Masala Kulcha (Indian Bread)

Ingredients:
For the Kulcha:
300 gm all purpose flour
2 Tbsp Yogurt
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking powder
1 tbsp. Ghee
1/2 tsp. dry yeast

To prepare yeast:
3/4 cup Warm water
1/2 tsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp Sugar

For Filling:
250 gm Potatoes
1 tsp. Chili chopped
1 tsp. Salt 1/2 cup Finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp. lemon juice
Oil / Clarified butter for making the Kulcha

Method:
Method for preparing yeast:
1. Sprinkle yeast in warm water.
2.Add sugar and leave it for ten minutes.
3. Add 1/2 tsp lemon juice to it and your yeast is ready.

For Masala Kulcha:
1. Sieve all purpose flour and add baking powder, salt, Ghee, and yogurt to it.
2. Prepare the soft dough with yeast- water, and leave the dough for about two hours.
3. For the filling boil the potatoes and mash it very smoothly. Now mix the remaining masala and prepare a mixture.
4. Make small ball from the dough, roll into a disc shape and put potato filling on it. Give it a ball shape by sealing its edges. Finally roll it into a thick paratha and bake on griddle by applying Ghee or oil.

Onion Kulcha (Indian Bread)

"Perfect for Grill Lovers, this bread is also great to be finished cooking on the grill during warmer seasons"

• • Continue kneading until you have a soft dough. If you need more liquid, add a few tablespoons of warm water.
  • Knead for at least 10 minutes, or until you have a soft dough that is not sticky.
  • Oil the dough, cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm place for 1½ - 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
  • ***While the dough is rising, Make the filling:
  • Squeeze out all the water from the chopped onions.
  • If the onions still appear to be watery, add a small boiled grated potato to your filling.
  • In a mixing bowl combine all the filling to form a lumpy consistency.
  • Set aside until the dough has risen and is ready to form into kulchas.
  • ***How to make the Kulchas:
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and lightly oil two baking sheets.
   make the dough:
• Whisk together the milk, sugar, water, yogurt and egg.
• 
  • Lightly dust the rolling surface with flour.
  • Roll the dough into a log and cut it into 8 equal portions. Take one portion of the dough and roll into a ball between the palms of your hands, flattening the ball. Place it on the floured surface and roll it out into a circle about 6 inches in diameter.
  • Add a tablespoon of the filling to the center and bring the sides up and together, pinching them to seal and form a ball.
  • Flatten lightly. Dust very lightly with flour. Roll again about 5 - 6 inches in diameter.
  • Dip your fingers in water and moisten the surface of the kulcha very lightly. Sprinkle with a few minced cilantro leaves. Continue until you have made 8 kulchas (four per baking sheet).
  • Place the kulchas in the oven for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.
  • You can also make these ahead and have them slightly baked, then finish them up on the grill (which I would prefer since they get even crispier)
• Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a large shallow bowl. Mix well.
• Pour the liquid onto the flour and begin to knead.

Garlic Bread !!!

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf French bread, cut in half lengthwise
• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Butter cut sides of bread. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parsley. Broil until lightly browned; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and put back under broiler until cheese is melted.

White chocolate brownie :)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces• 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 2 unit egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces, (optional), lightly toasted
• unit icing sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Butter and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment.
3. Over a pot of simmering water, melt butter halfway. Add white chocolate and stir until melted. Allow to cool to room temperature.
4. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with an electric mixer), whip eggs, sugar and vanilla until pale and thick. Reduce speed to medium and add chocolate mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt and stir into egg mixture, by hand. Stir in dried cranberries and walnuts and spoon into prepared pan.
6. Bake 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 packet of soya chunks (nuggets)1/2 bunch of chopped coriander (dhania) leaves
1/2 cup green peas
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 " piece of ginger (adrak), crushed
3 cloves of garlic (lehsun), crushed
1 tsp roasted coriander (dhania) seeds powder
1/4 tsp roasted cumin seeds (jeera) powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
3 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed
2 green chillies
besan (Bengal gram flour) for coating
salt to taste

