Strawberry Milk Shake

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh Strawberries 

4 cup Milk 

Sugar to taste

Few Ice cubes 

Method:

Wash strawberries properly and remove the stems. Blend strawberries and little milk together in a blender until crushed properly into a smooth paste. Add the remaining milk, sugar and crushed ice. Blend again for another few seconds. Served chilled in glasses.

Note : If strawberries are not available, strawberry essence can be used.

Jeera Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice

3 cups water

Salt to taste

2 tbsps vegetable oil/ghee

1 large onion chopped fine

2 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 cup water

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Wash the Basmati rice well in running water. Add the 3 cups of water and salt to taste to the rice and set it up to boil. Once the rice is almost cooked , remove from fire and drain the water by straining the rice through a sieve. Set aside. In another pan, heat the oil/ghee till hot and add onions. Fry till light brown and then add the cumin seeds. The seeds will splutter. Now add the rice and stir well. Add 1/2 a cup of water to the rice and cover. Simmer till all the water dries up. Allow the rice to stand for another 2-3 minutes and then serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Masala Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked rice (chawal)

1/2 cup brinjal (baingan / eggplan) cubes

1/2 cup tendli, sliced vertically

a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

12 mm. (½") piece of ginger (adrak), grated

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 green chillies, chopped

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

To be ground into a powder 

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 tsp coriander (dhania) seeds

8 to 10 black peppercorns (kalimirch)

3 cloves (laung / lavang)

To be mixed into a topping

1/4 cup grated cauliflower

1/4 cup chopped corriander (dhania)

1/2 tsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp sugar

Method:

Clean, wash and soak the rice for about 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add the asafoetida, ginger, turmeric powder and cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the onions and green chillies and sauté till the onions turn translucent. Add the brinjals, tendli and the soaked rice. Add the ground powder, salt with 2½ cups of hot water and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. When the rice is done add the topping mixture and toss well.Serve hot.