Apple, Cranberry and Oatmeal Cookies (Soft)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup oats (I used Quaker oats)
1 cup diced apple without peel
1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup dried cranberries

2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farhenhite
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and stir into the sugar mixture until well blended. Then add the pecans, cranberries, oats and apples. Drop dough by spoonfuls about 2 inches onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Let it cool on wire racks.

Fruit Chaat

My mom makes this often and we loved it the last time she made it for us. It can be made with any fruit combinations. What I have listed is what I used when this picture was taken and these fruits make a nice chaat.

Ingredients

1 medium apple

1 pear

2 bananas

2 peaches

2 plums

1/2 cup pineapple pieces

1 mango

1 cup black grapes

1 sweet potato or normal potato - boiled (optional)

2 tablespoons chaat masala

1/4 cup date and tamarind chutney

salt to taste

Method

Cut all the fruits in bite size pieces. Mix them all together. Then add the chaat masala and the date and tamarind chutney. Mix well till all the pieces of fruit are covered in the sauce. Add salt if required.

Serve chilled.

Rava/Semolina Ladoos

Ingredients

4 cups rava/semolina
1 1/2 cups ghee
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 cup coconut (I used the dried coconut powder)
Raisins
elaichi/cardamom powder

MethodRoast rava in ghee till you get a nice aroma. To this add the coconut and mix well on low flame for about 5 more minutes. Make sugar syrup - till its a consistency of 1 string. Add elaichi powder to this syrup. Once the rava mixture is cooled add it to the syrup and mix well. Keep mixing it at every 1/2 hour intervals. In 3 hours ladoos are ready to be rolled. When rolling ladoos, if the batter gets too dry - add 1 teaspoon of warm milk - and try again. if still dry add another 1 teaspoon.
When rolling ladoos add a raisin to it for a surprise in the mouth while eating JThis mixture yields around 36 to 40 ladoos.

Chicken Mince (Keema) Paratha

Ingredients

For Keema

2 pounds minced chicken

2 tablespoons yogurt

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 big onion - finely chopped

1 big tomato - finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

9 cloves garlic - finely minced

1/2 inch ginger - finely minced

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 cup oil

For Paratha

2 cups wheat flour

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

water to knead dough

Method

Add yogurt and 1/2 teaspoon salt and curry powder and mix well with the chicken mince - let it marinate in this for atleast an hour.

Add salt and oil to the dough and just enough water to knead and make a pliable dough. Keep it covered for an hour. Divide the dough into golf ball-sized portions and roll between your hands till they are smooth and without cracks.

In a karahi add oil. When it gets hot add the chopped onions and fry well till it turns a nice golden brown. Then add the tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and ginger and fry till the tamotes are soft and oil starts leaving the mixture on the side of the karahi. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix well. To this mixture add the marinated chicken mince and keep stirring for 10 minutes. Cover and let the chicken cook for 10 minutes or untill its done. Check for seasoning and add salt or spices as per taste. Remove the cover and let any water thats formed get evaporated. Let the keema cool.

Take a small dough ball and roll it into a puri. Take a tablespoon of the keema and place it in between the rolled dough. Pull together the ends and seal on top like a bag. Then roll this together into a paratha/chappati to around 1/8" thickness.

Roast the paratha on a hot griddle with ghee/oil. Parathas are done when they are nice and golden on both sides.

Serve it with kheema/curds/raita.