Crispy Arbi (Colocasia, Taro Root)

Ingredients:

1. Half Kg Arbi (Colocasia)
2. Two Tsp Garlic Paste
3. Two Tsp Ginger Paste
4. One Tsp Turmeric Powder
5. Salt to taste
6. Half Tsp Red Chilli
7. Two finely chopped green chilli  
8. Two Tbs Oil for fry

Method:

• Peel and cut the arbi in thin long strips.
• Heat the oil in pan. Add Garlic and ginger paste, Sauté for 2 minutes on medium flame.
• Add turmeric powder, salt and red chilli, sauté for 1 minute on medium flame.
• Add Arbi and green chilli, Sauté for 2 minutes.
• Cover the pan with lid and lower the flame, stir occasionally in between, until it turns golden.
• The crispy arbi will be ready within 8-10 minutes.
• Serve it with hot chapattis. 

Apple Jam

Ingredients:

1. One kg Apple
2. Half Kg Sugar
3. Two Tbs Lemon Juice

Method:

• Wash, peel and cut the apple into small pieces.
• Mix the Sugar and grind the mixture to a fine paste.
• Pour the paste in a pan and heat at low flame, stirring continuously.
• Continue stirring till it turns golden and become thick. It will take nearly 15 minutes.
• Switch off the flame and keep it aside to cool.
• Pour the lemon juice when the jam cools down to room temp.
• Refrigerate it in an air tight container.

                                       Kids love its yummy taste with bread.

Sour Ginger pickle

Ingredients:

1. Two fifty gram Fresh ginger
2. Six Tbs Lemon Juice
3. One and half Tbs salt
4. Half Tbs red pepper

Method:

• Peel and wash the ginger.
• Cut the ginger in fine julienne.
• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
• Put the mixture in a jar.
• Pour the lemon juice over it, shake well.
• Observe the changing colour of ginger to pink within hour or so.
• The beautiful pickle is ready to be relished within one day.
• It must be shaken at least two times a day.

Note: The salt and pepper quantity can be varied according to your taste buds.

Note: Don’t throw away the leftover skins of lemon after extracting juice. It is used to make a very delicious pickle: Lemon Skin Pickle.

Lemon-Green Chili Pickle

Ingredients:

1. Seven medium sized Fresh lemon
2. Four green chili
3. One and half Tbs Salt
4. Half Tbs Red Pepper
5. Two Tbs Lemon Juice

Method:

• Wash and wipe the lemons and green chili.
• Dice each lemon into four pieces.
• De-seed and chop the green chili.
• Mix all the ingredients evenly except lemon Juice.
• Put the mixture in the jar.
• Pour the lemon juice over it and shake well.
• Pickle will be ready to eat in four days.
• It must be shaken at least two times a day till consumed. 

Note: The salt and pepper quantity can be varied according to your taste buds.

Lemon Skin Pickle

Ingredients:

1. Seven lemon skins
2. One and half Tbs salt
3. Half Tbs red pepper
4. Five Tbs Vinegar

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients except vinegar, in a bowl evenly.
• Put the mixture in jar.
• Pour the vinegar in the jar and shake well.
• The pickle will be ready within five days.
• It must be shaken at least two times a day till consumed.

Note: The salt and pepper quantity can be varied according to your taste buds.

Spicy hot Cashews - Diwali Special

Ingredients: 

1. One cup Cashews
2. One tbs finly chopped coriander leaves
3. Half tbs green chilli paste
4. Half tbs clarified butter (desi ghee)
5. Salt to taste

Method: 

• Mix ingredients until cashews are well coated.
• Spread in a single layer on a microwavable dish and heat for 1/2 minute.
• Stir and heat again for 1/2 minute.

Note: Always cool the roasted nuts before serving as it gets crispier. 

Honey Roasted Cashews - Diwali Special

Ingredients: 

1. One cup Cashews
2. two tbs honey
3. one tbs butter
4. one tsp cinnamon powder

Method: 

• Mix ingredients and microwave them for 1/2 minute on high, stirring occasionally in between, then heat for another 1/2 minute.
• cool it for a while and Honey roasted cashews are ready to serve.

Roasted Masala Cashews - Diwali Special

Ingredients:

1. One cup Cashews
2. One tsp butter (melted)
3. Black pepper to taste
4. Half tsp dried mango powder (Amchoor)
5. Chat masala for garnishing
6. Salt to taste

Method:

• Toss cashews in the melted butter to evenly coat
• Put all the rest of ingredients except chat masala in the butter coated cashews and mix well.
• Put this in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1/2 minute or until it turns slight red in color.
• Sprinkle chat masala over it. Cool it for a while
• Roasted masala cashews are ready to serve.

