Custard apple Cheese cake

Ingredients For the base Ginger nut biscuits 1 packet Butter, melted 125 gm For the filling Cream cheese 250gm Castor sugar ½ cup Evaporated milk (cold) 250ml Gelatin 3 tsp dissolved in ¼ cup of boiling water Juice of 1 lemon or lime Large custard apple 1 For garnish Kiwi fruit ½ Almond flakes: 50gm Shredded coconut 25 gm Method Crush the biscuits finely and mix with the melted butter. Press into a 20cm tart tray and chill for half an hour. Dissolve the gelatin in water. Put custard apple flesh in a blender and blend until smooth. Whip the evaporated milk until thick. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into base and place in fridge to set. After it sets decorate with slices of kiwi fruit and sprinkle shredded coconut and toasted almonds on top. The Hindu April 9 2009

Almond and Celery Soup

Ingredients Almonds: 50 gm Celery: 1 shoot Carrot: 1 Spring onions: 25gm Asparagus tips: 5 gm Garlic: 3 cloves Coriander root: 5 gm Red Chilies: 2 Salt to taste MSG to taste Chinese cabbage: 5 gm Pak Choy: 5 gm Method Make a stock using celery roots and leaves with the onion and carrot, coriander roots and red chilies. Soak the almonds in hot water for 15 minutes. Remove the skin from the almonds and make them into a paste. After the stock is boiled, strain it and pour it into a pan. Add sliced carrots, asparagus tips, Chinese cabbage and pak Choy and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the seasoning and thicken the soup by adding the almond paste little by little. Again give it a single boil; check for seasoning and serve the soup hot garnished with fried sliced garlic. The Hindu April 23 2009

Strawberry jam

Ingredients Strawberries: 1 ½ kg Sugar: 4 cups Citric acid 1 tsp Method Remove the stalks and wash the strawberries. Put the fruit in a heavy pan and stir till it boils. Mash, add sugar and lemon juice. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove the scum. Boil rapidly till it sets when tested. Cool and pour into clean and dry jars. Seal with wax and close the lid tightly. The Hindu April 16 2009

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Ingredients Onions (sliced fine) 2 to 3 Garlic (chopped) 12 cloves Tomatoes (chopped) 4 to 5 Basil, oregano to taste Salt and pepper to taste Sugar half tsp or to taste Olive oil 2 tbsp Method Heat a little olive oil in a sauce pan. Sauté the sliced onions and garlic till the onions are translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes, dry herbs, salt and sugar. Add pepper if desired. Bring this mixture to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes top one hour, stirring occasionally. Your sauce is ready. The Hindu April 21 2009

Veggie pizza

Ingredients Flour: 175gm Skimmed milk: 150ml Baking powder one fourth heaped tsp Refined oil 2 tbsp Salt to taste Pizza sauce one and a half desserts spoons Cheese slices – 6 Onions (thinly sliced) 2 Tomatoes (chopped) 1 or 2 Capsicum (chopped) 1 Corn (optional) 2 tbsp Oregano, basil quarter tsp each Pepper to taste Method Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the oil and milk. Combine into smooth dough and leave it covered for about 15 minutes. Roll out into a 12 inch round or a 26X16 cm rectangle. Place in a greased baking tray or pizza pan, and bake at 180 degree C for eight minutes. Once the pizza base is ready, spread the pizza sauce over this. Place the cheese slices all over the prepared base. Sprinkle onion slices, chopped tomatoes, capsicum and corn. Season with salt and pepper and add oregano and basil, if you like. Bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes. Slice using a pizza wheel and serve hot. The Hindu April 21 2009

Cool and fruity dessert

Ingredients Peach, sliced: 1 Cantaloupe(muskmelon) pieces: 1 cup Blueberries: 1/2cup Lime juice: 1 tbsp Plain, low fat yogurt: ½ cup Honey: 1 tbsp Method Combine fruit and melon in a bowl. Chill for at least one hour. Blend honey, lime juice and yogurt. Serve chilled fruit in individual dessert cups topped with the yogurt sauce. Garnish with fresh mint leaves if you wish. The Hindu April 14 2009

