Spaghetti with meatballs

For spaghetti:
Bring water to the boil in a large vessel, add lots of salt and some olive oil.
Add spaghetti to boiling water and let it cook as desired.
Drain and add 1tbsp of olive oil and toss them together to avoid from clumping.

Ingredients for Meatballs: (Makes about 20 meat balls)

• Beef Minced- 1/2 kg
• Oil- for frying
• Salt- to taste
• Green chillies- 1-2 number (chopped very fine)
• Red chilli flakes- 1tbslp (or to taste)
• Ginger and garlic paste- 1tblsp
• Cumin powder- 1tsp
• Garam masala powder- 1tsp
• Fresh chopped parsley- 1tblsp
• Breadcrumbs- 1/2 cup
• Egg- 1 beaten

Mix all the meatball ingredients together evenly with your hands and make medium size meatballs.
Cover and refrigerate it until needed or at least for 1/2 an hour.
Heat little oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs till light brown. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
NOTE: You can directly cook them with the sauce but frying keep them juicy from the inside.

Ingredients for the sauce:

• Oil- 1/4 cup
• fresh tomatoes- 8 (blended with skin)
• Red onion- 1 (sliced finely)
• Capsicum- 1tblsp (sliced)
• tomato paste- 1tblsp
• Ketchup- 1tsp
• bunch of coriander
• Ginger and garlic paste- 1tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Red chilli powder- 1/2tsp
• Black pepper- 1tsp
• Dried organo- pinch
• Dried basil- pinch
• Bay leaves- 2
• Parmesan cheese- Optional.

Heat the oil, saute the onions, capsicum and ginger, garlic paste until onion is translucent.
Stir in tomatoes, salt, red chilli powder, black pepper and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low flame for 25-30 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste, ketchup, basil, oregano and meatballs and simmer it for 10 minutes.
Garnish with some fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese on the top.
Serve hot with garlic bread.

Tahari

INGREDIENTS:

• Butter- 1/2cup
• Rice- 1kg (soaked for atleast 1/2 hour)
• Potatoes- 6 (medium size peeled and cut into halves)
• Onion- 2 (medium size)
• Garlic paste- 1/2tsp
• Turmeric Powder- 1 1/2tblsp
• Green Chilies- 6-8 (to taste)
• Cumin seeds- 1tsp
• Whole black pepper- 1/2tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Crushed red chillies- 1tsp
• Bay leaves- 4-5
• Black cardamom- 4-5
• Cloves- 1/4tsp
• Cardamom- 3-4
• Cinnamon sticks- 2

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat butter and add onions and fry them on medium-low heat till it turns translucent.
• Now add whole garam masala (cloves, cardamom, whole black pepper, bay leaves, Cinnamon sticks and cumin seeds) and let them cook with onions for 1-2 minutes.

NOTE: Please don't let the onions turn brown.

• Add Green chillies, potatoes, salt and turmeric and crushed red chillies. Mix them real good and cook them on medium- low heat for 3-4 minutes.
• Now add 2 glasses of water and give it a boil (we don't want potatoes to be cooked).
• When it comes to a boil, add rice to it. (Water should reach 1-1/2 cm above the surface of the rice).
• Cover and cook the rice over high heat till rice becomes half cooked.
• When the water almost absorbs in the rice, reduce the flame to very low and cook for further 8-10 mins so that rice become tender and soft.

NOTE: If you are using rice cooker, leave it to cook and when the rice cooker beeps, it is ready. Don't open it right away, give them 5 minutes.

• Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with raita.

Chicken bread

INGREDIENTS:

• Oil- 4tbsp
• Flour- 3 cups
• Instant yeast- 1tbsp
• Salt- 1tsp
• Egg- 2 (one for dough and one for glazing)
• Sugar- 1tsp
• Milk - 1 cup

In a bowl mix together all the above ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, yeast, oil and 1 egg).
knead to a soft sticky dough with lukewarm milk, let it rise  for 1-2 hours.

Ingredients for chicken filling:

• Chicken boiled and shredded- 1 cup
• Onion- 1 small (chopped finely)
• Salt- 1tsp
• Black pepper- 1tsp
• Coriander leaves- 2tblsp
• Green chilies- 3 (chopped)
• Garam Masala Powder- 1tsp
• Red chilly powder- 1/2tsp (optional)
• Flour- 2tbsp
• Butter- 2tbsp
• Milk- 1 1/2 cup
• Sesame seeds- for sprinkling on the top

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 2 tbsp butter, fry onion till soft and translucent.
2. Add flour with salt, chilly powder, black pepper, garam masala.
3. Add the milk and cook till thick.
4. Mix in the shredded chicken, chopped green chilies and coriander leaves. 
5. Mix it real good so that all the ingredients are combined well together and let it cool.
6. Now divide the dough into two or three parts depending on what size loaves of chicken bread you want. Roll the dough to a rectangular shape, snip the sides with a knife, put filling in the center and fold each side so they overlap each other (like a braid).  

