Flavors... Just Spice it up!

Soya Chunks and Mixed Vegetable Rice

2012-02-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

Using soya is a great way to pack some proteins into your rice. With a little seasoning, it’s a delicious side dish.

Soft and spungy soya chunks are full of proteins and can be cooked pretty easily. They do not have a strong taste on their own and tend to adopt the flavors that we cook them with. You can whip them into a curry or add them to rice or stir fry them with Indian spices. It’s a one pot (pan)dish packed with proteins and can be customized to suit your palette!

Soya Chunks and Vegetable Mixed Rice

Author: Suchitra Vaidyaram

Pack in some proteins with this flavorful rice!

Ingredients

Soya chunks- washed and boiled (1 cup)
Chopped Carrots & baby corn (1/2 cup)
Basmati rice (1 1/2 cup)
1 dry red chilli (broken in two pieces)
2 medium sized onion (chopped)
2 tomatoes (chopped)
4-5 cloves to garlic- crushed
Garam Masala- 1 tsp
1/2 tsp Paprika powder
Salt according to taste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Cooking oil/clarified butter for cooking

Instructions

Wash the rice and keep aside for 1/2 hour
Squeeze the water out of the boiled soya chunks and set aside.
Melt some clarified butter (or you can just use oil) in a non stick pan and add cumin seeds.
As they begin to sputter add bay leaf, red chilli and allow the oil to soak up the flavor.
Add chopped onions and garlic and saute till the onion begins to turn golden brown.
Add tomatoes, carrots, baby corn with soya chunks and fry them for couple of minutes.
Blend in the washed rice and add around 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water.
Add salt, garam masala and paprika powder.
Mix well and allow the rice to cook- Put the gas on a medium flame and put a lid and cook till the rice is soft and well boiled.
Once cooked, switch off the flame, mix the rice well and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with dal or any curry of your choice.

Published @ Honest Cooking -http://honestcooking.com/2012/02/01/soya-chunks-mixed-vegetable-rice-recipe/

Whole Wheat Pizza...

2012-01-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

Health-up your pizza with whole-wheat, tomatoes, olives and bell peppers.

There were days, in my good old past when I was absolutely hooked to pizza. Honestly, if Dominoes were thinking of bringing in some promotion/discount/offers, probably, I would have been the first person to receive that by mail. Now, I try to stay away (sorry, you don’t win a prize for guessing why). With so many alternate healthy options in the market, I realized, pizzas can be done in a healthier way! This is my first ever attempt at making a whole wheat pizza and I have to admit, it doesn’t taste different. It tasted sumptuous and if you don’t overdo the cheese, it can be a much healthier option. For my first attempt, I tried to play safe by mixing whole wheat flour and all purpose flour together. Next time, I might get more innovative and try just the whole wheat. Easy to make and sumptuous to taste, what else can you ask for?

Whole-Wheat Pizza

Pizza doesn’t have to be unhealthy always.

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp quick-rising yeast
warm water
olive oil- 1 tbsp
salt-1/2 tsp
sugar-1/4 tsp
Good Pizza sauce-
Toppings- 2 small onions (sliced), 1/2 cup sliced black olives, 1 tomato chopped, 1 green bell pepper sliced

Instructions

Dissolve yeast in a small cup of warm water and sugar. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes in a corner.
The yeast would start frothing up.
Combine whole wheat flour and all purpose flour with salt in a big bowl and make a small well in the middle.
Pour the yeast mixture and slowly start mixing the flour.
With the help of warm water knead the flour into a smooth dough.
Add around a tbsp of olive oil to make the dough smooth and elastic.
Store the dough in a fresh bowl and cover it with damp cloth. Allow it to raise for an hour.
After an hour or so, when the dough has doubled in size simply punch out the air from it and gently knead it on a floured surface.
Roll out the pizza and drizzle some olive oil on top.
Spread pizza sauce and desired toppings- I used sliced onions, sliced black olives, sliced green bell peppers and chopped tomatoes.
Top it with shredded mozzarella cheese and season it with salt and pepper.
If need be, drizzle in some olive oil.
Bake the pizza in a preheated oven till the base is crisp and golden (15-20 min, @200 deg celsius)

Notes

Get a good pizza base sauce from the store or you can make it at home by sautéing tomato puree with garlic in olive oil. Add salt and black pepper to season and bring it to a sauce consistency.
You can caramelize your onions with bell peppers and olives for topping (optional).

Published @ Honest Cooking -http://honestcooking.com/2012/01/24/perfectwhole-wheat-pizza-recipe/

Kidney Beans in a Rich Garlic Sauce (Rajma)

2011-12-19T07:12:00.000-08:00

I have prepared the red kidney beans so many times but this one had to be different. With a good amount of garlic pumped in, the gravy was sumptuous and went well with the Sunday lunch. Inspiration? from a local restaurant nearby. The usual red kidney beans was served with a garlic kick and if that wasn’t enough, they had added whole garlic cloves which just melted with the kidney beans and tasted heavenly! Since then my mind was buzzing to recreate the dish at home. What a way to enjoy the Sunday lunch with kidney beans cooked in a rich garlic gravy…Also called Rajma, this is a popular north Indian dish that can be prepared within a short span of time and goes well with rice/rotis. The recipe can be tweaked in a number of ways to suit your palette.

Kidney beans in a rich garlic sauce

Red kidney beans cooked in a rich spicy Indian gravy with an inherent touch of garlic.

Ingredients

Red Kidney beans- 1 cup (soaked overnight in water)
Onions (finely chopped)- 2
Tomatoes (pureed)- 3 (medium tomatoes)
Garlic cloves- 8-9 (crush and chop -4, retain the rest)
Grated ginger (1/2 tsp)
Red chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 3/4 tbsp
Garam Masala powder- 1 tsp
Ghee (clairified butter)- for cooking (roughly 2 tbsp)
Salt according to taste.
Chopped coriander leaves (for garnishing)
Cumin seeds – 3/4 tsp
Kasoori Methi -dry leaves crushed (Fenugreek leaves-dried) (3/4 tsp)

Instructions

Pressure cook kidney beans (with 4 cups of water) till they are soft and melt in your mouth (retain the water you use for cooking the beans).
In a pan, add ghee and as it melts pop in the cumin seeds.
As the seeds begin to sputter, add bay leaves and onions.
Fry the onions till they become golden brown.
Add crushed garlic and ginger and saute them for a couple of minutes.
Add pureed tomatoes and continue to cook on a medium flame.
Add coriander powder, garam masala and red chilli powder and cook till the oil leaves the masala.
Add the remaining garlic cloves- do not chop or crush them.
Add the cooked kidney beans to this mixture and add the water you retained.
Adjust salt according to taste and allow the beans to cook and blend in with the masala.
Allow the mixture to cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes.
Add dry kasoori methi (fenugreek leaves) leaves and give it a quick toss.
Add chopped coriander leaves for garnishing and serve hot with rice!

Published @ Honest Cooking -http://honestcooking.com/2011/12/27/kidney-beans-in-a-rich-garlic-sauce/

Chocolate chip cookies

2011-11-11T06:56:00.001-08:00

It’s fika time, folks! Introduced by my former Swedish colleagues, I caught on to this lovely tradition pretty fast. Fika is both a Swedish verb and noun (pronounced “fee-ka”) that roughly means “to drink coffee/tea” usually accompanied by something sweet (source- wikipedia). It’s customary to invite friends and colleagues for coffee along with deliciously baked goods. Now, I can’t drink a cup of coffee without anything sweet. so, I baked these lovely cookies to accompany my coffee and satisfy my sweet craving. This chocolate chip cookie recipe is pretty simple and can be baked in batches and stored for about week. I found this recipe from a book titled “baking with passion” by Dan Lepard and Richard Whittington. Here I am, enjoying some freshly baked cookies with a hot cup of coffee – Loving it!
A simple chocolate chip cookie recipe to enjoy together with your cup of coffee. Welcome to Fika time.

A simple chocolate chip cookie recipe to enjoy your cup of coffee!

Ingredients

200 grams all purpose flour
85 grams caster sugar
1 egg
80 grams unsalted soft butter
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
100 grams dark chocolate- cut in small chunks or chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius.
In a bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In another mixing bowl cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg to this mixture.
Fold in the flour followed by chocolate pieces using a spatula- the dough will be stiff.
With the help of your hands roll walnut-sized pieces of dough and place them on buttered baking trays.
Leave space in between the cookies to allow room for spreading.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are firm but the center is soft.
Remove and allow it to cool.
Enjoy with a steaming hot cup of coffee!

Notes

Yields about 15 cookies!

Published @ Honest Cooking - http://honestcooking.com/2011/11/11/fika-time-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Garlic & cumin flavored lentils...

