SERVING SIZE – 3

INGREDIENTS:

• Penne Pasta – 1 cup
• Vegetable stock – 2 cups
• Onion [M] – 1 number
• Garlic (finely chopped) – 1 tsp
• Tomato puree – 1 cup
• Zucchini [Medium] – 1 number
• Yellow Squash – 1 number
• Carrot [Medium] – 1 number
• Celery – 1 cup (chopped)
• Basil leaves – few sprigs
• Red kidney beans – ¼ cup (cooked)
• Chick peas – ¼ cup (cooked)
• Crush Black pepper – to taste
• Italian seasoning – to taste
• Red chili powder (optional) – 2 pinches
• Spring onion – for garnishing
• Olive oil – 3 tbsp
• Salt – to taste

PREPARATION:

• Cook the penne pasta separate as per the instruction in the box (i.e. 8-10 min in boiling water).
• Soak the chick peas and red kidney beans overnight and cook it in the pressure cooker and keep it aside.
• Take a large pan and heat the oil. Add the chopped onion and when it is translucent, add the chopped garlic and sauté until raw smell is gone.
• Add the tomato puree and cook it until raw smell is gone. Then add the red chili powder and pepper powder and mix it well.
• Add the chopped veggies, few basil leaves and salt and mix it well. Add the vegetable stock and some water to mix it well. Cover it with lid.
• Bring to boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• And add the cooked pasta, chick peas, red kidney beans and Italian seasoning. Mix it well. Cook all together for last 5 minutes. Now you can adjust the salt and pepper according to your taste.
• The consistency should be not too watery or too thick. It should be in the medium.
• Garnish it with spring onion and some basil leaves.
• Serve it hot with toasted bread.

Note:

• You can use any kind of pasta variety (Macaroni, Ditalini etc…)
• Instead of fresh basil you can use dry basil as well.
• Add the cooked beans and chick pea’s water while boiling the soup.
• You can use any bean variety (eg: – Cannellini beans/White beans etc…)
• Canned beans are also fine.

SERVING SIZE – 2

INGREDIENTS:

• Spaghetti – 1 fistful
• Tomato paste – 2 tbsp.
• Onion – 1 medium (chopped)
• Garlic – 4 cloves
• Basil leaves – few / to taste
• Red chili flakes – 1 tsp. / to taste
• Carrot – 1 medium (chopped into small cubes)
• Italian seasoning – 1 tsp. / to taste
• Salt – to taste
• Olive Oil – 3 tbsp.
• Tomato chili sauce (optional) – 2 tbsp. / to taste

PREPARATION:

• Take a Pot and cook the Spaghetti in boiling water for 10 min. For further soft texture, cook for additional 2 min. Drain the pasta and keep it aside. Keep some pasta water as well.
• Cook the carrot separate and keep it aside.
• Heat the pan, add Olive Oil. Add the chopped onion and sauté it. When it is translucent color, add the chopped garlic and chili flakes and mix it well. Cook until the raw smell is gone.
• Add the tomato paste and sauté it well. Add the cooked carrot + little water and basil leaves. Give it a stir.
• Add the cooked pasta, Tomato chili sauce and Italian seasoning. Mix it well. If it is dry add some pasta water and mix it well.
• Serve it hot with some steamed veggies.

Note:

• Instead of tomato paste you can use chopped tomatoes / canned tomatoes / pasta sauce as well.
• Instead of fresh basil you can use dry basil as well.
• You can add the Basil leaves at the end as well.

A healthy Recipe that is a good source of Vitamin C and Fiber and good for all ages.

(நெல்லிக்காய் அல்வா)

INGREDIENTS:

• Gooseberry (Fresh or Frozen) – 6 numbers
• Grated Jaggery – ½ cup
• Cardamon powder – 1 pinch
• Ghee (optional) – ¼ tsp

PREPARATION:

• Add the Gooseberries in the boiling water, until its soft enough that it can split open. Let it cool for some time.
• Remove the seed and grind it in to the paste using Mixie.
• Take a vessel add the Jaggery and little water, leave it for some time, until it melts. Filter the impurities.
• Take a Heavy bottom pan, add the Jaggery water and let it boil for some time. And add the ground Gooseberry paste and cardamom powder. Cook until it becomes thick Alwa consistency. Cook it in the low flame.
• Add the ghee and mix it well.

• Serve it at room temperature.
• You can keep it for couple of days and enjoy the recipe.
• Remember that eating 1 Gooseberry is equivalent to eating 12 Apples .

Note:

• Adjust the amount of Jaggery depending on your diet need and/or quality of the Jaggery.

A simple Sweet Recipe that is very easy to make and will be loved by all and good for any occasion.

SERVING SIZE – 6

INGREDIENTS:

• Milk – 3 cups
• Bread – 4 slices
• Sugar – ½ cup
• Water – ½ cup
• Saffron – ¼ tsp
• Cardamom powder – 2 pinches
• Ghee – for frying
• Nuts (Cashews, raising, almonds and pista) – for garnishing.

PREPARATION:

• Boil the milk in the heavy bottom pan, add few saffron and 1 pinch of cardamom powder and mix it well. Let it boil until till it reduces to half of its original volume. Cook it the slow flame.
• Occasionally stir the milk until its thick and gets the nice creamy texture. This is called Rabdi.
• Take the pan and add water, sugar, few saffron and 1 pinch of cardamom powder. Mix it well and let it boil until sugar melts and becomes a Sugar Syrup.
• Heat the kadai, add the ghee and fry the sliced bread until golden color. Keep it aside.
• In the remaining ghee fry all the nuts and raisins and keep it aside.

• Dip the fried bread in the sugar syrup for few second and keep in the serving plate/bowl.
• Pour the Rabdi on top of the Bread and garnish the fried nuts and raisins on top of it.
• Sweet Shahi Tukda / Double Ka Mitha is now ready. Serve it immediately and enjoy the sweet.

Note:

• You can make the Rabdi and Sugar Syrup side by side to save.
• You can adjust the sweetness, by adding/reducing the amount of sugar while making the Syrup.
• If you prefer not to take Ghee(aka Diet conscious), you can substitute Ghee with regular cooking oil to fry the Bread. Doing so, will undo the natural taste of the Dish.

SERVING SIZE –  6 Parathas