Black eye peas gravy

I might have over 400 recipes in my blog, but still I have the question of what to cook today almost everyday. There might be a millions of recipes passing through our mind from television shows, Internet or book,  the questions is about ,do I have these ingredients in my pantry,will this recipe suit my family and above all is it easy to cook and how much time does it take.  It's not possible to spend hours and hours in the kitchen everyday.  On special occasions we might cook different recipes and lots of varieties to please our family, but on daily basis, I'm sure everybody will be looking for something easy to cook and less time consuming.

Paneer Mutter Masala

Paneer Mutter Masala is again something very special which we would like to order in a restaurant.  Every home cook will have their own version for this gravy with few minor changes.  When it comes to these restaurant special gravies like Butter Chicken, Paneer Makhani etc.

Beans Poriyal

This time I'm not going to say, I'm back after a long time, held up with this or that and so on.  Since this has become my usual routine these days.  Anyways today I have come up with a very simple version of poriyal.

Vazhaipoo Usili for Blog Hop Wednesday

Phew! It's time for blog hopping again, I just can't believe how time flies.  I know almost everybody says this, how quick the time goes, even little kids at the age of 2 and 3 are saying, Oh! I'm busy, don't disturb me.  Whatever I talk to them, come back to me at some point .  Feel like so much to be done in very little time.

Sprouts Sandwich for Blog Hop Wednesday

It's time to blog hop again, actually it was time to blog hop...  I should have posted this nearly two days back.  I have been so lame in blogging these days, I have to push my self to post something.  So here I'm posting late for Blog Hop Wednesday  by Radhika.

Kumbakonam Kadappa ( Potatoes cooked in spicy lentil gravy)

It's time for us to Blog Hop again, this time my pair is Jayasri of Samayal Arai.  If you have look at my recipe index you can notice that there is only very limited recipes in vegetarian gravy, that's because I don't cook much vegetarian gravy. 

Mixed Vegetable Aviyal

This post is exclusively for Blog Hop Wednesday.  Blog Hop Wednesday is a  brand new exciting event started by Radhika of Tickling Palettes.  The concept behind this event is visting our fellow bloggers and trying out new recipes every week.  Radhika has moulded this event in a special manner like forming groups, and each week we choose one of the blogger to try out new recipes.  Hope you got it, if not that's ok, once you start following it, you'll surely get it.  If you are a blogger just jump into the blog hopping with us and have fun.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

This is a bit of different soup to my usual ones.  I always go for English style of soup with just vegetables and stock .  This time I made with a combination of lentils and pumpkin with some mild spices.  I would have left just with lentil and pumpkin and made it like a Indian style sambhar,  but since I was looking for a rich smooth consistency, I pureed it after cooking .

Aaloo Paratha with Paneer Tikka Masala

After Idli and sambhar, if I have to say I enjoy a vegetarian dish it must be these soft aaloo parathas and any paneer dishes.  This is something which I regularly order in a restaurant.  From blogging I have learnt that this is favourite for many like me.  To be honest I enjoy these paneer recipes much more than chicken.
  Aaloo paratha recipe is somrthing which I prepare even in my earlier days of cooking, when I just started to cook.  It never goes wrong and one good thing about these parathas are they remain just as soft even after a long time, you don't have to reheat it again.  So this is perfect for dinner parties or even picnics.
   Paneer Tikka Masala, I learnt from Vahchef.  I know he must be a favourite chef for many foodies.  I enjoy watching his videos.   A good food picture will tempt the viewers, but to me his videos and the way he explains about the food, makes me to try it immediately.  His recipes are always reliable which is presented very interestingly.  I enjoy a lot watching his online recipe, do check it out.

Aaloo Parathas

Vegetable Cutlet / Patties

When I was a kid , I was very fuzzy with food.  I have to say my kids are better than me.  I hardly eat vegetables, fruits or even meat, you might be wondering what did I eat ?   Yes, that's a different  story.  As a fuzzy eating kid still I loved cutlets a lot, whether it's a veg or non veg.  Do you know why  I liked this a lot, since whenever I get cutlets, I also get ketchup as a dip.  There are times I used to think, without ketchup cutlets are tasteless, silly isn't.  Anyway not any more I think the same way and I'm not still that little fuzzy kid.

