Paneer-Coriander Paratha - very soft and very easy to make! Serve this with any sabji, dhal or pickle. Wheat flour - 1 cup Finely chopped coriander leaves - ½ cup Grated paneer - ½ cup Green chilli-ginger paste - 2 tsp Salt Oil - 2 tsp Jeera - 1 tsp Oil - to shallow fry Heat 2 tsp oil & temper jeera. Add coriander leaves & fry on low fire till they shrink. Cool, add with paneer, green chilli-ginger paste, salt & wheat flour. Add enough water to make a dough. Rest for one hour & make parathas, the usual way. This is good for packed lunch.
Pasta and Vegetable Casserole - very sumptuous, very pleasing visually as well ! For the cheese sauce: Butter - 2 tbsp Maida - 1 tbsp Milk - 2 cups Grated cheese - 4 tbsp (I used Cheddar) Salt, freshly ground pepper Heat the butter in a pan; add flour & saute for a minute. Add milk, stiring continuously so that lumps do not form. Bring to boil & add cheese, salt & pepper. Pasta: Cooked pasta - 2 cups Minced garlic - 2 tsp Salt, freshly ground pepper Olive oil - 1 tbsp Heat oliveoil in a pan, add garlic & saute for a few secs. Add pasta, sat, pepper & 1/4 of the cheese sauce. Roasted vegetables: Blanched, peeled & quartered tomatoes - 2 cups Capsicum cubes - 1cup ( I used 3 colours) Onion cubes - 1/2 cup Oregano - 2 tsp Oliveoil - 3 tsp Salt & sugar Combine all the ingredients in a baking tray and toss well. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg C for 10-15 mts, stirring once in between. To serve: Put the pasta in the centre of a serving plate. Surround with roasted veetables. Spread the remaining sauce on top of the pasta.
Hanumar Kovil Vadai to be used for Anjaneyar prasadam. Wash & soak urad dhal for 30 mtes or so. Drain & grind, coarse & thick, adding minimum water and only pepper & little salt. Roll tiny balls and make very thin vadais on a small thick plastic sheet & deep fry in hot oil till noise stops. After you fry , say 3 batches, fry again the first 2 batches of removed vadais together on very low heat to get them very crisp. Repeat till all vadais become crisp. Do not forget to put a hole in the middle to string & make a garland ! For 1 cup urad dhal use 1 tsp pepper & it makes about 25 small vadais. This is an approximate measurement since you can make it as small & thin as you possibly can.
Strawberry Shrikant - elegant & lovely; ofcourse delicious ! This goes with puri and stuffed parathas best. Use fresh well set curds. Hang in a muslin cloth, preferably in the fridge, to prevent it from becoming sour. Hung curds - 1` cup Strawberry pulp - 1 cup Sugar - ½ cup (or to taste) Cardamom powder - ½ tsp Strawberry slices - to garnish Blend pulp, sugar, hung curds & cardamom powder. Chill & serve garnished with strawberry segments
Carrot Milk Shake - try with fresh, juicy carrots. This makes a good breakfast drink. Grated carrots - 2 cup Milk powder - 2 tbsp Brown sugar - 3 tbsp Water - 2 cups Blend in a liquidizer very well. Can be served without straining by preference.
Carrot-Coriander Juice - Colourful & healthy! Select fresh, tender, bright coloured blemishless carrot. Peel lightly & grate. Grated carrot - 1 cup Water - 1 cup Salt Lime juice - ½ tsp Honey or Brown sugar - optional, to taste Crushed ice cubes Coriander leaves - to garnish Liquidise & serve fresh with garnishing & ice cubes. From the roughage point of view, it is better not to strain it. But those who prefer, can strain it. For best taste, drink it freshly made.
Papaya – Pineapple Smoothie - an unusual combination. Ideal on a hot day – makes almost a mini-meal. Papaya cubes - 2 cups Pineapple cubes - 1 cup Water - ½ cup Honey - to taste Ice cubes - few Blend all ingredients, except ice to a puree. Serve after adding crushed ice.
Black Grape-Banana Slush - a filling drink! Black Seedless grapes - 1 cup Ripe Banana - 1 big Black salt - ¼ tsp Roasted jeera powder - ½ tsp Brown sugar or powdered sugar - 1 tbsp (optional) Crushed ice cubes Liquidise together & serve.
Apple & Tomato Cocktail - An instant “pick-me-up” drink. Chopped tomatoes - 1 cup Chopped apples - ½ cup Water - 1 cup Honey - to taste Ice cubes Deskin the tomatoes & chop. Add chopped apples, honey, water & liquidize. It is not necessary to strain. Add crushed ice & serve.
Horse Gram Thogayal - Low-cholestrol recipe, please! This goes with white rce, chappathis, as a soread for bread & as a side-dish for mulakootal. Horse gram - ½ cup Onions chopped - ½ cup (small onions, preferable & if available) Red chillies - 4 (more or less to taste) Urad dhal - 2 tsp Hing - ½ tsp Tamarind paste - 3 tsp Oil - 2 tsp Salt, curry leaves In a dry kadai, roast horse gram till nicely browned. Remove & keep aside. Heat oil & fry red chillies & hing.Next add onions & curry leaves. Saute till onions lose their raw smell. Remove, cool & add salt. Grind this with tamarind paste & roasted horse gram , adding water to a thogayal consistency.