Dahi Vadas ( Baked Version)

In my last post I mentioned that we are just ready for this month challenge in Fried to Favourite and here we are.  This month I made Dahi Vadas for our challenge Fried to Favourite.  We always enjoy Dahi vadas, particularly during Ramdhan, it's a must on Iftar table.

Karee Vadai (Meat and Lentil Fritter) My Guest Post on Cooking Varieties

This recipe is my guest post on Cooking Varieties.  Actually I was supposed to do this long back ago with any recipe using Winter Squash, since it was really just the time we moved to India, I couldn't make it.  Ms.Wan was really kind and patience with me, I really appreciate that.

Uzunda Vadai ( Urad Dhal Savoury Donuts)

Uzunda Vadai is a popular savory snack in South India.  You can get these vadas from top end restaurants to a normal tea stall.  Somehow I always enjoyed the fresh home made vadas than the shop bought one.  Home made vadas are always light, fresh and crisp.  A combination of freshly ground urad dhal with a touch of spices and herbs forms this savoury donuts.

Moroccan Harira

  Last year Ramadhan  still remains as fresh as a spring flower,  I  feel like just with a blink of eye we have reached this year Ramadhan, yes  the Holy month of Ramadhan is here in a month time.  Here is a soup which Moroccan's make specially during Ramadhan.

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 .

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.

Crispy Popcorn Chicken

I won't say this is the exact recipe from KFC or Mc donald's but something very similar to that.  Your kids are going to love you if you make them this  crispy chicken.  Probably last week sometime I made this recipe, my little one still keeps asking everyday, Ayeesha did u you made the crispy chicken today.  Yeah! my both little princess calls me as Ayeesha :-(  they never call me as amma or maama.  Anyway that's  a different story , let's come back to the recipe, this is not only something special with kids, grownups also love to munch this.  Before taking this picture I finished almost 5 pieces from the bowl.  You can serve these as a snack or as a side to accompany pizza or burger.

Also don't forget to check out my blogging buddies in the marathon Srivalli, Reva, Monika, Priya Suresh, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Jay, Azeema , Soumya.and Gayathri.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes( approximately)
Serves: 4 Hungry kids

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken- 1/2 kg
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder- 1 tsp
Plain corn flakes- 100 g
Plain flour- to coat the chicken pieces
Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp
Egg- 1
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt as required
Oil for frying

Method:
Wash the chicken well and cut them into small pieces.  Marinate the chicken with ginger garlic paste, chilli, pepper, garam masala, lemon juice and salt for 1 hour.  Crush the corn flakes using your finger tips.  Beat the egg with turmeric powder and little bit of salt.  Coat the chicken pieces in flour and dust of the excess flour.  Dip the flour coated chicken in egg and then roll them in cornflakes.  Repeat with all the chicken pieces.  Place the cornflakes coated chicken in container and keep it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
 Heat oil in a pan, shallow fry the chicken pieces in medium to low heat until they look golden brown colour in outside.  Serve warm with ketchup.

Note:
You can also avoid frying and bake it in the oven for 15 minutes on each side at 200 degree Celsius.

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

Chicken Kebab - Mediterranean Style

These kebabs can be made in no time.  Don't think it would not taste good without spices, it gets the flavours from the herbs and pepper.
  If you can get readymade dried mixed herbs with pepper,  you can use that along with lemon juice for marination and then grill it  or follow the recipe below.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken- 1/2 kg
Garlic pods- 4 finely grated
Parsley- 2 stalk
Coriander leaves- 2 stalk
Green pepper- 1/4 of 1 whole pepper
Red pepper- 1/4 of 1 whole pepper
Black pepper- 1 tsp
Salt as required
Olive oil- 1/2 tbsp
Lemon juice- Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Method:
In a blender or a food processor add the green pepper, red pepper, parsley and coriander.  Grind it to coarse paste by adding little water.  Wash and cut the chicken into bite size pieces.  Marinate the chicken with the ground paste and other ingredients for minimum of 2 hours.
 You can also marinate the chicken the previous day you are going to make.  Preheat the oven to maximum.
Insert the chicken pieces in the skewer stick along with green pepper, red pepper and onion if you wish.  Grill the chicken in the hot oven for 15 minutes on each side.
To check the chicken is cooked or not, insert a skewer and if the juice from the chicken runs out clear then it's cooked.  If it comes out pink, leave it another couple of minutes.
Serve the kebabs warm with salad, bread and hummus.

Don't forget to  check out our bloggers in marathon   Srivalli, Reva, Monika, Priya Suresh, Priya Vaasu, Jay, PJ, Veena, Azeema and Sowmya.

This recipe goes to my own event Any One Can Cook: Series 11.

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.