    This good old cutlet recipe is not too technical to make and it also includes very simple ingredients which will be available in almost any Indian kitchen.  These cutlets taste delicious just on it's own, or served with ketchup. You can enjoy these cutlets also as a burger with cheese melted on top.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Potatoes- 300 g( boiled and mashed)
Carrot- 1 medium sized finely chopped
Beans- 50 g finely chopped
Onion- 1 medium sized finely
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder- 1/4 tsp
Curry powder- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 1 tbsp

For coating:
Egg- 1
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Bread crumbs- 200 g
Plain flour- 100 g
Oil for frying

Ingredients:
Boil and mash about 5 medium sized potatoes.  Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, then add ginger garlic paste and onion.  Fry it in medium heat until the onion looks transparent, do not let them burn.  Quickly add the carrot and beans mix it well.  Cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are soft, this might take about 3 minutes.
  Add the spice powder and salt, mix it well.  Finally add the mashed potatoes and mix it well until the masala gets evenly coated.  Take it off from heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes.
  Meanwhile for coating beat the egg, turmeric and salt in a bowl.  Spread the flour and breadcrumbs in separate plates.  Take the vegetable mixture and form it into patties shape.  To get a perfect round shape, use a round cutter or a cup.  Form the patties and keep it in a separate plate.  Dip the patties one by one in the flour and dust the excess flour.  Then dip them one by one in egg and keep it in a plate.  Finally roll them in the breadcrumbs and keep it separately.  Spread them in a plate such that they don't touch other, cover with a cling film and put it in a refrigerator for minimum 2 hours.  This will help the patties firm a little and the shape will not be deformed when frying.
    Heat oil in a pan,  take the patties out from the refrigerator and fry them two to three at a time in medium heat.  Fry them on both sides until they look golden in colour.  The oil level in the pan should be such that, the patties get half immersed in the oil, so that they get evenly fried.
Serve hot with ketchup and salad.

Tips:
If you are a vegetarian you can also use gram flour mixed with water like a thick paste for coating instead of eggs.

This recipe goes to  Kid's Delight- Street food by Srivalli and Appetizer Recipes by Charitha, also linking this to Let's Do Brunch.

Peas and Mint Soup

The climate is getting a bit better here, sunny but still slightly cold.  I'm sure that everyone would love to have a warm bowl of soup on a cold evening.  Well actually this one we had for our lunch.  Very rarely we take soup and bread for lunch in home, being born and brought up in South India, I always love to have rice and spicy curry for lunch.  Yes atleast one meal of my day has to be rice, otherwise my engine doesn't run.
    This is a type of soup which I like to have any time of the day, even for breakfast.  The method of preparation for this soup is general English style soup but quite thinner than the normal English style soup.  According to my understanding English style of soup are made with vegetables, potato, stock and cream, which is then pureed in a blender.  The body of the soup is generally a thick consistency, which is perfect with a crusty bread rolls.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Green peas ( frozen thawed)- 450 g
Potato- 2 medium sized finely chopped
Onion- 1 medium sized  finely chopped
Garlic- 3 pods finely chopped
Vegetable stock- 500 ml
Fresh mint leaves- 2 stalk finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper- 1 tsp
Milk- 3 tbsp
Olive oil- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan, add chopped garlic, onion and potato sauté for 2 minutes .  Then add the chopped mint and saute for 1 minute.  Add the peas and stock.  Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes.  Add milk, salt and pepper.  Take it off from heat.  Let it cool down for 5 to 10 minutes, then puree it in a liquidizer.
  Return the mixture to the pan again and let it simmer for 5 minutes.  Take it off from heat, serve warm with crusty bread rolls.

This recipe goes to Souper Sundays and AWED-British hosted by Kaarasaram which was originally started by DK of Chef in You.

Greek Style Layered Dip

Probably last week I saw this recipe in Kevin's blog and the same week I tried it.  It's a very simple recipe with layers of hummus,tzatziki , chopped cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese and olives.  Hummus is a very popular middle eastern dip almost everybody will be familiar with this.  Hummus is made with a blend of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic.  This is generally used as a dip for pitta bread, you can also serve  with fresh cut vegetables.
Tzatziki is again a Greek dip, made with strained yogurt, cucumber and fresh mint leaves. Actually the idea of making a perfect tzatziki I got it from my friend Schmetterling words.  She said to get a perfect tzatziki we have to squeeze out juice from the cucumber completely and a thick greek style yogurt.  Right let's see the ingredients for the layered dip...


Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves 2


Ingredients:
For Hummus:
Dried chickpeas- 100 g
Tahini- 1 tbsp
Garlic- 2 cloves
Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
Olive oil- 4 tbsp
Salt to taste
For Tzatziki:
Greek yogurt- 150 ml
Cucumber- 1(10 cm size)
Garlic- 2 cloves
Fresh mint leaves- 2 stalk finely chopped
Salt to taste
For the layers:
Cucumber- 1 ( 10 cm size)
Tomato- 1 medium sized( chopped into cubes)
Feta cheese- 75 g
Black olives- 7 to 8 chopped

Method:
Prepare the hummus:
Soak the dried chickpeas in water for 1 whole night.  The next day  add enough water to the chickpeas until it's completely immersed and pressure cook for upto 4 whistles. Add the cooked chickpeas, tahini, grated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt to a food processor.  Grind it to a coarse paste. If it doesn't grind well add some more oil.  Take the hummus and keep it separately.

Prepare the Tzatziki:
Peel and grate the cucumber, press it through a sieve to squeeze out the juice from the cucumber completely. Grate the garlic and chop the mint leaves finely. Mix the yogurt, cucmber, mint, garlic and salt.

Note:
If you can't find Greek yogurt in your place.  Place the normal yogurt in muslin cloth and squeeze out the excess water.

Prepare the layers:
In a wide plate or bowl, first spread the hummus, then tzatziki.  And on top of that add the chopped cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese and olives.

Serve the dip immediately with tortillas or pitta bread.  If you are planning for a party.  Prepare the hummus and tzatziki earlier and put it in your refrigerator.  Just before serving prepare the layers and serve.

Vadacurry with Polenta Idli

Vada Curry

   Vada curry is a traditional South Indian dish which is normally served with idli's , dosas or appams.  Vada curry is usually an vegetarian dish made with lentil fritters which is crumbled and made into an thick spicy gravy. The  recipe which I have given here is with ground meat and lentils, you can also use the same recipe without any meat.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes+ soaking time for lentils
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
For vadai:
Ground meat- 200 g
Chana dhal- 100 g
Dried red chilly- 2
Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- 5 leaves
Coriander leaves- 1 stalk
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
For the gravy:
Onion- 1 big sized sliced finely
Tomato- 1 big sized chopped finely
Ginger garlic paste- 1/2 tbsp
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Green chilly- 1
Mint Leaves- 1 stalk
Coriander leaves- 2 stalk
Coconut milk- 100 ml
Oil- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
For Seasoning:
Cinnamon Stick- 1/2 inch stick
Bay leaves- 1
Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 stalk

Method:
Prepare the vadai:
Soak the chana dhal in water for 2 hours.  Grind into a coarse paste along with dried chilly, fennel, curry leaves and coriander leaves.  Add the ground chana dhal along with ground meat, salt and garam masala, mix it well.
Heat oil in a kadai enough for deep frying.  Drop a small portion of mixture in the oil and check if it's hot enough for frying. If the mixture comes to the top sizzling, then the oil is ready to fry.
 Make small patties of the mixture.  Drop 2 to 3 at a time and deep fry until they look golden brown.
Prepare the gravy:
Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, when they start spluttering, add the seasoning ingredients one by one.  Then add the onion and ginger garlic paste, saute well.  Keep the heat in medium to low, cover the pan and cook until the onion looks completely soft and light brown in colour.  Now add the tomatoes, saute well, cover the pan and cook until the tomatoes go soft.
 Add chilli powder, coriander powder and mix well.  Then add half cup of water and cover the pan, cook in medium heat for 5 minutes.
  Crumble the vadas and add it to the gravy.  Add the chopped mint and coriander leaves and mix well.  Finally add the coconut milk, green chilly and salt to taste.  Let it cook for another 10 minutes until oil separates and floats on top.  Take it off from heat, sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves on top.  Serve warm with idli'd or dosas.

