Carrot Badam Kheer

Ingredients:

1. Carrots -2 (small)
2. Almonds - 15
3. Milk -1/2 litre
4. Sugar -3/4 cup
5. Condensed milk 2 tbsp(optional)
6. Saffron- Few strands soaked in 1 tbsp milk

Method:
1.Soak Almonds in Hot water and peel skin off.
2.Grind it with little milk to a smooth paste
3.Peel skin of carrots and roughly chop it.Pressure cook this adding 1 cup  milk for 4 whistles.
4.Allow it to cool .Grind only the carrots along with sugar in a mixie to a smooth paste.
5.Take the ground badam paste,add 1 cup milk and allow it to boil for 10 minutes in low flame till the raw badam smell goes away.
6.Add the remaining milk to this,add condensed milk if available.
7.Transfer the carrot puree from the blender and allow the mixture to boil in low flame for 15-20 minutes till its thick.
8.Finally garnish with saffron strands and mix well.
9.Serve chilled or hot.Tastes yummy when cold.

Dal Makhani

Ingredients:

1. Whole black Urad dal-1 cup
2. Rajma -handful
3. Chopped onion- 1
4. Tomato - 2
5. Chopped green chillies-2
6. Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp 
7. Red chilli powder 1 tsp
8. coriander/dhania powder 1 1/2 tsp
9. Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
10. Garam masala powder 1 tsp
11. Milk/Cream As needed
12. Butter -1 tblsp
13. Jeera- 2 tsp
14. Bay leaves- 1
15. Cinnamon-small piece
16. Cloves-2
17. Salt
18. Finely chopped Cilantro-to garnish

Method:

1.Soak urad dal and rajma for minimum 8-10 hours and pressure cook 4-5 whistles till nicely done with enough water.Preserve the water used to pressure cook the dhal.

2.Grind the tomatoes and make a fine puree and keep aside

3.Heat butter in a thick bottomed vessel.Add Jeera,bay leaves,cinnamom stick,cloves.Then add ginger garlic paste ,green chillies and chopped onion.Saute till onion turns transparent.

4.Add the tomato puree and allow it to boil till oil separates on top and raw tomato smell goes off.

5.Add in all the spices namely garam masala,chilli powder,turmeric,coriander powder and salt.

6.Add little butter and then the water drained from the dhal.Allow it to boil for 5 minutes.

7.Finally add the slightly mashed dhal and mix well.

8.Add cream/milk.But cream is preferred to give it a smooth texture

9.Simmer for 10 minutes and stir inbetween.

10.Garnish with Chopped cilantro and serve hot with Roti/paratha.

Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:

1. Onion(chopped finely) - 1 (big)
2. Tomatoes(chopped finely)- 2
3. Capsicum(chopped finely) -1 
4. Potatoes - 2 (big)
5. Carrot,green peas,cauliflower(all chopped)- 1 cup
6. Green chillies(slit) -2
7. Butter - 2 tbsp
8. Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
9. Red Chilli powder  -1 tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
11. Pav Bhaji masala - 3 tsp
12. Salt
13. Fresh lemon
14. Pav Buns
15. Onion and cilantro(chopped)- To garnish

Method:

1.Pressure cook the potatoes and other chopped veggies(carrot,green peas,cauliflower) for upto 3 whistles with little water

2.Once cool,peel skin of potatoes,chop into pieces.

3.Mash the potatoes and other pressure cooked veggies well and set aside

4.Heat a broad pan,add 2 tbsp butter,green chillies,ginger galic paste and onions.Saute till the onions turn transparent.

5.Add the capsicum and saute for 1-2 minutes till they become tender.

6.Toss in the chopped tomatoes and fry till it loses water and turns mushy.Add salt,turmeric,chilli powder,pav bhaji masala.(I used everest pav bhaji masala)

7.Add all the other mashed veggies and mix well.Mash again  to bring in a smooth texture and to avoid lumps

8.Add a blop of butter on top and keep in low flame.The bhaji needs to be hot till you serve.

9.Garnish with cilantro and chopped onion and a hint of lemon when you serve with the Pav.

10.Toast the Pav buns with little butter on a tava and serve hot with Bhaji!!

