68. Avocado Chocolate pudding

Final Outcome: Only for the adventurous!

        When I first heard of this recipe, I could not imagine its taste. Weird combination of ingredients, never heard of dish and one very enthusiastic family....Result: a deadly recipe. A word of caution:"Try at your own risk"! :-)

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Avocado: 1 peeled and pitted
Coco powder: 2-3 tbsp
Banana: 1 large or 2 small
Vanilla essence: 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Add Avocado and banana to a mixer/Blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add coco powder and vanilla essence and give a whirl again.
3. Refrigerate and serve after about an hour.

67. Soya Rice

Final Outcome: It was ok....

        I watched this recipe on a television show but tried it almost 2 months later. It was a good dish but not one of my favorite.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice: 1 cup washed 
Soya granules: 3/4th cup soaked in hot water with a 1 tsp of salt
Onion: 2 chopped
Cinnamon: 1inch
Cloves: 2-3
Garam masala: 2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Tumeric powder: a pinch
Milk: 2 cups (warm)
Salt totaste
Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp
Oil: 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add onion, cinnamon and cloves. Let it cook till onions are soft.
2. Add soya granules (drain out the water before adding). Add Garam masala, Coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder and cook for 2-3 mins.
3. Add rice and salt and mix well.
4. Add milk and 1 cup water. Cover and cook till rice is done.

        I prepared this recipe about 15 days ago but did not find time to blog it. It has been a bad week. My kid was sick the entire week, I did our taxes and my bike has a flat tire.

66. Veg Kadhai

Final Outcome: Restaurant like taste, Fantastic!!!

        I can rate this as one of my most loved recipes. Most home chefs will agree that getting the restaurant like taste is a huge achievement. This recipe is from a cook book with some changes. Don't let the list of ingredients scare you. It is quiet simple actually.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Cauliflower: 1/2 cup Large florets
Beans: 8-10 cut into 1/2 inch long pieces
Matar: 1/2 cup
Carrots : 2 large cut into large pieces
Capsicum: 2 small, cut into large pieces
Onion: 2 chopped
Tomatoes: 2 roughly chopped
Fresh coriander for garnish
Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Masala:
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Red chili: 1
Ginger: 1/2 inch piece

Additional masala:
Garam Masala: 1 tsp
Tumeric powder: a pinch

Method:
1. Grind all the ingredients listed under 'Masala' to a paste (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, Red chili and ginger).
2. Heat oil in a pan and add onion and cook till it turns golden brown. When it is almost done add Masala from step 1. let it cook till fragrant (about half a min).
3. Add Carrots, Cauliflower and beans and let it cook covered till its almost done. Add matar, capsicum and tomatoes. Cook till all the vegetables are done. 
4. Add Turmeric powder, Garam masala, salt and cook till the curry is dry.
5. Serve garnished with coriander.

That is my brand new, beautiful kadhai:-)

65. Dodhi Methamba (Bottle Gourd Sweet Pickle)

Final Outcome: A tasty side dish to go with roti.

        I joined a ladies club recently. We meet once a month and each time there is a different theme. For my first visit last month each member was asked to recite a recipe using bottle gourd. I promptly rang my mom since I remembered she had mentioned this recipe sometime ago. I shared my recipe at the club and tried it a few days later. After tasting it I was glad I shared it. Here it is:

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Bottle Gourd: 1/2 , Peeled and grated
Sugar: 3/4th measure of shredded bottle gourd
Oil: 1tbsp
Carom Seeds/ Oova: a pinch
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida/Hing: very little (less than a pinch)
Jeera/ Cumin: 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder: a pinch
Garam masala: a pinch
Fennel seeds: 1/2 tsp
Salt: a pinch

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Once the seeds begin to splutter add hing and Grated bottle gourd. Cook while stirring occasionally. 
2. After bottle gourd is almost done add sugar. Mix well and cook. Bottle gourd should cook in sugar syrup.
3. Add salt, Carom seeds/Oova, fennel seeds, red Chili powder, and mix well. Let it cook for a few more mins (about 3-4 mins).
4. Add Garam Masala and mix well. Take off heat in a min.

