Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 small finely chopped
Mushroom - 1 cup washed, dried and chopped
All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
Chicken Broth - 1 cup
Pepper Corns - 1/2 tsp cracked
Butter - 2 tbsps

Milk - 3 - 4 tbsps or Half & Half

Salt to taste
Rosemary to garnish

Method:

1. In a skillet heat Butter and fry the finely chopped Onions.
2. When the Onions turn the color remove the skillet from flame or reduce the flame and add the Flour slowly keep stirring all the while.
3. Turn the skillet back to the flames, add the Chicken Broth and mix well. Do not allow lumps to form while adding the Broth.
4. Now add the Mushroom and stir well, check for Salt and Pepper and stir in the Milk.
5. All the way keep the flame medium. Garnish with Rosemary before serving.

Serve With: Bread

Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

Black Beans - 1 cup
Onion - 1 large
Green Chillies - 5 nos.
Garlic Cloves - 3 finely chopped
Tomatoes - 1 large
Bell Peppers - 1 large
Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsps
Oil - 4 tbsps
Ghee - 2 tbsps (or Butter)
Rice - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Oregano - 1/4 tsp
Thyme - 1/4 tsp
Parsley - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the Rice, heat 1 tbsp of Oil and Ghee and add Rice, Water and Salt and pressure cook.
2. Wash the Black Beans and boil with salt until tender.
3. In a skillet heat the remaining Oil and Ghee, add Cumin Seeds allow it to splutter.
4. Add the chopped Garlic and Onion, fry until golden brown then add the diced Tomatoes and Bell Peppers.
5. Add the Black Beans and mix well with Salt, Pepper and Green Chillies.
6. Mix in the boiled Rice and check for Salt.
7. Sprinkle Parsley, Oregano and Thyme cover the Rice and cook for 15 mins on low flame.

Serve With: Veg Curries, Raita

Potato Curry

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 4-5 nos.
Onion - 1 medium
Curry Masala - 2 tbsps
Garlic - 2 nos.
Parsley - 2 tbsps (dried or fresh)
Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp
Chicken Broth - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1 tbsp
Cooking Oil - 2 tbsps
Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Pepper kernels - 1 tbsp (broken)

Method:

1. Wash and cube the Potatoes with the skin.
2. In a skillet heat Butter, Cooking Oil and Cumin Seeds.
3. Once the Cumins splutter add Potatoes and fry until they are brown.
4. Finely chop Garlic and mix with the Potatoes.
5. When the Garlic turns brown fry the Onions until transparent.
6. Add Curry Masala Powder Salt and Pepper and mix well.
7. Now add the Chicken Broth and mix well.
8. Sprinkle Sesame Seeds and Parsley and transfer the dish to the oven.
9. Bake the Potatoes for 5 mins.

Served With: Roti or Rice

P.S.: Curry Masala - Coriander, Cumins, Black Pepper,
Chilli Pwdr, Turmeric Pwdr, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom,
Fennel, Dry Ginger, Tej Patta and NutMeg.

Spongy Cup Cakes

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour - 100 gms

Sugar - 100 gms

Butter - 100 gms

Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp

Eggs - 2 Nos.

Vanilla Essence - few drops

Cooking Oil - 3 tbsps

Method:

1. Let the Butter come to room temperature.

2. Sift the Flour and Baking Powder thoroughly.

3. Powder the Sugar and sift it and keep the crumble aside.

4. Beat the Eggs and Vanilla Essence.

5. In a large bowl press the Butter to a soft dough with an wooden spatula.

6. Add the Sugar to the Butter spoon by spoon ensure no lumps form.

7. Pour in the Egg little by little and keep mixing.

8. Now spoon in the Flour to the batter one by one.

9. Grease the baking moulds with Cooking Oil or Butter.

10. Pour the remaining Oil to the batter and mix well.

11. Fill the moulds or the baking tin with the batter and bake for 20 mins at 350 Degrees.

PS. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees for 30 mins.

Carrot Raita

Ingredients:

Curd - 2 cups

Water - 1/2 cup

Cumin Seeds - 2 tbsps

Carrot - 2 large

Green Chillies - 2-3 nos.

Cilantro - few stalks

Salt to taste

Curry Leaves - 1 stalk

Method:

1. Mix Curd, Water and Salt thoroughly.

2. Chop Green Chillies, Curry Leaves and Cilantro and mix with Curd.

3. Scrap the outer skin of the Carrot and grate it and mix with Curd.

4. Fry the Cumin Seeds and grind it to a coarse powder and mix with the Raita.

Served with: Pulav, Biriyani also with Roti.

Mushroom Pulav

Ingredients:

Mushrooms - 1 1/2 cups washed, dried and sliced

Onion - 1 large

Tomatoes - 1 large

Cumin Seeds - 2-3 tbsps

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp (Preferably fresh)

Paparika - 1 tbsp

Green Chillies - 4 nos.

Rice - 2 cups

Water - 4 cups

Oil - 4 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Almonds - 2 tbsp halved

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of Oil and Ghee, add 1 tbsp of Cumin Seeds and let it splutter.

2. Wash the Rice and add stir well, add 4 cups of Water and 1 tbsp of Salt and Pressure cook it.

3. In a large wok heat the remaining Oil and add the 1 tbsp of Cumin Seeds.

4. Stir in the Onions, add Paparika, Cumin Powder, Green Chillies and Salt.

5. Slice the Tomatoes and mix thoroughly, add the Mushrooms and check for salt.

6. Lower the flames and add the cooked Rice and sprinkle Almonds and Cilantro.

7. Cover the wok with a lid and cook for 15-20 mins in low flame.

P.S.: Fry Cashews and Raisins and mix them with Rice to make the dish richer.

