Stuffed Roti

Do you have many vegetables in your refrigerator that you want to finish quickly? Or, do you want to make something tasty and healthy in a jiffy? Either way, this recipe is something that kids and adults will enjoy at anytime.

My mother made it occasionally when I was a kid. Years later, I had it in a slightly different form in a restaurant. That day, I went back home and asked my mother to make it again and learnt the recipe. I make this dish frequently at home now and believe me my family loves it :-)

Ingredients

Wheat flour – 1 cup

Onion – 1 chopped finely

Green chillies – 3 chopped finely

Garlic – 1 tsp chopped finely

Ginger – 1 tsp chopped finely

Green peas – ½ cup

Potato – 1 cup finely chopped

Green beans – ½ cup finely chopped

Bell peppers – 1 cup finely chopped (I used all three colors)

Tomato – 1 finely chopped

Oil – 3 tbsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Chaat Masala – 1 tsp

Garam Masala – ½ tsp

Method

Knead the flour with some water and oil nicely, to make smooth dough. Keep the dough covered until the vegetable filling is ready.

In a pan, heat oil. Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies nicely. Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, chat masala, and mix well. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute or two. Now add the rest of the vegetables and mix well. Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for ten minutes. Cook the vegetable filling until all the water is soaked up. Remove from the stove and cool the filling.

Divide the dough and the filling into equal parts. Heat a flat tawa or griddle. Roll out a ball of dough to make a round roti. Now keep the vegetable filling in the roti and fold the sides. Roll out the stuffed dough again to make a flat, round roti. Now cook this stuffed roti in the tawa.

Serve hot, stuffed roti with tomato sauce or green chutney.

Quick and Easy Vegetable Rice with a Surprise

I make it a point to make a mixed rice once a week, usually on Fridays. I made a quick and easy rice this week.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Rice – ½ cup

Chopped vegetables – ½ cup (I put potatoes, leeks and carrots)

Chopped onion – 3 tbsps

Chopped garlic – 1 tbsp

Yogurt – 2 tbsps

Goda masala* (You can use garam masala) – 1-1½ tsps

Bay leaf – 1

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Water – 1 cup + ¼ cup

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Chilli powder to taste

Boiled eggs – 2

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds. As they start spluttering, add the bay leaf, chopped onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes and add the chopped vegetables. Sauté for a few minutes and add the masala, turmeric, chilli, salt and mix well. Add the rice and water (check salt at this point and add more if required), cover the pressure cooker and cook (approximately 2-3 whistles depending on your cooker).

Once the pressure releases, open the cooker and serve hot with raita or side dish of your choice. 

We had it with oven roasted Lijjat papad and a simple onion raita. I topped the raita with a puffed rice mixture for an added crunch. 

Now you know where the boiled eggs went!

 *It’s a Maharashtrian masala which my mom first bought for me from Mumbai. I later found it in Indian stores in the US from the Bedekar brand.

Choconana Muffins

Anyone craving for muffins? Here is a simple recipe for a batch of delicious muffins. I have used bananas here but I am sure you can use other fruits like apples, pineapples, raisins or just nuts and dried fruits.

Ingredients (6 medium muffins)

Whole wheat flour – ½ + ⅛ cups

Baking powder – ½ tsp

Unsweetened cocoa powder – 1 ½ tbsps

Salt – ½ tsp

Over ripe banana – 1  

Sugar – 3-4 tbsps

Oil – ¼ cup

Milk – ¼ cup

Vanilla extract – ¼ tsp

Method

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the muffin tin.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mash the bananas (or puree them if you don't want to bite into small pieces), add sugar, oil, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine well.

