Pasta Salad with Peas and Pesto

For the Pesto:

• 1 cup packed fresh basil or mint (or combination), plus more for garnish

• 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped (about 2 teaspoons)

• 1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano

• 3 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts or pine nuts, plus more for garnish

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 to 2 lemons

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) gemelli pasta, cooked, drained and cooled

• 8 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) frozen green peas, thawed

Directions

1. To make the pesto, combine the herbs, garlic, cheese, nuts, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse several times until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the pasta and peas. Add the pesto little by little until salad is adequately dressed. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more lemon juice. Garnish salad with chopped nuts and chopped herbs, if desired.

Chicken Shashlik

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xyp8Vlcfkc

Sabudhana Khichdi

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 cups tapioca sabudana

• 1/2 cup broken raw peanuts mungfali

• 1/2 cup green peas hari matar

• 2 green chilies sliced long ways

• 3 tbsp oil

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds jeera

• 1/2 tsp black mustard rai

• 1/4 tsp turmeric haldi

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped hara dhania

INSTRUCTIONS

• Gently wash then soak tapioca (sabudana) in about 1/2 cup of water for 6 to 8 hours.

• Roast the peanuts on medium heat, until they are lightly brown. Keep aside.

• Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed cracks right away then oil is ready. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds after seeds crack add green chilies and stir for a few seconds.

• Next add the green peas and stir fry until peas are tender.

• Add the soaked tapioca (sabudana) and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes ,

• Add turmeric, and salt and stir fry on medium heat continuously until tapioca (sabudana) becomes translucence, looks like pearls. Stir gently and making sure tapioca doesn’t get sticky and stuck to each other. This should take about 6 to 7 minutes.

• Add peanuts, lemon juice and cilantro (hara dhania), stir gently. Serve hot.

NOTES

To save time soak the tapioca in warm water for about 2 to 3 hours water should not be hot.

If you don’t stir continuously tapioca will stick to each other.