Squid and Vegetables Sautéed in Butter - Red Chilli Flakes - Garlic

When you grow your own vegetables, its sheer happiness. My husband grew some spinach at home. I have used some of the baby spinach in this dish. This is a healthy sautéed non vegetarian dish with the flavour of butter and seasoned with red chilli flakes and garlic. The dish looks colourful, it’s simple and delicious too.
Ingredients
8 medium size Squids cut into strips
1 medium size Sweet Potatoe cut into stripes
1 packet of Baby Corn cut into half lengthwise
1 packet of Mushrooms cut into 4 halves
6 Cherry Tomatoes whole
12 Garlic Cloves whole
10 to 12 Whole Baby Spinach
1/2 Lime
Himalayan Rock Salt or Normal Salt to taste
1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
Juice of the marinated Squid
2 1/2 tsp Butter

Method
Take the squids in a bowl, drizzle lime juice, rock salt, garlic powder and 1/2 tsp chilli flakes. Mix it well. Keep it aside. Take a saucepan or a pot. Add 2 cups of water. Add the sweet potatoe strips and let it boil. Meanwhile take a pan, add a tsp of butter, let it melt. Add the squids and sauté it until it’s cooked. Meanwhile when the sweet potato strips are tender then strain the water out from the sweet potato. Once the squids are cooked remove the squids out from the pan. In the same pan, add 1 tsp butter. Let it melt, add the sweet potato strips and continue to sauté for a minute. Add the baby corns and sauté for another minute. Add the whole garlic and continue to sauté. Add the mushrooms. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the marinated juice, rock salt, remaining chilli flakes and 1/2 tsp butter, let it sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and stir. Add the baby spinach and sauté for another minute. Switch off the flame. Now add the sautéed squids and serve it hot. 

Savoury Mini Cake Loaf

This is a healthy vegetarian dish which can be served as snacks.

Here I have used Amaranth Flour and Semolina for the base along with vegetables. I have used chickpea leaves as it's available in the market in this season but we can use spinach leaves instead of chickpea leaves. 

Amaranth Flour contains high source of Protein, Calcium and Fiber. It is ideal for gluten intolerent. It has high levels of the amino acid lysine which help your body to properly absorb calcium from the digestive tract. Here I have used Amaranth flour from Original Indian Table which I had received it as a prize in  a contest. 

Ingredients

1 cup Amaranth Flour

1 cup Fine Semolina

1 small Onion chopped

1 medium size Carrot chopped 

1 medium size Capsicum chopped 

1/2 cup Chickpea Leaves or Spinach chopped 

2 Fresh Green / Red Chillies chopped

1 tsp Garlic chopped

1/2 tsp Ginger chopped

2 1/2 tbsp Walnut chopped

Salt to taste

1 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Soda Bicarbonate

1/4 cup Melted Ghee

500 ml Butter Milk

Method

Mix together amaranth flour, semolina, salt, turmeric powder, sugar and baking powder. Mix it. Add the ghee. Now add the butter milk little at a time into the flour and whisk it. Whisk it properly so that no lumps remain and it forms into a thick batter. Add all the vegetables. Mix the batter well. Add the soda bicarbonate and mix it again. Here I have taken 3 mini loaf tin and greased it with ghee. Pour the batter into the pan until 3/4 of the pan is filled. Sprinkle the chopped walnut on top.

Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. After 45 minutes, insert a tooth pick and check. If it comes out clean then it’s done. Remove it from the oven and let it cool a bit. Remove it from the tin, cool it further before slicing. Enjoy it with a cup of tea. 

Vegetable Gateau

The vegetable gateau is layered with vegetables, savoury custard and cheese which after baking becomes soft, fluffy and creamy in texture. 

This dish can be served for breakfast or dinner with bread...

It is made with vegetables, cheese, egg and sour cream. 

