Prune and spinach kebab

8 prunes
2 medium bundles spinach
8 baby tomatoes
2 tbsp oil + to shallow fry
2 medium onions, chopped
4 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
Salt to taste
2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
½ tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp chaat masala
2-3 tbsp cornflour

Blanch spinach in boiling hot water for a minute and then refresh in cold water. Chop roughly. Stuff each prune with a baby tomato and set aside.
Heat oil in pan. Add onions and sauté for two to three minutes. Add green chillies, ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté for two minutes.

Add spinach and mix well. Add salt, mix and remove from heat.
Put the spinach mixture in a bowl. Add mashed potatoes, salt, garam masala powder and chaat masala and mix well. Add cornflour and mix. Divide into eight equal portions. Stuff each portion with a prune (stuffed with baby tomato) and shape into a tikki.

Heat oil in a frying pan and place the stuffed tikkis. Shallow fry, turning sides, till both the sides are evenly browned. Drain and place on an absorbent paper.
Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Boondi ki sabzi

200 gm boondi, unsalted
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 medium onions, sliced
½ inch piece ginger, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1½ tsp red chilli powder
3 medium tomatoes, grated
Salt to taste
½ tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
2 stalks spring onion greens, sliced

Heat oil in pan and add cumin seeds. When they begin to change colour add onions and sauté. Soak boondi in sufficient water Add ginger, garlic and sauté for a minute. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and stir. Add tomatoes and continue to sauté for a few minutes.
Drain the water from boondi. Cook the masala on high heat. Add salt, garam masala powder, coriander leaves and boondi. Mix and cook on high heat for a minute.
Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot.

Poha cutlets

1 cup pressed rice (poha)
3 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
2 tbsp oil + to deep fry
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp refined flour (maida)
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 green chillies, finely chopped
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
10 cashewnuts, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice

Soak the poha for five minutes. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, onion, two tablespoons of refined flour and roast for two to three minutes. Add red chilli powder, green chillies, turmeric powder, stir and mix well. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture into a bowl.
Add soaked poha, mashed potatoes, salt, coriander leaves, cashewnuts and lemon juice. Mix well. Divide the mixture into 8- 12 equal portions and shape each into a cutlet. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry the cutlets till golden.
Drain and place on an absorbent paper and serve hot with green chutney.

Spring Onions & Potatoe stuffed Prantas

Hare pyaaz aur aloo ka parantha

5-6 spring onions with greens, finely chopped
1½ cups whole-wheat flour (atta)
2 green chillies, chopped
½ tsp carom seeds (ajwain), crushed
Salt to taste
2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
¼ cup yogurt
2 tbsp oil
Ghee as required

Take whole-wheat flour in a bowl. Add spring onions with greens, green chillies, carom seeds, salt, potatoes, red chilli powder, coriander leaves, yogurt and sufficient water and knead into a dough. Apply oil, cover and set aside for 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into eight equal portions. Roll into balls. Roll the balls in dry flour and rest for five minutes. Roll out into medium thick paranthas.
Heat a tawa and place a parantha on it. Cook on medium heat for two minutes.
Turn and apply ghee on the cooked side. Turn again and apply some more ghee on the other side too. Cook till both sides turn a golden brown. Serve hot.

Masaledar Tofu Bhurji

Ingredients:
300 gms Tofu (beancurd), 2 medium sized onions, I inch knob ginger, 2 medium sized tomatoes, 2 green chillies, 2 capsicums, ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves, 1½ tsps oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder and salt to taste.

Method:
* Drain tofu, crumble into small pieces.
* Peel and finely chop onion and
ginger. Wash and finely chop
tomatoes and coriander leaves. Wash, remove stem, de-seed, finely chop green chillies and capsicum.
* Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add cumin seeds, cook till they start to change colour. Add chopped onion, ginger, green chillies. Stir-fry till translucent.
* Dissolve turmeric, cumin, coriander, red chilli powder in ½ cup water, add to pan. Cook on medium heat for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
* Add chopped tomatoes and cook on high heat for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Stir in crumbled tofu, chopped capsicum and salt to taste.
* Reduce heat, cook for 2 to 3
minutes, tossing to prevent sticking.
* Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top, and serve.

Matar ki kachori

For covering
1½ cups refined flour (maida)
Salt to taste
5 tbsp pure ghee
Oil to deep fry
For stuffing
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 cup green peas, blanched and crushed
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tbsp Bengal gram (chana dal), roasted and powdered
1 tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp chaat masala
Salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Place maida and salt in a bowl. Add pure ghee and mix well. Knead into a smooth dough using sufficient water. Cover with a moist cloth and set aside for half an hour.