2011-11-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

Cooking lentils is fun. I love trying out different ingredients with lentils and my all time favorite is lentils with garlic- Garlic flavor works like magic with lentils. No matter how much you love eating from outside and trying different restaurants, there are times when you want to eat a simple dinner at home, nothing fancy….Garlic dal/Garlic lentils is my comfort food and I can cook them without much sweat. The recipe is simple & would leave you wanting for more. Nothing else to dilute the garlic flavor- no fancy ingredients- just plain old garlic sauteed in butter (clarified butter) with a hint of cumin.

You can always improvise the recipe and add onions or tomatoes and cook the lentils with garam masala. But if you are fond of garlic and want the flavor of garlic to shine through, then this recipe is a winner!

Garlic & Cumin infused lentils

Ingredients

1 cup toor dal (yellow Pigeon peas)

1 cup mung dal (mung bean/ golden gram)

8-10 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 tsp cumin seeds

Clarified butter/butter for cooking

2 green chillies (chopped fine)

Instructions

Pressure cook the lentils till they are soft.
In a pan add butter and once melted add cumin seeds.
As the cumin seeds begin to sputter saute garlic & green chillies.
Add the cooked dal/lentils mixture to the pan and cook on a low flame for few minutes. (add a bit of water to make it soupy).
Adjust salt according to taste and serve hot with chopped coriander for garnish.

Published @ Honest Cooking - http://honestcooking.com/2011/11/03/garlic-and-cumin-flavored-lentils/

Baby potato curry

2011-10-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hands down, potatoes are versatile and can be cooked with different spices to match your palette. I normally, do a stir fry with paprika powder and a touch of cumin seeds and it really tastes gorgeous with roti/rice. This time around, I decided to do a stir fry with southern Indian spices and notched up the heat a bit. Result? The baby potatoes just explode into your mouth with the gorgeous spices giving an inherent taste. Highlight of this dish? Black peppercorns! Yes, the subtle heat it generates is just wonderful and works great with the potatoes. Cooking the dish is very easy but the initial preparation is labour intensive- especially, when you have to peel the skin from 500 grams of small potatoes and shallots. Trust me, it’s worth the effort! Go on indulge in this flavorful journey where potatoes are cooked with roasted spice mix and you can vary the spice level according to your choice.

Baby potato fry

Small potatoes cooked with southern Indian spices!

Ingredients

Baby potatoes- 500 grams (boiled and peeled)
Whole dry red chilli-4
Urad dal (split black gram-skinless/lentils) – 1 tbsp
Black peppercorn- 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- about 4-5 leaves (roughly chopped)
Salt according to taste
Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
Asafetida powder- dash of it
Small onions/shallots- 10-15
Cooking oil (generous dose)

Instructions

Dry roast the red chilies, lentils, black peppercorn & coriander seeds.
Allow them to cool & grind them to a fine powder.
In a frying pan add oil and once hot add dash of asafetida powder.
Add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
Add curry leaves and shallots, saute them till golden brown.
Stir in the potatoes and adjust salt according to taste.
Add the spice powder and cook the potatoes on a low flame for 5 minutes.
Potatoes get a lovely brown color with the spices- Remove from flame and serve!

Notes

Curry leaves are used extensively in southern Indian cooking and added for seasoning.

Published @ Honest Cooking -http://honestcooking.com/2011/10/26/baby-potato-curry/

Eggplant Rice (Brinjal rice)

2011-10-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Nothing thrills me like fresh stock of vegetables on display at the market. I am pulled automatically to the vegetable counter if I see some fresh stock of vegetables- I don’t know if it is their color or their vibrancy that attracts me? The other day, I was amazed to see some shimmering eggplants at my market and I loved the glistening coat and their texture. You get to see two varieties in the market- big-sized eggplants and the cute little small ones. I love the small ones, which taste heavenly in any kind of south Indian cooking.

This rice dish, celebrates the eggplants, which has been sautéed with Indian spices and will leave a lingering taste in your mouth. Creativity is the essence here- You can recreate this dish with different vegetables and vary spice level according to your palette. The recipe credit goes to my mom, who has always shown me the path to enjoy different flavors. so, Enjoy :)

Shimmering eggplants sauteed with feisty Indian spices combines with rice to create this simple & tasty delicacy!

Ingredients

Basic Ingredients-
2 large onions (chopped)
3-4 small eggplants (cut in cubes)
3 tomatoes (chopped)
4 garlic cloves (crushed & chopped finely)
tsp grated ginger
Uncooked rice- 1 cup
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Asafetida powder (just a dash)
2 Green chillies- slit and cut in half
Spices used-
Cinnamon stick- ½ inch
Bay leaf- 1
Sambar powder- ½ tsp
Garam masala- ¼ tsp
Coriander seeds (sabut dhania) 100 gms
3-4 dry red chilies
Cardamom pods -3

Instructions

Wash the rice & cook it in a non stick pan with two cups of water. Alternatively, you can use a rice cooker/pressure cooker for the same. Just ensure that the cooked rice is not sticky and the grains are separated.
Dry roast the coriander seeds, dry red chilies, cardamom seeds and grind them to a fine powder.
Heat some cooking oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Allow the seeds to crackle and add asafetida powder.
Add green chillies, bay leaf, garlic and ginger. Allow the oil to soak up the flavor.
Add onions and saute them well till translucent.
Add tomatoes and allow them to cook for few minutes.
Toss in the eggplants and cook till tender.
Enhance it by adding the sambar powder & garam masala. Allow the eggplants to absorb the spices. If need be, sprinkle a bit of water so that the mixture doesn’t get too dry.
Add the ground spices that we prepared earlier and ensure that the mixture has incorporated all the spices well. Adjust salt according to your taste.
Add this mixture to your cooked rice and blend well till the rice has absorbed the mixture completely.
Serve hot with raita and pickle!

Notes

Sambar powder is readily available at any Asian store and is normally prepared by pan roasting whole spices like lentils, coriander seeds, dried whole red chili, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves & grinding them to a coarse powder.

Published @ Honest Cooking - http://honestcooking.com/2011/10/19/spicy-eggplant-rice/

Coconut & gram flour barfi

2011-10-05T00:50:00.000-07:00

I love October & November in India. The air is full of festivity & the entire country is geared up for Navratri followed by diwali! How can I not get in the spirit? After numerous calls to my mom I finally procured her secret barfi recipe and gave it a try. Poor mom, she was with me on skype call throughout the entire process & I simply bugged her with my insane questions. Well, barfi turned out into a melt-in-mouth delight and here I am munching merrily on it and writing my blog post :)

Nick named as seven cup barfi here are the ingredients required-

1 cup Gram flour/besan
1 cup grated coconut
1 cup ghee/clarified butter
3 cups sugar
1 cup full cream milk

Additional touch-

cardamom powder
cashew nuts & raisins for decoration

Preparation-

In a non-stick pan, add ghee (clarified butter) around 1 tbsp and gently roast the gram flour on a low flame. Keep tossing the flour for a couple of seconds till it loses its raw flavor. Add grated coconut and mix the flour with the coconut for few minutes. Add sugar, milk and only half a cup of ghee (retain the other half for later) to the pan. Keep mixing all the ingredients on a medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes. Ensure there are no lumps and all the ingredients have been incorporated well. Add the remaining half cup of clarified butter/ghee and mix well. Add cardamom powder and stir till the mixture starts thickening. Once the mixture thickens switch off the gas and dunk the contents on a greased plate. Before it completely sets, cut them into desired shapes. Decorate it with cashew nuts & raisins and watch it simply melt in your mouth....oops, there goes another barfi in my mouth ;)

Gnocchi in a minty tomato sauce

2011-09-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Phew....what started as a hobby has now become a high pressure job! Yes, I am talking about the blog ;) - I have so many ideas floating and buzzing but when it comes to execution less than 1% of my ideas actually become a reality. I have to put in a praise for some blogs that I frequent and follow- the pictures, the innovative recipes & some are exceptionally talented in writing. Here I am struggling to get in one decent post per week :(

Okay, enough with the negativity and focussing on creativity here is my post on a pasta dish- Gnocchi (soft dumplings made with flour, egg, cheese and potato). I love gnocchi & cooking it is super easy. You can make gnocchi from scratch but a lazy bone like me prefers to get it ready made from the shop and keep things easier ;) What is special is the sauce I made for the dish- a simple blend of tomatoes with mint touch. I am partial to this pasta and can eat gnocchi all day long! ah, yum! Go on, indulge-

Ingredients-

500 grams Gnocchi
Olive oil
4-5 tomatoes (pureed)
One large onion (chopped)
Mint leaves (small bunch of leaves)
1 or 2 dry hot red chillies, broken into pieces/ alternatively you can use paprika powder 3/4 tsp or 1/2 tsp depending on your spice level
Salt (according to taste)
Garlic- 4-5 cloves, minced
Crushed black pepper
Grated cheese (parmesan) for topping

Preparation-

In a pan, saute the onion and garlic with olive oil. Once the onion has softened, add the pureed tomatoes and paprika powder. Cook the mixture for few minutes before seasoning it with salt and pepper. Allow it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes till it thickens to a good sauce consistency. Wash the mint leaves and chop them roughly. Add it to the simmering sauce and give it a quick stir. Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi for two minutes in salted boiling water. Once cooked, drain excess water and keep it aside. Final touch- add the sauce to gnocchi and mix well. Serve with grated parmesan!

