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Pics/Priya D'souza

Khasta aloo
20-25 baby potatoes     
Oil to deep fry     
3-4 tbsp pure ghee     
2-3 whole dry red chillies      
Salt to taste     
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder    
8-10 black peppercorns, crushed     
1 lemon     
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional)     
Scrub and wash the potatoes well under running water so that the skin is cleaned completely.
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry the potatoes. Drain on absorbent paper. Then press each potato between absorbent papers to flatten them and absorb excess oil.
Heat ghee in a pan. Add red chillies and sauté for a minute. Add the pressed potatoes and continue to sauté.
Add salt, cumin powder, crushed peppercorns and sauté till the potatoes turn a nice golden brown and crisp.
Cut lemon, sprinkle lemon juice on ready potatoes and serve hot. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Arbi ki kadhi
500 gms colocassia (arbi)   
2 tbsp oil + to deep-fry
1 1/2 cups sour yogurt
1/2 cup water chestnut flour (singhare ka atta)
Rock salt (sendha namak) to taste  
2 tsp red chilli powder   
1/2 tsp cumin seeds    
2-3 whole dry red chillies  
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional)  
Wash colocassia well and boil. Cool slightly, peel and cut into half-inch thick slices.  Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry till golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.
Take yogurt in a bowl. Add water chestnut flour and whisk well till properly blended.  Add rock salt, red chilli powder and mix again. Add equal amount of water to dilute.
In another pan, heat two tablespoons of oil. Add cumin seeds and red chillies. When cumin seeds begin to change colour add the yogurt mixture. Cook for five minutes stirring continuously.
Add the fried colocassia pieces and mix. Continue cooking for five more minutes or till you get the desired consistency.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Chef's Tip: You can also make aloo kadhi substituting potatoes for arbi.

Rajgire ka thepla
2 cups rajgira atta + for dusting
Rock salt (sendha namak) to taste
1 inch piece ginger, grated      
1 tsp sesame seeds (til)    
2 green chillies, finely chopped  
2 medium potatoes, boiled, mashed    
2 tbsp yogurt     
3 tbsp ghee + to shallow fry
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional)
Place rajgira atta in a bowl. Mix in rock salt, ginger, sesame seeds and green chillies. Add mashed potatoes, yogurt, three tablespoons of ghee and chopped coriander leaves. Knead into a semi soft dough using water as required. Cover and set dough aside for half an hour.
Divide into ten to twelve portions. Roll into balls. Dust with rajgira atta and pat into a diskette on a dusted surface.
Heat a tawa. Cook theplas on two sides and shallow fry using ghee as required. Serve hot with yogurt.

Badam halwa
1 1/2 cups almonds   
10 cups milk    
1/2 cup ghee    
1 cup sugar     
Blanch half the almonds. Peel and coarsely grind with the remaining almonds.
Boil milk, stir continuously, till it is reduced to one-fourth its original volume.
Heat ghee in a thick bottom pan and sauté ground almonds till lightly coloured.
Add sugar and reduced milk and cook on low heat till all the liquid is absorbed and it gets a halwa consistency.
Serve warm. 

by Sanjeev Kapoor Master Chef, Author & Television Host.
Reach him at sanjeev@sanjeevkapoor.com