Breakfast Egg Muffins

We can never get tired of eggs and this is a great recipe for kids too. I have tried making them in batches and freezing them for later. However, they taste best when they are baked fresh.

Ingedients:
Eggs - 6
Red Bell Pepper - 1 small
Onion - 1 small
Spinach - 1 small bunch
Salt and Pepper to taste
Red Chili flakes - small pinch
Milk - 1/4 cup
Grated cheese - 1/2 cup
Cilantro/Parsley - a few springs

Pre-heat the over to 350F.
Dice the vegetables into small pieces. Beat the eggs along with the milk and mix all the ingredients to the beaten eggs except for the cheese.
Gently mx half the cheese and retain half to sprinkle on top.

Spray a Muffin tin and pour the mixture into the muffin tins, filling them 3/4 of the way.
Top with some cheese and bake for about 20 minutes or a little more until the eggs are set.

Remove and serve warm.

Tofu/Chicken Lettuce Wraps

'Lettuce Wraps' is one of my favorite things to order at PF Changs. Now that I have recreated this dish at home, I don't see a point in going to that restaurant any more. I guess it a good and a bad thing to recreate an iconic restaurant dish?

I have made the same recipe with both Chicken and Tofu and both versions are delicious. 

The secret ingredient are the Water Chestnuts. These add a lovely flavor and crunch to the dish and the Peanut Sauce is a must to amp-up the flavor profile.

Butter Lettuce is preferred here, since it is naturally shaped like a cup and makes for a pretty presentation. However, any kind of a lettuce can be used here. Romain, Butter Leaf or the Iceberg Lettuce. Iceberg is a little tricky to separate into cups, but it's doable. 

I have even made these with Cabbage leaves on days when I ran out of Lettuce at home. Since cabbage is a little fibrous and hard to eat when it's raw, it's a good idea to lightly steam or blanche it to make it soft and pliable.

Ingredients:
Lettuce (Butter leaf/Iceberg/Romaine)  - 1 head

Ground Chicken or Crumbled Firm Tofu - 1 lb
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Water Chestnuts - 1/2 Cup
Roasted chopped Peanuts - A small handful
Onion - 1 Small
Garlic cloves - 3 to 4
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Hoisin Sauce - 1/4 Cup
Garic Chili Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Rice Vinegar - 1 Tbsp
Sugar - 1 Tsp
Black Pepper - 1 Tsp
Salt (only if needed after checking for seasoning)
Green Onions - 1 Stalk

Peanut Sauce:
Peanut Butter - 2 Tbsp
Black Pepper - 2 Tsp
Red Chili Flakes - 1 pinch
Soy Sauce - 2 Tsp
Rice Vinegar - 2 Tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Hot Water - a little to dilute the Peanut Butter
Honey - 1 Tsp
Whisk all the ingredients for the Peanut Sauce and pour into a serving bowl. Set Aside.

Finely chop the onion and garlic and water chestnuts.
In a wide bottom pan, heat the oil, add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the ground chicken or the Tofu and Sautee till cooked through.
Add the Water Chestnuts and the Peanuts. Mix in all the sauces and the dry powders from Soy Sauce to the Black Pepper. Mix well and cook till it starts to get crispy at the bottom.
Top with Chopped Green Onions.



Split the lettuce into the shape of cups and serve with the hot Chicken/Tofu mixture with the Peanut Sauce.

It's best to make the wraps as and when you eat. Take 2 Tbsp of the mix onto the lettuce, drizzle with the Peanut Sauce and enjoy!

Vegetarian Mini Thali

This was a bribe for my little one after trying to get him to do what I wanted. He loves the concept of a thali after having one at an Indian restaurant. Also, it's just pretty to look at and feels like a lot of love and effort was put into making this. 

I have the recipes for the Naan and the Kadai Paneer in my previous posts and those take the longest to make. The rest of the dishes are simple and the whole thali can be made within a hour and a half (not including the resting time for the naan dough).

I got some stainless steel bowls and the thali looks best served in these!

Contents of the Thali:

Butter Naan

Kadai Paneer

Veggie Rice

Aloo and Brinjal Fry

Peanut Chaat

* Please click on the Dish name above to go to the Recipes for the Naan and the Paneer dishes.