Paneer gravy with sweet corn recipe

2011-09-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

Me and Mom share a very special relation- We are two giggly people chatting away to glory on insane topics and we always catch up on our special topic- food. If I try out anything special, she is the first one to know about it and she makes me feel special even for a small recipe. In this buzy world, she is the only soul who sincerely wants to know what I ate for the day and I love the bond we share :) - Over the weekend, I made paneer gravy with sweet corn and was explaining all about it to my mom (who as usual made me feel that I am the best cook in the world). She loved the whole concept and here I am blogging all about it....The gravy rocks with paneer and sweet corn and will make you fill up your plates for a generous third serving! Doesn't need too much effort and goes great with rice/rotis.

What goes in??

Sweet corn kernel- 1 cup (boiled and tender)
Paneer (cubed) - 150 gms
Green bell pepper- 1 medium (sliced)
Garlic - crushed & chopped (4-5 cloves)
Ginger- grated (1/2 tsp)
Onions - 2 medium sized (finely chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized (finely chopped)
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt according to taste
Oil for cooking

For the additional punch-
Coriander leaves (chopped)
Fresh cream (optional)
Kasoori methi leaves / dry fenugreek leaves (1 tsp)

Preparation-

In a wok/kadai, heat some oil.
Add cumin seeds and allow them to sputter.
Add onions and fry till translucent.
Add garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook on a medium flame till they become mushy and blend well with onions.
Now comes the spices- add coriander powder, garam masala powder, red chilli powder.
Mix all the ingredients and cook till it the oil separates from masala and floats above.
Add a bit of water (not too much- around 1/4 cup or less).
Mix in the corn & bell peppers.
Add Kasoori methi leaves and allow the bell peppers to cook with the gravy.
Adjust salt according to your taste.
Add paneer cubes to the gravy and cook it on a low flame for few minutes.
Mix in the fresh cream (optional).
Garnish with coriander leaves!

Arachuvitta sambhar (tamarind gravy with a coconut twist)

2011-09-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting to post this recipe for months - Finally, I am able to post the most authentic south Indian cuisine that tastes great with dosa, idli or rice. What is sambhar? It's the celebrated tamarind gravy cooked with rich spices(sambhar powder), lentils and vegetables of your choice. How different is Arachuvitta sambhar from normal sambhar? Sambhar comes in all varities- this one is cooked with roasted spices and grated coconut to lend in an enhanced flavor. If you haven't eaten arachuvitta sambhar, you haven't had the real deal yet!

Hands down, shallots are the popular choice for sambhar (called chinna vengayam arachuvitta sambhar). However, I decided to go with drumsticks (second popular choice) and boy, I still have the taste lingering in my mouth.

Ingredients-

Toor dal- 1 cup
Drumsticks- cut like sticks, about the size of your finger (used about 1 1/2 drumsticks)
Tamarind (about lemon sized ball)- soaked in warm water (we need the essence of the tamarind)
Sambhar powder- 2tsp (this is a spicy powder that you can get in any asian store)
Turmeric powder (1/2 tsp)
Salt according to taste
Mustard seeds (1 tsp)
Asafoetida powder (dash of it)
Curry leaves (for seasoning)
Onion-1 (sliced)

Ingredients for the spicy powder-

Coriander seeds- 11/2 tbsp
Dry red chilli- 3 pieces
Chana dal- 1 tsp
Grated coconut- 1/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds (vendhayam) 1/2 tsp

Initial preparation-

Pressure cook the toor dal with a dash of turmeric powder till they are soft and tender.
Dry roast the ingredients mentioned under the spicy powder- just ensure you don't burn it- keep the flame low and gently roast the ingredients till golden brown. The aroma you get by roasting these ingredients is pure bliss!
Once roasted, allow them to cool and grind them to a fine powder.

Let's get the show started-

In a pan add oil and once hot saute the onions.
When the onions turn transparent add the tamarind extract with two cups of water and bring it to boil.
Add turmeric powder, salt and sambar powder.
Add the drumsticks and allow it to boil.
Mash the boiled toor dal and mix to the boiling pot.
Allow the drumsticks to get enriched with the lentils, tamarind extract and sambar powder. leave it simmering for good 20 minutes.
Now add the roasted spice mix. Allow the sambar to boil for few minutes.
In a separate pan, add some oil and add mustard seeds. Once they begin to pop, add curry leaves, asafetida powder.
Add them to the sambhar and allow it to boil for few minutes.
enjoy with dosa/idli!

vermicelli n parantha

2011-09-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

I had made a perfect breakfast and was pretty pleased about it- good old Vermicelli upma. It's one of those days when you create a masterpiece and there are no takers for it. I had a bowl of upma as the leftover and had no clue what to do with it. In my morning rush, I quickly dumped it in my fridge thinking I will figure out something in the evening. The threshold of upma isn't much and by evening there was this huge question of what to do with a bowl full of vermicelli upma! I thought I could add more veggies and spice it up? Honestly, who would want to eat upma for night- not me or my husband :(

So, I come up with this innovative parantha's - vermicelli stuffed paranthas... You might think that I have gone nuts to do this but trust me, the parantha's were soft and nice and had everyone wondering what is the stuffing inside! I not only managed to get a innovative food on the table but was also saved from wasting my food. Brilliant, I say :P

What do we need?

For the base-
Wheat flour
Water
Salt

For the filling-
Vermicelli upma (rice noodles/fedelini cooked with mustard and curry leaves)
1 medium sized onion (chopped)
1tsp fenugreek leaves

Note- since I cooked my vermicilli without onions, I used onions for filling in the parantha- it's completely optional! Adjust salt according to your taste.

Preparation-

Knead the flour with salt and water to a smooth dough (add oil towards the end to make it silky). Set it aside (I used about 11/2 cups of flour, you can use as per your requirement).
In a separate bowl, mix vermicelli upma, onion, and the fenugreek leaves.
Toss the filling well and ensure it is a dry mixture and not soggy. Some people tend to saute the onions before using it for filling. But I tend to use it raw (the onion flavor comes out really well, if used raw).
Our filling is ready!
Now, take a small ball of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin.
Add around 1 tbsp of filling in middle and fold it to a pouch (with filling in middle).
Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface to a medium sized round shape.
Cook the roti (both sides) on a frying pan with sufficient oil.
Serve hot with mango pickle and raita! Enjoy-

Buttery green mung bean! (Mung dal)

2011-09-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's easy to cook, packed with proteins and you can create something special with them- Mung dal both yellow and green are used in Indian kitchen extensively. To be honest, as a kid, I always used to be baffled with different dals. My mom used to have big jars of them and would act like a magician mixing potions and creating different cuisines with different dals. I remember watching her with wide eyes thinking how the hell I am going to remember the names and how the hell am I going to know which one to use for which dish...I have come a long way and I love all my dals.

This recipe is different- I used my dal makhni recipe with mung bean and it tasted really special. Confused? Ok, Dal Makhni is a very popular dish that is served in Indian restaurants. The catch is Dal makhni is made with whole black gram (sabut urad dal) & red kidney beans. But I used green mung beans with the same ingredients and loved the outcome! Go ahead and indulge yourself in buttery lentils with Indian spices....

What do we need?

Green mung dal- 1 cup
Grated ginger- 11/2 inch piece
Butter/clarified butter (ghee)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Onion- 1 medium sized (chopped)
2 medium sized tomatoes (chopped)
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
Garlic - chopped (5-6 cloves)
Salt according to taste

How did I make it?

Soak mung dal in water for at least a couple of hours. Drain and pressure cook it with half portion of the grated ginger till they become soft (reserve the other half portion of grated ginger for later use). Melt butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds. As they start to change color, add onions. Fry onions till they become golden brown. Add garlic, remaining ginger and tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are mashed and has mixed well with the rest of the ingredients. Add cooked dal to this. Add around one cup of water and adjust salt according to your taste. Mix red chilli powder, garam masala powder and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add fresh cream (optional) and mix well. Cook your dal on a low flame for 5 minutes. Serve with rotis/rice. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: This dal is the easiest to cook and takes only a couple of whistles with the pressure cooker. You can get this dish out on the table within half an hour.

