Quick wheat halwa

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour - 1 glass
• Sugar - 1 1 / 2 glass
• Elachi powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cashew nuts - little [ broken ]
• Ghee - 5 to 6 tblsps
• Kesar colour - little

Method :

Heat sugar with enough water to cover it, in a non- stick vessel till it is dissolved completely. Add elachipowder, kesar colour, mix well and keep aside.Then fry wheat flour along with broken cashews in 3 tbl sp ghee till pleasant aroma comes. Keep the flame in simmer. Mix the sugar syrup in to the wheat flour, extra ghee and stir constantly again till it leaves out ghee and the halwa becomes thick. Remove from the fire and garnish with fried nuts. 

Khatti meethi dal

Ingredients :

• Toovar dal - 1 / 2 cup
• Radish [ mooli ] - 1 / 4 cup [ cut into small pieces ]
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Poha [ rice flakes ] - 2 tbsp
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 6 to 7 leaves
• Asafoetida [ hing ] - a pinch
• Tamarind paste or raw mango - 1 / 4 cup[ cut into small pieces ]
• [ 1tbsp ]
• Grated jaggery - little
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Dhania jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves - little [ for garnish ]

Method - :
Clean, wash and soak the toovar dal in water for 2 to 3 hours. Drain and keep aside. Mix the dal, radish, mango or tamarind paste, turmeric powder, salt and 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistle. Wait and allow the pressure to leave, then open the lid and keep aside. Then heat a non- stick pan on a medium flame and when hot, add the beaten rice [ poha ] and coconut and dry roast till they turn light brown in colour. Grind in a mixer to a fine powder. Keep aside. Then heat the same pan on a medium flame and when hot, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida and dry roast for 30 seconds. Then add the cooked dal, jaggery, chilli powder, dhania, jeera powder, poha, coconut powder  and 1 cup of water and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

 [ An innovative dal for those who like to experiment with the magic of flavours ! Rich in iron and fibre this dal is also a healthy treat. Radish adds its distinct flavour. ]

Shahi dal

Ingredients :

• Split black gram [ urad dal ] - 1 cup [ soaked in water ]
• Finely chopped onions - 1 cup
• Finely chopped ginger - 2 1 / 2 tsp
• Finely chopped green chillies - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 sp
• Salt - as required
• Garam masala - 1 / 2 sp
• Oil - 2 table spoon
• Cornflour - 1 / 2 tsp
• Low fat- free  milk - 1 / 2 glass
• Finely chopped coriander leaves - little [ for garnish ]

 { mix the cornflour in the milk and keep aside ]

Method :

First clean, wash and soak the urad dal in water for 4 to 5 hours. Then mix the dal with ginger, green chillies, salt and 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistle. Allow the pressure to leave, and open the lid,
 remove whisk well and keep aside. Then heat a non- stick pan, on a medium flame pour oil,  and  when hot, add the cumin seeds. When its pop lower the flame, add the onions and fry till the onions turn light brown in colour. Sprinkle a little water if they start burning. Then add the cooked dal, garam masala, and 1 cup of water. Mix well and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the cornflour and milk mixture and mix well. Allow to boil in a low flame till the dal becomes thick. Garnish with chopped coriander. serve hot with roti, parathas. It tastes like corn soup.  

Rajasthani dal

Ingredients :

• Green moong dal [ split green gram ] - 1 / 2 cup
• Bengal gram dal - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 sp
• Garlic [ chopped ] - 1 / 4 sp
• Onions - 1 big [ chopped ] -1 / 2 cup
• Green chilli, ginger paste - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Dhania jeera powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Amchur [ dry mango powder] - 1 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves - little
• Ghee or oil - 2tbsp

Method :

First clean, wash and soak both the dals in water for 3 to 4 hours.Drain and keep aside. Then combine the dals, turmeric, salt and  required water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. After it becomes cool, open the lid and mix well. Then keep one non- stick pan, add oil or ghee on a medium flame and heat. When it becomes hot, add the cumin seeds, when it pops add garlic, and onions fry for 5 minuts till it become light brown in colour  Then add the dry masala powder [ green chilli, ginger paste, red chilli powder, dhania jeera powder and allow to boil for 10 minutes,  in low flame while stirring  continuously. Then add the boiled dals,  dry mango powder and 1 glass of water and simmer for5 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with jeera rice.

