Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients:

Cream Cheese- 1/2 cup
Jalapenos - 10
Salt to taste
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Cilantro - finely chopped handful
Onions- Finely chopped
Bell peppers - Finely chopped
Corn - 2 tbsp
Lime Juice - Optional
Oil - 1tsp

Method:

1) In a bowl add cream cheese, salt, cumin powder, garam masala powder and cilantro and mix well.

2) In a pan add 1 tsp oil and fry Onions, bell pepper and corn slightly till they become soft and let them cool later add them to the bowl of cream cheese and mix well.

3) Remove top of Jalapenos,cut them into halves and  remove seeds (Always wear gloves while slitting and removing seeds of  Jalapenos, else your hands will be on fire for hours).

4) Preheat the oven  to 375°.

5) Stuff the Jalapenos with the mixture and place them on foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, and the peppers are cooked.

6) Allow them to cool for 5 minutes, squeeze lime juice and serve.

Masala Vada

Ingredients:

Channa dal- 1 cup
Rice flour/sooji/Rava- 1 tbs
Onion finely chopped-1
green chillies - 5
Coriander and mint leaves,chopped each- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves -few
Ginger -1 inch
Garlic - 3 big cloves

Method:

1) Soak channa dal for 3-4 hours.Grind ginger, garlic, chillies coarsely.
2) Drain channa dal completely and grind coarsely.One or two channa dal can be whole.
3)  Mix finely chopped onion, coriander and mint, salt, rice flour/sooji and curry leaves.
4) Heat oil in a pan for deep fry and make small balls with above mixture and press thme flat with hand.
5) deep fry in hot oil until golden in colour,flipping once in between.    
6) Drain in paper towel and serve hot with tea or Coffee.

Dahi Poori

Ingredients:

Chick Peas  Cooked - 1 cup 
Potato Peeled and cooked - 1 
Finely chopped Onions
Sweet Chutney 
Vurd/Yogurt- Sweetened
Sev - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Pooris - Check the recipe for pooris in Pani Poori post.
Chat Masala 
Coriander Powder 
Red chili powder
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

1) In a bowl add cooked Potato and mash slightly.
2) Add cooked chick peas, Salt to mashed potato, mix well and keep aside.
3) Arrange Poori's in a plate and make small hole in middle of each poori.
4) Fill them with aloo and chick pea mixture.
5) Top them with Sweet chutney.
6) Sprinkle chopped Onions over the chutney and pour curd over it with a spoon.
7) Sprinkle with Sev, chat masala, coriander powder, red chili powder and garnish with coriander leaves.

Tamarind Rice

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Tamarind- Size of a big lemon
Oil - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves- handful
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Red chillies - 10
Green chillies- 5
Salt to taste 
Asafoetida - a pinch 
Water as required

For powder :

Red chillies - 3
Sesame Seeds - 2 tbsp

Method:

1) Dry roast Sesame seeds and red chillies and keep it aside to cool and grind them to make fine powder.
2) Soak Tamarind in water and extract the pulp and keep aside.
3) Spread cooked rice on a plate and add oil so that rice grains are separate.
4) Heat oil in a round bottomed pan and add curry leaves, mustard seeds,urad dal, channa dal, peanuts and asafoetida and fry well rill they turn golden brown.
5) Add the tamarind pulp, salt and water as required to the above and bring it to boil.
6) Once the above mixture boils well add the grinded powder and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes on low flame.
7) Once the mixture starts coming out from sides, remove and mix well with cooked rice and let it rest for few hours.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

Raw rice -1 cup
Grated coconut –3/4 cup
Mustard seeds –1 tsp
Channa dal/Bengal Gram – 1 tbsp
Cashew nuts -few
Urad dal – 3 tsp Red chillies – 5
Green chillies -2
Curry leaves – few
Ginger (finely chopped ) – 1 inch
Oil  - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Asafoetida/Hing – a pinch
Coriander Leaves - for garnish

Method:

1) Cook rice, spread it in a plate and keep it aside.
2) Heat oil in a  pan, add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add channa dal, urad dal, cashew nuts and roast till it becomes slightly brown.
3) Add red chillies, green chillies, ginger, asafoetida and curry leaves and sauté for a few more seconds.
4) Add grated coconut and sauté for a few minutes till it becomes slightly brown. Add salt needed.
5) Add cooked rice and mix it well. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with vada or chips.

Creamless Cream of Cauliflower soup

Ingredients:

Canola Oil - 2 tsp
Onion - 1
Celery - 2 ribs
Cauliflower- 1 small cut into florets
Medium baked potato -1 
Rubbed Sage - 1 tsp
Dried Thyme -1 tsp
Dry mustard - 1 tsp
Celery seed - 1 tsp
Fat free vegetable broth - 4 cups
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Raisins - 3 tsp

Method:

1) Heat oil in a  pan and add chopped onions,celery and cook till golden brown for 5 minutes.
2) Add the cauliflower florets and diced potato and cook , stirring for 1 minute.
3) Sprinkle sage, thyme,mustard and celery seed over the vegetables and stir well and cook for about 30 seconds.
4) Add vegetable broth and bring to simmer. Cover,reduce heat to low,and simmer until potato and cauliflower are soft when pierced with a fork for about 15 minutes.
5) Switch off the flame and let it cool.
5) Working in batches if necessary puree the soup in a food processor fitted with a chopping blade or in a  large blender.
6) Return the puree to the sauce pan and cook until heated through about 1 minute.
7) Season with salt and pepper,ladle into bowls and serve.

Pani poori

Ingredients:

Poori:

Semolina/Rava - 1 cup
All purpose flour/Maida - 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Soda Water - 3 tbsp

Pani:

Water(bit cold) - 3 cups

Tamarind juice - 1 cup
Black salt or chat masala - a little bit
Cumin powder -1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

Sugar -1 tsp

green chilies (3) , mint leaves-few, coriander leaves-handful (grinded into paste)

Method for Poori:

1) In a bowl add Semolina, maida, soda water and salt and mix well to make dough and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
2) Divide the dough into small portions and roll them very thin.
3) To cut the dough into nice rounds use cap of any bottle and cut the dough.
4) Heat oil in a pan and drop the cut circles into the pan and fry them till they puff and turn golden brown.
5) Remove and drain on paper towel to remove excess oil.

Method for Pani:

Mix all the  ingredients mentioned above for pani well in a bowl and the pani is ready.

Note: For stuffing you can use Cooked Aloo, Cooked Channa, finely chopped Onions and Sev.