Baked pyaaz ki kachoris

One of the yummiest snack I have eaten is pyaaz ki kachoris in Jaipur! Mouthwatering and flavorful and the name is enough to drool over.the only issue was it being fried and so tried my hand at baking them. I worked on the pastry dough and got it as close to the taste of fried stuff such that my son was wondering what's with me ! That's how bad my reputation is with frying. So here is this mouthwatering dish!

Ingredients

4 large onions chopped

3/4 chopped gr chillies

4/5 cloves crushed garlic

1 tbsp chopped ginger

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp hing 

4 tbsp besan

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp dhaniya powder

1/2 tsp haldi

2 tsp amchur

1 tsp crushed saunf

Chopped dhaniya

For pastry

1 cup maida

1/2 cup atta

1/2cup suji

1/4 cup oil

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp sour curd thick

Salt

Method

In a bowl mix all the flour and salt and add oil and butter . Rub well to get it like bread crumb consistency.

Add curd and cold water to make it into a tight dough.

Keep this aside for good 3/4 hours and then in the fridge for 30 mins.

Meanwhile heat oil and add hing and mustard.

Add garlic , ginger and green chillies.

Add onions and sauté till trancelucent. Today I added spring onion also. 

Add besan and sauté .

Add all the masalas and sauté.

Add green coriander and keep aside.

Make balls with dough and roll into small circles.

Put generous helping of masala.

Cover well and roll to 4 inch rounds.

Put on a baking sheet. Apply some butter and put in a preheated oven at 200 deg till golden brown.

When done, brush with butter again.

Serve hit with green chutney and tamarind chutney.i served with amchur chutney.

Amchur chutney.... 2 tsp amchur with salt, kala namak, bhuna jeera , chilli powder and dhaniya powder , mix with water and boil. Add sugar and reduce. Chutney is ready! 

Enjoy!!!!

Tirangi mirchi

2  packets of bell peppers!! That's what it took to come out with this mirchi preparation. Spicy, colorful and very tasty ! Here goes the preparation.

Ingredients

3 chopped bell peppers (yellow, red, green)

1 tbsp garlic

2 sliced green chilies

2 tbsp besan

2 tbsp dahi

Chilli powder

Haldi powder

1 tsp dhaniya powder

1/2 tsp saunf powder coarse

1/5 tsp hing

1/2 tsp each of mustard, methi and jeera

1/2 tsp amchur

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Heat oil and add hing and mustard methi n jeera. Let it crackle.

Add garlic and sauté.

Add chillies n bell peppers.

Sauté in high heat.

Add all masalas and besan and cook on high heat.

Add the curd and cook well on high heat so that water evaporates and color of bell peppers remains.add amchur and mix well.

Remove and serve hot as a side dish.

Ratatouille lasagne

 

 My family loves lasagna any day and I find it very interesting to put it together. I keep thinking of ways to make it more interesting and healthy and at the same time do not like to go out venturing looking for ingredients. The recipe should be simple, few steps and with easily available ingredients. This lasagna also was the brainchild of one such a lazy day. Since many things are available here like white sauce, it  makes it is easier to put together and also less work in cleaning. But for people who want to make it from scratch can do so too. So here goes the spicy ratatouille lasagna as I combined the two lovely Italian dishes into one. The product is amazing.
Ingredients
2 chopped aubergines
2 chopped zucchinis
1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell peppers
1 scrapped corn ( I used it)
8-10 cherry tomatoes halved
2 tbsp minced garlic
100 gms of tomatoes puree
4-5 tbsp tomato paste( can use more tomatoes cooked to thick paste)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Italian spice
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 tsp garlic powder
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1 cup grated cheese
12 Lasagna sheets Soaked in hot water
400 ml white sauce- Heat 2 tbsp butter, add 2 heaped tbsp flour and saute. Add 2 cup milk and keep cooking till coats the back of the spoon. Add salt and pepper.

Method
Heat olive oil and add minced garlic and saute.
Add the onions and saute few mins.
Add the aubergines and zucchini and cook to color a bit and cook a bit.
Add the tomato puree and paste and mix well.
Add 1 tsp each of the herbs, salt and pepper.
Cook till the vegs are half done.
Add cherry tomatoes and keep aside.
Take a baking dish and grease it with butter.
Pour half the vegetable in the dish.
Layer up sheets of pasta on the vegetable.
Pour half the white sauce on it and sprinkle half the cheese.
Pour the rest of the vegetables.
Layer up rest of the sheets and top with white sauce and cheese.
Sprinkle the rest of the oregano, Italian spice , garlic powder and chilli flakes.
Bake at 200 deg till golden brown.
Rest it for 15 mins before cutting and serving.

  

Stuffed karela

The thought of a stuffed spicy karela with daal is mouth watering.I just love this vegetable though it is so bitter. Its a very nutritious vegetable and good for diabetes. Here is one made healthier and sweet and sour , just the way I like with even a left over rotis from the previous day.....divine food!

