Pasta Mint Salad

I tasted this at Pizza hut in Bangalore, India and since then, it is one of our favorite dishes. Usually, if I like something, I try to dig in and figure out what is in it which is making it so interesting and I like to try it out myself. This was very easy and it tastes exactly the same. It is a bit on the sweeter side because of the ingredients used, but believe me, it tastes great!
Generally, we don't have many choices in salads (Ones without Lettuce - this is one version for those who do not like salads with lettuce or greens)
This tastes great when served chilled. It's a great side dish with a slice of garlic bread or Focaccia.


Ingredients:
1 cup elbow pasta (macaroni) cooked al dente and cooled (Any other pasta like penne, rotini, bow, shell can be used)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 Roma tomato, deseeded and diced
1/4 cup pineapple chunks (if using canned, reserve the juice)
1 kiwi fruit (deseeded and chopped fine - leave the skin on, it tastes fine)
1 tea spoon sugar (check for pineapple, if it is naturally sweet, you can omit this sugar)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Method:
Cook the pasta according to instructions with olive oil and a pinch of salt. drain and cool until used.
Mix together pasta, tomatoes, pineapple (without the juice), kiwi fruit. Chill until used.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, sugar (if using) until thick along with any reserved pineapple juice. Add chopped mint leaves and add it to the pasta.
Mix well, chill and serve.
(Note: Adding lemon juice or vinegar preserves the colour of the mint to stay green and also does not alter the taste. Chop the mint leaves just before mixing in to avoid any discoloration.)
Serve chilled.

PANEER

Ingredients:
1 Litre Whole Milk
Juice of 1 lemon/Lime
Cheese cloth

Method:
Boil Milk and ddd the lemon juice. Continue to heat the milk until large lumps of cheese form. Drain this using a cheese cloth. Tie a knot to the cloth and hand it over night or until all the water is drained. Squeeze to remove extra water (This water is called whey and it can be used while making rotis to the wheat flour and the rotis turn out to be very soft)
Transfer this cheese to a plate or a block and keep a heavy weight on it and leave it over night in the fridge to set. This removes excess water if there is any. Cut into cubes or use it as required in recipes which call for paneer.

MATAR PANEER

Ingredients:
1 cup green peas - steamed (If using frozen, thaw them before using)
100 gms pressed cottage cheese (Paneer) – cubed (firm tofu also can be used)
1 large onion – diced
1 large tomato – diced
1 inch piece ginger
1-2 garlic pods
3-4 green chilli peppers
10 cashew nuts – soaked in water
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
3 table spoons oil
2 table spoons chopped coriander leaves

In 1 table spoon oil, fry the paneer cubes until golden brown. Keep them soaked in warm salted water until used. (this keeps the paneer moist)
In the same oil, Fry the onion until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Grind to a paste the fried onion, garlic, ginger, green chili, tomatoes and the soaked cashews without adding much water.
Heat the remaining oil, add the cumin seeds and when they crack, add this ground paste. Sauté until it gives a nice aroma. (Be careful the paste might stick to the pan since cashews are used. So, keep mixing once a while)
Add the dry spices – Red Chili powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, turmeric and salt. Sauté until the oil separates. Check for salt.
Now add the cooked peas, soaked cottage cheese cubes and allow it to boil for about 2-3 minutes.
Turn off and garnish with chopped coriander leaves
Serve with pita or bread.

Note: To add extra texture and flavor, ¼ cup fresh cream can also be added in the end. Do not cook after adding cream.

Eggless Fruit and Nut Cake Sweetened with Splenda

Ingredients:

1 cup(125 gms) all purpose flour

1/4 cup(50gms) + 2 table spoons Splenda Brown sugar blend (Any other low calorie sweetners which is perfect for baking can be used; I used this because of its colour as no caramelisation is necessary)

7 tbl spns(100gms) butter

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp cloves powder

1 tsp cardamom powder

1 tea spn vanilla extract

1/2 tea spn baking powder

1 tea spn baking soda

3/4 cup Fresh Orange juice

2 tbl spns orange marmalade or any mixed fruit jam (I used ED smith's Triple berry jam)

2 table spoons icing sugar for decoration.

Dry fruits -
1/3 cup raisins, 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries, 3-4 chopped prunes,1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup chopped cashews, 1/4 cup chopped Almonds, 1/4 cup tutti frutti (Any other dried nuts or fruits also can be used)

Method:

Preheat the oven at 350F for about 10mins.Take all the dry fruits in a bowl. Melt the butter and add it to the fruits. Mix.

Heat 1/4 cup sugar with 1tbl spn water in a thick bottomed pan till it dissolves a bit and it starts to sizzle.

Add this to the fruits and mix. When it is cooled a bit, add orange marmalade, orange juice, 2 table spoons sugar, spice mixture and the vanilla extract.

Sieve together flour, baking powder and soda. Add this to the fruit mixture a little at a time, mixing with a spoon.

