Thursday, September 30, 2010

Mexican Kitchen..

GRAPE COMBO
Serves 4

Black grapes 1 cup
Strawberries chopped ½ cup
Ripe banana chopped ½
Soda 1 bottle
A few ice cubes
Place grapes, strawberries, banana with ice in a blender and blend till smooth.
Chill in refrigerator till serving time
At the time of serving, add soda and mix well.
Put a few ice cubes in each glass. Divide the juice in 4 glasses. Stir. Serve immediately.

MIXED CAPSICUM SALAD
Red capsicum finely chopped ½ cup
Yellow capsicum finely chopped ½ cup
Green capsicum finely chopped ½ cup
Spring onions finely chopped along with the green part 2
Onion finely chopped ½ cup
Coriander finely chopped 3 tbsp
Green chillies chopped 1 tsp
Salt ¾ tsp
Lemon juice 2 – 3tbsp
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Chop all the ingredients very finely.
Put all the ingredients of the salad in a bowl and mix well.
Chill in the fridge for 1- 2 hrs. Before serving.
Mix well once before serving.
Serve chilled with any snack or by itself.

MINESTRONE SOUP
½ cup baked beans
2 mushrooms sliced very finely
¼ cup finely chopped carrots
1 tbsp finely chopped French beans
¼ cup finely chopped potatoes
2 large tomatoes chopped
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped onions
5 cups water
Salt & pepper to taste
Heat 1 tbsp butter and fry onions for 1 minute till soft.
Add beans, mushrooms, carrots, French beans and potatoes. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and water. Add pepper.Boil.Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, mashing occasionally, till well blended. Check salt.

ROASTED COTTAGE CHEESE
Green chillies 10
Cottage cheese 125gms. Cut into small pieces
Onion finely chopped 1
Garlic chopped ½ tsp
Basil leaves ½ tsp
Oregano ½ tsp
Salt ¾ tsp
Milk ½ cup
Cream ¼ cup
1 tsp corn flour dissolved in 2tbsp water
Olive oil 3 tbsp
Cut into ¼” small pieces
Roast chillies on a griddle till black patches appear.
Remove chillies and cut into strips.
Put 1 tbsp oil and cubed paneer pieces and roast till pieces get nice brown colour.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic. Cook till it begins to brown for about 3 – 4minutes.
Add basil leaves, oregano, salt, milk and cream.
Dissolve corn flour and add to the above mixture. Cook for minute.
Add roasted paneer and sliced green chillies. Mix gently and serve hot.

Monday, September 27, 2010

dhaba favourite..........

PINDI CHHOLE WITH ONION KULCHA
Serves 4
Bengal gram (chana kabuli) 1 cup
Split gram (channa dal) 2 tbsp
Big cardamoms (moti illaichi) 2
Onions chopped finely 2
Pomegranate seeds (anardana powder) 1 ½ tsp
Big tomato chopped finely 1
Ginger chopped finely 1”piece
Green chilli chopped finely 1
Garam masala ½ tsp
Dhania powder 1 tsp
Channa masala 1 tsp
Salt & chilli powder to taste
Soak channa and channe kid al overnight in a pressure cooker. Next morning discard water. Wash channas with fresh water and add moti illaichi and enough water to cover channas nicely.
Pressure cook all ingredients together to give one whistle. After one whistle keep it on low flame for about 20 – 25 minutes. Keep aside.
Heat 4 tbsp oil. Add onions. Sauté till transparent. Add anardana powder. Cook stirring till onions turn dark brown.
Add chopped tomatoes, ginger and green chilli. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add dhania powder, chilli powder & garam masala. Mash and stir fry tomatoes occasionally till they turn brownish in colour and oil separates.
Strain channas, reserving liquid, add to onion tomato masala. Mix well add salt. Stir fry gently for 5-7 minutes.
Add channa masala and channa liquid. Cook for 15-20 minutes on medium flame till the liquid dries up a little.
Serve garnished with onion rings, green chillies and tomato wedges.
ONION KULCHA
Plain flour 2 ½ cups
Curd ¾ cup
Salt ½ tsp
Oil 1tsp
Sugar ½ tsp
A pinch of baking powder
Luke warm water for kneading dough
Sift flour, salt and baking powder together.
Add salt sugar and oil. Rub the flour to get crumbs.
Add curd and knead smooth dough with water if required.
Cover it and keep it aside for at least for 8 hours
Onion chopped 3
Coriander seeds 1tsp
Salt & red chilli powder to taste
Green chillies chopped 2
Coriander leaves chopped 1 tsp
Kasuri methi 1tsp
Oil for sauté
In pan heat oil, add coriander seeds, when crackles add onion sauté till it turns light brown.
Add salt and chillies. Add kasuri methi mix it thoroughly. Remove from fire.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Make 8 balls from dough. Roll out each ball into chapatti.
Place small onion filling in the centre, now join the edges and seal the kulcha. Press and again roll the kulcha even. Repeat the same with all balls.
Cook the kulcha in pre heated tandoor from both sides.
Remove the kulcha from tandoor and serve with pindi chhole.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

