Sweet Pongal

Pongal/ Makar Sankranti/Bihu...celebrated under many names across India...One of the greatest Indian festivals..our own Thanksgiving, to nature, our crops, farmers, all that make our every day life great and worth living and looking forward to..

SWEET PONGAL

Ingredients :
Rice - 1 cup
Split Green gram(moong dal) - 1/4 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups + 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 2 cups
Green cardamom (Elaichi) powder - 1/4 tsp
Clarified butter (Ghee) - 1/4 cup
Nutmeg (Jaiphal) powder - 1/4 tsp
Clove (Laung) powder - a pinch (optional)
Cashews - a few
Raisins - a few

Method : 
1. Lightly toast Moong dal in a pan, only until it lets out aroma. Add to the rice and wash both together. Pressure cook with 3 cups water and milk till well done and very soft. It should be easily mashable.
2. Add jaggery and 1/4 cup water to a wok. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, till all water content evaporates and you get a really sticky syrup. 
3. Remove the cooked rice+dal from the cooker and mash well while still hot. Once the jaggery syrup is ready, add the mashed rice to it a little at a time. Stir really well so that the jaggery and rice+dal are well mixed. Add the ghee and mix.
4. In another pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and roast Cashews and raising till golden brown. Add to the rice mix in the wok.
5. Sprinkle elaichi powder, nutmeg powder and clove powder. Mix well. 
Serve warm, and to make it even better, pour a generous ladle of ghee over it !!!

Sprouted Moong Sundal

Day 2 of Navratri, continuing with Ma Durga (3 days each for Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswathi), plus it being Wednesday, Mom & I decided on a "green" prasad. Well..what better than Sprouted Moong Sundal, also known as Pacchai-Payaru Sundal !!!

SPROUTED MOONG SUNDAL

Ingredients :

Sprouted whole Green gram(Moong) - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tbsps
Mustard (Rai ) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Chili powder  - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric (Haldi ) powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) powder - 1/4 tsp

Method :

1. Heat oil in a wok or kadhai. Add mustard seeds and let crackle.

2. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves, sauté for a minute. 

3. Add the moong sprouts, along with turmeric powder, salt, chili powder and hing. mix well. Let cook for about 5-7 minutes, stir once or twice in between.
Remove and serve as desired.

Lemon Rice

Day 3 of Navrathri, and mum completed the 3 days of Durga Pooja (3 days each for Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswathi) Today the prasadam was Lemon Rice, a simple to make, yet delicious rice variety that's quite popular in South Indian kitchens. The variations one can make with this dish is quite amazing, from a simple seasoning to veggies, peanuts, one's creativity is the limit!!

Here comes the recipe ......

LEMON RICE

Ingredients :

Rice - 1/2 cup

Turmeric (Haldi) powder - 1/2 tsp

Finely chopped vegetables (Mix of carrot & capsicum) - 1/2 cup

Peas - 1/4 cup

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

For seasoning :

Sesame Oil - 2 tbsps

Mustard (Rai) seeds - 1/2 tsp

Bengal gram - 1 tsp

Green chili - 1 large

Curry leaves - a few

Method :

1. Boil or pressure cook washed rice with 1 cup water. Take care not to over-cook, we need a pulao consistency where the grains are separated but cooked. Once done, spread on a plate gently using a fork and let cool to room temperature.

2. Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds and let crackle. Add the bengal gram, curry leaves and chopped green chili. Saute for 1 minute. 

3. Now tip in the vegetables along with turmeric powder and salt and let cook till 3/4th done. 

4. Once the vegetables are done, add to the rice. Add lemon juice as well and again using a fork, gently mix all of these with the rice till uniformly done. Check for salt. Optional to garnish with chopped coriander.

Warm the rice before serving.

Papaya Banana Smoothie

Got some over-ripe fruits at home? Papaya and banana especially can look quite discouraging to consume on their own if too ripe!! But it's criminal to waste food! So here's a healthy and yummy alternative to not just use, but enjoy them!!

