Pasta in White Sauce

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 250g pasta(I used farfalle but it could be any of your choice penne, fusilli, etc)
• 5 cups water(to boil pasta)
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot(sliced into long strips)
• 2 bell peppers(sliced into long strips)
• handful french beans(cut into strips)
• 2 onions sliced
• 1tbsp boiled or frozen peas
• 1tbsp frozen corn(optional)
• 1tbsp sliced olives
• salt as per taste
• black pepper as per taste
• 1 tsp garlic minced
• 3tbsp plain flour
• 2tbsp butter
• 4 cups milk(slightly warm)
• oregano
• chili flakes
• grated mozarella cheese

Boil the pasta in water with 4-5 drops of olive oil till done or as per the instructions on the packet. Drain and wash with water and keep aside.

Heat the oil in the wok and saute all the veggies for 5-10 minutes til they soften. Season them with salt and pepper. Do not add onions first to the wok as they become to pale and loose all the flavor by the end.

To make the white sauce heat the butter in the saucepan, do not burn it. Add the flour and stir constantly to prevent it from burning. The flour will be done in a minute or two. Oil will separate and the color will change. Now add the milk stirring constantly. Mix well and add garlic. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. When the mixture reduces to half, it will be done add the veggies. Mix well and add the pasta. Stir well, sprinkle the cheese, oregano and chili flakes.

Mix well. Garnish with freshly crushed black pepper and serve hot. Enjoy!!!

Channe Masala

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 5 to 6

Ingredients

• 1cup channe(white chickpeas)
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 3 green cardamoms
• 1tsp zeera(cumin)
• 3 onions grind into a paste
• 2 large tomatoes grind into a paste
• 1tsp garlic mince
• 1tsp ginger mince
• 3 green chilies finely chopped
• 1tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp turmeric powder
• salt as per taste
• red chili powder as per taste
• 1tsp garam masala
• 1/2tsp cumin(zeera) powder
• 1tsp tomato ketchup
• 1 teabag
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 3cups water

Soak channe in water over night along with black cardamom and the teabag. Pressure cook these for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile,heat oil in the wok and fry zeera, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick. Add the ginger-garlic paste. Cook for a minute and add onion paste. Add the coriander and turmeric powder and mix. 

When the oil starts separating add the tomato paste. Season with salt, red chili and green chilies after a few minutes. The tadka will be done when the oil starts separating.

Now some water will still be left with the channe. Dispose off the teabag and separate the channe from water. Add the channe to the tadka. Mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes. Now add 1/2 cup of retained water. Bring to a boil and add the ketchup, garam masala and zeera powder. Cook for 2 minutes.

Garnish with chopped onions and coriander. Serve with hot puris or parantha or rotis. Enjoy!!!

Murg Makhanwala

Murg Makhanwala is delicious creamy preparation and butter is the star of the dish.

Preparation time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 800g chicken
• 1kg tomatoes
• 5 mace
• 10 green cardamoms
• 1/2tbsp olive oil
• 2tbsp butter
• 1tsp tandoori masala
• 2tsp garlic mince
• 2tsp ginger mince
• 1tsp garam masala
• 1tsp zeera(cumin) powder
• salt as per taste
• red chili powder as per taste
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 1tsp sugar
• 1tsp tomato ketchup
• 1cup cream
• 1tsp kasuri methi

Marinate the chicken with half the ginger-garlic paste, 1tsp salt, 1tsp red chili powder and tandoori masala for 2 hours. Meanwhile, make small cuts on the tomatoes' surface and boil them along with mace and cardamoms for 5 minutes. Discard the mace and cardamoms. Peel and blend them to make puree.

Heat the oil in a wok and saute the chicken for 10 minutes or til it starts turning brown. Keep aside and heat half the butter in the wok and fry the remaining ginger-garlic paste for a minute. Add the puree. Let it reduce to 1/4th. Add the garam masala and zeera powder and cook for few minutes. 

Add the chicken and mix well. Add rest of the butter. Season with salt, green chilies and red chili powder if you like. Stir and cook for few minutes. Add sugar and tomato ketchup. Cook for another 2 minutes. Simmer the heat, whisk the cream and add to the chicken. Add the kasuri methi, stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

Garnish with butter and mint leaves. Enjoy!!!

Marble Cake

This cake looks to tempting that its hard to resist. It is as soft, delicious and moist. It is a treat speacially for those with a sweet tooth.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 40-50 minutes
Serves 10

Ingredients:

• 50g bitter sweet chocolate
• 1tbsp brewed coffee
• 2cup maida(2 1/4cup in the original recipe)
• 1tbsp baking powder
• 1/2tsp cinnamon powder
• 100g softened butter
• 1cup castor sugar(1 1/4cup in the original recipe)
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4cup yogurt
• 1/3cup milk(room temperature)

Preheat the oven to 180 degree C. Grease the cake mould with oil and dust it with the help of a tsp of maida. Melt the chocolate along with brewed coffee over double boiler. In a separate bowl, sift together maida, baking powder and, cinnamon. 

In another bowl, beat butter till smooth and gradually add sugar. Beat for another 3-5 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time while beating. Beat in vanilla extract and yogurt.

Now with mixer on low speed add the flour mixture and milk alternatively in three additions, starting and ending with flour.

Pour half of the batter into a separate bowl and fold in the melted chocolate. Now spoon the two batters creatively into the mould to give it the marble effect.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the toothpick comes clear and the cake leaves the sides. Enjoy!!!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is the first time I have tried this recipe and initially I was bit doubtful about how it is going to turn out but it turned out delicious. We don't get large bell peppers in Punjab at this time of year so I used small bell peppers. You can use any filling of your choice be it paneer, potatoes, besan or mix veg.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 8 bell peppers(capsicum)
• 4 medium potatoes(boiled and mashed)
• 3 medium onions finely chopped
• 2tbsps finely chopped french beans
• 1tbsp grated paneer(cottage cheese)
• 2tbsps peas(boiled or frozen)
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• few coriander leaves chopped
• 1tsp garlic mince
• 1tsp ginger mince
• salt as per taste
• red chili powder if required
• 1tsp amchur(dried mango powder)
• 1tsp roasted cumin powder(zeera powder)
• 1tsp garam masala powder
• 1tbsp butter
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 3cups water
• Mozzarella cheese for garnish

Boil the water and immerse the peppers in it to soften them up. Pat them dry and keep aside. Preheat the oven at 180 degree C. Grease a baking tray. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in the wok and add the ginger-garlic paste to it. Fry it for a minute and add the onions. Saute till they turn pink. Add turmeric powder. Stir well and season with salt and add green chilies. Add beans and cook for 2 minutes. Add mashed potatoes, paneer and peas. Mix well and add garam masala, cumin powder and, amchur. Cook for few minutes and sprinkle the coriander leaves and mix well. The filling is ready.

Meanwhile, cut the top off the peppers and tap them to remove the seeds. Fill in the peppers with the prepared mixture. Place them on the baking tray and put some butter on top of each pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 Garnish with mozzarella cheese. Serve with paranthas or rotis. Enjoy!!!