Recipes:

Veggie Rice:

Ingredients:

Veggies: 1/2 Cup (Peas, Carrots, Corn)

Cumin Seeds - 2 Tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp

Green Chilis - 4

Salt - to taste

Basmati Rice - 1 Cup

Water - 2 Cups

Butter/Ghee - 2 Tsp

In a shallow pan, add the Butter and the Cumin Seeds. Add the slit green chilis, chopped veggies, ginger garlic paste and sauté for 2 min. Add the rice and sauté till slightly translucent. Transfer to a Rice Cooker and add the water and salt. Turn on the Cooker about a half hour before you are ready to serve.

Aloo and Brinjal Fry:

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 small 

Potatoes - 2

Small Indian Brinjal/Eggplant - 6

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 Tbsp

Mustard and Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp each

Red Chili Powder - 2 Tsp

Coriander and Cumin Powder - 1 Tbsp

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Boil and peel the potatoes and cube them. Slit the onion and cube the brinjals. In a pan, add the oil and splutter the Mustard and Cumin seeds. Add the onion slices and sauté till golden brown.

Add the brinjals and cook till almost done. Add the turmeric, red chili, coriander and cumin powder and salt. Add the boiled potatoes and mix. Sprinkle some water and cook for a couple more minutes. Top with chopped cilantro.

Boiled Peanut Chaat:

Ingredients:

Fresh Peanuts - 1 Cup

Small Onion - 1/2 

Green Chilis -2 

Tomato - 1 small

Cilantro - a few sprigs

Lime - 1/2

Salt - to taste

Boil the peanuts in a cooker for 8 to 10 whistles. Finely dice all the veggies.

Remove, cool and mix all the veggies with the Peanuts and add the salt. Squeeze the lime.

Place all the curries and chaat into mini bowls, add the rice and naan to the plate and serve hot.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This is a fool proof recipe for the Pizza base. It comes out perfect every time and Pizza nights have become a regular in our home for a family or a friends night. I use Instant Yeast and there is no resting time required for this yeast. However, I do rest the dough for a half hour and this makes it soft and easy to work with. 

I Grilled some chicken breast and used Store bought BBQ sauce. My favorite is the Devil's Spit BBQ sauce and it's delicious. However, any BBQ sauce of your choice will work well here.

Ingredients:

Pizza Crust:

All Purpose Flour - 2 Cups

Instant Yeast - 1 Envelope  Flieschmann's Pizza Crust Instant Dry Yeast

Sugar - 1 1/2 Tsp

Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp

Oil - 2 Tbsp

Water - 2/3 Cup Warm 

Toppings:

Chicken Breast Cut into Cubes - 3/4 Cup

BBQ Sauce - 1 Cup

Red Onion - 1/2 

Black Olives - 1/2 Cup

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 Cup

Mix the Yeast, Sugar and Salt in warm water and leave it for 2 min. Add to the Flour with oil and mix well. The dough will be slightly sticky. Cover and rest in a warm place for 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile, cut some chicken breast into small cubes and sauté with some salt and pepper. Add a Tbsp of the BBQ sauce and sauté will cooked through.

Chop the Red Onion into Cubes.

Once the dough has rested for 1/2 hour, preheat the oven to 425F.

Use some dry flour and roll the dough into a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick round base. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes until the base is cooked 1/2 way through. This is the secret to baking a perfect pizza base.

Remove and add spread the BBQ sauce on the base and top with chicken, olives, red onions and bake again for 4 min. Remove and top with the shredded cheese and bake again for 4 min.

Remove and let it rest for a minute before slicing it. Serve hot.

Lazy Sunday Brunch

I am at my laziest on Sunday mornings and I love easy quick recipes for a brunch with the fam. Eggs are a go to and the hubby and the kiddo love anything with eggs as well.

This is just a quick thing I pulled together with some left over grilled chicken from dinner and the rest were all just assembled together in a few minutes. Our usual go to are potatoes that are quickly boiled and sautéed into a hash. This is a great substitute for the chicken.

A simple salad and some fresh sliced avocado makes this a complete meal.

Beat the egg and add some salt, pepper and a couple tbsp of milk. Whisk and make some quick omelettes. Meanwhile, toast some bread and toss some mixed greens with whatever dressing you have on hand.
I used up some chicken I had on hand, but potatoes are a great addition here.