For the Sautéed Vegetables 

Ingredients 

2 small size Potatoes cut into cubes 

4 tsp of Garlic finely minced 

1 Carrot cut into cubes

1 medium size Egg plant cut into small cubes

1 medium Broccoli cut into small florets  

1 medium bunch of Spinach chopped 

1/2 cup of Green peas 

1 of each colour ( yellow, red and green ) medium size Capsicum cut into cubes 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Pepper powder

2 cubes / 2 tbsp of Butter

Method

Take a pan, add a cube of butter, let it melt, add 2 tsp of garlic, sauté it for few seconds. Add the 1/2 of the onion chopped, potato, carrot, broccoli, egg plant and green peas. Stir and sauté it for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water, stir and cover the pan with a lid. Let it cook for 5 minute on low flame. After 5 minuets, open the lid. Season the vegetables with salt and 1/2 tsp pepper powder and stir it. Add the capsicum and stir it again. Remove it in a bowl and keep it aside. 

In the same pan, add the remaining butter and melt it. Add the remaining garlic and onions, sauté it till the onions are light pink in colour. Add the spinach and stir it for a minute. Sprinkle salt and remaining pepper powder. Stir and cook it till the water from the spinach evaporates. Remove and keep it in a bowl. 

P. S. You can also  add cauliflower, mushrooms, French beans too... 

For the Savoury Custard

Ingredients 

1 packet of Sour Cream

4 Egg Whites

4 Egg yolks

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Black Pepper powder

Method 

Beat the egg whites till stiff. Separately beat the cream cheese till fluffy. Add salt, pepper and egg yolks. Beat it well. Fold in the egg white and that goes with the vegetables for baking. 

To Assemble 

Ingredients 

Savoury Custard 

Sautéed Vegetables 

1 cup Cheddar cheese grated

Method 

Take a greased baking pan,  pour in 3 to 4 ladles of the custard and spread it. Now add 1/2 of the sautéed mix vegetables and spread it. Pour 2 to 3 ladles of custard over the vegetables and spread it. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese on the vegetables. Bake it in a preheated oven for 10 minutes at 180 degree celsius. Remove the baking pan from the oven. Add the sautéed spinach and spread it. Pour 2 ladles of the custard over the spinach. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese. Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degree celsius. Remove the baking pan from the oven. Now add the remaining vegetables and spread it. Pour the remaining custard over the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining cheese. Now bake it for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degree celsius. Serve and enjoy this dish with garlic bread...

Phulkopir Roast

As winter approaches there are varieties of winter vegetables that comes in the market. Phulkopi / Cauliflower is one of  the winter vegetable that is one of my favorite. This vegetable is used to make various dishes. Phulkopir Roast is one of the vegetarian dish made with Cauliflower, as the name says it all.  This is an old Bengali dish made during occasions. Many of the restaurants in Kolkata serves this dish during Durga Puja. This is a very simple dish made without any garlic and onions. It can be served with rice or paratha or rotis. 

For the Masala Paste

Ingredients

1 tbsp Raisin soaked in 3 tbsp water

1 inch Ginger chopped

2 Green Chillies

1 tsp Coriander seeds

3/4 tsp Cumin seeds

3/4 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder

Method 

Add all the above ingredients in a grinder and add little more water. Grind all the ingredients into a fine paste. 

For the Cauliflower Roast

Ingredients

500 grams Cauliflower cut into medium size florets

Masala paste

Salt to taste

1 tsp Sugar 

2 Bay Leaves 

1/2 tsp Bengali Garam Masala (2 Cardomoms, 3 Cloves and 1 small stick Cinnamon ground into powder)

1/4 cup Curd

1/4 cup Mustard Oil

1 tbsp Ghee 

Method 

Take 1 liter water in a wok. When the water becomes hot, add 1 tsp salt and let it bubble. Switch of the flame. Add the Cauliflower and let it stand for 15 minutes. Drain the water out. Add mustard oil in the wok. Let it heat. Add the cauliflower and fry it till it’s colour changes. Remove the cauliflower from the oil. In the same oil add the bay leaves. Add the masala  paste and on a medium low flame, sauté the paste till the oil begins to separate from the paste. Add the curd and continue to cook. Add the sugar. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook the cauliflower till done. Keep stirring it occasionally. Add little water and salt in between as the cauliflower takes time to cook. Once done add garam masala and ghee. Serve hot with rice or roti. 

