May 25, 2009

PASTA WITH BASIC TOMATO SAUCE


























Tomato - 4-5 (red and ripe)
Garlic - 2-3 cloves
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Olive oil - 2 tblsp.
Basil - a handful


Heat olive oil in a pan. add garlic anf onion and fry till the onions become translucent. Peel and deseed tomatoes and chop them into chunks. Now add it to the frying pan with salt and simmer over slow flame, until u get a red, thick sauce.Now add a hanful of basil leaves and simmer for a couple of minutes. The sauce can be pureed to get a smoother version. Serve over freshly cooked pasta. Works well with penne or spaghetti.

PANI PURI

puris for pani puri



Puris


Rava (wheat)-- 1 cup
Maida --1 tablesppon
Soda -- 2-3 pinches
Salt  -- 1/4 tsp
Oil  -- 1 tablespoon + for frying



In a mixing bowl add rava and oil and mix it thoroughly.
Add salt, soda and maida and give it nice mix once again.

Now add 4-5 tablespoon of water and start mixing the dough. Add little water at a time and knead the dough until it becomes elastic and smooth. This will take around 10 minutes of kneading and 2-3 tablespoons of water.

Rest the dough covered for 30 minutes.

After half an hour knead the dough for a minute and roll out in to thin roti. The roti shouldn't be very this but thick ones will not puff up nicely. Once rolled cut it into circles and let it sit in a place for 3-4 minutes.
Heat oil and deep fry these puris until crisp and golden. Cool and store it in a airtight container.


pani


Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2
Ginger- 1/2'
Salt -- 1.2 tsp  

Tamarind - lemon size ball
Jaggery/Sugar - according to taste
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Black salt - a pinch
Black pepper -- a pinch
Asafoetida
Lemon juice
chat masala -- 1 pinch


Filling
Potato - 1 (boiled and chopped)
chilli powder - 1 tsp.
salt - to taste
Green peas - 1/2 cup (boiled)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Sweet chutney

Grind together mint and coriander leaves with green chilles and ginger and strain.
Soak tamarind in water and squeeze and boil it with water. Now add the minty water, jaggery.

Roast cumin until black and then powder it. Add this powder to the prepared pani along with the rock salt and some water to make it approximately 1 liter.
Taste and adjust the seasoning and chill.

For the filling mash the potato with chilli powder and salt. Fill it in puris along with some boiled green peas. Sprinkle a little onion on this and fill it with the pani and serve immediately.

May 8, 2009

CAFE FRAPPE

Instant coffee powder -- 1 tsp.
Sugar to taste
Milk -- 1/2 cup.
Chilled water
Ice cubes


Mix all the ingredients in a jar with the lid and serve.

COLD COFFEE

Coffee (instant/filter) -- 3 cups
Sugar -- 1 cup
Milk -- 3 cups
Cream -- 1 cup (optional)
vanilla essence -- few drops.

Mix the coffee with sugar. Allow to cool and add the milk and vanilla essence. If u like rich coffee add the cream. Chill in the fridge and serve with ice. You can adjust the milk,coffe or sugar proportion according to your taste.

May 5, 2009

TANDOOR ROTI

Wheat flour -- 1 cup.
Oil -- 1tblsp.
Bottled soda water
Salt

Add salt and oil to the flour and make a dough using soda water. Roll out into thick chapatis and coil them to make thick patties. Set aside for an hour. Now roll it out again.
Heat the tawa. Wet the surface of the roti and slap it on the tawa. Leave it for 2-3 minutes. Now either turn the tawa to cook the other side or put he tawa in a hot oven. Apply ghee and serve hot.