Hearty Spices

Take a small bowl with 2 tbsp of Ragi Flour and 1/4 cup of Water . Prepare a smooth lump-free batter. Keep aside. In a large vessel, take 1 3/4 cup of Water, 1/4 tsp of Salt, 1/2 tsp of Ghee and mix well. Add in the prepared ragi flour mixture and stir continuously until the mixture thickens and turns glossy and there are no lumps. Once the mixture is glossy, add a cup of Ragi Flour and make sure to spread the flour. DO NOT Mix the flour for 2 minutes and turn the heat to low. After 2 minutes, slightly spread the flour and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Now take a wooden stick and mix continuously until the mixture comes together. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until the mixture turns glossy. Give a good mix again and make sure to check the mixture is non sticky. Let it cool slightly, and then take a ball-sized mixture into a ghee greased bowl. Shape to round ball with hand by moving the ghee bowl around. 

In a pan, heat a tbsp of Ghee and add 3 cups of Phool Makhana to it. Tossing ocassionally, roast for 5 minutes on medium heat. Transfer to a plate and in the same pan, add 2 tsp of Ghee . Add 3 cloves of crushed Garlic and saute until it is fragrant.  Switch off the heat and add a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, 1/4 tsp of Turmeric Powder, Salt to taste and give it a good mix. Add the toasted phool makhana to the pan and toss to evenly coat.

Preheat the oven to 400F and line the muffin pan with liners. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil, a cup of Sugar, 2 Eggs, 3/4 cup of Milk, 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract . Then add 1/2 tsp Salt, 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, 1 tsp ground Cinnamon, 1 tbsp Baking Powder and 2 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour and mix well. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of Chopped Apples. Divide the batter into muffin cups. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tbsp of Sugar and a tsp of Ground Cinnamon . Generously sprinkle on top of each muffin.  Bake for 20 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.

 Wash 

Cook a cup of Quinoa in 2 cups of Water in an instant pot on Manual for 12 minutes. Once the quinoa is warm, add 1/2 cup Milk and mix well.  Take 1/4 cup of Grated Carrot, 1/4 cup of Cucumber in a bowl and mix Salt to taste . Add 2 1/4 cup of Yogurt to it and mix well. Add it to the Quinoa bowl. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp of Oil in a sautepan. Once hot, splutter 1/2 tsp of Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp of Chana Dal, 1/2 tsp of Urad Dal and sauté until golden brown. Add few broken Cashewnuts and sauté till golden brown. Add a tsp of grated Ginger, a sprig of Curry Leaves, a tsp of minced Green Chillies, a broken Red Chilly and a pinch of Hing and saute for a minute. Remove from heat and pour it over the quinoa.  Serve after a quick mix with pickle.  

Press "Saute" on the Instantpot. Heat a tbsp of Ghee and splutter 1/2 tsp of Cumin Seeds and a Bay Leaf . Add 3 chopped Green Chillies, an inch of Ginger, finely minced and a finely chopped Onion . Saute till the onions turn light brown.  Add 1/2 cup of diced Carrots, 1/2 cup of chopped Green Beans, 1/2 cup of Peas, a chopped Tomato and cook for a minute.  Take 1/2 of Quinoa and 1/2 cup of Moongdal in a bowl. Wash, drain and keep aside. Now add the Quinoa, Moongdal, 3 cups of Water, Salt to taste, a tsp of Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp of Coriander Powder, 1/2 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, a tsp of Garam Masala Powder , mix well and deglaze the pot. Switch off the Instantpot. Close the lid and turn the vent to "Sealing". Select "Manual" option and set the time for 5 minutes. Once the Instantpot beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before removing the lid.  Open the lid, squeeze 1/2 a Lemon's juice over the quinoa. Fluff it up with ...

Cream together a cup of packed Brown Sugar, 1/2 cup White Sugar, and a cup of Butter until creamy. Add 2 Eggs, a tsp of Vanilla Extract, a tsp of Baking Powder, a tsp of Salt, 1/2 tsp of Ground Cinnamon and combine well. Slowly add 2 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour and combine to make cookie dough. Fold in 8 oz Butterscotch Chips, 2 oz of White Chocolate Chips to the dough.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 35-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking oil. Scoop a tbsp of dough at a time into a ball  and place on the prepared pan about 1 1/2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes.

Rinse a cup of Rice, a cup of Moong Dal together in a bowl and keep aside. Turn on the instant pot in “Sauté” mode. Add a tbsp of Ghee , and temper a tsp of Mustard seeds, a tsp of Cumin seeds . Once they crackle, add a Bay Leaf, 4 Cloves, 1/4 tsp of Asafoetida, and few chopped Curry leaves . Then add a tsp of Ginger garlic paste along with 4 minced Green Chillies and sauté for 30 seconds.  Add a Peeled and Chopped Carrot, few chopped Broccoli florets along with Salt . Mix and sauté for 30 seconds. Add a pinch of Turmeric powder, a tsp of Coriander Powder, a tsp of Jeera Powder, a tsp of Garam masala, washed and kept aside rice and dal. Now add 6 cups of Water and mix well. Turn off the sauté mode. Close the lid and cook on “pressure mode” for 12 minutes. Tempering : Heat a tbsp of Ghee in a pan. Fry 2 broken Red Chillies, a tsp of Red chilli powder, 4 tbsp of Fried Onions, 1/2 cup of Frozen Green peas .  Allow the pressure to release naturally. Now, add the prepared te...

