Quinoa Peas and Mint Cake

Quinoa is a wonderful and super healthy grain that packs in a lot of fibre and protein. Extremely versatile, try these delicious kabab style cakes. You can use sweet potato or regular potato instead of the peas. Serve with a tangy and fresh red pepper salsa (http://sparrow-in-the-kitchen.blogspot.in/2012/01/red-bell-pepper-salsa.html)


Ingredients (makes 10 small cakes)

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 garlic pod
1 tablespoon olive oil , plus extra for shallow frying
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup boiled peas
2 tablespoons cornflour
1/2 teaspoon amchoor
Breadcrumbs, to coat
Salt to taste

1. In a saucepan, heat the oil. Add the whole garlic clove and fry. Remove from oil. Keep aside
2. Roast the quinoa in the oil for 3-4 minutes till golden brown
3. Add the water and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and cover the saucepan. Cook for about twenty minutes or till all the water is absorbed.Keep covered with lid for another five minutes.
4. Mash the peas roughly with a fork and add to the quinoa with all the remaining ingredients (chop the garlic clove from step 1 and add to the mixture )
5. Shape into cakes (as big or small as preferred) and coat with breadcrumbs
6. Shallow fry in olive oil on a non stick pan till brown on both sides. Serve with red pepper salsa

Amla chutney with mustard oil

For all the health benefits of olive oil, my favourite oil flavour-wise still remains mustard oil ! Learnt this chutney from my childhood friend's mom. We grew up together and I have so many memories of all the super delicious food her mother used to stuff us with - who can match the appetite of teens anyways !
So after a decade nearly, relived almost every food memory with lunch again at her house- this time with a new addition to the menu..this super versatile chutney, packed with the Vitamin C goodness of amlas.You can reduce the quantity of mustard oil and/or jaggery to your taste.

Ingredients (makes one medium sized bowl)

4 medium sized amlas (Indian gooseberry)
1 small onion
2-3 green chillies
2 cups chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste
3 teaspoons mustard  oil
1 tablespoon jaggery powder

1. Wash the amlas and cut into pieces, discarding the seeds
2. Peel and roughly chop the onion
3. Grind the amlas and onion with the remaining ingredients in the mixer till you get a smooth paste.
4. Store the chutney in the fridge . Use with parathas, sandwiches, burgers etc....

Strawberry n Burnt Garlic Raita

Adapted from a magazine recipe I read on a food special for Valentine's Day..had me thinking though..Valentine's Day and garlic ?? not the best combination, I would think! The original recipe used black grapes, I tried out mine with strawberries and carrot..a really interesting twist for a side dish that everyone loves.

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 cups curd
1 medium carrot, grated
8-10 strawberries, cut into medium sized pieces
Salt to taste (black salt preferably)
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic pods, chopped roughly (not crushed)

1. Whisk the curd to remove any lumps. Gently whisk in all ingredients except for the oil and the garlic.
2. Heat the oil in a tempering pan. Add the chopped garlic and fry on a slow flame till the garlic is brown in color.
3. Pour the tempering over the curd mixture and serve, garnished with 1-2 strawberry halves

Roasted Bell Pepper Salad

Been a while since my last post..couple of recipes pending to be posted ! This was supposed to be a filling for tex-mex Fajitas, but ended up being devoured as a salad by a friend on a serious no-carb diet :) So use the  dish as you please..a filling for pancakes/crepes/fajitas/frankies or a side dish or a salad (cold/warm)..

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 red bell peppers, cut into thin long slices
2 yellow bell peppers,cut into thin long slices
1 large onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup paneer, cubed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Few leaves fresh basil
Salt to taste
Crushed black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a light bottomed pan. When hot, add the garlic and toss for a few seconds, do not let it brown.
2. Add the onions and saute on high flame till brown .
3. Add the peppers and saute on high flame till roasted brown and almost cooked.
4. Reduce the flame, add the sugar and balsamic vinegar to caramelize all the juices and give a lovely coating.
5. Add the salt and pepper and turn off the gas. Toss in the paneer.
6. Garnish with chopped basil..Serve warm

Tandoori Bharwan Mirch

There is a hint of winter in the air..a slight nip in the mornings (the good part) , the drying skin (the definitely not so good part) and of course the slowly arriving winter veggies (for me this is the best part) . I have already inaugurated this arrival with Sarson ka saag and now looking forward to the gajar halwa and other delights soon . If you are a fan of pickles, then this is the season of the stuffed red chilli pickle and the gajar-gobi-shalgam pickle ....with gobi parathas ..slurppy thoughts should be racing in the mind reading this of course ! Red chillies are still to arrive but I bought some really fresh green ones today and made this tandoori rendition of the stuffed variety. Don't have an oven or tandoor, then simply shallow fry these in oil ..works great as a side dish

