Tofu,Veggie & Cheese Topped Bell Peppers

When it's the season for good vegetables and fruits, it makes me feel out of the world. I get many more different fruits and veggies for experiments in my Kitchen. I, even my family loves eating our veggies. I often make stuffed veggies and bake them.

My kids are also good with the veggies, it's just I need to make the veggies a bit attractive for them to enjoy. I enjoy feeding my kids home-made dishes, just to ease my heart and mind. Well, well, well, Who doesn't. Lets come to the Dish we are going to see in today's post.

Sometimes, in the season I buy Bells peppers in plenty, wash, deseed and cut them to freeze for making my job easy in the Kitchen. This time me and hubby both bought big packs of bell peppers and even after doing my regular freezing, there was a lot of them left.

If you guys remember, I made some tofu stuffed Buns few days back. I was left with half pack tofu in the fridge, which I needed to finish ASAP. So thats the oppertunity for me. I made "Tofu,Veggie & Cheese Topped Bell Peppers". My kids are a BIG BIG fan of dairy products and still don't know much difference between Indian Cottage Cheese (Paneer) and Tofu. They love eating both in same manner, they simply love both of these dairy products.

Very easy to assemble and healthy because of less oil and light cheese. Goodness of Tofu and Veggies, let your mind to peace as well. Try the recipe in your Kitchen, I'm sure your family will love them just as mine did.....................Until Next Time, happy cooking friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

Mix Bell Peppers         - 4 Wash, de-seeded and cut into half
Tofu                             - 1/2 cup crumbled
Mix Veggies                - 1/2 cup (par-boiled)
Grated Cheese             - 4 tblspaoon
Coriander                    - 2 tblspoon freshly chopped
Lemon Juice               - 1/2 tspoon
Red Chilli Powder      - 1/2 tspoon
Garlic Powder            - 1/4 tspoon
Salt                             - to taste
Oil/Butter                   - 1 tblspoon


Method:

Preheat the oven to 200c. Grease a roasting tray with cooking spray.
Wash, de-seed the bell peppers and Cut into half. I used 3 green peppers and 1 red pepper.
In a bowl, mix crumbled tofu, veggies, 2 tblspoon cheese, red chilli powder, garlic powder, salt, freshly chopped coriander and lemon juice. Mix well and keep aside.
Run a little butter in and out on each half of the peppers.
Spoon the filling into each greased bell peppers. I used 2 tblspoon of filling, because the bell peppers I used was relatively small in size.
Press the filling firmly into the bell peppers to avoid spilling it everywhere.
Place them all on the roasting tray.
Sprinkle rest of 3 tblspoon of grated cheese generously on each bell pepper.
Spray some cooking oil on to them. This step is totally optional.
Bake the peppers in preheated oven at 200c for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese on top starts to turn golden.

Once baked, Serve the bell peppers hot with Soup, Salad and Toasted bread.
My family loves to eat them this way, how does yours?????

Amritsari Kulcha / Stuffed Flat Bread

Kulche & Chole is a very popular breakfast, brunch or street food in the North of India. Be it Delhi, Punjab or now even UP, whole of north India loves this one plate food. I have never been to Punjab, but I'm always fascinated to go there and visit famous cities and their monuments, specially Golden temple. Punjabi food, as we all know is THE most delicious food in the world, spicy, tangy, full of ghee!! Yummy!!!!  This is a very famous street food around North India.

Amritsari Kulcha is the stuffed variety of regular Kulchas. Authentically these kulchas are rolled and stretched between your palms and fingers not with rolling pins. These are cooked in Clay ovens not in electronic ovens or griddles. They are accompanied by Spicy thick Chole, Yogurt Dip, runny onion chutney, Salad and Pickle.

I've had Chole Kulche, so so so many times in my life. I've tried them in many places, in my native, It's surrounding cities, Delhi, UK and so on....But everywhere the taste is different. But I love this combo a lot. I often make this combo and we go for seaside picnic. Warm sunny day, cold breeze from sea, lots of seaside water play and when you are hungry, you eat Chole Kulche. Thats is called day well spend. My hubby is also a big big fan of Punjabi food, He is a foodie basically, he loves tasty food, be it North Indian, South Indian or from anywhere else. The food should be awesomely tasty.