Assemble everything with some sliced avocado.

Viola! Brunch is served.

Baken Eggplant Casserole

Eggplant is a tricky vegetable and most people have a love/hate relationship with it. I am non-committal with this veggie and I neither like or dislike it, but this is certainly a dish that masks it beautifully. The Marinara and the Cheese brings out the fleshy and meaty texture without the actual taste of the eggplant that people seem to dislike.

The big eggplants work best for the dish as they are soft and cook quickly.

Pair this with a bowl of Mac and Cheese or a Salad and it's a hearty dish for a weeknight meal.

Ingredients:
Large Eggplant - 1
Marinara Sauce - 1 Cup
Shredded Cheese - 1/2 Cup
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Slice the Eggplant into thin 1/2 inch rounds. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
If you are not a fan, I suggest you peel the eggplant and then continue with the recipe. After a few minutes, wash and set aside.

Heat up a flat pan on medium heat and drizzle some oil and place the slices in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook till it starts to brown. Turn and cook on the other side for a couple more minutes. The eggplants do not need to cook completely through.

In a baking dish, add a couple Tbsp of Marinara on the bottom. Layer the eggplant slices and top with more marinara. Spread into a thin layer and sprinkle some cheese. I had a mixed Shredded Cheese of Pepper Jack and Mozzarella.
Repeat until all the eggplant slices are done.

Pre-heat the oven to 375F and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the dish is cooked through. This should take about 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve with Crusty Bread and a Salad or something hearty like Mac and Cheese.

Breakfast Hash

I have several Brunch recipes on the blog with Eggs. This is a quick, simple and not such a pretty but delicious one pot meal.

Ingredients:
Red Potatoes - 3
Bell Pepper - 1
Red Onion - 1/2
Salt - To Taste
Red Chili Flakes - 1 Tsp
Black Pepper - 1 Tsp
Garlic - 4 Cloves Crused
Oil - 1 tbsp
Spring Onion - 1
Eggs - 3

Cube the potatoes, onion and bell pepper into 1 inch pieces. Boil the potatoes till tender. Don not peel.
In a pan, heat the oil, add the garlic, chili flakes and sauté for 10 seconds. Add the onions and bell peppers and sauté till half done. Add the potatoes and the salt, black pepper and red chili. Sauté till the potatoes are golden brown at the edges. Move the hash to the sides and make a well in the middle.
Add a little more oil, break the eggs in the center. Season with salt and pepper and scramble them.

Mix everything and top with chopped Spring Onion. Sprinkle some cheese on top if you desire and drizzle some Sriracha.

Tofu, Carrot & Cucumber Sushi

I already have a recipe for Sushi on my blog and this is just a slight variation. I used Baked Sweet Chili Tofu along with some fresh vegetables such as Carrots, Cucumber and Avocado. 

The vegetables to use are a combination of crunchy & fresh, such as cucumber, carrots and the creamy& fatty such as an avocado or a mango.

Here's a link to the Recipe:

Sushi Recipe

Kadhai Paneer

My favorite vegetarian dish to order at Indian Restaurants is anything that has paneer in it. I really don't know the difference between paneer Butter Masala and Kadai Paneer. Is it just the amount of Butter and Cream in the dish? :)

I have tried both dishes at several restaurants and for the most part, that's about all the difference I have noticed. I served it with my homemade easy naan recipe and it's pairs perfectly with this dish.

Most store bought paneer is hard, but I tried the Haldiram's Taaza Taaza Fresh Paneer and it's delicious and soft. I am in love and I really don't think I need to make the Homemade version as long as I have access to it.

Ingredients:
Paneer - 15 to 20 pieces, Cubed
Tomato Puree - 1 1/2 Cups.
Onion - 1 (I used a big handful of Fried Onions I had)
Butter - 2 Tbsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Fennel Seeds - 1 Tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 Tbsp
Cumin Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Garam Masala - 1/2 Tbsp
Dried Fenugreek Leaves -  1 big pinch
Cream/Half and Half - 1/4 Cup
Cashew Powder/Paste - 1 Tbsp

If you are using fresh onion, slice and fry in a pan with 1 Tbsp oil until darker brown and a little crispy.
In a pan, add the oil and season with Fennel Seeds. Add the Tomato Puree and cook till it starts to get thick. Add the fried Onions, Ginger Garlic paste, all the dry powders and cook until the raw smell disappears. Add some water and cook till the gravy is thick.

