Restore an Update that You Previously Declined

If you decide not to download a specific update, you can prompt Windows Update to
offer that update again.
· Click Start , click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
· Click the Automatic Updates tab, and then click Restore Declined Updates.

How to Pause or Resume Downloading

After the download process has started, you can pause or resume downloading at any
time. If you close your Internet connection or restart your computer after pausing a
download process, Windows automatically resumes the download process the next time you
are connected to the Internet.
· During the download process, click the icon that is displayed in the notification
area, and then click Pause.
· When you are ready for Windows to start downloading again, click the Automatic
updating icon, and then click
Resume.

How to Download Available Updates

If you configured automatic updating to notify you before downloading any updates, an
icon is displayed in the notification area each time new updates are found.
· Double-click the icon in the notification area.
· Do either of the following steps:
If you want Windows to download an update, make sure that the check box beside it is
selected.
-or-
If you do not want Windows to download an update, click to clear the check box beside
it.
Your selected updates are downloaded in the background; this behavior allows you to
continue working uninterrupted. Downloading does not interfere with or slow down other
network activity, such as Internet browsing.
When downloading is finished, the icon is displayed in the notification area to notify
you that updates are ready to be installed.

How to Have Windows Remind You About Pending Updates

· Click Remind Me Later in the Automatic Updates dialog box before you download or
install the update.
· In the Reminder dialog box, you can specify the amount of time Windows should wait
before reminding you.
· If the reminder is for downloading, Windows reminds you only when you are connected
to the Internet.
· If the reminder is for installing, Windows reminds you according to the schedule
that you specify.

How to Update Your Files Manually by Using Windows Update

If you choose not to use automatic updating, you can still install specific updates
from the Windows Update Web site. Windows Update is a catalog of items such as drivers,
security fixes, critical updates, the latest Help files, and Internet products that you
can download to keep your computer up-to-date.
· Click Windows Update in Help and Support Center.
· On the Windows Update home page, click Scan for updates.
· Click Yes when you are prompted to install any required software or device drivers.

How to Turn Off Automatic Updates

· Click Start , click Control Panel , and then double-click System.
· Click the Automatic Updates tab, and then click Turn off automatic updating. I want
to update my computer manually.

How to Turn On Automatic Updates

· Click Start , click Control Panel , and then double-click System.
· Click the Automatic Updates tab, and then click one of the following options:
- Download the updates automatically and notify me when they are ready to be
installed. (This is the default setting.)
- Notify me before downloading any updates and notify me again before installing them
on my computer.

Use the Desktop Cleanup Wizard in Windows XP

To start the Desktop Cleanup Wizard:
· Click Start , and then click Control Panel.
· In Control Panel, click Appearance and Themes under Pick a category.
· Under or pick a Control Panel icon , click Display. The Display Properties dialog
box is displayed.
· In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Desktop tab, and then click
Customize Desktop. The Desktop Items dialog box is displayed.
· Under Desktop cleanup , click to clear the Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days
check box if you do not want the Desktop Cleanup Wizard to automatically start every 60
days.
· Click Clean Desktop Now. The Desktop Cleanup Wizard starts.

Correcting System Hang at Startup -Windows XP

If your system hangs about 2 or 3 minutes at startup, where you can't access the Start
button or the Taskbar, it may be due to one specific service (Background Intelligent
Transfer) running in the background. Microsoft put out a patch for this but it didn't
work for me. Here's what you do:
· Click on Start/Run, type 'msconfig', then click 'OK'.
· Go to the 'Services' tab, find the 'Background Intelligent Transfer' service.
· Disable it, apply the changes & reboot.

Three New Command-Line Tools

If you're running Windows XP Professional, you can use a number of great new
command-line tools:
· Use schtasks.exe to script the scheduling of tasks from the command line.
· Defragment your drives from the command line with defrag.exe.
· Query all or any of the event logs from the command line with eventquery.vbs.
To execute some of these commands, you must be a member of the Administrators group on
the computer that the command affects.

Access the Administrator Account from the Welcome Screen

If you are at the Welcome screen and want to log on with the Administrator account,
but it's not listed:
· Press Ctrl+Alt+Del twice to bring up the Windows 2000 logon window, which then
allows you to log on as Administrator.
Logging on at the Welcome screen is not available on computers that are members of a
network domain.

