PINEAPPLE CRUMBLE - PIE

Ingredients

3 to 4 slices - canned pineapples
1 tbsp - brown sugar
2 cups - plain flour
75 gms - butter (cold)
pinch of salt
2 to 3 pinches - cardamom powder
2 to 3 pinches - nutmeg powder
2 to 3 pinches - cinnamon powder
Cold water
8” pie - plate

Method

Sieve flour with salt into a large plate. Cut butter into sieved flour. Rub lightly between fingers, till mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Store 1/3 mixture in fridge till required.

Sprinkle a little cold water on remaining mixture. Light knead into a dough, do not handle too much.

Shape into a lump, roll out using dry flour to dust. Press into pie plate, pulling up edges where necessary.

Prick lightly with a fork all over.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile:

Drain syrup from pineapple slices. Press out all excess liquid, chop into pieces.

Put in a heavy pan, sprinkle sugar. Heat, stirring continuously, till liquid is not watery.

Add all spice powders.

Take off fire, allow to cool.
Line pie mould with aluminium foil. Put a fistful of rajma or other bean to keep the shape.

Bake at 180oC in preheated oven for 10 minutes or very light golden.

Take out, remove beans and foil, allow to cool to room temp.

Pour pineapple mixture into pie mould, spread evenly.

Sprinkle flour mixture to cover filling evenly.

Return to bake at 180oC for 10-12 minutes, or light golden.

Allow to cool a little before cutting with a pie cutter.

Serve warm as is or with icecream.

Making time: 1 hour
Makes: 6-7 servings
Shelflife: 2 days

DAHI BHALLAS

For Bhallas (Dumplings)

250 gms - black gram split (skinless) soaked overnight
2 tbsp - raisins
½ tsp - red chilli powder
1 tsp - cumin seeds
2 tbsp - coriander leaves, chopped
1 pinch - soda bicarbonate
Oil for deep frying1 tsp - salt

For Dahi

1 kg - yoghurt
2 tsp - cumin seeds, dry roasted and crushed
1 tsp - black salt
salt to taste

For Toppings

1 tsp – Red Chilli powder
Tamarind Chutney
Green Chutney
Corriander leaves.

Method

Grind the soaked black gram daal in a blender adding as little water as possible, so that a thick batter is made.

Add to it all the ingredients for the dumplings except the oil and whisk with hand for at least 3-4 mins.

So that air is incorporated in the batter.

Heat oil in a kadhai (wok) on medium-low heat.

Make walnut-size balls of the batter and release gently into the oil.

Fry 6-8 balls at a time.

Remove dumplings from oil when they are just turning to light brown (should take 3-4 mins. approximately).

Adjust the heat if they are getting brown too soon.

Remove dumplings from oil and immerse into a pan of hot water.

After they have soaked for about 5 mins, squeeze the dumplings between your palms lightly (taking care not to break the balls) to remove water and place them in a flat serving dish.

Whisk the yoghurt over the dumplings and refrigerate for 30 mins.

Before serving sprinkle Red powder chillies, Chaat Masala, some Tamarind Chutney, Green Chutney and top it with coriander leaves.

CORN CUTLETS

Ingredients

Fresh soft maize (grated)
1 tablespoon gram flour (besan)
1 tablespoon rava
1 cup boiled peas
1 teaspoon ginger paste or grated ginger
2 green chillies finely chopped
2 teaspoon finely chopped coriander
1 lime juice
Chat masala or Garam masala

For frying:

refined vegetable oil
2 table spoon rava
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds

Method

Take grated maize (this will be like a paste with some juice try to take thick portion of this and take off juice with the help of spoon and by pressing the thick portion)

Put the thick portion of grated maze in a hollow big bowl, add gram flour, rava, ginger paste, boiled peas without water, chopped chillies and coriander, salt, lime juice and chat masala or garam masala if you like.

Mix this mixture well keep this mixture in refrigerator for 1/2 hour to set.

Take out the mixture out of fridge and see if the mixture is very loose and you find difficult to make shapes then add some more rava till you are comfortable but let this mixture not be very tight.

If you have followed the instruction well this problem will not arise.

Heat the oil in frying pan.

Take a plate and spread thick layer of rava and sesame seeds over it.

Make flat oval shapes of the batter and put it on this plate.

Try to wrap the rava and sesame seeds all over the shape and put in the heated oil carefully for deep frying.

Let the cutlets be brown on slow flame in heated oil.

Take out the cutlets over blotting paper.

Serve it with Tomato Sauce or with Green Chutney and Tamarind Chutney.

MINTY LEMONADE

Ingredients

Juice of 1 lemon
6 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger powder or juice of fresh ginger
1 bottle chilled soda or 2 glasses water (as desired)
2-3 mint leaves chopped fine

Method

Mix all ingredients in very little water.
When dissolved add the soda or iced water. Pour in 2 glass.
Sprinkle chopped mint. Serve immediately.