Indian Breakfast Dishes - Banana Dosa

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

250g all-purpose flour (maida)
4 bananas, mashed
1 egg
75g sugar
2g cardamom powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 glass milk
50g oil


Method:

1. Beat the egg well and to this, add sugar, milk and mashed bananas. These ingredients can also be mixed in a blender.

2. To the all-purpose flour, add the above banana mixture and mix well to form dosa batter.

3. Now add cardamom powder and baking powder to the batter and mix well.

4. Heat a flat pan and make thin dosas. Fry on both sides until golden brown in color with little oil.

5. Serve hot with any juice.

Indian Salad Recipes - Vegetable Salad With Yogurt

Serves: 3-4
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

250 gms cauliflower, separated into florets
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3/4 cup shelled green peas
2 potatoes, boiled, peeled and diced
2 green chilies, cut into fine pieces
1 cup yogurt
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup fresh cream
2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cook the cauliflower, carrots and green peas in salted water and then refresh in cold water, drain and keep aside.

2. Whisk yogurt, salt, honey and green chilies with fresh cream.

3. Mix all the cooked vegetables with the yogurt dressing.

4. Chill and serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Indian Salad Recipes - Waldorf Salad

Ingredients:

1 apple
1/4 cup mayonnaise sauce
10g milk cream
10g walnuts
10 salad leaves
1 tsp mustard powder
1 egg
1 tsp salad oil
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

For preparing mayonnaise sauce:

Take the egg yolk from the egg and to this, add salt, sugar, mustard powder. Pour oil drop by drop into the above mixture and mix well. This becomes the mayonnaise sauce

Method:

1. Cut apple into pieces and soak in water, and arrange them on a plate.
2. Mix mayonnaise sauce, milk cream and pour on the pieces.
3. Sprinkle the walnuts on the plate.
4. Serve when chilled.

Indian Snacks Dishes - Vitamin Sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 bread slices
1 1/2 cup fresh yogurt
1/2 cup sprouts
1 tbsp grated carrot
1 tbsp chopped onions
1/2 tbsp chopped green chilies
2 tbsp chopped cucumber
1/4 tsp salt and pepper, each
3 tbsp chili or tomato sauce

Method:

1. Pour yogurt into a fine sieve and keep aside for half an hour for all water to drain off.

2. Mix all the chopped ingredients, grated carrots, salt, pepper and sprouts together.

3. Take a slice of bread. Apply a tablespoon of yogurt on it. Spread a tablespoon of vegetable mixture over it.

4. Sprinkle little sauce and cover with another slice, press slightly and cut the sandwich into 2 halves. If liked, the ends of the bread slices could be trimmed.

5. Repeat with the remaining bread slices. Serve as a substantial snack.

6. The yogurt used in sandwiches should be freshly made and should be thick and not sour.

Indian Snacks Dishes - Yogurt Kebabs

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 kg yogurt (curd)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
4 green chilies
1/4 tsp garam masala
3-4 tbsp cashew nuts
4-5 sprigs coriander leaves
3 tbsp corn flour
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

1. Remove the water from the curd by placing it in a cloth and tie it with a thread very tightly.

2. To this curd, add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chilies, chili powder, chopped cashews, salt, corn flour and mix well.

3. Make kebabs from the mixture, roll them again in corn flour and fry in hot oil until they are golden brown.

4. Serve hot with any chutney or ketchup.

Indian Dessert Dishes - Almond Strawberry Cake

Makes : 8 shortcakes.
Preparation Time: 45 minutes + Baking Time: 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:
200 gms plain flour (maida)
100 gms butter
30 gms ground almonds
2/3 cup icing sugar
A pinch of salt
2 - 3 tbsp ice-cold water
For the strawberry sauce:
2 cups strawberries
2 tbsp icing sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the filling:
1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 1/2 cups whipped cream

For the garnish:
Icing sugar to sprinkle
A few strawberries

Method:

1. Sieve the flour and salt together. Mix with the ground almonds. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips.

2. Add the sugar and mix well. Add enough ice-cold water to make a dough. Chill for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 200 degree C (400 degree F). Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and using a cutter, cut sixteen rounds of 3mm (1/8") thickness. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until pale golden. Cool and keep aside the cakes.

