9 oz cornflower(1 1/2 of 6 oz teacup)
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ajwain
1/4 or 1/8 tsp red chili pepper to taste
6 to 7 oz hot water(cool enough to touch)

Mix flour and other ingredients.Add water by teaspoonfuls mixing and kneading as you add.Let sit for a few minutes and then work with wet hands on top of wet piece of muslin.Pat out dough to size using palm of hand into medium size roti of thin to medium consistency.

Taking hand under piece of muslin put top side on preheated tava.Drizzle oil around sides of roti and carefully lift sides slightly to loosen from tava after cooking for a while.

Do not turn over until totally done on that side.When it is done the color is a pinkish gold and it is not burned on the opposite side.Turn over and put a little butter or oil on top and sides.Cook until done .This tastes very good with butter and jaggery or with butter alone served with spinach and/or mustard greens....Michelle

1 lb green mangoes 3 tsp salt(2-4 to taste) 2tsp red chili 20gm fenugreek seeds 2tbsp saunf(aniseed) kalonji ˝ tsp 1 cup mustard oil haldi(turmeric)1tsp Roast methi(fenugreek) seeds and saunf in a nonstick skillet until aroma develops.Grind with mortar and pestle.Grate green mango and discard juice.Add all dry ingredients to grated mango and then add oil.Leave covered at room temp 2 days.After 3 days you may eat the achar. Please note that a coffee grinder will not work out .If a mortar and pestle are not available then crush with a rolling pin.

Shaami kababs

1 lb channa dal 2lbs lean meat with fat trimmed off(boneless lamb,goat or beef) 2 minced onions 3c water 5tiny thai chilis,minced or 1tsp red chili powder 1tbsp salt 1 tsp ground coriander 2 eggs,beaten

Soak dal for at least 1 hr in hot water to cover.Mix all ingredients except for dal in a mixing bowl.Chop meat mixture with a hand held chopper not a blender until it is in very small pieces and thoroughly mixed.Cook until this reduces to about 1 ˝ cup.Add drained dal to the cooking meat mixture.Keep cooking after adding the dal.When the dal is cooked and soft then use hand held mixer/chopper to chop finely again.While the dal is cooking it is necessary to stir constantly to avoid burning and sticking to the pan.When the mixture is dry and cooked let cool off and then make into small patties.Preheat a nonstick skillet with a little oil.Dip patties in beaten egg and fry to brown on outside.These are already cooked so do not dry out by cooking too long.

Mix half pint milk with half pint carnation milk or infant milk powder , half salt , 2 sugar , 2 raw eggs , 5 oil and a small packet of yeast . Add 1kg (2pounds) self raising flour and knead for 15 minutes adding a bit of hot water each time until the dough is smooth. Cover with wet cloth and leave for an hour. Break off a large egg sized piece , dip it in some more flour and then roll it flat with a rolling pin until it is thin but not so thin that it breaks when lifted.

Put about a teaspoon of milk on top and with the fingertips indent a pattern all the way down . Lift the bread with the indented face on top and put it on a hot pan. Wait till the underside is brown and then lift this with indented face still top under a grill. Wait till the top is brown and then turn it over and grill the other side for a few seconds.

The dough for all these is made the same way
One pound ( half kilo) plain or brown flour or chapati flour . Add teaspoon salt and half a cup of water and knead for 5 - 10 minutes adding bits of water till smooth . Wash your hands if too much flour sticks. If too wet at the end add a little flour.

Roti

For roti (chapati) break off a large egg size piece , dip it into flour and roll it thin. Lift it to the tava ( pan) and heat till the underside is brown. Turn it over for a few seconds . Lift it to the grill and brown both sides.

Paratha

For paratha break off an egg sized piece . Roll it till it is half the size of a roti. Put a teaspoonful of melted butter or ghee in the middle and fold the rest over it . Dip it into flour again and roll it flat. Lift it to the pan , let the underside brown , then turn it over .Put a little melted butter on the top and spread it with a spoon. Turn it over and do the same to the otherside till both sides are brown. Delicious with pickle or unsalted butter.

Radish Paratha

For Mooli (Radish) paratha make the mooli stuffing first.

Grate a large mooli , add half tablespoon (one tablespoon = two teaspoons) salt and half red chilli powder and half dry coriander powder and one oil .Put all this in a pan and let heat for 20 minutes , keep turning , add a little water if necessary till its all soft.

