Snowfall Cookies

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Satisfy your family’s desire of yummy cookies on this Christmas…..

Recipe Source: Kukie's Nest

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour/maida

3/4 cup nuts, chopped (walnuts, almonds & cashew nuts)

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

3 tbsp castor sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup icing sugar/ castor sugar for coating and dusting

Method:

Preheat oven at 160 ^oC.

In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt and chopped nuts.

Add the softened butter and vanilla essence and knead lightly with fingertips to get crumbled dough.

Pinch off a little dough at a time and make small lime-sized ball.

Place them 2” apart on a lined baking tray and bake until uniformly browned, about 25-30 min.

(Bake for 2-3 min more, if feel bit uncooked but not more than 5 min)

When warm, roll in icing sugar until well coated, let them cool and store in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Vegetable Momos

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A well known street food and low calorie snack, filled with healthy vegetables and then steamed.

Ingredients:

(MAKES 10-12)

1 All purpose flour     

Salt to taste

A pinch baking powder         

2 tsp oil          

Water as needed (about 1/2 cup)

 For Filling:

1/4 cup carrot, grated

1 cup cabbage, grated

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 tsp garlic - chopped

1 tsp Soya sauce

Salt

1/4 tsp vinegar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp oil

Chutney:

7-8 garlic gloves                       

1 big size tomato

1 dry red chilli, soaked

Grind all the chutney ingredients in a blender with some salt.

Method:

• Mix the refined flour, salt, baking powder and oil and knead into stiff dough by using little water at a time.
• Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for fifteen minutes
• For Filling: Heat oil and add the onion and garlic.
• Saute over high heat and add the carrot and cabbage. Turn around over high heat till glossy.
• Turn off the flame and mix in the soya sauce, vinegar, salt and black pepper.
• Now make small thin circles from the dough, and fill the vegetables and seal the ends.
• Steam for about 8-10 min and serve with the chutney or hot chilli sauce.

Brown Rice Risotto

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Brown rice takes the place of risotto rice in this recipe made using bell peppers, olives and fresh cream.

Ingredients:

2 cups brown rice, boiled

1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 carrot, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped red, yellow and green capsicum

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp finely chopped celery

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp black olives

3 tbsp butter

Salt to taste

2 tbsp fresh cream

Freshly ground pepper powder to taste

Method:

• Heat the butter in a pan, add the onions and saute till they turn translucent.
• Add the garlic and celery and saute for a few more seconds.
• Add  the bell peppers, carrots and salt and mix well.
• When the vegetables have softened a little, add the rice, cream and 1/2 cup of vegetable stock and mix well. (add more stock if required)
• Bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes till creamy consistency. 
• Add the olives, pepper powder, lemon juice, mix well and serve hot.

Red Bean Quesadillas

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Delightfully simple and tasty Quesadillas with red kidney beans served with salsa and guacamole dip. Perfect Treat!!!!

Ingredients:

6 tortillas

1 cup kidney beans (rajma), soaked overnight and cooked

3 -4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated (Can use more if you like J)

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped (I used red-yellow bell peppers also)

2 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

1 tsp Mexican Seasoning

For Mexican seasoning: Ground together in a mixer

2 tsp chill flakes

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted

For Salsa Sauce:

1/2 cup tomato puree

2 tsp tomato sauce

1/2 tomato, finely chopped

1 tsp Coriander leaves, finely chopped

1/4th tsp Mexican seasoning

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic, onion and stir for 2-3 min on low flame till soft.
• Add tomatoes, mexican seasoning and salt and sauté for another 4 -5 minutes.
• Now add bell peppers and the boiled red kidney beans, slightly mash the beans while cooking for it to cook properly.
• Add some 1/2 cup water or as required and let it cook for about 5-6 minutes or completely dry. Keep aside.
• Take tortilla and fill it half with the prepared red kidney bean filling.
• Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Fold the tortilla in half. Repeat for all other tortillas.
• Now take another pan and heat some oil in it.
• Put the prepared tortillas in the pan and cook it for 1-2 minutes, or until they are crispy and brown on both sides or grill them.
• Cut the tortillas into triangles and serve with the salsa, guacamole and sour cream dip.

  

For Salsa: Mix the tomato puree, tomato sauce, tomato, coriander and mexican seasoning, in a bowl to make Salsa sauce.

Note: You can use left over rotis in place of tortillas and can make vegetable filling also.

Vegetable Mayo Toast

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Savor the taste of vegetables flavored with mayonnaise and red chilli sauce.

Ingredients:

4 bread slices, lightly buttered

1 cup tri color bell peppers, finely chopped

2 tbsp black olives

1/2 cup onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup processed cheese, grated

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp red chilli sauce

1 tbsp oregano

Salt and red chilli flakes to taste

Method:

•  In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, chilli sauce, salt and chilli flakes.
• Apply a generous layer of the mayo spread on a slice of bread.
• Randomly sprinkle bellpeppers, onions, olives, and oregano.
• Cover bread slice with 1 tbsp of cheese.
• Repeat same with all bread slices.
• Cover and cook on a non-stick griddle or tawa with little oil or bake in a preheated oven at 180 ^oC till cheese melts.
• Cut diagonally and serve immediately. 

