SHRIMP SCAMPI PASTA

          I had been wanting to make this recipe for a while now. It is surprisingly quick and easy to make. It doesn't happen to be cooked often in my home as the only person who likes it, is me. But if you are a shrimp and pasta person you got to try this.

INGREDIENTS:
Garlic grated - 6 cloves
Lemon zested and juiced - 2
Olive oil - 4 tbsps
Red pepper flakes - 1tsp
Salt and black pepper powder
Shrimp medium peeled, deveined - 22 to 25
Green onion chopped - 10 stems
Spaghetti or linguini pasta - 400gms
Butter - 1 tbsp

METHOD:

• In a mixing bowl, Combine the garlic, zest and juice of 1 lemon, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and shrimp. Keep it aside to marinate.
• In a large pot, boil water in high heat and add generous amount of salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until just tender.
• Drain and reserve 1 1/2 cup of cooking water.
• Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan and reserve the marinade.then add the white parts of the green onions.
• Cook until they turn pink, may take 3 mins. Remove it from the pan and keep it aside.
• Add the marinade to the same pan, let it cook for few mins then add the pasta water.If you are ok with alcohol,You can use white wine instead of pasta water.Continue cooking until the sauce reduce to half. 
• Add in the zest and juice of the remaining lemon, the butter and the green onions and mix well.
• Add the shrimp and pasta and toss to combine with the sauce.
• Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.

BANARASI ALOO DUM

           Dum aloo cooked in banarasi style. I used medium sized potatoes here, each cut into 2, as I didn't find baby potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

Baby potatoes boiled - 12 to 15

Oil for shallow frying

Cardamom - 8

Roasted Kasuri Methi - 1 tbsp

Chopped fresh coriander - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

For gravy:

chopped tomatoes - 2 cups

ginger garlic paste -  1tsp

Dry kashmiri red chillies - 8 ( Although these are not so hot chillies, you adjust the quantity up to your taste.)

Cashewnuts - 2 tbsps

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Water - around 2 1/2 cups

METHOD:

• Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the boiled potatoes.You can leave the skin on if you want to.
• Drain on Kitchen tissue and keep aside.
• For the gravy, Combine all the ingredients together and simmer over a medium flame till the tomatoes are cooked.
• Cool the mixture and puree in a blender to make a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a pan, add the cardamom and gravy paste and allow it to come to a boil. simmer till the oil separates from the gravy. It may take 4-5 mins.
• Add the potatoes, kasuri methi and salt and simmer for 5 more mins, so that the potatoes will absorb all the flavors from the gravy.
• Add the coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice.

Makes 4 servings.

PINEAPPLE SHEERA

       This is traditionally a dessert made on festive occasions. But I usually don't want to wait for any festive occasion to have this mouthwatering dish. Delicious SHEERA with pineapple chunks. The tanginess of pineapple makes it irresistible. I would suggest to use well ripened kind otherwise it will taste sour.

INGREDIENTS:
Semolina - 1cup
Ghee - 3tbsp ( usually people use 1 cup but I kind of try to avoid that much ghee in my food.)
Pineapple chopped - 1 cup
Raisins  - 10
Sugar - 3/4 cup (adjust the sugar according to your taste but 3/4 cup makes it just right not utterly sweet )
Water - 1 1/4 cup (you can use milk instead of water.)
Pinch of saffron strands in milk

METHOD:

• Heat ghee in a pan add raisins. keep stirring in low heat.
• After 2 mins add semolina and stir it for 2-3 mins.
• Add sugar, pineapple and mix it, then add milk and saffron.continue cooking, stirring continuously. By the time sugar will melt down pineapple will be cooked too. May take 3-4 mins.
• Add water mix it well. 
• When semolina starts to thicken, Cover it and let the semolina cook on low heat.
• After 3 mins all the moisture should be evaporated and semolina will be cooked throroughly. Remove the pan from heat.
• Tastes delicious when served warm.

Makes 4 servings.

KARANJI

     Karanji also known as gujiya, is a famous Diwali dish all over the country particularly in north India. But if you haven't had or haven't made it then why wait till Diwali. Give it a try. And the best part about it is you can store for weeks in a air tight jar.

 INGREDIENTS:
For Filling:
1 cup coconut flakes (you can use fresh coconut too)
1 tbsp. poppy seeds (khuskhus)
1 tsp. cardamom powder
1 tbsp. crushed almond
1/4 cup sugar granulated
10 to 15 raisins
For Cover:
1 cup plain flour (maida)

1 tbsp. ghee
Pinch of salt
water to knead
Oil for deep fry

METHOD:
For Cover:

• Mix flour, salt and ghee well. This part is very important you have to do this by rubbing the flour in between your palms, the heat from your hand will help ghee to mix well with flour. 
• Add enough water to make soft pliable dough. cover it with wet towel and keep aside.  

