BUTTERNUT SQUASH CURRY

U need:
Butternut squash(red pumpkin): 2 cups
boiled chick peas:1/2 cup
ginger paste: 2 tsp
bay leaf:1
panchporon: 1/2 tsp
dhaniyajeera powder: 1 tsp
turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
salt and sugar to taste
oil: 2 tablesp
garam masala: 1/2 tsp


Method:
Dice red pumpkin into medium size chunks.
Heat oil in a kadai,add the bay leaf and panchporon.Saute for a minute and add 3 green chillies.
Add the pumpkin chunks and ginger paste.fry well on medium heat.Sprinkle a little water to prevent the pumpkin from sticking to the bottom of the kadai.
After 6 mins add turmeric powder,dhaniyajeera powder and stir well.Add salt and sugar to taste.Add 1/2 cup water.Cover and cook till veg is done.
Remove lid.Add the cooked chick peas and stir well.Add garam masala and coriander leaves.
Stir well once again.
Serve hot with puris or rotis.

Chocolate Melting Moments

Try these simple and easy to bake at home cookies 

Ingredients:

250 gms unsalted butter (soft)

250 gms plain flour (sifted)

60 gms of icing sugar

60 gms of corn flour (sifted)

1 tsp vanilla essence

Baking tray lined with parchment paper

For the chocolate coating 

few slabs of dark cooking chocolate 

2 tbsp of icing sugar

Method:

1. Take a large clean bowl and mix butter with icing sugar. Beat it till it mixes well and fluffy. Add vanilla essence and mix for few minutes (You can use an electrical beater if you want)

2. Add flour little by little and mix well. Then add the cornflour till you get a nice smooth buttery dough consistency

3. Take the baking tray lined with parchment paper. Make small flat balls and place them on the tray. You can take a fork and press on them to give them a design. Alternatively, you can use an piping bag, fill it with the dough and pipe designs on the baking tray, this will create cute designer cookies :)

4. Place them in the fridge for 10 minutes and pre heat oven at 180 deg C

5. Bake the cookies for roughly 15 minutes or till golden brown

6. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and whisk it with icing sugar

7. Once cookies have cooled down, dip one side into the chocolate or just take a spoon and spread the chocolate mixture

8. After 10 minutes the chocolate would have set it well and cookies are ready to be eaten

Tips - You can create any spread for the cookies. Maybe even fill chocolate / strawberry cream between two cookies and sandwich them.

Home made Fresh Strawberry Jam

500 gms - Fresh Strawberries
350 gms - Caster Sugar
1 cup lemon juice
25gms - Unsalted butter

Method:
1. Cut the strawberries in half (be sure to remove the ones that have soft patches. The jam lasts longer if the strawberries are a bit under ripe) and drop them into a clean bowl.
2. Add 1/2 the caster sugar to the strawberries and mix them well
3. Cover with a cling film and keep it overnight in the fridge
4. When you take it out the next day the strawberries will be floating in a lovely juice (as the sugar melts and blends well with the strawberries)
5. Take a saucepan and add these strawberries to it with the juice. Add the remaining sugar and lemon juice and keep stirring (on low flame)
6. In about 30 mins you will find the jam slowly starting to set and forming a lovely texture (if you like it to be nice and spreadable switch it off immediately or else keep it a bit longer to form a more jelly like texture)
7. Add the butter to give it a glossy texture
8. Store the yummy jam in sterilised jam jars

You can make this with Apricots as well

Tip - You can always use extra jam to make 'Jam filled biscuits' - Just take 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar beat them well. Add 1 cup plain flour and mix well to form a nice smooth dough. Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C. Take an oven tray, line with parchment paper / baking paper. Make dough into small flat biscuit shapes and make a small hole on top of these shapes. Fill it with the jam and bake this for 15 mins or until golden brown.

