A cup of yogurt a day... . is a way of keeping the doctor away.

A cup of yogurt a day... . is a way of keeping the doctor away.

Research proves that yogurt is not just a food accompaniment, a dessert or merely a diet food. There is growing Evidence to show that it is packed with microscopic warriors -

Beneficial bacteria that are essential for good health. It is also a nutritional goldmine.

A cup of yogurt (250 mg) contains 370 mg of calcium (compare that with 300 mg in 250 ml of milk). This is 30-40 per cent of most adults' daily needs.

Besides, at eight grams of protein per cup, yogurt meets 20-25 per cent of an adult's average daily needs. It is also a good source of Vitamin B (including folacin) and phosphorus. And, a cup of yogurt contains 250 mg of potassium - almost as much as a banana does. 

If you want to have your own stockpile of B vitamins without having to buy them, eat yogurt.
By a strange chemistry, it sets up an efficient  little factory in the intestinal tract and manufactures B vitamins for you.

Besides, yogurt also provides lactic acid, which aids protein, calcium and iron assimilation.

For those on a low-calorie diet, yogurt is a boon in any case. "Easily  available anywhere, it is a snack that tastes great at any time of the day; it is low in calories and can be sufficiently filling when combined  with a high-fibre vegetable or fruit.

The benefits of yogurt go beyond its nutritional value and low-calorie appeal.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in an article published in 2000, says, "Increased yogurt consumption may enhance the immune response, which would in turn increase resistance to immune-related diseases." 

In addition, yogurt plays an important role in restoring the digestive  tract to its normal condition after a course of antibiotics.

"The drugs often wipe out every bacterium in their path, good and bad,  altering the natural balance of the digestive tract.

When harmful bacteria dominate the intestine, essential nutrients are not produced and the levels of damaging substances like carcinogens and toxins rise. By killing the harmful `bugs',
Yogurt helps maintain a healthy balance of intestinal bacteria,"

Doctors and practitioners of alternative medicine often recommend yogurt to patients recovering from diarrhea, and help ease other intestinal tract ailments.

Elixir for women Women stand to benefit immensely from yogurt. For instance, women are often prone to vaginal candidosis, which causes itching and possibly a thick, white discharge. 

The risk of this infection increases during pregnancy, diabetes or when a woman is on birth control pills. Eating yogurt that contains natural bacteria and yeasts helps re-establish the
Equilibrium.

A study conducted by E. Hilton et al (Annals of Internal Medicine) in 1992 found that yoghurt consumption decreased vaginal infections  three-fold. "A particular feature of vaginal infection is the reduction  or absence of lactobacilli in the vaginal flora. Yogurt is full of lactobacilli, hence the logic in its use.

Then of course, there is osteoporosis, especially in women. Studies have shown that most people consume far less calcium than the recommended daily levels, which could cause osteoporosis. While there are many calcium supplements that are not readily or effectively absorbed, yogurt provides an excellent source of easily absorbed calcium.

That's not all. Daily consumption of yogurt also helps improve  complexion, making it more radiant.

A word of caution, though. The fruited varieties of yogurt are high in  calories, even though it has a low-fat profile. "The jams and fruit concoctions added for flavour can dump in as much as seven teaspoons of sugar per cup and more than double the calories. So go easy on these, particularly when calories are a concern. If you want a fruit flavour but do not want to lose out on calcium or gain calories, mix chopped fruit with yogurt. You'll get all the calcium, and also the extra vitamins and fiber from the fruit.

However, to be effective, yogurt must contain sufficient amount of `live' lactic cultures, meaning it must be `fresh'.

Make it at home,  Or, when buying it, look for packing as close to the date of manufacture as possible to get maximum beneficial bacteria.  "Always keep it cold, as the helpful bacteria in yogurt cannot withstand high temperatures."

No cook, healthy dosa/ uttapam

Ragi flr 1 cup

Wheat flr 2 cups ( the ratio can be anything, this is what I appro. Did, to be frank I never measure when I cook ! SORRY FOLKS.

Salt to taste

Water to mix

Ajwain 1 tsp optional

Onion 1 big finely chopped optional

Green chilies finely chopped 2 optional

Curry leaves few finely chopped

Mix all the ingredients in the morning if you want to make dosa/ uttapam in the evening. Heat a heavy tawa, make dosa, then don’t use onion, as you can make it thin. If you want uttapan, then add onion, green chilies, curry leaves.

Ps- this is very healthy, as you get good calcium from ragi, fiber & carbs. from wheat flr.

Also you can make dosa by just using wheat flr., salt & water as needed, mix the batter in the morning to make dosa in the evening.

