New Delhi: Food can be one of the best ways to make your day better. No matter how day your day has been, a plate of good food can lift your mood instantly. But, what if you are longing for the weekend already? Well, we can't bring the weekend for you, but we have something to share to make your mid-week better. Listed below are some recipes that you can prepare at home that would undoubtedly make the last three days of your week better. 


Pasta Alle Melanzane (by Chef Megha Jhunjhunwala, Hearth & i)


Ingredients:



  • 1 aubergine, sliced horizontally into 1/2-inch disks

  • 250 gm tomato, diced

  • 1 Sheet of lasagne

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 5 cloves garlic, minced

  • A handful of basil

  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

  • Salt and pepper to taste


Preparation:



  • To prepare the aubergine, pan-roast the aubergine slices with olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt & pepper. Leave it half-cooked and keep aside.

  • To make the marinara sauce, sauté onion, garlic and tomato with some basil leaves, salt and pepper, in olive oil.

  • Cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes and then blend, once cooled. Keep aside.

  • Prepare the lasagne - cut 2 x 2-inch pasta sheets for layering the dish.

  • To assemble, in a baking dish put a thin layer of the marinara sauce, followed by the pasta sheet, then marinara sauce again, followed by the aubergine.

  • Repeat the layers. Finish the dish with Parmesan and bake in the oven at 220°C for 15 minutes.


2. Chinese Bhel (by Chef Deepak Purohit, 36 Lebzelter)


Ingredients:



  • Noodles

  • Oil

  • Vegetables- Cabbage, Carrot, Red bell pepper,Green bell pepper, Yellow pepper, Onion & Tomato

  • Chilly Paste- half tablespoon

  • Lebzelter secret Spices

  • Salt to taste

  • Vinegar- half tablespoon

  • Soya Sauce- 5 drops


Preparation:



  • Take some noodles and fry them in a pan using oil.

  • Cut all the Vegetables namely Cabbage, Carrot, Red bell pepper,Green bell pepper, Yellow pepper, Onion & Tomato  in Julienne style.

  • Put Noodles and Vegetables together and add chilly paste along with the secret lebzelter spice.

  • In the respective mixture pour some salt, vinegar and soya sauce.

  • Mix well and ready to serve.


3. Paneer Khatta Pyaz ( by Chef Deep Chand Dobriyal, Sharabi Kukkad)


Ingredients:



  • 100g Fresh Paneer

  • 15ml Refined oil

  • 2g Ginger (chopped)

  • 2g Garlic (chopped)

  • 80g Makhani gravy

  • 30g Chop masala

  • 2g Deggi mirch

  • 1g Garam masala

  • 2g Coriander powder

  • 2g Salt

  • 10g Amul Cream


For Garnish:



  • Sirka Onion (diced)

  • Coriander (chopped)

  • Ginger (julienne)


Preparation:



  • Heat the refined oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

  • Add the chopped ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute.

  • Add the dry masalas (deggi mirch, coriander powder, salt, and garam masala) and
    stir well.

  • Add the chop masala and makhani gravy and stir until combined.

  • Add the diced paneer (25g each) and chopped coriander to the pan and mix well.

  • Cook for a few minutes until the paneer is well coated with the gravy.

  • Add the Amul cream and stir well.

  • Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish.

  • Garnish with diced sirka onion, chopped coriander, and julienne ginger.