Polenta Idli

   Polenta is made from yellow or white corn meal, which looks very similar to semolina.  This is the exact same version of my usual instant idli's.  You can make plenty of variations to this simple idli like adding different vegetables, adding whole grains etc... Just play with a basic semolina idli recipe.  You can find all my different types of idli's here.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Makes about 25 idli's

Ingredients:
Polenta- 1 cup
Semolina- 1/2 cup
Bulgur wheat- 1/2 cup
Bicarbonate of soda- 3/4 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Yogurt- 2 cups
Seasoning:
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Urad dhal- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Green chilli- 1
Curry leaves- 1 stalk( leaves only chopped)
Coriander leaves- 2 stalk( finely chopped)
Blanched almonds- 5( chopped roughly)
Oil- 1/2 tbsp

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, when they start spluttering , add the remaining seasoning ingredients one by one except coriander leaves.  When the nuts turn slightly brown, turn f the heat, add polenta, semolina and bulgur, mix it well.  Add this mixture to the large bowl, add the bicarbonate of soda , salt and turmeric powder, mix it well.
  Then add the chopped coriander leaves and yogurt, mix it well. At this stage the mixture will be quite thick, add about 1/2 to 1 cup of water to make the batter similar to idli batter or semi thick batter consistency.  Grease the idli moulds, fill the moulds with batter and steam it for 5 to 7 minutes until they look fluffy and cooked.
Serve the idli's warm with vada curry or any sambhar or chutney of your choice.



This recipe goes to Twist the Traditional- Idli's by My Innovative Kitchen

Potato Kibbeh

Kibbeh is a traditinal Levatine Cuisine,  it is also more popular in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran and in Arabian Peninsula.  Kibbeh is made with ground bulgur and ground meat stuffed with walnuts and cheese.  The most popular shape of this kibbeh is a croquette shape.  It can also made in other shapes like in a big pan and cut them into slices.
  For vegetarian option of  these kibbeh , we can also make these kibbeh with potato and stuffed with walnuts .  Serve these kibbeh warm with salad and salsa or with meat.

Also don't forget to check our bloggers in marathon  Priya Suresh,Jay, Gayathri, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva,Veena, Usha , Srivalli; Soumya.

Recipe Source: Discover Lebanon
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 to 45 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Mashed potatoes- 1 cup
Bulgur wheat- 1/2 cup
Walnut- 2 tbsp
Onion- 1 small sized finely chopped
Garlic- 3 cloves finely grated
Olive oil- 2 tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Wash the bulgur wheat and blend it in a food processor.  Fry the onions and chopped walnuts in a pan separately.  Mix the bulgur, mashed potatoes, garlic, salt and pepper.  Grease a shallow baking dish.  Press half of the mixture all over the pan.  Spread the onion and walnut on top of that. Spread the remaining potato mixture on top of the walnuts to cover completely.  Score the top with diamond shape and pour the oil on top of it.
Bake it in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top looks golden brown in colour.   Serve warm with salad and meat or salsa.

This recipe goes to Veggie/ Fruit A Month- Potato hosted by Divya of Dil se originally started by Priya Mitharwal,  AWED- Iranian Cuisine hosted by Sweet Artichoke started by DK of Chef in you  and Winter Warmers by Veggie Hut

Stuffed Vine Leaves

Stuffed Vine leaves is a popular appetizer all over Middle East .  It is also called as grape leaves.  They are generally stuffed with ground meat, rice and vegetables. If it is stuffed with meat they serve it warm, vegetarian stuffing can be served cold. Today I used bulgur wheat with vegetables as stuffing. I followed Arabic food for the recipe, the actual recipe is with meat and rice. I made a few changes from the original recipe.
Also check out my blogging buddies  Srivalli, Reva, Monika, Priya Suresh, Priya Vaasu, Jay, PJ, Veena, Azeema and Sowmya.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Grape leaves-  about 40 ready to use from the package
Bulgur wheat- 1 cup
Onion- 1 finely chopped
Red Pepper- 1/2 chopped
Carrot- 1 medium sized chopped finely
Garlic- 3 pods chopped finely
Tomato paste- 1 tsp
Vegetable stock cube- 1
Olive oil- 2 tsp
Tomato - 2 sliced
Onion- 1 sliced
Potato- 2 sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Prepare the stuffing first by heating the oil in a pan, add the finely chopped garlic, onions and saute well. Then add the pepper and carrot. Cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes.  Add 2 cups of water along with the stock cube. Add the bulgur, salt and pepper.  Keep the heat in medium to low.  Cover the pan and cook till the water is completely absorbed and the bulgur is cooked.  Switch off and keep it aside.

