Bhel Puri

Serves: 4

Puffed rice - 4 cups
Potato - 2 cups, boiled, peeled, mashed
Red onion - 1 cup, finely chopped
Ripe tomato - 1 cup, finely chopped
Carrot - 1/2 cup, grated (optional)
Gram flour Sev - 1 cup
Green mango - 2 tbsp, grated
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Tamarind Date chutney - 3 tbsp
Mint Coriander chutney - 3 tbsp
Coarsely crushed papdi – 1 handful (a biscuit like snack made from flour)
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Chaat masala - to taste
Coriander powder - a pinch
Red chilli powder - a pinch
Garam masala - a pinch
Salt - to taste

1. To the boiled and mashed potatoes add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and set aside
2. Take the puffed rice in a large bowl, and to it add the chutneys, onions, tomatoes, papdi, half of the Sev, lemon juice ad chaat masala. Mix well
3. Divide the bhel puri into 4 equal portions and top them equally with the remaining Sev, raw mango and coriander leaves.

Banana Strawberry Smoothie

Full of enery-giving oats and fruits, this tasty drink makes a brilliant breakfast

Serves: 4

Bananas - 2, quartered
Strawberries - 2 cups
Oatmeal - 2 tablespoons
Plain live yogurt - 2 1/2 cups

Place the bananas, strawberries, oatmeal and yogurt in a food processor or blender
Process for a few minutes until combined and creamy
Pour into tall glasses and serve

Cooks tip:
- Use ripe bananas and add sugar if you like it to be little more sweet than the sweetness the fruits provide
- Prepare fruit drinks just before serving to gain maximum benefit from the nutrients

Beans-Peanut Curry

Serves: 4

Beans - 2 cups, cut int inch long pieces
Peanut - 1/2 cup
Red chillies - 4
Garlic - 2 cloves
Rice - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 large, cut lengthwise
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

1. Cook the beans with enough water to immerse the beans and salt to taste and set aside.
2. In a frying pan, fry the peanut and red chillies together. They need to be fried until the peanuts turn golden brown and the colour of the chillies deepen. Just before the peanuts are done, add the rice and fry for 1/2 min
3. Grind the chillies, groundnut, rice and garlic to the blender or food processor.
4. Heat oil in a wok and add mustard seeds. Wait for the mustard seeds to pop and then add the onions and fry till golden brown.
5. Then add the cooked beans with as much water as you would like the consistency. mix well and then add the peanut powder prepared earlier.
6. Add more salt as required and mix. Heat until all the contents blend well with each other. Too much cooking is not required as all the contents are pre-cooked.

Corn-Methi pulao

Serves: 4

Basmati rice - 2 cups
Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
Onion - 1 large, sliced
Methi leaves- 1 cup shredded
Sweet corn - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 4
Cardamon - 2
Peppercorns - 2-3
Salt - to taste

1. Wash, drain and soak the basmati rice in warm water for about 10 minutes.
1. Heat oil in the pressure cooker and add the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and cardamom. Then add the ginger-parlic paste and stir fry for about a min
2. Add the onions and fry until the onions turn translucent and become soft. Add the methi leaves and corn and mix well. Stir fry until the contents become a little greasy.
3. Drain the rice and mix gently not to break the grains. Add salt to taste, then water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and then fluff up the rice.

Vegetable Peking Noodles

Serves: 2

Hakka Noodles - 1 packet
Capsicum - 1 sliced
Carrot - 1 cut into inch long pieces
Beans - 8-10, cut into inch long pieces and slit lengthwise
Cabbage - 1/2 cup, sliced
Spring Onion - 1/2 cup, shredded
Garlic - 1 clove, chopped
Red Chillies - 4
Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp
Red Chilli Sauce - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Ground Pepper - to taste

1. Cook the noodles as per the instructions on the packet
2. Heat oil in a frying pan on high heat and add the garlic, and red chillies
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the beans and little bit of salt and stir fry for about a min
4. Add the carrots and little more salt and stir fry for about 1/2 a min
5. Now add the capsicum and cabbage and mix well
6. Add the soya sauce, red chilli sauce and salt/pepper as required and stir fry until the vegetables are cooked.
7. Now add the noodles and stir fry on high flame. Use chop sticks, if available, to mix the noodles.
8. Garnish with the spring onions and serve hot.