Eggless Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on by

Eggless Oatmeal Cookies

Eggless Oatmeal cookies – I tasted these cookies for the first time in Peterborough; a very beautiful and peaceful city in the east of England. I even asked for the recipe from my husband’s cousin but never got to make these cookies again. Almost 10 years later, when I found the recipe again, I decided to make these cookies. I made some basic changes like switching the white sugar with brown sugar and adding chocolate chips instead of dry fruits. The cookies turned out equally delicious.

The basic ingredients for these cookies are same like most of the cookies. Sugar, butter, and flour. Oats add the crunch and also help lessen the guilt of having butter and flour. You can change the toppings as you like. The cookies I had originally were loaded with dry fruits like almonds, cashews, and raisins. I have substituted that with white and dark chocolate chips. I also added my favorite cinnamon for the nutty flavor. You can leave it out if you don’t like cinnamon.

  

You can roll the dough and cut the cookies using a cookie cutter. This dough is bit softer so I recommend flattening the cookies with hand or may be cut 2-3 cookies at a time by rolling small amount of dough. Do remember to leave space between the cookies when you bake them. They might feel soft when you take them out from the oven but they will harden up as they cool.

These cookies are best eaten as is. But if you want, you can even ice them. I made these for Aryan’s friend so I iced them with letters of his name using fondant. Store the cookies in an airtight jar and you can eat them for weeks.

Eggless Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 30 cookies

  • 500 gms all-purpose flour (maida)
  • 250 gms unsalted butter
  • 250 gms sugar
  • 120 gms oats
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (you can also use dry fruits or raisins)
  • 85 gms fresh cream
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 1 ½ tsp cinnamon powder (optional)

Recipe

Mix sugar and butter till smooth. Add cream, baking powder, and baking soda and mix well. Add flour, oats, cinnamon powder, nuts, and milk to make a dough. Divide the dough into 30 portions. Take each portion, roll it into a ball, and press between palms to make a round flat cookie. You can even use a cookie cutter to shape your cookies.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees. Line a baking tray with baking sheet. Place the cookies on the sheet with at least 2 inches gap between each cookie. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 20 mins. Cool on a wire rack and store in airtight container. You can Ice the cookies or eat them plain.

Dabeli

Posted on by

Dabeli

Dabeli is a famous street food in Gujarat and Mumbai. This gujarati version of burger is filled with spiced potatoes, sweet, spicy, and sour chutneys and fresh pomegranates. Usually smeared with butter and served hot. Post wedding dinners can be disasterous if you are served puri-sabji and kheer combo for 5-6 dinners in a row. Dabeli was a big respite when one of my husband’s cousin made it for dinner for us. This was the first time I enjoyed a snack with sweet taste. She is a pro at making lip smacking snacks and I have borrowed this recipe from her to share it on Vegetarian Khana.

The potato filling is layered in a plate with edges and then cut into portions. The common layers are potato and spice mixture, masala peanuts, fresh coriander, pomegranate, and sev. Some people add fresh grapes too. If you want to prepare the masala ahead, add the pomegranate and sev layers in the end so that the sev does not get soggy.

Dabeli is filled with three different types of chutneys. Sweet, spicy, and sour. You can layer the chutneys and toppings on the dabeli as per taste. I like to use fresh red chillies for the garlic chutney but if that is not available you can use red chilli powder. These chutney can be made ahead and refrigerated. Left over chutney can also be stored for few days.

You can make your dabeli healthier by using the whole wheat or multi grain burger buns. Substitute the butter with olive oil. I did not see a major difference in taste when I made these substitutions. Just spread the chutneys evenly, add the potato filling and press the dabeli a little while cooking. Dabeli can be enjoyed both hot and cold.

