Refreshing mint

Mint flavour is generally liked by all with very few exceptions. It is a refresher by itself and  enhances the flavor when added to any thing else. Fresh mint leaves are used in flavouring biryanis, cold soups n fruit punches, chutneys but here i am talking  of a mint concentrate which i learnt from my friends. It is very refreshing n stays in the fridge for a while to keep u refreshed on a tiring day or a lively evening with friends.

Ingredients:

11/4 kg sugar, equal amount of water, 1 kg fresh lime juice, 100 g fresh mint leaves, pinch of green color.

Preparation:

1. Put sugar and water to boil.
2. After about ten minutes when it reduces in quantity, add the lime juice and bring it to boil. 
3. Now add the mint leaves and the color, stir it well, put off the fire and cover it with a lid. 
4. When it cools down stain it and store this concentrate in a bottle and keep it in the fridge till further use. 
5. Pour a quarter of this concentrate on to a tall glass, fill the rest of the glass with cold water leaving a little space for two ice cubes. 
6. Decorate it with a sprig of mint leaves and serve.

Cake Pudding

There are variety of puddings which can be made on regular basis and also as per the demand of the loved ones. This one is always loved by children and also the elders alike. Its basically eggless cake which is welcomed by the vegetarians as well.

Cakes are of different varieties. But broadly they can be classified into two basic ones namely with icing and without icing. Certain cakes are for tea times., like carrot and walnut cake, banana and walnut cake, chocolate sponge cake, milk cake to name a few. These are generally made without icing.

The one I am used to making for a pudding is with icing. It is tasty for the palate and also filling. I can assure you that will surely ask for a second helping.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups maida,2 ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp essence, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups curd, 1 ½ cups oil, 1 cup cocoa powder, ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp coffee.

Preparation:

1. Sieve maida and cocoa powder separately and keep them ready.
2. In a mixing bowl put all the ingredients one by one and beat thoroughly till it gets bubbly.
3. Prepare the baking dish by greasing and dusting flour and pre heat the oven at 170 degree Celsius.
4. Pour the batter into the cake dish and bake it for 50 minutes.

For icing:

200 g icing sugar, 150 g white butter 1 tsp essence, 2 cups fresh grated coconut and 12 cherries.

1. Beat sugar and butter till light and fluffy.
2. To this add the essence and the grated coconut.
3. Once the cake is done, after cooling a bit, cut the cake evenly along its breadth with help of a sharp knife or a piece of thread.
4. Fill in the icing in the middle and also on the top and decorate it with cherries.

Serve after dinner or any time when you decide.

Lemon and coriander soup

Lemons are a great source vitamins and minerals. They are a must for daily use and storage. During the season or if you happen to have a tree in the kitchen garden, one can plan to make pickle out of them and it stays for months with out any problem. Fresh lime juice is a popular drink these days even with an array of colourful ariated drinks. Also health conscious/ weight conscious people believe in that glass of lemon and honey in the warm water first thing in the morning.

Coriander is also an important ingredient of indian cooking. When we go for shopping for vegetables, as a routine we pick up lemon,fresh and green coriander, green chillis and ginger. All are great appetizers. So this soup is definetly going to enhance our taste buds and also help in the digestion.

Ingredients:

1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 tbsp butter, 1 green chilli, 1 inch piece of ginger, ½ of lime, 2 spoons of chopped green coriander/hara dhania, 4 medium cups of water and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash and grate the carrot, finely chop the onion, chilli, ginger and fresh coriander.
2. Heat butter in a small pressure cooker, add chopped onion, chilli, ginger and salt.
3. After frying a little add water and let it simmer till the carrot softens.
4. Finally, add coriander and juice of half lime and put off the flame.

Serve hot on a rainy day or a cold winter night. 

Moong Dal with Tadka

There are times when u don't like to indulge in heavy cuisine and tummy demands some thing light to digest. This tadka dal comes very handy which is very simple to make. For this kind dal you can choose moong dal or chana dal or arhar/toor dal. Ghee ka tadka enhances the taste of the dal and also assissts in digestion.

Ingredients:

100g moong dal and 1 onion

For tempering:

1 tsp ghee, ½ tsp jeera, ¼ tsp haldi, 2 green chillis and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash and keep the dal ready for use. 
2. Chop the onion finely. 
3. Heat ghee in a pressure pan or pressure cooker, put jeera,onion, green chillis, haldi, salt and the dal, fry a little and add 500ml of water. 
4. Leave the dal for 3 whistles and simmer it for another 5 to 7 minutes before putting off the flame.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Spinach/palak Dal

This can also be made using arhar/toor dal or masoor dal or chana dal, as per the availability. Palak has to be fresh and with out holes. Only the leaves have to be chosen and the hard twigs can be discarded. It is generally safe to avoid greens during the rainy season unless one grows it in the kitchen garden, where hygiene is taken care of. I put more greens and less dal to gain more on vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients:

100g arhar/toor dal, 300g palak, 3 tomatoes, 1 onion.

For tempering:

1 tsp ghee, ½ tsp jeera, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp haldi/turmeric, ½ tsp red chilli powder and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash and finely chop the palak and set aside. 
2. Chop onion and tomatoes also finely. 
3. Wash the dal and keep it ready for use. 
4. Heat ghee in a pressure pan or small pressure cooker, put all the tempering ingredients except salt and fry a little. 
5. To this add onions, tomatoes and palak, stir a little and then add the dal and salt. 
6. Finally put 500ml of water and give minimum of 3 whistles, simmer it for another 5 to 7 minutes and put off the flame.

Serve hot  with rice or roti.