Note: This can be stored refrigerated for 2-3 days.

64. Spinch Soup with Walnuts

Source: http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/Thick-Spinach-Soup-foodfood-skk.aspx
Final Outcome: Simply delicious!

        I realized I have made a very few soups after my sis-in-law asked me to post some soup recipes. After a quick search this soup suited all my requirements: simple, quick and I had all the ingredients at home (correction: I did not have walnuts. My friend was to come home with her daughter for a play date. She brought walnuts with her. Kids loved this soup!)  I have made some minor changes to the recipe as mentioned below.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Spinach: 1 bunch/ 3 handful
Walnuts: 7-8
Potato: 1 medium
Onion: 1 finely chopped
Milk: 1 cup
Salt
Oil: 1/2 tbsp
Pepper crushed: 1 tsp
Fresh Cream: 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Pressure cook spinach and potato (cut into half), 2 whistles. Dry roast walnuts for about a min. Once spinach cools add a little water and grind into a fine paste along with potato and walnuts.
2. In a pan heat oil. Add onion and cook till it turns brown. Add puree from step 1 and let it cook for a few mins.
3. Add Milk and cook till it comes to a boil.
4. Add salt and crushed pepper and serve hot topped with fresh cream.

63. Apple starter/Curry

Final Outcome: I could not stop eating!!!

        This recipe was given to me by a relative. It was meant to be a curry but we ate it like a starter. It is simple, healthy and a very very tasty dish. I have made a few changes to the recipe. It can be made using regular oil, I used olive oil. Italian seasoning was not used in the original recipe.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Apples: 2 chopped into 1 inch cubes with skin. I used 1 red apple and 1 green apple. It gave it a nice contrast.
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Italian seasoning: 1 tsp
Cumin powder: a pinch
Salt to taste
Crushed pepper: a pinch

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a shallow pan. Add chopped apples.Fry stirring continuously for about 5 mins until apples are done.
2. Add salt, Cumin powder and Italian seasoning.fry for another min.
3. Serve hot garnished with crushed pepper.

        A lot of changes have taken place in the month of June. 'Ta' started school, my schedule has changed, 'N' has begun a strict exercise regime and I am sleep deprived:-). I dont find time during the day for any personal activity so  I stretch my day. I cannot blame anyone else that I am sleep deprived now can I ? But I am not giving up my time for now :-)

62. Tondla - Batata and Soya Nuggets Bhaji (Ivy Gourd- Soya nuggets Curry)

Final: Very tasty!

        I am sure many people who cook everyday at home will agree that sometimes it gets boring to eat food cooked in the same way every day. So I decided to have a little fun. I began cooking with 2 ingredients: Ivy Gourd and Potato and began adding different ingredients as I went along. Surprisingly the curry was delicious. Most of the ingredients were unmeasured, but I will try my best to give exact measurements.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Ivy Gourd/ Tondli: 250 gms cut lengthwise
Potato: 1 medium. Chopped medium
Tomato: 2 chopped
Onion: 1 chopped
Soya nuggets: 1/2 cup: soaked in salted warm water for 20 mins
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Red chili powder: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds
Salt
Oil: 1tbsp
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method:
1. In a pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds. Once they begin to splutter add onion and fry till golden. Add tomatoes and fry till the begin leaving oil. Take off heat and grind into a fine paste.
2. In a pan add a little oil and add Tondli and Potato. Add a splash of water and cook covered till they are soft.
3. Add the paste from step 1 to Tondli - Potato. Add Soaked soya nuggets, Garam masala, Coriander powder, red chili powder, and salt.
4. Cook uncovered for 4-5 mins so that the vegetables soak the masala. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.