My version of Sanjeev Kapoor's Naya Shaam Savera

Preparation time: 30 mins, Cooking time: 1 hour, Serves: 2

Ingredients for the rice:

Carrots, cubed: 1/4 cup

Beans, chopped: 1/4 cup

Onion, small, finely chopped: 1

Peppercorns: 2-4

Dalchini, small piece: 1

Cardamom: 1

Cloves: 2-3

Bay leaf: 1

Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

Basmati rice: 1/2 cup

Water: 1 cup or as required

Olive oil: 1 tbsp

Salt: to taste

Method: Wash and drain the rice and keep it aside. In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add the whole spices and bay leaf. Saute for a few seconds. Then add the chopped onions and saute till translucent. Now add the veggies, salt for the vegetables and the turmeric powder and saute. Now add 1 cup water along with salt as needed for the rice. Once the water starts to boil, add the rice. Stir once. Reduce the flame. Cover and cook till done.

Ingredients for the kofta:

Fresh paneer: 1/2 cup

Green peas, cooked: 1 cup

Rice powder or corn flour: for binding

Green chilli: 1

Salt: to taste

Oil: for frying

Method: Knead the paneer with a little salt until soft. Divide into six portions and roll into balls. Drain all the water from the peas and blend in the mixer with the green chilli to make a paste. Add corn flour/rice powder as need to make into a dough. Add salt to taste. Divide the peas dough into 6 portions. Now cover each paneer ball with the peas mixture and make the koftas. Deep fry the koftas in hot oil. Keep aside.

Note: The koftas should have a crisp outer and a soft centre.

Ingredients for the tomato gravy:

Tomatoes, roughly chopped: 3

Onion, small, chopped: 1

Ginger- garlic paste: 1 tsp

Red chilli powder: 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp

Salt: to taste

Olive oil: 1-2 tsp

Method: In a saucepan, heat the oil. Add the ginger-garlic paste and chopped onions and saute for 1 min. Once the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes and cook till done. Cool. Blend the onion-tomato mixture to make a smooth paste. Transfer to the saucepan on medium heat. Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt to taste. Bring to a boil.

Ingredients for the potli samosas:

Wheat flour/Maida: 1 cup

Water: to knead dough

Potato, medium: 1

Corn kernels: 1 tbsp

Salt: to taste:

Oil: for frying

Method: Knead the flour to make a thick dough. Divide into 6 portions. For the filling, boil the potato, peel and grate. Boil the corn and blitz in a chopper. Mix with the potato. Add salt to taste. Now roll out the dough, place a little bit of the filling and gather the ends to make a potli. Deep fry the potlis in hot oil till brown.

TO SERVE:

Press the rice into a katori and turn it on the serving dish.

Make a bed of the tomato gravy and place the koftas on the same. You can also slice the koftas.

Place the potlis next to the rice.

Going Green... Spinach Recipes

Greens are an important part of our diet, but not many of us enjoy the greens... cleaning them, cooking them... seems a lot of work. Here are simple dishes that you can make with greens. I am using spinach, but you can replace them with the green veggies of your choice.

Note: I have used about 1 bowl of spinach puree for all the recipes.

Spinach Curry

Blanch the spinach leaves. Puree them in a blender.

In a teaspoon of oil crackle some mustard seeds, urad daal and 1 dried red chilli.

Add the spinach puree with some salt, turmeric powder and coriander powder.

Bring to a boil.

Serve hot with chappati or rice.

Hara Bara Kababs

You need: 4 slices of bread, 1 cup spinach puree, 2 cups green peas boiled, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp each of coriander powder and red chilli powder, salt to taste, oil for shallow frying

In a food processor make bread crumbs. Add the spinach puree, boiled green peas, all the spices and salt. Blend together to make a coarse mixture. Make patties of the mixture and shallow fry in oil till brown on both sides.

Alternately you can also grill the patties in the oven.

Serve hot as a snack with tomato sauce or tamarind chutney.

Green puris

In about 2 cups wheat flour, mix one cup spinach puree, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp each of coriander powder and red chilli powder, salt to taste and 1 tbsp oil. Add little water if needed to make into a stiff dough. Divide into 15-20 portions. Roll each portion into a puri and fry in hot oil. Serve hot with sweet mango chutney.

Note: The same dough if kneaded softer can be rolled into chappatis or parathas. Serve hot with onion/cucumber raita or plain curds.

Instead of making chappatis, you can make sausage shapes rolls from the dough and steam till done. Once slightly cooled down, cut into roundels and fry on pan with very little oil. Serve with sauce.

Summer Salad

During the summer we always crave for something cool to eat that does not need a lot of slaving in the kitchen. I personally would give anything to stay away from the heat of the stove. Here are 2 quick salads that are not just yummy but easy to make. And filling too!

