Veggie & Bean Burritos

Once in a while we get burritos from Chipotle and I quite like the combination of rice, beans, veggies, salsa (I add the spicy ones), cool guacamole, a tiny dollop of sourcream, corn & lettuce whether it's in a bowl (my favorite option) or wrapped tight in a humongous tortilla. Even my parents liked this and it goes over quite well with my daughter too.... she loves everything with sourcream. The ingredients themselves aren't complicated so I decided to make this at home... that way I could incorporate more veggies, add in some tofu and make all those personal tweaks to customize it for us.

VEGGIE & BEAN BURRITOS

Ingredients:
Tortillas (larger size) - as required (ensure ingredients does not include lard if you are vegetarian).
Black beans - about a cup, drained and washed (I used canned)
Guacamole - recipe here
Salsa - recipe here (or use storebought)
Onions - half cup, thinly sliced
Bell peppers - half cup, thinly sliced
Tofu - 6 to 8 oz, that has been drained and pressed between paper towels
Spinach - 2 cups, fresh (optional)
Garlic - 1 tbsp, minced
Frozen corn - cooked with some salt (optional, I didn't have any this time)
Oil - 3 tsp
Salt, chilli powder - to taste
Basmati Rice - cooked with some salt (about 1 to 2 cups)
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp or to taste
Cilantro (Coriander leaves) - 2 tbsp, chopped

Lettuce, Sour Cream, Cheese, Sriracha - for garnishes and toppings as desired

Method:

1) Heat 1 tsp of oil and saute the onion and bell peppers with some chilli powder and salt till cooked. You can maintain a bit of crunch. Remove and set aside

2) Heat 1 tsp oil and first add garlic followed by fresh cut spinach, cook until the greens wilt with a bit of salt and some black pepper if desired. Remove and set aside.

3) Heat 1 tsp of oil and spread evenly on the pan sprinkle some salt and add the tofu pieces. Sprinkle some chillipowder and some salt and cook until the bottoms have browned... flip over and cook the other side until browned.

4) Mix hot cooked rice with lemon juice and cilantro leaves and keep aside.

Gather all the ingredients to begin assembling and serving.

Assembling:
Warm the tortillas (either on a pan or microwave for 5 to 10 seconds). Lay the tortilla flat on a cutting board and first add some rice towards the bottom of the tortilla, then some blackbeans, followed by tofu, veggies (onion, bell pepper, spinach and corn), drizzle some sriracha sauce for a spicy kick, add some guacamole and salsa, some sour cream, cheese and lettuce depending on your preference.

Start rolling from the bottom, tucking the sides in... to form a nice tight seal. Cut in half (on a slight angle, if you prefer and serve).

Paneer Tawa Pulao

When I want to make something quick for my husband's lunch this Tawa pulao is something I can whip up quite easily and is spicy and tasty. I add paneer and peas (didn't have any peas when I made it this time) for some protein and also bell peppers for some crunch. Since he's not a big fan tomato, I skip it entirely and add a dash of ketchup to get some tang and colour. What sets apart a tawa pulao is the pav bhaji masala powder... it livens up the dish with a different flavour from the usual mixed rices. You could also squeeze in some lemon juice at the very end for a bright citrus taste.

PANEER TAWA PULAO

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - 2 cups, grains should be separate not mushy, preferably Basmati
Onion - half of a medium one, chopped finely
Bell Pepper - half cup, chopped
Paneer - about 100 gms, cut into small pieces
Peas - 1/4 cup, cooked (optional)
Ginger, garlic - 1 tsp each, chopped finely
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Pav Bhaji masala powder - 1 tbsp (or to taste)
Ketchup - 1 to 1.5 tbsp
Cumin seeds - half tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - to taste (optional)
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, chopped

Method

1) Heat oil in a wide, shallow pan and season with cumin seeds. When they sizzle, it's time to add the onions, ginger & garlic.

2) When the onions are translucent, add the bell pepper with a bit of salt and cook until tender crisp. Then add the paneer pieces and keep tossing together so they get a bit browned.