Wash 1 1/4 cups of Rice and pressure cook for 3 whistles with 2 1/2 cups of Water . Once the steam is out, add a tsp of Turmeric Powder, a tsp of Salt, 2 tbsp of Oil, a sprig of Curry Leaves and 3 slit Green Chillies . Mix lightly and keep aside. Grind together an inch of Ginger piece, 3 tsp of Mustard Seeds, 3 Red Chillies and Salt to taste into a fine paste with 2 tbsp of Water. Heat a tbsp of Oil in a small pan and splutter  half sprig of Curry Leaves . Add 2 tbsp of Tamarind Paste, a tbsp of Jaggery, mustard paste and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool. Add to the rice and mix well. In the same pan, add a tbsp of Oil and saute 2 tbsp of Groundnuts, a tbsp of Channa Dal, a tbsp of Urad Dal, a tsp of Mustard Seeds . Add 2 broken Red Chillies, half sprig of Curry Leaves and saute for a minute. Add this to the rice too and mix well. Serve hot.  

Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a pan and splutter a tsp of mustard Seeds, Add a tsp of Chana Dal, a tsp of Urad Dal and roast until they are golden brown. Add 3/4 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 2 broken Red Chillies, a spring of Curry Leaves and roast for another 30 seconds. Add 2 slit Green Chilies, a cup of thinly sliced Onion and cook for 3 minutes on high heat while mixing in between. Add 1/2 ltr of Water, Salt as needed and cover cook for 15 minutes on medium heat.  In the meantime, take 50 ml Water in a cup and add 2 tbsp of Chickpea Flour (Besan) and mix well without any lumps. Add a tsp of minced Ginger, the besan mixture, boiled, mashed medium Potato (optional), a tsp of Lemon Juice and remove from heat.  Serve warm with Poori. 

Prepare a loaf pan with Parchment Paper and preheat the oven to 350F. Melt 1/2 cup of Butter in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, 1/2 cup White Sugar, 2 Large Eggs and beat together until creamy. Add 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract, a cup of Mashed Banana (2 1/2 medium Bananas), a tsp of Baking Soda, 2 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder, 1/2 cup of Old fashioned oats and mix well. Add 1/4 tsp of Cinnamon, 1/8 tsp of ground Cloves, 1/8 tsp of Nutmeg, 1/2 cup of Sour Cream 3/4 tsp of Salt and blend well. Slowly add in a cup of All-Purpose Flour and mix until a batter consistency is achieved. Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped Walnuts and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until the tooth pick test is passed.

Take 2 cups of Wheat Flour in a mixing bowl, Add 1/2 tsp of Ajwain / Carom Seeds, 1/2 tsp of Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp of Cumin Powder, a tsp of Garam Masala, a tsp of Chat Masala Powder, 1/2 tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, a tsp of minced Green Chillies, 2 tsp of Oil, a tbsp of Yogurt and Salt as needed . Mix well and slowly add water to make soft dough. Add a tsp of Oil and coat it over the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes in a covered bowl. Break away lemon-sized ball from the dough and roll into a thick paratha, while dusting with wheat flour as needed. Heat a pan and cook the paratha with a tsp of Ghee on both sides.  Serve warm with yogurt and pickle.

Heat a pan and sauté a cup of Sooji along with a tsp of Cumin Seeds on low heat until it is golden brown in color. Add Salt as needed and keep aside. Heat 1/4 cup of Oil in a pan and add a tsp of Mustard Seeds, 2 tsp of Chana Dal, 2 tsp of Urad Dal and saute until the dals are golden brown. Add 15 Cashews, a sprig of Curry Leaves, 3 finely chopped Green Chillies, a tbsp of minced Ginger and saute for few seconds. Add 4 cups of Water, a cup of Milk and let it come to a boil on high heat. Add the roasted Sooji and mix well on high heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set it aside for 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of Ghee and mix well.  Serve warm.

Prepare, cut and wash 500 gms of Chicken into medium sized pieces and soak in Salt water for 30 minutes. Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add 4 tbsp of Oil . Once hot, add a thickly sliced Onion and saute until light brown. Add 5 finely chopped Green Chillies, 2 sprigs of Curry Leaves, a tbsp of Ginger Garlic paste and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and saute on 5 minutes on high heat. Add a tsp of Coriander Powder, a tsp of Cumin Powder, Salt as needed, a tsp of Turmeric Powder, a tsp of Garam Masala Powder and combine well. Add few tbsp of Water, if needed. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 40 minutes while stirring, as needed. Add a tsp of Tamarind Paste, 1/4 cup of Chopped Coriander, few Curry Leaves and a tsp of Pepper Powder and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes and mix well. Serve warm with rice.