Ingredients

4 achari capsicum (chilli shaped capsicums)
Oil for greasing
Lemon, to garnish

For the stuffing
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts,peeled
2 tablespoons saunf
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon amchoor powder
Salt (approx 1 teaspoon)
1 small onion,chopped
1 tablespoon besan
1/2 teaspoon crushed ginger
1/4 teaspoon haldi powder
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

1.Wash the chilli peppers ,dry and cut in half. Slit each half vertically taking care not to slit completely.
2. Grind all ingredients of the stuffing in a mixer.
3. Stuff the chillies ,not over stuffing as that will result in mixture spilling out after cooking.
4. Pre-heat the tandoor and place chillies on the greased tray. If you are using oven ,pre-heat to 250 degrees Celcius and place chillies on the greased tray.
5. Brush the top of the chillies with some oil and leave to cook till well done and brown, this takes about 5-6 minutes in the tandoor, longer in the oven.
6. Serve hot with lime on the side

Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is an interesting way to use left over rice..ideally the recipe would taste really great with risotto rice which will also work well with the flavours of the recipe. Also you can make the rice with any variation you prefer but choose this way of serving up your creation..looks impressive ! The topping of grated cheese adds that extra yummy bite (which I usually save for the last :)))

Ingredients (serves 4)

3 yellow bell peppers ,halved vertically

1 tablespoon olive oil + extra for greasing
1 garlic pod, crushed
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 1/2 cups rice
1/2 cup chopped baby corn
1 capsicum, chopped finely
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
Salt to taste
Grated cheese
Basil leaves, to garnish

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celcius
2. Heat the oil , add the garlic and onion and fry till the onion is soft.
3. Add the baby corn and capsicum and cook for 3-4 minutes till soft.
4. Add the salt,ketchup,chilli flakes, pepper and stir in the rice . Toss for 1-2 minutes.
6. Turn off gas and let the rice cool a bit. Meanwhile lightly grease the oven tray with olive oil, brush some oil on the bell pepper as well
7. Stuff the peppers with the rice and top each with some grated cheese..use regular cheese or mozarella
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes till the bell peppers are charred slightly and cheese crust is browned.
9. Serve as a side dish , garnished with basil leaves..

Stir Fried Salad

I have one restaurant on my 'swear-by' list and that is Pot Pourri..eaten there a zillion times and never returned disappointed. While I do wish they had more vegetarian options, some of their veggie stuff is lip-smacking good! A great and super-healthy appetiser on their menu is this stir fried veggies salad ..and I am pleased that my experiment to replicate the dish turned out near perfect! Again..feel free to play around with veggies of your choice

Ingredients

1 zucchini,diced
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into cubes
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1/4 cup chopped black olives
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon black pepper,freshly ground
1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Saute the garlic for a few seconds.
2. Add all the vegetables and the salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes on a medium flame till they turn slightly tender.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and serve hot...works great as an appetiser or a side dish

Broccoli ,Corn n Potato Side

Happy New Year !!! A welcome to new beginnings and new journeys and new experiences :)) I am still trying to figure out what my new year resolution should be ..I want one that I can keep :)) One wish that I do have is to travel more to learn about new cultures and food experiences ..and like me,most of you must now be on a de-tox plan with definitely some binging after christmas and new year's ..so salads,veggies and fruits it should be ! This dish is a great side dish or a light meal (it was my lunch with a whole wheat toasted bagel ) and light as well as the white sauce was made with atta (!) and skimmed milk ,minimal cheese on the top ..but be as generous as you like with the cheese ..I used cheddar, you can use either cheddar or parmesan. Just some tips for the white sauce ..
1.turn off the gas before adding the milk so that no lumps are formed
2.always add the salt after turning off the gas so that the milk does not split

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 boiled potato,sliced
1 cup corn
1 cup broccoli florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper

For the white sauce
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons atta
3/4 cup skimmed milk
1/2 teaspoon sugar



For the garnishing
grated cheese
dried herbs
few chopped tomato pieces,just for the colour effect
paprika/chilli flakes

1. Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees Celcius
2. Boil the broccoli and corn in hot water till tender ,about 7-8 minutes. Drain and cool.
3. For the sauce, heat the butter on a slow flame. When slightly brown, add the atta and mix with a whisk. Turn off the gas and whisk in the cold milk. When lumps are removed, turn on the gas again and leave on a slow flame for 5-6 minutes till the sauce becomes thick (look for slow bubbles on the outer edge of the pan ). Add the sugar,pepper.Turn off the gas and add the salt.
4. Grease the bottom of the baking dish with the olive oil. Arrange the potatoes first,then top with the boiled vegetables.Sprinkle salt and pepper.
5. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and garnish with cheese etc...
6. Bake on the top rack for 15-20 minutes or till the cheese is browned. Serve hot

When taken out of the oven...

