Coconut Ladoos.

Navratri means nine (nav) night (ratri) in Sanskrit. Festival dedicated to the worship of the Indian diety Ma Durga. During these 9 days , nine forms  of  diety are worshipped.
We prepare sweets and other vegetarian food for this festival. I am preparing coconut ladoos, as sweet start to Navratri.
It is very easy and can be made by using coconut, condensed milk and ghee.

Coconut Ladoos

Heat ghee add coconut 

Add condensed milk

Add cardamom powder and keep stirring

Remove the coconut mixture and allow to cool few minutes






Coconut ladoos 

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of fresh shredded coconut (Can use frozen coconut available in Indian stores)
2 tsp ghee
2 tsp powdered small cardamom
1/4 cup powdered dry coconut for coating 
1/2 cup condensed milk

Method
1.Heat ghee in a medium kadai. Add thawed fresh coconut, stir for few minutes. Do not brown the coconut.
2.Add cardamom powder, and condensed milk, keep stirring till all the mixture comes together. As  mixture leaves  sides of  pan, close burner.
3.Allow mixture to cool.
4.Rub a little ghee on  palms of your hand, and take a spoonful of mixture to make small balls of ladoos. Roll  prepared ladoos in  dried coconut to coat the surface.
5.If you want you can add a dry fruit to garnish the ready coconut ladoos.
Enjoy and store  remaining ladoos in an air tight container or refrigerate to enjoy later.

Cherry Tomatoes and Ricotta baked Crostini

Crostini in Italian means,  thin slices of bread, drizzled with olive oil and toasted. Served as an appetizer, though this recipe can satisfy as a side dish at lunch. The toppings over the bread consists of savory such as cheese, shrimp , or simply saute vegetables .My dish has a topping that has been inspired by a recipe seen on a cooking show. My daughter prepared these crostini's by making slight alternations to recipe and they turned out delicious!!!
Cherry tomatoes are  grape tomatoes, they are juicy  and sweet and go great with cheese!
Thin slices of bruschetta , topped with dollops of ricotta and baked in the oven tastes divine, and hard to resist :))) 

                                             

Cherry tomatoes and herbs, with balsamic vinegar

Baked crostinis

Ready to eat 

Red cherry tomatoes and ricotta cheese crostini

Lets get started

Ingredients
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and more for drizzling
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 loaf bruschetta bread cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thickness slices.
Fresh Oregano leaves sprigs about 3 to 4 

Method:
1. Using a medium bowl, combine sugar, olive oil, vinegar ,salt and add cherry tomatoes, mix to coat tomatoes  evenly with this mixture. Add fresh basil leaves sprigs, for added aroma and taste.
2.Bake onto a silver foil lined baking sheet,at 350 F for about 10 to 12 minutes. As tomatoes appear to soften, remove from the oven. Keep aside.
3. Arrange the sliced crostini on another  baking sheet. Sprinkle few drops olive oil onto bread slices and bake for 4 to 5 minutes, at 350 F. Remove as this appear toasted and add a spoonful of ricotta cheese on the bread tops, sprinkle a dash of balsamic vinegar onto the ricotta cheese. Add  cherry tomatoes on the top, and put them back in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, tastes nice warm and softened,take out from oven and enjoy.
Great as an appetizer or even perfect as an afternoon lunch dish.

Vegetable Jalfrezi

A Mughlai  style gravy, cooked with vegetables, that also looks like a  Indian stir fry, is usually served with Indian bread. Jalfrezi has a slightly sweet and sour flavor to it and is presentable at a party with its colorful vegetables.
A flavorful aromatic dish , served in almost all Indian restaurants. 
I like preparing this dish as I know by including these veggies, my family is getting the nutritional value of this dish.
The main work is cutting the veggies :))

Ingredients
100 gm carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch thick julienne style strips
100 gm green  beans , cut similar julienne style
1 small green and yellow bell pepper cut into julienne strips
50 gm green peas, optional 
100 gm florets of cauliflower chopped
100 gm cottage cheese (paneer ) cut into 1 inch strips


For gravy
1 medium Onion, cut lengthwise in thin strips
1 cup tomato purée
1tbsp fresh ginger garlic paste ( you can grate both ginger, garlic to get a paste)
3 to 4 green chilies chopped finely
Salt to taste
1 tsp red chili powder ( I prefer Kashmir chilies as they are not that spicy but do provide the much needed color to the gravy sauce )
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala ( available at all Indian grocery stores) Again I prefer to use Everest brand but all are good and more or less similar.
1 bay leaf
1 small cinnamon stick
3 to 4 cloves 
2 to 3 big cardamom
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp  butter
2 tsp kasoori methi (available in Indian stores) for garnish/ or freshly cut green coriander leaves.