As it is Father's Day today, I thought to treat my hubby, who is an AMAZING father, with Chole Kulche in breakfast. He just loved when me and kids present this combo on breakfast. We all enjoyed the Kulchas together and now we are off to have some outside fun.........You also try making this combo and I'm sure everyone in your family will love it. Let me know your feedback on this recipe by dropping a comment............. Until next time, Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

For Kulcha:
Whole Wheat Flour               - 1 cup
Plain Flour                             - 2 cups
Sugar                                      - 1/2 tblspoon
Baking Soda                           - 1/4 tspoon
Oil                                           - 2 tspoon
Yogurt/Curd                            - 3/4 cup
Salt                                          - 1 tspoon / to taste
Water                                       - 1/4 to 1/3 cup for kneading of the dough

For Stuffing:
Potatoes                            - 4 medium size boiled and Mashed
Onion                                - 1 medium chopped finely (will give you around 4 tblspoon )
Paneer                               - 1/2 cup crumbled
Grated Cheese                  - 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella
Green Chillies                  - 3 finely chopped (gives you 1 full tspoon)
Red Chili Powder             - 1/4 tspoon + 1/4 tspoon
Amchoor                           - 1/4 tspoon + 1/4 tspoon
Coriander Powder             - 1/4 tspoon + 1/4 tspoon + 1/4 tspoon
Garam Masala                   - 1/4 tspoon + 1/4 tspoon + 1/4 tspoon
Salt                                    - to taste for all 3 stuffings
Coriander                          - 3 tblspoon freshly chopped ( 1 for each stuffing)


Method:

Making Kulcha Dough:
Take a deep mixing bowl, add whole wheat flour, plain flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Whisk well.

Now add yogurt and oil into it.
Start mixing your hands lightly.
With the help of little water at a time start to knead the dough. Adding water depends on the quality of flour as well, so add little at a time.

Take it out on lightly floured surface and knead with hands for few minutes.

Knead it to a smooth soft dough. cover the dough and keep aside for atleast 2 hours.

I used my stand mixer so threw everything together and mixed for 2 minute in low and 5 minutes in high speed with the dough hook on.

Making the Stuffing:
While the dough is resting we will make the stuffings. I made 3 types of stuffing for everyone's taste.

Potato Stuffing:
Mix Mashed Potato, 3/4 tspoon chopped green chillies, 2 tblspoon chopped onion, 1/4 tspoon Red chili powder, 1/4 Amchoor, 1/4 Coriander powder, 1/4 Garam masala, Salt and 1 tblspoon chopped coriander.
Mix everything well to make stuffing like a dough.

Paneer Stuffing:
Mix Crumbled Paneer, 1/4 tspoon chopped green chillies, 2 tblspoon chopped onion, 1/4 tspoon Red chili powder, 1/4 Amchoor, 1/4 Coriander powder, 1/4 Garam masala, Salt and 1 tblspoon chopped coriander.
Mix well with hands to incorporate everything together.

Cheese stuffing:
Mix Grated Cheese,  2 tblspoon chopped onion, 1/4 Amchoor, 1/4 Coriander powder, 1/4 Garam masala, Salt and 1 tblspoon chopped coriander.
Mix very well to combine everything.

Preparing Kulchas:
After 2 hours, or when you are ready to make, knead the dough again to smooth it out.
Make medium size balls out of it, like a cricket ball. I made 11 kulchas out of this quantity.
Lightly flour the work surface/rolling board.
Place the dough ball of it and roll a 4 inch circle.

Place 2 tblspoon of stuffing on it.

Pinch the end edges together to make it a ball again.

Roll it gently between your palms.

Sprinkle some more flour on work surface/rolling board.
Now roll the stuffed ball, slowly / gently with a rolling pin, into a 7-8 inch circle / or your choice of size.

