25 gm moong flour

750 ml milk

85 gm sugar

20 gm butter

1 drop vanilla essence

14/15 digestive biscuits

30 gm walnuts

Few chopped pistachios and cherries (optional)

250 ml cream

1. Crush the walnuts to smaller pieces and set aside.

2. Oil a dish of 7 cm x 7 cm. 

3. Arrange the biscuits at the base of the dish. 

4. Cut few biscuits to fill up the base. 

5. Repeat the same for another layer of biscuits, as we are going to have a second layer.

6. Pour the milk into a pan. 

7. Add sugar, vanilla essence and the moong flour. 

8. Mix well to avoid lumps. 

9. Cook over medium heat till it thickens stirring continuously to avoid burn and lumps.

10. When it thickens add the butter. 

11. Cook further stirring continuously until the consistency is that of thicker pancake.

12. While the mixture is still hot, pour half of it over the prepared biscuits. 

13. Level it and sprinkle 1/3 of the crushed walnut over it evenly.

14. Place the second layer of biscuit over it. 

15. Pour the remaining moong mixture and spread evenly. 

16. Sprinkle half of the remaining walnut over it.

17. Let it cool and then keep it in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes.

18. Beat the cream till smooth and creamy.

19. Pour it over the last layer of moong mixture. 

20. Spread it over it and sprinkle the remaining walnuts, chopped pistachios and cherries.

20 gm urad flour

30 gm plain flour

30 gm butter

½  tsp refined oil

Pinch of baking powder

15 gm powdered sugar

½ tsp water

1 drop of red food colour

Few pistachios

1. Add flour, urad flour, powdered sugar, and a big pinch of baking powder and mix them well. 
2. Rub in the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture until it looks like bread crumbs. 
3. Add 1 drop of the colouring into the water and mix well.   Add the coloured water to the flour mixture.  Knead into soft dough.  (Add more colouring if you desire a brighter colour for the strawberries.)
4. Keep the dough in the fridge for about 5 minutes.

5. In the meantime soak the pistachios for few minutes. 

6. Remove the skin carefully and cut them lengthwise into 4 pieces as shown in the picture.

7. Now take the dough out of the fridge and divide equally into 7 portions.

8. Line a baking tray with buttered paper. 

9. Take one portion of the dough and make it into a ball. 

10. Place it on the baking tray and bring it into a strawberry shape. 

11. Do the same with the other portions allowing   space in between the shapes for expansion.

12. With a sharp pointed pair of scissor snip the dough several times in rows as shown in the picture. 

13. Place the pistachio chips on the strawberries to represent sepals.

14. Bake in a hot oven 200 degree C for about 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.

50 gm moong dal

20 gm powdered sugar

1 Tbsp ghee/clarified butter

1 drop of green food colour

1. Wash and cook the moong dal with as minimum water as possible. 
2. When cooked, mash it in the grinder to a fine paste. 
3. Heat a pan with ghee and add the moong paste.  Saute it for a minute or so. 

4. Remove the moong mixture from the heat. 

5. Add the sugar and mix well. 

6. Add the colouring (use the colour according to your liking) very little at a time to your desired shade. 

7. Knead well.

8. Make few balls of the size of walnut and some smaller ones as the picture.

100 gm flour

25 gm powdered sugar

Pinch of baking powder

50 gm butter

1tsp refined oil

1 drop of vanilla essence

2 tsp of cold water

1. Sieve flour, baking powder, powdered sugar together. 
2. Rub in the butter well. 
3. Mix vanilla essence with the water. 
4. Add the liquid to the buttered flour and make the dough.

5. Divide the dough into 7 equal portions and make them into balls.

6. Take one flour white ball and two moong balls one small and the other big. 

7. Flatten the flour ball to hold the big moong ball.

8. Place the big moong ball in the middle and pull up the sides to cover the moong ball completely. 

9. Smooth it up by rolling it between your two palms

10. With a round biscuit cutter cut the pastry cover as deep as to reach the moong ball several times around the ball as shown in the picture. 

11. Place the smaller green ball on top and press lightly so that the slits open up slightly.  

12. Repeat the same process for the other balls and place them on a baking tray.

Bake in a hot oven of 200 degree C for about 15 minutes until lightly browned.