Amaranth with spinach & tomato sauce

Amaranth seeds    200 gm

Water             500 ml

Olive oil       20 ml (4 tsp)

Spinach 50 gm

Tomatoes chopped   50 gm

Basil   2 leaves

Garlic minced 1 gm

Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Add amaranth to boiling water, reduce heat, cover & simmer for 18-20 minutes.

Blanch tomatoes, remove the skin & chop fine.

Sauté garlic & onion in a pan with very little oil.

Add tomatoes, basil, salt & pepper & 1 tsp of water.

Add shredded spinach to the tomato mixture.

Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Lightly mash the tomatoes so that it has a sauce consistency.

Stir the sauce into amaranth or spoon it on top.

Ps- instead of spinach, amaranth leaves are also a good option.

ps- for nutritious tips of amaranth, kindly views my cancer blog

http://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com/

Crochet Purse

This purse is made by joining granny squares. made the sides & handle & joined it. it is made with golden thread & red border to contrast.

Cheese Dosa

For the batter

Rice flour 2 cups

Udad dal powder 1 cup

Salt 1 tsp

For the topping

Cheese grated 2 cups

Onion chopped 1 cup

Tomato chopped 1 cup

Green chilies 3-4

Method

Mix the ingredients for the batter with enough batter to form a thick batter. Stand in a warm place for 1 hour to ferment.

Heat a tava, wipe with oil, pour one big ladleful of the batter, spread into an even circle. Sprinkle cheese, onion, tomatoes & green chili mixed well evenly. Cover & cook till the bottom is crisp & cheese has melted on top, don’t turn it. Add little oil before covering it to cook.

Onion & Cabbage Coleslaw

Cabbage 250gm

Tender onions 250 gm

Curd 1 cup

Mayonnaise 3 tbsp

Sugar 1 tsp

Light vinegar 1 tbsp

Salt & pepper to taste

Green chili 1 finely chopped

Shred cabbage & slice onions finely. Put them in salted ice water to stand for an hour. Drain. Rinse in cold water, drain again. wipe with a dry towel. Make addressing by combining curd with mayonnaise & remaining ingredients. Blend well. Mix wih onion & cabbage & chill for 1 hout before serving

Cabbage-Dal Burgers

Udad dal ½ kg

Cabbage cur fine & half boiled 300 gm

Chana dal 2 tbsp

Green chilies 10

Coriander leaves a small bunch

Bay leaves 2

Ginger 1”

Asafetida a pinch soaked in water

Ghee/ oil for frying

Bread crumbs or besan

Salt to taste

Soak the udad dal & chana dal in water separately for 6 hours.

Then boil the udad dal till half cooked, grind to a fine paste, adding a sprinkling of water.

Boil chana dal till tender with the udad dal paste with green chilies, minced ginger, salt, coriander leaves, shredded cabbage until well mixed. Add the dissolved asafetida.

Take a handful of the above mixture, form into a ball & shape into a round cutlet.

Cover with breadcrumbs or besan. Repeat with others.

Heat a little oil/ghee in a tava, add bay leaves & when smoking hot, remove the leaves & fry the cutlets on low heat until golden brown. Serve hot with hamburger buns, tossed salad & tomato sauce.

Stuffed vegetable Pulao

  

Rice 1 cup

Potatoes  4 medium size

Onion  4 medium size

50-00 gm tofu

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Asafetida a pinch

Turmeric pdr ½ tsp

For stuffing

Grated coconut 3-4 tbsp

Coriander leaves 1 small bunch coriander-cumin pdr 1 tbsp

Jaggery 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Chili pdr 2 tsp or to taste

A pinch of asafetida

Slit the potatoes & onions & stuff with above masala mixed well. Leave ¼ masala for the rice.

Wash the rice. Heat oil, add asafetida, add the rice & stir for few minutes.

Add salt, turmeric, tofu & place the stuffed vegetables on top. Add about 3- 3 ½ cups water & remaining masala. You can cook it in a pan or in the pressure cooker.

Ps- you can always onit rice, then you’ll have a delicious vegetable with roti or paranthas.

Tofu coconut rice

Basmati rice 1 cup

Carrots grated 2 cups

Coconut grated 1 cup

Jaggery grated & crumbled 1 cup

Tofu crumbled    1cup

Cloves 2

Oil 4 tbsp

Cardamoms & nutmeg for flavor

Nuts as you desire

Ghee for topping

Soak rice in water for 30 minutes, drain. Keep the water.

Heat oil in a pressure pan or thick bottomed panwith a tight fitting lid.

Fry rice, add cardamoms & cloves if preferred for flavor while frying rice.

Add carrots & fry for 1-2 minutes.

Then add 2 cups of hot water- using the drained water.

Add salt to taste & cook till rice is almost done.

Now add coconut, jaggery, tofu mix well. Cook on low flame with a tava underneath for 5-7 minutes.

Then add ghee, cardamom pdr & nutmeg grated on top.

