Ingredients:

Flour: 300 gms

Olive oil or other oil- 2-3 tbsps

Salt- 1 tsp

Dry yeast- 1.25 tsp

Cheese: 100 gms- grate

Mixed Italian herbs

Milled Pepper

Warm water to mix

Sliced tomatoes, onions, capsicums, olives etc for topping.

Method:

Add salt and yeast to the flour and oil. Mix well. Add warm water little by little and knead into a soft dough. Put it in a deep bowl and cover loosely with a damp cloth and place in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours. Let it rise to double the size.

Take the dough and spread (do not grease) it into desired shapes- either individual mini pizzas or large one. You can oil your fingers if needed. Prick with the fork in several places. Spread tomato sauce (Recipe below). Sprinkle cheese and layer the vegetables on top. Sprinkle pepper and mixed Italian herbs like Oregano, rosemary. Dot with oil. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 250 degrees C. Take care not to brown the crust. Cool and cut.

Tomato Sauce:

Tomatoes- 4 large

Onion- 1 small

Garlic- 1 tsp chopped

Capsicum-1/2 chopped

Olive or other oil

sugar, salt to taste

Dried oregano- 1 tsp

Milled pepper- 1 tsp

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water. Peel and grate the pulp or chop fine. Heat oil and saute the onion, garlic and capsicum for a few minutes. Add the tomato pulp and simmer until the sauce thickens a little. Add sugar, salt, pepper powder and simmer a little longer. Add the oregano and cool.

Ingredients:

Flour- 100 gms

Castor sugar or powdered sugar- 100 gms

Butter- 100 gms

Walnuts- 100 gms

Eggs- 2

Cocoa- 3 tbsps

Baking powder- 3/4 tsp

Salt- a large pinch

Method:

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Shell and chop walnuts into medium sized pieces. Beat the eggs and keep aside. Melt butter in a pan and stir in the cocoa powder. Add sugar and eggs and mix well. Stir in the flour gradually and blend well. Mix in half of the walnuts. Pour batter into a buttered baking tray and sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top. Bake in pre-heated oven for 25- 30 minutes at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cool and cut into pieces.

Ingredients:

200 ml paneer crumbled

100 ml chopped onions

100 ml chopped tomatoes

100 ml capsicum chopped (can include coloured capsicum)

1 green chilli- deseeded and chopped

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp olive oil

Salt to taste

For the toast:

6 bread slices

For garnish:

2 tbsp chopped coriander

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan, add onions; stir fry, add capsicum, add tomatoes, add ginger, fry. Add green chillies, chilli powder, salt, paneer and mix well. Place the toasts on a plate, top with paneer bhurji and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

Alternatively, can serve with chappathis.

Moong Dal: 60 ml
Sugar: 75 ml
Ghee: 60 – 75 ml
Khoya: 60 ml
Milk: 2 tbsp
Saffron- a few strands
Almonds for garnishing

Method:

Dry roast the moong dal till golden and soak in water for atleast two hours. Drain and grind with very little water to a coarse consistency. Mix saffron in milk and keep aside. Make a one-string consistency syrup with the sugar and keep aside. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed kadai and fry the ground paste on medium heat until golden in colour. The mixture should not be lumpy. Keep stirring to avoid burning. This is a slow process and should be done slowly to get perfect result.

When done, add the milk and sugar syrup and mix till the mixture becomes homogeneous. Now add the khoya and mix well. The halwa should not stick to the kadai. That is the correct consistency. Transfer to a dish and garnish with sliced almonds. Serve warm.

Pour a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice over half teaspoon baking soda. If fresh, it bubbles vigorously.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour- 140 gms
Baking Powder- 2 tsp
Baking Soda- 1/2 tsp
Condensed Milk (sweetened)- 200 gms
Melted Butter- 70 gms
Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp (optional)
Very Ripe Bananas- 2 (Peeled weight 200 gms)
Water- 60 ml
Almonds- 10- chop into small pieces
Baking pan 7″ x 5″ x 2″

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 Degrees Centigrade.
Peel and mash the bananas with a fork and keep aside. DO NOT use mixer to mash.

Sift together flour and baking soda and powder. Add the chopped nuts and mix well. Add melted butter, condensed milk, Vanilla essence and mashed bananas. Mix well. Add water little by little to form an uniform batter.

Transfer to greased pan and tap to level. Bake at 200 degrees C for about 50 minutes. The cake is done when it begins to leave the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and leave in pan for 5 minutes. Then separate from pan and turn on to a cooling rack.
Slice with a serrated knife when completely cool. Slices better if chilled in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Tip: Make sure your baking soda and powder are fresh and active.

Ingredients:

Fine Rawa (chiroti rawa)- 150 ml
salt- pinch
Almonds- 10
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Maida- for dusting
Oil
Milk- 600 ml
Sugar-100 ml
Cardamom- 3-4
Saffron- a few strands

Method:

Soak almonds in water, peel and grind fine with a little milk. Mix rawa, salt and badam paste and knead into dough and let rest for 20 minutes. Then rub ghee on it and knead well even by pounding with the roller. Sprinkle a little water and pound/ knead. Make small balls and roll into small rounds. Fold into a semi circle and paste the edges together.

Boil milk, add sugar, and continue to boil until slightly thickened. Add cardamom powder and saffron. Keep it hot.

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the prepared polis. Turn and fry both sides. Drain and soak in milk. When the next poli is fried, remove the soaked one and place in a big plate. Continue with the rest of the polis. After all polis are fried and soaked, pour the rest of the milk on all the polis. Take care not to stack the polis or they may get stuck together.

You can omit the almonds or add the almond paste to the milk for a different flavour.

Ingredients:

Tender cooked corn – 2 cups
White sauce
Grated cheese – 100 gms
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste

For white sauce:

Butter – 1 tbsp
Plain flour (maida)- 1 tbsp
Milk-1 cup
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

White Sauce:

Melt the butter on a slow flame. Add the flour and cook on a slow flame, while stirring throughout, until froth appears. Add the milk gradually and stir continually until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper and mix well. Add cheese and mix well.

Au Gratin:

Take corn which is at room temperature and mix it well with the white sauce. Optional: other veggies like carrot, broccoli, cauliflower etc can also be added. In a baking dish pour the mixture and bake for 15 minutes at 400F. Serve at room temperature.

Ingredients:

Rice- 150 ml
Toor dal-75 ml
Tamarind- 1 ball the size of a small lime
Mixed chopped Vegetables-200 ml (Beans,carrot,potato,peas etc.)
Oil 4 tbsp
Mustard- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- 10-15
Salt to taste

Roast in oil and powder:

Gram Dal- 20 ml
Dhania seeds- 20 ml
Red Chillies-6
Methi- 1/2 tsp
Copra- 30- 40 ml
Poppy seeds-2 tsp
Cardamom-1
Cloves-3-4
Cinnamon- a small piece

Method:

Extract tamarind juice and keep aside. Cook rice and Dal together in the pressure cooker for 5 whistles with 600 ml water. Vegetables can also be kept in the same cooker in a separate dish. Heat oil in a large pan, add mustard, splutter and then curry leaves. Add tamarind water and salt and 2 cups of water. Boil till the raw smell goes. Add the masala powder and vegetables and boil some more. Mash the rice dal mixture and add to the boiling liquid. Top up with the rest of the oil and mix well. Check the consistency and add some hot water if needed. Keep hot and add a dollop of ghee and mix before serving. Serve with Boondi on top, raitha and chips.