Hearty Spices

2 medium Potatoes 1 medium Onion 3 or 4 Celery stalks with leaves 1 Bay leaf 2 tbsp Butter 2 cups Milk Salt to taste ½ tbsp Oil Wash, peel and cube potatoes. Chop onion and celery. Heat oil in pan; saute onion, potatoes, and celery for 5 minutes. Add water to it, until the vegetables are covered. Then add bay leaf and salt to it, boil until they are tender. Drain the excess water, reserve it and allow it to cool for few minutes. Mash vegetables in a mixer nicely, add it to the reserved stock. In a pan, heat butter and add this to it. Thin the soup by slowly adding milk. Keep stirring for few minutes, but do not boil. Serve hot with salt & pepper.

1¼ cup All Purpose Flour (maida) ½ can (7oz) sweetened condense milk 1 tsp Baking Powder ½ tsp Baking Soda ¼ tsp Cardamom Powder ¼ tsp Salt ½ cup Melted Butter 20 oz can Crushed Pineapple, drained Preheat the oven at 325 F. Grease 8×8 inches cake pan. Drain pineapple using strainer let the juice dripped through without squeezing. Save the juice. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt in a bowl.In center part of the flour mix, add ½ cup pineapple juice, ½ cup pineapple chunks, butter, and condensed milk.Gently fold every thing together. Pour the mixture in greased cake pan. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until cake starts leaving the pan from sides and an insert knife in the center of the cake come out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool off for few minutes only. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake and place a flat plate over the cake pan and turn it over to transfer the cake on to the plate. Prick the cake several places with a fo...

1½ cup Basmati Rice 1 large Onion, finely sliced ½ tbsp Oil + ½ tbsp Ghee 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste Whole Garam Masala (4 cloves, 1” cinnamom, 1 elachi, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf) Salt to taste Coarsely crush (do not make a paste): ½ cup Coriander Leaves, chopped ¼ cup Mint Leaves, chopped 2-3 Green Chilies Heat oil+ghee in a cooking vessel, add whole spices and bay leaf and saute for a few seconds. Add the sliced onions and saute for 4 mts. Add the ginger garlic paste and crushed coriander-pudina-green chillis and saute further for another 5 mts.Add the washed rice and saute for a minute. Add 2¾ cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover with lid and cook till the rice is done. Serve hot with raita or any curry of your choice.

1 cup Puffed Rice ½ cup Boiled Chopped Potatoes ½ cup Finely Chopped Onion ½ cup Finely Chopped Tomato ½ cup Sev ¼ cup Peanuts, roasted 1 tbsp Lemon Juice ½ tsp red chili powder Salt to taste 1 tsp Amchoor (mango powder) 2 tsp Mint chutney 2 tsp Tamarind Chutney Garnish - Coriander Leaves Mix all and serve quickly in individual plates.

Pressure-cook ½ cup of toor dal in 2 cups of water to soft. With a wood masher or whisk, churn the dal to soft, smooth consistency. Take a 1×1 inch piece of ginger . Peel the skin and grate. Add the grated ginger to mashed toor dal. Also ½ tsp each- red chilli powder and salt, and ¼ tsp of turmeric . Add ½ cup of water and simmer for about 10 minutes on medium heat. While the charuis simmering, do the tadka. In a small pan, heat a tbsp of ghee . Add and toast 10 curry leaves, cumin, red chillies and mustard seeds , in that order. When seeds start to pop, sprinkle a pinch of asafetida . Sauté for couple of seconds and pour this tadka into the simmering soopa. Mix and turn off the heat. Flavor the soopa with about 2 tbsp of lemon juice . Serve hot.

1 Cantaloupe, Honeydew or a combination peeled, seeded, cut into large chunks and chilled ½ cup Ice Water ¼ cup Tightly packed Mint Leaves 8 Ice Cubes 2 tbsp Lime Juice, freshly squeezed 1/8 tsp Salt (Optional) Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately, as the cooler will separate upon standing. Makes about 3½ cups.

Veggies - Pressure cook 1 cup of Potatoes, peeled and diced, ½ cup of each of peeled and diced Carrots, Peas, chopped Cauliflower florets and chopped Green Beans with  a cup of Water for 2 whistles.  Bhaji / Gravy - Heat  2 tbsp of Oil in a pan. Add and saute a chopped large Onion till they are transparent. Add ½ tsp of Ginger Garlic paste, 2 slit Green Chillies and sauté. Add ½ cup of diced Tomatoes, 1 tsp of Turmeric Powder . Mix and cook till the oil separates from the mixture. Add ½ cup of diced Green Pepper and cook for another 5-6 minutes till they are almost cooked. Add the cooked veggies along with the stock and combine well.  Add 2 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, Salt to taste, 3 tsp of Pav Bhaji Masala and mix well. Cover cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary. When the desired consistency is reached, add 2 tbsp of Chopped Coriander Leaves, 1 tbsp of Butte...