Pour into the muffin tray and bake for about 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

 Note - Adding fresh fruit to the muffins reduces its shelf life so unless you plan to gobble up all the muffins in one day, store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Link to original recipe - http://sobha-goodfood.blogspot.com/2012/01/eggless-choco-banana-brownies.html

Mexican Lasagna

I love all things pasta but my husband likes nothing about it. So, one evening, while thinking about what to make, I suddenly remembered this cooking show I had seen a long time back; a chef had made lasagna using tortillas. Here’s my version.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Tortillas – 4 (Medium, approx 6”-7”)

Finely chopped onion – ½ cup

Finely chopped garlic – 1 tbsp

Chopped vegetables – 1-1 ½ cups (I used carrots, red and green bell peppers)

Cheese (I used a Shredded Mexican Blend) – As much or as little as you like

Oil – 1 tbsp

Tomato ketchup to taste

Hot sauce to taste

Salt to taste

Water 
Method

Cut the tortillas into strips (1 tortilla would make about 4 strips). Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until the onions are tender. Add the remaining vegetables, water and salt, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the sauces and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes. Once the mixture takes on a thick sauce like consistency, take it off the heat and keep aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Take a baking dish and brush the bottom with a little oil. Pour in some sauce and spread it evenly. Add one layer of tortilla strips, add the sauce and cheese and continue till you end with a layer of sauce and cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until all the cheese has melted completely. Remove, slice and enjoy. Bon Appétit. 

Spinach & Cheese Frittata

Here is a recipe for a light lunch/dinner dish which can be paired with a bowl of soup or a small salad. I just loved the texture of the frittata, it was absolutely light and fluffy.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Eggs – 2 whole + 4 egg whites

Grated cheese (I used gouda) – 2 tbsps

Milk – 2 tsps

Oil – 1 tsp

Chopped onions – 3-4 tbsps

Roughly chopped spinach – ½ cup

Red chili flakes –  ½ -1 tsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place two ramekins in the oven to warm. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, milk and 1 tbsp cheese, salt and pepper till they form a frothy mixture. Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions. Sauté for a minute and add the spinach. Cook till the leaves wilt (about 2 minutes), add a pinch of salt and pepper and slowly add to the egg mixture. Pull out the ramekins, brush/spray with oil and distribute the egg mixture into both the dishes and top with remaining cheese. Place the ramekins in a baking dish (to avoid any spilling) and bake for 15 minutes. Bon Appétit. 

   How to separate eggs

Link to original recipe - http://www.marthastewart.com/316401/spinach-frittata-with-green-salad

Pongal-O-Pongal!!!

Pongal or Makara Sankarathi is a harvest festival celebrated by the Tamilians and the in certain parts of north India. This festival is celebrated for three consecutive days in South India – Bhogi, Sankaranthi and Kannum Pongal.

The main dish of this festival is the Sakkarai Pongal done on the second day of the festival. Apart from this, each region makes varieties of sweet and spicy dishes to celebrate with friends and family.

Sakkarai Pongal

Ingredients

Rice – 1 cup

Moong dal (split) – 3 tbsp

Milk – 4 cups

Melted Jaggery – 1 ½ cups (or to taste)

Ghee – 4 tbsp

Cashews – 2 tbsp

Raisins – 2tbsp

Method
Take a heavy bottomed vessel and heat the milk. Keep stirring and once the milk starts to boil, add the rice and dal. Keep stirring continuously to avoid the milk from spilling over. This may take a few minutes. Cook until the rice is well cooked and the milk is absorbed.

Add jaggery to the rice and mix well. Add a tbsp. of ghee and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

In a pan, heat the remaining ghee and roast the cashews and raisins.

Once the rice and jaggery have blended in nicely, remove from stove and garnish with the roasted cashews and raisins.

Serve this sweet dish hot with some vada or just by itself.

Weekend Finds

My husband and I make it a point to visit the weekly farmers’ market to get fresh produce and flowers. The first market we saw was in the Bay Area and I was absolutely enamoured by the whole setup. The market occupied a portion of a downtown street (closed to traffic of course) and had stalls along both sides. There were stalls selling fruits, vegetables, breads, eggs and even ready to eat foods. There was also a man playing live music to perk up ambiance. 

From there, we moved to Orange County and found a market nearby. This one is on Sundays and is conveniently located in the same complex as my latest favourite store, Sprouts. Even though the market lacks a live music performance, the friendly folks and their quality goods make up for it completely. We even got some free stuff today, from two stalls. One vendor gave a few meyer lemons and another dropped a pink lady apple into our bag of gala apples.  I leave the market looking forward to another Sunday of explorations and finds. 