3) Next the peas are added, if using, followed by the chilli powder and pav bhaji masala powder. After a minute or two of continuous stirring add in the ketchup followed by the rice. Taste and adjust salt and seasonings and continue to stir the rice gently until it gets completely coated with the masala. Reduce the flame and cover for a few minutes to let the flavours absorb.

4) Switch off the stove and after about 5 to 10 minutes stir in the coriander leaves and sprinkle some lemon juice before serving with raitha and chips.

Ragi Dosai

I was pleasantly surprised to find a pack of whole Ragi in my pantry - I had been putting it away assuming it was a pack of mustard seeds until I took a closer look at it one day and discovered that it was infact Ragi. The first thing that popped in my head was ragi dosai.... My mom made these amazing ragi dosais which were crispy and chewy at the same time and we would usually have it with this spicy red chilli chutney - bliss! Her method however required ground urad dhal to be mixed with ragi flour and fermented together overnight. But I remember that when my MIL was visiting us we used a recipe with whole ragi so I called her up to get this recipe & it definitely delivered.... can't wait to make it again.

WHOLE RAGI DOSA

Ingredients:

Whole Ragi - 1 cup

Raw Rice - 1 cup

Urad dhal - 1/4 cup

Salt - to taste (1 to 2 tsp)
Oil - to cook dosas

Method:

1) Soak Ragi, Rice and urad dhal separately for atleast 3 hours.

2) I used a wet grinder... first grind soaked ragi for atleast 20 mins or so and then add the urad dhal and water as required and grind for another 15-20 mins, after which you add the rice and grind until you get a smooth paste... The consistency should be similar to dosa batter.

3) Add salt to taste and allow to ferment overnight (similar to idli batter). I keep it in the oven with the light on.

4) The batter is now ready to make dosais. Drop a big ladleful on a seasoned cast iron tawa and swirl to make dosas. Few drops of oil along the sides and flip over to cook the other side as well.

Enjoy with this spicy milagai chutney or milagai podi.

A Tribute...

We recently lost 2 wonderful food bloggers and both losses came as a total shock for me. First, it was Jayasree and now Miri (Raji). I could hardly believe my eyes when I read about this news from several bloggers... Just that weekend I was browsing Miri's blog and made her urulai roast for a friend's baby shower. She exhibited such enthusiasm and energy in all her posts and I particularly loved those that had her baking with her daughter because that is something I enjoy doing with my daughter too... Ever since I heard the news I can't stop thinking about her daughter and what she must be feeling... Miri & Jayasree, you both will be missed very much by all of us.

Here are pictures of the Potato Roast that I made from Miri's blog (which turned out just fabulous) ... the only change I made to her recipe was to first fry the onions and tomatoes in a tsp of oil before grinding them.

Lemon Coriander soup

It has been my kind of winter this time.... not too cold and just a dusting of snow 3 times so far and we even experienced spring like temperatures a few days in January. Even when the groundhog predicted 6 more weeks of winter I didn't feel sad for a moment because this kind of winter I can definitely handle for 6 more weeks :) That said, temperatures are still on the cold side on some days and on one such cold, wet evening my mind wandered to this delicious spicy, tangy soup we had at 'Ming', an Indo-chinese restaurant in NJ. It was a coriander soup and was broth based but not too watery and it had crispy strips of cabbage, carrots and sprouts suspended lending a nice texture.

This is my take on recreating the soup... I wouldn't say it's a perfect match to what I tasted at the restaurant but it definitely satisfied my cravings and warmed me up. It's also a good option when someone has the sniffles... since the flavours of lemon, coriander and ginger dominate this soup.

LEMON CORIANDER SOUP

Ingredients:

For the Soup Base:
Green chillies - 5 to 6 chopped
Ginger - 2 inch piece grated
Celery - 1-2 stalks chopped
Vegetable broth - 1 can or half vegetable bouillon cube
Water - 4 to 5 cups
Coriander stalks with some leaves - about 10 to 12

For the soup

Soup Base (above)
Thinly slivered carrot, cabbage, beans (any combination) - 1/2 cup
Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 to 2 tbsp (or to taste)
Salt, white pepper - to taste
Cornflour - 2 tbsp mixed with half cup water to a slurry

Method:

1) For the soup base... In a deep pot, bring to a boil the water, celery stalks, green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves and the vegetable stock. Then allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes before switching off the stove. When ready to make the soup, strain this to remove the bits of veggies and ginger and keep the flavoured broth.

