SWEET BANANA PAROTTA

INGREDIENTS:
• Banana
• All purpose flour
• Cashew powder
• Salt
• Ghee
• Cardamom powder
• Raisins
• Dates
METHOD:
• In a bowl, mix all purpose flour, cashew powder, cardamom powder, little salt, ghee and banana. Knead it well, without water. If required, sprinkle very little water and knead it. Even milk can be added instead of water.
• Then roll it with a rolling pin just like a roti. Then apply ghee on one side and dip this side in the flour. Fold this side in layers and again roll it to the required size.
• Toast this on a tawa on both sides. Once the color changes to brown, add ghee.
• This can be served with dates and raisins roasted in ghee.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

INGREDIENTS:
• Pumpkin Puree
• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Whipped cream
• Cream cheese
• Ginger Biscuits

METHOD
CRUST
• In a bowl add melted butter, powdered sugar and powdered ginger biscuits. If ginger biscuits are not available you can add the regular biscuits/graham cracker crust and ginger separately.
• Mix all these ingredients well and put this on a microwave for 10-15 minutes. Keep this aside.

FILLING:
• Cook the pumpkin in water until they become soft and tender. Then smash it well to puree. You can also add the readymade pumpkin puree.
• Powder cloves and cinnamon.
• In a bowl, add pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, and cream cheese/ whip top, pinch of the powdered cloves & cinnamon and finally add the whipped cream. Blend all these well and pour this evenly on top of the crust.
• Keep this in the microwave until the filling becomes dry. A cake’s consistency. Cool it to room temperature and then refrigerate it for 3-4 hours.

SUGGESTIONS:
• You can top it with nuts, whipped cream etc.
• If you do not have a microwave, you can directly refrigerate the mixture for 3-4 hours and then serve.

APPLE PIE (Alternative way)

This is not the exact recipe of an apple pie. It is an easy version and its done with ingredients readily available. :) :)


INGREDIENTS:
•Diet biscuits
•Apples
•Sugar
•Cinnamon powder
•Butter
•Sponge cake/plain cake

METHOD:
CRUST:
•In a bowl, mix butter and crushed biscuits.
•Knead it well and then stuff on the corners of a mould.
•Bake this in a microwave oven for 10-15 minutes at 150 deg C,

PIE FILLING:
•In a bowl add finely chopped apples, butter, crumbled sponge cake and powdered sugar and cinnamon and raisins.
•Fill this on the mould and cover the top again with the crust mix.
•Bake this in the oven for 20 minutes at 150 Deg C.
•Take this out of the mould and serve it hot with ice cream.

THANDAI SOUFFLE

Thandai Souffle is a Western-Indian Fusion.

INGREDIENTS:
•Almonds
•Cottage cheese
•Aniseed/fennel seeds
•Sugar
•Poppy seeds
•Saffron
•Cardamom
•Fresh cream
•Rose water

METHOD:
•Soak almonds in warm water for about 10 minute. Peel the skin.
•Soak poppy seeds & aniseed in warm water.
•Add the almonds, poppy seeds, aniseed, saffron, cardamom powder, cottage cheese, fresh cream, one drop of rose essence and grind it.
•Transfer this to a bowl and refrigerate it.
•Add saffron or finely chopped almonds and pistachio and serve cool.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE

INGREDIENTS:
•Butter
•Condensed Milk
•Milk Powder (optional)
•Chocolate
•Chocolate Powder

METHOD:
•Heat the pan and melt butter.
•Once the butter is melted, add the condensed milk.
•Then add the chocolate powder and stir it well.
•Once it becomes thick, add chocolate chips and turn off the flame.
•Cool it and then make it into small balls.
•Refrigerate it for half an hour to one hour.

SUGGESTIONS:
•Sugar is not needed as the condensed milk will have some sugar in it.
•You can serve these balls in paper cups. Like the ones used in cup cake.
•You can also add roasted pista, almonds and other nuts on top of the balls and serve.

ROSE BURFI

INGREDIENTS:
•Low fat cottage cheese(paneer)
•Sweet less kova
•Sugar

METHOD:
•Grate the cottage cheese and keep it aside.
•Powder the sugar and keep it aside.
•In a bowl, add the sugar powder, cottage cheese, kova, rose essence and knead it well.
•Put this in a setting bowl. Add cardamom, pista or saffron for garnishing. Refrigerate it for 2 hours.
•Cut into different shapes of your choice and serve.

