Rasa Lila Rice

Basmati Rice, 2 Cups
Cashews , 8 Tablespoons
Peanuts, 4 Tablespoons
Almonds, flaked, 2 Tablespoons
Lime Juice, 2 Limes
Mustard Seeds, 1 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves, 14
Coriander leaves, fresh, 2 Tablespoons
Turmeric, 1 Teaspoon
Coconut Milk, 1 Cup
Coconut, grated, 2 Tablespoons
Salt, To taste
Ghee, 2 Tablespoons and for frying
Urad Dal, 2 Tablespoons
Chickpeas, split, 2 Tablespoons
Jalapenos, 4 Small
Asofoetida, 3/4 Teaspoon
Chenna, 1-1/2 Pound
Milk for Chenna, 1 Gallon
Lemon Juice for Chenna, 1/2 Cup
Chickpea Flour (Besan), 1/4 Cup

Soak the rice in 3 cups water for an hour, until all water is absorbed. Mix in salt to taste, coconut milk, turmeric, broken half the cashews, toasted almond flakes, peanuts, lime juice, and lime zest and bring to a boil.

Make the chenna in the usual way. Press with medium weight for 20 minutes. Use a rolling pin to break the chenna down, then add in the remaining cashews, ground finely, a little salt, and the Besan, and mix well. Form chenna into small balls (about ½”) and fry to golden brown in the ghee. Remove and drain.

Just before offering, make a chaunce with all the remaining ingredients, starting with mustard seeds, then the dals and chickpeas, then the jalapenos and curry leaves, then everything else. Mix the spices into the cooked rice and blend well. Reminiscent of Radharani's cosmic dance with Lord Krsna, decorate the rice with a spiral of chenna balls.

Bheendi Gavar Dal

Yellow Moong Dal, 1/2 pound
Okra, small, 1/4 pound
Cluster Beans (or green beans), 1/8 pound
Tomatoes, 2 Medium
Jalapenos, 4
Ginger, fresh, 1 Inch
Curry Leaves, 6
Cumin Seeds, 2 Teaspoons
Turmeric, 1/2 Teaspoon
Cayenne, 1/2 Teaspoon
Asofoetida, 1/2 Teaspoon
Kokam leaves (if available), 5
Ghee, 3 Tablespoons
Salt, To taste

Snip off the ends of the beans and okra, and leave whole. Soak the dal in water for ½ hour, then boil with salt and turmeric until the dal is soft. Next, add the okra, beans, curry leaves, jalapenos, ginger and tomatoes. Add water as needed and cook the vegetables until they're tender. Make a chaunce with the cumin seeds, then add the asofoetida, cayenne and kokam. Add chaunce to the dal, and offer.

Spicy Mango Stuffed Paratha

Potatoes, 4 Large
Mango, green, 2 Small
Apples, tart, 2
Jalapenos, 4 Tablespoons
Ginger, 2 Tablespoons
Sugar, 2 Tablespoons
Salt, To taste
Garam Masala, 2 Teaspoons
Cayenne, 2 Teaspoons
Cumin, 2 Teaspoons
Turmeric, 1 Teaspoon
Flour, 5 Cups
Ghee, 8 Tablespoons and for frying

Make a dough by mixing the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1-1/2 cup water, and 8 Tablespoons ghee. Rub the ingredients to a coarse crumb, then knead into a soft, smooth dough. Divine into 40 plum-sized balls.

Make the stuffing by combining all the other ingredients. Working with two pieces of dough at a time, roll out the balls into two three inch rounds. Take a tablespoon of the filling and spread evenly on one round. Lay the other round on top, sealing the edges all the way around with a little brush of water. Roll out again into a nine inch round. Roll out and assemble all the paratha, and cover with a slightly damp cloth while working. When ready, heat a frying pan, add a teaspoon of thee, and one by one, fry each of the paratha on both sides, until crispy and golden. Fold over or cut into quarters and offer.

