A Spoonful of Thought

Ingredients: 4 fresh silver mackerel/bangda 2 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder 2 tbsp tikkalal red chilli powder 1/2 tsp haldi 2 tsp roasted cumin/jeera powder 2 tsp black pepper powder 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste 1 small lemon size tamarind pulp salt to taste water as required oil for frying Garnish with: lemon wedges onion slices Recipe: 1.  Clean the fish and cut each fish to 2-3 pieces as required and keep it aside.  2. In a big plate add chilli powders, black pepper powder, haldi, jeera powder. 3. Mix all the spices together. Add salt. 4. To this add ginger-garlic paste and tamarind pulp. Mix well with water to form a spicy paste. 5. Apply this spicy paste all over the fish inside out. 6. Keep it aside in fridge for 6-8 hrs. 7. After 8 hrs, heat kadai with oil for frying. 8. No need to thaw the fish, can add the fish directly to hot oil. 9. Fry till crispy brown on low to medium flame so that fish is cooked well. 10. Remove it on kitchen tissue to remove excess oil. 11. Fish

Ingredients: For Makhani Paste 1 tbsp Melted Butter/ghee 1/4 cup cashews 1/4 cup fresh cream 1 medium chopped onions 2 dry red chillies 2 green chillies 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1 medium tomatoes chopped 1 tbsp kasuri methi powder 1 tsp nutmeg/jaiphal powder 1 tsp tikhalal red chilli powder 2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder 1/2 tsp haldi 1 tsp tomato ketchup 1 tsp sugar Salt as per taste For Pasta: 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp butter 4-5 cloves of garlic, mashed 1/4 cup cut in cubes veggies(green/yellow capsicum) 1/4 cup cut in cubes onions, tomatoes 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried parsley 1 tsp red chilli flakes 1 tsp oregano 1 cup boiled Macaroni 2 cheese slice 1/2 cup grated processed cheese 1 tbsp veg mayo Salt as per taste Recipe: 1. Take a kadai, put 1 tbsp of ghee/butter.  Once it is heated, add the chopped onions, red chillies, green chillies. Saute well till onions turn brown. 2. Then to this add ginger-garlic paste.Saute again. 3. Finally to this add chopped tomatoes. Saute till

Ingredients: 18-20 pani puri's puri 3 tbsp pizza sauce 1 tbsp veg mayo 2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese 2 tbsp green capsicum finely chopped 2 tbsp yellow capsicum finely chopped 1/2 medium onion finely chopped 1 medium tomato finely chopped 2 tbsp sweet corn boiled grated processed cheese grated mozzarella cheese Salt as pe taste Italian seasoning Recipe: 1. In a mixing bowl add pizza sauce, veg mayo, chopped veggies, shredded cheese and salt. Mix well. 2. Make a hole on the puris and stuff the above mixture in it. 3. Add grated mozzarella cheese over the stuffing in the puri. 4. Put the puris in the oven for 10 mins on bake mode. 5. After 10 mins change the mode to broil for 2-3 mins more. This will melt the cheese added in the puris. 6. Remove from the oven and set it on the plate. 7. Sprinkle the italian seasoning over the baked puris  8. Finally garnish them with grated cheese all over the puris. 8. Enjoy mouth watering Panipuri Pizza Shots hot.

Ingredients: 250 gms cashews 40 gms milk powder 200 gms sugar 100 ml water 1 tsp cardamom powder Ghee for greasing Few strands of saffron/kesar OR Silver varks to garnish Recipe: 1. Grind the cashews to very smooth powder in two batches. Use pulse mode while grinding. 2. Sieve the powder to a mixing bowl. 3. Add the milk powder and mix well with cashew powder. 4. In a non stick add sugar and water. Stir well till the sugar melts. Add cardamom powder to the same. 5. Let it boil till the syrup thickens and forms a string consistency. Switch off the flame. 6. Add the cashew powder to the sugar syrup. Stir continously to avoid any lumps. 7. Mix well till the mixture tightens and start leaving the sides of the kadai. Spread it over the kadai and leave it aside for 30 mins. 8. Take a big butter paper and grease it. 9. Remove the cashew mixture on the butter paper/thick plastic. 10. Knead the mixture when hot to form a smooth dough for 2-3 mins. 11. Fold the butter paper and roll out the cash

