DAL MAKHANI

INGREDIENTS:

Black orid gram	1 cup
Rajma	¼ cup
Onion	1 medium, finely chopped
Tomato	2 medium , pureed
Ginger paste	1 tsp
Salt	To taste
Red chili powder	1 tsp
Nutmeg powder	A pinch
Garam masala powder	½ tsp
Kasuri methi	½ tsp
Bay leaf	2
Green cardamom	2
Cloves	2-3
Cinnamon stick	1” stick
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Butter	1 tbsp
Oil	1 tsp
Full cream	¼ cup
Coriander leaves	To garnish

METHOD:

• In a bowl, add black orid gram and rajma. Wash well and soak in 3 cups of water overnight.
• Pressure cook the dals with 1 bay leaf for 5-6 whistles until the dals are soft and creamy.
• In a pan, add oil and butter. When hot, add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamoms, cumin seeds.
• As the cumin seeds splutter, add finely chopped onions and ginger paste. Saute well until onions are golden brown.
• Add tomato puree, salt, red chili powder, and nutmeg powder. Sauté until oil separates.
• Then add cooked dals and 1 cup of water. Mix well and cook for 30-40 mins in a low flame.
• Keep stirring often, so that dals don’t get stuck in the bottom of the pan.
• When the dal turns thick, viscous consistency add kasuri methi, garam masala and cream. Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with naan, or parathas.

WHOLE WHEAT NAAN - Without yeast and baking powder

INGREDIENTS:

Whole wheat flour	2 cups
Salt	1 tsp
Sugar	1 tbsp
Curd	¼ cup
Oil	1 tbsp
Water	As required

METHOD:

• In a mixing pan, add wheat flour, salt, sugar, curd, and oil. Mix well and slowly add water little at a time and knead into a tight dough.
• Cover and let the dough sit in a warm place for 5-6 hours. This helps in fermentation of the dough without the usage of yeast.
• Divide the dough into golf sized balls. Roll out into oval shape. Keep it little thick.
• On one side, lightly brush with some water. Place this water side down on a heated pan.
• Once bubbles appear, turn the pan onto the flame and let the top side cook until brown.
• Take off from the pan and grease butter on top.
• Repeat the same for all the dough balls.
• Serve warm with Dal makhana or paneer sabzis.

DATES MILKSHAKE

 INGREDIENTS:

Dates	14-15
Full cream milk	3 cups
Ice cubes	3-4
Sugar	1 tbsp (optional)
Cardamom powder	1-2 pinches (optional)

METHOD:

• Soak the dates in enough hot water for 15-30 minutes so that the dates are soft to grind.
• In a blender, add the soaked dates along with water and grind them into a smooth paste.
• Then add milk and ice cubes to the blender and blend everything well. Sugar and cardamom powder can be added but its optional. The full cream milk adds a nice creamy rich taste to the shake.
• Serve the dates milkshake cold and garnish with sliced almonds.

HYDERABADI VEGETABLE DUM BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati Rice	2 cups
Potato	1 medium
Carrot	1 medium
Green Beans	10-12
Green Peas	¼ cup
Cauliflower	5-6 big florets
Onion	2 medium
Mint leaves	¼ cup chopped
Coriander leaves	¼ cup chopped
Curd	1 cup
Ginger paste	1 tbsp
Bay leaf	2
Cinnamon sticks	2-3   1” sticks
Cloves	6
Star anise	2
Cardamom	4
Shahi jeera	1 tsp
Salt	2.5 tbsp
Turmeric powder	½ tsp
Red chili powder	1 tsp
Biryani masala	2 tbsp
Ghee	3 tbsp
Oil	2 tbsp

METHOD:

