Lauki Ke Kofte

This is a two step recipe - making the kofte and making the curry.

For the Kofte: I used 
1. Lauki - One Medium sized - started to manually grate it however as I had a very small grater it was taking too long. So I chopped it in a mixer - it became more like a course paste.
2. Ginger - Small piece (about an inch) - grated
3. Gram flour - Add to the Lauki and grated ginger bowl. I had to add about 1.5 cups to make it a consistent paste (This would be less if you grate instead of using my method.)
4. Spices -Dhaniya powder 2 tea spoons, pinch of haldi, pinch of red chili powder, salt

Mix all the above ingredients into a bowl to form a paste. Fry oil in flat pan, make balls of the mixture or just use a spoon (like we make pakori's for kadhi) to put the batter into hot oil. Let the balls fry until golden brown. (Since the ingredients are very delicate it does not take too long to fry them, you can start on high heat and then let it fry for 5 min or so on medium heat).
The above ingredients made about 22 kofte for me - which i think would be good to feed about 10 people :)

Since I was doing this first time, It took me longer than it would take me next time. However roughly it should take about 40 minutes to get this done end to end.
Also you can make it in advance and just store in fridge or  freezer for long.

For the Curry: I used
1. Onion - half 
2. Tomato - 1
3. Green Chilies - 2 chopped
4. Ginger - very small piece
5. Hing - pinch
6. Solid Spices - lavang, ellaichi, bay leaf, cinnamon, zeera
7. Dry powdered spices - salt, haldi, dhaniya powder, red chilli powder, garam masala
8. Dahi - 1.2 tbs
9. Oil

I heated about 1 tbs oil, added solid spices, followed by zeera and onion. Added green chilies and ginger. Once this was ready added the powdered spices and tomato. Once tomatoes were done added water about 2 cups and dahi. Allowed this to simmer for about 10 minutes. Once ready I put the kofte into it and served hot. 

Came out really good!!! Can eat with roti - however I served with peas pullav, corriander chutney and mooli :)

To my surprise the koftes were very soft and did not taste of gram floor at all. Perfect out to the effort put in.

Upma ( Microwave Recipe)

Upma ( Microwave Recipe) recipe Indian Microwave Snack Recipes by Tarla Dalal Tarladalal.com #4882

Restaurant Style - Methi Malai Matar

I watched lot of recipes that were more complex. Picked this one for its simplicity- however would try variations given the amount of time I have. (source - a Marathi coking show with Sanjeev Kappor as the guest chef)

Ingredients:

1) Boiled matar - 1 cup

2) 1 bundle fresh methi leaves boiled

3) 1/2 cup cream or 1 cup milk + Philadelphia cream cheese

4) 1 onion chopped

5) red chili powder

6) mango powder

7) Salt

8) Oil

9) Ginger

10) 1 garlic clove

Method:

1) Heat oil, fry onions, ginger. When done add chilli powder and mango powder to taste.

2) Now add Methi leaves and let cook for sometime till it is well roasted

3) Now add matar and let it cook for couple of more minutes

4) Add salt

5) Add milk or cream and let the mixture cook for 10 minutes on simmer

6) Ready to eat with Naan or Roti. I severed it with Garlic Naan - was awesome.

Baked Spinach-Fettucine Shirataki Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 pound Shirataki Fettuncine Noodles
• 1 pound spinach, chopped and steamed until tender
• 2 1/2 cup low sodium tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup soy milk/ alteration - regular 2% Milk
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)/alteration - corriander
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• Alteration - Mozzarella Cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain Shirataki Fettucine Noodles under warm water . Pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a large casserole dish, toss hot pasta with spinach, tomato sauce, soy milk, garlic, and basil. ( i fried garlic, tomato sauce, spinach and coriander leaves on the stove with some salt & coriander powder an then mixed this to the pasta with other ingredients)
3. Season to taste.
4. Top with bread crumbs.
5. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
6. Serve hot.

Paneer Lasooni In Microwave recipe

Paneer Lasooni In Microwave recipe Tarladalal.com Member Contributed #9628

Chatakedar Paneer ( Microwave Recipe)

Chatakedar Paneer ( Microwave Recipe) recipe by Tarla Dalal Tarladalal.com #34561

Batata Poha ( Microwave Recipe)

Batata Poha ( Microwave Recipe) recipe Indian Microwave Snack Recipes by Tarla Dalal Tarladalal.com #4880

Aloo Palak ki Sabzi

I tried it today. The copying the recipe from the original post from http://www.archanaskitchen.com/indian-recipes/dry-vegetables/251-aloo-palak-ki-sabzi

A side dish made with potatoes and spinach, delicately spiced is served as a side dish in an Indian entree.
Potatoes high in starch and carbohydrates and spinach rich in iron and minerals, cooked with low fat ingredients makes is a perfect lunch box meal for kids and adults. Serve it phulka's or a bead roll and end it with a cold cup of butter milk.

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of boiled and cubed potatoes
• 1 cup of washed and chopped fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup of sliced onions
• 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
• 1/4 cup of tomato puree or grated tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 2 + 1 teaspoon of oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• Salt to taste

Method

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan; add the chopped spinach with a little salt and simmer covered until soft and tender. Once cooked, increase the heat to high and evaporate the water released from the spinach, stirring. Turn off heat and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in another pan; add the cumin, ginger, onions and saute until the onions have turned light brown/golden. Add the turmeric powder, potatoes, tomatoes, cinnamon-clove powder, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, salt and saute the potatoes gently on medium heat uncovered.

When you begin to see the potatoes browning and releasing a flavorful aroma, gently stir in the spinach to the potatoes.

Stir in the lemon juice. Finally Stir in the butter.

Serve hot with, phuka's or plain parathas or with any other indian bread.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ingredients

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Directions

Put the semisweet and white chocolates into 2 separate heatproof medium bowls. Fill 2 medium saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.)

Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries.

Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Cherry-Vanilla-Almond Smoothie

Blend together 1 cup frozen cherries, half a medium banana, 1 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt and 1 tbsp sliced almonds. Add a few ice cubes to make it more frothy.