Add roasted sesame seeds on top along with nuts which you prefer.

Garnish with some ghee.

Vegetable cheese cutlets

Potatoes 3 large boiled, peeled & mashed

Carrots, beans, cauliflower, cabbage finely cut   100gm each

Peas 100 gm

Cheese grated  100 gm

Salt to taste

Chili pdr to taste

Coriander pdr 3 tsp

Garam masala 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Green chilies  2 chopped

Coriander leaves 2 tbsp

Lemon juice 2 tsp

Oil  or

Ghee for shallow frying

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy pan.

Add mustard seeds, once it crackles, add cumin, then all the spices, fry for few seconds.

Add chopped vegetables, peas, salt 7 enough water to cook the mixture well.

Remove from fire, add grated cheese.

Keep this filling aside.

Mix salt, lemon juice, coriander leaves & green chilies to mashed potatoes.

Divide the potato mixture into lemon-sized balls.

Flatten each ball on your palm, place vegetable mixture, cover with potato mixture well. Pat into cutlet shapes, roll over bread crumbs.

Shallow fry on tava using ghee.

Cook until both sides are crisp & brown.

Serve with tomato sauce.

Cheesy delight

Bread slices   8

Tomatoes medium size 4

Onion 2

Capsicum 1

Any cheese 100 gm grated

Green chilies 3

Salt & pepper to taste

Butter as required

Finely cut the tomatoes, onions, capsicum & green chilies.

Mix well with grated cheese.

Cut the bread into triangular shapes.

Apply butter evenly & spread the mixture over it.

Grill for 10 minutes at 150 deg C.

Potato-peas cutlets

Potatoes ½ kg boiled

Peas 250 gm boiled

Bread slices 10

Lemon 1 big

Red chili pdr ½ tsp

Green chilies 5

Garam masala ¼ tsp

Coriander leaves 2 tbsp

Milk 1 cup

Oil for frying.

Mash the boiled potatoes & peas. Mix in salt, red chili pdr, green chilies chopped fine, garam masala & chopped coriander leaves.

Toll the bread lightly on a rolling board.

Dip in milk & press to remove the excess milk.

Make equal sized balls of the above potato-peas mixture.

Cover the balls with the bread slice, seep fry in hot oil.

Serve hot with tomato sauce or mint chutney.

Paneer tikka

Fresh paneer 350 gm

Thick sour curds 1 cup

For the paste

2-3 cloves garlic

Ginger 2”

Cloves 2-3

Cinnamon 2-3sticks

Red chili pdr ½ tsp

Green chilies 2

Onion 2

Salt to taste

To get bright red color add some Kashmiri red chili pdr if you feel like.

To the curds, mix the ground paste. Cut the paneer into 1” square pieces. Dip the pieces in the curd mixture & let them marinate for 3 hours.

Then bake or grill them in a hot oven till dry.

Serve steaming hot with toothpicks.

Egg less Chocolate Sponge Cake

Condensed milk     400 gm/ 1 tin

Baking pdr           2 level tsp

Baking soda           1 tsp

All purpose flr(maida)    250 gm

Milk                    150 ml

Cocoa                  4 tbsp

Chocolate pdr      2 tbsp

Castor sugar        2 tbsp

Melted butter         120 ml

Vanilla essence       2 tsp

Plain chocolate          1 slab

For the chocolate butter icing

Chocolate pdr    2tbsp

Cocoa pdr         4 tbsp

Icing sugar       250 gm

Soft butter        135 gm

Sieve the flour, cocoa, chocolate pdr, baking pdr & baking soda together.

Mix together the condensed milk,, milk, butter & essence well, then add the dry mixture & mix thoroughly.

Grease & dust a 12- 14” cake tin. Pour the cake mixture, tap well.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 250 deg F for first 10 minutes.

Then reduce the temperature to 200 deg F & bake for a further 30 minutes.

Cool the cake.

To prepare the icing

Sieve icing sugar, chocolate & cocoa pdr. & mix all together with butter till soft.

Do not warm.

Divide the cake into 2 horizontally.

The top half should be thinner than the lower one.

Spread the icing on the lower half.

Put the top half & press well.

Decorate the cake with the remaining icing & grated chilled chocolate.

Store the cake in the refrigerator.

Cut into slices & serve.

Cottage cheese-potato koftas in green gravy

Cottage cheese-potato koftas in green gravy

Paneer 300 gm

Potatoes 500 gm cooked & mashed

Spinach 400 gm

Ginger 10 gm

Garlic 10 gm

Green chilies 10 gm

Coriander leaves 1 bunch

Mint leaves ½ bunch

 salt & pepper to taste

wash spinach well. Keep aside a few chopped leaves to mix with potato & paneer.