• Wash and soak basmati rice for 20 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes and carrots. Chop them into big cubes. Trim the ends of green beans and cut into 1” long pieces. Wash and cut the cauliflower into big florets.
• Finely chop 1 medium onion and finely slice the other medium onion.
• In a wide pan, add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee. Fry the sliced onions on low flame until brown and crispy.
• Drain the fried onions from the oil and keep aside.
• In the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Then add 1 bay leaf, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 cardamoms, 3 cloves, 1 star anise and 1 tsp shahi jeera. Sauté until spices are aromatic.
• Add finely chopped onions and ginger paste. Sauté until onions are golden brown and raw smell of ginger goes away.
• Add the chopped vegetables (potato, carrot, green peas, green beans, cauliflower). Sauté for 2-3 mins.
• Meanwhile, whisk the curd well. Once the vegetables are sautéed, add curd, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, biryani masala.
• Also add 1 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves and 1 tbsp of chopped mint leaves. Mix well and add 1 cup of water. Cover and cook the vegetables for 15 mins.
• While the vegetables are cooking for the gravy, take another deep pan and add 8-10 cups of water.
• Add 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamoms, 3 cloves, 1 star anise, 1 tbsp of ghee and 2 tbsp of salt. Boil the water until a rolling boil comes.
• Once the water boils, add the drained basmati rice to it. Cook the rice on high for 2 mins. Then simmer the flame to med-low and cook for another 8 mins.
• Strain the rice and keep aside. The rice should be cooked only 75%.
• As the vegetables get almost cooked and gravy consistency is achieved, turn off the flame.
• In a thick bottomed pan, grease the bottom with a tsp of ghee and add a layer of vegetable gravy.
• Add half of cooked rice as the second layer. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions.
• Add the remaining vegetable gravy as the third layer and the remaining rice as fourth layer. Top off with chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, fried onions, a pinch of biryani masala and a tsp of ghee.
• Cover the pan with an aluminum foil and then with the lid.
• Place the pan on med-high heat for 2 mins so that the steam builds and then simmer to lowest setting and cook for 25-30 minutes.
• Serve hot with raita. While serving use a flat spatula and scoop from the sides so as not to break the grains.

SOUTHWESTERN STYLE QUINOA SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

Quinoa	2 cups dry
Black beans	1 cup dry
Onion	1 medium finely chopped
Tomato	2 big finely chopped
Corn kernels	1 cup
Tomato paste	2 tbsp
Salt	To taste
Black pepper powder	½ tsp
Red chili powder	½ tsp
Cumin powder	1 tsp
Dried oregano	1 tsp
Coriander leaves	2 tbsp chopped
Lemon juice	1 tbsp
Avocado	To garnish
Oil	1 tbsp

METHOD:

• Wash and soak the black beans overnight. Pressure cook the beans for 4-5 whistles. Drain off the water and keep the beans aside.
• Wash the quinoa thoroughly and keep aside.
• In a deep pan, add 1 tbsp oil. When oil heats, add finely chopped onions and sauté until translucent.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes and salt. Sauté until the tomatoes are mushy.
• Add the black beans, corn kernels, tomato paste, red chili powder, black pepper powder and cumin powder. Mix well and add 2.5 cups of water.
• Once the water boils, add the washed quinoa and dried oregano. Mix well and turn the flame to simmer. Cover and cook for 15 mins.
• After 15 mins, take off from the flame and rest for another 10 mins.
• Add lemon juice, coriander leaves and mix well.
• Garnish with avocado pieces and serve warm.

GUACAMOLE

INGREDIENTS:

Avocado	1 big ripe
Onion	1 tbsp finely chopped
Tomato	1 tbsp finely chopped
Coriander leaf	1 tbsp finely chopped
Lemon juice	1 tsp
Salt	To taste
Black pepper powder	¼ tsp

METHOD:

• Cut the ripe avocado into half and pit the seed. Scoop out the flesh into a bowl.
• Mash the ripe avocado with a fork into a semi-chunky paste.
• Add salt, black pepper, lemon juice, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes and coriander leaves.
• Mix well and serve as a dip or side dish for burritos or  nachos .

CABBAGE USILI

INGREDIENTS:

Cabbage	2 cups chopped
Chana dal	¼ cup
Toor dal	¼ cup
Dry Red chili	1
Salt	To taste
Asafetida	1-2 pinch
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Mustard seeds	½ tsp
Oil	1 tbsp

METHOD:

• Wash and soak chana dal, toor dal and dry red chili in enough water for 1-2 hour.
• Drain the water off the dals and grind the dals into a coarse paste. Add salt, asafetida and mix well.
• Steam the dal mixture for 10-15 mins until cooked.
• Once cooked, let the dal mixture cool down. After it has cooled down, pulse the mixture in blender for couple of times so that a mixture is powdered nicely. Don’t pulse too much or else the mixture will turn gooey and lumpy.
• Chop the cabbage into small pieces. Alternatively the cabbage can be sliced finely.
• In a thick kadhai, add the chopped cabbage, salt, turmeric powder and enough water. Cook until the cabbage is done. Remember salt is added to dal mixture also.
• Keep aside the cooked cabbage. In the same pan add oil and mustard seeds. Once seeds splutter, add the powdered dal mixture and slightly roast.
• Add the cooked cabbage and mix well. Saute the cabbage usili for 2-3 mins until well combined.
• Serve warm with rasam and rice.