Heat a heavy bottomed Tawa/Griddle.
Place the rolled Kulcha on the tawa. Sprinkle few drops of water on it.

Cover it and let it cook for 1 minute.

It will start to form some puffs on the Kulcha.

Now flip it over and cover again for it to puff fully.

Once cook from both side, which is turned golden brown evenly from both side, take it out of the griddle and put it on cooling rack.
Spread generous amount of ghee/butter/clarified butter on it.
After cooking each Kulcha, wipe clean the Tawa/Griddle.
Use the same process with Paneer and Cheese stuffing as well.

For Cheese and Paneer Kulchas, I made them by baking in the oven. Preheated the oven on max temperature. Place the rolled Cheese and Paneer kulcha on non-stick baking mat/greased baking tray.

Bake until both sides are golden brown.

Once baked take them out on a cooling rack and Spread generous amount of ghee/butter/clarified butter on them.
Serve the Kulchas with Chole, Raita, Salad and Chutney.

Tofu and Veggie Stuffed Rosemary Buns

Mummy is nowadays feeling Lazy! Thats what my kids are thinking. To be honest, It's the weather, which is making me lazy. I just wanna sit down and read with a cold drink in my hands. I do not want to go in the Kitchen, which is just next to the HOT HOT HOT Sunroom.

Can you resist the temptation of baking new recipe, you just read in a magazine. Can you can you, I can not. So here goes Mum in the Kitchen. Mixing some flour, making stuffing and preheating oven. Finding maximum possible ingredients and checking the time.

Why I always start to do preparation, just before I need to go out and pick-up the kids from their schools? Why oh Why??? Just the thought my kid's happy face, when they step inside and smell the aroma of goodies baking in the oven, makes me do that.

"Rosemary Tofu and Veggies Stuffed Buns", The original recipe calls for Indian Samosa stuffing and sesame seeds on top of the buns. I've already tried that recipe, so decided this time it needs some changes. The original recipe calls for plain flour/All purpose flour but I used Chapati Flour/Wholewheat flour.

So here is the end result of all the hard work. very simple recipe, just like all the "made from scratch" bread recipes, it just need some time for the dough to proof. Stuffing gets ready in 10 minutes. assembling is done in few minutes and baked in just 17-20 minutes. Kids loved them for their after school snack. They saved few for their morning breakfast as well. I love my Fairy and Champ!!!

Have a go on this recipe in your Kitchen, alter the stuffing, herbs and flour according to your taste. Enjoy the product of your hard work. My family loved these little bunds. Fulfilling and yummy, easy to make and bake. Drop a comment below with your feedback............Until next time, Happy Cooking friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

For the dough:
Whole Wheat Flour         - 1 cup
Rosemary                         - 1 tspoon
Salt                                   - to taste or 1/2 tspoon
Yeast                                - 1 tspoon
Honey                               - 1 tspoon
Oil                                    - 1 tblspoon
Water                                - 1/4 - 1/2 cup lukewarm

For the stuffing:
Tofu                                - 1/2 cup crumbled
Mix Veggies                   - 1/2 cup (par-boiled)
Salt                                  - to taste
Italian Seasoning             - 1 tblspoon
Lemon Juice                    - 1/2 tspoon


Method:

Mix flour, rosemary, salt, yeast, honey and oil in mixing bowl.
With the help of water start to knead the dough. Make it a bit wet and sticky dough. I used 1/2 cup water for that.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for few minutes until smooth.
Grease a deep bowl and place the dough in it, cover with a cling film and leave it to rise.
It takes 2 hours to double up in warm weather and 4-5 hours in a cold weather.
Once risen punch it down and knead again, keep aside.
In another bowl, mix crumbled tofu, veggies, seasoning, salt and lemon juice. Mix well and keep aside.