Grease a baking dish and pour the batter into it. Bake it at 350F for about 25-30mins or till a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Dust the cake with icing sugar.

Cool it completely before cutting into pieces.

Minty Corn Cutlets

Ingredients:
2 big potatoes – Boiled and Mashed
1 cup cooked corn niblets (fresh or frozen)
½ cup cooked green peas – (coarsely mashed)
10-12 mint leaves – finely chopped
½ cup coriander leaves- Finely chopped
1 tea spoon amchur powder (dry mango powder)
1 tea spoon garam masala
6-7 green chillies – (Chopped)
1 inch piece ginger – (Grated)
2 tea spoons corn flour
Salt to taste
2 table spoons all purpose flour
1 cup corn meal ( or breadcrumbs whichever is available)
½ cup Oil to shallow fry

Method:
Mix together mashed potatoes, corn, peas. (If it sticks to the hand, add 1 spoon of oil)
Add chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, chopped green chillies, ginger, amchur powder, garam masala powder, salt to taste and the corn flour.
Oil your hands and make small balls of this mixture and shape it in the form of cutlets
In a separate bowl, make a thin batter of the all purpose flour with water
Take the corn meal in a separate plate.
Now, take the cutlets and dip once in the flour batter and then roll them on the corn meal or breadcrumbs. (This makes them stick firmly. You can substitute this with egg white too; but I use All purpose flour)
Shallow fry them on a hot griddle with little oil.
Serve with green chutney and tomato sauce.

For the green chutney:

2 cups mint leaves

1 cup coriander leaves

1 large onion

Juice of 1-2 lemons

Salt to taste

1 spoon roasted jeera

Method:

Grind all the ingredients into a smooth paste. Store it in the fridge. Great for sandwiches too.

Masala Puri

MASALA PURI

For the puris:
1 pkg papdis or pani puris (readily available in Indian stores)
OR
1 cup All purpose flour
½ cup fine sooji
Salt to taste
½ tsp jeera or ajwain(carom seeds)
2 table spoons ghee or oil
Water as required
Oil for Frying

Method:
Mix together All purpose flour, sooji with carom seeds and salt. Heat the 2 tablespoons ghee/oil until very hot. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour the hot oil into the well, with the help of a spoon mix gently the whole mixture and rub them with hands until they resemble bread crumbs. Sprinkle water as required and roll out into a stiff dough. Cover with a damp cloth until used.
Roll out large rotis. With a fork, prick all the sides of the roti and with the help of a round cookie cutter or any small lid, scoop out small puris and deep fry in hot oil
Note: If the roti is not pricked, it will puff and those can be used for panipuris, the flattened ones can be used for making masala puris.

For the masala:
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp jeera
½ tsp sounf( fennel seeds)
2 cloves
1 inch piece cinnamon
8-10 pepper corns (optional)
1-2 cardamoms
1 star anise
1 inch piece ginger
1 medium onion
2-3 flakes garlic
5-6 (or as required) red chillies
3-4 green chillies
1 small bunch coriander leaves
1 cup boiled peas( use dry green peas, soak them overnight and then pressure cook for 1 whistle – They should be cooked, not mushy)
½ cup fried gram( hurikadale)
1/3 cup grated coconut
Salt to taste
2 table spoon oil

Method:
1. In 1 tbsp oil, fry coriander seeds, jeera, fennel seeds, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, garlic, pepper corns, onion, red chillies, green chillies until fragrant.
2. Grind them into a thick paste along with coriander leaves, boiled peas, fried gram, salt, coconut adding enough water to be of a thick consistency as chutney with little water.
3. Fry this paste in the remaining oil until oil floats on top.
(At this point this masala can be stored for future use in the freezer)
4. Add water and boil until a desirable pouring consistency is reached. (Approximately like dosa batter) Check for salt
5. Mix water to only the quantity you use. Save the rest for later. You can just dilute with water and heat them as required


To serve:
You will need:
1 cup masala or as required
1 cup boiled peas
1 spoon green khara chutney (optional)
1 spoon sweet chutney
2 tsps finely chopped onion
2 tsps chopped tomato
2 tsps grated carrot
Salt to taste
1 pinch each of garam masala, red chilli powder and chat masala (optional)
1 tbsp curd or lemon juice
Coriander and sev for decoration

Method:
Place 5-6 puris/tikis on a serving plate and mash them lightly so they break. Now, pour the boiled peas on top of the puris, top with the masala, green chutney, sweet chutney, onion, tomato, carrot and coriander. Drizzle some beaten curd on top. Or add some lemon juice, which ever is suitable. Add salt, red chilli powder, chat masala to taste. Finally finish with a liberal amount of sev and some coriander leaves.
Enjoy the taste of the irrestible smelling Masala puri right from the famous “Gaadis” of Bangalore.

NOTE: This masala is the universal masala used in a variety of chaats like the alu puri, sev poori, cutlets etc. You can stuff them in the whole puris and use it according to the taste.