 

      7. Brush top with beaten egg, sprinkle sesame seeds.

      8. Bake on 200 degree C for 25 minutes or so.

Apple Omelette

INGREDIENTS:

• Butter- 1tblsp
• Strawberry jam- 1tblsp
• Apples- 2 (thinly sliced)
• Sugar- 1tblsp

For egg mixture:

• Eggs- 3 (whites and yolks separated)
• All-purpose flour- 1tblsp
• Sugar- 1tblsp
• Vanilla essence- 1tsp

For frying:

• Butter- 1tblsp

DIRECTIONS:

1. Take butter in a pan and let it melt.
2. Add strawberry jam and keep stirring for 2-3 minutes or until butter and strawberry jam are combined good together.
3. Add apples, mix it together.
4. Now add sugar and cook until the apples are soft and tender.
5. Take it out in a plate and let it cool.
6. Now take a bowl and add 3 egg yolks, all-purpose flour, sugar and vanilla essence.
7. Beat them really good together until they turn into a creamy mixture.
8. Now take another bowl (clean and dry) and add egg whites and whisk them with a beater.
9. When they turn foamy, pour it into egg mixture and mix it using a folding method.
10. Take a pan and add butter.
11. Now pour the egg mixture in a pan and let it cook from the bottom.
12. Now turn and add apples mixture in one half portion.
13. Flip the remaining empty half over the filling.
14. Slide onto the serving plate.
15. Sprinkle with cinnamon and icing sugar.
16. Pour some cream on the top.

Kofta Curry

INGREDIENTS (for balls):

• Miced meat- 400 grams
• Onion- 1 small (chopped)
• Ginger and Garlic- 1tsp (paste)
• Green chillies- 2-3 number
• Coriander- few chopped leaves
• Red chilli powder- 1tsp (or to taste)
• Coriander powder- 1tsp
• Salt- 1tsp (or to taste)
• Egg- 1 (beaten)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grind all the ingredients mentioned for the balls in the blender.
2. Roll mixture into the size of a small egg.

INGREDIENTS ( for gravy):

• Oil- 1/2cup
• Whole garam masla (cardamom, cloves, whole black pepper)
• Cumin seeds- 1/2tsp
• Onion- 1 large (sliced)
• Tomato- 1 small (chopped)
• Yogurt- 1 cup
• Salt- 1 1/2tsp (or to taste)
• Red chilli powder- 1tsp (or to taste)
• Coriander powder- 1tsp
• Turmeric- 1/4tsp

DIRECTIONS:

1. Take oil in a pot and fry the balls till they are nicely brown.
2. Take them out and keep aside.
3. In the same oil add onions and fry them till they turn golden brown.
4. Now add whole garam masala and cumin seeds, fry for few minutes.
5. Add tomato and let it cook till it turns to a paste or oil floats on the top.
6. Add dried spices (salt, chilli powder. turmeric and coriander power).
7. Add yogurt and let it simmer for few minutes.
8. Add water and when comes to a boil, put the balls in it.
9. Cover it and cook till the gravy thickens.
10. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Stuffed Dum Aloo

INGREDIENTS:

• Oil for frying
• Butter- 3tblsp
• Onion- 2 medium 
• Potatoes- 4 large
• Tomatoes- 3 (pureed in a blender)
• Chilli powder- to taste
• Green chillies- 3-4 (chopped)
• Coriander powder- 1tblsp
• Cumin powder- 1tsp
• Garam masala powder- pinch
• Ginger-1/2tsp (paste)
• Garlic- 1/2tsp (paste)
• Turmeric- pinch
• Raisins- 8-10
• Cashew-nuts- 4-6 (crushed)
• Fresh coriander leaves.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut each potato in half and scoop out contents from the center of the potatoes (they would resemble like cups).
2. Fry the potato cups to a nice golden brown color and also fry the contents left from scooping.
3. Mash the fried trimmings, add cashews , raisins, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, chilli powder, chopped green chillies and fresh coriander leaves.
4. stuff the filling back into the potato cups.
5. Heat butter in a wok, add cumin seeds when they start spluttering, add onions and fry till golden brown.
6. Add ginger, garlic paste (fry for couple of minutes), turmeric, salt, coriander powder and chilli powder. Cook for 1 minute.
7. Now add pureed tomato paste and let it simmer on medium-low heat, let it cook for 15-20 minutes or till all the ingredients are combined good together and it comes to a think creamy mixture.
8. Add stuffed potatoes and let it simmer for few more minutes and finally sprinkle garam masala on the top and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with white rice.

Fruit Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• All purpose flour- 2 cups
• Eggs- 3 large
• Butter- 1/2 cup
• Nuts (almonds, pistachios)- 1cup
• Raisins- 2tblsp
• Sugar- 1 1/2 cup
• Fruit can- 350ml (approximately)
• Baking powder- 1tsp
• Warm milk- 1/2 cup

For icing:

• Sugar- 1/2 cup
• Cinnamon powder- 1tsp.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Take eggs in a bowl and whisk it for 5-10 mins.
2. Add sugar and add it into the eggs, whisk it really good with a beater or you can use a manual whisker.
3. Keep whisking till it becomes thick creamy consistency and starts leaving track behind.
4. Take all-purpose flour and add baking powder in it.
5. Take this flour and add this into the egg mixture and pass through the strainer.
6. Fold it real good.
7. Add butter, fruit can, raisins and nuts and mix it good.
8. Add 1/2 cup of milk.
9. Keep mixing it till all the ingredients are mixed good together.
10. Now spray or flour your baking tray so the cake don't stick to the bottom.
11. Add the cake mixture into the greased baking tray.
12. Preheat your oven at 350 fahrenheit.
13. Place the baking tray in to the hot oven and let it bake for 60- 80 mins or insert knife into the cake mixture, if it comes out clean that means your cake is ready.
14. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 mins.
15. For icing, place the sugar and cinnamon into a pan and keep stirring till it melts.
16. Pour immediately on the top of the cake and spread with a knife or back of the spoon.
17. Sprinkle some castor sugar on the top.