Orange mango kadi

You need:
Ripe mango puree : 1 cup               Curry leaves : few
Orange juice: 1/2 cup                      salt and sugar to taste
Besan: 2 tablesp                              hing : pinch
Curd(beaten well) : 1 cup                finely sliced onions : 2 tsps
Red chillies : 2(broken)                    oil : 2 tablesp
jeera : 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp


Method:
Beat together besan and curd in a bowl.
Heat oil in a kadai, Season with hing and curry leaves. Now add the mustard seeds and jeera.Saute.Add the broken red chillies and the onions. Fry well till the onions are well browned. Add the mango puree.Simmer for 2 mins.Add the besan curd mix and continue simmering till the kadi starts to thicken.
Add salt and sugar and stir well.Add the orange juice and off the gas.Cover for few mins.
Just before serving add some coriander leaves and some ore curry leaves.
Serve hot with puris and rotlis.

AMLA( GOOSEBERRY) SARU

You need:
Fresh amla(gooseberry): 4
Moong dal: 2 tablesp
Onion:1
greenchilli es:1
ajwain(omam);1/2 tsp
Ghee:1 tsp
Dried neem leaves: 1 tsp
Curry leaves:few
pepper:1 tsp
mango ginger:2 tsp


Method:
1. Clean amla and boil in water for 5 to 6 ins.Cool remove seed inside and grind to a smooth paste
2. Heat ghee.Add the ajwain and saute. Now add chopped onions,green chillies and mango ginger and fry well.
3.Add the washed moong dal and fry further.
4.Add 1 and 1/2 cups water and cook till dal is cooked.
5. Cool. grind to a paste, adding the amla paste.Strain the liquid in a kadai and keep this on the gas stove.
6. Dry roast the curry leaves and peppercorns and grind it to a powder.
7. Add this powder to the simmering soup along with salt to taste.
8.Heat a little ghee in a small kadai and fry the neem leaves.Add this to the soup.
9.Serve hot as an appetizer.


Note: Gooseberry is rich in Vit c which helps in lowering sugar level ,acts as an anti oxident,improves iron content in our body.
This soup acts as an excellent appetizer.

Quick Fix Pasta

You need:
Cooked pasta : 2 cups
Capsicum : 1 diced
Fresh corn : 1/2 cup
Fresh tomatoes : 1 Thinly sliced
Dried herb : 1 tsp
Firm ripe mango : 1/4 cup thinly sliced
Grated cheese: 1/4 cup
Fresh cream : 1/4 cup
salt and pepper to taste
Butter : 1 tsp

Method:
1.In a kadai add butter.When hot add the diced capsicum and saute.Add the corn and mango slices and toss well .Add the cream and dried herbs.Stir well and simmer till the cream bubbles.Add the cooked pasta,salt and pepper and tomato.Stir well and pour this mix into a greased oven proof dish.
2. Sprinkle grated cheese and dot with some more butter.Bake in hot oven for 7 mins,until the cheese melts.

3. Serve hot wit a salad of your choice.

Note: Simple,classic Italian dish which satisfies our hunger pangs well.The mango pieces added give a slightly tangy taste.

OVEN BAKED SOUP

You need:
Onion : 1 sliced
Garlic pod : 1 (crushed)
Ginger grated : 1/ tsp
Mixed vegetables : 2 cups(peas,cauliflower,potato,cabbage,carrot)
Oil : 2 tsp
Honey : 1 tsp
Dried herbs ; 1 tsp
Bay leaf : 1
Tomatoes ; 2 chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
vegetable stock or water : 2 and 1/2 cups

Method :
1.Heat oil in a kadai.When hot add bay leaf and dried herbs,ginger and garlic.Toss well.Add the sliced onions and stir well.
2.Add the vegetables and continue stirring for 5 mins. Add the tomatoes and saute further.
3. Add vegetable stock or water and simmer covered till the vegetables are done.
4. Cool,remove the bay leaf and blend the vegetables in a blender till smooth and thick.
5. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.Add salt and pepper. Blend in the honey. Bake in hot oven for 15 mins.
6. Serve hot with masala toast and rouille
To make Rouille;
Put  1 red capsicum,2 green chilies, 1 clove garlic in a blender and make a smooth paste.Add breadcrumbs and salt and pepper to taste and blend further to form a thick paste.Transfer to a bowl and cool in fridge until ready to serve.

Note: you can use vegetable stock cubes to get vegetable stock.This is one meal which can be had as a brunch and very nutritious too.
 Happy cooking!!!!!!!!!!! Happy eating!!!!!!!!!!!!