Pista Kulfi (Pistachio Ice Cream)

Kulfi is a very popular Indian ice cream. Kulfi comes in a variety of different flavors. Traditional kulfi is flavored with cardamom; this recipe is flavored with cardamom and pistachios.
Serves 6.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 slice of white bread
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sugar, adjust to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground cardamom (ilachi)
• 10 pistachios sliced

Method

1. Remove the crust from all sides of the bread and cut the bread in small pieces.
2. Blend bread pieces, cornstarch, and a 1/2 cup of milk, making smooth paste and set aside.
3. Boil remaining milk (3.5 cups) in nonstick frying pan on medium high heat.
4. Stir milk as needed to keep milk from burning on the bottom of the frying pan. Stir the sides of the pan to avoid scalding.
5. After milk comes to boil, let the milk boil for another 12 minutes. The goal is to boil the milk from 3 1/2 cups to 2 1/2 cups.
6. Add the bread mixture to the milk in frying the pan and cook for another 4 minutes, reducing the heat to medium. Bread and cornstarch are added to reduce the water crystallizing in kulfi during freezing.
7. Next add sugar and pistachios and cook for 2 more minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and add cardamom powder.
9. Cool the milk to room temperature and pour into a bowl,
10. Take cellophane wrap and place it right over the milk covering it completely. Note: It is important that the cellophane wrap touches the milk.
11. Put it in freezer. It will take about 7 hours for the kulfi to be ready to serve.

Variations

1. Replace pistachios with almond or coconut powder.
2. Replace pistachios with finally chopped fruits like mangos or strawberries. Add fruits in the end after turning off the heat.
3. Many people enjoy eating kulfi like a Popsicle.  Before freezing, pour the milk mixture in to a Popsicle mold.  If you don’t have Popsicle mold use small paper cups and place cellophane wrap on top of the milk and place a Popsicle stick in center of cup and freeze.

Nan khatai

Nan khatai is an egg-less light and crispy biscuit that’s perfect to serve with  tea or coffee.
Recipe makes about 24 Nan khatai.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour (plain flour or maida)
• 1/3 cup fine sooji or semolina
• 1/2 cup gram flour (besan)
• Pinch of baking soda (a little less than 1/8 teaspoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon green cardamom seed coarsely powder (ilaichi)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon sliced almond
• 1 tablespoon sliced pistachio

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 375 degree.
2. In a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, gram flour, sooji, baking soda and cardamom powder and set aside.
3. Let the butter come to the room temperature (butter should be soft not melted)
4. Add butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat for two to three minutes until light and fluffy.
5. Add the flour mix to butter and sugar mixture and knead them together to make smooth dough.
6. Divide the dough into about 24 equal parts and make them into balls.
7. Press each ball between your palms lightly; every piece should be about 3/4″ in thickness.
8. With a sharp knife softly draw a tic-tac-toe design on the top and put few pieces of almonds and pistachios and press them into the dough gently.
9. Put Nan khatai on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 13 to 15 minutes or until Nan khatai are lightly gold brown.
10. After they are lightly golden brown remove the cookie sheet from the oven.  Let the Nan Khatais cool down for two to three minutes before taking them off the cookie sheet.

This is an easy recipe. What do you think?
Nan khatai make a great homemade gift for holidays. Your friends and relatives will love it.

VEGETABLE MANCHURIAN RECIPE

Ingredients:

2 cups Grated Cabbage
2 cups Grated Carrots
1 Chopped Spring Onion
2 Chopped Green Chilies
3-4 Crushed Garlic Flakes
2 tbsp Corn Starch or Flour
Oil for deep frying
1 tbsp Soya Sauce
Salt to taste
1 tsp Pepper Powder
1 tsp Sugar
A pinch of ajinomoto
2 tbsp oil

Preparation of vegetarian manchurian :

• Mix grated cabbage and carrots and squeeze the water out from them.
• Now in a bowl take the squeezed cabbage and carrots and mix 1 tbsp. corn starch and add few chopped chilies and little salt to it.
• Make small balls (like koftas) of the mixture .
• Heat the oil in a kadhai / wok and deep fry the balls till golden brown, drain and keep aside.
• Now in a separate pan heat 2 tbsp oil.
• Sauté garlic, green chilies and spring onions.
• Add water, salt, pepper powder, ajinomoto, sugar and soya sauce. Bring it to a boil.
• Mix 1 tbsp corn four with half of a cup of cold water and stir into it. Gently add the fried balls to the gravy.
• Cook the vegetable manchurian for 3-4 minutes and serve hot garnished with chopped coriander.