Add Administrative Tools to Your Start Menu

If you are an administrator to your Windows XP Professional machine, you might want to
be able to perform administrative functions. Yet, it is sort of a hassle to navigate to
the Control Panel and select the Administrative Tools from there.
· Right-click the Start menu, and then click Properties.
· On the Start Menu tab, click Customize.
· Click the Advanced tab, and under Start menu items, scroll to System Administrative
Tools.
· Click Display on the All Programs and the Start menu.
You can navigate through those tools right from the comforts of the Start menu.

Activate NetMeeting

Using NetMeeting, you can participate in virtual meetings, work in shared
applications, and share data over the Internet or your company intranet. NetMeeting is
actually already installed after you perform a full install of Windows XP, but it won't
appear on the Start menu until it's activated.
· Click Start, then Run, and enter Conf.
· Click OK.
· In the NetMeeting Wizard, supply the necessary information, and then select the Put
a shortcut to NetMeeting on my desktop (or on my Quick Launch bar) check box.
NetMeeting should start and is now listed in the most frequently used programs list on
the Start menu.

Stop Windows Messenger From Signing In

If you're running Windows Messenger and it signs you in, even when you don't want it
to, follow these steps to turn off signing in automatically:
· Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
· On the Advanced tab, click Manage Passwords.
· In Store User Names and Passwords, select Passport.Net/*, and then click Remove.
This removes your Passport's connection to your computer, but doesn't delete your
Passport.
· Click Close, and then click OK.
When you restart Windows Messenger, it won't sign you in automatically.

Show Hidden Program or System Files--- Windows XP Tricks

Showing hidden files can come in handy-for example, say you've tried to delete
everything from a floppy disk and the disk properties still indicate 100K of disk space
is being used by hidden files.
· On the Tools menu in Windows Explorer, click Folder Options.
· Click the View tab.
· Under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders.
Note: To access Windows Explorer, click Start, point to All Programs, and then click
Windows Explorer.

Rename a Series of Files

When you download photos from your digital camera, they often have unrecognizable
names. You can rename several similar files at once with the following procedure. This
also works for renaming other types of files.
· Open the My Pictures folder. (Click Start, and then click My Pictures.) Or open
another folder containing files that you want to rename.
· Select the files you want to rename. If the files you want are not adjacent in the
file list, press and hold Ctrl, and then click each item to select it.
· On the File menu, click Rename.
· Type the new name, and then press ENTER.
· All of the files in the series will be named in sequence using the new name you
type. For example, if you type Birthday, the first will be named Birthday and subsequent
files in the series will be named Birthday (1), Birthday (2), and so on.
· To specify the starting number for the series, type the starting number in
parentheses after the new file name. The files in the series will be numbered in
sequence starting with the number you type. For example, if you type Birthday (10), the
other files will be named Birthday (11), Birthday (12), and so on.

You Can Bypass the Recycle Bin On the Fly.

To bypass the Recycle Bin on a one-time basis, when you are deleting a file (or a
group of selected files):
· Press and hold down the shift-key while you press the del-key (or use the delete
command). You receive the following confirmation-request message:
Are you sure you want to send to the Recycle Bin?
Identify a 16-bit Program
· Use Windows Explorer to open the folder that contains the program's executable
(.exe) file.
· Right-click the .exe file, and then click Properties.
· A 16-bit program does not have a Version tab in this dialog box.

Change the Default Opening Folder in Windows Explorer

By default, Windows Explorer opens showing the My Documents folder. To change the
default setting so that all top-level drives and folders are shown, follow these steps:
· Click Start > Programs > Accessories, then right-click Windows Explorer, and click
Properties.
· Under Target field, which reads %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe, add to make the line
read:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e, /select, C:\
· Click OK.

Do Not Highlight Newly Installed Programs

Tired of that annoying little window that pops up to tell you that new software is
installed? If it gets in the way when you're logging off, turn it off completely. To do
this:
· Click Start, right-click at the top of the Start menu where your name is displayed,
and then click Properties.
· In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, on the Start Menu tab, click
Customize.
· Click the Advanced tab, and then clear the Highlight newly installed programs check
box.
· Click OK, and then click OK again.

Auto Login

· Go to Start/Run, and type 'control userpasswords2'.
· From Users Tab, Uncheck "Users must enter ...."
· A dialog will allow setting a user and password to be used automatically.

Load Internet Explorer the Fastest Way Possible

· Edit your link to start Internet Explorer to have -nohome after it. For Example:
"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" -nohome
This will load internet explorer very fast because it does not load a web page while
it is loading. If you want to go to your homepage after it is loaded, just click on the
home button.

