Spinach Cutlet

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped spinach
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
1 and 1/2 cups boiled,mashed potatoes
1 tbl spn rice flour
3 green chilies ground into paste
1 tea spn ginger paste
1 tea spn garlic paste
1 tea spn pav bhaji masala (or garam masala)
Oil
Salt
Sooji/rava
Method:
Mix all the ingredients except sooji/rava. Make into ping pong sized balls.
Press each ball into cutlets. Roll these cutlets in sooji/rava.
Spread some oil on a tava and shallow fry the cutlets. Serve hot.
Serves : 2-3
Preparation time : 20mins

Chicken gravy (traditional style)

Ingredients:
Chicken 1 whole
Coconut 2 cups
Onion 1 and 1/2 cup
Tomato 1
Coriander leaves 6-7 strands
Ginger-garlic paste 2 tea spn
Oil
Salt
Garam masala:
Cloves 6-7
Cinnamon 2″ piece
Nutmeg 2″ piece
Pepper 7-8
Shahjeera(caraway seeds) 1 tea spn
Dagad phool(stone flower) 1 tea spn
Japatri(mace or the skin of nutmeg) 2-3
Red chilies 5-6
Khus khus(Poppy seeds) 1 tea spn
Fennel seeds(badishepi) 1 tea spn
Increase or decrease the amount of spices to suit the taste.
Method:
Mix ginger garlic paste with chicken and leave it for around 1-2hrs.
Heat oil and fry the spices on a low flame in it taking care not to burn them. When a nice aroma comes out, add 3/4 cup onion and fry till they turn brownish. Grind this to a smooth paste and keep aside. This paste is called as ‘brown paste’.
Roast the coconut(without adding oil) till it turns slightly brownish. Grind to a smooth paste. This takes a very long time to become smooth paste as roasted coconut is being ground (do not mix both pastes as these are added at different stages to the gravy). This paste is called as ‘white paste’.
Heat oil and fry remaining onion till they turn slightly brownish. Add the marinated chicken and fry for sometime. Add 1/2 cup water(if required), close the lid and cook till chicken becomes tender.
Add the ground coconut, cook for a minute. Add tomatoes chopped into big pieces and chopped coriander leaves. When the mixture starts boiling, add the brown masala and salt. Cook for another 5-6mins.
Serve with chapathi and yellow flavored rice, ie fried rice(gravy does not go well with white rice, so serve it with this rice).
Serves : 8-9
Preparation time : 1 and 1/2 hrs to 2hrs (including time taken to cut onions, grind masala)

Vegetable and almond pasta

Ingredients:
2 cups pasta(fusilli or penne)
1 cup vegetable (bellpepper, zucchini)
1/4 cup tomato
2 cups milk
2 tbl spns all purpose flour
2 tbl spns butter
1 tea spn chopped garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup almonds
Pepper
Salt
Method:
Heat water and cook pasta along with salt according to package instructions.
Heat butter in a wide pan on medium low heat. Add vegetables (do not add tomato), garlic. Fry for 5-6 mins.

Make a well in the center and add flour. Whisk it, taking care not to butn it and removing all lumps.
Pour the milk and let it thicken. Add salt and pepper as required.
Add cooked pasta, tomato.
Serve hot.