Method:

Boil nuggets in hot water for 5 minutes until they are soft and fluffy.
Squeeze out all the water from the nuggets (use a press if necessary)
In a food processor, add all the ingredients except potatoes and chickpea flour, blend to a grainy consistency.
In a large bowl, mix the blended ingredients with the mashed potatoes to form a smooth, pliable mixture.
Divide the mixture into 6 portions.
Shape them into burgers.
Place the burgers in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Make a batter out of chickpea flour, turmeric and water.
Dip each burger into the chickpea batter and fry in a shallow saucepan.
Drain on absorbent paper.
Serve the burgers in a hamburger bun, top it with maggi masala chilli sauce, then lettuce and onion and tomato slices.

Ingredients:

• 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks that will fit in a food processor tube• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• Vegetable shortening for frying

Preparation:

1. Insert the grating disk into a food processor. Send potato chunks down shoot.
2. While the processor is running, send the eggs, flour and salt down the shoot. Process until well combined.
3. In a large, heavy skillet set over medium-high heat, add enough vegetable shortening to come to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat until hot, but not smoking.
4. Drop tablespoonfuls of potato mixture into skillet and spread out to a 3-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick.
5. Fry until brown on the bottom (don't turn until the pancake is brown or it will stick), about 3 to 5 minutes, reducing the heat to medium, if needed, to prevent burning.
6. Turn the pancake and fry the other side 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
7. Serve with granulated sugar or applesauce and sour cream.

Note: Add 2 tablespoons grated onion and/or 1 grated garlic clove to the batter, and/or 2 tablespoons fried, chopped bacon, if desired.

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 cups buttermilk
• Salt
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Toss the chicken, buttermilk and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate, 1 hour.

Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360.

Mix the flour, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Remove the dark meat from the buttermilk, shake off the excess and roll in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour, place in the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes (adjust the heat as needed). Drain on paper towels.

Reheat the oil to 360 degrees F. Repeat with the chicken breasts and wings, frying for about 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Kesar Murgh :)

Ingredients:

6 large pieces Boneless Chicken
1 cup Onion paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 1/2 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Kesar (Saffron)dissolved in a little milk
1 tsp Dhania powder
4 tsp Cashewnut paste
1 cup Curd
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tbsp whole Cloves and green Cardamoms
1/2 cup Oil
3/4 cup Cream
1 tsp White pepper
Chilli powder and Salt as per taste

How to make kesar murgh :

• Heat oil. Add bay leaves and whole garam masala. Add onion, ginger and garlic paste and fry on low heat till oil separates.
• Add dhania powder, cashewnut paste and stir further.
• Add boneless chicken, curd, salt, pepper, chilli powder and saffron.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till chicken is cooked.
• Whisk in cream. Serve kesar murg hot with tandoori rotis and parathas.

Imarti :)

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups soaked urad dal • 2 Cup sugar • 1 tsp Cardamom • 3 tbsps Ghee • 2 tsp Saffron colour • Imarti nozzle/bottle

How to make Imarti:

• Prepare sugar syrup of one thread consisitency. • Grind dal using water to make thick batter. • Mix 2 tsp saffron colour to the batter. • Beat the mixture properly to make it smooth. • Pour batter in Imarti nozzle. • Heat ghee and form Imartis in it. • Fry it till it turns crisp from both the sides. • Dip them in sugar syrup. • Remain them soaked in syrup for 5 minutes. • Drain from the syrup. • Serve hot

Jalebi :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour • 1-1/2 tbsp Rice flour • 1/4th tsp Baking powder • 2 tbsp Curd • 3 cups Sugar • 2-1/2 cups Water • 1/2 tsp Cardamom (powdered) • Ghee or Vegetable oil for frying

How to make Jalebi:

• Mix the flour, rice flour, baking powder, curd in a bowl. • Mix well, add water and whisk until smooth. • Set aside for about 2 hours to ferment. • Whisk thoroughly before use. • Prepare one string syrup by dissolving sugar in the water. • Just before the syrup is ready add cardamom powder. • Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan or kadhai. • Pour the batter in a steady stream into the kadhai to form coils. • Make 4-5 at a time. • Deep fry them until they are golden and crisp all  over but not brown. • Remove from the kadhai and drain on kitchen paper and immerse in the sugar syrup. • Leave for at least 4-5 minutes so that they soak the syrup. • Take them out of syrup and serve hot.