good combination....

GRAVY WITH PANEER NAAN
Serves 3
GRAVY
Garlic cloves few
Onion sliced 2
Tomato chopped 3
Salt & red chilli powder, sugar 1tsp
Turmeric powder 2 pinches
Garam masala 1 tsp
Kitchen king (masala) 1 tsp (optional)
Milk ½ cup
Kasuri methi 1 tsp
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
Oil 1 tsp
Deep fry onion and garlic till golden.
In a heavy bottom pan, add tomatoes, salt, chilli powder and sugar. Cook it on high flame for 5 minutes and 10 minutes on low flame till water comes out.
Cool it. Grind tomato pulp and fried onion garlic together to get smooth paste.
Heat oil in kadahi, add cumin seeds, sauté it. Now add onion tomato paste. Cook it till oil comes out.
Add turmeric powder, kitchen king, garam masala. Cook it for few minutes.
Add kasuri methi. After few minutes add milk. Cook till it looks like gravy.
Check seasonings.

PANEER NAAN
Plain flour 2 cups
Curd ½ cup
Salt ½ tsp
Oil 1tsp
Sugar ½ tsp
A pinch of baking powder
Luke warm water for kneading dough
Sift flour, salt and baking powder together.
Add salt sugar and oil. Rub the flour to get crumbs.
Add curd and knead smooth dough with water if required.
Cover it and keep it aside for at least 5-6 hours.
Cottage cheese grated 250gms
Onion chopped 2
Coriander seeds 1tsp
Salt & red chilli powder to taste
Green chillies chopped 2
Coriander leaves chopped 1 tsp
Oil for sauté
In pan heat oil, add coriander seeds, when crackles add onion sauté till it turns light brown.
Add salt and chillies. Add cottage cheese mix it thoroughly. Remove from fire.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Make 8 balls from dough. Roll out each ball into chapatti.
Place small filling of cheese mixture in the centre, now join the edges and seal the naan. Press and again roll the naan even. Repeat the same with all balls.
Cook the naan in pre heated tandoor from both sides.
Remove from tandoor and temper the naan with butter.
Serve the paneer naan with gravy.

Friday, September 24, 2010

punjabi combo

DAL MAKHANI WITH MISSI ROTI
DAL MAKHANI
Serves 4
Sabot manh dal (whole black lentil) ½ cup
Red kidney beans (rajma) ¼ cup
Channa dal (Bengal gram dal) 1tbsp
Garlic chopped ½ bunch
Onion chopped 2
Tomatoes 3
Green chillies 2
Cumin seeds 1tsp
Salt & red chilli powder to taste
Water 10cups
Milk ¼ cup
Cream or malai 1tbsp
Oil or desi ghee 1 tbsp
Pressure cook both lentils, kidney beans, onions, green chillies and water together for half an hour on full flame and then half an hour on low flame(total 1 hour).
Grind tomatoes and garlic together to get puree.
Heat oil in heavy bottom handi, add cumin seeds, when it starts splutter add puree.
Cook till oil comes out. Add salt and chilli powder.
Pour boiled dal in this puree. Mix it smoothly and again cook it for half an hour on low flame.
Add milk and stir it. Again cook for 15 minutes.
Dal is ready. At the time of serving you can add cream or beated malai on it.
MISSI ROTI
Makes 10
Gram flour (besan) 1 cup
Wheat flour (atta) 2 cups
Onion finely chopped 1
Oil or ghee 2tbsp
Salt, red chillies 3/4tsp
Turmeric powder (haldi) 2 pinches
Carom seeds (ajwain) 1 tsp
Pomegranate seeds (anardana) whole or pounded
Mix both flours. Add all other ingredients. Knead to smooth dough of rolling consistency. Cover and keep aside for at least 30 minutes.
Shape into 10 balls. Roll out each ball to a slightly thick, small chapatti.
Cook it on hot tawa on both sides, when half done, roast on both sides on open fire. Spread white butter or pure ghee on the hot roti. Serve with dal makhani.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Raise the immunity of ur child with nutritious food....

