Rasika's Cuisine

The recipe is true to its name. Yummy and good looking, yet  free of unnecessary fats. Try this filling recipe and you’ll never go back to plain tomato soup!

Ingredients

Chopped Garlic – 2 tsp
Onion small -1
Tomatoes – 2
Egg white – 1
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Butter-1tsp
Water or vegetable stock
Method-

Take butter in a pan. Add garlic and onion and fry for some time. Add water or stock and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato pieces and bring it to boil. Then allow it to cool. Liquidise the soup and sieve. Return the soup in a pan and boil. Season with salt and black pepper powder and then pour the egg white drop by drop. Serve hot.

Salads are very easy to prepare but usually they are not wholesome. Though full of vitamins and minerals, there are no carbohydrates and that makes us feel hungry sooner. Try this salad with pasta thrown in that makes it a nutritious yet quick meal option.

Ingredients

Penne Pasta  – 1/2 cup boiled

French beans chopped- 2 tbsp

Broccoli cut into small florets – 1/2 cup

Carrots chopped- 1/2 cup

Black Olives cutt into halves- 2 tbsp

Lettuce chopped- 1/2 cup

Sweet basil-2 tbsp

Cherry tomatoes- 5,6

Thousand island dressings-2 tbsp

Method-

Toss all the ingredients together and serve! Can a wholesome dish be more easy to prepare! Do not store for a long time, eat fresh!

Its just not my kids who love pumpkins on Halloween, but hate them on the plate. Give this golden vegetable a chance with this no-fuss recipe.

Ingredients -

Pumpkin – 100 gm
Butter- 50 gm
Medium potato- 1
Tomato -1
Cream- 2 tsp
Vegetable stock or water – 2 cups
Salt and freshly ground black pepper powder
Method

Peel and cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Melt some butter in a pan. Add the pumpkin and cook over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile peel and slice the potato. Add them to the pan and cook for a further five minutes till it becomes tender. Add the tomato pieces, the salt and pepper and stock. Bring to boil and simmer the soup very gently for 10 to 15 minutes. Make a paste in a blender and sieve. Return the soup to a pan. Stir in the cream. Re-season if necessary and bring back to boil and serve.

Surprisingly, Pumpkin is such a versatile vegetable that it can be cooked in numerous ways, each having a unique taste. More pumpkin recipes soon!

This recipe is something I remember having read in a magazine. I am still waiting for Indian supermarkets to start selling leeks before I can make it. I am posting this recipe for my daughter-in-law to try and supply a picture to the post.

Ingredients

Leek
Onion – 1
Butter – 25 gm
Flour – 25 gm
Stock or water – 1 cup
Milk – 1 cup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method

Slice the leek and onion. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the vegetables and cook them until they are soft and transparent. Add the flour and then blend in the stock and milk. Season to taste. Simmer for about half an hour then liquidise until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and reheat before serving.

If any of the readers try this recipe, feel free to give me feedback or send in pictures. Meanwhile its over to you Neha. I hope this recipe gets a picture soon

Having cake with evening tea might be a British tradition, but people around the world love it! From Brazil to India I’ve seen people have cake with evening tea or coffee (of course in case of Brazil). Here is a rich recipe with flavor of almonds for the winter evenings.

Ingredients

Butter – 125 gm
Castor sugar – 150 gm
Ground almonds – 85 gm
Eggs – 3
Plain flour – 35 gm
Salt – a pinch
A sprinkling of castor or icing sugar
A greaseproof sandwich tin

Method-

Whip the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the ground almonds and continue to beat for about one minute. Beat in eggs. Sift the flour with the salt then fold it into the mixture. Bake the cake in a moderate oven at 180 degree C for about 45 to 50 minutes until firm to touch and golden brown. Cool on a wire tray and dust the top of the cake with castor or icing sugar. Dusting of castor sugar on top is completely optional. Try some honey on top for a healthier option.