Gulab Jamun :)

Ingredients:

1 cup Carnation Milk Powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tablespoons butter -melted
Whole milk just enough to make the dough
For the Sugar Syrup
2 cups Sugar
1 cup water
Oil for frying

How to make gulab jamun:

• Make the dough by combining the milk powder, Bisquick, butter. Add just enough whole milk to make a medium-hard dough. Divide the dough into 18-20 portions. Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate. Cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.
• Heat the oil on high and then lower the heat to medium. Slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. They will sink to the bottom of the pan, but do not try to move them. Instead, gently shake the pan to keep the balls from browning on just one side. After about 5 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. The Gulab Jamuns should rise slowly to the top if the temperature is just right. Now they must be gently and constantly agitated to ensure even browning on all sides.
• If the temperature of the oil is too high then the gulab jamuns will tend to break. So adjust the temperature to ensure that the gulab jamuns do not break or cook too quickly.
• The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperatures. This will ensure complete cooking from inside and even browning.

Sugar Syrup

• The syrup should be made earlier and kept warm. To make the hot sugar syrup add mix the 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Add 4-5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed and a few strands of "Kesar". Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water. Do not overheat, that will caramelize the sugar.
• Transfer this hot syrup into a serving dish. Keep warm on stove. Add the fried gulab jamuns directly into the warm syrup. Leave gulab jamun balls in sugar syrup overnight for best results. They can be served warm or at room temperature.

Daal Idli :)

Method

1. Wash and soak bengal gram dal in water for 2-3 hours along with cumin seeds and red chillies.
2. Grind them to a smooth paste after adding ginger-garlic, green chillies, green leaves (Chopped) and curry leaves.
3. Grease idly plate and pour this batter and keep it for 3 minutes if kept in oven or 10-12 minutes if kept in Idly cooker.
4. Dal idly is healthy and ready to be served.
5. Serve it with any of the chutneys.

Idli Chaat :D

Method

1. Heat butter/ghee in a pan; Keep aside a few spoons of chopped onions for garnishing and add the rest to the pan. Saute for about a minute.
2. Note that the onions need not be cooked completely.
3. I added onions at this point because they blend better this way with the idlis.
4. Crush the idlis coarsely with your hands or the back of a spoon and add to the pan.
5. Mix well and saute until the idli is coated well with butter.
6. Add chutney pudi and mix well.
7. Add salt and chili powder, if required.
8. Remove from stove and transfer into separate plates.
9. Add few pieces of crushed papdi.
10. Pour few spoons of tamarind chutney and curds all over the idli.
11. Garnish with remaining onions, cilantro, sev and serve immediately.

For Tamarind Chutney:

1. Soak dates in 1/2 a cup of warm water for about 10-15 minutes (If you are using tamarind pulp, you can use the same tamarind juice for soaking dates)
2. Add tamarind paste, jaggery and microwave for about 2-3 minutes OR until the dates become soft and the jaggery melts.
3. Blend the mixture to a smooth paste with a blender.
4. Add chili powder and jeera powder and mix well.
5. Boil further for another minute to get the desired consistency.

Note:

1. If you are too lazy make this elaborate tamarind chutney, you could just add some sugar, chili powder and jeera powder to the tamarind juice and boil for a minute.
2. Though not as good as the traditional chutney, this one is a pretty decent work around!! :)

Neer Dosa is a very popular and delicious recipe made in Kerala and Karnataka.

