Capers mustard pickle

Capers , mustard and tomato chutney 

Capers are very close to taiti from Rajasthan in taste. Sour and tangy I thought of combining them into a chutney to eat with dosas. So here it is... The bottle sat on my fridge shelf long enough, now put to better use.

Ingredients 

250 gms tomato purée

3-4 tbsp capers

3-4 tbsp prepared mustard sauce

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp crushed achari masala( kalonji, mustard, saunf, jeera and methi seeds)

Chilli powder

Haldi

Salt 

Method

Heat oil and add ginger garlic paste, add purée and mustard.

Add all other ingredients and cook till oil comes out.

Add capers and cook few mins.

Store in a jar.

Enjoy with what you like. 

Bread dhokla

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Bread dhokla 

Sudden friends visiting and what do you think of that's different and is with bread? Mind was churning faster and soon thought of doing this dish. Very refreshing and tasty. Serve with imli and green chutney. Could nearly go as dahi vada taste too. Whatever it was... I loved it! 

Ingredients 

10 large slices of bread cut into squares

1 cup yogurt beaten

3- 4 tbsp besan

1 tsp ginger garlic n chilli paste

Salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 chopped chilli

1 tsp urad dal

1 tsp sesame 

Curry leaves

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Hing a pinch 

Method 

Cut bread into squares and arrange in a microwave dish.

Best yogurt with 1/2 cup water and besan.

Add salt , sugar, garlic paste. Beat.

Pour on the bread and let them soak.

Cover with film and poke holes in it.

Put into microwave for 6-7 mins and cook on high.

Remove and keep for few mins. 

Heat oil and add hing and mustard seeds.

Add sesame seeds and urad dal and let them color.

Add curry leaves and chopped chilli.

Add 2-3 tbsp water and mix.

Pour over the bread mixture and keep for couple of hours to soak well.

Serve chilled or at room temperature. 

Spicy and nutty squares

Sometimes the need to eat something different yet made from things in the fridge with least efforts result in something delicious. This was one such effort that made me want some more ! Here is the recipe that could be a great lunch box idea or even finger food for a party sure to be relished. 

Ingredients 

2 mashed potatoes

1 chopped chili

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp amchur

Chopped coriander 

Sesame seeds as needed

Roasted and salted peanuts

6-8 bread slices

Ketchup 

2 tsp Schezwan sauce 

Butter

Method

In the boiled and mashed potatoes , add chopped chillies, garlic ginger paste, salt, chilli powder, salt and coriander. Mix well.

On slices of bread spread butter, tomato ketchup and little schezwan sauce.

Spread a good layer of potato mixture.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and peanuts.

Heat a skillet, spread some butter and put the potato side down first to cook till golden.

When brown , flip over and cook till golden on the other side.

Cut into squares and serve hot!

Spicy and nutty snack ready in mins.

 

Mushroom casserole with Indian spices

After a while afternoon of baking muffins and cake, idea of cooking dinner was really wasn't too exciting. A quick look in the fridge and hot oven got me creating this healthy delicious dish.

Ingredients 

250 gms halved mushrooms

1 cubed onion

1/2 cubed bell pepper

1-2 cup curd

1 tsp chili garlic paste

3-4 tbsp oats meal

Chilli powder

Salt

1 tsp Sabzi masala / garam masala

1 tsp oil

Method 

Mix all the ingredients well.

Put into hot oven and bake till golden on top and it looks cooked.

Enjoy just the way it is. 

Delicious and healthy !

Baked cheesy sesame garlic squares

Baked cheesy sesame garlic squares

A crunchy garlicky squares great for pick up snacks  for parties with dips or as side snacks for kids. 

1 kg all purpose flour

1/2 cup warm oil

2 tbsp garlic chili paste

1 cup curd

1 tbsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 cup grated cheese 

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp ajwain

1 tbsp vinegar

Salt to taste 

Method 

Mix flour with all the ingredients and mix well. 

Add enough hot water to make a medium soft dough.

Keep for 15 mins.

Roll and cut into squares.

Poke with a fork and bake in a preheated oven at 200 deg C.

Bake till brown and golden. 

Store in sealed containers.

Buckwheat cake

Buckwheat atta cake , vegan cake

Defying the regular cakes, this one was super moist, yummy and extremely filling and satisfying with coffee. Try this for your next fast! 

1 cup Buckwheat flour / kuttu atta

1 cup ground oats

1 cup roughly ground almonds 

1 cup soaked and crushed dried dates

1-2 tbsp honey 

500 ml apple sauce

1 grated Apple 

1/4 cup oil

3 tsp baking powder 

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla / cinnamon 

Method 

Mix all the ingredients well. Adjust sweetness and consistency.

