Apricot is a fruit that belongs to the peach family. It seems to be like something in between peach and plum. 
   The mineral content in apricot is high and hence makes them helpful in overcoming diseases like asthma, tuberculosis, bronchitis, etc. it also helps in treating pimples and is good for our eyes. 
   This recipe was shared with me by a friend and when I made it I just enjoyed it and am sure all you guys out there will give me the same comment…J


   Ingredients
        2 Cups Dry Apricots

      ½ Cup Walnuts

¼ Cup Orange Juice

1ltr Vanilla Ice-Cream

Method:

1. Soak the dry apricots for 3hrs.
2. Remove the seeds.
3. Slightly boil the apricots in the same water in which they were soaked.
4. Puree the apricots in a food processor leaving it a little grainy. Let it cool.
5. In a bowl line the apricots and add the orange juice.
6. Mix it and sprinkle some walnuts. Leave some walnuts for decoration.
7. Top it with vanilla ice-cream and sprinkle the remaining walnuts.
8. Enjoy your apricot-walnut ice-cream.

Spinach has a lot of nutrirional value and is regarded as the best of all vegetables for our health. It’s a vegetable that is available all around the year.

Spinach also Known as Palak is one of the most favourite, healthy and exciting green leafy vegetable for kids. They are all inspired by Popeye and want to be strong as him. They feel the one who eats Spinach is strong and so it would be a great idea to make this Palak/Spinach pulao for your kids.

     Ingredients

3 Bunches Palak
4-5 Cups Cooked Rice

½ Bunch Celery

1 Kg Mutton Pieces

3 Tspn Butter

2 Tspn Garlic Paste

2 Tspn Ginger Paste

½ Tspn Jeera

½ Tspn Rye

6-7 Curry Patta

3-4 Green Chillies

½ Cup Kothmir

1 Cup Spring Onions

1 Tspn Black Pepper

½ Cup Grated Cheese

Method:

1. In a vessel, boil the mutton with ginger-garlic paste and black pepper.
2. Wash and cut the palak, spring onions and kothmir coarsely.
3. Fry the pieces of cooked mutton with little butter and celery and keep aside.
4. Heat the remaining butter in a pan and fry the green chillies and garlic paste.
5. Add rye, curry patta, jeera and fry well.
6. Add the palak, half quantity of spring onions and kothmir.
7. Layer half the rice in a pan, then add the mutton+palak and top with rice layer again.
8. Keep on dim and let it cook.
9. While serving add spring onions and grated cheese on top.

Bread Pattice is simple to make and tastes great. We usually use potatoes for making pattice but I guess I like the bread more than potato since it gives it a complete unique look and above all I like doing things differently and when it tastes good then why not be and do different… J

Another reason why a bread pattice would be a good option is that it saves a lot of time that would otherwise be spent in boiling, cooling and peeling the potato.

One might argue that there is too much waste of bread but you can make a lot of things with those bread borders too… you should make bread halwa out of it... please do check my bread halwa recipe too and make that instead of throwing the bread crumbs…enjoy your meal…J

       Ingredients

      1/3rd Cabbage

      1-2 Carrots

1 Capsicums

500 Gms Chicken (Boiled and Shredded)

½ Cup Sweet Corn (Boiled)

2-3 Green Chillies (Finely Chopped)

2 Eggs for Frying

2 Tbspns Milk

½ Tspn Red Chilli Powder

1 Pack of Bread Slices

Oil for Frying

    For the White Sauce:

    

     2 Tbspns Corn Flour

     ½ Cup Milk

     3-4Tspns Butter

     Salt and Pepper to Taste.


Method

1. Wash and cut the carrots, capsicum and cabbage into small pieces.
2. Steam these cut vegetables in 4-5tbsps of water for 7-10mins.
3. For the white sauce, heat butter in a pan on slow flame and fry the cornflour in it.
4. Add Milk to it slowly, seeing to it that it does not make lumps.
5. Cook a while till the sauce thickens to a smooth paste.
6. Add salt and pepper. The white sauce is ready.
7. Add the white sauce to the vegetables along with the sweet corn, chicken and the green chillies.
8. Make an egg batter with eggs, salt and red chilli powder.
9. Take the bread slices and cut into circles with the brim of a steel glass.
10. Take a slice and add the chicken vegetable white sauce mix and top with another layer of bread circle.
11. Dip in egg batter and deep fry in oil.
12. Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Hint: Alternatively, you can use Paneer instead of Chicken.

Eggs are of great nutritional value and when they are boiled they are much more healthier than in any other form. Infact, a recent study has shown that boiled eggs are good for our vision as they contain carotenoids.