Rest of the spinach leaves, grind with mint, coriander leaves & green chilies & keep aside.  Add some lime juice to it to retain the nice green color.

Mix together paneer & mashed potatoes, crushed garlic, ginger & chili pdr to taste, add some spinach leaves, add salt & corn flour, mix well. Make koftas of these & fry in hot oil & keep aside.

In a pan, in little oil, sauté onions, add the green paste & seasonings, cook till it comes to a nice boil, add the koftas, boil for another minute & serve at once.

Dal-ka-kheema

Moong dal ½ kg

Onion 200 gm

Ginger-garlic paste 200 gm

Peas 200 gm

Tomatoes 150 gm

Red chili pdr 2 tsp

Turmeric pdr 1/3 tsp

Salt to taste

Garam masala 1 tsp

Oil as needed

Parboil the dal. Grind it coarsely in a mixie.

Sauté the chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste, peas & tomatoes.

Add seasoning, add dal & cook for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle coriander leaves & serve hot with roti/ puri/ rice.

Cottage cheese-potatoes stuffed koftas

Cottage cheese(paneer) 500 gm

Potatoes 150 gm

Corn flour 100 gm

Cashew nuts 200 gm

Charmagaz 100gm( this is pumpkin & melon seeds)

Chironjee 100 gm

Curds 200 gm

Butter 50 gm

Oil 150 gm

Seasoning to taste

Salt to taste

Method

Grate paneer & cook & mash the potatoes.

Chop cashew nuts & raisins finely.

Mix together paneer, potatoes & seasoning.

Prepare koftas & stuff each one with cashew nuts & raisins micture.

Fry these koftas & keep aside.

Sauté the chopped onions & charmagaz in butter.

Add curds, mix well on low flame.

Add koftas to the sauce & bring to a boil.

Serve at once, garish with fresh chopped coriander leaves.

Nutty stuffed Mushrooms

Mushrooms 10 large

Onion 1 medium size finely chopped

Bread crumbs 1 cup

Butter 100 gm

For the filling

Peas 200 gm

Fresh cheese 100 gm

Cashew nuts 10 gm

Peanuts roasted & crushed 10 gm

Cornflakes 10 gm crushed

Processed cheese grated ½ cup

Onion 2 finely chopped

Ginger ½” finely chopped

Tomato-garlic sauce 2 tbsp

Chili sauce 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil little

Fresh coriander leaves 2 tbsp

Wash the mushrooms in hot water, wipe them clean & carefully break the stalks from the caps.  Fry the caps gently in a little butter with onion & bread crumbs,

Filling

Heat oil in a pan & fry onion & ginger till transparent.

Crumble the fresh cottage cheese & add to the onion-ginger mixture along with the green peas.

Cook till the peas are done.

Now add the cornflakes, peanuts & cashew nuts & sauté for a minute.

Finally add the seasonings.

Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps & sprinkle cheese.

Place under a hot grill for a few minutes.

Healthy koftas

Poppy seeds ( kaskas) 1 cup

Besan/ gram flr 2 tbsp

Green chilies 5

Onion 1 big

Ginger 1/2 “

Garlic flakes 4

Coriander pdr 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Red chilies 2

Cinnamon 2 ½ cm

Cardamoms 4

Oil ½ cup

Method

Roast, & grind the poppy seeds & green chilies well.

Separately grind onion, ginger, garlic & keep the paste in a bowl.

Grind cumin, coriander, red chilies & keep this in another bowl.

 also grind cardamom &  cinnamon & keep separately.

Mix poppy seed paste with besan & salt, make small round koftas.

Heat oil in a pan & fry the koftas.

After frying, use the remaining oil to fry the onion mixture. When this paste is half- fried, add the cumin paste & fry well.

Pour 1 ½ cups of water & boil toll the gravy turns a golden brown.

Let it simmer for 5 minutes, then add the koftas & boil for another minute.

Remove the pan, sprinkle a little garam masala as per you taste.

This can be served with hot rice, or puri or roti.

Baked potatoes as a meal options

  

Potatoes 5 large

Oil

Butter

Salt & pepper to taste

Wash potatoes thoroughly & prick the skin with a fork.

Rub in oil & sprinkle with salt, this will make the skin crisp.

Bake in a moderately hot oven for 1 – 1 ½ hours. The bigger the potato, the longer it takes to cook. Use a skewer to check if cooked.

Serve hot, topped with dollops of butter & sprinkled with salt & pepper to taste.

Potatoes can also be serves as a complete meal with fillings like grated cheese, yoghurt dressing & salads.

Or with mayonnaise, mixed with chopped tomato & cucumber,  together with salt & pepper & a few drops of lemon juice.

Baked potatoes as a meal options

  

Potatoes 5 large

Oil

Butter

Salt & pepper to taste

Wash potatoes thoroughly & prick the skin with a fork.