Pumpkin Foogath

Cooking Time: 15-20 mintues
Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes
 Category: Veg

Ingredients

•	Red pumpkin (bhopla/kaddu),cubed	700 grams
•	Olive oil	1 tablespoon
•	Black mustard seeds (radhuni)	1/4 teaspoon
•	Curry leaves	10-15 leaves
•	Onion ,chopped	2 medium
•	Green chillies,chopped	3
•	Salt	1/2 teaspoon
•	Coconut,grated	1 tablespoon
•	Lemon juice	1 tablespoon

Method

Heat the oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the onions and chillies. Stir on a high heat for 1 minute. 

Add the diced red pumpkin and salt. Cook, covered, on a low heat for 5–7 minutes, or until the pumpkin is cooked.

Add the grated coconut and lemon juice and mix well. 

Rajma Galouti Kababs

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 8-10 hours
 Category: Veg

Ingredients

•	Kidney beans	200 grams
•	Cashewnuts	8
•	Oil	1 tablespoon
•	Caraway seeds (shahi jeera)	1/2 teaspoon
•	Green cardamom	4 pod
•	Black cardamom	3 pod
•	Clove	2
•	Cinnamon	2.5 inch stick
•	Saffron (kesar)
•	Kewra water	1/4 teaspoon
•	Olive oil	1 tablespoon + for greasing
•	Ginger,chopped	1 inch piece
•	Garlic,chopped	5 cloves
•	Green chillies,chopped	3
•	Khoya/mawa,grated	2 tablespoons
•	White peppercorns,ground	1/2 teaspoon
•	Salt	1 teaspoon
•	Lemon juice	1/2 tablespoon
•	Fresh mint (pudina)	1 sprig
•	Onion ,cut into rings	1 medium

Method

Soak the kidney beans in 1 litre water for 8 hours, preferably overnight. Drain, then boil in plenty of fresh water until the beans are soft. Drain and set aside. 

Dry roast the cashew nuts and sunflower seeds, then grind to a fine paste using a little water.

Dry roast the caraway seeds, green and black cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick. Cool and grind to a fine powder.

Soak the saffron in the kewra water.

Heat the oil in a pan, then add the ginger and garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Add the chillies and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the cooked kidney beans to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the cashew nut paste, stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, then add the khoya, white pepper and salt. Stir-fry for another 4–5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the beans to cool.

Mash the kidney beans to a smooth paste. (If the paste is not firm, cook it further in a non-stick pan to thicken it up.) Sprinkle on the roasted spices and soaked saffron.

Mix in the lemon juice, then divide the mixture into eight equal portions. Press them lightly into patties (tikkis).

Heat a non-stick pan and spray it with a little olive oil. Cook the patties until lightly coloured on both sides. Garnish with the mint and onion rings.

Saagwala Gosht

Cooking Time: 50-60 minutes
Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 15-20 mintues
 Category: Non Veg

Ingredients

•	Spinach,blanched , drained	250 grams
•	Sarson ka saag,blanched , drained	500 grams
•	Green chillies	3
•	Olive oil	1 1/2 tablespoons
•	Bay leaves	2
•	Green cardamoms	2
•	Black cardamoms	2
•	Cloves	2
•	Cinnamon	1 inch stick
•	Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
•	Onions,thinly sliced	3 medium
•	Garlic cloves,chopped	3
•	Ginger,minced	1 tablespoon
•	Garlic,minced	1 tablespoon
•	Red chilli powder	1 teaspoon
•	Lamb,cut into cubes	450 grams
•	Salt	1 teaspoon
•	Ginger,cut into strips	1 inch piece

Method
Grind the spinach and mustard greens with the green chillies to make a coarse paste.
Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Add the bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds begin to change colour, stir in the onions. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add the chopped garlic and mix well.
Stir in the minced ginger and garlic, chilli powder and cubed meat. Cook on a high heat, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes. Add 300ml water and cook over a low heat, covered, until the lamb is almost done – roughly 40–45 minutes.
Add the spinach-mustard greens paste and salt and cook until the lamb is fully blended and tender. Garnish with the ginger strips.

Milk Pudding

Ingredients :

• 6 cups milk
• 2 bananas -- pureed
• 2 teaspoons apple butter
• 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

METHOD

• Boil milk and reduce the heat to low.
• Stir the milk occasionally.
• Simmer the milk for about 30 minutes until the milk is reduced by about 2/3 of its volume.
• Add banana pure and apple butter.
• Add brown rice syrup and cardamom.
• Cool and keep in a refrigerator.
• Serve chilled.

Note : Add dried fruits and 1/4 teaspoon pistachios or almonds or cashews for variety
(optional).

