Makes 4 glasses

What makes this lemonade different from the others ? Read on to see.

We begin by taking two lemons , a little bigger  sized than walnuts and cut them into quarters and remove the seeds.

Then we take a handful of fresh mint leaves , 10 grams to be precise and wash and rinse them.

Next comes 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar , basically one tablespoon per glass , you could reduce or increase to your taste.

Measure one litre water in a blender jar , add a few ice cubes , follow with lemon quarters  mint leaves and one teaspoon salt or to taste.

Now you have to blend them for not more than 5 seconds , its almost like an on and off thing. If you blend any more than that, the lemonade will become bitter.

Strain into a jug and enjoy the most refreshing and simplest drink that ever could be.

beverage· mint leaves· summer coolers

Lemonade

Makes 4 glasses

What makes this lemonade different from the others ? Read on to see.

We begin by taking two lemons , a little bigger  sized than walnuts and cut them into quarters and remove the seeds.

Then we take a handful of fresh mint leaves , 10 grams to be precise and wash and rinse them.

Next comes 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar , basically one tablespoon per glass , you could reduce or increase to your taste.

Measure one litre water in a blender jar , add a few ice cubes , follow with lemon quarters  mint leaves and one teaspoon salt or to taste.

Now you have to blend them for not more than 5 seconds , its almost like an on and off thing. If you blend any more than that, the lemonade will become bitter.

Strain into a jug and enjoy the most refreshing and simplest drink that ever could be.

Minty cottage cheese dumplings in tangy tomato sauce /  Hara paneer Kofta
Serves 4-5 

There is something so fresh about mint that whenever I use it for my cooking or just simply taking the leaves off the stalks, the whole kitchen is filled with such invigorating freshness . I love mint chutneys and it goes so well with yogurt in case you are making raita or buttermilk.

     I have used a little amount of the two herbs which I feel have a magical effect on any recipe. It blends so well with cottage cheese and the pishta green colour of the dumplings is so irresistible that one can polish off quite a few just while frying them for the main recipe.

    Mashed cottage cheese blended with fresh herbs , deep fried and immersed in a tangy red tomato sauce and savoured with plain rice or better still pooris or simply rotis , a chatpati potato curry and boondi raita is my definition of a feast .

   Here is how you can treat yourself to a delicious meal especially during the hot summer months when one has little appetite.

Ingredients:

1.   400 grams cottage cheese

2.   10 grams each of mint leaves and coriander leaves ( about a handful each)

3.   1 tablespoon grated ginger

4.   1 small onion chopped fine and one small green chilli

5.   200 ml tetra pack of tomato puree ( I used kissan)

6.   250 – 300 ml water

7.   One large onion minced fine with two tablepsoons water

8.   ¼ th teaspoon turmeric powder

9.   Salt to taste

10.                1 level teaspoon black pepper powder

11.                  Three fourth teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder

12.                 2 tablespoons cornflour

Method:

1.  Place the cottage cheese along with the fresh herbs in a food processor or the regular mixer jar and blend till the cottage cheese crumbles and mixes well with the herbs , the cottage cheese will resemble bread crumbs at this stage.

2.   Place the mixture in a flat dish and mix and mash with the ginger ,onion , green chilli and cornflour till the mixture sticks together into a dough.

3.   Make balls a little bigger than a walnut , roll them on breadcrumbs and refrigerate for about half an hour.

4.   You can make bread crumbs in a jiffy with a few rusk slices  ( I use Britannia) , just crush them with the kitchen rolling pin , will take a few seconds and collect in a plate.

5.   Deep fry the cottage cheese balls on high flame for just about half a minute till golden brown. Remember the dumplings are very soft and have to be cooked on high flame so that they cook fast and don’t disintegrate in the oil , in case that happens , roll them I some cornflour before putting them in the oil.Place the dumplings in a flat serving dish.

6.   For the sauce / curry , take a medium onion , mince with a few tablespoons of water and cook in oil till brown on a medium flame. you could season the oil with a teaspoon of cumin seeds before that.