4. For the strawberry sauce, puree the strawberries in a blender. Add the icing sugar and lemon juice. Strain and refrigerate.

5. For arranging the cake, place one cake on a plate. Pipe some whipped cream on top and place some sliced strawberries. Sandwich with another cake. Make the other 7 cakes in the same manner.

6. For garnishing, dust icing sugar on top of each cake and garnish with strawberries. Serve surrounded by the sauce.

Indian Dessert Dishes - Shahi Tukre

Serves: 10-12
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

8 slices bread
4 cups milk
1/2 tin condensed milk
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp chopped nuts
1 tsp cardamom powder
Oil/ghee or butter to fry

For syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Method:

1. Make a paste of corn flour with some milk. Mix condensed milk with the rest of the milk.

2. Bring milk mixture to boil. Add corn flour paste. Cook stirring constantly until thick. Add cardamom powder.

3. Prepare syrup by boiling water and sugar together. Strain and keep aside.

4. Cut bread slices into two and deep fry in ghee till golden brown.

5. Immediately put the fried bread into sugar syrup. Dip for a minute. Remove from syrup, and arrange in a serving dish.

6. Top each piece of bread with 1 tbsp mixture of condensed milk and nuts.

7. Serve chilled.

Indian Dessert Dishes - Mango Kheer

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 kg ripe mangoes
200 gms sugar
1 liter milk
2 tbsp. chopped nuts


Method:

1. Peel and extract mango pulp from the ripe mangoes and sieve it.

2. In a deep pan, cook mango pulp with equal quantity of water.

3. Prepare sugar syrup (boil sugar with little water and boil until it is slightly thickened) and mix it with mango mixture while continuously stirring.

4. Add milk to it. Mix well and keep it to boil till mixture thickens. Decorate it with nuts and serve.

Indian Pickles Recipes - Potato Pickle

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

500 gms potatoes, slightly boiled, peeled and cut into small pieces
50 gms chili powder
Salt to taste
25 gms garlic, crushed
25 gms methi (fenugreek) seeds, powdered
4 lemons
100 gms oil
5 gms mustard seeds
4-5 red chilies
A pinch of asafoetida

Method:

1. Pat dry the potato pieces with a cloth or paper towel and place in a clean bowl; add chili powder, salt, crushed garlic, methi seeds powder and mix well.

2. Heat oil in a pan; add red chilies, mustard seeds, asafoetida and pour over the potato pieces.

3. Finally add lemon juice; mix well and store in an air-tight container. After 3 days, mix the mixture well and serve.

Indian Pickles Recipes - Sweet Apple Pickle

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

4-5 apples, cored and sliced
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried ginger powder
2 onions, sliced
8-10 green chilies

Method:

1. In a large non-aluminium pan, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, garam masala, ginger powder and fresh ginger. Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely dissolved.

3. Add onion and apple slices and cook.

4. Add green chilies and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture becomes thick.

5. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Indian Breads Recipes - Bervi

Preparation Time : 2 Hours 15 Minutes
Makes : 15-20

Ingredients :

For the Dough :

5 Cups Wheat Flour
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Salt

For the Stuffing :

1 Cup Split Dhuli Urad Dal (husked black beans split)
1 tsp Saunf (aniseeds)
2.5 cm Ginger Piece
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Amchoor ( dried raw mango) powder
4 tbsp Oil ( for deep-frying)

Method :

1. Mix the wheat flour, oil & Salt with enough water to make a firm dough.

2. Soak the dal in 3 cups of water at least 2 hours.

3. Grind the dal with the saunf, ginger, adding minimum water.

4. Heat the oil in a kadhai (wok), add the dal paste together with the dry ingredients and fry for about 5-7 minutes. Do not make the paste too dry or too wet, otherwise the bervi will break while frying.

5. Take a small ball of dough, make a depression in the centre and place some stuffing in it. Bring the edges together and reshape into ball. Roll out into an even round of 10 cm.

6. Heat some oil to smoking point in a kadhai (wok); deep fry the bervi until crisp & golden. Repate the same procedure with the remaining dough.