Dabeli

 

Ingredients

  • 4 pav/burger buns
  • 4-5 tbsp garlic chutney
  • 4-5 tbsp coriander chutney
  • 4-5 tbsp sweet chutney
  • 4-5 tbsp thin sev
  • 4 tbsp pomegranate
  • Butter to cook the dabelis

For filling

  • 1 ½ tbsp dabeli masala
  • 2 potatoes boiled and roughly mashed
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2-3 pinches turmeric powder
  • 4 tbsp masala groundnuts
  • 3-4 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste

For the garlic chutney

  • ¼ cup peeled and chopped garlic
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 fresh red chilli (substitute this for 1 tbsp red chilli powder if fresh red chilli is not available)

For coriander chutney

  • ½ cup chopped coriander
  • 1 tbsp groundnuts
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

For the coriander chutney

Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste using little water. Keep aside.

For garlic chutney

Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste using little water. Keep aside.

For the filling

Heat oil in a kadhai or non-stick pan. Add the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes till the onions are translucent. Add the potatoes, turmeric, dabeli masala, and salt. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a round or square plate with edges and fill it evenly. Add a layer of masala groundnuts and top with a layer of chopped fresh coriander. Cut the filling in four portions and keep aside. If masala groundnuts are not available, you can make them at home. Just roast the groundnuts in very little oil and add salt and red chilli powder.

To make dabeli

Slice the pav/bun into two pieces. Spread approximately 2 tsp each of coriander chutney and sweet chutney on one side and 2 tsp garlic chutney on another side. You can spread more/less chutneys as per taste. Add a portion of the potato filling and top it with approximately 1 tbsp of fresh pomegranate and 1 tbsp sev. Close the bun and brush it with butter on both sides.

Heat a tava or non-stick pan. Cook the dabeli on both sides pressing it lightly. Serve immediately with sweet chutney, coriander chutney, or ketchup.

Five Layer Dip

Posted on by

Five Layer Dip

Five layer dip – the best Mexican dip I have ever tasted. Just five layers of beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and salsa and you are eating the yummiest dip with your snack. Each layer is loaded with flavor and taste and goes well not only with Nachos but also with lot of other snacks. For most people this is a football snack or an interesting appetizer. For me it was a savior on my first trip to the USA. I was travelling alone and was the only vegetarian in my office team. My sister in law picked a box of five layer dip and a bag of tortilla chips on the way to my hotel and a day later I was just too thankful and happy to have this for snack/dinner. The hotel I stayed at did not serve lot of vegetarian food and I was just too jet lagged and tired to go find a vegetarian place. Five layer dip was heaven for me that time 🙂

You can buy the ready to eat re-fried beans cans available in the supermarkets but if you live in India, it might be tough to find the re-fried beans. Re-fried beans are usually the pinto beans, a type of rajma beans that we get in India so If you cannot find pinto beans, you can also use rajma (kidney beans) and it tastes the same. Just make sure to cook it well so that you can mash it even with the back of a spoon.

Guacamole is one of the health foods that tastes ‘wow’. Avocado is one of the healthiest foods (eat moderately as it is loaded with fats – even though they are good fats that your body needs). Guacamole can be made as per taste. You can add chopped coriander, olives or roasted bell peppers to add more flavor. For the five layer dip, I like this particular simple and quick recipe. You can make a chunky guacamole or a smooth one. For chunky guacamole, just chop the avocado and other things finely and mix them up or mash them coarsely.

I prefer my salsa homemade and fresh. It is very easy to make so I do not rely on the store bought bottle for this. Fresh salsa is juicy, crunchy, and healthy too. I just make the make basic salsa recipe for the five layer dip.

For the sour cream, some people add fresh herbs and mayo but I like it plain. If you do not get sour cream, you can use the fresh cream and add little lime juice and salt to it.

You can prepare this dip in advance and chill it. Just keep the salsa separate and add it just before serving. Five layer dip tastes best with Nachos or Tortilla chips. My suggestion is to try this dip with Khakhra. It tastes as good as it tastes with the Nachos.