Pitted Prunes

Dried Apricots

Brown Rice from Sprouts

The Pretty Pink Lady Apple

Warm Salad for a Cold Night

I love having salads in the summer because the cool, crunchy vegetables are super refreshing. But when it is cold outside, I just don’t feel like eating something that is cold too. That’s when I saw the recipe for a California Chopped Salad. The original was made with romaine lettuce, corn, zucchini, bell peppers, onions and shrimp. Here is my version.

Ingredients

Potatoes cut into discs

Romaine lettuce

Corn on the cob

Onions cut into rings/half circles

Tomatoes cut into full or half circles

Salt

Pepper powder

Dressing of your choice (I used the Bolthouse Farms Zesty French Yogurt dressing)

Cheese of your choice (I used Gouda)

Method

On a grill pan, grill the all the vegetables, including the lettuce. The potatoes will take slightly longer, so place them first. Once all the vegetables are grilled, chop into big chunks and add to your salad bowl. Mix in salt, pepper and the dressing, toss well and serve. Add some grated cheese and enjoy. Bon Appétit. 

Easy way to cut corn demonstrated below

Recipe sent to Midweek Fiesta # 12 @ http://foodssrilanka.blogspot.com/

The Humble Upma with a Tasty Twist

I was changing channels when I saw an Indian face on Top Chef Masters. It is a competition between seasoned chefs from all over the country who are competing to win money for their favourite charities. I was intrigued and decided to watch the remaining few episodes. The chef’s name was Floyd Cardoz and he is from Mumbai, I think. Anyway, for one round in the finale where the chefs were asked to make any food that brought back childhood memories, Chef Floyd presented a dish called The Upma Polenta. He made the regular sooji upma with coconut milk and served it with sautéed mushrooms and some greens. And guess what, after two more rounds, he won the competition and received $100,000 for his charity.

Here is my take on his prize worthy upma. I mixed water and coconut milk but you could of course use just coconut milk.

Ingredients

Sooji (Semolina) - 1 cup
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Chopped vegetables (Capsicum, carrots, beans or any vegetable of your choice)
Salt to taste
Mustard 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Chopped ginger - 1/2 tsp
Chopped green chilis 1-2
Oil - 1 tsp
Method
Toast the sooji in a pan until the color turns slightly brown and keep aside. Heat oil in the same pan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the chili, ginger, curry leaves and vegetables. Add little water and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add the remaining water, coconut milk and salt and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the sooji slowly, while stirring continuously. (It is important to stir else it will get lumpy.) Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and serve hot. Bon Appetit.

Recipe sent to Midweek Fiesta # 11 @ http://foodssrilanka.blogspot.com/

 Thank You So much Julie @ http://erivumpuliyumm.blogspot.com/ for this award.
We would like to share this award with
Amy @ http://foodssrilanka.blogspot.com/
Sobha @ http://sobha-goodfood.blogspot.com/
Vidhya @ http://sweetkaramkapi.blogspot.com/
Ashwini @ http://indulge-ashscorner.blogspot.com/

Thiruvathira Special

Thiruvathira is a festival celebrated by the women of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It celebrates the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva and the meeting of Goddess Parvati with Lord Shiva. Thiruvathira falls in the Malayalam month of Dhanu/ Tamil month of Margazhi (December – January) and was on the 8^th of January this year. One fact I did not know is that Thiruvathira is the commemoration of the death of Kamadevan, who is supposed to have been a victim to Lord Shiva’s powerful third eye.

In Tamilnadu, people prepare Kali and Kali kootu as offerings to god. Both these dishes are easy and very tasty. And the Kootu is super healthy too!!! There are a whole lot of vegetables and very little oil. 

Kali

Ingredients

Rice – 1 cup

Jaggery – 1 cup (You can also add more if you prefer more sweetness in the Kali)

Cashews – 2 tbsps

Grated coconut – 2 tbsps

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Ghee – 3 -4 tbsps

Water – 2 ½ cups

Method

Roast the rice in a pan until it turns slightly red. Grind to make a coarse powder. Boil in water in a vessel. Add the jaggery and allow it to melt. Add a spoon of the ghee. Once the jaggery starts to boil, add the ground rice and remove from the stove. Mix well. Add another spoon of ghee and pressure cook the rice for three whistles.