Rub in oil & sprinkle with salt, this will make the skin crisp.

Bake in a moderately hot oven for 1 – 1 ½ hours. The bigger the potato, the longer it takes to cook. Use a skewer to check if cooked.

Serve hot, topped with dollops of butter & sprinkled with salt & pepper to taste.

Potatoes can also be serves as a complete meal with fillings like grated cheese, yoghurt dressing & salads.

Or with mayonnaise, mixed with chopped tomato & cucumber,  together with salt & pepper & a few drops of lemon juice.

Baked potatoes as a meal options

  

Potatoes 5 large

Oil

Butter

Salt & pepper to taste

Wash potatoes thoroughly & prick the skin with a fork.

Rub in oil & sprinkle with salt, this will make the skin crisp.

Bake in a moderately hot oven for 1 – 1 ½ hours. The bigger the potato, the longer it takes to cook. Use a skewer to check if cooked.

Serve hot, topped with dollops of butter & sprinkled with salt & pepper to taste.

Potatoes can also be serves as a complete meal with fillings like grated cheese, yoghurt dressing & salads.

Or with mayonnaise, mixed with chopped tomato & cucumber,  together with salt & pepper & a few drops of lemon juice.

Baked potatoes as a meal options

  

Potatoes 5 large

Oil

Butter

Salt & pepper to taste

Wash potatoes thoroughly & prick the skin with a fork.

Rub in oil & sprinkle with salt, this will make the skin crisp.

Bake in a moderately hot oven for 1 – 1 ½ hours. The bigger the potato, the longer it takes to cook. Use a skewer to check if cooked.

Serve hot, topped with dollops of butter & sprinkled with salt & pepper to taste.

Potatoes can also be serves as a complete meal with fillings like grated cheese, yoghurt dressing & salads.

Or with mayonnaise, mixed with chopped tomato & cucumber,  together with salt & pepper & a few drops of lemon juice.

Baked potatoes as a meal options

  

Potatoes 5 large

Oil

Butter

Salt & pepper to taste

Wash potatoes thoroughly & prick the skin with a fork.

Rub in oil & sprinkle with salt, this will make the skin crisp.

Bake in a moderately hot oven for 1 – 1 ½ hours. The bigger the potato, the longer it takes to cook. Use a skewer to check if cooked.

Serve hot, topped with dollops of butter & sprinkled with salt & pepper to taste.

Potatoes can also be serves as a complete meal with fillings like grated cheese, yoghurt dressing & salads.

Or with mayonnaise, mixed with chopped tomato & cucumber,  together with salt & pepper & a few drops of lemon juice.

Chinese dressing

  

Oil ¼ cup

Soya sauce ¼ cup

Sugar a pinch

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together. This tastes good with simple green salads like cucumber, cabbage & lettuce.

Simple French dressing

Oil ¼ cup

Lemon juice or vinegar ¼ cup

Garlic 1 clove crushed

Mustard pdr ½ tsp

Brown sugar ¼ tsp

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix oil with vinegar/ lemon juice. Add garlic, then sugar & mustard. Finally add salt & pepper & beat thoroughly. You can add the ingredients in differing proportions too. The best thing to do is experiment; trying it many times until you find the quantity you like the best. When lemon juices us used, it acquires a tangier flavor & tastes good with coleslaw.

Yoghurt dressing for salad

Yoghurt 1 cup

Lemon juice ¼ cup

Garlic 1 clove crushed

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. This dressing goes well with any salad but especially with those containing fruits. It is an excellent substitute for mayonnaise which is fattening.

Spinach & cheese quiche

For the base

Wholemeal flour 200 gm

Butter 75 gm

Milk/ water

 Salt a pinch

For the filling

Spinach 450 gm

Onion 1 large

Eggs 4

Lemon juice ¼ cup

Cheese 100 gm grated

Salt & pepper to taste

Sieve flour in a bowl with salt. Rub in butter into the flour & mix in by rubbing gently with the finger tips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in water/ milk by making a well in the middle of the flour.

Mix with a knife & keep adding just enough milk or water to make a slightly sticky pastry.

Cool dough in the fridge.

Filling

Chop onions, fry in butter, drain & cool.

Cook spinach with salt till soft in a little water.

Blend in a mixer & cool.

Break eggs into a bowl & beat together with a little milk.

Mix all ingredients for the filling together in a bowl with cheese, lemon juice, salt & pepper.

Roll out pastry on a floured board & with it, line a 20 cm greased flan dish.

Pour in filling & cook in moderately hot oven for 25-30 minutes or until the filling sets

Orange & nut salad

Oranges 4

Chopped nuts 100gm

Cabbage ½

Chop cabbage into long thin strips.

Chop oranges  after removing the seeds & white part & add to cabbage along with nuts.

