Tickle you taste buds with this cool tasty drink. Learn how to make tasty masala buttermilk.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain yoghurt
• 3 cups chilled water
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
• 1 stalk curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 1 green chilli
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil

Procedure:

• Beat curds with whipper till smooth.
• Add water, churn well.
• Squeeze ginger juice in buttermilk.
• Add salt. Break chilli into two halves.
• Heat a small pan, add oil.
• When hot, add seeds and allow to splutter.
• Add curry leaves, chilli, and pour while sizzling, in buttermilk.
• Dip pan in buttermilk if possible, remove.
• Add coriander leaves, stir to mix everything.
• Pour into a large ceramic, glass or earthen pot or jug.
• Chill for one or two hours till required.
• Serve chilled as a cool refreshing drink or with rice.

Though not a tea drink, I thought this spicy milk drink would appeal to all the chai fans. Thandai drinks are popular in India during the colour festival of Holi.

Ingredients:

* 15 almonds
* 2 tsp aniseed
* 2 tsp poppy seeds
* 8 cardamom pods
* 12 tsp sugar
* 2 tsp peppercorns
* 2 tsp cumin seeds
* 300ml water
* 400ml milk
* 4 tsp crushed ice

Preparation:
Grind all the spices, with the almonds separate. Blend together in a large bowl, and add water and milk. Strain through cheesecloth until liquid is smooth. Serve cold.
Serves 4-5

Why not try a different kind of Lassi? Yes, learn how to make the very delicious Banana Lassi.

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150 g ice cube, crushed well
150 ml ice water
150 g natural yoghurt
2 very ripe banana, peeled and roughly chopped
1-2 teaspoon honey (optional)
1 pod crushed cardamom

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Blend all of the above ingredients together in a blender. Served chilled and garnish with a slice of banana.

Daal is not just salty and nutritious. It is also sweet and delicious. Want to know how? Try out our special parantha recipe.

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Ingredients:

1 cup yellow arhar daal
4 tsp jaggery powder
½ tsp cardamom powder
½ tsp turmeric
Pinch of black salt
50 gms butter

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Procedure:

Boil daal with turmeric and salt in water. Remove from fire when it is completely cooked. Now heat butter in a pan. Add cardamom powder, daal, jaggery, salt and cook till the mixture becomes dry. Remove from fire and let it cool.

Knead dough. Make round balls of dough with a small depression. Fill it with the daal mixture, flatten and roll into chapattis. Now cook the chapattis in the frying pan with small amount of butter. Serve hot with chutney.

In this recipe chicken is cooked with melon seeds, cashew nut paste, khuskhas, cream, butter and white pepper.

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Ingredients:
Chicken (1 Small whole Chicken), Magaz (Melon Seed) paste (1 tbsp), Cashewnut paste (1 1/2 tbsp), Khuskhus (Posto / Poppy seeds) paste (1 tbsp), Cream (1/2 cup), Butter (2 tbsp), Salt, White pepper (2 tsp)

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Method Of Preparation:-
Take the chicken and clean it and keep aside. Now make a paste of all the ingredients magaz, cashew nut, cream, butter, khuskhus, salt and white pepper and marinate the chicken in this mixture for at least 4 hrs. Clean the chicken and keep aside. Grill the chicken in a tandoor till they becomes golden. Now serve the murgh afgani hot with the onion rings.

Rose water has this oozing effect on a hot/warm day. Gulab (rose) sharbat has been enjoyed by Indians since centuries.

Ingredients:

11/2 cup freshly picked rose petals
3/4 cup boiling water
1/4th tsp. cardamom seeds
3/4th cup sugar
1/4th cup strained fresh lemon juice
2/3rd cup pomegranate juice
5 cups cold water
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Preparation:

Crush the rose petals with mortar and pestle and place them in a large bowl. Add the boiling water, then pour the mixture to a metal container and add cardamom seeds. Set aside for 8 hours or overnight.

Pour the rose-cardamom water through a muslin lined strainer set over a bowl.
Add the sugar, and float the bowl over a hot water filled sink until the sugar dissolves.
Remove from the hot water and filter it again. Cool it to room temperature.
Combine all the ingredients in a pitcher and stir well.
Serve in a glass half filled with crushed ice.

Red kidney beans (Rajma) curry served with hot steamed rice makes for a yummy treat! It is a very popular dish specially in every home in Punjab (northern region of India).

