Apple & Corn Salad

Ingredients

• 1 apple cut into small cubes
• 2 lettuce leaves chopped
• ½ cup cooked corn kernels
• ½ cup cooked pasta (any shape)
• ½ cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• ½ tsp sugar
• Salt

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix together yogurt, mayonnaise, black pepper powder, sugar and salt to a smooth dressing.
2. In another bowl mix together chopped apple, boiled pasta, lettuce leaves and corn.
3. Refrigerate both the bowls for 30 minutes.
4. Just before serving add the yogurt dressing to the chopped salad and mix well.
5. Serve chilled.

Strawberry Jam Cheesecake Shots

Serving size: 10 small shot glasses

Ingredients

Base:

10 digestive biscuits (any tea biscuits will do)

50 grams butter

Filling:

1/2 tin condensed milk (big size)

1 tin nestle cream (or 1 cup plain cream)

150 grams cream cheese (10-12 cheese triangles @room temperature)

¼ cup strawberry jam

3 cups whipped cream

Topping:

¼ cup strawberry jam

½ cup water

Method:

1. For preparing the base, melt the butter and add it to the crushed biscuits. Set the biscuit crumbs in each shot glass or 1 big serving dish. Press the mixture evenly and tightly with help of a back of a glass and refrigerate till firm.
2. In a separate bowl whip cream cheese, condensed milk, nestle cream and strawberry jam using a cake beater. Add in the whipped cream to the cheese mixture, this should be done with a ladle or big spoon and mix gently.
3. Pour the cheese mixture into each shot glass and again set in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
4. Prepare the topping by cooking strawberry jam along with water till you get a thick strawberry sauce. Set aside and cool.
5. Pour this sauce over the cheese cake and chill again in the refrigerator till it is served.

*To make whipped cream at home: First keep 2 cups full fat cream in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Then pour into a mixing bowl and whip it by hand or using a cake beater till it becomes thick and peaks are formed. Then add 1 cup icing sugar and whip again till it is well combined.

Kadhai Gosht Ki Biryani

Serves: 5
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

For Mutton Kadhai Gravy

• 1 kilo Mutton
• 2 medium size onion sliced
• 3 large tomatoes finely chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
• ½ cup yogurt
• 4 to 5 green chilies roughly chopped
• 2 inch piece of ginger julienned
• 1 tbsp red chili flakes (crushed dry red chilies)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup cooking oil

For Rice Preparation

• 4 cups of long grain basmati rice
• 2 bay leaves
• Big piece of cinnamon stick
• 5 cardamom
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 4 tbsp oil
• Enough water to cook the rice.

For Dum Cooking:

• 1 cup fried onion
• 1 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup milk + 1 tsp rose water + Pinch of yellow colour
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 4 tbsp. of ghee or butter

Method for making Kadhai Gosht Gravy:

1. First boil the mutton pieces in a pressure cooker with salt, 1 tbsp. ginger & garlic paste and 2 cup water.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai and add bay leaf, whole cumin and sliced onion. Fry till soft.
3. Then add 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste, turmeric, red chili flakes. Fry for 1 minute.
4. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook till soft and oil separates.
5. Add cooked mutton pieces with 1 cup of its water, yogurt, chopped green chilies and ginger pieces. Taste and add salt.
6. Cook for 10 more minutes till mutton is well combined with all the spices.
7. The consistency should not be too dry. It should be like a thick gravy.

Method for cooking rice:

1. Wash the rice thoroughly and soak for 30 minutes in water.
2. Heat a large vessel (this will be used for dum cooking) filled with water. Bring to a boil and add 2 bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, vinegar, salt and oil.
3. Add the soaked rice and cook till 90% done. When you check the rice it should be firm and not fully cooked.
4. Drain the rice in a colander and set aside.
5. In the same vessel pour the hot kadhai gosht gravy.
6. Spread half of the cooked rice and sprinkle with the few drops of milk + rose water + colour mixture. Sprinkle a handful of coriander leaves and fried onion along with pinch of garam masala. 
7. Repeat the step 6 with rest of the rice.
8. Make some deep dents in the rice so that the steam can easily circulate. Pour some ghee or butter over the rice and seal the vessel with a foil and a tight lid. (to avoid the steam from escaping)
9. Cook on medium low heat for 15 minutes. You will see the foil has puffed up due to the steam. Switch off the gas and let the biryani stay covered for another 15 minutes.
10. Serve hot.