For Filling :

• Roast coconut flakes lightly for 3 mins on low heat. Mix all other ingredients. 
• As the sugar will melt it makes it sticky but continue stirring until you get nice aroma of coconut and it looks golden bown in color. then let it cool it completely.
• The filling will become hard after cooling down that's absolutely fine, you can break it down with a spoon.    
• Heat ghee for deep frying.
• Make small (4 ") rounds, not too thin not too thick.
• Place 2 tsp. filling in one half of round. Rub little water on one half of the round with your finger. Fold over the other half, sealing in the mixture.
• Seal edges by twisting or pressing together. Make all in t he same way.
• Deep fry in hot ghee on low till light brown on both sides. you can't rush this step as you have to fry them on low heat or else the cover will not be cooked through. Its little time consuming but it's absolutely worth it. 
• Drain and cool completely before storing. 

Note: You may use a karanji mould for filling them which is readily available in market.
Makes 20 - 25 karanji

KASHMIRI DUM ALOO

                     Baby potatoes cooked in yogurt gravy. The typical kashmiri spices are used in this recipe like saunf or fennel powder, ginger powder and kashmiri chilli. I used ready made kashmiri chilli powder but you can make your own kashmiri chili paste and use it. Just grind 5-6 kashmiri chilli with little water.

INGREDIENTS:
Baby potatoes boiled and peeled - 18-20
Clove powder - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
ginger powder - 1/2 tsp
Yogurt - 2 cups
Kashmiri chilli powder - 11/2 tsp
Saunf powder fresh - 2 tbsp
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
METHOD:

• In a pan heat oil and shallow fry the boiled potatoes till golden brown. Then keep it aside.
• In the mean time, in a mixing bowl take yogurt, cardamom powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, ginger podwer, saunf powder and mix well. Kashmiri chilli powder is not too hot and it give the curry a nice color.
• In the same pan heat the remaining oil after removing the potatoes ( if any) add the clove powder and asafoetida, keep the heat low and add 1/2 cup water.
• Let it boil, To this add the yogurt mixture and the fried potatoes and of course the salt.
• Let it simmer for 5-7 mins till the gravy is thick and the oil separates.
• Now add the jeera and the garam masala powder  and cook for another 2 mins.
• Serve hot with roti or steam rice.

Makes 3 servings.

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

          Zucchini is a summer squash, can be used in various savory dishes. It cooks in no time. Recently I have been experimenting with this vegetable. This is one of the dish and its a great way to make your kids eat vegetable.

INGREDIENTS:
Zucchini - 3 
Onion chopped - 1/2 cup
Garlic minced - 2 cloves
Coriander leaves chopped - 1 tbsp
Chilli flakes - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp
Egg - 1
Flour - 1/4 cup
Cheese - 1/4 cup (optional)
Oil for shallow frying
Salt to taste


METHOD:

• Grate zucchini, then toss with salt, let it sit for 15 mins then drain out the excess liquid by squeezing out. 
• Then add all the rest of the ingredients except oil.
• Heat oil in a shallow pan and and pan fry spoonfuls of the mixture, flattening with a spatula.
• 3 mins per side and then drain out on paper towel.
• Serve it hot with any type of chutney.

Makes 4 servings.

Potato balls

               Its a great potato dish and you can make this with your leftover mashed potato also. you can even add some grated veggies too. The possibilities are endless. so give it a try.

INGREDIENTS:
Potato (boiled and then grated) - 1 cup
Mozzarella cheese( grated) - 1/4 cup ( you can use any kind of cheese you want)
Corn ( thawed) - 1/4 cup
Corn flour - 1/2 tbsp
All purpose flour - 1 tbsp
Ginger chopped - 1/2 tsp
Chilli flakes - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped- 1 tbsp
Cooking soda - 1 pinch
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

METHOD:

• I recommend to use grated boiled potatoes here to give it a uniform texture.
• In a mixing bowl mix all the ingredients other than oil. Sprinkle little bit of water and then mix well. water is needed to bind everything together.
• Grease your hand with oil and then make small balls out of it.
• Fry them in medium heat till golden brown.
• It will be crispy outside and soft inside.
• You can certainly coat them with bread crumb and fry them for extra crispiness.

Makes 3 - 4 servings.

PULIYOGARE POHA

        Poha is a maharashtrian preparation. A very healthy way to start your day. This recipe here is with puliyogare usually used to make tamarind rice. I learned this dish from a very good friend of mine around 7 years ago and soon it became one the favorite breakfast.

INGREDIENTS:

Poha (thick) - 2 cups

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 4

Green chilli slit in half - 2

Chana dal - 1 tbsp

Onion sliced - 1 medium sized 

Peanuts roasted - 6 - 8

Puliyogare mix - 2 tbsp you can adjust according to your taste.

Salt to taste

METHOD:

• Wash poha and then soak it with 1/2 cup of water for 15 mins.
• In the meantime heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, dal and chilli when mustard crackles add the curry leaves.
• Add onion and fry it for 2 mins till it translucents, add puliyogare mix on a low heat, saute for 1 min then combine poha into it.
• Since puliyogare mix has already salt in it so adjust salt accordingly.
• Finish it with peanut and serve hot.

Makes 4 - 5 servings.