Pudina / Mint rice

Servings: 50 grams

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Pudina / Mint leaves	1 bunch	Cleaned, washed and drained
Green chillies	2 big	If not spicy, add more
Salt	To taste
Sugar	½ tsp
Oil	2 tbsp + 2 tbsp	For tempering
Jeera	1 tsp + 1tsp	For tempering
Tamarind juice	2-3 tbsp
Channa dal	1 tbsp	For tempering
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Cooked rice	500 grams

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add jeera and allow it to start spluttering. Now add green chillies and saute for 30 seconds. Add the pudina leaves and let reduce. Now add tamarind juice, salt and sugar and cook covered till the leaves are done. Cool and grind it to a paste.

       

       

       

In a bowl mix half of the prepared chutney and 500 grams of cooked rice. Add salt if required. Heat 2 tbsp of oil, add jeera and curry leaves and let the jeera splutter. Add the rice mixture to the tempering and mix well on low flame for a minute.

      

         

Serve with onion raita or curd.

Note:

Add only as much chutney as required. The chutney made can be stored for 2 weeks in refrigerator.

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Homemade Chocolates

Servings: 25-30 chocolates

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Dark chocolate compound	½ of compound	Grated or sliced
White chocolate compound	½ of compound	Grated or sliced
Raisins/Gems/Nuts	As stuffing
Water	For melting

Method:

Combine both the compounds in a bowl. Heat water in a thick bottom pan. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat. Place the bowl with chocolate compound in the hot water. Mix using a spatula until it melts.

      

      

Let it cool a bit. Place the stuffing in the chocolate mould, one each. Pour the molten chocolate using a spoon. Place the moulds in freezer for 10 minutes. Remove after 10 minutes and demould the chocolate.

       

       

               

Serve.

Tip:

1. You can alternatively microwave at 100% for 30-50 seconds depending on your microwave.
2. You can use milk chocolate instead of white chocolate compound.
3. You can vary the proportion of dark and white/milk chocolate compound based on the amount of sweetness you wish to serve.
4. If the molten chocolate hardens, you can reheat it in the double boiler a bit and scoop out the rest of it.

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Corn Palak

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Palak leaves	1 cup	Blanched
Onion	1 big	Sliced thinly
Sweet corn	1-2 cups
Salt	To taste
Sugar	¼ tsp
Water	As required
Garlic	3-4 pods	Finely chopped
Oil / Ghee	2-3 tbsp
Oregano	1 tsp	Optional
White Pepper powder	½ tsp	Optional
Lime	½ medium
Jeera	1 tsp

Method:

Heat a tbsp of oil in a small pan and fry onions till translucent. Cool. Blanch the palak leaves and grind it with onion to a smooth paste. Pressure cook the corn with ½ tsp of salt to 3-4 whistles or until soft.

                                     

Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add jeera. Once it starts spluttering, add garlic and red chillies and saute till light brown. Add the pureed palak mixture, corn, salt, sugar, pepper powder and oregano and bring it to a boil. Lower the flame and simmer for 1-2 minutes more. Add lime juice and take it off the heat.

Serve hot with rice, roti, chapati.....

Tips:

You can add cooked potatoes instead of corn or combine both corn and potatoes for a better flavour. 

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Soupy pasta

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Content	Quantity	Comment
Tomatoes	5 medium
Onion	2 medium	Sliced thinly
Garlic pods	5-6	Chopped
Pasta	1-2 cups	Choose any variety
Vegetables	2 cups	I used broccoli, sweet corn, baby corn
Basil leaves	5-10 leaves	Chopped
Salt	To taste
Oregano	1 tsp
Water	To cook
Olive oil	1 tbsp	You can use ghee or butter for cooking onion and garlic.

Method:

Take a bowl of water with a teaspoon of salt. Bring it to a boil. Take a knife and just make light cut marks on tomatoes. Be careful not to cut the tomatoes. Add it to the boiling water and cook till the skin starts separating. Remove from water and run it through cold water. Peel the skin and allow it to cool.

Take oil in a small pan. Add garlic and onions and saute till translucent. Remove and cool.

Cook the vegetables in salt water, run through cold water and set aside. Cook pasta in boiling salt water till soft, run through cold water and set aside.

       

Combine tomatoes, onions and garlic and grind it to a smooth paste. Add water as required. Combine the soup, salt and vegetables and bring it to a boil. Add cooked pasta, basil leaves and oregano and cook for 5 minutes more.

       

Serve hot in a bowl.

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