Preparation Time:

30 min

Servings:

4

What You Need:

- 2 cups rice, washed and soaked for 3-4 hours

- salt to taste

- oil to shallow fry

Direction:

- Grind soaked rice to a fine paste.
- Add salt, enough water to make a thin batter.
- Keep aside for 2 hours.
- Heat a dosa griddle, pour 1 ladle ful of mixture in centre.
- Spread to make a round flat pancake shape.
- Or tilt griddle in all directions to allow batter to spread thinly.
- When done flip over, drizzle a little oil, cook 1 minute.
- Fold in half and then quarter.
- Serve hot with coconut or green chutney.

Kathi Kabab Roll-Spicy Chicken

This delicious dish is easily put together and really tasty. It originated in Kolkatta/ Calcutta and is often called the Calcutta Kati Roll. Juicy morsels of spicy chicken are wrapped in Paratha that has been coated with egg! It is best, to ensure smooth workflow, to make the parathas and chutney required for the rolls (see ingredient list), before you prepare the chicken. That way, when the chicken is ready, all you need to do is assemble the rolls!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 large onion sliced thinly
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder (see link below for recipe)
• 300 gms boneless, skinless chicken cut into 2" cubes/ pieces
• 3 tomatoes chopped fine
• Salt to taste
• 6 Parathas (see link below for recipe to make these pan fried flabreads)
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 1/2 cup Mint-Coriander Chutney (see link below for recipe)

Preparation:

• Heat the oil (3 tbsps) in a deep pan on medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and fry for a minute.
• Add the sliced onions and fry till soft. Add garlic and ginger pastes and fry for 1 minute. Now add all spice powders (including garam masala) and fry until oil begins to separate from the masala (spice-onion mix).
• Add the chicken pieces and brown. Add the tomato and salt to taste. Stir well and add 1/2 cup of water. Cook till chicken is tender. There should be almost no gravy at this stage.
• Heat a frying pan on low heat and add a tablespoon of oil to it. While the oil is heating, break an egg in a bowl. Season with salt to taste and whisk the egg till fluffy. Pour onto the pan and spread by tilting the pan from side to side. Now quickly put a Paratha onto the still 'wet' egg and allow to cook. The egg will soon cook and 'set'. This is when you flip the egg-paratha over. Cook for 30 seconds and remove from the pan.
• To assemble the rolls: Lay one egg-paratha on a plate and spread Mint-Coriander Chutneyon it. How much is a matter of personal choice. Now add roughly 2 tbsps of the cooked chicken in a line down the center of the paratha. Roll tightly. You can wrap in foil at this stage, to help keep the lot together and tidy for eating - the filling can fall out otherwise. Serve hot.

Tandoori Chiken

Classic tandoori chicken from India is marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, and plenty of spices, then grilled or broiled. Plan ahead. This recipe needs to marinate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Prep Time: 8 hours, 45 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 9 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces, skinned and trimmed of all visible fat
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or malt vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon peeled and grated or crushed ginger root
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish
• Slices of cucumber, red (Spanish) onion, tomato and lemon, for garnish

Preparation:

Prick the flesh of the chicken all over with a fork. Then, using a sharp knife, cut slashes in the flesh to allow the marinade to penetrate. Place the chicken in a nonreactive large, shallow dish.

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and salt. Stir until well-mixed, then pour the mixture over the chicken and rub it into the flesh, turning the chickenseveral times. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. (Do not marinate for longer than 2 days.) Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.

The chicken may be grilled or roasted. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a fire for direct-heat cooking. Position the grill rack 5 inches from the fire. Allow the coals to burn until white ash covers them and the heat is moderate.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, pressing lightly to extract excess marinade, and brush with oil. Place the chicken pieces on a well-oiled grill rack and; grill, covered, with the vents open, turning 3 or 4 times, 45 minutes or until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.

If roasting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, brush with oil, and cook, turning once, 25 to 30 minutes until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.

Serve with sprigs of cilantro and slices of cucumber, red onion, tomato, and lemon.

Yield: 4 servings