1/4 cup chopped cashews for garnish



                                                           

             

Chopped vegetables and browned onions

Brown sliced onions in 2 tsp vegetable oil

Add bay leave,cloves, cardamom, cinnamom

Add tomato puree

Add vegetables 

Cottage cheese saute 

Add paneer to vegetables 

Cook covered for another 5 to 6 minutes till it all blends into the curry ,check for seasonings

Vegetable Jalfrezi

Garnished with chopped cashews 

Method:

1. Wash all chopped vegetables and boil them  separately in a  cup of  water , with 1/4 tsp salt for about 5 minutes, drain water and keep aside .
2. Heat oil in a medium size pan, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick , cloves . Allow to splutter , add onions , sauté till light golden , add in ginger garlic paste , green chilies.
Continue stirring. Add in tomato purée and taste for salt, add in red chili powder, turmeric, and garam masala. Cover to cook for about 5 minutes . This is the gravy sauce.
3. In a separate pan , heat butter add in drained pineapple cut into 1 inch . In a separate pan saute paneer (cottage cheese) cubes. Next add in the parboiled veggies and saute in tablespoon of oil.
4. Lastly  add these  vegetables along with paneer to the cooked gravy sauce . Cook covered further another 5 to 6 minutes, close burner. Garnish with kasoori methi/ freshly chopped coriander leaves. Garnish with chopped cashews or green chilies and serve vegetable jalfrezi hot with tandoori naan / or enjoy with Basmati rice.

Baked Vegetables in Creamy white sauce

The other day I was remembering the dishes , I  grew up having and  this dish came to my thought ,it felt nostalgic how My mom used to prepare this with so much love and we loved all the things she cooked, because it was so special and all her dishes  had lots of flavor to it.

Baked vegetables, is also a great way to make your kids eat vegetables and they like the addition of cheese and enjoy the taste.

Baked veggies in white creamy sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup green peas and carrots
 chopped into tiny cubes
100 gm cauliflower cut into small pieces
1/4 cup american yellow corn
1/4 cup spring onions chopped fine
1 capsicum sliced into thin rings to garnish
1/4 cup pineapple pieces ( can use canned pineapples)
4 to 5 cloves of garlic, chopped finely or minced
1 tbsp Butter
1 small tomato sliced into rings for garnish 
1/2 cup of grated cheese
2 tsp tomato ketchup

                                                        

                                             

   

Ingredients 

Add  Butter to sauce pan

Add flour to the butter and stir well till light golden brown

Add milk , and black pepper to finish preparing white sauce 

Method for preparing the vegetables for white sauce .
1. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a medium size sauce pan,  add grated  garlic. Sauté for a minute , next , add in chopped spring onions , then start adding par boiled  cauliflower, carrots, peas ,corn, stir together for few minutes. Next add the pineapple and season with salt and pepper . Add 1 tbsp of tomato ketchup and keep aside.

Ingredients for White Sauce
1/2 cup All purpose white flour(Maida)
2 tbsp butter
1 cup milk
Salt to taste 
2 tsp Black pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan grated cheese 

Bake in the prepared white sauce, with the vegetables in an oven at 350 degrees F

Baked Vegetable 

Method  for preparing white sauce 
1.Heat butter. Add flour, keep stirring ,making sure the flour doesn't stick to bottom of the pan and gets cooked well.
2. As  flour begins to bubble, and turn's light golden , lower heat and start adding milk , continue stirring . Season with salt and black pepper.
If you enjoy spicy food, add 1 tsp hot sauce for the heat .
As the  sauce comes together and begins to thicken, close heat.
3.Next for baking, using a greased baking dish. Add the sauteed veggies to white sauce. Pour into the baking dish, garnish with capsicum, and tomato rings and grated cheese.
Bake in oven at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.
Enjoy by itself or with brea

Healthy Breakfast and Lite snacks

Breakfast and lite snacks ideas .....

As we all know eggs contain 6 gm of high quality protein, they are very versatile, as you can prepare many forms of egg dishes , also rich source of other vitamins like A, E and vit B12, so its  a great source of energy. 