Five Layer Dip

Ingredients

  • ½ cup sour cream (add little salt if you find the taste too bland)
  • ½ cup grated cheese ( I used a mix of Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack, and Colby)

For Re fried Beans

You can buy the ready to eat cans available in the market or just soak the beans overnight and cook them

  • 2/3 cup pinto beans soaked overnight (you can use rajma (red kidney beans) too)
  • 1tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • Salt to taste
  • ¼ cup water

For Guacamole

  • 1 avocado scooped and diced
  • 2 tbsp chopped tomato
  • 1 tbsp chopped onion
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tbsp. lime juice
  • ¼ tsp white pepper powder
  • Salt to taste

For Salsa

  • ½ cup chopped tomatoes
  • ¼ cup chopped capsicum
  • 2 tbsp chopped onion
  • 1 small green chilli de-seeded and chopped
  • 1 ½ tsp lime juice
  • 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

For Re-fried beans

Pressure cook the beans for 8-10 whistles or until soft and mushy with enough water and little salt. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the beans, cumin powder, chilli powder, and water. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Check for salt and add more if required. Mash the beans a little and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside to cool.

For Guacamole

Mix all the ingredients and grind to a semi smooth paste. You can keep the guacamole chunky if you like. To keep it chunky, chop all the ingredients finely and just mix them up.

For Salsa

Add all the ingredients for salsa in a bowl and mix well.

To make the dip

Take a trifle glass or bowl. Add a layer of re-fried beans. Add a layer of Guacamole, Fresh cream, and cheese, and salsa. You can serve it fresh or chill it for couple of hours before serving. Serve with tortilla chips, nachos, or our very own khakhras.

To serve it as a topping on Nachos

Spread Nachos in an oven proof dish. Spread each layer of dip as per taste on nachos and bake until the cheese melts (1-2 minutes in a microwave is enough). Serve immediately.

Gobhi Parathas (Cabbage Stuffed Parathas)

Posted on by

Gobhi Parathas (Cabbage Stuffed Parathas)

Gobhi or cabbage paratha is not one of the famous parathas you get at the restaurants. This is my family recipe and I have never seen these parathas being sold anywhere. Shredded cabbage and spices are mixed and roasted with gram flour to make a spicy filling for whole wheat parathas. This is my mom’s way of sneaking vegetables into our food. She replaces gobhi with radish (muli) when it is in season and it tastes equally yummy.

Gram flour tends to burn if not sautéed continuously. It is best to make the filling on lowest flame throughout. The gram flour is done when it starts changing color and you can smell the aroma. You can use grated radish instead of cabbage for a variation. In both cases, do not add water to the filling as the both the vegetables have enough water content.

Rolling out a paratha with a filling needs lot of practice. You need to make sure that the dough is of right consistency. If the dough is too hard, the filling will come out, if it is too soft, you will not be able to roll it well. You also need to make sure the filling is spread throughout the paratha. If you do not roll it well, you might end up with filling only on sides or only in centre. Practice is the key.

These parathas are perfect for a rainy day. My mom makes them for breakfast/dinner and they taste yummy even when they are cold. Just roll up the cold paratha and dip it in chai for a filling chai time snack. I like my parathas hot with chilled yogurt and lime pickle.

Gobhi Parathas (Cabbage Stuffed Parathas)

Ingredients

Makes 12-15 Parathas

For the Dough

  • 2 ½ cup whole wheat flour (aata)
  • 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
  • Salt to taste
  • Water to knead the dough

For the Filling

  • 2 ½ cup cabbage (patta gobhi) grated
  • 1+1/4 cup gram flour (besan)
  • 4 green chillies coarsely ground
  • 2 tbsp red chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 3-4 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 3 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp oil + some more to cook the parathas
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

For the Dough

Combine the flour, carom seeds, salt, and water to make a soft and smooth dough. Cover and keep it aside.

For the Filling

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan or non-stick pan. Add the gram flour and roast it on a slow flame mixing continuously till it is slightly brownish (2-3 minutes) in color. Do not over roast it. It will taste bitter otherwise. Add green chillies paste and roast again for 1 minute. Add the cabbage, salt, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, lime juice, and chopped coriander. Mix well and roast for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

For Parathas

Divide the dough into equal portions. Roll out a thick small disc (appx 5 inches). Put a portion of the cooled filling (appx 1-11/2 tbsp) in the center and bring the edges together to form a small ball. Flatten it lightly with hand and roll into a paratha. Try not to let the filling out while rolling the paratha.

