Pesto!!

One of the yummiest pestos i know how to make, i usually have a small batch always ready in the fridge for a quickie gourmet meal :)

2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
Optional: 1-3 cloves of garlic finely crushed and 1/4th cup grated cheese (preferably parmesan)

Whirrr the leaves in small batches in a mixie until well chopped, add the nuts to the leaf mixture (and all the garlic if you are adding the garlic) and whirrr again... add half the cheese and blend while slowly adding the olive oil, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container, you can now add the rest of the cheese and anything else that may be left and finish the blending into a delicious thick smooth paste... i find that adding a pinch of salt makes it tastier too...

It keeps well in a fridge for about 10 days and for much longer if frozen

Next time you stir fry some veggies, dont add any indian spices, just aute the veggies until cooked and then add a generous spoonful of the pesto (to about 1/2 kg to 3/4 kg of veggies) and watch how the bland dish magically transforms into something really special... vary the amount of pesto according to your taste... serve with toasted bread

This pesto can be stirred through a cooked mixture of noodles and veggies for a surprizingly tasty meal...

Finally, toasted bread with butter and pesto spread tastes heavenly!

Will leave it to you to figure out other uses of the pesto...

PS Thanks a lot to Bharat Bhayya who keeps me supplied with the freshest of Basil leaves from his organic garden in the ashram... btw, Basil plants are remarkably easy to grow, and 5 pots lasted me over 5 months of almost daily continuous use!