Paneer Hariyali Pizza

                       Every one around me seems to have caught the football fever. Everyone is only talking about the matches, teams and the excitement of the goals. And, so in the spirit of the ongoing FIFA World Cup, let us have a look at a common sport snack, Pizza. But, like the recent matches which have been full of excitement and unexpected twists, this pizza is also with a twist.
                    Instead of the traditional Italian pizza with subtle herb flavors, this one is loaded with Indian flavors and some heat. The pizza is loaded with greens and the sauce has a beautiful green color and hence the name, Hariyali. I hope you all enjoy it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cubed Paneer
• 1/2 cup Mint leaves
• 1/2 cup Spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro leaves
• 1 cup chopped Onions
• 2 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic-Chili paste
• 1/4 cup Yogurt
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Dry Mango (Amchur) powder
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Oil
• 3 Pizza Base/Crust
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

• Heat some oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds.
• Once the seeds starts to crackle, add the garlic-ginger-chili paste and saute it for a minute.
• Now add the onions and saute them. Once the onions are translucent, add the yogurt and mix it well.
• Meanwhile, puree the mint and spinach leaves and add to the pan and mix well.
• Then add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, dried mango powder and salt.
• Let it cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the paneer to the gravy.
• Finally add the lemon juice and mix it lightly. 
• Cover and let it cook for additional 2-3 minutes.

• Now take the pizza crust/base. I used a ready base from a local baker.
• Brush the base lightly with Olive Oil.
• Spread the prepared Hariyali Paneer on the base.
• Sprinkle some cilantro and cheese.

• Bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes at 425^o F or as per the package instructions
• You should bake till the cheese is melted and turns golden brown

• Serve hot and enjoy the best combination, pizza and football

Bombay Grill Sandwich

         Bombay Grill Sandwich reminds me of my college days. I used to hang out with friends and usually end up having a quick snack, usually a grilled sandwich from a roadside stall. It is one of the favorite snacks of every Mumbaikar, and is ubiquitous throughout Mumbai.
        The double-layer grilled sandwich is loaded with vegetables and flavors. The first layer is usually either boiled potatoes or spiced potatoes stuffing and the second layer is all vegetables and cheese. The heart of the sandwich is the chutney, which can either make it or break it. I always use my homemade chutney, but you can choose to get one from the stores, but make sure it has a fresh taste to it.
        After coming here, I got to try numerous varieties of sandwiches, but I would still say nothing can beat this grilled sandwich. So today I decided to make this sandwich at home, and walk down the memory lanes of those golden days.
           
           [UPDATE] This was the winning recipe at the recently held Vegan Sammich Throwdown in Berkeley. For the competition, I made some tweaks to this recipe. The changes are highlighted below.

Ingredients:

• 6 Bread Slices of your choice.
• 1 cup Cilantro-Mint chutney
• 1/4 tbsp softened Butter (Used Earth Balance Vegan Butter)
• 1 Cucumber sliced
• 2 Tomatoes sliced
• 1 Green Bell Pepper Sliced
• 1 Onion Sliced
• 2 cheese slices (Used Daiya Vegan Cheddar Cheese) 
• 1 cup spiced potato stuffing (Recipe Below)
• 2 tbsp Sandwich Masala. I used the store bought Spicezza sandwich masala. You can make it at home too. I will post the recipe for the same later.

Instructions:

• To make the spiced potatoes stuffing. Boil 2 potatoes and mash them. Add some green chili paste, salt, Black pepper and garam masala to it. Add some chopped cilantro leaves and mix it well. The stuffing is ready
• The stuffing for the competition was same as above except that I also added some grated beetroot and crushed green peas which gave the stuffing a lovely red-purple color
• Keep all the vegetables and ingredients ready before starting to assemble the sandwich.

• Take 3 bread slices and apply butter. Then apply the cilantro-mint chutney generously to the bread.

• Sprinkle some sandwich masala on all the 3 slices.
• Then, take about 2 spoons of potato stuffing and spread properly on 1 slice and sprinkle some masala on it.
• For the second layer, place a couple of slices of all the vegetables and cheese slices on the second bread and again sprinkle some masala

• Place the third bread on it with the chutney side down. 
• Once this double layer sandwich is assembled, place it carefully on a preheated sandwich grill machine or a panini press. 
• If your grill is not nonstick, you might want to apply some butter on the top of the sandwich. It also makes it more crispy and tasty.
• Grill for about 30-45 seconds or depending upon your machine.

