Badam Ki Firni

Ingredients
Sooji (Semolina): 1 tablespoon
Milk: 1 quart
Green Cardamom: 1 (2 if you really like the flavor)
Badam (Almonds): 1 cup, soaked in water and peeled, divided into two parts
Sweetened Condensed Milk: 1 5 oz can

Steps
1. Take ½ cup of the almonds and make a paste. Take the other ½ cup and sliver the almonds.
2. Warm milk and green cardamom in heavy bottom saucepan.
3. Add sooji.
4. Bring to boil and stir constantly.
5. Add the almond paste.
6. Let it simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.
7. Add condensed milk and slivered almonds.
8. Stir thoroughly.
9. Remove from heat.
10. Serve hot or cold.

Kurkuri Bhindi

Ingredients
Bhindi (Okra): 2 lbs, cut into circles
Medium size Onions: 3, thinly sliced
Oil: 3 tablespoons, split into two
Green Chilies: 4, slit into half
Salt: to taste
Red Chili Powder: 1 teaspoon
Amchoor (Dried Mango Powder): 1-½ teaspoons

Steps
1. Wipe okra with damp paper towel.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in pan on medium.
3. Sauté onions till golden brown and keep aside.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil on high heat.
5. Add okra and green chilies.
6. Cook the okra on high heat till edges are slightly charred.
7. Add cooked onions, salt, red chili powder, amchoor.
8. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes.
9. Serve hot with daal and roti.

Chefs’ Note: Keep cooking the okra on high heat, otherwise, the okra can become limp and slimy

Mirchi Ki Sabzi

(My great grandma’s recipe)

Ingredients
Thai Chilies: 20, cut in half
Small Onion: 1, finely diced
Milk: 2 cups
Salt: to taste
Turmeric: a pinch (Just to give color)

Steps
1. Heat oil in a saucepan on medium.
2. Sauté chilies and onion for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add salt and turmeric and stir.
4. Add milk and cook for 5- 10 minutes till oil separates.
5. Serve with a rice dish.

Chefs’ Note: This is very spicy. A little goes a long way.

Sarson Ka Saag

Ingredients
Saag (Mustard Leaves): 2 bunch, use only the leaves, not the midrib and stem, washed and coarsely chopped
Baby Spinach: 1 bag, 6 oz
Broccoli: 1 crown, stem removed
Garlic: 6 cloves
Water: ½ cup
Oil: 1 tablespoon
Besan (Gram Flour): 1 tablespoon
Onion and Tomato Masala*: ½ cup
Salt: to taste
Red Chili Powder: ½ teaspoon
Cherry Tomatoes: 10-15, cut in half (optional)

Steps
1. Pressure cook mustard leaves, spinach, broccoli, garlic and water for 10 minutes.
2. Let the mixture cool and coarsely ground in a food processor or mixer. (Chefs’ Note: Don’t ground to a paste. Then the mixture looks like henna.)
3. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat.
4. Add the besan and cook until golden brown.
5. Add the mixture of mustard leaves, spinach, broccoli and garlic and the Onion and Tomato Masasla to the pan.
6. Add salt and red chili powder and cook for 7-10 minutes.
7. Fold in cherry tomatoes. (Chefs’ Note: We like to add cherry tomatoes because we like our saag more tomatoey.)
8. Add butter and serve hot with besan roti and enjoy!



Chefs’ Note: The besan and oil mixture acts as a roux and binds the saag together.