You may also add chopped raisins & apples.

Dried dates & raisin raita

Wash & soak for 2 hours, ½ cup of dates & ¼ cup of raisins washed & hulled.

Wash & chop finely ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves.

Drain dates & pat dry.

Slit lengthwise into pieces removing seeds.

Drain & dry raisins & add to curd together with coriander & dates. Allow to stand for 15 minutes before refrigerating. Serve chilled.

Tofu ice-cream

 Blend equal parts of tofu, milk or cream with sugar & flavor of essence of you choice( vanilla, strawberry, pineapple, chocolate etc).

Add fruit of your choice chopped finely.

Freeze until firm & serve.

Tofu pudding

 250 gm tofu

Cream 1/3 cup

Sugar 2/3 cup

Cocoa pdr 1 tbsp or mashed banana

Salt a pinch

Blend all well until smooth & creamy. Pour into individual serving bowls, chill until set.

Decorate with nuts & serve.

Curd vermicelli

Vermicelli 200 gm

Fresh curd 350 gm

Salt to taste

Green chilies cut 1 tsp

Ginger cut fine 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Asafetida ¼ tsp

Curry leaves 1 sprig

Oil 2 tsp

Boil the vermicelli. Mix with curd once cool.

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, once it crackles, add asafetida, curry leaves, ginger & chilies, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add to vermicelli, add salt to taste & mix well.this can be eaten plain or serve with pickle of your choice.

Caramel in pastry cups

For the pastry cups

Maida/ all purpose flr 200 gm

Butter refrigerated 100 gm

A pinch of salt

Cold water for mixing

Sieve flour with salt. Make cubes of butter & press into flour, mix well till butter softens.

Add enough cold water, make a cough & knead well.

Keep the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough roughly into 20 balls.

Roll the ball out to the size of your tart mould.

Prick with a fork all over & bake in a hot oven at 200 deg C or 450 deg F for 10 minutes.

Remove & cool.

For the caramel

Condensed milk 1 tin

Butter 150 gm

Brown sugar 100 gm

Walnuts 50 gm chopped optional.

Mix all the ingredients together ( except nuts) in a non-stick pan. Cook on slow flame till butter & sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring all the time. Add nuts & switch off the gas.

Fill ¾ of the pastry cups with warm caramel. Cool in the fridge.

For the topping

Cream 150 gm beaten with 2 tbsp sugar

Chocolate 50 gm grated

When the caramel has cooled in the cups, remove from fridge. Add a little cream on each pastry, spread well. Sprinkle a little grated chocolate on top. Serve. When not serving, keep the pastries under refrigeration.

Cauliflower Cream Korma

Cauliflower 750 gm

Onion 2 medium

Ginger ½”

Garlic cloves2

Green chilies to taste finely chopped

Cinnamon ½” stick crushed

Cardamoms 2 crushed

Clove 1

Bay leaves 2

Milk powder 3 tbsp

Salt & sugar to taste

4-5 tbsp oil

Cut the cauliflower into flowerettes. Wash thoroughly, steam in a little salted water so that water dries up completely.

Make a paste of milk pdr with ¾ cup water.

Heat 2 tbsp oil & fry the cauliflower. Keep aside. Add rest of the oil, fry crushed garlic, other garam masala. Add onion, ginger, garlic, fry till oil separates. Add milk paste & cook till the mixture looks like crumbled paneer. Add cauliflower & 1 cup water. Simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the gravy thickens.

Remove from fire, serve hot with rice or roti.

Irish Pancakes with stuffing

Mashed potato 1 big

Semolina( rava) ½ cup

Water 1 cup

Green chilies 2-3 ground

Ginger 1” ground

Onion 1 big

Small bunch of coriander leaves chopped

Salt to taste

Egg 1 (optional)

For stuffing

Mixed vegetables ( cooked to taste) 1 cup

Raw salad( cabbage, carrot, cucumber etc)

Green chutney

Tomato sauce to garnish

Mix all the ingredients for the pancake  make a smooth batter of dropping consistency. Keep covered for a minimum of 30 minutes to 5 hours.

Heat a non-stick pan. Divide the batter in 3 parts & make 3 pancakes of equal sizes.

Turn once& remove when brown spots appear on both sides.

Take 1 pancake, put vegetable mixture on top, put little tomato sauce on top, cover with another pancake. Put chutney spread & salad. Cover with the 3^rd pancake. Press slightly. Cut into triangles & serve at once.

