Til Gul Vadi (Sesame Jaggery vadi)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup jaggery
• ¼ tsp Green cardamom powder 
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg powder
• ghee 1tsp
• 1/4 cup dry coconut grated 

Method:

1. Roast the sesame seeds until golden brown.
2. Grind the sesame seeds to a coarse powder.
3. Heat the ghee and add jaggery with couple of tbsp of water until you get a thick syrup.
4. Grease a shallow plate with ghee to set the vadi in
5. Mix in the coarsely ground sesame seeds into the syrup.
6. Add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder and mix thoroughly.
7. Spread mixture evenly onto the plate and garnish it with dry grated coconut.
8. Cut diamond shapes before it cools down.
9. Allow it to cool and set and enjoy.

Tip:
The way this turns out depends a lot on what kind of jaggery you use.
If you use less sticky one, it comes out better.
Also, make sure your syrup is really thick before you add in the mixture otherwise it will stay moist and not harden enough

Bombay Masala Toast Sandwich

Ingredients

    For the green chutney

•     1 cup coriander leaves
•     1/ 4 cup mint leaves
•     1/2 inch ginger
•     1 green chili
•     1 teaspoon sugar
•     2 teaspoons lemon
•     salt as per taste

    For the potato filling:

•     2 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
•     1/2 onion - chopped finely
•     1/2 tomato - chopped finely
•     1 small green chilly - chopped finely
•     1/2 tsp cumin seeds
•     1/4 tsp turmeric powder
•     a pinch of asafoetida
•     1/4 tsp red chili powder
•     salt as per taste

    Other ingredients:

•     Bread - brown or white
•     a few thin round slices of onions, tomatoes, capsicum
•     Amul Butter or any other brand of Butter
•     Sandwich Masala or Chaat Masala
•     Mayonnaise (optional)

Method

    Method to make the green chutney

1.     Grind the ingredients for the green chutney with little water to a smooth paste.

   
    Method to make the filling of the sandwich

1.     In a pan, heat some oil.
2.     Add cumin seeds. Let them splutter.
3.     Then add onions. Fry the onions till transparent.
4.     Now add the tomatoes.
5.     Fry the tomatoes till they become soft and are cooked.
6.     Add the chopped green chilli.
7.     Add turmeric powder,red chilli powder and salt
8.     Mix them well.
9.     Now add the mashed potatoes.
10.     Mix the stuffing really well and Cook for 5 minutes.
11.     Let the mixture cool before you start using it for the sandwich.

   
    For making the sandwiches

1.     Trim the edges of the bread
2.     Apply amul butter evenly on the bread.
3.     Now apply the green chutney on the bread.
4.     Take the potato mixture and apply it on this bread. 
5.     Keep one or two onion, tomato and capsicum rings on this mixture.
6.     Sprinkle some sandwich masala or chat masala.
7.     Add Mayonnaise over the stuffing
8.     Now cover this potato laden bread with another slice of bread, to which both butter and    chutney has been applied.
9.     In a sandwich toaster or grill, toast or grill the sandwich till browned from both sides.
10.     Remove and apply some butter on top of the sandwich.
11.     Serve the sandwich hot with the green chutney and tomato ketchup.

Kadhai Paneer

Ingredients

• 500 g Cottage cheese (paneer)   
• 3 tablespoons Oil    
• 2 Bay leaf    
• 2 Cloves    
• 2 inch piece Cinnamon    
• 2 Dried red chillies    
• 1 tablespoons each Coriander powder and jeera powder   
• 2 medium Onion ,sliced    
• 2 teaspoons Ginger garlic paste  

• 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder    
• 3 Tomato,chopped
• 1 Green bell pepper,cut into 1 inch triangles
• 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi,crushed with hand
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a kadai; add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, red chillies, broken into two, and  sauté for half a minute.
2. Add onion and sauté for a while; add ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté for a while longer.
3. Add coriander powder, jeera powder,red chilli powder,tomatoes and Green bell pepper.
4. Add half a cup of water and Cook till the oil separates and Green bell pepper is cooked properly.
5. Add Kasuri methi crushed with hand.
6. Add paneer and salt and little water if required.
7. Cook, covered, over low heat for five minutes. Serve hot!

Tip

• Fry the panner in oil for just a minute, before adding to the kadhai panner.
• But take care that it does not turn brown,just dip it in oil and remove to avoid it from getting soggy later.