2) For the soup, combine the lemony-ginger broth (from step 1 above) with the veggies and allow to boil gently until the veggies are crisp tender.

3) Add the cornflour slurry at this stage and season with salt to taste - let this boil until the soup thickens slightly.

4) Switch off the stove and add in the coriander leaves and the lemon juice. Add pepper to taste & serve hot.

Vegetable Patties

Happy New Year folks! I hope you all had a nice celebration to welcome the New Year. I had a rather unique experience this year and was at the temple for a special midnight puja to welcome the New year! This was definitely my first and i had no idea that such a thing existed... I've even been to a church for a special New Year mass but never the temple before... it was definitely a nice feeling and I was surpised at the rather big crowd that turned up.

Today's recipe is one that I made after tasting the frozen vegetable masala burgers (Tandoor chef) available in Indian grocery stores.. I quite liked the taste and texture of that and decided to make a healthy version at home and my husband declared that he liked these veggie patties even better than the storebought one. You could make these ahead and freeze them until ready to use. I had some leftover cooked quinoa and so added that to the patties and the rest of the family had no idea they were there... (they typically don't eat quinoa, i'm the only one who likes it)... but of course it's entirely optional.

VEGETABLE PATTIES

Ingredients:
Potatoes- 2 big or 3 medium, boiled, peeled and mashed coarsely
Carrots - cubed into tiny pieces about 1/3 cup

Corn kernels - 1/3 cup (I used frozen, if using canned, rinse and drain completely)
Peas - 1/3 cup
Bell pepper - 1/3 cup chopped ( I used red, you could use green too)
Onion - half, chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped
Quinoa - 1/2 cup cooked (optional)

Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup (grind a few slices of bread in a mixie to get crumbs)
Walnuts - 2 tbsp, chopped and toasted (optional)
Sambar powder - 1 to 2 tsp
Curry Masala powder/Garam Masala powder - half tsp

Turmeric powder - half tsp
Salt - to taste
Olive oil - 1 tbsp + oil to spray when baking


Method:

1) Pressure cook potatoes or microwave them submerged in water for about 7-8 minutes until soft. Peel and mash them. You could cut a portion of it into small cubes and mash the rest for an interesting texture in the burger patties.

2) In a pan, heat the olive oil and add the chopped garlic and onions. Saute this until the onions turn soft and are translucent. Next add the bell pepper and stir for a few minutes before adding the corn, carrots,peas and cubed potatoes (if using). Add some salt to help soften the vegetables.


3) After a few minutes, add the sambar powder and masala powder with turmeric and saute until browned a bit. The vegetables will be tender crisp. Switch off the stove.

4) To the mashed potatoes, add the bread crumbs & quinoa (if using), along with chopped walnuts and the sauteed veggie cubes.

5) Divide into small balls and flatten each into burger patties. (Cover with clear wrap individually and freeze them at this stage until ready to cook)


6) Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminium foil, spray with oil evenly and lay the patties. Spray the tops with oil too and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until browned, flipping over once in between. Alternatively you could shallow fry them in a pan until golden on both sides.


Assemble the patties in burger buns with lettuce, tomato, some mayo and ketchup... I used the thin sandwich buns while my kids had them plain with some ketchup like vegetable cutlets. Overall a definite favorite & nutritious too.

Cheesecake Bars

I trust everyone is in a festive holiday mood... I have 2 weeks off and I couldn't be more thrilled... this is much needed downtime after a rather busy year at work. I hope to spend some fun times with the kiddos and also with some friends who are visiting us. Having the kids at home with me means lesser time for the things I usually do in my free time such as blog hopping, posting new recipes and even cooking something new... so today I'm here with a recipe I made a month ago for a get-together - Cheese cake bars.
They are very versatile and you can play around with the basic recipe and make many variations - such as adding crushed oreo biscuits or topping with a layer of ganache, adding in some nuts etc.