Heat a griddle and cook the paratha on both sides using little oil just like you would cook a normal paratha. Serve with chilled yogurt and pickle.

Savory Tarts (Katori Chaat)

Posted on by

Savory Tarts (Katori Chaat)

Festivals of India are as colourful as the country itself. Holi was more colourful when we were kids and lived in the old city of Hyderabad. Sadly, it just turned into a holiday as we grew up and started working. This festival of colors has made it back into our lives with the arrival of our little monster Aryan. My mom used to prepare lot of finger food or snacks for us during festivals like Sankrantri and holi as we did not have time to sit and eat a proper meal. This is one of them. Katori chaat (Savory Tarts if you like a fancy name). Here is a healthy version of the katori chat that my mom used to prepare for us during festivals.

Traditionally, katori chaat is filled with potatoes and chana, but I like it with the sprouts. Since I was baking the tarts instead of frying them, I decided to go with this healthy filling that is made at my place. You can prepare the sprouts in advance to save time. Steam, boil, or pressure cook the sprouts with salt.

Readymade tarts are easily available at supermarkets in India so if you live in India, you can save yourself the time and effort of making these tarts. But if you want to try these baked tarts, these are not tough to make. You can make them in advance and can even freeze them for later use.

Toppings in chaat are always as per taste. You can add the sweet chutney, chilli powder, and other spices as per your taste. If you are making this for a group of people, you can just keep the toppings, filling, and tarts together and people can make their chaat as they like. Do not prepare the whole tart with filling and topping in advance or else it will get soggy. This Indian chaat is perfect for a DIY snack when you have a group of people with different tastes. Happy Holi!

Savory Tarts (Katori Chaat)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup mung sprouts boiled
  • ½ cup moth sprouts boiled
  • 2 inch piece ginger grated
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 green chilli finely chopped
  • ½ cup yogurt
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 small tomato chopped
  • 3 tbsp tamarind chutney
  • 3 tbsp mint chutney
  • 4-5 tbsp sev (nylon sev)
  • 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 1-2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1-2 tsp cumin powder
  • Salt to taste

For Tarts (makes 12-14 cups)

  • 50 gms all-purpose flour (maida)
  • 2 pinches baking powder
  • 25 gms butter
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp carom seeds
  • 2 -3 tbsp milk

Recipe

Combine flour, baking powder, carom seeds, and salt. Rub in the butter using your fingertips. The mixture should resemble bread crumbs. Add 2 tbsp milk and make a stiff dough. Add little more milk if the dough is too dry to combine. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, knead again and roll out the dough into a sheet (approximately ¼ inch thick). Cut rounds using a cookie cutter (appx 3 inches) or small bowl. Press the rounds in a tart mould or a cupcake mould. Prick at 2-3 places using a fork.

Preheat oven to 230 degrees and bake at 230 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Heat oil in a kadhai or non-stick pan. Add grated ginger and green chilli. After 30-40 seconds add the sprouts and salt. Mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes and switch off the gas. Cool the sprouts and keep aside.

Whisk the yogurt with salt and keep aside.

Just before serving, fill the tart with appx 1tbsp of sprouts. Top it up with yogurt (appx 1 tbsp), tamarind chutney (as per taste), mint chutney (as per taste), chilli powder (1-2 pinches), cumin powder (1-2 pinches), chopped onions and tomato (few pieces), sev (3-4 pinches), and chopped coriander. Serve immediately.

Vegetable Biryani

Posted on by

Vegetable Biryani

Biryani is one of the most well-known dishes from Hyderabad. This is not the recipe of the famous Hyderabadi biryani which takes a good amount of time and patience to cook. This is my mom’s quick fix cooker biryani recipe which she makes when she is in a hurry and we have unannounced guests or simply if we have been crying about the daal chawal menu. Rice, vegetables, and spices are pressure cooked and served with plain yogurt or raita.

