Stuffed Parathas – The Indian Sandwich!

A lunch box is my household is a simple or a complicated affair, depending entirely on me, the mother and the cook. My 6 year old wants to take a cheese sandwich everyday for lunch (it’s easier to eat Mommy!). The underlying truth behind the preference is of course that there are no veggies in it. Also, she refuses to carry any food, the shape or smell of which screams our loud “Indian food” when she opens her lunch box in the school cafeteria. While I don’t entirely approve of this attitude of being embarrassed of standing out in a crowd because of food, I understand that at this age, blending in is more important and hey, nothing can really beat the convenience of a sandwich!

So basically, if I fix her a cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich everyday (using wheat bread of course), things are simple and smooth, she is happy, I am not. And so, one day I thought what food would be as easy to eat as a sandwich and more nutritious, not to say sandwiches aren’t but eating the same kind and without vegetables, definitely not so much.

So here’s what I came up with as one of the alternatives for the everyday lunch box. I told my daughter that a sandwich was slices of bread with one or more fillings between them and a paratha was circles of dough with fillings in between. So it was the Indian Sandwich! The name did the trick and she was happy to give it a try!

Stuffed parathas is a common and a popular dish in most households, I simply “vegetablised” and toned it down for the lunch box.

The Dough

Wheat flour – 2 cups

Water – as needed

Oil – 2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients and knead dough (slightly firmer than what you would knead for a Roti or a Chapatti). Keep aside for an hour.

The Stuffing

Broccoli- 1 medium crown

Carrots – 2 medium

Potatoes – 2 medium

Cilantro – chopped finely, half a cup

Seasoned bread crumbs – half a cup

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Lemon juice – ½ tsp

Salt and pepper

Butter or oil for shallow fry

 Boil all the vegetables, drain and mash them. Add cilantro, bread crumbs and seasonings. Mix well, set aside for 10 minutes for the flavors to blend thoroughly.

Make a medium sized ball of the dough and roll it with a rolling pin to make a circle. Stuff in one and a half tablespoons of the vegetable filling. Gather the dough circle in the center to form a ball again. Now roll it to a small circular paratha. You can also press it with your hands along the center and edges and come up with the small parathas. Heat a flat skillet, cook one side for a couple minutes and flip over. Once the other side is also cooked, grease the paratha with oil or butter and shallow-fry till crispy. Serve warm or sizzling hot!

Tips

·         You can use poha (flattened rice) in place of breadcrumbs for binding.

·         You can also roll out two small circles, layer the vegetable stuffing between them and seal the circles along the side to create one paratha.

·         Serve with ketchup, chutney or yogurt.

  Interesting fact

·         ‘Paratha’ means layers of cooked dough. It is called ‘Palata’ in Burma and ‘Farata’ in Maldives. 

This Healthy Lunch Box is going to :

http://seduceyourtastebuds.blogspot.com/2013/01/kids-delight-event-announcement.html

http://spicingyourlife.blogspot.com/2010/01/announcing-kids-delight-wholesome.html

Egg-less Pineapple Cake

This week I needed a dessert that could be made a day in advance for an afternoon party. I started to cook an Indian dessert with the can of pineapple I had at hand, but changed my mind and baked a cake instead. This super easy recipe bakes an amazingly delicious and moist cake and I have to thank Manjula’s kitchen for posting it online. I made a few changes and altered the measurements accordingly.

Ingredients

All purpose flour – 1 cup

Wheat flour – ½ cup

Butter – 1 stick

Condensed milk – 1 small can

Pineapple juice – ½ cup

Crushed pineapples – ½ cup

Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Baking soda – ¼ tsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Method

Grease a cake pan and put it aside. Pre-heat the oven to 325 F. combine the flours, baking powder and soda, salt and cardamom powder in a bowl. In a small bowl, melt the stick of butter. Add the butter, condensed milk and half of the pineapple juice to the dry mixture. Add the crushed pineapple puree too and fold everything together slowly. Pour the batter in the greased pan and bake for 50 minutes. Baking times may vary so keep checking after 30 minutes have passed.

Insert a knife in the center of the cake to check whether it’s done or not before taking it out of the oven. Once the cake cools down a bit, take it out on a plate and prick it with a fork at several places. Brush the remaining pineapple juice generously on the cake while it is still warm. This will enhance the flavor and retain the moisture in the cake making it soft. Let the cake cool off completely, slice it up and serve !

Tips

·         You can use chunks of pineapple instead of puree.

 Interesting fact

·         In the Philippines, pineapple leaves are used to manufacture wall paper and furnishings.

Maggie Rice

Let me start this post with a riddle. What takes 2 minutes to cook and yet is one of the hardest leftovers to use? 

And the answer is MAGGI !