100 gm flour

1 Tblsp oil

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp kalajeera/cumin seeds

Water for making the dough

1. Sieve flour, baking powder and salt together.
2. Add cumin seed and oil, and mix well. 
3. Add warm water, little at a time, to make a soft dough.
4. And keep it aside for about 10 minutes

50 gm channa dal

1 tblsp of finely chopped coriander leaves

1 green chilli  finely chopped

1tsp of grated ginger

1 tblsp of corn flour

1 tsp of refined oil

Salt to taste

Refined oil to fry

1. Wash and cook the channa dal till soft with as minimum water as possible . 
2. Mash it lightly.  
3. Add all the ingredients one by one and mix well. 
4. Make small balls and roll them out into 3 cm long shape as shown in the picture.
5. And keep them aside.

6. To close the ends of the strips, make little flour glue with 1 tsp of flour and little water.

7. Now divide the dough into 3 pieces. 

8. Roll out one piece to a rectangular shape about 7 cm by 15 cm.

9.  Cut out two strips about 3 cm by 15 cm. 

10. Place two dal rolls on the strips.  

11. Make few slits from half way down the strip. 

12. Roll the strip along with the roll. 

13. Close the strip with little flour glue. 

14. Repeat the same process for the other rolls.  You should get about 7 rolls

15. Heat a pan with oil over medium heat.

16. Fry the rolls one by one until golden brown. 

17. Serve hot with chutney/sauce.

40 gm besan/chickpea flour

80 gm curd/yoghurt

 ¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp of ginger juice

Salt to taste

175 ml water

2 tbsp of finely grated fresh coconut

2 tbsp of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

1. Sieve the besan into a bowl.  
2. Add curd, turmeric powder and salt.  Mix well. 
3. Add ginger juice. 
4. Add 175 ml of water to make a thin mixture.

5. Place the liquid mixture into a steel vessel and place it inside the pressure cooker. 

6. After the first whistle, lower the heat to its minimum and cook for 5 minutes. 

7. Remove it from the cooker and beat it well to a fine paste. 

8. The thickness should be as shown in the picture.

9. Oil the backside of a thali/ flat plate. 

10. Spread the mixture evenly over it. 

11. Cut strips of 4 cm x 10 cm long. 

12. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut. 

13. Roll the strips quickly as you can. The mixture should be warm while rolling, otherwise the rolls will open up. 

14. Place them on a plate and garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves. 

15. Serve them with a chutney/sauce.

2 slices of bread

50 gm besan/ chickpea flour

1 medium size green chilli finely chopped

1 Tbsp of coriander leaves/parsley finely chopped

½ tsp kalajeera/ black cumin seeds

¼ tsp baking powder

200 gm refined oil to fry

Salt to taste.

1. Take 2 slices of bread together.
2. Cut 4 stripes and then cut horizontally once as shown in the picture.

3. Take the besan in a wide bowl. 

4. Add  salt, baking powder, chopped chilli and chopped coriander and mix well. 

5. Add enough water to make a batter that of pan cake consistency.

6. Heat the oil over medium heat. 

7. Dip the bread pieces in the besan batter and place them in the oil. 

8. Sprinkle few kaljeera over the pieces and fry till both the sides are golden brown. 

9. Remove them and place them on a tissue paper. 

10. Repeat the same steps for the rest of the bread. 

11. Serve hot with sauce.

½ of a cabbage (250gm)

50 gm masoor dal

1 green chilli finely chopped

1 tbsp of finely chopped coriander

½ tsp baking powder

½ inch ginger chopped

50 ml refined oil to fry

Salt to taste

1. Wash and soak dal for about 4 hours. 
2. Drain the water. 
3. Add chilli, ginger, salt and little water. 
4. Grind all the ingredients to a fine paste.