Aloo cholae

2011-08-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

Just another cholae recipe? nah...this one is with a twist...Yup! this one is with a cashew twist and simply melts into your mouth with a lingering richness of cashew. I have never used the cashew paste in my cooking so far. Now that I have used it, I realise what has been missing in my cooking - the richness and the texture it lends to the recipe. It just elevates the texture and tunes in the richness of the gravy.

Ingredients-

Chickpeas/garbanzo - 11/2 cup (Soaked in water overnight)
1 large boiled potato- (peeled & cubed)
2 medium onions- chopped finely
3 tomatoes- chopped
4 garlic cloves
ginger- grated (1/2 tsp)
Cashews- 1 tbsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Kasoori Methi leaves- 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Salt according to taste
Oil for cooking

Method-

Drain the chickpeas (that has been soaked in water overnight), add six to eight cups of fresh water and pressure cook it for half an hour till it is soft. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds. As the seeds begin to sputter, add onions and fry till golden brown. In a separate small frying pan, heat oil and saute cashew, garlic, ginger and tomatoes for few minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Grind the sauteed tomatoes, garlic, ginger and cashews to a fine paste. Add this paste to the onions. Cook for few minutes. Add coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala and salt. Cook the mixture on low flame till oil floats on top. Add the cubed potatoes and chickpeas. Cook for 10 minutes. Add Kasoori methi leaves to give it a nice flavor.

Gokulashtami and Rava ladoos....

2011-08-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

I love celebrating Janmashtami for two reasons- Making small footprints of lord and festive dishes... (Just kidding, Krishna! Of course for you). This time around I did something different from the usual varieties. The usual salty snack (Uppu cheedai) and rava laddu is on the menu for the lord. So, if you really want a sweet dish that doesn't consume much time and is super tasty, here is a treat-

Rava laddu

Ingredients-

1 cup rava (Indian semolina/suji)
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
handful broken cashewnuts
Ghee (clarified butter)

Initial Preparation-

Generally, you use super fine rava for this dish. I couldn't find the super fine one in the market and here is what I did- I gave it a spin in my mixer to break it down and make it super fine. Similarly, the sugar has to be powdered (don't use crystal sugar- if you only have crystal sugar, give it a spin in your mixer/blender and make it to a powder).

How did I do it?

Roast rava in a pan with a bit of ghee till it is well roasted- keep the gas on low flame and do not burn rava/suji. Once done, keep it aside. In a small pan heat some ghee and fry cashew nuts till golden brown and keep it aside (you can include raisins as well). In a bowl, mix roasted rava, fried cashew nuts, cardamom powder and powdered sugar. I used warm ghee to blend the mixture well and make medium sized balls out of them. You need to add the ghee slowly - don't dump too much otherwise it will be difficult to make the balls. You can add warm milk instead of ghee as well. Enjoy!

Sending the entry to FSF - Janmashtami hosted by Show and Tell.

What's in a shape? Triangular rotis!

2011-08-13T03:37:00.000-07:00

Seriously, who made the rules of cooking? Why follow a set of rules when you know you can do better? Cooking is an art and is dictated by taste buds and nothing else. When I started cooking, I used to be worried about the measure all the time. Am I putting more masala? Am I putting less spices? more salt? Is my roti geometrically round?? Practice and a bit of imagination is all you need to get it right. Now, if someone asks me how much salt should be used, I would have nothing to say- You just have a measure in your sub-consciousness and it will be tough to explain that to anyone. Enough bantering and lecturing on rules now!

The other day, I finally chucked my regular round shape and created triangular shaped paranthas (roti's/stuffed indian flat bread). It turned out good and I just loved the new avatar of my roti's. Trust me, there is nothing fancy about the shapes and it is pretty easy to make. You don't have to worry about the precision of the triangle (some are hung up on the precision of the round shape, which won't be a problem with the triangular shape). Maybe, I will go overboard with my imagination and come up with star shaped roti's??? Just watch out for this space...

What do we need?

For the base-

Wheat flour

Water

Salt

For the filling-

Chopped coriander leaves (around a small cup)

Chopped green chillies (used about 3 green chillies)

Cumin seeds (around 1 tsp)

Salt (according to taste)

Preparation-

Gently crush the cumin seeds and mix it with salt and chopped green chillies in a small cup. Keep the coriander leaves separately. Knead the flour with water and salt to a smooth and consistent dough. I used around 1 & 1/2 cups of flour.

Method I followed-

Take a small ball of dough and flatten it to a round shape with rolling pin. Spread cumin seed mixture and coriander leaves on one portion of the round dough. Fold the other half over it so that it becomes a semi-circle. Gently fold the semicircle to a triangle. Now, gently flatten this triangle to a medium size keeping the shape intact. (I know it sounds super confusing, but you can get there if you fiddle around with the dough a bit)

Cook the roti (both sides) in a pan with oil/ghee/butter. Serve hot with Mango chutney/pickle and enjoy!!!

Another method- Mix coriander leaves, cumin seeds and green chillies to the flour and then knead the flour to a smooth & consistent dough. Now take a small ball of this dough and flatten it to a round shape. Fold it to a semi-circle. Gently fold this semicircle to a triangle. Flatten this triangle to a medium size keeping the shape intact.

Carrot Curry (Wholesome goodness)

2011-08-05T01:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, it's been so long since I posted. Not that I haven't been cooking, it's just that I am turning into lazy bones. Too lazy to take a pic, sit down and post.... What inspired me all of a sudden is the movie- Julie and Julia. I absolutely loved the movie! I know, I have been pretty late to catch up on the movie- but the good part is I did not miss it. If you write a cooking blog then the movie is an absolute must. It just talks about cooking in a whole new light and I finally woke up from my slumber to push myself to do this post.
Anyways, I am back on track and it's wonderful to have a space to put my thoughts on cooking.

The dish is a side dish- shredded carrots with lentils (that's why I called it wholesome goodness). This is the first time I tried something different with the carrot- shredded them and used them with steamed lentils to create a wonderful side dish that will work great with roti/rice or simply like a salad. Pretty traditional side dish down southern India, the dish is also known as Carrot thoran/ Carrot poriyal or Carrot curry. I tweaked the traditional recipe to include some lentils and peas and it just tastes divine. So get creative and try something different with carrots-

Ingredients-

6-7 medium sized carrots (when grated it gets you around two cups)

1/2 cup frozen green peas - thawed ( take any standard/small cup that is available in your kitchen for measurement)

1 onion (medium sized)- chopped

3-4 slit green chillies

Salt according to taste

Oil for cooking

Mustard seeds (1 tsp)

Split yellow mung beans - 1/2 cup (take any standard/small cup that is available in your kitchen for measurement)

Curry leaves - few leaves (about 4-5 leaves)

Asafoetida powder/hing (dash)

1 tbsp grated coconut

lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp

Cooking procedure-

First step will be to boil the lentils till they are soft and tender- you can put them in a cup and microwave it or simply put it in a pan with water and allow it to boil till soft.
In a frying pan heat some some oil and add the dash of Asafoetida powder. The oil just picks up the flavor. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
As the mustard seeds begin to pop and roll all around your pan, add the onions, peas and green chillies.
Saute them for a couple of minutes till the onions are golden brown.
Mix the grated carrots and allow it to cook for 5-8 minutes (till the carrots are cooked and you don't get the raw taste)
Blend in the cooked lentils (mung beans/moong dal) and mix them completely.
Allow it to cook for a few minutes.
Adjust salt and lemon juice to the mixture.
Add the grated coconut towards the end and serve!

Couple of points-

Asafoetida powder is completely optional and you can skip it if you don't have it.

You can simply cook the carrots without the lentils and peas.

Peanuts work great with this dish and you can add peanuts instead of lentils or peas.

Exciting Lentils (dal parantha- Indian flat bread stuffed with lentils)

2011-07-07T23:47:00.000-07:00

I was in mood for something special- not the same old boring dal and roti or dal and rice. So I am raking my brain and in hunt for something sizzling! I was surfing TV when I landed up on this cookery show where they made some spicy dal. Then suddenly it dawned on me, why not make the dal interesting by filling it in a roti and making dal parantha?? So, I took time to make some lovely paranthas- come, join me for a bite- won't ya??

What goes in?

For the filling-

1 cup Chana dal- soak it for an hour or two in water.

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 green chilli finely chopped

1 tsp Garlic and ginger paste

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

salt according to taste

Other minor ingredients required for filling- 1 onion chopped, 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves.

For the base-

wheat flour

water

salt

Preparation-

Knead the flour with salt and water to a smooth dough (add oil towards the end to make it silky). Set it aside (I used about 11/2 cups of flour, you can use as per your requirement).
In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add cumin seeds. As the seeds begin to sputter add garlic-ginger paste, green chilli pieces. Cook for few seconds on a low flame.
Add garam masala, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt.
Rinse the lentils thoroughly in water and add them to the above cooking spices.
Add around one cup of water and pressure cook the lentils till they are soft and have absorbed all the water.
Once the lentils are soft and well cooked, gently smash them with a spoon.
Add the chopped onions and coriander leaves to the cooked lentils, mix them thoroughly and ensure it is a dry mixture and not sticky- our filling is ready!
Now, take a small ball of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin.
Add around 1 tbsp of filling in middle and fold it to a pouch (with filling in middle).
Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface to a medium sized round shape.
Cook the roti (both sides) on a frying pan with sufficient oil.
Serve hot with mango pickle and raita! Enjoy-

Cheesy Sandwich - Just grab n go....