KESAR MILK CUSTARD

INGREDIENTS:
•Apple
•Sugar
•Milk
•Corn flour/Kova
•Cardamom powder
•Almonds
•Raisins
•Kumkum

METHOD:
•First stew the grated apple. Pour little water in a pan and cardamom powder. Allow it to boil. Then add the grated apple in it. Once it is cooked, add the sugar powder and cook until it comes to a thick consistency.
•Then pour milk in another pan and boil it. Add kumkum powder to it for taste. For getting a thick consistency either kova or corn flour can be added. Pour this mixture on top of the cooked apple.
•Garnish it with chopped almonds and raisins (roast it in ghee optional) and little kumkum. Refrigerate it for 2 hours and then serve.

DIFFERENT COOKING PROCESSES

It is always good to understand properly all different cooking methods. It usually make the recipe better. Here is a link where i found different cooking methods described in detail including its pro's & Con's. Hope it is useful for you!!

THE FOOD TECHNOLOGY WEBSITE

DATES WALNUT CUSTARD

INGREDIENTS:
•Dates
•Walnuts
•Ghee(Clarified butter)
•Skimmed milk/milk
•Custard powder
•Sugar

METHOD:
•Powder sugar and keep it aside. Finely chop the dates and walnuts.
•Heat ghee in a pan, saute dates and walnut until they become soft. Lay them on a plate.
•Then boil the milk and add custard powder. Mix the custard powder in milk and then add this mixture to the boiling milk in order to avoid lumps. Then add the sugar powder. Allow it to boil until they become thick.
•Pour this milk mixture on top of the dates and refrigerate it for two hours.

OTHER VARIATIONS:
** Chopped fruits or jam can be added as an additional layer before adding the custard.
** Dates and Walnuts can be substituted with other dry fruits or fresh fruits. If fresh fruits are added, stew them with water.

CASHEW ALMOND CASSATA

Cassata, derived from Italian language meaning "layers". So as the name hints, this dessert is a layer of cashews and almonds. It is a very quick and a easy to make dessert.

INGREDIENTS:
•Cashew Nuts
•Almonds
•Ghee (Clarified Butter)
•Powdered sugar

METHOD:
•Chop a very small amount of almonds and cashews into small pieces. Keep this aside.
•Take some more cashews and grind it into a paste. Then add powdered sugar, ghee and chopped cashew pieces to it and mix it well.
•In the similar way, do it for almonds.
•Take some cashew mix and make it round and flat.Fill it inside with almond mixture and close it.So the inner layer is of almond filling and the outer layer id of Cashew mix.
•Cover the outer layer with silver paper(optional) and refrigerate it for an hour and then serve.

Can any of you imagine a situation, where you are put up in a kitchen with only a “Microwave” to cook? No stove, No processor or mixer, No electric cooker, Only Microwave. A scenario no one would ever dream of. Well, I am currently in such a situation.

Okay, let me explain in detail. My hubby darling got an onsite assignment in Mexico City. His great company’s main concern is only about their employee’s security. On those reasons, we were given accommodation in a star hotel and we had no choice of renting an apartment or a condo and we were also not eligible for taking the “suite types” in the hotel in his current project rate. We moved into a room in the 9th floor. Our home for another 4-5 months!! My hubby actually came here a month before my arrival. So he had spoken to the guest service manager of the hotel and requested him to provide us with a microwave, which was a little relief. Something is always better than nothing.

Actually the room is very spacious and has a very good view. I like it very much. :) :). It gives me a homely feeling cuz of the arrangement. There s this big “giant” size couch and a 25” LCD in the front. There is a big study table to the side of it. Then comes the king size bed and the closet. So its juz like a condo or suite with a kitchen missing. :( :( . The first initial days were very dreadful. I had not used a microwave before. So I just browsed the net and collected some good tips from it. But for my utter astonishment, this microwave does not work properly. I was not able to temper mustard seeds or curry leaves. Actually it caught fire the first time we tried. :( :( . I was not even able to cook rice in it!! Then my hubby somehow found out that the power level is very high and so the water keeps spilling. We reduced it to 50% and it was working fine. I got relieved a little thinking that we can at least make curd rice with this. When we were thinking somehow things are getting sorted, there came a major issue. Since we were experimenting on it the whole Sunday, the current tripped in our room due to excess use of microwave. Then the service guy said, as it is a high end appliance we should use it only for a limited time. Oh shit, again another major hit!! How are we going to survive? Only on boiled vegetables and curd rice for 6 months? No!!

