This is a very simple and delicious recipe. Good for all occasions, especially for festivals.

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk Ricotta Cheese (any brand of your choice)

4 cups Sugar

4 cups Milk Powder

1/2  butter stick

Preparation Method

Take a microwave safe bowl (preferably a glass bowl) and put the butter. Heat until it is melted.

Now add ricotta cheese, sugar and milk powder. Mix well and keep in microwave for 2 minutes.

After two minutes take it out and mix well. Make sure there are no lumps and keep again for two minutes.

Keep an eye on the mixture while cooking, as it will rise upward at one point of time. At that stage turn off the microwave and mix well and keep again for two minutes.  Mixture will look like as in the below picture.

You need to repeat this process until the mixture turns into golden brown color.

It will take approximately 16 to 20 minutes.

Once you get the right color, take out the bowl and keep it aside to cool down.

Garnish with almonds and serve.

Ingredients

4 cups spinach – chopped

2 cups chickpea – cooked

1 cup fresh coriander leaves – chopped

1 medium size onion

2 medium size tomatoes

2 green chilies

1 tsp kasuri methi powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 inch ginger

2 pods of garlic

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Pinch of turmeric

Pinch of asafetida

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Soak chickepea in water for 7 to 10 hours. Pressure cook them adding little amount of red chili powder, turmeric and salt. Cook until 3-4 whistles and keep them aside.

Take spinach, coriander leaves and kasuri methi powder in a microwave safe bowl and cook them for 3 minutes.

Now put the spinach mixture, ginger, garlic, onion, green chilies and tomatoes in a food processor jar and make a fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan and add asafetida and cumin seeds. Let them fry for few seconds and then add the paste. Cook it on a lame for 5 minutes.

Now add cooked chickpea, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt.

Cover it with a lid and cook for another 10 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally. Cook it until you get the right consistency.

Serve hot with roti or puri.

I believe this is a kabab which everyone will like, including the one who hates to eat beets. It is a very simple and innovative way of cooking beets and it tastes great. A quick and best recipe for evening snack.

Ingredients

5 medium size Beetroot (grated)

2 Green chilies – finely chopped

Few Cashew nuts

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp Ginger garlic paste

1 tsp Butter/Ghee

1 tsp Cashew nut powder – optional

3 tsp Besan (Gram Flour)

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp chat masala powder

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Take a pan and heat Ghee or butter.

Add cumin seeds and then add grated beetroot. After few seconds add ginger garlic paste, lemon juice and salt. Add cashew nuts.

Mix well and fry until the beets are fully cooked.

Now take the mixture into a separate bowl and let it cool down for few minutes.

Add besan, cashew nut powder (optional), garam masala powder, chat masala powder.  Mix well and make round shaped kababs. Make sure to wet your hands before making kababs as the mixture will be a bit sticky. If you feel the mixture is too sticky, add few more spoons of besan.

Take a pan, spray little oil and fry kabas on both the sides.

Serve hot with green chutney or any other chutney of your choice.

This recipe is a wonderful way of cooking Plantain. Hint of tamarind and jaggery enhances the flavor of this recipe and makes it to taste great.

Ingredients

2 medium size plantains

1 large onion - finely chopped

2 green chilies – finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds, urad daal and mustard seeds

2 dry red chilies

3 curry leaves

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp tamarind paste

2 tsp jaggery powder

1 tsp Oil

Fresh coriander leaves – finely chopped

Pinch of asafetida

Pinch of turmeric

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Take plantains, cut the edges and peel the skin. Cut them into small cubes and soak them in salt water to prevent discoloration. Now chop onion and green chilies.

Take a pan and heat oil. Add asafetida, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, dry red chilies and fry few seconds.

Now add chopped onion and green chilies. Fry for few minutes and then add salt and turmeric.

Once the onions are cooked, add plantain cubes (drain the water just before adding) and cover it with a lid. Cook on a low flame until they are 80% done.

Now take a small bowl and add tamarind pulp, jiggery, red chili powder and coriander powder.

Mix all the ingredients well and add it to the cooked plantain cubes and onion mixture.

Mix it well to make sure that it is applied to all the cubes evenly. Now put the heat on high and fry the mixture for few minutes.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice.

Ingredients

2lb small Brinjal/Eggplant

1/2 cup cashew nuts

1 tsp red chili powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds and mustard seeds

Pinch of turmeric

few curry leaves

3 tsp oil

Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Cut brinjals in lengthwise pieces.

Add red chili powder, coriander powder, ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder, turmeric and salt. Mix well and apply to all the pieces evenly.Keep them aside for few minutes.

Take a pan, heat oil and add curry leaves, cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

Now add the brinjal pieces, close the lid and cook on a low flame until the pieces are half cooked. Adjust the salt.