I bet most of you never faced this problem because Maggi noodles are consumed faster than they are cooked. I would have never faced the leftover situation with this delicious instant noodles had it been just me eating them. I cooked a lot of them for a group and well, some of them were on diet! So here I was, with a bowl full of cooked Maggie noodles lying in the pan and a tummy so full, it refused to have any more of them.

The first thought that came to my mind was to just throw them away; of course wasting food is never an admirable thing to do. I remembered, Hemal Shah, a friend of mine had mentioned that she cooked rice with maggi masala (the seasoning packet that comes with the noodles) and her family just loves it.  I figured if the seasoning could be used for another recipe why not use the leftover Maggie, which already had the seasoning in it. I called my friend who willingly shared her recipe. Adding a few more ingredients, I had this utterly delicious Maggie rice for dinner and now I know what to do with leftover instant noodles and after reading this post, you will too!

Ingredients

Cooked Maggi noodles – 1 packet

Cooked white rice – 1.5 cups

Yellow bell pepper (chopped) – half a cup 

Diced green chilies – 2 small ones

Diced ginger – 1 tsp

Finely chopped garlic – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Olive oil – 2 tsp

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the yellow bell peppers, green chillies, ginger and garlic on a high flame for about a minute. Add the rice, noodles, salt and spices and mix well. Lower heat and cook for a couple of minutes till the flavors blend, stirring all the while. Sprinkle cracked pepper and serve hot.

Serving suggestions

·         With Chips/ Papad/Yogurt

Tips

·         You can use any color bell pepper to make the dish more colorful.

·         The ratio of rice to noodles doesn’t really matter too much when you are using leftovers!

·         Go easy on the green chilies if you can’t tolerate spice.

  Interesting fact

·         Apart from India “Maggi” is also very popular in Malaysia. 

Guest Post - Naanza!

The minute I saw "Naanza" on my Facebook updates, I knew I wanted it on my blog somehow and that this was one recipe that needed to be shared. And all I had to do was ask !

Shachi Thakar, my friend and a Guest Blogger today, graciously agreed to share a few words, the recipe and a delicious click on Pasta and Paratha. Thank you Shachi and I hope I get a chance to try out more of your wonderful recipes!

So, here's how "Naanza" came to be, in the words of the Chef herself ..


I started to learn cooking once I came to the US for my masters' degree. Until then, my cooking experience was limited to helping mom when there were guests at home or when she was sick. But it was always under her supervision, and things were so much easier (I didn't have to use my  brain :P). 

The first thing I tried making after landing here was Pav Bhaji. Many of my undergrad classmates (all boys) had come with me to the same college, and a couple of them had come a semester in advance. I was the only girl, and they asked me to step up and take the lead for preparing dinner one day. They helped me cut the veggies, but the rest was all on me. I was very very nervous. However, I managed to serve a very delicious meal for everyone, and that first attempt at cooking in this country gave me the confidence I needed to keep getting better and to keep trying out new recipes. Over a period of time, I learnt to really enjoy my time in the kitchen. These days, its a peaceful relaxing activity for me and I look forward to it on most days!

So back in February, I came across this recipe, and loved it. I finally got a chance to try it myself, and as usual, made some tweaks along the way to improvise. 

Ingredients:

Naans - 4 (I bought them from Costco) (if you use frozen naan, thaw before using)

Colored bell peppers - 1 cup sliced

Zucchini - 1/2 cup sliced

Red Onion - 1/2 cup sliced

Garlic Cloves - sliced

Grape or Roma Tomatoes - 1/2 cup - sliced

Optional veggies - mushrooms, eggplant.

Pesto Sauce or Marinara Sauce - 3 tbsp per pizza (homemade or store bought)

Amul cheese - 1/2 cup shredded (you can also use sliced mozzarella or crumbled feta)

Avocado - 2 large - peeled and sliced

Fresh basil leaves - optional

Olive oil, salt, pepper - for roasting the vegetables

Red chili flakes (optional)

Toss all the sliced vegetables (bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, tomatoes in a mixing bowl. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Give them a good shake so that all of them are evenly coated. Spread them out on a tray and toss them in the oven, and roast them at 425F for 10-15 mins (they should be well roasted). While the veggies are being roasted - take the Naan, spread the Pesto or Marinara sauce on it (you can also do half pesto/half marinara), add a layer of Amul cheese on top and keep them ready. Once the veggies are out, spread them evenly on the cheese. Put the naan back in the oven for few minutes, until the cheese melts, the toppings bubble up and the naan is crisp (it should turn a light brown color on the edges).

Garnish with avocado slices and fresh basil leaves, and add red chili flakes on top (if you like it spicy) and dig into your NaanZa!

Shachi Thakar

A daughter, sister, wife, MOM, a caring and dependable friend, a compassionate human being - I am an Indian living in California (USA) since the last 12 years. I am an engineer by profession. I love being a mommy. My hobbies include reading, traveling, cooking, music, sports (Racquetball, tennis, swimming, gymming) - just to name a few.  