Add the Paneer cubes. I used soft paneer, so I just added them as is. If the Paneer is hard and rubbery, soak in warm water for a few minutes, drain and add to the gravy.

Add the cream or half and half, the cashew paste/powder and cook for a couple more minutes.

Top with chopped cilantro and serve with Naan, Roti or Rice.

Mini Pizzas with Naan/Pita/Arabic Bread

This is my dinner routine on most days. Go into the kitchen half an hour before we eat. Find what's in the pantry and think of a quick 15 to 20 minute dish with the available ingredients. 

Here' what I had - Pita Bread, Mushrooms and some shredded cheese. What do you make with those? Pizza! It's better to use Sautéed Vegetables since these will bake in no time.

If you have some Marinara sauce, it works. Else some sautéed tomatoes, any Tomato sauce or Ketchup, Pizza Sauce will work here.

Ingredients:
Naan/Pita/Arabic Bread - 1 per person. 2 if you are realllly hungry.
Sautéed Vegetables - Mushrooms, Red Bell Peppers or any other veggies of your choice
Pizza Sauce/Marinara Sauce - 1/4 Cup per mini Pizza
Shredded Cheese - 3 Tbsp per Pizza

Pre-heat oven to 400F.

Spread the Pizza Sauce on the base, top with veggies and sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for about 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted through.

Remove, top with some cilantro and serve hot.

Easy Mini Pecan Pies

I had some leftover pie crust from the holidays and I wanted to make something new and interesting. I have made the whole pecan pie in the past and I have a fool proof simple recipe that I have reused here. 

Corn Syrup is a common ingredient for Pecan Pie. This gives it the sticky and gooey texture, but I really didn't want to use this. It's debatable that Processed Sugar is just as bad as Corn Syrup, but I would pick a known devil over the unknown.

I made these for a dinner party at a friend's place and I cut the pie crust into rounds and baked them in a Muffin Pan. They turned out really yummy and this recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients:
Pie Crust - I used Pillsbury
Pecans - 1 Cup
Flour - 2 Tbsp
Sugar - 1 1/4 Cups (White + Brown Mixed)
Butter - 1/2 Cup
Eggs - 2
Milk - 2 Tbsp
Vanilla Extract - 1/2 Tsp

Unroll the pie crust and use a bottle cap or any round cookie cutter/tin etc to make 8 small pie crusts. Gather the left over and keep rolling it back to not waste any dough.

Beat the eggs and add melted butter, vanilla extract and milk and mix. Mix all the dry ingredients separately and add to the wet ingredients and mix. Add the pecans and mix again.

Pre-heat oven to 400F. Place the crust in the muffin tin moulds and pour the filling 3/4 of the way. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce to 350F and bake again until set. about 20 more minutes.

Remove and serve with Whipped Cream.

Corn and Oozy Cheesy Rolls

Ingredients:
Crescent Roll Tin - 1
Grated Cheese - 1 Cup
Marinara Sauce - 1 Cup
Butter - 2 Tbsp
Garlic Cloves - 3
Dried Herbs - 1 Tsp
Red Pepper Flakes - 1 Tsp

Open the tin and spread the 8 triangles onto a flat surface. Add 1 tbsp marinara sauce and 1/5 tbsp cheese onto each triangle. Rolls into a circle and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Melt the butter and add the herbs, chili flakes and crushed garlic. Brush on top of the rolls.

Pre-heat oven to 375 and bake for 1o to 12 min until golden on top.

Serve hot as a side.

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

Butter - 1 Stick

Flour - 1.25 Cups

Salt - A pinch

Chocolate Chips - 1/4 Cup

Brown Sugar - 3/4 Cup

Vanilla Extract -  1/2 Tsp

Egg - 1

Beat the Butter and Sugar till fluffy. Add the Egg, Salt and Vanilla Extract and beat again. Add the flour little by little and mix well. Add the Chocolate Chips and mix well. 

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place lime sized cookie dough balls on the sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 min until the cookies are slightly brown but still very soft. Remove and cool. They will continue to harden once you take them out of the oven.