Press 'Saute' on the Instantpot and heat 1/2 cup of Ghee. Add 2 cups of Almond Flour and sauté for 2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.  Stir continuously to avoid burning at the bottom and press 'Cancel'. Add 2.5 cups of Milk / Water, a pinch of Yellow color, a cup of Sugar and mix well until no lumps are seen. Deglaze the pot, close the lid and turn the pressure valve to 'Sealing' position. Set the pot to 'Manual' and set the timer to 0 minutes. Once the pot beeps, do a quick release of the pressure. Add a tbsp of Ghee, 1/2 tsp of Cardamom Powder and cook the halwa till it reaches a pudding consistency. (10 minutes). Remove the halwa to a serving bowl and garnish with 2 tbsp of Slivered Almonds .

Drain and absorb the 14 oz of Tofu with some paper towels. Cut into small cubes and put them into a mixing bowl. Cut 1/2 Yellow onion into big pieces and add to the mixing bowl. Add a tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, Salt to taste, a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, a pinch of Turmeric, a tsp of Cumin Powder, a tsp of Garam Masala Powder, a tsp of Onion Powder, a tsp of Garlic Powder, few chopped Curry Leaves, 2 tsp of Oil and mix well till tofu gets coated. Preheat the air fryer to 350 F for 5 minutes. Add the coated tofu to the air fryer pan in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes while shaking the pan in between.  Serve hot.

Prep - Submerge 14 oz of Tofu in a bowl of Warm Water along with a tsp of Salt for 15 minutes. Drain the water, wrap in paper towels to remove the excess moisture and cut into bite sized pieces. Wash, drain and cut a Green Capsicum into bite sized pieces and keep aside. Dry roast a tsp of Coriander Seeds and a tsp of Cumin seeds and grind to rough powder. For Coating the Tofu, take a bowl and add a tbsp of All Purpose Flour, 1/4 tsp of Red Chilli Powder and 1/2 tsp of Black Pepper . Toss the diced Tofu in the mixture for couple seconds and saute them on medium heat immediately in 3 tbsp of Oil in a nonstick pan until they are golden brown. Remove them into a bowl and keep aside. In the same pan, saute the diced Green Capsicum pieces on medium heat until slight brown spots appear on them. Remove them into a bowl and keep aside. In the same pan, saute a tsp of Cumin seeds . Add a finely chopped Onion and sprinkle Salt, saute until golden brown. Add 2 tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, ...

Wash, drain and soak 1/2 cup of Masoor Dal and 1/2 cup of Toor Dal in a bowl for 30 minutes. Clean, peel and chop upto 2 cups of Veggies (Bottlegourd, Drumsticks, Carrots, Eggplant) and set aside. Press 'Saute' on the InstantPot and once hot, add 2 tbsp of Oil . Add a tsp of Mustard Seeds, a tsp of Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp of Fenugreek Seeds, 4 crushed cloves of Garlic, and saute of 30 seconds. Add a thinly sliced Onion, 3 slit Green chillies, 4-5 Curry Leaves, a pinch of Turmeric Powder and saute until the onions are transparent. Add a finely chopped Tomato and let cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chopped veggies, Salt to taste, a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, 3 cups of Water and cook for 4 minutes. Add the soaked dals, 3 cups of Water and mix well. Close the lid and set the whistle to 'Sealing' mode and pressure cook for 8 minutes. Do a 'quick release' and open the lid. Add 2 tbsp of Tamarind Paste, a tsp of Sambar Powder (optional) and let it boil on 'Sau...

Add 15 oz of Ricotta Cheese, a cup of Sugar and 1/3 cup of Water to the Instantpot and mix well. Close the lid and set the valve to "Sealing" and cook on "High" pressure for 11 minutes. Quick release the pressure.  Start the Instantpot on "Saute", add 1/2 cup Ghee, a tsp of Cardamom Powder and 3 cups of Milk Powder to the pot. Mix until well combined stirring until well combined.  Pour the mixture into a parchment lined 8x8 pan. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of Chopped Pistachios and dry Rose petals over it.  Let the mixture cool down for an hour and then refrigerate overnight to set. 

Wash and soak 1 1/2 cup of Basmati Rice in a bowl for 30 mins. Press 'Saute' and add 2 tbsp of Ghee to the instantpot. Saute a tbsp of Cashews until golden brown. Add a small Bay Leaf, a Cinnamon stick, few Cardamoms and Cloves to the pot and saute for 30 seconds. Add a thinly sliced Onion, 2 slit Green Chillies and saute until the onions are golden brown. Add a tsp of Ginger Garlic paste, a pinch of Turmeric Powder, Salt as needed, a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, a tsp of Garam Masala Powder and saute for another 30 seconds. Add 2 finely chopped Tomatoes and saute until they turn mushy. Add 2 1/4 cups of Water and press 'Cancel', while scraping away all the bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the drained rice and secure the lid in 'Sealing' position. Press 'Manual' and pressure cook for 5 minutes. Once the instantpot beeps, release the pressure manually after 2 minutes. Fluff up the rice and serve warm with a dollop of Ghee and yogurt.