Grilled Subzi

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot – cut into thin round slices
• 2 capsicums – green, yellow or red – sliced into thin fingers
• 1 tomato – deseeded and cut into thin fingers
• 50-75 gms paneer – cut into thin fingers
• 3 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• 3 tbsp gram flour
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp coriander cumin powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp aamchur powder (dry-mango powder)
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a microwave proof dish, cook sliced carrots with little water for 2 minutes.
2. In another microwave proof dish, mix oil, ajwain, gram flour, lemon juice, red chili powder, coriander-cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and mango powder and microwave on high for 2 minutes.
3. Add milk and salt and mix properly. Then add carrots, capsicum and paneer and grill in the oven for 14 minutes. After 7 minutes, add deseeded tomatoes and mix gently and grill for the remaining 7 minutes.
4. Serve hot.

Eggless Chocolate-Walnut cake (in microwave)

Ingredients:

1¾ cup maida (plain flour)

6 tbsp cocoa powder

¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp eating soda

¾ cup vegetable oil / refined oil

1 cup curd (nor sour)

1¼ cup ground sugar

½ tsp vanilla essence

1 cup milk with 1 tsp coffee and 2 tsp drinking chocolate mixed in it

½ cup walnuts pieces

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cup maida (plain flour)
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp eating soda
• ¾ cup vegetable oil / refined oil
• 1 cup curd (nor sour)
• 1¼ cup ground sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 1 cup milk with 1 tsp coffee and 2 tsp drinking chocolate mixed in it
• ½ cup walnuts pieces

Method:

1. Sieve the dry ingredients viz. maida, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda for 2-3 times.
2. In a deep bowl, mix oil, curd, sugar and vanilla essence. Beat well with beater. Then add flour mixture and mix properly.
3. Now add the coffee-chocolate milk and beat again well.
4. Ensure that the mixture has a loose consistency.
5. Add walnut pieces and mix them gently.
6. Grease a round or square microwave-proof vessel. Pour the mixture in it and pour some walnut pieces on top.
7. Microwave this for 10 minutes on high power. Standing time 10 minutes.
8. Allow it to cool completely before unmolding it.

Methi Mutter Malai

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fenugreek leaves (chopped)
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ cup green peas
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 tbsp cream
• ½ tsp sugar
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

For making the paste:

• 1 onion – chopped
• 1 green chilli – chopped
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 12-13 cashew nuts
• 2½ tsp poppy seeds

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix washed fenugreek leaves and ½ tsp salt and leave aside for 15-20 minutes. Then, squeeze out the water.
2. Mix all the ingredients for paste in a mixer jar and grind it to a smooth puree. You can add some water.
3. In another microwave safe bowl, combine green peas with 2 tbsp of water and microwave it for 1 min 30 seconds.
4. In a microwave safe bowl, add 1½ tbsp oil, fenugreek leaves and cumin seeds. Mix well and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove them and keep aside. In the same bowl, add remaining oil and grounded paste and microwave for 2 min.
5. Now add milk, cream, sugar, salt and cooked fenugreek and peas, and microwave it for another 2 min.
6. Serve hot.

Healthy Pasta and Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bowl Conchiglie whole wheat pasta (boiled) (even maccheroni can be used)
• 1 carrot – finely chopped
• 1 capsicum – finely chopped
• 2-3 baby corn – chopped
• ½ cup sweet corn kernels
• ½ apple – peeled and chopped
• ½ cup grapes
• 3-4 cloves of garlic (in a paste)
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp oregano/mixed herbs
• 3-4 tsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, add carrot, capsicum, baby corn and sweet corn and microwave it with a little water for 2 min with lid.

2. Now in another microwave safe bowl, add oil, garlic, pepper powder and herbs and microwave it for 40 seconds. Add boiled vegetables and all the other ingredients to it. Mix well.
3. Microwave it again for 30 seconds.

Veggie in Honey Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot sliced
• 7-8 Mushrooms cut into half
• ½ cup sweet corn (or baby corn)
• 1½ cup Broccoli & cauliflower cut into small florets
• 1 Onion cut into 8 pieces
• 1 capsicum cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 2-3 dry red chillies (Broken into bits & deseeded)
• 15 cloves of garlic (paste)
• ¼ tsp pepper
• A pinch of Ajinomoto
• 1½ tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp soya sauce
• 2½ tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2-3 tsp red chilli sauce
• 3-4 tsp honey
• 1 tsp mixed herbs
• ½ tsp Oregano
• 3 tbsp corn-flour dissolved in ½ cup water.
• 4 tbsp oil
• 1 cup water
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Put oil, broken red chillies, garlic, corn, mushrooms, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower and onion in a microwave proof bowl. Mix well and microwave it for 5 mins.

• Add pepper, salt, ajinomoto, chilli sauce, soya sauce, honey and vinegar. Mix and microwave for 1 min.
• Add capsicum, mixed herbs, oregano, water and dissolved corn-flour and mix well. Again microwave it for 3 min.

• Mix well and add more water if needed.
• Serve hot with steamed rice or noodles.

Khaman/Dhokla (In Microwave)

Ingredients:

For batter:

• 1½ cup gram flour (besan)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda or fruit salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt to taste

For tempering:

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 green chili – chopped
• 2 tbsp grated coconut (optional)
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ cup water
• ¾ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for batter properly.
2. Pour the batter in a greased microwave safe flat-surface container.
3. Microwave it for 4 minutes on high power. Allow it to stand for 3 min. Then, cut the dhoklas into equal pieces.
4. Separately, mix lemon juice and sugar in water and keep it till the sugar dissolves.
5. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, green chili, sesame seeds. When it starts spluttering, add the sugared water.
6. Pour the above mixture on the prepared dhoklas. Leave it aside for 5 min.
7. Sprinkle coconut and coriander leaves on top.