Saffron Nut Crunchies

Whole-wheat flour 200 gm

Semolina 200 gm

Ghee 200 gm powdered sugar 200 gm

Cardamom powdered 3-4

Baking soda ½ tsp

Curds 1 tsp

Saffron ½ tsp soaked in 2 tsp milk

Pistachios 4-5 chopped

Sieve flour, semolina. Cream ghee & sugar, till light & frothy. Dissolve saffron in hot milk. Add cardamom pdr, saffron, soda & curds, mix well. Add the flours & make soft dough. If the dough is dry, you can add 1 tsp pf creamed ghee. Make small rounds, sip in pistachios. Place on a greased tray & keep in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg F for 30 minutes, till light brown in color. Cool & store.

Orange Basundi

Milk 3 litres

Fresh curds 1 tbsp

Castor sugar 300 gm

Oranges 4 peeled, segmented & chilled

Almonds, pistachios for garnishing

Mix the cold milk with curds, stir well. Brig this mixture to a boil  on low flame, stirring continuously till half the quantity of the milk remains. Remove from fire & let it cool. Add sugar, chill it. Add the chilled orange segments just before serving. Garnish with nuts & serve chilled.

Khandvi

Besan 1 cup

Buttermilk 3 cups

Salt to taste

Turmeric pdr ¼ tsp

Red chili pdr ½ tsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Asafetida ¼ tsp

Coconut grated 2-3 tbsp

Coriander leaves to garnish

Mix the flour with buttermilk well, so that no lumps are there. Add salt, turmeric pdr, red chili pdr & mix well. Pour the mixture into a heavy pan, keep on fire cook stirring continuously till the mixture is thick ( to test- drop a spoonful of the mixture on a smooth surface, cool & if you can roll, then it is done).

When done, remove, spread the mixture thinly on the backside of a plate. When cool, cut into 1 ½” strips, roll & cut into 1” pieces. Keep the pieces on a serving plate.

Temper one tbsp of oil with mustard seeds & asafetida. Pour evenly over all the pieces. Garnish with grated coconut & coriander leaves.

Khata Dhokla

Rice 3 cups

Udad dal 1 cup

Buttermilk 3 cups

Salt to taste

Asafetida ½ tsp

Chili & ginger paste 2 tsp

Soda bicarb 1 tsp ( or use Eno fruit salt)

Oil 3 tbsp

Red chili pdr.

Wash rice & dal well. Dry on a piece of cloth. Next grind to a coarse flour. Add 3 cups of buttermilk mix well & keep aside for 12 hours.

To the above mixture, add salt, asafetida, chili-ginger paste, keep water to boil in a steamer. Oil the dhokla thalis well. In a tempering bowl, heat 1 tbsp oil till it begins to smoke. Add soda bicarb, when it sizzles, add to the dhokla mixture immediately. Mix well. Spread little mixture in the thali, garnish with red chili pdr or pepper pdr. Steam till done. Cool. Cut into pieces & serve hot.

Vermicelli Halwa

Vermicelli 1 cup

Water 2 cupd

Sugar 3 tbsp or to taste

Ghee 3 tbsp

Mixed nuts & raisins ¼ cup

Fry vermicelli in ghee till brown. Drain & keep aside. Boil water in a pan, add vermicelli & cover, cook on low flame till all the water is absorbed. Add sugar & stir for 2 minutes. Decorate with nuts & raisins roasted in he remaining ghee.

Vermicelli pakodas

Vermicelli 1 cup

Onions 2 big chopped fine

Potatoes 2 medium chopped fine

Ginger 1” chopped fine

Garlic flakes 5 ground tp a paste with 3-4 green chilies

Oil for frying

Water

Cook vermicelli in  2 cups water. Make a thick batter with water & besan 1 cup. Add vermicelli, chopped onion & potatoes along with ginger & ground paste, with salt to the batter.

Heat oil, drop spoonful of the batter into it, & fry till golden brown. Serve hot with green chutney or tomato sauce.

Ps- variation of this

Add green chilies, garam masal pdr,, salt, pepper, egg yolks & coriander leaves to batter along with vermicelli & deep fry.

Vermicelli vada

Ingredients

Vermicelli 200 gm

Water 3 cups

Bread slices 2-3 soaked in water & mashed

Potatoes medium size 2-3

Peanuts 25 gm roasted & ground

Green chilies 4-5 chopped

Oil for frying

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves a small bunch finely chopped

Method

Boil water, add vermicelli & salt. When done, add mashed bread slices & mashed potatoes to vermicelli along with peanuts, childes & coriander. Knead well without water. Shape into round vadas & deep fry. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Potato ring Vada

Mashed potatoes 2 small bowls

Besan ½ small bowl

Green chilies 5-6

Turmeric pdr ¼ tsp

Cumin pdr 1 tsp

Coriander pdr 1 tsp

Grated coconut ½ small bowl

Coriander leaves chopped ½ bowl

Poppy seeds 2-3 tsp

Salt to taste

Ghee

Method

Boil,peel & mash potatoes . grind together chilies & salt to taste. Add besan, turmeric pdr, cumin pdr, coriander pdr to the mashed potatoes. Knead this mixture well.

