Palak Paneer!

This dish is my way of making the North- Indian side dish Palak Paneer! Palak paneer is very popular and this method is easy to make.

Ingredients:
Palak/spinach - 1bunch.
Onion-1medium size onion.
Paneer(cut into cubes)- 1 cup.
Curd-3 tablespoon.
Chilli powder- 1teaspoon.
Tumeric-1 pinch.
Garam masala powder- 2 teaspoon.
Ginger- 1inch piece.
Green chili - 1 number.
Curry leaves- 1stick.
Cumin-1 teaspoon.
Oil- few teaspoons.


Method:

• First of all clean the spinach well.
• Cook the spinach, ginger, chilli in a pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles, with little water just to steam.
• Once the spinach mixture is cooked allow it to cool and then blend the mixture into a paste. 
• In a heavy bottom vessel, add 2 tsp of oil and add cumin to splatter then add the curry leaves.
• Add the chopped onions and fry untill onion turns pink.
• Pour the ground mixture, and allow it to simmer for few minutes. Once the mixture starts to boil add the chilli powder, garam masal and turmeric and mix. Allow the masalas to cook well, it may take 5-6 mins or untill the raw smell of the masala goes away.
• At last add the curd and mix well.
• The paneer cubes can be deep fried separately until golden brown. If  that is not your choice add the raw paneer cubes to the dish and allow it to simmer for few more minutes

• The dish is ready to be served with chapatti, roti, naan etc.

Note:

 Be cautious while deep frying the paneer, due to the water content of the paneer oil will splatter.

 If you like  garlic add garlic to the dish in the  grinding mixture.
Add water to adjust consistency.

      

Eggless Banana Walnut Cake!

A very easy Cake recipe which comes out perfect every time! I have tried it a couple of times. A great way to use up the ripe bananas!

Ingredients:

• All Purpose flour/Maida/- 1 cup 
• Baking Powder - 1tsp.
• Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp.
• Walnuts - 1/4 cup (roughly chopped).
• Cardamom- 1-2 pods.( powdered).
• Brown sugar- 1/2 cup.( add more or less according to taste).
• Regular sugar- 3 Tbsp.
• Curd- 1/4 cup.(Thick).
• Vegetable oil-1/4 cup( used canola) do not use olive or other oil that smells as it interferes with banana flavor.
• Ripe banana-1.
• Vanilla essence-1 tsp.

      

Method :

• First preheat the oven at 355 degree F. Line the baking pan with parchment paper and grease the inside so the cake comes out easily.
• Add the flour, and other dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well with a whisk.
• To this bowl add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix till combined.
• I ground the banana and made it like a smoothie. If you want just smash it and add.
• Lastly add the cardamom powder and walnut coated with the dry flour.( so it spreads evenly in the batter).
• Pour the batter into the baking pan. 
• Bake it for 40-50 mins or untill a tooth pick inserted in the cake comes out clean. For me it took 50 mins.( keep checking after 35 mins).
• When it is done, take it out and Keep it aside. The cake will feel  hard and crusty first but allow it to cool completely , approximately 1-2 hours. Then serve.
• The flavor intensifies after sometime and the cake gets soft as it sits for few hours.

Note: 

You can use Cinnamon if you like the flavor instead of Cardamom..

If the batter it too thick just add little water to make it to pouring consistency.

I

Bread Uthappa!

This breakfast, my kids love and enjoy. It is easy to make and a good way to feed the kids the goodness of vegetables. They would not complain!

Ingredients:

Bread slices.

Semolina/ Rava - 1/2 cup.

Curd-1 cup.

Diced or chopped Mixed veggies - capsicum, onion, carrot, tomatoes.

Chillies- few.

Cilantro-1spoon chopped.

Salt.

Ghee/ oil- To cook.

Method:

• Take a slice of  bread and cut to your desired shape, I have cut the bread into circles.            
•  Mix curd with Semolina(rava), and salt and leave for 10 mins.
• To this mix add chopped veggies, I used onion, capsicum (you can use different colors) And tomatoes, with chillies and coriander. Make the mixture  to the consistency of idli batter(picture shown above)

• Smear the mixture to one side of the bread and toast that side first, on the chapathi / dosa pan, with ghee or oil (batter side takes more time to cook), on a medium flame.
• Toast the other side too till golden in color and serve with ketchup or as is.

 Note: Can use any vegetable of choice, like sweet corn, peas etc.

