Yummy Date with the Chocolate.

Ingredients:
1. Dates - deseeded about 5 to 6
2. Milk - 2 cups
3. Raisins - about 10
Nuts(optional - if you like it creamier).
4. Choco powder - 1 tsp
5. Sugar - 3 tsp (or less if you want it mild in sweetness)
6. Salt - a pinch
7. Vanilla cream/ice cream - 1 small scoop


Method:
Immerse Dates and Raisin in half a cup of warm water for about 15 min.
Boil Milk and reduce it by half. Keep it aside to cool.
In a blender add the reduced milk, dates, raisins with the water, and all other ingredients.
Blend it untill all the dates are mixed well and the drink is creamy.
Serve it as a whole energy drink.

Note: With the addition of nuts you may need to blend for a longer time until it is finely blend.
If you like the smoothie to be a little nutty then ensure you place a spoon to scoop it out.

Aloo Imli

Ingredients:
1. Potato - 2 medium sized
2. Tomato - 1
3. Onion - 1
4. Ground nuts - 3 tsp5. Garlic - 4 cloves
6. Salt to taste
7. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
8. Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
9. olive oil - 2 tsp
10. Jeera - 1/2 tsp
11. Green chilli - 1
12. Green Coriander for garnishing
13. Tamarind powder - 1 tsp to 11/2 teaspoon - as per your taste.


Method:
Dice up Potato and tomato into small cubes
Cut onions into long stripes
Chop garlic cloves and chilli.
Boil the potato and ground nuts until half tender.
Take care that it does not become mushy.
Heat olive oil in a pan and add the jeera , chopped garlic and chilli.
After a minute add Onion and stir unitl its transperant.
Next add the garam masala, red chilli powder.
Upon mixing this , drop the tomato cubes to the pan.
Let it cook for 2-3 minites.
Next add the boiled potatoes,ground nuts and mix well.
Add the tamarind powder to this mixture.
Close lid and cook in low flame for another 2 minutes.

Garnish with fresh coriander and this aloo imli is a best combination for the hot phulkas with a spoon of butter.

Fried Rice - My style.

I'd like to be honest here before I go ahead with the recepie. This one's from a lazy sunday afternoon where I had to spend the afternoon all by myself. Here is something interesting I came up for a quick lunch. Plunged into the deep fridge compartments only to come out with a few baby carrots and green chilli. Well the Kitchen store had the onions, garlic , soya sauce and vinegar. Well that was pretty much I needed for a simple meal.




Here you go for the instructions to get my style fried rice ready in quick 15 min(Only if you have the rice cooked and ready to use - else you'd easily add up an extra 15 min).

Ingredients:

1. Olive oil - 1 tbsp
2. Cooked rice - 1 bowl.
3. Carrot chopped into small cubes - That's what I prefer. You can have them cut into thin strands as well. - about 1 medium sized carrots should do.
4. Jeera - half a tsp.
5. Garlic - 2 cloves - diced up.
6. Chilli - 1 slit open.
7. Onions - 1 medium sized - chopped fine
8. Salt - to taste
9. Pepper powder - As per the hotness required.
10. Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
11. Soya sauce - 1/2 tsp

Secret Ingredient: I added a tsp of Schezwan sauce which not only helped add some taste but it also brought in the exquisite color I needed.

Method:

1. Crisp boil the carrot cubes with a pinch of salt. Once cooked drain the extra water.
2. Toss Jeera into the hot pan with olive oil.
3. Once you start smelling the jeera , drop in the garlic and chilli. Give it a bit of twists and then goes the onion into the pan.
4. Move the spatula until onion turn transparent. Add the carrot, soya sauce , vinegar. Turn them till everything is cooked.
5. Its the time to add cooked rice into the pan. Also the right time to add the Schezwan sauce. Give a nice toss until everything's mixed well.
6. Sprinkle the pepper - quantity as much your taste buds can handle.

Serve it hot with some fresh salad on the side. My version - I had only one tomato to go with it, yummmyyy! Accompanied by a glass of Real Guava juice. That was pretty much my sunday lunch.

Variations: You can add other veggies - crisp boiled or half sauteed of the like - Cabbage, capsicum which definitely adds the flavour and meets the fibre requirement of your body.