Then by day-by-day experiment I found out how to use this efficiently. First, I listed out what cannot be done in this microwave. I cannot sauté onions or other items; I cannot cook dahl as it takes much time to cook, almost an hour or so. Then I listed out the ingredients I had with me. From India, I got some packets of tamarind paste, chili powder, Garam masala, homemade curry and sambhar powder, ginger garlic paste and some MTR readymade mixes like upma, idli etc... Finally I decided that I can make one curry, rice and some gravy for it every day. This is my current phase of life, experimenting on different things, how to adjust with the things available especially for cooking etc… Even though it is very difficult, this is altogether a different experience.

So here is how you can make not so great but definitely a good food. “Survival of the fittest”. Go ahead and have a look. Who knows may be this too can be of use to you at times.

Survival of the fittest

CHANNA MASALA/MUSHROOM MASALA

Servings: 3 Cooking Time: 1hr

INGREDIENTS
• Chickpea 200gms
• Onions 2 Medium sized
• Tomatoes 1 ½ Medium sized
• Green chilies 3 no’s
• Chili powder ½ tsp
• Garam masala 1 tsp
• Cumin powder ½ tsp
METHOD:
• Finely chop the onions and slit the green chilies length wise.
• If it’s a frozen pack, you can soak the chick peas in water for one hour. Otherwise soak it overnight.
• Put the chickpeas in a micro safe dish and add twice the amount of water and little salt. Keep it in the microwave for half an hour. Keep checking and stirring it in between once or twice.
• In another micro safe dish, add the tomatoes and keep it in microwave for 2-3 mins until the skin starts peeling.
• Remove the skin smash the tomatoes well and little water. Keep it again inside the microwave for 5 minutes till the tomatoes are cooked well.
• Then add the onions, green chili, chili powder, and Garam masala and cumin powder. Stir it well and keep it inside the microwave for another 10 minutes.
• Then add the cooked chick peas, little butter and keep it inside for another 5 mins.
• Garnish it with coriander and chopped onions.

** Lays chips can be crushed and added on top just before serving. You ll get a very nice crunchy taste. This is purely optional. We like this taste so we add it.
** The same procedure can be followed and chickpea can be substituted with other kind of dry beans like kidney beans, pink beans etc...
**For mushroom masala, folllow the same procedure and in the end you can add the mushrooms instead of cooked chickpea. Mushrooms will cook in less than 10 minutes.

CHOW CHOW KOOTU (CHAYOTE)

The most yummy & popular dish of South India!!! The main condiment for this is ground cumin, coriander and coconut along with other south Indian spices. But let me show you how to make this dish by using only some of these ingredients, some adjustments etc. I bet you will definitely be able to make the dish which looks & of course tastes exactly the same.

INGREDIENTS:
• Chayote 2 big sized
• Grated Coconut Handful
• Green chilies 3 No’s
• Cumin powder 1 tsp
• Sambhar powder 1 tsp

METHOD:
• Dice the chayote and keep it in microwave for 15 minutes. Add water such that the veggies are just immersed. Close the lid of the dish.
• Then add the grated coconut, green chilies, cumin powder and sambhar powder and keep it again for another 15 minutes or until it is cooked well. The veggies should be very soft. Actually if it gets smashed slightly, you will get a thicker consistency.
• Then add little yogurt or thick curd, the thickening agent and keep it for a minute or less than that. Allow it to stand for 5-10 minutes.


** This can also be called as “Chow Chow Mor Kootu”. Whatever it is called, we have a healthy food with only veggies in it, which is much much better than having the outside junk food.
** Actually if you get coriander powder it s very good. It enhances the taste very well. Not only for this dish, you can use it in almost all dishes.

PINEAPPLE BISCUIT DESSERT

Ever thought of a cookie with the "Diet Biscuit"? Here you go.. This 3 layered pineapple dessert is more or less like a cookie. A dessert made with the " readily home available" ingredients..