  
             If you plan to make this for kids, skip the chillies.

Sprouted Methi Kosambri!

After all the dessert dishes, enjoy a healthy salad!
This is a recipe which I have been making for some years now.Learnt this recipe when I was watching a show on Ayurveda.
Ingredients:
Sprouted Methi-1 cup.
Grated coconut-1/2 cup.
Green chillies- 3-4 numbers.
Coriander leaves-2 spoons.
Split chickpeas(Chana dhal)-1 teaspoon.
Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon.
Oil- 1 teaspoon.
Lemon juice-juice of 1/2 lemon.
Salt to taste.

 

Method:
To make sprouted methi, soak dry methi seeds in water for few hours until soft. Drain the water and make a small bundle using kitchen towel, and place a weight on the bundle. Allow it to sprout overnight or more.
Once sprouted you are ready to make this recipe.
Add Sprouted methi, coconut, chillies and chopped coriander into a bowl and mix well. Add lemon juice and salt.
 Heat a sauce pan, add a spoon of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and split chickpeas. Let the mustard seeds splatter and the chickpeas turn light golden in color. Add this tadka to the sprout mixture and mix. You are ready to serve.

Badam Halwa.

Badam Halwa-A dessert which is simple and easy to make, healthy for the kids as it has all the goodness of almonds! This recipe requires just a few ingredients.

Ingredients:

Almonds: 1 cup.

Sugar: 1 cup.

Ghee: 1/2 cup.

Maida:1/4 cup.

Method:

Soak the almonds for a few hours in warm water. Then peel the outer skin. Once all the almonds are peeled, grind them into a smooth paste.

Fry the maida in a heavy bottom pan and keep it aside. Using the same pan add sugar and few spoons of water. Let the sugar melt, add the ground almond paste followed by maida. Mix well and allow it to cook for 2-4 minutes. Now it's time to add the hot ghee. 

Keep stirring, the mixture will leave the sides of the pan and ghee oozes out of the mixture, this indicates that the halwa is ready to be 

taken out of the heat.

Keep it aside and serve it warm or at room temperature.

 

Home made Sweet potato fries.

A quick snack for the evening! Yes this is the recipe which is easy and healthy.

Ingredients:
Sweet-potatoes: 3-4 numbers.( serves 4 people)/ I happened to find the white sweet potato.
Olive oil: Few spoons.
Italian seasoning.
Salt and black Pepper.
Preheated oven 450 F.

Method:

Cut the sweet potatoes into long strips a little thicker than regular fries, leave the skin on.

Put the fries onto a baking sheet and coat them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, Italian seasoning. If you want it spicy add a few sprinkles of chilli powder.

Once they are coated well, put the fries into the preheated oven(450F).

Let them bake for 6-8 mins on one side then turn them with a spatula. The fries should turn slightly golden and crisp which will take another 5-7 mins. Allow them to cool for a few mins and serve them with ketchup.

Coco-Choclate Burfi.

This dessert was created on a day when I wanted to make burfi and had to use maida. Since Maida-Burfi seemed very simple I wanted make it more interesting!!! So used coco which was at home and choclate which the kids love!

Ingredients:
Maida/All purpose flour-1cup.
Sugar-1 1/2cups.
Coco Powder-2 Tbsp.
Ghee-1/2 cup.
Vanilla essence- few drops.
Choclate chips-few.
Greased plate.

Method:
Start off with a heavy bottom pan on the stove on a medium flame.
Fry the raw maida till it gives you a nice aroma, this might take a few mintues. Be careful not to burn or allow the maida to change colour. Keep the maida aside and allow it to cool, check for any lumps.
 Add the sugar and few spoons of water to the heavy bottom pan and make a sugar-syrup.
Once the syrup gets to one string consistency add  maida and coco powder to the pan.
Stir continuously till the mixture is well mixed with the syrup.Now is the time to add the vanilla essence. Let the mixture cook for few minutes, then add the ghee and continue stirring.  The mixture starts to leave sides of the pan, at this point pour the mixture to the greased plate. If you want soft burfies remove it from the stove top once it starts leaving the sides of the pan or else the burfi gets hard and flakey.
Let the mixture cool in the plate for about 5 mins and try to score using a knife into desired shapes. Quickly decorate with choclate chips on  each piece before it hardens.
Allow it to cool completely and enjoy!


Note:This recipe needs a lot of stirring.
Have fun making this recipe!!!