Indian Breads Recipes - Makki Ki Roti

Preparation Time : 10 Minutes
Makes : 4-5 Rotis

Ingredients :

1 ½ cup Makki ka Atta ( flour made from dried corn kernels)
2 tbsp Grated Radish
2 tbsp Grated Carrot
2 tbsp Methi ( fenugreek leaves) finely chopped
½ tbsp Ajwain (carom seeds)
½ tbsp Zeera (cumin seeds)
½ tbsp Salt
2 tbsp Oil (for shallow frying)

Method :

1. Add the salt to the grated radish, carrot & methi. Leave for 5-7 minutes and then squeeze out the excess liquid.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients together (except the oil for shallow-frying; add enough lukewarm water to prepare a soft dough.

3. Divide the dough into 4-5 equal parts; take one part and flatten it evenly on a piece of grease-proof paper with slightly wet hands to make a round of 12cm.

4. Shallow-fry on a hot tawa (griddle), turning occasionally & making small incisions with a spatula so that the oil seeps in. Cook until both the sides are lightly browned.

5. Serve hot with Sarson ka Saag.

Indian Rice Recipes - Brown Rice

Ingredients:

500g basmati rice
100g onions, chopped
15g black cardamoms
5g cinnamon
20g green chilies, chopped
10g bay leaves
2 tsp sugar
60g ghee or butter
1 small bunch mint leaves
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, fry black cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaves, for 2 minutes.

2. Also add sugar and fry until it gets brown (caramel) color. Then add onions, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, rice and fry for another 5 minutes.

3. Then add 1litre of water, salt and cook until three-fourth of rice is cooked.

4. Cook on steam for few minutes and remove from heat.

5. Sprinkle the chopped mint leaves and serve hot.

Indian Rice Recipes - Aloo Gobi Ki Tahari

Ingredients:

500g basmati rice
225g aloo (potatoes), peeled and cut into 4 pieces
225g gobi (cauliflower), cut into florets
85g oil
2 tsp turmeric
1/4 ginger water
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
4 bay leaves
8 cloves
4 cardamoms
Small piece of cinnamon

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice and soak in water for 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a pan, fry cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamoms for few minutes. Then add rice, cauliflower florets, potato pieces and fry for another 5 minutes.

3. Later add turmeric and ginger water to the above mixture and stir well.

4. Transfer this mixture to the rice cooker, add required water, salt, chili powder and garam masala. Stir well until the ingredients mixes well with rice.

5. Cook until it is done and garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.

Indian Dal Recipes - Palak Sambar

Ingredients:

1 bunch palak (spinach leaves)
1 big onion
1/4 tsp tamarind water
1/4 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 - 3 red chillies
1 tbsp sambar powder

Method:

1. Wash and chop palak finely. Cut onion. Cook only palak in cooker by just sprinkling the water.
2. Make 1/4 tsp tamarind water ( 2 jello cups approximately more water, less tamarind).
3. Heat oil, do seasoning with mustard, hing, fenugreek seeds and red chilies. Add onions and fry. 4. Pour the tamarind water and then the palak into the seasoning. Let it boil for 3 –4 minutes.
5. Now add 3/4 tsp of rice flour to 1/2 jello cup of water. Make sure no lumps. Add this water to palak (add pinch of sugar/jaggery to taste – optional).
6. Finally add 1 tbsp of sambar powder, let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot with plain rice or fried rice.

Variation: Instead of onions grind 1 1/2 tbsp of mustard seeds and 1 tbsp of soaked rice grains. Add this pasted to palak just before removing from the flame. Do not boil for long time, just until the vapours start. In this procedure do not add the rice flour.

Indian Dal Recipes - Dal Panchratni

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

40 gms tur dal
40 gms moong dal
40 gms masoor dal
40 gms urad dal
40 gms whole masoor
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
90 ml ghee or butter
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
2 onions, chopped
2 cm ginger, julienned
2 green chilies, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tomatoes, chopped
2-3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

Method:

1. Wash all the lentils well and soak in water for 5 minutes. Add enough water, turmeric powder, salt and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and keep aside.

2. Heat ghee in a pan and add asafoetida. After a few seconds, add onions, and saute till golden brown. Add chopped ginger, green chilies and saute for another 2 minutes.

