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.