Egg and Chicken Kothu Roti...

Kothu Roti ( Chopped Roti) is a Sri Lankan dish made from Godhamba roti (a type of Sri Lankan roti) and vegetables, eggs or meat, and spices. This dish is similar to Kothu Parotta from Tamil Nadu. The taste of Kothu Roti will vary depending on the ingredients used. This is a popular street food... 

Here is my adaptation of the dish with left overs... I wanted to make it bit tangy.. So I added sour tamarind Chutney to it...

Ingredients

6 leftover Rotis or Parotta  shredded

1 Onion sliced

1 Carrot sliced

1/2 cup Cabbage shredded ( I have used red cabbage) 

1 Green Capsicum sliced 

3 Green Chillies chopped

Few Curry leaves 

1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 cup left over Chicken curry with small boneless chicken pieces in it. 

1/4 cup of Tamarind Chutney 

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Srilankan Curry Powder or Madras Curry powder 

2 Eggs

3 tbsp Oil 

Method 

Add oil into a pan. Let it heat. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add the vegetables except for the coriander leaves. Stir fry the vegetables for a minute. Add the eggs. Stir and cook the eggs with the vegetables for 2 minutes. Add the shredded rotis. Add the leftover curry, tamarind chutney, curry powder, turmeric powder, salt and 1/4 cup water. Stir on high flame, keep cutting the ingredients with the edge of the spatula and mixing it well. Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve it hot.

Baked Dosa Sandwich...

This a healthy breakfast or snack made out of a dosa batter with vegetables. Some thing different.. Where Mumbai meets Chennai.. Enjoy the Bombay sandwich with dosa batter, an innovation in my kitchen... 

Ingredients

1 kg Dosa Batter

1 medium bowl of Green Chutney

1 big Tomato sliced 

1 big boiled Potato sliced 

1 big boiled Beetroot sliced

1 big Cucumber sized

1 big size Onion sliced

1 tsp Sandwich masala or Chaat Masala 

1 tsp Pepper powder

1/2 cup Cheese grated or 3 slices of Cheese 

2 tbsp Butter

Method 

Take a rectangular baking tin. Apply butter. Pour 2 to 3 ladle of the dosa batter into the tin. Bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celcius in a preheated oven. Take the tin out. Brush some butter and chutney on the baked dosa. Arrange the potato and beetroot. Sprinkle with chaat masala and pepper powder. Pour 2 to 3 ladle more dosa batter on top of the vegetables. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the batter sets. Remove from the oven, brush with butter and chutney. Arrange the cucumber and tomato slices. Sprinkle with chaat masala and pepper powder. Pour 2 to 3 ladle of the dosa batter and bake it again for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Arrange the onion slices and spread the grated cheese or add the sliced cheese on the top and cover it with the dosa batter. Bake for 20 minutes. Insert a tooth pick to check. Remove the tin from the oven. Cool it to unmould it. Cut it into pieces and serve it with chutney and sauce.. 

Shabji Diye Rui Maccher Patla Jhol

 

This is an old traditional dish prepared particularly when any member of the house is sick or if you want to cool your stomach down or prepared if anyone is in a hurry or travelling. This dish is loaded with vegetables and fish. It has a thin gravy / Patla Jhol. If you are unwell make this dish with less spices, more liquidy and avoid deep frying the fish. In Bengali cuisine as each dish has a different style of cutting the vegetables, in this dish the vegetables has to be cut big in size, in wedges or in big pieces and all the vegetables cut has to be in the same proportionate size. Any seasonal vegetables can be added like pointed gourd, raw banana, cauliflower, carrot, French beans, flat beans, potato,tomato, drum stick, raw papaya etc. Urid dal bori is fried and is also added to the Jhol.

