Pav Bhaji ( पाव भाजी )

Ingredients : 

1/4 kg ...................... potatoes ( boiled , peeled n chopped )
1/4 kg ...................... tomatoes ( finely chopped )
1/4 kg ...................... capsicum ( finely chopped )
1 small .....................beetroot ( boiled , peeled n chopped )
2 cups .................... fresh green peas ( shelled n roughly ground )
4   ....................... onions ( chopped finely )
2 tbsp ...................... ginger garlic paste
8/10  .......................dry red chillies
2 tbsp .................... pav bhaji masala
4 to 5 tbsp ........... oil ( amul butter gives an excellent taste )
salt
3 to 4 ladi pav per person for serving

Method :


Soak the dry red chillies in 1/2 cup warm water for half an hour .

Grind the chopped beetroot in a mixer .

Also separately grind the soaked red chillies .

Now heat oil in kadhai and add onions . Saute till transparent and add ginger garlic paste and saute for 5 minutes .

Now put the ground paste of dry chillies and stir for 2 minutes .

Add chopped tomatoes and saute till raw smell evaporates .

Then add capsicum , potatoes , roughly ground peas n beet pulp .

Mix everything properly ,  add salt ,  pav bhaji masala .

Cover the kadhai with a lid and let the bhaji cook .

Keep on stirring in between and mash the bhaji with a masher.



Tips : 

Smear ladi pav with butter on both inside and outside
Heat them on a tawa pressing both the sides .
Serve hot pavbhaji with chopped raw onion , lemon and buttered hot ladi pav .

paneer capsicum stir fry

This very simple yet amazingly tasty dish will be loved by all . It has less oil and loads of nutrition . Children love this not so spicy dish inspite of addition of capsicum in it .

Ingredients :


250 gm .......................paneer cubes ( cottage cheese )
250 gm ......................capsicum ( deseeded and cubed)
2 ...............................onions ( chopped)
1/2 tsp......................garam masala powder ( cloves, cinnamon and cardamom )
1/2 tsp......................pepper powder ( optional )
2 tbsp.......................fresh cream
1/2 tsp.......................sugar
1 tbsp........................ghee / butter
salt


Method :


In ghee saute onions till translucent .

Add capsicum and cook for 2 to 3 minutes but keep them crisp.

Now add all the masalas and stir fry for 1 minute.

In the end add paneer and gently mix everything .

Take care not to bread the paneer cubes.

Cover the pan with lid and cook for just 2 minutes.

Add cream and switch off the gas .

Serve warm with rotis.

Cocktail Canapes - For SYS

Parties and get togethers always form an important part of our social life. We love to give and take parties and a true party is incomplete without drinks and starters. This cocktail canape is one such easy starter which you will love to make for your party . It will hardly take 5 to 10 minutes to get this starter ready if you chop the fruits and veggies in advance.

The filling can vary as per your liking and you can even add some more veggies like carrot and peas if you want. Pineapple is a must as it gives the much needed tanginess to the canapes. These cheesy canapes taste very delcious . Tarts can be replaced with salty biscuits like monaco or crackers. In that case you don't need to bake them.

I am sending this entry for  sys-w-series-february an event by a dear friend  Viji   as my secret ingredient is pineapple.

Ingredients :

5 tbsp....................pinapple ( finely chopped )
5 tbsp.....................capsicum ( finely chopped )
5 tbsp.....................white sauce ( recipe here )
5 tbsp.................... grated cheddar cheese
15 to 20 ...............tart cases





Method :

Mix first three ingredients .

Fill each tart case with a tablespoon of the mixture.

Sprinkle some grated cheese on top.

Bake in an oven for 5 minutes at 180 degrees.

Top with chopped cherries.

Chinese Vegetable Stir Fry ( Vegan - Thursdays )

Nowadays we all are aware of the the importance of vegetables in our diet. To include fruits and vegetables of different colours is the need of the day as they provide us variety of  vitamins n nutrients .

For e.g  red colour in fruits n vegetables means they are rich in lycopene , whereas orange colour is an indicator of the presence of  beta-carotene. Greens are rich in chlorophyll and purple coloured food gives us Vit - C.