This is such a simple dish, that your kids can make it! No kidding! It could be the perfect rainy day kitchen project for your kids! Just make sure you keep the custard ready beforehand.

Ingredients

Sponge cake- 5 pieces
Custard powder-2 tbsp
Milk- 1/2 liters
Sugar-2 tbsp
Fresh whipped cream- 100 gm
Cherries-5
Mix fruit pieces-1 cup
Method-

For custard-

Mix the custard powder in a little cold milk to make a paste. Then boil the remaining milk in a pan and add custard paste and again boil for some time custard is ready. Add sugar to it and leave it to cool.

To make the trifle take cups or bowls place pieces of cakes and put fruit pieces over it. Add custard and decorate it with cream and cherries and serve.

Kids love to experiment with cooking if given a chance. Make sure they understand fire safety in the kitchen, but don’t scare them away from cooking.

Casserole recipes never get old or boring….tasty enough to serve to guests and easy enough for the host to prepare. Give this country recipe a try!

Ingredients

Cauliflower -  5 to 6 florets
Leek- 250 gm
French beans sliced – 100 gm
Broccoli – 5/6 florets
Cheese – 100 gm
Eggs – 3
Mustard paste-1 tsp
Cream – 100 gm
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method

Put the vegetables into a pan of boilling salted water and cook for about 10 minutes till just tender. Then strain. Butter a casserole. Now put hot vegetables into it and add  most of cheese. Whisk eggs lightly with seasoning and cream. Pour over the vegetables and cover with the rest of the cheese. Cover and bake at 180 degree C for 20 to 25 minutes till egg custard is set. Serve hot with bread and butter.

Depending on availability of vegetables, experiment with a different combination. And if it works out great, do share it in the comments section with other readers!

This is a simple and yummy traditional Indian dessert. The original recipe is quite tedious, but with yoghurt so easily available in supermarkets, its a piece of cake….well not literally

Ingredients

Plain Yoghurt – 500 gms

Castor Sugar – 600 gms

Green cardamon powder – 1 tsp

Nutmeg powder – 1/2 tsp

Dry Orange Colour – 1/4 tsp

Saffron- 1/2 tsp

Method

Hang the yogurt overnight in a muslin cloth (you can also use a simple cotton hanky). This will remove excess water. Now take the overnight hung yogurt in a mixing bowl. Add sugar and whisk the mixture with whisker untill it becomes smooth and pluffy.Add cardamon powder, color, saffron, nutmeg powder and mix well. Garnish with sliced pistachios and serve chilled.

If you have time, try to prepare Shrikhand a day or two in advance. This ensure the flavors of nutmeg, cardamom and saffron to blend in really well and give it a richer taste. Use nutmeg in moderation, because too much of it, can make you dizzy.

Who says soups are only for winters? Try this versatile minty fresh soup in the long summer evenings.

Ingredients

Large cucumber – 1

Medium onion – 1

Water or stock – 2 cups

Mint – A few spring

Salt – To taste

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Arrowroot – 1 tbsp

Cream – 4 tbsp

Method

Cut a few thin slices of cucumber and keep them for decoration. Peel the rest of the cucumber and onion, slice both and put them into saucepan with water or stock, the mint leaves and salt and pepper. Bring the water to the boil and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes untill the vegetables are tender. Liquidise and sieve the soup. Mix the arrowroot with cream and add it to the pan, bring the soup to boil stirring frequently then taste and adjust the seasoning if neccessary. Serve the soup chilled decorate with a slice of cucumber and a spring of mint.

If summers are too far, you can also serve this soup piping hot in winters!

Ingredients

Mango pulp – 2 cups
Sweet Condensed milk – 400 gms
Gelatin powder – 3 tsp
Fresh cream – 2 cups

Decoration

Mango pieces cut into small squares – 1 cup

First dissolve gelatin in a little warm water.Mix all ingredients except mango pieces together.Pour the mixture in a differant small cups or bowls.Decorate with mango pieces.Keep it in a refrigerater for 2,3 hours to set and then serve.