Choco Rolls

Choco Rolls:
Sujata Maselkar
Crush marie biscuits. Add some sugar approx 2 tsp. Roast some dry fruits and pound them to make small pieces. Crush some butterscotch balls for crunch. It is optional. Add cocoa powder. Mix all well. Bind this mixture with condensed milk. Either spread this on butter paper in a tin or roll it in log shape. Wrap it in aluminium foil. Keep it in fridge. Cut into pieces after 8 hrs.

Banana Choco Charm

Banana Choco Charm
- Farzana Shaikh
One packet of digestive biscuits....break into pieces...mix 180 grms of salted butter with 60 grms of powdered sugar..
Spread the mixture in one bowl and press it tight to make a base...
Spread nutella on the top of the mixture..
Cut chunks of bananas..or strawberrys or mangoes..(fruits of your choice) and spread a layer like on top of nutella ....keep it aside..

Take 6/10 chunks of bournville dark chocolate and melt in one small bowl...mix one small cup of heavy cream in the melted chocolate mix....
Spread the melted chocolate on top of bananas...and keep the bowl in deep dreezer for one hr...
Remove it and cut...serve it like pieces of cakes with vanilla icecream....😋😋😋👍🏻👍🏻

Palak Puri

Palak  Puri
- Pallavi Ghorpade
large portion  *
Wheat atta
very little of
besan  rava maida
palak blanch chopped fine
Chilli  haldi dhana jeera powder
very little  of methi powder
Little jaggeerry melted or crushed
salt
mix all ingredients in atta
pour little hot vegetable oil in mixture
Add water
knead dough Tight  KADAK  not soft...
And
Set aside for 10 mins
And den make or roll  puris little thick n deep fry ...
They taste yummy
go in fast to your tummy
Can store 1-2 days .
* proportions s per requirement

Pepper chicken with gravy

Pepper chicken with gravy
- Bindu Mohanan
for four people.
wash and clean the chicken..drain the water. now add curd, garlic n ginger paste, little chilli pwd, haldi pwd, about 2 to three table spoons of corriander and jeera pwd, pepper pwd 2 tps, chicken masala and salt and mix them.all well and keep.it for marination for 2 hr.
now take a vessel add two tsp of oil or ghee
add all the khada masala i.e tej patta, cinnamon sticks, lawang, cardamom big and small and saute it . add tomatoes.and saute it.  now add the marinated chicken..add corriander leaves and let it boil until tender..the chicken will release the water so.do.not add additional water to.it.u can also use the cooker and only one whistle. if u find it spicy off the gas and add coconut milk to.it..yummy😋😋😋😋😋

Methi Chicken Quick

Methi Chicken Quick
- Sheba John
Just sliced onions a little more quantity than usual...sauted it in oil till brown, added  sliced green chillies (I don't like too spicy so took only two) with a tsp or two of ginger n garlic pastes..
Then added a three quarter bunch of methi leaves (fresh) and chicken into the pan...cook for a while ...then add tomatoes chopped, chilli pd, a wee bit garam  masala pd, salt and cook well...add water, cover after a few minutes on low flame continue cooking till gravy thick and coats the chicken pieces....Finito. Easy peasy.....
Tho cleaning the methi leaves is a pain n time consuming process 😬

Udid Laddoos

Udid Laddoos
- Aparna Rao;
Ingredients: 1/2 kg Black Udid Dal (unskinned), 220 to 50 gms jaggery (jaggery powder will also do; but check for sweetness), about 100 ml pure ghee; Preparation Time: 60 Minutes;
Roast Udid Dal in a pan on low flame till you get the aroma and the white side of the dal turns nice and brown (this is the most time consuming part - takes about 30 minutes); set aside to cool; chop jaggery fine and set aside; by this time the dal would have cooled. Grind the dal to coarse powder - the powder will range between fine to coarse; should not be too fine like flour. Mix in the chopped jaggery or jaggery powder. Add a tablespoon of warm ghee and stir into the mixture. Add a bit more little by little and bind the laddoos. Yesterday I mixed in about 100 ml of ghee directly and bound the laddoos. But you can try gradually adding little by little ghee. You can do this with white udid too but the iron and protein in black udid is higher. Good for bones and calcium. It's given to girls after delivery or surgery too. You may roast in almonds and pista with the dal. Tastes yummmmmmmm...
small sample with lesser quantities can be tried out
reduce all portions accordingly
jaggery can be 1/3 of the dal...
ghee according to need

Veggie pulav in pressure cooker

Veggie pulav in pressure cooker
- Bindu Mohanan
veggies: onions, Simla mirchi, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, green peas, French beans...cut them all in long slices and thin...one tomato cut into small pieces.

take oil or ghee in the handi cooker....put tej patta star anize, cinnamon stick  and let the oil or ghee Get the flavour of it..now add little sauf seeds in it...add the veggies all washed and sauté it...add little mirchi pwd haldi pwd and garam masala pwd... wash the basmati chawal ...for two vatki chawal four vatki water . as u HV veggies add five vatkis of water add salt and mix them well.  two whistles and the pullav is ready to serve...eat with achar or curd or salad😋😋😋😋😋😋

Bombil Kalvan (Bombay Duck Curry)

Bombil Kalvan (Bombay Duck Curry):
Pallavi Ghorpade

Marination for 12 pcs bombils cut half

1 bowl kotimbir
2 green chillies
6 pcs big garlics
1/2 inch ginger
Grind n make paste