So make sure to have at least 2 to 3 different coloured fruits and vegetables daily to keep fit.
This simple and colourful stir fry can be made with any combinations that you like. Just make sure to include as many different colours as possible .

This stir fry is very easy to make and can be had with noodles, rotis or even pulavs. Even kids who are otherwise fussy over eating vegetables enjoy this dish due to its chinese way of preparation.

Today also being the last thursday of the month I am posting this super nutritious dish for our  vegan-thursdays  a theme started by Priya


Ingredients :

100 gms ..............................french beans
100 gms..............................capsicum
2.....................................carrots
10 to 15 ...........................garlic flakes
1 tbsp...............................pepper powder
1 tbsp..........................soy sauce
1 tbsp.........................oil
salt

Method :

Wash the vegetables thoroughly.

String the beans and cut them into thin long stripes.

Cut the capsicum and carrots also in a similar way.

Heat  oil in a pan and add crushed garlic flakes .

When the garlic becomes crisp and golden add carrots.

Keep the flame high and stir constantly.

Add soy sauce .

After 2  minutes add french beans and continue stirring for 5 more minutes.

Add pepper powder and salt.

At the time of serving add capsicum and cook just for 2 minutes.

Try to maintain the crispiness of the vegetables as much as possible.

Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Summer is a time for vacations, enjoyment and all things cold. So you must be wondering why I am posting this warm vegetable grilled salad in this climate. But believe me this is a very comforting salad to have during hot weather.

Though warm this salad has minimum amount of spices and the dressing is so mild that you get to enjoy the goodness of all the vegetables in their most natural form.


The main attraction is the grilled flavor and adding the nuts which brings out the true  flavor of this
salad as the vegetables have not undergone complicated cooking procedures .

Just grill the vegetables , taking care not to overcook them so that they retain their crunchiness .The interesting part is that you can add any easily available vegetables or omit the ones which you dont have .

Normally adding citrus fruits like oranges, berries or pineapple will add the extra tang to this salad, but since I had only pomegranate I added the same and it gave the extra crunch to this already crunchy salad .

Ingredients :

1 ........................capsicum
1 .....................potato
1......................onion
1.......................carrot (medium)
4 to 5 ................mushrooms
4 to 5.................cherry tomatoes
4 to 5 .................baby corns
100 gm .................cottage cheese (paneer)
1 tbsp........................oil

Dressing :

2 ....................garlic cloves (crushed )
1 tbsp.............thyme (dry)
1 tsp...............pepper powder
2tbsp................olive oil
1tbsp.................lemon juice
2 tbsp.................honey
salt

Garnish :

1/2 cup...............pomegranate seeds
1tbsp..................roasted sesame seeds
1tbsp.................roasted sunflower seeds


Method :
Mix well all the things listed under dressing and keep .
Now cut the onion , carrot and capsicum into big pieces.
Slice the potato thickly.
Cut the mushrooms into half.
Make thick cubes of paneer.
Cut the baby corn or keep them whole if you like.
Now keep a iron tawa on gas and smear it with oil.
Now arrange all the vegetables on the tawa .
Keep potatoes and carrots at the centre whereas arrange the softer ones at the sides.

When they get cooked and charred turn them and cook the other side too.
When still warm mix these vegetables with the prepared dressing.
Add pomegranate, sesame and sunflower seeds and serve warm.
Have the salad with toasted bread .
You can even have this salad itself as a meal.




Linking this colorful tasty salad to :

Swathis hearth-and-soul-blog-hop-152

my-bowl-of-salad                                                             

 Priyas healthy salads   at     themadscientistskitchen

Mix Vegetable Salad

Salads are very nutritious and easy to digest. In summer having chilled salads are very refreshing and at the same time they dont make you feel heavy.

Salad should preferably be made with fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables.When made with different colorful and seasonal vegetables it is a visual delight for the eyes too.

For weight watchers as well as health conscious people salad is a great option. So go ahead and enjoy this simple delicious salad. If necessary you can have it with bread or soup to make a complete meal.

In this salad you can add or omit the vegetables according to your choice. But make sure to add at least one fruit . This gives a natural sweetness to the salad without having to add sugar.

