Bread pizza

     One of the biggest problem I face and most mothers face is...what to pack in kids lunch boxes.Well I make this very often for my kids lunch box and they love it.Bread pizza is something they love even when it is cold and top them with vegetables and we are glad too.Try this recipe.I like to make it with multigrain bread , so more fiber and great taste.

Ingredients
Multi grain slices of bread            6-7 nos
tomato sauce                              1 cup
chopped broccoli                       1 cup
chopped onions                          1 no
chopped bell peppers                 1/2 no
chopped olives                           for topping
grated pizza cheese                    as required
pizza spices                               1 tsp
salt to sprinkle
butter to spread on bread
Method
Butter the slices of bread.Spread the tomato sauce evenly.sprinkle the grated cheese liberally on the sauce.Arrang broccoli and other vegetables of choice (mushroom,corn,zucchini,spinach etc).sprinkle salt and pizza spices.Put the oilves and put them for baking in a pre-heated oven at 200deg C for 8-10 mins till the cheese browns and the bread is crispy.Pack them in foil and let your child enjoy the lovely lunch at school.

Sweet potato shepherd's pie

     Sweet Potatoes looked interesting in the super market and I decided to try them out.This morning when I cut this big tuber,I broke into a smile looking at the beautiful orange colour just like the morning sun.I was wondering what to make of it and then decided to make the shepherd's pie.This tuber has amazing health benefits. It is good for diabetes,arthritis, inflammation and many other issues.It is high in beta carotene which is great for eyes.Its taste is wonderful in pies,desserts,bakes,roasting and even just boiled with some seasoning.I have decided to make it more usable in my diet and get maximum health benefits from this lovely tuber.
     This afternoon for dinner I made this lovely pie with sprouts and it was relished with whole wheat toasts.The texture was lovely very smooth and I made it a bit sweet and sour to compliment this slightly sweet vegetable.

Ingredients
FOR THE TOPPING
Sweet potato                        about 700 gms
cream/milk                           50 ml
butter                                   1 tbsp

FOR FILLING
mixed sprouts                       2 cups
broccoli                                1 cup
sliced carrots                        1 no
chopped red bell pepper       1 no
chopped onions                    1 no
chopped garlic                      1 no
chopped tomatoes                 400 gms
tomato paste                          2 tbsp
hot and sweet tomato sauce    3 tbsp
chilli flakes                              1/2 tsp
mixed herbs                             1 tsp
pepper                                    1/2 tsp
salt to taste
olive oil                                   1 tbsp
grated cheese for the top

Method
Peel,boil and mash the sweet potato.Add milk/cream ,butter and a bit of salt and keep aside.
Heat oil and add chopped garlic and chopped onions and saute well.Put in sliced carrots and cook.Put in broccoli and bell peppers and cook on high heat.Now put in the steamed sprouts (sprouts of green lentil,brown lentil etc) and saute well.Put in tomatoes, tomato paste,hot and sweet sauce,herbs,chilli flakes, pepper and cook on high heat to reduce water.Add salt and reduce.Put this mixture in a baking dish about 10"x10".Top this with the puree of sweet potatoes and sprinkle cheese liberally.bake this at a pre-heated oven at about 200 degC for 25-30 mins, till water bubbles stop and the cheese melts to golden brown.Serve with toasts or warmed pita bread.

Summer pudding

Add caption

   Summer pudding sounds like such a lovely pudding and I tried to make in India with fruits locally available there.I used oranges, pineapple,grapes and pears.the result was good.But the dark red colour was something so luscious to look at and since most berries were not available back there, it was a dream to make it again.My husband had got a bag of frozen mixed berries and since they are really sour I tried using them in different ways.Last week was my daughter's birthday.I had left over chocolate sponge sheet lying in the fridge.I thought of making a summer pudding with it.Normally white bread is used in the recipe but I thought of using the chocolate sponge.Result was good and am planning to make it again soon.
Ingredients
Chocolate sponge 10"x8"           1 no
Frozen mixed berries                  250 gms
sugar                                          50 gms(more if berries are too sour)
whipped cream                           50 ml
scraped chocolate flakes for topping
Method
Line a glass bowl with the chocolate sponge such that it covers it completely.In a saucepan,heat the berries with 1/2 a cup of water.Add the sugar and boil well.Pour it into the bowl and use some cake to cover the top of the berries.Press with a plate which fits in the bowl well.Press hard and keep a weight on it.Keep to cool and later refrigerate.After a couple of hours,keep a plate on the bowl and gently turn it up side down and unmould.The pudding should fall like a big mound.Top with fresh cream and sprinkle chocolate flakes and serve chilled."Delicious" is the word for it.Enjoy.

