Mushroom Kurma

Ingredient:
1 lb White mushroom
1 can chick pea (8 oz) or (you can soak ½ cup chick pea over night and boil it)
2 inch ginger (shredded or cut into very small pieces)
2 medium size onions (cut thin slices) (about 1 cup)
3 jalapenos (cut into round thin slices)
2 medium tomatoes (cut long stripes)
1 tbs curry powder
A pinch of saffron, 2-3 green cardamom, 2 long (crushed into coarse powder)
½ tbs turmeric
½ tbs cumin seeds
1 tbs lemon juice
4-5 tbs oil

Method:
1) Clean the mushroom properly, peel and slice it and keep it aside.
2) Heat oil in a frying pan and add cumin seeds and after it finish popping add the minced ginger, sliced onion, jalapenos, turmeric and sliced mushroom and fry it for about 2 minutes in medium flame or till mushroom gets soft.
3) Add tomatoes pieces, chick peas, salt, curry powder and stir it properly and cover it for a minute or two.
4) Add the crushed saffron powder, lemon juice and mix it properly, cover the lid and let it cook for a minute and Spicy Mushroom Kurma is ready to serve with Roti or rice. But it goes well with Roti

Cherry Tomato Curry

Ingredient:
2 big red onions chopped
2 big tomatoes chopped
2-3 tbs of cashew
2 pint cherry tomato
1 spoon of ginger/garlic paste
1 spoon of red chilli powder
½ spoon of garam masala
3 green chilli
3 spoon of oil
salt as per taste

Method :
1. Fry the onion with 1 spoon of oil till golden brown.
2. Take chopped tomato, fried onion, 1 pint cherry tomato, green chilli, ginger/garlic paste and cashew and grind them into a smooth paste.
3. Take a frying pan stir fry rest of the cherry tomato for a minutes and then take out of pan and poke them with fork so that the gravy will go inside of the tomatoes.
4. In the same pan take rest of the oil fry the tomato paste and keep stirring and cover the lid and let it cook in a low flame till the color comes back and rawness of the food goes away (it will take about 15-20 minutes).
5.Add garam masala and salt and red chili powder, fried cherry tomato and let it cook for couple of minutes and it’s done.

Note: This is not my recipe, it's my friend Indira's recipe. Once she made it on a get-together and I liked it very much and hope you will like it too... Thanks Indira for your recipe.

Moong Daal

Ingredient:
1 cup moong daal
1 tomato chopped
½ tbs mustard seeds
1 green chili
1 medium onion sliced
A pinch of hing
3-4 tbs cooking oil.
Salt as per taste

Method:
1) Take 3 tbs oil in heavy bottom frying pan and fry the Moong Dal in low flame till it starts giving nice smell and color starts to get brown.
2) Take the daal in a small cooker with 1 and ½ cup of water, salt, turmeric, chopped tomato and let it cook till 1 whistle. Switch off the gas and let it cool down.
3) Take a frying pan and add 1 tbs oil on medium flame, add the hing and mustard seeds and wait till the mustard seeds finishing cracking. Add the sliced onion and chopped green chilli and fry till the onion color changes to golden brown, switch off the gas.
4) Add this to the cooker where you have the boiled daal, stir it properly (there is no need to cook the daal again) and it’s ready to serve with rice.

Aloo Bhurta

Ingredient:
3 big potatoes boiled
¼ cup of butter milk
1 medium onion sliced
1 green chilli chopped thinly
½ tbs mustard seeds
2 tbs oil
Salt as per taste

Method:
1) Peel the potatoes and mash it properly with salt, minced green chilli and butter milk.
2) Hat 2 tbs oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds, allow it to finish cracking and then add the sliced onion and fry in low flame till color of onion changes brown.
3) Add the mashed potato to the frying pan mix it properly cover the lid and keep it for 2 minutes and then switch it off. It’s ready to serve.