Take two large egg sized pieces of dough . Dip them into flour and roll each between the palms till about a tea plate size ( Compact disc size) . Put one at the bottom , add one mooli paste and cover with the other piece. Flatten the top with your fingers and palms till the whole thing is a large plate size. Lift it to the heated pan (tava) . Let the underside brown and turn it over. Spread a little melted butter on the top and turn it over doing the same to the other side. Make deep gashes to both sides with a knife while they are being heated.

To a few ounces of Boondi ( fried gram flour bits) add one pint plain yoghurt , 2 sliced onions , 1 red pepper , 1 salt , half dried coriander powder , 2 tomatoes and one cup milk. Stir and serve.

Fry 3 slice onions in oil till brown . Add a small piece of sliced fresh ginger , half red pepper , half dry coriander , small piece or powdered garlic , half salt. Add 2 cups water , 2 sliced tomatoes , and one kilo chicken pieces . Stir and heat till almost dry . Add 2 oil and four sliced green chillis for taste. Heat and cook for an hour.

Quantities in tablespoonful -10ml

In a pot cover 2 pounds -one kilo chicken pieces with water . Add half tablespoon of salt (5ml) and half ( 5ml) of red pepper and half dry coriander powder . Add a small amount of ginger , garlic and three sliced onions . Boil on slow heat for about 40 minutes. Add 5 (30ml) oil and cut tomatoes and sliced green chillies. Ready when the meat starts to come away from the bone.

Make the mix with one pound of plain yoghurt (450gm) , 10ml red pepper and 10 ml salt and optional 30ml Tandoori powder (mixture of various herbs and spices , availaible from Indian shops) . Add 2 whole eggs and 15 ml lemon juice . Mix well till quite smooth. Take chicken pieces -2 kilos and make deep gashes with a knife in each. Pour the mixture on top of these . In a shallow oven pan put 100 ml of oil and put the chicken pieces on top . Cook at maximum heat for 30 minutes or so turning the pieces over once half way through till the meat starts to comes away from the bone.

From reader Michelle at
michelle@hal-pc.org

The chicken recipe looks wonderful but it fits into the category I refer to as "a moment on the lips forever on the hips." I usually use nonfat yogurt,a teaspoon of ajwain,a teaspoon of minced garlic and a tablespoon of tandoori masala or two with skinless chicken breasts.I marinate this for a while and place it on skewers.I grill this on my Jennair kitchen grill.The powder masalas are lower in calories but sometimes I use Lakubhai Pathak's jar masala.

I made this recipe up whenI had 30 minutes to cook for company.Along with this I made a higher calorie fast idiotproof dish as follows;Take 5 white thin skinned potatoes or 5 of the buttery flavored Yukon potatoes,wash and scrub the skins.Peeling is optional.I like the fiber.Place in microwave after piercing with a fork.Cook1-2 minutes for each potato until not quite done.At this point if you want to peel you can do this easily with your fingers under cold running water.Cut the potatoes horizontally into thin slices.Take a non-stick type wok or skillet.Add 1-2tbsp oil or less.Heat the oil.Add 2tbsp sesame seeds.Cook a little until slightly pinkish or tan.Add 1tsp jeera.Cook a little while till aroma develops being careful not to burn.Add 1tsp kalonji(nigella) cooking a short time for aroma.Add potato slices and brown so they are slightly crusty.Sprinkle with 1tsp salt or more to taste and approx 1tsp cayenne pepper or to taste.Sprinkle with lemon or lime juice to taste (probably 1-1and1\2tbsp)Garnish with chopped dhania leaves(perhaps one half cup) and toss or stir all to mix.

If you want to serve dessert shrikand goes well with this.If you don't have the time to drain the yogurt in cheesecloth forget this idea.One simple thing that works is to take a container of vanilla frozen yogurt and let it soften a little.Mix in flaked coarsely chopped unsweetened chips of coconut,slivered almonds and rose essence,drop by drop.This is a more intensely flavored product similar to attar and too much will overpower the taste.This is another invention of mine.

