Cooked Rice Pancakes

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Delicious pancakes made from left over rice, can make breakfast special.

Ingredients:

2 cups leftover cooked rice

3/4 cup besan (Bengal gram flour)

2 tbsp curd

A pinch baking soda

1 tsp green chillies, finely chopped

1 onion finely chopped

1/4 cup rice flour

1/4 cup coriander, chopped

1/4 tsp asafoetida

Salt to taste

Oil for cooking

Method:

• Combine rice, besan, curd, rice flour, salt and asafoetida with enough water and grind in mixer to make a coarse batter. (Don’t make fine paste, just blend for few seconds)
• Now mix baking soda, chillies onion and coriander leaver to batter, mix well and keep batter aside for about 10 - 15 min. (You can add other vegetables also like cabbage, capsicum, grated carrot…)
• Heat a non-stick griddle (tawa) and pour a ladleful of the batter onto it.
• Cook on both sides using a little oil.
• Repeat with the remaining batter to make small pancakes. (Can make around 10 -12)
• Serve hot with ketchup or chutney.

Chilli Soya Chunks

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Enjoy authentic chinese flavour with healthy soya chunks from this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked Soya Chunks

1 large tomato, pureed

1 onion, chopped into rough squares

1 small capsicum, cut into squares

2 green chillies, chopped

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

5 dry red chillies (adjust to taste)

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsp oil

A pinch ajinomoto (optional)

Spring onions for garnishing

Salt to taste

Method:

• Boil about 4 cups of water with 1/2 tsp salt and add soya chunks to it. Turn off flame, cover with lid and soak for half an hour.
• Heat up oil in a wok/pan and add the dry red chillies. To this, add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, capsicum and green chillies.
• Fry for 2-3 min on medium heat until the onions get transparent.
• Drain the soaked chunks well and reserve the water.
• Squeeze them gently to remove excess water.
• Add soya chunks and salt to the wok, and toss well, cook for about 5 mins and until well combined.
• In the reserved water (add more water to make it 1.5 cups), mix the soya sauce, pureed tomato and tomato sauce.
• Add this mixture with soya chunks. Mix well on high for 30 seconds and then turn the flame to low. Add a pinch of ajinomoto and cook for 5 -7 min.
• Garnish with the spring onions and serve hot with Fried Rice.

Vegetable Fried Rice

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Long grain rice cooked with stir fried vegetables enjoyed well with chinese gravy.

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain/ Basmati rice

2 cups mixed vegetables, chopped small (carrots, beans, capsicum, cabbage, mushrooms)

6-7 sprigs of spring onions, finely chopped

1½ tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp oil

Salt and pepper as per taste

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 10-15 minutes and drain.
• Cook the rice with salt until just done, and immediately spread on a plate to cool. (Day old cooked rice is best for making fried rice.)
• Heat oil in a wok, add garlic, spring onions and cook till garlic turn brown.
• Now stir fry all the chopped vegetables. Cook for 3-4 minutes. (Put in the hardest vegetables first, followed by the lighter ones)
• Take care that vegetables are not overdone, they should be crisp. Mix salt and pepper.
• Once cook, add the soy sauce and vinegar.
• Add the rice, stir and cook for 2 min. on low flame and turn off.
• Serve hot. 

Tutti-Frutti Vanilla Cake

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A rich, yummy plain vanilla cake with tutti frutti flavor.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup flour (maida)

1 cup plain thick curd

3/4 cup sugar

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup oil (I used sunflower oil)

2 tbsp orange tutti frutti (use any color)

Method:

• Shift flour in a bowl. Grease cake tin.
• In another bowl beat curd well to remove all lumps and add sugar to it. (Curd should be at room temp).
• Beat well with sugar; add baking powder and baking soda one by one. Beat again.
• Leave curd mixture for 5 min till small bubbles appear on the surface of the mixture.
• Now add vanilla essence and oil to it and mix well.
• Preheat oven at 180 ^oC .
• Now add flour to the curd mixture slowly in 2 -3 batches. 
• Gently fold the mixture using a whisk and add 3/4 th of tutti frutti to batter.
• Pour batter to greased pan and sprinkle remaining tutti frutti.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-35 min until the top turns golden brown and a tooth pick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. 
• Cool and serve.

I made a muffin also :)

Vegetable Sandwich

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Quick, delicious, colorful vegetable sandwich, good for Tiffin box also.

Ingredients:

4 bread slices

2 tbsp mayonnaise (I used egg less)

1 tbsp cabbage, finely chopped

1 tbsp corn, boiled

1 tbsp carrot, chopped fine

1 tbsp tomato, finely chopped

1/2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1/2 tsp pepper powder

2 tbsp green chutney

Butter

Method:

• Mix all vegetables, coriander leaves, pepper powder with mayonnaise and keep aside.
• Spread butter on one bread slice. 
• Now put prepared mayonnaise mixture on another slice. Spread to cover entire slice. 
• Top with another buttered slice.
• Grill sandwich till crispy and golden or cook on tawa.
• Serve hot with tea or coffee.

Baked Aloo Samosa

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An Indian speciality that can make tea time more pleasurable.

Ingredients:

For Samosa Covering (Pastry)

1 cup flour/Whole wheat flour

½ tsp carom seeds

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Note: alternatively readymade 18 Phylo Pastry sheets can be used

Shell sealer: mix 1 tbsp of corn flour with 3 tbsp of water and keep aside.

