Aam Panna

This is a super cooler during summers.

Ingredients
• 2 Raw mangoes
• 6-7 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp roasted and powdered cumin seeds
• Salt to taste
• ¼ tsp kala namak

Tips:

You can add finely chopped mint leaves to make this even cooler.

Steps
1. Pressure cook the mangoes for 3-4 whistles (until they are completely cooked).
2. Let it cool.
3. Extract the pulp from the mangoes.
4. Add sugar, salt, and kala namak to the pulp.
5. Blend it on high speed for 1-2 mins.
6. Strain the juice.
7. Add 1-1.5 glasses of water and cumin seeds.
8. Chill for 1-2 hours before drinking.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients
• 2-3 red tomatoes chopped(the sour ones not the ones used for salad)
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1tbsp red chilli powder
• 6-7 pods garlic chopped
• Mustard and cumin seeds for seasoning
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1tbsp oil
• Few curry leaves

Steps
1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan
2. Add cumin and mustard seeds
3. Add curry leaves and dry red chillies
4. Add garlic and let it become brown
5. Add onions and fry for 1-2 mins till they are transparent
6. Add the coriander powder and fry for 1-2 mins till there is aroma of coriander
7. Add tomatoes
8. Add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder.
9. Cook on slow flame stirring occasionally for 5-7 mins
10. Use back of a flat cooking spoon to mash tomatoes.
11. Cook till the tomatoes become mushy and oil separates
Tastes good with hot rice and ghee

Garlic Chutney

Ingredients
• 30-40 pods garlic
• ½ cup chopped coriander leaves
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1tsp lime juice
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil

Steps
1. Grind everything to a thick paste.
2. Taste and adjust lime juice, salt accordingly.
This tastes best with Theplas.

Thepla

Ingredients
· 2 cups whole wheat flour
· 2-3 tbsp Besan
· 1 whole bunch Methi leaves cleaned and chopped
· Some coriander cleaned and chopped
· 3-4 green chillies
· 8-10 pods of garlic
· ½ tsp turmeric
· 1 tsp red chilli powder
· Salt to taste
· 1 tbsp oil

Tips:

Don’t flip the theplas very frequently. They get hard/crispy.

Steps
1. Grind chillies and garlic to a coarse paste
2. Mix all the ingredients and add water and make soft dough.
3. Roll out a thin roti
4. Heat tava and cook both side on tava (like parathas) using oil and pressing the roti.

Gujrati Mixed Vegetable Curry

Disclaimer
This is my mother-in-law’s super hit recipe and there are no exact measurements as is the case with all the moms. The measurements given here are also approximate. Spices depend on taste. The recipe looks long but its worth the effort.

Ingredients

• 2-3 Potatoes
• 2 onions
• 1-2 small Brinjals
• 1 capsicum (cut in big pieces)
• 2-3 big green chillies (non spicy ones)
• Few curry leaves
• Few cumin seeds
• Few mustard seeds
• 1-2 dry red chillies

For Masala

• ½ cup Coriander cumin powder
• Little more than ¼ cup Besan
• 3-4 pinches Garam masala
• Coarse paste of 3-4 green chillies and 7-8 flakes of garlic, ½ inch ginger
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 2-3 table spoon oil
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Some chopped fresh coriander
• 2tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Tips:

Don’t over roast Besan. It will burn otherwise.

Don’t cut the vegetable completely. Create a slit enough to fill some masala.

Steps
1. Mix Besan, coriander cumin powder and Garam masala.
2. Roast on slow flame till it gives out a nice aroma.
3. Remove from flame and let it cool.
4. Once its cool, put it in a mixing bowl.
5. Add the roasted Besan and coriander powder, and rest of the masala ingredients and mix well.
6. Taste for spices. You can add more or less based on taste.
The mix should not be completely dry nor should it be like dough. Keep the masala aside.
7. Peel the potato and cut them to two pieces and make slits.
8. Peel onions and make 2 slits. Slit the big green chillies, remove the seeds.
9. Cut Brinjals to two pieces and make slits.
10. Take some masala (may be 1/4th or ½) and ill the masala into the slits. Fill just little into each vegetable.
11. Heat 3-4 tbsp oil in a cooker.
12. Add mustard, cumin seeds, curry leaves, whole red chillies.
13. Add the vegetables and add little water (enough to cover the vegetable).
14. Close the lid and take 3-4 whistles (until the potatoes are cooked basically).
15. Once cool. Open the cooker and put it on slow flame again.
16. Add the remaining masala (it should be a thick gravy. You can add little water if it is too thick as Besan tends to thicken the curry).
17. Taste for spices and make required adjustments.
18. Let it cook for 5-7 mins mixing occasionally.
Serve with roti or hot rice.

Sprouts Salad

Ingredients
• 1 cup Moong Sprouts
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped onions
• Chopped capsicum
For Dressing
• Finely chopped coriander
• 2 tsp lime juice
• Roasted and coarsely pounded cumin seeds
• 2-3 pinches of pepper powder
• ¼ tsp chat masala
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

Steps
1. Mix Olive oil, Lime juice, cumin seeds, pepper powder, chat masala, coriander and salt.
2. Shake well and keep aside.
3. Mix Sprouts, capsicum, tomatoes, onions.
4. Drizzle the dressing and mix well.
5. Serve chilled.
You can add more/less lime and salt as per taste.

Spicy Dip

Ingredients
• 1 cup thick hung curds
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
• 1-2 Dried red chillies
• 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds
• 1 tsp roasted fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste


Tips:

You can add minced garlic to this dip.

Steps
1. Grind roasted peanuts, red chillies, cumin and fennel to a paste.
2. Put in a bowl, add curd and salt and whisk well.
3. Keep refrigerated for at least an hour.

Lebanese Dip

Ingredients
• 1 cup thick hung curds
• 1tbsp fresh cream
• 3-4 cloves garlic grated
• 2tsp roasted sesame seeds (til)
• 1tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste

Tips:

Tastes good with Fresh/toasted pita bread, bread, toast.

Steps
1. Pound the sesame seeds and olive oil in a mortar and make a smooth paste.
2. Put in a bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk well.
3. Keep refrigerated for at least an hour.

Low Fat Cheese Dip

Ingredients
• 1 Cup thick hung Curd (hang the curd in muslin cloth for around 1 hour (until the water drains off)
• 1 table spoon Cheese spread
• 1-2 finely chopped sprigs of Spring onions (only the green part)
• 1 table spoon Garlic chilli sauce
• Salt to taste


Tips:

You can add chopped capsicum too.

You can be creative with the cheese spreads. I find Britannia Mexican Mirchi the best flavor for this tip. You can try different flavor dips.

Tastes best with Potato wedges, Khakhra, Nachos, toasted bread.

Steps
1. Hang the curd in a muslin cloth for 1 hour (until the water drains off).
2. Add the cheese spread and chilli garlic sauce.
3. Mix well and add salt and spring onions.
4. Chill for at least 1 hour before eating.