NUTRITIOUS SOUP
Serves 2
Tomato 2 chopped
Onion 1 chopped
French beans 3-4 chopped
Bottle gourd ½ chopped
Garlic few cloves chopped
Ginger ½”chopped
Oil or butter 1tsp
Green lentil (moong chilka dal) 1tbsp
Water 2 cups
Salt & pepper to taste
In pressure cooker heat oil, add garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute.
Add onion, sauté for few seconds.
Add French beans, bottle gourd, and washed lentil. Fry for a minute.
Add tomatoes and again fry for a minute.
Add water. Pressure cooker all of these together to give 3-4 full whistles and few minutes on low flame.
Remove from fire. Cool down, grind it and strain the soup in a vessel.
Boil the soup and add salt & pepper. Ready to serve.

SOYA PALAK PURI
Serves 2
Wheat flour ½ cup
Soya powder made by grinding nutrinuggets ¼ cup
Semolina (suji) ½ tbsp
Spinach (palak) ½ cup chopped
Salt ¼ tsp
Mix all the ingredients and make dough with the help of little water. Keep covered for 10-15 minutes.
Heat oil in kadhai. Make small puries and fry in oil.
Serve with tomato ketchup.

SOYA ALOO PURI
Serves 4

1cup Atta (wheat flour)
½ cup soya powder made by grinding nutrinuggets
1tbsp suji (semolina)
3medium potatoes – boiled& mashed
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp jeera powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder, dry pomegranate seeds
2 green chillies chopped
1. Mix all the ingredients and make dough with little water.
2. Keep covered for 10-15 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a kadai. Make puries with the dough and fry in oil.

NUTRITIOUS BREAD PAKODA
Serves 2
Bread slices 2
Wheat flour 2tbsp
Gram flour 4tbsp
Carrot grated 1small
Bottle gourd grated ¼ cup
Coriander chopped 1tsp
Water ½ cup
Salt & chilli powder to taste
Oil for frying
Mix wheat flour, gram flour, salt & chilli powder. Add water to make a batter consistency.
Add grated carrot and bottle gourd.
Dip a slice of bread in it and thoroughly coat in the batter on both the sides.
Shallow fry in a pan, putting oil on the sides.
Turn and fry on both sides till golden brown. Cut into triangular pieces and serve with tomato ketchup.

DAL IDLI
Serves 2
Channa dal ½ tbsp
Dhuli moong dal ½ tbsp
Sabot moong ½ tbsp
Rice ½ tbsp
Nutrinuggets powder 1 tbsp
Coriander chopped 1 tbsp
Ginger finely chopped ½ tsp
Eno fruit salt 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Soak together all the dals and rice in 3cups of water for 4-5 hours.
Grind the above in a mixer to obtain the consistency of a dosa batter.
Add coriander, ginger, nutrinugget powder and salt.
Keep it aside to ferment in a warm place for at least 8 hours.
Add eno salt and mix well.
Grease the idli mould with some oil and pour the batter in the mould.
Microwave it for 5 minutes. Take out the idlis. Serve.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Shree Ganeshaya Namah:..........