Roti

Ingredients:

Atta Flour - 2 1/2 cups

Butter Milk - 1/2 cup

Flax Seeds - 2 1/2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix 2 cups of Flour, Butter Milk, Salt and Flax seeds.

2. The dough should not be very hard (I keep it sticky).

3. Roll the dough into a long thick rod, cut it with a knief or use your fingers.

4. Roll the small dough by sprinkling the Atta Flour, so it doesnt stick to the roll or your fingers.

5. Heat a flat wok and toss the rolled dough.

6. Use a cotton cloth to press the dough slighly and help it raise like a ball.

7. You can preserve the Rotis by sealing them in Aluminium Foils for more than 10 days.

Serve With: Raita, Chicken Gravy.....

Egg Gravy

Ingredients:

Egg - 4 nos.

Onion - 1 medium

Tomato - 1 medium

Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger - Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp

Oil for frying

Salt to taste

Cilantro few stalks

For Powder:

Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp

Coriander Seeds - 1tbsp

Saunf - 1 tbsp

Poppy Seeds - 1 tbsp

Red Chillies - 5 nos.

Method:

1. Fry all the ingredients for the powder without oil and grind them.

2. In a wok heat Cooking Oil, add Cumin Seeds and let it splutter.

3. Fry the sliced Onions, add the Ginger- Garlic Paste and mix thoroughly.

4. Now mix in the ground Powder, Turmeric Powder on reduced flame for a few mins.

5. Slice in the tomatoes and let it cook for a couple of mins.

6. Add Salt and sufficient Water for the Eggs to boil.

7. Now break in the Eggs in the Gravy, cover and cook for 10 mins.

8. Just before removing the gravy from the flames sprinkle in the chopped Cilantro.

Served with: Roti, Dosa

Homemade Bread

Ingredients:

Atta Flour - 1 Cup
Unbleached Flour - 2 Cups
Honey - 5-6 tbsp
Domino Sugar - 2 tbsp
Flax Seeds - 2 tbsp
Yeast - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1 3/4 cups
Butter Milk - 1/4 cup
Sunflower Seeds - 2 handfuls
Salt to taste
Oats -1 handful (plain)
Water for soaking Oats and Sunflower Seeds.

Method:

1. Heat 1/2 cup Milk for about a min & mix the Yeast & Sugar and set it aside.
2. Heat Water and soak the Sunflower seeds.
3. In a tissue pour the Oats and soak it in water.
4. Heat the reamining Milk for another min.
5. In a large bowl add the Atta flour, unbleached flour, salt and mix well.
6. Add the Flax Seeds, Honey, ButterMilk, Milk and mix well.
7. The Yeast mixture would raise, now add the Yeast and mix well.
8. Drain off the Water and put the Sunflower Seeds.
9. Now squeeze the water from Oats and press in with the mixture.
10. Do not make the dough too hard, if needed add a few tbsps of milk and knead it well.
11. Now seperate the dough into 2 halves and roll them lenght wise.
12. Spinkle some Unbleached flour in the baking tins and place the rolled dough.
13. Wet a couple of tissues and cover the baking tins & allow it to raise.
14. In the mean time preheat the oven at 450 degrees for 20 mins.
15. Place a bowl of water while you bake the bread in the oven, it will prevent the bread from becoming hard.
16. Bake the bread for 20 mins. Allow it to cool and cut it into slices.

PS. Soaked Oats can be sprinkled on the dough before baking.
Atta - Golden Temple Durum Atta
Unbleached - Harvest King

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Tandoori Mirchi

Ingredients:

Potato - 2 medium size peeled boiled and mashed

Onion - 1 medium sliced

Corn Kernels - 1 can boiled

Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oregano - 1/4 tsp dried

Rosemary - 1/4 tsp dried

Savory - 1/4 tsp dried

Salt to taste

Oil to saute

Capsicum - 4 nos.

Method:

1. In a wok heat Oil and add Cumin Seeds, once it splutters add Onions and saute.

2. Now add the Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder and Salt.

3. Mix the mashed Potatoes and boiled Corn Kernels.

4. Once it is mixed thoroughly bring the mixture off the flames.

5. Add the Rosemary, Savory and Oregano.

6. Cut open the top of the Capsicum and remove the seeds within.

7. Stuff the Potato Corn mixture and secure it with a toothpeck.

8. Preheat the oven at 300 degree for 20 mins.

9. Bake the Mirchi for 10 min.

Pasta, Peas and Tonno

Ingredients:

Pasta - Whole Wheat blend Rotini
Tonno - Rio Mare's Tonno 2 cans
Onion - 1 medium size
Canned Tomato - 2 scoops
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Peas - 1/4 cup (frozen)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Olive Oil 4 tbsp
Water - 5 1/2 cups

Method:

1. In a pan heat Olive Oil, add Cumin Seeds and let it splutter.
2. Add sliced Onions, Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder and Garam Masala.
3. Add the frozen Peas and mix well along with some salt.
4. Add the canned tomatoes and Tonno and mix well.
5. Mix pepper and check for salt. Allow it cook for 5 mins adding a little water.
6. In the mean time, in a deep vessel heat 5 cups of water and salt.
7. While the water boils add the Pasta and mix it occassionally, cooking for 12 mins.
8. Drain the water and mix the Tonno Peas mixture and the cooked pasta.