PAPAYA-BANANA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients :

Semi-ripe Papaya (cubed) - 1/2 (or 1 whole if small)
Ripe Banana (cubed) - 1 (I used robusta)
Honey - 3 to 4 tbsps
Thick curd - 1 cup
Milk - 2 tbsps
Clove powder - a pinch

Method :
1. Blend together the papaya and banana pieces.

2. Add the curd and milk and give it another whirl.

3. Finally add the honey and pinch of clove powder, pulse once and transfer to serving jar.

4. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Optional to add fruit chunks and/or dry fruits for added nutrition.

Potato & Cheese stuffed tartlets

     Starters are just that, a great start to any meal, or just on their own, the perfect accompaniment to catching up on some gossip, or in more technical terms...preparing and balancing one's appetite for the bigger meal ahead!!
For this tartlet, I chose an English-style stuffing, simple potatoes and peas with minimal spices. The stuffing tasted simply wonderful and proved that, sometimes, less is more!! 

STUFFED TARTLETS

Ingredients :

For the tartlets :
All purpose flour -1 cup
Bajra (Pearl Millet flour) - 1/2 cup
Soya flour - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder - to taste

Stuffing (for the spicy version):
Oil - 1 & 1/2 tbsps
Boiled and mashed potatoes (with salt)- 1 cup
Boiled peas - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
Mixed herbs - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Crushed chili flakes - 1/4 cup
Grated processed cheese - 1/4 cup or 1 cheese slice

Stuffing (for the sweet version) :
Butter - 1/2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Boiled and mashed Sweet potatoes - 1 cup
Chopped apples - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Misc : 
Grated cheese - for sprinkling
Oil for frying

Method :

1. Let's prepare the stuffing first. [The sweet version is totally optional, I just made it for a variation and since apples are so in season and with the right crunch :) ] Heat 1.5 tbsps oil in a pan, and add the mashed potatoes and peas. Stir the mixture till the oil is well mixed in.

2. Add salt to taste, garlic powder, pepper powder, chili flakes or chili powder and stir well into the mashed veggies. Let cook for about 2 minutes on low flame. Now add the grated cheese/cheese slice and the herbs. Stir again and check for salt. Let cook for 1 minute more and turn off the flame. 

 3. For the sweet version, heat butter and oil in a pan. Add the chopped apples and let cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Add in the cooked sweet potatoes and mix well. Add salt to taste, very little as we only want to enhance the sweetness in contrast! Add pepper and chili powder as well and stir in till well-mixed. Let cook for 2-3 minutes more and remove. Let cool.
4. Now for the 'tartlets'..... Sieve together the flours and add the salt and pepper powder. Knead into a soft but firm dough using sufficient water. Divide into small and equal portions. 

5. Heat oil for frying. Roll out a dough portion into a puri or a round 2 inches in diameter. Wrap over an aluminium cupcake mould and press gently. Prick all over with fork and drop carefully into the oil. 
Press down to hold the mould in place for few seconds and to let the fried puri retain its shape before the mould frees itself. Then remove the cupcake mould out of the oil and let the puri fry on low heat for few seconds more. 
Do not fry till golden brown and crisp as we will be further baking these along with the stuffing.

6. Repeat with the rest of the dough and drain excess oil. Now fill the puris with the prepared stuffing and sprinkle grated cheese on top. Preheat oven at 170 deg C. 
[Note : I use a microwave oven, so to pre-heat I tend to place some water in a micro-proof bowl and run it on high for a minute or so. ]

7. Arrange the stuffed puris or tartlets in a baking dish and bake for about 10-15 minutes till cheese turns golden brown. In the micro, I baked them for about 7-8 minutes.
Serve hot with desired accompaniment.

Mirch ka Salan

Mirch Ka Salan, a typical Hyderabadi dish, the very mention of which can get our taste buds tingling!!!

Salan, or curry, is a popular base that is combined with several vegetarian and non-vegetarian options - Mirch, Gobhi, Gosht and many more, list would be endless.