MODAK
Rice flour 2 cups
Water 4 cups
Oil 4tsp
Grated coconut, almonds, raisins (chopped) 3 cups
Powdered sugar 1 ½ cups
A Little milk, few strands of kesar, few crops of rose water.

Boil water and add kesar, rose water and oil in to it. Take off heat.
Add rice flour little by little to avoid lumps.
Cover the mixture and let it cool.
When cool, knead it well to smooth and even finish.
Mix coconut, almonds, raisins and sugar in a pan for stuffing.
Add milk and stir it, till mixture turns dry and little dark, on low flame.
Turn off the heat.
Make balls with the dough.
Flatten them in to circles. Now place the little stuffing in it and cover it completely with the dough.
Fold the edges tapering to the centre.
Steam them in pressure cooker for 10 minutes or in microwave for 5 minutes.

Friday, September 10, 2010

ENTERTAINING MAXIMS:

Symmetry is key.When placing things on aplate or bowl, make sure they don't cling too much towards one side or another.
An antique tea service makes setting perfect.
Fruit tarts add visual appeal.
Use rose petals to spruce up a table setting.
Keep sandwiches bite - sized.
When entertaining at home, take comfort into account.
The best way to be a gracious host is to be yourself and not try too hard. Be genuine.
Invite people you really like into your home. Keep it real.
For final touches play soft background music. *


* courtesy vogue india

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The word CHOCOLATE has a magic about it....r u agree with it?

WARM MOLTEN – CENTRED CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
Ingredients
MAKES 8
4 tbsp soft margarine or yellow butter
3 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp sugar powder
1 large egg
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
Plain chocolate
Method
Put the margarine, sugar, egg, flour and cocoa in an electric mixer, beat together until just smooth.
Grease the baking cupcake tray, spoon half of the batter in cupcake cases. Using a tsp make an indentation in the centre of each cake. Break the chocolate evenly into 8 squares and place a piece in each indentation, then spoon the remaining cake batter on top.
Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven, 190c for 20 minutes or until well risen and springy to touch. Let stand for 2-3 minutes before serving warm.

Monday, September 6, 2010

fashion gurus says, green is a new black...so GO GREEN

SPINACH SOUP
Serves 4
3 cups chopped spinach
3 cups water
¼” ginger chopped, 2-3 flakes garlic
1 onion chopped
1 cup milk
Salt & pepper to taste
GARNISHING
1tsp lemon juice
Boil spinach, onion, garlic, and ginger with 3 cups of water in pressure cooker to give 1 whistle and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree and sieve. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Add milk, stirring continuously, boil again. Remove from fire.
Add lemon juice and serve.
You can drop a dash of cream on it for decoration.

SPINACH TOAST
Serves 6
1 ½ tbsp butter
4 bread slices
2-3 crushed garlic
100 gms leaves of palak washed & shredded
1 ½ cup grated paneer 5 tbsp grated mozzarella cheese
¼ tsp salt & pepper ½ tsp red chilli flakes
Wash and shred spinach leaves in to thin ribbons.
Heat butter in kadhai. Add garlic and stir. Add spinach and cook till all the moisture of spinach evaporates. Remove from heat.
Mix together paneer and cheese leaving behind 1 tbsp for topping
Add cooked spinach to the paneer and mix well. Add salt & pepper
Spread the mixture on toasts. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some red chilli flakes too.
Heat in an oven at 210c for 2-3 minutes. Cut each slice into 6 triangles.

PALAK CHAAT
Serves 5
Spinach (palak) leaves - with long stems
BATTER
½ cup gram flour
½ cup water
½ tsp carom seeds
½ tsp salt ½ tsp red chilli powder
TOPPING
5 tbsp beated curd
5 tbsp mithi chutney (tamarind sauce)
1 tsp roasted jeer powder ½ tsp red chilli powder
Break the spinach leaves along with a little stem. Wash and dry the leaves on towel
Mix all ingredients to get batter of coating consistency
At the time of serving, dip the leaf in batter coating it well, and drop few leaves at a time in hot oil.fry until golden brown.
Place the spinach pakodas on serving plate
Spread curd, meethi chutney and sprinkle cumin powder and red chilli powder on top.
Serve immediately.