Apple Halwa

Ingredient:
6 Apples
¼ cup of cashews
1 tbs butter
2/3 cup of sugar

Method:
1) Clean the apples and peel the skin and cut the apples into small pieces (removed the seeds while cutting).
2) Take a heavy bottom frying pan (I prefer steel pan) and take the butter and heat it and fry the cashew pieces till golden brown and keep it aside.
3) Take the apple pieces on the same frying pan and sugar and cook till the apple pieces gets soft keep stirring. It will take about 5-7 minutes.
4) Add the cashew and your apple halwa is ready to serve.

Baigan Bhurta with green pea

Ingredient:
1 big Eggplant (about 1/2 lb)
1 can green pean (12 oz)
1 medium size onion chopped
3-4 green chilli chopped(optional)
1 tbs sambar powder
1 tbs mustard seeds
1/2 tbs turmeric
a pinch of hing
2 tomatoes chopped (about 1 ans 1/2 cup)
3-4 tbs oil

Method:
1. Brush Eggplant with oil and poke few places with a fork and roast them. Either a)You can roast it directly on the gas burner, keep turning at regular intervals, until the skin becomes black or
b) You can take the eggplant on a plate and microwave it for 10 minutes and peel the skin and mash it properly.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan add hing, mustard seeds in medium heat until it finished cracking. Add chopped green chilli and chopped onions and stir over medium heat and cover the lid and leave it for a minute.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder and stir-fry until the oil floats on top.
4. Add mashed baingan ( eggplant) and stir-fry for 1 minute. Now draint he water from the pea and add to the eggplant and salt and sambar powder and mix it properly and cover it and let it cook for another 1 minute.
5. Serve with any roti, I prefer this with chapati (indian roti).

Eggplant Tomato

This recipe is like eggplant sambar, but cooks differently and it goes with rice. This is my mom's recipe and I love it.

Ingredient:
1 Medium Eggplant
4-5 medium size tomato chopped
A pinch of hing
½ tbs cumin seeds
1 tbs mustard seeds
2 green chillies
1 clove garlic
1 red chilli
4 tbs oil
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
1)Clean the eggplant and make 1-2 inch long slices.
2)Make a paste of the mustard seeds, green chilli and garlic with 2 tbs of water and keep it aside.
3)Take a flat frying pan and 2 tbs of oil and stir fry the eggplant slices till little brown and keep it aside.
4)Take another frying pan with 1 tbs of oil and add hing when it’s hot add the chopped tomato pieces and let it cook till tomatoes gets soft about 4-5 minutes.
5)Now add a big glass of water and let it boil and then add the mustard paste to the frying pan and stir it properly.
6)Add the eggplant pieces and salt to the frying pan and let it boil for a min ot till eggplant pieces gets cook properly and keep it aside.
7)Now add takda: Heat 1 tbs of oil and add the cumin seeds and red chilli and switch off the gas when you see the color of chilli changes and add this to the eggplant tomato and garnish with coriander leaves.
This dish is ready to serve with Rice. It goes well with rice.

Aloo Baigan Curry

Ingredient:
1 big Eggplant cut into 3-4 inch square
2 medium potatoes cut into 1-2 inch square
2 medium size tomatos chopped
2 big onions chopped
1 tbs coriander powder
½ tbs turmeric
1 tbs red chilli powder (you can adjust as per your need)
½ tbs cumin seeds
3-4 tbs oil
Salt as per taste

Method:
1)Take a frying pan and heat with 1 tbs of oil, add the cumin seeds and then chopped onions and stir it for a minute.
2)Add chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric and mix it properly.
3)Now add the chopped eggplant and potato and 1 glass of water, mix it properly and add salt and cover the lid and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes till all the water evaporated and eggplant and potatoes are cooked properly. If it’s not cooked then add more water and let it boil till it gets soft.
4)Now add 3 tbs oil on it and let it cook in medium heat for about 2 minutes and it’s ready to serve with your choice of roti or rice.

