Aloo Dosa

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Ingredients:

2 Potatoes par boiled and peeled

1/4 Cup Onions finely chopped

1 Green Chillies finely chopped

1 tsp Cumin Seeds Powder

1/2 tsp Amchur Powder or dry mango powder

Salt to taste

2 tsp Butter

Method:

• Grate the boiled Potato in a bowl.
• To this add Onions, Green Chillies, Cumin seeds powder, amchur Powder and Salt.
• Mix well using your hands so that all the ingredients blend well and knead it to a smooth ball.
• Now heat a non stick pan on a medium heat, spread some Butter on it.
• Take a handful of the Potato mixture and pat it thick on the Pan like a pancake.
• Spread some Butter on the top layer of the pancake.
• Cook on low heat till both sides are golden brown in colour.
• Aloo – Dosa is ready to be served with ketchup/curd.

Yummy Rasgullas

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Ingredients:

1/2 litre Milk - 1/2 litre

3/4 cup Sugar

1.5 tbsp Lemon Juice or 2 tbsp Curd

1 and 3/4 cups Water

Method:

• Start by boiling milk. Once the milk is boiling, put in the lemon juice that is diluted with 1 tablespoon of water.
• Wait for the cheese to separate from the milk and drain it through the muslin cloth.
• Wash it well in running cold water to remove the lemon smell. Squeeze the excess water and hang it aside for 30mins without disturbing it.
• After 30mins, the paneer would be crumbly in texture. Rub a little of the cheese on the palm of your hand and form it into a ball.
• Divide into equal sizes that are all small because the size does increase after it is cooked. Press it hard while rolling to avoid it breaking.
• Heat water in a wide bottomed vessel, and then add sugar keep stirring till sugar dissolves completely. When the sugar syrup boils and starts bubbling, add the balls slowly one by one and simmer it for 3mins.
• Keep in medium flame and close with a lid. Cook for 10mins opening the lid every 3-4 mins this is to ensure the vapour passes out not allowing the sugar syrup to ooze out. After 10 mins, the balls would be closely doubled in size.
• Turn off and turn it into a container without breaking. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Malpua

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Ingredients:

For Malpua:

500 gms All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

400 gms Sweetened Condensed Milk

Slivered almonds and pistachios to garnish

Ghee

For Syrup:

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Water

Saffron strands

1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder

Method:

• Mix equal quantity of sugar and water in a pan.Boil it until a single-thread consistency is obtained.
• Add cardamom powder, saffron threads, mix well. Keep it aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, blend the condensed milk, flour and baking powder together to form a smooth batter.
• Meanwhile heat enough ghee in a deep frying pan to cook the malpuas.
• Pour the batter into the oil to form circles about 4" in diameter.
• Cook till golden brown. Remove from the oil and put directly into the sugar syrup.
• Remove after 2-3 minutes and drain on a wire rack.

Green Mocktail

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A very refreshing mocktail of khus syrup and lemon drink is the perfect cooler on a hot day…

Ingredients:

100 ml Lemon drink

2-3 table spoons of khus syrup (Poppy seeds syrup)

100 ml Drinking Soda          

2 table spoon lemon juice

pinch of salt

ice cubes

sugar(optional)

Method:

• Put crushed ice in the glass, then add khus syrup followed by Lemon drink and top up with drinking soda. 
• To enhance the taste add Lemon Juice to it and serve immediately.

My Special Palak Paneer

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Palak Paneer is a very popular dish in India, and most of the people might have their own recipe, and this is my special way…

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 big bunch chopped spinach (palak)

200 gm paneer (cottagte cheese) /tofu

2 tbsp oil

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 medium onion

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 medium tomatoes

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

1/4 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

Oil/Ghee for shallow-frying

Method:

• In a pan, take oil/ghee, and add the paneer/tofu cubes and sauté till golden brown.
• Blanch the spinach, drain, wash with cold water and blend in a mixer to a smooth purée. Keep aside
• Grind together sliced onion, ginger- garlic paste and tomato to a smooth paste.
• Heat little oil in a pan; add the grounded paste and salt, and cook till oil separates.
• Mix in red chilly powder, turmeric powder and garam masala, saute them again for few minutes.
• Now stir in pureed spinach Add little water if needed and simmer for 5 minutes
• Add fried paneer cubes together with the left over ghee to the prepared palak.
• You can also add paneer cubes without frying.
• Mix it well and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish and serve hot with  naan/chapati.

