North and east India :)

Makki-di-Roti

This dish is very delicious and perfect to dip with or to pile chutney on top! The corn flour gives it a very nice twist (it is important you use corn flour and not any other type of flour). The dough is a perfect consistency to cut shapes into if you want to get creative! This is a very nice addition to any meal.

Recipe from "Surf India" online

 Ingredients (Makes: 5-6 rotis)

2 cups: Maize flour

1 fistful: Plain flour

1 tsp: Oil

Salt to taste

Water to knead

Method

1. Mix maize flour, oil and salt.  

2. Knead in a soft pliable dough, adding very little water at a time.

3. When the dough is very smooth and soft, bread a lump.
4. Shape into a ball, flatten and pat with palm, to make a thin roti.
5. Use dry plain flour to help. Or roll with a rolling pin.
6. Take care to dust with flour and lift and turn to avoid sticking.
7. Place on a heavy iron or earthen griddle and roast till crisp.
8. Repeat on both sides. Repeat for all rotis.
9. Cover and line with napkins to keep warm.
10. Drizzle with ghee or butter if desired.
11. Serve hot with Sarson ka saag and slice of onion and lime.

Navratan-Korma

Extremely memorable! This dish caught our eyes because of the fruit that was in it, and it certainly tasted just as good as it sounded! The apples, pineapple and banana give a very unique taste to the dish without overpowering it or making it too sweet. The cumin makes the whole kitchen smell wonderful the entire time you are cooking the dish. This is definitely something we'll be making again! If you cant get vurd at your local grocery store, I added a simple recipe to make it at home!

Ingredients

• 2 cups: Boiled Peas
• 1big: Chopped and Boiled Carrot
• ½ cup: Tomato Sauce
• 1 tsp: Sweet Lime
• 1 small: Apple
• 1 medium size: Banana
• ¼ quantity: Pineapple
• 10-15: Cashew nuts
• 18-20: Raisins
• ¼ cup: Curd
• ¼ cup: Cream
• 1 tbs: Ghee
• 3 tbs: Butter
• Salt to taste

For Dry Masala

• 1 tsp: Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp: Poppy seeds (Khus Khus)

For Wet Masala

• 1 big: Onion
• 1 tsp: Cardamoms
• ¼ cup: Shredded Coconut
• 3-4: Green Chillies

For Decoration

• Chopped Cherries
• Grated Cheese
• Chopped Coriander leaves

Making Curd:

Ingredients

• 1 litre of milk
• 1/8-1/4 cup of white vinegar or lemon juice (use more if you need to)
• Cheese cloth

Instructions

1. Heat milk on high until it is just about to boil (starts to foam and bubble slightly)
2. Take off of heat for a minute
3. Add vinegar and stir constantly until it separates
4. Pour into a colander with cheese cloth lining it.

Gobhi Manchurian

As delicious as this is, it is hard to make so you need to make sure you keep an eye on it!! Ours burnt a little bit and it really affected the overall flavour. However, even with the slight burnt taste, this dish was very good. The cauliflower really absorbs all the different flavours and gives it a fantastic texture. 

Gobhi Manchurian Ingredients

• 1 pcs: Cauliflower (medium, clean and broken into big florettes)
• 1/4 cup: Plain flour
• 3 tsp: Cornflour
• 1 small bunch: Spring onion (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp: Ginger (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp: Garlic (finely chopped)
• 1/4 tsp: Red chilli powder
• 2 no: Red chillies (dry)
• 1 tsp: Milk
• 3 tsp: Oil
• 1-1/2 cup: Water

Gobhi Manchurian Method

1. Boil the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a tsp. of milk has been added. Drain and pat dry on a clean cloth.
2. Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tsp cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt to taste.
3. Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside.
4. In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute. Add the salt and spring onions. Stir fry for a minute. Add 1-1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well. Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling. Boil till the gravy becomes transparent.
5. Add florettes and soya sauce. Boil for two more minutes and remove.
6. Serve hot with noodles or rice.
7. Variations:
   1. Dry Manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy.
   2. Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried florettes, spring onions and soya sauce at this stage.
   3. Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stir fry for 2 minutes.
   4. Serve piping hot with toothpicks or mini forks and chilli-garlic sauce or tomato sauce.
   5. Same procedure for veg. Manchurian (with gravy or dry), but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced vegetables and bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make small lumps the size of a ping-pong ball. Fry as above and proceed as above.