"Lets party" cake

Cake mix - 1 box, any flavour
Water - 1 1/4 cup
Vegetable oil - 1/3 cup
Eggs - 3
Whipped fluffy white frosting or Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy Vanilla frosting - 1 box
Food colors - yellow, pink, neon blue, neon green
Candy-coated chocolate candies - 1 box

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). grease and flour bottom and side of 9-inch round cake pan, or spray with baking spray with flour. place paper baking cup in each of 9 regular-size muffin cups.
2. Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. spoon about 2/3 full batter into muffin cups. pour the rest of the batter in the 8" pan
3. Bake as directed on box. cool completely or freeze as desired, about 1 hour.
4. In small bowl, place 1 tablespoon frosting; stir in 2 drops yellow food color.
5. In another small bowl, place 2 tablespoons frosting, 4 drops pink food color
6. In third small bowl, place 1/3 cup frosting; stir in 7 drops blue neon food color.
7. To remaining frosting in container, stir in 7 drops green neon food color.
8. Cut the top part of the cake so as to get a flat cake and then invert it. frost top and side with green frosting.
9. Frost 5 cupcakes with blue frosting, 3 cupcakes with pink frosting and 1 cupcake with yellow frosting.
10. Place the blue cupcakes sides touching, in circle on the base cafe. Place the pink cupcakes on the blue cupcakes. Place yellow cupcake on top center.
11. Press candies into frosting to decorate. store closely covered at room temperature.

Lady's finger/Bhendi curry

Serves: 4

Bhendi/Lady's finger - 4 cups
Oil - 6 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Onion - 4 tbsp, chopped (preferable red ones for flavor and color)
Juice of 1 lemon
Brown sugar - 1 tbsp
Tomatoes - 2, finely chopped
Coriander - 4 - 5 strands, finely chopped
Salt - to taste

SPICES 1 (GROUND)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Water - 1-3 tsp

SPICES 2:
Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
Cardamom powder(not pods)- 1/2 tsp

1. Carefully wash the okra, then dry them. cut off the pointed tip and the stalk and discard.
2. Mix spices 1 into a paste with a little water.
3. Heat the oil in a kadai or wok. stir-fry the mustard seeds until they pop, about 1 minute, then add the spice paste and fry for 2 minutes, then the onion for 3 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, chop the okra into 1-inch pieces, add them to the kadai, and gently toss for 5 minutes.
5. Add the lemon juice, sugar, tomato, spices 2, and coriander.
6. Stir-fry carefully for 5 more minutes. if the okra were tender to start with, they are now cooked perfectly. add salt to taste.

Serve at once. Do not store or freeze this dish as it will become sappy and mushy.

Cranberry and Apple Juice

This ginger flavoured cleansing juice offers a fine balance of sweet and sour flavours

Serves: 4

Apples - 4
Cranberry juice - 2 1/2 cups
Ginger - 1 inch piece, peeled and sliced

1. Peel the apples if you wish, then core and chop
2. Pour the cranberry juice into a food processor or blender. add the chopped apples and sliced ginger and process for a few minutes until combined and fairly smooth.

Serve chilled.

health benefits:
brightly coloured fruits, such as cranberries, contin valuable amounts of antioxidant vitamins, which are believed to have cancer-fighting properties.

Mushroom Soup - M-i-l style ;-)

Serves: 4

Mushroom - 2 cups, sliced
Mint leaves - 4-5 strands
Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Cloves - 2
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Water - 3 cups
Butter - 1 tsp

1. Cook the mushrooms with the water until they become soft and give out a nice aroma. Then drain the mushrooms and set aside. Save the drained water for later.
2. Now heat one teaspoon butter in a medium saucepan and fry the onions and mint leaves. To this add the water saved earlier and stir.
3. Then add the cumin powder, pepper powder, cloves, sugar and salt.
4. In the meanwhile, first mix the cornflour in the milk(make sure the milk is at room temperature) and add this mixture to the saucepan and stir the contents well.
5. Wait until the mixture comes to a boil, simmer for a min and then add the drained mushrooms and heat on medium flame for another 2 min. Serve hot or warm.