7.   Stir in the turmeric and follow by the tomato water mixture.

8.   Dilute the tomato puree with the water and pour the solution into the pan , give a stir, let it boil well.

9.   Season with salt, black pepper and cumin powder.

10.                Pour the sauce over the dumplings / koftas which have been arranged in a flat dish.

11.                At first it might seem as if the sauce is too much  , but within a few minutes the koftas / dumplings will soak the sauce.

12.                Serve hot with rice or like I did , with pooris.

cottage cheese· curries· mint leaves· tomato

Minty cottage cheese dumplings in tangy tomato sauce /  Hara paneer Kofta
Serves 4-5 

There is something so fresh about mint that whenever I use it for my cooking or just simply taking the leaves off the stalks, the whole kitchen is filled with such invigorating freshness . I love mint chutneys and it goes so well with yogurt in case you are making raita or buttermilk.

     I have used a little amount of the two herbs which I feel have a magical effect on any recipe. It blends so well with cottage cheese and the pishta green colour of the dumplings is so irresistible that one can polish off quite a few just while frying them for the main recipe.

    Mashed cottage cheese blended with fresh herbs , deep fried and immersed in a tangy red tomato sauce and savoured with plain rice or better still pooris or simply rotis , a chatpati potato curry and boondi raita is my definition of a feast .

   Here is how you can treat yourself to a delicious meal especially during the hot summer months when one has little appetite.

Ingredients:

1.   400 grams cottage cheese

2.   10 grams each of mint leaves and coriander leaves ( about a handful each)

3.   1 tablespoon grated ginger

4.   1 small onion chopped fine and one small green chilli

5.   200 ml tetra pack of tomato puree ( I used kissan)

6.   250 – 300 ml water

7.   One large onion minced fine with two tablepsoons water

8.   ¼ th teaspoon turmeric powder

9.   Salt to taste

10.                1 level teaspoon black pepper powder

11.                  Three fourth teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder

12.                 2 tablespoons cornflour

Method:

1.  Place the cottage cheese along with the fresh herbs in a food processor or the regular mixer jar and blend till the cottage cheese crumbles and mixes well with the herbs , the cottage cheese will resemble bread crumbs at this stage.

2.   Place the mixture in a flat dish and mix and mash with the ginger ,onion , green chilli and cornflour till the mixture sticks together into a dough.

3.   Make balls a little bigger than a walnut , roll them on breadcrumbs and refrigerate for about half an hour.

4.   You can make bread crumbs in a jiffy with a few rusk slices  ( I use Britannia) , just crush them with the kitchen rolling pin , will take a few seconds and collect in a plate.

5.   Deep fry the cottage cheese balls on high flame for just about half a minute till golden brown. Remember the dumplings are very soft and have to be cooked on high flame so that they cook fast and don’t disintegrate in the oil , in case that happens , roll them I some cornflour before putting them in the oil.Place the dumplings in a flat serving dish.

6.   For the sauce / curry , take a medium onion , mince with a few tablespoons of water and cook in oil till brown on a medium flame. you could season the oil with a teaspoon of cumin seeds before that.

7.   Stir in the turmeric and follow by the tomato water mixture.

8.   Dilute the tomato puree with the water and pour the solution into the pan , give a stir, let it boil well.

9.   Season with salt, black pepper and cumin powder.

10.                Pour the sauce over the dumplings / koftas which have been arranged in a flat dish.

11.                At first it might seem as if the sauce is too much  , but within a few minutes the koftas / dumplings will soak the sauce.

12.                Serve hot with rice or like I did , with pooris.

Summer coolers

The summers have begun in the south of India and the north is still enjoying pleasant weather before it gets boiling hot.

       There is no match to cool home made drinks and I love to give these coolers to my children when they come back from school in the sweltering heat. Just a blitz in a blender jar with the simplest basic ingredients and there you have a cool drink which will not only cools the body and mind but also acts as an excellent appetizer as one doesn’t feel like eating much in the hot months.

      Here I present two milk product based summer coolers in the first series of summer drinks, I will follow soon with mint lemonade and home made ginger ale recipe.

   Kachhi lassi

This cooling drink is also served on the martydom anniversary of the  fifth Sikh Guru “Guru Arjan dev ji”. All along the highways of Punjab , there are stalls of “chabeels”  where in people have donated money and many young boys voluntarily serve the commuters this cooling and refreshing drink. There are many versions of the same drink , but this one happens to be most popular .