Line a baking tray with parchment/baking mat/grease with butter.
Now divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll all of them of the size of coaster.
Put the stuffing in the center of rolled out dough coaster.
Pinch all the corners of the dough and seal it properly.
Place them on a baking tray pinched sides down.
Keep the baking tray aside for the second rise of the buns. It will take near to 30-35 minutes, depending on the temperature of Kitchen /weather.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190c.
Bake the stuffed buns for 20-30 minutes or until start to form golden crust. Keep an eye on the after 20 minutes.
Once baked brush them with butter and serve them with choice of other snack and condiments.
I'm sure this will be a hit in your family as well.

Vegetable Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

When I was a little girl, my Mum use to make stuffed vegetables, to be honest I never liked them. Everyone use to eat them and sing praises for my mum but I always thought why mum has to burn these.

Now are the days when I understand why everyone sang those praise songs for my mum. I kissed her hands when I first tasted those stuffed vegetables. Since the day I first had those variety of stuffed vegetables made by mum and till now, I'm in love with the concept of stuffed vegetables.

I've in last 10 years, tried so many variety of stuffed vegetables like stuffed bell peppers, stuffed bitter gourd, stuffed zucchini, stuffed ivy gourd, stuffed apple gourd and many more. This time while planning to make stuffed vegetable, I thought of trying tomatoes.

Luckily, I've had few big size salad tomatoes, ripe but hard. Perfect, I thought, lets give it a go. Checked the fridge, had some leftover rice, some par-boiled veggies and boiled potatoes. Hurray, I yelled inside me and started preparing "Stuffed Tomatoes". Have had few bell peppers as well, so grabbed two of them and tomatoes have two friends now.

My family loved eating these stuffed tomatoes just like all other vegetables. I'm sure your family will love them as well. And for that you need to get into the kitchen and try making them. Don't forget to comment below and tell me your experience. Until next time.......Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

Tomatoes                   - 4 big size (preferably fresh and tight ones)
Cooked Rice              - 1 cup
Boiled Potato             - 2 small finely diced
Mix Veg                     - 1/2 cup par-boiled (Peas, corn, beans and carrots)
Tomato pulp               - 1/2 cup (extracted from 4 tomatoes)
Peanuts                       - 1/4 cup (optional)
Onion                         - 1 chopped
Garlic                         - 4 finely chopped
Ginger                        - 1 tspoon grated
Green Chilli               - 1 finely chopped
Turmeric Powder       - 1/2 tspoon
Coriander Powder      - 1 tspoon
Amchoor Powder       - 1/2 tspoon
Garam Masala            - 1/2 tspoon
Salt                             - to taste
Red Chili                    - to taste
Oil                               - 2 tblspoon


Extra:

Green Bell Pepper      - 2


Method:

Wash the tomatoes and core them. Extract all the pulp out from Tomatoes. Try not to cut/rip them. Handle the tomatoes gently. Do the same with Bell pepper as well if using.

Keep the extracted pulp in a bowl, we will use it later in the filling.

Heat 1 tblspoon oil in a Karahi, add onions, garlic, ginger and green chilli. Fry until golden.

Add peanuts and fry them until start popping.

Now add diced potatoes, fry for 1 minute.

Add par-boiled mix veggies and mix well.

Now add tomato pulp, we extracted from 4 tomatoes. Mix well.

Now add the dry spice powders, Turmeric powder, salt, Garam masala, Coriander powder, Amchoor and Red chili powder, mix very well.

Add the cooked rice and mix everything well.

Now fill-up the emptied tomatoes and bell peppers with the rice mixture.

Arrange them into a roasting/baking tray. Spray some oil spray/coat the 1 tblspoon of oil on the filled tomato and bell pepper.

I added some sliced onions, to get cooked in their juices and they go very well with these stuffed vegetables.
Bake these stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers in pre-heated oven on 200c for 30-35 minutes or until you see the skin getting brown and top getting crusty.
Once baked serve them with salad, dip and breads on side.
These stuffed tomatoes are the best dish as a whole, they have rice, veggies, and nuts in them.

I'm sending this recipe at Tinned Tomatoes for Meat Free Mondays. Have a look at another awesome vegetarian recipes on Meat Free Mondays