Asian Baked Spicy Wings and Potatoes

I am drooling here, just thinking about the flavor of these wings. They were delicious and this is a great Asian sauce for the coating. Its Sticky, Sweet and Spicy and Finger Licking Gooooood.

I always have a standard set of Asian Condiments in my kitchen and you can made a million dishes with variations of these ingredients. Ok not a million, but a lot of them.

Ingredients:
Marinade:
Dark Soy Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Rice Vinegar - 1 Tbsp
Hoisin Sauce - 2 Tbsp
Chili Garlic Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Honey - 1 Tbsp
Salt and Pepper - a pinch each
Sriracha Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Sesame Seeds - 1 Tsp

Salt and Pepper to Season the Chicken
Corn Starch -  2 Tbsp
Chicken Wings - 1lb
Potatoes - 2

Wash and clean the chicken Wings and Cut the Potatoes into Wedges.

Season the Chicken with the Corn Starch, very little Salt and Pepper.

Season the Potatoes with very little Salt and Red Chili powder.

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. 

Pre-heat over to 425F. In a baking pan, line with foil and place the potatoes on the foil.
If you have a grilling rack, place this on the pan and place the chicken wings and place in the oven. If you don't have the rack, you can place these in the pan next to the potatoes.

The rack is the best for chicken, since the juices from the chicken would drip on the potatoes and make them really yummy.

Bake for 10 min, remove the chicken and brush with the marinade. Move the potatoes around.
Place back into the oven and bake for 5 more min.. Brush again, turn and bake on the other side for 5 more min. Remove and top with some sesame seeds and green onions.

Serve with Ranch Sauce and some Carrots and Celery.

Easy Homemade Naan without Yeast

Her's an easy and simple recipe for naan. I saw several recipes that call for yeast, but this just uses curd or yogurt and the result is a really soft and tasty naan. I prefer the homemade one to the frozen naan that we get in stores.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour/Maida - 2 Cups
Baking Powder + Baking Soda - 3/4 Tsp each
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 2 tsp
Yogurt - 1/2 Cup
Milk - 1/2 Cup
Oil/Butter - 2 Tbsp

For Toppings:
Sesame Seeds, Crushed Garlic, Cilantro, Melted Butter

Mix all the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. The mixture will be a bit sticky. Cover and set aside for 3 to 4 hours. Make tennis ball sized balls and roll into triangle or circles.
Top with Sesame Seeds, Garlic on one side. Turn and apply water on the other side and place this side on a pan and press gently. Place on a medium flame on the stove top for a minute. Now turn the pan so that the naan is directly on the flame and move it around so all the parts get the flame.

When it starts to char and there are air pockets, remove the naan. Top with melted butter and Cilantro and serve with a gravy of your choice.

Sunday Brunch - 3

This is another version of my simple Sunday brunch.  As always, you will find Eggs, Potatoes and Bread in the mix. There is something really hearty about these ingredients and also the ease of making it makes this a regular in our home.

I had frozen waffles and I just toasted them up in the Toaster for a sweet and fun element on the plate. I am not a big fan of pancakes but I do love waffles.

Scrambled Eggs:
Eggs - 4
Salt and Black Pepper - To taste
Milk - 2 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp

Beat all the ingredients for the scramble. Heat a pan and add some butter to the pan. Add the egg mixture and scramble till done.

Potato Hash:
Red Potatoes - 2
Salt and Paprika or Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp each
Garlic - 2 Cloves Crused
Oil - 1 tbsp
Spring Onion - 1

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces and boil till tender.
In a pan, heat the oil, add the garlic and saute for 10 seconds. Add the potatoes and the salt and red chili. Saute till the potatoes are golden brown at the edges. Top with chopped Spring Onion.

Serve with some Waffles drizzled with Maple Syrup and Toast.

Baked Bhakarwadi

I am always looking for substitutes to frying stuff. As evident from my blog, I bake a lot and I it's really hard to substitute frying with baking when it comes to Indian snacks that can be stored for longer. I tried baking chaklis and they are ok but they are nowhere close to the fried ones. 

The bhakawadi however, turned out amazing!. The combination of the filling and the thin outer layer of dough really held up for a few days and continued to remain crispy too.

