Bhathura

Ingredients
1.5 cups maida or all purpose flour
⅓ cup sooji
½ tbsp oil or ghee
½ tbsp fine sugar
½ tsp salt or as required
¼ tsp or ½ tsp baking soda
½ cup yogurt/dahi
water for kneading as required
oil for deep frying

Instructions
sieve the maida/all purpose flour with baking soda and salt.
add the sooji and sugar.
mix well.
add the yogurt and mix again.
add very little water, just about ½ tbsp and begin to knead.
knead the dough, adding water as required.
make a smooth and soft dough.
cover the dough with a wet napkin and keep aside for 2 hours.

heat oil in a kadai or pan for deep frying.
make small to medium sized balls from the dough.
roll the balls between your palms to make them even.
keep the balls covered with the wet kitchen napkin.
take a ball and flatten them.
apply oil on both sides and with a rolling pin roll, the ball into oval or elongated shape.
make neither thick nor thin bhaturas.
rotate the rolling board while rolling the bhatura as it much easier than lifting it, since we are not using flour to roll them.
when the oil is hot enough, place the rolled bhatura gently into the oil.
the bhatura will puff up.
aid in puffing the bhatura by appling light pressure on it with a slotted spoon.
when the oil stops sizzling, turn over and fry the other side.
when the bhatura is light golden, remove and drain on kitchen paper towels.

Chitte Chole

for pressure cooking the chickpeas:
1 cup dried white chickpeas/kabuli chana
3 cups water for pressure cooking the chana
1 tsp salt

for roasting the masala
1 inch cinnamon
½ tbsp fennel
½ tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1-2 dry red chilies (3 or 4 chilies would make the dish very spicy)
2-3 cloves
1 black cardamom
2-3 green cardamom

other ingredients:
3 tbsp oil
1 small bay leaf
1 green chili, slit
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
¼ or ½ tsp turmeric powder
a pinch of asafoetida
½ inch ginger - crushed or made into a paste
1.5 to 2 cups of the chickpea stock or water
salt as required
some coriander leaves for garnishing

Instructions

soak the chana/chickpeas overnight or for 8-9 hours.
pressure cook the chanas, water and salt till they have completely cooked.
drain the chanas and keep the stock aside.
in a frying pan, add all the whole spices mentioned under "roasting the masala" list
roast till the spices start emanating their aroma.
once this mixture has cooled, grind to a smooth paste.

heat oil in a pot or kadai.
first splutter the mustard.
add the bayleaf
then add onions and fry till they are softened and become translucent.
add ginger
add chopped tomatoes.
saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring in between.
add the ground masala paste and stir.
add the drained chanas and slit green chili.
stir and saute for 1-2 minutes.
now add the stock or water.
give a boil and then simmer till the gravy thickens a bit
garnish chana masala with coriander leaves.

Stuffed shimla

Ingredients

4 bell peppers
4 medium potatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 green chili, chopped
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp amchur powder
½ tsp garam masala
2 tsp chopped coriander leaves/dhania patta
1 tbsp oil for sauteing the onions
1 or 1.5 tbsp oil for sauteing the capsicum
salt as required

Instructions

prepping and stuffing:
first, boil the potatoes till they completely tender and cooked thoroughly. peel and grate the potatoes. keep aside.

slice off the tops of the capsicum. remove the seeds. rinse them in water and pat dry with a kitchen towel. keep aside.

in a small frying pan, heat oil. fry the cumin first and then add chopped onions.
saute the onions till translucent. add chopped green chilies.

stir and then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, asafoetida. stir again.

add the potatoes and mix everything.

saute the potatoes for 2 mins and then add garam masala powder, dry mango powder and salt.

stir well and then add chopped coriander leaves. mix again and let this spiced potato stuffing become warm or cool down.

with a spoon or with your hands, stuff the potato mixture in the capsicum.

brush or rub oil outside the bell peppers, before you stuff them with the spiced mashed potatoes

for baking in the oven:
preheat your oven to 400F

place the stuffed capsicum on a baking tray and bake at for 30 mins till the capsicum has become golden and wrinkled.

you can also top some grated cheese on the potatoes and then bake.

garnish with coriander or mint leaves and serve these potato stuffed bell peppers hot or warm with rotis, bread or as a side dish.