Easy Cheese Pizza

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Preparation Time: 1.5 hrs

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

Basic Dough

250 gm Flour (Maida)                                        

1 tsp salt

17 gm milk powder                                

1 tbsp grain sugar                                 

1/2 tbsp dry yeast

100 ml + 50 ml warm water                   

25 ml olive oil / cooking oil.

For the sauce

4 tomatoes, boiled & pureed

3 tbsp olive oil

2 cups tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Few basil leaves crushed

For Pizza Assembly

2 Pizza base

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup cottage cheese/ Paneer, cubed

1 cup capsicum-onion-tomato, sliced

Method:

 For basic dough:

• Put 50 ml warm water in a small bowl, mix in sugar and yeast, mix well, keep it in a warm place for yeast to activate for 5-7 min.
• Mix salt, maida and milk powder in a large plate. Make a well in the maida mix add in yeast solution.
• Knead by adding in the 100 ml water slowly and make soft and sticky dough.
• Knead by break and stretch method and throw on work space for 5 min till smooth dough is formed.
• Add oil gradually and knead with knuckles, you will be able to make a smooth non sticky ball in this stage after 5-7 min.
• Rub 1 tsp oil in a broad metal vessel and roll the dough in it and cover vessel with cling film.
• Let dough to prove in a closed place for 1-1 ½ hr. The dough will double in volume.

For Pizza base

• When ready turn the dough onto a floured surface, bash the air out and cut into small pieces for individual pizzas.
• Dust the work surface and rolling pin with some flour before rolling out the dough.
• Place the pizza base on a lightly oiled baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Allow to stand in a warm place while preparing the topping.

 For tomato sauce:

• Now heat oil in a pan and cook the tomato puree till the first boil and then let it simmer. Add basil leaves, tomato paste, salt and pepper.
• When the sauce has thickened, remove from flame and keep aside.

  For pizza assembly:

• First bake pizza base for 10 minutes. Then place a pizza base on the drip tray, spread sauce on it.
• Place paneer, capsicum, onions and tomatoes over the sauce and sprinkle cheese over it.
• Bake in pre-heated oven at 150°C for 10 minutes.     

Masala Arbi curry

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Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 - 15  minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

250 gms Arbi / taro root, boiled

1 cup onion puree

1 cup tomato puree

½ tsp ajwain/carom seeds

2 green chilies

½ inch stick cinnamon

1 clove

1 bay leaf

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp red chili powder

A pinch turmeric powder

½ tsp garam masala

½ cup fresh cream

Salt to taste

Oil

½ tbsp Lemon juice

Coriander leaves

For Marinating:

1/4 cup Besan (gram flour)

Salt to taste

Soda bicarbonate a pinch

Little water (to make a paste)

Method:

• Peel arbi and cut them into small pieces, then for marinating, mix all above ingredients to make a paste. Then deep fry these marinated arbi till golden brown and keep aside.
• For gravy, heat oil in kadai add whole spices, musterd seeds, ajwain and green chillies, sauté for few seconds.
• Add onion puree, ginger-garlic paste, tomato puree and powdered spices, cook for 5-8 min till oil separates.
• Then add fresh cream and stir, add deep fried arbi and sprinkle lemon juice, coriander leaves, stir and serve hot with naan/rice.

Potato Galette

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Potato galette is simply thin slices of potatoes with cheese, and then baked to crispy perfection.

Ingredients:

4 tsp olive oil

5 large  potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced         

1 tbsp   finely chopped fresh Thyme      

1/2 tsp  each salt and pepper    

1/2 cup grated Cheddar Cheese           

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

• Slice potatoes with mandolin. Place potato slices into a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to coat.
• Preheat oven to 150°C, grease gratin dish. Place a layer of potato slices then sprinkle cheese mixture.
• Repeat layers (gently pressing potatoes to pack down) until all ingredients are used up, finishing with cheese mixture on top.
• Bake on middle rack of oven until tops are golden and potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 min. Let rest 10 min. Serve immediately.