Eggplant Raita

Ingredient:
1 Big Eggplant
1 cup yogurt
½ cup grated coconut
3 red chilli
1 tbs mustard seeds
1-2 clove garlic
2 tbs oil
½ tbs lemon juice
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
1)Roast the Eggplant on the oven till soft or microwave it for about 10 minutes and peel the skin and mash it properly.
2)Beat the yogurt with a spoon and mix it with the eggplant pulp and add the lemon juice and mix it thoroughly.
3)Make a paste of the grated coconut, 1-2 red chilli, garlic, salt and mustard seeds with few spoon of water and mix it with eggplant pulp.
4)Add the tadka: Heat 1-2 tbs of oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds and 1 red chilli and allow the mustard seeds to finish cracking sound and then add this to the eggplant pulp and garnish with coriander leaves.
5)It’s ready to serve with rice.

Kathie’s Nut Snuggles

This is not my recipe, this is Kathie’s recipe. 2 years back once during Christmas someone from my office got this to the office and it was just so yummy that I requested for the recipe. This was his wife’s recipe. In picture didn't come that good, just try it yourself…

Ingredient:
1 cup butter softened
1 egg yolk
¾ cup sour cream
Dash of salt
2 cup all purpose flour
Filling:
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
2 tbs cinnamon

Method:
1)Mix all ingredients together except for filling. The dough will be sticky.
2)Chill dough over night( or at least for few hour)
3)Divide dough into 3 parts.
4)On a well-floured board roll out 1 dough part into a circle, till thin.
5)Sprinkle on 1/3 of filling
6)Cut into 16 wedges shaped pieces (looks like pizza)
7)Roll wide end first towards canter
8)Bake for 12-15 minutes or until tan in a 400 deree oven. (baking time may vary in different oven)
9)Remove from baking sheet to cool.

Eggplant Curry

Ingredients:
1 lb eggplant (cut into 3-4 inches of pieces, if eggplant are small in size then cut to 4 pieces with stem intact)
3-4 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Jeera(cumin) seeds
2 tsp Peanut
2 inches of Ginger chopped
3-4 cloves of Garlic chopped(optional)
3-4 green chilli
A pinch of hing
1 tbsp Curry masala
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
3 Tomatoes chopped (3 tbs tomato paste)
1/4 cup of yogurt
A pinch of saffron and 2-3 green cardamom (optional)

Method:
1)Make a paste of peanut, ginger, garlic and green chili, curry powder and make another paste of tomato and yogurt.
2)Heat oil in a pan and fry eggplant properly and keep it separate.
3)Now take a pan and heat oil and add hing and cumin seeds and let the seeds to pop and then add the peanut paste first and stir it for few sec and then add the tomato paste and keep stirring in low flame till you see the oil coming out from paste.
4)Add half glass of hot water and let it boil, than add fried eggplant and salt and stir it properly and cover the lid and let it cook in low flame for another 5 minute.
5)Optionally you can add crushed saffron and crushed green cardamom for nice smell.
6)It’s ready to serve with your choice of Roti or Rice.

Mushroom Masala

Ingredients:
1 lb mushrooms (cleaned and chopped/sliced)
1 small can (12oz) sweet green pea
1 medium size boiled potato (optional)
2 medium chopped onion (about 1/2 cup)
2 medium chopped tomato (about 1/2 cup)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tbs red chilli powder
1/2 tbs turmeric
4-5 curry leaves
1-2 green chilli chopped
A pinch of Hing

1/2 tsp cumin
2 clove garlic
1 inch ginger piece (shredded)
1 tsp garam masala powder

4-5 tbsp oil
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. You can use chilli as per your taste, I prefer spicy so use more chillies.
2. Crush the garlic and cumin seeds if you can else just crush the garlic cloves and keep it aside.
3. Heat 3 tbs oil in a pan , add hing, add chopped onions ,little salt and fry it for a minute and when the onion is little soft add turmeric, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves, chopped green chillies, curry powder
and chopped tomatoes and cook for few min.
4. Add a glass of water and let it boil, add more salt and mushrooms and let it cook (about 5-7 minute) till mushrooms are soft and the water reduces, now add the green pea and sliced boiled potatoes and let it cook for 1-2 minutes and keep it aside.
5. Take another pan to do tadka on the Masala Mushroom. Add 1-2 tbs oil and let it heat, add crushed garlic/cumin, shredded ginger and stir for a minute add the cooked mushroom mixture and cook till the moisture evaporates and add the garam masala and it's ready to serve hot with rice or Roti of your choice.

