Imelda's Key Lime Pie

3 egg yokes - beaten until thick and yellow
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
grated rind

Place in cooked pie shell and refridgerate.
Serve very cold with whipped cream.

Imelda's Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350.

Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add the buttermilk or sour milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla, beating until smooth.

Spread in the pans or pan and bake, about 20-25 minutes for the small pans, 35-45 minutes for the large one. Test to see if a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in teh pan before turning out onto a rack.

Imelda's Dahl

Red split lentils with cumin seed - Masoor dal

200g red split lentils, picked over, washed an drained
1 liter water
2 thin slices of unpeeled ginger
1 small onion
1/2 teasp. turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
A pinch of ground asafetida, optional
1 teasp whole cumin seeds
1 teasp. ground coriander seeds
1/2 teasp. mustard seed
1/4 cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander

Bring washed lentils and 1 liter of water to a boil, simmer. Remove any scum that collects at top. Add the ginger and turmeric and whole onion. Stir to mix. cover, leaving the lid very slightly ajar, turn heat to low and simmer gently until lentils are tender - 30 mins to 1 hr. depends on lentils. Stir every 5 mins to prevent sticking. Add the salt and stir to mix. Remove ginger slices and the onion. (I usually blend the dal at this stage, but doesn't have to be done)

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium flame, When hot, put in the mustard seed and asafetida. A second later, put in the cumin seeds. Let seeds sizzle for a few seconds. Now put in the ground coriander and cayenne. Stir once and then quickly pour the contents of the pan into the lentils. Stir to mix. Add salt and more tumeric, ground cumin, or cayenne to taste.

Sprinkle the fresh coriander over the top when serving.

Imelda's Raita

Kheere ka Raita - yogurt with cucumber and mint‏

2 1/2 cups plain yoghurt (try and get one that is not set)
1 med. sized cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely grated or chopped (make sure all the water is squeezed out before you place in yoghurt)
2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Put yoghurt in a bowl. Beat lightly with a fork until smooth and creamy. Add all the other ingredients and mix. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.