Carrot Halwa / Gajar ka Halwa

Ingredients:

2 cup grated carrots/gajar

½ cup milk

5 to 6 tbsp sugar

2 cups milk 

1 to 2 tbsp Ghee

½ tsp cardamom powder

2 tbsp almond, pistachios or cashew slices.

Instructions:

Add ghee in a microwave safe bowl and melt it.  Add the grated carrots and microwave on high power for 2 and a half minutes. Add milk, sugar, cardamom powder and  microwave for 8 minutes on high power. Allow a standing time of 5 minutes. Garnish carrot halwa with slices of almond, pista and cashew nuts. You can either serve carrot halwa hot or cold.

Chinese Bhel

          "Chinese Bhel"  the name says it all Chinese & Mumbai ...a lip smacking Indo Chinese  chaat which is a quick mix of simplest  ingredients. 

Ingredients:

2 cups noodles (ex:  Hakka noodles, or Maggi Noodles )

4 tbsp chopped red onion.

1/2 cup red or green cabbage shredded.

1/2 cup shredded cucumber

1/4 cup shredded carrots

2 tbsp chopped red or green bell pepper 

4 tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander very finely, chopped

2 stalks of green/spring onion, chopped

1/2 tsp very very finely julienne fresh ginger

2 tbsp oil

For the sauce: (adjust the quantity of each of the ingredients below to your taste)

1 tsp soya sauce 

2 tbsp schewan sauce

1 tbsp ketchup

1  tbsp any hot sauce 

Method for noodles:

1. Boil 4 cups of water and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the noodles while stirring occasionally and cook until they are soft but not cooked. Drain well.

2. Spread the noodles on a clean piece of cloth and allow to dry for at least 20 mins.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a medium flame. Fry small quantities of noodles at a time in the hot oil until light brown.

4. Remove the noodles from the oil and drain on absorbent paper. Repeat with the remaining noodles.

Method for Bhel :

1. Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.

2. Place the fried noodles in the serving bowl and add all the above dry ingredients except the sauce. Toss.

3. Spoon the sauce uniformly over the noodles and toss again. Serve right away before the noodles get soggy.