Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Vegetable quiche

This week Shilpa and Micky tempted me to make the quiche. I added my touch and the result was fabulous. My family loved it. Thanks girls!! Keep cooking and rocking the place!
Ingredients
4/5 boiled potatoes
200 ml curd
1 cup maize flour or meal
Whole wheat flour as needed
1 tsp baking powder
Salt
2 tbsp oil
For filing
1 chopped onion
2 chopped garlic
500 gms chopped mushrooms
1 chopped bell peppers
1/2 can boiled corn
400 ml white sauce
2 tbsp cream cheese
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp Italian mixed spices
2 tbsp mixed seeds.. Sunflower, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp flaxseeds ground
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt as needed
Grated cheese to top 
Pepper n chilli flakes as needed
Method
Mix all the ingredients for the dough. It would be a but soft.kerp for an hour.
Heat oil, add chopped garlic and onions and sauté.
Put in all the vegs and cook on high heat and reduce any water,
Add white sauce, seasonings, salt ,seeds ,flax seeds and cream cheese and keep aside.
Roll the pastry dough and put into a greased flan dish.
Pour the filling and too with cheese, pepper and chilli flakes.
Bake at 200 deg till golden brown and knife comes clean. 
Cool for a while and cut into wedges. I also made small ones in muffin molds. They look fabulous! Enjoy!!!

Piña colada cake

Piña colada cake
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats meal
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cup sugar
Freshly chopped pineapple as required
15 gms baking powder
1 tbsp vinegar
Milk as needed
1/2 cup coconut flakes
Method
Best sugar oil, juice well.keep a bit of sugar for the top.
Add the flours, coconut and mix well.
Add baking powder and vinegar and milk as needed.
Pour into a tray lined with a baking sheet. 
Top with chopped pineapple and sprinkle sugar.
Bake at 180 deg till golden brown. Cool and enjoy the pineapple and coconut aroma. Can add rum for those who like alcohol in their cakes. 

Cappuccino nut cake

Cappuccino nutty cake 
This weekend I was running out of ideas for a different healthy cake. No fruits, no regular stuff.... So started with just my oats and evaporated milk in my processor. And soon I had an amazing recipe with something that lay in the shelf as I didn't like the taste. Learnt again that one should never discard anything too quickly another form always can give a new dimension.
1.5 cup atta
1/2 cup crushed oats
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
200 ml evaporated milk
4-5 tbsp cappuccino coffee mix
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup apple juice or more as needed
Method 
Except vinegar and baking powder, mix everything well. Keep for 10 mins.
Adjust the consistency with apple juice.
Add vinegar and baking powder and mix for few secs
Put into a greased baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C. 
Cut into squares and enjoy with coffee.

Dabeli style turnovers

Dabeli style turnovers
Sometimes ingredients around you push your creativity to such an extent that you feel pleased that you were short of ingredients. I promised a sick friend done dinner but the buns weren't enough and then my oven was on for baking mini pizzas for kids and there was enough left over dough from them. Enough reasons for me to experiment with potato filling of dabeli,dough and a hot oven ! They turned out delicious !! Next time around will mark the covering with whole wheat flour and make it healthier! :))
Ingredients
For the covering
250 gms flour
50 gms suji
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup curd
2 tbsp oil
Salt 
For filling
2-3 boiled potato
1 chopped onions
1 chopped tomato
Chilli powder
1/2 tsp haldi
1 tsp coriander powder
1.5 tsp dabeli masala
Salt
1 tbsp oil
For dabeli masala
1 tsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
Red chille a few
4-5 cloves
Small stick of cinnamon
Other things
Roasted masala peanuts, tamarind chutney, garlic chilli chutney
Method
Mix flour and suji with baking powder , salt and oil. Add curd and water to make a firm dough. Rest for a while.
Roast all the spices for masala and powder them.
Heat oil and add onions and sauté. 
Add tomatoes and sauté to mash.
Add all the spices and cook till you get good aroma.
Add mashed potatoes and cook well. 
Add chopped green coriander and mix well.
Roll small circles from the dough, about 4" round and 2-3 mm thick. 
Spread some garlic chutney and a bit of tamarind chutney.
Put a generous spoon of potatoes on one side.
Top with peanuts and fold over.
Stick the sides with a bit of water and press with a fork.
Put on baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Brush with butter or milk.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200 deg C till they are golden brown.
Serve them hot! 
Yummy delicious tiffin snack!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Bread pudding with coffee and nuts