   To stuff the leaves.  Wash  the leaves well in warm water.  Keep the leaf  on the rough side and stem facing you.  Place a spoonfull of filling inside and wrap it up.  Repeat the same with 20 leaves.
   Take a heavy bottomed pan,  line the inside with vine leaves, on top of that arrange slices of onion, tomato and potato.  On top of it arrange the stuffed vine leaves.  Repeat the same with until all the vine leaves get over.  Fill the pan with water till the top of the leaves.  Keep a plate on the top layer and press it firmly.  Cover the pan with it's lid,  cook it in medium  heat  for 20 minutes.
Serve warm or cold with yogurt.

This recipe goes to   AWED- Iranian Cuisine hosted by Sweet Artichoke originally started by DK of Chef in you.

Masala Vegetable Pie

I always used to prepare these warm pies very buttery and with meat. Nowadays I try to cut down butter even in baking. So I made these warm pie with the goodness of  olive oil and  with a fresh selection of veggies. Whatever shape you make these pie, have it while they are still warm, since warm food taste good and makes you feel good.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Makes 6 mini pies

Ingredients:
For the pastry:
Wholewheat flour-200 g
Olive oil- 50 ml
Egg yolk- 1
Baking Powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Ice cold water- 3 to 4 tbsp

For the filling:
Sweet potatoes- 2 medium sized cooked and mashed
Broccoli- 1/2 of 1 whole broccoli( Steamed for 5 minutes)
Carrot- 1 medium sized( Shredded)
Spring onion- 1 chopped
Garlic- 3 cloves ( Grated)
Onion- 1 medium sized chopped finely
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Egg- 1 beaten lightly
Cheddar cheese- 3 slices
Parmigiano Reggino cheese- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
For the pastry:
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the oil and mix it well till it looks like bread crumbs.
Add the egg yolk, and some cold water to bring the dough together. The pastry doesn't require too much kneading like bread. Wrap  the dough and set aside. Please don't keep the pastry refrigerator, you can leave it outside and use within 1 hour.
For the filling:
Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and garlic. Then add the finely chopped onions and fry well till the it looks transparent in colour. Then add the carrot and saute for 2 minutes. Add all the spice powders and mix well. Finally add the broccoli and mashed potatoes and mix well to coat the spices. Add salt to taste.
  Now add 1/2 cup of milk to make the mixture wet. Take it off from heat add the cheese and mix well. Let it cool down for a while then add the egg and mix well.
Make the pie:
Preheat the oven to 190 degree Celsius. Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper or cling film. Cut out circles of 10 cm diameter, depending upon the size of the dish you use.

Grease a muffin tray, place the circle of pastry inside the muffin tray, press it down the edges. Fill with filling and bring the edges together.
Bake it in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve warm with salad and ketchup.

This recipe goes to Champa's Bake Off and Suma's Baking event which comes along with a exciting giveaway.

Ragi Chapathi's with Tofu Broccoli Masala

Ragi Chapathi

Ragi or finger millet is generally made as porridge and given for babies. It's not just good for babies,it's also healthy for adults since it's rich in amino acid methionine. Methionine helps produce a substance called lecithin, which reduces the cholesterol level in the body, protects the liver and kidney. It is also rich in calcium, protein and good amount of iron. Read more about ragi from here.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Makes about 8 to 10 chapthi's

Ingredients:
Whole meal flour- 1 cup
Ragi flour- 3/4 cup
Ajwain seeds- 1 tsp
Kasuri methi( dry) - 2 tsp crushed
Salt- 1 tsp
Honey- 1 tsp
Olive oil- 2 tsp
Water- to knead the dough( about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients:
Mix the flour, seeds, methi and salt together. Make a well in the center add the honey, oil and water to make a smooth dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Roll it out into 10 to 12 cm diameter circle.
 Heat a non stick pan to high. Cook the chapathi on both sides, until it bubbles and looks lightly brown on top.
You can also apply some oil on top at the end. Serve warm with veg or non veg curries.