Paneer Butter Masala

Greem Gram Dal, whole, 2 Cups
Tomatoes, 4 Medium
Coriander Leaves, fresh, 2 Handfuls
Cayenne, 2 Teaspoons
Salt, To taste
Sugar, 1 Teaspoon
Coriander powder, 2 Teaspoons
Coconut, grated, 6 Tablespoons
Paneer, cubed, 1-1/2 pound
Milk for chenna, 1 Gallon
Lemon juice for chenna, 1/2 Cup
Butter, 4 Tablespoons
Ginger, 2 Teaspoons
Cloves, 6
Cinnamon powder, 1 Teaspoon
Turmeric, 2 Teaspoons
Asofoetida, 1 Teaspoon

Cover the dal with water and cook until soft. Make chenna in the usual way, press for 20 minutes for medium weight, makes 1” cubes, and fry in ghee until golden brown. Drain and set aside. In a frying pan, melt the butter and add ginger, cloves, asofoetida and cinnamon. Fry for a few minutes then add the tomatoes, along with coriander powder and cayenne. Pour 1 cup of water into the cooked dal. Add the coconut, salt and sugar. Cover and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Lower heat and add paneer cubes. Cook for 5 minutes more, then offer. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Amandita Sabji

Butternut Squash, 2
Avocados, ripe, 8
Apple, tart, 1
Coconut, grated, 1 Cup
Ghee, 2 Tablespoons

In a heavy bottom pot, boil the two cubed butternut squash in 1/8 cup water. When half-cooked remove from heat, transfer to another bowl and set aside with liquids. Cut up the 8 avocados and put in bottom of pot. Pour the squash and liquids on top of avocados. Dice the apple and toss in, then pour in coconut. Drizzle two tablespoons of ghee over the top. Don't add any spices, and don't stir the pot. Cover and slow cook until the avocados break down. When all the ingredients are very soft, and the moisture is nearly all absorbed, watch the pot closely. As soon as the moisture turns to a skin, almost ready to burn, remove pot from heat, re-cover and set aside for a few minutes. Scrape up remnants on bottom of pot and mix into the prep, stirring just enough to slightly blend the mixture, then offer.

Banana Vada

Potatoes, 2 large
Bananas, ripe, 4
Jalapenos, minced, 4
Ginger, minced fresh, 3 Inches
Coriander, ground, 5 Tablespoons
Mustard Seeds, 2 Teaspoons
Sesame Seeds, 2 Tablespoons
Pomegranate Seeds, 2 Tablespoons
Turmeric, 1/2 Teaspoon
Cayenne, 1 Teaspoon
Ghee, 2 Tablespoons
Lemon Juice, 4 Tablespoons
Sugar, 2 Tablespoons
Salt, To taste

Peel and boil the potatoes. Mash it along with all the other ingredients except the ghee, mustard and sesame. Make a chaunce with the mustard and sesame and heat till they splutter. Add chaunce to the vada mixture, then form the mixture into patties. Fry in ghee until golden brown, drain, and offer.

Sweet Potato Spirals

Ginger, fresh, 1 Inch
Flour, white, 1-1/4 Cup
Chickpea flour (Besan), 1/3 Cup
Salt, To taste
Cream cheese, 6 Ounces
Ghee, 1/2 Cup
Sugar, 2 Tablespoons
Sweet Potato, Jewel or red, 1-3/4 Pounds
Garam masala, 1 Tablespoon
Jalapenos, 2 Tablespoons
Parsley, 3 Tablespoons
Orange Juice concentrate or pulpy juice, 2 Tablespoons

Make the dough by mixing the flours, minced ginger, salt, cream cheese, sugar, and ghee. Mix well with your hands until the dough forms a soft ball. Knead until pliant, but not sticky. Cover the dough ball and set aside to rest in the refrigerator. Bake the sweet potato, or peel and steam, until fully cooked. Mix together with all remaining ingredients, and salt to taste. On a large piece of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 25 x 12 inches. Dough should be as thin and even as you can get it without making it so thin it will tear through as you peel it up. Spread the filling evenly over the entire surface of the dough, but leave an empty strip along one of the long sides. Brush that edge with water, then roll the pastry up like a jelly roll, and seal the edge. Slide the roll onto a cutting board and re-chill until ready to bake. This preparation is perfect to make ahead, and the roll can be completely covered in parchment or plastic wrap, then frozen. Take out of freeze half an hour before ready to bake. Lay parchment paper out on a baking sheet, coat it with a sprinkling of sugar. Slice the roll into ¼” slices and layout on sheet, cut side down. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, put savories in, and immediately turn heat down to 375 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes, until caramelized on bottom, and golden brown on top. Remove and offer hot or at room temperature.