Ingredients: 4 clove garlic finely chopped/crushed 1 inch ginger finely chopped/crushed 1 medium onion finely chopped 2 tbsp coriander stem finely chopped 1 carrot finely chopped 2 tbsp cabbage shredded 2 tbsp green capsicum finely chopped 2 tbsp sweet corn 3 cup water 1 tsp pepper powder 1 tbsp corn flour + 1/4 cup water 5 tbsp coriander finely chopped 4 tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp olive oil Salt as per taste Recipe: 1. In a large thick bottom saucepan heat oil. 2. Add chopped garlic and ginger. Saute for a min. 3. Then add onions and coriander stem. Saute for a minute more. 4. Now add grated carrots, shredded cabbage, chopped capsicum and sweet corn. Saute for a minute without overcooking. 5. To this add water, pepper powder. Add salt as per taste. Mix well and bring it to boil. Cover and let it boil for 5 minutes. 6. On the other side prepare the cornflour mixture by adding water to cornflour. Mix well making sure there are no lumps. 7. Uncover the soup kadai and pour the prepared corn m

Ingredients: 2 cup yellow moong dal 3 roughly chopped green chillies 1 inch ginger piece 4 tbsp rice flour 2 tsp jeera seeds 2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder 1/2 tsp haldi 1 medium onions finely chopped 1 big tomato finely chopped 1/2 green capsicum finely chopped 2 carrots finely grated  1 eno + 2 tbsp water salt as per taste Water few butter pieces Recipe: 1. Rub and clean the dal. Then soak the yellow moong dal in enough water for 30 minutes. After 30 mins drain the water well from dal and keep it aside. 2. Combine the yellow moong dal, green chillies and ginger piece in a blender. Blend all together using 1/4 cup water to make a smooth paste of thick consistency. 3. Transfer the dal paste to a deep and big mixing bowl. Add rice flour,  haldi ,  red chilli powder and mix well with the moong dal batter. Add salt as per the requirements.  4. Add jeera seeds and finely chopped onions, tomatoes, capsicum, carrots to the moong dal batter. 5. Mix well all the ingredients to the dal batter

Ingredients: 2 cup idli rava 2 cup thick whisked curd 1 eno packet - fruit salt water as required salt as required Recipe: 1. In a big mixing bowl  add idli rava.  Next add curd and water as required. Basically will need to get a medium consistency batter. Mix very well and let the batter rest covered for 20 minutes. The rava idli batter is neither thick nor thin in consistency and has a medium consistency. 2. Brush oil on the idli pan moulds.  3. Add 2 to 2.5 cups water to the steamer and heat it till it comes to a boil. 4. Sprinkle 1 eno evenly over the batter. Add 1 tbsp of water. Quickly mix very well. 5. Pour the batter in the idli moulds. Place moulds in the steamer with the hot water. Cover with a lid and steam rava idli for 10 to 12 minutes. 6. To check if it is done insert a toothpick in the rava idli, it should come out clean. Remove the idli plates carefully and let them rest for 3 to 4 minutes.  7. Then with a spoon remove the rava idli from the mould. 8. Serve the hot rava

Ingredients: 300 gms boiled peas 2 small cinnamon sticks 4 green cardamoms 5 cloves 1 tsp soaked poppy seeds 4 big garlic cloves 1 inch ginger piece 200 gms fresh coriander leaves 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut 3-4 green chillies 1 small lemon size tamarind 2 medium onion finely chopped 1 big tomato finely chopped 2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin/jeera seeds 2 tbsp oil 2 cups of water Salt as per taste Recipe: 1. Boil the green peas by adding some salt and keep it aside. 2. For green masala: In a blender add coriander leaves, mint leaves, grated coconut, tamarind,  cinnamon  sticks , cloves, cardamoms, soaked poppy seeds, green chillies, garlic and ginger. 3. Blend together for a min by adding some water.   4. Then add red chilli powder, salt to the blender. Again blend together till form a smooth green paste. 5. In a kadai, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add jeera seeds and chopped onions. Saute till onio