Radish n Walnut Raita

For me, any meal is not complete till it is accompanied with some form of curd..no matter how many old wives' tales say not to eat curd at night ,some tales can be modified to suit your palate:)) Plain curd or raita or pachdi or buutermilk, anything works. Great source of calcium plus a digestion aid ,curd is a universal love. So I am always on the lookout for new ways to eat this simple delight. On most days it is curd with boondi and pomegranate (a daily must have again) but with this lovely slight onset on winter veggies I am making this raita often. Have learnt this from a darling aunty from Jammu who says this is a very winter dish as walnuts are a staple of the region..this raita accompanied my methi parathas and some yummmmmmmmyyy home churned white butter..sigh! the simple joys of winter !

Ingredients

2 cups curd (I use skimmed milk curd )
1/2 cup grated white mooli
10 walnut halves, crushed
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon roasted jeera powder
Salt (I prefer black salt and have no hangups with the smell :))
Coriander to garnish

No steps...just mix evrything and serve chilled :)) you can even add few raisins to give a slight sweet taste

Brinjal Crisps

This one is on special request from a dear friend in the Army who has asked if I could post some recipes keeping the vegetables he gets in the ration :)) My dad was in the Navy and just reading the word 'ration' brought back so many memories..the fixed days for ration,sometimes standing in the queue with my dad,sorting the stuff,my mom wondering what to do with so much cheese and butter,the maid's joy on getting all the extra ration..sigh! if only time can be rewound to enjoy some simple pleasures a wee bit longer..
Well so on his list was baingan a.k.a brinjal/aubergine/eggplant and I find it has so many names as it lends so easily to so many cuisines..this recipe works great as a side dish with a boring dal chawal or even as a chatpata starter . I used the big baingan varitey , the kind used for bharta and I feel the mustard oil does lend it a different flavour so try not to substitute it ...it's a great oil for the winters anyway :)

Ingredients

1 brinjal, cut into thin slices

2 tablespoons mustard oil
Pinch of heeng
1 teaspoon ajwain seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (white khus khus)
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon amchoor powder
2 tablespoons besan (gramflour)
Salt

1. Sprinkle a little salt on the brinjal slices, spread on a plate and microwave for 5 minutes.
2. In a broad pan, heat the oil. When it is smoking hot ,add the heeng and the ajwain and poppy seeds. When crackling add all the powders and fry for a few seconds. Then add the besan and let the mixture roast on a slow flame for a 2-3 minutes.
3. Add little salt (as the brinjal slices were already salted) and toss in the brinjal. You can sprinkle a few drops of water if the paste has stuck to the pan and let it coat the brinjal slices.
4. Leave to crisp for 4-5 minutes .
5. Serve hot with coriander leaves.

'X' ka Salan

Think of Hyderabad food and the first thing popping to your mind should be Biryani and the second should be Mirchi ka Salan ..to be honest all the Salan(which literally means gravy) I had in Hydearabd was too oily for my liking. Then I learnt this amazing gravy dish from a friend which actually had brinjals and realised that the taste was so similar to the Salan taste. The recipe turned out to be really simple and the taste is so universal that you can make it with chillies/brinjal/bhindi/tomato/chicken/egg/anything you like (that's why I call it 'X' ka salan :))..as the gravy is thick and luscious and tastes as good with biryani as with plain steamed rice as with parathas.Serve it as a main course when made with vegetables or as a side dish when made with chillies, the versatility just adds on..

Ingredients

For the paste
2 tablespoons peanuts
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds

3 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 achari chillies (the light green big chillies )
1 tomato ,cut into quarters
1 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 tablespoon jaggery pieces
4 tablespoons tamarind paste (can use less if you don't want this too tangy)
2 cups coconut milk (thickness depends on your preference for the gravy thickness)
Salt

1. In a pan,dry roast the paste ingredients on a slow flame till the colour of the sesame turns brown. Cool and grind to a fine paste
2. Slit the chillies lengthwise and shallow fry them till lightly browned
2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and cook till light brown. Add the ground paste and roast with the onion for a minute.
3. Add the haldi, salt, red chilli powder and fry for another minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, jaggery and whisk till the lumps are removed. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the chillies and the tomato chunks and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add the tamarind paste, stir well and turn off the gas and serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and few peanuts (optional)