Navratan Kurma

The veggies

• 1 or 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup shelled peas
• 1 large potato
• 1 cup chopped green beans
• 1 cup chopped cauliflower
• 8-9 babycorn, chopped
• 2 thick round pineapple slices, chopped

for the royal paste:

• 2 tbsp poppy seeds/khus khus
• ¼ cup almonds
• ¼ cup cashew
• 2 tbsp melon seeds/magaz

for the korma:

• 2 medium sized onions, sliced
• 2-3 green chilies, chopped
• ½ tbsp chopped or crushed ginger
• 1 and half cup curd/yogurt
• ½ cup cream
• ½ tsp mace and green cardamom powder ( just crush a pinch of mace and 2-3 green cardamoms in a mortar-pestle)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 or 2 tsp red chili powder
• 4-5 tbsp ghee
• salt as required

whole garam masala:

• 5 green cardamom
• 1 black cardamom
• 5 cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• a pinch of mace

for the garnish

• 10-12 pistachois
• 10 cashewnuts
• 10 almonds
• 10 walnut halves
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp melon seeds (optional)
• 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• a pinch of saffron strands
• ½ tbsp julienned ginger

INSTRUCTIONS

preparing the paste:

1. soak poppy seeds for 30 minutes in water.
2. blanch the almonds and remove the skin.
3. make a fine paste of the blanched almonds, poppy seeds, cashew-nuts, melon seeds with around ½ cup of water.

preparing the garnish:

1. blanch the almonds and pistachois. later remove the skin.
2. soak the almonds and pistachois with the cashew, sunflower seeds and raisins in warm water for 15 minutes.
3. you can either chop the dry fruits or halve them. but keep the raisins whole.

preparing the korma:

1. heat ghee in a handi or a deep pan. add all the whole garam masala mentioned above and fry till they crackle.
2. add the sliced onions and brown them.
3. now add the ginger and green chilies and stir for a minute.
4. lower the flame or close the flame if you want. we will be adding turmeric and red chili powder. care should be taken they do not get burnt.
5. add both the turmeric and red chili powder.
6. add the veggies, curd and the paste.
7. add salt
8. add ½ cup or 1 cup water depending on what consistency you want of the gravy
9. mix well.
10. cover and simmer the veggies till they are cooked.
11. once the veggies are cooked, add the cream and stir it with the rest of the korma for a minute.
12. thats it. sprinkle the mace and cardamom powder and half of the garnish.
13. stir and serve the navratan korma with the remaining garnish.
14. the navratan korma goes well with jeera rice or roti or naan.

Brushcetta

Ingredients:

1) 1 loaf Italian bread or Baguetta bread - cut into square shape
2) Olive oil
3) 2 cups chopped tomatoes
4) 15-20 chopped garlic cloves
5) 15-20 chopped basil leaves
6) Peppercorn powder & salt to taste
7) Grated cheese for garnishing

Method:

1) On a nonstick tawa, toaste the bread on olive oil.
2) Mix 3-6 all the ingredients in a bowl.
3) Now, on a toasted bread, lay the above mixture. Garnish it with cheese.

Veg Korma

Ingredients:

Oil – 2 Tbsp
Broken Cashew Pieces – 2 Tbsp
Golden Raisins – 1 Tbsp
Bay Leaf – 1
Cinnamon Stick – 1 inch piece
Green Cardamom – 3
Whole Cloves – 7
White (or Black) Peppercorns – 1/4 tsp
Broken Cashews – 1/4 cup
Onions – 2 medium, finely chopped
Salt – to taste
Garlic – 2 Tbsp, finely chopped
Ginger – 2 Tbsp, finely chopped
Green Chilies – to taste, finely chopped
Cumin Powder – 1/2 Tbsp
Coriander Powder – 1 Tbsp
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Evaporated Milk – 5 oz can
Yogurt – 1/2 cup, well beaten
Paneer – approx 7 oz, cubed
Tomato – 1 large, cubed
Carrots – 2 (approx 1 cup), cubed
Cauliflower – 2 cups, cut to bite size florets
Potatoes – 2 medium, cubed
Frozen Green Peas – 1 cup
Green Beans – 1 cup, cut to 1 inch pieces
Cilantro Leaves – 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Water – approx 2 cups

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a medium non-stick pan on medium heat.
2. Fry Cashews (2 Tbsp) and Raisins until golden brown. Remove onto a plate draining as much Oil as possible back into the pan.
3. In the same Oil, add Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Stick, Green Cardamom, Whole Cloves and Peppercorns. Roast for few seconds.
4. Add 1/4 cup Cashew pieces and roast until golden.
5. Add Onions, Turmeric Powder and a little Salt. Mix, cover and cook for 3 minutes, stirring in between.
6. While Onions are cooking…
Add Cauliflower, Green Peas, Carrots, a little Salt, 1/2 cup water in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes, stir and an additional 2 minutes. Remove veggies and water into a separate bowl.
7. Add Ginger, Green Chilies and Garlic to the Onions and cook for 2-3 additional minutes or until golden brown. Turn off stove and allow mixture to cool.
8. In the same microwave safe bowl as above, add Potatoes and a little salt and mix well. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave for 3 minutes, stir and an additional 2 minutes. Remove potatoes and water and add to the other cooked veggies.
9. In the same microwave safe bowl, add Green Beans and a little salt and mix. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook for 3 minutes, stir and an additional 2 minutes.
10. Grind cooled Onion mixture into a fine paste with approx 1/4 cup water (or more if necessary).
11. Return onion paste back to pan and cook until the Oil separates. Stir continuously.
12. Add in Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder and Red Chili Powder. Add 1/4 cup water to help the dry spices mix well.
13. Add cubed Paneer and mix.
14. Add Tomatoes, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
15. Add Evaporated Milk and mix.
16. Reduce heat to low and add beaten yogurt slowly while mixing. Allow mixture to come to a boil.
17. Add cooked vegetables with the water from cooking. Mix well. Add additional water to get to your desired consistency. Cook for 5 minutes.
18. Add in Cilantro and mix well.
19. Garnish with roasted cashews and raisins from before.
20. Serve hot with chapati, naan, or rice.

Paneer Dum Biryani

Ingredients:

1) 500gm-1kg Paneer
2) 2-3 medium size chopped onions
3) Handful of cashewnuts & raisins
4) 2-3 cloves
5) 2-3 black pepper
6) 2-3 cardamom
7) Ginger-Garlic paste
8) 1-2 cups dahi
9) Red chili powder
10) Turmeric powder
11) Garam masala
12) Salt & Sugar to taste
13) Ghee
14) Mustard & Cumin seeds
15) 1 bay leaf
16) 2 cups cooked basmati rice


Method:
1) In a container, take dahi. To this add, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, salt & paneer. Marinate it for an hour.
2) In a pan, take ghee. Add cashewnuts & raisins. Add mustard & cumin seeds. Add all the spices one by one.
3) Fry the onions till they become reddish brown. Add marinated paneer & rice.
4) Add salt & sugar to taste. Add grated coconut & chopped coriander.

Lemon Squash

Ingredients:

1) 3 cups lemon juice (approx. 2 dozens)
2) 9 cups sugar or slightly more
3) 4.5 cups water
4) Strainer

Method:

1) Wash the lemons & dry them. Remove the lemon juice in a container.
2) In an another container, mix sugar & water. Heat the mixture. Once the sugar syrup starts boiling, switch off the burner. Allow the mixture to cool.
3) Mix the lemon juice in the above mixture.
4) Purify the mixture using a strainer.
5) Put the squash in a bottle & refrigerate it.