• Once it is done nicely from both sides, cut it in half
• Serve with chutney or tomato ketchup of your choice
• Enjoy! 

Noodle Pizza

          As you might have figured out, I love experimenting with food and love to mix different cuisines to create Fusion foods. It doesn't always turn out to be good and some just don't blend with each other nicely. But I can definitely say, most of the times its a huge success.
        So today I am back with one of my fusion dish. A couple of weeks back, I had some noodles leftover in my fridge and I wasn't too sure what to do with that. We just didn't like eating it as it is as we had chinese dinner the previous day itself. Then I saw some bread and thought to try something new.  It turned out to be a hit and we make these pizzas pretty regularly now. We have tried it with vegetable noodles, Schezwan noodles and sometimes just plain noodles.

      So here is an quick dinner idea, Noodle Pizza.

Ingredients:

• 4 Slices of Bread
• 1 cup Noodles
• 2 tbsp Schezwan Sauce
• 2 tbsp Pizza Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Oregon
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala (Optional)

Instructions:

• Take a small bowl, mix the pizza sauce, schezwan sauce and oregano and keep it aside.
• Heat some butter in a pan.
• Place a bread slice and toast it. Once it turns golden brown, take the slice in the plate.
• Spread the sauce mixture on the toasted side.
• Add some noodles and sprinkle some chaat masala and cheese on it.
• Now, place it on the pan and cover with lid. Cook till the cheese melts and the bread is toasted properly.
• Serve hot and enjoy the Noodle Pizza

Vegetable Paneer Samosa

                  Samosa is one of the most common and popular snacks in India. They are found everywhere, from small road side stalls to 5-star restaurants. Samosa is the savory comfort food at its best, that goes well on all days, be it a rainy day to a chilly winter evening.
                  Samosas are essentially deep-fried triangular flour pastries stuffed with potatoes. The stuffing can be anything, though traditionally spiced mashed potatoes and peas are used.
                I tried a slightly different version of it, since didn't feel having a whole of potatoes. Also, instead of using the commonly used refined flour, I opted for the whole wheat flour.
                  So here is my recipe, to satisfy that craving with lesser amount of guilt.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup Refined flour (Maida)
• 4 tsp Oil
• 1 cup grated Paneer
• 1 cup coarsely crushed Green Peas
• 1/2 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Bell Peppers
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro
• 2 Tbsp Ginger-Chilies paste
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 tsp Dry Mango powder (Amchur powder)
• 2 tsp Garam Masala ( A mixture of spices)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

• Sieve both the flours and mix them
• Add 2 tsp Oil, salt and water to make a smooth semi-soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep it aside
• Now, heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add Cumin seeds to it.
• Once the seeds starts to crackle, add the ginger-chili paste, onions, bell peppers and saute it for 2-3 minutes.
• Add salt and mix it well.
• Now add the green peas, potatoes, mango powder and garam masala and mix it well.
• Let it cook for another couple of minutes. Make sure to stir it continuously.
• Then add cilantro and mix it well and take it off the heat.
• Now, take the grated paneer in a big bowl. Add the hot mixture and mix it well

• Now, to make Samosa knead the dough properly and divide into smaller portions.
• Roll out each portion into a disc. It should be of medium thickness

• Divide the rolled disc into half. Take each half and shape it into a cone. 

• Take about 1.5 spoon of mixture and stuff the cone. 

• Damp the edges of cone with water and seal it properly.

• Repeat the process with remaining dough
• Now slide each of these samosas in a pre-heated oil and fry it till they are golden brown.
• As a healthier alternative, can also bake them for 25 minutes at 400 F in a preheated oven. Make sure to turn them every 10 minutes.
• Serve with your favorite chutney and/or ketchup

Kothimbir Vadi

              Sunday is usually a lazy day for most people. We usually meet up with our friends on Saturday and end up sleeping really late and that, in turn, leads to late Sunday mornings. So we prefer having brunch since we have already passed the breakfast time. Today was a similar day for us and I was thinking to make something today that is quick, tasty and heavy too. I was looking online for some options and I stumbled upon Kothimbir Vadi, a Maharashtrian dish.

