Okra-Onions Stir-fry

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A delicious side-dish preparation made with a double quantity of onions added to okra…

Ingredients:

3 cups sliced okra (bhindi)

1 ½ cup sliced onions

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp nigella seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 to 2 green chillies, chopped

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp amchur powder or to taste

1/2 tsp garam masala

2-3 tbsp beaten curd

3 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and nigella seeds and allow the seeds to crackle.
• Add the onions, turmeric powder, garlic-ginger paste and green chillies and cook till the onions are tender.
• Add bhindi and all the other powder spices. Mix well.
• Stir-fry for 15 min or till cooked well. Add the curd and cook till dry out.
• Serve hot with parathas or chapatis.

Aloo Tikka Masala

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Grilled potatoes well combined with rich and yummy gravy, Delicious in every bite!!!

Ingredients:

For marinating:

1 cup baby potatoes, cooked and skin peeled

4 tbsp hung curd

1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder

1 tsp kashmiri chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

For the Gravy:

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

3 small tomatoes, pureed

6 cashews and 1 tbsp melon seeds, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp garam masala

Few kasuri methi leaves

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

2 tbsp oil or butter

1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method:

• Mix all the above ingredients together well and add all the potatoes and marinate them for 1 hour.
• Grill them in an oven at 180C for 20 minutes turning all the sides till golden brown or fry them on griddle with very little oil. Keep aside.
• Sauté the roughly chopped onions in a tsp of oil until the onions become translucent. Cool and puree with soaked cashews and melon seeds.
• Now heat a pan add oil and ginger garlic paste and sauté.
• Add onion-cashew paste and turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Cook till fat separates.
• Add pureed tomatoes. Add salt to taste and reqd. amount of water, cook on low flame until the mixture thickens.
• Now add the milk and let them cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Finally add the cooked potatoes along with garam masala, kasuri methi and sugar.
• Mix well and cook covered for few seconds. 
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and Serve hot!!!

Beetroot and Carrot Salad

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Energy-laden and easy-to-make salad dish turns out very delightful….

Ingredients:

1 large raw beetroot, finely chopped or grated

2 medium Carrots, chopped or grated

1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted

1/2 tbsp sunflower seeds

1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

1 tbsp dates, chopped

1 tsp virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

• Finely chop or grate beetroot and carrots in a bowl.
• Slightly roast sesame and sunflower seeds and keep aside.
• Mix other ingredients in the bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Dates with Oats Delight

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A scrumptious and healthy dessert is the perfect way to finish a family meal... !!! 

Ingredients:

1 cup Oats

1/2 cup finely chopped dates

2 tsp ghee

1 ½ cup milk

½ cup water

2 tbsp sugar or to taste

1 medium sized banana, mashed

10-12 almonds, crushed

Method:

• Heat the ghee in a pan add the oats and sauté on a medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes or till it releases flavour.
• Add the milk, water, dates and sugar, mix well and simmer till the sugar melts, while stirring continuously. Add almonds and cook for 5-7 min.
• Remove from the flame, add the mashed banana and mix well. Serve hot garnished with nuts.

Tutti-Frutti Bites

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These little bites are perfect with a cup of tea, on-the-go and  for the kid’s parties….

Ingredients:

1 cup All purpose flour

100 gm butter

3 tbsp castor sugar

3 tbsp tutti frutti

1 tsp cold milk

1/4 tsp salt

Toothpicks (optional)

Method:

• Sieve the flour and salt together. Rub butter into the flour with fingertips till a crumbly mixture. Now add sugar and tutti-frutti and mix again.
• Add little milk at a time and make cookie dough.
• Shape dough onto a rectangular block. Now cut small cubes of equal size.
• Insert toothpick in each cube and keep in fridge for 10 min.
• Bake into a preheated oven at 170 deg. for 12-15 min.
• Cool and serve. 