Eggs are desirable, making it a healthy option too. I like to add veggies like, green bell peppers, tomatoes, spinach to the omelet, adding low fat milk ,shredded cheese can be a good source of calcium.

If you are in a hurry during breakfast time, especially on week days, you can just scramble eggs, or prepare 6 to 7 boiled eggs before hand and store in the refrigerator.

As a vegetarian, the options to get protein and fiber can be obtained by making:

1.Oatmeal smoothie with chia seeds, using low fat yogurt.

2.Granola bars , prepared using dried fruits, nuts and  rolled oats are a great energy source. Peanut butter can be added, for protein. 

3.Greek yogurt parfait prepared at home ,are a good source of calcium and protein. 

4.Kale and avocado smoothie is another great morning starter high protein drink. Also beet juice , carrot juice and apple juice , combined together is a power house of energy and healthy too.

  Today, I will be making a healthy chevda, that can be enjoyed as a snack , its good for all, because of the healthy ingredients . This chevda uses very little oil. It is a mixture made  by using nuts, cornflakes,rice krispies cereal,sunflower seeds, flax seeds, healthy snacking without the guilt.

Ingredients
1 cup ready store bought cornflakes
1 cup rice Krispies (cereal)
1 cup kurmura ( puffed rice, available in Indian grocery)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped almonds, cashews, peanuts each (all unsalted) 
1/4 cup raisins 
3 to 4 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds 
2 tsp white sesame seeds
2 tsp sunflower seeds or flax seeds 
salt to taste
1 tsp chaat powder (available in Indian store)
2 dried red chilies

Diet / healthy  Chevda 

Method:
1.Heat  2 tsp oil ,add  mustard seeds, allow to sputter , next add in  cashews, almonds and peanuts, saute` for a minute or two.
 2.Add in dried red chilies, curry leaves,salt, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds and chaat powder.
3.Add in cornflakes, continue stirring on low heat, next add rice crisps,kurmura (rice puffs) mix all together,on low heat, stir for another 8 to 10 minutes and close burner.
On cooling,store prepared chevda (Diet mixture) in an air tight container , and enjoy as a healthy snack.


Downward facing Dog pose#4
A yoga pose  that resembles an inverted  V letter ,very beneficial pose, elongates the spine, and gives strength and body circulation.
Stand tall with feet hip distance apart. Shoulders relaxed.
1.Breathe in ,raise your arms up ,stretching your hand up above your shoulders.
2. Breathing out , lower the arm, and bend forward,with knees slightly bend, place palms on the ground,  spread  palms to help distribute the body weight.
3. Lift your hips up and head down, looking at the feet and body into an inverted V shape. keep this pose for a minute or two, and then bend knees to the floor, exhale and relax.
. Do not exert or push yourself, through the pose.

Harabhara Kababs

Whenever I am throwing a party for guests, planning for starters , is always a dilemma, there is never one thing that I feel confident for starters. When I heard about these Hara bhara Kababs, it sounded something that would impress  guests,but  not easy to prepare, then my friend showed me that its not difficult after all and I prepared them , she was right , they seemed straight forward to make.

Hara bhara kababs, as the name suggests is prepared by using  greens, and potatoes, along with spices, and later shallow fried. The outer coating gets a crisp finish and the warmness of inside creates a unique texture and makes them special to eat.

                                             

     

Harabhara kababs coated with sooji 

Hara Bhara Kababs 

Ingredients:

4 to 5 medium sized boiled potatoes ( try to use the potatoes that are a little dry after being boiled)

1/4 cup boiled  (blanched) spinach 

1/2 cup boiled green  peas ( Puree both  spinach and green peas, add 2 tsp lemon juice  and  keep aside)

2 tsp freshly minced garlic ginger paste

1 tsp finely chopped green chilies
1/4 freshly chopped green coriander leaves 

2 tsp salt
2 tsp gramflour ( available in Indian store)

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp garam masla powder ( available in Indian stores)

1 tsp chaat masala powder (available in Indian grocery store)

1 cup Rava sooji for coating ( Also called semolina flour, available in Indian store)

Method:

1. Firstly peel and mash the boiled potatoes, to this add pureed spinach and peas.Mix together, add all spices, ginger garlic paste, green chilies and coriander.Check for salt, and if less add 1/2 tsp salt. 

