RAWA IDLI

For the batter 1 cup rawa (semolina)
¼ cup curds
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
salt to taste
For the tempering
½ teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
a pinch asafoetida (hing)
1 teaspoon urad dal (split black lentils)
1 tablespoon broken cashewnuts
4 to 6 curry leaves
2 green chillies, chopped
1 teaspoon oil
½ teaspoon ghee
Other ingredients ¾ teaspoon unflavoured fruit salt
oil for greasing
For the batter
1. Combine all ingredients together, other than the fruit salt and leave aside for 10 minutes.
For the tempering
1. Combine the oil, ghee, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal and asafoetida in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes.
2. Add the cashewnuts, curry leaves, green chillies and microwave for 1 more minute.
Method
1. Pour 1 cup of water in the base of a microwave safe idli steamer and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Grease the idli moulds using little oil.
2. Add the tempering and the fruit salt to the batter and mix well.
3. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter into each greased cavity of the idli moulds and microwave, covered, on HIGH for 2 minutes.
4. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 8 more idlis.
5. Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambhar. Tips Handy tips : Fruit salt contains sodium so the salt has to added accordingly. After adding fruit salt you have to make the idlis immediately as the fruit salt will loose its effect very soon.

MASALA BAINGAN

Ingredients
Long brinjals (baingan) 4
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Black peppercorns 10-12
Fennel seeds (saunf) 1 teaspoon
Whole dry red chillies 2
Curry leaves 10-12
Split Bengal gram (chana dal) 1 tablespoon
Rice 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder ¼ teaspoon
Tamarind pulp 1 tablespoon
Semolina 1 cupOil
Method
1.Dry roast cumin seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, whole red chillies, curry leaves, split Bengal grams and rice.
2.Halve the brinjals and then quarter them vertically. Put the pieces in a bowl, add salt and turmeric power and mix.
3.Cool the roasted spices, add tamarind pulp and a little water and grind to a smooth paste.
4.Add the paste to the brinjals and mix well. Heat oil in a pan.
5.Mix semolina and salt in a plate. Roll the brinjal pieces in this mixture and fry till golden and crisp.
6.Drain and place them on an absorbent paper. Serve hot.

DAL ADAI

Ingredients
urad dal 1/2 cup
Chana Dal 1/2 cup
Moong Dal 1/2 cup
Rice long grain/basmati 1 cup
chillies green/red 3. 5 if you like it hot
ginger root 1/2" piece
jeera (cuminseeds) 2 teaspoon
Salt 3 tsp.
vegetable shortening or oil
curry leaves 12 (cut into small pieces)
1.Soak dals and rice for 2 hrs. Grind them otgether with chillies, jeera and ginger in a blender. 2.Add the salt and curry leaves.On a flat tava/frying pan on medium heat pour 1 tespoon of shortening or oil when it is heated, add the batter and spread it like dosa.3.When it turns golden with red hue, turn it and cook the other side.Serve hot with choice if chutney.

KHATTA DHOKLA

Ingredients
3 cups rice
1 cup urad dal
1/2 cup sour curd
2 tablespoons green chilli-ginger paste
3/4 teaspoon soda-bi-carb
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1 tablespoon black pepper, coarsely ground
3 tablespoons oil salt to taste
Method
1. Wipe the rice and urad dal with a wet cloth, mix and dry grind coarsely (like semolina). Alternatively, soak the rice and urad dal overnight in plenty of water and grind in a mixture the next day.
2. Add the sour curds and hot water and make into a thick paste.
3. Allow to ferment for at least 6 to 7 hours.
4. Add the soda bi-carb, oil, asafoetida, green chilli-ginger paste and salt and mix well.
5. Apply a little oil to a metal thali ( flat metal with low rim). Pour enough batter so as to fill half the height of the thali. This should ordinary be about 1/2 teacup for a small thali.
6. Sprinkle a little ground pepper on top.
7. Steam for about 10 minutes.
8. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
9. Cut into pieces and serve with oil and green chutney. Tips You can make Vegetable Dhoklas by adding finely chopped carrots, french beans and peas to the batter before stesaming.

