Sarson Ka Saag

Ingredients

5 cups mustard leaves
1 1/2 cups roughly cooked spinach
2 1/2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
2 tsp finely chopped ginger (adrak)
2 tbsp oil/ ghee
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 tsp finely chopped garlic (lehsun)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tsp chilli powder
3 tbsp maize flour (makai ka atta) mixed with 1/3 cup of water
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup milk
salt to taste
1 tbsp  butter (for garnish)

Method

1. Combine mustard leaves, spinach, green chillies and ginger with 1½ cups of water in a broad pan and cook on medium flame till the greens get cooked and the water dries out. Keep aside to cool.
2. Blend to a coarse paste in a mixer. Keep aside.
3. Heat the oil/ ghee in another pan; add the onions and garlic and sauté on a medium flame till the onions turn translucent.
4. Add tomatoes and cook till the mixture leaves oil.
5. Add the prepared paste and cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes, while stirring continuously.
6. Add the maize flour paste, milk and salt and mix well. Simmer for another 5 minutes, while stirring continuously.Serve hot garnished with a dollop of  butter.

Coconut Chatni

Ingredients

3/4 cup fresh curds (dahi) , beaten
1/3 cup freshly grated coconut
2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger (adrak)
salt to taste
2 tsp coconut oil or any other refined oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
7 to 8 curry leaves (kadi patta)

Method

1. Combine the curds, coconut, green chillies, ginger and salt together in a serving bowl and mix well. Keep aside.
2. For the tempering, heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds.
3. When the seeds crackle, add the curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
4. Pour the tempering over the curds-coconut mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

Sambhar

Ingredients
 1 cup toovar (arhar) dal
1 tbsp chana dal (split bengal gram)
1 drumsticks (savanjana ki phalli / saragavo) , cut into 75 mm. (3”) pieces
1/4 cup chopped bottle gourd (doodhi / lauki)
1/2 cup shallots (madras onions)
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped brinjals (baingan / eggplant)
1 tbsp tamarind (imli) pulp
salt to taste
1 tbsp coconut oil or any other refined
1/4 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
6 to 7 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

For The Sambhar Masala1 tsp coconut oil or any other
1 tbsp chana dal (split bengal gram)
1 tbsp urad dal (split black lentils)
1 tbsp coriander (dhania) seeds
1 tsp fenugreek (methi) leaves leaves seeds
6 to 8 whole dry kashmiri red chillies , broken into pieces
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 tbsp freshly grated coconut

Method 
For the sambhar masala

1. Heat the oil in a deep pan, add all the ingredients and sauté on a slow flame for 4 to 5 minutes or till they release flavour, while stirring continuously. Keep aside.
2. When cool, blend in a mixer to a fine powder. Keep aside.

Sambhar

1. Clean, wash and soak both the dals in enough water for 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Combine the dals with 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles.
3. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Whisk the dal thoroughly and keep aside.
4. Combine the drumstick, bottle gourd and 1 cup of water in a deep pan and cook on a medium flame for 10 to 12 minutes or till all the water has evaporated.
5. Add the cooked dal, shallots, tomatoes, brinjals, drumsticks, bottle gourd, tamarind pulp, sambhar masala, salt and 3 cups of water, mix well and bring to boil. Keep aside.
6. For the tempering, heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds.
7. When the seeds crackle, add the fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida and sauté for a few seconds.
8. Pour the tempering over the boiling sambhar, mix well and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. Serve hot.

Bajra Methi Khakhras

Ingredients

1/2 cup bajra (black millet) flour
2 tbsp whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste
1/4 tsp finely chopped green chillies
3 tbsp finely chopped fenugreek (methi)leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp oil
salt to taste
1/4 tsp oil for greasing
whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta) for rolling
ghee for cooking

Method

1. Combine the bajra flour, wheat flour, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, fenugreek leaves, turmeric powder, oil and salt together in a bowl and knead to form a soft dough using enough warm water. Keep aside for 1 minutes.
2. Knead again using oil till smooth and divide the dough into 5 equal portions.
3. Roll out each portion into a 125 mm. (5") diameter thin circle, using a little wheat flour for rolling.
4. Heat the tava (griddle) and cook on a slow flame using ghee until pink spots appear on both the sides.
5. Cook the khakhra on a slow flame by pressing with a folded muslin cloth till it turns brown.
6. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container till use.