INGREDIENTS:
BOTTOM LAYER:
•Diet/Marie biscuits
•Butter

MIDDLE LAYER:
•Diced Pineapple
•Sugar

TOP LAYER,SAUCE:
•Cottage cheese
•Cream
•Curd
•Lemon juice

METHOD:
•Add the cut pine apples and sauté it in a pan. Add sugar and stir it till it becomes little soft.
•Meantime powder the biscuits and mix it with butter to prepare dough.
•Then take cottage cheese, cream and little curd, lemon juice (optional) and grind it in a mixer to prepare the sauce.
•Take a cookie mold or small cups of any shape and spread the biscuit dough as the base.
•Then fill the pineapple on top of the biscuit base.
•Finally fill it with the sauce.
•Sprinkle some biscuit powder on top of it and refrigerate it for 45 minutes and serve.

DONUTS

INGREDIENTS:
•All purpose flour
•Sugar powder
•Salt
•Butter
•Yeast
•Oil
•Chocolate/sugar crystals (for the dip)

METHOD
•Mix all purpose flour, little butter, pinch of salt, sugar powder, yeast and knead it into soft dough.
•Roll it and make a hole in between. The hole should be big enough giving room for the dough to rise up.
• Leave it aside for half an hour.(*) Do not leave it aside for a longer time.
•Pour oil in a pan and heat it. Once it is heated drop the donut dough and deep fry it. Keep the flame in low or medium so that it cooks even both inside and out.
•For Chocolate donuts, melt chocolate in a oven and dip one face of the donut in the hot chocolate.
* For sugar donuts dip it in sugar crystals and in similar way you can dip them either in maple syrup, dates syrup, honey etc..

(*)The dough is kept aside for half an hour so that the yeast ferment-ates and the dough rises up. This method is called prooving or proofing.

CHAPATTI MASALA NOODLE

INGREDIENTS:
•Wheat flour
•Onion
•Capsicum
•Tomatoes
•Garam masala
•Chili powder

METHOD:
•Make chapattis and keep it aside. Even you can use the left over chapattis.
•Roll the cooked chapattis and slit it into pieces like noodles. Do not slit it very fine.
•Heat oil and butter in a pan. Sauté onions till half cooked.
•Then add capsicums and tomatoes and saute it well
•Add turmeric powder, garam masala/pav bhaji masala.
•Add finely chopped garlic and sprinkle water for it to cook. Add salt.
•Then add the slit chapattis and toss it for few minutes.
•Garnish it with coriander and squeeze lemon while serving.

HUNG CURD DIP

INGREDIENTS:
• Curd
• Minced Garlic
• Minced Onion
• Salt
• Lime Juice
• Green chili

METHOD:
• Hang curd in a muslin cloth and drain the water. For 3 tbsp, it usually takes 40 minutes.
• Once it is drained, add minced garlic and onions, salt, chopped green chili and mix well. Squeeze drops of lime juice and serve.

** This dip goes best with any kind of breads, chips,or can be used as salad dressing.
** There are many variations to this recipe. You can also add bell peppers to the above mentioned ingredients.
** Another variation is, you can mix the curd only with fenugreek paste and mint leaves. The flavor of mint with curd will be awesome..

CHICK PEA ROUNDLES

INGREDIENTS:
• Chickpea
• Ginger garlic paste
• Chopped Green chilies
• Bread crumbs
• Curd
• Mint leaves
• Salt

METHOD
•Pressure-cook the chickpea.
•Heat the oil in a pan; add ginger garlic paste, finely chopped green chilies, salt and the cooked chick pea.
•Once it is cooled, smash it well. Then dip it in curd (with mint leaves added to it) and bread crumbs and make it into round shaped.
•Then you can either deep fry it or grill it in a pan or u can bake it in a convection mode oven for 6-7 mins at the temp of 150-180 deg C.

** This tastes best when served with HUNG CURD DIP. Click to check the recipe!!!

FINGER IDLY

INGREDIENTS:
• Idly (Preferably left over)
• Sesame oil
• Chutney powder
• Cilantro

METHOD:
• Cut the idly into pieces length wise.
• Add seasame oil in a pan and shallow fry the idly pieces. It has to become crispy.
• Finally add the chutney powder and stir it for a minute.
• Then season it with cilantro and serve.

** Refined oil can also be used. But with sesame oil it tastes better.
** Chutney powder is our very dear "Milagai podi". This can be substituted according to ones tastes.
** You can also temper it with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chili and urad Dahl.