Patrani machi

To make Patrani machi - Apply mint chutney to the fish. Wilt banana leaves. Put the fish in the banana leaves. Wrap. Shallow fry in oil till the fish is cooked (say 10 minutes). Alternately, You could also steam the fish.

Recipe for Mint chutney - Take equal quantities of grated coconut, mint leaves and, corriander leaves. Grind it to a coarse paste with a tsp of cummin seeds, 3 cloves of garlic, a couple of green chillis, lemon juice, and salt. This chutney is very tasty and is used in sandwiches or as accompaniments. It is not restricted to this recipe.

Beetroot salad

Boiled beetroot sliced up pretty added to garbanzo beans, tomatoes, onions, green chillis, cucumber, sprinkled with salt, and finally tossed in lemon juice. Quite yummy! You need to boil beetroot in plenty of water for at least an hour to get the right texture.

Dahi vadas

Method: Soak urud dal over night. Grind soaked dal with chopped onions, green chillis, and ginger. Make small flat balls and deep fry to make vadas. Soak the fried vadas in water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, take curds in a bowl. Add sugar, red chilli powder, cummin powder, and salt. Stir well. You could add all kinds of chutneys to bring in more flavor. Finally, drain the vadas. Squeeze out all the excess water and place them in the spiced curds. Chill in the fridge for an hour. Enjoy.

Raagi (Millet) drink.

Recipe: Dry roast 1 tbsp of raagi flour. Mix the roasted raagi flour to a quarter cup of water to avoid lumps. Heat 1 cup of water. Add jaggery and sugar to the water. When the water comes to a boil, add the raagi paste to water. Cook for a few minutes. Add a spot of milk (to taste). Add cardamom. Enjoy! Very satisfying no guilt drink. Tastes so much like hot chocolate. Yummy.

Tea Sandwiches

Tea sandwiches are basically bread butter and one other ingredient sandwiches. People usually trim the edges. Boiled eggs, sardines, tomatoes, cucumber make good tea sandwiches

Cottage breakfast of Hashbrowns, pancakes, and fried eggs.

Recipe:

Pancakes: 1 cup maida, 1 egg, 2 tsps baking powder, 2 tsps melted butter, 2 tbsps sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, milk to make batter.

Process: Mix dry ingredients. Beat eggs with butter. Add milk and dry ingredients to get right consistency. Let it stay for 10 minutes. Pour on lightly greased pan. Do not press down otherwise the pancakes will not be fluffy. Turn. And cook till ready.

Hashbrowns: 1 potato, salt to taste.

Process: Grate potatoes. Season with salt. Some people add pepper. I did not. Squeeze out all the moisture. Make a ball. And place it on well greased pan. Turn a couple of times till well cooked.

Everyone knows how to fry an egg. Enjoy and top it up with tea or coffee.

Rawa porridge

Method: Heat up some milk. Add some roasted rawa, elaichi, and sugar. Enjoy!

Curd rice/maize

Curd Rice:

Ingredients: 1 cup warm cooked rice, 2 cup curds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp chopped green chillis, 1/2 tsp chopped ginger, 1 tbsp cashew nuts, 1 tbsp raisins, 2-3 red chillis, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp yellow lentils, salt to taste.
Method: Mix the rice, salt, and yogurt in a bowl. Add green chills and give a stir. In a pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to splutter add lentils. When the lentils become darker, add red chillis, cashewnuts, and raisins. Lastly add ginger and give it a quick stir. Pour this hot mixture in to the bowl of rice. Enjoy!

Curd-maize: The recipe is similar to curd rice but the broken maize gives the dish a nice twist.

Recipe: Soak the broken maize for a few hours (even overnight). Boil the maize till well cooked. Add curds and chopped green chilis. Season with salt. Do tarka of mustard seeds, curry leaves, broken cashews, chopped ginger, and raisins.

Watermelon salsa topped with sauteed prawns.

Recipe: Cut watermelon in to chunks. Add chopped onions and green chillis (or

jalapenos). A few spoons of lemon juice. 1 tomated chopped. Shake this bowl. Toss in some sauteed prawns and have fun!

Paneer Makhani

Recipe: Heat butter. Add bay leaves, cinnamom, cardamom, cloves. After a quick stir add garlic ginger paste. When the raw smell disappears, add tomato puree and green chillis. Add turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt, sugar. Cover and cook till oil separates. Add paneer and crushed kasuri methi. When its almost done, add fresh cream and cook a couple of minutes more on low flame. Enjoy!

Dal dokli

Ingredients: Toor dal, raw peanuts, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing, cinnamon stick, cloves, chopped ginger, cashews, raisins, chopped green chillis, chopped tomatoes, jaggery, kokum, wheat flour, corriander leaves, salt, ghee.

Recipe: Make soft dough with wheat flour (of chapati consistency).
Soak dal (mostly toor dal, i also added channa dal) for half hour at least. Cook dal with some raw peanuts, turmeric powder and salt in pressure cooker till soft.
Heat ghee. Add mustard seed, curry leaves, hing, cinnamom stick, 2 cloves, ginger, cashews, raisins, green chillis, tomatoes. Saute and then add cooked dal with jaggery and one kokum.
While the dal is boiling again, roll out chapati dough. Cut in to strips and add to the dal. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or thereabout. Garnish with corriander leaves. Enjoy!

Kaju Katli

Recipe:

Ingredients: 3 cups Kaju, 1 cup sugar, less than 1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp ghee. Method: Ground the cashews to a powder in a blender. Melt the sugar in water. Add the cashew powder. Stir away. Thickens in a matter of minutes. Stir in some ghee. Put it on a board. Roll it thin with a rolling pin. I use butter paper so I do not have to grease the board. Cut in to diamond shapes and enjoy! There is no one I know who does not like Kaju katlis.

Parathas

Parathas are stuffed bread made of wheat. The filling decides which paratha it is.
Method:  Make a soft dough with  wheat flour.  Stuff the fillings in to balls of dough. Roll out and place in a hot pan. When one side is done, turn over, apply ghee. Then toss it a couple of times and you have yummy parathas.

If you add maida to the dough, it will hold the stuffing better but is not as healthy nor tasty. Plus the tears in the pure wheat parathas only adds to its delicacy. Serve with pickles or raitas.

Aloo paratha:
Ingredients for the filling: Potatoes, turmeric, garlic, green chillis, mustard seeds, corriander leaves, salt, oil.

Method:  Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to splutter, add mashed boiled potates, garlic, chillis, turmeric powder, and salt. When the mixture is well cooked and has no lumps, add corriander leaves. 

Aloo gobi paratha:

Ingredients for filling: Cauliflower, potatoes, ajwain, minced ginger, minced green chillis, amchur powder, jeera powder, garam masala, corriander powder, turmeric powder, corriander leaves, salt,  ghee or oil.

Method:
Mince the cauliflower in a blender. Boil potatoes. Heat ghee. Add ajwain. After the seeds splutter add ginger and green chillis. Next add the minced cauliflower and all the dry spices. Add mashed potatoes. When done garnish with corriander leaves.