Mini Tofu Cutlets

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Serve these protein and calcium rich cutlets made with tofu as a starter or as a snack…

Ingredients:

200 gm tofu, grated

1 large potato, boiled and mashed

2 green chillies

1 medium onion, chopped

¼ tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

1-2 tsp corn flour

1/4 cup roasted and grounded oats (I used saffola masala oats)

1/2 tsp chaat masala powder

Olive oil

Semolina or suji for coating

Method:

• In a pan, heat 2 tsp oil and add mustard seeds, after seeds start crackle add chilli and onions. Sauté for few seconds and turn off the flame.
• Mix in all the ingredients in a pan and mix well.
• Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape each portion into a round, flat cutlets.
• Spread little suji in a plate and coat cutlets with suji.
• Heat a non-stick tava (griddle) on a medium flame and grease it with oil and cook the tikkis, till both sides are golden brown in colour.
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.

Paneer Lajawab

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Paneer and matar simmered in luscious gravy…. A must try recipe!!!

Ingredients:

200 gm Cottage cheese

50 gm Peas (optional)

2 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

2-3 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 tsp red chilli powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp garam masala

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp sugar 

Salt to taste

Hot water, as required

Coriander leaves

Ground to paste

1 large onion

2 large tomatoes

7-8 cashews

1-inch ginger

4-5 cloves garlic

1 green chilli

Method:

• Heat oil in pan; add cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and bay leaf.
• Add grounded paste and all spices and cook about 7-8 min or till oil separates.
• Add peas and little hot water and cook till peas turn soft.
• Fry cottage cheese cubes in a non-stick pan with little oil or butter.
• Now add cottage cheese cubes to the gravy and cook covered for a min.
• Adjust consistency by adding hot water.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Hummus and Cucumber Sandwich

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Easy and delicious sandwich recipe with goodness of hummus and cucumber….

Ingredients:

3/4 cup boiled chick peas

1 tsp sesame seeds

3 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp yogurt

Salt to taste

Cucumber, sliced

Chilli flakes

8 Bread slices

Method:

• Roast sesame seeds for a minute. (They should not turn brown.)
• Combine the sesame seeds, garlic, lemon juice, curd, oil, salt and blend in a mixer to a smooth paste.
• Add the cooked chick peas and blend again till smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add 2 to 3 tbsp of the strained water and blend well.
• For sandwich, spread generous amount of hummus on a bread slice, layer cucumber and then sprinkle chilli flakes.
• Cover with other slice. Grill or enjoy as it is….

Soya and Channa Dal Kebabs with Guava Chutney

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Yummy and healthy kebabs prepared with Soya and dal, served with guava chutney…

Ingredients:

1 cup Soya wadi, soaked

50 gm channa dal, soaked

2 bay leaves

4 cloves

1 inch cinnamon stick

2 whole red chilli

1/2 tsp chaat masala powder

1/2 tsp black salt

1” inch ginger

4-5 garlic cloves

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

1-2 tbsp roasted channa powder (optional)

For guava chutney:

2 ripe guavas

1-2 green chilli

1 inch ginger

1 tsp roasted jeera powder

1/2 tsp black salt

Method:

For chutney:

Remove seeds from guavas and grind with remaining ingredients into a smooth paste using little water.

For Kebabs:

• Heat oil in pan, add whole spices and sauté till they crackle.
• Add ginger and garlic, sauté for a min.
• Now add soaked channa dal and soya wadi and mix well.
• Cook for 1-2 min and keep aside to cool. Remove bay leaves.
• Now make a paste of above mixture and add in remaining ingredients.
• Make small tikkis from the mixture. Shallow fry them on medium heat until both sides turn golden brown.
• Serve hot with guava chutney or any of your choice.

Oats and Chocolate Trifle Pudding Jars

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Yummy fancy mini pudding jars filled with healthy Oats, Chocolate cake and crunchy Oreo ….

Ingredients:

Chocolate cake crumbs

Oreo cookies crushed

Chocolate vermicelli (optional)

For Oats Pudding:

1/3 cup oats

200 ml milk

1 ½ tsp corn flour

½ tsp vanilla essence

1/2 tbsp sugar or to taste

A pinch yellow color (optional)

Method:

• Mix all ingredients for oats pudding in a pan.
• Cook on medium heat while stirring continuously.
• Cook for 3-5 min till get desired consistency. Leave aside to cool.
• To layer pudding: evenly spread cake crumbs at bottom, add oat pudding and top with crush Oreo mixture. Repeat the layers and garnish with vermicelli or Oreo slice.