Pasta (Indian Style)

Ingredients
Pasta: 1 cup
Onion: 1 finely chopped
Garlic: 3 flakes, finely chopped
Green bell pepper: 1/2 chopped length wise
Green Chilli: 3, finely chopped
Tomato: 1 finely chopped
Chilli Sauce: 1 tbsp
Tomato ketchup: 1 tbsp
Salt: according to taste

Method
1) Boil pasta. Drain out water in a separate bowl
2) Take a wok, add oil.
3) When oil is hot, add garlic & chilli. Fry for a minute
4) Add onion & bell pepper
5) When onion turns pink, add tomato & salt.
6) When tomatoes are cooked, add the ketchup & the sauce. If needed add a little water
7) After 30 sec add pasta & toss & turn it nicely.
Serve hot

Note: You can even add grated carrot to make it healthier

Eggless date walnut cake

Ingredients:

1. Flour (maida)- 1 1/2 cup 2. Oil- 3/4 cup 3. Sugar-3/4 cup 4. Dates- 1 cup 5. Walnuts- 3/4 cup 6. Baking soda- 1 1/2 tsp. (levelled)

Method:

Wash the dates, remove the seeds, chop it, and soak it in water for 1/2 hour. Beat oil and sugar thoruoghly. Sieve flour(maida)and baking soda together. Add this to the oil and sugar mix, and beat well.To this add the soaked dates along with water.Beat the mix again, after adding chopped walnuts. Bake it at 190 degree C until done. Remove cake from pan after it cools down.

Eggless orange cake

I tried this cake when my son Devom turned 4 months old. I was a little hesitant to try it our but since my in-laws were here and they don't eat eggs I just though of giving it a shot. It came out better than any one expected and every one just loved it. It was gone even before two days. My FIL has sweet tooth like me but my MIL is more like she can eat if somethings there... but they both absolutely loved it and my MIL asked me to prepare it once before she leaves. I was go glad to hear that....

Ingredients
1/2 tin condensed milk (200gms)
2 3/4 cups plain flour (280gms)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda (soda bicarb)
2 tsp icing sugar
1/2 cup butter melted (60gms)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
100 ml milk
100 ml soda water

Method
1. Sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, all together 2 to 3 times. Keep aside.
2. Pour condensed milk in a bowl. Add the butter, and beat well till smooth. Add the flour spoon by spoon, mixing into the condensed milk mixture. In between, add milk as required if the butter begins to get too stiff. [Stir the mixture in one direction only all the while. This will incorporate more air and make the cake lighter].
3. Once all the flour is used up, beat the batter as above till light (5-7 minutes). Add the soda and mix gently till smooth.
4. Pour into a greased cake tin. Do not smooth with a spoon etc. If the consistency is right this will not be needed.
5. Pre-heat over to 300o c. Place tin inside. Bake at 200o c for 5-7 minutes and 150o c till done. (35 to 40 minutes).
6. Poke with a skewer and check. Cool it. When it is cold, take it out & cut it to desired sized slices and serve.

Paalak Parantha

Paalak - 1/2 a bag
Wheat dough - as required
salt to taste
chilli powder to taste

Method:
Chop palak finely
Now take a little dough at a time and roll it out.

Instant uttapam

Ingredients:
Rava/ sooji/ cream of wheat: 1 cup
Rice flour: 1/2 cup
Curd: 3/4 cup
Water: 1 cup
Onion: 1 small
Tomato: 1 small
Chilli: 2
Salt: to taste
Chilli powder: to taste
Oil

Method:

1. Take a big bowl. Add rava, curd, water, salt and chilli powder to it and keep aside.
2. Now chop the onion, tomato and chilli very fine. Add these to the above mixture.
   
3. Keep it aside for half an hour.
4. If the batter is thick add water or yogurt to it to make it thin(like dosa batter)
5. Take skillet and put it on stove. When it is hot apply a little oil to it.
6. Pour 2 ladles of the batter and spread it like you'd spread dosa or cheela
7. Let it be on the skillet till the time it leaves sides or is done from the bottom side
8. Now apply a little oil on the top side and change the sides.
   
9. When this side is done as well, change the side again for 1/2 a minute and then serve hot with chutney
   

Rava Dosa/ Rava cheela

Ingredients:
Rava/ sooji/ cream of wheat: 1 cup
Curd: 1/2 cup
Water: 3/4 cup
Onion: 1 small
Chilli: 2
Salt: to taste
Chilli powder: to taste
Oil

Method:

1. Take a big bowl. Add rava, curd, water, salt and chilli powder ro it and keep aside.
2. Now chop the onions and chilli very fine. Add these to the above mixture.
   