[Note : The original recipe calls for Bhavnagari Chillies, but since I couldn't get those, used the Bajji Mirchi instead. The taste was just as awesome, trust me :) ]

MIRCHA KA SALAN

Ingredients :

Bajji Mirchi - 8 

Capsicum (cut into 1" long strips) - 1/2 cup (optional)

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1/4 tsp

Chili powder - 2 tsps

Dhaniya-Jeera powder - 2 tbsps

Tamarind (Imli) pulp - 1 tbsp

Chopped fresh coriander - 2 tbsps

Water - 2 cups

Oil - 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Dry Masala

Roasted Peanuts - 2 tbsps

Roasted jeera - 1 tbsp

Roasted Sesame(Til) - 2 tbsps

Grind to a paste

Ginger - 1/2" piece

Garlic - 6 cloves

Onion - 1/2 cup (chopped)

Tomatoes - 1 cup (chopped)

Coconut (fresh, grated) - 3 tbsps

Method :

1. Wash and slit the chilies. De-seed and fry in oil. Or you could shallow fry in lesser oil, which is what I did! Drain and keep aside.

2. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan, add jeera, mustard seeds, methi seeds and curry leaves. Let crackle. Now add the ground paste and stir well. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the dry masala mix to this gravy and stir again. Let cook on a medium flame till oil starts to separate. Add 2 cups water and tamarind pulp and bring to a boil.

4. Finally add the green chilies and capsicum , along with chopped coriander. Check for salt and let simmer on low till gravy thickens.

Serve "hot" :)

Quick fix Pasta with leftover veggies

A quick fix Pasta in White Sauce using ingredients mostly available at home...became an instant hit with my niece and nephew!!! As a plus I used up the leftover Broccoli-peas curry from the morning as well!

                                                       PASTA IN WHITE SAUCE

Our theme for the 6th Foodie Monday Blog Hop - Pasta :)

Ingredients : 

Boiled pasta (Penne or Farfalle works best) - 2 cups
Cold Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Cheese slices - 2
Maida - 2 tbsps
Whole wheat flour - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Olive oil / Butter - 1 tbsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Crushed Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Oregano / Mixed herbs (I used the small packs that usually get left-over each time one orders pizza!!)
Chilli flakes (optional)
Spicy tomato sauce for the garnish

Method : 

1. Heat oil / butter in a pan. Add in the vegetables as desired. For this recipe I used leftover Broccoli-Peas curry from the morning, so I added them along with the pasta, since they didnt need extra cooking!

2. In a bowl, whisk together milk, Maida + Wheat flour and salt leaving no lumps. Pour the milk mixture into the pan stirring all the while.

3. When it starts to thicken add the garlic powder and let simmer. Don't forget to keep stirring. Check for salt and add the pepper powder as well.

4. Drop in the 2 cheese slices and keep stirring till the cheese melts and mixes well with the milk. Let simmer for 2 minutes. Add the chili flakes if you need it extra spicy.

5. Now add in the boiled pasta and stir. [I added the leftover curry at this point.] Cover and let simmer for about 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in between and let cook for a minute more so the sauce coats the pasta well.
Tip : If pasta has cooled down and sticking together, drop it for a split second in hot water and take out immediately, This will shock the pasta and make it easier to mix in with the sauce.

6. Finally sprinkle the oregano and stir once. Remove and serve hot with lightly toasted brown bread.
Optional to half-cook this on flame and bake it with more cheese and tomato sauce(till cheese melts and forms golden brown spots) on top as I have done.
This is the basic sauce. One can also add in chopped and blanched spinach, capsicum, zucchini and so on for the vegetable touch.

Simple Sooji Halwa

When we talk of Sooji halwa or Sheera, it immediately brings to mind the ghee-dripping semolina delicacy served piping hot with Pooris or on their own in stitched leaf bowls, or 'Donas' .
The South Indian variant that we make is called Rawa Kesari; known to get its name from the Kesar or saffron colour that gets added to the halwa. Also my mother tends to add the water and sugar at separate stages, allowing the sooji to cook first and then stir in the sugar.

