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Ingredients:
2 onions, cut into halves and then sliced,
Besan or gram flour enough for the batter,
3/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1-2 tsp red chilli powder (as per your taste),
2 tsp ajwain (Carrom seeds),
Salt to taste,
Water,
Oil for frying.

Method:
Apply some salt to the sliced onion and leave it aside till the onion leaves some water. Then add little gramflour (smaller quantity at a time) and mix. Note that the onion should be noticeable in the bhajis. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ajwain and some salt (taste before you add salt since you had already applied some salt to the onion) and water and make a batter that is of dropping consistency by sticky. Heat oil for frying in a kadhai (wok) on a medium high flame for 3-4 minutes. Then lower the flame to medium-low, remove 2 tbsp of hot oil from the kadhai and add to the batter and mix well. Then drop small bhajis in the oil and fry stirring till they are cooked and crisp. If you increase the flame then the bhajis would brown quickly and remain uncooked from inside. Serve with garlic chutney, mint chutney or tomato ketchup.

Ingredients:
2 cups coarsely chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves,
1 cup mutter (green peas); parboiled,
2 onions,
3 green chillies,
1″ ginger; crushed,
3-4 cloves garlic; crushed,
5 laung (cloves),
2″ dalchini (cinnamon stick),
2 chhoti elaichi (green cardamom),
A handful of cashewnuts,
2 tsp khus-khus (poppy seeds),
1/2 cup milk,
1/2 cup malai (cream),
Salt to taste,
1 tsp sugar,
Oil.

Method:
Add some salt to the methi leaves and set aside for 20 minutes. Later wash off the leaves with cold water, this would reduce the bitterness of the fenugreek.
Grind the cashew nuts and khus-khus to powder. Also grind together cloves, cinnamon and green cardamom to fine powder. Grind together onion and green chillies to paste. Heat oil in a pan, fry methi leaves for 8-10 minutes on a low-medium flame, stirring ccasionally. The leaves become dark green in color and all the liquid released by the egetable dried up. Drain using a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same oil (add more if required) add onion paste and saute till it changes its color to light pink (approximately 8-10 minutes on low flame). Then add ginger, garlic and the ground garam masala, fry for 2 minutes. Add cashew nut and khus-khus powder, milk and mix, now add the boiled green peas, increase the flame and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the fried methi leaves, salt and sugar, mix well and cook for 10 minutes. Add beaten cream and emove from heat. Serve with parathas or naan (Indian bread).

Ingredients:
For the koftas-
200 gms potatoes,
10 gms green peas,
10 gms cauliflower,
10 gms french beans,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tbsp cornflour,
Salt to taste,
Oil for frying.

For the gravy-
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds),
1 tsp garlic paste,
1 onion, ground to paste,
2-3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and pureed,
2 tbsp malai (fresh cream),
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp garam masala,
1/2 tsp sugar,
Salt to taste,
2 tbsp oil,
Chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

Method:
Koftas-
Chop all the vegetable finely and boil them in little water. Drain well and do not throw away the water, we can use this water as vegetable stock in our gravy. Now mix all the ingredients of the kofta and knead a dough. Then prepare small balls, heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai (wok) and fry these balls (koftas) on a low-medium heat until they turn golden brown. Fry all these koftas and keep them aside.

Gravy-
Heat oil ina pan, add jeera (cumin seeds), when they splutter add onion paste and garlic paste. Saute for some time. Then add all the spices and salt, fry for 3-4 minutes. Then add the tomato puree, mix well and cover and cook for 3-4 minutes till the gravy starts leaving oil. Now add the above stock, some water if required, cover and let it boil. Then add the beatedn cream, mix and then transfer into the serving dish.

Drop the koftas into this gravy, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with parathas.

Ingredients:
Potatoes-3(medium size,boiled and cubed)
Peanuts-3 teaspoons(peeled and with skin off)
Tomatoes-2(medium size)
Whole red chillies-2-3
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Red chilli powder-1/4 tsp(or as much as you want the vegetable to be spicy)
Coriander powder-2/3 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Garam Masala-1/4 tsp
Salt-according to taste

Method:
Boil the potatoes with skin on,till they are well cooked but not too much soft. Add oil in the pan and roast the peanuts. Roast it till they are golden brown and crisp. When peanuts are roasted take them out of oil and in the same oil add whole red chillies. With whole red chillies add the mustard seeds too. As mustard seeds crackle add tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric and a pinch of salt. Fry everything till it leaves the oil.Add the boiled and cubed potatoes. Add peanuts too and mix well. Taste the vegetable and add salt. Add garam masala before serving and cook for 2 minutes. Add coriander leaves for garnishing. Serve and enjoy.

Tondli or Tendli as its called in Maharashtra, is a vegetable that looks like small dark green cucumbers but are stubby and
grow aggressively on vines. They are also known as Tindora or Tindla in Hindi, Goli in Rajasthani, Tondakayi in Kannada,
Dondakaya in Telugu and Ivy Gourd or Gentleman’s Toes or Gherkins in English. They are available in India throughout the year. This is a Maharashtrian style recipe.

Ingredients:
250gms tondli, sliced or cut into thin vertical pieces,
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai),
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera),
1/2 tsp asafoetida (heeng),
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
3/4 tsp red chilli powder,
Salt to taste,
Oil for frying,
Water,
Chopped coriander leaves.

Method:
Heat some oil (more than normal) in a wok (kadhai), add mustard seeds and when they splutter add cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Mix and immediately add the chopped tondli, little water and mix well, now cover and cook till tondli is soft, cooked and all the water has dried up. Keep stirring at regular intervals. Add chopped
coriander leaves to garnish and serve with rotis.