Aloo Samosa Pinwheels

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Frying time (total): 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the potato stuffing

• 4 potatoes boiled & mashed
• ½ boiled green peas
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 6 curry leaves chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp amchur powder (dry mango)
• ¼ tsp garam masala powder
• 4 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

For the dough

• 2 cups plain flour (maida)
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• ½ tsp ajwain
• 1 tsp salt

½ cup sesame seeds (for garnishing)

4 cups cooking oil for deep frying

Method:

1.       For the dough: Combine all the ingredients and knead into a stiff dough with sufficient water. Rest the dough for 30 minutes.
2.        For the stuffing: Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add ginger, green chilies, curry leaves and saute for few seconds.
3.         Then add boiled & mashed potato, green peas, turmeric powder and chili powder. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes by stirring well. Add amchoor powder, garam masala powder, salt and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4.          Divide the dough into two equal parts. Roll out each part into a large thin rectangle sheet (approx. 10” by 12”). Spread half of the potato mixture on the sheet evenly.
5.          Start rolling the sheet tightly till the end till you get a nice big roll.
6.          Slice the roll with a sharp knife about ½ inch of thickness. Repeat the step with other half of the dough. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the sliced pinwheels.
7.          Heat oil in a deep bottom sauce pan and deep fry the pinwheels on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes.
8.          Serve hot with tomato sauce or chutney.

Corn Chat Shots

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 corn on the cob 
• 1 onion
• 1 tomato
• 2 green chilies (according to preference)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tbsp chat masala powder
• 2 tbsp mint chutney
• 2 tbsp sweet tamarind chutney
• Salt

Preparation:

• Steam the corn on cob for 20 to 25 minutes. With help of a knife chop all the corn from the cob.
• Chop and keep all the vegetables ready (onion, tomato, green chilies and fresh coriander)

Method:

1. In a large bowl add cooked and steamed corn kernels, onion, tomato, green chilies, chopped coriander, lemon juice, cumin powder, black pepper powder, chat masala powder, mint chutney, sweet tamarind chutney and salt. 
2. Mix well and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Serve the chat in shot glasses.

Tamarind Sweet Chutney:

1. Take a lemon size piece of dry tamarind.
2. Soak it in 1 cup boiling water for 15 minutes.
3. Squeeze out all the pulp into the water and sieve. Take only the tamarind juice juice and discard the remainder. (tamarind juice will be like a thick pulp)
4. Boil the juice with 4 tbsp jaggery, 1 tsp roasted cumin powder, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp black salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper powder.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Add water if needed.

Mint Chutney: (Grind together)

• 1 tsp grated garlic
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 green chilies
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 cup coriander leaves
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 or 3 tbsp of water for grinding

Baked Marrow with Mince Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 10 small or medium size marrows 
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 50 gms butter
• 4 tbsp olive oil

For mince stuffing:

• 500 gms mince (beef/mutton)
• 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp kasoori methi
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt
• 4 tbsp of cooking oil
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped spring onion (green & white)
• 1 or 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix together first 9 ingredients of the mince stuffing. Mix well and marinate the mince for 1 hour.
2. Heat oil in a sauce pan. Add the marinated mince and cook on high heat for 30 seconds by stirring constantly. 
3. Cover and cook on low flame till the mince is fully cooked. Dry out the liquid if any by cooking without lid.
4. Then add last seven ingredients and cook on high heat for 1 minute. Stir well, check the salt and adjust all the spices.
5. Remove from heat and cool it before using it as a stuffing. 
6. Preheat oven to 250 deg C. 
7. Take each marrow and cut into half length wise and scoop out the pulp from the center to make it look like a boat. 
8. Drizzle some olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.
9. Stuff each marrow with mince as much as it can hold. Sprinkle some cheese and butter on each of them and again bake till the cheese melts. (for about 10 to 15 minutes)
10. Serve hot as a snack or as a light dinner.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

• 300 gms fresh paneer
• 2 bunches of spinach leaves
• 1 large onion
• 1 large tomato
• 1 small green capsicum
• 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tbsp kasoori methi
• 2 to 3 green chilies
• 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 8 cashew nuts
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp butter
• 5 tbsp of cooking oil

Preparation:

• Wash & roughly chop the spinach.
• Chop 1 large onion, 1 large tomato, 1 small capsicum, 3 green chilies, mint leaves, coriander leaves and garlic.
• Cut paneer into cubes.

Method:

1. Heat oil in a sauce pan and fry whole cumin till it changes color. Then add chopped onion and fry till soft along with green chilies.
2. Add 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste, chopped mint leaves and cashew nuts.
3. Fry for some time and add tomato, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Saute for 5 minutes till the raw smell disappears.
4. Now add finely chopped capsicum, chopped spinach, kasoori methi and chopped coriander leaves along with salt. Place the lid and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat. 
5. Remove the spinach masala from heat, cool it and grind to a smooth paste.
6. In the same sauce pan, heat 3 tbsp butter and fry chopped garlic till aromatic.
7. Then add paneer cubes and saute gently for 1 or 2 minutes. To this add the spinach masala paste and stir gently. Add 1 cup water, 1 tsp sugar, salt if needed and 1/4 cup (or less) cream.
8. Place the lid and cook on low flame for 5 to 7 minutes till the gravy starts to boil.
9. Serve hot with Naan or roti.