Besan Laddu/Besan cake

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Gram Flour
• 1 cup Pure Ghee
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp Powdered Cardamom
• 1/2 cup chopped Almonds and Raisins

Method:

• Heat the ghee in a pan. 
• Fry few almonds for garnishing and keep aside.
• Add the gram flour to the same pan and fry it on a low flame stirring continuously till brown.
• Once it is browned, let it cool.
• Add powdered cardamom and sugar. Mix well.
• Add chopped almonds and raisins.
• Shape into ladoos and serve.
• Simple and tasty!

Schezuan Fried rice

A Chinese dish worth trying!

Preparation time-25mins
Serves-2 to 3
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 big onion
4 green chillies
4 garlic pods
1/2 cup carrot pieces
1/2 cup cooked aloo
1/2 cup cooked beans
2 capsicum sliced
1/2 cup peas
10 cashew nuts
2 sps soya sauce
2 sps sugar
5 sps tomato ketchup
1 sp salt
4 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. In a cup mix tomato ketchup,soya sauce,sugar and salt.Keep it aside.
2. Warm oil in a sauce pan and fry cashew nuts till light brown and keep them aside.
3. Chop onion and chillies into long thin slices and fry them for a minute till transparent.
4. Now add chopped and cooked carrot,aloo,peas and fry for 2mins.
5. Add capsicum pieces and fry for 3 more mins.
   
6. Pour the mixed sauce in this pan and mix well.
7. Reduce the heat and add 3 spoons of water and close the lid for 2mins.
8. Meanwhile saute cooked rice in a wide pan on low heat for 2mins for a crisp feel.
9. Add the cashews and ingredients of pan to the rice and mix well slowly.
   
10. Switch off the heat and serve with traditional chinese sticks.

Tomato Dosa

Preparation time-15mins
Ingredients:
2 cups rice flour
2 cups finely chopped tomato
7 green chillies
3 garlic pods
1 sp mustard seeds
1 sp jeera
7-8 curry leaves
5 sps grated coconut
1 sp salt
sunflower oil
Method:

1. Mix rice flour,grated coconut and salt with 1 cup of water.Keep it aside for 10mins.
2. Grind tomato pieces,green chillies and garlic into a fine paste.
3. Meanwhile warm 2 sps of sunflower oil in a pan and allow mustard seeds to splutter.
4. Then add jeera and curry leaves.Saute for a minute and add this to the rice flour batter.
5. Now mix tomato paste with rice flour and add some water if needed to make this in to a smooth dosa batter.
6. Heat tawa and spread this batter as you do usually for dosa with a paddle.
7. Sprinkle a spoon of oil all along the dosa and allow it to fry for a min,then turn it around and fry the other side as well.It makes the dosa crispy.
8. Have it with chutney.Tastes excellent.What do you think?
   
9. Simple and quick tiffin recipe,for an instant plan.

Vanilla Banana Smoothie

Preparation time - 10mins
Serves - 2
Ingredients:
2 Ripe bananas
2 cups vanilla icecream
4 icecubes
2 sps honey
Method:

1. Peel bananas and cut each into 2 pieces.
2. Add these bananas,vanilla icecream,honey and 2 icecubes to a mixer.
3. Grind it to a smooth mix for a minute.
4. Pour in glass and add remaining icecubes.
   
5. Tastes great and chilling!
6. Good for soothing bowels.Great offing when home from sun.
7. You can substitute vanilla yogurt for a classic smoothie instead of vanilla icecream.

Split Chana dal fry

Preparation time - 25mins
Serves-2
Ingredients:
split chana- 1 cup
mustard seeds-2 spns
urad dal- 2 spns
jeera- 1 sp
dry red chillies- 6
curry leaves- 8
coriander chopped-1/2 cup
asafoetida- 1 pinch
turmeric powder- 2 pinches
garlic- 4 pods
salt- 1 sp
green chillies - 2
fresh grated coconut- 2 spns
Procedure:

1. Cook chana dal until it turns just soft,thats for 5-7mins.(do not over cook to paste,dal has to retain its shape)
2. Then drain excess water and keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,urad dal,red chillies,green chillies, asafoetida,jeera,curry leaves and allow them to splutter.
4. Add salt,turmeric powder,cooked chana dal to the seasoning and toss it till its free from any residual moisture(do not burn).
5. Add crushed garlic in the end to retain its flavour and mix well.
6. Garnish with coconut and coriander.
7. Tastes good with steaming plain basmati rice.
8. Good source of protein.
9. If you like to have a tangy touch,sprinkle a spoon of lemon juice before serving.
   