Use Hibernate and Standby to Conserve Batteries

Fast User Switching can be turned-on with Windows XP Professional only when your
computer is not part of a domain.
Power Options in Control Panel lets you adjust any power management option that your
computer's unique hardware configuration supports. These options vary widely from
computer to computer. Power Options automatically detects what is available on your
computer and shows you only the options that you can control.
ACPI-If you are not sure whether your computer is ACPI-compliant, check your
manufacturer's documentation. During Windows Setup, ACPI is installed only if all
components present during Setup support power management.
The Hibernate function in Windows XP Professional can make the batteries in your
laptop computer last longer.
Windows XP supports the industry standard power management technology known as the
Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), which enables the operating system to
control power to your computer and peripheral devices. The power management features in
Windows XP include Hibernate and Standby. Hibernate saves an image of your desktop with
all open files and documents, and then it powers down your computer. When you turn on
power, your files and documents are open on your desktop exactly as you left them.
Standby reduces the power consumption of your computer by cutting power to hardware
components you are not using. Standby can cut power to peripheral devices, your monitor,
even your hard drive, but maintains power to your computer's memory so you don't lose
your work.

Delete Files when the Recycle Bin is Hidden

By default, the Windows XP Recycle Bin sits at the bottom right of the desktop, just
above the tray notification area and system clock. If you've got a bunch of floating
windows open, however, it's possible to obscure the Recycle Bin and make it impossible to
drag files and folders there for deletion. However, Microsoft must have thought of this
event, because you can automatically hide all of those open windows during a drag
operation.
· Make sure a bunch of windows are open on the screen, with at least one of them
hiding the Recycle Bin.
· Find a file or group of files you'd like to drag to the Recycle Bin.
· Pick up the files with the mouse and move them to the lower right of the screen.
· As you reach the bottom area of the screen, pass the mouse cursor over a blank area
of the task bar, hover there for an instant, and--voila!--the open windows all minimize,
leaving the Recycle Bin available to accept the dragged files.
This tip also works when windows are maximized, assuming the file(s) you want to
delete are visible in one of the available windows.
Use the ultimate configuration tool (Professional Edition only)
One of the most full featured Windows XP configuration tools available is hidden right
there in your system, but most people don't even know it exists. It's called the Local
Group Policy Editor, or gpedit for short.
· Select Start and then Run.
· Then type the following: gpedit.msc
After you hit ENTER, you'll be greeted by gpedit, which lets you modify virtually
every feature in Windows XP without having to resort to regedit. Dig around and enjoy!

To automatically put your computer into hibernation: ----Windows Tips

You must be logged on to your computer with an owner account in order to complete this
procedure.
· Open Power Options in Control Panel. (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then
double-click Power Options.).
· Click the Hibernate tab, select the Enable hibernate support check box, and then
click Apply.
If the Hibernate tab is unavailable, your computer does not support this feature.
Click the APM tab, click Enable Advanced Power Management support, and then click
Apply.
The APM tab is unavailable on ACPI-compliant computers. ACPI automatically enables
Advanced Power Management, which disables the APM tab.
Click the Power Schemes tab, and then select a time period in System hibernates. Your
computer hibernates after it has been idle for the specified amount of time.
To manually put your computer into hibernation:
You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of either the Administrators or
Power Users group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to
a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this
procedure.
· Open Power Options in Control Panel. (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then
double-click Power Options.).
· Click the Hibernate tab, and then select the Enable hibernate support check box.
· If the Hibernate tab is not available, your computer does not support this feature.
· Click OK to close the Power Options dialog box.
· Click Start, and then click Shut Down.
· In the What do you want the computer to do drop-down list, click Hibernate.
· If you are using Windows XP Home Edition, or Windows XP Professional with Fast User
Switching turned on, the Shut Down menu will present the options to Stand By, Turn Off,
or Restart your computer. Hold down the Shift key, and the Stand By button will change
to Hibernate.

Display Hibernate Option on the Shut Down dialog

For some reason, Hibernate isn't available from the default Shut Down dialog. But you
can enable it simply enough, by holding down the SHIFT key while the dialog is visible.
Now you see it, now you don't!

