Sweet potato crackers spiced with chili & cumin.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sweet potato (wash and bake at 180°C/350°F for 45-50 mins till tender. Remove, peel and grate/mash)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Any seasoning (I used red chili powder, chili flakes, little turmeric for color, roasted cumin and some grated parmesan)
2 tbsp cold butter
1/8 cup cold milk 

How to make it:

• In a food processor mix flour, baking powder, salt, seasoning. 
• Then add butter and mix well. 
• Now add the sweet potato the mix again till crumbly. 
• Next add milk and mix till dough comes together. 
• Roll it out thinly. 
• Cut into desired shapes, prick holes, sprinkle sea salt and bake at 190°C/375°F for 10 mins. Lower temperature to 120°C/250°F and bake for another 15-20 mins till edges are golden brown. 
• Cool completely and store in an airtight container. 

Eggless banana cake

Eggless banana cake

This cake is one of the easiest, yummy and healthy cake recipe. It is a combination of wheat flour, nuts, etc

Nutritional contents:
Proteins
Fiber
Iron
Vitamin B6
Magnesium
and everything else .....
 
Preparation time: 5min
Cook time: 35-40min
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 4 medium to large ripe or over ripe bananas - 300 gms or 10.50 ounce
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour/atta, 180 grams
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• ½ cup organic unrefined cane sugar or regular sugar, 100 grams
• ⅔ cup any neutral flavored oil (i used sunflower oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 10 halved walnuts, chopped or any dry fruits of your choice (optional)

How to make the recipe:

1. Preheat your oven at 180 degrees C/350 degrees F. if using a regular oven, heat both the top and bottom elements. for a microwave convection oven, just preheat the oven.
2. Peel and chop the bananas. add them to a bowl and mash them with a fork. you can also use a blender to mash the bananas.
3. Add sugar, oil and vanilla extract.
4. Stir very well so that the oil mixes with the banana puree and the sugar dissolves.
5. Sieve whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt directly in the bowl. you can also sieve these separately and then add them to the wet ingredients.
6. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients very well.
7. Add the chopped walnuts and fold again. apart from walnuts, you can also add raisins, pistachios or any dry fruits of your choice. chocolate chips or cacao nibs can also be added.
8. Pour the batter in a greased or lined loaf pan ( 7.5 x 4 x 2.5 inches) or round cake pan (7.5 x 2 inches).
9. Gently tap and shake the pan. place the pan in the center rack if using a regular oven or OTG.
10. Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees C/350 degrees F for 45 to 50 mins or till tooth pick inserted in the cake comes out clean. if the top of the cake starts browning then cover the top with an aluminium foil or butter paper. * check notes
11. When warm or cooled, slice and serve banana cake plain with tea or coffee.

Eggless Cake with Apple sauce

RECIPE TYPE: dessert

PREP TIME:  10 mins

COOK TIME:  40 mins

TOTAL TIME:  50 mins

SERVES: 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour/ maida, about 185 grams
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup oil (use oil which has a neutral taste and flavor), 62.5 ml
• ¾ cup unrefined cane sugar or regular sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder or 1 scraped vanilla bean
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or regular vinegar or lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. in a mixing bowl, take ¾ cup apple puree, ¼ cup oil and ¾ cup sugar.
2. with a wired whisk, stir this mixture so well that the oil is incorporated evenly.
3. now add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or regular vinegar or lime juice to this wet mixture.
4. seive the dry ingredients - 1.5 cups maida/all purpose flour, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt directly in the bowl having the wet ingredients.
5. add vanilla powder or scraped vanilla bean or vanilla extract.
6. fold the dry ingredients in the wet ingredients lightly. don't over do.
7. the batter should feel light.
8. pour the batter in the prepared pan.
9. bake at 180 degrees celsius in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 mins.
10. once baked and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, remove the cake from the pan after it cools a bit and then place on a wired rack or tray for the sponge cake to cool down.
11. slice and serve this eggless apple cake with milk, tea or coffee.