CHOLEY BHATURE

Ingredients:

Bhature
2 cups All purpose flour (Maida)
1 pouch Yeast
1 cup Yogurt
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt to taste
Choley
1 small can Garbanzo beans
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp Cilantro
6-7 Mint leaves
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Chilly Powder
2-3 Bay Leaves
2-3 Cloves
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 Medium-sized finely chopped onion
1 Big tomato
1 1/2 cup Water
Salt to taste

How to make chhole bhature :

Bhature

• Take yeast and soak in lukewarm water for 5-10 minutes
• Take all other ingredients and mix well. To this add the yeast and make a soft dough like for chappatis. If need be add a little water and keep aside for 4-5 hours, the longer kept, the better it is.
• Roll like puri but this needs to be kept thicker than poori. Fry like poori till both sides are golden brown.

Chole

• Take 2 tablespoons of oil in a pressue cooker and heat it.
• Add garlic powder and make it dark brown. Then add cumin seeds fry till they start spluttering.
• Now add bay leaves and cloves. Add diced onions. Fry then till they are light brown.
• Now add the rest of ingredients including water except the cilantro and mint leaves.
• Close the pressure cooker and wait for 3 whistles to come or cook for 5-7 minutes.
• Garnish choley with thinly sliced long pieces of onion and a piece of lemon split up into 4 pieces.

Poha

Ingredients :

1 cup beaten rice (poha)

1/4 cup crushed groundnuts

1/4 cup grated or scraped coconut

1/4 cup coriander leaves

1 stalk curryleaves chopped

1/4 tsp sugar

salt to taste

5-6 green chillies

1 tsp lime juice

1 1/2 tbsp oil

2 onions chopped

1 small potato chopped

1/2 tsp each cumin & mustard seeds.

METHOD

• Wash poha till clean.
• Drain water sprinkle a handful of clear water and keep aside.
• After 15 minutes loosen the poha gently, and break lumps with fingers.
• In a heavy saucepan, heat oil, add seeds and then potatoes.
• Stir for 2-3 minutes.
• Add onion, chillies and curry leaves.
• Stir and fry onions till tender. Take off fire.
• Add poha and all other ingredients.
• Save some coconut and coriander leaves for garnishing. Mix very well.
• Adjust salt and lime as per taste.
• Return to low flame till hot.
• Stir gently every now and then.
• Transfer to serving dish and garnish with coriander and coconut.
• Serve hot with freshly brewed coffee.

Vegetable Cutlet

Ingredients :

• 1 medium size Carrot
• 1 medium size Potato
• 1 medium size beet root (optional)
• 4-5 Beans
• Peas (optional)
• To Grind
• garlic 1 small piece
• Fennel seeds 2-3
• Green chili 2-3
• Coriander leaves little bit
• One medium sizes onion finely cut & keep.
• To dip
• 2-3 tablespoon of Maida & add little bit of water and mix them well (it
• should be pouring like idli flour)
• Powder
• Take 3-4 slices of bread & powder them.

METHOD

• Wash and finely cut all vegetables.
• Cook in a pressure-cooker with little bit of water, turmeric powder & salt.
• Smash them & keep it aside (if there is any excess water in the cooked vegetables just drain).
• Heat one tablespoon of oil.
• Fry onions till it turns into brown
• Add the grounded paste. Just fry for few seconds.
• Add the smashed vegetables & fry till it gets thickened. Wait to cool.
• Make them into small balls and dip it in the Maida consistency
• Immediately smear them in the powder(mentioned in Ingredients list )
• Spread them in the plate or paper to dry.
• Deep-fry or roast both the sides

Samosa

Ingredients :

• For cover:

• 1 cup plain flour (maida)

• 2 tbsp. warm oil

• water to knead dough

• For filling:

• 2 potatoes large boiled, peeled, mashed

• 1 onion finely chopped

• 2 green chillies crushed

• 1/2 tsp. ginger crushed

• 1/2 tsp. garlic crushed

• 1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped

• 1/2 lemon juice extracted

• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

• 1/2 tsp. garam masala

• 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds cru shed

• 1 tsp. red chilli powder

• salt to taste

• oil to deep fry

For dough:

• Make well in the flour.

• Add oil, salt and little water.Mix well till crumbly.

• Add more water little by little, kneading into soft pliable dough.

• Cover with moist cloth, keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

• Beat dough on worksurface and knead again. Re-cover.

For filling:

• Heat 3 tbsp. oil, add ginger, green chilli, garlic, coriander seeds.

• Stir fry for a minute, add onion, saute till light brown.

• Add coriander, lemon, turmeric, salt, red chilli, garam masala.