PALAK PANEER PAKODA
Serves 4
500 gms spinach leaves – cut stems, washed and dried
250 gms cottage cheeses – cut into thick strips
Few toothpicks
Salt & red chilli powder
Oil for frying
BATTER
Gram flour (besan) ½ cup
Salt & red chilli powder
Mix besan salt and chilli along with water to make thick batter.
Sprinkle salt & chilli powder on paneer pieces.
Wrap single paneer piece in single palak leaf and seal it with toothpick.
Do the same with all pieces.
Heat the oil. Dip the each wrapped piece in a batter and fry it till golden.
Serve hot with any chutney or sauce.

CREAM OF SPINACH
Serves 3
½ kg spinach
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
2 garlic flakes crushed
1 green chilli
WHITE SAUCE
1 tbsp butter
½ onion finely chopped
1 tbsp maida 1 cup hot milk
1 tbsp cream
1/2 tsp salt
GARLIC CROUTONS
1 slice bread
1 tbsp butter
2 flakes garlic crushed
4 peppercorns crushed
Wash spinach leaves thoroughly. Add butter, salt, garlic, & green chilli. Cook uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat. Mash spinach with a ladle
Heat 1tbsp of butter and fry onions until lightly browned. Add the flour and cook for 1minute. Stir in the milk gradually. Boil. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the spinach paste, cream, salt & red chilli powder. Bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
To make croutons, mix ½ tbsp butter with garlic and peppercorns and spread on one side of the slice. Remove the sides of the bread and cut in to small cubes. Cook them in anon stick pan with remaining butter on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, till golden brown.
At serving time, heat the spinach and mix in ½ the croutons. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the rest of the croutons. Serve.


PANCAKE FLORENTINE
Serves 3
PANCAKES
½ cup maida (plain flour)
1 cup milk
½ tsp salt & pepper
A pinch of baking powder
FILLING
20gms spinach discard stems and chop finely
2 cubes processed cheese
Salt &pepper to taste
½ tsp lemon juice
RED SAUCE
1 tsp butter
2 tomatoes chopped
2 flakes garlic crushed
1tsp tomato sauce
¼ tsp red chilli flakes a pinch of sugar ¼ tsp salt
WHITE SAUCE
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp maida
1 cup milk
¼ tsp each of salt & pepper to taste
To prepare pancake batter, sift flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add salt and pepper add the milk. Make smooth thin batter. Leave aside for 15 minutes.
To cook pancakes melt butter in anon stick pan. Pour about 2 tbsp of batter rotate the pan gently to get thin layer of the batter.
Cook on medium flame till slightly brown from underneath. Repeat with other pancakes, cooking them on one side only.
Heat butter in a pan add garlic. Stir and add tomatoes. Mix well. Add chilli flakes, salt, sugar and ¼ cup of water. Simmer for a minute and add the tomato sauce. Cook till slightly thick. Remove from fire.
Cool and blend it
For white sauce, heat butter in a pan. Add flour and stir for 1 minute on low heat till it changes colour. Remove from heat and add the milk. Return to heat and cook till it starts to coat the spoon. Add salt and pepper. Keep aside.
To prepare the filling heat butter in a pan add spinach. Cook till it dry. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Trim the edges of pancake make it in square shape further cut into half to get a long strip. You will get 2 long strips from each pancake.
To assemble the pancakes, keep a strip of pancake with uncooked side down. Place 1 tbsp of spinach filling at one end on the cooked side. Spoon 1 tsp of cheese over it and roll tightly to get small cylinder. Repeat with remaining pancake strips.
Grease the baking dish. Spread 2 – 3 tbsp white sauce at the base of the dish.
Place the stuffed pancake side by side, top with red sauce and then white sauce.
Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese, place in hot oven at 200c for 10 minutes.
Serve with garlic bread