Tofu Bhurji

Ingredients:

• 100 gm Tofu (grated)
• 2 onions (chopped & boiled)
• 3 tomatoes
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 1″ Ginger
• 3 whole dry red chillies (Soaked in hot water for 15 min)
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts & almond paste (Soak in hot water for 15 mins, peel and make a smooth paste)
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander-cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut the tomatoes into half, put it in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 2 min on high power. Let it cool, peel them & make a puree.
2. Mix boiled onions, soaked red chillies, garlic and ginger in a mixer cup & grind them into a smooth paste.
3. In a large microwave safe bowl mix oil & onion paste & microwave it for 3 mins.
4. Add Tomato puree & microwave it for 3-4 mins. Then add all the dry masala, sugar, salt & cashew-almond paste. Again microwave it for 2 mins. Water can be added if needed.
5. At last mix grated tofu & coriander leaves properly. Microwave it for 2-3 mins before serving.
6. Serve hot with parathas or Rice.

Hot & Spicy Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiled spaghetti and fussili
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, finely chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1-2 tsp chilly-ginger paste
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• Pinch of turmeric powder
• ½ tbsp corn flour (mixed with some water)
• ½ tsp chilly flakes
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• 1 tsp mixed herbs
• 1 tsp oregano
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tbsp butter/ghee
• 2 cheese cubes
• Other boiled vegetables like capsicum and French beans (optional)

Method:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave butter for 30 seconds. Add onions, garlic and chilly-ginger paste and microwave it for 3 minutes on high power.
2. Add tomato and microwave it for 2 minutes.
3. Add corn flour liquid, some water, sugar and all the spices and herbs mentioned above. Microwave it for 3 more minutes.
4. Add pasta, vegetables and tomato ketchup, mixing them well and microwave it further for 1 minute.
5. Add grated cheese on the top and bake it in a pre-heated oven (on convection mode) at 200°C for 6-7 minutes.
6. Serve it hot, accompanying it with fruit juice or beverages.

Baghara Baingan

Ingredients:

• 5-6 Small size Baingan
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves
• Fresh chopped coriander leaves
• Salt to taste
• Oil

For the paste:

• 2 tbsp ground peanuts
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 3 whole dry red chillies
• 1-2 green chillies
• 1 large onion sliced
• 2 tbsp grated coconut (If it’s dry coconut-soaked in ½ cup water)
• 1” Ginger chopped
• 5-6 Garlic cloves
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2-3 tsp Coriander-Cumin powder
• 1½ tsp Garam masala
• 1tsp turmaric powder
• Lemon sized Tumrind (soaked in hot water)
• Or Dried Mango slices (Amchur) can be used

Method:

1. Slit the brinjals into quarters from the bottom without removing the top green portion. Spread the oil with a brush inside and outside of brinjals and microwave it for 5-6 min on high power with 1 tbsp of oil. Remove the brinjals from the bowl and keep aside.
2. In the same microwave bowl, in the remaining oil, add sliced onions and microwave it for 2 min.
3. Now grind all the dry masalas, ginger and garlic in the mixer. Then add cooked onion, soaked coconut and tamarind. Grind them properly into smooth paste.
4. In a microwave safe bowl, put 2-3 tbsp oil, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and microwave it for 1 minute. Then add the prepared paste and microwave it for 3 minutes. Then add salt, some water (if required, to make the gravy of proper consistency), brinjals and cook again for 2 min.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Layered Soya Veg Biryani

I had seen a similar recipe in a cookery show, in which I made some modifications. Also, I was not sure before preparing this one, as I had never used soya chunks with rice. But the final outcome was just amazing and soya chunks tasted delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soya chunks
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups mixed boiled vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower, capsicum, corn, etc)
• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 2 green chillies – finely chopped
• 1-2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tomato – finely chopped
• ½ cup curd (beaten well)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 tbsp ghee
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp clove powder
• ½ cup fried onions
• 2 tbsp saffron milk
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves

For dry masala:

• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 3 tsp coriander-cumin powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp biryani masala (any brand)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi

Method:

1. Cook soya chunks for 5-7 minutes in boiling water. Wash with cold water and drain the water from them.
2. Soak the rice for 30 minutes and cook with salt, 2 tsp ghee, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and clove powder with double water. Mix all the vegetables in the rice once it is cooked.
3. Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds and onion. Fry till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and green chillies and sauté till one minute. Add chopped tomatoes and cook well. Then add soya chunks and mix it well. Add curd and all dry masala in it. Stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally add coriander leaves.
4. In a microwave safe bowl, make a layer of rice. Then make a layer of spiced soya chunks. Sprinkle some fried onions on it. Repeat these three layers again in the same order. Finally make top layer with rice. Pour some saffron milk over it and sprinkle remaining fried onions.
5. Cover the vessel with silver foil and put it on a convection mode on 220°C for 5-7 minutes. (Remember: Not on microwave mode at all because of foil).
6. Serve hot with raita.

(Note: If you do not have a microwave, you can treat step 5 as optional. The biryani would taste delicious even otherwise.)