Vegetable Au Gratin

Mixed vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower carrot, beans, potato
1 cup broccoli
1 cup cauliflower
1 cup carrot
1/2 cup beans
5 cups sliced potato

2/3 cup butter
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ajwain(thyme)
2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup all purpose flour
4 cups milk
2 cups yogurt 
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 

A few cilantro or parsley leaves
2 teaspoon salt  

Cut the vegetables into bite size chunks and slice the potatoes.  Microwave the vegetables for first 3 minutes remove and stir and again microwave it for 4 minutes for a total for 7 minutes.

Melt butter in a pan add the chopped garlic and let it sizzle for about 2 minutes.  Turn the heat off add nutmeg, ajwain(thyme) and black pepper and mix for a couple of minutes.  Turn the burner back on and add the flour slowly, using a whisker mix it with the butter.  Slowly add the milk continue to whisk and cook until the mixture thickens, lastly add the yogurt and salt mix well and turn the burner off. 

Rub some butter all of the inside of a 9" square baking dish.
First line the dish with some milk-flour mixture next, add vegetables lastly sprinkle some cheddar cheese.  Continue layering until all of the vegetable and milk-flour mixture is used up.  Any leftover milk-flour mixture pour it on top.  Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top.  
Cook for 1 hour at (350F/177C) until the top is golden brown.

Vegan Vegetable Stock

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped celery (245g or 8.65oz)
2 cups chopped carrots (272g or 9.65oz)
2 cups chopped onions (209g or 7.40oz)
2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
6 small bay leaves (tej patta)
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves
10 cups water

Preparation: Chop the celery, carrots and onions.  To a 5 litre pressure cooker with 8 cups of water add the chopped vegetables, cilantro leaves with the stem, turmeric powder, black pepper and bay leaf.  Cover and cook for one hour without the weight on top.  After one hour remove the cover, mix add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil.  After it has come to a boil turn the heat off and let it cool.  When it is cool strain it into a large pot.  Discard the cooked vegetables.  The liquid stock can be frozen and used as needed.

Asparagus Curry

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped or 1 bunch asparagus
3 tablespoons dry unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chilies or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Prepare the asparagus by washing it first.  Next bending each stalk, it will snap naturally at the point where the stalk turns tender.
Use the top tender part and discard the ends.  Next bunch them together a few at a time and chop them into bits.  It is now ready to be cooked.

Cooking:  Heat a pan on medium heat with 2 tablespoon of coconut oil.  Add the cumin seeds to it and wait for it to start sizzling.  When the cumin seeds starts sizzling add the dry coconut and green chilies saute for a few seconds until the coconut starts turning brown, next add the chopped asparagus and mix cover and cook for five minutes or until it is partially cooked.  Next add the salt and mix and again cook for a couple of minutes until it is cooked.  For best results the asparagus needs to be cooked so that it is a little crunchy.
Serves 4.

This dish tastes good hot, you can add more chilies as per taste.