Corn and Garlic semi-circular momo's

Corn and Garlic semi-circular momo's

Preparation time - 30 min
Serves - 5 persons

Ingredients:

Sweet Corn Kernels - 250gms
Garlic - 5-6 cloves
Mint leaves - half a bunch
Coriander leaves
Lemon juice
Amchur powder (dry mango powder)
Jeera
Wheat flour
Green chillies
Red chilly powder
Cheese
Oil
Salt

Method:

Stuffing:-

1. Grind the corn coarsely with Green chilly and garlic.
2. Chop mint leaves and coriander leaves and mix with the corn.
3. Add some salt to taste and amchur powder.
4. Add lemon juice and grated cheese . Mix and keep aside.

Cover:-

1. Make a dough with Wheat flour, salt, jeera, coriander leaves and oil. Use water to knead it.
2. Make small balls with the dough. Roll the ball into big chapati. Cut into small  circles in the chapati. 
3. Fill the circles with the stuffing. Give them semi-circular shape and close them so that the stuffing does not come out.

Steam the semi-circles and serve hot with some chutney of your choice.

Sudarshan Smoothie (Apricot-Cashew-Mango Smoothie)

Sudarshan Smoothie (Apricot-Cashew-Mango Smoothie)

Preparation time - 30 min
Serves - 5 persons

Ingredients:
Apricot - 20
Cashew - 50gms
Mango - 4-5 big ones
Sugar - 4 tbsp
Hung Curds - made from 1.5 liters curds
Mint leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Soak the Apricots in hot water for 15 min.
2. Powder the cashew and keep it aside.
3. Make puree with the mangoes.
4. Take the hung curds, mix the sugar into it. Grind it twice in the grinder. (Grind just little, else it might turn into butter)
5. Now with little milk, grind the Apricot coarsely.
6. Mix the Apricot, Cashew into the hung curd and grind it once.

Assembling:

1. If the serving glass is a thin one, We can use piping bags to fill the smoothie.
2. Put one layer of hung curd, next layer of mango. This can be continued to any number of layers and depending on how big the glass is.
3. Garnish will Mango pieces and/or Cashew pieces. One mint leaf and serve chilled.

Avarekalu thalipeeth (Avarekalu Rotti)

Makes 10 Thalipeeth
Preparation time - 20min

Ingredients:
Rice Flour - 1/2 cup
Besan (Gram flour) - 1/2 cup
Ragi flour - 1/2 cup
Jowar Flour - 1/2 cup
Wheat flour - 1/2 cup
Bajra flour - 1/2 cup
Green Chilly - 3 medium spicy
Onion - 2 big sized
Avarekalu - 3 cups
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp 
Grated fresh coconut
Jeera seeds
Sesame seeds Cilantro
Oil to roast the rottis
Salt to taste
Aluminum Foil to make the thalipeeth


Method:

1. Pressure cook the avarekalu (flat beans), with some water and salt.
2. Once the pressure goes off, mash half of them and keep aside.
3. Chop cilantro leaves, onion and green chilly and keep aside.
4. Take all the ingredients in a bowl along with all the flour.
5. Now add salt, Jeera, sesame seeds and mix well.
6. Then add water and make a dough. not very thin.
7. Take an aluminum foil, put some oil on it and put a ball of the dough and spread into a round pan cake.
8. Heat a tawa and put the thalipeeth on it.
9. Apply some oil on both sides and cook well.
10. Serve with curd, butter or dry fresh coconut chutney. 

Avarekalu upma

Serves 4 people
Preparation time - 20min

Ingredients:
Upma rawa - 1 & 1/2 cup
Besibele bhat masala - 1 &1/2 tsp
Avarekalu - 3/4 cup
Kadipatta - 6 leaves
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp 
Jeera seeds - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1 big
Ghee - 2 tsp
Cilantro  
Sugar to taste
Asafoetida - 1/2tsp
Salt to taste
Water
Oil


Method:

1. Roast Rawa in some ghee (1tsp) till little light brown color. Keep it aside.
2. Boil the avarekalu in water for 10min. Drain and keep aside.
3. In the same kadhai, heat oil. When hot add asafoetida, turmeric powder, jeera and mustard. Allow to splutter.
4. Then add kadipatta.
5. Now add onion and fry till golden brown.
6. Then add the boiled avarekalu and roast for sometime.
7. Then add water to the kadhai. The proportion will be 1 rawa : 2 water.
8. Add little sugar, besibele bhat masala, salt and cilantro. Allow the water to boil.
9. Add rawa while mixing continuously.
10. Close the kadhai with lid and allow it on low flame for 5min.
11. Now add 2 tsp of ghee and mix well.
12. Serve hot garnished with fresh grated coconut and Chopped cilantro.