Perogies

Ingredients
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter melted
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 baking potatoes, mashed
5 sandwich cheese slices
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour until well blended. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
Place potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and mash with shredded cheese and cheese sauce while still hot. Season with onion salt, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Separate the perogie dough into two balls. Roll out one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface until it is thin enough to work with, but not too thin so that it tears. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter, perogie cutter, or a glass. Brush a little water around the edges of the circles, and spoon some filling into the center. Fold the circles over into half-circles, and press to seal the edges. Place perogies on a cookie sheet, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer storage bags or containers.

To cook perogies: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop perogies in one at a time. They are done when they float to the top. Do not boil too long, or they will be soggy! Remove with a slotted spoon.

Saute the perogies till sides are brown

Crepe

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tbsp butter melted

Directions 

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

At-home Facial recipe

Step 1. Wash the face, neck and ears with a good facial cleanser to remove any grime or dirt. 

Step 2. Exfoliate. Using your fingers, rub a gentle exfoliating scrub. Concentrate on the areas around your nose and forehead.
Scrub Recipe: 1 part oil to 2 parts sugar or salt.

Step 3: Steam. Fill sink with warm water, dip a washcloth in and press to your face repeating 2-3 times.

Step 4: Apply a Mask. Apply the mask, avoiding the areas around the eyes. Keep it on for 10-20 minutes. Rinse completely. Mask Recipe 1: 

• 2 egg whites, separated from the yolk and placed in a bowl

• 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt 

• Separate the egg whites from a couple eggs and place them in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of yogurt (do not use flavored yogurt!). Mix them up and apply to face. Leave on face for a few minutes then rinse face in warm water, followed by a warm washcloth.

Mask Recipe 2:

• 1 tbsp oatmeal, finely ground
• 1 tbsp live, organic yogurt (skip the flavored stuff)

• A few drops of honey
• Add the yogurt to the oatmeal in a small bowl and mix together. Warm a few drop of honey. To do this, warm a spoon under hot water for a minute, then add a few drops of honey to the spoon.

• Stir the honey into the yogurt and oatmeal mixture. Apply the mask to the face. Leave it on for 10 minutes, then rinse off with several splashes of warm water. Follow with a warm washcloth.
  Step 5: Moisturizer. Smooth on a soothing, basic moisturizer over your face and neck.

Dahi bhindi

Ingredients 

• 200 to 250 gms bhindi/okra
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium ripe red tomatoes + 6-7 whole cashews, chopped – blended to a smooth paste
• ½ cup yogurt/curd, whisked till smooth
• 3-4 garlic + ½ inch ginger – crushed 
• 1.5 tbsp besan
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• ¼ tsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ or ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp cream
• 2 tbsp oil for sauting the okra
• 1 tbsp ghee or oil for the sauce
• salt as required

Instructions

1. chop the okra or bhindi in 1 inch pieces.
2. heat the 2 tbsp oil in a pan.
3. add the chopped okra and saute for atleast 8-10 minutes on a low flame till they change color and are cooked.
4. remove the sauted okra and keep aside.
5. puree the tomatoes and cashews to a smooth paste in a blender or chutney grinder.
6. with a wired whisk, whip the yogurt till smooth.
7. heat up the same pan in which we sauted the okra.
8. add 1 tbsp oil or ghee.
9. crackle the cumin seeds first.
10. add the chopped onion and saute till the onions caramelize or turn golden.
11. add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for about 15-20 seconds or till the raw aroma goes away.
12. add the tomato-cashew paste and saute till oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
13. the onion-tomato-cashew masala paste has to be sauted very well.
14. keep on stirring often for uniform sauting.
15. the whole masala should come together and you should be able to see the oil or fat leaving the sides of the masala.
16. add gram flour and saute for 1-2 minutes or more on a low flame till the raw aroma of the gram flour goes away.
17. add all the spice powders and saute again for a minute.
18. switch off the fire and place the pan down.
19. add the whisked yogurt and water to the pan.
20. stir well with a wired whisk and add the sauted okra and salt.
21. keep the pan on the fire and simmer the sauce till the mixture starts to thicken and you see the oil or ghee floating on top.
22. add the crushed kasuri methi along with the cream and simmer for half a minute