 Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) – ½ kg
 Tomato (big) – 1
 Onions – 2
 Coriander leaves – a few sprigs
 Red chili powder – 1 tsp
 Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
 Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
 Salt to taste
 Oil – 2 tbsp


Method :

 Cut paneer into small cubes and grate a little portion of it.

                                           
 Finely chop the onions and tomato.
 Heat oil in a pan.
 Add the cumin seeds and onions and fry on medium flame for 5 – 8 minutes or till golden brown.
 Then add the tomatoes, turmeric powder and red chili powder, paneer and salt.

                                           

 Cook covered for 5 minutes.
 Serve hot after garnishing with coriander leaves.

                                       

 Grated paneer gives a creamy taste to the dish.

Ingredients :

 Corn seeds, boiled – 3 corns
 Ginger-chili paste – 2 tsp
 Soda – 1 tsp
 Coriander leaves, chopped – 1 cup
 Sour curd – 1 cup
 Garam masala – 2 tsp
 Salt to taste
 Oil to deep fry

Method :

 Coarsely mash the corn seeds.
 Mix all the ingredients and make a soft dough, so as to make pakodas.

                                                 
 Put spoonfuls in hot oil and deep fry till golden brown on medium flame.

                                       

 Serve hot with coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.

                                         

Ingredients :

 Coriander seeds - 4 tbsp
 Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
 Black Peppercorns – 1 tbsp
 Black Cumin seeds (Shahjeera) – 1 ½ tsp
 Dry Ginger – 1 ½ tsp
 Black Cardamom - 3-4 large pods approx
 Cloves – 2-3
 Cinnamon - 2 x 1” pieces
 Crushed Bay Leaves - 2


Method :

 Heat a heavy skillet on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients (leave cardamom in its pods till later) except the dry ginger, till they turn a few shades darker.
 Stir occasionally. Do not be tempted to speed up the process by turning up the heat as the spices will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside.
 When the spices are roasted turn off the flame and allow them to cool.

                                         
 Once cooled, remove the cardamom seeds from their skins and mix them with all the other roasted spices.
 Grind them all together, to a fine powder in a grinder.

                                         
 Store in an airtight container in a cool and dark place.

Ingredients :

 Fennel Seeds – 25 gms
 White Poppy Seeds – 20 gms
 Cumin Seeds – 15 gms
 Cinnamon Bark – 15 gms
 Whole Cloves – 10 gms
 Green Cardamoms – 10 gms
 Black Cardamoms – 5 gms
 Star Anise – 5 gms
 Carraway Seeds – 5 gms
 Bay Leaves – 5 gms
 Mace Blades – 5 gms
 Nutmeg – ¼


Method :

 Arrange each whole spice in order and keep ready for use.
 On a low flame, dry roast each spice till crisp and aromatic.
 When all of these have been dry roasted, mix and cool to room temperature.
 Grind to as fine a powder as much as possible and store in an airtight jar.

                                               

 This keeps for a month on the shelf.

 Boiled potatoes – 2
 Sago (soaked for 2 hours) – ½ cup
 Salt – to taste
 Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
 Asafoetida – 2 pinches
 Ginger, grated – 2” piece
 Coriander powder – ¼ tsp
 Garam Masala – 1 tsp
 Coriander leaves, chopped – 2 tbsp
 Oil – 1 tsp
 Green chili, finely chopped – 2 tsp

Method :

 Peel and finely chop the potatoes and keep aside.Drain the water from the sago and keep aside
 Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle.
 Add the ginger and all the spices and green chilies and cook on low flame for a minute.
 Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

                                                 


 Cook for 2 minutes and it is ready to be serve.

