SOUTHWESTERN CHOPPED SALAD WITH CILANTRO DRESSING

Ingredients

Large head of romaine

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large orange bell pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes

5 green onions

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing* or other dressing of choice

Directions

Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions. 

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.

Toss with desired dressing.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Ingredients

1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped

1/2 avocado (or 1/2 cup plain vegan yogurt or Greek yogurt)

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)

1-2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1/8 tsp. salt

Directions

Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

MURGH MAKANI

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken , washed, patted dry and cut into small pieces – (feel free to use chicken with or without bones, chicken thighs or a combination of breast and thighs)
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsplemon juice
salt
butter to baste while grilling

For marinade:

3/4 cup plain yogurt, strained/hung or use 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1.5 tsp kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
1/2 – 1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1.5 ttbsp mustard oil

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

For the sauce / Makani masala

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2-4 fresh green chili pepper, slit
4 tbsp melted butter
4 green cardamoms
1.5 – 2 inch cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
1 black cardamom
1/2 -3/4 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds
3-3.5 cups tomato puree (fresh tomatoes) or canned tomatoes (reduce the amount a little bit here as the water content will be less as compared to the fresh)
1 tbsp red chili powder/cayenne pepper/paprika or to taste
10 almonds, soaked, peeled and made into a paste
1 tsp garam masala

1 tablespoon kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
1/2 tablespoon sugar or honey (you might need to adjust this based on how tart the tomatoes are. The dish will not be sweet. The sweet is used to neutralize the acid)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream

Method:

Apply red chili powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and set aside for 20 minutes. This is the first marination.

Combine all ingredients of the second marinade (see ingredient list). Apply this marinade to the chicken and refrigerate for three to four hours; overnight works better.

Put the chicken on  skewers and cook on a grill or a preheated oven  at 400°F,  for about 10 minutes while turning them over mid way. Cook until done. Do not overcook, as the chicken will dry out and get fibrous. Baste it with butter/ghee/oil or marinade if you want, a couple of times while cooking. Set aside once done.

(The chicken may be grilled on a skillet/cast iron pan/grill pan on the stove top  too. Heat the skillet/stove top grill pan and coat it with oil. Place the skewers and cook while turning them around and basting with oil and marinade until done, for about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.)

Cooking the Sauce:

Heat butter or oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.

 Sauté for a couple of minutes  or till they start to sizzle and get fragrant; add the methi/fenugrek seeds. When the methi seeds sizzle, add ginger paste and garlic paste, and the slit green chillies. 

Cook in medium heat for five  to eight minutes; the water from the paste would have evaporated and the ginger garlic paste would have reduced in quantity.

Add tomato puree or paste, red chili powder, and salt. Cook (may partially cover during cooking) at medium heat for about 15 – 20 minutes. The puree will reduce to a thick paste and the oil/ghee will separate from the sides of the pan.

After the tomatoes are cooked down, you might want to blend the cooked sauce (along with all the spices) into a smooth puree, if you want a restaurant like smooth texture for the sauce – especially if you are using fresh tomatoes. return it back to the pan after blending and continue with the rest of the process.

Add 2.5 cups of hot water to the pan (or if you want it less soupy and want the sauce to kind of coat the chicken pieces and have a little bit extra, add less water or simmer for longer time to achieve the pref. consistency as per your taste), add the almond paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes; add sugar and crushed kasuri methi.

Add cooked grilled chicken pieces. Stir well to combine – the chicken will be well coated with the sauce. Cover and simmer for eight to ten minutes; Lower the heat and add garam masala and the heavy cream. Stir in the cream and simmer at low heat for about five more minutes.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and add a splash of cream before serving.

BEETROOT PULAO

Ingredients

1 cup Basmati Rice
1 cup Onion thinly sliced
1 slit    Green chilli 
1 tsp gingergarlic paste
1 Tomato chopped
1 cup Grated Beetroot 
fistful Mint leaves 
2 tbsp   Coriander leaves  chopped
1 tsp   Biryani masala
1 tsp sambhar powder
Salt as  needed
2 cups  Water
 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon juice 

For the seasoning
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp  Fennel seeds
1  Bay leaf  
2  Cloves 
1"  Cinnamon -1 inch piece
1 Cardamom 

Method 

Wash and soak basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water and keep it aside.

Wash, peel the skin and grate or finely chop beetroot.

Heat oil in a pan, add fennel seeds, when it splutters, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf.

Saute for a few seconds, then add thinly sliced onions, slit green chilli and cook until onions turn transparent.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few more minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Add beetroot, coriander leaves, mint leaves, biryani masala, sambar powder and salt needed.