Ingredients:
Besan/Chickpea Flour - 1 Cup
All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1 Cup
Salt - To Taste
Baking Soda - 1 big pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Ajwain/Carom Seeds - 1 Tsp
Oil - 2 Tbsp

Stuffing:
Poppy Seeds - 4 Tbsp
Sesame Seeds - 2 Tbsp
Dry Coconut - 1/4 Cup
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chilis - 4
Cilantro - a small bunch
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tbsp
Salt - To Taste
Asafetida -A small pinch
Coriander Cumin Porder - 1 Tbsp

Tamarind Paste.

Mix the ingredients for the dough with some water into a soft dough.
Grind the ingredients from Poppy Seeds to Cilantro and then mix the rest in.
Break the dough into 2 and roll into a thin circle. Brush with tamarind paste and sprinkle half the filling and spread thin. Repeat with the other half.
Roll each circle starting from one end into a tight cylinder. Cut into 1 inch pieces and slightly press each piece to ensure the filling does not fall out.

Pre-heat the over to 375. Place the Bhakarwadi onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the Bhakarwadis turn golden and are baked through.

Remove, cool and store.

Mango Overload

Ingredients for Cake:

All Purpose Flour – 1 Cup
Mango Pulp/Puree – ¾ Cup
Baking Soda – A pinch
Baking Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt – A pinch
Sugar – ¼ cup
Oil – 1/3 Cup
Milk – 3 Tbsp

Mix all the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well until you form a smooth batter.

When the mixture is well incorporated, grease a cake pan, and pour the batter into the pan.

Chop the almonds, and top the cake with the chopped nuts.

Pre-heat the oven to 350F and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes. A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean. If the cake is not cooked through, the knife will have some batter on it.

Mango Whipped Cream:

Whipped Cream - 1 Cup

Mango Puree - 1/4 Cup

Mix them carefully, folding the mango pulp into the cream. Do not over mix.

When the cake is cooled, cut into squares. Place a square on the plate, top with the mango whipped cream. Top with chopped nuts and place another square of the cake. Top again with the mango cream, the nuts and finally top with some plain whipped cream.

Drizzle some mango pulp for the extra mango burst.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Platter

Here's an elegant and clean meal that is satisfying, filled with protein and delicious. It's perfectly satisfying for the Vegetarians as well as the meat lovers.

It has most of our favorite Mediterranean dishes and dips including:

Hummus

Tzatziki Sauce

Tahini

Falafel Balls

Chicken Kebobs

Fresh Vegetables

Toasted Piza Bread

The recipe for the Kebobs can be found in my previous post. 

These are the fresh vegetables that work best with this recipe:

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Onions

Lime

Cilantro

Jalapenos

Lettuce

Chop all the veggies, prepare the dips and make the Falafels and the Chicken Kebobs. 

Either of the Kebobs or the Falafels will perfectly work to make this a complete meal, but I was making this for friends, so I ended up making both.

 

Recipe For Sauces:
I added the recipe for the Dips in my previous post as well.

Falafel Balls:
Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans - 1 Cup dry
Onion - 1 small or half big
Jalapeno/Green Chili - 1
Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves
Parsley/Cilantro - A small bunch
Salt - To taste
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 2 tsp

Soak the Chickpeas overnight. All all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is coarse ground.
Make golf ball sized balls and either fry or bake them.
I love to use the paniyaram pan to make these, since they come out really crispy, just like the fried ones.

Serve with Fresh Vegetables, Toasted Pita and the Sauces.

Cauliflower Wings - 3 Ways

We love chicken wings and I love to make them at home. But I also wanted to try an alternative to chicken wings that was vegetarian. Cauliflower is a perfect substitute and people who hate cauliflower must have never tasted the amazing Cauliflower 65 or the delicious Indo-Chinese dishes such as Cauliflower Manchurian or Chili Gobi. 

Since the Cauliflower is not as meaty, the best thing to do is coat it in a thin batter to bring that firm texture to the vegetable.

I used 3 different Sauces:

Buffalo Sauce

BBQ Sauce

Asian Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce

You can fry the Cauliflower or bake them. I baked them, since I am not big on frying stuff. Left to me, I would bake every single thing. I think it's obvious looking at the number of baked recipes on my blog.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 2 small

Batter:

All Purpose Flower - 1/4 Cup

Corn Flour - 1/4 Cup

Rice Flower - 1/2 Cup

Salt - To Taste

Pepper Powder - 1 tsp

Mix all the ingredients for the batter with water. It shouldn't be too thin. Wash and cut the Cauliflower into florets. Heat the over to 400F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Dip the florets into the batter and place on a single layer on the baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 to 20 min until slightly firm and crisp.

