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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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