Kothimbir Wadi

Ingredients

•     4 Bunches of Coriander
•     2 cups Chickpea Flour
•     4 Green Chiilies
•     4 cloves of Garlic
•     1 tsp Cumin Seeds
•     1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
•     1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
•     Pinch of Baking Soda

Method

1.     Separate out coriander leaves from it stem.
2.     Then wash coriander leaves and drain off all excess water from it.
3.     After coriander leaves are dried off, chop them finely.
4.     Put together garlic, chillies, cumin seeds in to the blender and grind to make a coarse paste.
5.     In to chopped coriander leaves add besan, baking soda, chilli paste, turmeric powder, sesame seeds and mix well.
6.     Add spoonful of water at a time to make it in to soft dough.
7.     After dough is formed, divide that in 2 equal balls.
8.     And roll that in to oblong shape.
9.     Put the coriander rolls into the pressure cooker without wistle and steam them for 20 mts.
10.     After 20 mts, take out the steamed roll and allow them to cool down.
11.     After it cools, cut them in to small 1/4" discs.
12.     Shallow fry or deep fry Kothimbir Wadi as per your choice.

Tips

1.     Adding Baking Soda gives a crisp to the wadis
2.     You can freeze these wadis and it stays good up to 3 months.

Punjabi Chole (Chana masala)

Ingredients:

•     1 cup Chana(chickpeas), soaked in water overnight
•     4 tbsp Oil
•     1 tsp Cumin seeds
•     2 Bay Leaves
•     1 Big Onion finely chopped
•     1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
•     2 Tomatoes Finely chopped
•     1 tbsp Chana Masala
•     1 tsp Red Chilli powder
•     5-6 green cardamom finely grinded
•     3-4 cloves
•     1 tbsp kasuri methi
•     1 tsp dhana powder
•     1 tsp jeera powder

Method:

1.     Cook the over-night soaked chana in pressure cooker until 7 to 8 whistles.
2.     Heat up oil in kadhai and add cumin seeds, onion and cook until onion gets golden brown.
3.     Add ginger garlic paste,cardamom finely grinded and cloves and cook for 2 mts.
4.     Add chana masala and kasuri methi leaves crushed and cook for 2 mts.
5.     Add tomatoes, red chilli powder, dhana jeera powder,mix, cover and cook for 5 mts.
6.     Add the cooked chana and mix everything well and cook for 2 mts.

Tip:
Kasuri methi gives a very nice flavor and aroma to the chola/chana

Kanda Bhaji (Onion Pakoda)

Ingredients     1/2 cup Besan     2 tbsp Rice Flour     1/8 tsp Baking Soda     1/8 tsp Carom Seeds / Ajwayan     1/4 tsp Turmeric powder     1/4 cup finely chopped Coriander leaves     1 cup Onion thinly sliced     1 tsp Red Chilli powder     1/2 tsp Coriander powder     Salt to taste Method     Peel and cut the onion in very thin slices.     Take besan in to mixing bowl, to that add rice flour.     Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, baking soda, carom seeds and mix  well.     Add water make that in to thick consistency batter.     Add finely chopped coriander leaves and sliced onion and mix well.     Set bowl aside for 15 mts.     Heat up oil for deep frying in a kadhai.     With the help of spoon drop spoonful of pakoda batter in to hot oil.     Deep fry pakoda until it gets deep golden color from both the sides.     Serve hot   Tip

The rice flour and baking soda add the crisp to the bhaji

Sweet Shankarpali ( गोड शंकरपाळे )

Ingredients:

• 1 small bowl (wati) pure ghee
• 1 1/4 small bowl (wati) sugar
• 5 small bowl (wati) maida ( All purpose flour)
• 1 small bowl (wati) water
• pinch of salt for taste

  Procedure:

1. Mix the ghee + sugar + water in a kadhai and heat it on low flame till the mixture comes to boil. Switch Off the gas flame.
2. After this mixture cools down start adding all purpose flour and start kneading the dough to make very soft but little bit stiff dough
3. Set the dough aside for 20 minutes
4. Make small balls from the dough and roll like thick paratha.
5. Remove the edges by using knife or pizza cutter
6. Now cut in to desired shape and deep fry till it gets light brown color

Tip:

Roll shankarpali little bit thicker for crisp and delicious bites