Every pressure cooker is different and the cooking time may vary. Some cookers cook rice in 2 whistles while some cook in three whistles. You are the best judge of cooking time and number of whistles.

Of course I have tweaked the recipe a little to add the spice and to cater to my onion garlic loving taste buds. My mom doesn’t add garlic to this recipe and sometimes leaves out the onion too. But for me biryani is no fun without onion and garlic.

Even the dry spices can vary as per the flavors you like. You can add star anise, roasted fennel seeds, saffron, and mace to add to the aroma. Since this is a normal quick cook recipe, I did not want to add to the cooking time and effort. Some people add the whole spices to washed rice during the soaking time, so that the rice gets the flavor of spices. You can do that when cooking the layered biryani.

Biryani is best served hot and with plain or vegetable raita. The taste of biryani gets better as it soaks the spices. It is a good idea to prepare biryani in advance (depending on the weather) and heat it up just before serving/eating.

Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 7-8 green cardamom (ilaichi)
  • 7-8 cloves (laung)
  • 1 piece cinnamon (dalchini)
  • 3-4 bay leaves (tej patta)
  • 10-12 cashewnuts
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 ½ cup chopped vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, potato)
  • ½ cup yogurt
  • 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste

To be ground to paste

  • 1 big tomato
  • 3 inch piece of ginger
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • 3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
  • 2 tbsp roughly chopped mint
  • 1 green chilli

Recipe

Wash and soak the rice in water (3-4 cups) for 10-15 minutes. Grind the tomato, ginger, garlic, coriander, mint, and green chilli to a fine paste and keep aside.

Heat oil in a cooker. Add jeera, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. Once the spices are slightly browned (30-45 seconds), add the chopped onions and sauté. Cook for 1-2 minutes and add cashew nuts. Once the cashews are slightly browned, add the tomato paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes or till the oil floats on top stirring in between. Add the chopped vegetables and yogurt and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes mixing in between.

Drain water from the rice and add the rice to the cooker. Add 1 ½ cups of water and mix well. Taste for salt and make any required adjustments. Close the cooker and cook for three whistles.

Switch off the gas. Once the pressure is released, open the cooker and mix the biryani carefully. Serve hot with plain yogurt or choice of raita.

Fresh Red Chillies Chutney

Posted on by

Fresh Red Chillies Chutney

A very simple yet very tangy chutney which surely adds zing to any meal. Fresh red chillies are deseeded and ground with garlic and spices. I tasted this chutney for the first time in Mangalore at my sister-in-law’s place. Her mom is an expert cook and she serves variety of such yummy side dishes and snacks with every meal. I made some very simple modifications to the original recipe. I roasted the chillies, tomato, and garlic to add the smokey flavor and it just works wonders.

You can make this without the tomato too. Tomato adds body to the chutney. You can adjust the lime and sugar as per taste but I would suggest not leaving out the sugar. Sugar balances the spice and sour elements and gives this chutney the tangy taste. This chutney can be served as a side dish with any meals or even as a dip with nachos, crisps, or simple vegetable crudités.

Fresh Red Chillies Chutney

Ingredients

Makes 2/3 cup

  • 10 fresh red chillies
  • 8 -9 garlic cloves
  • 1 tomato
  • 3 tsp lime juice
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ¼ cup chopped coriander
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

Wash and pat dry the chillies and tomato. Grill/roast the chillies, tomato, and garlic on open flame turning every few minutes till the skin looks charred. Remove from fire and cover them immediately. Once the chillies, garlic, and tomato are cooled. Peel the skin and chop them roughly. Remember to de-seed the chillies.

Grind the chillies, garlic, tomato, lime juice, sugar, and salt to a very coarse paste. Add the chopped coriander and grind again to a coarse paste. Store covered in fridge. This chutney can be served as a dip with snacks or as a side dish with any meals.