Normally the spices are freshly ground into paste, but here I have used freshly ground powder. This is a very quick one pot meal served with hot steaming rice and lime wedges. Absolutely a comfort food... 

This recipe is a must try....

Ingredients 

8 pieces of Ruhi Maach 

1 big size Potato cut into wedges lethwise or big cubes

1 medium size long Brinjal cut into half and made into big pieces 

6 pieces of medium size Cauliflower florets 

1 Carrot cut into half lengthwise and then made into pieces 

1 Raw Banana cut into half lengthwise and then made into pieces

6 Flat beans cut into half horizontally 

1 tomato cut into wedges lengthwise 

1/4 cup Green Peas 

2 Green Chillies silted lengthwise 

1 tsp Ginger paste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Panch phoran 

2 Bay leaves 

1/2 cup Mustard oil for frying the fish and cooking

Method 

Apply 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt to the fish and keep it to marinate for 10 minutes. Take a wok, add oil. Let it heat well. Add the fish into the oil and fry it on both sides till brown in colour. Remove and keep it aside. Remove the excess oil and leave 3 tbsp oil in the wok. Add Panch phoran, bay leaves and green chillies. Wait till the Panch phoran crackles. Add the ginger paste and sauté it for a minute. Add all the vegetables, stir and sauté it for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salt and all the powder spices. Stir and cook for another minute. Add about 1 and 1/2 litres of water. Stir, cover and cook till the vegetable are almost tender. Now add the fried fish. If you are adding fried boris add it with the fish. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve it hot with hot steaming rice and lime wedges.

Gota Sheddho....

Gota Sheddho is made on the day of Saraswati Puja in Bengal and eaten the next day that is Sheetal Shasti. Gota means whole and Sheddo means boiled.  It is made with 5 types of vegetables, spinach with stem and roots (shish palak) and whole mung dal or whole black lentils. Each of the vegetables are taken in odd number like 5, 7, 9 or 11.

Different household has different version of making Gota Sheddho. In some houses, they have it only boiled and some houses makes mashala gota sheddho. 

I tried keeping my mother's traditional way of making mashala gota sheddho.  It is normally eaten with panta bhaat. 

Ingredients 

300 grams Whole Mung Dal 

1 bunch of Shish Palak

11 Flat beans whole

11 Green Peas whole 

11 small size Potato whole

11 small size Brinjal whole 

5 Green Chillies 

2 tbsp Ginger paste 

2 tbsp Fennel seed paste 

Salt to taste 

1/2 cup Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take the shish palak. Cut the stems into 1 inch pieces, the roots are also cleaned and add to the stem, the leaves are cut into pieces and kept separately. Give a slit on the potatoes and brinjals. Take a deep bottom pot. Add 2 liters of water. Add the dal. Arrange the stem and the roots of the palak, sprinkle some salt, then arrange potatoes followed by brinjals. Then add the flat beans, green peas and chillies. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low flame till the ingredients are 50 percent cooked. Add half of the mustard oil. Now add the Palak leaves and sprinkle some more salt. Cover and let it simmer till the dal is cooked. Take the ginger and fennel seed paste in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup water to it. Pour the paste on the gota and add some more mustard oil. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Lastly drizzle the remaining mustard oil and keep it over night. Enjoy the gota for lunch.

Chicken and Vegetable Stew...

This is a chicken stew with roasted tomatoes, chillies and garlic. It is cooked for an hour in a cast iron pot. I have seasoned the Stew with  curry powder and pepper powder. It is served hot with bread. Absolutely comfort food for the winters.. 