Indo Thai Shrimp Curry

Ingredient:
2 lb small size clean shrimp (shells removed)
12 oz frozen/fresh mix veg (carrot, green pean, corn, lima beans etc)
1 tbs garlic paste
1/2 tbs ginger paste
1/2 tbs turmeric powder
1/2 tbs corn starch powder
2 tbs hot garlic tomato sauce or
(1 tbs hot chilli sauce + 2 tbs tomato sauce1/2 tbs soy sauce)
1 tbs curry powder
1 tbs red chilli powder
2 tbs cooking oil
2-3 tbs chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Method:
1.Mix the corn starch powder in 2 tbs of water in a small bowl and keep it aside.
2.Take a frying pan with 1 tbs oil and when it's hot fry te shrimps for 1 or 2 minutes till the color changes (I used a flat frying pan to fry and it gets fryed quickly).
3.Take a wok or frying pan and 1 ts oil over medium heat. Stir-fry the cut vegs, garlic paste, ginger paste, turmeric and red chilli powder for 1-2 minutes.
4.Then add 1 glass of hot water to the pan and let it boil, when it start boiling add the curry powder, all sauce and salt and shrimp and let it boil for about 1-2 minutes.
5.Add the cornstarch and stir well, simmer for a minute and it's ready to serve with rice.
6.Optionally you can add chopped coriander leaves.

Nutrela Curry with Aloo Matar

Ingredient:
Nutrela/ Soya Nuggets- 1 cup
Boiled Potato- 2 medium sized (Peeled and Cut into 2 inch pieces)
1 small can sweet green pea
Cooking Oil- 2-3 tbsp
Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
Onion- 1 medium
Ginger- 1 inch piece
Garlic-2 cloves
Tomato- 2 medium chopped
Salt as per taste
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
Red chilli 2
Green chilli 1
Garam masala:- 1/2 tsp
Coriander/Cumin powder or curry powder 1 tbs
Water as per requirement

Method:
1) Take a frying pan with 1 tbs oil and fry the Nutrela and it’s hot for about 1-2 minutes and then add 1 glass hot water and let it boil for about 2 minutes and keep it aside.
2) Grind the chillis, ginger, garlic and half of the onion into a smooth paste, take remaining half onion and slice it thinly.
3) Heat oil in a frying pan and put the cumin seeds and sliced onion and fry it in low heat till the color of onion changes
4)Add the grind paste and fry it for 1 minute and add the curry powder, chopped tomatoes, turmeric and fry it for 1 minute or until tomato pieces are tender.
5) Add chopped potatoes into this and fry for some more time.
6) Add a glass of hot water and when boils add the nutrella and green peas, salt and mix well, cover the lid and let it cook in medium heat for 2-3 minutes.7)Now add the garam masala and it’s ready to serve hot with Rice.

Chicken Pakora by Ashok

Ingredients:
2 lb boneless/skinless chicken (cut into about 1-2 inch square cubes)
1 tbs ginger & garlic paste
2 tbs yogurt
1 tbs chilli powder
1 tbs cumin powder
1 tbs coriander powder
1 egg
1 tbs turmeric powder
1/2 tbs black pepper
1/2 cup besan flour
2 tbs corn flour (optional)
1 tbs chicken curry powder
Cooking oil to deep fry
Salt as per taste

Method:
1.Mix chicken, yogurt, ginger/garlic paste, chilli powder, egg, black pepper, corn flour and chicken curry powder and marinate for 20-30 minutes.
2.Make a smooth better of besan with water, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric.
3.Heat oil in a frying pan and deep the marinated chicken pieces with this better and deep fry till golden color.
4.It's ready to serve with tomato sauce or ketch-up.

