Strawberry Lassi

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Strawberry - 1 cup

Honey - 1 tbspn

Cardamom - a pinch

Yogurt - 3/4 cup

Ice Cubes

Method:

Blend all the ingredients in a blender to a smooth consistency. Serve chill!

Pineapple Bhaji

Ingredients:
Pineapple* - 4 to 5 cut into circles discarding the center
Oil for frying
Gram Flour/Besan Flour - 2 tbspns

Salt to taste
Crushed Black Pepper to taste 

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

For the batter;

Gram Flour/Besan Flour - 1 cup

Red Chili Powder - 1 1/2 tsp(add more if the pineapple is too sweet)

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Water for making batter

Green Chutney - required for serving

*Select the one which is sweet but not juicy.

Method:

In a bowl add gram flour, chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, enough water. Mix well. Rest for 10 to 12 minutes. Heat the oil in a pan for frying. 

For dusting, in a separate bowl add gram flour, salt, red chili powder, crushed black pepper. Mix well. Dust the pineapple slices with the dry mixture and then coat the pineapple slices in the wet batter and deep fry them in hot oil. Remove them on a tissue.
Put the lotus stem slices in gram flour mixture and add red chili powder.
Arrange pineapple bhajis on a plate and serve with green chutney.

Inspired from here

Mango Payasam/Mango Kheer

Ingredients:

Vermicelli - 3 tbspns

Milk - 3 cups(1 cup = 250 ml)

Condensed milk - 1/4 cup

Sugar* - 3 tbspns

Mango Pulp - 1 cup

Ghee - 2-3 tsps

Raisin - 7 Nos

Cashews - 7 Nos

Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp

Fresh Mango - 1/4 cup, chopped(optional)

*Add more depending upon the sweetness of the mango

Method:

In a pan heat a tsp of ghee and fry the vermicelli till it is lightly golden. Then add the milk to it and let it simmer till the vermicelli is cooked. Then add the sugar and condensed milk and bring it to boil and let it simmer for few minutes. Then add the powdered cardamom mix well and turn off the heat. 

Then let it cool completely, then add the mango pulp and mix well. 

Fry cashews and raisins in the ghee and then mix with this and also add the diced mangoes and mix well and serve. Add more milk to dilute the payasam if its thickened.

It tastes best when served cold.

Inspired from here

Mint Pulao/Pudhina Pulao/Mint Rice

Ingredients: 

Basmati Rice - 3 cups, cooked

Mint – ½ cup 

Green chilies – 2 

Ginger – ¼ inch piece 

Garlic cloves – 2 

Oil – 1 ½ tbspns 

Cashews – 1 tablespoon, broken 

Onion - ½ cup, sliced + 1/2 cup for caramelizing 

Bay leaf – 1 

Cinnamon stick – ½ inch piece 

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste 

Method: 

Wash and grind the mint leaves with green chilies, ginger and garlic to a fine paste adding very little water. Keep it separate.

Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add the cashews and fry it till it gets golden brown. Remove and keep it separate.

Now add 1/2 cup of sliced onions in the same oil and fry it till it gets caramelized and golden brown. Keep it aside.

Now in the same oil, add bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Let it cook for few seconds till you get a nice aroma. Then add cumin seeds, let them sizzle. Then add ½ cup of sliced onion. Saute till the onions turn translucent. Then add mint paste and salt.  Let it cook till all the moisture in the mixture evaporates(approximately 2 minutes). Add the cooked rice and mix it gently. Garnish with cashews and fried onions and serve with raita.

Inspired from here

Tomato Kadhi/Tamatar Ki Kadhi

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 2 cups, roughly chopped(approximately 3 medium sized)

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilies - 1/2 tsp, finely chopped

Curry Leaves - 5 to 6

Besan Flour - 1 tbspn

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Oil - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

For Garnishing;

Coriander Leaves -  1 tbspn, finely chopped

Method:

Combine the tomatoes and ½ cup of water in a deep non-stick pan, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Allow it to cool and blend in a mixer to a smooth purée. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

When the seeds crackle, add the green chili, curry leaves and besan, mix well and saute on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Add the turmeric powder, chili powder, asafoetida and tomato purée along with 1½ cups of water and bring to a boil, while stirring once in between.

Add the salt  and mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes.

Serve hot garnished with the chopped coriander.

Recipe adapted from Tarla Dalal