French Toast

Preparation time :  10 mins

Cooking time         :  10 mins

Serves                      : 2

Ingredients:

• Bread slices         - 2
• Eggs                      - 2
• Milk                      - 1/4 cup
• Sugar                    - 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract    - 1/2 tsp
• Nutmeg powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt                       - a small pinch
• Butter                   - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Cut each slice of bread diagonally into two.

2. In a bowl add milk, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg powder, salt and eggs. Beat well.

3. Heat pan/skillet on medium heat.

4. Add 1 tsp butter and allow it to melt.

5. Dip bread slice in egg mix to have a uniform coating on each side and then place on pan.

6. Cook for a minute and then flip and cook the other side. Fry both the sides till golden brown.

7. Remove from pan and serve with syrup of your choice and fresh fruits.

Kacha Kolar kofta curry

Preparation time :  30 mins

Cooking time         :  30 mins

Serves                      : 4

Ingredients:

For the kofta - 

• Kacha kola(plantain)     - 1 big
• Potato                                  - 2 medium
• Onion                                   - 1 small, finely chopped
• Green chili                         - 3, finely chopped
• Ginger                                  - 1/2 inch, finely chopped or grated
• Egg                                        - 1 (optional)
• Gram flour(besan)          - 1 tsp
• Salt                                       - to taste
• Oil                                         - for shallow frying

For the gravy - 

• Onion                          - 1 medium, finely chopped
• Tomato                       - 2 medium, chopped
• Green chilli               - 3 finely chopped
• Ginger paste             - 1 tsp
• Garlic paste               - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder         - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder   - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder    - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder    - 1 tsp
• Salt                               - to taste
• Oil                                 - 1 Tbsp
• Chopped coriander - 1 Tbsp, for garnishing

For tempering - 

• Cumin seeds           - 1 tsp
• Bay leaf                     - 2 
• Green Cardamom - 2 
• Cinnamon                - 2 inch stick
• Cloves                        - 3

Method:
1. Cut the plantain into 2-3 pieces without peeling. Boil it in water till it is cooked fully. Allow it to cool. 
2. Boil the potatoes. Allow to cool.
3. Peel the boiled plantain and add in a mixing bowl. Add the peeled boiled potato. Add salt, chopped onion, green chilli, ginger and besan. Break in the egg. Mix all the items to a nice smooth dough. 
(Egg is optional. But with egg the koftas become soft and fluffy. If the mix becomes too thin add little more besan)

4. Heat oil in a pan. Scoop in the mix into the hot oil using a spoon. Keep the flame medium.

5. Fry from both sides till golden brown. 

6. Remove from oil and place in kitchen towel.

You can serve these koftas as starters. They taste awesome! If we still have some of them left then lets proceed towards making the gravy. 
7. Heat oil in a pan. Temper with the items specified for tempering.
8. When cumin starts spluttering add chopped onions and green chilli. Cook till onions turn translucent.
9. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes turn mushy and are cooked.
10. In an small bowl add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and 1 Tbsp water. Mix well to make a smooth paste.
11. Add the paste along with ginger and garlic paste to the onions. Mix well and cook till masala is cooked and releases oil.

12. Add 2 cups of water. Put the heat to high and bring the gravy to boil. Cook for few minutes for the gravy to thicken a bit.

13. Add salt and mix well. 

14. Add the prepared koftas. Give a gentle stir and ensure the koftas dunked in gravy.

15. Cover and cook on low for another few minutes.

16. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with roti or rice.