Now add cashew nuts. Do not add them at the beginning, as they might get burnt by the time brinjal is cooked.

Keep heat on high and fry the mixture. Once it is done, garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Roti or Rice.

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice

2 medium size potatoes (cut into small cubes)

3 green chilies – split lengthwise

1 cup diced carrots and green peas

1 cup cauliflower

One inch ginger – finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 inch cinnamon stick

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 cloves

1 black or green cardamom

3 tsp oil or butter

Few fried onions

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Wash and soak the rice in water for half-an-hour.

Add three and half cups of water and cook the rice separately in a rice cooker, along with 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds and salt.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

Fry for few seconds and then add finely chopped ginger.

Now Add all the cut vegetables i.e. carrot, green peas, potatoes, cauliflower and green chilies (you can use any other vegetable of your choice).  Add salt as per taste. (Make sure to remember that we already added salt while cooking the rice)

Put a lid and cook on a low flame until all the vegetables are well cooked. Now add the cooked rice and mix gently.

Garnish with fried onions and serve hot with panner butter masala, onion raita or aloo korma. It goes very well with chicken curry too.

Ingredients

2 medium size red bell peppers - chop them into small pieces

1 large onion

8 to 10 green chilies (you can add more as per your taste)

Tamarind - as per taste

1 tsp of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and chana dal

2 dry red chilies

2 pods garlic

Pinch of asafetida

5 curry leaves

1 cup finely chopped coriander leave

1 tsp oil

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Heat oil in a pan and add asafetida, curry leaves and 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and chana dal.

After few seconds, add green chilies, garlic, red bell pepper pieces and tamarind.

Add salt and put a lid and cook it on a low heat for few minutes.

Once the mixture is cooked, turn off the heat and let it cool down.

Pour the mixture into a food processor jar and make a coarse paste. Add onion to it and grind again.

Now take a pan and heat 1/2 tsp of oil and add remaining 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chana dal and dry red chilies. Fry for few seconds and then pour the grinded mixture into it.

Fry for few seconds, check the salt and add finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with plain rice, dosa or idli.

Ingredients

2 medium bunches of Spinach

1 large onion (finely chopped)

2 medium size potatoes (make thin slices)

1 tsp butter

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 cup Cream (whole or half-and-half) or Milk

2 pods garlic (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Method

Wash spinach well and trim the thick stems.

Take a bowl and add vegetable or chicken stock and bring it to a boil.

Take a pan and heat butter. Add finely chopped garlic and onion.

Fry for few seconds and then add potatoes slices. Keep a lid and cook it on a low flame until the potatoes are half done. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now add spinach and let it cook for few more minutes.

Add the boiled stock and cook it on a high flame for 3 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a food processor jar and grind well into a thick paste.

Adjust the salt and pepper and at the end add cream. You can also use sour cream instead of regular cream.

Serve hot with multi grain dry bread or any other bread of your choice.

Ingredients

2 cup basmati rice

5 green chilies – cut them in length wise

1/2 tsp regular cumin seeds

1/2 tsp black cumin seeds (optional)

Pinch of turmeric

2 tsp butter or ghee

Fresh coriander leaves – finely chopped

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Soak basmati rice in water for half-an- hour and keep it aside.

Take a pan and heat butter or ghee. Once the butter is hot, add cumin seeds and green chilies.

Fry for few seconds and then add turmeric and soaked rice and fry for two minutes. Add salt as per taste.

Now add sufficient water (2 cups rice – 3 and half cups water) and close the lid and cook it on a low flame.

Once the rice is done, mix well and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with chana masala, Nimona (green pea paste curry) or paneer butter masala.

Ingredients

1 cup white chana

2 large tomatoes – make puree

2 green chilies

1 tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp any brand chana masala powder

1/4 tsp anardana powder (pomegranate seeds powder)

Pinch of turmeric

Pinch of asafetida

1 inch cinnamon stick

2 green cardamoms

1 bay leaf

2 tsp oil

1 onion and chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Soak Chana in water for 6 hours. Add salt, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cook in a pressure cooker, until you get 3 whistles.

Take out chana and keep it aside. Keep the water also aside, as we can use this in later cooking process.

Take a pan and heat the oil. Add cumin seeds and asafetida. Fry for few seconds and then add green chilies and ginger paste.

After few seconds add the tomatoes puree.

Add red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, anardana powder, chana masala powder and salt. Mix well and fry until the paste becomes dry.

Now add cooked chana and add one or two cups of water (use the stored water) and cook for 10 minutes. Cook until you get the right consistency.

Garnish with onion and coriander leaves. Serve hot with Puri, roti or jeera (cumin) rice.

Cooking Tips

For nice and thick consistency, try to mash few chana with spoon while mixing.

Add a tea bag while cooking chana in pressure cooker. This will give a beautiful colour.