strawberry cake

Ingredients:

* 1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
* 1 (3-ounce) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
* 1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
* 4 large eggs
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup water
* Strawberry cream cheese frosting, recipe follows
* Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
* 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
* 7 cups confectioners' sugar
* Freshly sliced strawberries, for garnish, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

For the frosting:

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the vanilla extract. (The rest of the puree is leftover but can be used in smoothies or on ice cream for a delicious treat.) Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.

Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, if desired.

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients:

* Peas 1 cup
* Tomatoes Two, large and chopped
* Ginger One and a halfinch piece, grated
* Coriander Powder  1/2 tsp
* Turmeric Powder  1/4 tsp
* Sugar One teaspoon
* Chilli Powder 1 tsp
* Oil Three tblsp
* Tamarind Pulp Two tsp
* Cream 2 tsp
* Paneer 100 gms, cubed
* Green Chillies Three, chopped
* Cumin Powder 1/2 tsp
* Garam Masala Powder One teaspoon

Method:

* Blend with each other the ginger, green chillies, tamarind as well as tomato.
* Boil the actual cheese with a little salt and a pinch associated with turmeric.
* Heat the actual oil inside a pan.
* Add the tomato blend.
* Stir-fry for two minutes.
* Add the turmeric and also the powders.
* Keep mixing till the oil sets apart.
* Add the actual cream, sodium and sugar.
* Stir-fry upon low fire.
* Add the actual cheese and peas and a cup associated with water.
* 1 Cook on reduced fire with the pan protected till the actual peas tend to be cooked.
* 1 Remove through fireplace.
* One Take along with coriander simply leaves and a blob of butter.
* 1 Serve warm.

Bhindi Masala

Ingredients:

* 1/2 lb okra (bhindi)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
* Pinch of asafetida (hing)
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
* 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to taste)
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
* 1/2 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)
* 1 tablespoon gram flour (besan) (optional)
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow bell pepper
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper

Method:

* Wash the okra and pat dry. Make sure to completely dry the okra as wet okra will be sticky when cutting.

* Cut off the both ends of the okra, and slice lengthwise in halves. Set aside.

* Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Test the heat by adding one cummin seed to the oil; if seed crack right away oil is ready.

* Add the cumin seeds and asafetida (hing). When the cumin seeds crack, add the okra.

* Stir for a minute and reduce the heat to medium.

* Cover the okra for two to three minutes.

* Remove the cover and add the coriander powder, red cayenne pepper and turmeric.

* Next add gram flour (besan) and continue to stir-fry until the okra is tender. Add the salt, mango powder and bell peppers, cook for another minute. Salt is added last to avoid the okra becoming lacy.

Banana Puri

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup ripe mashed banana (about 8” long banana)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon melted ghee or butter
* 1/8 teaspoon crushed cardamom powder
* Pinch of salt
* 3 tablespoons coarsely ground almonds about 18 almonds
* Approx ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
* Approx ¾ cup all purpose flour
* Oil to fry

Method:

* Peel and mash the banana, add the sugar, almond, butter, salt and cardamom mix it well.
* Add whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour to the banana mix and make a firm and smooth dough. Keep it aside for about 2 hours.
* Grease the fingers and knead the dough for a minute and divide in four equal parts.
* Roll them into 8” diameter and cut them in about 2” diameter, using a cookie cutter.
* Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. To check the heat if oil is ready put one piece of dough in oil, dough should sizzle and come up slowly.
* Fry the puries few at a time don’t over crowd the frying pan. Puries will puff and fry them till they are dark brown from all around. It will take about 2 minutes to fry every batch.
* Take them out over paper towel so it can absorb the extra oil.
* Puries are ready.

Palak Soup

Ingredients:

* palak(spinach)-2 bundles
* onion-1
* potato-1
* ginger- small piece
* green chille-1(whole)
* ghee or butter-1 tblsp
* milk- 1 cup
* corn flour-1 tblsp
* salt,sugar,pepper powder to taste

Method:

* peel potato and cut into cubes
* take only palak leaves
* heat butter ,fry onion(finely cut),add palak leaves
* add potato,green chille(whole),ginger sugar,.pour enough water
* pressure cook till one whistle
* cool down
* discard ginger and chille grind in mixy to a smooth paste
* add enough water ,salt, boil
* add corn flour mixed with milk boil
* add pepper powder serve hot

Kaju Katli

Ingredients:

* 2 cups Cashew Nuts (soaked in water for 2 hours)
* 1 cup Powdered Sugar
* 1 tbsp Ghee
* 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
* Silver Foil (optional)

Method:

* Drain and blend the cashews to a fine paste. Use as little water as possible when blending.
* Now in a saucepan make syrup with sugar and water and Cook on slow to medium heat.
* Cook stirring continuously till a soft lump is formed. Add ghee and cardamom powder and mix well
* Remove from heat on to a smooth surface and roll out (thin) quickly with a rolling pin. Cut into squares/diamond shapes.

Stuffed Idli

Ingredients:

2 cup semolina (suji)
1 cup sour curd (dahi)
1/2 tsp salt (namak)
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
10-12 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 tsp meetha soda
2 tsp oil

For Stuffing :
1 cup pea seeds (matar)
1/2 tsp salt (namak)
1/2 tsp red chilly powder (lal mirch)
a pinch turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (dhania)
1 tsp oil

How to make stuffed idli::

* Mix salt and dahi in suji and make a thick batter using water.
* Cover it and leave for 1 hour.
* Boil alu, peel and mash properly.
* Boil matar also and mash them.
* Heat oil in a pan and add alu, matar, namak, lal mirch, haldi and dhania powder and fry for a minute.
* Now heat oil again and crackle rai, curry leaves in it.
* Then add meetha soda.
* Add this to the idli mixture.
* Now grease idli mould with oil and put a little of the above mixture in it.
* Then put alu mixture.
* Then again put idli mixture to cover the stuffing.
* Boil 2 glass water in a pressure cooker and place idli mould in it.
* Cover it and let it whistle.
* Cook at high flame for 10 minutes and then remove it from the flame.
* Open it and take out idli mould after 2 minutes.
* Serve hot idlis with coconut chutney and sambhar.