Cabbage Pathrode (Patra)

Recipe from Anuradha Rao’s Cookbook 

Ingredients:

2 cups of rice
2 tbsp of channa daal
2 tbsp of urad daal
2 tbsp of dry corriander seeds
7-8 red chilles (as per taste)
1 tbsp of Jagger (as per taste)
2 tbsp of tamrind juice (adjust the amount if you are using paste)
1/2 head of cabbage – chopped finely
Salt
Turmeric Powder

For Seasoning:

Oil
Urad Daal
Mustard Seeds
Cury Leaves
Hing

For Garnishing:

Grated Fresh Coconut

Method:

1. Soak the rice, channa daal, urad daal, corriander seeds and red chillies overnight.
2. Grind this into a coarse mixture with less water.
3. To this, add the finely chopped cabbage, jaggery, tamrind, turmeric and salt.
4. Steam this mixture in Pressure cooker like Idli for 10 mins or so.
5. In a separate pan heat oil and put the seasoning of mustard seeds, urad daal, hing and curry leaves, to that add the crumbled steamed cabbage mixture.
6. Mix well and cook on medium fire for a few minutes until the mixture has absorbed the seasoning.
7. Add the grated coconut garnishing and serve it hot.

Tips:
You can also add chopped corriander leaves for garnishing.
You can add extra salt after mixing the cabbage mixture with seasoning if you feel like salt is less.

Blueberry Gojju (Chutney)

Ingredients:

3 cups Blueberries – washed
2 tbsp oil for cooking
Mustard seeds, turmeric, curry leaves and Hing (Asafoetida) for seasoning
2 tbsp  Brown Sugar
2 tbsp MTR Sambar Masala

Method:

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in pan. Add Mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and turmeric. Once the mustar seeds splutter, add blue berries.

2. Cook this on low fire for a few mins.

3. Add 2 tbsp of brown sugar and 2 tbsp MTR Sambhar masala and cook for a little while.

You should not add any water to this chutney.

Bittergourd Gojju (chutney)

(From Anuradha’s Cookbook)

Ingredients:

 Bittergourd – 6 – Chopped into small pieces
 1 tsp of tamrind paste or equivalent tamrind juice
2 tsp Brown Sugar
4 tsp MTR Rasam Powder
2 tbsp Dry Coconut Powder
Salt to Taste
2 tbsp Oil to fry
Mustard Seeds, Turmeric and Curry Leaves for Seasoning

Method:

1. Heat around 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric. After Mustard seeds splutter, add the chopped bitter gourd and saute it well on low fire. Around 15-20 mins.

2. Add 1 tsp of tamrind paste or equivalent tamrind juice. Add 2 tsp of brown sugar and salt to taste.

3. Mix all these well and cook well.

4. Grind MTR Rasam powder about 4 tsp (or more if you need it more spicy) and 2 tbsp dry coconut power in a blender. You can add a little water and make it into a smooth paste.

5. Add this to the bittergourd and cook it well until oil starts leaving the side.

Notes:

a. You can use fresh coconut also instead of dry coconut.
b. If you fry the bitter gourd pieces well in the oil before you add anything else to it, that will be good as it will remove a lot of the bitterness.

Zucchini Walnut Bread

Recipe from Banu’s Cookbook 

INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually beat in sugar, then oil.
Seive together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.
Add flour mixture alternately with zucchini into the egg mixture.
Stir in the walnuts and vanilla.

Pour batter into two 9 x 5 inch greased and lightly floured loaf pans.
Bake on lowest rack of the oven at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes. Let cool for 10
minutes in the pan, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

To freeze, wrap loaves in plastic wrap, and then wrap in heavy freezer paper.

7 Layer Dip

Ingredients:

2 – Cans of FRITOS Hot Bean Dip with Jalapeno Peppers
1 – Small can of chopped black olives
1  – Cup of Sour Cream (You can use the light or fat free version as well)
2 – Avacados  – seeded and mashed like guacamole (but without any added ingredients)
1/4 – Red Onion – Chopped Finely
2 – Roma Tomatoes – Chopped Finely
1/4 – Cup of Shredded Cheese (You can use any cheese you want)

Method:

In a nice flat bottmed bowl, layer the bean dip, and then layer each of the ingredients listed above in that manner.

Serve with Tortilla Chips.

Easy Kulfi Recipe

Ingredients:

4 – Slices of white bread with the brown sides removed
1 – 12 Fl Oz Can of Evaporated Milk (You can use light or fat free versions as well)
1 – 14 Oz Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk (You can use light or fat free versions as well)
1 – 16 Oz tub of Cool Whip (You can use light or fat free versions as well)
1 Tsp of Powdered Cardamom Powder.

Method:

1. Crumble the bread slices into fine powder. Usually what I do is, warm them slightly – not toast them or anything, color should not be changed. Just warm them and then powder them in the food processor.