Honey Plum Crumble

Ingredients Butter: 75gm Plain flour: 150gm Sugar: 50gm Porridge oats: 25 gm Chopped, toasted hazelnuts: 50gm Plums, halved and stoned" 900gm Honey: 30-60 ml(2-4tbsp) Rind of an orange Method Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C/400 degree F/ Gas Mark 6; rub butter into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar, porridge oats and hazelnuts. Place plums in a pan with 150ml water, honey and orange rind. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered, then transfer to an oven proof dish and top with crumble mixture. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden. The Hindu April 14 2009

Almond Saffron and Honey Milk

Ingredients Milk: 2 cups Pinch of cardamom powder Crushed almonds: ½ cup Honey: 2 tbsp Saffron, dissolved in 1 tbsp milk: ½ tsp Method Bring the milk to boil in a saucepan, add pinch of cardamom powder, and let it simmer for two more minutes. Reduce the heat and add the crushed almonds, honey and saffron, cook further for another minute and remove from heat. Pour into glasses; garnish with saffron strands; serve hot at bedtime. The Hindu April 14 2009

Khoya and Honey Gajar Halwa

Ingredients Carrots, peeled, coarsely grated: 250gms Butter: 1 tbsp Khoya, grated: ½ cup Honey: 2 tbsp Method Put the grated carrots and butter in a wok/kadai; cook on medium heat, tossing occasionally, until carrots are tender, and the water released by carrots begin to dry up. Add the khoya in a cut-and-fold method and blend gently, till it is completely incorporated into the halwa. Stir a little more till it leaves the sides of the vessel and then stir in the honey; cook for two minutes and remove from heat. Transfer to a serving dish; garnish with raisins, pistachio and almonds/ silver varkh; serve warm or cold. The Hindu April 14 2009

Honey almond and Paneer Phirni

Ingredients Almonds: 20gms Water: ½ cup Milk: 3 cups Cottage cheese (paneer) crumbled: 1 cup Honey: 2 tbsp Method Soak the almonds in ½ cup water, microwave on high for 30 seconds and leave them for sometime; skin them and cut into thin slices(slivers) keep aside. Blend the cottage cheese in ½ cup milk into a thick, smooth paste; keep aside. Heat rest of the milk in a heavy bottom saucepan; bring to boil, then add the cottage cheese and milk paste stirring all the time; cook on medium heat until the milk thickens and turns into custard like consistency. Stir in the honey; mix well and remove from heat; transfer to a serving dish, garnish with almonds slivers/silver varkh and serve hot or chill. The Hindu April 14 2009

Stir Fried Vegetables with Cashew nut

Ingredients Mixed vegetables: 900gms(carrots, onion, cabbage, pokchoy, capsicum, bell-peppers, Broccoli, asparagus(optional). Cut vegetables into thin strips, like match-sticks Refine oil: 60 ml Garlic: 30gms (sliced) Fresh ginger: 30gms Fresh coriander: 50gms Sesame oil: 15ml(optional) Light soya sauce: 20ml Cashew nut: 60gms Seasoning: As required Method Take a frying pan then trickle oil into it. Add oil to the rim of the pan and heat it. Add garlic  and ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add harder vegetables and toss for five minutes till  soft. Add all of these and stir fry over high heat for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cashew nuts, season with soya sauce, salt, crushed black pepper and sesame oil. Serve hot, add coriander sprigs. The Times of India April 7 2009

Pumpkin Nutmeg Soup

Ingredients Yellow pumpkin: 900gms cut into cubes Potatoes: 2 peeled, cubed Onion: 1 Finely chopped Vegetable stock: 2 lts (Boil, onion, carrot, leek and celery for 20 mins) Crushed cumin: 5 gms Grated nutmeg: 5 gms Fresh thyme: 10gms Parsley and chives to garnish Olive oil: 25ml Method Heat oil in a casserole or in a sauce pan and sauté the onion for 4 to 5 minutes till it is soft. Add potatoes, pumpkin, cumin, thyme and vegetable stock. Simmer vegetables until cooked. Transfer the cooked vegetable to a food processor and process it until smooth. Add the pureed mixture and reheat the mixture. Add  a little vegetable stock if required. Sprinkle grated nutmeg and mix. Serve hot, garnishing it with chopped parsley and chives. The Times of India April 7 2009