                                         

 Noodles - 200 gms
 Beans, juliennes - ¼ cup
 Carrot, juliennes - ¼ cup
 Capsicum, finely sliced - 1/8 cup
 Cabbage, finely sliced - 1/8 cup
 Mushroom, finely sliced - 4 pcs (optional)
 Spring onions, only the greens - 4 stalks
 Onion, sliced - 2, big
 Garlic, grated - 3 cloves
 Ginger, grated - 2
 Soya sauce - 2 tsp
 Vinegar - 1 tsp
 Salt to taste
 Oil - 2 tsp + 1 tsp
 Chili sauce - 1 tsp
 Pepper - to taste

Method :

 Boil enough water to completely immerse all the noodles completely with little salt.
 After the water has boiled, put in the noodles and put off the flame. Cover for 10-15
minutes. Add 1 tsp oil.
 Drain the water when you feel the noodles are cooked. If not, then just cook for another 1 minute on low flame. Drain and wash immediately with cold water.
 Transfer into a bowl after all the water is drained and keep it in the refrigerator.
 In the meantime, heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add onions and sauté them until light brown in colour.
 Add cabbage and sauté for 2 minutes on high flame.
 Add beans and carrot and again sauté for 3-4 minutes until they are tender.
 Add mushroom and capsicum. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Add ginger, garlic and mix well.
 Add soya sauce, vinegar, seasonings and then the boiled noodles.
 Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.

                                                 
 Add chopped spring onions and mix well.
 Serve with chutney or sauce.

                                       

Ingredients :

 Sooji – 250 gms
 Ginger – ½ inch piece
 Green chilies – 2
 Dried red chilies – 2
 Curry leaves – a few
 Coriander leaves – a few sprigs
 Lemon juice – 2 tsp
 Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
 Onion – 1
 Grated coconut, optional – 1 tsp
 Water – 2 ½ cups
 Oil – 2 tsp
 Salt to taste

Method :

 Roast the sooji in a pan without oil, till they become light brown in color.

                                           
 Chop the ginger and coriander leaves finely.
 Slit the green chilies into half.
 In a pan, heat the oil.
 Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.
 Add the chopped ginger, chilies and curry leaves.
 Stir for some time and then add the onions.
 Fry till the onions become pink in color.
 Now pour water in the pan and let it boil.
 Add salt.
                           
                                       
 When the water boils, lower the flame.
 Slowly add the roasted sooji, till all the water evaporates. Add lemon juice.

                                     

 Garnish with coriander and grated coconut.

                                           

Ingredients :

 For the covering:

 Refined flour – 2 cups
 Salt – to taste
 Oil – 4 tsp
 Water –7-8 tbsp

For the filling:

 Potatoes boiled and roughly mashed – 3 large
 Boiled peas – ¾ cup
 Canned sweet corn, drained – 1/3 cup
 Ground coriander – 1 tsp
 Ground cumin – 1 tsp
 Dry mango powder (amchur) – 1 tsp
 Salt – to taste
 Onion, finely chopped – 1 small
 Green chilies, finely chopped – 2
 Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
 Fresh mint leaves, chopped – 2 tbsp
 Lemon juice – of 1 lemon
 Oil - for deep frying

Method :

 For the covering:
 Make semi-soft dough by mixing the flour, salt, oil and water and knead properly for 8-10 minutes.
 Divide into 14 portions.
 Roll out each piece into 5" diameter rounds, covering the remaining pieces.
 Cut it in half with a sharp knife.
 Repeat the process with the remaining rounds and stack the rolled cones in a plastic wrap to keep them moist.
 Prepare a paste of whole wheat flour (2 tbsp) and 1 tbsp water and keep aside.

                                       


For the filling:

 Toss all the filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until they are well blended.
 Adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice if necessary.

                                                 

Folding the samosas:

 Using one strip of the covering at a time, fold the strip in such a way that it forms a cone, with 2 ends meeting at one place.
 Brush the corners with the flour paste and gently press with the fingers, so that they stick together.
 Now stuff in the filling, 1 tsp at a time and press it gently and again brush the paste on the edges and seal pack them properly, to ensure that it does not break loose from any side.
 Repeat the process with other strips. This is a skillful process. It may take time initially, but would speed up as one gets to understand the process properly.

                                         
 Now deep-fry the samosas until golden brown.
 Tip them on a kitchen paper or kitchen towel.

                                         
 Serve warm with tomato ketchup or coriander chutney.