Ingredients 

750 grams Chicken pieces 

1 medium size Sweet Potato cut into big

pieces 

1 Onion cut into cubes 

10 to 12 pieces of Whole French Beans 

4 to 5 Cauliflower florets 

1 Carrot cut into circle 

10 Mushrooms cut into 2 pieces 

4 to 5 Broccoli florets 

2 Tomatoes cut into half 

1 whole Garlic pod

1 Spring Rose Mary 

2 Dry Red Chillies 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Pepper powder 

2 tsp Curry powder 

2 Chicken cubes

2 cups Chicken stock 

3 tbsp Butter 

Method 

Add salt and 1/2 tsp pepper powder to the chicken and mix it . Keep it aside . Roast the tomatoes , dry chillies and garlic. Add them into a grinder and add little water to make a paste. Keep it aside. 

Take a cast iron pot . Add the butter. Let it melt. Add the chicken pieces and cook it for 2 minutes. Remove it and keep it aside. In the same butter , add the roasted paste , chicken stock , 6 cups of water, chicken cubes , salt , pepper powder and curry powder.Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces,  rose mary, sweet potato, carrot, cauliflower, onion and carrot. Stir and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add the broccoli , peas and mushrooms. Cover the lid and cook for 30 minutes. Once done, open the lid and serve it hot with bread. 

Baked Sautéed Achari Vegetables.....

This dish can be served as a side dish or a meal by itself. This dish is an Indo -Wester fusion dish. 

I have used Indian spices in the baked vegetable dish and given it a twist. This is an experiment in my kitchen. The cheese has well combined with the Indian spices. It gives a sharp taste of the achari spices as well as the creamy texture the cheese. Instead of using all purpose flour, I have used sattu. Do try it and experience it yourself. 

For the Spice powder 

Ingredients

1 tbsp Coriander seeds 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds 

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 

1/2 tsp Carom seeds 

1/4 tsp Asafoetida powder

8 Red Dry Chillies

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients in to a powder. This powder can be stored in a clean glass bottle and can be used to make pickles or any achari vegetables or meat. 

For the Sautéed Achari Vegetables

Ingredients 

8 Mushrooms cut into 4 pieces 

1 big size Onions cut into cubes 

1 Green Capsicum cut into cubes 

1 medium size Brinjal cut into medium size cubes 

1 small size Broccoli cut into small florets 

1 small size Carrot cut into thick strips 

1 mediumsize Sweet Potato cut into wedges 

8 Garlic cloves crushed 

1 tbsp AcharI Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Mustard powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take a pan. Add oil. Let it heat. Add the garlic. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the sweet potato, carrot and onion. Sauté it. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, stirring it occasionally.  then add the brinjal, capsicum, broccoli and mushrooms. Stir fry the vegetables. Cover and continue to cook  till the vegetables are done. Add the salt, mustard powder and achari masala. Stir it. Switch off the flame. Keep it aside. 

For the Cheesy Sattu Sauce 

Ingredients 

1 cup Processed Cheese grated 

3 tbsp Sattu / Roasted Chickpea flour 

3 tbsp Butter 

1 cup Milk 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp coarsely ground Fennel seed powder 

1/2 tsp Mustard powder 

Method 

Take a pan and add butter. Let the butter melt. Add the Sattu and roast it for few seconds on low flame. Gradually add the milk... stirring it continuously. As the sauce thickens, add the cheese. Stir it for few seconds. Switch off the flame. Add salt, mustard powder and fennel seed powder. 

P. S. If the sauce has thickened up add 1/2 of milk and heat it up once more. 

To Assemble

Take a baking tray. Add the vegetables and pour the sauce from top. Sprinkle some more cheese from top and sprinkle with coarsely ground fennel powder. Bake it in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celcius. Remove it and serve it hot. 

Mexican Crispy Tortilla Bowl.....

This recipe is excellent for any dinner party and can be served as a starter. The tortilla bowl is made out of whole wheat flour. The bowl is served with vegetables and kidney beans salsa. It is topped with cheese sauce and garnished with grated cheese. 