Coffee nut summer pudding 
This I made on an instinct , of things I would like. Easy peasy and very cool on a summer afternoon. I could do with this instead of a lunch. 
Ingredients
6-8 slices full corn bread
500-600ml prepared vanilla custard
2 tsp coffee powder
Walnuts and almond slivers
Method
Cut bread into small squares.
Dip in custard well and line in a serving glass dish. Pour a bit of custard extra.
Sprinkle coffee powder. Here and there a bit extra.
Line again the same way.
Pour the rest of the custard.
Top with coffee and lots of chopped walnuts and almond slivers.
Cover with a cling film.
Really chill this many hours, preferably overnight till coffee leaches into custard. 
Serve chilled scooped right till the bottom. Enjoy the crunch, munch and thanda thanda cool cool effect.

Aloo chaat chatpati

Chatpati aloo chaat
I remember the chaat wala making this on his little make shift dukaan. I was about 12-13 but was so loved the smells when I passed him but didnt dare to eat as it looked so unhygienic. Mum used to be very upset. So recollected the smells and tried my hand on it and here is killer aloo chaat! You can give it warm but I chilled it for few hrs to blend the tastes and added crushed garlic! Highly recommended!
Ingredients
4 Boiled potatoes sliced while still warm
1 sliced onion
3-4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp chilli flakes 
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp roasted cumin pwd
2 chopped green chillies
Lime juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 bowl imli pulp
Dhaniya patta chopped
Method 
In a mortar add garlic, chilli flakes, cumin and crush roughly.
Mix all the ingredients very well. Make sure it has a little water in it. It would get absorbed soon.
Cover and let the flavors blend for few hours in the fridge.
Open after a couple of hours and feel your mouth drool and beat the heat by adding more to it! 

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Mithai cake


I have an issue with making the regular stuff. Today thought on account of holi will make something different... Taste bhi, occasion bhi and health bhi. And so here is my take on holi ki mithai.... Enjoy!!
Ingredients 
3/4 cup besan
3/4 cup atta
1/2 cup suji
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup sugar
50 gms butter/ ghee if u like 
1/2 cup crushed pedas
3-4 tbsp oil
1/2 cup curd
15 gms baking powder
Elaichi pwd
1/4 cup coconut grated
Milk as needed
1 tbsp vinegar
Method
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl , adjust the milk for consistency. Pour into a greased tray and bake at 180 deg C till golden brown. Cover in case it's getting brown too fast and cook till golden brown and needle comes clean. Enjoy!!!! Will take it further in few days. Cake bhi , mithai bhi!!!!!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Soft yummy idlis

Sunday lunch .... South Indian with firangi touch.
Idlis with zucchini chutney and kohlrabi sambhar. 
Idlis..
3.5 cups of idli rice
1/2 cup poha
1 cup urad dal
1 tbsp methi seeds
Salt.
Soak rice poha and methi n urad dal in separate bowls for 3/4 hrs.
Grind them to a thick batter n mix together. Add salt n keep overnight in warm place to double up.
Grease idli mold and steam. 
Serve hot with sambhar n chutney.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Long green bean salad Thai style



Sharing a recipe from a friend. I added my touch to it. Remembered Shimpa's Thai apple salad and so here is an amazing crunchy salad.
1 cup chopped long beans
1 chopped tomato
1 chopped sour apple
1/2 bowl of roasted peanuts
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp lime juice or vinegar
Salt to taste
1-2 tsp sugar
Method
In a mortar add garlic, chilli flakes, peanuts,vinegar, sugar , tomatoes and the green beans. Pound them roughly to blend the flavors. Add the apple and mix well. Chill for a couple of hours to blend the flavors. Serve ... Enjoy the crunch! 

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Eggless canned peaches cake

I have never tried baking with canned peaches but this was a wonderful surprise! My family loved it.
Ingredients
1.5 kgs full corn flour/ atta
1 cup oats
1/2 cup suji
1/2 cup coarsely ground almonds
Sugar as needed
1/2 cup oil
15 gms baking powder
1 tbsp vinegar
1 large can of peaches
Milk and apple juice as needed

Method
Mix flour, oats, almonds, suji well. Add juice from the can of peaches. 
Add the oil and mix well. Add apple juice to make it batter like. Keep for 15 mins.
Now mix well and add milk as needed. 
Taste the sugar and add if needed.
Mix baking powder and vinegar and mix well.
Pour into a greased baking dish.
Top with slices of canned peaches
Sprinkle sugar and put into a preheated oven at 180 deg C and bake till golden brown.