Tag Archives: vegetariankhana

Sprouts Salad

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Sprouts Salad

Sprout salad is the simplest and healthiest way to beat the heat. It is quick to make and you don’t need to spend lot of time in Kitchen. Just sprout the beans of your choice, add the dressing, and chill. Come summer and I start looking for recipes which help me stay away from kitchen as much as possible. Summer in Singapore (I don’t know if there is any other season here) is very hot and humid and its salad for lunch every alternate day. This particular salad is easy, healthy, and my husband’s favourite too.

I have used moong and moth beans sprouts. You can try using alfalfa beans, chickpeas, radish, or even soya beans. Making sprouts at home is very easy. Just soak the moong and moth beans in water overnight. Next day, drain the water and tie the beans in a wet kitchen towel. Keep these tied sprouts in a covered container overnight and you have the sprouts ready. If you want the beans to sprout more, you can wash and tie them again and keep them covered for 12 more hours. You can store them in fridge for 1-2 days and use as required.

You can experiment with the toppings. Boiled potatoes, cucumber, grated carrots, and shredded cabbage are a great addition to this healthy salad. Morning breakfast, evening snack, or even lunch during summer this sprout salad can be enjoyed any time.

Sprouts Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups mixed sprouts (moong & moth)
  • ¼ cup mixed bell peppers chopped
  • 3 tbsp chopped onions
  • ¼ cup chopped tomatoes

For Dressing

  • 3 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp pepper powder
  • 1 tsp chat masala
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

Combine the ingredients for dressing and mix well. Keep aside.

Mix sprouts, capsicum, tomatoes, onions. Add the dressing and mix well. Serve chilled.

Mango Panna cotta

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Mango Panna cotta

Mango Panna cotta is my twist to the classic Italian dessert Panna cotta which is made of cream, milk, vanilla, and sugar and topped with berries, fruit coulis or caramel. With Mango season ruling the mind, heart, and wallet, I gave in to the temptation and bought mangoes (read very expensive) in Singapore. The idea was to add Indian taste to the Panna cotta. I flavoured the cream with saffron instead of vanilla and also added mango pulp to the cream to add a bit of sour taste to the panna cotta.

Experimenting with expensive mangoes is a risky thing, especially when you have to travel one hour to buy them. But then I had been waiting for a long time for mangoes so that I can try this new idea of mine. As guessed, one variety was pretty bad (was not even close to be called a Mango) but luckily the second one – Alphonso, was delicious. It truly is the best of Mangoes. You can rarely go wrong with it. Though it’s not my choice of Mango but I don’t mind it if the Hyderabadi Rasaal Mango is not available.

While making the mango sauce, make sure to strain the mixture so that the sauce is smooth and shiny. You can prepare the sauce in advance and use it as required. For the cream, I used the thick cream or double cream as it is called. You can also use half cream and half milk if you want a lighter dessert.

Panna cotta tastes the best if it is let to set and chill for 10-12 hours. This dessert can be made ahead and stored for couple of days. Just cover it lightly and refrigerate it.

Mango Panna cotta

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • ¼ cup thick cream
  • 4 tbsp mango pulp
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 pinch saffron
  • ½ tsp china grass (agar agar)
  • 4 tbsp water
  • Few drops of oil/butter
  • 1 tbsp chopped mangoes (for topping)

Mango Sauce

  • 3 tbsp mangoes chopped
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tbsp water

Recipe

For the Panna Cotta

Oil two ramekins or bowls and keep aside. I used 4″ inch bowls.

Combine cream, mango pulp, sugar, and saffron in a thick bottomed pan and heat on low flame. Do not let the mixture boil. It should be hot. Switch off the gas when you see small bubbles on the edges.

Meanwhile, sprinkle water on powdered china grass and cook on low flame. Do not let the china grass boil. It should just melt in water. Switch off the gas when you see small bubbles on the edges.

Strain the china grass into the hot cream mixture. Do this quickly and mix well. Make sure there are no lumps. You can also use a blender to mix the china grass into the cream mixture. Quickly pour the mixture into oiled ramekins or bowls. Cool the ramekins/bowls at room temperature and cover and refrigerate them for 5-6 hours or until you are ready to eat/serve it.

For the Mango Sauce

Add all the ingredients in a non-stick pan and cook till the mangoes are pulpy (4-6 minutes). Strain the pulp and cool it.

To serve

To unmould the panna cotta:

Fill a large bowl with hot water. Run a thin knife carefully around the edges of the ramekin/bowl. Dip the ramekin/bowl in hot water till the rim and hold it for around 4-5 seconds. Invert it on a damp serving plate and shake gently. Reposition if required. Top it with a spoon full of mango sauce and few chopped mangoes. Serve immediately or you can even chill it for few more hours by covering it lightly.