Apply green paste to bombils

Step 2- Bombil curry paste -

1 teaspoon fresh coconut
4 red chilliea tikka or medium n 1 tablespoon akka dhana ( soaked in little water for 10 mins before grinding )

Well, here goes the final process for Bombil Kalvan

Take all this put haldi powder 1 medium onion fine chopped.
Make fine curry paste. Now take  cooking pan.
Put some oil n little 1 teaspoon onion chopped in hot oil
Stir fry little till soft not brown
Then  put orange curry paste in hot oil n stir fry till the few bubbles or oil separates few minutes.
Put bombils and little water as bombils have water in them
Before you put bombils
Allow the curry paste to boil little water needded uf
Simmer,then add marinated bombils
Slowly stir very lightly
Bombils should not break
Put kokams
Put salt if nreded if used before for marination
Bring to simmer bombil breaks if boiled more n dissloved like
So keeping checking 
5 mins its cooked on medium flame

Zemiakové Placky or Slovak potato pancakes

Zemiakové Placky or Slovak potato pancakes
- Sangita Kalarickal
Potatoes grated
Couple cloves garlic, grated
Couple tablespoons all purpose flour (maida)
1 egg (sometimes we don't add this, though traditional recipe calls for egg)
Salt
Little dried thyme or marjoram

(You can add other herbs if you don't get thyme or marjoram.)

Mix together. Consistency will be of thick batter. Pour like uttappams onto a heated pan with oil. Flip over when one side starts turning golden brown.
Served with sour cream.
I also like it with spicy chutney or indian pickles

Rushi Panchami bhaji

Rushi Panchami bhaji

- Pallavi / Deepa

basically Rishi panchami comes on 2nd day of Ganpati festival. It  is celebrated in remembrance of our ancient rishis n dey r  worshipped offering dem this rushi panchami bhaji  .

Clean n chopp all vegetables

Aluche paane
lal maath sticks
kanis  Corns pcs
suran yam
raw banana
red pumpkin
shirali ridge gourd
karela bitter gourd
okra big ladies finger
ghevda /shravan ghevda.

ambadi vegetable ( sour ) / tamrind pulp or both in proper proportion , otherwise bhaji will be sour too much .

little jaggery optional.

mix all dis vegetables add green chilles salt.

peanuts soaked overnight n peel before adding.

cook together
finally add grated fresh coconut

Vegetables which require lesser time to cook are to be  added later..
corns pcs  to be boiled separately.

rushi panchami bhaji tastes yummy.

can have with chappati bhakri rice or just can have aisehi  or with curds .

yummy  yummy

Aval vilayichathu (jaggery candied rice flakes

Aval vilayichathu (jaggery candied rice flakes /poha)
Traditional Kerala Sweet dish:
- Bindu Mohanan  
Ingredients:  Poha/ Rice Flakes- can use the red ones which u get at Kerala stores or white. pour little water or milk and soak it and keep aside - 2 cups

jaggery - 2 cups I use the block ones or organic ones
cardamon pwd, black or white til little fried, bananas for garnish..I use the  Kerala bananas
method: take a vok put the jaggery and one cup water and  dilute it till the jaggery is diluted...now add the poha and mix well until the jaggery is coated well.with the poha. add the cardamom pwd and the roasted til. and pour little ghee over it and mix well. cut the bananas into small pieces and add it ...it is used as Prasad for gokulashtami. enjoii😋😋😋😋

Nendra pazham pradhaman-Ripe plantain kheer

Nendra pazham pradhaman-Ripe plantain kheer
- Ethnic Kerala Dessert
- Bindu Mohanan:

Kendra pazham or Kerala.banana which u get at the Kerala stores very ripe ones..cut them.into pieces or can mash it in the mixer. I like to get the bite of it.

jaggery organic  , cardamom pwd, coconut milk one pkt homemade tetra pack, kismiss and wet coconut pieces.

In a wok place the cut banana pieces and little water and boil them until smooth..mash it up add the jaggery and little water let the jaggery dilute..when diluted add the third  coconut milk and mix it properly.third coconut.milk take the thick milk.from the tetra pack and mix it with lot of water and add to the.mixture...go.on mixing it until the milk reduces now add the second milk to it add the cardamon pwd and mix well when the second milk reduces add the first milk and close the gas..take 2 tsp of ghee and roast the kismiss and add to the mixture now roast the coconut pieces till.brown and garnish over it. yummy.
😋😋😋😋😋😋
how to make coconut milk

grated cocunut....I use tetra pkt it is easy as coconut is costly.

if grated coconut mix little water and start squeezing it in a muslin cloth or  this is the first milk.

for second milk add lot of water and grind the mix in the mixer...now squeeze in a muslin cloth. second milk

for third...add lot of water and in the mixer..squeeze in a muslin cloth..third milk.

Kelayache Shikran

Kelayache Shikran
-Ethnic Maharashtrian Sweet Dish/Dessert with ripe green Bananas
- Pallavi Ghorpade and Deepa Borkar

Ingredients: regular cow milk /home made coconut milk
Green ripe bananas
Jaggery/ sugar
Elaichi manuka kaju

Mix well bananas pcs n jaggery pcs (dissolve) in milk with our clean washed hands .
Bananas pcs cut sliced round
Quick to make dis sweet dish
We have it with puris /chappatis. Or just have it as it is...