Paneer Fried Rice

Ingredients:
1.Basmati rice- 2 cups
2.Paneer cubes-1.5 cups
3.Olive oil- 2 tbsp
4.Capsicum(chopped finely)-2
5.Carrot(chopped finely)-2
6.Sugar 3 tsps
7.Spring onions 1 bunch 
8.Pepper - 3 tsps
9.Salt
10.Soy sauce,chilli sauce,tomato ketchup- 1 tsp each

Method:
1.Chop the green part and white part of spring onions separately
2.Soak basmati rice for 30 minutes and cook it with water ratio 1 : 1 & 1/2 in rice cooker.
3.Allow it to cool and separate the grains. Keep aside.
4.Immerse the paneer cubes in hot water for five minutes.Drain the water and crumble well.
5.Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide non stick pan,add white part of spring onion.Keep in high flame.
6.Then add chopped carrot ,sugar and fry for 1-2 minutes.
7.Next add the capsicum and mix well in high flame.Toss all the veggies now and then to give it a nice smoky flavour
8.Add pepper,1 tsp each of chilli sauce,soy sauce and tomato ketchup and stir.
9.Finally toss in the crumbled paneer pieces.
10.You can either crumble panner finely or in medium sized chunks depending on how you wish.
11.Add needed salt and mix.Toss in the green part of spring onions to garnish.
12.Keep in medium flame.Add cooked rice and mix well.Make sure you do not break the rice.Mix gently
13.Serve hot with ketchup or with Gobi manchurian.Tastes heavenly!!

Pesarattu(Green gram dhal dosa)

Ingredients:
1.Green gram dhal- 1 cup
2.Rice-1/2 cup
3.Green chillies-3 or 4(depending on your spice level)
4.Ginger - a small piece
5.Onion- 1.5( 1 for grinding and 1/2 chopped for garnishing)
6.Jeera- 1 tsp
7.Salt
8.Curry leaves
9.Oil- 1tbsp


Method:
1.Wash and then soak rice & green gram dhal together in water for over 9-10 hours.
2.Drain the water,grind the rice & green gram dhal with onion,ginger,green chillies and salt.Sprinkle some curry leaves.
3.Add water as needed.The consistency of the batter should not be very smooth like dosa batter.It should be little coarse.
4.The pesarattu batter need not ferment.You can make them as soon as the batter is ready.
5.Heat a tawa ,keep in low-medium flame.Once its hot,evenly spread the batter like a thin round layer like dosa.Sprinkle some onion.
6.Drizzle oil around the edges and also a little in the middle so that all sides get evenly cooked and is crispy.
7.Flip side and cook on the other side too.
8.Serve with chutney.I made morkozhambu as a side today and its a very good combination for pesarattu.

Cracked Wheat Kichdi

Cracked wheat is a very healthy food for growing toddlers.It carries a great amount of nutrition and fiber.

Ingredients:
Cracked Wheat (Daliya) – 1/2 cup (Wash and rinse using a colander to remove any impurities)
Moong Dhal – 1/2 cup, rinse well and drain the water
Ghee  – 2 tsp
Grated ginger – 1/4 tsp
Minced Garlic – 1/4 tsp
Veggies of your choice(Peas/carrots/beans/potatoes/broccoli) – 1 cup all together
Turmeric Powder 
Asafoetida (Hing)
Water – 3 cups
Salt

Method:
1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel.
2. Once the ghee warms up,add the cracked Wheat (Daliya) and saute for 2 minutes until you get a nice aroma.
3. Add the moong dhal,water,veggies(I added beans,Peas and Carrots),garlic,ginger,salt,pinch of turmeric and asafoetida.Add little chopped cilantro to give a nice fresh taste and flavour.
4. Mix well and transfer it to a pressure cooker.Cook for 4 whistles, turn off stove and allow the pressure to go down by itself completely.
5. Serve with plain yogurt or top it with a little ghee.

Gujarati Thepla

Ingredients:(Makes 12 theplas)

1. Wheat Flour– 3 cups
2. Dried Kasoori methi/Fresh fenugreek Leaves – 2 tbsp
3. Oil – 1 tbsp
4. Thick Curd – 1 cup
5. Salt – 2 tsp
6. Red Chilli Powder – 1/2 tsp
7. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
8. Minced Garlic – 1 tbsp
9. Coriander/cumin Powder – 1 tsp
10. Chopped cilantro – 1/4 cup, packed
11. Warm Water – 1/4 cup

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix wheat Flour and oil and mix it well together
2. In another bowl, mix the following ingredients: 
Curd,Fenugreek/methi Leaves, Cilantro.turmeric Powder, salt,Red Chilli Powder and minced Garlic.Taste it to check salt.If needed add more as per your taste
3. Add the above mixture into the flour and slowly knead.
4. Add additional Warm Water if needed little by little. 
5.Knead to form a ball of dough.Check if the bowl and hands are dry and not sticky.If so,you have made the dough right!!
6. Drizzle a few drops of Oil, smear on the dough, cover it with a lid and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Heat a tawa on medium flame.
8. Make balls of the dough and start rolling just like you do for roti. Whenever needed use dry flour to dust.Do not use too much dry flour which will make the thepla hard
9. Place on the hot Tawa and cook.
10. Once it starts to change color, flip and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side.
11. Drizzle a drop of oil and smear and flip once again.
12. Press gently with a spatula and allow to cook till you see few bubbles.
13. Take off the tawa and serve hot with pickle/raita.

Thepa is tasty by itself because of the masalas added in the dough.Usually eaten as a snack.Doesn't need a special sidedish.