Gajar ka halwa (carrot sweet)

  One of the most famous desserts made in the North of India is undoubtedly Gajar ka halwa.Every house hold is busy making it in kgs and storing in the fridge every  winter the moment red luscious carrots storm the vegetable market.This dessert can be made very nutritious and is great for eyes as it is full of beta carotene.As a kid my mother would make it and the smell would be all over the home.I sometimes just love it half cooked with sugar sprinkled on it.It is great for eyes she would tell me and I would gobble it all up.I make it more healthy as it is made normally very rich with loads of "ghee" and dry fruits.I try and cut it down.
Ingredients
Grated carrots                1 kg
whole milk                      1 lt
sugar                              150 gms(adjust to taste)
ghee/cream                     2 tbsp/50 ml
cardamom powder          1 tsp
chopped nuts(almonds,walnuts) according to your like
raisins                    

Method

Put the grated carrots in a thick pan with milk and boil till it reduces.make sure to keep stirring so that it does not get burnt.It should reduce completely and cooked till all the milk is dry.Add ghee/cream and cook again.Add the sugar and keep cooking till its a bit dry.Add the nuts and raisins and switch off.It tastes really good when warm.Serve with vanilla ice cream as another option.

Zucchini and bell pepper dal

I like to combine lentils with some vegetable as it brings 2 things into one dish so more nutrition, taste and less work! In India I made ridge gourd with lentils which my kids really relished.So here I tried it with zucchini and it was loved by my family.I team it with some rice and salad or even a hot roti is lovely with this dal.Thin it a bit and it could be eaten almost like soup.
Ingredients
Red lentils(lal masoor)     100 gms
zucchini chopped             500 gms
sliced red bell peppers     1 no
chopped onions               1 no
chopped tomatoes           2 nos
chopped garlic                 1 tbsp
chopped ginger                1 tsp
lime juice                          1 tbsp
ghee                                1 tbsp
cumin                               1 tsp
hing                                  1/4 tsp
haldi                                1 tsp
chilli powder                     1 tsp
coriander powder            1 tsp
salt to taste
browned roasted onions    1/2 bowl

Method
Wash and soak the lentils.Heat ghee ,put in hing and jeera and let them splutter.Add the chopped garlic and ginger and saute.Add the onions and let them cook till slightly golden.Add the zucchini and cook till golden.Put in red bell peppers and turn them around for a while.Add the chopped tomatoes and cook.Put in haldi, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt.Put in dal and add about 2 cups water.Cover and cook till the dal is cooked and make sure the vegetables are not over cooked.Adjust the consistency of water.Add the lime juice.Pour into a bowl and top with browned roasted onions.Serve hot.

Basic Eggless cake

I have always fancied baking cakes and I think everybody loves home made cakes.As kids I would often go to my mum's friend's house to help her do the cake decoration.So as I grew up I developed this interest in baking and slowly tried my hands on it.I joined catering college and did get even the 1st prize in cake decoration which thrilled me to bits.After I got married and had a son, I did baking from home and sold custom made cakes for birthdays for 3 years.Each cake was appreciated but slowly life's changes made me a home maker but the facination for cooking and baking always remsined.I now bake for home and each cake is different and try something new.But this is the basic recipe I have perfected in the last 3 years of eggless cake and would now share it on my blog.
Ingredients
Sift together
Flour                    2 1/2 cups
baking powder      1 tsp
baking soda          1/2 tsp
Put into a bowl
Sour curd             11/2 cups
melted butter         3/4 cup
powder sugar       1 1/4 cup
vinegar                 1 tsp

for chocolate cake, substitute half cup flour with cocoa powder.

Method
Beat all the ingredients in the bowl for about 3-4 mins.Add the dry ingredients and mix them well.Add some cold milk if the batter is too thick.Pour the batter in a buttered and floured baking tray (10"x8") and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg C for 5 mins and then lower the temperature to 180 deg and bake further for about 10-15 mins.Poke a needle in the centre of the cake and see if it comes out clean.Cool on a rack and use as desired.Pour this mixture into muffin moulds to get cup cakes.

Carrot chilli garlic pickle

     My mother in law makes a carrot pickle which we relished with hot parathas as it was spicy, pungent as she put mustard oil in it and we loved it.I tried this version as we are fans of garlic.The colors are fabulous and taste really nice and strong.Have it with Indian food, crackers,sandwiches or with grilled food.It would serve as a great accompaniment.
Ingredients
Grated carrots                 250 gms
chopped green chillies        50 gms
crushed garlic                     50 gms
crushed mustard                   2 tbsp
Olive/Mustard oil                 2 tbsp
lime juice                             2 tbsp
salt to taste
haldi                                    1/4 tsp
Method
Mix all the ingredients together and keep overnight in a covered pan.Next day mix well and fill in a jar.It ready in 2 days time.It would sour as the days go buy.In India due to heat the pickle would stay longer but here due to the conditions here, I would prefer to keep it in the fridge.It stays good for upto 2 weeks.Serve as an accompaniment.

Kohlrabi in spicy gravy

Kohlrabi is a vegetable which is not too popular with every household.It belongs to cabbage community and has a very strong taste.I love it even raw with a great dip.It tastes very nutty and crunchy.Since I have very few vegetables here,I thought I should try and make this into a curry and add in potatoes so that its not too much of a shock for the kids to see a different vegetable on the plate.But the gravy was so lovely that the curry fell short with rice!The kids ate up quickly and my husband was keen to know was it that was on their plate,well as for me I just smiled and said"magic".