3. Sprinkle chili powder, garam masala powder and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and keep stirring continuously till done.

4. Sprinkle coriander leaves over it and stir well. Pour the seasoning over the cooked lentils, cover for 2 minutes to allow the flavor of the seasoning, mix well and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and juliennes of ginger.

5. Serve hot with plain rice, pulao or Indian breads.

Indian Snacks Dishes - Egg Cutlets

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken or mutton kheema
6 hard boiled eggs, cut into 2 horizontal pieces
2 onions, chopped
1 tbsp vinegar
25g cheese, grated
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp mustard powder
2 eggs
Salt & pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix the chicken or mutton kheema with salt, turmeric and pressure cook in a cooker until they are tender.

2. Remove the yolk from the boiled eggs and mix with kheema, onions, soya sauce, vinegar, cheese, salt, pepper, mustard powder and 1 egg white.

3. Make a medium-sized ball, place half piece of the boiled egg white in the middle and make a ball again. Repeat the process for the remaining eggs.

4. Beat the remaining egg well and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, dip the balls in the beaten egg mixture and drop in hot oil. Fry the balls on both sides until golden brown in color.

5. Serve hot with tomato or chili sauce.

Indian Snacks Dishes - Dahi Kebabs

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

500 gms thick yogurt (dahi)
1/2 cup roasted gram flour (besan)
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp garam masala powder
2 tsp garlic paste
1 onion, blend to fine paste
Little cottage cheese (optional)

Method:

1. Hang yogurt in a cloth, preferably muslin cloth for 2 hours to make hard. After 2 hrs, squeeze well.

2. Add roasted gramflour to the yogurt. Also add 1 tsp salt, chili powder, half of garam masala powder. Mix well and divide into 16 balls and shape into kebabs.

3. Heat oil, fry few kebabs at one time. Fry until light golden. Remove and drain on paper towel.

4. Make masala in same pan. Add onion paste, garlic paste, 1 tsp salt and cook for few mins. Add kebabs, sprinkle little water or milk till coated with masala. Coating kababs with masala makes them moist.

5. Garnish with onion rings and tomatoes. Serve hot with chutney.

Note: If its difficult to make kababs then add little grated cottage cheese. Upto 100 gms of it can be added, if needed. Its not necessary to coat kababs with masala. This step can be omitted, and if omitted put more salt and chilli powder in kababs.

Indian Rice Recipes - Navratan Pulao

Ingredients:

500g basmati rice
50g paneer
50g peas
50 cauliflower
50g cherries
50g pineapple
60g carrots
25g cashew nuts
20g kiss miss (raisins)
150g yogurt
10g garam masala
15g green chilies
75g onions
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
75g ghee or butter
Salt to taste
1 small bunch mint leaves
1 small bunch cilantro
1 lemon
25g ginger-garlic paste

Method:

1. Wash the rice and soak in the water for 30 minutes.

2. Mix the chopped carrots and paneer and fry in oil for few minutes.

3. Heat ghee in another pan, fry onions until golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, mint leaves, paneer, vegetables, dry fruits and fry for 5-6 minutes.

4. Also add garam masala, salt, turmeric, chili powder, yogurt and fry well. Remove from heat and keep aside.

5. Boil water in another vessel, add washed rice and cook until it is half cooked.

6. Then add the above prepared curry to the rice, mix well and cook on the steam until the rice is done.

7. Sprinkle the lemon juice on rice and serve with cherries on it.

Indian Rice Recipes - Moghlai Khichdi

Serves: 2
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1/2 cup green gram
1 onion, chopped
3 green chilis
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
A few curry leaves
10 - 12 cashew nuts
1/2 tsp shah jeera (caraway seeds)
3 each cloves, cardamom and 1" cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp clarified butter
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice and green gram together.

2. Make a powder of the dry spices, except bay leaf. Make a coarse paste of onion, chilies, ginger and garlic. Keep aside.

3. Heat ghee in a pan and add the onion paste and bay leaf. Fry till golden brown. Add the spices powder, curry leaves and mix.

4. To this, add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the soaked rice and green gram. Add the salt and cook till done.

5. Garnish with cashew nuts fried in butter.