Tofu Broccoli Masala

Tofu is nothing but made by coagulating soy milk, something which is very similar to paneer. Since it's made from soy milk, it's rich in calcium but also low in fat. Tofu is good for women who is in menopause since it's rich in calcium, it reduces the bone loss.
  Tofu also reduces the bad cholesterol in the body. There are many different varieties of tofu like silken, firm, dried etc.. Tofu can also be used in ice creams, milkshakes, cakes etc.
 For a very simple version, just crumble the tofu and make it like scrambled eggs or egg burji to have a simple and healthy brunch. Read more about tofu from here.
 I prepared this just like regular paneer butter masala, so you can also substitute with paneer and make this recipe.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
Tofu- 100 g
Broccoli- 200 g( florets separated)
Onion- 1 medium sized
Tomato- 1 medium sized
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Garam masala- 3/4 tsp
Green chilli- 2
Dried Methi leaves- 1/2 tbsp crushed
Almonds- 5 to 6
Tomato ketchup or Tomato puree- 1/2 tbsp
Milk- 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Oil- 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Cube the tofu and toast in a pan with little oil on all sides. Keep them separately. Heat oil in a vessel, add the cumin seeds, gingergarlic paste. Then add the chopped onions and fry until they looks transparent. Then add the tomatoes and fry well until they become completely soft. Add the chilli powder, coriander powder and fry well. Then add about 1 cup of water to this mixture, add the almonds, green chilly, methi leaves and salt. Cover the vessel and cook in medium to low heat until the mixture starts boiling. Switch it off from the flame.
  Let the mixture cool down for a while, then blend it in a blender until looks smooth texture.
  Heat oil in the same vessel, add the ground mixture and allow it to boil in medium to low heat. Then add the tomato puree and let it boil for another 5 minutes.
  Meanwhile prepare the broccoli florets, separate it from the stalk and steam it for 5 minutes. Then wash immediately in cold water to stop cooking..
  Pour the milk to the boiling mixture and let it boil for another 2 minutes. Finally add the tofu, broccoli and garam masala. Cover the pan and keep it in low heat for 2 minutes. Switch it off and take it from heat. Check for the salt.
 Serve warm with roti's or pulav.

Both chapathi's and Tofu broccoli masala goes to my own event Eat Well Live Well, the Tofu broccoli masala goes to Only Green event hosted by Sara's corner originally started by Pari of Foodelicious.

Ragi Chapathi goes to CWS- Ajwain seeds hosted by Kavitha of seasoned and dressed, a event started by Priya's EasyN Tasty Recipes

Sfeeha with Soya mince

Sfeeha is a meat pie, traditionally made with bread as a base and meat filling. To make it more heart friendly I have used here soya mince. Soya mince is nothing but the crumbled dried soya chunks. You can use this various purposes like curries, burgers etc... Since soya is a very good source of protein, it's a good alternative to meat.
You can find my Sfeeha with meat filling recipe here.

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the dough:
Whole wheat flour- 300 g
Warm water- 120 ml
Dried yeast- 1 tsp
Olive oil- 2 tsp
Honey- 1 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp

For the filling:
Soya mince- 150 g
Onion- 1 chopped finely
Tomato- 1 chopped finely
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Garam masala- 1/4 tsp
Oil- 1/2 tbsp
Tomato puree- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Prepare the dough:
Sift the flour in a large bowl, add the salt, yeast and mix well. Make a well in the center, add the oil, honey and water little by little to make a smooth dough. Place the dough in a clean and oiled bowl. Cover with  a cling film and allow it to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Prepare the filling:
Soak the soya mince in warm water for 2 or 3 minutes. Drain the water completely. Heat the oil in a pan. Add ginger garlic paste and onion. Fry well until becomes light brown in colour. Then add the tomatoes and stir well. Cover the pan and cook until the tomatoes get mashes up. Now add all the spices and mix well. Finally add the soya mince and stir well. Cover the pan for few minutes until all the water evaporates. Switch it off and take it out from heat.
Prepare the sfeeha:

Divide the dough into lemon size balls. Roll out the dough into a oval shape. Place a big spoonful of filling in the middle and fold the edges to make a triangle shape. Cover and leave for another 5 minutes.

 Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 degree celsius. Bake it in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until it looks brown on the sides.
Serve with minted yogurt or babaganoush and salad.

