Banana Bread

Ingredients 

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed up

½ cup cooking butter

1/3 cup castor sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Method

Preheat the oven at 180degrees for 10 minutes

Blend the ingredients

Using a spatula, whisk butter, brown sugar, white sugar together for a few minutes

To this, add in the beaten eggs, mashed bananas along with flour and keep mixing in. Add walnuts to the mixture

Grease the baking tin with butter and pour the batter and spread the mixture evenly across the tin

Place the baking tin in the pre heated oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes

Once done, pierce into the centre of the bread with a tooth pick to check the dryness

Remove from oven and allow the bread to cool, before cutting

Serve with tea

Ratatouille

Ingredients

Tomato puree, 1 cup

1 Red pepper, chopped

1 Onion, chopped

4 aubergines slit into halves

2 garlic gloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp butter

Salt & pepper to taste

Handful of herbs

Method

Heat butter in a pan, sauté the onion and garlic until they turn soft

Add the aubergines, red pepper, tomato purée, and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes

Season with salt and pepper

Simmer for 10 about minutes and garnish with fresh herbs

Serve hot 

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

¼ pumpkin

1 onion, finely chopped

1-2 garlic, finely chopped

1 green chili, chopped

Coriander, chopped

2 tbsp butter

1 cup water

1 cup milk

salt

herbs or red chili flakes

pepper

Method

Steam the pumpkin. Once done,run cold water over it and scoop the pumpkin and mash it

Heat a pan with butter, add garlic, onions, chilies and fry for 3 minutes

Add pumpkin and cook for 5 mins till pumpkin becomes soft

Add water and milk and stir in slowly

Remove from heat and leave aside to cool

Now, blend the mixture along with coriander until smooth

Place mixture back in the plan,add salt,pepper, herbs and red chili flakes to taste

Simmer the soup and bring to boil

Turn off and serve hot

Sindhi Kadhi

Ingredients

1/2cup cluster beans

1/2 cup potato, cubed

1/4 cup carrot,cubed

1/4 cup ladies finger, slit into 2

2 tsp green chillies, chopped

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/4 tsp asafoetida

4 tbsp besan

1 tsp ginger, grated

4 to 5 curry leaves

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

3 tbsp oil

salt

Method

Boil the beans, potato and carrots in two cups of water till they are tender. Keep aside with the water

Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds. When they crackle add asafetida

Add the ladies finger and green chillies, sauté till the ladies finger are tender

Add besan mixed with water and sauté for 5 minutes over a medium flame and bring to boil

Now add ginger, curry leaves, turmericm chilli powder and tamarind pulp along with the cooked vegetables and salt

Cook on simmer for about 8-10 minutes

Serve hot with rice

Okra fry

Ingredients

1/2 kg okra, thin slices

2 tbsp gram flour

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp chaat masala

Salt

2 tbsp oil

Method

Take a large bowl, add okra,sprinkle the dry ingredients and marinate for 10 minutes. Season with salt just before frying

Heat oil on medium flame, deep fry the okra in batches until crisp and drain on paper towels

Serve hot with rice or rotis

Mexican Fried Rice

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked rice

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 capsicum, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 cup pureed tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oil

salt

Method

Heat oil in a vessel and fry the chopped onion till they turn light brown and add the garlic, continue to fry for 2 minutes

Add uncooked rice and saute for 2 minutes, add enough water to cook the rice, season with salt, cover and cook slowly

In a different pan, heat oil and fry the chopped capsicum and carrots for 3-4 minutes

To this, add the tomato puree, chilli powder and salt

Add the vegetables to cooked rice and mix well

Serve hot

Corn Palak

Ingredients for the spinach paste
1 cup spinach
2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup chopped coriander2 green chilies

Other ingredients

1 1/2 cup of boiled corn kernels
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 tomato
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander-cumin powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method

For the spinach paste

In a vessel mix spinach, fenugreek leaves, sugar and ¼ cup water and bring to a boil while cooking on a high flame. Remove from the fire and cool.

Grind the spinach with the remaining ingredients to a paste. Keep aside.

Blanch the tomato and blend to a smooth purée. Keep aside.

Blend the onions to a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion paste and saute till light brown.

Add tomato purée and mix well. Add turmeric powder,red chili, coriander-cumin powder and  and cook for 8 minutes

Add the corn, spinach paste and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the milk, mix well and serve hot.

Simple Khichdi

 Ingredients

1 cup rice

1/2 cup moong dal

1 cup chopped carrots & peas

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 chopped onion

1 chopped chilli

1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

4 cup water

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp ghee

salt to taste

Method

Wash rice and dal together and pressure cook in 4 cups of water along with the chopped carrots & peas for 4-5 whistles. Let it cool

In a pan, heat ghee, add the cumin seeds and allow it it splutter

Now add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, chillies and saute till the onions turn slightly brown.

Add a pinch of salt, turmeric and red chilli powder and mix well

Mix in the cooked dal-rice and stir well

Serve hot with papads & pickle/raita

Tava Pulao

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cooked rice

2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 finely chopped onions

1 diced capsicum

1 chopped tomato

1cup boiled green peas and carrot

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

4 tsp pav bhaji masala

handful of chopped coriander

3 tbsp butter

salt to taste

Method

Heat the butter on a large tava or kadai, add the cumin seeds and sauté on a medium flame till they crackle.

To this, add the ginger-garlic paste and onions and sauté on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes or till the onions turn light pink.

Add the capsicum, tomatoes, turmeric, chilli & pav bhaji masala along with salt and ¼ cup of water, mix well and continue to cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes

Now add the rice, green peas and chopped coriander, toss well and cook on a medium flame for few minutes.

Serve immediately with raita and papads.