Bengali khichdi

Ingredients :

• For the stuffed vegetables :
• Small potatoes - 3 to 4 [ peeled ]
• Small brinjals - 4 [ stems removed ]
• Carrot - 1 [ peele  and  cut into small cubes ]
• Small sweet potato - 1 [ cut into small cubes ]
• Besan [ kadalai mavu ] - 2 tbls
• Chopped coriander - 1 hand full
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 tabl . sps
• Dhania jeera powder - 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 sp
• Chilli powder - 4 tsp
• Seasame seeds - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Green chilli, ginger - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Oil - 3 tbl

Other ingredients :

• Un cooked long grained rice - 1 cup
• Masoor dal - 1 / 2 cup
• Cinnamon - 1 / 2 inch stick
• Cloves - 2 
• Cardamoms - 2
• Chopped onions - 1 cup
• Bay leaf - 1
• Green chillies - 2 slit
• Ginger - 1 small piece
• Garlic - 2 flakes
• { grind all three together ]
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves - little [ for garnishing ]

For the stuffed vegetables :

Make cross slits on the potatoes and brinjals, taking care not to separate segments and keep aside.cut carrots, sweet potatoes into big cubes, and keep aside.Mix all remaining  ingredients in a bowl and mix well to make the stuffing. Stuff the potatoes, sweet potatoes, brinjal with the prepared stuffing. Keep the remaining.

Method :

Clean,wash and soak the rice and masoor dal for 15 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Put 3 cups of water to boil. Crush the cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms lightly and keep aside. Heat the pressure cooker on a medium flame and when hot, add the onions and dry roast till they turn light brown in colour. Add the crushed spices and and bay leaves and dry roast for a few seconds. Add the rice, dal, green chilli , giner ,garlic paste, turmeric powder and mix well. Then add the stuffed vegetables, remaining stuffing and hot water and mix gently. Close the lid and wait till 4 whistle to come. Remove from the gas, when the pressure goes open the lid and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot. Pour 2 spoon fresh  ghee and mix well. 

Beetroot, cucumber and tomato raitha

Ingredients :

• Low fat curds whisked - 2 cups
• Grated beetroot - 2 tablespoon
• Grated cucumber - 2 tablespoon
• Chopped tomatoes - 1 / 4 cup
• Roasted and lightly crushed peanuts - 1 tbsp
• Chopped coriander leaves - little
• Finely chopped green chillies - 1 / 2 sp
• Sugar - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Cumin seeds - 1 / tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch

Method :

Whisk the curds and add the grated beetroot, cucumber, tomatoes, peanuts, coriander, green chillies, sugar and salt. Keep aside. Then heat a small pan on a medium flame and when hot, add the cumin seeds and dry roast for about 30 seconds. Add the asafoetida and dry roast for 3 seconds. Pour this mixture over prepared raitha and mix well. Serve cold.

Shahi korma biryani

Ingredients for the yellow rice :

• Basmathi rice - 1 1 / 2 cup
• Cloves - 3
• Cardamoms - 2
• Bayleaf - 1
• Cinnamon - 1 / 2 inch piece
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required

For the shahi korma :

• Cloves - 2
• Cardamoms - 2 to 3
• Bayleaf - 1
• Chopped or grated onions - 1 / 2 cup
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 / 2 sp
• Tomato puree - 2 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Vegetables - 1 1 / 2 cup

 [ mixed boiled vegetables like carrot, french beans, potatoes, fresh green  peas etc. ]

• Milk - 1 / 2 cup [ low fat milk ]

To be ground into a paste:
Broken cashewnuts [ kaju ] - 2 tbsp
Poppy seeds [ khus- khus ] - 2 tbsp

 [ soak the cashewnuts and poppy seeds in 1 / 4 cup of warm water for an hour. Grind them in a mixer into a smooth paste and keep aside. ]

For the yellow rice :

Clean and wash and soak the rice in water for an hour.  Drain and keep aside. Then bring 2 cups of water to boil. Mix together all the ingredients along with the hot water in a pressure cooker and pressure cook  for 2 whistle. Then allow the steam to go and open the lid. Separate each grain of rice lightly with fork. And keep aside.

For the shahi korma:

Heat a non- stick pan on a medium flame and when hot add the cloves, cardamom, and bay leaf and dry roast for 5 minutes. Then add onions and ginger garlic paste and dry roast on a slow flame till the onions turn in pink colour. Sprinkle a little water over it if the mixture starts burning. Add the tomato puree, sugar, salt, and simmer for 5 minutes on a low flame while stirring continuously. Add the vegetables, milk and the prepared paste and mix well and simmer for 10 minutes on a low flame and keep aside.

How to arranged :

Divide the yellow rice inti 2 equal portions and keep aside. Put  milk at the bottom of a glass baking tray and spread one portion of the yellow rice in an even layer. Spread the shahi korma over it. Again spread the remaining yellow rice over the shahi korma in an even layar. Cover with an aluminium foil  and bake in a pre - heated oven for 10 minutes, or microwave for 5 minutes. Turn upside down on a large serving plate just before serving. Serve hot with raitha and pickle.