Optional:
1.we can add any curry powder or masala as desired depending on one's taste.
2.For best results fry cooked chana on low heat.

Semiya upma / Spicy vermicelli

Preparation time-15mins
serves-2
Ingredients:
2 cups semiya
10gms ginger
2 pods garlic
1 big onion
1 sp urad dal
1 sp mustard seeds
4 green chillies
1 sp red chilly flakes
1 sp jeera
6-8 curry leaves
3 sps sunflower oil
1 sp ghee
4-6 cashew nuts
1 small lemon
3-4 pinches salt
Preparation:

1. Take a sauce pan and warm ghee.Fry cashew nuts to honey colour.Keep them aside.
2. Then fry vermicelli in same ghee for 1min,this gives a wonderful texture to it.Collect it in a plate.
   
3. Put oil in same pan and prepare seasoning.Splutter mustard seeds,put urad dal,jeera,garlic,chopped green chillies,red chilly flakes.
4. Add curry leaves to the seasoning and fry all for a min.
5. Then add finely chopped onion and fry for a min.
6. Now add grated ginger to it and pour 2cups of water.
7. Simmer the heat and close the lid to preserve all flavors and allow water to boil for a couple of mins.
8. Then add salt to it,mix it evenly in water and add fried vermicelli.Wait for 4-5mins until it is cooked and leave it on low flame till water gets absorbed.
9. Squeeze lemon juice and add it to the cooked vermicelli after taking out from flame and mix gently.Lastly give the richness with fried cashew nuts.
   
10. No doubt this will taste marvellous and gets into your favourite breakfast items.Try,enjoy and leave a message,I would like to hear from you.
    

Baby corn fritters

Preparation time-30mins
Serves-2
Ingredients:
10 Baby corn hobs
1/4 cup corn flour
1/4 cup plain flour
2 sps red chilly paste
1 sp jeera
1/2 sp salt
250 ml sunflower oil
Method:

1. Add 2 pinches of salt to half litre of water and allow them to boil.
   
2. Put baby corn for 15mins in boiling water and then drain.
3. Allow baby corn hobs to cool.
4. Meanwhile make a thin,smooth batter by mixing corn flour,plain flour,jeera and salt with sufficient water.
5. Take care not to add more water and also the batter should be free of lumps.
   
6. Now apply red chilly paste to the baby corn and keep them aside for 5mins.It helps the chilly paste to sink in.
   
7. Take oil in a deep sauce pan and heat it.
8. Dip each baby corn in the prepared batter and drop in slowly in the hot oil.
9. Fry deep until golden brown.
10. Collect them in a bowl and serve with tomato ketchup.
11. Try these crispy and spicy baby corn fritters and let me know about them.
12. Serves best as a starter for dinner or a tea time snack.

Bread halwa

Preparation time - 20mins
Serves - 8
Ingredients:
A loaf of sliced sweet/milk bread
1/2 litre whole milk
2 cups of granulated sugar
1/2 cup ghee
10 cashew nuts
10-15 flaked almonds
5 elachi
Method:

1. Take a deep pan,fry almonds and cashews with 2 sps of ghee until they turn golden brown.Keep them aside.
2. Grind few cashews and elachi into a rough powder just for few seconds.
   
3. Cut each slice of bread in to 4 pieces.
   
4. In the sauce pan warm ghee and fry each piece of bread on both sides.
5. Meanwhile in another deep pan,warm milk adding sugar,ground elachi and cashews.
6. When milk gets boiling add bread pieces to it and stir well.
7. Allow them to boil with milk for 10mins on low heat.
8. Keep an eye whilst boiling and toss it for every 2mins.You can taste it now and if you feel like adding some sugar,add at this stage and mix well.
   