Ingredients: 1/2 cup horsegram 1/2 cup grated fresh coconut 1 tbsp coriander seeds 3-4 dry red chillies 1 small lemon size tamarind 2 tbsp coconut oil Salt as taste Water for grinding For tadka/tempering: 1 tsp mustard seeds Few curry leaves 2 dry red chillies 1 tbsp oil Recipe: 1. In a kadai, dry roast horsegram until they are crispy brown. 2. In the same kadai heat coconut oil. Add coriander seeds and roast/saute till it is auromatic. Remove it in a plate. 3. Now add red chillies and saute them for a min and remove it in the same plate. 4. In a blender add roasted horsegram, coriander seeds, red chillies, grated coconut, tamarind and salt as per taste. Blend to smooth paste by adding water. 5. Remove chutney in a small bowl. 6. In a tadka pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds. 7. Once they splutter, add curry leaves and red chillies. Saute for a min and add this tadka to chutney. Mix well. 8. Healhty Horsegram chutney is ready to serve as side dish with rice or roti.

Ingredients: 200 gms paneer/cottage cheese cut in cubes 1 tsp cumin/jeera seeds 1 bay leaf 1 small cinnamon stick 5 green cardamom 1/2 cup whisked curd 2 tbsp cream / malai 1 cup milk 4 chillies slit lengthwise 1 tsp kewra water 1 tbsp kasuri methi crushed 2 tsp tikhalal red chilli powder 1 tsp black pepper powder 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp oil Salt as per taste few strands of kesar + 1 tbsp warm milk For curry masala paste: 1 big onion roughly chopped 5 garlic crushed 1 inch ginger 4 green cardamom 15 whole cashew 10 blanched almonds/badams 2 tsp poppy seeds/khus khus 1 cup water Recipe: 1. In a large kadai take masala ingredients: onions, garlic cloves, ginger, cardamoms, whole cashews, almonds and poppy seeds. Add 1 cup water, cover and boil for 15 minutes. 2. Cool completely, and blend to smooth paste adding water as required. keep aside. 3. In a same kadai, heat 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon and cardamoms. Saute until spices turn aromatic. 4. Now add

Ingredients: 6 bread slices 1/2 cup chiroti rava/ fine suji 1/4 cup curd 3-4 tbsp water 2 tbsp finely chopped green capsicum 1 small onion finely chopped 1 small tomato finely chopped 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp black pepper powder 1 tsp italian seasoning salt as per taste butter for roasting Recipe: 1. Dry roast rava, until it changes its color slightly. DO NOT burn the suji to brown color.  2. Remove this roasted suji in a mixing bowl. 3. Add the chopped tomato, onion and capsicum to the suji. 4. Add salt, red chilli powder, black pepper and italian seasoning to the same. 5. Add curd and mix well all the ingredients. Add water and mix well until it becomes thick consistency. The batter should not be dry. 6. Heat the tawa on low -medium flame.  7. Take one slice of bread and apply the suji batter on only one side of the bread. 8. Apply butter on the hot tawa and place the suji side of the bread on the tawa to get roasted. 9. Keep it for a min, then a pply butter on the top side of

Ingredients: 1/2 cup semaiya/vermicelli 1 tbsp sabudana(optional) 1.5 lit full cream milk few strands of saffron 2/3 cup sugar 2 tbsp custard powder (vanilla/pista/strawberry) +  1/2 cup milk 1 tbsp ghee Garnish with: 1/2 cup chopped dry nuts(almonds/cashews/pista/raisins) 1/4 cup tutti-frutti 2 tbsp chia seeds/ sabja (soaked in water for an hr) few cherries chopped fruits(pomegranate, apples, mango, papaya) Recipe: 1. Rinse and clean sabudana thrice to remove extra starch. Soak sabudana in 3/4 cup water for 6 hrs. 2. Later on in a pan add ghee and roast the vermicelli on low flame until it turns golden brown. Keep it aside. 3. In a large thick bottom sauce pan, heat 1 lit full cream milk. Let it simmer for a while and then add kesar/saffron to it. 4. Bring the milk to boil. Keep stirring. 5. Add the soaked sabudana and mix well. Let the milk simmer for 5-7 mins till sabudana is cooked well. 6. Then add roasted vermicelli to the milk and mix well.  7. Add sugar and mix well.  8. Let th