Shakarkand Kofta

Sweet potato, red (shakarkand), 1 Pound
Chenna, 1/3 Pound
Milk for Chenna, 1 Quart
Lemon juice for Chenna, 1/4 Cup
Cashew nuts, 1/2 Cup
Khas Khas (white poppy seeds), 1/4 Cup
Ginger, minced, 2 Tablespoons
Anardana (pomegranite seed powder), 1 Teaspoon
Anar (pomegranite syrup) or orange pulp, 1-1/2 Tablespoon
Red Chilis, flaked, 1 Teaspoon
Jalapeno, 1
Asofoetida, 1 Teaspoon Tomato puree, 1/2 Cup
Cream, heavy, 1/4 Cup
Garam Masala, 2 Teaspoons
Chickpea Flour (Besan), 2 Tablespoons
Ghee, 2 Tablespoons and for frying
Salt, To taste

Bake or boil the sweet potato, peel, and mash along with minced jalapenos, besan, salt and anardana powder. Set aside. Mash together the paneer, anar syrup and salt to taste. Divide this mixture up into 12 balls. Now divide the sweet potato mixture up into 12 balls. Flatten a potato ball between your palms, put a chenna ball in the center, and pull the potato pattie up to completely encircle the ball. Heat the ghee (all but 2 tablespoons) in a wok or kadhai and fry the kofta balls till they're golden brown. Remove, drain and set aside. To make the gravy, chaunce the cashew pieces, khas khas, red chilis, and minced ginger. During last minute, add the asofoetida and salt. Add 1 cup water and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the anar syrup and tomato puree and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garam masala and fresh cream, stir in thoroughly, and pour the gravy over the kofta. Offer hot.

Banana Flower Salad

Banana flower, male, 1
Potatoes, 2 Pounds
Sesame seeds, 4 Tablespoons
Fenugreek sees, 1 Teaspoon
Peanuts, 1/8 Cup
Jalapenos, 3
Lemon juice, 4 Tablespoons
Turmeric, 1/4 Teaspoon
Ghee, 3 Tablespoons
Mint, fresh, 1 Handful

Wear gloves or oil your hands when working with banana inflorescence (the large bracts), as it emits a black sap that's difficult to remove. Wash and peel the other bracts (purple petals) off the male banana flower. Save for use as serving dishes. Peel off the tiny, developing bananas and discard (too bitter to use for salad). Keep peeling until you get down to the pale layers, where the banana buds are much more tender. Only these are used for the salad. Remove the most tender flowers buds from their base by holding the base firmly in one hand, and snapping off the tendrils in a clump. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes, peel, and cut into ½ inch cubes. Dry roast the sesame seeds and peanuts till they darken just a few shades, then grind to a fine powder. Gently fold together the potatoes and banana flowers. Add the powdered sesame mixture, salt to taste, and lime juice. Make a chaunce with the fenugreek seeds, chilies and turmeric. Fry until the fenugreek darkens a few shades (don't overcook as they'll go bitter). Pour the chaunce over the salad, mix well, and gently scoop into the clean outer bracts to offer.

Doodhi Raita

Yoghurt, 2 cups
Doodhi (pumpkin), grated, 1/4 Pound
Cumin seeds, roasted & ground, 1 Teaspoon
Sugar, 1 Tablespoon
Charoli (or pine nuts), 1 Tablespoon
Ginger, minced, 1 Inch
Raisins, 1 Tablespoon
Garam masala, 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves, Handful
Cayenne, 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt, To taste

Peel and grate the pumpkin, then steam until cooked soft. Set aside to cool. Mix all the remaining ingredients. Gently fold in the shredded pumpkin, chill and offer.