GINGER DATE BALLS

Ingredients
1/2 lb almonds, finely chopped,toasted and divide in 1/2
1 cup dates, pitted, chopped
1 cup raisins
1 ounce candied ginger, chopped
1/4 cup honey
Directions
1.Place one half of the almonds and the remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended.
2Roll into balls and then coat in the remaining almonds.
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LIME DRINK

Ingredients
Lemons 4
Green chilli 1
Sea salt to taste
Black salt to taste
Fresh mint leaves 10-12
Powdered sugar 2 tablespoons
Ice cubes as required
Fresh mint sprigs 4
Soda as required
Method
2.Quarter three lemons and halve the remaining one. Squeeze the juice from the lemon halves into a stainless steel glass.
2.Put the lemon pieces in it. Add green chilli, sea salt, black salt, mint leaves and crush with a wooden stick.
3.Add powdered sugar, half a cup of water and mix. Add ice cubes and shake to mix well.
4.Put a mint sprig in a serving glass, add ice cubes and strain the mixture through a strainer into the glass. Top it up with soda and mix. Serve immediately.

THALIPEETH

Ingredients
3 tablespoons Bengal gram flour (besan)
3 tablespoons millet flour (jowar)
3 tablespoons wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt to taste
Other ingredients
oil for cooking
home-made white butter to serve
Method
1. Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and add enough water to make a thick batter.
2. Heat and grease a non-stick tava.
3. Spread a layer of the batter to form a pancake of 4 mm. thickness.
4. Cook on both sides till golden brown, using a little oil.
5. Repeat to make 3 more thalipeeth.
6. Serve hot with a dollop of home-made white butter.

CHINESE RICE

Ingredients
1 cup long grained rice
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
Method
1. Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in 3 cups of water for 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
2. Boil 6 to 8 cups of water, add salt and 1 tablespoon of oil.
3. Add the rice to the boiling water. Cook till the rice is 85% cooked.
4. Pour into a colander and let the water drain out. Pour some cold water on the rice to arrest further cooking.
5. Let all the water from the rice drain out ensuring that the rice does not contain any moisture.
6. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and toss the rice in it
7. Spread the cooked rice on a flat surface till it is cool.
8. Use as required.

RICE PANCAKE

Ingredients
2 cups cooked rice
1/3 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup chopped spring onion
1/3 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1/2 cup Bengal gram flour (besan)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tablespoons curds
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
salt to taste
Other ingredients
oil to cook
Method
1. Combine the ingredients except the oil in a bowl.
2. Add enough water to make a sofr dough.
3. Divide the dough into 10 to 12 equal portions.
4. Using wet hands, press one portion of the dough onto a damp cloth to form a 100 mm. (4") diameter circle.
5. Lift the cloth and upturn the pancake on to a non-stick tava.
6. Cook on both sides till golden brown using a little oil. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 10 to 12 pancakes.
7. Serve hot with green chutney.

COOKIES

Ingredients
125 g butter
60 g icing sugar
60 g cornflour
125 g plain flour
1 pinch salt
Directions
1.Soften butter.
2.Place in a mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients and knead well.
3.Roll tablespoon fulls of dough into balls, and flatten slightly on a lined biscuit tray.
4.Bake at 180C for 15 minutes, or until a light golden brown.
5.Be careful not to let them burn, they should only change colour slightly!

GATE AND WALNUT LADDOO

DATE AND WALNUT LADDOO
Ingredients
Dates, chopped 200 grams
Walnuts, toasted and crushed ½ cup
Apple juice 1 cup
Pear, grilled and chopped 1
Cinnamon 2 inch stick
Sponge cake crumbs ½ cup
Cocoa powder as required
Method
1.Heat apple juice in a pan, add dates and cook. Add pear and mix.
2.Add the cinnamon stick. Mix and cook till the pear and dates and soft and the mixture is a little dry.
3.Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the mixture into a bowl. Add walnuts and mix.
4.Add sponge cake crumbs and mix well. Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator.
5.Shape into laddoos, roll in cocoa powder and serve.
This recipe is by Sanjeeve Kapoor

POTATO CHIPS

Ingredients
Potatoes, peeled 5 large oval shaped (non starchy-waxy)
Oil to deep fry
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
Method
1.Peel and soak potatoes in water for fifteen minutes. Slice them using a slicer.
2.You can make plain slices or latticed slices by using the proper blades.
3.Soak these slices in chilled water for fifteen minutes. Drain them thoroughly.
4.Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. When the oil is very hot gently slide in a few slices and deep fry. 5.Mix salt in a little water. When the potatoes are almost done sprinkle a little salt water carefully and stir.
6.Drain the potato chips and place them on an absorbent paper so that excess oil is absorbed. 7.You can sprinkle a little red chilli powder if you wish.
8.Serve immediately or cool and store in an airtight container.