White Bread

What you will need:

• All purpose flour/Maida - 3 cups
• Sugar - 1/3rd cup
• Warm water - 1 cup
• Active dry yeast - 2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt - 3/4th tsp

 How to prepare

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water. The water should not be too hot nor cold. Wait until the yeast forms a creamy foam. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.

Add the salt. Now add the flour one cup at a time. Knead the dough. Add 1 tbsp of oil. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow the dough to rise for an hour. It will be doubled in volume.
Punch the dough down and knead for a few minutes. Shape the dough into loaves and place in well oiled 9x5 invh loaf pan. Again keep aside for 30 mins and let the dough rise in the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Vermicelli kheer (Vermicelli payasa)

What you will need:

• Vermicelli - 1 cup
• Milk - 3 cups
• Sugar - 3/4 cups
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Dry fruits - raisins, cashews, chopped almonds and pistachios

How to prepare

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the cashews, chopped almonds and pistachios and fry. Add vermicelli and fry it on a medium flame until it starts to turn slightly brown. Add milk and cook the vermicelli. After the vermicelli is completely cooked, add the sugar and raisins. After the sugar dissolves completely, turn the heat off and add cardamom powder.

 

 

Aloo Paratha/Indian bread stuffed with potatoes

What you will need:

• Potatoes - 3 boiled and peeled
• Wheat flour - 3 cups
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp, slightly crushed
• Coriander leaves - a few strands
• Green chillies - 4 to 5, finely chopped
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Oil/Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Warm water to knead the dough
• Salt to taste

 How to prepare

Mix flour, salt. Slowly add water a little at a time to form the dough. Knead the dough for a few minutes to make it smooth. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and set aside for atleast 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, mash the boiled potatoes with salt, green chillies, cumin seeds, coriander leaves and ginger garlic paste. Make lemon sized balls from the potato mixture. Make same sized balls with the dough.
Roll out the dough into around 3" and place the potato ball on the dough. Bring all the edges together and seal the the centre. Flatten the stuffed dough. Dust with extra wheat flour and roll the dough into 7 - 8" parathas.
Heat the griddle and put a parantha on it. Fry on one side and the apply some ghee/oil and flip over. Fry the other side. Serve hot.

Tomato Rice

What you will need:

• Cooked rice - 2 cups
• Tomato - 2 medium, finely chopped
• Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 2 strands
• Red chillies - 2 to 3
• Green chillies - 2 split
• Hing/Asafoetida - a pinch
• Ginger - chopped, 1" piece
• Chana dal (bengal gram/split chickpeas) - 1 tsp
• Urad dal (split black gram) - 1 tsp
• Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp (optional)
• Coriander leaves - a few
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

How to prepare
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add cumin seeds, red chillies, urad dal, channa dal and cashewnuts. When they change color, add the chopped ginger, curry leaves and green chillies. Now add the chopped onions and fry until the onions are light brown in color. Add the finely chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook until the tomatoes form a paste. Keep stirring until much of the water evaporates. Now add the cooked rice and salt and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Grilled Chicken Kabab

What you will need:

• Chicken - about 4 to 5 pieces
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Lemon juice - 4 tsp
• Thick yogurt - 1 tbsp, drain all the water
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Butter/Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

How to prepare
Mix all the ingredients except the butter/oil. Make a paste and marinate the chicken pieces in the paste for about 1-2 hours. Apply butter/oil to the grill and grill the chicken pieces until they are done. Serve hot.

Quick egg masala rice

What you will need:

• Cooked Rice - 1.5 cups
• Onion - 1 sliced
• Tomato - 1 finely chopped
• Eggs - 4, beaten
• Green chillies - 5
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Coriander leaves - a few
• Oil - 2tbsp
• Salt to taste

How to prepare
Heat oil in a pan. Add green chillies. Add onions and fry them until they turn slightly brown in color. Add the turmeric powder. Now add the tomato and cook them until they are soft. Now add the eggs and let it set for a minute on a low flame. Stir the eggs now to scramble them. Add the cooked rice and salt. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Turn the heat off and garnish with coriander leaves.