Sunday 19 April 2015

Coconut and papaya drink

1 cup coconut milk
3 cups chilled papaya pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups ice cubes

Method
  1. Combine the coconut milk, papaya, sugar and ice-cubes in a blender and blend till smooth and froth.
  2. Pour into 4 individual glasses and serve chilled.

Chana Palak

Method
  1. Blend the spinach in a mixer to a smooth purée and keep aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a non-stick kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
  3. When the cumin seeds crackle, add the onions, garlic and ginger-green chilli paste and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes or till the onions turn golden brown in colour. Add a little water to avoid the onions from sticking to the kadhai.
  4. Add the spinach purée, tomatoes and ½ cup of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
  5. Add the kabuli chana and salt, mix well and cook for another 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
  6. Serve hot with whole wheat parathas or brown rice.

http://www.tarladalal.com/Chana-Palak-(-Healthy-Heart-Recipe)-5570r

Thandai

4 1/2 cups full- fat milk , boiled and cooled
1/4 cup powdered sugar
a pinch of freshly ground black pepper (kalimirch)
a few saffron (kesar) strands

To Be Blended Into A Fine Powder
1/4 cup almonds (badam)
2 tbsp poppy seeds (khus-khus)
2 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
20 whole white peppercorns

Method
  1. Combine the prepared powder and milk in a deep bowl, mix well using a whisk and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  2. Strain the mixture through a strainer, add the sugar, pepper powder and saffron and mix well.
  3. Pour equal quantities of the thandai into 4 individual glasses and serve chilled.


http://www.tarladalal.com/Thandai-3635r

Kiwi Margarita

4 Kiwi 
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups crushed ice

For The Rim
1 lemon halve
salt as required

Method 
For the rim

  1. Rub a lemon halve along the rim of a glass.
  2. Place the glass gently over a plate containing salt. Dust of the excess salt.
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make 1 more glass. Keep aside.

How to proceed

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.
  2. Place pour equal quantity of the drink into each of the salt rimmed glasses.
  3. Serve immediately.


http://www.tarladalal.com/Kiwi-Margarita-(-Party-Drinks-)-33205r

Baigan masala

Need To Have

  • Eggplants/ Brinjals - 12, small, long ones
  • Tomatoes - 2, pureed
  • Onion - 1 minced
  • Curry Leaves - 10
  • Salt - to taste

To Grind

  • Peanuts - 1/2 cup
  • Coriander Seeds - 1 tablespoon
  • White Sesame Seeds - 1 tablespoon
  • Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon
  • Dried Red Chillies - 8
  • Garlic - 5 cloves
  • Chopped Ginger - 1 tablespoon

Method


          Toast the peanuts and peel the skin. Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and sesame seeds and cool. Grind it all together along with the other ingredients given under 'to grind'.


          Slit the eggplants 'crisscross'. Heat some oil, add the eggplants and keep sauteing till they start turning soft, start changing color and almost half cooked, remove and keep.


          In the same pan, add some more oil, add the minced onion and curry leaves and keep sauteing for 2 or 3 minutes, till the onion starts turning golden. Now add the ground paste and keep mixing for at least 5 minutes, till the raw smell goes. Then add the tomato puree and keep cooking for another 3 or 4 minutes.


          To this, now add the eggplants, mix, add about 2 cups of water and salt, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. You'll see the oil oozing from the peanuts and sesame seeds and floating on the top. Switch off at this stage, serve it warm with rice or rotis.


Note
Usually they add tamarind extract, I replaced it with tomato puree.
While toasting the coriander and cumin seeds, add the sesame seeds at the end, and toast on reduced heat, otherwise, it starts splattering everywhere.
Make sure that the gravy is slightly thin when you switch off, it thickens as it cools.