Cheesy Puffy Cups

Ingredients:

Just Rol Puff Pastry Sheet                 - 1 Package
Mix Veggies                                      - 2 cups (Carrot,Peppers,Peas,Boiled Potato,Broccoli)
Grated Cheese                                   - 1 Cup (Filling and Sprinkling)
Frylight Oil Spray                             - few sprays
Pizza Sauce                                       - 4 tblspoon
Seasoning of your choice                  - 1 tspoon


Method:

Take out the puff pastry sheet out of the fridge and keep out on kitchen counter for 10-15 minutes.
Roll - out a little more thinner than the original thickness.
Cut out the roundels out of the sheet.
Grease the 12 cupcakes tray with few sprays of Frylight Oil Spray.
Put the Roundels of Puff Sheet inside the cupcake cavities.

Now we will prepare the filling for cups.
Mix the veggies, seasoning, pizza sauce and quarter of grated cheese in a mixing bowl.
Taste the filling and adjust the salt, pepper and chilli as per your taste. For us after mixing bruschetta seasoning  the filling was perfect. Pizza sauce also have salt and pepper, so more seasoing can make it over powering.

Both the components are ready now we will assemble the cups.
Fill up the puff pastry roundels, which we put into cupcake cavities just like the picture below.

Now sprinkle some more cheese, so that after melting it makes a kind of pastry cover on top of each cup.

Once all the cups are filled and sprinkled, bake these into preheated oven of 200c for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese on top melts and turns golden brown.
Once baked they will look like the picture below. The pastry will puff and the cheese on top will create a golden brown crust.

Let them cool and serve as a starter, brunch or after school snack to kids. These are vegetarian, healthy and perfect for quick fill of those little tummies.

Hope your kids will also love it like mine did. Until next time........Enjoy :) Saumya

Wholewheat Buns Stuffed With Leftover Bhaji

Ingredients:

For the Dough:
Chapati/Whole Wheat Flour                     1 - 1/2 cups
Milk                                                           1/4 cup
water                                                          1/4 cup (add 1-2 tblspoon if more needed)
Active dry yeast                                         3/4 tblsp
sugar                                                          1 tblsp
Salt                                                             3/4 tsp
Olive oil                                                     3 tblsp

For stuffing:
Leftover Bhaji of Pav Bhaji


Method:

Warm the milk,add sugar to it and mix well. Add the yeast to it and mix well. Keep aside.
Take flour and make a dent,add water,olive oil,salt in it and the yeast completely dissolved in the milk.
Mix and make a smooth dough,keep in a warm place covered with a cling wrap for an hour.
Meanwhile to prepare the stuffing, you do not need to do much efforts just dry out the water from bhaji and make it a bit of the paratha style stuffing. Keep it aside to cool down.
By now/after an hour, the dough we prepared would have doubled in size. Take it again and just give it a gentle knead and make 8 equal sized balls.
Take each bun and make a dent in the middle.
put the dried bhaji stuffing inside and pinch all the end towards centre to cover the stuffing, Just like we do while making Kachori.
Roll into smooth bun. Repeat for every bun. Arrange them in the lined baking tray. Keep the pinched joined side down.
Brush them well with olive oil and sprinkle your choice of seasoning on top.

Preheat the oven for 190°C. When the preheat is finished,by the time the buns will again rise a bit.
Bake for 17- 20 mins or until the top crust turns golden brown in colour. (Mine took exactly 20 mins) Smells heavenly!!




































After finished baking,brush them with butter or oil and enjoy with tea/evening snack!
This would also be a great snack for kids after they come back from school!
One more close look at the texture :) Enjoy until next time :)

Spinach Handvo

Ingredients:

Handvo Batter:

Rice                                   - 1 cup
Lentil Mix                                 - 1/2 cup each ( arhar,chana daal )
Fenugreek Seeds           - 1 tspoon
Yogurt                                       - 2 tblspoon
Baking Soda                             - 1 tspoon
Green Chili Paste                     - 1 tspoon
Ginger  Paste                          - 1 tspoon
Garlic  Paste                            - 1 tspoon
Turmeric Powder                     - 1 tspoon
Red Chilli                  - 1/2 tspoon
Lemon Juice/Pickle Gravy      - 1 tspoon  (Optional)
Citric Acid                               - 1/4 tspoon
Baking Soda                            - 1 tspoon
Jaggery                                    - 1/2 cup
Salt                                          - 2 tspoon
Oil                         - 2 tspoon
Spinach                 - 1 cup finely cut and blanched

For Tempering / Sprinkle :
Oil                                           - 2 tblspoon
Red Chilli                                - 2-3 whole
Hing                                         - a pinch
Mustard Seed                           - 2 tspoon
Sesame Seeds/Til                     - 2 tblspoon + 1 tblspoon for sprinkle
Peanuts                                     - 1/4 cup
Fried Onions                             - 2 tblspoon

Method:

Making The batter:
Wash and Soak Rice and both lentils along with fenugreek seeds for overnight.
Now grind soaked rice, lentil and fenugreek seeds with the help of water.
Make a thick smooth paste, sprinkle water while grinding.
Do not mix a lot of water to make it a runny batter.

