Gobi Paneer Paratha

                  Gobi Paneer Paratha, a whole wheat bread stuffed with fresh cauliflower and paneer mixed with aromatic spices. These parathas are really simple and are great as a quick and tasty meal. They serve as a complete meal by itself or can be paired with any simple curry that you like.
                  One can make it with little or no oil, thus making it healthy low-calorie meal. So lets get to the recipe. I hope you like it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 2 tsp Oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup grated Gobi (Cauliflower)
• 1 cup grated Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Bell Pepper
• 2 tsp Chili-Ginger-Garlic paste
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• Oil

Instructions:

• Sieve the flour
• Add 2 tsp oil and salt and mix it well. 
• Add enough water and make a semi-soft dough. 
• Knead the dough properly. Cover it and keep aside.
• Now take a big bowl, add the cauliflower and paneer to it and mix it well.
• Add onions, bell pepper and cilantro to the bowl.
• Then add the spices and mix it well.

• Now, knead the dough and divide into smaller portions.
• Roll out each portion of the dough into a small round with the help of flour.
• Put 2 tablespoons of the stuffing in the center.

• Fold towards the center from all 4 sides and press to seal.

• Gently roll it again in round.
• Put the paratha on hot tava (or skillet), cook for a minute or two and turn once.
• After 1 minute, add a little oil/butter around the edges, turn again and fry the other side. 
• When brown patches appear on both sides, the paratha is ready.
• Serve hot with Cilantro chutney, ketchup and/or yogurt.

Tips: 

• You can add any of your favorite vegetables to the stuffing.
• Make sure the stuffing is not too soft. It shouldn't have any water content in it.
• It can be made without oil or butter too.

Roasted pepper and Onion with Beans Tacos

                   Who doesn't like Mexican food? After coming late from work, I generally prefer to make a quick delicious meal. If you are also in same boat as me, these tacos definitely fit the bill.
                  It is a nice combination of roasted peppers and smoky flavor of fire-roasted tomatoes. You could add many toppings like lettuce, sour cream etc as you like, but I like mine to be minimal so that the actual flavors of the stuffing are not diluted.
              I do hope that you like this quick healthy dinner.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup thinly sliced red Bell Pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced Onions
• 1 tsp Black Pepper powder
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Onions
• 3 minced Garlic cloves
• 2 cups Black beans
• 1/2 cup diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp red Chili powder
• 6-8 Corn Taco Shells
• 1 cup Salsa
• 1 cup diced Avocados
• 1/2 shredded Cheese (Can use vegan cheese also)
• Olive Oil

Instructions:

      For roasted peppers and Onions:

• Preheat the oven at 450°F.
• Add the sliced peppers and onions to a bowl. Add some Olive Oil to the bowl.
• Season with salt and pepper and mix it well.
• Arrange the mixture on a large baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.
• Stir and roast again for 10-15 minutes or until the peppers are tender and beginning to turn slightly black.
• Remove from oven, transfer to the bowl and keep aside

      For the bean stuffing:

• Heat some oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds.
• Once the seeds start to crackle, add the garlic and chopped onions and saute till they are translucent.
• Now add the cooked black beans and fire roasted tomatoes. Add about 1 cup water and salt and chili powder and mix it well.
• Let it simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, until most of the liquid is evaporated.
• Take it off the heat. Now, gently mash the beans until the mixture is thick but still chunky. 
• Transfer to the bowl and keep aside.

     For assembling the tacos

• Heat the taco shells in microwave for couple of minutes
• Take a taco, add some stuffing to it.
• Top it with some roasted peppers and onions.
• Garnish with some avocado, cheese and salsa.
• Serve immediately and Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy this quick meal! 

Roasted Chivda

             Who doesn't like snacks! The only problem associated with loving snacks is the calories that come with it. Most Indian snacks are deep-fried which make them very unhealthy. But here is a healthy twist on a popular Indian snack for you to indulge guilt-free - Roasted Poha Chivda.

              I used a different kind of Poha, which are very similar to puffed rice in looks. They are little thicker and puffier than our regular poha and are much easier to roast. Just a little oil and in 6-8 minutes you will have nice crispy poha.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Puffed Flattened Rice (Poha) 
• 1/2 cup Cashews
• 1/2 cup Peanuts
• 1/2 cup Daria (Roasted Chana Dal)
• 3-4 Chilies
• 1 tbsp Red Chili powder
• 1 cup thick Sev (Crunchy Chickpea Noodles)
• 8-10 Curry Leaves (optional)
• 2 tsp Dried Mango powder
• 2 tsp Rock Salt 
• 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 tsp Sesame Seeds
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Oil

Instructions: 

• Heat little oil in a pan. 

• Add the cashews and fry them for couple of minutes. Remove them from oil and place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
• Repeat the same process for peanuts and Chana dal.

• In the remaining oil, add the curry leaves and green chilies.
• Then add the cumin seeds and sesame seeds.
• Once the seeds start to crackle, add the poha to the pan.
• Roast it on medium flame for about 6-8 minutes or till the Poha is crisp, stirring continuously
• Take it from the flame, add red chili powder, rock salt, mango powder and salt and mix it well.