You can even top the panna cotta with sauce and mangoes and serve in the ramekins/bowls.

 

Hyderabadi Baghare Baigan (Brinjal Curry)

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Hyderabadi Baghare Baigan (Brinjal Curry)

Brinjal curry or Baghare Baigan as known in Hyderabad is a local delicacy. Brinjals are cooked in sour and spicy gravy made of sesame seeds, groundnut seeds, tamarind paste and coconut. There are lot of variants of this recipe but this particular one is my mom’s recipe. Though I don’t like brinjals but this is one of my favourite gravies. This tastes best when eaten with hot rice.

Choose brinjals that are small and round. Make two slits in the brinjals for them to absorb the gravy well. Since I do not like brinjals, I have substituted brinjals with tomatoes or capsicum on many occasions and I loved those variants too. You can also try using fresh green chillies (non-spicy ones) instead of brinjals.

The gravy is the key to this recipe. Groundnut and sesame seeds are used a lot in Hyderabadi cuisine. It is important to roast the ingredients separately and on low flame. You can substitute the jaggery with sugar if jaggery is not available. People also add poppy seeds to this gravy. I love the combination of sambhar, rice, and this gravy. This curry tastes best with hot rice. You can also serve this with parathas.

Hyderabadi Baghare Baigan (Brinjal Curry)

Ingredients

  • 5 brinjals (small ones work best)
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • ¼ tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 inch piece of ginger grated
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic grated
  • 2 tbsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • Salt to taste

For the Masala

  • 2 tbsp grated coconut (I used the dry desiccated coconut)
  • ½ tbsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 ½ tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp peanuts
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 ½ tsp jaggery
  • 4 tbsp tamarind pulp
  • Little oil to fry the onions

Recipe For the Masala Dry roast the coconut, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, sesame seeds and peanuts separately on low flame. Fry the onions till brownish using little oil. Combine all the ingredients for masala and grind them to a smooth paste. Add little water if required. Keep the masala aside. For the Curry Make two slits in the Brinjals. Do not cut them completely but just a deep cut like a plus sign. Heat oil in a kadhai or non-stick pan. Add mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutter add ginger and garlic. Sauté for 10-15 seconds. Add the Brinjals and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the masala paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and one cup water. Mix well and cook on slow flame till the Brinjals are cooked and oil floats on top. Keep mixing in between. Serve with hot rice and sambhar or with plain parathas.

Corn and Paneer Cigars

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Corn and Paneer Cigars

Corn and paneer (cottage cheese) cigars. This very quick and easy to make snack is just mushy paneer and corn filled bread, rolled and deep fried. This is a twist to the sandwich I make with corn and paneer filling. With the IPL going and Football World cup round the corner, it is going to be lot of night outs and even more snacks and finger foods.

I don’t get the Indian corn here so I used the frozen sweet corn. This adds a hint of sweetness to the filling. If you don’t like sweet flavour, use the Indian corn which is not as sweet as the sweetcorn. Make sure not to crush the corn too much. Grind it very coarsely just enough to be broken into two pieces.

If you can use fresh paneer its great. Otherwise try thawing the frozen paneer cubes before you use them. I soaked the frozen paneer cubes in hot water for couple of minutes and it was good enough to crumble in the mixture.

I used white bread for this recipe but I would strongly recommend using the multigrain bread. It adds a lot to the flavour. Cut off the edges and roll the bread flat using a rolling pin. Do not forget to seal the edges well by wetting the edges with enough water. You can prepare the filling in advance and fry the cigars when you want to eat/serve them. You can serve these with ketchup or any other dip of your choice.

Corn and Paneer Cigars

 

Ingredients

Makes 8 cigars

  • ½ cup corn kernels
  • 6-7 cubes paneer
  • 1 green chilli
  • 2 inch piece of ginger
  • 8 slices of bread
  • 1 tbsp oil + more oil for frying
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

Steam the corn kernels and grind them very coarsely with green chillies.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add grated ginger and sauté. Add the corn and chilli mixture, paneer, and salt. Mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Keep it aside.

Trim the edges of the bread. Roll the bread flat using a rolling pin. Add approximately 1 tsp of the filling in the centre. Wet the edges of bread with water and roll the bread carefully into cylinder shape and seal the edges.

Heat oil in a frying pan or kadhai and fry the bread cigars on medium heat till they are golden brown. Serve with ketchup or choice of dip. You can even cut the cigars into two to make bite sized snacks.

Eggless Oatmeal Cookies

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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

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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

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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)

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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)

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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

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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.