• Stir fry for 2 minutes, add potatoes. Stir further 2 minutes.

• Cool. Keep aside.

To proceed:

• Make a thin 5″ diam. round with some dough.

• Cut into two halves. Run a moist finger along diameter.

• Join and press together to make a cone.

• Place a tbsp. of filling in the cone and seal third side as above.

• Make five to six. Put in hot oil, deep fry on low to medium till light brown.

• Do not fry on high, or the samosas will turn out oily and soggy.

• Drain on rack or kitchen paper.

• Serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys (refer chutneys), or tomato sauce.

Strawberry Panna Cotta

Whipped cream dessert decorated with few slices of fresh strawberries

Ingredients

•	Strawberry crush	1/2 cup
•	Fresh strawberries,chopped	3
•	Cream	2 cups
•	Milk	1 cup
•	Sugar	1/4 cup
•	Unflavoured gelatine	1 tablespoon

Method
Boil the cream and milk with sugar in a deep non stick pan. Set aside to cool down to room temperature. Mix the gelatine in four tablespoons of hot water and stir it into the milk. Transfer the cream-milk mixture into a bowl, add the strawberry crush and mix well. Put the chopped strawberries into eight ramekins or moulds and pour the milk-cream mixture into it. Place them in a refrigerator for three to four hours to set. Serve chilled. 

Tiramisu Icecream

Tiramisu-pick me up! Served in an icecream.

ngredients

•	Chocolate sponge cake,sliced	250 grams
•	Instant coffee powder	3 tablespoons
•	Vanilla ice cream	500 grams
•	Mascarpone cheese	1 cup
•	Cocoa powder	1 tablespoon

Method
Warm half a cup of water, add two tablespoons of instant coffee powder and stir to dissolve. Arrange the cake slices on a plate and spoon the coffee decoction over them to soak them well. Squeeze lightly. Take a spring-form cake tin, arrange these cake slices along the side and the base of the tin. Take vanilla icecream in a bowl and whisk to smoothen it. Add mascarpone cheese and mix well. Pour half this mixture over the cake slices in the cake tin. Arrange the remaining cake slices over the ice cream mixture to cover the entire surface. Mix the remaining instant coffee powder into the remaining icecream mixture well and pour it over the cake slices. Take cocoa powder in a sieve and sprinkle over the icecream mixture in the cake tin. Place the cake tin in the freezer till fully set. Demould onto a serving plate, cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Chef's Tip
Instead of mascarpone cheese you can use a mixture of equal quantities of hung yogurt and well crumbled paneer.

Vegetable Bhakarwadi

Ingredients

•	Refined flour (maida)	1 cup
•	Semolina (rawa/suji)	1 tablespoon
•	Salt	to taste
•	Oil + deep frying	2 tablespoon
•	French beans,roughly chopped	100 gram
•	Green peas	100 gram
•	Potatoes,boiled and mashed	3
•	Black pepper powder	1/4 teaspoon
•	Garam masala	1 teaspoon
•	Ginger-green chilli paste	2 teaspoon
•	Fresh coriander leaves	2 tablespoon
•	Coconut,scraped	5 teaspoon

Method
Knead the refined flour with semolina, salt, two tablespoons oil and sufficient water to a semi-soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside. Blanch the French beans and green peas separately till soft. Drain thoroughly and mash. Mash together the French beans, green peas, potatoes, salt, black pepper powder, garam masala powder, ginger-green chilli paste, coriander leaves and coconut. Divide the dough into four equal portions and roll out into thin chapattis. Spread the vegetable mixture evenly on all four chapattis. Roll them tightly into cylinders and cut the cylinders into half inch slices. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry the bhakarwadis, on medium heat, till golden and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper and serve.

Chef's Tip
In case the filling mixture is thin, add a little poha and mix.

Urad Dal Papad Chaat

Coffee Fudge

Treat for chocolate and coffee lovers

Ingredients

•	Instant coffee powder	2 tablespoons
•	Butter	1/2 cup
•	Sugar	2 cups
•	Condensed milk	400 grams
•	Butter flavoured cooking spray
•	Chocolate chips	200 grams
•	Marshmallows	30
•	Almonds,roasted and chopped	15-20

Method 

Heat butter in a deep non-stick pan. Add sugar and mix well. Add condensed milk and mix well. Add instant coffee powder and mix well. Cook, stirring continuously, till sugar melts and the mixture thickens. Spray a bowl with butter spray. Remove pan from heat, add chocolate chips and marshmallows and mix, stirring vigorously, till the marshmallows melt and blend completely. The mixture will now start leaving sides of the pan. Transfer into the prepared bowl. Sprinkle almonds on top and cool for 3-4 hours before serving. 

