Whole Urad Dal Milagai Podi

Ingredients:
Whole Black Urad Dal - 1/2 cup

Chana dal - 1/2 cup
White Sesame seeds - 2 tbspns
Red chilies - 8 
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Heat 1 tsp oil in a kadai and roast whole urad until crisp over medium flame. It takes roughly 5-7 mins. Remove it and keep it aside.

Heat another tsp oil in the same kadai and roast chana dal until red and crisp. Remove and keep it aside.

In the same kadai add red chilies and roast until crisp and changes its color. Remove and let them cool. Add sesame seeds to the same kadai and let them pop. It takes hardly a minute or two. Set aside. Once the ingredients are cooled down grind everything with salt(according to taste) in the mixer to a coarse powder.

Spread the mixture on a plate and once it is cooled pour into the air tight container and store it in the refrigerator for longer life. Serve it with idli/dosa/upma. Mix the powder with ghee or sesame oil while serving.

Recipe Courtesy: The Chef and her Kitchen

Carrot Juice

Ingredients:

Baby Carrots - 50 Nos

Orange Juice - 1/2 cup fresh (2 medium sized Oranges yields 1/2 cup juice)

Sugar - 3 tbspns

Water - as needed

Method:

Chop the carrots and blend the carrots in the blender adding little water till it becomes a paste. Now strain it using a strainer and extract the juice completely. Again blend the strained carrots with little water and extract the juice again. Approximately it yields 1 1/4 cups carrot juice. You may add little more water if needed.

Add the orange juice and sugar. Mix it well and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Recipe Courtesy: Nalini's Kitchen

Broccoli Rasam

Ingredients:

Broccoli Florets - 1/4 cup

Tomato - 1 medium, chopped

Tamarind Paste - 1 tbspn

Coconut - 2 tbspns

Green Chilies - 3-4 (adjust according to spiciness)

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Tuvar dal - 1/4 cup, cooked and mashed

Salt - according to taste

Cilantro - 1 tbspn, for garnishing

To temper;

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:

Add the broccoli florets, chopped tomatoes, tamarind paste, turmeric powder and salt to 4 cups of water.

Let the mixture boils till broccoli florets are cooked. Now, grind the coconut and green chilies along with a tbspn of cooked broccoli and tomato mixture to a smooth paste. Keep it separate.

Now add the mashed dal to the mixture. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes. Follow it up by adding the grounded paste. Add 1/4 cup of water to the rasam. When it becomes light frothy switch off the stove.

In a pan, add ghee. Once it is warm add mustard seeds. As it splutters, add it to the rasam.

Now add the lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.

Recipe adapted from http://rascookbook.blogspot.com

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients:

Watermelon Puree - 2 cups

Sugar - 1/8 cup

Lime Juice - 1 tbspn

Salt - a pinch

Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1/4 cup

Method:

In a large saucepan, bring 1/2 cup watermelon puree, the sugar and lime juice to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves; season with the salt. Pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cups watermelon puree, then whisk in the sweetened condensed milk until incorporated. Pour the watermelon mixture into a shallow bowl and freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight.

Using a fork, scrap the frozen puree to form icy flakes. Cover tightly with foil and keep frozen. Give it a quick scrape before serving.

Paneer Bhurji Sandwich

Ingredients:

Paneer cubes - 2 cups
Onion - 2
Capsicum - 1

Red chilli powder/ pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Dhaniya/ coriander seeds powder - 1 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Milk - 2 tbspns

Ginger - 1 tbspn, finely chopped(optional)

Green chilies - 2

Coriander leaves - 2 tbspns, finely chopped 

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbspn


Method:
If you are using frozen paneer, either thaw it until room temperature or boil water and keep immersed for 10 minutes. Drain the water completely and crumble it in a mixer(just add in two batches and give it a run).         
Heat a pan with oil and splutter cumin seeds, add finely chopped ginger and green chilies, followed by finely chopped onion. Fry till transparent and add the chopped capsicum. Fry for a minute without changing its crispiness and add coriander leaves, all the spices and give it a quick stir without burning them. Add milk, salt and cook for 2 minutes until the milk evaporates. Now add the crumbled paneer and mix well. Fry for 2 minutes or until dry and add the lemon juice and mix well.

For the Sandwich;
Sandwich Bread - 4
Cucumber
Tomato
Lettuce


Place the bhurji on one side of the bread. Place the cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce on top of the bhurji. Cover the top with another bread. Proceed the same with other breads. Enjoy hot or cold.

Recipe Courtesy(Paneer Bhurji) - Rak's Kitchen

Mango Popsicle

Ingredients:

Mango Pulp - 1 cup 

Sugar - 2 tbspns (adjust according to taste)

Water - 1/4 cup

Ice Cubes - 2

Method:

Place the mango pulp, sugar , water, ice cubes in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture in the popsicle mould and freeze for atleast 4 hours.

Palak Channa Pulao

Milk Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 1/4 cups

Cloves  -3

Cardamom - 2 (optional)

Bay leaf  - 1

Cinnamon - 1 stick

Low fat milk - 1 cup

Salt to taste

Method:

Clean, wash and soak the rice in water. Drain and keep aside.

Put the milk to boil along with 1 cup of water.

Combine together all the ingredients including the milk-water mixture and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Separate each grain of rice lightly with a fork.

Keep it separate.

Palak Channa Pulao

Ingredients:

Onions - 1/2 cup, sliced 

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Capsicum - 1/2 cup, chopped

Tomatoes - 1/2 cup, chopped

Spinach (Palak) - 1/2 cup, chopped

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander - Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp each

Salt to taste
Kala Channa (Black) - 1 cup, soaked and cooked

Milk Rice - 2 1/2 cups

Corainder Leaves - 2 tbspns, chopped for garnishing

Method:

Heat a non-stick pan on a medium flame and when hot, add the onions and dry roast while stirring continuously, till they turn light brown in color. Sprinkle a little water if the mixture starts burning.

Add the ginger-garlic paste, capsicum and tomatoes and dry roast on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes while stirring continuously.

Lower the flame, add the spinach, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander-cumin seed powder, salt and 2 tablespoons of water and heat for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Add the chana and milk rice, mix gently and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Recipe Courtesy: Tarla Dalal