Doctors usually suggest that boiled eggs should be included in our salads, soups and currys more often and we have often heard our elders saying that you must have a boiled egg atleast once in a day.

Egg Curry is a way of making boiled eggs taste even better. They can be made in a variety of ways. This is a quick and easy way of making the curry. The masala made through this recipe is surely going to be finger licking.

Ingredients

6 Hard Boiled Eggs

6 Tbsp Vegetable Oil/Cooking oil

3 Medium Onions

3 Medium Sized Tomatoes

1 Medium Sized Capsicum

2-3 Green Chillies

2 Tspn Garlic Paste

2 Tspn Ginger Paste

2 Tspn Coriander Powder

1 Tspn Cumin Powder

½ Tspn Turmeric Powder

½ Tspn Red Chilli Powder

Salt to Taste

Chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves to Garnish

2 Potatoes cut in 1” cubes (optional)

Method

1. Heat 3tblspn cooking oil in a deep pan and when hot add 2 cut onions (medium pieces).
2. Fry the onions till golden brown. Turn off the heat.
3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the pan and put them in the grinder or food processor.
4. Grind the cooked onions, tomatoes and green chillies into a smooth paste. Try not to add water while grinding, if possible.
5. Cut the remaining 1onion and capsicum into small pieces and keep aside.
6. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the cut onion and capsicum. Fry till it is golden brown.
7. Add the paste (onion, tomato and green chilli paste) you made to it and fry for 2-3mins.
8. Add the ginger and garlic pastes, all dry spices. Mix all and fry till the oil separates from the masala.
9. Now add 2 cups of warm water to this masala and bring to a boil on medium flame.
10. If adding potatoes to the curry add them now and cook till half done.
11. Add the boiled eggs gently to the gravy. You can half slit them if you wish.
12. Simmer and cook for 10mins or till the gravy is reduced to about ¾ of the original quantity.
13. Potatoes should be cooked by now.
14. Turn off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
15. Serve hot with rice or naan.

Colourful Pudding is very quick and easy to make. It is a wonder recipe that could be made during family get togethers, parties and is specially a delight for kids. It would not only be loved by kids but is also healthy as it includes all kinds of fruits.

I tried to make it with different kind of fruits available in my house and found it to be tasty every time I made it irrespective of the kind of fruits I used. This is surely a delight isn’t it…!!!

Ingredients

20 - 25 Grapes
2 Chikoos

2 Peaches

4 Strawberries

1 Apple

1 Slice Pineapple

10 Pistas (Sliced)

2 Cups Fresh Curd

1 Ltr Vanilla Ice-Cream

3/4th Cup Condensed milk

Sugar to Taste

Method

1. Take the fresh curd and drain the water by hanging it over night or 4-5 hrs.
2. Beat the hung curd with vanilla ice-cream, condensed milk and sugar.
3. Refrigerate this mixture for 2-3 hrs.
4. Cut the fruits in small pieces.
5. In a bowl layer all the cut  fruits and fold in the curd which will be very creamy.
6. Decorate the pudding with pistas and a few cut pieces of any fruit.
7. Enjoy your colourful pudding.

Hint: You can use all the fruits available at home. 

Shahi means Royal and hence Shahi Paneer is regarded as a Royal Meal . It is a dish that was most famous in North India.

It is a famous Mughal dish and is said to be the Kings food. One of the reasons it is called Shahi Paneer is that it has rich ingredients like dry fruits and nuts like almonds, raisins and various heavy dairy products such as cream. It is usually eaten with naan or roti. 

Ingredients

200 Gms Paneer
2 Medium Onions

1" Ginger
3-4 Garlic Pieces
2 Green Chillies
1/2 Tsp White Pepper Powder
1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
3/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
3-4 Tbsp Cream
1/4 Cup Dry Fruits (Cashew Nuts, Raisins, Makhane)
1/2 Cup Milk
8-10 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt to Taste

Method

1. Cut paneer into small cubes.
2. Put paneer pieces in water and keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai. Saute the dry fruits in one tablespoon of oil.
4. Grind onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli in a blender and make a fine paste.
5. Fry the mixture in the remaining oil until golden brown and oil starts separating.
6. Add salt, red chilli powder, white pepper, turmeric powder, garam masala. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
7. Add milk to make the gravy. Bring the gravy to boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the gravy becomes thick.
8. Put a portion of the dry fruits in the gravy while it is being cooked. Keep the rest of dry fruits for decorating.
9. Finally add paneer cubes and 1 tbsp cream. Heat for 5 minutes.
10. Garnish shahi paneer with cream and dry fruits and coriander leaves.