Custard powder Cookies

Ingredients:

1. Maida - 1 cup
2. Sugar - 1/2 cup powdered
3. Ghee -  1/2 cup melted and cooled
4. Vanilla flavour custard pd - 2-3 tbsp
5. Milk - 4-5 tbsp
6. Cardamon/Elaichi powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Baking powder - 1/4 tsp

Method: 

• In a bowl mix milk and custard powder to form a paste.
• In another bowl sieve the maida and baking powder.
• Add powdered sugar, cardomon/elaichi pd and mix well.
• Add milk and custard pd mixture and mix nicely with your fingers.
• Then add melted ghee little by little kneading it to a dough consistency(it might not be a perfect dough). Quantity of ghee required may be slightly more or less, adjust accordingly.
• Roll small balls out of them and slightly press them on the top with fork not much.
• Grease the baking tray with little ghee and place the cookies on the tray.
• Pre-heat oven to 180 degree celcius and bake them for 25-30 mins.Check after 20 min cookies will turn light brown in colour.
• Once done let it cool for 10 mins.

Potato stuffed Mirchi Bhajji

Ingredients:

1. Long Bhajji green chillies (non spicy) - 4 nos
2. Tamarind pulp - 1 tsp
3. Besan - 1 cup
4. Rice flour - 2 tbsp
5. Red chilli pd - 1/2 tsp
6. Haldi pd - 1/2 tsp
7. Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
8. Salt - as per taste
9. Water - as required
10. Oil - for deep frying

For the stuffing:

1. Potatoes - 2 boiled and smashed
2. Red chilli pd - 1/2 tsp
3. Jeera pd - 1/2 tsp
4. Coriander pd - 1/2 tsp
5. Coriander leaves - 1 tsp chopped
6. Salt - as per taste

Method:

• Wash green chillies, pat dry and keeping the top intact give a slit in the middle without breaking them in to halves remove seeds with the help of spoon or fingers.
• Apply little salt and rub tamarind pulp to the chillies and keep aside for 10-15 mins.
• In a bowl, take smashed potatoes, add red chilli pd, jeera pd, coriander pd,coriander leaves and little salt.Mix nicely and keep aside.
• Stuff each chillies with the above potato mixture. With the help of your fingers push the stuffing and seal the chillies tightly and keep aside.
• For the batter in a bowl take besan, rice flour,add red chilli pd, haldi pd, ajwain and little salt, mix it.Add water little by little and make a thick batter. To check insert your finger and see if the batter is coated well without dropping.
• Heat oil in a kadai.
• Take one stuffed chilli and dip into the batter, make sure that batter is coated evenly.
• Gently slide each chilli into hot oil and fry till golden brown in colour.
• Remove and drain excess oil on a napkin.
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup or chutney.

Homemade Puris for chaat

Ingredients:

1. Fine Rava/Sooji - 1 cup
2. Maida - 1 tbsp
3. Rice flour - 1 tsp
4. Salt - as per taste
5. Oil - 1 tbsp + for deep frying
6. Warm Water - as required

Method:

• Take Rava in a bowl, add salt, mix and add little water. Mix nicely and keep aside for 5-8 mins. Let rava absorb the water.
• Then add maida, rice flour(add only 1 tbsp not more) and knead by adding water as required to a stiff dough. Knead nicely for around 10 mins.
• Add oil and knead for another 2 mins and cover it with a wet kitchen napkin and keep aside for 30 mins.
• Divide into equal portion and roll each ball like a chapati but very thin and do not apply any flour.
• While rolling cover the remaining dough with wet napkin otherwise it will dry up.
• With cookie cutter or bottle cap cut puris.
• Heat oil for deep frying.
• Place 2-3 puris and fry till brown in colour and crispy.
• Puris will puff up automatically otherwise slightly press on top.
• Fry on medium heat.

**If the dough becomes loose add more rava.

Chicken Pulao

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1/2 kg
2. Rice - 2 cups
3. Onions - 2 big finely sliced
4. Tomatoes - 2 finely chopped
5. Everest Biryani Masala - 2 tsp
6. Salt - as per taste
7. Oil - 3 tbsp
8. Hot Water - 4 cups(double the quantity of rice)

For Marination:

1. Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
2. Pudina - 1/2 cup
3. Garlic - 8-9 cloves
4. Ginger - 1 tsp chopped
5. Green chilli - 1 no
6. Curd - 3 tbsp
7. Red chilli pd - 2 tsp
8. Haldi pd - 2 tsp
9. Coriander pd - 1 tsp
10. Garam masala/Chicken masala - 1 tsp
11. Salt - as per taste

Method:

• Clean and wash chicken pieces and keep aside.
• Grind together pudina, coriander leaves, garlic, ginger and green chilli to a fine thick paste.
• In a bowl take curd, add red chilli pd, haldi pd, coriander pd, garam masala/chicken masala, salt and mix to form a paste.
• Marinate chicken with the above 2 paste(green paste and curd masala mix paste) and keep aside for 1 hour.
• Soak rice for 1/2 an hour.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
• Add onions and fry till brown in colour.
• Add tomatoes and fry for few seconds till soft.
• Add Everest biryani masala.Mix.
• Add marinated chicken, mix well and fry for 10-12 mins. Cook till the water released is dried up.
• Strain water and add soaked rice. Mix nicely.
• Add hot water (double the quantity of rice).Mix well.
• Add salt as required(Marinated chicken already has salt).
• Close the pressure cooker lid and take 4 whistles.
• Once cooled mix and serve with Raita.

Note: If the chicken has released more water than reduce the quantity of hot water by 1/2 cup.
          You can also do it in a pan/kadai. Stir occassionally and check till rice is cooked.

Masala stuffed Bhindi

Ingredients:

1. Bhindi/Lady finger - 12-15 pieces
2. Besan - 3 tbsp
3. Groundnuts - 2 tbsp coarsely crushed
4. Red chilli pd - 1 tsp
5. Haldi pd - 1/2 tsp
6. Coriander pd - 1 tsp
7. Garam masala - 1 tsp
8. Amchur pd - 1 tsp
9. Salt - as per taste
10. Oil - 2 tbsp
11. Coriander leaves - for garnish

Method:

• Wash bhendi and wipe with kitchen napkin.
• Cut the top and tail of each bhindi and  slit them vertically. Do not cut into halves.
• Dry roast groundnuts, peel and coarsely crush and keep aside.
• Dry roast besan till light brown and you get nice aroma.
• In a bowl mix together besan, crushed groundnuts, red chilli pd, haldi pd, coriander pd, garam masala, amchur pd and salt and mix nicely.
• Stuff each bhindi with this masala.
• Heat oil in a pan and place all stuffed bhindi along with all leftover masala.
• Cover with a lid and cook till bhendi is done and masala is coated well by stirring occassionally.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve as a side dish with dal and rice.