Stemmed Modak Recipe

Ingredients

Rice flour 400gm

Salt ½ tsp

Water 600 ml

Oil 10 ml

Sugar a pinch

For Fillings

Sugar 200 gm

Cardamoms 10 gm

Mawa 100 gm

Poppy seeds 10 gm

Jaggery 200 gm

Method:

• To make rice flour, wash and soak rice. Drain and keep it for drying. When it is dry, grind to a smooth consistency. Sieve the flour with a fine mesh sieve.
• Boil the water and add salt, sugar and oil.
• Add rice flour little by little without making ay lumps
• Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from fire, knead the mixture when it is slightly hot, with an oily hand.
• Divide it into 21 lime-sized portions.
• Take one portion in the centre of the left palm and press with the right thumb at the centre, and sides with the fingers.
• When it becomes like a katori or small bowl, put in some of the prepared filling.
• With a wet hand, make about 7-8 pleats in the sides of the rice-flour ‘bowl’. Now slowly try to close the left palm, and the pleats with come together Press the pleats together with the right hand and shape the centre to a point.
• Steam in a boiler for about 5 – 7 minutes. Serve hot.

Method for Fillings:

• Grate coconut
• Roast poppy seeds and powder the cardamoms.
• Mix together coconut, sugar and jiggery
• Cook on a slow fire for about 10 minutes
• Add mawa and cardamom powder and poppy seeds, cook till mixture is slightly dry.

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Home-made Bread Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

1 day old loaf unsliced white bread

1 litre milk

1 onion (peeled and quartered)

4 Cloves

2 fresh bay leaves

1 tsp white peppercorns

2 blades fresh mace or heaped 1/4 tsp ground mace

2 tsp salt

30 gm butter

2 tbsp double cream (optional)

1 fresh nutmeg

Method:

• Remove the crust from the bread and tear the stripped loaf into a mound of rough chunks or cubes about 2 cm in size. You should end up with 175-200g of cubes. 
• Pour the milk into a saucepan. Press a clove into each quarter of the onion.
• Add the onion quarters, bay leaves, peppercorns and the blades of mace along with the salt and bring to the mixture almost to its boiling point.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan with a lid and let the ingredients infuse for at least half an hour, though you can leave it for a few hours if that helps with your cooking schedule.
• After the mixture has infused, place the pan back on a very low heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves and the blades of mace.
• Add the bread to the saucepan and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, by which time the sauce should have become thick and warm.
• Just before serving the bread sauce, add the butter to the saucepan and stir until the butter has melted and combined with the sauce and season, to taste, with salt.
• Add the cream. Grate over quite a bit of nutmeg.

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Tandoori Naan Recipe

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups flour
25 gms fresh yeast
½ tsp salt
1 lightly beaten egg
½ cup curd
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp nigella seeds (Sabja)
2 tbsp poppy seeds

Method:

• Dissolve yeast in a little bit of warm water.
• Sift flour into a bowl with yeast and salt.
• Add beaten egg, curd and oil and mix them into fairly firm dough.
• Knead well until the dough leaves sides of the bowl.
• Shape into a smooth ball.
• Put the dough back in the bowl cover with a damp cloth or polythene bag and leave it in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Knead again for another minute or two.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
• Preheat tawa by placing in Grill chamber for 10 minutes, with burner on high position.
• Lightly roll each portion out into an oblong shape about 15 cms long and about 7.5 cm wide with one end tapered.
• Brush inside of nan with a little cold water. On the other side brush a thin layer off oil, sprinkle a few poppy and nigella seeds (sabja)
• Place nan on preheated tawa for 3 minutes in the gril chamber with burner on low position or until    nan is risen and well done.
• Remove the naan and serve hot.

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Stuffed Capsicums Recipe

Ingredients:

½ kg capsicums
50 gms butter
1-2 potatoes
100gms shelled grean peas
1 ½ ginger
2 onions
2 bunches coriander leaves 
2 green chilies
Salt to taste 
½ tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp bread crumbs

Method:

• Boil the potatoes and green peas separately.
• Peel and mash the potatoes, Add the boiled peas, chopped onions, ginger, green chilies and coriander leaves. Mix red chilly powder, salt and garam masala.
• Cut the capsicum heads and remove the seeds.
• Stuff the mixture into the capsicums. Place them in a greased pan with the open side up.
• Put melted butter and a portion of the breadcrumbs on top of each of the capsicums and grill for about 10-15 minutes with burner or low position serve hot.

