Karela pickle

Karela pickle/ thokku

Karela is a vegetable few like but our family is crazy about it including my 10 yr old. Buying them here in an Indian store is challenging at times and so this time I decided to give it longer life through pickling it. So here it goes .... Sweet , sour and bitter it fulfills all my needs of taste buds. 

Ingredients 

3 chopped karelas

1 chopped onion

1/2 can chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp tomato paste

(Can use just chopped tomatoes)

2 tbsp crushed chilli ginger

1/4 cup chopped garlic

Curry leaves

2 tbsp jaggery

1/2 cup oil

1/4 tsp hing

1 tbsp Chana dal

1 tbsp urad dal

1 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp methi seeds

1/2 tsp haldi

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp dhaniya powder

2 tsp sambhar powder

Salt to taste

Method 

Heat oil and add hing, mustard and methi let it crackle.

Add Dals and let them color.

Add curry leaves and garlic and let it color.

Add the ginger paste and cook on high heat.

Add the onions and karela and mix well.

Add salt and haldi and cover to cook.

When half done add tomatoes and cover to cook.

Add all the masalas and gur and cook till oil comes out of this pickle. 

Store in a clean bottle. Stays well for long.

Fresh Cranberry cake

I had these really sour cranberries my hubby got to try out. What better way to use them than a lovely cake.
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup maida
1/2 cup oats ground
1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup curd
1 cup fruit juice or as reqd
15 gms baking powder
1 tbsp vinegar
100 gms fresh cranberry or any other fruit

Method
Mix all the ingredients and adjust the consistency with juice.
Bake at 200 deg C in a preheated oven till a knife comes clean.
Healthy yummy cake is ready.

Baked samosas

Who doesn't love samosas? Yet the oil , white flour definitely discourages people like me to make them at home. This is my simple effort to make them healthy and guilt-free.
1/2 atta
1/2 cup maida
2-3 tbsp suji
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
salt as required
1 big pinch baking soda
chaas/buttermilk as required

4-5 potatoes boiled and roughly mashed
1/2  cup boiled peas
1 tbsp ginger and green chilli crushed
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp dhaniya pwd
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp amchur
1 tsp anardana crushed
1/2 tsp bhuna jeera
salt

Method
Knead all the ingredients into a soft dough, keep for 2- mins.
For the filling...
Mash roughly boiled potatoes.
Mix chilli ginger crushed, salt, bhuna jeera, chilli powder, amchur, dhaniya powder, garam masala, ch dhaniya, boiled peas and anardana.
Mix well and fill the samosas and bake in preheated oven at 200 deg C.
Enjoy with hot tea without any guilt.

Garlic chilli cheese pinwheels

A quick fix recipe for party snacks and work great as finger foods.
1/2 atta
1/2 cup maida
2-3 tbsp suji
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
salt as required
1 big pinch baking soda
chaas/buttermilk as required

Method
Roll the dough, spread finely chopped garlic , parsley, grated cheese, salt, chilli flakes and pepper. roll tight and cut into spirals, bake in preheated oven at 200 degC till golden about 10-15 min depending on your oven.