Mix coconut, coriander leaves & poppy seeds & make a filling. Take aplastic sheet & press the mashed potato on it by hand to ¼” thickness. Spread the filling on this.

Now roll it tightly with the help of the plastic sheet. Slide the sheet away as you roll the potato.

Grease a dish with ghee. Place the roll on it. If the roll is too big, divide it inot 2 parts. Then cook the toll in a pressure cooker or an idli cooker for 7-8 minutes.

Remove, cool. Cut the roll into ½” wide slices.

Heat oil/ghee on a tava, arrange the slices on it & fry them on both sides till golden brown.

Cream Cheese & Almond salad

Cream cheese 1 cup

Cheese grated ¾ cup

Mayonnaise ½ cup

Spring onions chopped ½ cup

Capsicum chopped ½ cup

Salt & pepper to taste

Almonds roasted 1 ½ cups

Combine the 1^st 6 ingredients very well & shape into pine cones. Freeze till well set. Reshape again, decorate with almonds on top in rows covering the cheese completely. Put in 2 sprigs of pine leaves or coriander/ mint leaves on top.

Cauliflower & Spinach in Soya Sauce

Caiuliflower cut 250 gm

Spinach 1 bunch stemmed

Red chilies 8

Garlic 10 cloves chopped

Garlic –chili sauce 2 tbsp

Corn flour 1 tbsp diluted in ½ cup water

Boiling water 2 cups

Vinegar 1 tbsp

Ajinomoto 1/2tsp

Soya bean sauce ½ tsp

Sugar 1 tsp

Pepper pdr ½ tsp

Oil 2 tbsp

In a very hot oil put the 1^st 4 ingredients. Cook on a very high flame for 2-3 minutes, add the chili-garlic sauce, diluted corn flour, boiling water & the rest of the seasonings. Cook for 2-3 minutes till sauce becomes transparent. Serve hot with noodles.

Paneer Pancakes

For the pancakes

 Flour 100 gm

Milk 300 ml

Egg 1 (optional)

Ghee/butter 3 tbsp

Salt a pinch

Mix the flour, milk, egg & salt. Leave the batter for 20 minutes. Prepare pancakes in a frying pan, using a little ghee or butter while frying. Use a non-stick pan if egg has not been used.

For the filling

Finely chopped paneer 300 gm

Onion 1 chopped fine

Green chilies   3 chopped

Chilie pdr ½ tsp

Ghee 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Fry the onion for ½ a minute in the ghee. Add chilies & fry again for ½ a minute. Switch off the gas, add paneer, chili pdr. & salt. Mix well.

For the sauce

Tomatoes 900 gm

Chili pdr ½ tsp

Fresh cream ½ tea cup

Sugar 3-4 tbsp

Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp

Salt to taste.

Cut the tomatoes into big pieces, add 1 cup water & cook. When cooked, strain the soup by passing thro’ a sieve. Add chili pdr., tomato ketchup, sugar & salt & boil for 15 minutes. Add the fresh cream & mix well.

To assemble

Grease a baking dish, spread a little sauce at the bottom. Put a pancake over it & spread a little fillinf on it. Then a little sauce .repeat this order & build up layers of pancakes, filling & sauce. Finally add some more sauce on top & sprinkle some grated cheese on it. Bake in a hot oven at 450 deg F for 10-15 minutes until cooked, cheese has melted. Serve hot.

Spinach/ palak ki kachodi

Spinach/ palak ki kachodi

Chana dal ½ cup

Masoor dal ½ cup

Spinach 1 bunch

Green chilies 6

Coriander leaves ½ cup

Ginger 1”

Onion 2 chopped

Salt to taste

Soak overnight the dals together. Boil spinach. Give just one boil. Cool & grind along with soaked dals, green chilies, coriander leaves & ginger to a smooth paste. Then mix in chopped onion & salt. Make small kachodis & deep fry till brown. Serve with coconut chutney.

Kabab Salad

For the kabab

Cabbage grated 1 cup

Cauliflower grated 1 cup

Flour 5-6 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste 2 tsp

Garam masala 1 tsp

Green chilies 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves 2 tbsp

Black pepper pdr ½ tsp

Cashew nuts finely crushed 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

For the salad

Carrot grated 1 big

Cucumber 1 big grated

Radish grated 5

Green chilies chopped 4

Small spring onion

Vinegar 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

To prepare the kabab

Mix all the ingredients together & knead well. Make small round kababs & keep in the fridge for an hour. Later deep fry & keep aside.

To prepare the salad

Mix all the ingredients in the vinegar & keep in the refrigerator till needed. Before serving, place the kababs in a plate & drop spoonful of salad on each & serve.