BAKED SPINACH, CORN & PANEER
Serves 3-4
500gm spinach – shred the leaves only
200ml (1 cup) cream,
1/2 cup grated cheese
4tbsp butter
½ cup fresh corn
200gm cottage cheese – cut into small cubes
WHITE SAUCE
1tbsp oil or butter, 1 tbsp Maida (plain flour), 1cups milk, 25gms cheese
1. To prepare the white sauce, heat butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Add Maida and stir fry for a minute. Add milk, stirring continuously. Cook, stirring till thick. Remove from fire. Add cheese to the white sauce.
2. For spinach melt butter in a saucepan. Add spinach. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes on low heat until dry and tender. Stir occasionally.
3. Keeping the heat low, stir in cream, half of the cheese. Add salt &pepper.Boil.Simmer for 1 minute.
4. Add corn and cottage cheese.mix gently. Check salt.
5. Cool. Mix this spinach mixture in white sauce.
6. Grease an ovenproof dish. Put all of this, sprinkle the leftover cheese.
7. Bake at 200c for 10 minutes or till golden brown. Serve hot.

PALAK PANEER
Serves 4
Spinach (palak) 1 kg chopped
Cottage cheese (paneer) 250 gms cut into cubes
Garlic 7-8 cloves
Onion 3
Green chillies 2-3
Cashew nuts 3-4
Fennel seeds (saunf) 1 tsp
Curd 1 cup (room temperature)
Milk 1tbsp
Oil (desi ghee) 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Put spinach, 1 onion, few garlic cloves, 1 green chilli and milk together in pressure cooker to give one whistle and few minutes simmer down.
Cool it and blend it in grinder.
Grind left over onions, garlic, saunf, cashewnuts, and green chillies together.
Heat oil in a bottom heavy kadahi. Add onion mixture. Cook it on medium flame till it turns brown.
Add curd mix it thoroughly and further cook it for 2-3 minutes.
Add spinach puree. Give one boil and few minutes on low flame. Add cottage cheese and salt. Cook for few seconds.
Serve.

VEGETABLE KOFTAS IN SPINACH GRAVY
Serves 2
Paneer koftas
¼ cup grated cottage cheese
¼ cup boiled and grated potatoes
1tsp chilli powder
A pinch turmeric powder
¼ grated carrots
1tbsp finely chopped capsicum
½ tsp grated ginger and garlic
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Spinach sauce
1 cup chopped palak
1 onion
Few garlic cloves
1 green chilli
1 tbsp milk
¾ cup curd
1tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Paste
½ tbsp cashew nuts
2 cloves garlic
2 green chillies
1 tsp aniseed
Combine all ingredients of koftas except oil
Finger shape it and deep fry them over medium flame till they are golden brown.
Boil spinach along with onion, garlic, green chilli and milk. Give one whistle and slow down the flame for 10 minutes.
Cool and blend in blender.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the paste for 2 – 3 minutes.
Add the curd and fry again for 1 minute.
Add spinach puree, salt and boil for 3 – 4 minutes. Keep aside.
Just before serving, add the koftas to the spinach sauce and bring to the boil.

CONTINENTAL SPINACH
Serves 4
Spinach 1kg – chopped and washed
Green chillies 2
Onion chopped 1
3 -4 garlic flakes
Little milk.
Put all of these together in pressure cooker to give one whistle and 10 minutes on slow flame.
Cool and grind to smooth paste. Keep aside.
Tomatoes 4 chopped
Onion 1 sliced
3 – 4 garlic flakes
Salt, sugar & red chilli powder
Deep Fry onion and garlic in oil till golden brown.
Sauté tomatoes, salt, sugar and chilli powder in non stick pan without oil for 5 minutes on high flame and 10 minutes on low flame. Cool it.
Grind fried onion and garlic and tomato mixture together to make a smooth paste.
Check the seasonings.
WHITE SAUCE
1tbsp oil or butter
1tbsp Maida (plain flour)
1cups milk, 25gms cheese
To prepare the white sauce, heat butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Add Maida and stir fry for a minute. Add milk, stirring continuously. Cook, stirring till thick. Remove from fire. Add cheese to the white sauce.
250 gms cottage cheese - cut into thin and small rectangles
Sauté paneer pieces with 1tsp oil in a pan. Keep aside.
Now grease the oven proof dish. Place half the paneer pieces top with half spinach sauce, then half tomato sauce then half white sauce. Again place the left paneer pieces on white sauce, top with spinach sauce, red sauce and in the end white sauce.
Bake it in pre-heated oven at 250c for 10 minutes.
Serve with rumali roti or with garlic bread.