9. When done,it becomes little thick and ghee floats on the surface.
10. Now add almond flakes and fried cashews and knead them into cakes with your palms.
11. If you would like having it chilled,you can keep in refrigerator for 15-20mins and enjoy.
12. My quick recipe for dessert and also as a sweet snack on weekends.Try this and let me know your tips.

Paneer Aloo patty

Preparation time-30mins
serves-4
Ingredients:
250gms grated paneer
4 boiled aloo
250gms boiled green peas
1 big onion
100 gms ginger
20 green chillies
2 spns salt
1 sp chilly powder
5 sps besan
1 sp whole jeera
500ml sunflower oil
Method:

1. Mash boiled aloo and peas seperately into fine paste.
   
2. Finely chop onion and mix them with mashed potato.
3. Grind ginger and chillies to a fine paste and mix half of it with aloo mash and onion.
4. Mix the remaining half with green peas mash.Add 3 pinches of salt to it and keep aside.
   
5. Add besan,chilly powder,1 spoon of salt and jeera to the aloo mash and knead well.Keep it aside for 10mins.
6. Now grate paneer and mix 3 pinches of salt and make 4 small paneer balls with your palm.
7. Meanwhile heat oil in a wide sauce pan.When hot,turn it onto low heat.
8. Spread peas mash on your palm and place paneer ball on it and close it with peas mash.
9. Paneer ball should be surrounded by peas mash.Now slowly press it with your fingers as you make laddu.
10. Now same way spread some aloo-onion mix and place this paneer peas ball on it and close it.
11. Same way press tightly into round ball.This will be a little big one when done.
12. Now fry each ball on low heat slowly turning on both sides till brown.
13. When done,collect them in a plate and cut each patty into two halves slowly and exactly in the middle.
14. Now we can see different layers of paneer in the centre,green peas in the middle and brown potato mash on the outer surface.
15. This is a little long procedure but worth trying it.
16. Tastes Great with hot chilly-tomato ketchup.
17. Best and colorful snack.
18. Try and let me know how you got it!

Aloo Gobi curry

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
Alu -4 medium sized(sliced to cubes and cooked)
Gobi-1medium sized(Separate florets and soak in hot water for 5min)
Onions-2 medium sized(chopped)
Green chillies-7(sliced)
Dry red chillies-2
Curry leaves-8
Chopped coriander-1 cup
Turmeric- 1 tea spoon
Garam masala-1tblspoon(optional)
Whole jeera-2tspns
Cashews - 8-10
Salt- 1tblspn
Chilly powder-3 pinches
Sunflower oil- 1/4 cup
Method:

1. Heat oil in a sauce pan,add jeera and allow them to splutter.
2. Add onions, green chillies,red chillies and curry leaves.Saute them till onions turn transparent.
3. Add salt,chilly powder,garam masala,turmeric powder,cashews and mix well.
4. Add boiled potato cubes and mix well without breaking the cubes and close the lid for 5min on low heat.
5. Drain gobi florets and add them to the pan.
6. Mix all the ingredients in pan carefully to retain the shape of alu cubes and florets.
7. Cover with lid for 10-12 min so that gobi gets cooked properly.
8. Turn off the heat and add handful of chopped coriander.
9. For best results cook on low flame and take care not to burn out either cubes or florets.
10. Tastes good with rice,roti and as a stuffing for wraps and sandwich as well :)

Drumstick Sambar

Ingredients:
 4 drumsticks-sliced into pieces
toordal-1 and hlf cup
mustardseeds-1tspn
redchillies-5
urad dal-1spn
curryleaves-8to 10
coriander-to garnish
sunflower oil-3tbspns
sambar powder-3tbspns
tamarindpaste-3tbspns
greenchillies - 2
salt for taste
Procedure:

1. Cook toordal for 3whistels in pressure cooker on sim keep it aside.Cook drumstick for 20mins.
2. In a saucepan add cooked toordal,drumstick pieces.Pour 2glasses of filter water and allow it to boil.
   
