Valentine's Special: Royal pink drink

Ingredients:
Approx. 12 servings

• Pomegranate juice – 1 cup
• Guava juice – 2 cups
• Club soda – 1 cup
• Simple syrup – 1/2 cup
• Fresh lime juice – 4 tbsp
• Fresh mint leaves – 1/4 cup
• Ice cubes - 2 cups
• Rum – 1.5 cups (10 oz.) [OPTIONAL]

Method:
In a blender add all of the above, except half mint leaves. Blend for few minutes. Pour in chilled glasses. Garnish with remaining fresh mint leaves and lime slices and serve. 

Note: For non-alcoholic drink, leave rum out.
Simple Syrup: 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar, boil until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool it and use it in preparing  beverages.

Hari Mirch ka Achaar (Green Chili Pickle)

Ingredients:
For Green chili pickle

Green chilies - 25
Lemon juice - 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds (yellow split) - 1/2 cup
Coriander seeds - 1/4 cup
Asafetida (Hing) - 1/4 tsp
Cumin (Jeera) - 2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 2 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - 3 tbsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Cooking oil - 1 cup

Method:

• Wash and dry green chilies thoroughly.
• Cut green chilies into small pieces. Be careful to either wear gloves while cutting green chilies or use a pair of scissors instead of knife.
• In a pan, dry roast cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds. Grind the roasted spices in grinder and keep aside.
• In a large bowl, take the above roasted spice powder and also add red chili powder, turmeric powder and asafetida powder to it.
• Heat oil in a separate pan and add it to the spice mix. Mix well.
• Add all the above mixture to the green chilies. Once again mix well.
• Now add lemon juice and vinegar. Mix again.
• Take a clean jar; fill it up with the above pickle. Also add some hot oil on the top.  So the pickle is completely submerged in the oil.
• Store it in a clean and dry place. Pickle is ready to eat in a week.

Serving suggestions:
Enjoy green chili pickle with garma garam parathas (Indian bread) anytime of the day.

Sparkling Pear Colada

Ingredients:
Serves: Approx. 2-3 

• Coconut Juice – 1 cup
• Sparkling pear juice – 1 cup
• Fresh pear slices – 8
• Ice cubes – 1 cup

Method:

In a shaker, mix coconut juice, sparkling pear juice and Ice. Shake for couple of minutes. Pour in tall glasses. Add 3 slice of fresh pears in each glass and garnish with one slice.

Enjoy this refreshing drink in a sunny afternoon on your porch.

Tricolor Bread Pakora

 

 










Ingredients : For bread pakoras : 8 pieces

For stuffing:
Potatoes  - 2 boiled and peeled
Onion -  finely chopped
Green chilies  - 1 finely chopped
Cilantro - 2 tbsp finely chopped
Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Amchur powder - 1 tsp
Chaat masala - 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

To make cover:
Bread   -  4 slices
Besan (gram flour)   - 1.5 cup
Red chili powder  - 1/2  tsp
Turmeric  powder  - 1/2  tsp
salt as per taste

For pakora assembly:
Tomato Ketchup  - 1/2 cup
Green chutney -1/2 cup
Cooking oil for deep frying

 

Method:

• In a bowl, prepare stuffing, by adding boiled and peeled potatoes, Onions, green chilies, cilantro, roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, amchur powder, chaat masala and salt. Mash it all together. Keep aside.
• Take one bread slice, apply a thin layer of ketchup on it . Cover it with another bread slice. Now apply a layer of potato stuffing on it. Cover with another bread slice. On this slice apply a thin layer of green chutney and finally cover it with a bread slice.
• The whole sandwich should have following layers:  Bread  - ketchup - Bread  - Potato stuffing - Bread  - Green chutney - bread .
• Cut the whole sandwich in 4 quarters. Quarters are easy to manage while frying. Keep them aside.
• For the covering batter: In a bowl, take besan, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Now add some water to make a smooth batter. Batter should not be runny.
• Now take each sandwich quarter, dip evenly in the above batter and fry it in medium hot oil.
• When the pakoda looks evenly golden on all sides, take it out and drain it on the kitchen towel.
• Let it cool a bit. Now cut it diagonally to reveal all the layers.

Enjoy with a cup of hot tea or cool lemonade.