Snacks

Ingredients:

• 3 medium sized cucumber
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 1 tablespoon mustard oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon aamchur powder (dried mango powder)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoon sesame seed powder
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• Optional add ins- pomegranate seeds, bell pepper

Preparation:

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until golden. Grind the toasted sesame seeds to a fine powder.
2. Heat ghee. Toast walnuts in the pan. Remove and roughly chop the walnuts. Set aside.
3. Chop cucumber into chunky batons. Place them in a bowl. Set aside.
4. Heat the mustard oil in a pan till smoking. Lower heat. Add the green chilies, red chili powder and turmeric. Briefly temper the spices in the oil, then pour on the chopped cucumbers, scraping out all the oil and spices from the pan.
5. Add the roasted sesame powder to the cucumbers and mix it all together well. Add aamchur. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon. Mix in chopped bell peppers and pomegranates, if you like.
6. Add salt and chopped walnuts just before serving.

Ingredients:

• 500g ground chicken
• 2 teaspoons melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup carrot, finely shredded
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons bread crumb
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
• 3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl. Refrigerate covered for 2 hours. Oil hands, and thread skewers through chicken mix.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the skewers and cook the kebabs on each side till chicken is cooked through. Alternatively, grill them for 10-15 minutes, turning them and basting with melted butter till cooked through.
3. You could also air fry or bake them in the oven. Serve immediately with mint chutney and onion rings.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium potatoes, boiled
• 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
• 1/3 cup green capsicum, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped carrots
• 1/3 cup French beans, chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dried mango powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi, crushed (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• A pinch of black salt
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/2 cup poha powdered with 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

For coating:

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup poha, powdered
• Slurry of rice powder and water
• In a bowl, mix all ingredients except for those under coating. Oil hands and shape the cutlets.
• Make a slurry with the rice powder and water in a flat bowl. In another flat bowl, add the bread crumbs and poha and mix.
• Dip shaped cutlets in slurry, and then coat with the bread crumbs. Once coated refrigerate cutlets for an hour.
• Heat oil in a pan, and shallow fry the cutlets till golden brown on both sides. Alternatively, you can air fry or bake them too. Serve warm.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup California walnuts
• 150g jaggery
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon saunf/fennel seeds

Preparation:

1. Roast 1 cup of walnuts in a pan on medium heat, constantly stirring for a few minutes. Remove from heat, chop into small pieces.
2. Prepare the back of a baking tray/pan- grease with oil/butter, and line it with parchment paper. Keep aside.
3. In a thick bottom pan, add grated jaggery, water and let melt. Once melted, then add ghee. Boil on medium low heat, stirring constantly. Keep cooking on low flame till sugar consistency is correct.
4. Remove from flame once this stage is achieved. Mix in the walnuts and fennel seeds, and immediately spread out to the prepared pan.
5. Top with another parchment paper, and using a rolling pin flatten the mixture in a rough rectangle. Remove the top parchment, and while still warm, make marks and cut the chikki.
6. Cool completely and store in air tight container.

Note: To check for the syrup to be ready, keep a glass of cold water on the side, and drop tiny amounts of the syrup. The sugar syrup should come to a hard ball stage wherein when dropped in the water it will harden to a small ball, and when pulled should not be stringy but brittle.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kala channa (black chickpeas)
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 tablespoon green chilies
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1/4 cup tamarind pulp
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon green chutney
• 2 tablespoons chopped cucumber
• 1/2 raw mango, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation:

1. Soak the black chickpeas in 4 cups water for 4 hours at least, then cook them in a pressure cooker till soft. Let them cook on high flame for 1 whistle and then reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Switch flame off and wait till pressure releases. Strain out water and keep cooked channas aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add the channa, ginger, green chili, coriander powder, walnuts. Sauté for about 1 minute. Add salt, red chili powder, and tamarind pulp. Cook 3-4 minutes over low heat.
4. Add green chutney, lemon juice, roasted cumin powder, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, chaat masala, raw mango, sugar. Mix and serve immediately.

Ingredients

• 100g butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• 1 small red apple, peeled, cored and finely diced (120g diced weight)
• 50g dried cranberries
• 50g California walnuts, chopped
• 300g self-rising flour
• 2 teaspoon mixed spice

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line 1-2 large baking trays with baking parchment.
2. Whisk the butter and sugar together until pale. Whisk in the egg and stir in the apple, cranberries and walnuts. Stir in the flour and mixed spice to give a stiff dough.
3. Divide into 20 balls and flatten slightly, place on the baking trays and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. 4. Allow to cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups California walnuts, divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick or instant)
• 3/4 cup raisins

Preparation:

1. Roughly chop 1 cup walnuts in a food processor. Add remaining walnuts and pulse 2 to 3 times to coarsely chop.
2. Mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), scraping down sides of the bowl once or twice. Add vanilla and egg; beat on low until just combined.
4. Add dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. Stir in oats, then stir in walnuts and raisins. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 180°C and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop batter into 1/4 cup size balls using an ice cream scoop and place on prepared baking sheets leaving plenty of room for dough to spread.
6. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, turning tray halfway through baking, or until lightly browned on the sides and top. Cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.

Note: To make ahead, scoop the batter once it is done and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, or freeze for up to a month. Place frozen dough on tray and let stand at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes before baking.

Ingredients

Cookies: 

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups California walnuts, very finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Icing:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• Decorative sugar (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Stir together flour, walnuts, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl once in between. Beat in egg and vanilla, mixing just until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients in two batches, stirring at low speed until the dough just comes together.
5. Divide dough into two equal pieces and flatten each into a 1-inch-thick disc. Place between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least one hour.
6. Working with one sheet of dough at a time, remove the top layer of parchment and cut with desired cookie cutter shape.
7. Place cookies an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Press any scraps together, reroll between parchment paper and repeat cutting. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are firm when gently pressed in the center. Let cool completely.
8. To prepare icing, whisk egg whites and vanilla with a mixer until light and foamy. Reduce to low speed and slowly add powdered sugar. Increase speed to high and whisk until well mixed.
9. Fill a disposable pastry bag with icing. Cut a small hole in the end and decorate cookies. Sprinkle with decorative sugar, if desired.