Roasted Almonds - Diwali Special

Ingredients: 

1. One cup almonds
2. One tsp butter (melted)
3. Black pepper to taste
4. Salt to taste

Method: 

• Toss almonds in the melted butter to evenly coat
• Put this in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle Black pepper and salt over it.
• Roasted almonds are ready to serve.

Honey Roasted Almonds - Diwali Special

Ingredients:

1. One cup almonds
2. two tbs honey
3. one tbs butter
4. one tsp cinnamon powder

Method:

• Mix ingredients and microwave them for 2 minutes on high, stirring occasionally in between, then heat for another 2 minutes.
• Sweetened almonds are ready to cherish.

Sweet & Spicy Almonds - Diwali Special

Ingredients:

1. One cup almonds
2. One tbs crushed red pepper flakes
3. Two tsp sugar
4. One Tsp Fennel seeds

Method:

• Mix ingredients until almonds are well coated.
• Spread in a single layer on a microwavable dish and heat for 1 minute.
• Stir and heat again for 1 to 2 minutes.

Note: Always keep an eye on microwave during the whole process, especially if you are roasting in it for first time.

Potato Toppings - Diwali Special

Ingredients:

1. Few potato chips
2. Fresh Cheese
3. Tomato
4. Fresh Coriander leaves
5. Salt to taste

Method:

• Mash or cut the cheese in small cubes.
• Slice the Tomato, in thin slices.
• Take the potato chips (Crispy,Crunchy Potato Chips in microwave Under Navratri special label).
• Place the cheese cubes carefully on each potato chips and then the tomato slices.
• Now decorate with coriander leaves.
• Sprinkle the salt over them and the special potato toppings are ready to serve.
• It’s the simple but elegant looking dish that compliments the evening snacks and makes the tea special.

Note : One can experiment with may other things on the potato chips as toppings , depending upon the availability like mashed potatoes, boiled eggs, Thick Chutneys, Tomatoe sauce, minced chicken …………

Potato Cutlus - Diwali Special

Ingredients:

1. 3 bread slices
2. 1 large boiled potato
3. 1 Onion
4. 1 chopped green chilly
5. ¼ tsp dried pomegranate powder (Anardana)
6. Oil for deep frying
7. ½ bowl dry bread crumbs
8. ¼ cumin seeds
9. Few chopped coriander leaves
10. Salt to taste

Method:

• Roast cumin seeds in a pan then add oil, chopped onion and green chili, Sauté for 2 mnts.
• Add mashed boiled potato.  Mix salt, anardana and coriander leaves.
• Remove the corners of bread slices. Wet lightly the bread slices.
• Fill the potato mixture in the wet bread slices and roll it in circular shape.
• Roll these balls in the bread crumbs and deep fry in hot oil on both sides till golden brown in colour.
• Hot and crispy potato cutlus are ready to serve with spicy mint chutney.

Meetha Tukda - Diwali Special

Ingredients:

1. Six bread slices
2. One litter full-cream milk
3. One can (400gm) sweetened condensed milk
4. One tsp cardamom
5. Chopped dry fruits

Method:

• Remove the corners of bread slices, and cut it into half in triangle shape.
• Mix the milk and condensed milk in a thick-bottomed pan and boil till it reduces to half its original volume. Stir frequently to prevent from burning the milk. When it is done add the cardamom, mix well and remove from the fire.
• Dip the bread slices in the mixture generously and arrange in a microwave safe pan evenly.
• Pour the remaining mixture over it.
• Microwave it for 2 minutes on medium high. (Could vary from one microwave to another)
• Garnish it with chopped dry fruits and serve hot.

Rava Ladoo

Ingredients:

1. three Cups Rava (Semolina)
2. two Cups Sugar
3. four  Tbsp Ghee
4. two Tbsp Elaichi (Cardamom) powder
5. one  Cup Dry Coconut powder (optional)

 Method: 

we can make it by two methods the first one is traditional one and the second one is in microwave.

Traditional :

•  Roast rava for few minutes without ghee till the rich aroma of rava fills the air.
• Add ghee and fry for few more minutes till mixture turns brown.
• Mix coconut and elaichi powder.
• Prepare sugar syrup.
• Add rava mixture in sugar syrup.
• Keep it for cooling.
• Stir till the mixture turns thick.
• Make ladoos of this mixture.
• Garnish these ladoos with splited cashew nuts on top and serve.

 Microwave:

• Place rawa in a microwave safe bowl and add ghee to it.
• Mix well and place in microwave on high for 6 minutes, keep stirring in between at interval of every one minute.
• When done, remove and set aside to cool in a wide plate (takes almost 30 minutes)
• Once cool, add sugar syrup, cardamom and nuts and mix well to remove lumps.
• Roll laddus with hand.
• If they break easily and are hard to roll, add 2-3 tbsp hot melted ghee and then try rolling in circular shape.
• Serve or store in air tight container and enjoy!