Pumpkin Curry
Pumpkin Curry Ingredients: 3 tbsps Oil 1 tbsp Sugar Rock Salt to taste ½ tsp Cumin seeds 3/4 kg Pumpkin, cubed ½ tsp Turmeric powder 3 Red Chillies, broken into pieces Method: Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, red chillies and turmeric powder. Add the pumpkin pieces and stir-fry. Add ½ cup water, sugar and salt. Cook till done. Tip: Onions will turn out crispier if soaked in milk for a little while before frying.

Fruit Raita Ingredients: 1 tsp Sugar 2 firm Bananas Rock Salt to taste 1 tsp Ground Cumin 350 ml Plain Curd 50 gms Shelled Walnuts 75 gms Seedless Grapes ¼ tsp Roasted Cumin Seeds, Chilli powder Method: Place the curd in a chilled bowl and add the grapes and walnuts. Slice the bananas directly into the bowl and fold in gently before the bananas turn brown. Add the sugar, salt and ground cumin, and gently mix together. Chill and sprinkle the cumin seeds, chilli powder just before serving. Tip: Sometimes hot oil starts foaming and starts rising in the pan. Dissipate the foam to avoid this situation by adding a marble sized ball of tamarind to the oil.

Tomato and Coconut Malai Curry • ½ coconut • Salt to taste • 2 large tomatoes • ½-1 tsp. sugar • ½ tsp. cumin seeds 2 tsp. oil • 1 tsp. chilli powder A few coriander leaves Method Scrape and grind coconut. Extract thick milk separately and once again the thin milk. Cut tomatoes into quarters. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. When they pop, add tomatoes, chilli powder and turmeric. Add salt, thin coconut milk and sugar. Boil once and add thick coconut milk and coriander. Serve with hot boiled rice.

Paneer Gotala Ingredients • Paneer: 250 gms • Onion: 1 large nos • Tomato: 2 medium sized • Green chilies: 1 nos • Garam masala powder: 1 tsp • Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp • Red chilly powder: ½ tsp • Ginger: ½” finely grated • Cumin seeds: 3 tsp • Oil: 3 tbsp • Butter: 2 tsp • Salt per taste • Coriander for garnishing How to proceed Crumble paneer in a bowl or dish. Chop onions, tomatoes and green chilly. Set aside. Heat oil in a wok/kadai and toss in the cumin seeds. As they start spluttering and turning brown, add the green chilies and onions. Stir well. As the onion starts turning transparent, add the tomatoes. Allow tomatoes to cook and add garam masala, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and grated ginger. Stir well. Toss in the crumbled paneer and salt. Stir well and close the vessel with a lid. As the vegetable gets cooked, add the butter and transfer panner gotala to a serving bowl. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Veg Pasta Ingredients Cooked pasta 2 cups Onion: 1 nos (sliced) Celery: 1tbsp (chopped) Capsicum: ½ cup (sliced) Diced vegetables (carrots, peas, French beans, broccoli, red peppers): 1 cup boiled Milk: 3/4 cup Cheese slices: 3 nos Mixed herbs: 1/2 tsp Butter: 1tsp Salt and pepper to taste Method Heat the butter in a wok and sauté the onion, celery and capsicum for 2 mins. Now add in milk and cheese slices and bring to a boil. Add vegetables, herbs, salt and pepper and mix well. Toss in the cooked pasta and bring to a boil. Serve hot with toast or garlic bread.

Vegetable Stew You will require • Potatoes - 250 gms • Carrots - 200 gms • Cauliflower - 250 gms (cleaned and broken into medium-sized florets) • Onions - 2 nos (finely chopped) • Green chillies - 3 nos • Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp • Cardamoms (large) - 3 nos • Cloves - 5 nos • Oil - 1 tbsp • Ghee - 1 tsp • Coconut milk - 1 large mug • Salt to taste Method Add oil to a wok and sauté onions till golden brown. Reduce flame and toss in the green chillies, ginger garlic paste, cardamoms and cloves. Cook for a few minutes and toss in the vegetables. Cook lightly for a minute or so. Add the coconut milk (preferably the thinner extract) sprinkle salt and cover the vessel. After the vegetable is lightly cooked add the thicker extract of coconut milk and allow the mix to simmer for a minute or so. Sprinkle garam masala (optional) and top off with a blob of ghee before serving.

Ingredients: 2 cups chopped mixed veggies (carrots, peas, bottlegourd, beans, cauliflower etc.) 1 small capsicum chopped 1 tomato chopped 1 onion finely chopped 1 cup cabbage chopped 1 tsp. ginger, finely grated 3-4 flakes garlic, crushed or grated 1 stalk curry leaves 1 tbsp. coriander leaves 1 tsp. red chilli powder 1 tsp. coriander seed powder ¼ tsp. turmeric powder ½ tsp. sambhar masala 3-4 pinches asafoetida 1 tsp. wheat flour salt to taste 2 tbsp. oil ½ tsp. each cumin, mustard seeds 8-10 grains fenugreek seeds Grind to a powder: 5 cashews 3-4 pepercorns ½ slice day old bread Method: Heat oil in pressure cooker, add all three seeds. Allow to splutter, add curry leaves, asafetida. Add garlic, ginger, onions, cook till onions are transparent. Add capsicum, chopped veggies, cabbage. Stir, add all masalas, 1 cup water, bring to a boil. Cover lid, allow to cook for 2 whistles. Remove from fire, cool cooker till all steam has released. Remove lid, put back to cook. Stir in ground powder, salt, and stir, and simmer till gravy is thick. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with rice or roti.