2011-07-05T02:41:00.000-07:00

Blend paneer, onion, coriander - stuff 'em on a bread and coat them with cheese to create this grab 'n' go sandwiches! Perfect quick-fix snack that tastes sumptuous. You can do a million variations of this sandwich- add more ingredients, add more spice, saute the filling with indian spices before stuffing in your sandwich. Choice is yours!

Here is my idea-

Ingredients- (for stuffing/filling)

cup of grated paneer
1 onion chopped super fine
coriander leaves, chopped finely (1/4 cup)
green chilli - 1 (chopped finely)
Salt according to taste
ground black pepper 1/4 tsp
olive oil to blend the ingredients (about a tsp)

Other details-

Brown bread slices, a griller or toaster, cheese of your choice- I used a cheese spread readily available in the market (brand amul) ** optional **

Preparation-

Mix all the ingredients (listed above under filling) in a bowl and keep the filling ready- Alternatively, you can saute the onions with paneer and coriander (with Indian spices) to get a magical taste. Since this is a grab and go sandwich, I used my ingredients raw. Spread the cheese on the brown bread slices and fill it up with the stuffing. Grill them till golden brown. Serve hot with spicy green chutney or chilli sauce.

Tip- Mozzarella cheese will taste the best with this sandwich. You can use a combination of parmesan and Mozzarella or just use a spread to make things easier.

Carrot-paneer stuffed roti (parantha)

2011-06-10T00:59:00.000-07:00

Carrot works great with paneer and onions. I accidentally stumbled on this combination and boy am I glad to have found it! The stuffing requires grated carrots, crumbled paneer with finely chopped onions and spices. You can be creative with the stuffing and it tastes great with raita/pickle.

What goes in?

For the stuffing-

Grated carrots- 1 cup
Finely chopped onions- 1/2 cup
Crumbled paneer- 1/2 cup
Dry roasted cumin seeds (1 tsp)- gently crushed
Black pepper- crushed 1/2 tsp
Oil
Salt according to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)

For the base-

1 1/2 cup wheat flour
water for kneading
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp salt

Preparation-

Knead the flour with salt and water to a smooth dough (add oil towards the end). Set it aside.
In a separate bowl, mix grated carrot, paneer, onion, and the rest of the spices mentioned above.
Toss the filling well with oil and ensure it is a dry mixture and not soggy. Some people tend to saute carrots and onion before mixing with spices for filling. But I tend to use it raw (the carrot flavor comes out really well, if used raw).
Once the filling is done, rest is easy!
Take a small ball of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin.
Add around 1 tbsp of filling in middle and fold it to a pouch (with filling in middle).
Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface to a medium sized round shape.
Cook the roti (both sides) on a frying pan with sufficient oil.
Serve hot with mango chutney/pickle.

Born out of necessity, devoured for its taste- Corn Pulav!

2011-06-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

The title says it all, doesn't it? It's a simple rice dish enhanced by spices and corn. Works well with raita or a simple dal. There comes a time when you don't have veggies in your fridge and running out for groceries is a tiring task. To the rescue, out came tumbling from my freezer a small pack of frozen sweet corn and frozen peas and with basmati rice I pulled out a good concoction for dinner. I would say this is one of the easiest quick fix for dinner and you don't have to sweat for this recipe. Why not give it a shot?

What goes in?

1 cup uncooked Basmati rice
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn kernel
chopped green chilli - 1
minced garlic 1/2 tbsp

Spices?

1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
Cinnamon stick - 1 small piece
1 bay leaf
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
dash of garam masala powder
cardamom - 2
salt according to taste

Bring on the magic-

Wash the rice thoroughly and cook it on a medium flame in a non stick pan with one cup of water. Once the rice is cooked, keep it separate. In another pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and cardamom. As the oil absorbs the flavor and cumin starts sputtering, add green chilli pieces and minced garlic. Cook for a couple of seconds before adding peas and corn. Add garam masala, salt, crushed pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add cooked rice to this mixture and combine everything till the rice gets incorporated with the spices. Enjoy with dal!

Tofu in a spicy gravy!

2011-05-17T03:22:00.000-07:00

You are either a Tofu lover or you simply hate it- I have seen strong followers and avoiders of Tofu. I love tofu and believe that it can be cooked to make an avoider into a follower. My husband does not like tofu. So what do I do? Masquerade Tofu as paneer and cook it in a good spicy gravy and pass it on as paneer gravy. Verdict? Clean bowled! The dish was a huge success-

Ingredients-

200 grams Tofu- not firm, a little crumbly (cut in cubes)

2 large onions- chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tomato- chopped

1 green chilli (cut in pieces)

1/2 cup yoghurt

coriander leaves - chopped finely (about 11/2 tbsp)

salt according to taste

cooking oil

Spices used-

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 green cardamom

1 bay leaf

Preparation-

In a wok, add oil and once hot, add cardamom and bay leaf. Allow the oil to soak in the flavor of cardamom & bay leaf. Add onions with green chillies and fry them for couple of minutes. As the onions turn golden brown, add tomatoes with garlic and ginger. Cook them on a low flame for 5-8 minutes (till the tomatoes become mushy). Add garam masala, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and mix well. Add 1/2 cup yoghurt and cook on a low flame for few minutes. Allow the yoghurt to absorb the spices and blend well with the mixture. Adjust salt according to taste. To make it into a good gravy consistency, add 1/2 cup of water and cook it on a medium flame. Add Tofu and allow it to absorb the gravy with spices. Gently mix it and cook for a couple of minutes. Don't over mix it as the tofu will crumble completely and become a paste. Add freshly ground pepper and sprinkle coriander leaves for garnishing. Serve hot!

Vegetable Jalfrezi

2011-05-17T03:09:00.000-07:00

This one is a simple and easy to cook recipe-Vegetable stir-fry with Indian spices. Bring on the vegetables and saute it with coriander powder and garam masala to create a perfect infusion. You can vary the vegetables for this dish and spice it up with red chilli powder.

What do we need?

Vegetables used

Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Peas - 1/2 cup
Potatoes - chopped in cubes - 1 cup
Carrot- chopped in slices - 1 cup
Green bell peppers - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 1 (chopped) or Broken red chilli pieces
Onions - 2 medium (sliced)
Tomato- 1 (blanch it, remove the skin, deseed it and then chop to bits)

** Note, the cup size measurement usually varies from household to household. I used a small sized serving cup, you could use a small soup bowl or cup. what matters is the spice level- if you can handle good spice, notch it up a bit higher and vice versa.

Spices used

Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Ginger (minced)- 1/2 tsp
Garlic (minced) - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt according to taste-

Preparation-

Step 1 will be to blanch the chopped vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, potatoes). All the vegetables take different cooking time, so you will have to be patient with each vegetable. For example, potatoes take longer time to cook whereas cauliflower takes lesser time and carrot takes medium time. Get the water boiling and boil the potatoes first- a word of caution, don't over boil anything- the vegetables should be tender and cooked not mushy. Once the potatoes are cooked to a medium level, add the carrots and after a few minutes add cauliflower florets and in the end peas-
Alternatively, you can microwave the vegetables till tender/soft (not mushy).
In a wok add oil (about 2 tbsp) and once hot, add cumin seeds.
As the cumin seeds start to sputter, add green chillies/broken red chilli pieces, onions and cook them till onions become golden brown.
Add minced garlic and ginger and cook for few minutes
Add tomatoes and cook the ingredients on a medium flame for a couple of minutes.
Add the boiled vegetables and green bell pepper.
Spice it up with red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala
Add salt and about a tablespoon of oil and toss the vegetables together with the spice.
Saute the vegetables for 5-8 minutes- Add chopped coriander leaves for garnishing and serve!

Hello Blogging world (Sweet modakam/vella kozhukattai)

2011-04-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

Good to be back on my toes again- with so much going on, I had to take a temporary leave from blogging. I missed it terribly :( Now I am back.... There is a religious tradition that I love observing called "Sankata hara chaturthi". This is a fasting ritual for Lord Ganesha who will drive away your worries. A good way to please my ganesha is to prepare his all time favorite delicacy- Modak! More than lord Ganesha, I am fond of this sweet and have the tendency to gorge on it shamelessly :P (all in god's name..). It is a simple preparation made out of Jaggery, rice flour and coconut. If you haven't tried it so far, you have no idea what you are missing!!!

