Paal Poli

Ingredients:

Fine Rawa (chiroti rawa)- 150 ml
salt- pinch
Almonds- 10
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Maida- for dusting
Oil
Milk- 600 ml
Sugar-100 ml
Cardamom- 3-4
Saffron- a few strands

Method:

Soak almonds in water, peel and grind fine with a little milk. Mix rawa, salt and badam paste and knead into dough and let rest for 20 minutes. Then rub ghee on it and knead well even by pounding with the roller. Sprinkle a little water and pound/ knead. Make small balls and roll into small rounds. Fold into a semi circle and paste the edges together.

Boil milk, add sugar, and continue to boil until slightly thickened. Add cardamom powder and saffron. Keep it hot.

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the prepared polis. Turn and fry both sides. Drain and soak in milk. When the next poli is fried, remove the soaked one and place in a big plate. Continue with the rest of the polis. After all polis are fried and soaked, pour the rest of the milk on all the polis. Take care not to stack the polis or they may get stuck together.

You can omit the almonds or add the almond paste to the milk for a different flavour.

Corn Au Gratin

Ingredients:

Tender cooked corn – 2 cups
White sauce
Grated cheese – 100 gms
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste

For white sauce:

Butter – 1 tbsp
Plain flour (maida)- 1 tbsp
Milk-1 cup
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

White Sauce:

Melt the butter on a slow flame. Add the flour and cook on a slow flame, while stirring throughout, until froth appears. Add the milk gradually and stir continually until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper and mix well. Add cheese and mix well.

Au Gratin:

Take corn which is at room temperature and mix it well with the white sauce. Optional: other veggies like carrot, broccoli, cauliflower etc can also be added. In a baking dish pour the mixture and bake for 15 minutes at 400F. Serve at room temperature.

Bisi Bele Bath

Ingredients:

Rice- 150 ml
Toor dal-75 ml
Tamarind- 1 ball the size of a small lime
Mixed chopped Vegetables-200 ml (Beans,carrot,potato,peas etc.)
Oil 4 tbsp
Mustard- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- 10-15
Salt to taste

Roast in oil and powder:

Gram Dal- 20 ml
Dhania seeds- 20 ml
Red Chillies-6
Methi- 1/2 tsp
Copra- 30- 40 ml
Poppy seeds-2 tsp
Cardamom-1
Cloves-3-4
Cinnamon- a small piece

Method:

Extract tamarind juice and keep aside. Cook rice and Dal together in the pressure cooker for 5 whistles with 600 ml water. Vegetables can also be kept in the same cooker in a separate dish. Heat oil in a large pan, add mustard, splutter and then curry leaves. Add tamarind water and salt and 2 cups of water. Boil till the raw smell goes. Add the masala powder and vegetables and boil some more. Mash the rice dal mixture and add to the boiling liquid. Top up with the rest of the oil and mix well. Check the consistency and add some hot water if needed. Keep hot and add a dollop of ghee and mix before serving. Serve with Boondi on top, raitha and chips.