Ingredients
Kohlrabi cut into 1" pcs            1 no
potatoes chopped                     2 nos
green peas                                100 gms
chopped tomatoes                     2 nos
chopped onions                          1 no
garlic peeled                               2 tbsp
ginger chopped                           1 tbsp
red chilli                                      3 nos
black pepper                               7-8 nos
chana dal                                     1 tbsp
tamarind                                       walnut size
sesame seeds                               1 tbsp
methi seeds                                  1/2 tsp
coriander seeds                            1 tbsp
jeera                                            1/2 tsp
mustard seeds                               1/2 tsp
hing                                              1/2 tsp
curry leaves                                  1/2 bowl
oil                                                 2 tbsp
salt to taste                                                      

Method
Heat oil and add hing,methi,coriander,chana dal,sesame seeds,black pepper,red chilli,mustard,half the curry leaves,ginger, garlic,onions and tamarind.Saute them till roasted well.Add tomatoes and cook till a bit of water dries up.Cool and grind to a fine paste.
In another pan, heat oil and mustard seeds and curry leaves and let them splutter.Add the chopped kohlrabi and potatoes and let them saute well.Pour in the paste and mix well.Add the peas and salt to taste.Adjust water .Cover and cook till vegetables are soft.Top with coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Palak paneer/tofu

      Just this morning having heard 2 people mention this dish, I thought even if I am not able to upload the picture of this lovely dish, I need to put up this recipe on the blog.Hetal ,this is specially for you and I am so happy you are liking my recipes and enjoying them.
     There hardly anyone I know who does not love palak paneer.It is healthy, delicious and very nutritious.Its mum's favorite thing to make and kids too love it, but for different reasons.Mums for the greens and kids for paneer.I substitute it many times for tofu.The kids barely make out the difference.India does have lovely spinach leaves fresh out of the fields.Love the colour and the tender green ones.Here in Germany the spinach is much different, but if made well, the kids would just have it anyways.
     I would make it quick by even using the frozen spinach with cream.It cuts down my job to nearly few minutes in the kitchen.No cleaning boiling and crushing.But here I would give the recipe with both options.I love my palak paneer suited to my taste.I do not like my spinach pureed completely but like it a bit crushed roughly as it does away with that little bitterness spinach has.I just whisk it once with the handblender to get a rough texture.So here is my version.I would upload the picture shortly.
Ingredients
Paneer/tofu                               200gms
boiled spinach                          250gms
cream                                       25 ml
or frozen spinach with cream     250 gms
chopped onions                        1 no
chopped tomatoes                    3 nos
chopped garlic                          2 tbsp
chopped ginger                         1 tbsp
chopped green chillies               1/2 tsp
coriander powder                      1 tsp
chilli powder                              1tsp
haldi                                          1/2 tsp
salt to taste
cumin seeds                               1/2 tsp
hing                                            1/4 tsp
garam masala                              1/2 tsp
ghee                                            1 tbsp+1tsp
Lemon juice                                1 tsp

Method
Run the hand blender in the boiled spinach such that the spinach is just crushed.Heat 1 tbsp ghee, add hing and jeera.Let it splutter.Add chopped 1 tbsp garlic and chopped ginger.Saute well.Add chopped chopped onions and saute till they are slightly brown.Add finely chopped tomatoes and all the dry masalas and cook till ghee seems to separate.Chop the paneer/tofu into 1'' pieces.Add it to the cooking tomatoes.Pour in the spinach and cook.(If using frozen spinach with cream, defrost that and pour in now, do not add the cream in this case).Cook well.Add the cream and cook  for 10 mins.Pour in lime juice and mix well.
Heat 1 tsp ghee and add the other tbsp of garlic.Saute till golden brown add 1/4 tsp chilli powder and pour on top the curry.Serve hot with hot rotis or parathas.

Baked penne in white sauce with spinach and mushrooms

I love the taste of pasta in white sauce baked with golden cheese on top melting and tempting you.My daughter is more fond of pasta with tomato sauce.So it was tough trying to get her to eat it, but I wouldn't give up and finally this recipe got her asking for more.It had spinach and so its a mum's dream to have her kids tucking it all in.The right mix of ingredients are a great way of doing a good dish and getting acceptance from all.
Ingredients
Pasta of choice                    400 gms
White sauce                         200 gms
finely chopped spinach          3 cups
chopped onions                     1 no
chopped garlic                       1 tbsp
cream                                    50 ml
sliced mushrooms                   250 gms
olives                                      14-15 nos
chopped dry red chillies          2 nos
Mixed Italian herbs                 1 tbsp
salt to taste
olive oil                                   2 tbsp
grated cooking cheese             100gms

Method
Boil pasta in salt and water with some olive oil till just done.Rinse in cold water and keep aside.
Heat oil and chopped red chilles and saute.Drop in garlic and saute.Put in the chopped onions and saute till translucent.Add the sliced mushrooms and spinach and cook on high heat to reduce the water in them.Sprinkle the herbs and salt.Pour in cream and olives.Add the boiled pasta and mix well.Pour in to a baking dish.Top with the white sauce and sprinkle cheese and bake at 200deg till the top is golden brown.Delicious pasta is ready to enjoy.