Delete Files when the Recycle Bin is Hidden

By default, the Windows XP Recycle Bin sits at the bottom right of the desktop, just
above the tray notification area and system clock. If you've got a bunch of floating
windows open, however, it's possible to obscure the Recycle Bin and make it impossible to
drag files and folders there for deletion. However, Microsoft must have thought of this
event, because you can automatically hide all of those open windows during a drag
operation.
· Make sure a bunch of windows are open on the screen, with at least one of them
hiding the Recycle Bin.
· Find a file or group of files you'd like to drag to the Recycle Bin.
· Pick up the files with the mouse and move them to the lower right of the screen.
· As you reach the bottom area of the screen, pass the mouse cursor over a blank area
of the task bar, hover there for an instant, and--voila!--the open windows all minimize,
leaving the Recycle Bin available to accept the dragged files.
This tip also works when windows are maximized, assuming the file(s) you want to
delete are visible in one of the available windows.

Easy Way to Adjust LargeSystemCache

Normally, the tweak I've seen asks you to go into
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management and change the
value to either O or 1 to the adjustment the LargeSystemCache.
However, in Windows XP, all you have to do is:
· Right-click My Computer.
· Select Properties.
· Click Advanced.
· Choose Performance.
· Click Advanced again.
· Select either Programs or System Cache under Memory Usage.
Programs = 0 for the registry tweak equivalent
System Cache = 1 for the registry tweak equivalent
· On NT Server (in this case XP), the Large System Cache option is enabled, but
disabled on Workstation. The two different settings effect how the cache manager
allocates free memory. If the Large Cache option is on, the manager marks all the free
memory, which isn't being used by the system and/or applications, as freely available for
disk caching.
· On the flip-side (with a small cache), the manager instead only sets aside 4MB of
memory for disk caching in an attempt to accelerate the launch of applications. Or in a
more technical approach, if enabled the system will favor system-cache working sets over
process working sets (with a working set basically being the memory used by components of
a process).

Turn Off System Restore to Save Space

By default, Windows XP keeps a backup of system files in the System Volume Information
folder. This can eat up valuable space on your hard drive. If you don't want Windows to
back up your system files:
· Open the Control Panel.
· Double-click on System.
· Click the System Restore tab.
· Check "Turn off System Restore on all drives".
· Hit Apply.
· You may now delete the System Volume Information folder.
Warning! If you turn this off you will not be able to use Windows System Restore to
restore your system in case of failure.

Easily Disable Messenger

Go into: C:/Program Files/Messenger. Rename the Messenger folder to "MessengerOFF".
This does not slow down Outlook Express or hinder system performance.

Speed Up Detailed View in Explorer

If you like to view your files in Windows Explorer using the "Details" view here is a
tweak to speed up the listing of file attributes:
Viewing files in Windows Explorer using the "Details" mode shows various attributes
associated with each file shown. Some of these must be retrieved from the individual
files when you click on the directory for viewing. For a directory with numerous and
relatively large files (such as a folder in which one stores media, eg: *.mp3's, *.avi's
etc.), Windows Explorer lags as it reads through each one. Here's how to disable viewing
of unwanted attributes and speed up file browsing:
· Open Windows Explorer.
· Navigate to the folder which you wish to optimize.
· In "Details" mode right-click the bar at the top which displays the names of the
attribute columns.
· Uncheck any that are unwanted/unneeded.
Explorer will apply your preferences immediately, and longs lists of unnecessary
attributes will not be displayed.
Likewise, one may choose to display any information which is regarded as needed,
getting more out of Explorer.

Speeding Up Your Pentium 2 by 50%

We all know that you really shouldn't try to run Windows XP on anything less that
about a Pentium 3 of some sort if you are out for speedy operations and amazing reaction
times, but for those of us with the good old Pentium 2's who want to see just how well we
can run XP, we have to tweak as much as we can where-ever we can. A real killer to the
system's performance is Windows Media Player. Although it may look desirable and fancy
with it's rounded off edges and 3rd-Dimensional appearance, the truth is, it takes up a
large amount of that precious processing power. All of these troubles however, lead to
one thing in particular with this 'new-look' over-rated music and video player...the
Visualizations. The look-great I'll admit but like a lot of software these days, it has
no purpose. If you run the task manager, and click the Performance tab along the top,
you'll see that when Windows Media Player is running and nothing else is active, it takes
up around 50% of the processors power. Once these visualizations are turned off, it
barely takes up 2-3% of the processors power, which leaves much more room for other
applications to work efficiently.
Here's how to disable the feature:
· Open Media Player.
· Make sure the Now Playing tab on the left is selected.
· Click the View menu along the top.
· Go down to Now Playing Tools.
· In the sub-menu that has just 'popped-out', uncheck Show Visualization.

