Hesaru Bele Payasa

Moong Dal Kheer

Serves: 6-8

Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 to 1 cup, depending on the sweetness you prefer
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Poppy Seeds - 2 tbsp
Cardamom - 4-5 pods
Freshly Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Cashews, Raisins - 1/4 cup

1. Fry the moong dal with 1 tbsp ghee in a pan until the colour of the dal slightly deepens and it gives out a nice aroma

2. Then pressure cook the moong dal with water until completely cooked.
3. Fry the poppy seeds until the colour deepens. Grind the poppy seeds and cardamom seeds in the mixer to a fine powder. Then add the coconut and little water to make a smooth paste.
4. Once the moong dal is cooked, add the coconut-poppy seed paste into the moong dal and cook on medium high flame; let it boil for around 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the jaggery and boil until all the jaggery melts into the moong dal mixture. Then boil for another 5 minutes to make sure all the ingredients blend well and then remove from heat.
6. Fry the cashews and raisins in the remaining ghee until golden brown. Add to the payasa along with the ghee and mix well.

Serve hot, warm or chilled.

Dum Aloo

Serves: 8-10

Baby Potatoes - 2 lb

Water - 3 3/4 cups

Salt - to taste

Ghee or oil - for deep frying

Ghee - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1 large, finely chopped

Tomato Puree - 4 tbsp

Curd - 3/4 cup

Hot water - 4 tbsp

Green Chilly - 1, seeded and sliced

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Cloves - 4
Bay leaves - 4
Black Peppercorns - 6
Green Cardamom - 4
Brown Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon Stick - 1

Onion - 1 large, roughly chopped

Garlic - 10 flakes
Ginger - 2 tbsp
Black peppercorns - 6
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds
Dry red chilies - 2
Turmeric powder  - 1/2 tsp
Ground mace - a pinch
Ground nutmeg- a pinch

1. Peel the potatoes and prick all over with a fork and soak in salted water for 2 hours.

2. Dry the potatoes on a cloth and heat the ghee or oil for deep frying

3. Deep fry the potatoes until golden brown. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. Heat the 1/2 cup ghee in a thick-bottomed pot and fry the onions with the spices - cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, green cardamoms, brown cardamoms, and 6 black peppercorns until the onion turns golden.

5. In the meanwhile grind the roughly chopped onion, garlic, ginger, black peppercorns, poppy seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, ground mace and ground nutmeg to a fine paste and stir into the onions.

6. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the tomato puree, curd and salt.

7. Add the potatoes, hot water and stir over low heat for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

8. Then add the green chilly, garam masala, mix well, cook for another 2 minutes and remove from heat.

Winter Melon cooked in Yogurt Sauce

MaJige HuLi

Serves: 4 - 6

Winter Melon - 2 cup, cut into 1" cubes
Channa Dal /Kadle Bele - 2 tbsp
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Coriander - 4-5 strands
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 3-4 or as desired
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red Chillies - 4
Curry leaves - 8-10
Black Chickpeas - 1/4 cup
Yogurt - 1 cup
Salt - to taste

1. Soak the channa dal in 1/4 cup of water for about 20-30 minutes.
2. Then grind to paste the soaked channa dal, coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies and coriander
3. Fry the Black chickpeas in a pan on medim - low-medium heat until the chickpeas turn completely black and are brittle.
4. Heat oil in a think bottomed pot and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds crackle add the curry leaves, followed by the red chillies.
5. Stir fry until the colour of the red chillies deepens and then add the black chickpeas and fry about another 1/2 min.
6. Add the paste prepared earlier, add salt to taste and cook while stirring continously until the mixture reaches a boil. Let the mixture cook for another 2 minutes and then add the yogurt. Wait for the mixture to reach boil again. Boil until all the ingredients blend well and remove from heat.

Cooks Tip:
1. Vegetables such as chayote and cucumber can be used in place of winter melon.

Red Velvet Cake

Serves: 8-10

All purpose flour/Cake flour - 2 1/2 cups
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Unsweetened cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
Shortening/Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup
Granulated white sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Eggs - 2 large
Pure vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Buttermilk - 1 cup
Liquid red food coloring - 4 tbsp
White distilled vinegar - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp

1.Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
5. First, whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. Then with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions beginning and ending with the flour.
6. In a small cup, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. DON'T BEAT OR STIR NOW.
7. Working quickly divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. 

8. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

9. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

10. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably overnight. (This is done to make the filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Onion-Tomato Curry

Serves: 4

Onion - 1 , sliced
Tomatoes - 4, cut into cubes
Coconut - 1/4 cup, grated
Garlic - 2 cloves
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Sambhar powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 4-5 strands
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

1. Grind to a smooth paste the coconut, 1/2 of the onion, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, sambhar powder and turmeric with 1/2 cup of water.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add the rest of the onion and cook while stirring until the onions turn brown.
3. Then add the paste and cook until the paste starts to leave oil in the sides of the pan - about 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the pan.
4. Then add the chopped tomatoes, salt and cook until the tomatoes are cooked and the ingredients blend.

Serve immediately as a side dish with rice.