Blackberry Almond Chatni

Blackberries, fresh, 2 Cups
Almonds, sliced, 1 Cup
Ginger, fresh, 2 Inches
Raisins, dark, 1/2 Cup
Coriander, powder, 1 Teaspoon
Cumin seeds, 1 Teaspoon
Anise, ground, 1/8 Teaspoon
Red Chilis, flaked, 1/4 Teaspoon
Jaggery, 1/2 Cup
Butter, 2 Tablespoons

Put the butter in the bottom of a heavy pan. Add the almonds and cook till they brown a few shades. Add the chilis, minced ginger and raisins and cook until the raisins plump. Add all remaining ingredients except anise and jaggery, and cook on low heat until the berries break down completely. Add the jaggery and continue cooking for another 30 minutes on low heat, until the chutney takes on a good glaze. Remove from heat, stir in the anise powder. Bring to room temperature or cool, and offer.

Radharani's Parrots

Cream Cheese, 8 Ounces
Confectioner's Sugar, 1 Cup
Almond extract, 1/2 Teaspoon
Currants, 1 Cup
Coconut, shredded, 1 Cup
Food colorings, As needed
Apricot, dried, 6

Cream together the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar and almond extract. Mix in the currants. Put the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill. Shape the chilled mixture into a number of small parrots. Use different poses (wings spread, sitting still, etc.) Toast the coconut to a few shades of brown then set aside to cool. Mix various colors into separate piles of the coconut (blue, green, red & yellow are all perfect). Carefully coat the milksweets in the coconut, pressing down so it sticks well. Using a sharp knife, cut out beak and claw shapes from the dried apricots and stick them into the sweets. Use a black currant for the eye. Keep chilled until time to offer.

Gopi Jamuns

Pineapple, cubed, 1 Cup
Sugar, 1 Cup
Rava (semolina), 2 Tablespoons
Milk, 1/2 Cup
Chenna, 1 Cup
Milk for Chenna, 1/2 Quart
Lemon Juice for chenna, 5 Tablespoons
Saffron, A Pinch
Ghee, For frying

Soak the saffron in a teaspoon of milk and set aside. Roast the rava and spread on a plate to cool. Add the chenna and remaining milk to the rava and knead it to a smooth, hard dough. Divide the dough into lemon-sized balls. Cut the pineapple into cubes. Insert one cube into each jamun ball and roll dough to completely encase the fruit. Heat ghee in a wok or kadhai and fry the jamuns at low heat until dark golden brown. Make the syrup by bringing one cup of water and the sugar to a boil for several minutes. Add the saffron and stir in. Remove from heat, add the fried jamuns to the sugar syrup. Serve hot.

Green Mango Pie

Pie shell, 1
Green Mangoes, 4-1/2 Pounds
Sugar, 1-1/2 Cups
Lime Juice, 3 Tablespoons
Ginger, fresh, 1 Inch
Nutmeg, 1/2 Teaspoon
Cinnamon, 1/4 Teaspoon
cornstarch, 1-1/2 Tablespoons
Apple Juice, 3 Tablespoons
Butter, unsalted, 3 Tablespoons

Make the filling in a large, heavy bottom pan. Peel, pit and cube the mangoes, and cook with the sugar, lime, minced ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon for 20 minutes, or until tender. In a bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the apple juice. Stir the mixture into the mangos. Bring the filling to a boil, stirring, and return to simmer for another 2 or 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, swirl in the butter, and pour the filling into the pie shell. Offer warm or chilled.

Sweet Cream & Honey

Light cream, 1 Quart
Honey, 6 Tablespoons
Saffron, 2 Pinches
Almond extract, 1/2 Teaspoon
Apple Juice, 1 Pint

Mix all ingredients together and blend well. Keep chilled. Just before offering, beat with a hand mixer or in blender for just a minute or two, to get a little fluffy. Serve on cubed ice.