BOMBAY STREET SANDWICH

Ingredients:
Sandwich buns ( I used crustini buns)
Green chutney
Boiled potatoes
Onion
Green bell pepper
Butter
Chaat masala
Cheese of your choice ( I used four blend Mexican cheese)
Salt

For green chutney:
Coriander leaves – 1cup, finely chopped
Mint leaves – ¼ cup, firmly packed
Green chilies – 2
Ginger – ½ “
Roasted peanuts – 2 tbsp
Lemon juice- 2-3 tbsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Sugar – 1tsp
Salt

Cooking procedure:
Place all the ingredients for chutney in the blender and blend it to a fine paste. Add little water if required.

Chop the onion and green bell pepper. Slice the boiled potatoes.

To assemble the sandwich, take three slices of bread. Spread each slice of bread with butter on one side. On the top first slice spread chutney over butter and keep aside. On the second slice spread the chutney over butter and top it with potato slices, sprinkle some chaat masala, salt and finally top it with cheese. Place the chopped onion and green bell pepper on the third slice, sprinkle some chaat masala, salt and finally top it with cheese.

Stack the onion slice above the potato slice. Finally place the chutney slice on the top, chutney side down. Place the sandwich on the Panini press.
Now grill it till crust becomes brown and cheese melts. Place on the cooling rack for 5 mins. Cut the sandwich and serve.

PANEER VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:
Green beans - 1 cup, chopped
Carrot – ¼ cup, chopped
Paneer – 1/2 cup, chopped
Water – 5-6 cups
Butter - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves – ¼ cup finely chopped
Black pepper – ¼ tsp
Ground cumin – ¼ tsp
Corn flour – 2tbsp
Salt
Hot sauce - – ¼ tsp

Cooking Procedure:
Cut all the vegetables in small pieces as shown in the picture. Mix the cornflour in 1 cup of water and keep aside.

Heat the butter in a sauce pan. Add green beans, carrots and sauté for 2-3 mins. Then add salt , black pepper and gound cumin. Stir well and then add water. Bring it to a boil. Then add coriander leaves. Cover and let cook for 9-10 mins, till beans and carrots get cooked. Remove the pot from heat and then add the corn four, make sure to stir the paste before adding to the soup because corn flour tends to settle down. Return the pot to heat and boil again for 5-10 mins, till the corn flour gets cooked. Finally add the paneer and let cook for 2 mins. Add the hot sauce and serve hot.

BHARLI VAANGI

Ingredients:
Small egg plants – 6
Onion – 1 big, chopped
Freshly chopped coriander leaves
For masala:
Roasted Peanuts* – 1 cup
Garlic cloves – 2-3
Red chili powder – 1tsp
Garam masala – 2tsp
Haldi – ¼ tsp
Hing – 1 pinch
Salt to taste

Cooking Procedure:
Place all the ingredients for the masala into the blender. Grind to make a fine powder (don’t blend too much, it will turn into paste). Transfer the masala powder to a plate/bowl and add coriander leaves and chopped onion.
Carefully cross cut the eggplants lengthwise. Make sure to keep their stems intact; do not cut right through the end. Stuff the masala mixture into the center and between the slits. Try to pack in as much of the masala powder as possible.

Heat some oil in the pan and place the stuffed eggplant in the pan. Fry the eggplants on medium heat, changing sides. Now add 1-2 cups of hot water. Reduce the heat, cover and let cook on low flame till the eggplants are tender and oil separates. You can adjust the consistency of the gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice.

* Place the raw unshelled peanuts in a thin layer in a pan. Roast on low flame, stirring 2 to 3 times till they start to brown. Let cool and then remove the skin by rubbing the peanuts with palm of both hands. The skin will come out easily. Blow away the skin flakes. Or u can use Planters roasted, unsalted and no-skin peanuts.

SWEET CORN CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients:
Chicken broth – 5 cups
Fresh corn kernels – 1½ cup

Onion - 1/4 sliced
Boneless chicken – 1 cup chopped into small pieces
Salt – 1tsp
Sugar – 1tsp
Ground black pepper – ¼ tsp
Corn flour – 3-4 tbsp
Egg – 2 (only white)
Green onions - 2-3 thinly sliced

Cooking procedure:
Take corn kernels, onion and add one cup of water to it. Pressure cook till soft. Keep 2 tbsp of cooked corn aside and grind the remaining corn to paste. Sieve the paste and keep aside. Mix the corn flour in half cup of water and keep aside.
Take some oil in a big pot. Add in the chicken and fry till brown. Add the chicken broth and corn paste and bring it to a boil. Add salt, sugar, black pepper and cooked corn. Continue boiling till the chicken gets fully cooked. Remove the pot from heat and add the corn flour paste. Make sure to stir the paste before adding to the soup because corn flour tends to settle down. Put the pot back on heat. Continuously stir the soup after adding the corn flour. The soup will start to thicken as the corn flour gets cooked.
In a small bowl whisk the egg white and drizzle slowly in thin stream into the boiling soup in circular motion. Egg should cook immediately forming threads. Pour the soup in serving bowl and top it with sliced green onion.

VEGETABLE SWEET AND SOUR SOUP

Ingredients:
Vegetable broth - 5 cups
Mushroom – 4-5
Carrot – 1 medium
Green bell pepper – ½
Red bell pepper – ½
Tomato – 1 small
Cabbage – 3tbsp
Chopped Ginger – 1 tbsp
Chopped Garlic – 1tbsp
Soy sauce* – 2tbsp
Chili sauce – 1tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Sugar – ½ tsp
Red chili flakes – 1tsp
Corn flour – 3tbsp
Green onion – 3-4, take only the green part
Fried noodles for serving

Cooking Procedure:
Cut all the vegetables in small pieces.
In a big pot, heat some oil. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 mins. Then add all the chopped vegetables, except the green onions and sauté 2 mins without adding any salt. Then add soy sauce, chili sauce, salt, sugar and red chili flakes. Stir well and then add vegetable broth. Bring it to a boil and let simmer for 5-10 mins. Dissolve the corn flour in half cup of water. Add it to the soup and stir continuously. After adding corn flour, the soup will start to thicken. You can add more/less corn flour for desired thickness of the soup. Let it simmer for 5 more mins. Finally garnish with chopped green onions and serve hot with fried noodles**.

* I used Chings Dark Soy sauce; I bought it from the Indian store.
** I used La Choy chow mein noodles.