Pesto tomato & cheese Bruschetta!

When it comes to the popular cuisines I think Italian does score at the top.You go to any place in the world and you will definitely find a pizza(though it may vary a lot in terms of the taste)Every region adds its own flavour and colour to it.

Coming to today's recipe Bruschetta is an Italian starter where you can play with different toppings depending upon your taste and it turns out to be great party appetizer with drinks.

I have a love for Pesto so much so that I keep a bottle full of pesto always in my fridge.You can add it to your  pasta,sandwiches ..and its healthy too..with the goodness of almonds and basil.

You can check my pesto sandwich  recipe

Ingredients 

1 Baguette/Submarine Loaf

1 tomato

1/2 cup of crumbled paneer

2-3 tbsp of pesto (I used homemade)

2-3 tsp of extra virgin olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Oregano to sprinkle

For pesto 

1 cup basil leaves

1/4 cup roasted almonds

3-4 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup of olive oil

Salt and  to taste

Method 

For pesto take all the ingredients and grind it .The top layer should be covered with olive oil to be stored in  fridge.

Slice baguettes and toast it.Chop the tomatoes finely and add salt and pepper.Drizzle some olive oil and oregano.

Mix salt and pepper to the crumbled paneer. You can even use mozerella cheese ..I have used paneer for a healthier option.

Take the toasted slices.Apply pesto sauce.Top it with tomatoes and crumbled paneer.Serve it immediately.

Add it in your party menu and your friends will just love it !!

Till we meet next happy cooking !!

NO ONION NO GARLIC CHHOLE READY IN 15 MINUTES!

Who would not want to try a chhole recipe ready in 15 minutes...the usual process of making chhole involves so much of time and effort that you have to think twice before cooking it..I tried this recipe for the first time for a potluck dinner with friends and it was loved by all.

I usually make it everytime there is a pooja or a festival as it goes well with puris and there is no onion and garlic in the recipe.

This is the famous chef Harpal Singh 's recipe of Kadhai Chhole.

Give it a try this festive season and I bet you will just love it !!

Ingredients

1 cup boiled Kabuli Chana/Chickpeas
2 slit Green chillies
1 chopped Tomato
1 tbsp of grated ginger
1 tbsp Chhole masala
1/2 tsp Dhaniya Powder
1/2 tsp Garma masala powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp amchur powder
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp ajwain
2 tbsp refined oil
Coriander for garnish
Salt to taste

Method 


Take the boiled chickpeas in a bowl and add in all dry spices.Mix it well.Now add the chhole in a heavy bottomed wok.Add ginger,green chillies and chopped tomatoes.Let it cook for 5-7 minutes.Take ghee and oil in  another pan and let it heat.Add ajwain and let it splutter.Now take this ghee mixture and pour it on the chhole and cook it for another 5-6 minutes.
Garnish with coriander and serve hot with puris.

Weekend Baking ~Dates & Chocolate Loaf Cake

I'm a foodie !!

Cooking and food does wonders at least to me.A good meal in a restaurant does make me happy and a happy me likes to celebrate with good food !! An angry me eats more and more and a sad me eats even more...!

Coming to the recipe today its just that I had dates lying in my fridge and what better way than making a cake for my little one.He loves chocolate so decided to bake a dates and chocolate cake.Just to make it a bit healthier I have used a combination of wholewheat and maida.Enjoy it with a cuppa and you are good to go..!!

Ingredients

1/2 cup Whole wheat

1/2 cup Maida

150 gms Dates

3 tbsp Cocoa powder

1/3 cup Brown sugar

1/3 cup Oil

1 tsp Vanilla essence

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 Eggs

1/2  tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Baking soda

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup boiling water 

Method

Boil water in a pan and add dates to cook for around 2 minutes.Switch off the flame and add baking soda to it.Blend it in a mixer and keep it aside.Sift all the dry ingredients (maida,whole wheat flour,cocoa powder,salt,baking powder),Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl.Add vanilla,oil and mix,Add the sifted dry ingredients.Fold in the dates puree.Add the chopped nuts.Pour the batter in a loaf tin and bake it for 30-35 minutes at 180 degrees till the skewer comes out clean.

Enjoy !!

Till we meet next happy cooking !!

Weekend special : Middle eastern dip-Hummus!