White Sauce Pasta

Serves 2 persons
Making time - 20min
Preparation time - 20min

Ingredients:
Wheat Penne Pasta - 2 cups
Green chillies - 3 small
Garlic - 10 cloves

Vegetables and other ingredients ready

Onion - 2 medium
Carrot - 1 medium 
Sweet corn - 1/4 cup
Black Olives -  10
Beans - 10
Olive Oil - 2 Tbsp 
Maid - 3 Tbsp
Milk - 3 Cups
Dry Oregano
Dry Parsley
Grated Cheese
Salt to taste

Wheat penne pasta packet and boiled pasta

Method:

1. Chop Carrot in julienne and beans.
2. Boil carrots, beans, sweet corn and Olives with little salt. Keep aside.
3. Boil the pasta with little salt and oil. Boil in sufficient amount of  water. Drain the water (store the water to add to the sauce) and keep aside.
4. Heat 2 Tbsp Olive oil in a kadhai.

   

   White sauce in making

5. When the oil is hot, add finely chopped Chilly and garlic.
6. After a 1min of saute, add chopped onion and saute till the onion is golden brown.
7. Now add Maida and roast for sometime.
8. Then add Milk and bring to boil.
9. Now add some salt to taste.
10. Mix well. Then add the boiled pasta and boiled vegetables to it and mix it. Allow to cook for few minutes.
11. Add dry Oregano and parsley and mix well.
12. Serve hot topped with grated cheese.

Rice Paratha

Makes 5-6 parathas 
Preparation time: 15-20minutes

Ingredients:

Left over rice - 2 cups
Methi leaves - 1 bunch
Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Chat masala - 1sp
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder
Jeera powder
Dhaniya powder
Asafoetida - 1/2tsp
Kneaded chapati dough for 5-6 parathas


Method:

1. Take the rice in a large bowl.
2. Add chopped methi and coriander leaves.
3. Add Salt, Garam masala, Chat masala, red chilly powder, Jeera powder, Dhaniya powder and Asafoetida.
4. Mix all this well.
5. Put the ingredients into the mixer and coarsely grind it.
6. Divide into equal sizes and make a balls and keep aside.
7. Roll the chapati dough into medium size circle.
8. Put in one rice ball and close the chapati.
9. Now flatten the ball and roll the chapati into a bigger circle.
10. Sprinkle some oil in the tawa.
11. Put in the rolled paratha and cook both the sides with some oil, until it is crisp.
12. Serve hot with Dahi or raita and yummy pickle.

Mixed Vegetables in Palak Gravy

Mixed Vegetables in Palak Gravy

Ingredients:

For Gravy

Ingredients for the gravy

Palak - 2 bunches
Tomato - 2 Medium sized
Green chillies - 3 Medium Spiced
Ginger garlic paste - 3 tsp
Onion - 2 medium sized
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 2 tsp
Jeera - 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar
Asafoetida
Oil





Vegetables
Cubed French beans - 1 cup
Cubed Carrot - 1 cup
Chopped Cauliflower - 1 cup
Peas - 3/4 cup
Sweet corn - 3/4 cup
Cubed potato - 3/4 cup

Vegetables Flower ready

 Method:

1. Pressure cook Palak, green chillies and tomato with little water.
2. Pressure cook the chopped vegetables separately not in the gravy.
3. Once cooled, make a paste of the Palak, green chillies and tomato.
4. Heat a kadai and add some oil to fry the ginger-garlic and onion.
5. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for sometime.
6. Then add chopped onion and fry till golden brown.
7. Now add the paste and allow to boil.
8. Then add the pressure cooked vegetables and mix.
9. Now add garam masala, salt, little sugar, red chilly powder and mix well.
10. Bring to a boil.
11. If fond of more rich flavor or guests expected, we can add cream and serve hot.

