Bitter though it is, karela has a unique taste that transforms it into a delicacy if prepared in the right ways. Here, an innovative combination of bitter gourd, onions and colourful capsicums are sautéed with a traditional tempering, resulting in a flavourful and aromatic subzi that goes well with rice and rotis. Although prepared with everyday ingredients and the simplest of cooking methods, the Karela and Capsicum Subzi is a super hit mainly because of the thoughtful combination of vegetables. Try other karela subzis like Karela Bateta Nu Shaak , Masala Bharwan Karela and Onion and Karela Subzi .

Schezuan peppercorns are known as Tirphal in Marathi and can be found at local baniya shops. It is used extensively in Goan cooking and along the Southern coast. They are also used in Chinese cooking and in this dish, they add more flavour to cabbage which is otherwise a bland vegetable.

Umm... it is richer than simple cocoa walnut muffins, quite different from brownies, not really a cake, and not a plain loaf either... well, you cannot decipher the Cocoa Walnut Squares because they are not only unique but too mesmerizing to analyze the experience! Made with readily available ingredients and a bit of ingenuity, the Cocoa Walnut Squares use the perfect proportions of cocoa, sugar and butter in the cake as well as the sauce, to deliver a tantalizingly chocolaty experience. The walnuts are a smart addition to this dessert, as too pure a chocolate flavour can get a bit saturating at times.

The moment somebody hears the word ‘makhani’, it reminds them of a rich and buttery gravy and they immediately strike it off their diet-friendly list! However, this innovative recipe shows that you can recreate the same buttery experience using apt ingredients and cooking methods, in a pretty much diet-friendly way. This is indeed a makhani gravy but we have not even used a spot of high-saturated, fat-laden butter, but used a little bit of oil instead. The koftas are also unusual, made using iron-rich nachni for binding, instead of corn flour. Putting our heads together to make the Cabbage Nachni Koftas in Makhani Gravy as healthy as possible, we decided to steam the koftas instead of deep-frying them. This makes the dish healthier, without compromising on flavour. This low-salt recipe is sure to be a healthy treat for those with high blood pressure. You can also try other low-salt subzis like the Mili Jhuli Subzi and Bengali Mixed Vegetable Dry Sabzi .

Brandy Butter makes an elegant icing for cakes and cupcakes that you intend to serve to an elite adult gathering. It is quick and easy to prepare and will add a lot of zing even to the simplest sponges.

This awesome dessert features dainty tarts topped with a tangy, melt-in-the-mouth filling of lemon and curds. Both lemon juice and rind are used to give the filling a sharp lemony taste and nice mouth-feel. A good dose of butter, whipped cream and eggs are used to give the filling a soft and fluffy consistency that you will surely fall in love with. A garnish of lemon rind adds to the citrusy mood of the Lemon Curd Tart. You can chill the lemon curd filling and load it into the tarts just before serving to get a cool and refreshing dessert. You can also try other tart recipes like Peach and Lemon Tart or Spinach Tarts .

A tempting combination of white chocolate and blueberry crush, this is another easy-to-make mousse that you cannot resist! You would definitely have come across blueberry cheesecake, but this mousse might be quite new to you; so make sure you try it next time you host a party. A garnish of petite chocolate fans will improve the looks manifold, but if you find them difficult to make, you can garnish with a liberal helping of chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, blueberry or blueberry crush.

Ever imagined that contradictory experiences like ‘soothing’ and ‘perky’ can meet in one dish? Well, you must try this Hariyali Rice with Coconut Sauce to believe us. Minimal spices come together in a very thoughtful fashion to create a perfect blend of flavours in this dish. Vibrant green-coloured rice with the nutty flavour of spinach, combines ethereally with a comforting coconut sauce perked up with lemon juice, curry leaves and green chillies. Do not forget to season the coconut sauce with cumin seeds, as it makes a world of difference to the aroma of this dish.

Seviyan is used by most of us to prepare kheer. This recipe uses almond paste for thickening the kheer. This paste also adds a different flavour. Essence of the highly scented kewra flower has been used as flavoring along with lots of chopped almonds. Kewra essence is readily available at most provision stores.

Come summer, a day without mangoes seems to be a day wasted! Indeed, the King of Fruits has such a strong sway over people of all age groups and anything made with mangoes seems to have a universal appeal. In this innovative recipe, we have used a batter of plain flour and mangoes sweetened with sugar to make delicious pancakes. We have cooked the pancakes in a mini size to make it more appealing to kids. With a hint of spices and a slightly buttery taste, these Mini Mango Pancakes taste really great. Make sure you serve the Mini Mango Pancakes immediately to enjoy its best texture and flavour. After a while, it will get dry and taste bad. Try other Mini Pancakes recipes like Nutella and Strawberry Mini Pancakes or Mini Banana Sesame Pancake .

Choux Pastry is a light, crisp and airy pastry dough that can be used to make many delicacies like éclairs and profiteroles. It is a delight to watch the pastry dough puff up inside the oven and gradually acquire a golden colour and irresistible crispness. This recipe shows you how to make amazing Choux Pastry dough using eggs. To make choux pastry, the consistency of the dough is very important. When the butter, water, sugar and salt are boiled together, you must cook it till the moisture content evaporates from the butter. Also, ensure that the eggs are at room temperature. Once the flour is added, make sure it does not change colour—it must remain a nice light yellow. The dough has to be sticky and have a string-like consistency when you lift it with a spoon. This indicates that the dough is ready for shaping and baking, and your éclairs and profiteroles will come out beautifully light. You must use this dough immediately—it cannot be stored as the fluffiness will vanish.You can also use this pastry dough to make Strawberry Cream Puffs . Cinnamon French Toast and Brioche Loaf are other must try French bread delights.

Choux pastry is a special dough that gives rise to a light, crisp and ‘airy’ pastry when baked. It is used to make amazing desserts like éclairs and profiteroles, and even some savoury dishes. In this classic recipe, we have used the choux pastry dough to make Chocolate Éclairs, an ever-popular chocolaty treat that is crispy outside and creamy inside. It is a light, melt-in-the-mouth dessert with a fabulous chocolate coating and an awesomely creamy filling. After baking and filling the éclairs, let them set at room temperature for a while. Once set, you can place it in the fridge for two hours and serve later if you wish. You can also try other desserts like the Crème Brulée and Fresh Fruit Flambé .

A quick and easy blend of fruits, herbs and lemonade, which is guaranteed to perk up your mood! The pleasing taste and colour of watermelon combines beautifully with the sharp, herby taste of basil, in a tangy base of chilled lemonade that is sure to leave a tingling sensation on your taste buds. To get the Watermelon and Basil Lemonade right, make sure you deseed the watermelon cubes and ensure that the lemonade is chilled. This is a really interesting ‘upgrade’ to your usual dose of lemonade, and you will feel glad you tried it. You can also have a go at other lemonade based recipes like the Orange Pineapple and Lemonade Drink or Pink Lemonade .

Can cookies be healthy? they can be made so, with a little bit of thought. Chock-full of raisins and nuts, the whole wheat, raisin and walnut cookies are a concentrated source of calcium, iron and fibre. These healthful cookies are a great accompaniment for a hot cup of tea or coffee; however children might need a bit of a push to eat these cookies as the recipe uses less butter and sugar to make the cookies healthier and less fattening. The way out is to prod them to dunk a cookie in a cup of hot milk, which makes the whole experience wonderful for kids too!