Mango Rice

Ingredients :

Basmati rice(use white rice, if parboiled) - 2 cups

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Black gram - 1 tsp

Very slightly raw and ripe mango - 100 gm

Slice mango length wise and either roast the mango slices or can be dry it in hot sun.

Ground nuts - 20 gm(roasted)

Green chillies(sliced) - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp

Salt - As reqd

Oil - As reqd

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Dry red chillies - 2 nos

METHOD

• Cook ric and keep aside.
• Powder rosted cumins
• Heat oil in a pan and  add mustard seeds.
• When it begin to sputter , fry curry leaves, green  and  red chillies and fenugreek
• Add cumin powder and mix well.
• To this mixture add mango slices and cooked rice
• Mix thoroughly
• Garnish with roasted groundnuts and curry leaves.

Bhajias

Also known as Pakoras, these are the perfect snack for a cold, rainy day! Make up a batch and serve them with sweet-sour tamarind chutney. Use any vegetable you like.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• Vegetable of your choice - potato, cauliflower, spinach leaves, onion, paneer for example
• 1 cup bengal gram four
• Water to make batter
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• Pinch of asafetida
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp thymol seeds
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil to deep fry

Preparation:

• Mix the gram flour and all the spices with a little water at a time, to make a thick batter (slightly thicker than pancake batter). Add salt to taste.
• If using cauliflower cut it into bite-sized pieces. For potatoes and onions slice thin; for spinach leaves trim the stems and keep only leaves; for paneer cut into 1" cubes.
• Pre-heat oil and reduce flame to medium. This will allow the bhajias to cook well both on the outside and inside.
• Coat the vegetables well with batter and then deep fry till golden.
• Drain on paper towels and serve with tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup.

Chaat - Tikki Ki Chaat

This has to be the most popular North-Indian snack! Vendors literally crowd the streets selling all kinds of delicious variations of chaat in this part of the country. Chaat parties are also popular and a great alternative to a sit-down dinner. Tikki Ki Chaat is another North Indian name for this dish. In western India, the same dish is called Ragda Pattice.

Ingredients:

• 6 large potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp raw mango powder
• 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander
• 2 onions finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1 can of chickpeas roughly mashed
• 6 cloves
• 3 pods cardamom
• 8 peppercorns
• 1 cup Tamarind Chutney
• 1 cup Mint-coriander Chutney
• Coriander chopped fine to garnish
• Chaat masala to garnish
• Vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil to shallow fry

Preparation:

• Mix the mashed potatoes, red chilly, coriander, cumin and raw mango powders, chopped coriander, 1 chopped onion and salt to taste. Make into a smooth paste. Form into equal-sized patties.
• Heat oil on a griddle and shallow fry these patties till crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.
• Add 1 cup of water to the roughly mashed chickpeas. Add the cloves, cardamom and peppercorns and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Turn off the heat. Remove the whole spices and discard.
• To serve the Tikki Ki Chaat, put 2 hot patties in a plate and spoon some chickpea mixture over them. Add the Tamarind and Mint-coriander Chutneys according to taste. Sprinkle chopped onion and corainder to garnish. Sprinkle chaat masala over the whole dish.
• A tasty variation to this recipe: add some yogurt (whisk to make smooth) over the chickpea mix and then add the remaining ingredients.

MAKKI PANEER PAKORA RECIPE

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tblsp coriander leaves chopped
oil for deep frying
6 tblsp bengal gram flour besan
salt to taste
2 tsp ginger chopped
2 tsp garlic chopped
2 green chilli chopped
1 cup milk
1 3/4 tsp dry mango powder amchur
1 onion chopped
100 gms cottage cheese (paneer)
200 gm corn fresh (makki)

How to make makki paneer pakora :

• Crush the corn in a blender.
• Grate the cottage cheese.
• Heat up oil in a pan, mix in cut ginger and garlic and stir fry till pink.
• Mix in crushed corn and stir fry.
• Mix in salt and mix.
• Mix in milk and stir fry to get a creamy texture.
• When the corn is cooked, transfer to a round dish and cool.
• Mix in grated paneer, cut onion, cut green chillies, cumin powder, amchur powder and cut coriander leaves.
• Adjust salt and mix well.
• Mix in besan for binding and mix in a little milk if the mixture is too thick.
• Make even sized balls with hand or tablespoon.
• Heat up oil and deep fry the pakoras on medium heat up till golden brown.
• Remove and keep on an absorbent paper to soak excess oil.
• Serve hot.