Paneer samosas

Ingredients Plain flour: 1 ½ cup A pinch of soda bi carb Hot oil: 2 tbsp Salt to taste For the filling Paneer, grated: 200gm Capsicum, finely chopped: 2 Onions, finely chopped:2 Red chilli powder: 1 tsp A pinch of turmeric powder 1 teaspoon garam masala Salt to taste Oil for seasoning: 1 tbsp Oil for frying Method Sieve the plain flour, soda bi carb and salt. Rub in hot oil and add water to make stiff dough. Knead well. Keep aside the dough for sometime. Make the filling by heating 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and capsicums and stir fry for a few minutes. Then add the turmeric powder. Cook for a second and add the grated paneer, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt to taste. Allow the mixture to cool. Make small balls of the dough and roll out thin round puris. Cut the puris into two. Fold each half of the puris into two forming a cone. Seal the edges by applying water. Fill the cone with the paneer filling and seal the edges again. Heat the oil and deep fry the samosas on a low flame. Serve hot with a spicy sauce and pudina chutney. The Hindu Metroplus March 31 2009.

Vegetable yoghurt delight

Ingredients Rusk biscuits(readymade) For the vegetable yogurt layer: Carrot grated: 2 Cucumber grated: 1 Cabbage grated: 1 cup Capsicum finely chopped: 1 Fresh thick curds: 1 cup Fresh cream: 100gm Coriander finely chopped: 2 tbsp A pinch of sugar Salt and pepper to taste Method Tie the curd in a muslin cloth and let excess water drain. Hang for about two hours. Mix it with the fresh cream. Chill it. Add a bit of salt to all the vegetables. Keep aside for sometime. Squeeze to let excess water drain. Add it to the above curds mixture. Add sugar, salt, pepper and chopped coriander. Mix well. When required to serve, spread the vegetable yoghurt mixture over the rusk biscuits. Serve immediately. The Hindu Metroplus March 31 2009.

Peanut channa snack

Ingredients Roasted peanuts(remove skin) : 3 cups Bengal gram, deep fried: 2 cups Onion, finely chopped: 1 Green chillies, finely chopped: 2-3 Corinader leaves, finely chopped: 2 tbsp Chat masala: 2 tbsp Salt and red chilli powder to taste Juice of 2 lemons Method Mix the peanuts and fried channa dal. Add salt and red chilli powder. Then add onions and green chillies. Mix well. Add the chat masala and lemon juice. Mix again. Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve immediately. Note: This snack should be made just before serving or it will get soggy. The Hindu Metroplus March 31 2009.

Crispy fried vegetables

Ingredients Capsicum cut into long thin strips: 4 Baby corn cut into long thin strips: 12 Onions sliced into rings and loosen them: 2-3 Carrots, cut into long thin strips: 4 Potatoes, cut into strips: 4 Broccoli, remove floweret's: 1 small For the batter Plain flour: 1 ½ cup Corn flour: 1 cup Rice flour: 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, finely chopped : 2tbsp Baking powder: 1 tsp Oil: 1 tsps Sour curds: 2-3 tbsp Chilli flakes: ½ tsp Ginger chilli paste: 2 tbsp Salt and pepper to taste Oil for frying Method Soak all the sliced vegetables in ice cold water. This retains the crispness of the vegetables. Mix all the ingredients for the batter. Add enough water to make a thick smooth batter. Beat well. Keep it aside for about 2 hours. Heat the oil. Dip each strip in the batter and deep fry in hot oil. Similarly dip the broccoli flowerettes and onion rings in the batter and deep fry until crisp. Mix all the fried vegetables in a flat dish and serve hot with a spicy ketchup. The Hindu Metroplus March 31 2009.