Carrot Burfi

Ingredients:

Carrot Grated- 4 large

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Sweetened condensed milk- 1/2 cup

Milk-1/4cup

Fine Rava/sooji- 2 Tbsp

Coconut powder- 2Tbsp

Ghee- 3-4 Tbsp

Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp

Almonds- 10

Pistachios -10

Directions:

-Heat 1 Tbsp of ghee in a non-stick pan and and grated carrot to it and saute till the moisture is gone.

-Add 2Tbsp of Rava/sooji and milk, boil the mixture till the Rava and carrot are cooked.

-Then add sugar and condensed milk and cook till all the moisture is gone from the mixture.

-Keep stirring constantly till the mixture turns into a single mass. You can add ghee in between.add the cardamom powder.

-Pour the mixture into a greased tray and pat it to make flat.

-Fry the almonds and pistachios in ghee and chop them in to small pieces.

-Garnish the mixture with Almonds and pistachios while it is still hot and press it a little bit.

-Cut into desired shapes once the mixture is cooled off completely.

Baked Panzanella Caprese

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing baking sheet
• 2 Tomatoes cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 mozzarella cheese slices
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 to 8 (1/2-inch thick) slices country white bread

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.Grease a 9 by 12-inch rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.

Arrange the tomato slices/onion slices on the bottom of the baking sheet in a single layer.Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. Lay the cheese slices on top in a single layer. Sprinkle with the garlic and basil and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the bread slices on top and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the bread is crisp and golden. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Can be served as starter or mini meal with soup.

Masalapuri

Gravy Ingredients:

• 1 cup Green peas soaked 6-8hrs
• 1/4 cup soaked whole moong or moong daal also fine.
• 1 small onion
  
• green chillies according to your taste
• 1/2 Tsp Ginger garlic paste
  
• 5 cilantro/coriander leaves
• 2-3 Mint leaves/ Mint powder
• small lemon size Tamarind.
• 5-6 Pepper
  
• 1/4 Tsp Dhaniya Powder
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cloves
• 1tsp corn flour
• 1/2 Tbsp Rice flour
• 1/2 Tbsp Atta
• 1/4 Tsp jeera
  
• Salt to taste
  
• jaggery/ brown sugar
• 2 Tsp oil

Ingredients to Garnish:

• 1/2 cup cooked green peas
• 1 small tomato chopped
  
• 1 onion finely chopped
  
• Cilantro chopped
• 1/2 Tsp chat powder
• Lemon drops
• 1/2 cup Sev mixture
• 1 Tsp Green chutney
• 1 Tsp tamarind sweet chutney
• 20 Golgappas/ pooris/paapdi pooris

Directions:



- Pressure cook soaked green peas and whole moong with enough water upto 3 whistles.
-Heat a Tsp of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. when they splutter add ginger garlic paste and then the onion. fry them for 2 mins.
-Now add cilantro, cinnamon, pepper corns, cloves,green chillies,mint leaves,tamarind with cooked green peas and moong.
-Grind them into smooth paste by adding water.
-Then transfer this paste into a vessel , add dhaniya powder,lil jaggery salt, corn flour,wheat flour and rice flour with some more water and boil it in low flame for about 45 mins. Keep stirring every 5 mins.


I got Green chutney and Sweet chutney from shop. You can make it on your own with simple ingredients.

When the gravy is ready make sure it doesnt cool off.
take 5-6 Golgappas/pooris in a plate and then add some cooked green peas over it. Now put the hot gravy on top of it and then garnish with onion ,tomato, cilantro,green chutney, sweet chutney,sev mixture.
Sprinkle some chat powder and put some lemon drops on top of everything.
Make sure you Enjoy it Hot hot!
Thanks to Ruchi Ruchi Adige for this wonderful recipe.....

Hagalakayi Chutney/Bitter Gourd Chutney

Bitter gourd/ Bitter Melon is one among the healthiest vegetable. I would like to mention some of the health benefits of Bitter melon here so that you will be inspired to try this recipe.
Bitter gourd has the Vitamins like A,B1,B2, and C and has most of all the minerals which we need daily. It has twice the beta-carotene than Broccoli, twice the potassium than in Banana and twice the calcium than in spinach. It is also rich in iron and dietary fibers .
It has a vast therapeutic use in Ayurveda to cure the disorders of blood by purifying the blood tissue, Diabetes mellitus, eye problems, piles, psoriasis, respiratory disorders.
It is a immunity booster and enhances the energy.
And believe me this recipe will not be bitter......

Ingredients:
- 1/2 mediums sized Bitter gourd/Bitter Melon/Hagalakayi
-1 Tbsp Channa Dal/Kadle beLe
-1Tbsp Urad Daal/ Uddina bele
-3-4 Red chillies
- 1/2 lemon size Tamarind
-2 Tsp grated Coconut
-1 Tsp oil
-Salt
-1/2 Tsp Jaggery


Directions:

- Cut the Bitter gourd into small pieces and fry it in a Tsp of oil till it becomes brown.
-Dry roast chana dal, urad dal and red chillies separately.
-Add all the ingredients including Bitter gourd and grind it into smooth paste.
-It goes well with Rice, Dosa and Chapathi as well.

