Mirchi Bajji with Tamarind Paste

Ingredients:

Green peppers - 16
Tamarind paste - 8-10tbs
Dry coconut powder - 2tbs
Ajwain ( crushed ) - 1tbs
Salt - to taste
Brown sugar - 1/2 tbs
Coriander powder - 1 tbs
Besan - 3cups
Water
Onions finely choppped
Chat masala

Preparation Method for stuffing :

1. Make a paste of tamarind,coriander powder, coconut powder, ajwain,salt very little,
   brown sugar ( jagerry ).
2. Make slits to the green peppers length wise and remove the seeds from them.
3. Boil them on a low flame with salt till they become soft . Drain the water and keep
   them aside.
4. Now mix the besan with water and make a thick batter and add little salt.
5. Now in a pan put oil for deep frying. Take the stuffing paste and fill the slitted
   chillies with a spoon ( convinient ) and dip it in the besan batter and put the
   chilly immediately in the pan and deep fry.
6. Do the same with other chillies too.
7. Lastly spinkle some chat masala and serve hot with chopped onions.
   

Puliyinji(Tamarind-Ginger)

Ingredients:
Green chilly (chopped fine) - 1/2 cup
Ginger (chopped fine) - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds b - 2 tsp
Cooking oil - 1 tbs
Red chilly - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Coconut - 1 cup
Water - 1-2 cups
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tbsn
Turmeric dal - ½ tspn
Salt As per taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan .Add mustard seeds and when they crackle add red chilly and curry leaves and fry for a while.
2. Add the green chilly and ginger and fry till browned.
3. Now add tamarind paste turmeric powder and salt and bring t boil. Now reduce the heat and cook on low flame.
4. Heat a pan and roast fenugreek seeds till browned and grind to get a fine powder.
5. Add this to curry. Continue cooking on low flame till gravy is thickened. Remove from flame.
   

Carrot Halwa

Method 1 Ingredients:

2 cups fresh carrot peeled and grated
200ml milk
Milkmaid or condensed milk to taste
1 tsp. ghee

Procedure:

1. Mix carrots and milk in a heavy or nonstick pan.
2. Cook, stirring constantly, till carrot is soft and moisture evaporates.
3. Add ghee and sweetex, stir and cook on low for 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve hot. Or reheat as required.

Making time: 30 minutes

Makes: 3 servings

Shelflife: 4-5 days refrigerated

Method 2 Ingredients:

1 Kg Orange Carrots

1 1/2 litre Milk

500 Gm Sugar

Saffron few flakes

Cardamom powder

20 Almonds (soak in water before 5 hours)

15 Pista

15 Cashewnuts (soak in water before 2 hours)

4 tbsp Fresh Cream

Procedure:

1. Peel and grate carrots .
2. Put milk and carrots in a heavy utensil.
3. Boil till thick, stirring occasionally. Once it start thickening, stir continuously.
4. Add sugar and cook further till thickens.
5. Add Fresh cream, cardamom, Almonds, pista, cashewnuts, saffron.
6. Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball and then set it in a tray coated with ghee.
   

Serve hot/cold with sprinkled nuts.

Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: 4-5 days refrigerated

Wheat Halwa (Microwave)

Ingredients:

Cream Of Wheat * 1/2 cup (4 oz.)
Sugar 1 cup
Milk (any kind) 1 1/2 cups
Ghee 1/2 cup
Saffron a pinch
Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
Yellow Food Colour 1/8 tsp(optional)
Cashewnuts roasted in ghee (optional)

Procedure:

1. In a sauce pan, fry the cream of wheat with 1/4 cup of ghee in medium heat till it turns light brown.
2. Pour the cold milk in a square or round pyrex dish and add the sugar, saffron, food colour and half of the cardamom powder.
3. Mix the fried suji slowly into it. Micro-wave for 3 mts.
4. Stir well when you take it out.
5. Repeat this 4-5 times (depending on the micro-wave) till it comes to a halwa stage.
6. Stir in the rest of the ghee and cardamom before keeping it for the last time in the microwave. Add the cashews.

*Cream of wheat box that says `regular' works the best