FONDANT -VEGETARIAN WAY

Ingredients

  -Powdered Sugar 

– 8 Cups Cream 

– 1/2 CupGlycerin 

– 2 TbspHoney 

– 1/2 Cup  Liquid glucose/Powder Glucose or Butter

 – 4 Tbsp Agar/China Grass

 – 3 Tbsp Salt 

– 1/2 Tsp (Omit if using salted butter) Corn Flour 

– For Dusting Food Colors

 – Powder or Gel Paste

Method

Soak the China Grass in the cream for 10 mins..

Drop that to a non stick  pan and cook that in low flame until everything is well mixed and no traces of China grass are seen.

Transfer it to a bowl, making sure every-bit is out. Add in the butter and mix well.

Add honey, glycerin. Beat it really well. (If use salted butter , omitt salt)

Add about 3 cups of sugar and mix that really well with hands, after its mixed well. Add another 3 cup and mix well.

Transfer the fondant to the working surface. Now add more sugar if you feel its not stiff enough, and knead for 4-5 mins. Depends upon the weather.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 10 hrs. After that, keep for a hour in counter top so that it comes to room temp.

Start kneading the fondant in a corn flour/powdered sugar dusted surface. Knead for a couple of mins. Fondant is ready

To color the fondant, take gel colors or powder colors and incorporate that really well. Add more sugar/corn flour if it gets sticky and if the color is not vibrant, add more color

One can store upto a month in refrigerator.

CURD RICE

Ingredients

 500 gms Raw rice
 2 "- ginger  finely minced
 4 - 5 cups (yogurt ) -Fresh thick curd beaten till smooth
 Milk - boiled and luke warm, as required
4 tbsps Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
3 tsps mustard - soak in 2-3 tbsps water for 10 mins
15 Cashewnuts broken into small pieces and roast in a tsp of ghee till golden
Salt to taste

Tempering
4 Green chilies  slit length wise
4 tsps -Oil
4 springs Curry leaves
1 tsp -Mustard seeds
2 tsp -Split black gram dal
4 Dry red chili tear and de-seed
1 tsp Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp (inguva/hing)

Method

Cook the raw rice till very soft and mushy.
When the rice is warm, use a ladle to lightly mash the rice,add 1 1/2 cup warm milk and salt and mix well and allow the rice to come to room temperature.
Place the soaked mustard seeds in a mortar pestle and make a coarse past
Add the coarsely ground mustard paste and the thick curd to the cooled, cooked rice and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
Add the black gram dal and allow it to turn red,add the ginger, green chilies, and curry leaves, add asafoetida and 3 tbsps of chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Turn off heat.
 Add this tempering to the curd rice and mix. Adjust salt and  If the consistency of the curd rice consistency is too thick, add a few tbsps of boiled and cooled milk or water and mix.
Garnish with remaining coriander leaves and roasted cashew nuts. Serve chilled or at room temperature with pickle and chips.

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP

Ingredients

- 2 1/2 onions chopped
-3 stalks of celery chopped finely
-3 carrots ,chopped finely
-1 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups red lentils
-3 tablespoon of spice mix
-21/2 tbsp ground coriander seed
-11/2 tbsp ground cumin
-11/2 tbsp ground black peppecorns
- 3 cm piece of ginger ,peeled and chopped into a few chunks
-5 cloves garlic ,peeled and chopped into a few chunks
-8-10 cups of chicken stock
- 11/2 tbsp tumernic
-4 tbsp curry
-1cinnamon stick
-juice of 1 lemon
- 3 chicken breasts ,boiled

Topping

dollop of drained plain yogurt ,chopped cilantro and sliced green onion

Method

Make a garlic+ ginger paste by crushing the chunks in a mortar and pestle .Use some kosher salt to help it grind better .
In a pot ,fry onion+ carrot+celery in a bit oil.When it gets some color add ginger+garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds .
Add all spices (spice blend ,tumernic ,curry ,cinnamon stick) and cook for a few momemnts ,stirring constantly .
Add the tomatoes and stir .
Add lentils and the cups of stock ,(to 8-10 cups).
Stir and lower heat to a simmer .Cover and cook for 40 -50 min ,cheeking to make sure the liquid level isn`t too low.

While the lentil are cooking ,boil water and add the chicken for 30 -35 min .
Remove from water and let to cool .
After it cools ,remove chicken from bone and either chop up or shred with the fingers
Taste the lentils and when they are not too hard to the tooth,the soup is ready to be blended,but first remove the cinnamon stick .
Using a stick blender ,puree the soup until completely smooth .If necesary add more warm chicken stock or water to thin it out .
Stir in the lemon juice and chopped cilantro .
Add the chicken and stir .
Pour into bowls and top with some green onion and dollop of yogurt .