3. Now add 3-4tbspn sambarpowder(MTR tastes good) and 4tbspns tamarindjuice,salt(for taste),pinch of turmeric powder,chillypowder 1-2tspn and allow them to boil for 15min on sim.
4. In another saucepan heat 3tbspn oil and add mustard seeds,urad dal,rechillies,curryleaves and allow them to splutter then add it to the sambar and garnish with coriander.
5. Tastes good with steamed rice and pappad.

Vaangi baath / Brinjal pulao

Preparation time-30mins
Serves : 3-4
Ingredients:
Cooked basmati rice-2 cups
Brinjal 500gms
2 medium siced onions
Masala:
Sunflower oil- 5 sps
Yellowgram(chana dal)-5 sps
Dry dhaniya-3 sps
Grated dry coconut-5 sps
3 sps of sesame
Cinnamon 1 small stick
Cloves-3
Red chillies (dry)-5
slit green chillies 5
Tamarind small lemon sized ball
Hing-2 pinches
cashews-5
1 spoon ginger garlic paste
7-8 curry leaves
1/2 sp salt to taste

Method:

1. Dry roast dhaniya seeds,grated coconut,chana dal,cinnamon,cloves with out oil for a minute.Allow it to cool.Grind along with tamarind and keep aside.
2. Warm oil in a pan.Put dry red chillies,slit green chillies,curry leaves,hing and cashews and fry for a minute.
3. Chop onion to long thin slices and saute till transparent.Now add ginger garlic paste to it.
4. Slice brinjal in to long slices and fry them with onion for 3mins.Close the lid on low heat for 5mins till brinjal gets cooked soft.
5. Sprinkle salt and add dry masala.keep it closed on low flame for 2mins.
6. Mean while boil the rice and spread the cooked rice in wide bowl and allow it to cool.It helps the pulao retaining the shape of rice.
7. Once cooled add rice to the pan with masala and switch off the heat.Mix well slowly and gently.
8. Garnish with roasted sesame seeds.
9. Serve hot.Tastes good with raita.

Dahi vada

Preparation time-30mins
serves-2
Ingredients:
2 cups of curds
6 gaare(refer to masala gaare)
2 spns sunflower oil
1 sp mustard seeds
3 green chillies
1 redchilly
20gms ginger(finely chopped)
1 sp urad dal
corinader to garnish
Method:

1. First beat the curds in a bowl.Add 2 pinches of salt to it and keep it aside.
2. Soak the prepared gaare in the curds.
   
3. Then prepare seasoning by heating oil.Add mustard seeds.After they splutter,add urad dal,chopped red chilly and green chillies.
4. Add the seasoning and ginger to the curds.
5. You will enjoy it when served little cold.
   

Lemon Dal

Simple and tastes good with rice/roti.
Preparation time-20mins
Serves-2
Ingredients:
1 cup Toor dal
1 lemon
3 pinches turmeric
1 sp mustard seeds
1 sp urad dal
2 spns sunflower oil
1 sp jeera
2 pods garlic
5-7 curry leaves
4 redchillies
Procedure:

1. Soak toor dal for 10mins in water.Then cook in under pressure until 3-4 whistles.
2. Allow it to cool.
3. Prepare the seasoning by heating oil in a pan,splutter mustard seeds,add urad dal,garlic,jeera,redchillies,turmeric and curry leaves.
4. Meanwhile squeeze the lemon juice and add 3 pinches of salt to it.
5. Now add lemon juice to the toor dal paste when cool to avoid bitterness when added hot.Season it.

Cabbage Mustard curry

Preparation time-20 mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients:
1 small cabbage
2 spoons mustard seeds

4 dry red chillies
lemon sized tamarind paste
2 tablespoons oil
2 garlic pods
1/2 spoon jeera
1 spoon urad dal
4-5 leaves of curry leaves


Preparation:
1.Soak mustard seeds,dry red chillies in water for 15mins and grind it to a smooth paste adding some salt.
2.Meanwhile cook finely chopped cabbage in tamarind paste mixed with very little water.Cabbage naturally has moisture so litlle water should be enough.Allow it to cool.
3.Prepare seasoning with oil in sauce pan.Fry urad dal,chopped garlic,curryleaves and a dry red chilly till light brown.
4.Now add seasoning to the cooked cabbage.Allow it to cool completely.
5.When cool,add the mustard chilly paste and mix evenly.
6.It smells excellent and tastes good with hot rice.My family's favourite side dish with rice.
 NOTE:Donot add the mustard paste until the cooked cabbage is completely cooled.Otherwise,it turns bitter.

