Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• dash salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 48 whole blanched almonds

Method

In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar at medium speed of electric hand held mixer. Beat in egg white and almond extract.

Stir flour and ground almond mixture into the creamed mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; chill for about 2 hours.

Shape dough into small balls, about 3/4-inch. Place balls 2 inches apart; flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Press an almond into the center of each cookie. Bake at 350° for about 12 minutes, or until set but not browned.

Makes about 4 dozen almond cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup ghee
• 1 1/2 cups besan
• 100 g cashew nuts
• 50 g almonds
• 1 cup milk
• 9 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cardamom powder
• 1 cup water

Method

Grind the Cashew Nut & Almonds till it become powder.

Melt the ghee in a heavy based pan.

Add besan and keep on stirring it till the besan turns a bit darker or golden brown.

Keep stirring until it becomes dry and bit darker.Add chopped almonds to garnishing.

• Leave the almonds in hot water for 1 hour.
• Remove the outer skin and grind to a paste with the milk.
• Make sugar syrup and boil till it reaches a one string consistency.
• Add the badam paste and cook till it thickens.
• Add the kesar colour.
• Add ghee little by little stirring continuously on low heat.

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg fresh okra tops and tails cut off and diced into 1" pieces
• 2 tsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 large onion sliced thin
• 2 green chillies chopped fine
• 6 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp dry mango powder
• 2 large tomatoes cut into small cubes
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame and add the cumin seeds. Fry till they stop sizzling.
• Add the onion, green chilli and garlic and fry till the onions turn light brown.
• Add the okra and mix well.
• Add the coriander and dry mango powders and mix again. Season to taste. Fry for 5-7 minutes.
• Add the tomato and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Serve immediately with hot chapatis (Indian flatbread) or parathas (pan-fried Indian flatbread).

• In a large mixing bowl stir together all purpose flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
• Take another bowl and mix together melted butter milk egg and meshed bananas.
• Now add the banana mixture into the flour mixture until thoroughly blended.
• Be careful not to overmix.
• Add the chocolate chips. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F to 175 degrees C.
• Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake it for 32-35 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into it comes out clean.
• When the cake gets baked take out the pan from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
• This cake will have some melted chocolate but no crumbs.

• Brush baigan (eggplant) with oil and roast it on a gas burner over medium heat.
• Frequently turn the eggplant upside down, until fully roasted.
• Once done, hold it under cold running water or in a bowl full of water. Cool it and peel off the blackened skin.
• Mash the flesh.
• Heat oil in a pan / kadhai . Add green chilli and onion and fry over medium heat until light golden brown.
• Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt and stir. Add tomatoes and cook until tender.
• Add green peas and mashed baigan (eggplant). Stir well. Fry the baigan bhartha for 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
• Garnish the baigan bharta with green coriander leaves and serve hot.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup self-rising flour
• 2 cups milk, low fat or whole
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• half of a 12-ounce box (about 44 cookies) vanilla wafer cookies
• 2 bananas, ripe but firm
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Method

Slowly stir in milk. Put mixture in top of double boiler over simmering water and cook until mixture begins to thicken. Beat egg yolks then briskly stir a small amount of the hot mixture (about 1/2 cup) into them. Add egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture in top of double boiler and stir in butter and vanilla. Cook until mixture thickens again.

Place a layer of vanilla wafers in an 11x7-inch baking dish (or other shape 2-quart shallow baking dish). Add a layer of sliced bananas. Continue layering until all cookies and banana slices are used. Pour pudding mixture over top. In a mixing bowl beat egg whites until foamy; gradually beat in 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cream of tartar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pudding. Bake at 350° until browned completely. Remove from oven. Serve hot or cold.
Serves 6 to 8.