Phodnicha vatana bhaat - Rice with seasoning and Peas

Phodnicha vatana bhaat - Rice with seasoning and Peas
- Pallavi Ghorpade:

Morning / Night ka cooked  rice
chop onion fine
green chill ginger garlic paste

take 1 Tablespoon oil
in kadai
put zeera black peper lavang dalchini elachi tamal  patra z( Few seeds )
crackle
onions brown fry
put green chilli ginger garlic paste dtir fry 1/2 Min
put boil potato n peas n stir Fry
put red chilli n haldi powder salt
put cooked morning rice making loose
mix well
put coriander finely chopped leaves grated coconut fresh
mix well put lemon juice
mix well. Sprinkle garam masala, mix well and serve hot with coriander chopped leavrs n grated coconut garnish...

Egg curry (Andyache kalvan) Variant 2

Andyache kalvan
- Vihang Chavan
Ingredients
Eggs -3 eggs
malvani masala - 2 tbsp
garam masala - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Finely chopped onion -1
smashed garlic - 1tbsp
hing - 1 tsp
water - 2 cups
tamarind pulp - 1tbsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Dry roast and grind
Onion - 1 (sliced)
Dry grated coconut - 4 tbsp
Method:
1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add sliced onion and fry till golden brown color. Dry roast coconut till slight brown color . cool and grind to fine paste with little water to make  onion coconut wet grind
2. Heat remaining oil in low flame, add hing , smashed garlic,turmeric,1  tbsp malvani masala .Add chopped onion and saute till  pink and add ginger garlic paste and fry.
3. Add  onion coconut wet grind, remaining  malvani masala ,salt and saute till oil begins to separate from the masala and add some water, salt, tamarind pulp.
Take the eggs and crack each one directly into the gravy. Each one should be dropped slowly into the gravy to try and keep it as intact as possible. Each egg should be placed away from the previous one so they don't touch each other.  Cover with lid allowing these broken eggs to cook for 5 minutes till it starts boiling.
After 5 minutes remove lid and let the curry boil for another 3 minutes  according to the ghatpana you need and serve with chapatti, pav or rice.
It can be prepared without tamarind pulp too. Tamarind makes it more tangier.

Thalipeeth Bhajni (flour)

Thalipeeth is multigrain  nutritional food one can have for breakdast evening snack or substitute for light meal too.

Thalipeeth Bhajni
- Pallavi Ghorpade
1 Cup rice
1/2 Cup each jowar n bajra n chanadaal
1/4 Cup wheat
1/4 Cup poha
1/2 Cup dhana & Zeera

roast all separately nicely
n grind fine .

thalipeth bhajni can b stored in airtight container n used as n whrn needed

one make 1kg  of bhajni n store very quick to make

preparations time 10 Mins
cooking 5-7 Mins
( Bhajni should b ready)*

Thalipeet

Thalipeet Garma Garam
(  5 - 6 thalipeths ) 

- Pallavi Ghorpade

1/4 Kg  Thalipeeth bhajni (Flour)
2 Onions
1 Cup finely chopped coriander leaves
Dark green chillies 2 -3 Red chilli powder 2 teaspoons as required
1/4 Spoon turmeric powder Lemon juice 1 Spoon

salt

mix  the ingredients w water in bowl n knead the dough soft  let it rest 10 Mins
make 5- 6 dough balls of bhajni

take plate put white  thin Plastic  sheet or use the one of milk  packet  one  cut it.

press the the dough with lightly w palm n roll to size of small or  medium pancakes size thickness may b 3-4 mm.

Then slowly take the pancake on palm and put on tava and make hole in middle put cooking oil in middle n little drops at all sides

lit the gas n cover the tava with lid and cook it on  medium flame. when u hear oil crackling ( surrrrr) sound or see bubbles rising one side little brown flip over other side n cook both side brown pressing lightly

serve hot with homemade white butter. or chutney or sauce.. 

( White home made butter preffered Loni )

tips 

one can add garlic ginger paste little / brown  Seasame seeds for taste .

Punugulu (Andhra style vadas)

Punugulu (Andhra style vadas)
-  Aparna Rao
Ingredients - 1 cup udad, 1/2 cup ric, mrthi seeds soaked overnight, wash and drain the water; grind; add in adrak mirchi namak, grind one round... it should be thick batter not runny; le is sit for 2 hours or so. Mix in 2 to 3 tea spoonfuls of rava. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry.

Photo credit: Vaishali Joshi

Kotimbir Vadi/ Cabbage Vadi

Kotimbir Vadi
- Pallavi Ghorpade:

Basic preparation

1 vati baseen
1 vati kotimbir finely chopped
Green chilli lasoon 2-3
paste
Haldi  red chilli daniya jeera powder salt

Make consistency thick
Grease w oil the vessel n steam it 7-10 mins
Let it cool n then make rectangle vadis chopping cross n deep/ shallow fry and eat it w fresh green chutney or sauce.

Cabbage vadis:
---------------------------
One can add finely chopped cabbage / with half vati kotimbir .
Cabbage vadis deep or shallow fry crisp taste also good.

Tips
Do not remove the vadis from steam cooker immediately let it remain der for some time  .