Palak Paneer curry (Indian cottage cheese gravy)

Ingredients:
250 gms paneer (sliced to cubes)
500 gms palak
1 cup milk
2 medium sized onions
3 fresh tomatoes or 1 cup puree
4 spoons butter/ghee
small piece of cinnamon
1 sp whole jeera
3 green chillies
4 red chillies
2 pods garlic
3 pinches salt
1 sp garam masala powder
Preparation:

1. Wash and blanch palak in hot water for 5mins.
2. Add ghee to hot sauce pan and fry sliced paneer pieces until golden brown.Do not over fry.
3. Take out the paneer and put them in a bowl of milk for 5mins.
4. In the same pan fry chopped onions,chillies,garlic and tomato for 2-3mins.
5. Remove excess water from palak and add to the frying pan and on low heat fry it for 4-5mins.
6. Allow it to cool and then grind it into a thick paste.Now transfer this to the pan.
7. Add paneer pieces to the gravy and also a spoon of butter,salt and garam masala.
8. Close the lid and simmer it for 5mins.Garnish with fried jeera,cinnamon and coriander.
9. Tastes excellent with rotis,naan and also rice.
10. Check the recipe for butter naan.Try it with this curry.You will love it!
    
11. Rich in nutrients and iron.
    

Garlic Butter Naan

Preparation time-20 mins
Serves-2
Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour(maida)
1 cup whole milk
2 pinches baking soda
1/2 tea sp salt
1 cup chopped coriander
1 sp garlic paste
4 sps unsalted butter
Method:

1. Take plain flour in a wide bowl and add baking soda,salt and garlic paste to it.
2. Knead it into a dough slowly adding milk little by little as required.
3. Set it aside for 10mins tightly closing with a lid.
4. Now press small amounts of dough on a board with rolling pin into round or oval shaped naans.
5. Sprinkle coriander on the top of each naan and press it with your palm.
6. Apply melted butter on the top of the naan with a brush.
7. Place them in preheated oven for 7mins each.
8. Keep an eye and remove when baked or top of the naan turns golden brown.
9. You can also fry it directly on pan like chapathi/paratha.It gives a different taste when placed in oven.
10. Try this with a gravy curry and enjoy.You can customize your naan toppings as per your choice.Let me know your tips!

Brinjal curry with groundnut milk

Preparation time-25mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
6 medium brinjal
1 cup groundnuts
2 medium onions
4 pods garlic(crushed)
1 sp urad dal
1 sp mustard seeds
2 sps whole jeera
8 green chillies
4 dry red chillies
8 fresh curry leaves
1 cup chopped coriander
1 and half sp salt
1 sp dhaniya powder
1 sp red chilly powder
1/2 cup sunflower oil
Method:

1. Soak ground nuts in water for 10mins and grind them into a paste.Add 1/2 cup water to the paste and keep it aside.It forms into a milky consistency.
   
2. Meanwhile heat a deep sauce pan and add oil to it.When hot,prepare tempering with urad dal,mustard seeds,jeera,green chillies,red chillies,garlic,curry leaves frying for a minute.
3. Chop each onion into 8 pieces and add them to the sauce pan.Fry them till transparent.
4. Add dhaniya powder,salt and chilly powder.Mix well.
   
5. Slit each brinjal into 4 divisions attached to the stalk.As we do for stuffing.Add brinjal now to the pan along with the stalk.
6. Toss them for 5mins on low heat.
7. Now add groundnut milk to the pan mix it slowly as it blends with the brinjal and onions.
8. Close the lid and allow it to cook for 5mins on low heat.
9. Check the brinjal to be soft and cooked.Adjust the taste now if any salt/chilly powder needed.
   