Pour into a prepared dish.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 deg C. 

Cover half way through and cook till a needle comes out clean.

Top with home made apple chips. 

To make apple chips, slice apples and bake in oven turning it once. 

Then microwave them to dry.

Enjoy healthy cake !

Buckwheat healthy daal dhokli

Buckwheat dal dhokli

When I have different new ingredients, my brain starts to spin and I start thinking how I could make a different dish out of it. Who says dal dhokli can't be made with another kind of flour? So I tried buckwheat and was ready it might fall apart inside the dal as I boil it. I also used a local dal called green lentil. It looks like a bigger firm of black masoor and looks like tuar inside.  But it worked well. Here it goes. Healthy and yummy recipe. 

Ingredients 

1 cup green lentil/ tuar dal. 

1/2 cup kale leaves chopped

1 onion chopped

500 gms chopped tomatoes 

1 tbsp garlic crushed

1 tbsp grated ginger

1-2 chopped green chillies

10-12 curry leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp each of cumin and methi seeds

1/5 tsp hing

1-2 cup crushed peanuts 

Walnut size tamarind soaked in water

1 tbsp jaggery

Salt 

Chilli powder 

Dhaniya powder

Haldi

Garam masala 

1 tbsp oil

Chopped coriander 

For dhokli..

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup oats meal optional 

Salt 

1/4 tsp ajwain

Chili powder 

1 tbsp oil

Method

Mix all the flours and other ingredients for dhokli and make into a stiff dough. 

In a pressure cooker add dals, kale leaves, salt , haldi, tomatoes, crushed peanuts and boil well.

Heat oil  add hing, cumin, methi and mustard and let them crackle.

Add ginger, garlic , green chillies and curry leaves and sauté.

Add chopped onions and sauté.

Add the dry masalas and pour dal in it.

Add water to make it a little thin.

Add jaggery and tamarind pulp.

Roll dough and cut into small squares.

Put these into the boiling dal.

Boil for about 15 mins till dhoklis float.

Add chopped dhaniya and ghee and serve it with rice or just the way it is. 

Enjoy the healthy dish on a rainy or cold day ! We love it.  

Buckwheat/ kuttu bread

Buckwheat / kuttu bread

A dear friend is on special diet and is off wheat products. As she craved for something different , I tried my hand on this idea of using buckwheat. Just a mix and bake kind of bread but relished by us too. Do try!

Ingredients 

1 cup buckwheat

1/2 tsp fresh yeast

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp chili flakes 

Buckwheat groat to sprinkle 

Method 

Mix all the ingredients with warm water and make into a thick batter.

Beat for few mins. 

Pour into a greased baking dish.

Top with buckwheat groat.

Keep for 1 hour for it to rise.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 deg C till golden brown on top and knife comes clean. 

Cool and slice. Top with butter and enjoy the good healthy bread.

Healthy and spicy seeds chutney

I like to make various chutnies and this one is delightful! High on taste and great on health.

Ingredients 

1/4cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

5-7 pods of garlic 

1 tsp chili powder 

Salt to taste

Method 

Roast the seeds till golden.

Cool and add other ingredients and grind to a rough powder.

Eat as you like... Over dosas, idlis, sprinkled over eggs or on vada pao.

Bengali beet chops

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As kids we enjoyed the delicious sweet and nutty beetroot chops in Kharagpur made in the cafeteria made close to our home.  I have been long thinking of making them but never got to doing it. Boiled beetroot packet motivated me to make them. Loving the flavors that are in my kitchen right now. Very nice smells and very nutritious. Worth trying these yummy treats.
Ingredients
2 cups boiled and grated beetroots
3 cups boiled and mashed potatoes
1/2 cup chopped beans
1/2 cup green peas
1 grated carrots
1 chopped chilli
1 tsp grated ginger
chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
2 crushed cloves
1 crushed green cardamom
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala, I used dabeli masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
For coating
Cornstarch
Suji/semolina
Oil to fry or shallow fry
Method
Mix all the vegetables together.
Add peanuts, masalas, salt and mix well.
Heat oil , add cumin and let them crackle. Add sesame and let them crackle too. 
Add the mashed vegetables and cook till water is evaporated.
Cool and make cutlets.
Coat with mixture of cornstarch and suji and shallow fry or deep fry !
Yum yum yum is the only word to this.Health and taste ek saath!