Baingan barta is a north Indian treat to be had with hot chappatis. The brinjal of a large shape is roasted on direct flame. De skin the same and fry the onions brown, add a little amchur or tomato. Use the normal Punjabi masala and keep stirring well. Towards the end as the masala is done and leaves oil, add the roasted brinjal and blend well. Keep the flame high so as to get a complete roasted aroma.

If you are pressed for time and need a quick vegetable. Boil some potatoes and peek the skin. Use a little oil and use little mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once the crackle is heard, mix in the potatoes and add turmeric, green chillies and salt to taste. Garnish with coriander.

A perfect Sunday lunch thing could be a pulav in microwave. Use a little ghee and fry the khada masala in the microwave for a minute. Soak Basmati rice after washing in water and a little milk. Let it soak for half an hour. Cut vegetables as your choice and availability. Use a little pulav masala and add salt to taste. Cook in the microwave as per instructions and easy-tasty pulav is ready to serve.

Paneer adds life to any vegetable. Try boiled vegetable and make sure they are not overcooked. Use a little oil and fry onion and tomato well. Add the paneer and vegetables. Cook as a nutritive dish. Soya beans chunks and granules are good in protein and brighten up any dinner table. Use the same in vegetables and pulav’s too.

If there is an urgent demand for a surprise sweet dish then make sevaiyya kheer. Boil milk and mix sugar in the same. On a shallow pan, fry the sevaiyya strips in ghee and make sure you do not burn them. Let it cook and wash with cold water. Mix in the milk and garnish with dry fruits of your choice. Before serving in bowl decorate with strands of saffron. Aam ras is a seasonal speciality that comes with hot summers that yield mangoes in plenty. The pulp is sought and mixed with milk to be served as a milkshake. Pure pulp is easy to extract, add a little cardamom in the same and serve with puris.

Use leftover rice and mix thick curd and salt along with this. Use a tempering of red chilies (dry), mustard and fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and a meal is ready. This is a coolant and perfect for an upset stomach.

Recipes in a soup include tomato, spinach, carrot and bottle gourd. Healthy and nutritious the beetroot soup is rich in iron. Stuffed capsicum and stuffed tomato recipes are easy and offer a variety. Kabuli chana or chole or black gram can be served with puri to beat the mundane chapatti and bhaji. Foods cooked in microwave need less oil and are less time consuming.