Pooran polis

Puran poli
- Sujata Maselkar:
- 2 cups maida or 1 cup wheat flour and 1 cup maida. Knead into very soft dough. Soak it in oil. It becomes stringy to make it more pliable. For puran pressure cook 2 cups chana daal with little haldi and pinch of salt. Grind in mixie. In a broad pan add ground daal, 1 cup sugar 1 cup jaggery and elaichi powder. Cook well till dry. Stuff in dough and roll it out. Cook both sides on tawa. Remove and immediately pierce with a fork and apply ghee so that it gets absorbed in puran poli. Eat it while hot. Heavenly experience guaranteed.😜

Photo: Sangita Kalarickal

Mushroom soup: Variant II

Cream of Mushroom
- Sangita Haria                                 Ingredients:                          
1 pkt mushroom
1 large onion
1 big boiled potato
1/2 litre milk
1tblsp olive oil
Saute mushroom&onion in olive oil till it turns brown. Add boiled potato,milk &1 cup water&blend it to smooth puree. Add salt&pepper&give it a boil.

Pudina, dhania, kadi patta chutney

Pudina, dhania, kadi patta chutney recipe
- Aparna Rao
-      Ingredients - 1 bunch pudina, 1/2 bunch dhania  patta, few sprigs kadi patta, haldi, green chillies tamarind; seasoning- 1 teaspoon chana dal, 2 teaspoons udad dal, rai, jeera, methi seeds,3-4 red chillies, hing. Separate pudina leaves, dhania and kadi patta. Wash and keep ready. In a kadhai heat 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls oil, add in the leaves, salt, tamarind and green chillies. I put the tamarind as one whole and the green chillies in one side of the kadhai so that these can be removed easily. Cover and let it cook on low flame for 5 to 8 minutes.  You get a lovely aroma wih this blend. Once it's done pick out the tamarind and green chillies and put them into the mixie jar. Empty the kadhai and out all the leaves into a small vessel. In the same kadhai, add 3 to 4 teaspoonfuls oil, when it's hot add in udad and chana dals, when they are semi roasted add in rai jeera methi akkhi mirch and hing. Let it roast well together and add haldi at the end. Now grind the seasoning, tamarind and green chillies together. Then add in the leaves. One to two grinds and done. It is coarse ground together. You see all yhree texture in the chutney and it smells just right... enjoyyyy

Sheer kurma

Sheer Kurma
-Bindu Mohanan
roast the seviyan till golden and keep aside. if you want then you can roast the seviyan in ghee also.in the same pan. heat ghee and add chopped dry fruits and saute for 3-4 minutes stirring often.heat milk in a saucepan and let it come to a boil. lower the flame and simmer for 8-10 minutes till the milk slightly thickens.add the roasted seviyan and sugar to the milk and simmer till the seviyan are cooked and have become soft for about 8-10 minutes on a low flame.the milk will also thicken and reduce in volume.add the whole dry fruit mixture and cardamom powder.switch off the fire and stir.taste the sheer kurma and add more sugar if required.

Cream of Mushroom / Mushroom Soup

Cream of Mushroom / Mushroom Soup
Nishit Patil
Ingredients:
800g mushrooms, 50g butter, 2 big Onions, 3 garlic cloves, Pepper powder, Flour / Maida,  5 cups Real Chicken broth/Stock, 1 cup thickened cream

1. Cut the mushrooms and Onion into slices.

2.  Melt butter in large frying pan. Add in onions, garlic, and mushrooms. and cook, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes or until mushrooms are soft

3. Blend in flour/Maida and stir/simmer for 10-15 mins.

4. Add in the chicken broth/Stock and heat until slightly thickened while stirring frequently.

5. Stir cream with additional flour/Maida and seasonings. Add in cream to soup. ...

6. Serve with pepper powder and Cream and enjoy!

Taco seasoning mix

Taco seasoning mix formula
- Sangita Kalarickal:
change up the chilli powder proportion if you need more teekha
Taco seasoning
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground jeera
1/4 teaspoon ea of dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder
Salt

Aviyal

Kerala Special - AVIAL
- Bindu Mohanan

veggies : white pumpkin ,red pumpkin,yam,kacha kela,beans,green chowli,carrot,drumsticks,
masala: coconut, jeera
coconut oil, kadipatta, imli juice and curd

cutting of veggies : see that u cut the veggies in same size and thin...especially the yam and kaccha kela..kaccaha kela cut and put into haldi ka pani.
Method: wash all veggies and put them in the big vok...with little imli the pani and little water. add into it haldi pwd and mirchi pwd and salt green Mirch slit and kaddipatta and on the gas. don't use a karchi to mix the veggies as the veggies will break . check the yam as it the toughest to cook . as the veggies are cooking make.the masala .grind the coconut and geera into a paste. when the veggies are done add a little curd and mix it well then add the coconut mix into it.and mix it slowly. last add two tsp of coconut oil.on top . yummy can HV with rice or hot Roti's..in Kerala it is one of the side dishes when u make sadhya.

Sabudana khichdi

Sabudana khichdi
- Deepa Borkar:
Wash and soak sabudana overnight. The trick is in washing it 5 to 6 times and leavubg behind just a bit of water. The starch drains out with the washing.  Next day before making Khichdi grind equal measure of roasted peanuts.  Boil and mash a potato. Then grind green chillies as per taste. Cumin seeds. And apply to soaked sabudana  if u like apply little chilli powder also.  Taste comes wow. Add a little sugar salt and lemon juice. You gat a proper mix of sabudana, potato, roasted peanuts, salt, sugar, green chillies.
Heat ghee to n hot kadai. Put cumin seeds and once they splutter add the sabudana  mix and stir it well. It takes about 10 mts to get sabudana cooked.