10. Add fine chopped coriander.Serve hot with roti or steaming plain rice.
11. Its a simple and great serving!
12. A small tip from me with experience,it tastes better when you prepare it in the morning and have it for dinner:)

Rajma gravy

Preparation time-25mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
2 cups rajma / red kidney beans(boiled)
1 big onion
2 red tomatoes
1 sp whole jeera
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 lavang/cloves
2 spoons corn flour
1 spoon dried pomegranate seeds(Anardana)
5 green chillies
1 spoon chilly powder
1/2 cup chopped coriander
3 pinches salt
2-3 spoons of milk
2 spoons sunflower oil
1 spoon clarified unsalted butter(optional)
Method:

1. Soak rajma overnight in a bowl of water before the day you plan to make curry.
2. Next day pressure cook it for 15mins.They should be soft and also retain the shape.
3. Or you can use the tinned red kidney beans.
4. Soak anardana for 15mins in warm water in a cup. This gives the lovely colour and taste to the gravy.
5. Cut each tomato into 4pieces and onion into big pieces.
6. Fry jeera,cinnamon stick,green chillies,cloves,red chilly powder,onions and tomatoes in a saucepan with 1 sp of oil for 5mins till they become soft and transparent.
7. Take them into a plate and allow it to cool.When cooled,grind them into a fine paste adding anardana seeds and salt to it.
8. Add cooked rajma to the pan with remaining oil and saute for a minute.
9. On low heat,add the onion tomato paste,mix well and close the lid for 5mins.
10. In a cup add cornflour with  2spoons of milk in to smooth mix.
11. Add this and mix nicely with the ingredients in pan and close the lid for 5 more mins.
12. When done,collect in a bowl and garnish with melted butter and coriander.
13. Tastes great with roti/naan.Rich in proteins.

Tangy Mango rice

Ingredients:
2 sps of Sunflower oil
1 sp of mustard seeds
1 sp of black gram(urad dal)
1 sp of yellow gram(chena dal)
2 sliced green chillis
2 red chillies
pinch of turmeric
pinch of hing
5-6 curry leaves
1 medium sized green mango--grate it
2 cups of basmati rice--cook it-while cooking add 1 sp of extra oil to rice
1/2 sp salt
Method:

1. Take oil in a pan.heat it.
2. Put mustard seeds,blackgram,chena dal.
3. After seasoning it put red chillies,hing,turmeric,greenchillies,curry leaves and grated mango .
4. Take rice in a bowl and add the prepared tangy mango mix to the rice and salt.--its ready!!!!!
5. Garnish with coriander and serve.

Masala Gaare/Masala Vada

Ingredients:
1 cup Urad dal
2 medium sized onions
5 green chillies
1/2 spoon jeera
100gms coriander
500ml sunflower oil
Preparation:

1. Soak Urad dal in water over night.
2. Next day grind it to a thick paste adding 3-5 pinches of salt.
3. Pour oil in a deep sauce pan and let it on flame until oil gets heated.
4. Then add finely chopped onions,green chillies,jeera and also coriander to the dal paste and mix evenly.
5. When oil gets hot,take small amount of dal mix and make it into rounds and put into oil carefully.Fry until brown.
6. U can place the prepared gaare in tissue to absorb excess oil.
7. Tastes good with Ginger chutney.Can enjoy this as a festive dish.

Spicy tomato rice

Ingredients:
3 tomatoes
1 onion
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon crushed redchilly
2 pods garlic
5 green chillies
2 cups basmati rice
  
Preparation:

1. Put 2 tablespoons of oil in hot saucepan and allow mustard seeds to splutter.
2. Then add vertically slit green chillies and chopped onion and fry till brown.Then add redchilly flakes and garlic.Wait for a minute and then add finely chopped tomatoes.
3. Add salt and leave it to boil on low flame for 5mins till oil separates from the tomato mix.Then turn off the flame.
4. Add cooked rice to the pan and mix it gently and evenly.
5. Garnish with chopped coriander.Will taste good as it is and also with curds.

Peas Pulao

Preparation time-25mins
Serves-4
Ingredients:
3 cups basmati rice
2 cups green peas
1 big onion
1 cup chopped coriander
3 sps kaju
3 sps raisins
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 sp whole jeera
1 sp salt
6 green chillies
2 sps ghee
3 sps sunflower oil
Method:

1. In a deep sauce pan,add ghee and warm it.When warm fry kaju and raisins.keep them aside in a plate.
2. In the same pan heat sunflower oil and add jeera,cloves,crushed cinnamon,sliced green chillies,bay leaves and saute till they release flavours.
3. Chop onion fine and add it to the pan and fry till transparent.Add salt at this point.
   
