Cook Without Book

              Prep Time:  15 minutes Total Time:  1 hour, 15 minutes Yield:  Makes 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups fruit, 1 1/2 tbsp dressing) Ingredients 1  orange, zested and juiced 1/4 cup   thinly sliced mint leaves 3 tablespoons   canola or grapeseed oil 2 teaspoons   poppy seeds 2 teaspoons   rice-wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon   sea salt 1  small pineapple, cut up 1  mango, sliced 2  apricots, peaches, or plums 4 cups   assorted cherries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries 1/4 cup   pomegranate seeds Preparation 1. In large bowl, combine 1/4 cup orange juice, zest, mint, oil, poppy seeds, vinegar, and salt. Add fruit and toss to combine. 2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve very cold. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 243 Fat per serving: 8.3g Saturated fat per serving: 0.7g Monounsatura...

Creamy Poppy seed Dressing Roasted poppy seeds and chives give a delicious flavour to this yogurt and mayonnaise dip. Cooking Time:  25-30 minutes Servings:  4   Preparation Time:  20-25 minutes   Category:  Veg Ingredients • Poppy seed paste (khuskhus) ,roasted 2 tablespoons • Yogurt 1/4 cup • Mayonnaise 1/4 cup • Salt to taste • Sugar 1 teaspoon • Chives,chopped 2 tablespoons • Lemon juice 1 teaspoon • Oil 1 tablespoon • Garlic,chopped 8-10 cloves Method Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, poppy seeds, salt, sugar, chives and lemon juice in a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add garlic and sauté till well browned. Remove from heat and add to the yogurt mixture. Serve chilled with chips and fries.

Pluot & Poppy Yogurt Bowl Recipe Before the pluots are gone for the year, I thought I'd sneak this in. I was saying to a friend the other day - when pluots are good, few fruits are better. I'm thinking of a crimson-fleshed Dapple Dandy I had last year - dripping ripe with punchy juice, refreshing, taut-skinned. It set the bar in my mind. And the pluots have been  good  lately, so they've been around the kitchen. And I do different things with them, like this impromptu breakfast bowl. While arguably unconventional, it is one of my favorite uses to date. Greek yogurt with a bit of chopped dill incorporated, topped with sliced pluots, toasted oats, poppy seeds, and honey. If the dill sounds like too much for you, feel free to skip it, but I love the way it plays off the oats, and the honey sweetness of the fruit. Here's another idea - I've been thinking of making a pluot punch of sorts - give a shout if you have a favorite punch base you think would w...

Jhinga Posto Turai cooked with khuskhus paste - a popular Bengali delicacy. Cooking Time:  15-20 minutes Servings:  4   Preparation Time:  10-15 minutes   Category:  Veg Ingredients • Ridge gourd (turai),cut into cubes 400 grams • Poppy seeds (khuskhus/posto),soaked overnight 1/2 cup • Green chillies,finely chopped 2-3 • Oil 1 tablespoon • Cloves 4-5 • Onions,finely chopped 2 medium • Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon • Salt to taste Method Grind together poppy seeds and green chillies with a little water.Heat oil in a non stick kadai. Add cloves and sauté till fragrant. Add onions and sauté lightly. Add the ground paste and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the turai, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes. Transfer into a serving bowl and serve hot. f

Almond Pistachios Praline Triangles A delicious praline made of nuts and poppy seeds. A great snack for any time of the day. Preparation Time : :   10 mins. Cooking Time : :   15 mins. Serves 4.  Ingredients 1/3 cup  coarsely  powdered almonds (badam) or  pistachios 2 tbsp   melon seeds (charmagaz) 2 tbsp   poppy seeds (khus-khus) 1/4 tsp   cardamom (elaichi) powder 1/2 cup   sugar oil  to grease Method In a heavy bottomed pan, add the sugar and melt it over gentle heat, stirring continuously till the sugar is light brown in colour (caramelised). Remove from the fire, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour this mixture onto a greased marble or stone surface. Using a large greased rolling pin, roll out the praline as thinly as you can. While it is still warm, cut into triangles. Allow it to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container. Tips Sugar burns very quickly, so ...

                        Shahi Navratna Korma                                                       A mouthwatering, rich, creamy indian vegetable. . Straight from the royal palaces of jaipur. A hit in parties and full of vegetables. . . Taste, looks and nutrition. . All in one! Preparation Time:  10 mins Cooking Time:  10 mins Makes 4 to 5 servings Ingredients 2   chopped carrots 1 cup   chopped french beans 1/2 cup   chopped potatoes 1 cup   chopped cauliflower 2 tbsp   poppy seeds (khus-khus) 5 tbsp   cashewnuts (kaju) 4 to 5   bayleaves (tejpatta) 2   whole dry kashmiri red chillies 2 tbsp  fresh  cream 1 tsp   turmeric powder (haldi) 1 tsp   coriander (dhania) powder 1 tsp   sugar 1 tsp   saffron (kes...

Corn Pulao Layers of rice, cooked along with corn, carrot, capsicum and a few simple spices, interact with a richly-flavoured curry… and, the conversation between the layers in the corn pulao is rather interesting! baking the arrangement in an aluminium foil wrapper gives a special touch to the pulao. Preparation Time:  15 mins Cooking Time:  8 mins Baking Time:  20 to 25 minutes Baking Temperature:  180°C (360°F) Makes 4 servings Ingredients For The Rice 3/4 cup   boiled sweet corn kernels (makai ke dane) 2 1/4 cups   cooked long grained rice  (basmati) 1 1/2 tbsp   ghee 50   cinnamon (dalchini) 2   cloves (laung / lavang) 1/2 cup   chopped capsicum 1/2 cup  boiled  carrot cubes salt  to taste For The Curry 1/2 cup  fresh  curds (dahi) 2 tbsp  fresh  cream 1/2 tsp   sugar 1 1/2 tbsp   ghee salt  to taste To Be Blended Into A Smooth Paste (using A Little Water) 1/2 cup ...

