Spicy Pumpkin Soup (Recipe)

Difficulty level - Easy

Preparation + Making time - 45 minutes.

Category - Starter, Soup (vegetarian).

Serves - 6 persons.

Ingredients:

Red pumpkin (seeds removed and unpeeled) - 750 gm.

Olive oil - 2 tbsp.

Garlic (very finely chopped) - 2 cloves.

Ginger paste - 1 tsp.

Leeks (trimmed and sliced) - 2 nos.

Cumin (Jeera) dry roasted powder - 1½ tsp.

Vegetable stock - 3 cups.

Salt and black pepper as per taste.

Yoghurt and coriander leaves - for garnishing.

Method:

1. Cut the pumpkin into quarters.

2. Heat oil in a large pan, add leeks and garlic. Cook gently until soft.

3. Add to it the ginger paste, cumin powder, pumpkin pieces and the vegetable stock and bring it to boil. Now lower the flame and allow simmering for about 30 minutes.

4. Add salt, pepper and then allow the mixture to cool.

5. Now process the soup in a mixer-blender to ensure a smooth consistency.

6. Reheat the soup and serve hot with a little yoghurt spread on the top and garnished with coriander leaves.

           N-Joy !!

Spiced Lentils Recipe

Difficulty level - Easy

Preparation time - 3 hours.

Making time - 12 minutes.

Serves - 4 persons.

Ingredients:

Slender or long fine rice - 1½ cups.

Lentils (Masoor Daal unpeeled) - 1½ cups.

Onions (large) - 2 nos.

Olive oil - 3½ tbsp.

Cinnamon (dalchini) powder - 1 tsp.

Cumin (Jeera) powder - 1 tsp.

Salt to taste.

Black Pepper - 1 tsp.

Cloves - 4-6 nos.

Coriander leaves (Dhania patta / Cilantro) - for garnishing.

Method:

1. Soak the lentils (daal) in water for 3-4 hours. Drain out the water and keep aside.

2. In another bowl soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes. Drain out the water and keep aside.

3. Heat 2 tbsp oil and fry one of the onions translucent.

4. Mix in the lentils the rice, salt, pepper, cumin, cloves and cinnamon and fry the mixed ingredients on medium flame for 2-3 minutes.

5. Now add double the amount of water than the quantity of the soaked rice and daal (lentil). Stir gently and cover with a lid and cook on a low flame till all the water is absorbed. Keep aside.

6. Fry the remaining onion pieces till brown. Garnish with coriander leaves and brown fried onions and serve hot.    

Spiced Aubergine (Brinjal/Baigan) Salad Recipe

Spiced Baigan (Eggplant) Salad

Difficulty level: Easy.

Ingredients:

=> 1 large aubergine (baigan / brinjal / eggplant) or 3-4 small sized.

=> Olive oil - 6 tbsp.

=> Vinegar - 2 tbsp.

=> Garlic cloves - 3 (crushed).

=> Lemon juice - 1½ tbsp.

=> Cumin seed (Jeera) powder - 1 tsp.

=> Coriander (Dhania) powder - 1 tsp.

=> Cucumber (sliced into round shapes) - 1 no.

=> Tomatoes (chopped into quarters, seeds removed) - 2 nos.

=> Yoghurt - 2 tbsp.

=> Black pepper (powder) - 1 tbsp.

=> Salt to taste.

For Garnishing:

=> Coriander leaves (Dhania patta) chopped.

Method:

=> Cut the brinjal (Baigan / Aubergine / Eggplant) into circles and brush with oil.

=> After heating grill the aubergine or baigan pieces after turning once so that both the sides are light golden brown.

=> Mix the oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin and coriander powder, and salt, pepper and lemon juice thoroughly. Then mix in the grilled brinjal or eggplant circles and stir gently.

=> Place them in a serving dish, chill in a fridge for 2-3 hours. Add (put) the tomatoes and cucumber pieces. Sprinkle yoghurt and coriander leaves on the top.

The ‘aubergine or brinjal or eggplant or baigan’ salad is ready to be served at once.  

Nuts and Honey Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

For the pie crust:

Maida (flour) - 2 cups.

Butter - ½ cup.

Icing sugar - 2 tbsp.

Egg - 1 no.

For the filling:

Unsalted butter - ½ cup.

Eggs (beaten) - 3 nos.

Castor sugar - ½ cup.

Honey - 3 tbsp.

Pistachio, almonds or pine nuts - 200 gm.

Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon.

Salt - 1 pinch.

For the dusting:

Icing sugar (optional)

Method:

=> Sift together the maida (refined flour) and icing sugar and mix in the butter working with your fingers till the mixture resembles with fine bread crumbs.

=> Take the above mixture in a bowl, add egg with 1 tbsp of water and work to a rim dough that leaves the bowl clean.

=> Use this dough to roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use roll out to fit a baking dish which you will use for pie. The pastry should be larger than the pie dish, so that it covers the sides completely.

=> Alternately you could use smaller size of pie crusts to be served as individual tarts since these are easier to handle.

=> To prepare the filling, cream together the butter and castor sugar until light, beat in the eggs one by one.

=> Now heat the honey gently in a small saucepan to the flowing consistency and then add the butter mixture. Mix in the lemon juice and rind.

=> Stir in the nuts and salt and then pour into the pie crusts. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180^OC till the filling is golden brown and well set.

Allow to cool then dust generously with icing sugar as per your choice. Nuts and Honey Pie is ready.    

Greek Salad Recipe

One can practically live on Greek salad. It is a simple salad with salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, olives and tangy feta cheese. (Feta cheese is a kind of firm crumbly salty cheese, originally from Greece, made from sheep’s or goat’s milk and preserved in brine. It is now produced in many other countries, though still most often used as an ingredient in Greek recipes). Here is the recipe of Greek Salad -

Ingredients:

=> 1 Small bunch of lettuce broken into small pieces by hand.

=> 1 Cucumber cut into pieces with the skin.

=> 4 Tomatoes quartered.

=> 200 gm Fete cheese half cut into cubes and half crumbled slightly..

=> 2 Spring onions cut into pieces.

=> 10-12 Black olives.

For Garnishing:

=> Extra virgin olive oil - 6 tbsp.

=> Lemon juice - 2 tbsp.

=> Salt to taste.

=> Black pepper powder - 1 tsp.

Method:

=> Put the main salad ingredients into a large bowl.

=> Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper and pour the dressing over the salad.

Greek salad is ready. Toss and serve at once.

Difficulty level: Easy.