• Then add the thick Sev. I used a mix of tomato, mint and plain Sev. Mix the chivda well and let it cool.

• Once it is completely cooled, store in an air tight container.
• Enjoy your guilt-free delicious snack!

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

Vegetable Appam

             It has being quite a long time since my last post. It was an extremely busy couple of months, first moving to a new place and then a month long trip to India. Getting back to work after a good vacation is always tough. But I am excited to get back in my kitchen and do some cooking, and share them with you.
             Today I got a bit late returning back from work and ran out of groceries. So we had to think of something quick from limited available ingredients. And the first dish that came to my mind was Vegetable Appam. I learned it from my mother-in-law, she made it for us when we were home last month and we loved it a lot. This is ideally suited for breakfast/brunch but we can have it as a light and quick dinner too.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cup Semolina
• 1 cup plain Yogurt
• 1/4 finely chopped Onions
• 1/4 finely chopped vegetables (I used cabbage, bell peppers, green peas)
• 3 finely chopped Green Chilies
• 1/4 finely chopped Cilantro
• A pinch of baking soda
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Instructions:

• Take the semolina in a bowl and mix it with yogurt to make a thick batter. If it gets too thick, add some more yogurt. Mix it well and keep it aside for 15 minutes or so.
• In the meantime, heat the appam pan on medium heat. The  appam pan is very similar to the Aebleskiver pan.

• Now add the onions, vegetables, green chilies and cilantro and mix well.
• Then add the salt and baking soda and mix it well. 
• The batter should be of thick consistency, a little thicker than the pancake batter.

• Once the pan is heated, put the batter in each mold of the pan until it is full.

• Once the bottom side is done,about 2-3 minutes, flip the appams over carefully

• Then let them cook on other side for 1-2 minutes until they are cooked and crispy.
• Make the remaining appams in the same way.
• Serve hot with chutney or you favorite sauce.

Vegetable Momos

                    Momos are steamed dumplings originating from the Nepal-Tibet region. Traditionally, they are made with meat filling in the mountains. The vegetarian version is made with veggies and tofu. Here is one of the vegetarian versions.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Refined flour (Maida)
• 2 tsp Oil
• 1/4 cup grated Carrots
• 1/4 cup grated Cauliflower
• 1/4 cup grated Cabbage
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Bell Peppers
• 2 finely chopped Green chilies
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro
• 2 tsp Black Pepper
• Salt to taste
• Water

Instructions:

• Sieve the flour
• Add 2 tsp Oil, salt and water to make a smooth semi-soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep it aside
• In a separate bowl, mix the grated carrot, cauliflower, bell peppers and cabbage
• Now add the green chilies and cilantro and mix well
• Then add salt and pepper and mix it well and keep it aside.

• Now, to make momos, knead the flour properly and divide into smaller portions.
• Roll out each portion into a thin disc.
• Put about 1 tbsp stuffing mixture in the center and fold towards the center from all 4 sides and press to seal.

• Now steam these dumplings in a steamer spaced properly for about 10-12 minutes

• Serve hot with some Thai chili sauce.

Batata Vada

                   It has been a year since I started writing this blog to share my rasoi (cooking) experiments. Time has flown by so quickly.

                  Today, I am sharing a recipe which I grew up with in Mumbai. It is the most ubiquitous street food in Mumbai and is an everyday food for many Mumbaikars. It's the Indian slider, the Vada Pav. The dumpling-like balls between the buns, Batata Vada, are primarily made of mashed potatoes. They can also be eaten as-is with a dipping chutney, and are a great option for snacks as well as dinner. I hope you enjoy this Indian street food.

Ingredients:

For Vada

• 6 Potatoes (Boiled and mashed)
• 3-4 Garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
• 2 tbsp Green Chilli paste
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 4-5 Curry leaves
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder

For Batter

• 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup Besan (Gram flour)

Instructions:

• Take the mashed potatoes in a big bowl.
• Add the green chilli paste, garlic and salt to the bowl. You may adjust the chili paste according to the desired spiciness
• Now heat about 1 tsp oil in a small pan.
• Then add the asafoetida, curry leaves and the mustard seeds to the oil.
• Once the seeds starts to crackle, add the cumin seeds and then add the turmeric powder

• Now, add this oil mixture to the potatoes

• Add cilantro and mix it well.
• Divide the mixture into 20 portions and make lemon sized balls/rounds. Keep them aside

• To prepare the batter, take the gram flour in a bowl and add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder to it
• Now, slowly add water and stir properly. Make sure that there are no lumps in the batter. It should be a thin batter
• Heat sufficient oil in a kadai (Pan)
• Dip the potato balls in the batter and add to the oil 

• Deep fry the potatoes balls in the hot oil until they are golden brown on all sides
• Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot with chutney and sauces of your choice.

 Tips:

• They are best served with dry Garlic chutney and lightly fried whole green chillies
• To make a slider, apply the the green chili-cilantro chutney and sweet date chutney on the buns, for the desired sweet/spicy level. Place 1-2 vadas in between the buns and Enjoy!!

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