Shutdown XP Faster

Like previous versions of windows, it takes long time to restart or shutdown windows
XP when the "Exit Windows" sound is enabled. To solve this problem you must disable this
useless sound.
· Click Start button.
· Go to settings > Control Panel > Sound, Speech and Audio devices > Sounds and Audio
Devices > Sounds.
· Then under program events and windows menu click on "Exit Windows" sub-menu and
highlight it. Now from sounds you can select, choose "none" and then click Apply and
OK.
Now you should see some improvements when shutting down your system.

Make your own icons

It's shockingly easy to create your own icons in Windows XP. Let's do it: Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Paint. On the Image menu, click Attributes. Type 32 for both the Width and Height of the document, and make sure that Pixels is selected under Units. Click OK to create a new 32x32-pixel document: the size of an icon.
Now add type, color, or do whatever you'd like to your image. I like to shrink photos (headshots work best) to 32x32 and simply paste them into my Paint document. When you're finished, open the File menu and click Save As. Use the dialog box to choose where you want to save your file, then give it a name followed by ".ico" (without the quotes), and click Save. (The extension ".ico" tells Windows that it's an icon file.) You just created an icon! Now you can change any shortcut or folder to your own icon—just browse to it on your hard drive.

Organize your files into groups(Windows Tricks)

Organize your files by grouping them. Try this: Open a folder containing several different subfolders and file types. Right-click any empty space on the window's contents pane, click Arrange Icons By, and then click Show in Groups. To arrange the window's contents, right-click again in any empty space on the window's contents pane, point to Arrange Icons By, and click Name, Size, Type, or Modified.

Arrange windows on your desktop(Windows Tricks)

You can display any two windows side by side on the desktop by first clicking a window's button on the Taskbar. Next, press and hold the Ctrl key and right-click the second window that you want to open, then click Tile Vertically. This works great when you want to view two Microsoft Word or Microsoft Internet Explorer windows at the same time.

Don't just maximize your windows—go full screen (Windows Tricks)

When you need a really big window, don't just maximize it: go full screen! To view a window full screen, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click the window's title bar—or when the window is active, press the F11 key at the top of your keyboard—to get the biggest window possible.

MATTAR PANEER (PEAS AND CHEESE)

===============================

Ingredients:

------------

2 Onions

2 Tomatoes

4 cloves Garlic

1/2 packet frozen Peas

1" cube Ginger

1/4 t Turmeric

to taste Salt

to taste Pepper

1/2 t Garam Masala

2 c Water

Method:

-------

Cut paneer in 1" cubes and deep fry. Make Masala with onion, garlic,ginger, and tomatoes. Season and add turmeric. Add peas and paneer.

CURRIED EGGPLANT (BHARTHA)

==========================
(Serves 4 to 6)
Ingredients:
------------
2 lb Eggplant
4 medium Tomatoes
3 t Fresh chopped coriander
1/2 c Ghee
1/2 c Finely chopped onion
Method:
-------
Preheat oven to 450 deg F. Bake in the middle level of the oven for 1hour or until very tender. While they are still warm, peel and crushthe eggplants. Heat oil and fry onions until soft and clear. Do not brown. Add thetomatoes and fry for 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and stir until almostall liquid disappears and the mixture leaves the side. Place into abowl, sprinkle on coriander and serve at once.

CAULIFLOWER AND POTATOES (ALOO GOBI)

====================================
Ingredients:
------------
1 medium Cauliflower
2 medium Potatoes
1 Onion
1 Tomato
1 clove Garlic
1" piece Gingerpinch
Turmeric
to taste Salt
to taste Pepper
to taste Garam Masala
Method:
-------
Make Masala with onion, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes. Add turmeric andspices. Break the cauliflower in flowerettes and cut the potatoes intocubes (8 pieces each). Add both to Masala and lower heat to simmer. Cover the pot until the cauliflower and potatoes are coated.

BHINDI

=============
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
------------
1 lb bhindi
2 small Onions
2 small Tomatoes
1/4 t Turmeric
to taste Salt
Red pepper (optional)
Oil for frying
Method:
-------
Wash the bhindiand dry it thoroughly. Cut off the heads and cut intosmall circles. Chop the onions and tomatoes separately. Deep fry theokra until very brown. Remove from heat and set aside. Pour out someoil. Add turmeric to hot oil. Add the onions and fry until golden brown.Add the fried bhindi, salt, pepper, and tomatoes.Cover and bake at 250 deg F for 15 minutes.