Eggless Tiramisu

Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes
Preparation Time: 30-40 minutes
Servings: 4



Ingredients:
Eggless sponge cake, 6 inch - 1                  
Vanilla custard powder - 4 tsp
Milk - 1.5 cups
Sugar - 6 tsp
Instant Coffee powder - 1 tbsp
Hung curd - 4 tbsp
Whipped cream - 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Slice the cake horizontally into three slices.
2. Mix custard powder in a little cold milk. Heat the remaining milk in a pan, add the custard powder mixture and cook, stirring continuously, till it begins to thicken. Add sugar and stir till it dissolves. Set aside to cool. 
3. Heat a cup of water in a pan. Add one teaspoon instant coffee powder and mix. Set aside to cool. 
4. Add hung curd to the cooled custard and mix. 
5. Add the whipped cream and mix well.
6. Place the base slice of the cake in a glass bowl. Pour some of the coffee decoction over it and let it soak well. Spread some of the custard mixture all over it. 
7. Soak the remaining cake slices in the remaining coffee decoction. Place another cake slice over the one in the bowl and spread some of the custard mixture all over it. 
8. Cover it with the third cake slice. Pour the remaining custard mixture over it and spread it over the top and the sides of the sandwiched cake. Put the remaining instant coffee powder in a small sieve and sprinkle it all over the top of the tiramisu. Keep it in the refrigerator to set for at least one and a half hours. Serve chilled.

DHOOD SAMBAR

Dhood sambar

Ingredients:
Onion - 2 big size
Potato - 1 big
Milk - 1 litre
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Garlic - few
Lavang (Cloves) - 2-3
Dalchini (cinnamon) - small piece
Khus Khus (Poppy seeds) - 1 tbsp
Dry Coconut - 2 tbsp
Jeera
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Asafeotida
Red chilliy powder
Garam masala
Kala masala (Masale khara)

Method:

1.  Roast one onion on fire.
2. Cut the roasted onion into pieces and add to kadhai.
3. To the kadhai put garlic, lavang, dalchini, khus khus and dry coconut and roast. Make a paste of this.
4. In the above empty kadhai,  add ghee and allow to heat. Now add hing, Jeera and lots of coriander leaves. Add one chopped onion and fry well.
5. Now add small chopped potato and allow to cook well. If needed add some water. 
6. Then add red chilly powder, garam masala, kala masala and fry for sometime.
7. Next add the above paste and mix well. 
8. Put one litre milk and allow to boil.
9. Just before serving add salt to it. Do not add before as it will spoil the milk.
10. Serve with rice or bread.

Maida Halwa
Serves: 4 people
Preparation time: 30min


Ingredients:
Maida (All Purpose Flour) - 1 Cup
Sugar - 1 Cup
Milk - 1 Cup
Ghee - 1.5 Cups

Method:

1. Mix all the above ingredients in a kadai.
2. Keep the above mix on gas. Mix well while heating.
3. Allow it to cook for 20-25min, by mixing well.
4. Serve hot by garnishing with some dry fruits.

Avacado-spinach salad with Olive oil and sesame dressing..

Preparation time:  15min
Cooking time: 0min
Serves 2 people

Ingredients:
Spinach - 1 bunch
Avacado - 1 big size
Olive oil - 2 tsp
Sesame seeds - 3 tsp
Salt to taste

Avacodo-Spinach salad with olive oil and sesame seed dressing

Method:

1. Wash the spinach well in water and chop them.
2. Clean the avacodo and cut them into pieces of your size of choice.
3. Mix together spinach and avacado in a bowl.
4. In a pan heat the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the sesame seeds and allow to splutter.
5. Now add the hot oil and sesame mix to bowl.
6. Then add salt and mix well and serve.

Pitatla vangi (Flour brinjal)

I have used typical Maharastrian naming conventions in the recipe. I have put in the hindi names in the brackets. This  curry can be served with Bhakari (Jowar Roti) or chapati. The side items with this will be masala peanuts and bukki kanda (Hand hit onion).

Ingredients:

Besan flour - 2 cups

Wheat flour - 2 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsps

Salt to taste

Jeera - 3 tsps

Red chili powder - 2 tsps

Dhaniya powder - 1 tbsps

Peanut powder - 1 and 1/2 cups

Kala tikhat (Masala chili powder) - 1 and 1/2 tbsp

Dry coconut grated or powdered

Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tbsps

Coriander

Tumeric powder - 1 tsp

Amchur - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds -  1 tsp

Curry leaves

Green chillies

Onion - 2 medium

Tomato - 2 medium

Water for the dough

Part 1:

To make the dough for the flour brinjal.