Ingredients: 5-6 medium purple brinjal/eggplants 2-3 medium potatoes 2 medium tomatoes roughly chopped 1 green chillies 2 medium onions finely chopped 1 inch ginger chopped in juliennes 4-5 garlic cloves finely chopped 1 tsp jeera seeds 1 tsp saunf seeds 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp Tikhalal red chilli powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp jeera powder 1 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp haldi 1/2 cup water Salt as per taste 2 tbsp Oil Garnish with: chopped coriander leaves Recipe: 1. Clean and chop the brinjals to small cubes. Also peel, clean and chop the potatoes too into small cub

Ingredients: 300 gms sweet potato 1 cup milk powder 1/2 cup maida  2 tsp crushed green cardamom powder 2 tsp ghee 2 pinch of baking soda 1/4 cup milk oil for frying For Sugar Syrup: 3 cup sugar 6 cup water 3-4 whole green cardamom few strands of saffron 1 tsp rose water 1 tsp lemon juice Recipe: 1. Peel and boil the sweet potatoes. DO NOT over boil the potatoes.  2. In a big mixing bowl grate the boiled potatoes. Add milk powder, maida and green cardamom powder. Mix well. 3. Add baking soda. Knead the jamun dough using milk.  4. Add ghee while kneading the dough. Knead a soft and tight dough. 5. Cover and keep it aside for 10 mins. 6. Make small marble size balls from the jamun dough and keep it aside. 7. Heat oil for frying gulab jamun.  8. In a thick bottom sauce pan, add sugar and water. Add whole cardamom and saffron strands. Keep this on another gas for boiling. 9. Once this syrup starts to simmer, add rose water. Bring the sugar syrup to boil. Let it boil for 4 mins.  10. Add lem

Ingredients: 3 maggies 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds 2 tbsp sweet corn 2 tbsp green peas  1 big grated carrot 1 medium finely chopped onion 1 green chilli finely chopped  2 tbsp finely chopped green capsicum 2 pack of maggi masala 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric powder 3 tbsp oil salt as per taste Water Recipe: 1. Soak the maggi in hot water for 5 mins to make it soft. 2. In a kadai heat oil. Add jeera seeds. Then add onions and green chillies. Saute till the onions are soft.  3. Add capsicum and saute till capsicum leaves water and become soft. 4. Add carrots, sweet corn and peas. Mix well. Cover and let it all cook for 2-3 mins. 5. Then add haldi, red chilli powder and maggi masala. Mix well. Add salt as per taste. 6. Add soaked maggi along with its water. Mix well. Cover and cook the maggi for 2-3 mins more.  7. Stir the maggi, if the water content is more then simmer for more 2 mins. Else switch off the gas and remove the maggi in plates. 8. Enjoy your favourite m

Ingredients: 2 tbsp fresh cream 2 tbsp cashews paste 1 cinnamon sticks  2 bay leaves 3-4 green cardamom 5-6 cloves 6-7 black peppercorns 2 big onions finely chopped  2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste  2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp Tikhalal red chilli powder 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp chicken masala 1 tbsp kasuri methi 1/2 tsp haldi 3 tbsp oil 2 tbsp ghee salt as per taste Water For Marination: 1.5 kg chicken 1 cup thick curd 1 egg 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1/2 tsp haldi 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp Tikhalal red chilli powder 1 tsp garam masala Salt as per taste For Grounded Powder: 2 tsp jeera seeds 1 tsp saunf seeds 1 cinnamon stick 4-5 green cardamom 5-6 cloves 8-10 black peppercorns Recipe: 1. Clean the chicken and keep it aside. 2. In a big mixing bowl add thick curd, salt, haldi, red chilli powders, garam masala, ginger-garlic paste and egg. Mix well.  3. Add chicken pieces and marinate for 2-3 hours. 4.  After 2 hrs , i n a kadai add oil to heat. Add onions in batches