Now the halwa in this recipe is as basic as it gets. The ultimate omnipresent sweet that is favoured in most festivals, temples, after-dinner dessert...the list is endless!! 

This goes in for the 5th FOODIE MONDAY BLOG HOP....yayyy, we are on to the 5th week now :) 


So here goes the recipe (credit : vegrecipesofindia.com)

SOOJI HALWA

Ingredients : (Serves 4)

Roasted Rawa/Sooji/Semolina - 1 cup
Ghee/Clarified Butter - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Sugar - 3/4 to 1 cup
Cashews - a few
Raisins - a few
Saffron strands
Cardamom/Elaichi powder - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed or non-stick pan. Now add the rawa and stir till ghee coats it evenly. Add the cashews and start roasting both the ingredients in the ghee till they start becoming golden brown and ghee gets fully absorbed. 
Note : Do this patiently on low flame, as we want the rawa to get cooked well without getting burnt.

2. Meanwhile, heat water along with sugar and let boil, only till sugar dissolves. Stir occasionally.

3. To the sooji pan, add raisins and cardamom powder and mix well. 

4. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the sugar syrup to the rawa and stir simultaneously. Mix well, so that the water gets absorbed and no lumps are formed. The mix will start to thicken and slowly reach the halwa consistency. 

When the mixture starts leaving the sides, remove from the flame and serve. 
Note : Some types of rawa might need more water to cook, so you will need to adjust accordingly.

Quick & Easy Chat

Fourth #FoodieMonday #BlogHop - Kiddie food :) 
Kids love junk food, anything that ir crunchy, crispy, quick to grab and eat, except that it isn't healthy !!! So here's something that is crunchy, tasty, can be put together quickly and is healthier :)

JHATPAT CHAAT

Ingredients :

Boiled potato - 2 (medium), diced
White chickpeas - 1 cup (Soaked overnight and drained)
Fresh Pomegranate seeds - as required
Chopped apple - as required
Brown bread slices - 4 to 5
Boiled sweet corn - 1 cup
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Green chutney - as required
Tomato ketchup - as required
Sev or other Farsaan (optional)
Jeera powder
Chaat Masala
Chopped Coriander (optional)

Method :

1. Cut the bread slices into squares and roast without using oil till crisp on a tawa, or in a microwave.

2. In a bowl, mix together the diced potato, chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, diced apples, boiled corn and brown bread squares.

3. Add the green chutney and ketchup and mix lightly. Sprinkle Jeera powder and chaat masala. Mix lightly again.

4. Just before serving, garnish with the Sev/farsaan, chopped onion and chopped dhaniya. Serve.

Amaranth Pav Bhaji

My new found love for Amaranth, the leafy version, has me experimenting with it in almost every dish!! One of them - one of the yummiest street foods - PAV BHAJI !!! This one's also my entry for the third #FoodieMonday #BlogHop 

AMARANTH PAV BHAJI 

Ingredients :

For Vegetables :  Potatoes - 2, large
Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
French Beans - 1 cup (chopped into 1" pieces)
Capsicum - 1, diced
Peas - 1 cup
Amaranth leaves - 1 cup, roughly chopped
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

For gravy & seasoning :
Oil - 2 tbsps
Tomatoes - 2 large (pureed)
Onion - 1 large (ground to a paste)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp (optional)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 2 tsps
Salt to taste
Pav Bhaji masala - 2 1/2 tsps

To serve :
Lemon juice
Chopped onion - 1/4 cup
Chopped coriander - for garnish
Pav buns - as required

Method :

1. Pressure cook all the vegetables along with turmeric powder and some salt, I added in the amaranth to the lot as well as I didn't want any fibres to be revealed in the bhaji!! This is optional though and you can simply finely chop them and blanch instead. Once the veggies are done, mash them while still hot. Keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let crackle. Add the ginger-garlic paste and let fry for about a minute. (A tip here : cover the pan as soon as you add the ginger-garlic paste and have stirred it for a bit, this prevents it from spluttering all over the cook top!!)