Mix the below ingredients and make a dough by  adding water.

•         2 cups of besan
•         2 tsp wheat flour
•         2 tsp oil
•         Salt
•        1 tsp crushed jeera
•         Red chili powder according to taste and spicyness of the powder
•         1 tbsp dhaniya powder

Part 2:

Saran (Filling or masala):

Mix the below ingredients in a mixer.

•         1 cup Peanut powder
•         1 and ½ tbsp. Kala masala
•         Dry coconut powder roasted in oil
•         ½ tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
•         Chopped coriander
•         Turmeric powder
•         Salt to taste
•         1 tsp amchur

Part 3:

Vangi (Brinjal)

1.        Take out small portions of the dough, roll into round (similar to wheat rotis). Put Saran (filling) in it.
2.        Give it a shape similar to Brinjal. Apply oil on the complete vangi.
3.        Take a pressure cooker, do not use the whistle. Take a flat vessel which can fit in the cooker and layer it with oil.
4.        Put the vangi in the vessel and then in the cooker and cook for 3-4min without whistle.
5.        Let them cool down.

Part 4:

Rassa (Gravy)

1.        Put Fodani (Tadka) with Oil, Jeera, Mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chili.
2.       Then put onion and fry till golden brown.
3.        Then put tomatoes and cook it till the tomatoes leave some oil.
4.        Now add salt, red chili powder, the remaining Saran (Filling). Add water to it.
5.        Allow this mixture to boil. Now add Vangi.
6.        Boil again and serve hot with Bhakari (Jower roti), Masala peanuts and raw onion.

Coffee-Banana Milkshake

Ingredients:
Banana - 3 small or 2 big Nos
Coffee - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp (Or according to taste)
Chilled Milk - 2 glasses
Ice cubes if you like.

Method:
1. Cut bananas in random sizes. Blend in the blender.
2. Now add the other ingredients except ice and blend it well.
3. Now add the crushed ice and blend once Or you can keep the milkshake in the deep freezer for say half hour. Then before serving just blend it once and serve it.
4. Serve it chilled.

Mixed vegetable upma (Upittu)

Cooking time: 20min
Preparation time: 20min
Serving: 4 persons

Ingredients:
Sooji (Rawa) - 2Cups
Onion - 1 large
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves
Kadipatta
Asofoetida
Jeera
Mustard seeds
Green chilly - 1
Carrot - 2 small
French beans - 200 gms
Peas - 50gms
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Lemon - 1/2
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Water - 2 and 1/2 cups
Cilantro leaves
Grated coconut (Optional)


Below in powdered form:
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamom - 1 cm
Black Pepper - 3-4


Method:
1. Chop the Onions into cubes.
2. Grate garlic and Ginger.
3. In the meantime, keep a kadai on flame. Then when hot add rawa and dry roast it till slightly brown.
4. Chop green chilly. Add less chilly as we already have other spices into the upma.
5. Chop Carrot into cubes. Also chop beans finely as it will cook faster.
6. By now the rawa would be done. So take it out and keep it aside.
7. In the same kadai, add oil and allow to heat.
8. Now add Asofoetida, Mustard and Jeera. Allow mustard to splutter.
9. Then add Kadipatta, Green chilly and Ginger-Garlic. Allow Garlic to become golden brown.
10. Then add Onions and fry for 5min. Then add all the vegetables. Fry for a minute or two. Add a little salt and cook well with closed lid of the kadai.
11. Now add the powdered masala and fry for sometime.
12. Once above is cooked well, Add the Water and allow to boil.
13. To the water add salt, Lemon juice, Cilantro leaves and sugar. Mix well.
14. Add the rawa to boiling water, mix quickly and close the lid as it starts to splutter all over.
15. After 2 min, Open the lid and mix well.
16. Now put 2tsp of ghee and mix it well. Close the lid and allow the raw to cook.
17. Garnish with cilantro leaves and grated coconut. Serve it plain or with Farsaan.