Tips for khichdi:
- Pallavi Ghorpade -
adding sabudana, keep stirring, but it is likely to stick. So just 2 minutes or so before turning off the gas, heat a tawa and keep the sabudana kadai on the tawa as you stir. The heat will reduce but you will still have some heat to allow it to cook. Then put off when it's ready. Use tips that work for you.

Sangita Kalarickal
- wash the sabudana a couple of times, lay it in a layer in a plate, add water, just enough to cover it. Then let it soak. Then add daanyacha kooth, salt, a wee bit sugar. Mix well. By this time the mixture will be nicely dry.
Then the usual...fry chillies, jeera in oil, add chopped potatoes, cover and cook potatoes, add black pepper powder, then the sabudana. Mix lightly. Cover and cook till sabudana is translucent.

Pallavi Ghorpade
- Until unless u want have early morning u soak overnight  otherwise  2- 3  hours soaking before making..
5--10  mins before making we drain it completely any extra water and keep it

Cheesy bites

Cheesy bites

- Aparna Rao Bhikshu:
Ingredients - 3 Potatoes -Boiled and mashed, 2 small onions, ginger garlic paste, 1 or 2 sliced green chillies, 1 cup sweet corn, 1 cup paneer pieces, mozarella cheese cut into pieces like paneer, maida, oil
Take one tsp oil in a pan, put in ginger garlic paste, onions, curry leaves, hing - roast lightly. Mix this in the mashed potatoes. Add salt, chilli powder, dhaniya powder, squeeze in a lemon ( I used aamchur), finely chopped green chillies. Mix in sweet corn. Add paneer pieces. Add cheese pieces. It will be whole pieces. Make small balls and roll them in dry maida/corn flour/rice flour so hat they are fully covered in the flour. Deep fry. Just be very careful that the corn may sputter and pop causing hot oil drops to splash. Serve and enjoy hot... 😊

Healthy option if you want to avoid fried food and maida- use the stuffing for sandwiches or parathas...

Prawns Sabzi

Prawns  Sabzi
- Deepa Borkar
Ek vaati (One cup) dry coconut hai to half grated coconut leti hu, 2 big onions, 8, garlic cloves, ginger thoda, akha garam masala means 4,5 pepper, 2, cloves, coriander whatever u like  isse oil pe fry karo.  Onion and both coconut oil pe fry karo its colour will change. Isse mixie mein ghumao. This u can add to cooked Prawns . Ok sab mat daalo it depends on hw much u want the dish to be gravy. I keep this paste in fridge and use it in pulses (usal).
Masala - Note: This is a generic masala and can be used for veggie items as well. Here goes:Ek vaati -(One cup) dry coconut hai to half grated coconut leti hu, 2 big onions, 8, garlic cloves, ginger thoda, akha garam masala means 4,5 pepper, 2, cloves, coriander whatever u like  isse oil pe fry karo.  Onion and both coconut oil pe fry karo its colour will change. Isse mixie mein ghumao. This u can add to cooked Prawns . Ok sab mat daalo it depends on hw much u want the dish to be gravy. I keep this paste in fridge and use it in pulses (usal).
In stead of prawns, you could use sprouts or other veggies as per taste

Brinjal Tomato Chutney

Brinjal Tomato Chutney
- Aparna Rao
3-4 big / medium size brinjals - Kateri, 5-6medium size  tomatoes, green chillies, coriander, curry leaves. Wash and wipe brinjal; apply some oil on them and set them on gas flame to roast (as in bharta); For seasoning - heat 1  -2 spoonfuls of oil, add a spoonful of chana dal, when it's half done, add a spoon of udad dal, rai, jeera, quarter spoonful methi seeds, 1/2 spoonful dhania seeds, 5-6 akkha mirch - I use bedki; curry leaves, hing. When seasoning is properly roasted take into a mixie jar. In the same pan, heat 2 spoonfuls of oil again and  add chopped tomatoes and 5-6 green chillies - as per spice taste required; add haldi and salt and cover; let this cook on slow flame. No water needed. The brinjals would be ready by this time; skin them and set aside. After the seasoning has cooled add coriander and coarse grind; add skinned brinjals and two quick short turns in the mixer; it should not turn into paste fully; just enough to smash the brinjals and mix them in with seasoning- drrr off...  Drrr... Mixie Off. The tomatoes would be cooked by now. Put off the stove; smash the tomatoes into coarse paste and mix in the brinjal seasoning paste. Stir it properly to blend all of them well. Brinjal chutney ready... Enjoy with steamed rice and ghee; dosa, sandwiches, chapatis, parathas, bhajias etc.

Kacche kele ki sabji

Kacche kele ki sabji

- Bindu Mohanan

Serves 4

500 GMs kaccha kele cut into pieces. Wash and add little water and microwave them.for 10 min with salt. Or u can do it on gas.
Add oil 1tsp rai 1tsp urad dal when they spultter add kadipatta and alka mirchi and lasoon and mix it well. Add the kaccha kela and little haldi.pwd and mirchi pwd and mix it week. Ready to eat😋😋😋😋😋

Paneer Bhurji

Paneer Bhurji,

Bindu Mohanan

Paneer. I use goverdhan Paneer or can buy from the dairy. For four people.

