GUACAMOLE

GUACAMOLE 

INGREDIENTS 

Ripe Avocado - 1
Onion - 1 small
Green Chillies - 2
Tomato - 1 small
Lemon - 1 small
Coriander Leaves - 1 Tbsp 
Salt - To Taste 

METHOD 

Scoop flesh from the ripe avocado and mash with a fork or potato masher.
Chop fine the onion green chillies tomato and coriander leaves 
Extract juice from the lemon and use 2 Tsps of lemon juice 
Toss in all the chopped ingredients to the mashed avocado in a bowl 
Add lemon juice and salt to taste
Serve with chips or fries

Notes:

Adjust spices and lemon juice to suit your palate 
I used half of the small onion and tomato

TOMATO FISH CURRY

TOMATO FISH CURRY

INGREDIENTS 

Fish - 1/2 Kg
Tomatoes - 5
Shallots - 15
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Garlic Cloves - 6
Green Chillies - 3
Dry Red Chillies - 3
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Coriander Powder - 3/4 Tbsp 
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 Tbsp 
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 2 Tbsps 
Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs
Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 Tsp 
Mustard Seeds - 1 Tsp 
Salt - To Taste 
Oil - 4 Tbsps 

METHOD 

Clean fish pieces and set aside
Grind three tomatoes and slice the other two
Crush shallots ginger and garlic cloves with green chillies 
Heat oil in a pan and temper mustard and fenugreek seeds
Add curry leaves and dry red chillies sauté for a minute 
Add the crushed shallots ginger garlic and green chillies 
Sauté till raw smell is no more
Add in the spice powders and sauté for a few minutes 
Now add the tomato purée and sauté for 5 minutes 
Add water as required sliced tomatoes and salt to taste
When the water begins to boil add in the cleaned fish pieces 
Cook covered for 15 minutes in medium flame
Uncover and let it simmer for a few more minutes 
Serve with white rice

Note :

Make sure to choose large red ripe and plum tomatoes 
Purely a tomato based fish curry and no tamarind used for the sour taste or coconut paste added to thicken the curry
Adjust spices to suit your taste 
I used coconut oil 

GULAB JAMUN KOFTA CURRY

 GULAB JAMUN KOFTA CURRY 

INGREDIENTS 

FOR KOFTAS

Gulab Jamun Mix - 1 pkt 
Onion - 1 ( small )
Green Chillies - 3
Coriander Leaves - 1 Tbsp 
Water - As Required 
Salt - To Taste
Oil - To Fry

TO GRIND FOR GRAVY

Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 2
Green Chillies - 2
Cashews - 10 - 15
Ginger - 1 Small Piece
Garlic - 2 Cloves
Salt - To Taste 

FOR GRAVY

Milk - 1/2 - 1 cup
Shah jeera - 1 Tsp
Fresh Cream - 3 Tbsps
Red Chilli Powder - 2 Tsps
Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tsp

Salt - To Taste 
Oil - 4 Tbsps 

TO GARNISH 

Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup
Cream - 2 Tbsps 


METHOD 

Chop green chillies onion and coriander leaves fine for Kofta and add to the Gulab Jamun mix
Add water little at a time to Gulab Jamun mix and knead to a soft dough 
Set aside covered with a cling film
Pressure cook for three whistles the ingredients to grind
Cool at room temperature and grind to a smooth paste
Form equal sized balls from the Jamun mix
Heat oil in a pan and fry them to a golden brown 
Heat oil for gravy in a kadai and add the shah jeera seeds 
Once they burst add in the ground paste and sauté till raw smell is no more 
Add in the spice powders and some chopped coriander leaves mix well
Pour in the milk add salt to taste and add the fried koftas
Simmer for a couple of minutes in low flame
Add fresh cream simmer for two minutes and remove kadai from stove
Garnish with fresh cream and chopped coriander leaves and serve hot

Notes:
Quantity of cream depends on how rich you want the gravy to taste 
Add very little water at a time while kneading the mix
Fry the koftas in batches 
Best to add koftas and simmer just before serving else they become too soft or soggy 
Adjust spices to suit your palate 