Purple Raita

There are some sides that are colorful, nutritious, flavorful and take just minutes to put together. This dish definitely falls under that category. ‘Raita’ is a popular accompaniment to an Indian meal and this yogurt based dip brings a very refreshing taste on the dining table.

There really isn’t much to list in terms of ingredients or cooking method. Beat 1 cup of yogurt and add ¼ cup of water to it. Add and mix half a cup of grated purple cabbage, salt, pepper and chat masala to the yogurt. Chill and serve!

Serving suggestions

·         With Biryani/Pulav/Rice/Paratha or as a dip.

Tips

·         You can add grated carrot to make the dish more colorful.

·         Green cabbage can be used in place of purple cabbage.

·         Small pieces of green chili can be added to get a little zing !

Interesting fact

Red cabbage juice (which is popularly known as purple cabbage) contains anthocyanin and can be used as a pH indicator (determination of acidity content).

Colorful Penne in Creamy Pesto

Penne is by far my most preferred kind of pasta. It works well with any kind of sauce and veggies and the shape is also very pleasant to look at!

This colorful recipe is easy to put together, provided you have pesto sauce at hand, if not then add a couple minutes more to your cooking time. The bell peppers give this pasta dish a nice crunch and color and the pesto of course lends it the delicious flavor.

Ingredients

Whole wheat penne – 1 cup

Colored bell peppers – 1 cup (chopped or sliced)

Carrots – ½ cup (chopped or sliced)

Almond Pesto – 4 tsp

Italian seasoning – 1 tsp

Milk – ¼ cup

Parmesan cheese – 4 tsp

Water – 4 cups

Olive Oil – 1 tsp

Butter – 1 tsp

Salt & Pepper

Boil water and season it with oil, salt and water. Cook pasta in that water as per package directions, drain and set aside. Heat butter in a skillet and sauté the carrots and bell peppers for a couple of minutes. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.  Mix in the pesto sauce and cooked pasta. Add milk and parmesan cheese. Gently stir all the ingredients so that they blend in together. Sprinkle pepper and more cheese if desired and serve this colorful pasta hot!

Serving suggestions

·         With soup/salad.

Tips

·        Any kind of dry herbs like parsley, basil, oregano etc., can be used in absence of Italian seasoning.

·        You can add any colored vegetables of your choice; just make sure you don’t overcook them so that they retain their crunchy texture.

·    Mexican blend grated cheese goes well with this kind of pasta in combination with parmesan cheese.

·       Pesto can last up to a week in the refrigerator and can also be frozen for later use
·         Store bought Pesto also works well with this dish.

  Interesting fact

·         Bell pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin A & C, both very powerful anti-oxidants.


This colorful pasta is going to:
http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/04/healthy-diet-vegetarian-side-dishes-event-announcement/
http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/healthy-diet-event-host-line-up.html

Quinoa With Peanuts & Yogurt

This is a dish I cook only for myself for the simple reason that the introduction of Quinoa as a part of everyday food still hasn’t sunk in for the rest of my family. Usually, I give in and just go along with what everybody else is eating in the house but after having come to know of the health benefits of Quinoa, I make it a point to cook it for myself atleast twice a week.

This recipe is pretty basic but packs in a lot of flavor and nutrition. The crunch of the peanuts and the smoothness of the yogurt give this dish a good balance. Whereas, the green chili adds a delicious zing and of course a contrast of color to the dish.

Ingredients

Quinoa – 1 cup

Roasted peanuts – ¼ cup

Blended yogurt – ½ cup

Water – 2 cups

Green chilies – as tolerated

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Chopped cilantro – 2 tsp

Olive Oil – 1 tsp

Salt & Pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet and add cumin seeds to it. When the seeds start to crackle add curry leaves, green chilies, chopped cilantro, roasted peanuts and give it a quick stir. Mix in the quinoa and cook for 2 minutes on medium flame stirring constantly. Then pour in water and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for 15 minutes or so until the quinoa is nearly done. Fold in the blended yogurt and cook on slow flame for 7 minutes or so. Turn the heat off and cover for a few minutes before you transfer it to a plate. Garnish with roasted peanuts and a green chili and help yourself!

Serving suggestions

·         With Ghee/more yogurt/curry

Tips

·         Go easy on the salt as the yogurt also adds a little bit of a salty flavor to the dish.

·        Vegetables like carrots, corn, potatoes or even bell peppers can make a good addition to this basic recipe.

  Interesting fact

·         Quinoa is high in protein content, gluten-free and easy to digest.

·         Quinoa is a healthier alternative to white rice. 

This simple dish that I cooked for myself goes to:

http://vegetariansurprises.blogspot.com/2012/03/cooking-for-myself.html

&

http://rasoithekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/02/announcing-cooking-with-whole-foods.html
http://kiranjay.blogspot.com/2010/06/cooking-with-whole-foods-and-future.html