CHEESE CAKE BARS

Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 3/4 cup graham crackers (honey or chocolate) or nilla wafers - crushed to a powder
1/4  cup roasted almonds - powdered (optional, or you could increase the crackers by 1/4 cup)
Brown Sugar - half cup
Butter - 4 tbsp, melted

For the Filling:Low fat cream cheese (Neufachtel) - two 8 oz pkgs, softened
Sugar - half cup
Eggs - 2 large
Sour cream - 3/4 cup
Semisweet chocolate chips - about 1/2 cup
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Jam (strawberry, raspberry etc) - 1/4 to 1/3 cup (I used plum jam since i wanted to finish that)

Method:1) Preheat oven to 300F. Line a 13x9 inch pan with aluminium foil - this will ensure that it's easy to lift out the cheesecake when done.

2) For the crust, combine the crumbs, powdered nuts (if using), brown sugar and melted butter. It will seem crumbly... press into the bottom of the pan and bake for 8 minutes and allow to cool.

3) Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a big bowl. Add eggs one at a time. beating the mixture until fluffy. Add sour cream and vanilla stir well. Pour over the crust & spread it out evenly with a spatula.

4) Microwave the jam for about 15-20 seconds to soften it... drop spoonfuls on the filling randomly... make swirls with a toothpick.. you will want to work quickly because the swirls are easier to make when the jam doesn't cool down too much.

5) Sprinkle chocolate chips on the top and bake for 40 mins. Allow to cool and refrigerate for atleast 4 hours before cutting into bars and serving.

In case I don't get to post again before the New Year starts, I'd like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year ahead!

Stir-fried Eggplant

I know that this is not a popular vegetable and it wasn't mine either growing up but now it's a different story... My kids & husband are not totally crazy about it but there are certain recipes that can hook them in and this is one such.

This recipe was inspired by the eggplant dish one finds in Chinese restaurants... you can make it as spicy as you want it and it goes great with some fried rice or even plain rice. For this, I use the long, slender chinese eggplants. The cornflour ensures that the sauce hugs the eggplant & gives it a nice sheen.

STIR FRIED EGGPLANT / BRINJALS (Chinese Style)

Ingredients:
Long Chinese eggplants - 2, sliced into 2 inch pieces
Onion - 1 small, sliced thin (optional)
Garlic - 4 cloves, chopped
Oil - 2 tbsp (use half sesame oil if available)
Spring onion greens - for garnish (I didn't have any, unfortunately)
Chilli powder / red chilli flakes - half tsp (optional)
Salt - to taste

Sauce mix:
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Chilli sauce (e.g. Sriracha) - 1 tbsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Sugar - half tsp (optional)
Black pepper - to taste
Corn flour - 1-2 tsp (mixed with 3 tbsp cold water to form a thin paste)

Ingredients:
1) Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wide, shallow pan and fry the eggplant with a bit of salt and chilli powder (if using) on medium. Flip over after several minutes and cook the other side as well until they are tender. Remove from stove and keep aside.

2) In the same pan, heat the remaining tbsp of oil and add the garlic and sliced onions (if using) and fry till golden. Now add the cooked eggplant and cook for a few more minutes.

3) Combine all the sauce ingredients and add to the eggplant-onion stir fry and allow to combine. Cook for a few more minutes until it thickens. Garnish with spring onion tops & serve with rice.

Pad Thai Wraps / Rolls

It's not common for my husband to like healthy food.... (like salads and soups) but I have to admit that he has come a long way and now eats broccoli, tofu and a whole lot of other vegetables that he once refused to even look at.... So I was quite surprised when he complained that I haven't made the summer rolls in a long time - essentially they have a salad of veggies and seasoned tofu wrapped to make a roll.

Wanting something warm for dinner, I decided to twist my usual recipe to make a Pad thai inspired filling... so it's basically a combination of the Pad Thai recipe with the Vietnamese Summer Roll recipe. I sauteed veggies and tofu and added in a splash of the tangy, sweet pad thai sauce & added in some crushed peanuts - we loved it !