Chilli Fish

Preparation time : 15 mins

Cooking time         : 30 mins

Serves                        : 4

Ingredients:

For the fish - 

• Fish fillet                      - 300 grams (I used Salmon)
• Vinegar                         - 1 tsp
• Soy sauce                      - 1 tsp
• Corn flour                     - 1 Tbsp
• All purpose flour         - 1 tsp
• Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil                                  - 4 Tbsp(for frying)

For the sauce - 

• Onion                       - 1 medium, cubed
• Bell pepper             - 1 large, cubed
• Green chilli             - 2-3, cut lengthwise
• Garlic cloves           - 4-5, chopped
• Ginger                      - 3/4 inch, finely chopped 
• Vinegar                    - 1 Tbsp
• Soy sauce                 - 1 Tbsp
• Corn flour                - 1 Tbsp
• Red chilli sauce      - 1 Tbsp

Method:
1. Cut salmon into 1 inch cubes. Wash them and pat dry using kitchen towel.
2. Add all the ingredients to the fish and mix well so that the fish pieces are coated well.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add the fish pieces and fry till golden and crispy from all sides. Remove fish from pan and put in a kitchen towel.

4. In a bowl add 1 Tbsp corn flour and 6 Tbsp water. Mix well and keep aside.

5. Heat oil in pan. Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilli. Saute for 30 seconds.

6. Add cubed onions, bell pepper and saute for another few minutes on high flame. Cook till the pepper and onion are little tender but still crunchy. 

(Should not overcook the veggies)

7. Add vinegar, soy sauce and red chilli sauce. Mix well and cook for a minute.

8. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the corn flour mix prepared in step 4 and pour it in the mix. Stir continuously in order to avoid lump formation. 

9. Add the fried fish and mix well.
10 Cook till fish pieces are coated evenly with the sauce and the sauce becomes thick.

11. Remove from pan. Serve hot.

Daal Palak

Preparation Time : 15 mins

Cooking Time         : 50 mins

Serves                        : 4

Ingredients:

• Spinach(Palak)                  - 300 grams, washed and roughly chopped
• Toor daal + moong daal - 3/4 cup(both of equal proportion)
• Onion                                    - 1 medium, chopped
• Tomato                                 - 1 medium, chopped
• Ginger                                   - 1/2 inch, grated
• Garlic cloves                       - 3 fat ones, crushed
• Green chilli                         - 3, chopped
• Dry red chilli                      - 2
• Mustard seeds                   - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds                      - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder             - 1 tsp
• Hing                                      - a fat pinch
• Salt                                        - to taste
• Ghee                                      - 1 Tbsp

Method:

1. Wash the daal properly. In a pressure cooker add daal, salt, half tsp turmeric powder and one and half cup water. Cook for 2 whistles. Keep aside and allow the pressure to drop.

2. Heat ghee in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and red dried chilli.

3. When spluttering starts add hing, crushed garlic and grated ginger. Saute for 30 secs.

4. Add chopped onions and green chilli. Saute till onions turn translucent and are cooked.

5. Add chopped tomato. Cook till tomatoes turns mushy and are cooked. 

6. Add the chopped spinach. 

7. Saute till spinach is cooked.

8. Add turmeric powder. Mix well.
9. Add the cooked daal. Give a good stir. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes and allow the daal to come to boil.

10. Add another dollop of ghee. 
11. Serve hot with jeera rice or phulka.

Mango Phirni

Mango Phirni is a dessert that is prepared quite often in our home and still the urge for it, never dies. This is one such dessert which really soothes your mood and makes every taste bud of yours feel royal. 

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time        : 60 mins

Serves                      : 6

Ingredients:

• Mango                     - 2 ripe ones
• Milk                         - 2.5 Liters
• Condensed milk  - 6 Oz(Optional, you can replace it with sugar.)
• Basmati rice         - 6 Tbsp
• Sugar                      - 3 Tbsp
• Cardamom           - 2, ground into powder
• Saffron strands   - 5-6, soaked in 2 Tbsp of warm milk
• Almonds                - 5-6, chopped
• Pistachios              - 12-15, chopped

Method:

1. Rinse the rice till clean. Spread in a kitchen towel and allow it to dry.

2. When dry grind the rice into a coarse powder.

3. Peel the mangoes and chop the pulp. Blend the pulp into a smooth puree.

4. In a heavy bottomed pan add the milk. Cook on medium heat stirring intermittently till it reduces to half. 

5. Add the rice powder. Stir continuously so that no lumps form. As the rice cooks the milk will thicken.

6. Cook till rice is cooked fully. Take care of not allowing any lumps.

7. Add sugar, condensed milk. Mix well and cook till everything is well blended.
8. Add cardamon powder and saffron mix. Give a good stir and mix well.

