Dahi Aloo with Rajgira Puris

Ingredients
For The Dahi Aloo
1 cup fresh curds (dahi) , beaten
1/2 tsp arrowroot (paniphal) flour
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 bayleaf (tejpatta)
2 cloves (laung / lavang)
25 mm (1”) sticks cinnamon (dalchini)
1 tsp round red chillipowder
1 tsp coriander-cumin seed powder
12 to 15 baby potatoes, boiled and peeled
rock salt (sendha namak) to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

For The Rajgira Puris
1 cup rajgira flour
1/2 cup boiled , peeled and mashed potatoes
2 tbsp arrowroot (paniphal) flour
1 tbsp hot melted ghee
rock salt (sendha namak) to taste
ghee for deep-frying

Preparation For The Dahi Aloo
1. Combine the curds and arrowroot flour in a bowl, mix well and keep aside.

2. Heat the ghee in a kadhai and add the cumin seeds.

3. When they crackle, add the bayleaf, cloves and cinnamon and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.

4. Add the curds mixture, round red chilli powder and coriander-cumin seed powder, mix well and cook on medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes, while stirring continuously.

5. Add the baby potatoes, rock salt and ½ cup of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for another 6 to 7 minutes.

5. Top with coriander and keep aside.

For The Rajgira Puris
1. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and knead into a semi-stiff dough using enough water.

2. Divide the dough into 15 to 16 equal portions and roll each portion into a 75 mm. (3”) diameter circle.

3. Heat the ghee in a kadhai and deep-fry the puris a few at a time till they turn golden brown in colour from both the sides.

Raita

Ingredients :
1) Fresh thick curd - 1 cup.
2) Sweet potato - 1, boiled and chopped.
3) Potato - 1, boiled and chopped.
4) Cucumber - 1, chopped.
5) Waterchestnuts (singhara) - 4-5, boiled, peeled and chopped.
6) Coriander - 1 tbsp, finely chopped.
7) Green Chili - 1, small and finely chopped.
8) Roasted peanuts - 1 tbsp, whole.
9) Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp(powdered) and 1/2 tsp(whole).
10) Oil - 1 tsp.
11) Sugar to taste.
12) Salt to taste.

Instructions:
1) Pour the fresh curd in a deep salad bowl and beat well.
2) Add cumin powder, salt, sugar and chili. Mix well.
3) Prepare the vegetables and toss into the bowl. Add the peanuts. Mix to blend well.
4) Chill well till required.

Thandai

Ingredients:
1) Milk - 1 cup.
2) Sugar - 1½ cups.
3) Rose petals (gulkand variety) - 1/4 cup, dried or fresh.
4) Water - 1½ litres.
5) Almonds - 1 tbsp.
6) Kharbooj/Tarbooj seeds - 1 tbsp, skinned(skinned dried seeds of watermelon and cantaloupes).
7) Peppercorns - 1 tsp, whole.
8) Khuskhus (poppy seeds) - ½ tbsp.
9) Saunf (aniseed) - ½ tbsp. 10) Cardamom powder/15 whole pods - ½ tsp.
11) Rose Water (optional) - ½ tsp.

Also needed:
A stone grinder, manual or electric(optional).
A large deep vessel.

Instructions:
1) In a middle sized bowl, pour the ½ litre water and soak the sugar. Keep aside.
2) Wash clean all other dry ingredients, except cardamom if using powder. Soak these in 2 cups of remaining water for two hours. Keep to a side.
3) Except sugar, grind all soaked ingredients to a very fine paste. Mix with remaining water.
4) Tie a strong muslin cloth over the rim of a large deep vessel and use this to strain the liquid.
5) Pour the water, little by little, over the cloth to get the residue. Press through muslin with back of palms to extract the
liquid into the vessel. Continue till you get a residue dry and husk-like.
6) Add milk, sugar and rosewater to the extracted liquid.
7) In case you are using cardamom powder, add it to the milk. Mix well.
8) Refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.

Saboodana Kheer

Ingredients :
1) Milk - 4 cups.
2) Sago granules - 1 tbsp.
3) Sugar - 3/4 cup.
4) Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp.
5) Water - 1 cup.

Instructions:
1) Wash the sago granules and drain. Keep aside for 10 - 15 minutes, or until moisture is absorbed.
2) When dried, loosen the grains.
3) Heat water in a pan and add the sago. Boil while stirring.
4) Lower the temperature and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Add a little more water (if needed).
5) Pour in the milk. Boil again. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6) Add sugar and cardamom. Stir occasionally. Simmer till sago granule is cooked, but not mushy.
7) Press the granules between thumb and finger to ascertain their preparedness. These should flatten on pressing.
8) Serve hot, with nuts if desired.

Lauki ka halwa

Ingredients:
1) Milk - 1/2 lit.
2) Lauki - 1/2, peeled.
3) Sugar - 3/4 cup.
4) Khoya - 100 gms.
5) Elaichi powder - 1 tsp.
6) Dry fruits(almonds, raisins and cahwes) - 1 tbsp.

Also needed:
A grater, a middle-sized pan and a large pan.

Instructions:

1) Peel the lauki(gourd) and grate it using the grater. Also grate the khoya.
2) Take a middle-sized pan and fill it with 1/2 cup of water. Add the lauki and boil. When it gets boiled drain all the water to leave behind only the soft boiled lauki.
3) In a large pan pour in the milk and boil for about 20 mins on medium flame, stirring occassionally.
5) Add the grated khoya and mix well. Also pour in the sugar and stir well to dissolve it.
6) Toss in the dry fruits and elaichi powder.
7) Serve hot or cold, as you desire.