Two.onions, two tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, and coriander leaves

In a pan pour two tsp.of.oil and diced onions and saute it till.pink . now add the tomotoes and fry till.the oil is seen. Add the ginger lasson paste and saute it. Paneer crush it and add it to the masala and saute it for some time till you feel it is cooked.. Add the dry masalas chilli powder haldi powder and coriander powder and garam masala powder and saute it. Now add the coriander 😋😋😋

Kheerni

Kheerni
- Shobha Tuliani,
Home made pure ghee 2 tbl spoons. Half a cup of rice, chana dal, moong dal n tur dal each. Soak for an hour or so. Jaggery, handful of raisins, cashews, few almonds n pistachoos, few strands of kesar, powder of 10 to 12 cardamoms.
Heat ghee in a pressure cooker n add cardamom powder. One bowl of grated coconut to be added n roasted in ghee. Add the soaked dal n chaval all together. Roast on medium flame for some time.  Keep stirring frequently.  Add more ghee if required. Add soaked raisins, kesar strands n broken cashew pieces. Add gur as per the sweet taste you like.  Add lots of water. Pressure cook it for half n hour. Simmer it for some time. The consistency should be thicker than normal kheers n thinner than pongal rice. Garnish it with grated almonds n pistachios n enjoy!

Raw mango rice

Raw Mango Rice
- Aparna Rao
Ingredients:
3 small bowl fulls cooked rice, 3 raw mangoes, ginger, chillies, peanuts;
Cook rice and set aside,
Peel and grate mangoes, fine chopped ginger and chillies. Seasoning- heat 2/3 spoons oil, add in a spoonful of chana dal, when it's semi roasted add a spoonful of udid dal, add the peanuts, let these roast well. Add in rai, jeera, sukha mirch, ginger chillies, kadi patta, hing and stir up the seasoning. Add in grated mango and haldi, and let this simmer. The entire process takes about 12 minutes. Put off the stove and mix in the rice. Add ghee and salt while mixing.  The rice should be separate and full. The texture has to be not too dry not too sticky. Add the right quantity to the mixture so that the khatta taste is just right.
Note - salt is to be added to the rice and not the raw mango seasoning. If salt is added to the seasoning, its colour changes due to some reaction.

Carrot cake

Carrot cake:
- Sangita Kalarickal

2.5 cups AP flour
2.5 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 tso baking soda
3 eggs (or 3/4 cup apple sauce)
6 ounces (about 1-1/4 cup) yogurt
6 ounces (about 1-1/4 cup) olive oil

Mix carrots, flour, spices, baking powder and soda nicely. In a separate bowl mix eggs, sugars well until smooth, then add yogurt and oil. Combine well until you get a nice mixture.

If you want some additional texture add 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Pour into cake pan, bake at 350 deg

Inspired by recipe from Alton Brown.

Drumstick sabji

Drumstick sabji
- Bindu Mohanan
Drumstick medium. Size about 500 cut into medium. Pieces.  Onion three big ones and tomotoes 2 big ones .  ginger garlic green chili paste and salt to taste  and regular masalas.

Grind the onions into a rough paste and add in the hot oil with kadipatta.  Sauté the onions till brown now add the tomato puree and  ginger garlic and green chilli paste and sauté it.  Now add 1 tsp haldi pwd 1 tsp mirchi pwd and 2 tsp of corriander pwd and 1 tsp of garam masala pwd and saute it .   now add 1 galss of water and ket it boil and. Add salt and the drumsticks into it.  Close and cook for 30. Mins.  Check thw drumstick if cooked add corriander leaves and serve. 😋😋😋😋😋

Grated raw mango/kairi pickle

Grated raw mango/kairi pickle
- Aparna Rao
Masala- salt, chilli powder- equal quantities, as per taste, methi powder, 1/2 spoon haldi, methi powder one teaspoon flat for 3 vatis of grated mango.  Peel and grate 2 to 3 mangoes... Mix the masala and stir in. Now heat 1/2 to 3/4 of vati oil in a deep pan, sputter a spoon ful of rai, add hing, add in the grated mango and let it simmer for a minute, mix well. Done... Enjoy with parathas, rotis dal rice, plain rice and ghee...

Crab curry thalaserry style

Crab curry thalaserry style
- Bindu Mohanan
Small size crabs wash and cut and wash nicely and set it aside
Three orions .  two tomatoes.  Ginger lasoon paste.

In a vok pour two tsp oil and cut one onion into thin slices and fry till transuslent.  Two onions two tomatoes make a paste .  when the onion are light brown pour in the onion tomato paste and add in the ginger garlic paste and mix it well.  Add red chilli pwd.  1tsp haldi pwd 1 tsp dhaniya pwd 2 tsp and chiken masala 1 tsp and mix well .  add salt to taste.  Now add the crabs and let it boil until they are cooked.   Whwn cooked add some. Pepper pwd and mix well.  Garnish it with corriander leaves and kadipatta and serve yummy😋😋😋😋

Ebelskeiver filled with cream cheese

Ebelskeiver filled with cream cheese
- Sangita Kalarickal

1and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Lemon zest

Filling: beaten cream cheese, finely chopped onions.

Add the dry ingredients together, mix well. Separate eggs. Mix the yolks well with milk, add to dry ingredients, mix well. Beat whites until stiff but soft peaks form. First mix half the beaten whites  with the batter. Then slowly fold in the remaining half with the batter. This is an important step, makes the ebelskeivers fluffy.
Pour some batter into the pan, then add the filling, then top it off with more batter. Take care that you only fill three fourth of the well because the little cakes will rise. After a few minutes, turn over the cakes.