PINEAPPLE AND BELL PEPPER SALAD

PINEAPPLE AND BELL PEPPER SALAD 

INGREDIENTS 

Pineapple - 3 cups 
Red Bell Pepper - 1
Green Bell Pepper - 1
Yellow Bell Pepper - 1
Pomelo Fruit Flesh - 1 cup
Green Chilli - 1
Green Apple - 1
Cashew Nuts - 15
Dates - 10 - 15
Mayonnaise - 1/2 - 1 cup
Fresh Cream - 1/4 cup
Pepper - To Taste
Salt - To Taste

METHOD 

Chop fine pineapple bell peppers green chilli apple and dates 
Remove the white skin from pomelo fruit flesh
In a bowl combine mayonnaise fresh cream salt and pepper to taste
Toss in the cashew nuts chopped fruits bell peppers and pomelo fruit flesh
Mix and serve garnished with some pineapple pieces

Notes:

You can use eggless mayonnaise 
You can add orange instead of pomelo 
I have not added sugar you can if you like 
I used medium sized bell peppers and apple

COCKTAIL BANANA FLOWER VADA

COCKTAIL BANANA FLOWER VADA 

INGREDIENTS 

Channa Dal - 1/4 cup

Gram Dal - 3 Tbsps 

Toor Dal - 1/4 cup

Dry Red Chillies - 3

Peppercorns - 1/2 Tbsp 

Banana Flowers - 2 cups

Onion - 1

Green Chillies - 4

Fennel - 2 Tsps

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Asafoetida - 1/2 Tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup
Buttermilk - 1 cup

Salt - To Taste 

Oil - To Fry

METHOD 

Soak the dals peppercorns and red chillies in water for three hours

Clean and peel the banana flower remove pistils and soak in buttermilk 

Meanwhile chop onion green chillies ginger curry leaves and coriander leaves 

Grind coarsely all the above soaked ingredients without adding water
Add fennel seeds chopped ingredients salt and asafoetida to the ground mixture 

Drain the banana flowers from buttermilk and chop fine 

Add to the ground dals and mix 

In medium flame heat oil in a kadai 

Form equal sized balls from the mixture flatten a little and fry in the hot oil till brown and crisp 

CRUNCHY SALMON AND AVOCADO SALAD

CRUNCHY SALMON AND AVOCADO SALAD 

INGREDIENTS 

Avocado - 1
Salmon - 4 pieces 
Red Bell Pepper - 1
Yellow Bell Pepper - 1
Red Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Green Chillies - 2
Crushed Pepper - To Taste
Coriander Leaves - 2 Tbsps 
Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp 
Salt - To Taste
Olive Oil - 4 - 5 Tsps

METHOD 

Chop avocado bell peppers onion tomato coriander leaves and green chillies 
Rub salt and pepper on the fish pieces and set aside 
In a pan heat olive oil to medium flame and add in the fish pieces
Flip and cook well on both sides till crisp
Chop crisp fish pieces into chunks
Toss all the ingredients in a bowl adding salt and pepper to taste and serve. 

Note:

You can add green capsicum if you like
You can add red chilli flakes if liked
I used medium sized bell peppers 
I used canned salmon fish pieces 

FRESH FIGS AND WALNUTS MUFFINS

FRESH FIGS AND WALNUTS MUFFINS 

INGREDIENTS 

Flour - 1 1/2 cups

Granulated Sugar - 3/4 cup

Baking Powder - 2 Tsps

Fresh Figs Chopped - 3/4 cup

Walnuts Chopped - 1/2 cup

Vanilla Essence - 2 Tsps

Warm Milk - 1/2 cup

Oil - 1/2 cup

Egg - 1

METHOD 

Preheat oven to 180*C for 15 minutes 

Line muffin pan with cupcake liners 

Sift flour and baking powder together 

Whisk wet ingredients with sugar till it dissolves 

Add dry ingredients in batches to wet ingredients and mix well 

Add in the chopped fresh figs and walnuts

Using an ice cream scoop take equal portions of the batter and pour in cupcake liners 

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes

Serve warm with honey or maple syrup drizzled on top 

Notes

Timing might vary with different brands of ovens available in the market 

Instead of oil cool melted butter can also be used

You can replace granulated sugar with brown sugar