Dahi Oats Vadai

I used to prepare dahi vadai generally with urad dhal vadai. Once when I was in my friend's place she made the vadai with moong dhal, which was so soft and yummy. I used the same recipe and added oats to it. This dahi vada is generally served with green chutney and tamarind chutney. Today when I prepared it I didn't have the ingredients for both chutney, so to add a spicy and tangy flavour I used tomato ketchup and chat masala, which tasted good too. Anyway I have included the recipe for chutney, so you can use the chutney recipe or tomato ketchup like me ;-)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes+ soaking time 2 hours
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Makes  about 12 mini vadai

Ingredients:
Moong dhal split yellow- 1 cup
Rolled oats- 1 cup
Bicarbonate of soda- 1/4 tsp
Yogurt- 2 cup
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Green Chutney:
Coriander leaves- 5 stalks
Mint leaves- 1 tbsp
Green chilli- 1
lemon juice- 2 tbsp
Coconut- 1/2 tbsp grated
Salt to taste

Tamarind Chutney:
Tamarind- 1 lime size ball
Dates- 3 seedless
Fenugreek powder- 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder- 1/4 tsp
Jaggery- 1 tsp
Dry ginger- 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
To make vadai:
Soak the dhal in water for 2 hours. Grind the dhal along with oats by adding little water. Add salt and bicarbonate of soda, mix it well. I used a paniyaram pan to make the vadai, you can also use normal kadai.
Heat the oil in pan , add a drop to check if the oil is heat, when you add a small spoon full of mixture, if it comes up immediately the oil is ready.
Drop a teaspoon full of mixture and fry it for 2 to 3 minutes. This vadai doesn't change colour even after, it remains pale. So once it looks crispier outside you can take it outside.
Drop all the vadai in water for 5 minutes. Take out and squeeze the water. Mix the yogurt with salt and 1/2 cup of water. Drop all the vadai in yogurt and drizzle with chutney and chat masala on top. Finally add some chopped coriander leaves on top.

To make Green Chutney:
Grind together all the green chutney ingredients in a blender.

To make the tamarind chutney:
Extract the tamarind juice from the pulp, mix it with the other ingredients. Heat it on low to medium heat and keep stirring. Once it looks thick and saucy remove it from heat.

This recipe goes to the event CWF- Oats hosted by Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes originally started by Kiran,   Dish Name Starts With D by Akila of Learning To Cook and to Food Palette Series White by Torview

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.

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.

Tomato Souffle: Sweet Punch for November 2010

I drafted this whole post yesterday writing all my stories, today when I made a few changes to post it, everything got deleted. So now I don't have ant patience to type everything again.
  Anyway this month challenge is from Ria of Ria's Collections. This month it was really exciting since we were given three options to choose.
Tomato Souffle
Chocolate Mousse with egg and without egg.
 Since Tomato souffle is something totally new to me and I have never tried or tasted it, I went for tomato souffle, which was lovely. This month Sweet Punch is Savoury.. Even my fuzzy eating little ones enjoyed having it from the warm ramekins, I can't give any more better compliment than this.

Serves 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1. Bread crumbs – 1/2 cup, firmly packed
2. Butter – 15 gm
   Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped
   Plain flour (maida) – 2 tbsp
   Milk – 1 cup
3. Tomato paste – 3 tbsp
   Basil – 1 tbsp, finely chopped (optional)
4. Eggs – 3 egg whites and 2 egg yolks
5. Grated Cheese – a handful ( I used cheddar)
6. Method:

Grease 4 souffle dishes (1/2 cup capacity), sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Melt butter in small saucepan, add finely chopped onion. Stir over low heat for 2 minutes . Cook until onion is soft, it doesn’t have to become brown. Stir in flour and stir over medium heat for a minute. Remove from heat, gradually stir in milk, bring back to heat and stir over high heat until mixture boils & thickens & reaches a thick sauce like consistency. 

Transfer to large bowl, stir in tomato paste & basil leaves. Cover the dish & let it stand for 5 minutes. Beat egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks from. Add egg yolks to the onion & milk mixture & mix well. Fold the egg whites into the mixture in 2 batches. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared dishes. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20- 25 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Serve warm with bread.

Vegetable Soup with Crusty Oats Rolls

As long as I was in  India , I was familiar with very few types of soups like Chinese style soup, which we have only in restaurants. Chicken soup which we make in home for babies or for women after delivery. Finally our very famous Nombu Kanji( a rice based porridge with vegetables or meat and mildly spiced).
  Now with the magic of Internet and few travel experiences have introduced me to so many different types of soup like cold soup,British style soup, French soup, Noodle soup...... the list just keeps going. Once I even saw some chocolate soup made by a celebrity chef , I don't remember his name exactly but I definitely remember it was white chocolate soup with scones.
  Soups are always a comforting and filling food for people of all ages at any time. I always prefer a bowl of soup with some crusty bread  for a light and satisfying meal. This particular soup is a simple English style soup which is prepared with potatoes and stock as base. Just with this basic recipe you can make so many different types of soup. I was actually planning to make some broccoli soup but I ended up adding all the remaining bits of vegetables I had which resulted in this heart warming bowl of vegetable soup.

