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Batata Vada ( Aloo Bonda)

Batata Vada (Aloo Bonda) is a very famous fast food in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Batata means nothing but potato. This recipe is very easy to prepare. Boiled and mashed potato is first saute’d with coriander, mint leaves, chili and ginger paste then deep fried after coating it with gram flour batter. It can be served as a snack directly, and can also be used to make popular vada pav when served with pav, mint-coriander, dry garlic and tamarind chutney. There is a slightly different version of batata vada in Gujarat where the mashed potato is mixed with green chilies, coriander leaves, and garlic paste and deep fried with gram flour batter. Enjoy batata vada with a hot cup of tea. 

Chiku (Sapota) Ice Cream

Chiku a.k.a. Sapota is a brown color fruit that is exceptionally sweet. Chiku can be eaten as a fruit or drank as Chiku milk shake, which is a very famous drink. Ice cream is everyone’s favorite dessert and one can buy a variety of them in stores. However you might not find Chiku ice cream in a store. This recipe provides steps to prepare Chiku Ice cream at your own house. Homemade ice cream is always the best, you can also tweak it based on your taste. It is super easy to make this ice cream and it tastes delicious. This ice cream is flavored with coffee and vanilla extract, coffee gives a unique taste to chiku ice cream and is well served with chia seeds. Enjoy this summer special recipe during hot days!  

Watermelon Strawberry Drink

Watermelon is a seasonal fruit available during summer and very good to avoid dehydration. My family loves watermelon in all forms either eating as fresh cut fruit or juice. This recipe is a blend of watermelon and strawberry added with some lemon juice and spices. This refreshing drink is perfect for hot summer weather and give you a big relief from the hot weather and keeps you hydrated. This lovely naturally red color drink is very simple to make, although the sweetness of fruit is more than enough but if you wish you could add either sugar or honey to complement the sweetness.


Aam ( Mango) Jaljeera

Aam (Mango) is king of fruit. This is a seasonal fruit which is available during summer. This beat the heat tangy cool drink protect us from heat waves. Using raw mango one can be prepare many kind of items like spicy pickle, sweet mango pickle, jam, mango drink or so on. This recipe is prepared using mainly raw mango and honey which is flavored with assortment of spices. In northern part of India during summer there are many hawkers who sell this drink on streets. People also prepare this in their home and my mom used to make it and serve all of us to protect from heat waves. She generally used to roast the raw mango on charcoal which gives a unique smoky flavor. If charcoal is available you can use that otherwise you can roast it on stove as I have done for this recipe. You could also use the boiled raw mango to prepare this recipe so instead of roasting, just boil the mangoes. Raw Mango_5

Mushroom Kabab

Mushroom kabab is an awesome appetizer for parties and gatherings. There are a variety of mushroom kabab recipes, however this recipe brings a little Indian flare to it. The mushroom is stuffed with bell peppers, paneer flavored with pickle masala and marinated in yogurt and spices. When served with grilled zucchini and yogurt mint chutney it has an unique taste.

Fig & Orange Shrikhand Tarts

Shrikhand is a very popular dessert in Maharashtra and Gujarat.  It is made from strained yogurt and sugar.  It is most often flavored with dry fruits, cardamom, and saffron. Other common flavors include fresh fruits and mango pulp, but one can be creative in flavoring Srikhand. This recipe is a simple recipe which flavors Srikhand with two different flavors one fig-maple and second orange- ginger. Each of these gives a unique taste to it. When served in mini orange tarts it makes it more appetizing.

Red Rice Cucumber Roll

Red rice cucumber roll is inspired by Masterchef TV program. I was intrigued by the recipe and wanted to try it myself. I changed the original recipe a bit by making it a different rice mix, and it came out really well. It tasted awesome and presented am entirely new taste to your taste buds. Rolling the cucumber slices is a little tricky part may require some practice.