   I make it at home often when I want to give a cool drink to my children .

Ingredients:

1.   ¼ cup milk

2.   1 cup chilled water

3.    A few cubes of ice

4.    4-5 tablespoons of roohafza

mix all the above ingredients and give a good stir and serve chilled .

Chilled mint buttermilk

   I just love the fragrance of mint leaves and when they are blended with yogurt , the beautiful pista green colour as it is often called is so delicious that the very look of the buttermilk cools down and soothes the eyes.

Ingredients:

1.   Half a cup yogurt / curd

2.   One cup chilled water

3.   ¼ cup mint leaves

4.   A few cubes of ice

5.    ¼ th teaspoon roasted jeera powder

6.    One teaspoon black salt / sea salt

7.    ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder

8.    ½  - 1 teaspoon sugar ( optional)

Method:

  Place all the ingredients in a blender / liquidizer , blend well and serve chilled.

    

beverage· buttermilk· cooling drinks· mint leaves· yogurt

Summer coolers

The summers have begun in the south of India and the north is still enjoying pleasant weather before it gets boiling hot.

       There is no match to cool home made drinks and I love to give these coolers to my children when they come back from school in the sweltering heat. Just a blitz in a blender jar with the simplest basic ingredients and there you have a cool drink which will not only cools the body and mind but also acts as an excellent appetizer as one doesn’t feel like eating much in the hot months.

      Here I present two milk product based summer coolers in the first series of summer drinks, I will follow soon with mint lemonade and home made ginger ale recipe.

   Kachhi lassi

This cooling drink is also served on the martydom anniversary of the  fifth Sikh Guru “Guru Arjan dev ji”. All along the highways of Punjab , there are stalls of “chabeels”  where in people have donated money and many young boys voluntarily serve the commuters this cooling and refreshing drink. There are many versions of the same drink , but this one happens to be most popular .

   I make it at home often when I want to give a cool drink to my children .

Ingredients:

1.   ¼ cup milk

2.   1 cup chilled water

3.    A few cubes of ice

4.    4-5 tablespoons of roohafza

mix all the above ingredients and give a good stir and serve chilled .

Chilled mint buttermilk

   I just love the fragrance of mint leaves and when they are blended with yogurt , the beautiful pista green colour as it is often called is so delicious that the very look of the buttermilk cools down and soothes the eyes.

Ingredients:

1.   Half a cup yogurt / curd

2.   One cup chilled water

3.   ¼ cup mint leaves

4.   A few cubes of ice

5.    ¼ th teaspoon roasted jeera powder

6.    One teaspoon black salt / sea salt

7.    ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder

8.    ½  - 1 teaspoon sugar ( optional)

Method:

  Place all the ingredients in a blender / liquidizer , blend well and serve chilled.

    

Kachumber/ simple salad recipe

A simple toss of crispy, grated and  finely chopped vegetables with a dash of lemon juice, salt and pepper is all that a "Kachumber" is about.  In this Kachoomber recipe I have taken approximately equal amounts of finely chopped onions and deseeded tomatoes , removed the seeds of the cucumber and capsicum  and finely chopped them too and grated the carrots . You could add a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger, pomegrenate seeds, finely chopped apples or any other crispy salad vegetable or fruit of your choice. Squeeze in a teaspoon of lemon juice , sprinkle some salt and pepper , give a gentle toss and there you have a delicious mixed veg salad to go with your biryani, simple dal chawal or even as a snack.

Kachoombar

Kachoombar

bell pepper· mint leaves· salads· tomato

Kachumber/ simple salad recipe

A simple toss of crispy, grated and  finely chopped vegetables with a dash of lemon juice, salt and pepper is all that a "Kachumber" is about.  In this Kachoomber recipe I have taken approximately equal amounts of finely chopped onions and deseeded tomatoes , removed the seeds of the cucumber and capsicum  and finely chopped them too and grated the carrots . You could add a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger, pomegrenate seeds, finely chopped apples or any other crispy salad vegetable or fruit of your choice. Squeeze in a teaspoon of lemon juice , sprinkle some salt and pepper , give a gentle toss and there you have a delicious mixed veg salad to go with your biryani, simple dal chawal or even as a snack.

Kachoombar

Kachoombar