10 valai recipes

Swiss-style flan with fresh apricot halves baked in vanilla cream custard, dusted with powdered sugar and served warm or cold.

Ulundu vadai, crispy South Asian urad dal fritters shaped into little doughnut rings, spiced with chili, curry leaves, and ginger, then deep-fried golden. Crunchy outside, fluffy within, with chutney.

Malai chicken is a creamy North Indian curry: chicken simmered with whole spices, ginger garlic paste, tomato, and finished with heavy whipping cream. Mild, rich, and perfect with naan or basmati rice.

Malai Murgh: whole chicken simmered in milk, layered with butter-fried almonds, raisins, and onions, then baked in a rich egg yolk and cream custard. A Mughlai classic.

A tasty side dish made with ricotta cheese, light cream and cardamom pods.

Malai kofta are golden-fried potato and paneer-style balls stuffed with cashews and raisins, simmered in a cashew-cream sauce warmed with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne. A North Indian restaurant classic.

Paneer Patties in Orange Perfumed Cream Sauce (Ras Malai) recipe

Capsicum toast recipe with semolina. Fresh bell pepper, tomato and onion mixed into a spread, pan-toasted on bread for a crispy open-faced snack or healthy kids lunch. Ready in 25 minutes with simple steps.

Dal makhani or maa di dal, as it is popularly known in the punjab, with its smooth velvety texture and lovely flavour is a delicacy that is very much a dish of the punjab. Every punjabi restaurant, roadside eating place and food stall vendor makes the claim that this is a delicacy that they alone can make to perfection. This my own tested recipe dare i claim it as the best? dal makhani is traditionally cooked on a low flame overnight and allowed to thicken. Using a pressure cooker helps cook the dal in a jiffy. Serve hot with naans.

Saag vali khichri is a soothing Indian rice and mung bean porridge stirred with fresh spinach, cumin, coriander, and ghee. Nourishing comfort food with Ayurvedic roots, gentle on the stomach and big on warming spice.