For making the Whole wheat Tortilla Bowl

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour 

3 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste 

Method 

Add oil and salt to the flour. Mix it well. Add water to make a semi hard dough. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Take a big mixing bowl. Grease the outer side of the bowl with oil and keep it upside down. Apply oil to the dough and roll out a big circle. Gently pick up the rolled dough and place it on the bowl properly. Cut the extra dough off. Place the bowl on the lower rack of the oven. Bake it at 180 degrees celcius for 15 minutes in a preheated oven. Remove the bowl from the oven. Switch on the gas. On medium flame, hold the bowl at one end with a napkin and cook the outer covering of the tortilla from all the sides. This will give a roasted effect. Reduce the temperature to 150 degrees celcius and bake it till it becomes crispy and brown for  approximately 15 minutes . Remove it from the oven.  

P.S. You can use the remaining dough to make another small bowl. 

 

For the easy quick Cheese Sauce

Ingredients 

1 or 2 Cheddar Cheese cube grated 

1 1/4 cup  Milk 

1 tbsp All Purpose Flour 

2 tbsp Butter 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

Method

Take a pan, add the butter. Let the butter melt. Add flour, stir and cook the flour until light pink in colour. Add milk and keep stirring it continuously. Add salt and pepper powder

 Stir it and cook the sauce till it thickens a bit. Keep it aside. 

For the Vegetable Salsa

Ingredients 

1 cup boiled Kidney beans 

1/4 cup of each Vegetable chopped mentioned below......

Red, Yellow and Green Capsicum 

Cucumber 

Red Cabbage 

Onion

Spring Onions 

Tomato 

2 Green chillies chopped 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tbsp Chilli Mango sauce (Optional )

1 tsp Lime juice 

1 tbsp Olive oil 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl. Add all the above ingredients and mix it well. 

To Assemble 

Ingredients 

Tortilla Bowl 

Vegetable Salsa 

Cheese  sauce 

Few Drizzle of Chilli Mango sauce ( Optional ) 

2 tbsp grated Cheddar cheese for garnishing 

Method 

Take the tortilla bowl. Add the vegetable salsa in the bowl. Drizzle few drops of the chill mango sauce. Pour the warm cheese sauce on top and garnish it with grated cheese. Serve it.

Potoler Khosha Bata....

Peel of Pointed Gourd made into paste... 

 "Bata" means paste. It is a kind of a coarsely ground chutney. It is a dish from Bangladesh and West Bengal. It is served as a side dish and eaten with the hot steaming rice. There are different types of Bata, made from any vegetable peel like raw banana, green peas, pumpkin, bottle gourd, pointed gourd etc or green leaves or fish. Earlier days people living in the country sides having large families preferred to use all the parts of the vegetable for cooking. Apparently now with nuclear family, moving into cities and change in generation, this dishes are rare to find. 

You can actually land up eating a good amount of rice with the Bata. Today I making Potoler Khosha Bata / Pointed gourd peel paste. There are different ways to make this dish.. This is my version of making it...

Ingredients

Pointed Gourd peels from 300 grams Pointed Gourd

2 Green Chillies 

1 Garlic clove

1/4 tsp Nigella seeds / Kalonji 

1 tbsp Fresh or Desiccated Coconut 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Sugar ( Optional ) 

1/8 tsp Tumeric powder

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

1/2 tsp Mustard Oil for garnishing 

Method

Add the pointed gourd peels, 1 green chilli and garlic into the grinder. Grind it into a coarse paste. Take a pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Let it heat. Add the Nigella seeds and 1 green chilli into the oil. Sauté it till the seeds crackle. Add the paste, on a low flame stirring it continuously, cook it for 5 minutes. Add salt, sugar and turmeric powder. Continue to cook for 5 minutes more or till the rawness of the paste disappears. Add the coconut, cook it for another 3 minutes. Before serving add 1/2 tsp Mustard oil. Serve it hot with steaming rice. 

Egg - Tuna and Veggie Sandwich....