PAD THAI WRAPS/ROLLS

Ingredients:

Vietnamese Spring roll wrappers (rice wrappers) - here's a link that shows how to wrap them

Cabbage - 3/4 cup loosely packed shredded into thin, long strips
Carrot - 2 medium, julienned into thin slivers
Mung sprouts - about 2 cups
Tofu puffs - about 8, cut into strips (you could use sauteed tofu too)
Spring Onions - 3 to 5 stalks, chopped
Cucumber - cut into thin strips
Garlic - 3 to 4 cloves, minced
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Sriracha chilli sauce - to season
Roasted Peanuts - 1/3 cup, chopped coarsely
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves/Spring onions - for garnish

For the Sauce:
Tamarind extract - 1 cup (soak tamarind in water and extract juice)
Soy sauce -2 tbsp
Jaggery - about 1 to 2 tbsp (or to taste)
Sriracha chilli sauce - 2 tsp (optional)
Salt - to taste

Method:
1) Heat oil & add garlic, next add the cabbage and carrot and saute with a bit of salt. Add about 1 cup of sprouts and a tsp of soy sauce and some sriracha if you want some extra spice. Remove from the stove while veggies are still tender crisp (so a few minutes in a hot stove should do). Stir in the chopped spring onions and set aside.

2) Make the sauce by simmering together the tamarind juice, soy sauce, sriracha and brown sugar/jaggery till it thickens to a sauce.

3) Heat a tsp of oil and add the tofu puffs with a splash of sriracha and a tsp of water which will allow the tofu puffs to soften a bit and absorb some spicy flavor. Use your favorite seasoning if sriracha is not your thing.

3) Heat some water in a wide, shallow pan (this is to dip the rice roll wrappers) - it should be a more than warm but not boiling hot.

4) Dip the rice roll wrapper (one at a time) and once it softens (takes about a minute or lesser) lay it out on a flat surface and it's time to make the rolls - in one corner, put the sauteed veggies, top them with some fresh sprouts, cucumber, tofu, peanuts and coriander leaves, drizzle some of the tamarind sauce and a bit of sriracha - roll it like you would a burrito (refer to this link for more detailed pictures). Serve with the tamarind based pad thai sauce for dipping and enjoy.

Baked Zucchini Crisps

Using the oven on a cold night gives the kitchen a cozy feeling and the tummies a delicious meal. Last week, I whipped up these zucchini crisps for dinner and they were devoured by the family. Thin slices of zucchini are coated with seasoned breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and baked till crisp... As for the first coating, you could use egg or a mixture of all purpose flour and water if you don't eat eggs - I didn't have any eggs at home that day. Try it and I'm sure this will be a very tasty way to get your family to eat zucchini.

BAKED ZUCCHINI CRISPS


Ingredients:

Zucchini - 1 (big), washed & sliced thin - about quarter inch thick slices
Bread Crumbs - about 1 cup (I ran a few slices of bread through a food processor)
Grated Parmesan - 1/3 cup to half cup
Garlic powder - half tsp
Lemon - Pepper seasoning - quarter tsp (optional)
Red Chilli flakes - half tsp to 1 tsp (or to taste)
Maida/All purpose flour - 1/4 cup mixed with water to form a paste OR Egg - 1, beaten
Salt - to taste
Oil - to spray

Method:
1) Pre-heat oven to 475F. Cover a sheet pan with foil/parchment paper and spray with oil.

2) In the first bowl, mix the all purpose flour with water to form a thin paste (or beat egg if using instead) add a pinch of salt.

3) In the 2nd bowl, mix breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese, salt & seasonings (garlic, chilli flakes, pepper etc)

4) Dredge the zucchini slices, first in the flour paste (or egg) and then in the bread crumbs to coat. Arrange as a single layer on the baking sheet.

5) Bake for 5 minutes on one side, flip and cook another 5-7 minutes on the other side.

Best when eaten fresh..... I wouldn't know if it keeps well and tastes good the next day since we always finish it the same day :) I served them plain but you could put out a bowl of marinara sauce or ketchup to dip.