Meanwhile, have 3 bowls for the sauces. Remove the florets from the oven, dip into the sauce until well coated and place them back onto the baking sheet. Place it back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 min or so, until the wings are cooked through and the sauces are well coated and start to dry up.

Remove and serve with a ranch dip.

Sauces:

BBQ Sauce: 

Phil's BBQ Sauce

I used store bought BBQ sauce. Phil's Devil's spit. Fair warning, this is an extremely spicy BBQ sauce, but they have milder varieties as well.

Buffalo Sauce:

Frank's Red Hot

I used 4 tbsp of Frank's Red hot, mixed with 1 tbsp melted butter.

Asian Sauce:

Hoisin Sauce - 2 tbsp

Chili Garlic Sauce - 1 tbsp

Honey - 1 tbsp

Soy Sauce - 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp

Mix all the ingredients, taste and adjust seasoning.

Mango and Avocado Sushi - Vegan

This is a delayed post, since Sushi makes a regular appearance on our dinner table. I only make the Veggie ones at home and I have not ventured into making the ones with fish yet. Yeah, ok, I haven't even tasted the ones with fish. Maybe one day I will. I really enjoy the vegetarian ones though. 

I use some baked sweet potato to make it a hearty roll.

The Mango and the Avocado give it the texture that can mimic a fresh fish.Cucumber and Carrots give it the needed freshness and Crunch.

I buy most of my Asian ingredients from the Asian Market - HMart. They have endless Isles of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese.........and many more.

The Nori sheets are available at some regular grocery stores too. Sushi rice is good to use, if not, regular short grain or Jasmine rice will work too. The most important ingredient for Sushi in my opinion is Wasabi :) 

I love that hit that the Wasabi has and sometimes I love to go overboard!

Ingredients:
Nori Sheets - 4
Sushi Rice - 1 Cup
Water - 1 1/2 Cups
Vinegar - 1/2 Cup
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Salt - To taste
Sweet Potatoes - 2
Jalapeno - 1
Carrot - 1 big
Cucumber - 1
Ripe Mango - 1
Avocado - 1

For Flavor:
Wasabi
Soy Sauce
Pickled Ginger

Cook the Sushi Rice with the 1: 1.5 Cup water. When hot, mix the Sugar and Vinegar and some salt. Add to the rice and mix well. The rice should not become mushy.

Peel and cut the Sweet Potatoes into 1 inch thick and long strips. Season the Sweet Potatoes with some oil, salt and paprika. Bake in a 400F oven until soft and cooked through.

Cut all the vegetables into thin long strips.

Place a Nori sheet on a Sushi bamboo mat.Place a big scoop of rice on the nori and spread into a thin layer. 1/3 of the way in, place the Sweet potato strips, Cucumber, Mango and Avocado slices.

Place the end of the sheet over the vegetables, pull with the bamboo mat until tight and then roll the rest of the sheet. Wet the edges with water and complete the roll. 

Close with the bamboo mat and pull to tighten. Cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces using a sharp knife.

Serve with the Soy Sauce, Wasabi and Pickled Ginger.

Oats Pancakes/Uthappam

This is a special request from my mom. She has been asking me to make these for a while now and we are not  big on breakfast. As always, this was a light brunch for us on a Saturday morning and it's quick and easy. Nutritious and filled with vegetables.

Ingredients:
Oats - 1 Cup
Sooji/Semolina - 1/2 Cup
Yogurt/Curd - 1/2 Cup
Salt - to taste
Green Chilis - 2
Ginger - 1 inch
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Onion - 1/2 to 2
Carrot grated - 1
Curry leaves and Cilantro - A few

Grind the oats into a coarse powder. Mix with Sooji and yogurt and add water. It will clump up as the sooji absorbs the liquid. Chop all the vegetables finely and add to the batter. Mix and add salt and water as required. 

Heat a pan and add one heaping ladle of the batter and make thick pancakes or oothappam. Fry on one side, filp and cook on the other side. I had a mini oothappam pan and I made these in that pan.  

Serve hot with Chutney or Sambar of your choice.