5. Wash and finely chop the cabbage. 

6. Add ¼ tsp salt and sprinkle handful of water over the cabbage. 

7. Cook undercover, over very low heat for about 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally. 

8. Allow it to cool and squeeze out the water from the cabbage.

9. Take the masoor mixture in a bowl. 

10. Add ½ tsp of baking powder and mix well. 

11. Add the cabbage and coriander leaves and mix them thoroughly.

12. Take a small amount of the mixture and flatten it to a flat patty of 2 inch diameter. 

13. You should get 6-7 small patties.

14. In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. 

15. Fry one patty at a time until crisp and golden brown.   

16. Serve hot with chutney/sauce.

5-6 slices of bread

50 gms moong dal

2 Tbsp sugar

5-6 green cardamom

1 Tbsp of ghee/clarified butter

½ litre Milk

Few finely chopped pistachios

1. Grind sugar and cardamom to powder.
2. Sieve and discard the skins of cardamom.

3. Wash and cook the moong dal with as little water as possible.  4. Heat a pan with 1 Tbsp of ghee. 

5. Fry the cooked moong until the moong stick together and oil comes out.

6. Keep aside 1 tbsp from it, for using with milk later.

7. Take half of the milk and add to the remaining moong. Cook till it thickens. 

8. Add the sugar mixture and mix well.  Cook further for a minute or so until big bubbles appear on the surface. 

9. Allow the filling to cool.

10. Take little milk and 1 tbsp of the reserved moong filling and blend into a smooth paste. 

11. Add this to remaining milk and bring it to boil in a pan. 

12. Add sugar according to your taste. The moong  will thicken the milk and also give a beautiful light yellow colour. 

13. Cool it down before using.

14. Cut the sides from the bread slices. 

15. Flatten them out with a rolling pin. 

16. The sides should be thinner than the centre. 

17. Wrap them up with a damp kitchen cloth.

1. Place 1 tbsp of the prepared moong filling  on one side of the prepared bread slice and roll it up like a Swiss roll.
2. Keep the roll downward so that it does not open up. 

3. Place it on dish and spoon the moong-milk over it. 

4. Repeat the same steps for the other slices.

5. Cover it and keep it in the fridge to cool.

6. Before serving, transfer the rolls to a serving dish.

7. Pour the remaining milk over the rolls and sprinkle the chopped pistachios on top.

110 gm flour

25 gm butter

¼ cup milk

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp yeast

½ tsp salt

1. Melt the butter over medium heat and switch off the heat. 
2. Add milk and sugar to the butter and sprinkle yeast over it. 
3. Allow it to rest in a warm place until it becomes frothy.

4. Sieve flour and salt together and fold it into the yeast mixture to for soft dough.

5. Knead the dough lightly and keep it in a warm place for 1 hour to double its size.

50 gm moong dal

1 tsp butter

2 tbsp milk

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp refined oil

½  capsicum finely chopped

3 tbsp grated cheese

1. Wash and cook the moong dal with  ½ tsp of salt and as minimum water as possible until soft.  Mash it well. 
2. Add pepper and butter and then milk. 
3. Mix all the ingredients into a smooth mixture.

4. Oil the baking pan (12cm x 12cm).

5. Saute the capsicum over medium heat with 1 tsp of oil.  Keep it aside. 

6. Knead the fermented dough well for about 5 minutes and divide it into 2 equal portions. 

7. Flatten one to fit the base of the prepared pan.

8. Spread the moong mixture over it.

9. Sprinkle the capsicum and then the grated cheese over the moong.

10. Roll out the other part of the dough and place it over the mixture. 

11. Tuck the edges neatly and allow it to stand for another 1 hour to double its size.

12. Lightly dent the top with your fingers and brush it with milk.

13. Bake in a hot oven 175 degree C for 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

14. Cool it on a wire rack.

50 gm roasted channa dal

 2 tbsp refined oil

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

½ tsp Red chilli powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seed/sounf

10-12 curry leave

2 tbsp dried mango powder /amsur

Salt to taste

1. Grind the roasted channa dal slightly coarse and keep it aside.

2. Roast the curry leaves on a heavy pan for few minutes. 

3. When the leaves start to wrinkle, add the fennel (sounf) and cumin seeds.  Stir occasionally till roasted. 

4. Allow it to cool and then grind them fine.  Since it was a small amount, I used the mortar and pestle.

5. Heat a pan over medium heat. 

6. Add the refined oil.   

7. Add all the spices one by one and mix well. 

8. Fry the spices for a minute. 

9. Add the channa and blend well with the spices. 

10. Add mango powder and salt to taste.  Continue to fry for another minute or so. And transfer it to a bowl.

100 gm maida

50 gm butter

½ baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp cold water

1. Sieve flour, baking powder and salt together.
2. Cut the cold butter into cubes

3. Place the flour mixture and butter in the blender and give just 2-3 quick pulses. 

4. Add cold water and give another 3-4 quick pulses.

5. Turn the mixture on to a hard surface and knead lightly. 

6. Divide it into 6-7 equal portions and make balls.

7. Take a ball and roll out to the size of a 2 inch circle. 

8. Further roll only the edge as thin as possible. 

9. Place the filling at the centre. 

10. Collect the edge of the circle and bring it to centre and press it to seal the filling.   

11. Turn the ball over to the smoother side and carefully place it into the ring cutter and press gently to its shape. 

12. Remove it from the ring and place it on a greased baking tray.

13. Repeat the same steps with the other balls.

14. Brush the top with a mixture of 2 tsp of oil and ¼ tsp of red chilli powder.  

15. Bake the kachoris in a hot oven 200 degree C for 35- 40 minutes, until slightly browned. 

16. Serve hot with chutney.