Rajasthani Saag Rotla

Posted on by

Rajasthani Saag Rotla

Rajasthan’s cuisine is as rich, colourful, and royal as the place itself. One of my sisters in law is from Jaipur and she introduced me to this winter dish called Saag rotla. It is a cauliflower and peas curry cooked in pure ghee and orange juice. It is served with thick rotis (called rotla) made of whole wheat, ghee, and milk. If you feel like indulging, you can try this dish. This dish is perfect for a lazy weekend afternoon. I surely feel sleepy after eating this.

I am not a cauliflower lover. But after tasting this dish, I have made an exception. Since this curry does not use any water, you need to cut the cauliflower very finely (it should look almost finely grated) so that it can be cooked quickly.

The essence of this curry lies in the slow cooking of vegetables in spices and orange juice. You can add as much spices and ghee as you can tolerate. I have not tried cooking it in oil yet. Cook it on the lowest flame throughout and keep mixing in between. If you feel that the curry might burn add little more orange juice but no water.

The rotla that accompanies this dish has ghee too. Knead the dough for rotla with only milk. No water again. Roll out the rotla thick and small. Cooking it on a clay tava will add to the taste. But fret not if you do not have a clay griddle. Cook it on a low gas on normal griddle and then cook both sides on open flame like normal phulka is made. Again with the ghee, drizzle as much as you can tolerate. Serve this with fresh cut onions and green chillies.

Rajasthani Saag Rotla

Ingredients

For Rotla

  • 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
  • 1 tbsp ghee (you can double the amount of ghee if you want softer rotis)
  • Milk to knead the dough (appx ½ cup is sufficient)
  • Salt to taste

For Saag

  • 4 tbsp ghee
  • 7-8 cloves of garlic
  • 3 tbsp chopped ginger
  • 4 green chillies
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup peas (If you are using frozen peas, thaw them in advance)
  • 2 cups finely chopped cauliflower
  • 2 tsp red chilli powder (you can increase this if you like the curry spicier)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Recipe

For the rotla

Mix all the ingredients for rotla and knead a firm dough. Cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 10 portions. Roll out each portion into small and thick rotis and cook on a hot griddle just like phulkas. Drizzle each rotla with around 1 tsp or more of ghee.

For Saag

Grind the ginger, garlic, and green chilly to fine paste. You can add 1 tbsp water if required. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Add the ginger, garlic, and green chilli paste. Cook on slow flame for 3-5 minutes mixing in between. Add the onions and sauté. Cook till onions start browning. Add the peas, cauliflower, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, and turmeric. Mix well.

Add the orange juice and cover cook on slow flame for 3-5 minutes. Remove the cover and cook till the cauliflower is cooked and you see ghee on top. (appx 10-15 minutes)Keep mixing in between. Serve with hot rotla, fresh green chilli and cut onions.

Missi Roti

Posted on by

Missi Roti

Missi roti is a north Indian flatbread made with whole wheat flour and gram flour. It is my mom’s favourite. This is healthier and tasty compared to the naan or normal tandoori roti. You can substitute the whole wheat flour with the multigrain aata which is readily available these days. If you want it even healthier, you can cook it like tandoori roti and leave out the ghee. I like it more than the normal naan roti.

Fresh coriander and green chillies add aroma and taste of the roti. You can add the green chillies as per taste if you want your roti spicier. Some people even use the left over dal to make the dough. You can even add fresh greens like spinach or fenugreek if you want it healthier.

Traditionally missi roti is cooked like a paratha using ghee on both sides. But I like it healthier so I cook it like phulka. Cooking both sides on griddle and then cooking it on open flame adds to the taste. Roll it out thicker than rotis and they will turn out softer. This is an all season all meal compatible roti. You can have it for lunch or dinner and this tastes best with dal and curries with gravies.