DRY POTATOES (SOOKHA ALOO)

==========================
(4-6 Servings)
Ingredients:
------------
4 medium size Potatoes
2 t Cumin seeds
1 t Salt
2 t Mango powder
1/4 t Hot pepper
2 t Garam MasalaOil (to fill pan to 2")
Method:
-------
Boil potatoes until cooked but not overdone. Peel and cut into 1/2"cubes. Heat oil very hot, add and brown cumin seeds. Add potatoes and fryuntil they are golden brown. Add the remaining ingredients, and fry for2-3 minutes or more. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon. Serve hot.
Tips: Use enough oil so that the potatoes will not need to be stirredoften. This avoids breaking them up.

Aloo Parathas

Ingredients
1 kg sieved flour
1/2 kilo boiled potatoes (in hot condition)
3 spoonsful cheese spread (grated cheese can also be used).
2 finely chopped/grated onions
Finely chopped chillies /coriander leaves, turmeric powder/dhania powder
Salt as per requirement.
A little warm water
Method
Mix onions,chillies,chopped coriander, cheese spread,and the powders well, without wasting the juices from the onions and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
Then mash the potatoes into this in hot condition into a very smooth paste. Now add the flour a little at a time, and knead into a smooth paste. Add water if necessary.
Now set this aside for an hour and then roll out the paratas and cook in preheated tawa.

PARATHA

=======

Ingredients:

------------

1 c Whole wheat flour

Ghee

Water

Method:

-------

Make chappati dough. Divide into 6 parts and make balls. Flatten and roll each. Spread ghee over them and fold. Roll again. Heat the paratha on a griddle like you would a chappati, but spread some ghee over the top side. Turn and spread ghee on the other side. Fry until the bottom is crisp and golden, then turn and fry the remaining side. Repeat with all six. Serve at once, since they lose crispness if stored.

MINT AND CORIANDER CHUTNEY

==========================

Ingredients:

------------

1 bunch Coriander leaves

1 bunch Mint leaves

1 Green chili

1 oz Seedless tamarind

1 tsp Salt

4 T Water

1 medium Onion

Method:

-------

Wash and soak tamarind in water for 1/2 hour. Clean, pick and wash the coriander and mint. Separate pulp from the tamarind and squeeze out the pulp. Grind coriander, mint, green chili and onion into a fine paste. Add the tamarind pulp and salt. Blend well. In an airtight jar this can be refrigerated for up to one week.

BOONDHI RAITA

=============

Ingredients:

------------

1/4 c Besan

1/2 c Water

Ghee for frying

to taste Salt

to taste Pepper

to taste Chat Masala

1 1/2 c Yogurt

1/4 c Milk

Method:

-------

Make a pouring paste of the besan and water. Heat ghee and drop paste into it through a slotted spoon to get little drops that fall one at a time (these are boondhi). Remove the drops when golden brown and dry on a paper towel to remove extra oil. Soak the drops in warm water. Add milk, salt, pepper, and add Chat Masala to yogurt. Squeeze water out of boondhi and add to yogurt.

ONION AND TOMATO RAITA

======================

(4-6 Servings)
Ingredients:

------------

8 oz. Yogurt (plain)

1 small Onion

1/2 t Salt

1 small Tomato

1/2 t Chat Masala (optional)

1/2 t Black pepper (ground)

1/4 c Milk
Method:

-------

Beat yogurt and milk until smooth. Chop onion and tomatoes and add toyogurt. Add salt and pepper and sprinkle the Chat Masala over, andserve.

UPMA

====

This is a breakfast dish in the southern part of India.
Ingredients:
------------
1 cup Cream of wheat
1 Onion cut lengthwise
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/8 tsp Urad dal
1 Cashew-nut
1/4 Lemon
1/2 cup Peas
1 clove Garlic
1/10" piece Ginger
1 Green chili cut into small pieces.
Method:
-------
Fry cream of wheat on a dry pan for 5 minutes and set aside.

