Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

As soon as someone says Grilled Cheese Sandwich, the first thing that comes to my mind is the amount of butter and cheese involved. This is one of the main reasons why I always ended up avoiding it. So finally, to be able to eat a whole sandwich, without any guilt, I created this similar version of it, using more vegetables and relatively lesser fat.

For My Kids, cut up in stripes..

Serves 2

Ingerdients:

1 12" baguette (you can use any kind of bread that is available, even 4 slices of white bread would do)

1/4 cup finely chopped mixed bell peppers

1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup finely chopped broccoli

1 tbsp chopped onions

1 green chilli chopped (optional)

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

1/4 cup shredded cheese (I have used a mexican blend)

1 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

a dash of any herb blend

Prepped Ingredients

Method:

1. Slice the baguette horizontally into half and then again, into two sandwiches, vertically. Mix all the ingredients, except the butter, in a bowl.

2. Heat a griddle, butter the bread on the outside, and place on the griddle with the stuffing on the base bread( refer to the next pic)

3. Once slightly toasted, cover the sandwitch with the top slice, and toast on the other side, pressing it down a little.

4. Serve with a little ketchup and mustard.

PS:- Sometimes when I like to eat lesser bread, I make open sandwitches by covering the sandwiches while they are grilling. (pics follow)

Enjoy!

Corn Cheela

This cheela has a very sweet chilli combination of flavors....the perfect snack for a rainy day, or after school snack for the kids(less the chillies)

Ingredients:

2 corn on the cob, grated,

1/2 cup besan

1 tsp rice flour(optional, this is to make it crisp)

2 tsp ginger-green chillies, pounded

2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

a squeeze of hing

salt to taste

oil for making the cheelas

 

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients above. Add a little water if the batter is too thick.

2. Follow the below steps from spread the batter on pan to serving it on platter.

Add few drops of oil on a hot pan.

Spread two spoonfuls of batter and add a few drops .of oil.

Cover the pan and let it cook on low flame for a minute.

Reverse the Cheela;
Add a few drops of oil;
Cook on high flame till this side is also brown and crisp.

Serve hot with Corriander chutney

         

Enjoy with green coriander chutney.

Tip: If I have a lot of people to serve and not as many corn cobs, i increase the amount of besan and seasonings added. It does dilute the taste but none the less it still tastes yummy.

Green chutney with garlic

 

Green Coriander Chutney

This is a very useful chutney, and at the same time it has a very high nutritional and taste value. If you have a batch of these, ready in the fridge, it always comes in handy with pakoras, cheelas, sandwiches, poha, and with regular meals too.

Ingredients:

To be ground to a paste

2 cups coriander leaves, washed, chopped

5-6 green chillies

2" ginger,

2 cloves garlic

Juice of 1 lime,

1/2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

Method:

Grind the ingredients to me made into a paste. Add the lime juice, salt and sugar.

Tip: If you do not intend using all the chutney in one go, refrigerate the paste. Take our little by little and add the lime juice, salt and sugar accordingly.

Whole Green Moong Tadka

This dal is very popular with a community I used to visit very often. It is one of those dals which was made at home to lift our moods. Even though it looks and tastes no lesser than a heavy party dal, it is relatively much gentler on the stomach and also very nutritious. So, here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup whole green moong daal(washed and cleaned,no need to soak)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, sliced
4 tbsp ginger-garlic(fresh,pounded)
4-5 green chillies- sliced
1 tsp tomato paste(optional-gives good colour, even sauce or puree would work)
1/4th cup coriander leaves
1/2 tsp chili pd
1/2 tsp haldi
salt to taste

For the Tarka:2 tbsp ghee
a pinch hing
1 bay leaf,
1"cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
2 whole red chillies
1 tsp jeera


Method:
1 In a pressure cooker, heat the ghee and make a tadka adding all the ingredients above in the order mentioned.

2 Then add the onions(cook for a while), green chillies,ginger-garlic(do not cook the garlic and ginger for long)..tomatoes(chopped)add the salt and haldi.

3 When the tomatoes are cooked add the tomato paste, chilli pd and the dal,stir for a few minutes. Add the coriander leaves and 4(approx) cups of water.

4 Give 2 whistles on high flame and cook on a low flame for 40 mins..allow the pressure to drop on its own.

This daal is supposed to be thickish but you may want to adjust the thickness and the seasoning.

Enjoy with rice or roti.

Onion Raita

Onion Raita

Onion raita is one of those side dishes which complements dishes like biryanis and kachoris as a perfect match

Ingredients:

1 onion finely chopped
2 green chillies
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp ginger juice
2 cups plain lowfat curd
1/2 - 1 cup lowfat milk
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Beat the curd and add the milk(quantity of milk added depends on the thickness of raita one prefers. I like thin raita with biryani and slightly thick with kachoris and puris)

2. Add the salt, sugar and the rest of the ingredients.

3. Enjoy.

Tip: Onion leaves water once the salt is added. Adjust the amount of milk added to the curd accordingly.

Green Chilli Pickle

Green chilli pickle:

This is one of my personal favorites and a must have for those who cook non spicy meals for their kids. For me it is an additive with nimkis, khakhra, kachoris, rice and practically every meal.

Ingredients:

250 gms chopped green chillies (you can pick the chillies according to your heat tolerance)

25 gms mustard seed powder

25 gms salt

1 tsp red chilli powder

A pinch haldi

1/2 tsp each or fennel seeds, kalonji, and fenugreek seeds.

1/2 tsp sugar

Juice of 2 limes
2-3 tbsp mustard oil

Method:
Wash, dry and cut the chillies to small pieces. Air dry them for about 30 minutes.
Mix all the above ingredients together in a clean dry bowl. Once well mixed, store in a clean dry glass jar. After 2 days store in a refrigerator.
Enjoy with nimki, khakhra, kachoris and practically everything.

Tip: Always weigh the chillies, salt and mustard powder accurately. the rest can vary to taste. 

Kachori Subzi

Kachori Subzi

I love cooking. This is my first blog and as you all will see I am very new to expressing my mind. Please bear with me and allow me to start my blog with my first recipe. I chose this to be my first recipe because it is very popular with my family and friends. It is a complete meal and brings a smile on my kids' face. So here it goes:

Serves 4

Ingredients for kachori:

1 cup aata (whole wheat flour)

1 cup suji

1/4 tsp kalonji

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

2 generous pinches of hing (more or less to liking)

1/2 tsp salt or to taste 

2 tsp oil

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Add enough water to make a soft dough. Let the dough rest while you make the subzi.

Ingredients for subzi:

4 large boiled potatoes

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp panch phoran

1/2 tsp hing

2 tbsp pounded ginger green chili paste

1 tbsp kasuri methi

1/2 tsp haldi

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

A pinch of rock salt,

1/2 tsp amchur powder

A pinch of garam masala.

Salt to taste

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Method:

1. Peel and chop the potatoes into large chunks. Mash 2 chunks.

2. Heat oil in a wok. Add panch phoran, when it crackles add the hing, kasuri methi and ginger chilli paste. Cook for a minute.

3. Add haldi, coriander powder and red chilli powder, cook for a minute.

4. Add the potatoes and mix well frying for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.

5. Add amchur, garam masala and salt. Simmer for 10- 15 minutes till the gravy Is a little thickish.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves

To proceed: 

Heat 2 cups oil in a wok. Knead the dough for a minute and make 1" round balls. Roll into 4" circles using a little oil. Deep fry the kachoris till they are a nice golden brown.. 

Serve with the subzi, onion raita, a piece of lime and green chilli pickle.

Hope you enjoy!