Omali (Arabian Bread Pudding)

Ingredients
  6 croissants, broken into big pieces 
  200 gm sugar 
  3 cups milk 
  1/2 tbls orange blossom (essence) 
  3/4 cup fresh cream 
  1/4 cup cashew nuts 
  1 tbls raisins 
  2 tbls almonds, coarsely chopped

Method
1. Grease an oblong transparent baking dish and arrange croissants in it. 
2. In a deep pan boil milk and add sugar till it is dissolved. 
3. Pour over the croissants. Let it soak. 
4. Most of the milk will be absorbed. Sprinkle orange blossom, cover with cream and spread the nuts on top. 
5. Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes. 
6. It can be served warm or cold.

Mint Jelly

Mint is a popular herb that can be used fresh or dried in many dishes and infusions. Mint oil is often used in toothpaste, gum, candy, and beauty products.

The herb is one of the refreshing and cool leaves which acts as a natural mouth freshener. During summers, pudina or mint leaves are very popularly consumed due to its cooling effects.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh mint (packed, and stems)
2 tbls lemon juice
2 1/4 cups boiling water
1 drop green food coloring
3 1/2 cups white sugar
3 fluidounces pectin (liquid)

Method
1. Rinse off the mint leaves, and place them into a large saucepan. Crush with a potato masher or the bottom of a jar or glass. 
2. Add water, and bring the mint to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain, and measure out 1 2/3 cups of the mint.
3. Place 1 2/3 cups mint into a saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice and food coloring. Mix in the sugar, and place the pan over high heat. 
4. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture is boiling, stir in the pectin. Boil the mixture for a full minute while stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim foam off the top using a large metal spoon. 
5. Transfer the mixture to hot sterile jars, and seal.
6. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. 
7. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. 
8. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.

SERVINGS: 2

Nutella Banana Bread

Ingredients
  2 cups all-purpose flour
  3/4 tsp. baking soda
  1/2 tsp. salt
  1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  1 cup granulated sugar
  2 large eggs
  1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana
  1/3 cup skim milk
  1 tsp. vanilla extract
  3/4 heaping cup Nutella 

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda & salt.
3. In a separate large bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
4. Add banana, milk and vanilla. Beat until blended.
5. Add flour mixture, beat at low speed just until flour is incorporated (don’t over mix).
6. Spoon Nutella into a small dish and soften in the microwave for about 15 seconds. 
7. Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the Nutella and stir until blended well. Spoon Nutella batter alternately with plain banana bread batter into the prepared pan. Swirl batters together with a knife.
8. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, it will seem a tiny bit undercooked but that’s what makes it good. Cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

chai wala special: Doodh Pati

Ingredients
Milk (about 1 cups)(according to how many servings you want)
Elachi(optional)
Tea 3 Tablespoons(1 Tablespoons for 1 serving) - Lipton/Tapal



Method
1. Put three cups of water in a pot and leave it to boil. After the water starts bubbling, add three teaspoon of tea leaves. Wait till the mixture cooks.
2. Add 1 cup of full cream milk to the pot, preferably straight from the cow’s teat itself. If you don’t own such an animal, then you can find what you need at a supermarket. Let all the ingredients cook to your judgment.
3. Place the pot on low heat and add sugar if you so desire. After mixing thoroughly on low heat, transfer the doodh pati to a teapot using a filter to hold back the tea residue.

Remember, practice makes perfect! 

Aromatic Khagina

Ingredients
  6 eggs, 
  3 tablespoons butter 
  1 small white onion, finely chopped
  2 teaspoons cumin seed (zeera)
  1 medium tomato, finely chopped
  2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro/coriander (both leaves&stems), finely chopped
  2-3 thai bird chillies, sliced straight into the mixture in the pan with kitchen shears.   
  Salt to taste

Method
1. Break the eggs into a bowl, add salt and whisk lightly together, just enough so that the yolks combine with the whites. 
2. Place pan over a fairly medium heat, add the butter and tilt the pan from side to side so the pan is coated evenly. 
3. As soon as the butter stops foaming and begins to turn a nutty brown, add the onions and stir for 5-7 minutes till soft and golden. 
4. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 2 minutes till aromatic. To this, add the tomatoes and stir till warmed over and slightly soft. 
5. Turn the heat to low. Add cilantro, the egg mixture and chilies. Continue to stir the eggs swiftly, for another 5-7 minutes, until they are at the point of setting and resemble a soft custard. 
6. Make sure to keep scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. Serve immediately; while warm and creamy.

