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Ingredients:
250gms broccoli florets,
2 small potatoes; boiled, (avoid in case of a diet soup)
250gms onion; finely chopped,
Few pods of garlic; finely chopped,
1/2 cup fresh cream; beaten well,  (avoid in case of a diet soup, use thick yogurt instead)
2 tbsp almonds flakes; roasted if you like, (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil,
Salt and pepper to taste,
Vegetable stock or water.

Method:
Blanch the broccoli florets and drain them, reserve the stock for later use. Puree them along with the potatoes, adding little stock if needed to form a puree. Heat oil in a sauce pan, add chopped garlic and onion and saute till onion turns transparent. Then add the broccoli and potato puree and bring to boil. Add reserved vegetable stock/water to get the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, give it a stir. Transfer to serving bowls, garnish with cream and almond flakes. Serve hot.

TIP:
For a soup that is low is calories, do not add potatoes and cream. It tastes equally delicious.

I cooked this ‘Dum Aloo’ this Diwali and all of us just loved it. It is a simple and awesome recipe prepared from most common ingredients.

Ingredients:
12 baby potatoes,
2 small onions,
1 large tomato; pureed,
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp jeera powder,
3/4 tsp garam masala,
2 bay leaves (tejpatta),
2 cloves (laung),
3-4 peppercorns (kalimirch),
1 star anise (chakriphul), broken into pieces,
1″ piece of cinnamon (dalchini),
Salt to taste,
Oil for frying,
Cream and chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

Method:
Peel the potatoes and cook them in the microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. Else pressure cook them upto one whistle. Then prick fork and marinate them with salt and turmeric powder. Set them aside for 15 minutes or till you prepare the gravy. Finely chop one onion and grind the other to fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon and fry for half a minute. Then add chopped onion and cook till it turns light brown. Then add ginger-garlic paste and ground onion, again cook till the mixture is equally browned. Then add little turmeric powder, red chilli powder, jeera powder, garam masala, tomato puree and cook till the mixture starts leaving oil from the sides of the pan.
Meanwhile heat oil in a kadhai/wok on medium flame. Then drop the marinated potatoes into it, few at a time. Fry these potatoes till they turn golden from all sides. Similarly fry all the potatoes

Add water to the gravy to get a desired gravy consistency. Cover and let it boil. When all the potatoes are fried add them to this gravy, mix and again let it boil. Garnish with cream and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with parathas or any pulao.

Ingredients:
250 gms red chana (red gram or chickpeas); soaked overnight.
3 large potatoes; boiled and diced,
1 tsp rai (mustard seeds),
1/4 tsp heeng (asafoetida),
2 tbsp red chilli powder,
1 1/2 tsp dhania-jeera (coriander-cumin) powder,
Salt to taste,
1/2 tsp chaat masala,
2 tbsp tamarind paste,
1 small tomato chopped,
1 small onion chopped,
Coriander leaves to garnish,
Oil for frying.

Method:
Boil the chana with little salt till it is soft.
Mix 1 tbsp red chilli powder, asafoetida and salt with water to form a thin paste. Heat oil in a pan, add this red chilli paste and then add boiled potatoes, mix well, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add heeng, 1 tbsp red chilli powder, dhania-jeera powder, mix and add onion, tomato, chana. Then add salt, stir well, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then remove from flame. Mix together chana and potatoes, sprinkle chaat masala, tamarind paste and coriander leaves. Mix and serve.

Ingredients:
4-5 large potatoes,
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil,
Salt to taste,
1 tsp red chilli powder or paprika,
1/2 tsp garam masala,
3/4 tsp dhania (coriander) powder,
1/2 tsp frshly ground black pepper.

Method:
Wash the potatoes and cut them into the wedges (with or without skin as per your choice). Place them in a bowl, then pour oil and add all the spices to it, toss well so that the spices and oil coats well on all the wedges. Preheat the oven for 8 minutes at 170 degree C. Spread the wedges over the baking tray and then place the tray into the oven. Roast the wedges at the same temperature for about 25-30 minutes or till they turn brown. Test if they are cooked else bake them for some more time. Serve hot with tomato ketchup, chilli sauce or sprinkle some chat masala on them.

This filling is mostly used in samosas. But you can also use it in bread rolls, alu parathas, patties, etc.

Ingredients:
3-4 large potatoes; boiled, peeled and mashed,
1 cup boiled green peas (mutter),
1 tsp finely chopped green chillies,
1 tsp finely chopped ginger,
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds),
1/4 tsp heeng (asafoetida),
1/4 tsp amchur (dry mango) powder (optional),
Salt and red chilli powder to taste,
Ghee for tempering.

For Samosa Masala-
10gms jeera (cumin seeds),
10 peppercorns,
5gms badi elaichi (black cardamom),
5 laung (cloves),
2 pieces dalchini (cinnamon),

Grind all these ingredients of masala and use as per taste.

Method:
Heat ghee in a pan, add jeera, asafoetida, ginger and green chillies, fry for 2 minutes. Then add peas, mashed potatoes, all the spices, salt, above samosa masala, mix well and cook for 5 minutes or till it is fragrant.