Spicy Pineapple chutney

Ingredient:
1 can crushed pinapple
1 tbs red chilli powder
1/2 tbs turmeric
1 tbs curry powder
2 Green chilli chopped
1 medium onion sliced
2 clove garlic chopped
3-4 curry leaves
1 tbs oilsalt as per taste

Method:
1.Take the crushed pinapple and drain the water and take it in a bowl.
2.Mix red chilli powder, chopped green chilli, salt, turmeric powder, curry powder and mix it properly and let it stay for 15 to 30 minutes.
3.Take a frying pan and heat the oil, fry the garlic chopped, sliced onion and curry leaves till it gets translucent.
4.Then add the pinapple and fry it properly for about 5 minutes.
5.Now remove it from the stove and it's ready to serve with rice.

Reeya Fruit Cake

This is nt my recipe, it's my friend Reeya's recipe. She got the cake during Christmas and it so yummy that I just had to ask for the recipe. First time I made it and it came out very nice. Don't go by the picture quality, just try it yourself...

Ingredients :
Brown Sugar 1 cup (if you are adding caramel syrup, Take ¾ cup )
Butter 1 stick
All purpose flour 1 cup
Eggs 2
Baking powder ½ tbs
Powdered spice ½ tbs cinnamon powder
Vanilla essence 1 teaspoon
Caramel syrup or Molasses 1/4 cup
Dry Fruits / nuts 1 cup (soaked in hot water for a day)
Take each of equal amount from Raisins, Cranberry, Dates chopped into small pieces
Nuts: cashew nuts, Hazelnut, walnuts chopped into small pieces
Milk 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:
Sift flour, baking powder and the mixed spices 3 times.
Mix the dry fruits and nuts in the flour.
Cream sugar and butter till fluffy with a hand mixer.
Separate egg white and yolk
Beat the egg yolk with the sugar and butter mix and add the milk.
While you do this beat the egg white with a teaspoon of sugar until stiff peaks are formed.
Now add vanilla, flour, caramel syrup and gently fold in the mixture.
Finally add egg white and gently fold in the mixture.
Bake the cake in 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes.

** Insert a skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean your cake is done. Pour the mixer only up to ¾ of the container. Baking time can vary according to your oven and the type of pan used.

Caramel syrup :
Caution !!! Be very careful while making caramel syrup use a tall heavy bottom pan. Careful while adding hot water. It will sputter all over. Cover the pan with a lid closer to your side. Add water away from you.
Melt 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy bottom pan until dark brown. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup hot water to the syrup. You can add a little butter or lime juice while melting sugar to avoid caramelizing of the sugar. Cool the syrup.

**Note: This is my friend Reeya's recipe, I liked it so much that I asked her te recipe and I have modified little bit. I hope you will also like it.

Masala Zucchini Green Pea

Ingredient:
2 Zucchini (Medium)
1 can 15 oz canned green pea
1 large Onion.
3 green chilli chopped
A pinch of hing
1 tbs ginger/garlic paste
1/2 spoon Turmeric
1 tbs curry powder
3-4 tbs Oil.Salt to taste.

Method:
1.Cut the onions (long thin slice).
2.Cut the Zucchini into 1 inch pieces.
3.Heat 1 tablespoons of oil in a pan.
4.Fry the Zucchini till half cooked and removed from the pan keep it aside.
5.Take remaining oil in a pan and when it’s hot put the hing and then sliced onion and chopped green chilies and fry and add the ginger/garlic paste into it and fry till the onion color changes to brown.
6.Now add the canned green pea into the pan after draining the excess water from it. And fry it for atleast 3-4 minutes.
7.Now add the fried zucchini into the fried green pea and add the curry powder , salt, turmeric and fry in medium heat for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring so that it will not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Remove the Masala Zucchini Chole and it’s ready to serve with Puri, Roti or Rice.