Vegetable Soup

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

Ingredients:
Leeks- 1 small sized roughly chopped
Onion- 1 small sized chopped finely
Potato- 1 small sized chopped finely
Celery- 3 sticks chopped
Carrot- 1 medium sized roughly chopped
Broccoli- 1/2 of 1 broccoli
Olive oil- 3 tsp
Garlic- 3 pods chopped roughly
Vegetable stock/ Chicken stock - 1/2 litre
Milk- 2 tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste.
Method:
Prepare the stock:
If  you are using a shop bought stock, prepare according to the instructions. Remember whenever you are using a shop bought one, don't get the one with cornstarch or additional flavours in it, these stocks will completely ruin your soup texture and flavour. A good soup should have a good stock. I have a recipe for chicken stock, you can check that. To make a vegetable stock follow the same instructions without chicken.
Prepare the vegetables:
Chop the vegetables roughly and set aside.
Make the soup:
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, which is a bit deeper. Add the garlic, then onion. Don't let them brown. Reduce the heat to medium, quickly add all the vegetables one by one and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Take care not to burn at the bottom. Add the stock, cover the pan and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then finally add the milk. Let it cool down for a while, then blend it in a blender until smooth. Return to the pan again and heat it up. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the soup warm with some crusty rolls.


Crusty Oats Rolls

Serves 2
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 to 25 minutes + rising time

Ingredients:
Dough:
White Bread Flour- 150 g/ 6 oz
Wholemeal flour- 50 g/ 2 oz
Rolled oats- 20 g/ approximately 1 oz
Dried yeast- 1 tsp
Warm water- 120 ml ( adjust accordingly when kneading the dough)
Honey- 2 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp
Toppings:
Mixed seeds- 1 tbsp( optional)
Milk- 1 tbsp( for glaze)

Method:
Prepare the dough:
Mix all the dough ingredients in a large bowl, make it into a smooth dough by kneading with your hands or a electric mixer.
Place the dough in a clean and oiled bowl, cover with a cling film and allow it to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Make the rolls:
Take the raised dough. Divide the dough in to 5 small rounds. Place it in a baking tray. Cover loosely with a cling film and allow it to rise for another 30 minutes.
Bake the rolls:
Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius. Take the rolls, brush with milk and sprinkle with the seeds. Bake it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Serve the rolls warm with soup.


The soup and the bread goes to my own event Eat Well, Live Well- Heart Friendly Recipes. The soup goes to  Souper Sundays of Kahakai Kitchen, The Soup event by I-m-not-a-Chef.
The Crusty Oats Rolls goes to Dish Name starts with C by Akila, Bake- Off by Champa and yeastspotting.

Baba Ganoush With Sfeeha( Meat Pie)

Baba ganoush and Sfeeha are traditional Middle eastern recipes. I know you might wonder by looking at my bread why it looks like this. Actually sfeeha is a meat pie, made in bread dough stuffed with meat, it usually has folds in the side, since I didn't give a proper fold, when the bread raised, stuffed meat became like a topping. So yeah it became a cross between pizza and pie.
Baba Ganoush is also well known Middle eastern dip. You can serve this pitta bread, tortilla or even normal bread. Baba Ganoush is made with mashed eggplant and different seasonings.
Baba Ganoush

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves:2
Ingredients:
Eggplant- 1
Yogurt- 3 tbsp
Tahini- 1 tbsp
Lemon juice- juice of 1 medium sized lemon
Garlic- 3 cloves grated
Olive oil- 2 tbsp
Parsley or coriander leaves- 1 tbsp chopped
Salt as required
Method:
Preheat the oven to 250 degree celsius. Slice the eggplant into half, drizzle with olive oil. Roast it in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the skin looks blackened. Take out the eggplant, scoop the middle out, put it in a blender along with the other ingredients except parsley and blend it to smooth. Serve it in a bowl by sprinkling some parsley and drizzled with olive oil.
You can store the baba ganoush in a clean box for up to 1 week in your refrigerator.