                                               

Ingredients :

 Butter, at room temperature – 200 gms
 Golden caster sugar – 200 gms
 Eggs, beaten – 4
 Self raising flour – 200 gms
 Glaze cherries, chopped – 200 gms
 Ground Almonds – 100 gms
 Almond extract/ essence – 2-3 drops
 Marzipan – 250 gms
 Blanched Almonds, halved lengthways – 50 gms
 Icing Sugar – for dusting


Method :

 Heat oven to 160°C. Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with greaseproof paper.
 Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Pour in the eggs a little at a time and beta well after each addition. Mix in the flour one third at a time.
 Fold in the cherries, ground almonds and almond extract until evenly mixed. Spoon half the mixture into the tin.
 Roll out the marzipan into 19cm circle. Lay this on top of the cake mixture in the tin, and then cover with the rest of the mixture. Level with the back of the spoon and scatter the almonds on top.
 Bake for 1 ½ hours, covering with foil after 1 hour if it shows the signs of burning.
 The cake is done when it shrinks away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
 Cool in the tin for 20 minutes then turn out on a wire rack and leave to cool completely.


                                                     

Ingredients :

 Rava (semolina) – 200 gms
 Horsebean – 1 tsp
 Bengal gram– 1 tsp
 Grated fresh coconut – 2 tbsp
 Fresh curd – 500 gms
 Oil & ghee – 2 tbsp
 Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
 Cashew nuts – 5 - 7
 Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
 Asafetida – a pinch
 Curry leaves – 10
 Green chili – 2
 Cooking soda – ¼ tsp
 Salt to taste


Method :
 Heat oil & ghee together, fry chopped cashew nuts to a golden brown. Set aside.
 Add mustard seeds, the pulses, asafoetida, curry leaves and chopped green chili.
 After it is well sautéed, add rawa.
 Roast well on a low flame till light pink.
 Add salt, soda-bicarb, coriander leaves, grated coconut, salt and fried cashew nuts.
 Cool.
 Mix in beaten curd to make idli batter.

                                                   

 Divide the batter between 12 greased idli moulds.
 Boil water in a steamer/cooker, put the stand in the steamer and steam on a high flame for 15 – 20 minutes.

                                           
 Serve hot with sambhar and coconut chutney.


                                                       

Ingredients :

 Wheat flour – 1½ cup
 Salt – 1 tsp
 Baking powder – ½ tsp
 Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
 Medium onion chopped - 1
 Green chilies, chopped - 2
 Garlic, chopped – 1 tsp
 Ghee – 1½ tsp
 Melted ghee - ½ cup
 Water – ½ cup
 Gram flour – ½ cup

Method :

 Combine all the dry ingredients and sift in a bowl.
 Mix the cumin seeds, chopped onion, green chilies, garlic and ghee into the flour mixture. Gradually add the water to knead into stiff dough. Divide into equal sized portions and
shape into balls.
 NOTE: The dough for the baati is not very smooth dough, even while shaping into balls the surface will not be extremely smooth. The cracks that form while shaping the dough are characteristic of traditional baati.
                       
                                                 
 Cover with a damp cloth till they are ready to go into the oven, so as to prevent the outer surface from drying.
 Preheat the CRISP plate using the CRISP mode for 2 minutes.
 Place the baatis on the CRISP plate and bake in the FORCED AIR mode for 10 minutes at 175°C.
 To complete the baking switch to the CRISP mode for 3 minutes.
 Take the baatis out of the oven and dip them into melted ghee for 2-3 minutes and serve hot with dal.
                             
                                         

Ingredients :

 Water – 3 tbsp
 Salt – to taste
 Potatoes, peeled, chopped – 500 gms
 Butter – 25 gms
 Milk – ½ tbsp
 Freshly ground pepper
 Egg, lightly beaten – 1 or 1 tbsp
 Corn flour mixed with 1 ½ tbsp of water
 Toasted breadcrumbs – 75 gms
 Flat-leaf parsley sprig, to garnish

Method :

 Place the water and salt in a large bowl. Add the potatoes, cover and cook for 9 minutes. Leave to stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
 Beat the butter, milk and salt and pepper to taste into the potatoes.Roll the mixture into 16 cork
shapes. Chill for 30 minutes for a firmer texture.
 Coat the croquettes with egg or corn flour batter and roll in breadcrumbs.

                                                   
 Place on a piece of paper towel, in a circle. Prick with a fork. Cook, uncovered, for 2 ½ - 4 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking.
 Serve hot, garnished with parsley.