3. Now add the onion paste or chopped onions (I like them ground!) and fry till golden brown or in case of the paste, till oil starts to separate. At this point, tip in the tomato puree, stir and let cook for about 7-8 minutes on medium flame or till it leaves the raw aroma.

4. Add the chili powder, salt and pav bhaji masala. Stir well and check for taste. Add tomato ketchup if you like it tangy else it's optional.

5. Now add the mashed vegetables and fold into the gravy. Add little water if required. 
Note : The bhaji tends to thicken gradually even after it stops cooking. You might need to dilute it further before serving anyway, so do not add too much water now.

6. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves. Roast the pav buns on a tawa with a generous (or near-generous) helping of butter :) Serve with bhaji with lemon wedges and freshly chopped onions on the side.

Multi-grain Thalipeeth

               A  'Multi-grain' or 'Whole-grain' thalipeeth gives you the goodness of fibre, protein, minerals, iron and so much more. It's a wholesome meal that can be had on its own or with pickle and curds.

Ingredients : 
Whole wheat flour - 1 cup 
Besan (Bengal gram flour) - 1 cup 
Bajra/Jowar flour - 1cup 
Soya flour - 1cup 
Rice flour - 1 cup 
Rajgira Flour - 1 cup 
Maida - 1/4 cup 
Jeera - 2 tsps 
Dhaniya-curry leaves chutney - as required (Click link for chutney recipe) 
Salt to taste 
Whisked curds - 1 cup 
Water - as required

Method : 
1. Add all the flours and pinch salt to a clean bowl and mix well with hands. If possible, sift them together on to a large plate to allow them to mix well together. 
2. Add the jeera and green chutney and mix again. You can add as much chutney as desired, based on the spice and flavour you need. 
3. Now gradually add the curds and keep kneading the flours into a tight but soft dough. Add water only if required. Drizzle a little oil on to your hand and coat the dough with it. Cover and let rest for about 5-7 minutes.
4. Take 2 clean plastic sheets. Give the dough a rough kneading but do not knead too much. Divide into equal sized portions and keep aside.
5. Heat a tawa on medium heat. Place one dough round in between the plastic sheets on a counter and either press evenly into a pancake using your hands or use a rolling pin if it's easier. It's OK for the edges to be uneven. 
6. Cook the thalipeeth on the tawa using oil/ghee till golden brown on both sides. Use a flat ladle to press down and let cook evenly. Serve hot with pickle / chutney and curds.

Eggless Banana Blueberry Cupcake

An eggless fruity chocolicious cupcake...

CHOCOLATE-FILLED BLUEBERRY BANANA CUPCAKE

Ingredients :

All purpose flour - 1 cup
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Softened Butter - 100 gms
Powdered sugar - 1/4 cup
Ripe banana - 1
Milk - 1/4 cup
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
Blueberries - 6 to 7
Chocolate sauce - 1/4 cup

Method :

1. In a bowl, add butter, sugar, mashed banana and a few tbsps milk. Blend well using a hand blender.

2. Keep blending adding all the milk gradually.

3. Sieve together all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda. Fold into the butter mixture.

4. Finally add the vanilla essence and blueberries and give a final whisk.

5. Spoon out a little batter into the  cupcake moulds. Now pour a little chocolate sauce and top off with little more batter.

6. Bake in a microwave in convection mode @ 200 deg C for about 6 minutes.

7. Remove and cool. De-mould and garnish with remaining chocolate sauce and blueberries.

Simple Carrot Kheer

                   A simple Carrot Kheer, colourful, delicious and very simple to make. Can be improvised upon and served as a porridge too by adding in some rolled oats, dry fruits, and so on...

CARROT KHEER

Ingredients :

Finely grated carrot (or roughly minced in a mixer) - 1 cup
Milk - 1 and 1/2 cups
Condensed Milk - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/ tsp
Roasted cashews (in ghee/clarified butter)- a few

Method :

1. Add the milk to a thick-bottomed saucepan along with the grated carrot. Cook on a low-medium flame, stirring gently and occasionally.

