Ragda Puri

Ingredients

For the Ragda - Curried White Peas

• ½ cup White Peas
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Grated Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1-2 Green Chilli, split in middle
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 2-3 teaspoons Chaat Masala Powder
• 2 teaspoons Black Salt (or use regular salt) {adjust for taste}
• a pinch of Sugar
• 2 cups Water (add enough water to cover the entire mixture plus ½ cup more)

Others

• 12 Puffed up Poori / Puchka / Golgappa
• 1 cup Ragda
• 2 teaspoons Chaat Masala Powder
• ¼ cup Sweet Tamarind Dates Chutney, diluted with a splash of water
• ¼ cup Green Mint Coriander Chutney
• ¼ cup finely chopped Onions
• ¼ cup cooked, mashed Potatoes (optional)
• ¼ cup Sev (fried chickpea noodles) {buy from Indian store}
• ¼ cup finely chopped Coriander Leaves
• Lemon Wedge

Instructions

Ragda - Curried White Peas (you can make this 1 day ahead)

1. Soak the white pas in water overnight for it to sprout. This helps in cooking the peas easily. Wash and drain the peas.
2. In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and add cumin, chilli, garlic & ginger. Fry for a few seconds and add onions. Fry until lightly golden brown.
3. Add chaat powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt & sugar. Add the peas immediately and mix well with the spices.
4. Add the water and let it come to a boil. Taste and adjust for seasonings.
5. Close the pressure cooker lid and put the whistle on. Let it cook on for 10-12 whistles. Switch off flame. Let pressure release completely.
6. Open the lid and smash some of the peas with the back of your ladle. The peas should be extremely well cooked. If not, cook again for a few more whistles.
7. Remove the Ragda for use as required

If you don't have a pressure cooker...

1. Follow the same procedure as above. But instead of pressure cooker, do it on a pan with high sides. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce flame to medium low, close with a lid and let it cook for 20 minutes. Open lid, stir everything well and cook again for 10 minutes. If mixture dries u, add more water. Keep cooking till you have well cooked peas.

To make Ragda Puri / Masala Poori

1. If the Ragda (white peas curry) is cold, add a splash of water and 1 teaspoon Chata powder. Mix well. Microwave / heat it for 30-40 seconds until it is hot & bubbly
2. Place 6 Puchka / Poori on each plate. Gently make holes in the center of every poori with a finger. Make sure not to break up the puchka
3. Fill each puchka with onions and mashed potatoes. Sprinkle some Chaat powder on top of them
4. Spoon over the Ragda mixture generously into every puchka. It doesn't have to be exactly into the Puchka. It is okay even if something spills outside the puchka
5. Generously add the sweet & green chutneys over all the puchkas
6. Add the Sev to cover all the Puchka
7. Garnish with onions, coriander leaves and a squeeze of lemon.
8. Serve immediately

IMPORTANT -
          You have to work extremely quickly and serve immediately
          since this tends to turn soggy very fast. So make 2 plates at
          a time if you have to, but not more

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Cheesy Shell Lasagna

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 jar (14 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, undrained
8 ounces uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups (16 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream
11 slices (8 ounces) reduced-fat provolone cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Method:
In a nonstick skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Place half of the pasta in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with half of the meat sauce, sour cream and provolone cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Cover and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until the cheese begins to brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

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Christmas Fudge

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
25 marshmallows, quartered
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup chopped nuts

Method:
Grease a roll pan and set aside.
Combine the sugar, milk, vanilla and butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for about two minutes.
Remove from heat and add the marshmallows, semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate. Stir until it melts completely and is smooth.
Stir in the nuts and mix well. Pour into the prepared pans.
Let the fudge sit at least for a day before cutting them into squares. You could refrigerate it for easier cutting.

Key Ingredients:
Sugar,
Chocolate Chips,
Marshmallow,
Butter,
Vanilla Essence,
Milk,
Chocolate.

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Prawn and Pork on Sugarcane Sticks

Ingredients:
2 sugarcane sticks - cut into 4 inch pieces
Medium sized prawns - shelled and De-veined
200 gm minced pork
2 large onions, chopped
5 tsp garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp coriander, chopped
1 Tbsp fish sauce
Salt and pepper
2 tsp lemon grass, chopped
1 egg
Oil for frying
Spicy Dipping Sauce:
1 Tbsp vinegar
60 ml lime juice
1 tsp garlic paste
60 ml fish sauce
2 red chillies, chopped


Method:
Peel sugar cane.
Grind prawns, pork, onion, and garlic, sugar, and coriander, fish sauce, seasoning lemon grass until smooth. Bind the mix with egg.
Using well oiled hands mold 1 Tbsp of the mixture around each sugarcane stick, leaving 1 end uncovered.
Deep fry in hot oil for 3-4 minutes till golden brown.
Drain and serve with accompaniments.
For the sauce: Combine all the ingredients except chilli. Allow it to stand for 15 minutes. Strain and stir in the chilli. Serve with the prawn and pork sticks.

Key Ingredients:
Prawns, Pork, Onion, Garlic, Sugar,Coriander Leaves, Fish Sauce, Salt, Lemon Juice, Black Pepper, Vegetable Oil, Lemongrass, Egg, Vinegar, Red Chilli

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Corn & Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
4-5 cloves of garlic
2 cups cauliflower florets, finely chopped
1 cup corn
1 Tbsp cashew nut paste
2 glasses water
1 slice of Bread
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp sugar
Salt as per taste

Method:
Take a pan and add some olive oil. Throw in the sliced onions and stir it well. 

Then add the garlic.
Add the cauliflower florets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Put in the cashew nut paste and mix well. 

Then add corn and water and cover the pan with a lid.
Let it cook it on medium flame and then once its done, allow it to cool.
Pour it in a blender and drop in the slice of bread and blend till you get a smooth paste.
Now transfer the paste into a deep pan. 

Lower the flame to medium and add milk, black pepper powder, fresh cream, sugar and salt as per taste.
Bring to boil.
Garnish with crushed corn and serve it.

Key Ingredients:

Olive Oil, 

Onion, 

Garlic, 

Cauliflower, 

Corn,

Cashew Nuts, 

Bread, 

Black Pepper, 

Sugar, 

Salt

Adrak ka Achaar

Ingredients:
2 cups ginger-finely shredded
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp salt to taste
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp chilli powder or to taste
1 tsp asafoetida powder

Method:
Mix all the ingredients and cook over high heat.
When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes.
Store in a clean jar.

Key Ingredients: Sugar, Ginger, Salt, Lemon Juice, Asafoetida and Red Chilli

Bisi Bele Bhaat

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice
1/4 cup toor dal
1 1/2 chopped vegetables
4 Tbsp chana dal
2 Tbsp urad dal
2 tsp jeera
1/4 tsp fenugreek
1 tsp pepper
3 red chillies
1 tsp couscous
2 Tbsp grated coconut
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp jaggery
1 tamarind
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup water
Salt to taste

Method:
Cook the rice and toor dal and keep it aside.
Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract the tamarind water.
Boil the vegetables.
In a pan heat oil and add chana dal, urad dal, jeera, fenugreek, pepper, red chilli. Fry until dal turns light brown.
Fry couscous and curry leaves. Grind the fried ingredients with coconut.
Boil the tamarind water for 1 to 2 minutes. Add turmeric powder, salt and jaggery to it.
Add vegetables and allow it to boil for 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the grounded mixture. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add toor dal followed by rice and cook for 2 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and fry groundnut, channa dal,urad daland mustard.
Add the fired ingredients to the bisi belebath.
Garnish with boondhi and coriander leaves. Serve hot.