Most of us are always in search of healthy alternatives to our meals thesedays..and its very rare that a healthy dish is delicious too.One such dish is Hummus which is a guilt free snacking option..you can slather your toasts with thick layer of this dip without any guilty feeling.
I love hummus and other middle eastern dips..earlier I had shared a cannelini beans hummus recipe on my blog.
This time its the classic chickpea hummus and I cooked up an entire middle eastern platter this time with falafels and salad to go with the pita.

Ingredients

1 cup Chickpeas
1/4 cup Sesame seeds
1/3 cup Olive oil
2-3 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt

Method

Boil the soaked chickpeas with salt.For tahini ,first toast the sesame seeds and then mix it with  olive oil in a blender.Now take the boiled chickpeas,tahini,olive oil,garlic and blend it till is smooth  and nice.Add lemon juice and serve it with warm pita or bread.

Before you say goodbye to mangoes...Try Mango Parfait !!

Mango is undoubtedly the most popular fruit and I love it in all the forms.So,before you say goodbye to the king of fruits try this simply delicious and healthy breakfast recipe..mango parfait...trust me its the most amazing way to eat fruits!Some dishes are so simple and yet so beautiful..Parfait is one such dish..just a handful of healthy ingredients and an amazing dessert is ready to serve.

Ingredients

1 Mango
1 cup Yoghurt
1/3 cup Muesli


Method 

Chop one mango into fine pieces.Take yoghurt in a bowl and whip it till its nice and smooth.You can add a bit of sugar if you want.I like it healthy so I didn't add.

Take a tall glass and layer alternate layers of muesli,yogurt and chopped mango.
That's it !!!Just dig in and enjoy !!

Guilt-free Breakfast Muffins !!

What to cook for breakfast???
Its always a challenge to decide and that too a healthy alternative as breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Usually I go for sandwiches/eggs/poha but on weekends I love to experiment in my kitchen.
I have got my new toy (my oven) and so thesedays most of the experiments are all baking recipes.. I just love baking..One common myth is that baking involves loads of sugar and butter ...Its actually all upon you how you play with different ingredients and incorporate the goodness in your recipes.It won't taste as sinful but will still be a guilt-free pleasure.
So I tried these healthy breakfast muffins with the goodness of oats,nuts,bananas and whole wheat.These muffins are low on sugar and  butter free as I have used oil.
Banana gives a nice softness and oats and nuts a nice crunch on every bite!!
Enjoy these with a glass of milk and you are good to go for the day!!

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quaker oats
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped almonds/walnuts
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup mashed bananas
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oil

Method

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.In a bowl sift together wholewheat ,oats,baking soda and baking powder.In another bowl whisk in mashed bananas,oil,vanilla,egg and sugar.Mix in the dry ingredients with wet ingredients and fold in the nuts,Scoop in the mix into muffin cups and bake it for 15-20 minutes or till the skewer comes out clean.
Enjoy it warm with a glass of milk!!
Healthy and Yummy !!

Notes:

• You can replace egg with 1/3 cup of yoghurt
• You can even use raisins and other nuts

10 minute recipe:Rava coconut laddoos

As a working mother time is always running out for me and gone are the days when I used to go for elaborate and time taking recipes.Toddler time is a tough time where he needs your attention, wants you to to see and acknowledge every little thing he does..It sometimes just amazes me with the way he  arranges all the building blocks to form a train or the way he helps out to arrange cushions on the bed so nicely..and then there is his naughty side... in a minute he will just go crazy throwing everything in each corner of the house and you are back to the messy house !!

Coming on to the dish today these coconut rava laddus are so quick to make and believe me they will vanish from your pantry as quick as well...not many ingredients and no rocket science ..its a beginner recipe..but tastes awesome...It comes under the category of those addictive sweets where the moment you have one you just can't stop going for the second one !!

Ingredients 

1 & 1/2 cup semolina/suji

1 cup condensed milk 

1/2 cup dessicated coconut 

1/2 tsp crushed cardamom pods

2 tbsp Ghee

Dry fruits (as much as you like it)

Method 

Fry dry fruits and keep them aside.Now in the same ghee add semolina and fry till its smells heaven and changes colour.Add coconut and fry for a minute,Add nuts,cardamom and condensed milk and mix it well.Switch off the fame and make laddoos while the mixture is till warm.