PALAK MUSHROOM
Serves 2
50 gm mushrooms
1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt
½ kg spinach
3 – 4 garlic flakes 1 green chilli
2 tomatoes 3 – 4 garlic flakes 1 green chilli
3 tbsp oil, 3 onions ground to paste
¼ tsp black pepper salt to taste, ½ tsp garam masala
Seeds of 1 brown & green cardamom – crushed roughly
Chop and wash the palak pressure cook palak along with garlic and green chilli to give one whistle and 5 minutes on low flame. Cool and blend in a mixer.
Slice tip of the mushroom stalk and wash to remove dirt. Boil 2 cups water with 1tsp salt and lemon juice.
Heat 1 tbsp oil. Add drained mushrooms and stir fry for 4 minutes till mushrooms turn soft. Keep aside.
Grind tomatoes, green chilli and garlic to a paste.
Grind onions separately to a paste.
Heat 3 tbsp oil. Add onion paste & cook till golden brown. Add tomato paste. Cook till dry and oil separates.
Add black pepper, both cardamoms, salt to taste & ½ tsp garam masala. Bhuno for ½ minute.
Add spinach and cook for 4 – 5 minutes on low flame.
Add mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes. Serve.

SPINACH IN HOT GARLIC SAUCE
Serves 2
250 gms spinach – small leaves
GARLIC SAUCE
1 tsp garlic paste 2-3 dried red chillies – broken into bits
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp tomato sauce ½ tsp pepper
¼ sugar
1 ½ tbsp corn flour dissolved in 1 cup water
1 ½ tbsp oil
Wash spinach. Discard stems, keeping the leaves whole.
Steam the spinach leaves by keeping in a metal strainer over a pan of boiling water for 5 minutes.
Keep the steamed spinach leaves aside.
Heat oil. Add garlic paste. Fry for 1 minute on low flame.
Add the red chilli bits, soya sauce, vinegar and tomato sauce. Mix for a few seconds.
Add the corn flour paste, stirring continuously.
Add salt, pepper & sugar. Cook till thick.
Mix in steamed the steamed spinach. Remove from fire.
Serve with steamed rice.

SPINACH PULAO
Serves 4
250gms spinach (palak) – chopped washed
1 cup rice soaked for1 hour
1 large onion sliced finely
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp red chilli powder 1 firm tomato cut into thin strips without pulp
3 tbsp oil
PASTE
1/2” piece ginger
1 green chilli
4-5 flakes garlic
1 tsp aniseeds
¼ tap black cardamom seeds
1 laung
Grind all the ingredients of the paste.
Heat oil. Add onions. cook till brown.
Add paste, cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.
Add rice. Stir fry gently for a minute.
Add 2 cups of water, red chilli powder and salt.
As soon as water boils, add chopped spinach and tomato strips. Stir gently. Keep a tawa under the pan of rice. Cover the rice with small towel and then with a tight fitting lid. Keep a heavy weight on the lid, so that no steam escapes.
Slow down the fire and cook till water dries up and rice is fully done.
Serve hot.

PALAK PARANTHA
Serves 4
Ingredients
125 gms spinach
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped green chilli
½ cup chopped mint leaves
1tsp salt
1tsp butter
¼ tsp caraway seeds
½ tsp anardana
½ tsp kasuri methi
1 cup Atta ( flour)
1 cup suji (semolina)
Oil or ghee
Separated spinach leaves and discard the stem. Wash them blanch them by boiling in salted water for 1 minute. Pass through sieve. Squeeze and finely chop them.
Now sieve Atta, suji and salt together. Add butter, onion, green chilli, salt, anardana, caraway seeds, kasuri methi and chopped mint leaves. Mix them.
Now add spinach leaves. Knead the dough with water.
Keep covered with wet napkin for 30 minutes.
Pre heat tava. Now roll a chapatti. Cook on tava.flip over to the other side and spread ghee on both sides. Cook it till golden brown and crisp.
Serve hot with butter or raita.