Small little sweet modaks (vella kozhukattai/vella kolukattai)

Steamed sweet dumplings-:

Ingredients-

Rice flour - 2 cups
Jaggery - 1 cup
Grated coconut- 1 cup
Cardamom powder (dash of it for flavoring)

Preparation-

Dough preparation-

Boil two cups of water in a wok. As it begins to boil, add one spoon vegetable oil and switch off your gas.
Remove the boiling water from your stove and stir in the rice flour slowly.
Keep mixing the flour with water till it becomes a smooth dough.
If your dough is too watery and sticky, add a bit of flour to achieve consistency. Alternatively, if your dough is too dry, add a bit of water to achieve good consistency.

Filling preparation-

Usually we get jaggery in blocks or chunks from store. Crush them with a rolling pin to a powder consistency.
On a low flame, melt the jaggery in a pan.
As it starts to melt, add grated coconut and cardamom. Mix thoroughly till the coconut gets incorporated into jaggery.

Final preparation-

Take a small ball of rice flour and flatten it with your hand.
With your fingers press the middle portion of the flattened dough so that it resembles a small cup.
Fill about half a spoon of the filling in middle.
Close the dough with the filling in middle and shape the top to a small pointed dome.
Prepare the rest of the dough the same way (with filling in middle).
Steam them for about 8-10 minutes- Enjoy!

No fuss, flavorful couscous salad

2011-03-26T03:46:00.000-07:00

I am not a salad person. Sad, but true... However, I am trying to work on my salad eating skills! Yesterday, for lunch, I got a bowl of ready-to-go couscous salad from the store. I loved the flavors and what caught my attention was the combination of couscous and chickpeas. Really delicious....I then recreated the salad with a hint of cumin and coriander spices and it gave a magical touch to my salad. Working with couscous is so easy. No fuss at all!

Ingredients-

couscous - 1 cup

1 small red onion- chopped finely

chick peas -1/2 cup

carrot - 1/2 cup shredded

parsley - 1 tbsp

1/2 cup shredded celery

garlic- 2 cloves (finely chopped)

ginger - grated, 1/2 tsp

salt (according to taste)

cumin seeds - 1 tsp (crushed lightly)

coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

lemon juice - 2 tbsp

olive oil - 3 tbsp

crushed black pepper- 1/2 tsp

Preparation-

Place couscous in a large bowl. Bring around 1 1/2 cups of water to boil. As the water starts boiling, remove from fire and pour it over couscous and cover the bowl. Allow it to steam for five minutes. Couscous will absorb the water and soften. After five minutes, gently separate the couscous grains with a fork and ensure they are not sticky. Add carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, parsley, chickpeas and celery. Toss the couscous well with the vegetables and chickpeas. In a separate bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, coriander powder, crushed cumin seeds, black pepper and salt. Combine well, till the spices are incorporated in the oil. Pour this oil mixture to couscous and mix them thoroughly. Serve and enjoy your salad!

Raw banana curry/poriyal

2011-03-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

I love raw bananas- My mom is an absolute genius when it comes to making something delicious out of them! I have literally grown up gorging on the stir fry she would make of raw bananas. Funny thing is, my husband hates them :( - He abhors raw bananas and I seldom cook them. The other day, I was shopping and found these gorgeous looking green bananas. I don't like to cook for myself but then I decided to treat myself with a stir fry that would make my mom proud. So, this dish is just for my taste buds and boy did they feel pampered :) - When was the last time you cooked to pamper your own taste buds???

Ingredients-

500 gms Raw bananas
mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
1 green chilli (chopped)
1 dry red chilli broken into two
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
salt according to taste
curry leaves (couple of leaves, to enhance flavor)
cooking oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation-

Steam the raw bananas (with their skin) till they become soft and tender. Peel the outer skin and discard it. Chop the inner pulp into cubes or slightly mash them (depending upon the extent to which they have been steamed). In a wok, add oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Add red chilli pieces, green chilli pieces and curry leaves. Cook for a couple of seconds before adding the chopped/mashed raw banana pulp. Toss well. Add turmeric powder and adjust salt according to taste. Cook the bananas till light golden brown. Serve with hot steaming rice!

Cardamom buns!

2011-03-20T03:25:00.000-07:00

If I had to chose a flavor, I might be very confused between cinnamon and cardamom! I loveeeeeeeee both and can't get enough of them :) - Both are versatile and can be used in sweet bakery items and can simply enhance an Indian gravy. I love cinnamon in my coffee and always drink my milk with cardamom pods in them. This time, instead of using the usual cinnamon, I tried my hand with cardamom and boy, the buns were awesome. Before I start off again with my ramblings on cardamom and cinnamon, here is my recipe for cardamom buns! Enjoy-

Ingredients-

500 gms all purpose flour

50 gms sugar

pinch of salt

30 gms butter (melted)

12 gms dry yeast

2 tsp cardamom powder

1 egg yolk

250 ml warm milk
1/2 cup raisins

Preparation-

Activate the yeast by mixing it in a small cup of warm water and a tsp of sugar. Set it aside for five minutes. In a separate bowl, mix flour with salt, sugar, raisins and cardamom powder. Start mixing the flour with the help of yeast mixture. Slowly, blend in the egg yolk, melted butter and warm milk. Knead the flour with your hands for five minutes till it gets a good texture. Place the dough in a separate bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Allow the dough to raise for an hour.

Once the dough has risen, knead it for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into medium sized balls. Take one dough ball and roll it into a strip. Tie the strip into a knot. Work in a similar fashion on the rest of the dough. Line a greaseproof paper on a baking tray and place your buns on the tray. Cover the tray with a damp cloth and allow the buns to raise a bit for 10-15 minutes. Coat each bun with a bit of butter and pop them in a preheated oven for baking (@ 200 degree celsius). Bake the buns till golden brown. Enjoy!!!

Chilli naan with spicy paneer butter masala

2011-03-16T02:39:00.000-07:00

Such a comforting food- naan with paneer gravy. Makes you forget all your worries and simply indulge in the exotic flavorful spices. Most of the people I know love paneer (cottage cheese)- You will love it more when it comes in a rich, spicy tomato gravy- dunk the coriander and chilli naan in this gravy and enjoy an exquisite taste of flavors!

Chilli & Coriander naan-

Ingredients-

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

warm water to knead the dough

1 1/2 tbsp yoghurt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of baking soda

1 tsp yeast

chopped coriander leaves (1 cup)

finely chopped green chilli pieces (about a tsp)

Preparation-

Dissolve yeast in a small cup of warm water with sugar. Set it aside for five minutes (allow it to froth)
In a large bowl, mix salt, baking soda and flour.
Add yoghurt and start mixing the dough with the help of yeast water.
Add warm water and work on the dough for 5 to 10 minutes- Knead till it becomes soft and elastic.
Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Put it in a warm place and allow the dough to double in size (should take an hour)
Once the dough has risen, knead it gently for few minutes on a lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough into medium sized balls.
Take one dough ball and flatten it to a small circle- sprinkle coriander and chilli pieces in middle and fold the dough into a pouch (with filling in middle).
Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface into a teardrop shape or oval shape.
Work on the rest of the dough in a similar fashion and place it on a baking tray.
Brush it lightly with butter and pop them in a pre-heated oven for baking.
Bake till it is puffy and golden brown in color (@200 degree celsius)

Paneer Butter Masala- (restaurant style)

Ingredients-

250 gms paneer (cut into cubes)

Butter (for cooking)

** Tip- You can fry paneer before mixing it with the gravy. Normally, I use it raw.
If your store paneer is hard and rubbery, chop them in cubes and put them in hot water for a couple of minutes, allow it to soften- then use them in cooking.

For the gravy-

Bay leaf-1

Clove-1

Cinnamon stick -1 (about one inch)

Broken dried red chilli pieces-1

Coriander seeds crushed (1 tbsp)

Chopped tomatoes (3)

One medium sized onion (chopped)

Crushed and chopped garlic - 1 tsp

Grated ginger - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Fresh cream- 1 tbsp

Kasoori methi leaves crushed (1/2 tsp)

Preparation-

Heat 3 tbsp butter in a frying pan. Add bay leaf, clove, cinnamon, red chilli pieces and crushed coriander seeds. Fry them for a minute. Add onions, garlic and ginger. Saute them for few seconds. Add tomatoes with red chilli powder and coriander powder. Cook the ingredients till oil leaves the masala. Puree the mixture. Heat about a tbsp of butter in another pan. Add the pureed mixture and cook for a couple of minutes. Add paneer pieces and salt. Add a cup of water and cook the paneer on a low flame for 5-8 minutes. Add kasoori methi and cook the paneer mixture for couple of minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the cream. Serve hot with naan!