You need:

Watermelon, de-seeded and cut into cubes: 2 cups

Feta cheese chunks: 1 cup (You can replace these with paneer cubes)

Dressing: 2 tbsp lemon juice, crushed pepper corns, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. (No need to add salt if using Feta cheese)

Mix the watermelon and cheese in a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and toss. Garnish with finely chopped mint. Serve slightly chilled.

Another salad with watermelon... this an all fruit salad.

You need one cup each of watermelon cubes, mango cubes and pomegranate pearls. Mix them together. Pour the dressing mentioned above. Toss and serve chilled.

A tasty meal for 2 with just a few ingredients

Hubby and I had dinner last night and as we enjoyed the simple and tasty fare I realised all I needed to create the same flavours at home were just a few ingredients and of course the passion to cook. So here is a simple meal for two that is easy to make and yet can be a mini feast by adding just an delicious dessert and yummy starter.

MENU: Roti, Mixed Vegetable, Pulao, Raita

To add the extra jazz you can add any dessert of your choice.. it could be a store bought ice cream or home made kheer/payasam.

And the starter could be a kebab or cutlet, french fries or mini toasts or even a warm soup. When you have a small get together, add a cocktail or fruit mocktail or just plain fresh fruit juice and you are all set.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR A SIMPLE MEAL FOR TWO:

1-2 medium sized carrots, 10 beans, 2 onions, 1 cup shelled peas, 2 medium sized tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1 cup curds, 2 cups wheat flour, 1 cup rice, a few spices (cloves, cardamom, turmeric powder, chilli powder, bay leaf, pepper corns, cinnamon, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin seeds), oil and of course salt

METHOD:

Cut the carrots into small cubes. Cut half the beans into 1/2 inch pieces and the remaining finely chop. Chop the onions finely and puree the tomatoes in a blender. Finely chop or grate the cucumber. Knead the wheat flour into a dough. Cook the rice with a little less water so that the grains are separate.

MIXED VEGETABLE:

Par boil the 1/2 inch beans pieces, half the carrots and half the peas. Drain and keep aside.

In a little oil, add cumin seeds (jeera). Add half of the chopped onions and fry till translucent. Add the tomato puree. Put in 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi), 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya) and salt to taste. Cover and cook for 5 mins.

Add the par boiled vegetables. Spirnkle some garam masala on top, cover and cook till done.

PULAO:

Boil the peas and keep aside.

In a little oil add 1-2 cloves (lavang), a small pieces of cinnamon, 1 dried bay leaf (tej patta), 2-3 pepper corns and 1 cardamom (elaichi). Once the aroma starts coming, add the onions and fry till translucent.

Add the carrots and beans and cook till half done.

Add the peas and cooked rice. Add salt to taste and mix. Be carfeful to not break the rice. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Note: If you feel the rice is too dry, sprinkle some water, cover and cook.

ROTI:

Divide the dough into 2-4 portions. Roll each portion into a 1/2 cm thick round and cook in the tava/griddle on both sides till brown spots appear. You can apply ghee/clarified butter on top and serve

RAITA:

Peel and grate or finely chop the cucumber. Mix with the curds. Chill and serve.

Oats Chappati

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. Quoting Nigella Lawson, " I can have breakfast all day," here is a healthy breakfast option that can be eaten as lunch and dinner as well.

1 cup Quick cooking Oats

2 cups Wheat flour

1 Onion, finely chopped

1-2 green chillies finely chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp grated garlic (optional)

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Mix all the above ingredients with water to make a soft dough. Divide into 10-12 portions. Roll out each portion into a chappati and cook on a griddle/tava cooking well on each side till brown spots appear.

You can have it for breakfast with curds and pickle. If eating it for lunch, you can make it a complete meal by having it with daal, tomato salsa/chutney and cucumber raita. For dinner, you can make them into rolls with cole slaw filling.

A simple, healthy, Indianised coleslaw recipe: Grated cabbage and carrots with a dressing of hung curd, salt and chopped coriander.

Sweet beginnings

It is always good to start with something sweet. And when it comes to food... what better way than a sweet. This was a recipe that I learnt from my Athai, my dad's eldest sister. I have made it a couple of times and I must say it is one of the favourite things that I make.

My Aunt's Chocolate

3 cups milk powder (unsweetened)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup cocoa powder

1 cup butter

1 cup chopped assorted nuts

All you need to do is mix all the above ingredients, except for the nuts in a thick bottomed pan and stir on low heat. Once the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan pour in a greased plate. Even it out with a ladle or spoon. Sprinkle the chopped nuts on top and slightly press them into the chocolate. Let it cool. Cut into squares and store in the fridge.