Ingredients :

1 no ...........................Capsicum
1 no ..........................Tomato
1 no ........................Potato (boiled )
1 no .........................Onion ( Chopped)
1/2 cup......................Cabbage ( Chopped)
1 no..........................Orange
Lemon Juice
Salt
Pepper

Method :

Wash Capsicums and tomatoes.
Remove the seeds of the capsicum and chop it into cubes.
Remove the seeds and pulp of  tomatoes and cut into cubes.
Remove the skin of potato and cut it into cubes .
Separate the segments of oranges and deseed them and make 2 to 3 peices.
Now mix all along with onions and cabbage and chill in the fridge till serving time.
At the time of serving add lemon juice, salt and pepper powder as per your need.



Note :

Adding salt in the beginning makes the salad watery .
So add salt just before serving.
This will help the salad to remain crispy.
Skinned potatoes if kept in fridge for some time become easy to cut.
The cubes retain their shape and  dont crumble.

Sending this to

my-bowl-of-salad                                                               

 Priyas healthy salads   at     themadscientistskitchen

Vegetable Pizza ( Home Bakers Challenge )

The very first challenge of  Home Bakers ( details of which you will get here ) was Pizza, a famous Italian dish which doesnt need any introduction. I am yet to find a person ( kid as well as an adult ) who doesnt like this delicious cheesy bake. 

But dont think it was an easy task . Though I very often make pizzas at home I had never tried my hands at   making  the pizza base at home. 

Yes that was the actual challenge given to us by priya suresh  and this months event was hosted by divya The challenge to make pizza from scratch  i.e to make the base as well as toppings and pizza sauce.

Well all in all it was a very interesting and enjoyable experience . Though first time I tried making a base it did not turn out good. It was over baked and hard . So I had to try for the second time. Still I am not fully satisfied and will have to practice it for some more times. 

So finally this is the pizza I made at my second attempt. Hope you all like it.

Pizza with tomato sauce

Recipe source   Martha stewart

 

   Ingredients for the pizza sauce :

      2 tbsp................ olive oil

      3 to 4 .................tomatoes (finely chopped)

      1 tsp....................oregano

      1tsp ................... salt

      1/2 tsp...................pepper powder

    

                                          Method for the Tomato Sauce :

4.                                        Heat the oil and add the chopped tomatoes.

                                 Add all the other ingredients and cook till the sauce is thick.   

Ingredients for the pizza base : 

(Makes 2 Pizza Bases )

1 cup......................... warm water 

1 tsp........................ sugar

4 tsp..................... dry yeast

3 cups .......................all-purpose flour

1 tsp.......................... salt

3 tsp...........................olive oil

   

                                                     Method for the Pizza Base :

                                                 Heat the oven to 180 degrees.

                        In a bowl pour warm water and add sugar and sprinkle the yeast.

                                             Keep for 15 minutes or till frothy.
                            Now blend this well and add flour and salt and knead .

          Go on adding little oil and keep on kneading ( this should take 15 minutes) till soft and sticky.

                            Keep this dough in a oiled bowl and cover with a plastic wrap.

                                         After 1 hour the dough will be double its size.

                      Punch it and knead for 2 to 3 mintues and again let it rise for 30 minutes.

                           Now take the dough on a greased baking dish and flatten it to form a circle.

                                                Leave a raised border around the circumference.

                                             

                                                  Keep it in oven and bake for 7 to 8 mintues.

 

 Toppings : ( for 2 bases)

      2 ..................baby corns

      1 small .......................capsicum

      50 gm ............paneer
      4 to 5 ..............cherry tomatoes

      1 cup................grated mozarella cheese

                                  Now spread the sauce and the toppings and  spread the cheese on top.

                                                                   Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
                                                                            Serve hot.

     


Linking this to

Home Bakers Event at                                                                                           and also to

    divyasculinaryjourney                                                                             bake-fest at tangymind 


:

Chilly Baby Corn

Some days back I had bought a packet of babycorn from the mall. I like to keep babycorns, mushrooms, canned pineapples handy so if unexpected guests turn up you are ever ready to cook up a great meal in no time without worrying.