2. In a big mixing bowl, add the thawed cool whip, condensed milk, evaporated milk and the bread crumbs and mix well with a hand held mixer/blender until everything is mixed well and you can see bubbles start forming. If you are in doubt, mix for a few more minutes.

3. Add the cardamom powder and mix it again.

4. Pour into trays or kulfi moulds or jello moulds – cover well and freeze.

5. It should be frozen for atleast 8 hours before you can eat it. So, you can do it the day before it is needed and freeze it.

6. The recipe I have given here is for Elaichi (Cardamom) Kulfi. You can make other versions by just adding different flavors  to it.

I have tried adding, almond paste (the ready made one that you get in the baking section of grocery stores), mango puree and pista paste (that I made by soaking pista and then grinding into a smooth paste with a little milk). Feel free to experiment with other flavours and let me know how it turned out.

Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients

1 Can of Organic Black Beans
1 Can of Sweet Corn
1 Green Bell Pepper – Chopped Finely
1 Yellow Bell Pepper – Chopped Finely
1 Red Bell Pepper – Chopped Finely
1/4 Red Onion – Chopped Finely
2 Tomatoes – Chopped Finely
1/2 Cup of Chopped Cilantro
2 tsp Lemon Juice
Few Flakes of Red Pepper
1/2 tsp of Black Pepper
Salt to Taste

Method:
Toss all the ingredients together and adjust the spicyness as required. If you need it more hotter, you can always add some chopped Jalepenos.

Serve it with Tortilla Chips.

Lemon (Yellow) Rice

Recipe from Banu’s Cookbook 

***Ingredients***
1 ½ cups of basmati rice cooked
Salt to taste
2 tblspns of oil/ghee
A pinch of asafoetida
2 dried red chillies
1 tblspn of split black gram (urad dal)
1 tblspn of split gram (chana dal)
½ tspn of fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
½ cup of peanuts
½ tspn of mustard seeds (optional)
10-12 of curry leaves
3 tblspns of lemon juice
½ tspn of turmeric powder
1 tblspn of grated fresh coconut (optional)

***Method***
1) Cook the rice as per directions.
2) Heat oil/ghee in a shallow pan or a kadai.
3) Add a pinch of asafoetida. Add dried red chillies broken into two, urad dal, chana dal and methi seeds. Cook until dals change colour to light brown.
4) Add peanuts and mustard seeds. Let mustard seeds crackle, then add curry leaves.
5) Mix turmeric powder in this. Stir fry for half a minute.
6) Add cooked rice, salt and lemon juice.

Garnish with grated coconut.

Notes:
1) You can use roasted or fried peanuts for this recipe
2) YOu also add Onions, Peas, Finely Chopped Bellpepper to this recipe as well.

Mexican Chocolate cake with Flan

Recipe from Amy’s Cookbook 

**** Ingredients *****

1 box chocolate cake – prepare as directed
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup condensed milk
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 bottle/jar Coronado Cajeta (try to find a squeeze bottle easier to handle than the jar – find this at any Mexican grocery store like Fiesta, and Albertson’s may carry it – not for sure.) 

*** Directions***** 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour a bunt cake pan.
2. Mix the chocolate cake as directed and keep to the side.
3. In a blender mix the evaporated milk, condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Squeeze or pour into the cake pan a thin layer of the cajeta. (If you use the squeeze bottle go around the pan twice with the cajeta)
5. Pour the milk mixture from the blender into the pan.
6. Pour the chocolate cake mixture next. Don’t worry if the milk mixture comes over on top of the cake. Just make sure that the cake is evenly distributed in the pan.
7. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until you poke the cake with a stick and it comes out clean.
8. Allow the cake to cool for 15minutes and flip onto a plate. You can also top the cake with chopped nuts 
9. To store the cake cover and place in the refrigerator.

Sprouted Moong and Potato Curry

Recipe from Banu’s Cookbook 

Ingredients:

1 Big cup of Sprouted Moongs (Cleaned and Washed)
2 Small Potatoes Chopped
1 Large Onion
2 Roma Tomatoes
2 tbsp Dry Corriander Seeds
1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Grated Fresh Coconut
1/4 Bunch Corriander Leaves
8 Curry Leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Oil for cooking
Salt to Taste

(Raw Sprouted Moong)

Method:

1) Slice Onions and Tomatoes. In a non stick pan, heat some oil and saute the onions and tomatoes. Set it aside.
2) In the same pan or another pan, heat some more oil, saute the corriander seeds, cumin seeds and Black Pepper. Once they are almost done, add the coconut and saute for a few more minutes.
3) Once all the sauteed ingredients are cool, grind them into a paste.
4) In a heavy bottommed pan or pressure cooker, add oil and add seasoning of mustard seeds and curry leaves.
5) Add the ground paste, sprouted moong, cut potatoes, salt and cook it until the moong and potatoe is done. If you are using a pressure cooker, pressure cook the whole thing for about 5-6 whistles.
6) Garnish with some Lemon juice and chopped corriander leaves.
7) Serve hot with either chapathi or rice.

       

(Cooked Curry)