             Kothimbir Vadi or Steamed Cilantro-Chickpea snack, is a very popular dish from Maharashtra, a western state of India. There are plenty variants of this snack. Some prefer it deep fried, some like it stir fried, while some like it simply steamed.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely chopped Cilantro
• 1.5 cups chickpea flour (Besan)
• 2 Tbsp Ginger-Chili paste
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp Soda-BiCarb (Baking Soda)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin (Jeera)
• 1 Tbsp Oil

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, add the cilantro and chickpea flour.
• Then, add all the spices, salt, chili powder, turmeric, baking soda and ginger chili paste and mix them well.

• Now, slowly add some water to it to make a batter. The batter should be of thick consistency and not too watery.

• Pour the batter onto a greased pan. Then, using a pressure cooker or a steamer, steam it for 15 minutes or until it is cooked.
• The best way to know if it cooked or not is insert a knife or a toothpick and it should come out clean.
• Once they are cooked, let it cool and cut into small pieces.

• Meanwhile, heat some oil in the pan.
• Add the sesame seeds and mustard seeds, and once they start to crackle, add the cumin seeds and then the cut pieces and mix them well.
• Garnish with coconut and serve it hot.
• Enjoy with your favorite chutney/sauce or simply as is.

Chinese Bhel

                 Chinese Bhel is a fusion snack in which we combine the idea of the famous Indian snack Bhelpuri and the Indo-Chinese flavors. It is an quick recipe, just mix all the ingredients together and its ready. You can have it as a snack or even as a light dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Hakka Noodles
• 1 cup finely shredded Cabbage
• 1 cup finely sliced Onions
• 1 cup finely sliced Bell Peppers
• 1 bunch chopped Green Onions
• 1/3 cup Schezwan sauce
• 3 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
• Salt as per taste
• Black Pepper as per taste
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

• Heat some oil in a pan for frying
• Boil the noodles in about 4 cups of water with about 1 tsp oil. The oil prevents the noodles from sticking together.
• Drain the water from the noodles, and pour some cold water on it. Again, I usually do this to prevent them from sticking.
• Fry the noodles and place it on the absorbent paper. 

• Now take a big bowl, add the cabbage, onion, bell peppers.
• Add the schezwan sauce and tomato ketchup and mix well
• Then add the noodles, salt and pepper. 
• Garnish with Green Onions and serve

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

         Today, I got back late from work and was too tired to make an elaborate dinner. I was thinking to make something that is really quick and healthy but still tasty. 
           So here is a quick 10 minute recipe for Baked Stuffed Tomatoes. You may experiment with different kinds of stuffing, and you may also use other vegetables like Bell Peppers or Mushrooms as the base instead of the Tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• 4  medium firm Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup Cheese (I used a combination of Mexican and Italian cheese blend)
• 1/4 cup Chopped Onions
• 1/4 cup Chopped Bell Peppers
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 8-10 fresh Mint Leaves
• 1 tsp Dried Basil
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
•  Salt to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat the Oven to 400^o F.
• Cut the tomatoes into half
• Then scoop out the inside of each tomato carefully with a knife and keep it aside

• Take the onions, peppers,mint leaves, cheese and the tomato pulp in a bowl
• Now, add the basil, pepper flakes, salt and pepper and mix it well
• Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet with the cut side up
• Put some stuffing mixture, about 2 spoons in each of the tomato half

• Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned

• Serve warm and enjoy

Chickpea Patties

                I am sure everyone must have tried Falafels, which are flavorful Mediterranean chickpea balls. I really love the Falafels, but they are typically made with flour and are deep fried. So today I tried to take my spin on the Falafel without the flour and the deep frying. So here it is.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans
• 1 cup chopped Onion
• 2-3 Garlic cloves
• 1 cup chopped Cilantro
• 3-4 Green Chilies
• 3 Tbsp Parsley
• 2 tsp Black Pepper
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

• Soak the beans in water for 6-8 hours. 
• Then cook the soaked beans. I prefer to use the pressure cooker. If using a pressure cooker, cook for 4-5 whistles or till they are cooked.
• You can skip the above steps if using canned beans.
• Now, drain the beans completely. They should be completely dry.
• Take a big bowl, add the beans, onions, crushed garlic, cilantro, chili paste
• Now add the parsley, black pepper and salt to taste
• Mix it well. It should be of thick consistency.
• Now, take some of the mixture in your hand and form small size balls and press them in shape of a disc. Make sure they are not too thick or too thin
• Then, put them on a heated pan or a griddle and shallow fry them with little or no oil.
• Serve them hot with Hummus or hot sauce. You can also use these to make a Falafel Sandwich with pocket Pita breads and some veggies.

