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