Bottle Gourd (Ghiya) Raita

Ingredients:

1. 1 small fresh Bottle gourd (approx. 250gm)
2. 500g fresh curd
3. 1 Deseeded, finely chopped green chilli
4. Salt to taste
5. Chat Masala for garnishing

Method:

• Peel and grate the Bottle guard.
• Put it in pan with boiling water. Close the lid and boil for another 15 mnts.
• Sieve it and squeeze the extra water from it and keep it aside for cooling.
• Take the curd in a wide bowl and blend with a hand blender, add water according to the curd to maintain medium consistency (not too thick, nor too thin).
• Add the squeezed bottle gourd, chopped green chilli and salt to blended curd. Mix well.
• Serve cool raita, garnished with pinch of chat masala powder and chopped green chilli on the top.

Tip: Don’t throw away the sieved water; you can use it in dough, gravy or dal. One can also use it as face wash, it is very good cleanser.

Onion-Tomato mixed raita

Ingredients:

1. 1 small onion
2. 1 fresh tomato
3. 500g fresh curd
4. 1 Deseeded, finely chopped green chilli
5. Salt to taste
6. Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

• Peel and finely chop the onion and tomato
• Take the curd in a wide bowl and blend with a hand blender, add water according to the curd to maintain medium consistency (not too thick, nor too thin).
• Add the finely chopped onion, tomato and green chili to blended curd. Add salt and mix well.
• Serve cool raita, garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves and green chili on the top.

Aloo Raita (Potato raita)

Aloo Raita

Ingredients:

1. 1 small potato
2. 500g fresh curd
3. 1 Deseeded, finely chopped green chili
4. Salt to taste
5. Freshly roasted and grounded cumin powder for garnishing

Method:

• Boil, peel and dice the potato.
• Take the curd in a wide bowl and blend with a hand blender, add water according to the curd to maintain medium consistency (not too thick, nor too thin).
• Add the diced potato and finely chopped green chili to blended curd. Add salt and mix well.
• Serve cool raita, garnished with fresh cumin powder and green chili on the top.

Poha (Flattened Rice or Rice Flakes)

Ingredients:

1. 2 cup Poha (flattened rice or rice flakes) 
2. 1/4 cup Peanuts
3. 1/2 tsp Jeera (Cumin seeds)
4. 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
5. 1 tbsp Oil
6. 5-6 Curry leaves
7. 1 Onion
8. 1/4 cup Peas (optional)
9. Salt as per taste
10. 1/2 tsp Haldi (Turmeric)
11. 1 Lemon
12. Coriander for Garnish

Method:

• Wash the poha in sieve so that excess of water drains out, set aside
• Add oil in a pan and roast peanuts and peas in it.
• Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, when it starts spluttering add curry leaves, finely chopped onion and green chili of course finely chopped in it
• Sauté it then add turmeric powder and salt
• Again Sauté it for two minutes then add pohas in it, stirring up continuously and carefully so that they don't get mushy
• Squeeze lemon on the poha
• Garnish with finally chopped coriander leaves

Hot poha is ready, Serve it with tomato ketchup or sauce or any chutney to add extra flavor.....

Stuffed Papad in microwave

Ingredients:

1. 3 Urad Dal (split black gram) papad
2. 1 large boiled potato
3. 1 Onion
4. 1 chopped green chilly
5. ¼ tsp dried pomegranate powder (Anardana)
6. 2 tsp oil
7. ¼ cumin seeds
8. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
9. few chopped coriander leaves
10. salt to taste

Method:

• Roast cumin seeds in a pan then add oil, turmeric powder, chopped onion and green chili, Sauté for 2 mnts
• Add mashed boiled potato.  Mix salt, anardana and coriander leaves.
• Cut the papad in two pieces from center. Wet nicely the half papad and fold it in conical shape
• Fill the potato mixture in it and seal the edges using water.
• Grease the cones with oil, and then place it in microwave plate.
• Set the oven for 1-2 minute on medium high. Time could vary slightly according to microwave.
• Kurkure papad cones are ready to eat!

Note: One can also make the rolls of stuffed papad instead of cones.

Spicy Masala Papad

Ingredients:

1. 5 Urad Dal papad (split black gram)
2. 1 large onion
3. Two tomatoes
4. One green chilli
5. Pinch of Salt for sprinkling
6. Pinch of red pepper for sprinkling
7. Pinch of chatt masala for sprinkling (one can also use dry mango powder)
8. 1 tsp oil
9. Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

• Peel, wash and finely chop onion.
• Wash and finely chop tomatoes.
• Deseed green chilli and chop it finely. Mix all the three in a bowl.
• Take papad and grease it with oil, then place it in microwave plate.
• Set the oven for one minute on medium high. Time could vary slightly according to microwave.
• Take out the papad when it becomes crispy.
• Spread the mixture over the papad evenly, sprinkle salt, red pepper and chatt masala.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Enjoy as a tea time snack or spice up your meals…………..

Tulsi- Ginger Tea: The warm blend of aromatic tulsi and spicy ginger

Allow the heat of strong ginger accented with Tulsi’s transformative energy in a cup to banish dull, damp - cold days………………

Ingredients:

1. 8-10 leaves of tulsi (Indian basil)
2. 4-5 gm ginger
3. 2 tsp honey

Method:

• Add Tulsi leaves and grated ginger in boiling water
• Simmer it for few minutes
• Sieve it and pour it in tea cups
• Add honey while stirring
• Serve hot but in summers you can have it chilled.

Note: if you want to add milk, it goes perfectly with it.