Cantaloupe Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Cantaloupe – 2 cups cubed

Sugar - ½ cup

Condensed milk  - ¼ cup

Whipping cream - 1 cup

Preparation:
Cube the cantaloupe and keep aside.

Take a blender and put the cantaloupe and sugar in the blender and blend well.  Do not add water. Whisk the blended cantaloupe pulp, condensed milk and whipping cream to get a smooth consistency. Pour into a bowl and freeze it. After an  hour or 2  take the bowl out from the freezer beat again and ieept back into the freezer. Repeat this process for 2 to 3 times, this makes the ice cream to be very smooth. Then keep in the freezer for 5 hrs or until its fully set. 

Scoop out the ice cream and serve with wafers or garnish with nuts, chopped  cantaloupe.

Note: You can adjust the sugar and condensed milk depending on how much sweet you like.

Beef Curry

Ingredients:
Beef - 2 lb
Onion - 2 or 3
Tomato - 1 small
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Coriander & chili powder - 2 tbs
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seed - 1 tsp
Ginger - 5 to 6 flakes
Garlic - small piece
Green chili - 3
Curry leaves - 3 twigs
Red chili - 6
Coconut pieces - few (Cut into small pieces)
Salt and oil as required  

Preparation:

Cut beef into bite pieces, wash nicely and keep aside. Cut onion into thin slices. Heat oil in a pan and when it becomes hot crush ginger, garlic and green chili and add to this & saute until raw smell goes away. Then add the onion and saute until it becomes translucent and then add chopped tomatoes and saute it till the oil get separated. Now add turmeric powder, roasted coriander & chili powder and mix well. Add the washed beef into it & cover with the lid & cook on low flame. After sometime add garam masala powder and fennel seeds stir nicely and allow it to get cooked on low heat. When its done remove from fire.

Meanwhile, heat 2tbs of oil in a small pan add curry leaves,coconut pieces & red chili to it. When it splutters turn off the heat and pour this into the beef gravy.

Serve warm with steamed rice, chapathi,parotta.

Chicken Tofu Fry

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1lb
Tomato - 2 large
Tofu - 1 cup
Red chili powder - 2 tsp tbs
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Oil -1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Wash chicken and cut into bite pieces. Add turmeric, chili powder and salt to the chicken pieces and marinate it for 15 to 20 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated chicken to it and squeeze the tomatoes and cover with the lid. Do not add water. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile cut tofu into small pieces and keep aside. When the chicken pieces are fried nicely add tofu to it and mix well and fry for 2to 3 minutes.

Serve with steamed rice, chapathi.

Beetroot Rice

Ingredients:
Rice - 1cup
Beetroot - 2 small
Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - Few
Green chilly -2 slit lengthwise
Salt as required
Oil - 2tbs

Preparation:
Cook the rice and keep aside. I used basmati rice. You can use any rice of your choice.

Peel the outer skin of the beetroot, wash nicely & grate it. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, when it splutters add curry leaves, green chili followed by the grated beetroot. Now add red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix it nicely and cover with the lid and allow it to get cooked. No need to add water. When it is done add the cooked rice to it, mix well and remove from fire.

Transfer to a plate and serve. Kids will love to eat colorful rice.

Walnut & Dates Cake

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Egg - 4
Butter – 1 ½ stick
Sugar - 2cups
Vanilla Essence - 2tsp
Baking powder - 3 tsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Dates - 1 cup (I used baking dates)
Walnut - 1/2 cup
Salt - a pinch

Preparation:
Take a large bowl add butter and sugar into it and beat till smooth with cake mixer. Then add eggs and beat until fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder & salt and add to this along with milk, dates and walnut and vanilla essence. Blend all the ingredients to get a smooth batter. Preheat the oven to 350 degree c. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and bake. When it is done, remove cake from oven, and allow it to cool, cut into slices and serve.

Bell Pepper Rice

Ingredients:
Rice - 1cup - Basmati rice
Bell Pepper - Chopped 1 cup
Onion - 1/2 sliced
Egg - 1 or 2 (your choice)
Oil - 2 tbs
Salt as required

Preparation:
Cook the rice and keep aside.
Wash the bell pepper, and chop into small pieces.

Cut onion into thin slices. Heat oil in a pan, and sauté onion for few minutes, then add the chopped bell pepper and sauté it. Add salt now and mix well. Then break the eggs into it and scramble nicely. Finally add the cooked rice to it and mix well and remove from fire. Transfer to a plate and serve

Orange Cake

Ingredients:
All purpose flour – 2 cups
Egg - 3
Butter – 1 stick
Orange juice – ¾ cup
Sugar – 2 cups
Baking powder – 2 tsp
Vanilla essence – 2 tsp
Salt – a pinch
Orange Zest – 1 orange zest

Preparation:
Take a large bowl add butter and sugar into it and beat till smooth with hand or cake mixer. Then add eggs and beat until fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder & salt and add to this along with orange juice, zest and vanilla essence. Blend all the ingredients to get a smooth batter. Preheat the oven to 350 degree c. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and bake. When it is done, remove cake from oven, and allow it to cool. Then spread whipped cream on top and between layers and decorate with orange and serve.