Apple & Cinnamon rolls

2011-03-13T04:48:00.000-07:00

My baking story begins in a super market- I spot a big sale on apples and buy them without thinking. The burden of impulsive purchase lies heavily on my heart and I try to eat my apples everyday. So, here I am, eating apples in the morning, noon and night- Now, I am sick and tired of eating them. After a week of indulging in apples, I don't even want to look at them. Luckily, there are only three apples left and I don't feel like eating them anymore. They are sitting on my table in a bowl and glaring at me...Finally, I am thinking of using them in a pie? cake? - Guess what happened to my apples??

Viola, Apple Cinnamon rolls-

Ingredients- (for the base)

2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisin
1/2 cup milk (warm)
1/4 cup warm honey
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
2 1/2 tsp yeast

Ingredients- (for the filling)

1 cup chopped apples (chopped to tiny bits)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds- can use walnuts/pecan nuts)
1/2 tsp cardamom

Preparation- dough

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in milk, honey and melted butter. Set it aside for five minutes. In another bowl, mix salt and raisins with flour. Pour in the yeast liquid with egg. Slowly, start kneading the flour- Dump the contents on a lightly floured surface and patiently work on the flour for 10 to 15 minutes. Once kneaded, the flour should be smooth and silky. Place it in a greased bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Allow the dough to raise for an hour.

Preparation- filling

In a bowl, mix apples with cinnamon, cardamom, butter, sugar and nuts. Blend well and keep it aside.

Final preparation-

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch out the air and knead it gently on a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, start rolling out the dough into a flat square. Brush melted butter on the dough. Dump the apple filling in middle and spread it gently on the dough (all around the flat square). Start rolling the dough along the long edge till it is completely rolled up into a big log. You have to do it gently and ensure that the apple filling does not fall out. Slice the dough into equal sized pieces and place it on a baking tray. Cover it with a damp cloth and allow it to raise for 15-20 minutes. Give it a quick egg wash (egg beaten with milk or water). Bake them in a preheated oven @ 175 degree celsius till golden brown. Enjoy!

Rosemary Focaccia

2011-03-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Also known as Italian flat bread, Focaccia is one of my personal favorite. You can mix and match different ingredients and come up with something spectacular. I got to work again with my favorite herb- rosemary and my whole house smelt so good after baking this :)

Ingredients-

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp dry yeast

luke warm water

olive oil

1 small red onion (sliced)
3-4 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped fine)

rosemary leaves

salt (1/2 tsp)
5-6 Black olives (optional)

Preparation-

Sift the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the yeast.
Pour in warm water, crushed/chopped garlic, olive oil and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface (for good 10 minutes)
The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Once done, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel.
Leave it in a warm place for an hour till it doubles in volume.
After an hour (when the dough has doubled up), punch the air and knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes.
Roll out the dough to a large circle (about 1 cm thick)and transfer to a greased baking tray.
Brush the dough generously with olive oil.
Sprinkle the sliced onions, chopped rosemary and some salt on the dough (generally sea salt is used- I just used the regular salt) - Press them gently on the dough so that they stick and get embedded.
Using a finger, make deep indentations in the dough- stick the black olives in a pattern.
Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and leave it to rise for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, when the dough has risen a bit, pop it in a preheated oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes (220 degree celsius)
Serve warm with salad/soup.

Stuffed n Spicy Okra!

2011-03-09T04:44:00.000-08:00

Allow me to introduce the slimiest of em' all- Okra (aka lady's finger)! Don't read this the wrong way...It is gooey and when cut has a bit of slimy substance oozing out. If you are put off by its appearance then you are missing one of the tastiest and healthiest green vegetable- Okra contains vitamin A & C and is a good source of iron and calcium. I have always loved okra and it tastes amazing with Indian spices. You can chop them in pieces and stir fry them with Indian spices or you can pamper your taste buds by slitting and filling them with Indian spices and frying them. Also known as 'bharwa bhindi' which literally translates to stuffed okra, it is a very popular Indian dish- Enjoy!

Ingredients-

500 gms Okra
Oil for cooking
Onions- 1 cup (sliced)

Spices required for stuffing-

2 tbsp Coriander powder
2 tbsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Cumin powder
2 tbsp Dry mango powder (amchur)
Salt (according to taste)

Preparation-

Wash the okra and pat them completely dry. If it is soggy or wet, preparing the dish is difficult.
Cut the edges from both ends and slit each okra in the middle.
In a separate bowl mix all the ingredients listed under spices.
With the help of your fingers or a small spoon stuff the spices in the slitted okra- it is a tedious job and requires a good 20 minutes to carefully stuff the spices inside okra.
Retain the left over spices separately.
In a frying pan, heat some oil.
Add the sliced onions and cook for a minute.
Add the stuffed okra to the pan.
Cover the pan and cook on a low heat (stir occasionally)
When okra is half cooked, add the rest of the spices.
Cook on a low flame till the okra is deep fried and well cooked.

Mushroom Mattar Paneer

2011-03-07T04:37:00.000-08:00

Thick, rich gravy based dish with peas, mushroom and cottage cheese- Who wouldn't love it? It is really flavorful and works great with rice/roti.

Ingredients-

250 gms cottage cheese (cubed)

1 cup frozen peas (thawed)

1 medium sized onion (chopped fine)

1 tomato chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms (sliced)

1/2 tsp grated ginger

3 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)

1/4 cup cream

Salt (according to taste)

Oil for cooking

Green chilli (1 chopped)

Spices used for flavor-

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

dash of fenugreek leaves

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

1 small bay leaf

1/2 piece cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Coriander leaves chopped (for garnishing- according to taste)

Preparation-

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Fry for a couple of seconds (they will start to sputter). Add cinnamon & bay leaf- allow the oil to absorb the flavor.
Add garlic, ginger and green chilli pieces- fry for a couple of minutes.
Mix onions and cook them till they begin to turn golden brown.
Add tomatoes and cook on a low flame till they become mushy.
Mix chilli powder, coriander powder, dash of cardamom, garam masala and fenugreek leaves.
Continue cooking on a medium flame till the oil separates.
Add a bit of water to make it a bit saucy.
Add mushrooms, peas to the sauce and adjust salt according to taste.
After 5 minutes of cooking, add cottage cheese and blend well.
Pour in the fresh cream and mix well.

Garlic & herb Rolls

2011-03-04T05:58:00.000-08:00

This recipe has been adapted from the lovely blogs- Sprinkles of parsley & Torviewtoronto - I just added my own twist to the original recipe. It was a mega success and within minutes all the rolls vanished. You can be super-creative with the recipe and try using different ingredients- I used a combination of Italian herbs, dash of pepper and crushed garlic for the filling- So here goes my version....

Ingredients for the base- (Makes about 8-10 rolls)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp yeast (dry active yeast)
2 tbsp luke warm water
olive oil (about a tbsp)
1/2 tsp salt
luke warm water for kneading dough

For the filling

4-5 garlic pods minced
5 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
dash of pepper
salt (according to taste)
Italian herb mix- 1 tsp(oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary mix)

Preparation

Combine yeast and sugar in a tablespoon of luke warm water and set it aside for five minutes. The yeast becomes active and froths up. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Add the yeast liquid, olive oil and start kneading the dough with luke warm water. After five minutes of kneading the dough should become smooth and silky. Roll it into a ball and keep it in a clean bowl- cover it with a cling wrap. Allow the dough to raise for an hour. In the meanwhile, we must get our filling ready. In a bowl, combine garlic, pepper, Italian herbs and salt with butter. Mix well and keep it aside. After an hour when the dough doubles up in size, punch the air out and knead it for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface. Roll your dough in a long rectangle and spread the garlic-butter mixture evenly on it. Roll it up along the long edge till it forms into one big roll. Slice the roll into equal sized pieces and place it on a baking tray. Cover it with a damp cloth and allow it to raise for 10 to 15 minutes. Brush the rolls with melted butter. Pre heat the oven to 200 degree Celsius and bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes till golden brown. Give enough space for the rolls and don't cramp them. Enjoy!

The perfect coffee companion - Apple n Carrot muffins :)

2011-03-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

Carrot and raisin muffins with a steaming cup of coffee tastes heavenly. I still have the taste lingering in my mouth... I am not an avid baker and seldom indulge in baking. Occasionally, I get super inspired to bake and in the heat of the moment, I do some good work ;) Here is one such recipe- it's got em' all- carrot, apple, raisin & nuts (super moist) muffins-

What do we need?

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup yogurt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 medium apple peeled and chopped finely
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped cashew nuts
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of cardamom powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs

How did I do it?

In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs together with sugar and slowly mix in the yogurt, apple, carrot, raisins, melted butter, vanilla and nuts. Add the flour to this mixture and blend in the cardamom powder. Stir till it has blended well. Using a spoon, fill in the greased muffin cups with the batter. Bake for around 25-30 minutes in a pre-heated oven @ 175 degree celsius. Once cooled, they taste divine with a steaming cup of coffee. Yum!
(Dust the muffins with powdered sugar-optional)

Beans Paruppu Usili - healthy south Indian dish...

