Dal Tadka

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green lentil
• 1 medium-sized onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 3 green chillies 
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2-3 eggs
• salt to taste
• 5 tbsp oil 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek (methi) powder
• bunch of cilantro

Directions:

• Wash lentil and soak in water for about 1 hour, then pressure - cook lentil for 2-3 whistle. Drain lentil and set aside.
• Chop onion into small cubes. Chop tomatoes and chiilies, mince garlic. Chop cilantro.
• Heat 3-4 tbsp oil in non-stick saucepan. Add onion to it and fry on medium-high  for a few minutes until onion becomes soft. 
• Add green chillies, garlic and saute for few minutes but not too long, garlic will become bitter. 
• Add tomatoes and saute 1-2 minutes.  Add turmeric and fenugreek and mix well.
• Now add lentil, salt and little water if your mixture is too dry. Cook on medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally. 
• In a separate pan heat 1-2 tbsp oil. Crack eggs and slightly beat them with pinch of salt. Add to pan and make scrambled egg. When done add to lentil mixture and stir well.

• Add chopped cilantro to lentil tadka, mix well then turn off the heat.
• Garnish with green chillies and onion. Serve hot with roti. 

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of cinnamon powder
• vanilla
• lemon zest (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven at 350 °F (180 °C). Grease a loaf pan with oil or butter and keep aside.
• In a mixing bowl mix sugar, oil and eggs. Mash bananas with a fork, add to bowl and mix well. Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla and mix well.
• Add flour to the mixture and mix evenly with a spatula. You should have a thick batter.

• Pour the batter in loaf pan and bake 30-40 min or until done. Check if baked with a toothpick, insert in bread, if toothpick comes out clean your bread is baked.

Minestrone

Ingredients:

• 1 medium carrot
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium potato
• 1 cup canned green beans
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1.5 cup cabbage
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup canned navy beans 
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried basil, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1-2 bay leaf

Directions:

• Chop onion, celery, carrot, green beans. Cut into cubes zucchini, potato. Coarsely shred cabbage and mince garlic.
• In a pot heat oil and butter, add onion, saute until soft. Stir in carrots and potato and saute for few minutes. 
• Stir in celery and saute for 5 minutes (if you use fresh green beans add them along with celery and saute) . Add zucchini and saute for another 3 minutes.
• Add cabbage and garlic, cook for 1 minute.
• Add broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, pepper, basil, salt and water to cover completely the vegetables. Rinse and drain navy beans and add to soup. Cook covered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are cooked and soup is thick.

• Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 big onion
• 3 green chillies
• 1/3 cup tomato paste (optional)
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 bunch of mint leaves 
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp black cumin seeds
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• few black peppercorns
• whole garam masala (bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamon)
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
• salt to taste
• oil
• pinch of saffron

Directions:

• Wash, remove skin and cut the chicken into bite-size cubes (you can use whole pieces of chicken as well).
• Peel off onion, chop then fry with a little oil till becomes soft.
• In a bowl make a marinade with: yogurt, tomato paste, cumin seeds, chopped chillies, 2/3 chopped cilantro, chopped mint, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, peppercorns,  garam masala, salt, 1-2 tbsp oil, 2/3 of fried onion. Mix well all ingredients and add to chicken. Marinate for 30 min in refrigerator.
• Wash the rice and soak in water for 20-30 min.  In a saucepan boil water, add salt, little oil, whole garam masala, cumin if desired. When water is boiling add rice. Boil the rice until 50 % cooked, then drain the water using a colander.

• Soak saffron in few tablespoons warm water.
• In a heavy-bottomed pan place marinated chicken, arrange with a spoon the pieces of chicken to have a straight layer. Add half quantity of rise make a layer sprinkle fried onion, chopped cilantro then add remaining of rise, fried onion, cilantro. Sprinkle saffron water on rise. 
• Cover the pan with a lid wich fits well the pan. Slow cook the biryani for about 30 min on very low heat.    
• Garnish with boiled egg halves, cucumber slices, lemon slices and raita.