Heat oil in a pan, temper with cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and chopped green chillies. Sauté for half a minute, add crushed green peas and asafoetida and mix. Add chana dal powder, garam masala powder, chaat masala and salt. Mix well. Remove from heat and cool.

Add chopped coriander leaves and divide into 12 to 16 equal sized portions.

Divide dough into 12 to 16 equal sized balls. Flatten a ball slightly and place a portion of the stuffing. Cover, seal edges and flatten. Roll out lightly with a rolling pin. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry kachoris on medium heat till brown and crisp. Drain and serve with a chutney of your choice.

Stuffed dahiwadas

For wadas
1 cup black gram split (dhuli urad dal)
Salt to taste
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp cumin seeds
Oil to deep fry
For stuffing
2 one-inch pieces ginger, cut into thin strips
1½ tbsp raisins
8-10 cashewnuts, crushed
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
For yogurt mixture
2½ cups yogurt, whisked and chilled
Salt to taste
½ tsp rock salt (kala namak)
1 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp cumin powder, roasted
To serve
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder, roasted
½ cup date and tamarind chutney
¼ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Soak dal for three to four hours. Drain and grind, using very little water, to a thick, coarse and fluffy batter. Add salt, asafoetida and cumin seeds and mix well with hands to make a well blended mixture.

Fry a small portion of the batter in hot oil to test if the batter holds well. In a bowl mix together ginger, raisins, crushed cashewnuts, chopped green chillies and chopped coriander leaves.

Apply a little water on palm. Take a small portion of batter and pat lightly with damp fingers to flatten it. Place a little stuffing and fold over.
Gently put into hot oil. Repeat with remaining batter and stuffing. Fry till wadas are golden brown. Drain and soak in cold water.

Mix together yogurt, salt, rock salt, red chilli powder and cumin powder.
Squeeze out wadas and arrange on a serving dish.

Pour chilled yogurt over them and serve garnished with red chilli powder, cumin powder, date and tamarind chutney and chopped coriander leaves.

Stuffed dahiwadas

For wadas
1 cup black gram split (dhuli urad dal)
Salt to taste
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp cumin seeds
Oil to deep fry
For stuffing
2 one-inch pieces ginger, cut into thin strips
1½ tbsp raisins
8-10 cashewnuts, crushed
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
For yogurt mixture
2½ cups yogurt, whisked and chilled
Salt to taste
½ tsp rock salt (kala namak)
1 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp cumin powder, roasted
To serve
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder, roasted
½ cup date and tamarind chutney
¼ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Soak dal for three to four hours. Drain and grind, using very little water, to a thick, coarse and fluffy batter. Add salt, asafoetida and cumin seeds and mix well with hands to make a well blended mixture.

Fry a small portion of the batter in hot oil to test if the batter holds well. In a bowl mix together ginger, raisins, crushed cashewnuts, chopped green chillies and chopped coriander leaves.

Apply a little water on palm. Take a small portion of batter and pat lightly with damp fingers to flatten it. Place a little stuffing and fold over.
Gently put into hot oil. Repeat with remaining batter and stuffing. Fry till wadas are golden brown. Drain and soak in cold water.

Mix together yogurt, salt, rock salt, red chilli powder and cumin powder.
Squeeze out wadas and arrange on a serving dish.

Pour chilled yogurt over them and serve garnished with red chilli powder, cumin powder, date and tamarind chutney and chopped coriander leaves.

Santra rasmalai

1 large orange
250 gm chenna, freshly made
2½ tablespoons refined flour (maida)
4 cups sugar
10 cups milk
¼ tsp green cardamom powder
4 almonds, thinly sliced
4 pistachios, thinly sliced
1 tbsp orange powder

Crumble chenna and knead it. Add two tablespoons of maida and knead again with the palm to make a smooth dough. Divide into sixteen equal portions, roll into balls and press slightly to flatten them.
Dissolve two cups sugar in two cups of water. Bring to a boil.
Slowly lower the chenna balls in the boiling syrup and cook on high heat for 10 minutes. Sprinkle a little water and half a tablespoon of maida and bring to a boil again. Cook for a few minutes.
Meanwhile boil milk in a thick-bottomed pan, lower heat and continue to boil till it is reduced to a thick consistency (one-third of its original volume).
Add rest of the sugar and green cardamom powder and keep boiling till the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, cool and refrigerate for an hour.
Peel orange and separate the segments. Peel the segments, remove the seeds and chop them into three-four pieces each. Add it to the chilled thickened milk and mix. Add sliced almonds, pistachios and orange powder and mix again.
Squeeze the chenna balls and put them into the chilled milk. Refrigerate it for another half an hour. Serve chilled.