Ingredients:
chicken – 1 kg
marble sized ball of tamarind – 1
groundnut oil – 4
mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
large onions, chopped – 3
medium tomatoes, chopped – 3
ginger paste – 1 tsp
turmeric – 1/4 tsp
salt – to taste
jaggery – 1 tbsp
spring curry leaves – 1

Roast and rind to a powder:
whoel dry chillies – 8
coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
curry leaves – 5-6

Method:
?Cut the chicken in small pieces. Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of hot water for 1 hour. Strain the pulp.
?Heat the oil in a degchi. Season with the mustard seeds and add the onions. When the onions start to pick up brown spots, add the tomatoes and ginger paste. Stir fry till the tomatoes soften. Now, add the chicken and turmeric. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat.
?Put 3 cups of hot water, the ground masala and salt. Stir well; cook, covered till done. Add the strained tamarind pulp and jaggery. Cook over a low heat till the oil floats on top.
?Garnish with the curry leaves and serve with rice.

A vegetable pulao that will give any mutton biriani a run for its money.

Basmati rice - 3 cups
Slices bread - 4
Cubed vegetables - 4 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cloves - 10
Green cardamoms - 6
Small stick cinnamon - 4
Salt - 2 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Tomatoes chopped - 6

Grind together

Almonds - 20
Cloves garlic - 10
Grated ginger - 2 tablespoon
Green chillies - 2
Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
Poppy seeds - 2 tablespoon
Aniseeds - 1 tablespoon
Mint leaves - 10 – 12
Bunch green coriander - 1

Wash and soak the rice for half an hour. Drain. Spread on a try to dry.

Remove the crusts from the bread slices and cut into cubes. Deep fry in oil till golden. Remove on a paper so the extra oil can drain. Reserve.

Vegetables include cauliflower, french beans, carrot and peas. You may add any vegetable of your choice.

Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a thick bottomed degchi. Season with the whole garam masala, slightly bruised. When they turn a shade darker, add the rice; fry till it looks parched. Add hot water, double the amount of rice and 13/4 tablespoon. Salt. Cover and cook on a low heat till the rice is done and the water evaporated. Keep aside.
Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a karahi and add the vegatables. Stir fry 2 minutes. Add a little salt. Cover and cook over a low heat till done. Do not add water. The vegetables will cook in its own juice.

Heat the remaining ghee or oil in a pan and fry the onions till a light brown. Add the green chilli, saute a bit, add the ground masala and chilli paste. Stir fry till the raw smell disappears. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/2 tablespoon salt and cook till the tomatoes turn pulpy and well mixed with the masala.

Mix the vegetables into the masala and stir till the masala coats the vegetables. Add to the rice. Toss gently till everything is uniformly mixed.

Serve hot garnished with fried bread crontons. All it needs is a raita to complete the meal.

In cold, weather, a really filling soup is a meal in itself – warmin, delicious and satisfying.

Apple - 1
Large carrot - 1
Onions - 2
Refined oil - 2 tablespoon
Rice - 50 gm
Curry powder - 1 tablespoon
Mutton or 1 small
chicken - 1/2 kg. cut into small pieces
Stock - 1 lt
Mango chutney - 1 tablespoon
Sultanas - 25
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Pinch sugar, Lime
juice - to taste

Chop the apple and vegetables into tiny pieces. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Toss the apple, vegetable, rice and curry powder in the hot oil.
Saute 2 minutes.
Add the stock, and rest of the ingredients and cook for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, take out the meat pieces and debone. Blend the soup in the mixie. Return to the pan along with the meat and taste. Season, if necessary and add a little more sugar and lime juice.