Making Handvo Mixture to Bake:
Mix the batter well.
Now add 2 tblspoon yogurt, 1 tspoon salt and mix well.

Keep it to ferment. If the weather at your place is hot or warm keep the batter for 4-5 hours and if it cold and chilli ferment it for 7-8 hours.

Once fermented add jaggery and mix well to get the jaggery melted very well.
Now we will add the spinach in the batter and mix well to avoid any lumps.
Now its time add the spices.
Add in the green chili, ginger, garlic, red chili, turmeric, salt, citric acid, baking soda, oil and also the pickle gravy or lemon juice.

Mix the batter very well to form lump free batter.
Taste it and adjust the Spices accordingly.

Pre-heat the oven to 190c and grease a 8"-10" pyrex tray.
Now we will prepare the tempering.

Warm the oil in a pan, add in the mustard seeds, sesame seeds, red chilli, hing, Peanuts and let them pop.
Now add the tempering to Handvo Batter and mix well.

Pour the batter into the greased tray.
Sprinkle some more sesame seeds and fried onions over it.

Now bake the Handvo for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool the handvo and cut into desired sized pieces.

Serve with assorted chutney or pickles.
This is a very good option as a breakfast, brunch or starter in a party.

Tomato Masala Bhindi / Tomato Okra Fry

Just like Aloo / Potatoes , Bhindi /Okra/Ladyfinger is also very good option for side dish in the meal. Bhindi can be made in various ways but mostly dry as it gets slimy when left with moisture. I make Bhindi mostly as a side dish with Daal and Rice or With Paratha for morning breakfast.

In this Bhindi recipe I used tomatoes as well for the first time. I was bit skeptical at the first place but since I've bug of experimenting in kitchen, so I just went for it. To compliment moisture from tomatoes I added some gram flour in the dish. Also to avoid Bhindi get slimy or wet while cooking, clean, wash and dry it in advance, so when you are cooking it, it fairly dry.

When I was little, we use to get Bhindi in our lunchboxes with Puri/Paratha. Sometimes on weekend, we ate Bhindi with Dal Rice and Chapati in lunch. Using fresh green chilies, thinly sliced onions and sliced garlic enhances its taste. Crisp the bhindi by shallow frying it a tspoon or so of oil and it will be the best side dish for your meal.

Lets have a look at my way of making "Tomato Masala Bhindi / Tomato Okra Fry". It's fairly simple recipe like most of my recipes. Not any exotic ingredient , just the everyday ingredients from your kitchen and the dish will be ready for time of Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner. Hope you all will try to make it and let me know how everyone liked it at your home.. Until next time..................., Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Pictorial Method of Making "Tomato Masala Bhindi / Tomato Okra Fry":

Wash bhindi/okra in water thoroughly. Wipe them with a kitchen towel or just spread them on chopping board to allow them to dry naturally.
Cut off the crown and base tip of each bhindi, vertically slice them keeping a width of your choice in thickness. I kept them almost 0.45inch.

Slice Onions thinly,  chop tomatoes finely and cut green chilies very fine.
Heat 1 tblspoon oil in a thick bottomed shallow frying pan.
Add the sliced Okra and fry them until golden n crisp. Take them out on a paper towel lined plate.

Now add sliced onion and green chilies in the same pan with another tablspoon of oil.

Saute onions till they start turning light brown.        

Now add the chopped tomatoes. mix well.        

Now add powdered spices , Turmeric, Coriander, Garam masala, Salt, and Amchur with gram flour in the pan.

Mix the spices and gramflour well. Cook this mix until the tomatoes become soft and mushy and you start to see oil releasing from the sides.

Now add the fried crispy bhindi/okra. Mix well but gently to avoid pressing it too much.
Put the flame on high and fry the Okra and Masalas well to avoid any moisture in the dish.
Don't burn the dish in order to dry the moisture, if starts to burn switch off and take it away from the hot burner.
Once you can't see any moisture in dish, switch off the flame and immediately turn it out in a serving dish.

Garnishing with coriander is optional, as very few people eat Okra with fresh coriander.
Serve Tomato Masala Bhindi as a side dish in any of your meal like with chapatis, dal, rice or may be parathas.