Do you have a good recipe for bihari kebab?I cannot find any apart from the container for the Shan masala. If you really want to overdo it you can make naan stuffed with a ground mixture of 1/3 pistachio nuts,1/3 cashews and 1/3almonds.Add a little sugar to the mixture plus a drop or 2 of oil if necessary to add for consistency.If desired add salt.Take a walnut sized piece of this ground mixture cover with the naan dough shape and cook.I do not have a tandoor unfortunately because I think it works the best for naan.I like to cook.I wish I had more time and energy to do so.

This fish recipe is very fast and easy:

For 4 people you use 2lbs of catfish.Swordfish would also work.You can use 1-2 bunches of fresd cilantro(dhania)leaves,~1/4 tsp haldi,1 tbsp oil ,juice of 1 lemon,salt to taste,1/2 serrano pepper plus water if necessary-a minimal amt if necessary to use in blender to grind leaves.Yogurt is optional to marinate the fish a few minutes.
Blend cilantro leaves(stems discarded)pepper and oil in blender.Wash fish removing bones.Sprinkle with haldi.Marinate a few minutes in yogurt.Cook the biended mixture over a hot flame.Add the fish and cook stirring frequently.When fish is flaky and tender add salt and serve Squeeze lemon over fish.If sauce is too watery remove fish and cook sauce longer to reduce sauce.Salt to taste.... michelle@hal-pc.org

BAINGAN ALOO GUJARATI STYLE


8-10 small round eggplants, approximately 3 inch size (rf these are 
not available you can use
zucchini or use the long thin cucumber size eggplants. 
 Do not use the large baigan
eggplants for this)
3-4 medium size potatoes
1 branch of curry patta
6 t. oil
1 c. water
3 T. besan (graltun) flour
3 t. dhania powder
less than 1/4 t. haldi
heaping t. red chili powder
1/2 c. fresh coriander leaves, stems removed 2 t. salt
I heaping t. sugar
1	t. til (sesame seeds)
·	t. oil

Ingredients for marinade
3-5 lbs goat meal 2tbsp vinegar.4 tbsp worchestershire sauce.2tbsp yogurt 1tbsp minced ginger.1 tbsp minced garlic.salt to taste.˝ tsp red chili pepper Other ingredients.2-3 large tomatoes.1-3tsp amchur.1 tsp dhania(coriander) powder.1 large diced onion. salt to taste.Marinate goat meat in marinade ingredients for 3-24 hours.

Cook in pressure cooker 10-15 minutes on high setting .Do not add water before cooking. If meat is not tender, cook longer.Take off lid and cook to reduce liquid . Add a small anount of oil to pan. Add chopped tomatoes and onions.Remove bones.

Cook on medium to low heat until meat is soft and tomatoes and onions are brown.Add amchur ,salt,dhania,if desired add more red pepper.The secret to this recipe is to bhuna long enough so the meat is browned and the flavor develops.Add more amchur if desired.Garnish with chopped cilantro.This recipe also works well with beef...michelle

This recipe really comes good. Lot of restaurants have also used this recipe and have got good remarks from their customers. So you know, it really works!
Ingredients: long grain rice - 6 cups
urad dhal - 1 cup
Uncle Ben's rice- 2 cups

We use lotus brand long grain rice. You can also use Mahatma or any store brand long grain rice. DO NOT USE JASMINE OR BASMATI RICE. Soak the long grain rice for 4 - 6 hours. Soak the urad dhal, (white, skinless) for not more than two hours. Use Uncle Ben's rice and make a powder in heavy duty coffee grinder or Sumeet. Depending on the long grain rice, You can increase the volume of the urad to 1 1/4 cups. First grind the urad with 1 cup of water (1/2 cup water when you start the machine and the rest when you are grinding). I grind it for 20 minutes.

Then grind the rice. We like the idlies soft. So I grind the rice very fine. It takes 20 minutes to grind the rice. Pour 4 cups of water in the vessel and run the motor for 20 seconds. This will clean out the dough sticking to the stone. Add the uncle ben's powder to this mixture and make a paste. Make sure there are no lumps. Mix all the three doughs adding salt. If you pour the dough it should fall freely from your hand. Also make sure it has the right amount of salt by tasting the dough. Ferment it for a day. During the winter, you can keep the dough in the oven with the oven lights on. Do not preheat the oven.

For dosas, you can use the same recipe. But add little bit more water to thin the dough. Caution: This recipe works only with Ultra Grind+ table top wet grinder. Please do not try this recipe if you use the blender. For more info on Ultra Grind+, visit the web page at www.innoconcepts.com