Jicama Orange Salad

Mix

1 Jicama cut into matchsticks

1 orange cut into segments

1 Grapefruit cut into segments

Cilantro leaves

Black pepper

Saffron Pistachio Dip

This goes well with crackers, bread sticks, and even bagels.

1 pack of soft Philly cream cheese
Milk
Saffron
Pistachios
Garam Masala

I do not remember the exact proportions, since I kept adding, adjusting, and tasting.
Mix the saffron in hot milk and keep adding.
Grind the pistachios.
Keep adding garam masala till you get a perfect flavor.

Plum and Avocado Salad

I found this recipe on Huffington Post.

3 ripe plums- peeled
A firm avocado
1 dry red chilly
1 clove of garlic
Salt black pepper
Juice of one lime
Plenty of chopped cilantro

In a mortar and pestle grind the chilly, garlic, black pepper, lime juice and some of the cilantro.
Chop the plums and avocado into chunky bites. Add the dressing. Garnish with coriander.

Tomato Salad

For the Vinaigrette
½ cup olive oil, 2 tbspn finely chopped onion, 1 tbspn chili garlic paste, coriander leaves, and a squirt of sriracha sauce, salt, black pepper

Mix and refrigerate for two days for the flavors to seep in.

Add juice of ½ lemon and pour over halved plum tomatoes. Add salt to taste.

Apple Raita

1 apple - cored and diced or grated
1 cup thick yoghurt
1/2 cup water
1 tspn salt
1/2 tspn cumin powder
zest of 1/2 lemon or lime
2 tspn finely chopped coriander leaves

Mix all the above and chill.

Tamarind Chutney - Imli Ki Chutney

Imli chutney is a versatile chutney which goes well with aloo tikki, dahi bada, bhel poori, or even spicy samosas. The tangy sweet chutney compliments yoghurt well. My dad always says - titrate your chutney. Add each ingredient slowly till you get the right balance of flavors.

1 cup tamarind
1/2 cup palm sugar ( I used two 1.4 oz lumps )
1 tspn fennel seeds
1 tspn ground ginger powder (sonth)
1 pinch salt



1. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of hot water or microwave tamarind with the water for 50 seconds.Fish out the fibre and the solids till you get a smooth paste.
2. In a saucepan add all ingredients to the tamarind pulp. Add 1 cup water.
3. Boil for 10 minutes, till you get a consistent chutney. The raw taste of tamarind should disappear and the sugar should melt smoothly.
4. Store

A ver quick and immediate way to use this chutney is to dress up a masala burger from Trader Joe. Grill the masala patty. Take three tablespoons of yoghurt and add a pinch of salt and cumin powder to the yoghurt. Spoon on top of the patty. Add a tablespoon of chutney on the top and garnish with corainder leaves.

I bought the palm sugar from the local chinese supermarket. Palm sugar is a commonly used ingredient in Thai cooking - you need it for all sauces and pad thai. A better substitute for the palm sugar would have been jaggery, which would have given a deeper flavor to the chutney. If you cant find either , use dark brown sugar.

Boondi Raita with Tadka

2 cups yoghurt
1 cup boondi - Soak the boondi in water for 15 minutes and then wring out water
1 tspn salt
1 tbspn ghee
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn red chilli powder

1. Heat ghee and add cumin seeds. wait till they splutter.
2. Add to the yoghurt.
3. Mix all other ingredients and chill.

Mint Raita

1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh mint
1 garlic- minced finely
1 tspn salt
2 cups yoghurt
1/2 tspn black pepper

Mix all ingredients and chill.

Onion Raita

1 medium onion - grate or finely dice
2 cups of plain yoghurt
1/2 cup of corainder leaves finely choppped
1 tspn cumin powder
1/2 tspn black pepper powder
1 1/2 tspn salt

Mix the above and chill

Pahadi Raita - Mountain Raita

A very piquant and tangy raita - certainly not for the faint hearted.

1 cucumber grated - wring out excess water
1 teaspoon mustard seeds - soak in 1 tspn water for 10 minutes
1 clove garlic (optional)
1 pinch turmeric
2 cups yoghurt
1 tspn salt
1 thai chilli - finely diced

1. Grind the mustard seeds, optional garlic, and chilli with a mortar and pestle.
2. Mix all ingredients and chill.

Cucumber in yoghurt sauce - Kheera Raita

Level of difficulty-Low

1 cucumber- grate and wring out excess water
1 cup of plain yoghurt
1/2 tspn cumin powder
1/4 tspn black pepper pepper
1 tspn salt

Mix all the above and chill.