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Chinghri Jhal or Jhol Recipe

Ingredients

500 gms king prawns
3 inch ginger
15 gloves garlic
5 green chillies
4 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tbsp mustard seeds
½ tbsp. ground turmeric
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp mustard oil
1tsp sugar
1tsp panch phoran
1tbsp fresh finely chopped coriander leaves
Lemon wedges
Onion rings

Method:

• Shell the prawns remove the heads.
• Grind ginger garlic chillies into a smooth paste and add desiccated coconut mustard seeds, turmeric salt and sugar and continue grinding to form a fine paste.
• Pour the mustard oil into a small frying pan and heat to smoking point to get rid of the pungent taste and smell.
• Add panch phoran and as soon as the seeds begin to pop, pour the contents of the pan over the ground ingredients.
• Put the prawns in a large, oven-proof dish and coat them liberally with this mixture.
• Bake at 210 C (410F) for about 25-30 minutes or until cooked.
• Remove from oven, garnish with chopped fresh coriander, lemon wedges and onion rings serve hot.

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Gobi Mumtaz Recipe

Ingredients:

500 gms cauliflower

6 cloves garlic

2 green chilies

½ tsp red pepper

1 ginger 

½ tsp salt

½ tsp garam masala

1 tbsp lemon juice

Ingredients for Masala paste:

115 gms ghee

8 cloves garlic

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp ground coriander seeds

115 gms tomatoes

15 gms coconut powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds

1 tsp curd

1 ½ inch ginger

2-3 onions

8 peppercorns

1 tsp salt

1 bunch coriander leaves

Method:

• Wash and dry the cauliflower.
• Grind garlic and green chilies. Mix lemon juice to form a smooth paste.
• Insert the paste inside the florets.
• Place cauliflower with stem downwards in an empty finger bowl.
• Transfer bowl into a pressure cooker containing 150 ml water. Steam for 3 minutes. Bring down the pressure immediately by covering lid with a wet cloth.
• Heat ghee and fry thinly sliced onions and garlic.
• Grind the ginger, coriander seeds, pepper corns, coconut and cumin seeds.
• Add the paste, salt and onions and continue cooking adding the curd. Add tomato pulp. Cook until mixture is thick.
• Cover top of the cauliflower with half of the masala paste, coat with ghee and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree C (350 degree F) for 15-20 minutes or till masala is brown and cauliflower is evenly cooked.
• Remove from oven. Pour remaining masala on the sides of the cauliflower and grill for another 5 minutes.
• Remove sprinkle coriander leaves and garam masala and serve hot.

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Puran Poli Recipe

Ingredients:

Tuvar Dal 1 cup 
Sugar or Jaggery 3/4 cup 
Cardamom Powder 1/2 teaspoon 
Nutmeg Powder 1/8 teaspoon (optional)
Ghee 2 tablespoons
Oil 1½ tablespoons 
Water

Method for Preparing Puran (stuffing):

• Wash tuvar dal and soak it in water for 30 minutes. 
• Pressure cook it with 1½ cups water.
• Let the tuvar dal cook finely with 4 to 5 whistle. 
• Remove the tuvar dal and gently mash it. 
• Heat a medium size heavy pan over medium flame. 
• Add cooked dal, sugar or jaggery and ghee in it and mix well.
• Stir continuously and cook until the mixture turns thick or for approx. 15-20 minutes.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes. 
• Add cardamom powder, nutmeg powder(optional) and mix well. 
• Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature. 

