Spicy Vegetable Cutlet

Vegetable Cutlet is supposed to be the most satisfying and fulfilling spicy craving for a light afternoon snack or tea time snack. It goes well with Tomato Ketchup.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups chopped Carrots, & Cabbage
• 3 Boiled and Mashed Potatoes
• 1/4 cup of Fresh Green Peas Boiled
• 2 Onions chopped
• 2 tsp Green chili and Ginger Paste
• 1tsp Garlic paste
• 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 2tsp Amchur powder
• 1tsp Cumin powder
• Chopped coriander leaves
• 1tsp Red chilli powder(as per taste)
• Salt to taste
• 5 slices of Bread
• 1/2 cup of Bread crumbs
• Oil for frying

Preparations:

• Steam the chopped vegetables & peas in a pressure cooker.

• Heat 1tsp oil in a pan. Fry ginger & green chili paste for few minutes.

• Add onions fry until golden brown.

• Put the mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and fry for 10 minutes or until it becomes dry enough.

• Mix all the masalas & salt to the vegetables and saute.

• Remove from heat and let it cool.

• Add the chopped coriander leaves.

• Dip the bread slices in water one at a time, take this out from water immediately and squeeze out the excess water.

• Put this in the above mixture and bind it well.

• Make equal sized patties out of this mixture and coat again with bread crumbs powder.

• Shallow fry the cutlets until both sides becomes brown.

• Place cooked cutlets on napkins to drain the excess oil.

Crispy Asparagus Rolls

Ingredients:
Few brown Bread slices)
1tsp Butter
2 finely chopped green chilies
Asparagus pieces peeled and trimmed
2tbsp Grated cheese
3tbsp Gram flour (Besan)
1tbsp Dry mango powder (Amchur powder)
½ tsp Garam masala
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Remove the side crusts from the bread slices.

2. Mix the butter, green chilies, salt, garam masala, gram flour, cheese, mango powder and keep aside for a few minutes.

3. Steam the asparagus for 5 mins and cool it down.

4. Spread the gram flour mixture on one side of the bread slices.

5. Put a piece of asparagus on the bread slice and roll it up tightly.

6. Arrange these rolls on a baking tray, brush lightly with melted butter and bake for 8 to 10mins or until crisp and golden brown.

7. Serve hot with Tomato ketchup, or any sweet chilly sauce.

FREEDOM TOAST

'Freedom Toast', a simple and a quick breakfast/snack I learn’t from my mom. It’s not too fancy, but a filling and a tasty snack served anytime in just minutes.Ingredients:
Bread slices (Brown /white)
3tbsp sooji/rava (Semolina)
3-4 tbsp Curd or Buttermilk
1/2 red onion chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 green chili finely chopped (as per taste)
1tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Salt & Pepper as per taste
Preparation: 1. Mix all above ingredients to a thick batter. Make sure that the batter is not thin and sticks well on the bread. 2. Spread a thin layer of the batter on one side of the bread. 3. Heat a griddle or tava, add a tsp of butter and place the bread on it.
4. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes or until it gets brown and crispy. Flip and cook for another minute.
(Do not try to move the bread around on the griddle when cooking or you will end up with batter stuck all over your griddle. Once the side is cooked it can be flipped quite easily.)
Slice into triangles and serve with a dollop of ketchup or any chutney of your choice.

PITHOD/ KHANDVI

Pithod is my favorite dish which i learn't from my grandmother. And of course everyone knows grandma's cooking is always the best :)Ingredients:
1cup curd
1cup Gram flour (Besan)
1 cup water
Salt to taste
1 pinch Turmeric powder
2 pinches red chilli powder
1tsp lemon juice
Preparation:
1. Mix all the above ingredients and blend it togther in to a smooth paste.2. Fry the batter on a medium flame till it becomes thick and starts to leave the pan sides or doesn't stick to your finger.3. Once above step is done, immediately spread the batter on a round plate evenly and sprinkle some red chilli powder. Spreading it too late may cause the batter to dry and will not spread evenly.4. Leave the above spread for about 15mins and then roll over slowly without breaking and cut in to small round shapes.
Garnishing :
1. Fry little mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves in 1tsp ghee and spread over the cut round shapes of pithod.
2. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Black Forest Cake

Ingredients for Cake:

1 tin condensed milkmaid

280 grams Maida (all purpose flour)

2tbsp Cocoa powder or drinking chocolate

1 cup sugar

1tsp Baking powder

2tsp Baking Soda

120 ml melted butter

100ml Milk

Chocolate essence 1tsp

Diet Coke if needed instead of water

Preparation:

1. Pre heat the oven for 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)and grease the baking pan with cooking spray and spread some flour over it

2. Sieve the Maida (all purpose flour), baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cocoa powder and keep aside.

3. Beat the condensed milk using a hand beater for a while and later add the essence.

4. Add the above dry ingredients little by little alternating it with milk and melted butter to the condensed milk batter. If required add some diet coke instead of water to get the smooth flowing consistency.

5. Put the batter in the baking dish and bake till the tooth pick comes out soft like crumbs. It takes approximately 35mins to bake. Allow to cool.

Ingredients for Icing:

1/2 tin canned cherries and syrup

1 cup fresh whipped cream

3 tbsp powdered sugar

4 tbsp grated dark or plain chocolate

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

To make whipped cream icing:

1. Beat the cream over a tray of ice cubes with a hand beater. Do not overbeat. It should form soft peaks. Add in the sugar and essence. Mix gently. Put some icing in the icing bag for final decorations and leave the rest in the bowl. Keep both in the refrigerator.

2. Slice the cake into 2 horizontal halves. Place on a tray on a mesh. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp syrup of cherries on each half. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.

3. Spread the cream icing on lower half of the cake. Transfer to a cake plate. Place the cherries on the cream. Save a few for topping decorations.

Place the other half of the cake on top of the lower layer. Spread a little more icing on top and decorate the top edges and bottom edges with the icing nozzles. Spread the chocolate flakes all over and decorate it with cherries.

Tips:

1. You can also grate the chocolate bar using a peeler for a very different stylish curly look.

2. Instead of cooking sprays baking sprays are available in the market with just a touch of baker's flour for a convenient one-step spray that lets baked goods slide right out of the pan.