9. Fold in the chopped dry fruits.

10. Remove from stove and allow the phirni to cool and come to room temperature. 

11. Add the mango puree to the phirni and mix uniformly. 

(If the mix is too thick adjust the consistency by adding some warm milk to it)

12. Garnish mango phirni with chopped nuts. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Bhapa Chingri

Preparation time : 30 mins

Cooking time         : 30 mins

Serves                      : 3

Ingredients:

• Shrimps                            - 10-12 pieces, deveined and cleaned.
• Mustard seeds               - 2 Tbsp
• Poppy seeds(posto)      - 2 Tbsp
• Shredded Coconut        - 3 Tbsp
• Green chilli                      - 4-5
• Turmeric powder          - 1/3 tsp
• Mustard oil                      - 1 Tbsp
• Salt                                     - to taste

Method:

1. Soak mustard seeds, poppy seeds in half a cup warm water for 30 mins.
2. Add salt and turmeric powder to the shrimps and keep aside for 15 mins.

3. Make a smooth paste of mustard, poppy, coconut and 2 green chilli. 
4. Smear a bowl(oven safe if using oven, else steel bowl would do) with a little mustard oil. Place the shrimps in the bowl. Pour the paste on top.
5. Add a drizzle of mustard oil.
6. Add few slit green chillies and cover the bowl with lid.
7. In a pressure cooker add 1 cup water. Place the bowl. Close the cooker without using the weight(pressure regulator). 
8. Cook for 30 mins in medium high heat.
If using oven bake in preheated oven and 350F for 30 mins.
9. Remove from bowl and serve hot with rice.

Tel Koi

Preparation time : 15 mins

Cooking time         : 30 mins

Serves                      : 2-3

Ingredients:

• Koi maach                   - 4-5
• Onion                           - 1 medium, chopped
• Tomato                        - 1 large
• Ginger                          - 1/2 inch
• Green chilli                 - 4
• Turmeric powder      - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder      - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder           - 1 tsp
• Kalojire                        - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves      - a handful, chopped
• Mustard Oil               - 4 Tbsp
• Salt                               - to taste

Method:

1. Make a paste of tomato, green chilli and ginger. 

2. Wash the fishes properly. Pat them dry using kitchen towel. Smear them with half the turmeric powder and little salt. Keep aside for 15 minutes.

3. Heat oil  in a pan. When hot put the fish. Fry till done from each side.

4. Remove from pan and keep aside.

5. Temper the remaining oil with kalojire.
6. Add the chopped onion and cook till translucent.

7. Add the tomato paste and cook till tomato is cooked and no raw smell exists.

8. Add remaining turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder. Mix well and saute for another minute.

9. Add a cup of water and mix well. Cover and let the gravy come to a boil.
10. Add the fried fish. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

11. Add chopped coriander and mix well. Remove from stove and serve with rice.

Jhinge Aloo Posto

Ingredients:

• Jhinge(Ridge gourd)          - 2 big ones
• Potato                                      - 1 big, peeled, cut into long pieces
• Green chilli                           - 3, slit lengthwise
• Posto(Poppy seeds)            - 2 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds                     - 1 Tbsp
• Kalo jeera(Nigella seeds) - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder                - 1/2 tsp
• Salt                                            - to taste
• Oil                                             - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Soak posto and mustard in half cup water for 30 mins. Then make a smooth paste of it along with a green chilli.