My daughter is a very picky eater. She avoids most of the vegetables, not because she does not like them but she just forms an opinion about the taste in her mind, where as she does not even know the taste of it. When I had served her this sandwich, she ate not one but three slices of it. After she finished eating, I told her that she ate mushrooms, the vegetable she hates the most. This is the story in most houses with kids. 

This sandwich is a complete meal filled with eggs, fish and vegetables. I have used canned tuna, but even fresh boiled tuna can be used. I prefer making bread at home, but try to use fresh bread bought the same day from the store. 

This can be served for breakfast, with evening cup of tea or even for dinner with a bowl of soup. 

Ingredients

1 Loaf of Brown or White Bread slices 

4 Eggs

1/2 canned Tuna 

1 small size Onion chopped 

2 Green Chillies chopped

1/4 cup of Red and Yellow Capsicum chopped 

2 tbsp Sweet Corn

2 big Garlic cloves chopped

1 or 2 big size Mushroom chopped

Few Spinach leaves chopped 

2 tbsp Cheddar Cheese 

2 tbsp Butter 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder

P. S. Grated carrots and beetroot can also be added. 

Method

To make the filling for the sandwich, take a pan, add the butter and let it melt. Add garlic, chillies and onion. Sauté it till translucent. Add the capsicum. Stir and cook it for a minute. Add the corn and mushroom, stir it for another minute. Add the spinach and stir it for another minute. Break the eggs and add it in the pan, sprinkle salt and pepper powder. Stir the eggs until it is cooked. Add the cheese and the canned tuna. Stir it and remove it from the flame. Let it cool a bit. Take 2 slices of bread. Take 2 to 3 tbsp of the filling and spread it on one slice of the bread. Cover the filling with another slice of bread. Cut it into triangle. Repeat the process with the remaining bread. Serve it with hot cup of tea or a bowl of hot soup.

Burger Pizzas and Handmade Flat Bread Pizza....

Burger Pizzas and Handmade Flat Bread Pizza... 

I call it "Quick Fix Pizza"... 

When my friend called me, it was 7:30 pm in the evening. Uncle (her father) wanted to visit us. I had already planned to invite him over dinner, so then I decided why not today itself... My initial though was to order food from out, but my friend said that since children wanted to have Pizza Burger, we would order the burger pizzas from out, but from the time I have started baking, I hate to order pizzas from out... But to make the Burger Pizzas, first I have to bake the burger buns and then make the pizza.. It was already 8:30 pm.

 So tried some tricks to save some time on baking the burger bread and then to make the pizza burgers on time for the children to enjoy. I did save some time, but for the children to enjoy was bit delayed... 

    Let's see how to proof the bread dough in a warm oven to save the time for baking, especially when the kneading time is also reduced. 

You need a warm place for the yeast to rise quickly when you are lacking time... This method some what solves the problem.

Let's see the recipe......

Since I made Vegetarian Pizza burger and Pizza, I used lots of vegetables cut into small cubes..... 

Onion, Green - Yellow - Red Capsicums, Mushrooms, Baby Corns, Green - Black Olives, Pickled Red Chilli sliced, Pickled Gherkins and Tomatoes too. (Which I missed)

1 block of Pizza Cheese or 50:50 Cheddar Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese 

Pizza sauce 

Sprinkle of Dry Oregano and Chilli flakes.. 

2 tbsp Milk, 1 tbsp Oil and 1/2 tsp Honey for the wash

(Keep all the above ingredients ready while proofing the bread.)

For a Quick Pizza Sauce.....

Ingredients

6 Ripe Tomatoes cut into cubes 

6 big size Garlic pod chopped

1 big size Onion chopped 

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Dry Mix Herbs or Fresh Basil Leaves chopped 

1 tsp Pepper powder 

1 cup Tomato purée

2 tbsp Olive oil

Method

In a wok, add olive oil. Add garlic and sauté for a minute, add the onions. Sauté till translucent. Add the tomatoes, stir and cook it for 5 minutes. Add the tomato purée, salt, pepper powder, sugar and mix herbs, stir and let it simmer for 5 minutes more. Keep it aside.