Store them in an airtight container and enjoy.My son loved these laddoos too !!

Weekend Brunch Recipe:Shakshouka(baked eggs on a bed of tomato sauce) !!

Weekend meals are always special at my home..both hubby and me like to experiment different cuisines other than Indian either at home or at a restaurant..we don’t want to eat the usual daal roti on a weekend...and me being such a foodie I start planning well in advance stocking up the pantry with the essentials I will be needing for my experiments in kitchen ..!

I have been thinking of trying this recipe for long having read a lot in a number of blogs.....and lately I had it at a restaurant in Hampi for the first time.

For all those who have not heard of Shakshouka before it is a middle eastern dish –basically eggs baked on  a bed of tomato sauce.I have given my own  twist in this recipe by adding a layer of potato and paneer mash. This is a perfect brunch dish with a pack of nutrients and flavour as well.

You can serve it with toasts,pita,flatbreads or even rice..I would definitely recommend it to be a  part of any middle eastern theme party menu.

Ingredients

3 eggs

3 tomatoes chopped finely

1 small onion chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic

¼ cup spinach (wilted)

1 boiled potato

¼ cup mashed paneer

½ tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp of tomato ketchup

Salt and ppper to taste

Chilli flakes –as much you like it

Grated cheese 1 tbsp

Method

For the tomato sauce take about a spoonful of oil in a pan and add garlic when the oil turns hot.When garlic turns to light brown add the chopped onion and cook till the onions are brown.Thereafter add tomatoes,salt and a half cup of water and cook covered for about 10 minutes until it is all mushy.Add a tsp of tomato ketchup,black pepper and Italian seasoning.

Tomato sauce is ready now for the mash.In a bowl mix mashed paneer and boiled potatoes salt and pepper.

Now take a baking tin and layer a bed of mashed aloo paneer mixture.On top of that place the tomato sauce.Now take wilted spinach and make three circles on the tomato bead for the egg yoks.

Break one egg each in all the circles and sprinkle salt,pepper and grated cheese.Bake it in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees.

Serve hot with toast and enjoy your weekend !!!

Back to blogging with Thai Red Chicken Curry !!

Its been more than an year since my Last Blog post!! ..There have been so many changes  in life all this while ...from shifting to India.. to joining work ...raising a toddler...setting up our new home.

But this blog of mine was always there at the back of my mind ..and finally I  am here reviving my blog...reliving my passion for food and cooking.

I am so proud to recreate dishes which I had first tasted in London ...thanks to the ingredients we get in India too...like Pesto is a staple in my fridge..Hummus and Pita is what I love eating in this summery weather.

Recently I found lemongrass at a supermarket and couldn't stop myself from trying this amazing Thai curry.The best thing is that you can make the Thai curry paste and keep it in fridge for all those weekends when you just feel lazy and still want a hearty homemade lunch.Its ready in a jiffy !!

I have never bought a ready made Thai curry paste and would not recommend as well..coz the freshness and simplicity which homemade paste brings.Hubby just loved it and its our weekend favourite thesedays.You can throw in some chicken pieces or tofu/paneer for a veggie version.

Here's how you can make this delicious and exotic Thai curry:

Ingredients 

For the paste:

7-8 Whole red chillies
1 small Onion
2 stalks of chopped lemongrass
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp coriander stalks
1 tsp lemon rind
Salt to taste

For the curry :

300 gm Boneless chicken pieces
1 carrot
200 ml Coconut milk

Method

Soak the red chillies in warm water for fifteen minutes,Take all the ingredients in the paste category and grind them adding little water.Now take about 1 tbsp oil in a wok and fry this paste  till the oil separates.Your Thai curry paste is ready to use or store.

To make a Thai chicken curry take the paste in a wok and add the coconut milk along with 1 cup of water.Cover and cook for five minutes.Now add the chicken and carrot pieces and cook till the chicken is cooked well.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Have a great weekend !!

Notes

• You can use carrot,tofu/paneer ,broad beans and brocolli for a veggie version
• This paste can be stored in refrigerator for 10-15 days in a airtight container.
• You can increase the amount of chillies depending upon how hot you like.
• Original Thai curry calls for Galangal but I have used ginger which tastes similar and is easily available in India.