Vegetable Manchurian

Recipe Contributed by : Rashmi Sampat

Vegetable manchurian is one of my favorite Indo-chinese dish. This dish was inspired by Sanjeev Kapoor's book "Best of Chinese Cooking". I have made some changes according to my taste and preference. You can add or reduce the heat(spiciness) acoording to your taste.

Serves: 12

Prep time: 30 min Cook time: 30 min 

Difficulty level: Medium

Aalu Paratha (Potato Stuffed Indian Bread)

Recipe contributed by: Dhara Balwa

Usually, I don't do step-by-step photo description of my recipes, but for this one I thought it is a good idea to do it. Every household has their favorite Aalu paratha recipe. And you know, I like all the varieties, the different spices that people play with. Here is my favorite though. Hope you try it and enjoy it as much.

 

 

 

Serves: 15

Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 25 min

Difficulty level: Medium

Desi Ghee

Recipe contributed by: Dhara Balwa

Desi Ghee is clarified butter generally derived from cow's milk. In India, it is very common to save up the Malai(cream) from the boiled milk. The malai is then mixed with some yogurt and within the next day of two, strained to make white home-made butter. This butter is then boiled to separate the solids and evaporate the water content with the end-product of ghee. Quite tedious, I know. But the end result is totally worth it.

Here, because we drink fat-free milk, it is difficult to accumulate cream to make ghee in the way it is done back in my home. And the store-bought ghee is not the same. The closest best I remember is Aseel ghee which we found in a Korean store. And one fine day, it was gone from the shelf, never to return. Then, Rashmi suggested to make ghee at home from unsalted butter sticks. What can I say, it turns out as good as the one back home. And that's the recipe I am giving.

While writing this post, I researched the history and facts about Ghee. I found quite interesting things about it in Wikipedia. You can read more here. I will go ahead and briefly write what I found. Ghee is used in many parts of the world including South Asia, Egypt, Morocco, France, Middle-East and I also used in  Dulce Leches cake, so may be it is used in South American cooking too. Mostly it is used in making desserts but we also use it in cooking our entrees and spicy dishes. I personally think it goes best with the Mughal dishes. The aroma of rice tempered with spices and ghee leaves such an appetizing fragrance in the house. That's why when I have people coming over and I have made an Indian meal, I always end my cooking with tempering the rice.

 



Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 20-25 min
Difficulty level: Easy

Sindhi Kadhi

Recipe submitted by: Lata Balwa, Gujarat, India

As soon as people know I am Sindhi, they list out a few popular Sindhi dishes as few of the favorites. Sindhi Kadhi is one of them. And those who are hearing it for the first time imagine it to be yogurt based as any other Kadhi. But that is not the case. I haven't made it in the longest time (I wonder why?) Anyway, I can have the Kadhi just as soup as it consists of lentils and vegetables and is a meal in itself. But it is usually served with tadka white rice with the oil tadka done before cooking the rice. This recipe is again another one contributed by my loving mom. My grandmother used to say, "My mom has hands that makes her food so magically tasteful". Quite a compliment from a mother-in-law! So without further ado, here it is.




Image courtesy Lata Balwa

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 20 min
Difficulty level: Easy

Brownie

Recipe contributed by : Rashmi Sampat

This is the easiest brownie recipe I have come across so far and it is the yummiest, too. Though it is eggless, these brownies come out as good and moist.  You can have them as it is or you can top it with vanilla ice cream. However you eat, you will enjoy every bite of it.

 

Serves : 24

Prep time: 10 min Cooking time: 25 min

Difficulty level: Easy

Koki (Sindhi unleavened bread) and Tadka Dahi (Yogurt)

Recipe contributed by Lata Balwa, Gujarat, India

My mom makes the best koki (and of course everything else too), PERIOD. I have tried and tried and it still hasn't been up to her mark. So when she asked me which of her recipes I would like to have on my blog, the first one that popped in my mind was koki. Koki is usually served as breakfast in Sindhi household but we usually have it as dinner (too heavy for breakfast, until you are ready to go to sleep right in the morning). But here, having it as brunch is also a good option. It is also a good travel/picnic food like Gujarati Thepla. Enjoy this koki with the tadka dahi(yogurt).

Image contributed by Lata Balwa

Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 15 min
Difficulty level: Easy

Mango Cream Kofta Curry

Recipe contributed by Shilpa Balwani, Gujarat, India

While growing up, one of the things to look forward in summer vacations in India was the mango season. My breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner all consisted of sweet and cool mangoes. Mango recipes are incorporated in various dishes like sweet and savory Mango Kadi, Kulfi, Shrikhand, Icecream, Lassi, Salads, Kheer, etc. With summer right around the corner, this Mango Kofta curry would be a refreshing dish to try. A twist to the Malai Kofta curry recipe, this is another rich contribution from my cousin, Shilpa Balwani.

Image contributed by Shilpa Balwani

Serves: 5
Prep time: 40 min Cooking time: 30 min Fry time: 15 min
Difficulty level: Medium