Broccoli and Cream Cheese Soup

Ingredients:
- Hand full of Broccoli (Chopped)
- large Potato(chopped)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Onion chopped
- 750 ml stock or hot water
- 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese

Method:
- Heat the oil
- Add Onion and Potato and let it sweat for 10 min in low heat.
- Add the broccoli cover n sweat for 5 min.
- add stock and pressure cook.
- Blend
- Add Cream cheese, salt and Pepper.

Tip: dont overcook Broccoli otherwise it will loose its vibrant colour.
Variation : can make the same soup with courgette too. I haven't tried it yet though.

Parsnip Soup

Ingredients:


1. Large Parsnip Peeled and chopped
1 medium Onion Chopped
1 Clove of Garlic
Butter to cook
1 Tbsp Flour
1.2 litres hot Stock
1/4 tsp masal ( each of Garam masala, Haldi, Dhania powder)
a pinch of chilli powder
Salt + pepper


Method:
-Heat butter then add Onion, parsnip, Garlic and cook in slow heat for 10 min. dont let it brown.
-stir in flour, masala, salt , pepper and water slowly.
-pressure cook till one whistle
-liquidise and you are done.

Til Aloo

TIL ALOO (Potatoes fried with sesame seeds)
(serves 2)
4-5 medium size potatoes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp beige sesame seeds
1/2 tbsp black sesame seeds (entirely optional; I like to add them for color)
1/4 tsp ginger paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
lemon juice
1-2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into wedges or large cubes and boil them in salted water until tender (they cook faster this way so keep an eye).

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter add cumin and sesame seeds. Add ginger paste, turmeric and red chilli powder and saute for a few minutes (on low heat or the seeds will turn bitter).

Add potatoes and season to taste. Stir until they are well coated with spices. Sprinkle lemon juice and serve hot. Til aloo is generally served with puris but rotis or rice and dal work well too.

Almond Til Chikki

Ingredients

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

Other Ingredients1/2 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. Press the chikki out into thin sheets using wet hand.
7. When cool, cut into square pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Made by Jiya and she loved it :)

http://www.tarladalal.com/Almond-Til-Chikki-(-Calcium-Rich-Recipes)-4808r

Methi Matar Makai

Ingredients

Frozen palak 

Matar

 1/2 cups boiled sweet corn kernels (makai ke dane)  
3/4 cup onion slices
2 cloves of garlic (lehsun), roughly chopped
12 mm. (½") piece of ginger (adrak), chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsp chopped cashewnuts (kaju)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh thick curds (dahi)
2 tsp besan (Bengal gram flour)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
3/4 cup chopped fenugreek (methi) leaves
1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
1/4 cup cream
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method

1. Boil the onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies and cashewnuts with the milk for about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Cool and blend in a mixer to get a smooth purée. Keep aside.
3. Whisk the curds, besan and turmeric powder till smooth and keep aside.
4. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
5. When they crackle, add the fenugreek leaves and coriander powder and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Add the onion purée, curds-besan mixture, corn and salt and simmer for some time till the gravy thickens and coats the corn.
7. Add the cream and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Serve hot.

http://www.tarladalal.com/Methi-Makai-30994r

KAJU KATLI

KAJU KATLI Ingredients: For Basic Kaju Katli 400 ml            Water 800 gm            Sugar 800 gm            Cashewnuts (powdered to a breadcrumb consistency) For Strawberry flavouring 20 nos.            Strawberries (coarsely chopped) 3 tsp            Sugar ½ cup            Water For Saffron flavouring 1 tsp            Saffron (lightly roasted & ground to a powder) 1 tbsp            Sugar syrup Miscellaneous 5 tbsp            Pistachios (finely chopped) 3 sheets        Silver varq Method: 1. In a saucepan, combine water with sugar and cook to make a sugar syrup of 3 string consistency. Reserve 1 tbsp syrup in a small bowl. 2. Transfer remaining sugar syrup to a heavy bottomed vessel, mix in cashew powder and cook on low heat stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Cook till the mixture becomes thick and glossy. Remove from flame and keep aside. Divide the mixture into 3 parts and keep aside to cool slightly. 3. In a small frying pan, combine the strawberries with sugar and water and cook for 8 to 10 minutes till strawberries are completely mashy. Reserve 1 tbsp of this coulis and pass the rest through a strainer to make a puree. 4. Add the saffron powder to the reserved 1 tbsp sugar syrup. Keep aside. 5. Gently reheat one part of the kaju katli mixture in a frying pan, add strawberry puree and mix well. Remove from flame and stir to cool. Repeat the procedure with saffron mixture. Keep the third part of the mixture plain. 6. On a greased surface, knead the plain kaju katli lightly, shape into a ball and using a rolling pin, roll out into a thickish roti. Sprinkle over with some chopped pistachios. 7. Roll out the strawberry-flavoured kaju katli into another roti and place it on top of the plain kaju katli. Sprinkle over with some more pistachios. 8. Roll out the saffron-flavoured kaju katli into a roti and place it on top of the strawberry-flavoured kaju katli. Sprinkle over with some more chopped pistachios, then roll the 3 rotis together carefully like a swiss roll. Sprinkle the remaining pistachios on the work table and roll the kaju katli roll in them. Cover with silver varq and cut the roll into slices. 9. To serve, arrange the kaju katli pieces on a serving plate and drizzle over with reserved strawberry coulis.

From Masterchef Season 2

Rista

Rista

Ingredients700 Gms Mutton Mince with 25 % Fat Content.
1/2 Tbsp turmeric
6 Tbsps Soaked, Strained and Ground Kashmiri Red Chillies
3 Cloves
1 Stick Cinnamon
3 Big Black Cardamon
4-5 Small Green Cardamon
1 Tbsp Fried Shallot Paste
4 Tbsps Saffron Water
4 Tbsps Ghee
Salt to taste
Anise seed for garnishing

MethodMash the mince with a hammer or in a mixer and shape into balls.
Boil in a pan with water enough to cover all the mince balls.
Cook for 10 mins till the mince balls rise to the surface of the water.
Add turmeric,chilipaste, cloves,cinnamon, black and green cardamon, fried shallot paste and saffron water.
Cook for 4-5 minutes till gravy thickens.
Add salt to taste
Heat ghee in a seperate pan, add to the mince gravy and close with a tight lid for 2 minutes.
Garnish with anise seed and serve hot.

Thanks To Masterchef

http://starplus.startv.in/recipedetails.aspx?sid=126&id=210