Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – 1/2 medium, cut to bite-size florets
Oil – for deep frying

For the batter:

All-purpose Flour – 5 Tbsp
Corn Starch – 3 Tbsp
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper – 1/4 tsp
Water – 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp

For the sauce:

Oil – 1 Tbsp
Onion – 1/2 medium, chopped finely
Green Chilies – to taste, cut diagonally
Garlic – 3 large cloves, chopped finely
Ketchup – 2 Tbsp
Red Chili Sauce – 2 Tbsp or to taste
Soy Sauce – 4 tsp or to taste
White Vinegar – 2 tsp
Water – 4 Tbsp
Corn Starch – 2 tsp
Green Onions – 2 stalks, cut diagonally for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a medium non-stick pan.
2. Add Onions, Green Chilies and Garlic and cook until Onions are light brown.
3. Add Ketchup and Red Chili Sauce and cook until Oil starts to separate from mixture.
4. Add Soy Sauce and Vinegar and mix well.
5. Mix 2 tsp Corn Starch with 4 Tbsp Water and add it to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until sauce starts to thicken.
6. Keep sauce aside.
7. To make batter, add All-purpose flour, Corn Starch, Salt, Black Pepper and Water to a small bowl. Mix until there are no lumps.
8. Coat Cauliflower pieces well with batter and deep fry until Cauliflower is a medium dark brown color.
9. Finish frying all of the Cauliflower and add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss well to coat Cauliflower completely.
10. Add Green Onions and toss again.
11. Serve immediately.

Butter Naan

Ingredients

Amount	Ingredients
.25 oz	Active Dry Yeast
4 tbsp	White Sugar
1 cup	Warm Water
3 tbsp	Milk
2 tsp	Salt
4 1/2 cup	Bread Flour
1/4 cup	Melted Butter

Preparation

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Proof until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise until the dough has doubled in volume.
• Pinch off small amounts of dough to make 12 to 14 pieces. Roll into balls, and allow to rise again.
• While the dough is rising, preheat grill to high.
• At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until done, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue cooking until all the naan has been prepared.

Khaman

Ingredients

For the batter
1 cup besan (Bengal gram flour)
1 1/2 tbsp semolina (rava)
1/2 tsp citric acid (nimbu ka phool)
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1 1/2 tsp fruit salt

For the tempering
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1/2 tsp sesame seeds (til)
2 green chillies, chopped
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

For the garnish
1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)

Method

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the batter except the fruit salt using enough water to make a thick batter.
2. Add in the fruit salt, sprinkle a little water over the fruit salt and mix well.
3. When the mixture rises, pour it into a greased thali and steam for about 10 minutes.
4. For the tempering, heat the oil in a small katori and add the mustard seeds, sesame seeeds, green chillies and asafoetida. when the mustard seeds crackle, add 1 tablespoon of water and pour this over the steamed dhoklas.
5. Cut into pieces and serve with green chutney.

Tips

1. You can use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice instead of the citric acid crystals.
2. Keep the steamer hot and add the fruit salt into the batter.

Pav bhaji

Ingredients

For the pav
8 ladi pavs
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp pav bhaji masala (optional)

For the bhaji
1 1/2 cups potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 cup cauliflower, finely chopped
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup capsicum, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 1/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
1/2 tsp black salt (sanchal)
4 tbsp butter

To be ground into a chilli-garlic paste
3 to 4 whole dry kashmiri red chillies , soaked in warm water
4 to 6 cloves garlic (lehsun)

For serving
1 large sized onion, chopped
4 lemon wedges
1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)

Method

For the bhaji

1. Boil the cauliflower, peas and carrots till they are soft. Drain out the excess water.
2. Heat the butter in a large pan, add the onion and capsicum and sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the prepared chilli-garlic paste and sauté till the onion softens.
3. Add the tomatoes and simmer till the oil separates.
4. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, black salt and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the boiled vegetables and potatoes and mash thoroughly using a potato masher, adding ½ cup of water if required.

For the pav

1. Slice each pav into 2 horizontally. Apply a little butter to each side and sprinkle with a little pav bhaji masala, if desired.
2. Heat a large tava and cook the pav on both sides till the pieces are lightly browned.

How to proceed

1. Serve the hot bhaji on 4 individual plates and top with the onion and coriander.
2. Serve with the hot pav and lemon wedges.

Tips

1. Pav bhaji masala is a spice blend which is readily available at most grocery stores.

Eggplant Rollatini

Ingredients

• 3 medium-sized eggplants (about 4 pounds total)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Can vegetable spray
• 32 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 8 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 20 basil leaves, chiffonaded
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 2 cups fresh tomato sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the grill pan and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a rack over a large baking sheet. Cut the 2 ends off the eggplant. Cut the eggplants lengthwise, into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange eggplant slices onto rack. Sprinkle with sea salt to help remove excess moisture and any bitterness from the eggplants. Set aside for about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse off the salt from the eggplants and pat dry with a towel. Spray hot grill pan liberally with vegetable spray and then place eggplant slices on the grill until lightly browned on each side and tender, about 4 minutes per side. Remove slices from the grill pan and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until lightly scrambled. Mix the ricotta in with the egg. Add mozzarella, 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts and gently combine. Fold in basil just to combine. Do not overmix.

Place a tablespoon of the cheese mixture on 1 end of the eggplant and roll up tightly. Place the eggplant rollatini into a greased (with olive oil) 13 by 9-inch baking dish, seam side down. Continue with remaining eggplant. Evenly distribute the tomato sauce on top of the eggplant rollatini. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 5 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes. When cooked, drizzle the top with extra-virgin olive oil.

• Simple Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onionand garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

myths about dieting..

As you may know, not fueling up with the right
nutrients can affect how well your body performs
and your overall fitness benefits. Even though
healthy eating is important, there are myths that
hinder your performance if you listen to them.

Below, you'll find some myth busters on healthy
eating.

1. Working out on an empty stomach.
If you hear a rumbling noise in your stomach, the
rumbling is trying to tell you something. Without
listening to them, you are forcing your body to
run without any fuel. Before you exercise or do
any physical activity, always eat a light snack
such as an apple.

2. Relying on energy bars and drinks.
Although they are fine every once in a while, they
don't deliver the antioxidants you need to prevent
cancer. Fruits and vegetables are your best bets,
as they are loaded in vitamins, minerals, fluid,
and fiber.

3. Skipping breakfast.
Skipping breakfast is never a good idea, as
breakfast starts the day. Your body needs fuel
as soon as possible, and without it, you'll be
hungry throughout the day.

4. Low carb diets.
Your body needs carbohydrates for your muscles and
the storing of energy.

5. Eating what you want.
Eating healthy and exercising doesn't give you an
all access pass to eat anything you want. Everyone
needs the same nutrients whether they exercise or
not, as well as fruits and vegetables.

6. Not enough calories
Although losing weight involves calories, losing
it too quickly is never safe. What you should do,
is aim for 1 - 2 pounds a week. Always make sure
that you are getting enough calories to keep your
body operating smoothly. If you start dropping
weight too fast, eat a bit more food.

7. Skip soda and alcohol.
Water, milk, and juice is the best to drink for
active people. You should drink often, and not
require on thirst to be an indicator. By the time
you get thirsty, your body is already running a
bit too low.

Changing how you eat is always a great step
towards healthy eating and it will affect how your
body performs. The healthier you eat, you better
you'll feel. No matter how old you may be, healthy
eating is something you should strive for. Once
you give it a chance, you'll see in no time at
all just how much it can change your life - for the
better.