Pav Bhaaji

Serves: 4

Pav bread - 1 packet
Potatoes - 4 large
Pav Bhaaji masala - 4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Carrot - 3/4 cup, shredded
Peas - 3/4 cup
Onions - 2 medium, finely chopped
Tomato - 2 medium finely chopped
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

- For the paav bread
1. Break the bread along the marking and then slit it
2. Heat a non-stick flat griddle and spread about half teaspoon of butter. grill each side of the bread

- For the bhaaji
1. First boil the potatoes and carrot+peas separately with minimum water for the carrot+peas
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, add onion and fry until the onions are soft and the edges are brown
3. Then add the pav bhaaji masala, red chilly powder, salt, tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of water
4. Stirring constantly fry tomatoes on medium-low heat for 5 -8 minutes or until the tomatoes are reduced to pulp, mashing tomatoes with the back of the spoon. add little water if the mixture sticks to the bottom of the skillet.
5. In the meanwhile, mash the potatoes completely and also mash the carrot+peas slightly. add these to the skillet along with the water used for boiling the carrot+peas
6. Cook on low heat while mixing the contents until all the ingredients blend
7. Then add the garam masala, heat for another min and remove from heat. keep the skillet closed for about 2 min

My favourite way of serving with the pav is, to sprinkle generously "finely chopped onions", and coriander on the bhaaji and with a 1/4 inch piece of lemon.

Aloo Mattar

Serves: 4

Potatoes - 5 large (250 gms)
Green peas (fresh or frozen) - 2 cups
Oil - 3 tbsp
Onion - 1 medium, sliced
Garlic - 1 1/2 tsp, crushed
Ginger - 1 1/2 tsp, minced
Chili powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes - 2 medium, finely chopped
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 8-10 strands, finely chopped
Green chilies - 3, sliced

1. Peel and cut potatoes into small cubes
2. Use fresh peas, if possible. if using frozen peas, soak them in water for 15 minutes before cooking
3. Heat oil in a medium skillet, add onion and fry until the onions are soft and the edges are brown
4. Add crushed garlic and ginger and stirring frequently fry these for two minutes.
5. Then add chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt, stir once and quickly add chopped tomatoes and 3-4 tablespoons of water
6. Stirring constantly fry tomatoes on medium-low heat for 5 -8 minutes or until the tomatoes are reduced to pulp, mashing tomatoes with the back of the spoon. add little water if the mixture sticks to the bottom of the skillet.
7. Put in potatoes, peas and 1 cup of water and stir to mix the ingredients. bring the mixture to boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to low, cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and most of the water has evaporated. add more water for thin gravy and adjust the seasoning with salt.
8. just before removing from heat sprinkle with garam masala, finely chopped coriander leaves and sliced green chillies. keep the vessel closed for about 2 min

Mooli Paratha

Makes : 6 parathas

Dough:
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Ghee - 2tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Water- 1 cup

Filling:
Mooli - 2 cups, grated
Water - for soaking
Onion - 1 cup, finely chopped
Pudina - 1/4 cup, finely chopped
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Green chillies - 4, finely chopped
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp

1. Add salt to thte grated mooli and soak for about 15 min.
2. Squeeze out all the water from the mooliand use it for kneading dough.
3. Heat oil in a medium pan and add jeera, then green chillies and onion, fry for around 2 min
4. Then add the pudina and stir fry till the onions become soft and turn brownish
5. Now add the grated mooli and cook until the mooli gives out all the water and we have a dry stuffing
6. In a medium bowl sift together the flour and salt. add the ghee to get a meal like mixture. Add the mooli water and mix. If the mixture is too dry, add more water one tablespoon at a time to get an elastic, tacky dough that is not sticky. Knead for a couple of minutes.
7. Cover dough with a damp kitchen towel and set aside for around 30 minutes.
8. Now make small balls of the dough a little bigger than an egg.
9. Flatten them out, dip in dry flour and roll them out using a rolling pin to a teacup saucer size. You may have to flour the dough lightly as you roll to prevent sticking and tearing.
10. Make smaller balls of the filling mix about the size of an egg yolk and place each filling ball in the center. Place the stuffed dough fold-side up, dust both sides with a bit of flour and roll out carefully into a 6 inch round.
11. Heat a non-stick flat griddle and spread about half teaspoon of butter. Grill each side of the paratha until cooked (little brown spots will appear across the surface). Remove onto plate and top with a pat of butter.

Serve immediately with curd or/and pickle

Cooks Tip:
- If at any point, you can't get past sticky, oil your hands lightly and continue kneading. the dough will come together in short order.
- With every roll out, keep turning the dough clockwise by 15 degrees to make sure that it doesn't stick. if at any point, the dough sticks or the filling starts coming out, pat with flour and continue carefully. It is ok to have some filling peeking out in spots.