Serves 4

Poached egg on toast with greens

Ingredients
  1 cup distilled white vinegar
  2 large eggs
  Sea salt and freshly 
  Grounded black pepper

Method
1. Pour 1/2 cup vinegar into each of 2 small bowls. Crack 1 egg into each bowl, taking care not to break yolk; let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Using a whisk, vigorously swirl water until a vortex forms in the center. 
3. Slip 1 egg with vinegar into vortex and continue to swirl water with whisk around edges of pan until it returns to a boil. 
4. The egg white should wrap tightly around the yolk, forming an oval shape. As soon as water returns to a boil, reduce heat to medium and gently simmer egg, frequently swirling water, for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift egg from water and use kitchen shears to trim any stray pieces of egg white. 
5. Place egg on paper towels and gently blot; transfer egg to a bowl or plate. Repeat with remaining egg. (If poaching more than 2 eggs, repeat using fresh water.) 
6. Season with salt and pepper. 
7. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. 
8. Rewarm in a saucepan of simmering water for 1 minute.

Baked Egg Cups

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – a healthy meal first thing in the morning gives you enough energy to get through to lunch time and leads to healthier choices during the rest of your day.

Eggs are a staple breakfast food for a reason – they're light, easy to cook and packed with protein.

Ingredients
  9 eggs
  1/2 tsp salt
  1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  1/4 tsp ground red pepper
  a pinch of oregano
  1 cup shredded cheese (parmesan/cheddar)
  1/3 cup chopped onions
  2 large tomatoes (chopped)
  1/2 cup peas
  1/3 cup chopped bell peppers 
  1 cup chopped spinach 
  2 green peppers

Method
1. Chopped all vegetables (except the peas). Preferably, chop them into small pieces to avoid chunks. 
2. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/360°F
3. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan generously with non-stick cooking spray or oil. Egg muffins stick easily, so it is important to grease the pan very well. An easy way to avoid the hassle is to use paper muffin liners.
4. Mix all the vegetables in a bowl. Toss them together well. Set aside while you prepare the eggs.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg well with a whisk. Add salt, pepper, red pepper and oregano. Adjust according to your taste.
6. Divide the vegetable mixture evenly between the each cavity of the pan- each cavity should get about 2-3 loosely piled tablespoons and should be filled to about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
7. Divide the egg mixture evenly between the 12 cavities- each cavity should get about 2-3 tablespoons and will be about 3/4 full after being topped off with the eggs.
8. Top each egg cup with a generous helping of cheese, dividing the cheese equally between each cavity.
9. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or unless they are set, cooked through and lightly golden on top. The egg cups will rise as they cook, but will settle once they've been cooled. Check if they are cooked by inserting a toothpick into the cup – if the toothpick comes out clean, your egg cups are ready!
10. Place the egg cups under a fan to cool for about ten minutes before removing. You will need to use a knife or fork to gently ease the cups from each cavity.

Baked egg cups are a good way to add vegetables (and nutrition) to your eggs. Easy to make, this nutritious, low-cal breakfast can be prepared in advance, which makes them perfect for busy mornings.

You can grab some on your way out the door in the morning, pack them in lunch boxes for your little ones and even snack on them if you find yourself wanting to munch on something in the middle of the day! You can serve these immediately while warm, or keep them in an airtight container in the fridge, where they'll be good for about a week (although you may have gone through them long before then)!

Overnight Oats (Bircher Muesli)

Overnight oats are a no-cook breakfast item that you can prepare the night before.

The beauty of overnight oats is that you can come up with new combinations of toppings for every day of the week, so you won't get bored!

Ingredients
  1/3 cup rolled oats 
  1/2 cup milk
  1/3 cup yogurt (sweetened/unsweetened, depending on your taste)
  1 small banana (mashed)
  a pinch of salt
  a pinch of cinnamon

Method
This recipe is very versatile and can lead to some very interesting results if you decide to experiment with different add-ons and toppings.

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
2. Keep refrigerated overnight in a air tight container.
3. And that's it! The oats will be ready to eat the next morning. You can microwave them or have them cold. 
4. Prepare the base overnight and the next morning you can top them with endless combinations of toppings, which add to the flavour.

Suggested combinations:

- Peanut butter and bananas
- Walnuts, bananas and honey
- Berries, fruits, nuts, cereals – the possibilities are endless!
- Crunchy cereal and maple syrup
- Nuts and honey

You can also add cocoa powder, chocolate chips, peanut butter and other sweeteners overnight. 

Honey and Banana Muffins

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – a healthy meal first thing in the morning gives you enough energy to get through to lunch time and leads to healthier choices during the rest of your day.

These muffins are perfect if you're craving something sweet early in the morning! This recipe uses honey and banana as natural sweeteners and cuts down on the calories by avoiding sugar all together!

