Hearty Spices

Wash, drain and soak 1 1/2 cup of Basmati Rice in a bowl. Press "saute" on the InstantPot. Add 1 1/2 tbsp of Oil and saute 2 tbsp of Cashews till golden brown. Remove the cashews and keep aside. Add a Bayleaf, 3/4 tsp of Cumin Seeds, an inch of Cinnamon, 3 Cardamoms, 3 Cloves and saute for 30 seconds. Add a finely chopped Onion, 2 slit Green chillies and  a tbsp of Ginger Garlic paste . Saute until the onions are golden brown. Add a cup of chopped Tomatoes, a pinch of Turmeric Powder, Salt to taste, 3/4 tsp of Garam Masala and 1/2 tsp of Red chilli Powder. Mix well and cook till the tomatoes turn mushy. Add the soaked rice, 2 cups of Water and press "cancel". Scrape off the bits from the bottom and secure the lid with the whistle in Sealing position. Set the mode to "Manual" and timer to 5 minutes. Once the timer is done, manually release the pressure after 5 minutes. Sprinkle a tbsp of Lemon Juice and chopped Coriander Leaves before serving warm.

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a foil or parchment paper on the Baking sheet. Take 1/4 cup of Confectioner's Sugar in a bowl and keep aside. In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil and 2 cups of Sugar along with 4 Eggs and 2 tsps of Vanilla Extract until well combined. To the same bowl, add in 2 tsp of Baking Powder, a cup of Cocoa, 1/2 tsp of Salt and mix well till incorporated. Slowly add 2 cups of All Purpose Flour while mixing. Once well incorporated, chill the dough for 15-30 minutes in the refrigerator. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll these balls into Confectioner's sugar and place them on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes and then allow to cool for 2 minutes on the wire rack.

Press "saute" mode on the Instant Pot. Add 2 tbsp of Coconut Oil. Once hot, add a Bayleaf, 4 Cloves, 2 Cardamoms, a tsp of Cumin Seeds, 4-5 slit Green Chillies, 3-4 Curry Leaves and a tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste . Saute for a minute. Add a finely sliced Onion and cook till golden brown. Add 2 cups of Vegetable mix (chopped Carrots, Peas & French Beans) and cook for another 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of Thick Coconut Milk, a cup of Water, 2 cups of washed Basmati Rice, Salt to taste and mix well.  Close the lid and set the vent to "Sealing". Hit "Cancel" and set to "Manual" and set timer for 6 minutes. After the timer is up, release the pressure manually after 15 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves and ghee roasted Cashews .

Slice a large Eggplant into 1/4" slices. Salt both sides of the slices and place them on a colander or wire rack over the sink. Let the liquid drain for an hour. After an hour, brush off the excess Salt. In a shallow plate, take  1 1/2 cup of Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs . In another shallow plate, whisk together 2 Eggs and 1/4 cup of Milk . Dip both sides of the eggplant slice into the milk mixture and then cover with breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess. Place on a plate or baking sheet and repeat until all the slices are done. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add a tbsp of Vegetable Oil . Place the eggplant slices and cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove and set on a large plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until you've pan-fried all. Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large casserole dish, add a cup of Marinara Sauce to the bottom. Add a layer of eggplant slices and top with a dollop of Marinara Sauce. Sprinkle generous amount of Mozzarella Cheese and Pa...

Cook 5 oz of Thai rice noodles according to the instructions and keep aside. Sauce - Whisk together 1/4 cup of Soya Sauce, a tbsp of Honey, a tbsp of Peanut butter and a tsp of Red Pepper Flakes and keep aside for 2 minutes. Add the sauce to the noodles and mix well. Heat a tbsp of Sesame Oil in a saute pan. Add 1/4 cup of chopped Green Onions, a cup of Shredded Purple Cabbage, 1/2 cup of shredded Carrots and saute for 6-7 minutes. Add this veggie mixture to the noodles, add Salt as needed and mix well.  Garnish with 1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro and 1/4 cup of crushed unsalted Peanuts . Serve immediately.

Prep - Let 1/4 cup / 2 oz of Cream Cheese and 1/2 cup of Unsalted Butter sit on the counter till it gets to room temperature. Line a baking sheet with Parchment paper or aluminium foil and set aside.  Take the room temperature cream cheese and butter in to a bowl. Add 3/4 cup of White Sugar, 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar and an Egg to the bowl and cream together. Add 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract, 2 tsp of Corn Flour, a tsp of Baking Soda and incorporate well with hand mixer.  Add in 2 1/4 cup of All Purpose Flour and mix till combined into soft dough. Add 2 1/2 cups of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and mix again. Chill the dough for 2 hours so it can be managed easily. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Make an inch balls with the cookie dough and place them 2 inch apart. Slightly press them on the top to flatten them out. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the corners are slightly browned. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack. 

Chop 2 hearts of Romain Lettuce and keep aside. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp of grated Parmesan Cheese, 2 tsp of Dijon Mustard, 2 tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar, a clove of minced Garlic, 1/3 cup of Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper as needed . Toss the lettuce with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.