Serves: 4
Cooking time (approx.): 30 minutes
Style: North Indian Vegetarian (Punjabi)

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2 cup(s) red kidney beans soaked overnight
4 cups water
2 medium onion(s) finely chopped
2 bay leaves (optional)
1 tablespoon(s) each of finely chopped ginger and garlic
½ teaspoon(s) each of asafoetida and turmeric powders
1 teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
2 teaspoon(s) red chilli powder
2 big tomato(es) finely chopped
1 teaspoon(s) each of hot spice mix (garam masala) and cumin powders
2 tablespoon(s) coriander powder
3 tablespoons oil
salt to taste
finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

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1. Drain the soaked red kidney beans and wash them well. Place them in a pressure cooker (for speedy cooking). Add the water and some salt. Close the cooker and cook on high level. After one whistle, cook on low level for about 10 minutes or till the beans are soft.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium level and crackle the cumin seeds. Add the bay leaves (optional), asafoetida and chopped ginger-garlic. Fry briefly. Add the chopped onions and fry till they are golden brown. Add all the spice powders except hot spice mix. Add the chopped tomatoes. Fry till the oil separates. Add the cooked red kidney beans along with its stock, sprinkle salt, mix well and cook on medium level for about 15 minutes.
3.Add the hot spice mix. Cover and cook on medium level for about 5 minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

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TIP:

If the absence of a pressure cooker, the beans can be cooked in a normal pot. However this would take at least double the time.
Serve hot with: Cumin Rice (Jeera Chawal), white rice or Roti.

Samosas are among the most popular Indian snacks. Here is the samosa recipe for you.

Serves: 4
Cooking time (approx.): 20 minutes + to deep fry
Style: Indian Vegetarian
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For the samosa stuffing:
½ cup(s) shelled green peas
2 tablespoon(s) oil
1 teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
2 green chillies chopped fine
1 teaspoon(s) finely chopped ginger
2 large potato(es) peeled and cubed
½ teaspoon(s) red chilli powder
salt to taste
½ teaspoon(s) dry mango powder (amchoor) or lemon juice
½ teaspoon(s) garam masala (hot spice mix)
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
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For the samosa pastry shell:
1 cup(s) plain flour (maida)
½ teaspoon(s) baking soda
½ teaspoon(s) baking powder
½ teaspoon(s) carom seeds (optional)
3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) / oil
salt to taste
water as required for kneading
oil to deep fry
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Cook the peas in boiling salted water for about 10 minute(s) or till soft. Refresh in cold water and drain well.
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Heat the oil in a pan. Toss in the cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the green chillies and ginger. Fry briefly. Add the potato cubes and mix well. Add the red chilli powder, salt, dry mango powder and garam masala powder. Toss well. Sprinkle some water. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes or till the potatoes are cooked. Mix in the cooked green peas and put off the heat. Let cool. Mix in the coriander leaves.
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To make the samosa pastry shell, sieve together the plain flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix in the carom seeds and ghee / oil. Add water little by little whilst mixing with fingers to make a stiff dough, the consistency of a shortcrust pastry. Keep covered with a damp cloth for about 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. Apply a little dry flour to each ball when rolling into a circle of 4″ diameter. Cut each circle into two and lightly dampen the edges of each semicircle with water. Shape each semicircle onto a cone by pressing the cut edges together. Place a spoonful of the potato-pea filling into the cone and seal the edges well (apply some water on the edges if they do not seal well). Repeat this procedure with the rest of the balls. Deep fry in medium-hot oil in batches on medium flame till crisp and golden brown. Remove onto a paper towel.
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TIPS:

To save on time, potatoes can be pressure cooked and then cubed and tossed in spices.
Carom seeds are also called as omum, caraway seeds, thyme seeds and ajwain.
Chillies can be increased or decreased as desired.
The samosa pastry shell can be made with plain flour without the baking soda and baking powder.
Self raising flour can be used instead of plain flour, in which case omit the baking soda and baking powder.
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Serve hot with: Green Chutney (Hari Chutney) / Tomato ketchup.

Ingredients:-
Cooking spray, Chicken breasts (2 pounds boneless, skinless, 1/2-inch thick slices), Scallions (8-12), Wooden picks, Sodium soy sauce (1/4 ¼ cup reduced), Honey (1 tbsp), Dark sesame seeds oil ( 2 tsp), Ginger ( 1 tsp), Sesame seeds ( ¼ tsp , to garnish),

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Method Of Preparation:-
Coat the stove-top grill pan or an outdoor grill with the cooking spray and preheat to medium- high heat. Now lay out the three chicken strips of about ½ inch apart. Now place the scallion over the chicken one by one, with the help of tooth picks. Repeat the process until you have used 1 pound of chicken. Now season and grill the remaining one pound of chicken breasts by repeating the same process. Now in a small bowl, mix the honey, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and garlic powder and whisk them. Reserve the half cup of marinade for the sauce. Brush the remaining of the marinade over the kebabs. And grill them for 5-7 minutes turning them occasionally until the chicken is cooked properly. Serve it with garnishing with sesame seeds and dipping sauce.

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No. Of Serving:- 4