Put two tablespoons of oil in a pan and heat. Add mustard seeds, Urad
dal, cashewnut, and garlic clove. Wait till mustard seeds stop
splitting. Add the onion, chili, and ginger and fry till the onion
turns brown. Add cream of wheat and fry for 3-5 minutes. Add salt and
peas. Add two cups of boiling water and stir for 2 minutes. (Switch
off the stove as soon as the water is poured.)

Cover the vessel for 4 minutes. Add lime if needed.

BONDA WITH INSTANT MASHED POTATO

================================


Ingredients:
------------
1 medium Onion
2 cups Potato buds
1 1/2 cup Peas and carrots
2 big ones Green chilies
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
1 cup Gram flour
1/2 tsp Mustard seed
pinch Turmeric
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/4" piece Ginger
1 small bunch Coriander leaves
2 tsp Salt
Oil
Method:
-------
The filling is prepared as follows:
-----------------------------------
Mix potato buds and 1/2 teaspoon of salt with 1 cup of hot water.
Finely chop ginger, chilies, coriander leaves, and onion. Heat oil
(about 5 Tbsp) and add mustard seeds. Add chopped ingredients and fry
until onions are brown. Add carrots, peas, turmeric and 1 tsp of salt
and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add potato (now mashed) and
fry for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and let cool.
The batter is prepared as follows:
----------------------------------
Combine gram flour, 3 Tbsp of oil, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt, the
baking powder and mix thoroughly
After the batter is prepared, make small balls out of the filling and
roll them in the batter. Next fry it in hot oil. You will get about
20-30 small bondas.

DAHI VADA (SAVORY BALLS IN YOGURT)

==================================


Ingredients:
------------
1/2 c Urad dal
1/2 Moong dal
1 c Yogurt
Spice to taste (cumin and paprika)
Oil for frying
1/4 c Milk
Method:
-------
Clean dal, wash and soak in water for 4 hours. Blend in blender at
medium speed using the minimum amount of water required to keep paste
moving freely. Add salt and start heating oil.
Drop spoonfuls of batter in the hot oil using a large tablespoon. Fry
until golden brown. Drop in water. Let it soak till ready to serve.
Beat yogurt with milk. Add spice according to taste. Squeeze out water
from the vada and add yogurt. Serve.

PAKORAS (SAVORY FRITTERS)

=========================




Ingredients:
------------
Batter:
-------
1/2 c Besan
5 oz Warm water
1/4 t Red pepper
3/4 t Salt
1/2 t Garam Masala
paprika (optional)
Vegetables:
-----------
1 Small onion
1 Potato
A few spinach leaves
Oil for deep frying
Method:
-------
In a bowl put the besan and half the water, and stir until it becomes a
thick batter. Beat hard for 5 minutes. gradually add the rest of the
water, and leave to swell for 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper and Garam
Masala and beat again.
Wash peel and slice the onion and potatoes. Wash and pat dry the
spinach leaves.
Heat oil until smoking hot, dip the vegetables in the batter and deep
fry until golden brown.
Serve hot.

BHEL

====




This is a concoction that I often bought from street vendors in India.
My mouth still waters whenever I think of Bhel. The recipe presented
here was taken off the net, and I haven't had a chance to try it yet. I
include the note from the contributors:

Ingredients:
------------
Puffed Rice (1 carton of Rice Krispies may be used)
1 packet Bhel mix or Sev
2 cups Mashed boiled potatoes (mashed coarsely and then salted)
1/2 cup Chopped fresh coriander leaves (a.k.a Chinese parsley)
3 Tbsp Freshly roasted and ground cumin
to taste Green chilies
1-2 Tbsp Freshly ground black pepper
to taste Tamarind
to taste Jaggery (or Brown Sugar)
1 cup Chopped onions.

Method:
-------
First boil the potatoes, mash them, salt them, and add pepper to taste.
Add some coriander leaves too.

Roast the cumin and grind it.

Dissolve about 4 Tbsp of tamarind concentrate in 1 cup of hot water, and
let it simmer and thicken gradually. Dissolve the jaggery (or sugar)
until the sauce becomes tart and slightly sweet. (You may add some salt
and ground red paprika, if you want to.) The sauce should be of a
consistency slightly thinner than maple syrup. Pour into a serving
container (like a creamer). Mix the puffed rice and sev/bhel mix in a
large bowl.

On a plate, serve the rice-bhel mixture, add the potatoes, then the
onions, chilies, and then dust the cumin powder over it. Next pour on
the sauce and top with the coriander garnish. (Add salt/pepper to
taste).

Mix the ingredients on the plate and eat.