Ingredients
  1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  1/2 cup honey
  2 eggs
  1 cup packed, mashed ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
  1/4 cup milk
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  ½ tsp salt
  ½ tsp cinnamon (plus more for sprinkling on top)
  1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  1/3 cup old-fashioned oats (plus more for sprinkling on top)

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F/170°C
2. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan generously with non-stick cooking spray or oil or line with paper muffin liners.
3. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and honey and beat together with a whisk. 
4. Add the eggs and beat well.
5. Mix in the mashed bananas and milk, followed by the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon. Continue to whisk until the mixture is light fluffy.
6. Add the flour and oats and mix well with a large spatula, just until combined. If the mixture begins to clump, use the whisk to beat lightly. Add the flour gradually and fold it in with the spatula in order to make a smooth mixture and mix the oats in similarly.
7. Divide the batter evenly between each cavity of the muffin pan, till they are about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of oats and a pinch of cinnamon (or sugar).
8. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. The batter will rise as it cooks.

Once the muffins are ready, place them under a fan to cool and remove about 10-15 minutes and place on a tray or plate until they have cooled.
If kept in a refrigerated in an air-tight container, these muffins will stay good for about a week. Grab them as a snack to satisfy your sweet-tooth or eat them for breakfast to ensure that your day starts on a happy note!

Preparation and cooking requires effort, but it is well worth it because not only do you have a quick breakfast to grab the next day, they are also delicious. If you have kids that are fussy about breakfast, muffins are perfect because they're usually the little ones' favourite!

Bacon and Egg Pie

Ingredients
  4 slices turkey bacon
  1 tsp olive oil
  1/2 of a small red onion, chopped
  2 cloves garlic, minced 
  5 large eggs
  5 large egg whites
  1 cup low-fat milk
  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
  1 - 2 tbls chopped fresh dill
  1/2 tsp salt
  1/2 tsp black pepper
  1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  2 plum tomatoes, sliced
  2 tbls grated Parmesan cheese

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Coat a thick pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.
3. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned. Remove from skillet and dice.
4. Add the oil to the same skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes or until onion is softened. Transfer to a large bowl.
5. Add the eggs, egg whites, milk, flour, dill, salt, and pepper and whisk until smooth. 
6. Stir in the diced bacon and mozzarella and pour into prepared pie plate. 
7. Top with the tomato slices. Sprinkle tomatoes with the Parmesan.

Egg fried bread

Ingredients
  2-3 bread slices
  2-3 eggs beaten
  ¾ tsp red chilli powder or to taste
  3-4 tbsp milk
  ½ tsp salt or to taste
  Oil or ghee for frying

Method
1. Cut each slice in strips. Beat eggs with milk, salt and red chilli powder.
2. Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Dip each bread strip in beaten eggs and fry till it becomes golden brown in colour from both sides. 
3. Take out on an absorbent paper. Serve with ketchup and green chutney.

Egg toast

Ingredients
  1 egg 
  salt and black pepper to taste 
  few bread slices 
  oil for frying

Method
1. Beat the egg and add salt and pepper to it. 
2. Heat oil in the frying pan. 
3. Dip the bread slices in the mixture and fry.

Scotch eggs

Ingredients
  4 hard boiled eggs
  3 tbsp breadcrumbs
  2 tbsp corn flour
  300 gms chicken mince
  ½ tsp red chilly powder
  ¼ tsp all spices
  ½ tsp chaat masala
  ½ tsp coriander powder
  Salt to taste
  1 beaten egg
  Oil for deep frying

Method
1. Place mince in a bowl and add salt, coriander powder, chaat masala, red chilly powder and all spices. Mix well. 
2. Shell the hard-boiled eggs and wrap each with the mince. 
3. Roll the eggs in the flour and dip in the beaten egg. Cover with breadcrumbs. 
4. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs and deep fry in oil until golden brown. Serve hot with chutney.

Cheese toast

Ingredients
Bread slices
4 eggs
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp mustard paste
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
2 tsp flour
50 gms butter, softened
350 gms cheddar cheese, grated
Salt to taste

Method
1. Mix all the ingredients together except the bread. Put the mixture into a blender and make into a thick paste. Cut out the ends of the bread slices and cut into any shape or size desired, provided the size is not too large or small.
2. Spread the paste on one side of it well and set on a tray and freeze. Do not fry fresh as the mixture needs to solidify somewhat to stick to the slices while frying. 3. Take out from the freezer five minutes before frying. Fry the underside (bread) first in hot oil. Then flip over and fry with the heat turned low. Serve hot. It can be kept in the fridge overnight and fried in the morning at breakfast.

Baked French toast

Ingredients
loaf of French bread
1/2 cup cream
1 cup sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
8 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp butter

Method
1. Butter a medium size baking dish. Cut French bread slices diagonally and place in the baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, one and a half cups of milk, cream, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, heat butter, half a cup of milk and sugar till they form bubbles. Pour over bread and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cut pieces and serve hot.

