BAKED RED POTATOES

Ingredients:
4 large unpeeled red potatoes
1tbsp butter; melted
3 cloves minced garlic
1 stem green onion finely cut
1/4 tbsp black pepper
3/4 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried onion
3/4 tbsp salt
shredded cheese to garnish

Preparation:

• In a bowl mix garlic, green onions, black pepper, oregano, dried onion and salt.
• Cut the potatoes into wedges (about 1 inch thick).
• Mix the potato in the bowl and toss.
• Preheat the oven to around 425F
• Coat a baking pan with melted butter and add the mixture to it. Sprinkle the cheese on top of it
• Bake the potatoes till golden brown (around 1/2 hour). Halfway through the baking, stir the potatoes.

VEGETABLE CUTLET

This recipe has been handed down from my mother. One bite of it takes me back to my childhood.

Ingredients:

2 potatoes boiled
1/2 carrot grated
1/4 beet root grated
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
oil for frying
3-4 tbsp corn flour
1/4 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs

Preparation:

• Boil the potatoes and mash them.
• Add salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, chaat masala, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix them well.
• Now add the grated carrot and beet root and mix them with the mashed potato.
• Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add the mashed mixture to it and fry it for about 5-6 minutes.
• When the mixture cools down, take handful of the mixture and make oval patties out of it.
• In a flat bottomed bowl mix corn flour and milk In another plate take the bread crumbs.
• Now dip the patty in the corn flour-milk mixture and then roll it in the bread crumbs. To make a crispier cutlet dip it again in the corn flour-milk mix and roll it again in the bread crumbs.
• Heat oil in frying pan. Shallow fry the cutlets.
• Serve them hot with onion rings, cucumber slices and ketchup. 

DAL MAKHANI

Ingredients:
2 cups whole urad dal
1 large onion chopped
1 large tomato chopped
3-4 green chillies chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp ginger grated
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric power
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 cup stirred fresh cream (malai)
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp butter
Fresh coriander for garnish
salt to taste

Preparation:

• Soak the dal overnight in water. 
• In a pressure cooker add the soaked dal, water, chopped onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander, cumin, red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt.
• Pressure cook them in high flame for about 5 minutes and then in low flame for around 20 minutes.
• After opening the cooker, keep cooking the dal in low flame.
• Add the cream and yogurt and continue stirring every few minutes to avoid it being stuck in the bottom.
• Keep mashing them as you stir so that the dal becomes half whole half mashed and it gets a medium thick consistency.
• Keep cooking for about 35-40 minutes. Add the butter just 2 minutes before taking it down.
• Garnish it with coriander and butter
• Serve with rice, roti, parothas or naan.

Tips:

You can add 1/2 cup of Kidney beans (rajma) along with the urad dal.

CRISPY GREEN BEAN FRIES

Ingredients:

1 egg beaten
1 cup milk
4 cups chicken broth / water
6-8 ounces green beans cut to about 2 inches
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
oil for frying

Preparation:

• Bring the chicken broth/water to boil. Add the beans and bring to boil for about 15 minutes.
• Now plunge the beans in ice cold water to prevent them from getting soft.
• In a bowl beat the egg with milk. In another bowl mix the bread crumbs with salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. And take all-purpose flour in another bowl.
• Remove the beans from the cold water and coat them in flour. Shake off the excess flour and dip them in egg-milk mixture and then coat them in the breadcrumb mixture.
• Heat oil in a fryer and fry the beans for about 1 minute or till they are golden brown.
• Drain them on a rack or paper towel.
• Serve hot as appetizer with dips like blue-cheese or ranch or wasabi-cucumber ranch.