You can fill these with different fillings...sweet ones like jams, sweet cream cheese or savory and spicy ones too.

Rajasthani Tikker/Tikkad

Rajasthani Tikker/Tikkad -
- Aparna Rao
Ingredients- 1/2 cup Makai ka atta, 1/3 cup wheat flour, ajwain, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander, ghee, salt, haldi ,hing.
Chop tomatoes and onions fine into a bowl, add in salt, ajwain, haldi, hing, fine chopped ginger and chillies; smash garlic pods with your hand and then chop fine. Add in fine chopped coriander, salt and mix them up well and set aside. In a separate plate, take makai and wheat flours - more makai flour, add a bit of salt, haldi and hing. Add in 2-3 teaspoons of ghee and blend the flours lightly with your fingers. Add in half of the mixed spices to the flours and knead into smooth dough. Set for some time. While  you heat the pan, start rolling out the rotis, roll out thick, add a spoonful of the mixed tomato onion as topping and roll it in. Use dry flour for dusting the rolling pin and the roti too... Roast like rotis on the pan. It takes longer than normal rotis. When one side turns golden brown, turn and add ghee... To both sides. Enjoy with coriander chutney, dates chutney, pickle, dahi or butter... 😋

Malai kofta

Malai kofta - Sangita Kalarickal

Pix: Sangita Kalarickal and Vaishali Joshi

Paneer crumbled very fine
Potatoes,  boiled and mashed
One slice bread soaked in milk.
Cashews
Golden raisins
Ginger paste
Garlic paste
Coriander powder
Cumin powder
Turmeric powder
Chilli powder
Salt
Tomato puree/chopped
Onion
Garlic
Ginger paste
Garlic paste
Green chilli paste
Red chilli powder (to taste, depending on the amount of heat you want)
Turmeric powder
Bay leaf
Whole garam masala
Garam masala powder
Kasuri methi
Coriander leaves
Cream
Koftas:
Add crumbled paneer to the mashed potatoes. It's easier and tastier, if you use freshly made paneer at home. Mash the soaked bread into a paste and add to the mixture. Add the masalas, both wet and dry powders. Knead the dough until you can make becomes one big ball. If it's too wet, add more potatoes. Make little balls with the dough, and stuff cashew and raisins in each.
Take a pan, add oil and fry the koftas on medium heat until golden on the outside. Since this is shallow frying, you'll have to keep turning the koftas to keep the shape as well as to get it golden.
Gravy
After the koftas are done, adjust the oil for making gravy. Add bay leaf and whole garam masala. Fry for a few moments until aromatic. Then add the chopped onions to the pan. Add the wet masalas. Fry well, add the tomatoes and the dry masalas. Cook until tomatoes are done and the oil separates. Now remove the bay leaf and blend the gravy. Better to use an immersion/hand blender. Add kasuri methi. Turn off heat and add cream and toss in chopped coriander leaves.
Serve kofta covered in gravy, with rotis or naan.

Saunf Masala Karela

Saunf Masala Karela
- Shobha Tuliani
Take 5 to 6 small karelas and wash the. No need to peel or use salt.  Cut  into 1.5 inch size.
Slit these and remove seed if hard. In a pan roast corriander seeds 2 tblspoons. Saunf - 2 teapoons. Red chilli powder 2 teaspoons. Coarse grind this masala. Fill the slit karelas with this masala. In a pan heat 2 tblspoon of oil n add these karelas n cover it with some weight on the top. keep pressing the karela in regular intervals. In another pan take 2-3 chopped onions, curry leaves n green chillies and shallow fry in little oil till golden brown n soft.  Add turmeric powder jeera salt. Chk karelas if done. Add onion masala to karela masala n mix thoroughly. Add jaggery ' 1 big piece. Mix again for all ingredients to blend well.  V little water if you want karelas to be softer. Well cooked karelas would be tastier.  Cooking time 30 -35 mins. Have with garam phulkas😋😋

Borscht (veg version)

Borscht
- Sangita Kalarickal
Ukrainian beet soup, veg version
1 head cabbage, chopped
Two three beets, peeled and chopped
Large onion, chopped
Two three carrots, chopped
Tomato paste
Potatoes
Garlic, finely minced (optional)
Sour cream or yogurt
Vegetable stock

Heat some oil and add the onion, when its soft, add tomatoes, and cook. Then add the beets, carrots and vegetable stock and cook until they are soft, add potatoes and cook (I microwave them till they are tender) Add cabbage and cook well. Add salt and pepper. If adding garlic, then add at the end, turn off the heat and cover.
Serve with sour cream.

Madras kakdi pickle

Madras Kakdi Pickle
- Aparna Rao

Masala - 1 cup rai powder, 1 cup red chilli powder, 3/4 cup salt, a spoonful of haldi, methi seeds and some hing. Mix these up properly without lumps. Chop 3 Madras Kakdi -
Round madras kakdi...  Should be raw, remove all seeds. In a container, put in pieces, add proportionate amount of masala. The masala should cover all pieces properly. Add in oil such that the mixture gets mixed well but need not float in oil. Done in 15 minutes 😋😋😋
Cucumber absorbs salt so salt  should be less than the chilli and rai powders

