Aalu Baigan (Brinjal Potato)

                                                 
Ingredients:
Brinjal  – ½ kg, 3-4 nos, cut into medium pieces
Potatoes – 2 medium size, peeled and cubed
Onion – 1 medium size, finely chopped
Tomato – 1 medium size, finely chopped
Ginger – 1 inch piece, peeled and crushed
Garlic – 2-3 cloves, peeled and crushed
Green chilli – 1-2, small, slit into halves
Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Cummin powder – 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as desired
Oil – 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves – for garnishing

Method:

Dice the Brinjal and potato into a bowl with cold water (to avoid it turning brown). Pop the mustard seeds up heating the oil in a large pot. Add garlic, ginger, and green chilli and stir for one minute. Add onions and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and fry until oil starts to separate. Add all the spices and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add potatoes and fry for 4-5 minutes. If required add a little water at this time. Add Brinjal and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add in 2 cups of water and simmer for approximately 25-30 minutes. When potatoes and Brinjal are fully cooked, garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy! Good side dish for roti, rice, paratha, etc.

Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup all.purpose flour
2 pinches baking soda
3 tablespoons melted ghee
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1 cup light brown sugar
3 cup water
7 cardamom pods
2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence


Method:
In a large bowl, mix dry milk powder, flour, baking soda
and ghee; using both hands, rub the mixture. Add the
milk to the ingredients. Knead for another 5 minutes.
Roll dough into small balls.

To prepare syrup, boil the brown sugar and 3 cups water
in a pot for half an hour over low medium temperature.
Add 2 cups oil to a small pot and fry the small balls until
they are brown. After all balls are fried, reheat the sugar
water. Add cardamom seed. As soon as it begins to boil,
add the balls and simmer for 15 minutes.

When the balls absorb the syrup, turn off the heat.
Remove the balls with slotted spoon. Stir the essence into
the syrup and pour the mixture over the balls.
Serve hot or cold.

Gajar Halwa or Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

    * Carrots - 6 (grated finely)
    * Milk - 3 cups
    * Sugar - 1 cup
    * Mawa - 1/2 cup (powdered milk)
    * Khoya - 3 tsp (ricotta cheese)
    * Almonds - 1/8 cup (chopped)
    * Cardamoms - 5 (skinned and crushed fine)
    * Pistachios - 2-3 (powdered)
    * Ghee - 1/4 cup (clarified butter)
    * Raisins - 1 tsp

Method:

    * Boil the carrots in the milk in an open pan maintaining a low flame. Constantly stir.
    * When carrots are cooked, take them out and drain any excess milk.
    * Pour milk powder (mava), the ricotta cheese and the sugar to the cooked carrots.
    * In a frying pan heat the ghee, now add the carrot mixture and keep high flame until the carrot paste loses the milky texture and later turns into golden brown color.Make sure sugar has totally dissolved.
    * Add the raisins, cardamoms, powdered pistas and the almonds.
    * Heat through and serve either hot or cold with cream on the side.

Dry fruit Kheer

Ingredients

    * Leftover plain Boiled Rice 1 cup
    * Cream Biscuits 8-10 [Vanilla or Cardamom flavour only]
    * Dry fruits 1/2 cup
    * Milk fresh 1 cup
    * Milk cream fresh 1/2 cup [optional]
    * Vanilla essence 2, 3 drops.[if served chilled]

Method

    * Mix leftover rice, biscuits and milk.
    * Boil it for about ten minutes or till it thickens a little. Mash the rice and biscuits with a masher so that biscuits mix well.
    * Add the cream and dry fruits. Mix well and boil for 2 minutes.
    * Pour the kheer in a bowl and add the essence.
    * Keep it in the freezer to chill or you can serve it hot also.

Shrikhand

Shrikhand is popular sweet dish of India. Here is Shrikhand recipe
Ingredients:

    * 1/2 kg. Curds
    * 300 gms. Sugar
    * 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
    * Few strands saffron
    * 1/2 tbsp. pista and almond crushed

Method:

    * Tie curd in a clean muslin cloth overnight. (6-7 hours).
    * Put into a bowl and add sugar .Mix it.
    * Keep aside for 25-30 minutes to allow sugar to dissolve.
    * Rub saffron into 1 tbsp. milk till well broken and dissolved. Keep aside.
    * Beat well till sugar has fully dissolved into curd.
    * Pass through a big holed strong strainer, pressing with hand or spatula.
    * Mix in cardamom powder and dissolved saffron and half nuts.
    * Empty into a glass serving bowl, top with remaining nut crush.
    * Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.

Kalakand

Kalakand is very Tasty sweet, this is one of my favorite sweet, I am sure that is you taste it for once you will definitely like it.
Ingredients:

    * 2 litres Milk
    * 1/2 to 3/4 cup Sugar
    * chopped nuts to decorate (pista, almonds)
    * Silver foil (optional)
    * 1/2 tsp. Citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup water

Method:

    * Boil half the milk .Add the citric solution as it comes to boil.
    * Turn off gas once the chenna settles down. Sieve through muslin cloth, press out excess water, take in a plate and press down. Note: Do not knead.
    * Put the remaining milk in a heavy pan and boil to half.
    * Add the chenna and boil till the mixture thickens. Stir continuously.
    * Add the sugar and continue to cook, stirring all the while till it softly thickens into a lump.
    * After Setting it in a tray, you can apply silver foil and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Bhel Puri

Ingredients:
 
2 cups puffed rice
1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 oz. crushed potato chips
2 oz. salted peanuts
1 tbsp. tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

Method:

Mix the puffed rice, chickpeas, potatoes, onions
and peanuts. Add tomato sauce, mix well and
then sprinkle salt and the sev/potato chips. The
mixture must be made immediately before
serving, or the puffed rice will turn soggy.
You can also add some lime juice to taste.

Sambhar

Ingredients:

1 cup toovar dal (arhar)
1 tomato, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 brinjals, cubed
1 drumstick, cut into 4 pieces
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp (imli)
salt to taste
6 to 8 red chillies
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
1 tablespoon toovar dal (arhar)
1 tablespoon split Bengal gram (chana dal)
1 tablespoon split black gram (urad dal)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
6 curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
2 tablespoons oil

Method:
1. For the sambhar masala:

Heat the oil and roast red chillies, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds (methi), toovar dal, chana dal, urad dal, Haldi and Hing for the sambhar masala in it.

Grind to a fine paste in a blender using a little water. Keep aside.

How to proceed:
1. Wash and pressure cook the dal, tomato, onion, brinjals, drumstick and potato with 2 cups of water.
2. Then add the tamarind pulp, sambhar masala, salt and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.
3. Prepare the tempering by heating the oil and frying the mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida until the mustard seeds crackle. Add this to the sambhar and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Serve hot with Idli, Dosa or Mendu Vada