Orange Pancakes

2 cups maida
2 tbsp orange marmalade
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp orange rind
1 tbsp sugar

Mix all of the above into a batter just right to be made into pancakes.
Once done heat a pan, pour some batter and flatten it just like dosa
Add a bit of butter to the sides and a bit on top to make it a bit crisp
Cook it well on both sides
Serve hot!

Spaghetti in red sauce..desi version

2 cups spaghetti
For the sauce:
2 tomatoes
1/2 a spoon calonji
1 onion sliced
2-3 red chillies
1/2 inch ginger
3-4 cloves of garlic

grind all of the above except onion and basil to a fine paste..finally add onion and grind to leave a few pieces of onion intact...

1/2 cup basil leaves
Garnishing:
2/3 types of cheese (I used gouda and regular cheese)

Cook spaghetti in the required amount of water with a few drops of olive oil and salt to taste.
Once this comes to a boil - keep it aside
Cook the sauce in olive oil till it leaves a nice aroma
Add the basil leaves
cook for 2-3 mins
add the spaghetti
and finally garnish with grated cheese

Kadhi

What goes in:

2 cups fresh curd - I strain the curd using a strainer to ensure that its well blended, you could also use a blender instead
pinch of turmeric
1 tsp kasuri methi
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 Red Chillies

What Next:

Heat 1 tsp oil
Add Mustard seeds allow it to splutter
Add Red Chillies, turmeric and kasuri methi
Add Curd and salt

Keep Stirring till you see the first bubbles and stop cooking right there, else the kadhi will be all curdled...

I did an operation with spoilt milk the other day, strained it, mixed it with 2 tbsp fresh curd, kept it aside for about 2 hours and used this for my kadhi. My Kadhi has never been so creamy before. :) Try this next time you have spoilt milk and are not in mood to make paneer out of it!

Savoury Pancakes

2 Cups Maida
1 Egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp spring onion finely chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp Oregano
2 tbsp shredded cheese

Blend all of the above into a smooth batter and make yummy pancakes in butter.

I tried adding some vermicelli to it, to give it a different texture. It does taste great, do try it out.

This wont take more than 15 mins

Crispy Aaloo

What goes in?
5-6 medium sized potatoes boiled, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp chat masala
salt to taste

What to do next?
Shallow fry the potatoes till golden brown
Add salt, chilli powder, corriander powder.
Dust the corn flour and allow the potatoes to go crisp.
Remove from flame, and add char masala and mix well

Garnish with corriander leaves and lemon/ lemon juice. Photo and presentation courtesy Jeev :)

How much time does it take?
15 mins

Peas Pulao

What goes in?
1 cup peas
4 cups basmati rice (soak the rice in 4 1/2 cups of water for 30 mins)
2-4 Bay leaves
2-4 cloves
2 cardamom
1 inch stick of cinnamon
4-6 pepper corns
2 tbsp ghee
salt to taste

What to do next?

I make this in my small pressure cooker
Heat ghee in the cooker
Add the bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper..allow it to splutter
Add the peas and mix well
Allow this to cool for 5 mins
Add the soaked basmati rice (minus the water)
Mix this well
Add the water (in which the rice was soaked)
Cover the pressure cooker with its lid (minus the weight/whistle)
Cook in high flame for 5 mins.
Lower the flame.
Check for the steam from the vent, cook for 5 mins after the steam is seen.
Take it off the flame, and allow it to stand for another 15 mins (till the steam is out and the lid can be opened)
Peas Pulao is ready to serve :)

How much time does it take?
45 mins

black chana - starter/snacky

What goes in?

sprouted black chana - black chick peas
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp oil
pinch of turmeric
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp tomato ketchup

What next?

Heat oil in a tawa, (yeah the tawa bhaji way of cooking)
add cumin seeds, allow this to splutter
add the sprouted black chick peas
add turmeric and salt
let the chana cook for 5 mins
add the ketchup, and mix well.

How much time does it take?
Not more than 10 mins :)

Jhatpat tomato soup

What goes in?

3 tomatoes
4-5 cloves of garlic
pinch of corriander powder
pinch of cumin powder
pinch of turmeric
pinch of pepper
pinch of fenugreek powder
salt to taste

What to do next?

Grind the tomatoes and the garlic
Bring this to a boil, add the rest of the ingredients...and your tomato soup is ready to serve

How much time does it take?

10 mins

Stuffed Tomato

What goes in?

4 tomatoes (not overripe)
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 large onion
1 tsp chat masala
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp freshly grated corriander leaves
4 tbsp grated cheese
salt to taste

What to do next?

Cut only the top part of the tomatoes, and scoop out the seeds and flesh.

Heat oil.
Fry the ginger garlic paste and onions till the onions go brown.
Add the chat masala and chilli powder.

Garnish this filling with corriander leaves.

Stuff each of the tomato with 3 parts of this filling and 1 part of grated cheese.
Microwave on high for 4 mins...

How much time does it take?
20 minutes

Cheez Omlette

I have a very simple cheesy version to offer...

Beat the egg well with salt and pepper
Heat the pan, add 1/2 tsp oil, pour in the beaten egg..

As the omlette is half cooked, place a slice or two of cheese on top of the omlette. Wait till the omlette is cooked. There is no need to turn this over. You may do so if you wish, but the cheese may get way too messy.

