BAIGAN BHARTA (8 minutes)

Ingredients: 1 medium Baigan (eggplant) 1/2 cup Cooked green peas 1 Finely chopped onion 1 Finely chopped tomato 1 Finely chopped green chilli 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder 3 tbsp oil Salt to taste Chopped green coriander leaves for garnishing Method: Brush baigan (eggplant) with oil and roast it on a gas burner over medium heat. Frequently turn the eggplant upside down, until fully roasted. Once done, hold it under cold running water or in a bowl full of water. Cool it and peel off the blackened skin. Mash the flesh. Heat oil in a pan / kadhai . Add green chilli and onion and fry over medium heat until light golden brown.Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt and stir. Add tomatoes and cook until tender. Add green peas and mashed baigan (eggplant). Stir well. Fry the baigan bhartha for 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Garnish the baigan bharta with green coriander leaves and serve hot. Note : You can even make this bharta without onion and tomato. With the flesh of the eggplant, add tamarind pulp(1 cup).Heat oil in the pan, add some mustard seeds and red chillies, curry leaves turmeric powder, salt and jaggry(1/2 ts).Pour the the mixture and boil it for 2 minutes in the gas stove.It goes well with south indian receipe Pongal and Rice uppuma.

MICROWAVE PANEER MATAR

Ingredients: 100g paneer - grated 1 cup shelled peas 2 tbsp. oil 1 medium size onion 1-2 green chillies 1/2" piece ginger 6 tbsp tomato puree 1/4- red chilli powder 1/2 tsp. cumin powder 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder Cashewnuts 4- optional Salt to taste Method: Grind together onion, green chillies, ginger and fry this masala for 4 to 5 minutes in a non-stick pan. Add tomato puree, garam masala, cumin powder, peas and sprinkle 1 tbsp. water. Now transfer this to a micro dish and micro high for 3 minutes. Add salt, grated paneer 5 tbsp. water and cashew nuts and mix gently. Cover the dish and again micro wave for 2 minutes and stand for another 2 minutes. Serve, garnished with fresh coriander and green chili.

Stuffed capsicum..(Micro wave)

Ingredients : Onion - 1 ( chopped ) Potatoes - 3( boiled and mashed ) Turmeric powder -1/2 ts Chilli powder - ½ ts Chaat masala -1 ts Green chilli -2 chopped Limejuice - ½ ts Oil - 1 tablespoon Capsicums - 4 nos Cottage cheese - 100 Gms, mashed Salt - To taste Method : Slice the head of the capsicums, de-seed and apply salt on the inside. Take a bowl half filled with water and boil the capsicums in it at high for 8 minutes. In another dish, take oil, green chillies, and onions and cook on high for 3 minutes. To this add the mashed potatoes, cheese, limejuice, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Cook on high for 2 minutes. Fill the mixture into the capsicum cups and garnish with fresh coriander and cook on high for 6 minutes and serve hot.

Tandoori Cauliflower (Micro wave)

Ingredients: Cauliflower - 1 medium size Ginger-garlic paste -1 ts Lemon juice - 1 ts Chilli powder -1 ts Hung curd - ½ cup Garam masala - 1 ts Salt -To taste Method : Marinate the cauliflower with the ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, and chilli powder and keep for few hours. Mix the curd, garam masala and salt and rub it on the cauliflower and keep for a few more hours. Pre-heat the convection oven on 200 degrees and cook on combination mode for 200 degrees. Brown further on 200 degrees for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chat masala and lemon juice.

Hot N Sour Onion Chutney...

Ingredients: 3 big finely chopped Onions 6 pods Garlic 4 Dry Chilies 1/2 tsp. Tamarind Salt according to taste For seasoning: 1/2 tsp. Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp.Mustard seed 1/2 tsp.turmeric powder asafetida - a pinch Curry leaves Method: 1.Grind onions, garlic, tamarind & red chilies together into fine paste and keep aside. 2.Now in a separate pan heat 2 tsp. of oil and add all the ingredients listed under seasoning. 3.Cook until the mustard seeds start to splutter then add the ground paste to it and fry for a minute. Goes well with Idli and Dosa.

Stuffed Veggies ( with left over rice..)

Ingredients : 1 capsicum 1 tomato 1 semi boiled potato 1 brinjal (eggplant) 2 cup leftover rice 2 tsp. tomato sauce 1 tsp. chili powder Salt according to taste 1/2 tsp. Soya sauce 1/2 tsp. sugar 2 tsp. chopped coriander 1/2 tsp. butter 1/2 tsp. cornflour 1 tbsp. grated cheese Method: 1.To make a stuffing mix all ingredients (except vegetables & cheese) in a bowl. Knead a little. 2.Cut a small slice from the top of the tomato, capsicum and potato. Carefully scoop out the their insides and boil the hollow veggies in some salted water. 3.Fill stuffing into the hollow vegetables. Top with grated cheese. Dot with butter. 4.Bake in pre-heated oven or griller till vegetables are cooked. Serve hot with toast and sauce.

Kashmiri pulao...!

Ingredients: 2 cups basmati rice 2 cups milk 1/2 cup beaten cream 1 tsp. Sugar 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 3 cloves 1 cinnamon 3 cardamoms 1 bay leaf 2 tbsp. Ghee 1 cup canned chopped mixed fruit (drained) 2-3 edible rose petals Salt according to taste Method : 1.Wash and soak rice for 15-20 minutes. Drain rice and keep aside. 2.Mix milk, cream, sugar, salt. 3.Heat Ghee(clarified butter) in a pan. 4.Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves. 5.Allow to splutter. Add rice and fry in Ghee(clarified butter) for 2 minutes. 6.Add milk, cream, mixture. 7.Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer till rice is cooked. 8.Mix in the drained fruit very gently. Garnish by sprinkling finely broken rose petals.