Ingredients:

Okra/Bhindi/Lady finger                         - 500grm
Onion                                                       - 2 medium , thinly sliced
Tomato                                                     - 2 medium , finely chopped
Green Chilies                                            - 2 thinly sliced
Asafetida/Hing                                          - a pinch
Turmeric powder                                       - 1/2 tspoon
Coriander powder                                      - 1 tspoon
Raw Mango Powder/Amchur                    - 1/2 tspoon                                  
Garam masala                                            - 1/2 tspoon
Salt                                                             - to taste
Gram Flour                                                - 2 tblspoon
Oil                                                              - 2 tblspoon


Method:

Wash bhindi/okra in water thoroughly. Wipe them with a kitchen towel or just spread them on chopping board to allow them to dry naturally.
Cut off the crown and base tip of each bhindi, vertically slice them keeping a width of your choice in thickness. I kept them almost 0.45inch.
Slice Onions thinly,  chop tomatoes finely and cut green chilies very fine.
Heat 1 tblspoon oil in a thick bottomed shallow frying pan.
Add the sliced Okra and fry them until golden n crisp. Take them out on a paper towel lined plate.
Now add sliced onion and green chilies in the same pan with another tablspoon of oil and saute them till they start turning light brown.
Now add the chopped tomatoes. mix well.                      
Now add powdered spices , Turmeric, Coriander, Garam masala, Salt, and Amchur with gram flour in the pan.
Mix the spices and gramflour well. Cook this mix until the tomatoes become soft and mushy and you start to see oil releasing from the sides.
Now add the fried crispy bhindi/okra. Mix well but gently to avoid pressing it too much.
Put the flame on high and fry the Okra and Masalas well to avoid any moisture in the dish. Don't burn the dish in order to dry the moisture, if starts to burn switch off and take it away from the hot burner.
Once you can't see any moisture in dish, switch off the flame and immediately turn it out in a serving dish.
Garnishing with coriander is optional, as very few people eat Okra with fresh coriander.
Serve Tomato Masala Bhindi as a side dish in any of your meal like with chapatis, dal, rice or may be parathas.

Dhokar Dalna / Fried Lentil Cakes in Spicy Gravy

Chana Dal is very nutritious and easy to digest. These little beans are a powerhouse of lean protein, fiber and iron. They're packed with nutrients, such as folic acid, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. Chana Dal also known as "chholar dal" comes from India , where it's appreciated a lot unlike the western countries. "Bengal Gram Lentil"  is the British English term for what we call "chana dal" in Hindi. It's glycemia index is also very good for blood sugar levels.

Chana Dal is very closely related to garbanzo beans, or chickpeas. The differences are that chana dal is younger, smaller, split, sweeter, and has a much lower glycemic index. But you can substitute chana dal for garbanzo beans in just about any recipe.

Chana dal is the split kernel of a variety of chickpea known as desi or bengal gram. It has a sweet and earthy flavor, and the cooked bean is about the size and shape of a corn kernel. Chana Dal is one of the many lentils used to make dal, the family of Indian lentil dishes that form the foundation of Indian cuisine. Chana Dal makes a quick-cooking, exotic addition to dals, soups, curries, dips, pilafs, fritters, salads, casseroles, and rice or whole grain dishes. Toss them in a little olive oil and your favorite spices and roast them in the oven for a wonderfully tasty, healthy snack.

This time I used this powerhouse of nutrition in Bengali style and made famous Bengali dish called " Dhokar Dalna". Heard many times about this dish from many of my friends so decided to make it for dinner tonight, as I was left with 1 bowl of soaked Chana daal after making Chana Daal with Ghiya. Try making it in your kitchen as well. Until next time..................., Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Just like all the Kofta and Kadhi recipes, this also has two parts. One is to make Dhoka/Lentil Cakes and other is to make gravy for it. Lets start with the first part, which is to make Dhokas.

Pictorial Step-wise Method for Dhoka and Gravy:

Wash and soak Chana Dal/Bengal Gram for minimum 4 hours or overnight (for best results) .
Take the dal along with green chilies, salt, ginger and grind to a fine paste. Add little water (may be a tblspoon or so) as required for grinding.

In a non stick pan, heat oil.  Now add the dal paste in the pan along with Hing, Turmeric powder, Coriander powder, Garam Masala, Salt and Red Chili powder.

Cook it until the mix comes off the sides clean.

The dal should be cooked so that it is moist and soft but not runny or hard. Once it is cooked, transfer to a greased plate.

Apply oil on your hands and pat the paste into a flat cake, make sure the sides are tucked in. Make a 1 1/2 inch width cake.

The paste gets dried up fast, so you need to be quick in patting it down.
Once it cools down, cut into desired size and shape pieces.

Heat a Pan/Wok with oil and shallow fry Dhokas till golden brown on both sides.