In a pan, heat the rest of the ghee and roast the cashews. Once the rice is nicely cooked, add the grated coconut, cardamom powder and roasted cashews and mix well. Serve with hot and spicy kootu or enjoy it as a dessert.

Kali Kootu

Ingredients

Diced potatoes – 1 cup

Diced winter melon – 1 cup

Diced pumpkin – 1 cup

Diced brinjal – 1 cup

Chopped beans – 1 cup

Green peas – 1 cup

Diced raw banana – 1 cup

Diced sweet potato – 1 cup

Diced carrot – 1 cup

Tamarind juice – 2 cups

Cooked toor dal – 2 tbsps

Sambar powder – 2 tbsps (optional)

Dhania seeds – 3 tbsps

Channa dal – 2 tbsps

Red chillies – 10

Grated coconut – 5 tbsps

Oil – 2 tbsps

Jaggery – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

In a cooker, pour the tamarind juice, sambar powder and all the vegetables. Pressure cook for three or four whistles. For the masala, heat a tbsp of oil. Add dhania seeds, channa dal, red chillies and grated coconut. Sauté nicely and allow it to cool. Grind the above sautéed masala into a fine powder. In a big vessel, heat a tbsp of oil. Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add urad dal, curry leaves and one red chilli. Add the cooked vegetables, salt, ground masala powder and the cooked toor dal and boil for 5 – 10 minutes. Add jaggery, simmer for 2 – 3 minutes, and remove from the stove.

This kootu is a great accompaniment for Kali, dosa, idly and rice.

In Kerala, Thiruvathira is a fun filled day for all women, regardless of age. The day’s festivities usually go on throughout the night with the women gathering around to perform the ‘Kai Kotti Kali’, a traditional dance form of Kerala.

No festival is complete without food. Women do not eat rice or rice related items on this day and of course, like any other auspicious day, onion and garlic are also avoided. So the day’s menu would be made with ingredients like whole wheat, semolina and for modern times, cous cous and oats.

My favourite Thiruvathira dish is the arrowroot pudding ‘Koova’. Many people make it with sugar but I love the way my mother makes it with jaggery. Jaggery gives it a distinct flavour and the addition of cardamom makes this a delectable dessert.

Ingredients

Arrowroot powder – ¼ cup

Water – 2 ½-2 ¾ cups

Jaggery to taste

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbsps

Method

Mix the arrowroot powder into the water and bring to a boil. The mixture will start thickening as it boils, so keep stirring continuously. Once it thickens to a sauce like consistency, add the jaggery and mix well. Lower the heat and let it cook for about 10 minutes and you will be left with a jelly like substance. Meanwhile, check to see if it is sweet enough.

Remove from the heat, add the cardamom powder and garnish with coconut. This can be served warm or cold. I personally prefer it cold. Bon Appétit.

Dosa with Tofu and Corn Filling

I was planning to make dosas for breakfast but wanted to make it more interesting and that’s when I remembered the Paneer Dosas seen on many restaurant menus. I did not have paneer on hand so decided to make it with tofu. The final result was really delicious.

Ingredients

For Tofu Filling

Chopped onion

Corn (I used frozen)

Tofu

Salt

Chili powder

Pepper powder

Turmeric powder

Oil – 1-2 tsps

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions. Sauté for a few minutes and add the tofu and corn. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder. Mix well and mash the tofu to resemble scrambled eggs.  Cook for 5-6 minutes and take off the heat. Add the pepper powder, mix and keep aside.

Dosa

For dosa batter check out –http://squaremeals.blogspot.com/2011/10/batter-basics.html

Method

Make dosa, spread the tofu scramble on it and wait till the dosa starts browning a bit. Fold over and remove onto a plate and enjoy it hot. This can be had on its own or with a chutney of your choice. You can also make uthappams (pancake like crepes) and stuff with the same filling.  Bon Appétit.

Thank you Ashwini @ Indulge - Ashcorner for this encouraging award.


We would like to share this this award with some of our favourite bloggers.




Julie @ http://erivumpuliyumm.blogspot.com/


Amy @ http://foodssrilanka.blogspot.com/


Sobha @ http://sobha-goodfood.blogspot.com/


Ashwini @ http://indulge-ashscorner.blogspot.com/




Vidhya @ http://sweetkaramkapi.blogspot.com/