Vegetable Biryani

What goes in?

2 spoons Ghee
Bay leaves, Cardamom, Pepper
2 spoons ginger garlic paste
a bowl of chopped capsicum and carrot
1/2 a bowl of peas
1 largge onion sliced
3 spoons curd
2 chopped green chillies
3 measures of basmati rice
2 Maggi Magic cubes
2 spoons garam masala
salt to taste

What to do next?

soak the rice for 20 mins, and cook in 3 measures of water with magic cubes untill half cooked

for the Vegetable mix

heat the ghee
Add the bay leaves, cardamom and pepper
heat for 2-3 mins
Add the onions and fry till golden brown
Add green chillies and fry well
add garam masala and salt
add the curd and vegetables
add water to cook the vegetables...

In a vessel layer the rice and the vegetable mix, and cook.
(I did this the traditional way with the vessel kept on top of a tava..to avoid direct heat)

Garnish with deep fried onion.

Time taken:

40 mins

Aachari Paneer

this has a small story, i had some achar left wich jeev doesnt like anymore.
I hate wasting food, and as jeev says i love to recycle food...so came up aachari Paneer

What goes in

200 gms Paneer
4 spoons Achar (I tried lemon..u cud try any other if you are ready

to experiment)
2 spoons tomato ketchup..
salt to taste
1/2 a spoon garam masala

What to do next
Heat the paneer seperately, till the sides turn golden, and keep aside

Heat a frying pan, add the tomato ketchup and aachar, salt and garam masala
Add paneer and cook till the paneer is well coated with the masala
add freshly chopped corriander and serve

How much time does it take
20 mins

I am planning to make Aachari Aaloo tomorrow...God Bless Jeev ;)

Banana Pudding

What goes in

4 Bananas (Elakki/Elaichi or the small sweet ones)
4 spoons sugar
1 Egg Yolk
1/4 spoon Elaichi powder/vanilla es
8 spoons Milk Powder

What to do next

Mix all of them in a blender.
Microwave for 5 mins in medium heat.

lo...ur pudding is ready to serve

Time taken:
15 mins

Egg in gravy...the short cut

What goes in?

2 Boiled Eggs
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
4 tbsp tomato puree
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1tbsp oil
salt to taste

What to do next?

heat oil
add ginger-garlic paste,turmeric, garam masala and salt and fry well
add the tomato puree...allow it to simmer...
Add the boiled eggs

your jhatpat gravy is ready to serve

How much time does it take?

5 mins

Snacky

What goes in?

2 cups Poha
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
4 pods of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp green chillies finely chopped
pinch of turmeric
1 tsp oil
salt to taste
2 tbsp chopped corriander leaves

What to do next?

Heat the oil
add the garlic, allow it to fry till brown
add turmeric and salt
add the poha and heat it till the poha becomes crisp
add the onion, tomato and green chillies...garnish with chopped corriander leaves

How much time does it take?
10 mins

Desi Roll

What goes in?

Chapatis
dry sabji
freshly chopped corriander

What to do next?

Spread the sabji over the roti
sprinkle chopped corriander
Roll it and serve

How much time does it take?

10 mins.

This was born as a replacement of frankie...coz we didnt get a veg frankie at the stall ;)s

Mango and Dates Chutney

What goes in?

1/2 a cup raw mangoes diced
1/4 cup of dates (soaked in water for 20 mins)
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup corriander leaves
small piece of ginger
1 green chilly
salt

What to do next?

Grind all of it to make a fine paste :)

How much time does it take?

10 mins.

You can also replace dates with coconut. Both variations taste yummmy!

Baby Corn and Potatoes

Before I tell u about the recipe, I must acknowledge my thanks to my roomie, buddy nd colleague...Anusha, she was the one who taught me to take interest in cooking. Thanks da!

And next cometh, NDTV Good times...I like the simplicity of the recipes shown there. It has made me believe that Cooking isn’t rocket science :)

What goes in?

200 gms baby corn
2 medium sized potatoes (cut them into small strips, to match the size of baby corn)

Spices
1 Tomato
2 Onions
1 green chilly
1/2 a cup corriander leaves
2 spoons of garam masala
1 spoon mustard seeds
1/2 a spoon turmeric powder

2 tbsp oil
salt
lemon juice/chopped corriander for garnishing

What to do next?

Grind all the spices. Heat the oil. Fry the ground spice till the oil seperates.
Add the potatoes and baby corn. Add water (only if u feel the gravy is not enough for the potatoes and baby corn to cook). Add salt to taste. Cook for 10 mins.

Garnish with fresh corriander leaves and lime juice.

How much time does it take?
About 25 mins

Anusha actually complimented me for this :). Am floating!

Purple Cabbage Salad

What goes in?

1 cup Shredded Purple Cabbage
1 Tomatoe diced
1 Onion chopped
1 spoon green chillies chopped
1/2 spoon cumin powder
1 spoon lemon juice
Ground Pepper
Salt

What to do next?

Blanch the Purple Cabbage in hot water, keep aside for 10 mins.
Drain the water. Toss in the tomatoes, onions, green chillies, salt,cumin powder, ground pepper. Serve with a dash of lime.

How much time does it take?

Roughly 15 mins