Sweet Corn Soup

Ingredients

For The Vegetable Stock (makes Approx 5 Cups)
3/4 cup roughly chopped onions

1/2 cup roughly chopped carrots1/2 cup roughly chopped celery                 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns(kalimirch)                                        

6 cups water

3/4 cup whole sweet corn kernels3/4 cup grated sweet corn3 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1/4 cup water

salt to taste

For Serving chillies in vinegar
chilli sauce.

Method 
For the vegetable stock

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a deep pan and bring to a boil.
2. Lower the flame and simmer the stock for 20 to 25 minutes or till the vegetables release their flavour.
3. Strain the stock and keep aside.

How to proceed
1. Combine the vegetable stock and the sweet corn kernels in a deep pan.
2. Cover and cook on a medium flame for approximately 10 minutes or till the corn is cooked.
3. Add the grated corn, mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the cornflour paste and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring continuously. 
5. Add the sugar and salt and mix well and cook for another minute.
6.Pour in individual soup bowls and serve hot with chillies in vinegar  and chilli sauce.                                

Quick Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
1/2 cup peeled potatoes , thinly sliced
1/2 cup tomatoes , thinly sliced
1/4 cup peeled carrots , thinly sliced
1/4 cup peeled bottle gourd (doodhi / lauki) , thinly sliced)
1/4 tsp low-fat butter
4 peppercorns (kalimirch)
salt to taste

For The Garnish1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
2 tbsp grated low-fat paneer

  Method

1. Combine all the vegetables, butter, peppercorns and salt with the 3 cups of hot water and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
2. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
3. Serve hot garnished with the coriander and paneer.

Almond Til Chikki

Ingredients

1/4 cup sesame seeds (til)
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds (badam)
1/3 cup grated jaggery (gur)
1 tsp ghee1/2 tsp ghee for greasing

Method

1. Roast the sesame seeds for a few minutes over a medium flame till they are light golden in colour. Cool and keep aside. Repeat with the almonds.
2. Grease the back of a flat thali or a stone surface with a little ghee and keep aside.
3. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the jaggery.
4. Simmer over a slow flame while stirring continuously till the jaggery melts and caramelizes and forms a hard ball when you add a drop in cold water. Remove from the flame.
5. Add the roasted sesame seeds and almonds and mix thoroughly with the melted jaggery. You may need to put off the flame during this process.
6. When the mixture is ready, pour the entire mixture over the greased thali or a smooth stone surface. Roll the chikki out into thin sheets using a greased rolling pin.
7. When cool, cut into square pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Almond Soup

Ingredients

15 to 20 almonds (badam)
4 cups white stock 
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp plain flour (maida)

1/4tsp pepper powder (kalimirch)
3/4 cup hot milk
3 to 4 drops almond essence
salt and to taste
2 tbsp fresh cream

Method

White Stock:Combine 2 cups of chopped mixed vegetables (potatoes, onions, pumpkin and cabbage) with 5 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles, blend till smooth and strain. You will get 4 cups of white stock, use as required.

1. Soak the almonds in hot water for 10 minutes, drain and remove the skin.
2. Keep 2 to 3 almonds aside and blend the remaining in a mixer till smooth using a little stock.
3. Cut the remaining almonds into slices and bake them in an oven until crisp. Keep aside.
4. Add the prepared almond paste to the white stock and mix well. Keep aside.
5. Heat the butter in a deep non-stick pan, add the flour and sauté over a slow flame for 5 minutes, while stirring continuously, taking care the flour does not discolour.
6. Add the almond paste and remaining white stock, mix well and bring to boil, while stirring continuously.
7. Add the milk, almond essence, salt and pepper, mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Add the cream and mix well. Serve immediately garnished with almond slices.