Black Chickpea Chaat

          Black Chickpeas Chaat or Chana Chaat is a popular roadside snack in India. It is, like other chaat dishes, spicy and tangy, or chatpata as we call it in India. This dish can also be made with white chickpeas or garbanzo beans, but I like it more with black chickpeas.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups black Chickpea soaked for 6-8 hours
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Onion
• 1 cup finely chopped Tomatoes
• 1 boiled Potato
• 2-3 finely chopped Green Chili 
• 2 tsp Garlic paste
• 2 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 tsp Chaat Masala (Optional)
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Oil
• 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 1/4 finely chopped Cilantro

Instructions:

• Cook the soaked black Chickpeas. I prefer to use pressure cooker to boil it.
• If using a pressure cooker, cook for 4-5 whistles or tilt they are cooked.
• Make sure they are not overcooked else it will become mushy.
• In the meanwhile, dice the boiled potatoes and keep it aside.
• Once the chickpeas are cooked, drain the water.
• Now, heat some oil in a pan. Add Asafoetida and cumin seeds.
• As soon as cumin seeds start to crackle, add the garlic paste and saute it for about a minute.
• Then add the Chickpeas to it and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Now transfer the chickpeas to a big bowl.
• Add the diced potatoes, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions and green chilies to it and mix it well.
• Then add salt, pepper, chaat masala and lemon juice to the bowl. You can adjust it according to your taste.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve.

 

Microwave Potato Chips

        Who doesn't like to eat potato chips? This crunchy, tasty snack is an all time favorite for all age groups and for every occasion. I am a huge fan of potato chips, I like almost all the flavors of this deep fried snack. But I have to control myself from having it too much as we all know its nutrition facts.

        Hence, I was in search for a different alternatives and that's when I decided to try to make it at home. It was a huge success. Both me and my husband just loved it and finished the whole bowl in a jiffy.

        So, today I am going to share this great recipe for making chips at home, using very little oil. I would love to hear your comments/suggestions on this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 Medium Potatoes
• Olive Oil 
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:

• Slice the potatoes very thin. You can keep the skin on if it you like it
• Put them in a bowl and drizzle with some Olive Oil. You can use any oil of your choice.

• Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Here is when you can get real creative. You can try with all different types of seasonings.

• Arrange it in a single layer on a microwavable plate.

• Microwave it on high for 3 minutes.

• Then, turn it over carefully. It will be very hot.
• Again microwave it for 2 mins or until they start turning brown and the edges are crispy

• Remove them in a bowl and let it cool completely
• It will become crispier as it cools down. 

• Enjoy as much as you like, store the remaining in an air tight container

Pav Bhaji

       Pav-Bhaji is a very popular dish in India and possibly the most popular in Mumbai. It originated in Mumbai as a quick meal for the labourers. Pav translates to bread in Marathi and Bhaji is simply a potato based mix vegetable curry. Every city in India has their own variations on the Bhaji. Being a Mumbai-ite, I naturally love its version the most.

Here is my take on the famous Mumbai Pav Bhaji.

Ingredients:

• 4 Medium Sized Potatoes
• 1/2 Medium Sized Cauliflower
• 2 Green Bell Peppers
• 1 Onion
• 1.5 Cups Green Peas
• 2 cloves of Garlic finely chopped
• About 3 cups Tomato paste/puree
• 2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• Pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• Finely chopped Cilantro
• Salt to Taste
• Butter
• 6-8 French Dinner Rolls or Pav

Instructions:

• Boil the green peas, florets of cauliflower and green bell peppers. I prefer to use the Pressure Cooker to boil these vegetables, but we can use any steamer.
• Once boiled and soft, mash all these vegetables properly and keep them aside.
• Now, boil the potatoes until soft and mash them properly.
• Take a pan and heat some butter in it.
• Add asafoetida and cumin seeds to it.
• Once the cumin seeds start to crackle, add the garlic and onions to it.
• Add salt and saute them till the onions turn pinkish.

• Now, add the tomato puree to the pan
• As soon as the tomato puree starts to boil slightly, add turmeric powder, chilli powder and pav bhaji masala to it.