Spicy Kofta Kadhi Kadhi without curds? if you are surprised, go ahead and try this recipe. This unusual recipe is created with a blend of tamarind water and besan spiced with a freshly-made paste. The koftas are also distinctive as they use a different combination of vegetables such as brinjals and cabbage. Preparation Time:  15 mins Cooking Time:  20 mins Makes 6 servings Ingredients To Be Ground Into A Smooth Paste (using A Little Water) 1 cup  roughly  chopped tomatoes 7   green chillies  , roughly chopped 12   garlic (lehsun) cloves 2 tbsp  freshly  grated coconut 4 tbsp   cashewnuts (kaju) 4 tbsp   poppy seeds (khus-khus) For The Koftas 3/4 cup  finely chopped  brinjal (baingan / eggplant) 1 cup  finely  chopped cabbage 1 cup  finely  chopped onions 1/2 cup   besan (bengal gram flour) salt  to taste 4 tsp  finely  chopped green chillies a pinch of  soda bi-carb F...

Paneer Koftas in Spinach Sauce ( Desi Khana) The spinach sauce used in this recipe is an elaborate one, of spinach purée plumped up with rich ingredients like coconut, cashewnuts, poppy seeds and spices. It happens to be the perfect base for delicate paneer koftas that melt in your mouth. Preparation Time:  15 mins Cooking Time:  20 mins Makes 4 servings Ingredients For The Spinach Gravy 3 cups  finely  chopped spinach (palak) 2 tbsp   ghee 1 cup  whisked fresh  curds (dahi) 1/2 tsp   sugar salt  to taste To Be Ground Into A Smooth Paste Using 1/2 Cup Water (for The Spinach Gravy) 2 tbsp   grated coconut 2 tbsp   chopped cashewnuts (kaju) 2 tbsp   poppy seeds (khus-khus) 8   cloves garlic (lehsun) 8   green chillies  , roughly chopped 25 mm  (1”) piece  ginger (adrak) 2 tsp   aniseeds (vilayati saunf) For The Paneer Koftas 1 cup  grated  paneer (cottage cheese) 4 tbsp   ...

Corn Curry                  Quick Recipe A creamy paste of onion, coriander, coconut and poppy seeds with spicy green chillies and ginger is the focal point of the corn curry. And of course, there is soothing coconut milk and a bouquet of spices to complement the green masala. Preparation Time:  15 mins Cooking Time:  10 mins Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 1/2 cups   boiled sweet corn kernels (makai ke dane)  , lightly crushed 2 tbsp   oil 50 mm  (2”) piece  cinnamon (dalchini) 2   cloves (laung / lavang) 2   cardamoms 1 tsp   cornflour  dissolved in 2 cups of  coconut milk  (nariyal ka doodh) salt  to taste To Be Ground Into A Smooth Green Paste (using Little Water) 1 1/2 cups  roughly  chopped coriander (dhania) 1/4 cup  thinly  sliced onions 2 tbsp  freshly  grated coconut 7   garlic (lehsun) cloves 25 mm  (1”) piec...

                             Spicy Potato A fiery combination of spices, dominated by the exclusive taste of poppy seeds, cumin seeds and dry coconut, adds a special touch to this dish. Preparation Time:  10 mins Cooking Time:  11 mins Makes 4 servings Ingredients For The Paste 2 tbsp   oil 1/2 cup   sliced onions 2 tbsp  grated  dry coconut (kopra) 1 tbsp   coriander (dhania) seeds 1/2 tbsp   cumin seeds (jeera) 1/2 tbsp   poppy seeds (khus-khus) 2   cloves (laung / lavang) 1  stick  cinnamon (dalchini) 4 to 5   peppercorns (kalimirch) 4   whole dry kashmiri red chillies 1   bayleaf (tejpatta) 4   garlic (lehsun) cloves Other Ingredients 2 cups  boiled and peeled  potatoes  , cut into halves 1 tbsp   ghee salt  to taste 1 cup  fresh  tomato pulp For The Garnish 2 tbsp  finely ...

Malai Kofta Curry ( Microwave) A simple yet flavourful tomato-based curry takes on a rich form with the addition of potato and cottage cheese kofta stuffed with dry fruits. Preparation Time:  15 mins Cooking Time:  5 mins Makes 2 servings Ingredients For The Koftas 1/2 cup  cooked and  mashed potatoes 1/4 cup  grated  paneer (cottage cheese) 1 tbsp   plain flour (maida) 1 tsp  finely  chopped green chillies 1 tbsp  finely  chopped coriander (dhania) 2 tbsp   milk 2 tbsp   chopped cashewnuts (kaju) 2 tbsp   chopped raisins (kismis) salt  to taste For The Curry 2 tsp   tomato puree 1 tsp   cornflour  dissolved in 4 tbsp  milk a pinch of  sugar 1 tbsp   oil salt  to taste To Be Ground To A Smooth Paste 1 tbsp  freshly  grated coconut 2 tbsp  roughly  chopped onions 2  whole dry  red chillies 1 tsp   coriander (dhania)  see...