Chilly baby corn is one of the most easy and yummy dish which will never go wrong . It can be used simply as starter or as a side dish with fried rice or noodles. This dish hardly takes 10 to 15 minutes to be prepared.
Since no guests turned up and I had one packet left I decided to make it for us and thoroughly enjoyed it with the vegetable fried rice.



Ingredients :

10 to 12................baby corns
1 bunch.................spring onion
1.........................capsicum.
1tsp ....................cornflour
2 tbsp..................tomato ketchup
1tsp....................chilly sauce
1 tsp...................chilly powder ( if you like it hot)
1tsp....................soy sauce
1 tsbp....................garlic (very finely chopped)
2tbsp......................oil
salt

Method :

Wash the baby corns and par boil them for 10 minutes.
Drain the water and apply the  ketchup, chilly sauce, soy sauce, chopped garlic, salt and cornflour
to the baby corn and keep aside for some time.

In the meanwhile cut capsicums into long stripes and chop the spring onion .

Heat oil in a non stick pan and add capsicum and spring onion.
Cook for 2 to 3 mintutes on high flame taking care not to overcook the vegetables.
Now add the marinated baby corns along with the marinade and stir for 5 minutes .
Can serve it as a starter or even as a dry side dish with fried rice or noodles.


Note : Add very little salt to the dish as all the three sauces already have salt in it. You may not be required to add salt at all.

Mango Salsa

The sweetness of mango combined with the hot capsicums and sourness of lemon is a perfect  and refreshing accompaniment to any rice or pasta dish. This mexican dish is very flavourful and very simple to make.
Just add all the ingredients and give it a nice mix.


Ingredients :

2 cups..........................Ripe mango cubes
1 small........................onion (finely chopped)
1 small.....................capsicum (chopped)
1 small ..................red capsicum (chopped)
1 tbsp..................mint leaves (chopped)
1 tbsp..................coriander leaves (chopped)
1/2......................lemon.(squeezed  into juice)
2 tbsp..................honey
salt

Method :

Peel and cube the mangoes.
Chop onion, green capsicum and red capsicum separately.
Chill everything separately in the fridge.
At the time of serving mix everything well sprinkle chaat masala and serve.

Sending this to :

show-your-styles-to-world-series ( Mango)












And also to following events :

soul-food-show-give-away 

gain-popularity

celebrate summer  at  nivedhanams

my-event-spotlight  hosted by cuisinedelights 


 veggiefruit-month-event- mango at  mycookingjourney

Mushroom Capsicum bhaji

This is a very tasty and no hassle dish . I frequently make this vegetable as it is a favourite of all in my family.

Ingredients :

1/4 kg ........................capsicums cubed
1 packet.....................mushrooms (sliced)
2 .............................onion chopped horizontally
1 1/2 tsp....................pepper powder
1 tsp......................sugar
1 tbsp......................fresh cream (optional)
salt
oil

Method :

Heat oil and saute the onions till golden and transparent.
Add capsicums and cook on high flame . Keep them crispy and half cooked.
Add sliced mushrooms , sugar, salt and pepper powder .
Saute them on high flame for 5 minutes add fresh cream and serve.
This simple dish is unbelievably tasty.
It can be served with rotis or parathas.

Batata Simla Mirch Sabji

This is a simple tasty vegetable cooked in very less oil and almost no spices. The Simla Mirch lends its wonderful  mild spicy flavour to this sabji. Keep the capsicum crunchy to get its real flavour. Sending off this entry to   Vardhini's  event of  dish-it-out-with-potatoes-and-bell guest hosted by Anshu of tomatoblues.


Ingredients

1 cup..................potatoes peeled and cubed
2 cups ...............capsicum(Simla Mirch ) cut
1 tsp...................mustard seeds
1/2 tsp.................fenugreek (methi seeds)
1/2 tsp...............turmeric powder
1/2 tsp................asefotida (hing)
1 tbsp.................oil

Method :

Heat oil and add mustard seeds and methi .
When they splutter add cut potatoes, turmeric , hing and salt and sprinkle some water.
Cover with lid and let the potatoes get almost cooked.
In the end add cut simla mirch and cook only for few minutes so that they retain their crunchiness.
The yummy batata simla mirch is ready.