Honey Lemon Jelly

Ingredients
    5 to 6 lemons
    2 1/2 cups honey
    1 (100 ml) package liquid pectin


Method
- Grate rind from enough lemons to measure 4 teaspoons; set aside.
- Squeeze juice from enough lemons to measure 3/4 cup; pour lemon juice through a wire-mesh strainer, discarding seeds and pulp.
- Combine rind, juice, and honey in a 6-quart saucepan, stirring well.
- Bring mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in pectin. Return mixture to a rolling boil, and boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; skim off foam with a metal spoon, if necessary.
- Pour jelly quickly into hot, sterilized jars, filling to 1/4 inch from top; wipe jar rims. 
- Cover immediately with metal lids, and screw on bands. Process jars in boiling-water bath 5 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Oats Upma

Oats Upma makes a great tasting, spicy yet reasonably healthy breakfast.


Ingredients
    * Oats – 1 Cup (e.g., Quaker Oats)
    * Finely Chopped Onion – 1
    * Chopped Green Chillies – 1
    * Oil – 1 and 1/2 tsp
    * Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
    * Urad Dal or Split Black Bean (Gram) / White Lentils – 1/2 tsp
    * Curry Leaves
    * Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
    * Sugar – 1/4 tsp
    * Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
    * Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
    * Salt to taste


Method
1. Heat Oil in pan, add Mustard Seeds, once the Mustard Seeds splutter, add Urad Dal (White Lentils) and fry until they turn golden brown.
2. Now add Curry Leaves and chopped Green Chillies and fry for a minute. Then add chopped Onions and Turmeric Powder and fry until the Onions start to look a little transparent.
3. Add Salt and Sugar to the the above mixture and fry for a minute.
4. At this stage, add Oats to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or till you smell a nice aroma and Oats turn light brown in color.
5. Now sprinkle about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water to the above fried Oats mixture in the pan and mix well all the ingredients with a spatulla and fry till the Oats turn soft. Make sure to not add excess water to the Oats Upma as the whole mixture can become too soggy and Oats Upma may not taste as good as it should.
6. Add Lemon Juice to the Oats Upma and mix well. Garnish with Coriander Leaves / Cilantro.
7. Now Oats Upma is ready to serve. You can prepare Oats Upma for breakfast or this Oats dish can make a great evening snack too.

Oats Breakfast

Oats make a great healthy breakfast. You can have Oats with a glass of Milk and with any of the fruits like Apple, Banana, Chikoo etc. and dry fruits like Walnuts, Figs/Anjoor, Dates etc. Unlike the corn flakes mixture, the Oats breakfast that I am suggesting here usually will not make you feel hungry till afternoon lunch.


Ingredients
 * Quaker Oats – 1/2 cup (or White Oats)
 * Milk – 1-1/2 to 2 cups
 * Sugar – 1 Tbsp
 * Walnuts – 7-8
 * Fig or Anjeer or Anjoor – 1-2
 * Dates or Kajoor – 2
 * Apple – 1/2
 * Banana – 1 small sized (Optional)


Method
   1. Cut all the dry fruits like Walnuts, Fig and Dates into small pieces. Cut the fresh fruits you want to go with Oats like Apple, Banana, Chikoo etc. into cubed sized pieces.
   2. Cook the Oats with 1 cup of Milk and Sugar in a microwave for about 2-3 minutes or cook them in a vessel for about 5 minutes.
   3. Transfer the above cooked Oats with Milk to a serving bowl. Leave the mixture to cool for 2-3 minutes.
   4. Now add all the cut Fruits, Dry fruits and remaining Milk to the serving bowl with cooked Oats. Mix all the ingredients well.
   5. Now your fresh healthy Oats breakfast is ready to savoured.

Italian cheese omelette

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 onion
1 tbsp milk
1 tomato, chopped
1 potato, boiled and cut into cubes
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2–3 green chillies
1–2 cheese slices
Salt to taste
Oil for frying


Method
Heat oil in a pan, fry onions and add vegetables. Fry till tender. Beat eggs and add salt, pepper and milk. Pour the egg mixture in a pan containing vegetables and spread evenly. Sprinkle chopped cheese slices on the omelette and cook for two minutes. Turn over to cook the other side. Fold and serve hot.

Chinese omelette

Ingredients
1 capsicum
2 eggs
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp black pepper
Green onions, chopped
Salt to taste
Oil for frying


Method
Beat eggs and add salt, pepper, soya sauce, green onions and capsicum. Heat oil in a frying-pan, add the egg mixture and cook slowly. As the omelette cooks, turn over to cook the other side. Fold and serve hot.