Ingredients
3 Karelas scraped,slit and cut into 3 inch pieces( keep the scrapes for stuffing)
1/2 tsp haldi
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 spoon garam masala
1 tsp crushed saunf
2 tsp amchur powder
Salt
2/3 tbsp oil
1 walnut size jaggery grated
2 tbsp flax seeds

Method
Apply salt to karelas and the scrapings and keep for 30 mins.
Squeeze the water out and keep aside.
Mix scrapings with all the dry ingredients.
Fill them well in the karelas.
Heat oil and put karelas and cook on low heat , turning them well so that it cooks and colors on all sides.
Poke to see if they are cooked well and serve.

Nectarine cake

A fruit cake is such a delight. I love the sourness from the fruit, a bit of mushy fruit and the sweet base of the cake. Germany has such a variety in such fruit cakes. I made this and my family loved it.Its nutritious and light and great with a cup of coffee or tea.

Ingredients
1.5 cups of flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oil or melted butter
1/2 cup fruit juice
1/2 cup milk or as required
15 gms baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
4/5 sliced nectarines( you could use any other fruit)
Brown sugar or normal sugar to sprinkle
Cinnamon powder to sprinkle

Method
Mix all the ingredients for the cake well except the fruit, sugar to sprinkle and cinnamon.
Pour into a greased baking dish.
Line up the nectarine slices and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon.
Bake it in a pre-heated oven at 180 deg for 15 mins and then at 160 deg till a skewer poked in comes out clean.
Cool and cut into slices.
Serve with cream and a cup of coffee.

Eggless Danish cake

Danish cake is such a delicious cake and I had it once at a friend's place and wanted to bake it at home. The flavors are so good and they suit us as it has coconut. I tried making it and realized that the next day it tastes even better. Very close to the one I ate.Sharing the recipe.Of course mine is eggless but you could try making it with eggs. Its the topping that makes it different.
Ingredients
2.5 cups flour
3/4 cup melted butter or oil
15 gms baking powder
1 cup sugar, I like a less sweet.
1 cup buttermilk
milk as required
Vanilla essence or sugar 1 tbsp/15 gms
1 tbsp Vinegar

Topping
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup sugar
50 gms butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence or 1 tbsp Vanilla sugar

Mix all the ingredients for cake and beat well. Pour into a greased tray and bake at 180 deg till a needle poked in comes clean.
Meanwhile cook all the ingredients for topping and cook till a bit of fluid is left only.
Spread it on top of the cake and bake again till the top is crusty golden brown.
Cool well before slicing. The next day tastes better and slices easily.
Enjoy !

Maize flour and chutney scones

I love this pull apart thingy... Tried buns and now scones. Opened my fridge for inspiration and there is the maize flour, store bought onion and pineapple chutney and some cream cheese. So scones it is for my weekend hubby's evening snacks.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1 cup maize flour

50 gms chopped butter cold

200 ml cold curd

3 tsp baking powder 

3 tbsp chutney( I had onion n pineapple from the store)

100 gms sour cream

2 tbsp cream cheese

Salt

METHOD

Mix flour, maize flour, salt, butter, curd,baking powder and chutney. With light hands mix to a nice dough. Keep for 15 mins.

Make small balls and put in a buttered dish close to each other.

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and salt well.

Put it on the rolls and spread well.

Bake at 180 deg till golden brown. 

Enjoy hot from the oven .

Zucchini chutney

South Indian cuisine is such a fascinating cuisine and my family craves it constantly. My friend Uma is very good with her stuff and specially the chutneys. Learnt a basic from her and decided to experiment with zucchini. It was most amazing. I have tried this with carrots too.

INGREDIENTS

2 sliced zucchinis

1 sliced onions

4/5 cloves garlic

1" piece of ginger

4 red chillies

Curry leaves a few

2 tbsp oil

1/5 tsp hing

1 tsp urad dal

Walnut size ball of tamarind

1 large tomato or 2 tbsp tomato paste 

1 tsp mustard seeds

Salt as per taste 

 

METHOD

Heat 1 tbsp oil, add hing, garlic, red chillies, ginger, onion ,tamarind and zucchini.Add tomato in case uou are not using paste.Cook till golden .

Cool and grind to paste.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and fry till golden.

Add curry leaves and add the paste.

Add salt and tomato paste and cook for 5 mins.

Serve out with idlis , dosa or rice balls .

Plum and oats cake

Another good way to have your oats and also stop those cravings for a sweet . Since plums are in season.. I used these to satisfy the pangs.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1 cup ground oats

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

100 gms sour cream

Orange juice as needed

3 tsp Baking powder

1 tbsp vinegar

250 gms halved plums

Sugar to sprinkle on top

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients except plums for a few mins in a mixer. 

Add orange juice as required.

Pour into a greased baking dish.

Pour the cake mixture.

Too with plums.

Sprinkle sugar.

Bake in a pre- heated oven at 180 deg till golden on the side.

Poke in to see if the knife comes clean. 

Serve with whipped cream.

Papaya and spinach parathas

Yes an odd combination but that worked well. It's a great way to add a vegetable that's not easy to use and be accepted by all. I tried this and turned out great... Good in taste and high in health!

Ingredients

1 cup grated raw papaya

1 cup chopped spinach

1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 curd curd

2 chopped gr chilles

Whole wheat flour as required

Salt

Chilli powder

1 tsp saunf powder

Hing

2 tbsp oil

Method

Knead everything to a tight dough and keep for 15 mins.

Roll into 6" rounds and make parathas with oil on hot tawa.

Enjoy with green chutney.