2. Once carrot is cooked, stir in the condensed milk and let simmer for 7-10 minutes more.

3. Remove from the flame, and add in the roasted cashews and cardamom powder. Serve hot or cold.

Healthy Ghee Mix

                 Many of us prefer preparing ghee at home, whether it's from the homemade butter or the ready-made uncooked butter. Once the butter's melted to the desired point and we have the ghee we need, there is a brownish residue left-over in the pan. 
Now most of us might be doing this already, this is something I learnt from my mother. 
[Note : This works best with the golden brown butter residue, if it is too dark then the mix will taste bitter]

HEALTHY GHEE MIX

Ingredients : (makes 1 cup) 

Brown residue of melted butter - 1/2 cup 
Wheat flour - 1 cup 
Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup 
Cardamom (Elaichi) powder - a pinch


Method : 

1. Sprinkle the wheat flour over the butter residue and mix well so there are no lumps and you get a nice powdery consistency.

2. Now add the sugar and cardamom powder and give it a final mix. 
Note : Granular sugar can be used too, but it will be easier to mix in the powdered form.

Now whenever hunger pangs attack, munch through a few spoonfuls of this healthy mix!!!

Mixed Vegetable Rassa (gravy)

I have fond memories of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in our apartment complex in Delhi. It used to be a 11-day affair and full of fun and gaiety. On the Sunday (in between these 11 days), there would be detailed prayers-puja followed by the Mahaprasad bhog. This would consist of a delightfully simple fare of Halwa, Puris, Batata (Potato) rassa, Rice, raita and crisps. Like I said, simple, but just the fun of community eating made this no less than a grand feast. 
The Rassa wouldn't have any onion or garlic in it, as it was part of the 'Bhog' or offering to God, but yet it would have an out-of-the-world taste.
Here's the simple recipe...... 
Note : Though the original only had potatoes, I added in few more vegetables for variety and colour..so that part is completely optional.

VEGETABLE  RASSA 

Ingredients: 
Basic :
Potatoes - 2 large (cubed) 
Cauliflower florets - 1 cup 
Beans (Cut into 1" pieces) - 1/4 cup 
Peas - 1/2 cup 
Capsicum (diced) - 1/2 cup 
Tomatoes (roughly chopped) - 2 large (or 3 medium) 
Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp 
Coriander leaves - a few 
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp (optional)

Spices : 
Coriander (Dhaniya) powder - 1 tbsp 
Cumin (Jeera) powder - 1 tsp 
Garam masala - 1 tsp 
Chili powder - 1 tsp 
Turmeric (Haldi) powder - 1/4 tsp 

For seasoning : 
Oil - 1 tbsp 
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp 
Mustard seeds (Sarson) - 1/2 tsp 
Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - 1/2 tsp 

Method : 
1. Pressure cook the vegetables up to 2 whistles, remove and keep aside. 

2. In a pan, heat oil and add the cumin seeds and let crackle. Now add the mustard seeds and let crackle as well. Finally add the fenugreek seeds. Take care not to let them become too brown. 

3. Add the dry spice powders - Coriander powder, Jeera powder, Chili powder, turmeric powder and Garam masala. Saute for about 5 to 10 seconds. 

4. Add the chopped tomatoes along with salt, that will help them cook faster. Traditionally sugar is also added, but I opted out as I like the gravy to be spicy.

5. Once the tomatoes are done, add in the cooked vegetables and stir well. Check salt and add little water if needed (use the stock), cover and let cook on low to medium heat till the gravy is thicker and well-combined with the vegetables. This should take about 7-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with puris!!

Paneer Lentils Tikki

Post a recent festival, a bowl of Dal Vada batter was found hiding in the corner of our fridge. Quick way out would have been to make small bondas or mini vadas for a tea-time snack. But, how predictable!!! And, what's a recipe without a twist!! So here goes...

PANEER LENTILS TIKKI

Dal Vada recipe can be found here ....

