2 ripe firm bananas 2 rip firm tomatoes 1 tbsp. fresh coriander finely chopped 3-4 fresh mint leaves finely chopped 2 tsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. cumin powder 1/4 tsp. red chilli powder 2 tsp. sugar powdered Salt to taste 3-4 pinches black salt (optional)

Save aside half coriander for garnish. Chop bananas, sprinkle lemon juice, toss lightly. Chop tomatoes, add all other ingredients. Add bananas. Toss gently with a flat spoon. Chill if desired. Garnish with remaining coriander. Serve as is or with chappati or toast. Note: Prepare this salad fresh for best results, or maximum 30 minutes ahead. Or the bananas may discolour, though there will be no change in taste.

Peel, core, dice and apples. Combine apples, water and lemon rind in a large saucepan. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Mixture should be mushy with few chunks of apples left. Add sugar and allow to melt while simmering on slow. When sugar is melted add cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Watch closely and stir often to prevent burning. Applesauce should be thick, not watery. Check with plate or other test (refer jams, preserves,) Serve warm or chilled. Note: Sugar quantity may be increased or decreased depending on the variety of apples used: If apples are very sweet decrease sugar and if sour then increase a little.

Sieve flour, sugar, salt together into a large cold bowl. Cut in cold butter quickly, so that it won't melt Mix in with light fingers, till mixture is like breadcrumbs. Keep one third of this mixture aside in refrigerator. Add a few tbsp. icecold water, by sprinkling over remaining flour. Mix and form a smooth dough, but try to work quickly, with minimum handling. Wrap dough in a clean polythene sheet or cling film. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or till required. Remove pastry dough, knead very lightly on flour-dusted clean surface. Roll into 1/4 inch thick large round. Prick well all over with fork, flip, prick otherside. Cut oversized rounds for greased tarts cases or muffin trays. Press a round into a tart case, press well into mould. Trim edges and remove any extra dough. Bake blind in preheated oven at 200oC for 20-25 minutes, or till light golden. Remove, keep aside on mesh to cool. For filling: Heat apples in a heavy or nonstick pan. Add sugar, spices, apples, cook, till apples are slightly cooked but not mushy. Add lemon juice, stir and remove from fire. Keep aside to cool. For topping: Whip cream in a chilled bowl till stiff and light. Fold in sugar, fill a large star nozzle icing gun. Keep gun in chiller till required. To proceed: Fill cool tart mould threefourths with filling. Sprinkle a little of the leftover dry pastry mixture. Repeat for all mould, bake in preheated oven at 200C for 5-6 minutes, on top rack. Remove, carefully unmould with a knife, and cool. Before serving, pipe a swirl of whipped cream over tart filling. Serve immediately.

Sieve together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon powder, In another bowl, make paste (with water) of milk powder, or pour condensed milk. Beat till light and fluffy. If using powder, add sugar while beating. Stir in rind, essence, followed by dry ingredients mixture. Fold in apples and walnuts. Turn into a 9" greased cake mould, bake in preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes. A skewer inserted should come out clean, if done. Whip cream in chilled bowl till stiff. Gently fold in sugar. Serve warm or hot with chilled whipped cream.

To prepare flan tin: Take a 9" flan tin, and a4 wide shallow cup or bowl with flat bottom. When icecream is semi set in flan tin, place bowl in centre, press a little to get embedded halfway at least. Chill again to set firmly. To make fruit filling: Put both apple and orange segments in a pan. Add sugar, butter, heat till sugar is dissolved. Add cornflour dissolved in orange juice, cook till thick. Stir in lemon juice, take off fire. Warm or prepare just before using. Keep aside. Dry crush china grass in a small mixie, till broken to tiny bits. Soak in 1 cup water, keep aside for 20 minutes. Heat, stirring continuously, till fully dissolved, and starts boiling. Simmer for minutes or till transparent. Cool a little. Beat icecream till smooth, add fresh cream, chinagrass mixture. Beat again till smooth or use an electric hand mixer. Pour in a flan tin. Transfer to freezer till firmly set, following procedure given a start of method. To proceed before serving: Unmould icecream base, place on a serving plate. Pour some hot water inside the bowl to loosen. Twist and carefully remove bowl. Now you have a round icecream base with a depression in centre. Pour warm fruit in depression. Sprinkle brandy and set alight to sizzle, if desired. Serve immediately, with the sizzling fruit.

Wash raisins, drain, keep aside. Sieve dry ingredients together 2-3 times. Melt butter in large pan, take off fire. Add milk, and gently fold in dry ingredients. Add raisins and apples, mix very lightly. Keep mixture a bit lumpy, and do not mix too much. A lumpy batter makes better muffins. Pour spoonfuls of mixture greased in muffin trays, or in small cups. Bake in preheated oven at 200 oC in centre rack for 20 minutes. Check before removing, by inserting a skewer which should come clean. Serve warm or cold with beverages or cold drinks.

Mix all dry masalas (except asafoetida), and salt in ¼ cup water. Keep aside. Heat oil in a heavy pan. Add seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, allow to splutter. Add masala paste, stir till oil separates. Add remaining water, bring to a boil. Slice bananas into round slices, add to masala. Add sugar, simmer till all sugar melts. Check taste and make adjustments. Take into serving dish, garnish with coriander. Serve hot with phulkas or naan.

Chop bananas, add 1/2 cup milk, blend in mixie till smooth. Add all other ingredients, whip with an electric whipper. Whip till the milkshake is frothy. Pour into 2 tall glasses. Serve very well chilled. Note: One may add a tbsp. of finely chopped banana pieces at the bottom of each glass before pouring, if desired.

Mix all ingredients, except bananas and oil to deep fry. Add enough water slowly, to make a smooth paste. It should be thick enough to coat back of spoon thickly. Heat oil well,peel and slice a banana obliquely into batter. Pick out each dipped slice and let into oil. Deep fry on medium flame, till light golden,. Repeat with remaining banana. Drain, and place on tissue paper to absorb excess oil. Serve hot with green chutney or ketchup. Variation: Substitute gramflour with cornflour. Do not add chillies and cumin. Use this batter and fry bananas. Serve hot with vanilla icecream.

Cool mango in refrigerator before using. Peel and cut into oval slices as big as possible. Keep slices at least 1/2 cm. thick. Discard stones. Use the side titbits also to fill up sandwich. Prepare crisp toasts of bread in toaster or oven. Butter all slices on one side generously. Place mango slices to cover full bread slice on butter side. Repeat for 2 more slices. Cover all three slices with remaining buttered slices. Check to keep the buttered side facing mango. Cut into triangles, serve hot and crisp with a cold drink or a hot beverage

Peel and chop mango into 1"wide and 2" long pieces. Bring plenty of water in a 2 litre sized vessel. Add mango pieces, allow to boil for 3-4 minutes. Pieces are done when colour changes, and pieces are still firm to touch. Do not overcook or vegetable will get mushy. Drain, run tap water over pieces in colander, cool. Mix all masalas in sugar. Sprinkle over mango pieces. Toss gently with hands to blend. Heat oil in a large heavy pan. Add all seeds and asafoetida, allow to splutter. Add spiced pieces, stir very gently with spatula. Allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes, till sugar has melted. Once all sugar has melted, check for taste. If mango was too sour, you may require some more sugar. Serve hot or cold, with parathas, chappatis, or even bread.