For the Burger Buns.....

Ingredients 

500 grams Flour ( Whole Wheat + All Purpose Flour ) 

                                      60          :           40 

2  and 1/4 tsp Dry Yeast or 1 Dry Yeast Sachet  

1/2 cup + 1 1/4 cups Luke Warm water 

2 tbsp Sugar 

Salt to taste

3 tbsp Olive oil 

Sprinkle of Dry Oregano (optional) 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix it. Take 1/2 cup lukewarm water, add sugar and mix it. Add the yeast, stir and dissolve the yeast in the water and let it stand for 10 minutes to rise. 

( This is the first step... Very very important... The yeast has to rise. )

Make a well in between the centre of the flour. Add the yeast water, 1 1/4 cup water and 1tbsp of oil in the centre of the flour. Mix it with a wooden spoon. Lightly knead it for 2 minutes. The dough is bit sticky at this stage.. ( if you feel the dough is very sticky, then sprinkle some flour and knead it. ) Add 1/2 tbsp oil and continue kneading for minute. Add 1/2 tbsp oil again and continue kneading for another minute. 

( Instead of 10 minutes, I kneaded it for just 4 minutes. Saved 6 minutes.) 

Now apply the remaining oil on the dough, cover the bowl, wrap the bowl with a napkin and keep it in the oven at 60 to 70 degrees Celsius.. (The oven has to be warm and not hot.) keep an eye on the bowl. After 3 to 4 minutes please feel the bowl.. If it has become hot.. Remove it from the oven and keep it out till it cools down. Keep it back in the oven. In 30 to 40 minutes the dough will rise. 

 ( Saves almost 30 minutes of stage 1 proofing time ) 

Remove the bowl from the oven. Punch the dough and knead it for a minute. Make 9 equal portions of the dough ( 100 grams of each portion ) the remaining dough would be made into hand made flat bread Pizza.. Grease a baking tray. Take a portion, to make the burger bun, push the dough from in between the thumb and index finger. It will form a ball. Now gently roll the ball with the help of the palms. Place the rolled dough on the baking tray. With the help of the fingers, lightly flatten the ball. Repeat the process. Keep the dough balls at a distance from one another. Cover it with a napkin and keep it in the oven for 20 minutes for rising at 60 to 70 degrees celcius. Now take the tray out of the oven, remove the napkin. Increase the oven temperature to 190 degrees celcius. Keep the oven for preheating. Meanwhile apply the milk wash on the buns. Sprinkle dry oregano on the buns (optional). Bake the buns for 10 minutes. Remove and apply another milk wash. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove again and apply the last milk wash. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more until brown in colour. Remove it out from the oven. Brush in oil on the buns. Remove the buns from the tray and cool it.

To make the Hand made Flat Bread Pizza........

In between baking the buns.. Grease another baking tray. Take the remain dough, stretch it with your palms and spread the dough uniformly on the tray and cover up the tray completely. Grate the cheese over the dough. Apply the pizza sauce. Arrange all the cubed vegetables, olives and pickled vegetables. Put some more grated cheese on top. As the buns are ready, increase the oven temperature to 200 degrees celcius and bake the pizza for 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the edges of the bread has become brown. Take it out from the oven and keep it for 10 minutes before cutting the pizza.

To make the Burger Pizza......

Take the burger buns and cut the buns horizontally. Take a baking tray. Place the lower portion of the buns on the tray. Put the grated cheese, then put a tbsp of the pizza sauce, put the all the vegetables one after the other. Finally put some more grated cheese. Bake the buns at 190 degrees celcius for 10 minutes or  till the cheese has melted. Take the. Tray out from the oven, place the top portion of the buns on the cheese. Put the tray back into the oven and back it for 10 minutes more. Remove the tray and serve it hot.....