Research "Ek Khoj"

Ingredients

1 cup Cheese - grated
1/2 capsicum - seeded and minced
1 small head lettuce - 1/2 of it shredded, the other kept whole with separated leaves
2 tbsp French Dressing
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper powder

Method

Mix together Cheese, capsicum and shredded lettuce.
Season with salt and pepper.
Arrange unbroken lettuce leaves on a dish and pile Cheese salad in the centre.

Serve the above cheese mixture with sliced pineapple or as stuffing for halves of pears, peaches, prunes, apricots or tomatoes or to accompany any green salad.

Ingredients:

2 qrt Ricotta Cheese
2 cups sugar 1 cup milk
1 small pack of half-n-half
Little saffron
1 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

Preheat oven at 325 F for 10 mins.
Do no remove the excess water from the Ricotta Cheese.
Place the cheese in a bowl and 1 cup of sugar and mix well.
Put this mixture in an Aluminum Foil pack and bake at 350 F for 35 mins.
In a sauce pan add milk and half-n-half and boil on a low flame for 15-20 mins.
Add the remaining cup of sugar, saffron, and cardamom powder to it.
The cheese can be removed after 35 mins of baking which will appear to be in a soggy constituency.
Put the Cheese in the freeze for about 10 minutes to let it cool.
Remove from freezer and drop the Cheese slowly in the boiling milk and let it cool for about 10 minutes and store in the freezer until serving.

Recipes that are regulars at my maternal home and recipes that I make often, food that comforts me at times when I feel nostalgic and food that I want my children to experience, so that tomorrow they can look back and cherish the memories of home and mom’s cooking.



Ingredients:

Methi leaves – ½ cup finely chopped
Methi seeds – ½ cup
Rice – 1 cup cooked
Coconut – ½ cup grated
Red chillies – 5 or 6
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Channa dal – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Oil – 3 tsp
Salt – to taste

Preparation:

Take a pan and dry roast the methi seeds, coconut and red chillies and powder it.
Add oil in the same pan and heat.
Add mustard seeds, urad dal and channa dal.
Then add chopped onions, methi leaves and asafoetida.
Sauté for few mins.
Then mix the coconut powder and turn off the stove.
Now mix with rice.
Serve with chips or papad

Ingridents:

2 1/2 cups dried pinto beans
1 onion
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Rinse beans and sort for debris.
Place in a large bowl and cover with cold water to soak at room temperature for at least 12 hours.
Drain the beans.
Place the beans along with the onion in a 3 qt pan and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until beans are very tender and mash easily (about 2 1/2 hours).
Add water as needed to keep from boiling dry.
Drain, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
With a potato masher, or in a blender or food processor, mash the beans until coarsely chopped. Add the reserved liquid as needed to make a past-like consistently.
Stir in the butter.Return all to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until fat is absorbed and beans are very hot.
Season with the salt.

This was a regular feature at our place when we were kids. My mother would often make this for sunday brunch or pack it for school lunch. This is her recipe but I've added a slight twist by using soy flour in my dough.

Ingredients :
For the dough :
1½ teacups maida
1½ teacups gehun ka atta
½ tsp salt
1 tsp melted butter or ghee
a little milk

For the stuffing :
2 teacups finely chopped
boiled vegetables
(cabbage, cauliflower, green peas,
French beans, capsicum)
1 onion, chopped
2 potatoes, boiled and mashed
2 green chillies, chopped
½ tsp chilli powder
2 pinches garam masala
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
2 tbsp ghee
salt to taste

Method :
For the dough :
Combine the maida, gehun ka atta, salt and butter. Put enough milk and make soft dough.
Knead the dough properly and keep aside for at least 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Apply a little flour and roll out into rounds.
Cook each round very lightly on a tava and keep in a folded wet napkin.

For the stuffing :
Heat the ghee, put the onion and cook till it becomes soft.
Put the vegetables, potatoes, green chillies, chilli powder, garam masala, coriander and salt and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
Take out and keep it cool.

How to proceed :
Keep 2 tbsp of the stuffing in the centre of each dough round and fold like an envelope from all the corners.
Put the round on a tava with the open edges at the bottom.
Cook for a few minutes, turn over on the other side and cook again till it becomes crispy.
Repeat the same procedure for the remaining rounds.
Ready to serve.