Gobhi noorani

Ingredients :

• Cauliflower - 1 small cauliflower [ cut into medium florets with long stem ]
• Maida - 2 tbsp
• Shah jeera [ black cumin ]  or regular jeera - 1 / 2 tsp
• Finely grated khoya [  mawa ]  - 50 gms
• Kasoori methi - 1 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Garam masala - 1 1 / 2 tsp
• Oil - for frying
• Onion paste - 3 to 4 tbsp
• Tomato paste - 3 to 4 tbsp
• Tej patta - 2 [ broken ]
• Milk - 1 cup

For onion paste :
Take 1 big onion, 2 laung [ cloves ], 1 / 2 inch piece ginger, 3 to 4 garlic flakes, 2 cardamom, 2 tsp saunf [aniseed ], small piece cinnamon and grind in mixer to a smooth paste.

For tomato paste :
Take 3 big tomatoes [ boiled in water for 5 minutes and peeled ], 1 / 4 tsp jaiphal,[ nutmeg ] javithri [ mace ] 8 to 10 cashewnuts, 3 dry red chillies,  1 1 / 2 tsp poppy seeds and grind to a smooth paste.

Method :

Cut cauli flower into florets. Wash and wipe dry, sprinkle maida and mix well. Heat oil and deep fry the florets till golden brown in colour. Remove from the kadai, keep on paper napkins. For gravy heat 4 tbsp oil, add tej patta and shah jeera, wait for a minute, add onion paste and  fry for 2 to 3 minutes till it change to brown colour. Then add tomato paste and stir for 5 minutes in low flame, till oil separates. Add  khoya, kasoori methi, salt and garam masala. Cook for 5 minutes, in low flame. Then add 1 cup of water. Mix well simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Before serving add 1 cup milk and boil on low heat, add fried cauliflower. Cook for some more time and remove from the gas. Serve hot. It goes well with roti, parathas, and jeera rice.

Cabbage halwa

Ingredients :

• Finely chopped cabbage - 2 cups [ heaped ]
• Sugar - 1 cup [ level ]
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 / 4 cup
• Cashewnuts - 10 to 12
• Cardamom powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Venilla essence - few drops
• Green colour - 2 drops
• Fresh ghee -3 to 4 tabl. sps
• Raisins - little

Method :

Cook cabbage in enough water till it becomes soft. Then drain off excess water. Fry it in 1 table spoon ghee. After that grind it along with cashew, coconut  using little milk for grinding. Keep one non- stick vessal, heat sugar with water. When the sugar completely dissolves, add the ground paste, colour. Mix well and keep stirring till halwa consistency is reached. Add remaining ghee to that.When the ghee leaves side,  remove from the gas. Fry raisins  in little ghee and add to halwa along with cardamom powder and vanilla essence. Garnish with sliced badam.  ur tasty  cabbage halwa is ready to eat.

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.