Note:
Soya mince doesn't stick to the bread dough like meat, if you feel that it's too crumbly add some grated cheese along with the soya mince.



This recipe goes to my own event Eat Well Live Well, Champa's Bake Off and yeastspotting.

Simple Broccoli Rice

Ever since I knew about the extremely good quality of this vegetable, this has a become star vegetable in our home. There are times when I use  only a  few vegetables in the market and  ignored the remaining completely. That too when It comes to broccoli I never turned to that. Now I just look for broccoli in the shop and try to include this almost in our everyday meal.
   Broccoli is packed with nutrients than any other vegetable. It's high in vitamin C, A, D and also many other health benefits in broccoli. Broccoli can also be given as a calcium substitute. Broccoli is also known for it's cancer fighting abilities, it also reduces the cholesterol level in your body. What else a vegetable need other than this. Read more about broccoli from the link here.
  This is a very simple recipe with broccoli which can be made in minutes as a quick lunch box treat or even a easy lunch at home.
Tips to cook broccoli:
  Whenever you cook broccoli do not over cook it.  If it's over cooked and becomes mushy, it not only loses it's flavours, it also loses it's nutrients. Either steam your broccoli or stir fry for 3 minutes on medium heat. You can use in your soups, dosa batter, pancake, hummus, omelet, idli batter, paniyaram etc....

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Basmathi rice or Brown Rice- 2 cups
Broccoli florets- 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp
Onion- 1 chopped medium sized
Cinnamon stick- 1/2 inch
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Garam masala- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves- 1/2 tbsp chopped finely
Oil- 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
 Wash the broccoli florets well and immerse them in hot water for 2 minutes. Remove from the water and wash immediately with cold water. Heat oil in a pan, add cinnamon and cumin seeds. Then add ginger garlic paste, onion and fry well till the onion becomes lightly brown in colour. Add turmeric and garam masala, mix it well. Finally add the broccoli and stir well for 1 minute. Switch off the flame.
  Add the washed rice, broccoli mixture, salt in a cooker and cook till the rice is done. Finally add the chopped coriander leaves.
 Serve the rice warm with any veg or non veg curries.

This recipe goes to my own event  Eat Well Live Well- Heart Friendly recipes, Only Green event hosted by Sara's Corner originally started by Pari of Foodelicious.

Potato Pinwheels

I saw this recipe in Pari's Foodelicious as potato crispies, the moment I saw that the flavours in the crispies tempted me a lot. I followed her same recipe for the filling but I changed the pastry , since I baked it. This goes great with tea as a snack, you can also take these crispies for picnics in summer, since the weather is cold I'm sure we can't think of any outdoor picnic now. Any way you can find the original recipe of Pari from here.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes + resting time for the pastry
Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the pastry:
Plain flour or wholemeal flour - 120 g
Butter- 60 g
Egg yolk- 1
Baking powder- 1/4 tsp
Ice cold water- 1 to 2 tbsp
For the filling:
Potato- 3 medium sized cooked and mashed
Onion- 1 medium sized finely chopped
Garlic- 3 pods finely chopped
Chat masala- 1 tsp
Chilli powder- 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Oil- 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste
For the topping:
Egg white- 1 beaten lightly
Sesame seeds- 1 tsp( optional)

Method:
Prepare the pastry:
Sift the flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the butter to the flour and gently work with your hands until it resembles a fine bread crumbs. Now add the egg yolk and bring the dough together. If it looks too crumbly add 1 tbsp of cold water to bring the dough together. Wrap the dough in a cling film and keep it in the refrigerator for minimum of 2 hours.
Note:
Don't work too much on the dough it might harden the pastry.
Prepare the filling:
Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds. Then finely chopped garlic and onion. When the onion becomes  transparent, add all the spices and stir well. Finally add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Switch off the flame and let it cool down for a while.
Prepare the pinwheels:

Take the dough out from the refrigerator, roll it out between two sheets of cling film. Spread the filling on the pastry. Roll it like a swiss roll. Wrap the pastry in a cling film and keep it in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degree celsius. Take the pastry out, cut it into 1 inch pinwheels. Brush the top with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place it in a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake it in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Serve the pinwheels warm with tomato ketchup.

This recipe goes to Champa's Bake Off.