Missi Roti

Ingredients

Makes 4-5

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour (the multi grain aata available these days work perfect too)
  • ¼ cup gram flour (besan)
  • 2 green chillies finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
  • ¼ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp ghee + 4 tsp ghee to drizzle on rotis

Recipe

Mix the flour, gram flour, chillies, turmeric, onion, coriander, carom seeds, cumin seeds, salt, and 1 tsp ghee with enough water to make a soft dough. Cover the dough and keep it aside for 15 minutes.

Knead the dough a little and divide it into equal portions (4-5). Roll out each portion slightly thicker than normal rotis and cook on hot griddle just like the normal phulka. Drizzle about a tea spoon of ghee and brush it evenly on the roti. You can cook it like a paratha too but I prefer the one that is cooked like roti. Serve hot with dal or sabji.

 

 

Pasta with Red Sauce

Posted on by

Pasta with Red Sauce

Pasta for me is undoubtedly one of the best foods on earth. This particular recipe is the first pasta recipe I learnt (I have modified it a little). My friend Deepak’s mom taught me to make this and I am so thankful that she introduced me to this wonderful and versatile food. Pasta can be mixed with various sauces vegetables. Arrabbiata or the spicy red sauce is the most common sauce that we vegetarians especially Indian prefer. This sauce is slightly different version of the simple arrabbiata sauce.

There are different shapes of pasta available but Penne pasta goes well with the red sauce and especially Penne Rigate holds up the tomato based sauces well. Spaghetti is another pasta that goes well with the red sauce. Choose the whole wheat pasta if you want a healthier version. Things to keep in mind while boiling the pasta are; always cook the pasta aldente (that is till it is just done). Over cooking will take away the taste and texture both. Secondly, you do not always need to add oil while boiling the pasta. Just add plenty of water and your pasta will never stick.  

Being a vegetarian does not mean adding just cheese to you pasta sauce. You can make it tastier and healthier by adding the vegetables of your choice. You can experiment with the sauce and add vegetables like carrot, broccoli etc and toppings like corn, olives etc. Traditionally pasta doesn’t have red chilli powder but I add it keeping in mind the taste of people I am cooking it for.

Try to mix the sauce just before serving. Pasta tends to absorb the sauce. If you want to prepare it in advance, save some extra sauce and add it just before serving the pasta. You can prepare the sauce in advance and just boil and toss the pasta in the sauce just before serving. You can sprinkle some cheese on top of the pasta or if you are a cheese lover, just add a layer of cheese on top of pasta and bake till the cheese melts.

Pasta is best enjoyed as a main course. Serve it with warm garlic bread.

Pasta with Red Sauce

Ingredients

Serves 2 (or 1 if you are a pasta lover like me)

  • 250 gms or 2 cups of penne pasta (choose whole-wheat if you want a healthier version)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ¼ cup onions finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
  • ½ cup finely chopped mixed bell peppers
  • ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • 2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper powder
  • 2 tbsp fresh cream
  • Cheese to taste and liking (optional)
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

Cook the pasta as per instructions on the packet. You can use the following method if you want to cook it al dente (literally means to the tooth)

In a thick bottomed vessel, heat 2 ½ litres of water. Add 15gms salt to it. Once the water starts boiling add the pasta and cook on medium flame for 11-12 minutes. When you chew the pasta, there should be slight resistance at the centre. Drain the pasta and keep aside. At this time, you can add a little olive oil to the pasta and toss them well so that they do not stick once they are cold.

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add oregano and garlic. Sauté for a minute and add onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes or till the onions are translucent. Add mixed bell peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes mixing the sauce in between. Add the tomato puree, red chilli powder, and pepper powder. Mix well and cook on slow flame till you see oil on top (approximately 5-6 minutes). Keep stirring the sauce in between. Add the fresh cream and switch of the gas. Add the boiled pasta and toss well. If you are not comfortable tossing the pasta, you can use a wooden spatula to very lightly mix the pasta with the sauce making sure you do not break the pasta.

Adding cheese is optional. You can sprinkle parmesan cheese on hot pasta just before serving or if you love cheese with pasta, arrange pasta in a baking dish and cover it with grated cheddar cheese. Bake till the cheese melts and serve hot.