Chilli and Cheese Bites

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Try out amazing combination of smoky and cheesy flavour in every bite.

Ingredients:

10 -15 Bhavnagri green chillies 

3/4 cup processed cheese, grated        

4-5 Garlic cloves

4 tbsp Chilled butter    

1 cup refined flour

1/4 tsp Crushed black peppercorns

Salt to taste

Method:

• Preheat oven to 160° C.
• Slit and roast chillies on open flame till charred. Soak in a bowl of water and peel. Discard heads and remove seeds.
• Roughly chop them and blend with garlic. Crush and transfer in a bowl.
• Take butter in another bowl. Add refined flour, salt and crushed peppercorns and mix well. (Do not over work)
• Add crushed chilli-garlic and cheese and mix.
• Knead into dough and cover with cling film and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
• Place butter paper on a baking tray. Divide dough into equal portions, make small balls and flatten them.
• Place them on the baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 15 min.
• Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve.

Cornmeal Vegetable Upma

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Nutritious and tasty breakfast Upma recipe with lots of colorful Vegetables and Cornmeal. 

Ingredients:

2 cup corn meal (maize flour)

1/4 cup carrot & beans, boiled and finely chopped

1/4 cup peas, boiled

1/4 cup green-yellow-red bell peppers

1/2 tsp Bengal gram

1 tsp Mustard seeds

10- 12 curry leaves

1 onion, finely chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped

2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

2 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Coriander Sprig to garnish

Method:

• Dry roast the cornmeal in a pan until a nice aroma comes out. 
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, bengal gram and curry leaves and fry for few seconds.
• Add onions and green chillies. Fry for 1-2 minutes.
• Add all vegetables, carrots, beans, peas,and mix well.
• Cover with the lid and cook for 2 minutes or until the vegetables are done.
• Now add all three types of capsicums. Add turmeric powder, salt and lemon juice.
• Now add corn meal and keep stirring while you add.
• Add water to this mix and cook until the mixture thickens and the corn meal is cooked.
• Add chopped coriander and mix it well in the upma.
• Serve hot garnished with a sprig of coriander.

Aloo Posto

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Potatoes cooked with poppy seeds - A popular and very easy Bengali preparation.

Ingredients:

4 Potatoes medium-sized

2 tbsp Poppy seeds, slightly roasted

1/2 tsp onion seeds (kalonji)

2 Green chillies

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tbsp curd

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp ghee

Salt to taste

Green coriander leaves

Method:

• Boil the potatoes and cut in small cubes. (Do not over cook potatoes) 
• Soak the poppy seeds in half a cup of warm water for an hour. Throwaway the excess water and grind to a fine paste.
• Heat the oil in a pan, add onion seeds, when seeds start crackle and add the green chillies. 
• Add potato pieces and stir fry on medium heat up for 5 min, stirring frequently.
• Mix in the poppy seeds paste, stir and add half cup of water, cover and fry on low heat till the potatoes are almost done.
• Take off the lid; mix in salt, turmeric powder and curd.
• Mix well and continue to cook for a min or till potatoes are completely cooked, top with some ghee and coriander leaves.
• Serve Aloo posto hot with steamed rice/pooris and any curry.

Spicy Parathas

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Spicy Paratha is easy and filling and tastes best when eaten with pickle and curds. A must try!!

Ingredients:

2 Cups Wheat flour

1 Onion, finely chopped

1- 2 Green Chillies, finely chopped

2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

1/4 tsp anardana powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp garlic chutney

1/2 tsp Carom seeds

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Ghee or Oil to cook the paratha

Method:

• Mix wheat flour, onions, green chillies, garlic chutney, carom seeds, coriander leaves, salt, red chilli powder, and 2 tbsp oil and knead stiff dough by adding little water.
• Make equal round portions out of this dough. 
• Roll out each portion in a shape of paratha. Heat a tawa (griddle) and grease it with some ghee/oil.
• Gently place a rolled out paratha on it and cook it from both sides evenly by applying ghee.
• Serve spicy paratha hot with curd or any chutney.

Dry Masala Gobhi (Cauliflower)

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Delicious and colorful Cauliflower recipe, cooked with spices makes a satisfying meal.

Ingredients:

1/2 kg cauliflower (gobhi), cut into small florets, parboiled

1 dry red chilli

1/2 cup grated onions

1 tsp garlic-ginger paste

1 green chillies, finely chopped

1/2 cup tomato-grated

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method:

• Heat oil and add the cumin seeds, dry red chilli and the bay leaf. 
• When seeds splutter, add onion and ginger-garlic paste and saute till brown and oil separates.
• Add the green chillies, tomatoes and powdered spices and stir fry till the oil separates. 
• Add the parboiled gobhi and saute over high heat for a min.
• Lower the heat and simmer, covered till cooked through. 
• Serve hot, garnished with the coriander leaves. Enjoy with hot chapati/paranthas.