Method for Preparing Puran Poli:

• Take wheat flour in a medium size bowl and add oil. 
• Add water as required and knead smooth dough. 
• Cover dough with a muslin cloth and let it set at room temperature for 15 minutes. 
• After 15 minutes, knead it again and divide it into 10 equal portions.
• Take one portion, roll it out using rolling pin into 4-5 inch diameter circle (like chappati). 
• Place one puran (stuffing) portion in the center of rolled puri.
• Wrap stuffing with all sides of puri and seal top where all sides merge. 
• Pinch off excess dough and give it a round shape of ball.
• Press stuffed ball a bit and make thick pattie, coat with dry flour.
• Roll it out using rolling pin into approx 6-7 inch diameter circle. 
• Heat tawa over medium flame and place raw puran poli over it.
• Cook it until golden brown.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes, Cooking Time: 1 hour, Serves: 4 servings

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Coconut Chutney Recipe

Ingredients:

Coconut grated 1 cup
Red chillies dry 2 nos
Mustard seed 1 tsp
Urad dal 2 tsp
Tamarind dry 1 small piece
Salt to taste 
Sugar 1 tsp
Hing 1 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp

Method:

• Grate the coconut.
• In a pan heat the oil and add 1 tsp of urad dal, chillies and fry for a minute. 
• Let it cool completely. 
• Add the tamarind, sugar,hing and coconut. Grind all to a fine paste. 
• Do the seasoning with the other tsp of urad dal, mustard seeds and dry chilies in a tsp of oil.
• Serve with Idli, dosa or vada

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Chicken Satay Best Recipe

Ingredients: 

Turmeric ½ tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Chicken ½ kg
Ground pepper a pinch
Cumin ½ tsp
Coconut milk ½ cup
Sweet condensed milk 1 tsp
Peanut Sauce 1 tsp
Bamboo skewers any brand

Method:

• Soak bamboo skewers for at least half an hour to keep the ends from burning when being grilled. Slice the chicken into thin strips (about ¼ of an inch thick) that will fit onto the skewers.
• Grind cumin and black pepper. Add cumin, black pepper, turmeric, sugar, sweet condensed mil and coconut milk to the sliced chicken. Mix well to coat the chicken with the marinade. Marinate for half an hour or overnight (during the same time you soak the skewers).  For a shorter margination time, massage all the seasonings into the sliced chicken for a couple of minutes.
• Thread the chicken onto the bamboo skewers. Using any home grill, frill till done, Serve with peanut sauce and cucumber in vinegar.

Vegetarian option you can try:

Use paneer, mushrooms, capsicum, baby corn or any vegetable of your choice in place of chicken.

Ingredients:

Peanut sauce
Soy sauce 3 tbsp 
Creamy peanut butter 2 tbsp
White whine vinegar 2tsp
Cayenne pepper ¼ tsp
Unsalted dry roasted peanuts ½ cup

Method:

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar and cayenne pepper. Use fewer cayennes for a milder sauce.  Add the dry roasted peanuts and mix well. Peanut sauce is ready.

Prepartation time: 30 minutes Cooking time : 15 minutes Serves:4

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Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue Recipe

Ingredients

Dry White Wine  2 cups
Gruyere, finely cut (not grated)    1 pound
Cornstarch  3 tbsp
Brandy  3 tbsp
(You can replace above ingredients with a readymade fondue mix)
Garlic cut in half  1 clove
Salt and pepper to taste
Crusty French or Italian bread (boguettes)  2 loaves

Method: 

• Rub an eartherware casserole, chafing dish or fondue pot with cut garlic.
• If using ready-made fondue mix, add into fondue pot and heat till it simmers.
• If making from scratch, pour in wine and bring to a simmer over low heat. Do not boil.
• Gradually stir in cheese bits (grated cheese tends to lump) When melted, stir in cornstarch that has been dissolved in brandy. 
• Add salt, pepper, stir and bring to a simmer.
• Keep cheese bubbling lightly over low heat or it will toughen. If it becomes too thick, add a little preheated wine. If it separates, add ½ teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in a little wine, then warm slightly.
• Serve with bread cubes that guests can spear on fondue forks, then dip into the cheese mixture.
• Serve a tossed salad on the side and offer fruit for dessert.

Varations you can try:

Fondue Mexicana: To the Cheese Fondue add 1 tablesppon lemon juice, 6 small fresh green chillies, 1 bell pepper diced, pinch of ground cumin, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ pound cheddar cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

Green Herb Fondue: To the Cheese Fondue, add ¼ cup fresh basil, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 2 teaspoons dried tarragon, ¼ cup chopped parsley, a pinch of red pepper and black pepper to taste. Serve with slices of crusty bread.

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