Shopping and Chopping

While shopping for french beans, cluster beans, ladyfingers or similar long green veggies, pick the ones similar in size and shape.
That way you will be able to chop small bundles together easily and the final dish will look more presentable too!

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Summer and Refrigerator

Do not forget to adjust the regulator of your refrigerator during summer for more cooling so that the food doesn't get spoiled.
And after summer, do not forget to bring it back to a little lesser cooling. 

ALWAYS OPT FOR A REFRIGERATOR THAT HAS THE LEAST POWER CONSUMPTION.

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Mango: Raw to ripe in the kitchen!

 

Forgot to keep a raw mango in the refrigerator. A few days later, it had ripened!!!

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Chatpati Bhel Recipe

Chatpati Bhel

Bhel Recipe for two:
Take 2 cups of kurmure / murmure / puffed rice in a vessel. Add the following:
Finely chopped onion (1 medium).
Finely chopped tomato (1 medium).
Some fresh pomegranate seeds.
1 tbsp dhaniya-pudina chutney (coriander-mint chutney).
1 tbsp sweet imli chutney (tamarind chutney).
Chopped green chillies as per preference.
1/4 cup cubes of boiled potatoes.
1-2 tsp finely chopped raw mango.
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander.
1 tsp lemon juice.
1/2 tsp chaat masala (if you want it to be very chatpata).
Red chilly powder, to taste.
Salt to taste.
Mix well, garnish with bareek sev and serve with a smile!

Tip: During summers, use refrigerated pomegranate, tomatoes and raw mango to make it a cool bhel!

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Cool Hot Mint Tea / Pudina Chai Recipe

Mint (Pudina in Hindi) serves as a cool blessing in summers, especially with the increasingly soaring temperatures every year. And for those of us who can't do without a cup of tea in the afternoon, mint sure is a boon.

I had mint tea for the first time at Samovar restaurant (Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai) thanks to my dear friend Varsha. And ever since I have become a fan of mint tea!

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Short Cut Pav Bhaji Recipe

Since my hubby dear Mrinal reaches home pretty late (being in advertising industry, it's pretty natural), I make it a point to cook the dinner post 10 pm. But at times, the laziness takes over and by the time its past nine pm, I do not feel like cooking a full course meal.

So this evening I bought some fresh pavs and decided to cook our favourite Pav Bhaji. However, Mrinal told me that he will not be able to reach home until midnight. So I kept postponing the cooking program and by 11 pm I was too bored to cook. Hence the shortcut pav bhaji recipe!

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Methi Gajar Green Pulao Recipe

Methi Gajar Green Pulao recipe - Quantity ideal for 2 people:

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp pure ghee
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 
• 1 medium tomato, chopped

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Rava Jaggery Laddu with Dry Fruits for Diabetics

My mom is diabetic and I don't like the idea of us all eating sweets during Diwali while shemanages with some snacks. Not that she loves sweets and will take any opportunity to indulge, she is very particular about not having sweets.

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Moong Dal Samosa Recipe - Authentic Diwali Mini Samosa Recipe

Diwali is the occasion when we consume too many sweets. And then, we look out to munch some salty, spicy snacks. The snack that best complements laddoos and karanji is Moong Dal Samosa. Stuffed with moong dal filling, these samosas are amazingly delicious. Here is the recipe for moong dal mini samosa we have been preparing all these years.

Moong Dal Samosa Recipe Ingredients:
1 cup moong dal
2-3 cups refined flour (maida) for dough 1 tbsp of pure ghee

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Besan Laddoo Authentic Recipe

As promised, here's the authentic besan laddoo (sweet made of gram flour) recipe on the occasion of Diwali.
Besan Laddu Recipe Ingredients:
4 Cups Besan (gram flour)
Few Cashew nuts and Almonds (if you prefer)
1 Cup Pure Ghee
Elaichi (cardamom) powder
2-3 Cups sugar powder or jaggery powder based on your preferred sweetness. 

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