For filling

2 large potatoes, boiled & mashed

¼ cup peas, blanched

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp red chilli powder

¼ tsp cumin seeds

1 onion, chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped

A pinch garam masala

½ tsp dry mango powder (amchur)      

2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

Salt to taste

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and knead about 10 minutes to smooth, stiff dough. 
• Let it rest, covered with a damp cloth, for 10–15 minutes.
• Heat a non-stick pan and add the cumin seeds and after they start to splutter, add the onion and chillies until softened.
• Add the green chillies and potatoes and stir. Add the red chilli powder, amchur, garam masala and salt. Stir well. 
• Add the blanched green peas and cook for 5 minutes on a low heat. 
• Add the coriander leaves and mix. Let the mixture cool and divide into equal portions. Preheat the oven to 200° C. Divide the dough into equal portions and roll them into balls. 
• Roll them out into thin circles, and then cut each circle in half.
• Shape each half into a cone and fill it with about one tablespoon of the potato mixture. Seal the edges well. Lightly brush ghee onto the samosas.
• Arrange the samosas on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven at 180°C for 20–25 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes. 
• Serve hot with green chutney.

Potato Pinwheels

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Make tasty, crispy snack with easily available ingredients, great for your house party.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (Maida)

1 tbsp corn flour

2 tbsp melted ghee

Salt to taste

For Filling:

4 -5 potatoes, boiled & mashed

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp cumin powder

Salt to taste

Method:

• Mix flour, corn flour, ghee and salt and make firm dough using chilled water.
• Cover and keep aside and prepare the filling.
• Mix all ingredients of filling in a bowl (you can add green chillies and coriander leaver also).
• Roll out the dough with the help of some flour and make thin disc or chapati.
• Now spread the potato mixture very carefully all over the rolled out dough, slightly leaving out the edges. 
• Wet the edges with a little water and starting from one end, start rolling up the dough tightly. Seal the edges well. Wrap rolled chapatis in aluminium foil and keep in refrigerator for 30 min.
• Take out and with a sharp knife cut the roll into one inch pieces. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Serve hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup.

Royal Paneer Curry

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Special Paneer (cottage cheese) curry, flavored with rich tomato gravy, spices and dried fruits.

Ingredients:

250 gm cottage cheese (Paneer)

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup cashew nuts

1/4 cup raisins

2 medium onions, sliced very thin

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ginger - garlic paste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 red chilli powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp mace powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 bay leaf

2 cinnamon sticks

1 cup fresh tomato puree

2 tbsp thick cream

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, fry nuts for 2 min and then add raisins fry for a min.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the dried fruits from the oil on absorbent paper.
• Cut cottage cheese into 1” cubes and fry in same oil until golden brown and drain.
• (I skipped this step for not consuming more oilJ)
• Now add the bay leaf, cinnamon, onions and ginger garlic paste and cook for 5-7 min till oil separates.
• Add all dry masalas, covered and cook with little water for 4 -5 min.
• Add tomato puree along with sugar and salt into onion and spice mixture, mix well and cook till raw smell goes.
• Add cottage cheese and ¾ th of dried fruits and mix well.
• Stir in 1 tbsp of the cream into the gravy, dish out into serving bowl.
• Garnish with the reserved dried fruits and the remaining tablespoon of cream.
• Enjoy hot with Naan/Mughlai paranthas.

Mughlai Paratha (Parota)

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Enjoy any rich curry recipe with this hot, crispy, authentic Paratha..

Ingredients:

2 cups wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

¼ cup melted ghee

½ cup water

Flour for dusting

1 tbsp ghee or oil

Method:

• Shift together the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
• Rub the ghee into flour mixture using finger tips and gradually add the water to knead into firm dough.
• Allow to rest covered for 10 min. Divide the dough into equal portions and shape into balls.
• Roll each of the balls out into discs, sprinkle little wheat flour on one side and ghee or oil on other side.
• Pleat the parathas, starting from one side and progressing towards the other.
• Hold one end, and make a coil moving in clockwise motion.
• Roll out these coils into parathas using rolling pin.
• Heat a girdle (tawa) and cook each parathas with ghee on both the sides.
• When done spoon a little ghee or butter on them and crush lightly, to release different layers and serve.

Cottage Cheese Sandwich

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A very filling, nutritious breakfast recipe can be made up in few minutes only.

Ingredients:

 8 slices fresh bread

1 cup cottage cheese/ paneer, finely chopped/ crumbled

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 large onion chopped very fine

1/4 cup capsicum, chopped

2 green chillies chopped very fine

2 medium tomatoes chopped fine

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Butter for bread slices

Method:

• Heat a pan on a medium flame and add the butter to it. Allow to melt and then add the cumin seeds. 
• When they stop spluttering, add the green chillies and onion. Fry till the onion is soft.
• Add the tomatoes, capsicum, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Stir well. Cook for 2 minutes stirring frequently.
• Add the cottage cheese and mix well. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes and then turn off fire. Allow to cool a little and keep aside.
• Spread butter on one bread slice. Now put a generous amount of the prepared cheese mixture on another slice. Spread to cover entire slice. Top with another buttered slice.
• Cook in sandwich toaster till crispy and golden. 
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup or chutney.