Kolam fish curry

Kolam fish curry
- Bindu Mohanan

Karimeen, surmai, black pomphert, white pomphert

Deep vessel....pour oil .one tsp mustard seeds. When they splutter put a tsp of fenugreek seeds. One onion sliced.....sauté till light brown add garlic pods little.mashed and ginger mashed kadi patta. Saute it for a while. Now add the dry pwds. Corriander pwd. If u HV fish curry masala.. Red chilly pwd. Haldi pwd. All 1 1/2 tsp and saute it well now add water according to the pieces of fish and kokam. Let it boil. Add salt and let it boil now add the fish pieces and boil it until the fish is done..now add some coconut oil.on top for smell.and taste. Curry ready.😋😋😋😋😋😋

Jhatpat haraa lasoon gaajar achaar

Jhatpat haraa lasoon gaajar achaar 

- Shobha Tuliani
Ingr: green garlic one bunch, 4 to5 fresh red  carrots thin ones preferable,   Mustard seeds approx 2 tbl spns.  red chilli powder, 1 teapoon turmeric powder, salt. Apple cider vinegar- 1 teaspoon
Coarsely grind mustard seeds.  Slit carrots 1 inch  long. Grind green garlic with ltl water. Chutney consistency. Mix all these v well. Add salt turmeric powder.  As per spice taste add red chilli powder. i like this achaar red n hot so am generous in adding mirchi powder.  Mix v well. Store in glass jar in sunlight. Keep shaking the barni well. Lasts outside fridge for a week. Enjoy with paratha. Sabzi rot, thepla etc 😊

Tilachi vadi

Tilachi vadi -   
Vaishali Damle

2 vati roasted and crushed sesame seeds, 1/2 vati roasted and crushed groundnuts, 1 vati or slightly more jaggery. Cardamom pwd for taste.
In a kadai melt jaggery with 1-2tbsp water. When it just starts boiling add the mixture of sesame seeds  and groundnuts and stir till a big lump(gola ) is formed. When hot immediately pour on a thali on which little ghee is applied and flatten it quickly till you get the required thickness of vadi or barfi. Mark the pieces with knife when hot and cut them accordingly.

Tips: egg substitute in baked goods

Substitute one banana or
1/4 cup applesauce for each egg in a recipes for baked goods. Bananas are very flavorful so make sure that the flavor goes well in that particular dessert.
From: http://www.peta.org/

Banana cake

Banana Cake:
- Shabana
( recipe by my friend shaista)
- 1 medium Ripe banana
- 1 and 1/4th cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4th cup oil and/or butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla easence
( opt: i added some raisins, chopped walnuts and 1/4 tsp cinnamon pdr)
- In a vessel combine the dry ingredients ( flour, baking pdr cinnamon pdr except sugar)
- in another bowl peel and mash the banana with a fork
- add sugar and beat it
- add egg and keep beating as u keep adding the butter/ oil; vanilla essence once all the mixture is mixed well
- start incorporating dry into the wet slowly and gradually ( stirring continously)
- when all the mixture becomes homogenous, add the dry fruits if desired
- give another mix
- preheat oven at 350F
- Grease and pour the mixture in the tray
- bake for about 30-40 mins( after 30 mins, do the dip stick check)
- remove on cooling rack
- when almost cool cut into desired pcs and enjoy
( this time happy with my result, the cake turned out really spongy)

Fried chicken: Variant 2

Chicken 🍗 fry...instant with egg coating - Farzana Shaikh
wash and rinse chicken pieces...add garam masala powder...chilly powder..turmeric...coriander powder..salt..ginger garlic paste....add curd...beaten egg...and mix well ....keep the marinated chicken for five mins...till the oil becomes hot in the frying pan......shallow fry  the pieces .....close the lid for five mins..then turn the chicken pieces other side fry in the same manner.......in low flame....fried chicken ready...in ten mins.....yummy...eat with butter naan..n salad...😋😋😋

Fried chicken: Variant 1

Another version of fried chicken - Shabana
- wash and pat dry chicken
- add ginger garlic paste( opt- use dried ginger garlic pdr- better to use)
- add dried red chiili pdr, salt, some lemon juice and egg, mix well and keep marinated ( the more time, the better it is for the masala to be absorbed by the chicken
- beat egg in a dish wz salt and red chiili pdr( as per taste)
- spread corn flour in a plate
- heat oil on high flame and reduce it to med
- coat each pc with egg mixture and roll in the corn flour ( for more crispiness, repeat the coating again)
- fry till the top turns light golden and chicken cooked from inside ( adjust the heat as required)
- enjoy wz tomato ketchup or hot sauce fries and bun
😊😊😊😊

Spring Onion Chutney

Spring Onion  Chutney
- Aparna Rao-
Chop 4 spring onions with green parts, 2 or 3 tomatoes. 2 spoonful oil, put in tomatoes and onions, a pinch of haldi, salt, cook on low flame. It will cook together and let off an aroma. For seasoning 1 spoon udad dal, rai, jeera, methi, akhi mirchi, green mirchis, hing, kadi patta- after frying, add a small spoon of tamarind paste and stir. Grind the seasoning  coarse. Add in tomato spring onions, and grind in with the seasoning. Coarse grind. Should not be fine paste. Mix fresh coriander leaves

Quick boneless chicken

Quick recipe for boneless chicken
- Sujata Maselkar -
cut boneless chicken into small pieces. Add salt. Black pepper , shezwan sauce and garlic paste. I always collect sauces which you get with chinese food. Mix well and marinate for some time. Add one beaten egg coat with breadcrumbs and either deep fry or shallow fry. Jhatpat recipe and tasty.