Mix well, add 2 cups of water and lemon juice. When water starts boiling, add soaked and drained basmati rice. Mix well and check for salt by tasting the water, if the water is slightly salty, it will become perfect once the rice is cooked. Lower the heat and cook covered until rice is done. You can pressure cook rice or cook rice in a pan with lid or use the rice cooker.

Once done, fluff it with a fork, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with raita or papads.

Add water according to the quality of your rice.(1 cup of basmati rice needs appoximately - 1 1/2 -2 cups of water. The rice I used needed 2 cups of water, moreover I like my rice to be soft.)

KOOTU CURRY

Ingredients

1/2 cup Brown chickpeas cooked
1/2 cup Raw plantain peeld and cubed
1/2 cup Elephant yam cubed
1/4 cup Kashmiri chili powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/3 cup Grated coconut
Salt to taste
Water- as required

To grind
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 cloves garlic
1-2 nos green chillies
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp pepper powder

For tempering

1 tsp Mustard seeds
2 nos Dried red chilli
few Curry leaves
Oil

Method

Grind together all the ingredients listed under ' to grid ' to form a coarse paste.Keep aside.
Dry roast 1/3 cup grated coconut over medium flame,stirring continuously until it turns brown.Keep aside.
In a pan,combine together cubed plantain, elephant yam ,chili powder,turmeric powder and  water.Cook until it is tender and water is almost absorbed.Add cooked chickpeas ,prepared coconut paste and salt .Mix well and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.Remove from heat.
Add the roasted coconut and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,let it splutter.Add red chilies and curry leaves,fry for few seconds and pour it over the curry.
Serve with rice.

NYLON KHAMAN DHOKLA

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups besan
1  1/2 tbs rava
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ginger-green chili paste
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fruit salt (eno)
pinch asafoetida
few curry leaves
1 tsp chopped green chillies
coriander leaves for garnishing
green chutney to serve
salt to taste

Method

Combine besan, rava, sugar, ginger-green chili paste, lemon juice, salt with 3/4 cup water in a deep bowl and mix well using a whisk to get a smooth batter
Just before steaming, add fruit salt and mix lightly.
Pour the mixture immediately to a greased thali and spread by rotating the thali clockwise.
Steam in a steamer for 10-12 minutes or till dhokla are cooked. Keep aside.
Heat oil  in a nonstick pan and add mustard seeds.
When seeds crackle, add asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies and saute on medium flame for 30 minutes.
Remove from flame , add 1/2 cup water and mix well.
Pour the tempering over prepared dhoklas and spread it evenly.
Cut into pieces, and garnish with coriander leaves and serve with green chutney.

CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

2 (8 oz) cream cheese (can use the less fat kind too)
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
10-20 chocalate graham crackers

1/4 cup butter

 pinch cinnamon powder
topping of your choice

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Crush chocolate graham crackers, combined with a bit of melted butter and a dash of cinnamon and press into bottom of foil or cupcake liner.

Beat cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and lemon juice. 

Pour batter into tins, bake 12-15 minutes. 

Let cool, and then refrigerate for a couple of hours. 

Garnish with your desired topping.

BRINJAL CHUTNEY

Ingredients

2 Brinjal 
1 Big Onion chopped 
1 Tomato chopped 
2" Ginger chopped piece
4 cloves Garlic chopped
1 or 2 (you can add red chillies instead)
Green chillies chopped 
3-4 Cashewnuts 
1 tbsp Roasted Bengal gram 
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 
Salt to taste
1/2 to 1 tsp Tamarind paste- (adjust to suit your taste) 
2 tbsp Oil 
For tempering 
1 tsp Oil 
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds 
few Curry leaves
 pinch Asafoetida- 
1 Dried red chilli broken into pieces 

Method

Slice and deep fry the brinjal pieces to golden brown. Drain onto absorbent paper and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add the cashewnuts and roasted bengal gram and saute for a few seconds. 
Add the chopped onion and saute till pink in colour. 
Add the chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies and saute till a nice aroma comes. 
Add the chopped tomatoes and saute till oil separates. 
Add the fried brinjal pieces and salt and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or till well blended. Switch off heat and let cool. 
Add tamarind paste and grind the mixture to a fine, smooth paste. 
In another pan, heat oil. Add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add the asafoetida and stir for 3 seconds. Now add the red chilli pieces and curry leaves and stir for a few seconds. 
Switch off heat and pour this over the chutney. Serve with rice or Idli or Dosa.