• Let it cook for 4-5 mins
• Then, add the mashed vegetables and potatoes to it and mix it very well.
• Now add the lemon juice and cilantro to it

• Let it simmer on medium heat for 5-7 mins
• In the Meantime, Heat some butter with chilli powder on a griddle, and toast the dinner rolls
• Serve hot with some chopped onions on the side

          The best part about Pav-Bhaji is that the recipe is very versatile and can be tweaked to suit any palate. You can be creative and add any vegetable or ingredient. Please leave a comment with your variations of this dish.

Spinach And Corn Sandwich

      Today I felt like having something new for dinner. As usual, my husband did not give me a definite answer on what he wanted to eat, but today he provided me a black list. He did not want to have rice, potatoes, pulses etc. He wanted something light yet fancy. 

      So, I thought of making a sandwich, but a different type which is healthier and quick to make. And instantly I thought of Spinach. So here is the recipe for a Spinach and Corn Sandwich.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of Spinach
• 1.5 cups of boiled sweet corn
• 1 Tbsp green chili paste
• 0.5 cup of finely chopped cilantro
• Salt as per taste
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper
• 4 Cheese Slices (Can also use grated mozzarella cheese)
• 8 Bread Slices
• Butter 

Instructions:

• Chop the spinach finely.
• Warm a little butter, about 1 tbsp, in a frying pan. And add some chili paste to it.
• Now add the chopped spinach, corn and cilantro to it.
• Saute it on high flame until all the water evaporates.
• Once done, add black pepper and salt as per your taste and mix it well.
• Take it off the heat. The stuffing will look something like this.

• Now, take a sliced bread, apply butter on it and spread 1 portion of the mixture evenly on it
• Keep 1 slice of cheese and cover it with another bread slice

• Apply some butter on the surface of the grill and grill the sandwich (We can use sandwich toaster or the toasting can be done on the Tawa too)
• Serve it hot with Green Chutney and/or Tomato Ketchup

             Isn't it really tempting? I know you all want to try it too. So, do try it at home and let me know how was it.

Frankie

        Frankie, a very popular roadside snack in India, is one of my favorites. It is also known as Kathi Roll in other parts of India. We can also call it Indian version of Burrito, as the concept is similar, put the filing in the roti/tortilla and roll it.

Here is a quick and easy recipe:

Ingredients:

For the Roti Dough:

• 2 cups maida
• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
• Salt to taste
• Oil for kneading
• Water

For the filing:

• Bowl of mashed Potatoes
• Chopped Onions
• Chopped Cilantro
• Green Chili Paste
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Garam Masala (optional)

Other Ingredients:

• Chaat Masala
• Amchur Powder (Dried Mango powder)
• Shredded Cabbage
• Chopped Onions
• Butter to cook

Method:

For the dough:

• Sieve the flour
• Add the salt and cumin seeds
• Start kneading the flour, add water as required
• Make sure the dough is not too hard or too soft. It should be of medium consistency.
• Take the oil and knead the dough so that it is smooth.
• Cover with a wet cloth and keep it aside for at least 25-30 mins.
• Knead the dough and divide into smaller portions about 4-5 dough balls.
• Roll out each portion of the dough into a small round into approx 8" diameter thin circle
• Heat a tava/griddle and cook each roti lightly(half cooked) on both sides on a medium flame and keep aside.

Now lets make the filing:

• Take a medium sized bowl, add the mashed potatoes
• Add the onion, cilantro, chili paste, salt, lemon juice and garam masala
• Mix them very well.

Then:

• Heat 1/2 tsp butter on a tava/griddle. 
• Take 1/4th of the stuffing and make a ball of it, press it gently and place it on the tava.
• Cook on a medium flame, until it turns light brown in color
• Now, place one pre-made roti on the tava, using little butter till both sides are fully cooked. 
• Then, place the roti in a plate. Sprinkle chaat masala and amchur powder evenly on it
• Place the stuffing in the center of the roti  
• Top it with cabbage and chopped onions
• Roll it up tightly.
• Serve it hot with tomato ketchup

Hope you enjoy the Frankie/Kathi Roll, the famous roadside food of Mumbai. You can also be adventurous and make a different variety of filling. Frankie, in Mumbai, is available in a number of variations like Cheese Frankie, Schezwan Frankie, Manchurian Frankie etc