Gently slide them into wok and don't flip over for the first few minutes. Fry in 4-5 at a time and drain them over a kitchen towel.

Now  peel and chop the potatoes into thing long pieces.

Par Boil them for 7-9 minutes and then shallow fry them in the same pan that you used for frying the lentil cakes.

Take them out and keep them aside until they are ready to use.
Again heat 1 tblspoon of Oil in the same pan/wok.

Add in the cumin seeds, whole garam masala and a pinch of Hing.

Add tomatoes and grated ginger, saute till tomato is well cooked and soft.

In a cup mix the spices Turmeric powder, Coriander powder, Garam Masala, Salt and Red Chili powder with a tblspoon of water and make a paste.

Add this paste to the Pan/Wok and fry the masala with tomatoes at low heat. Add in the Sugar as well.

Add the fried potatoes and about 1 and 1/2 cups of water.

Now cover and cook till the potatoes are soft.
Adjust the water and seasoning as per your choice of thickness and taste of gravy. Next add the ghee and mix everything .
Now gently add in the Dhokas/fried lentil cakes. Also add in the whole green chilies.

Simmer for 5 minutes, covered with the lid to let the Dhokas soak up some of the gravy juices.
Dhokar Dalna is ready to serve with rice or chapati.

Ingredients:

For Dhoka / Lentil Cakes:

Chana Dal                                   - 1 cup  ( Cholar Daal / Split Bengal Gram Lentil )
Green Chilies                              - 2 medium size
Ginger                                         - 1 inch piece
Asafetida / Hing                          - a pinch
Coriander Powder                       - 1/8 Tspoon
Red Chili Powder                        - a pinch
Turmeric powder                         - 1/4 Tspoon
Garam Masala                              - 1/8 Tspoon
Salt                                               - to taste
Oil                                                - 1 tblspoon for shallow frying

For Gravy of Dhokar Dalna:

Potato                                          - 1 big
Oil                                               - 1 tblspoon
Bay leaf                                       - 1 big
Whole Garam Masala                 - 1 Tspoon
Cumin Seeds                               - 1/4 Tspoon
Tomato                                        - 4 medium finely chopped
Ginger Paste                                - 1/2 tspoon or you can grate the ginger
Coriander Powder                       - 1 Tspoon
Red Chili Powder                        - 1/4  Tspoon
Turmeric powder                         - 1/4 Tspoon
Garam Masala                              - 1/4 Tspoon
Ghee                                             - 1 Tspoon
Salt                                               - to taste


Method for Dhoka:

Wash and soak Chana Dal/Bengal Gram for minimum 4 hours or overnight (for best results) .
Take the dal along with green chilies, salt, ginger and grind to a fine paste. Add little water (may be a tblspoon or so) as required for grinding.
In a non stick pan, heat oil.  Now add the dal paste in the pan along with Hing, Turmeric powder, Coriander powder, Garam Masala, Salt and Red Chili powder and cook until the mix comes off the sides clean.
The dal should be cooked so that it is moist and soft but not runny or hard. Once it is cooked, transfer to a greased plate.
Apply oil on your hands and pat the paste into a flat cake, make sure the sides are tucked in. Make a 1 1/2 inch width cake.
The paste gets dried up fast, so you need to be quick in patting it down.
Once it cools down, cut into desired size and shape pieces.
Heat a Pan/Wok with oil and shallow fry Dhokas till golden brown on both sides.
Gently slide them into wok and don't flip over for the first few minutes. Fry in 4-5 at a time and drain them over a kitchen towel.

Method for Gravy:

First peel and chop the potatoes into thing long pieces.
Par Boil them for 7-9 minutes and then shallow fry them in the same pan that you used for frying the lentil cakes.
Take them out and keep them aside until they are ready to use.
Again heat 1 tblspoon of Oil in the same pan/wok.
Add in the cumin seeds, whole garam masala and a pinch of Hing.
Add tomatoes and grated ginger, saute till tomato is well cooked and soft.
Add in the Sugar.
In a cup mix the spices Turmeric powder, Coriander powder, Garam Masala, Salt and Red Chili powder with a tblspoon of water and make a paste.
Add this paste to the Pan/Wok and fry the masala with tomatoes at low heat.
Add the fried potatoes and about 1 and 1/2 cups of water.
Now cover and cook till the potatoes are soft.
Adjust the water and seasoning as per your choice of thickness and taste of gravy. Next add the ghee and mix everything .
Now gently add in the Dhokas/fried lentil cakes. Also add in the whole green chilies.
Simmer for 5 minutes, covered with the lid to let the Dhokas soak up some of the gravy juices.
Dhokar Dalna is ready to serve with rice or chapati.