ingredients

2 cups chilled sparkling water
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 mint leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons fine sugar, to taste
1/4 teaspoon black salt
1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
lemon slices, to garnish

directions

Blend all ingredients. Garnish with lemon slices and serve chilled.

ingredients

3 medium potatoes - sliced
1 red anaheim chili - chopped
3-5 curry leaves
1 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon carom seeds
pinch of nigella seeds
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
2-3 green chilies - minced
1 cup water
parsley, to garnish

directions

In a pot, heat ghee with cumin seeds and carom seeds for 1 to 2 minutes over a low-medium flame. When the seeds start crackling, add curry leaves, sliced potatoes, red anaheim chili, red chili flakes, turmeric, paprika, kashmiri red chili powder, black pepper, coriander powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, nigella seeds, salt, minced green chilies, and water. Cover with a lid and cook over a low flame for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve hot.

ingredients

1 cup boiled chickpeas
2 medium boiled potatoes - cubes
1 small tomato - chopped
1 small red onion - finely sliced
1/2 cup boondi
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
1 1/2 teaspoon green chili and tamarind dip
parsley and coriander leaves, to garnish

directions

In a bowl, mix lemon juice, chaat masala, and green chili and tamarind dip. Add boiled chickpeas, potatoes, tomato, red onion, and boondi. Toss well to coat all the ingredients evenly. Garnish with green chili and tamarind dip, chopped parsley, and coriander leaves. Serve cool.

ingredients

for dough

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lukewarm water, as needed
1/2 tablespoon ghee
1/2 cup whole wheat flour, for dusting

for filling

3/4 cup fine sugar, to taste

for toasting

1 tablespoon ghee

directions

for dough

In a large bowl, add flour and salt. Gradually add water and mix with a spatula until stiffly combined. Cover with a lid and rest for 5 minutes at room temperature.

Add a tablespoon of ghee and knead, for 3 to 5 minutes, to make a semi-soft dough. Cover again and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

for dusting

Using a knife, divide the dough into even 2 to 3 balls. Dust some flour over the worktop and roll out each ball into 4x4 inch circles. Place 3 to 4 tablespoons of sugar in the center, turn into a ball again by holding each side of the circle and pinching together. Dust some more flour and roll out into 7x7 inch circles.

for toasting

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Place a flatbread on it and cook it for half a minute. Brush some ghee over it and flip over the paratha. Cook it for 1/2 to a minute. Brush ghee over the underside too. Use a tong to rotate and make both sides toasty with golden brown spots.

Optional: Toast on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes for extra crispness.

Serve warm.

ingredients

for dough

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder - crushed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon carom seeds
1 tablespoon ghee
5-7 tablespoons water, as needed

for frying

3 cups oil or ghee

directions

for dough

In a bowl, mix whole wheat flour, salt, cumin powder, crushed cumin seeds, carom seeds, and ghee. Gradually add water, one tablespoon at a time. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes to make a smooth, stiff dough. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 20 to 25 minutes at room temperature.

for frying

Preheat oil in a deep skillet over a medium flame.

Meanwhile, grease the worktop and roll out the dough into a semi-thin circle. Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the circle into long stripes or any shape as per your preference.

To test the oil temperature, drop a small piece of dough, which should rise with bubbles formed around it and float without turning dark brown.

Fry the crispies until crispy and golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. Once cool, store in a clean, dry jar for up to a week.

ingredients

7-10 green chilies
1/2 cup tamarind pulp
2-3 mint and parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon jaggery or sugar
pinch of black salt and salt, to taste

directions

Blend all the ingredients into a smooth, semi-thick sauce.

ingredients

1/2 cup semolina
2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar, to taste
2-3 tablespoons condensed milk
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
2-3 tablespoons ghee
1 green cardamom
2-3 drops saffron food color - optional
6-7 saffron strands, for garnish

directions

Soak semolina in milk with saffron strands/saffron food color for 30 to 45 minutes.

Melt sugar in a pan, preferably stainless steel, with cardamom and ghee over a low flame. When the sugar turns into a light caramel shade, carefully stir in the soaked semolina-milk mix, vanilla essence, condensed milk, and powdered milk.

Stir continuously with a wooden spatula; halwa will thicken and stick to the sides of the pan in 3-5 minutes; use your spatula to scrape it off and keep stirring for 7-10 minutes or until the halwa leaves the sides. The scrapes add crunch and texture to the creamy halwa. Set out in a stainless steel plate and shape it using the spatula. Garnish with saffron; serve warm.

ingredients

for split chickpea

2 1/2 cups split chickpeas
3 cups water, for soaking
4 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt

for chicken curry

1 kg boneless chicken - cubes
3 tablespoons ghee
2-3 medium tomatoes - pureed
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons coriander powder
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
5-7 garlic cloves - sliced
1-2 medium onions - sliced
2-3 green chilies - finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1-2 tablespoons clarified butter

directions

for split chickpea

Wash split chickpeas well and soak in water for 40 to 60 minutes at room temperature.

In a pot, cook the soaked split chickpeas with water, turmeric, and salt for 30 to 40 minutes over a low flame or until tender.

for chicken curry

Heat ghee in a large pot over a medium flame. Add chicken, tomatoes, salt, turmeric, coriander powder, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, red chili flakes, red chili powder, ground black pepper, garlic powder, garlic cloves, onion, and green chilies; cover with a lid and cook over a low flame for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in yogurt and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Sprinkle garam masala and clarified butter; serve hot.

ingredients

1 cup phalsa berries
1 tablespoon black salt
5-6 tablespoons sugar, to taste
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
7-9 cups chilled water

directions

Wash phalsa berries and blend with black salt, sugar, salt, and a cup of water. In a large bowl, place a strainer to filter; pour water over the ground mix. Serve chilled.