MANGO RASAM

Ingredients

 - 2 raw mango , peeled and chopped
 - 2 slit green chilies
 - 1 1/2 tbsp jaggery
  -Salt to taste
 - 1/2 tsp tumernic powder


For tempering:
- 2 red chilies , tear and de-seed
 - 1 tbsp oil
 - 2curry leaves  sprig
 - 1 tsp urad dal
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
 - 1 tsp asafoetida

Method

In a vessel, put  3 cups of water, turmeric, one green chili, salt and the raw mango. Bring to a boil and simmer with lid and cook till the mango pieces turn soft.
Once cool, grind the mixture to a fine paste or mash with a ladle.
In another vessel, add the ground mango paste and 7 cups water and mix well,(watery consistency)
Add jaggery and bring to a boil for 8 mts. While the mango rasam is simmering, prepare the tempering.
In a pan, add oil and  once the oil turns hot, add mustard seeds and allow to splutters. Add urad dal and allow the dal to turn red.
Add curry leaves and asafoetida. Turn off flame and pour the tempering into the hot mango rasam and  place lid for  a few minutes and then remove to a serving bowl.
Serve warm with white rice or serve as a warm soup.

METHI MATHRI

Ingredients

2 heaped tbsp -Kasuri methi (crushed)
3 cups -Flour
8 heaped tbsps -Ghee
3 cup -Whole wheat flour (atta)
2 tbsp -Semolina  (sooji/upma rava)
1/2 tsp -Black pepper powder (freshly ground)
2 tsp -Tymol seeds or cumin seeds
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste

Method
In a stainless steel vessel, add flour, atta, semolina, tymol, kasuri methi, ghee and salt and mix well. Slowly add warm water and knead into a stiff yet pliabale dough. Keep aside covered for 20 mts.
Pinch off small lemon sized balls of the dough and roll into slightly thick puris and prick all over with a fork.
Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel and once oil is hot, reduce to low medium flame. Place the  mathris based on the size of the vessel and fry till golden brown, flipping over and cooking both the sides. Increase flame to medium high towards the end of the cooking process and when the mathris attain a golden shade, drain and place on absorbent paper.
On cooling, mathris attain a crisp texture. Store in airtight containers and can be stored upto a month in airtight containers.
You can add coarsely crushed coriander seeds and fennels seeds for variation in flavor.

ALMOND BURFI

Ingredients

1500 ml milk
150 g ground almonds
10 cardamom pods ,peeled and crushed
90 g caster sugar

Method

Pour the milk into a ,heavy -based pan and cook  until is reduced to a thick ,lumpy consistency ,stir occasionally and make sure not to let the milk burn
Stir in the caster sugar , add  the ground almonds and cook for 3 minutes
and pour the mixture into a greased shallow dish and sprinkle with the crushed cardamoms .Serve warm cut into squares

DAL BALFA

• 
  
• 
  
• Ingredients
• 
  
• For the Bafla
• 
  
• 1cup ghee
• 4 cups wheat flour
• 1/2 cup maize flour
• 1/2 tsp ajwain
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• Salt to taste
• 
  
• For the Dal
• 
  
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 3 cups toor dal, soaked
• A pinch of hing 
• 2 Tbsp desi ghee
• 1 tsp turmeric powde
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 Tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
• Salt to taste
• 
  
• Method 
• 
  
• For the Bafla
•  In a  bowl, mix all the ingredients together to make a stiff dough, adding a little water at a time.
• Divide the dough into smaller balls, and roll them to make them smoother. 
•  Bring water to a boil in a  pan. Add salt,turmeric, and then drop the balls and cook till they float on the surface. 
• Place them on a kitchen towel to drain excess water and after bake them in the oven at 150 degree C for till crisp and golden on both the sides. 
• 
  
• For the Dal
• 
  
• Pressure cook the dal in 7 cups of water for 3 whistles, by adding salt and turmeric powder. Let the steam escape and then add the hing and stir well. Add a little water if it is too thick, and bring to a boil.Heat ghee in a pan, add mustard seeds and let it splutter,add red chilli powder, and quickly pour this tadka in the boiling dal, add sugar and remove from the flame. Finish with coriander leaves.
• Place two baflas on a plate, crumble them using your fingers, add a teaspoon of ghee, and pour the dal on top.