3. Keep it aside for half an hour.
4. If the batter is thick add water or yogurt to it to make it thin(like dosa batter)
5. Take skillet and put it on stove. When it is hot apply a little oil to it.
6. Pour 2 laddles of the batter and spread it like you'd spread dosa or cheela
7. let it be on the skillet till the time it leaves sides or is done from the bottom side
8. Now apply a little oil on the top side and change the sides.
   
9. When this side is done as well, change the side again for 1/2 a minute and then serve hot with chutney
   

Kadhi Pakoda

Ingredients:
For kadhi:
Curd/ Yogurt: 250 gm
Besan 2 tbsp
Methi dana 2tsp
Turmeric 1 pinch
Oil 3 tsp
Salt to taste

For Pakode:
Besan 1 cup
Oil to fry
Salt to taste
Chilli powder to taste

Method:
For pakode:
1) mix all the ingredients except oil. Add water to make a thin batter.
2) Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
3) When it is hot add 1 tsp of batter at a time.
4) When it is done take it out and keep aside.
For kadhi:
1) Add salt to yogurt and keep it aside for 7-8 hours
2) When preparing kadhi, add besan & turmeric to yogurt and mix well.
3) Take a pan, heat oil add methi daana.
4) When it starts to splutter, add the mixture and 500gm of water.
5) Let it boil for around 1 hour, if needed more water can be added in between.
6) Add pakode and switch off the stove after 5 min.
7) Garnish with cilantro before serving. Serve hot with rice

Navratana kurma

Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/6 cup cashews
1/6 cup raisins
1 onion (finely chopped)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped fresh green beans
1/2 cup green peas
2 chopped potatoes
1/4 cup lima beans
1/4 cup corn
1/2 cup paneer diced
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masalasalt to taste

Method:
1) Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add cashews and cook until golden brown. Transfer them to a separate bowl
2) Heat oil in same and cook the paneer on both sides till golden brown. Transfer it to another bowl.
3) In the pan add the remaining oil, add onion and cook until tender.
4) Mix in garlic ginger paste, and cook for 1 minute.
5) Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till oil separates.
6) Add turmeric powder, coriander, and garam masala and fry it 4 2-3 min
7) Stir in tomato sauce
8) Stir milk and cream into it.
9) Pour in required amount of water, and mix in raisins, carrots, beans,corn,lima beans and potatoes.
10) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
11) Then add paneer and cashews with the vegetables.
12) Bring to a boil, and continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes.
13) Finally add the peas and cook for 2 min. Add salt.
Serve hot with roti or naan or parantha

Kadahi Paneer

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. paneer
1 Onion(finely chopped)
2 medium tomatoes
3 green chillies
1 tsp Ginger- Garlic Paste
1/2 cup diced capsicum
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumene seeds
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (Green coriander)

Method:
1) Cut paneer in to cubes. Fry paneer on low-medium heat. Transfer it to another container.
2) Fry capsicum in another pan. When done transfer it to another container.
3) Heat 2 tbsp oil. add cumene seeds.
4) When they start to spluter add green chillies & ginger-garlic paste.
5) When it changes colour add onions and fry till translucent.
6) Add tomatoes.
7) When tomatoes are well cooked add all the masala and salt and fry for 1 min. Cool the mixture and blend to a fine paste.
8) Pour the mixture back in the pan, add the capsicum and cook for 5 mins on high.
9) Add the paneer cubes and cook for another 2 mins on medium flame.Garnish with chopped cilatro.
Can be served hot with naan or chapati

Kadhai Paneer

Paneer 500 grams
One Green Capsicum
Ginger paste 1 tea spoon
Coriander seed powder 1 teaspoon
Red chilies 4
Kasoori methi 1 tsp
Green chilies, chopped 2
Tomatoes, chopped 4
coriander chopped
Oil 4 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Dice the paneer in small cubes.
Slice capsicum in thin strips.
Heat the oil in a pan.
Add the garlic paste and cook on a slow flame for a few seconds.
Add the capsicum pieces and fry for a few minutes
Add the chilly powder and then the coriander powder.
Add the diced tomatoes and cook until the oil starts seperating from the mixture.
Take the dried kasoori methi and add it.
Add salt.
Finally, add the sliced paneer and cook for a few minutes.
Sprinkle coriander on top and serve hot with naan or parantha.