Sfeeha( Meat Pie)

Preparation Time: 45 minutes( for dough and the filling)
Cooking Time: 1 hour( For the bread and the filling)+ rising time for the dough
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For the dough:
White Bread Flour- 300 g/ 12 oz
Dried yeast- 1 1/2 tsp
Warm water- 120 ml / 5 oz( adjust accordingly when making the dough)
Sugar- 1 tsp
Olive oil- 2 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp
For the filling:
Minced meat- 200 g/ 8 oz
Paprika powder- 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Green pepper- 1 chopped
Onion- 1 chopped
Tomato paste- 2 tbsp
Olive oil- 1/2 tbsp
Salt as required
Method:
For the dough:
Mix all the dough ingredients to make it into a smooth dough. Place the dough in a clean oiled bowl and cover with a cling film, leave it in a warm place to rise for about 1 to 2 hours. Meanwhile prepare the filling.
Prepare the filling or topping:
Heat the oil in a pan, add ginger garlic paste and onion. Fry it till the onion becomes transparent. Then add the meat, paprika powder and salt. Mix it well, cover the pan, keep the heat in medium and cook till the meat is completely cooked. Add the chopped green pepper, keep the pan opened and cook till all the water dries out. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
Prepare the bread:

Take the raised dough, punch the air back. Divide the dough into 7 to 8 balls. Grease a 23 cm loose bottomed round tin. Place the balls in the pan leaving some space, flatten each ball with your fingers. Mix the filling with the tomato paste and keep the filling in the middle of each round. Cover the pan loosely with cling film and allow it to rise for another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.
Bake the bread for about 30 minutes.
Serve the bread warm with salad, yogurt, babaganoush or hummus.
Sfeeha and Babaganoush goes to Taste Of  Lebanon- Monthly Mingle hosted by Dirty Kitchen Secrets started by Meeta.

Sfeeha goes to Yeast spotting, Babaganoush goes to my own event Any One Can Cook .

Turkish Lentil Soup

Tired after  working all day, or a lazy weekend, not feel like cooking then this is the recipe for you. Easy, delicious  and healthy. I actually got this recipe from one of my friend here in Germany Reshmi of lecker and yummy recipes, who is been heavily influenced by lots of Turkish and Arab cuisine by all her friends. First time I had this soup for Iftar in the Turkish mosque, which tasted absolutely amazing, immediately the very next day I made this. But I couldn't make or buy some fresh bread so I just used some normal white bread which tasted very good too.
  So for a quick healthy meal, just grab a couple of  bread, salad and some vegetables from shop and make this soup. A hot bowl of this soup with some nice crusty rolls will be a perfect and satisfying lunch, brunch or a dinner.
Serves 2
Preparation Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes( If using a pressure cooker)

Ingredients:
Red lentils- 1 cup
Onion- 1 chopped
Carrot- 1 chopped
Potato- 1 small sized chopped
Celery, leeks any vegetable of your choice- about 1/2 cup chopped
Garlic- 3 cloves
Olive oil- 3 tsp
Rice- 1/2 tbsp
Paprika powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves- 2 stalk
Salt as required
Method:
Chop the vegetables roughly, it doesn't have to look neat. Wash the rice and lentils and put them in a pressure cooker. Add all the chopped vegetables, paprika, salt and 2 1/2 cups of water. Pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles. Let it cool down for a while, then blend it in a blender.
Return to the cooker again. In a separate pan, add olive oil and then add the finely chopped garlic and fry it for  while. Add this garlic oil to the soup and finally add the chopped coriander leaves.
Serve the soup warm with some bread.

This recipe goes to my own event Any One Can Cook and Souper Sundays by Kahakai Kitchen.

Beet Falafel Lollies

Falafel is a Middleastern fritters made with chickpeas is well known among foodies. Middleastern foods like pitta breads, kebabs, hummus... are becoming very popular around the world and there is no exception for these falafels.

 Once we invited a Arab friend to our home and I made lentil fritters( parpu vadai) made with Chana dhal, he had that and immediately said, huh this is something similar to our falafel. Off course falafels are most more soft texture compared to vadai, still they are spicy and really good.
 In this falafel I have made a tiny little change to the traditional one , I added beetroot, after all we bloggers always like to give a twist to the traditional one, don't we :-)
Ingredients:
Chickpeas- 1 cup( canned), If using dried, soak them overnight and cook them until it's soft
Beetroot- 1 grated
Garlic pods- 4 finely minced
Coriander leaves- 2 stalk
Paprika powder- 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Onion- 1/2 finely chopped
Flour- 1 tbsp
Salt as required
Oil for frying
Method:
If using a canned chickpeas, boil them for 5 to 10 minutes, if it's dried and soaked overnight, then cook up to 4 whistles in a pressure cooker. Drain the water completely, add all the ingredients other than oil and beetroot. Blend it in a blender like a smooth paste. Then add the grated beetroot and mix well.
Heat the oil in a pan enough for shallow frying, when the oil gets heated, add small size balls in the oil and fry until golden all around.
Serve the falafels warm with mint yogurt or ketchup.
This recipe goes to Colour your Palate' A Visual Treat@ by Creative Sanyukta, CWF-lb, Chickpeas event hosted by Nithu bala originally started by Kiran, Kids delight- Finger Foods hosted by Srivalli and to Healing Foods- Beetroot hosted by Priya originally started by Siri.