeds and dalchini. Add the above mixture of wheat flour and khoya. Fry it for one minute. When it cools down, add sugar and chopped almonds.
• Mix well. Serve churma laddoo in a plate. You can enjoy the taste of choorma for 8-10 days if you keep it in an airtight box. To be served with Dal and Baati.

RAJASTHANI MOONG DAL HALWA RECIPE

Ingredients:

100 gms Moong Dal
200 gms Ghee
100 gms Sugar
1/2 glass Water
10 pieces Badam
5 pieces Pista
4-5 Currants

Preparation:

• Soak moong dal for two hours and then grind it and keep aside. Heat ghee in a pan and put the moong dal in it.
• Saute on low flame till it turns golden brown and leaves a distinct aroma. Remove from the flame and set aside.
• Heat water in a pan, add sugar and boil the mixture till sugar melts.
• Put the moong dal mixture in this sugar syrup and cook on a low flame till the dal and sugar blends well.
• Remove moong dal ka halwa from the flame and decorate it with chopped dry fruits. Serve.