2011-03-01T05:37:00.000-08:00

This recipe is my mom's signature dish- Authentic south Indian dish with lentils and vegetables (paruppu usili). The lentils play a lead role and taste magical with green beans. Official verdict? It's healthy and sumptuous! It is generally made at home and hard to find in hotels/restaurants...If you love lentils and green beans, this dish is a must try- Beans Paruppu Usili (Tamil name for this dish)

Ingredients-
500 gms finely chopped green beans
3 red chillies (you can go with less spice and use 2)
1 medium cup Channa dal (yellow split chickpeas without seedcoat)
1 medium cup Toor dal (yellow pigeon peas)
asafoetida powder (pinch/dash)
mustard seeds (1 tsp)
curry leaves 4-5
salt (according to taste)
oil for cooking

Preparation-
The big fuss is on lentils here- You have to soak the lentils in warm water for at least half an hour. Coarsely grind the lentils in a mixer with red chillies and asafoetida powder. Make sure you don't puree it- it has to be lumpy and not a smooth paste. Steam the lentils paste for 5-8 minutes and set it aside. Allow the lentils to cool and crumble them with your hands/spoon. Steam the chopped beans separately. Heat oil in a pan and saute mustard seeds with curry leaves. As the mustard starts to sputter, add the crumbled lentils and saute it for 5 minutes. Add the cooked beans and fry it for 5 minutes. Adjust salt according to taste and enjoy! Some add grated coconut to enhance the taste....

Comforting Tortellini soup

2011-02-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

Instead of making my own pasta or even think of making it, I quickly ran to the super market and got a packet of frozen tortellini. A quick soup with dash of all veggies in my fridge took care of the dinner time! I have never tried a soupy tortellini. I always saute it with veggies or eat it with arabiatta sauce. If you are tired and want to spend minimum time in your kitchen with less pressure on "after-cooking" clean up then it's a perfect one-pot recipe (should I say one-pan??)- very comforting with nice flavors and a healthy way to finish your day. Read on....

Ingredients-

1 big cup mixed assortment of veggies (I used mushrooms, beans, shallots, peas, carrots, zucchini)

1 bay leaf (how cannot I use this when I have a food blog titled Flavors??)

5-6 cups of Vegetable broth

1 onion (medium sized) chopped

salt according to taste

1/2 cup crushed canned tomatoes

Frozen tortellini (used spinach and ricotta filled tortellini)

1 tsp dried basil

fresh parsley for garnishing

black pepper to taste

Olive oil to cook

3-4 crushed garlic cloves (I can't cook without my star ingredient)

Preparation-

Heat olive oil in a pot/pan. Saute onions, garlic and other veggies over medium flame (for about 8 min). Add broth, bay leaf, basil, tomatoes and salt to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil over high flame. Mix the tortellini and cook on a low flame for 5-6 minutes. Allow it to simmer well before adding pepper. Toss in the parsley for garnishing. Enjoy!

Breezy Sunday evening snack- Baked rosemary potatoes!

2011-02-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered the herb Rosemary- Never had an opportunity to work with it much and when I did get an opportunity, I fell in love with this gorgeous herb! Rosemary is extremely high in Iron & Calcium- so all the more good reasons for me to get pally with this herb :) Baby potatoes work great with rosemary and bring in the garlic and shallot twist to make an easy peasy snack!

Ingredients-

500 gms baby potatoes (unpeeled)
5 peeled shallots cut in slices or wedges
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
5-6 crushed garlic cloves
salt & pepper according to taste

How did I make it?

Preheat oven to 200 degree celsius. Throughly wash the baby potatoes and mix them with onions, olive oil, rosemary, vinegar and garlic. Toss well till the vegetables are well coated. Grease a baking pan and place the potatoes in the pan. Bake them for about 30 to 35 minutes till the potatoes are completely cooked. Once cooked, remove them from oven and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve hot with chilli sauce!

Vegetable Paella

2011-02-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

Paella is a Valencian rice dish generally made with vegetables, meat and sea food. I never thought that it will be equally enjoyable with only vegetables (minus meat). Vegetable Paella is so full of flavors that you will simply forget the absence of meat and enjoy it equally. It is quite a simple dish to prepare and for a hardcore vegetarian like me- it's divine. This dish is a must try if you have only eaten meat based paella- Plus, it's a one pot meal and can be prepared in short notice without much fuss-

Ingredients-

1 large onion chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups rice (paella/risotto rice)

4 medium tomatoes chopped

1 red bell pepper (cut in thin strips)

1 green bell pepper (cut in thin strips)

1 yellow bell pepper (cut in thin strips)

1 cup green peas

1 cup artichoke hearts (quartered)

1 lemon

How did I make it?

Heat olive oil and saute onion with garlic till the onions start changing color. Add the bell peppers, tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the paella/risotto rice and saute for about 5 minutes. In a separate pan, heat the broth till it starts to simmer. Add the simmering vegetable broth to the paella mixture and cook over medium flame for 15 minutes. Stir in the peas and artichokes before the liquid gets completely absorbed by the rice. Add some lemon juice. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes till the water is completely absorbed and the rice is cooked and tender. Serve hot!

Ravioli- Spinach, ricotta & more....

2011-02-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

If there was one dish that I always wanted to create, it is ravioli- The spinach and ricotta cheese works its magic and creates a unique flavor. I always get a ready made packet and never tried it from scratch. Over the weekend, I got my lazy bones to work and created my very own spinach & ricotta filled ravioli. Do invest in a good pasta machine, if you want things simpler and easier- otherwise, you will literally be spending half a day making this (like me)-

What do we need- (for the base)

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 eggs

pinch of salt

What do we need- (for the filling)

4-5 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)

250 gms spinach leaves chopped

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

freshly ground black pepper

How did I make it?

Combine the flour, eggs and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix it to a fine dough (if need be add a bit of water). Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead well for 5 minutes, until smooth. Wrap in a clear film and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Filling preparation-

In a wok, saute garlic and add the chopped spinach leaves. Cook the spinach leaves till they have reduced in volume and tender. Once the spinach is cooked, place it in a bowl, blend in the ricotta and season with black pepper.

Final touch-

Divide the dough into 4 pieces and flatten slightly. With the help of a rolling pin, roll out each piece into thin sheets. Using a cookie cutter, stamp out small rounds. Top half the rounds with filling. Brush the edges with water and place another round of pasta on top of each. Press the edges firmly to seal. Cook in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes. Drain well and toss with Arrabiata sauce (enough to liberally coat the pasta but not drown it)- Enjoyyyyyy!

Messy & tasty affair...My Zuchinni paranthas/Indian flat bread/roti!

2011-02-09T02:44:00.000-08:00

Oh my, I have to blog about my messy kitchen- Yesterday, I tried my hand with something new and the dish was fantastic, came out really good- but the mess I created took double my cooking time. Before creating anything new, I worry about what kind of mess it will create in my cute lil' kitchen. LOL! I know, people worry about the process of creating a new dish and I worry about how long will it take me to clean. I have shades of Monica geller in me (remember the character from Friends serial???)- which means I have this compulsive disorder to clean up immediately or my mind simply preys on the mess. It is a simple parantha or stuffed Indian flat bread dish- trick is the stuffing - once you get it correct then life is simple. I have never tried out zucchini filling and yesterday was my first time. It is a watery veggie and you have to literally squeeze it dry and use it for filling- You grate the zucchini, mix it with salt, squeeze the water from it and mix it with spices for a sumptuous filling. Sounds fun eh? Trust me, it tastes wonderful in a parantha! Worth all my effort :)

Ingredients-

For filling-

1 zucchini (grated)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin powder (fry cumin seeds in a pan without oil and then grind it)

Powdered dry kasoori methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)

1 green chilli chopped finely

coriander leaves (about a handful) chopped finely

1 onion chopped finely

For the base

1 cup wheat flour

water to mix

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp salt

Preparation-

Knead the flour with salt & water to a smooth dough (add oil towards the end). Set it aside. For the filling, grate zucchini and mix salt. With your hands make a ball and squeeze out the water from zucchini. It should be dry with no trace of water. Once the water is squeezed out put it in a dry mixing bowl and mix onions, green chillies, coriander leaves and rest of the spices mentioned above (cumin powder, fenugreek leaves). Toss it well and ensure it is a dry mixture and not soggy. Some people tend to saute zucchini with onions before mixing it with spices but I tend to use it raw. If you get the filling right, rest is easy. Take a small ball of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin. Add around 1 tbsp of filling in middle and fold it to a pouch (with filling in middle). Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface to a medium sized round shape. Fry it to golden brown on both sides and serve hot with mango chutney/pickle!