High Protein healthy Dosa

Ingredients:

Ingredients to Grind-

• 1 cup Rice
• 1/2 Cup Toor Daal
• 1/4 Channa Daal
• 1/4 cup whole Moong
• 1 Tbsp Urad Daal
• 1tsp Methi seeds
  
• Salt

Ingredients to add to batter-

• 1/2 inch Ginger-grated
• Green chillies 1-2
• 1 medium Onion- finely chopped
• Grated Carrot
• Fresh drumstick leaves
  
• curry leaves
• Cilantro
• oil/Ghee for dosa
  

Directions:
- Soak all the rice and grain ingredients to grind for 5-6 hrs.
-Grind the ingredients and add the salt.
-Now add the remaining ingredients like Ginger,onion,carrot,drumstick leaves, curry leaves and cilantro.
-Heat the griddle grease it with a little oil and pour a ladle of batter.
-Cover it with a lid for few seconds.
-Then flip the dosa to cook on the other side.
-Take it out from griddle and serve hot with your choice of chutney or sambar.

Healthy Cheerios Chat

This is a simple and healthy snack which I tried on my own. You can also add cooked kabooli channa or chunks of boiled potato if u want to this recipe. Even kids love this snack because of its sweet,sour,little spicy taste with cheerios.


Ingredients:

Plain Cheerios(not sweet) - 1 cup
yogurt- 1/2 cup
Green chutney- 1 tsp
chat powder- 1/2 tsp
sweet chutney - 1tsp
Tomato- 1 small
Onion- 1 small
cilantro
sev mixture- 2 tbsp
sugar -1 tsp

Directions:
-Take the yogurt in a bowl and mix it with sugar and chat powder.
-Cut the Tomato, onion and cilantro into small
-Add 1 tsp of water each to Green chutney and sweet chutney if they are too thick.
-Spread the cheerios in a plate and pour green chutney and then mint chutney all over.
-then put some yogurt mixture on this and then add cut tomato onion and cilantro.
-Add one more layer of remaining yogurt and they sprinkle sev mixture on it.
-Have it immediately after preparing.

Dhum Aloo Kashmiri

I tried this recipe from Vah chef Sanjay Thumma. It came out well. I liked this recipe because it is different from any other north indian curry. Rather than writing the recipe here I would give the video link for this recipe from Vah chef so that it will be easy for you to follow.
As he says just add right amount of Fennel powder and ginger powder otherwise it will turn bitter which happened once with me.
Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evpomtCO0mk

Thanks to Vah chef for the wonderful recipes and inspiring everyone to cook.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients-

• 2 cups Spinach chopped
  

• 1 cup Ricotta cheese
• 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
• 8 Uncooked Lasagna Pasta Noodles sheets
• 3-4 Tbsp Olive oil
• 2 cups Marinara/Pasta sauce
• 1 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
• Salt

Directions -

-Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F

- Whisk the chopped spinach, Ricotta cheese and black pepper in a bowl. If you prefer you can add an egg to this mixture.
-Take a large bowl with water with desired amount of salt and 1-2 tsp of olive oil to it and keep it for boil.
-Once the water starts boiling add the Lasagna pasta noodle sheets one at a time and cook them till they are tender.
-Then arrange the cooked pasta sheets in single layer one next to other to prevent them from sticking.
-Now spread a Tbsp of Spinach Ricotta Mixture over each layer of pasta and roll each of them from a side. Once rolled lay them seam down on a greased (with olive oil) baking pan.
-When all the rolls are done pour a layer of Marinara sauce over this and then sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese on it to cover all the rolls.
-Then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over this and cover it with a foil.
-Now keep the baking pan in preheated oven for 15mins till the sauce bubbles and then uncover the pan and bake again for 10 mins till the cheese gets golden brown.

Butter Cookies

Ingredients -

• almonds as needed
• baking powder 1/2tsp
• baking soda 1/4tsp
• butter 50grams
• cardamom powder 3-4 number
• curd/yogurt 2tsp
• maida ( all purpose flour) 100/75 gms
• salt a pinch
• semolina 25 gms
• sugar 75gms

Directions-

-Take a bowl add maida,baking powder,soda,cardamon powder mix well.

-In another bowl add butter, sugar beat well till fluffy then add the maida mixture to it and mix well.

-Now add curd/yogurt and make a dough and divide into small rounds or shapes and place almonds on top. The dough should be thick and can be breakable.

-Keep it in the fridge for 15 min.

-Heat the oven at 150 dgr F bake the cookies till light brown in color about 10 mins or at 130 dgr C (15 mins)

-Another variation add maida, baking powder, semolina(fine sooji), soda, salt, mix well.

-Beat butter sugar till fluffy then add vanilla essence mix well now add maida mixture make a dough add curd.

-Allow the cookies to cool before you eat because cookies become crispy once they are cooled off.

Dharwad Pheda

Being far away from India is not that easy when it comes to food. It is hard to find some specific food delicacies here which are originally from India. Dharwad pheda is one among them which is my all time favorite and finally I am here with the recipe. It tasted almost like Dharwad pheda and easy to make too.
Indgredients-

• Ricotta Cheese- 1 cup
• Milk Powder- 1.5 cup
• Milk- 1/2 cup
• Dark Brown sugar/Jaggery - 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 3-4 Tsp
• Cardamom powder
• Powdered sugar to roll

Method-

-Take a non-stick pan and fry the ricotta cheese till it gets slightly brownish.
-Then add Milk and Milk powder. Stir and mix well.
-Now add Ghee and the brown sugar (i am not sure about indian jaggery cos, i tried it with the brown sugar which we get in American stores) and stir well until the mixture leaves the pan.
-Turn off the heat and keep the mixture aside till it gets cool.
- Now roll it to make into small balls and roll them to coat with powdered sugar.

In the above pic phedas made with half each of light brown sugar and sugar and in below pic phedas made with just dark brown sugar and it tasted exactly like Dharwad phedas.