2. Peel the ridge gourd. Cut in long pieces.

3. Heat oil in pan. Temper with kalo jeera.

4. Add potato. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

5. Add ridge gourd. Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.

6. Cook till potato and ridge gourd are almost done.

7. Add green chilli.
8. Add Posto paste and mix well. 

9. Cook for another 4-5 minutes till the everything is tender and cooked well.

10. Serve hot with rice.

Omelette curry

Ingredients:

For Omelette - 

• Eggs                           - 3
• Onion                        - 1 medium, finely chopped.
• Green chilli              - 1, chopped
• Cilantro                    - 1 Tbsp chopped
• Salt                            - to taste
• Turmeric powder   - 1/3 tsp
• Oil                             - 1 tsp

For gravy - 

• Onion                         - 1 medium, chopped
• Tomato                      - 1 large, chopped
• Potato                        - 1 large, peeled, cut into long pieces
• Green chilli               - 3, chopped
• Turmeric powder    - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder    - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder         - 1 tsp
• Garam masala          - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste  - 1 tsp
• Whole cumin           - 1 tsp
• Salt                             - to taste
• Oil                              - 1 Tbsp

Method:
1. First make the omelette. To make it - in a bowl break in the eggs. Add onion, green chilli, cilantro, salt and turmeric powder and mix well.
2. Heat oil in a pan and pour the mixture, spread evenly and cover with a lid.
3. After a few minutes when the bottom side is done flip the omelette and let the other side cook. When done remove from pan and cut into 6 pieces.

4. To proceed with the gravy, add oil in the same pan. Temper with cumin seeds.
5. When cumin starts spluttering add the potato. Cook for 4-5 minutes till potato turns brownish and is half cooked.
6. Add the chopped onion and green chilli. Cook till onion turns translucent.
7. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook for another few minutes till tomato turns mushy and is cooked.
8. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and ginger garlic paste. Mix well and cook till masala is cooked and oil separates from the masala.

9. Add a cup of water and cover the pan with a lid. Cook on high heat till the gravy comes to a boil.

10. Sprinkle garam masala and mix well. Add the omelette pieces.

11. Cover and cook for another few minutes till potato is fully cooked.
12. Let the gravy thicken a bit and then remove from stove.

13. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot omelette curry with plain rice.

Blueberry Cream cheese loaf

This blueberry loaf was an awesome one. The cake is smooth and moist and just melts in your mouth. The best part was the layer of cream cheese in between and the flavor that the orange zest adds. Try it at home and you surely will fall in love with this.

Ingredients:

For the loaf batter - 

• All purpose flour          - 1 and 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp for dusting the berries
• Butter                             - 1/2 cup, at room temperature
• Sugar                              - 1/2 cup
• Eggs                                - 2
• Vanilla extract              - 1 tsp
• Baking powder             - 1 tsp
• Salt                                  - 1/4 tsp
• Milk                                - 1/3 cup 
• Blueberries                   - 1 and 1/2 cups

For the filling - 

• Cream cheese             - 8 Oz
• Sugar                            - 1/2 cup
• Orange zest                 - 1 tsp
• Egg                                - 1
• All purpose flour        - 1 Tbsp

Method:

1. To prepare the filling take all the ingredients in a bowl. Beat using an electric beater till smooth and peaks formed. Keep aside.

2. Preheat the oven at 350F.
3. To prepare the batter - in a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy. 
4. Break in the eggs in the mixture. Add salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.
5. In a separate bowl add flour and baking powder and mix well.
6. Add in the flour mixture and milk alternately to the egg mixture and beat till smooth batter in formed.
7. Coat blueberries with flour and add them in batter. Fold them in gently.

8. Grease the loaf pan with butter and dust with flour.
9. Pour half the batter in the loaf pan.
10. Add the layer of filling over the batter.
11. Add the remaining batter on top.

12. Bake for 50-60 minutes till toothpick inserted comes out clean.