Ingredients :

Tikki Mixture :
Crumbled Paneer - 250 gms
Rice flour - 2 tbsps
Soya flour - 1 tbsp
Chili Powder - 2 tsps
Salt to taste>
Crushed Kasuri Methi - 2 tsps
Garam Masala - 1 1/2 tsps

Stuffing :
Finely chopped carrots - 1/4 cup
Finely chopped capsicum - 1/4 cup
Blanched and chopped spinach - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsps

Method :

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan, add the chopped carrots and sauté for a bit. Add salt and stir once. After about 3-4 minutes add the capsicum and sauté for 4-5 minutes more. We do not want the vegetables to become over-cooked, as they will be re-cooked along with the tikki. Finally add the chopped spinach and chili powder. Let cook for 2-3 minutes more, remove and cool.

2. For the Tikki mixture, in a bowl, add the dal vada batter, followed by the rice flour, soya flour, crumbled paneer and mix well. 

3. Add the chili powder, salt, kasuri methi and garam masala. Mix well again and check for consistency if you are able to assemble into a tikki. If the mixture is too crumble, add 1-2 tbsps milk to add little moisture.

4. Divide the tikki mixture and vegetable stuffing into equal number of portions. Take one portion of the dough, place the stuffing and seal gently. Roll and flatten into Tikki shape. Prepare the others in the same way.

5. Heat oil in a tawa enough for shallow frying. Place the tikkis in the oil and shallow fry till golden brown on both sides. 
Remove and serve hot with desired accompaniment. 

Talk to Chef..

Where do we foodies go when we have burning questions re food? To experts of course!!! That's where Talk to Chef steps in and connects the food enthusiasts to the top chefs and experts in their fields of expertise.

One can select the cuisine, cooking method and diet to be connected to the suitable culinary expert and have your query answered.
            Or if you are a chef you are always welcome to share your expertise, cooking skills and be rewarded too.
            And to top it all, Talk To Chef has an affiliate scheme, that helps you monetize the hard work you put into your blog and help it reach a wider audience.
            So connect with this platform now by clicking the Talk To Chef widget on the left and be rewarded in every way!!!

Nutri Burger

When you love to experiment with food, the Kitchen's your studio!! In my continuing bid to use different ingredients to lessen the guilt-factor, I chose banana flowers and bajra flour for my burger patty. The crunch it added was amazing, plus no bread-crumbs or refined flour either...so read on!!!

HEALTHY BURGER

Ingredients : (Makes 6 patties)

For the patty :

Boiled potatoes - 3 medium

Boiled peas - 1 cup

Crumbled Paneer - 1/2 cup

Raw Banana flower (chopped) - 1/2 cup

Chopped coriander - as required

Boiled Carrots - 2 medium

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Chili powder - 2 tsps

Bajra(Millet) flour - 2 tbsps

Soya flour - 2 tbsps

NOTE : Once cleaned and chopped, best to leave the banana flowers in diluted buttermilk (in the fridge, if not using immediately) to avoid them turning dark.

Other :

Burger buns, halved

Crushed Oats - for rolling the patties in

Olive oil - for shallow frying

Cheese spread of your choice, I used Amul Spice Dip and Oregano Pickle flavours

Tomato sauce (to make it interesting, one can add Jeera powder to the plain tomato ketchups)

Sliced onions, tomatoes

Shredded cabbage (Chill till serving time)

Method :

1. Add all the boiled vegetables to a bowl and mash but not too fine, leave the vegetables slightly visible and chunky.

2. Add the uncooked and chopped banana flowers, paneer, turmeric powder, salt, garam masala and chili powder and mix with a light hand, but well enough so the spices mix with the vegetables.

3. Finally add the Bajra and soya flours, along with the chopped coriander and give it a final mix using your hand.

4. Heat about 2-3 tbsps Olive oil on a flat griddle pan. Divide the veggie mixture into patties. Spread the crushed oats on a flat plate. Coat the patties with the oats and shallow fry till golden brown. 

5.While the patties are getting ready, apply the cheese spread on the halved buns. Place the fried patties on the bottom half, spread the flavoured tomato ketchup on the patty. Arrange the onion and tomato slices on top and finish off with the crispy shredded cabbage. If you have lettuce, even better!!!
Cover with the top bun half and serve.