Naan Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour(maida)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yogurt (dahi)
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 cup water or as per need

Preparation:  To the all purpose flour add the salt and mix. Next, add the yogurt and yeast and mix.
Add water as needed and form a smooth and pliable dough.  Cover the dough and keep it in a warm place for 4 to 8 hours to ferment.  I usually make the dough in the evening and keep it overnight for fermenting.

After 4 to 8 hours and after the dough has nicely fermented.  Move it to a work surface with some flour spread over it.  Knead it lightly and divide it into 6 parts.  Roll each part into a round or oval shape.

To cook it on a gas burner, place the rolled naan on a griddle(tawa) and let it warm up until bubbles start showing.  Turn it over and let it cook on the other side, when more bubbles appear remove it from the griddle and place it on the gas flame to puff up.  After it puffs up turn it over and let it cook on the other side.  Remove it from the flame and it is ready.

To bake it in the oven, preheat the oven on high-broil.  Place the rolled naan on a broiler tray lined with aluminum foil and place the tray on the third rack close to the heating coil giving the naan enough room to puff up.  Let it cook for a minute or so until it puffs up.  When the naan puffs up turn it over and let it cook on the other side.  Let it cook for 30 seconds or so and remove, and it is ready.  Makes 6 naan.

Pumpkin Pie Eggless Recipe

Pie Crust:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter refrigerated and cut into bits

4 tablespoon ice cold water

Filling:
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1 12 oz can of evaporated milk

3 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Make pie crust manually:  To a bowl add flour, salt and mix.  Cut the butter with a knife into bits, add it to the four and with a fork mix till it forms little balls the size of peas.  Slowly add water and continue to mix till the flour comes together.  Use your hands to make a ball.  Press the ball on a floured work surface and roll it till it fits the pie plate(about 12" diameter).  Press the dough on the pie dish and shape the edges.

To make pie crust in food processor:  Fit the food processor with the dough attachment.  Add flour and salt and pulse it a couple of times.  Add the cut butter and pulse it until the flour and butter are mixed and form pea size balls.  Slowly add the water and pulse until the dough comes together to form a ball.  Remove the dough to a work surface and roll it into pie to fit the pie dish.

To make filling:  To a mixing bowl add the pumpkin, milk, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt using a whisk beat the ingredients well.  Pour it into the prepared pie crust.  

Baking:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees(177 C), bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted comes out clean.
Cool completely before serving.

Whipped cream topping:
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
3 tablespoon sugar

Beat at high with an electric mixer until cream topping is formed.

Peas Pulao recipe

1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds (kala jeera)
1/2 teaspoon regular cumin seeds(jeera)
3 to 4 whole cloves (launga)
1 1" stick of cinnamon (dalcini)
3 small bay leaves (tej patta)
 4 teaspoon ghee or clarified butter
1 cup basmati rice washed and dried completely
1/2 cup peas fresh or frozen
2 cups water or as needed
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Powder the black cumin, regular cumin, cloves and cinnamon medium coarsely keep it aside.

To a pressure cooker on medium heat with 3 teaspoons of ghee add the powdered spices and bay leaves and let it warm up till it starts to sizzle.  This takes only a few seconds.  Add the rice when the sizzling starts and stir fry the rice for 2 to 3 minutes.  After it has been stir fried for 2 to 3 minutes add the peas mix add water and salt, mix.  Cover the pressure cooker and without the weight on top cook till the rice is cooked.
Takes approximately 7 minutes.  The rice needs to be cooked so that the grains are separate and it is not mushy.  When done add a teaspoon of ghee mix and serve.  Serves 4

Lemon Pickle Recipe

Ingredients:
6 lemon (520g or 1.15 lbs) = 2 cups after boiling and cutting (nimbu)
1 1/2 tablespoon salt (namak)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder(haldi)
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds(methi)
4 tablespoon sesame oil (til oil)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (sarasom)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder(hing)
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder

Preparation: Place the whole lemon in a cooking pot add water to cover it and cook until it comes to a boil, after it has come to a boil let it cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Drain the water let it cool and cut it into pieces. Add salt and turmeric powder and mix.

Roast the fenugreek seeds until it turns darker when cool powder it.

Heat oil add mustard seeds and wait for it to pop. When the mustard seeds pop add asafetida powder and powdered fenugreek seeds and chili powder, add the cut lemon pieces mix, let it cook for a minute or turn the heat off and serve.