4. Now wash and add peas to the pan and mix well with the ingredients.
5. Wash basmati rice in flowing water for a minute.
6. Add it to the pan mixing with peas and onion mixture.
7. Put 6 cups of water in the pan and close the lid.Always take same cup to measure ingredients for any recipe.
   
8. Pan should be big enough to allow palao cook properly.If not rice grains will not seperate from each other.
9. Cook it on low heat for 15mins and keep an eye whilst cooking.
10. When done,transfer it into serving bowl and garnish with fried kaju,raisins,ghee and chopped coriander.
11. You can have it with any gravy curry or it tastes perfect with cucumber raita.
12. Simple and quick special dish for weekend parties.Its my favourite lunch box recipe high in proteins.Try and leave me your comments.

choco-banana burfi - diwali style

Preparation time-20mins
Serves-6
Ingredients:
1 cup wheat flour
2 ripe bananas
6 small chocolate bars
1/2 cup dessicated coconut powder
3/4 th cup sugar
2 sps cashews
10-12 badam flakes
5 sps ghee
Method:

1. Take a thick based sauce pan and heat it.
2. Put wheat flour and fry it in the dry pan for 3-4 mins continuously on low heat till it becomes slightly brown and loses its rawness.
3. Add coconut powder to the pan and fry it for 2 more mins along with the wheat flour.
4. Collect it in a plate and keep aside.
5. Now put ghee in the same pan and fry crushed cashews till golden brown.
6. Cut each banana into round slices and add them to the ghee.Close the lid for a min till banana comes to a paste and gets cooked.
7. On low heat add sugar to this and mix well.Add chocolate bars at this point.
8. Toss continuously till chocolate melts and mixes well with banana.
9. Then add the fried wheat and coconut mixture,stir well until all ingredients blend with each other.
10. Switch off the heat and pour the mixture in a plate applied with a layer of ghee and cut them into cakes.Wait or 15 mins till it settles and remove each burfy carefully and serve.
11. I made it in a diya shape for the Diwali festival.You can also try this way.
12. When the mixture is still luke warm take it a palm full and press it tight same as u make laddoo.
13. Press it slightly flat and then make a notch in the middle with your finger tip.It should get you the shape of a cup.
14. Place a badam flake at one edge to make a glow for the diya:)
15. Hope you will enjoy this and HAPPY DIWALI to all.Please let me know your comments.

Optional: You can add 3 sps of kova before adding sugar and fry for minute,to make the sweet more yummy!

Methi Chaman/Paneer methi gravy

Preparation time - 30mins
Serves - 4
Ingredients:
Paneer-250gms
Methi-250gms
2 big onions
1 cup chopped tomato
4 garlic pods
1 cup milk kova/whole curds
6 green chillies
4 dry red chillies
2 sps whole jeera
1 sp salt
1 sp chilly powder
2 pinches of turmeric powder
1/4 cup sunflower oil
Method:

1. Slice paneer into cubes and fry them golden brown in a sauce pan with 2 sps of oil.
2. Then,take them and dip in a bowl of water to retain the softness.
   
3. In the same sauce pan,warm oil and fry jeera,garlic pods,slit green chillies,slit red chillies and saute for a min.
   
4. Chop onions into fine pieces and add them to the pan.Fry till transparent.
5. Now add washed and seperated methi leaves and mix well with onions.Fry for 2mins.
6. Add chopped tomato pieces,salt,chilly powder,turmeric powder and fry for 3more mins.
7. When done,switch off the heat,add kova/curds and mix well.
8. Now add paneer cubes to it,mix evenly and close the lid for 5mins.
9. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rotis.
10. Perfect dish for paneer lovers!

Optional:You can also have grated paneer instead of paneer cubes.That case,no need to fry paneer.Add the paneer grate directly in the end along with kova or curds.Kova gives a yummy taste.Curds give a tangy taste.So you can add either kova or curds according to your taste