Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
5 cups tomatoes , cut into quarters
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sodium benzoit

For The Potli
25 mm (1") stick cinnamon (dalchini)
3 cloves (laung / lavang)
1 tsp coarsely crushed peppercorns
2 tsp crushed garlic (lehsun)
Method

For the potli
Combine all the ingredients in a muslin cloth, tie a knot and keep aside.

How to proceed
Combine the tomatoes and the prepared potli in the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 3 whistles, without adding water.
Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid, remove the potli from the tomato mixture and discard it.
Cool the tomato mixture slightly and blend it in a mixer till smooth.
Strain the mixture using a strainer.
Transfer the tomato mixture into a deep non-stick pan, add the sugar, chilli powder and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 15 to 17 minutes or till it coats the back of the spoon, while stirring occasionally. Cool completely.
Once cooled, add the sodium benzoate, mix well and store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Aam aur Chane ka Achaar

Ingredients

1/2 cup kabuli chana (white chick peas)
1 1/2 cups grated raw mango
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tbsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds (methi) powder
1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
14 whole dry kashmiri red chillies
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 1/4 cups mustard (rai / sarson) oil
1 tbsp salt
Method
Combine the grated mango, turmeric powder and salt and leave aside for 30 minutes.
Squeeze out all the mango water using a muslim cloth and keep aside. Keep the grated mango aside separately.
Soak the Kabuli chana and fenugreek seeds in the mango water overnight.
Refrigerate the grated mango.
Combine the fenugreek seeds powder, fennel seeds, asafoetida, nigella seeds, whole red chillies, chilli powder and soaked Kabuli chana mixture with the grated mango. Mix well.
Heat the mustard oil. Cool it and add to the prepared mixture.
Bottle the pickle in a sterilised glass jar.
The pickle is ready to eat after 3 to 4 days.
Store it a cool dry place for upto 1 year.

Pudina Chutney for summers

Ingredients

• 1 cup pudina / mint leaves
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds
• 1cup fresh curd (use whole milk curd or use curd which comes in tetra pack)
• 1 teaspoon chat masala
• 1 green chili (take it according to your  taste )
• 6-7 garlic cloves
• Salt to taste

Method

• Wash mint leaves and coriander leaves nicely and take it mixer jar & add all the ingredients except salt and chat masala to it . Make a fine paste of it by adding little water .
• Remove it in a bowl and salt and chat masala and mix it nicely. Serve this tangy pudina chutney with dhoklas ,kachoris ,samosas  ,pakoras  or any chat

Lauki ke Kofte Ki Sabji with Gravy

INGREDIENTS

For Koftas:
•         1 medium-sized lauki
•         4-5 tbsp of besan
•         ½ tsp of red chilli powder
•         A pinch of hing
•         8 tiny pieces of tamarind (optional)
•         ½ tsp of salt
•         Oil for deep frying
For Gravy:
•         2 tbsp of oil
•         2 of onions, sliced
•         3 of tomatoes, chopped
•         ¼ tsp of turmeric powder
•         2 tbsp of coriander powder
•         1 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
•         Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
•         Salt to taste
•         4-5 tbsp of plain curd/yogurt
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Koftas:
1.      Quarter the lauki and peel it. Grate it.
2.      Squeeze out all excess water and add the grated lauki to a bowl with the chilli powder, salt, besan and hing. Mix well to combine.
3.      Make small lemon-sized balls with this mixture and make a small dent in the centre to place the tamarind.
4.      Cover it up and make the ball smooth.
5.      Fry in hot oil until brown all over. Keep the flame to medium hot and keep turning to cook evenly.
6.      Drain and set aside.
For the Gravy:
1.      Heat oil in a pan add  the sliced onions.
2.      When they soften and start to brown around the edge, add the turmeric powder, coriander, chilli powder and salt.
3.      Cook until the masala turns fragrant and is blended well with the onions.
4.      Add the tomatoes and about ½ cup water.
5.      Bring to boil and simmer until the tomatoes are soft.
6.      Puree this mixture in a blender and return to the pan.
7.      Bring to boil and add the yogurt and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well, adjust salt and remove from fire.
8.      Add the koftas into the gravy and let it sit for an hour or so before serving.

Toasted Rotis

Toasted rotis

Ingredients

Wheat Flour 50 gm
Ghee/oil 5 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp

Method

Mix all the ingredients,add water and make a hard dough
Manipulate and keep for 1/2 an hour
Manipulate and roll after making 8 balls
Divide stuffing into 8 parts
Apply oil over the roll and spread the stuffing
Roll like a cylinder
Press into a ball forming a coil
Roll into a chapati
Roast on tawa on both sides till pinkish
Before serving place in a toaster till brown




Stuffing for Toasted Rotis

Ingredients

1.Onion Stuffing

Finely chopped onion 1 cup
Finely chopped chilli 2
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
salt
anardana 1/2 tsp
Finely chopped corriender 2 tbsp

Method

Sprinkle slat on onions and keep for 10 minutes.
remove water,roast and add powder, anardana
Mix all the ingredients

2.Mint stuffing

Finely chopped Mint 1 cup
finely chopped chilli 2
amchoor powder 1/2 tsp
salt 1/2 tsp
bread crumbs 1 tbsp

Mix all the ingredients

3. Spinach stuffing

Finely chopped spinach 1 cup
finely chopped onion 2
finely chopped green chilli 2
paneer 4 tbsp
oil 2 tsp
salt as per taste

Heat oil, saute onion for 1/2 minute ,add green chilli and saute
add spinach and cook for 2 minutes
add paneer and salt

4.Cauliflower and fenugreek leaves

Grated cauliflower 2 tsp
jeera 1/2 tsp
onion finely chopped 1
finly chopped green chilli 2
finely chopped fenugreek  or corriender leaves 2 tbsp
finely chopped ginger 1/2 tsp
oil 2 tsp
salt as per taste

Heat oil ,add jeera to crackle
Add onions, green chillies,ginger,saute for 1/2 minutes.
add cauliflower and salt and cook till 3/4 done
add corriender or fenugreek leaves and mix.

Panna Cotta with Ripe Mango

Ingredients
 

• 3/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 tablespoons cold water
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar, or more to taste
• dash of salt
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 ripe mango, diced

Instructions
 

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let stand for 5 minutes. In a 2-quart saucepan, warm the cream with the sugar, salt, and vanilla over medium-high heat. Do not let it boil. Stir in the gelatin until thoroughly dissolved. Take the cream off the heat and cool about 5 minutes.

2. Put the sour cream in a medium bowl. Gently whisk in the warm cream a little at a time until smooth. Taste for sweetness. It may need another teaspoon of sugar. Rinse 4 2/3-cup ramekins, custard cups, or coffee cups with cold water. Fill each one three-quarters full with the cream. Chill 4 to 24 hours.

3. To serve, either unmold by packing the molds in hot towels and then turning each out onto a dessert plate, or serve in their containers. Serve with diced ripe mango.