2.Add in 2 tsp chickpeas flour and using a spoon, spoon out little portions and using your palms, shape them into 2 inch diameter round shaped  patties  .Flatten the top a little, and coat with sooji, and shallow fry on both sides, for about 5 minutes on low to medium heat, till the cutlets appear brown in colour.

  

Spicy Chipotle Pasta

Chipotle peppers are found in the Southern parts of Mexico and South America. Basically jalapeno pepper that are left to dry  become red in colour. Later they are processed and given a smoky flavour .When added to the pasta sauce , this Adobo chipotle pepper sauce  adds a kick to the dish with its spicy flavours.
We have tasted  Spicy Chipotle pasta dish  at Cheese Cake Factory, a restaurant close by, and it is an absolute favourite. Till my daughter experimented  this recipe and made this dish at home and its now a favourite for all of us.

Last weekend we planned a get away with 2 other family friends. We booked a vacation home, in Sonoma county for a 2 day get together. We decided to cook there and the dish my daughter made is this Spicy Chipotle Pasta, it turned out so good  everybody loved it's taste and wanted to know how to prepare this dish. Here you go.. enjoy making it with love and have a good time with friends and family.
Talking about this place where we went its close to Russian River in Sonoma county, up in the hills with stunning views of the the valley below and the pretty starry nights as the sun sets. Oh yes and the rising sun was very peaceful too.
We took lots of pictures , very scenic and the got the opportunity to star gaze at night time!! It was magnificent and magical views !!!
The kids, enjoying kayaking in the river,  was a great trip.

Ingredients
1  pound box Penne Pasta 
2 medium bell pepper's ( red and yellow preferably)
1 medium white onion (diced in tiny cubes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 small can  ready chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce (store bought)
Salt to taste
2 tspn Honey
4 cloves garlic ( don't worry we won't use all  the garlic in the sauce, save some for later,will let you know )
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese 
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped finely for garnish
1 packet tortilla strips colourful for garnish (available in American grocery stores)

                                                

Saute onions

Add veggies

Bake asparagus

 Pasta sauce 

Party time with spicy pasta 

                                         
Method: 1. Using a chopping board, dice onions into tiny cubes, next dice both the bell peppers, keep aside. Finely chop cilantro , and keep aside. Remove the outer skin of 4 to 5 cloves of garlic and finely chop.
Clean, and trim off the heads of the asparagus  and chop the asparagus into medium size pieces.Using a a mixing bowl,add olive oil 2 tspn, add salt, black pepper and the asparagus. Stir and keep aside.
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees, and lay the cut asparagus on an oven tray, and allow to bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Take a large boiling pot, fill with 1/2 water,add 1 tspn salt, 1/4 tspn oil and allow  water to boil. Add in  pasta and cook for about 15 to 20  minutes,making sure the pasta are well done :) Strain and keep aside. 
3. For preparing sauce, heat a medium sauce pan on medium heat,add in butter and olive oil, add in the diced onions, as they begin to appear translucent add the finely chopped garlic, cook for another 30 seconds till the onions and garlic appear well mixed. Add in 2 tspn honey. Next add the diced bell peppers, and stir to cook the peppers for about 4 to 5 minutes, add 2 to 3 tbsp of  adobo sauce(for that smoky flavour)
4. Now add in peas, continue stirring for about a minute. Check for salt, and add 1/4 tspn if required.  Reduce heat and stir in  2 cups of heavy cream. This will give a softness and richness to the sauce. Add the pasta, next add parmesan grated cheese and allow the sauce to cook for another 4 to 5 minutes as it thickens, close the burner.
Serve warm pasta , garnished with freshly chopped coriander leaves and tortillas strips.


With  the remaining garlic pods I have another interesting side dish to go along.
3 to 4  remaining garlic pods
2 tspn olive oil
2 tspn balsamic vinegar
1 tspn salt 

Method:
Simply cut off the top of  whole garlic's, drizzle a few drops of  olive oil, on each garlic, wrap it in foil and bake on a baking sheet for about 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees, till garlic appears soft and little browned in colour.Open the foil and sprinkle each cooked garlic pod with balsamic vinegar and enjoy this cooked garlic with toast or bread 
A complete dish , have fun with friends, over a glass of white/red wine......enjoy:) Will post some pictures of baked garlic soon

Kala Chana Curry

Kala chana or black chick peas, is an Indian curry dish. These  nutritious legumes are packed with nutritional protein.They can be cooked out of a can or soaked overnight. If you plan to use the can beans ,try to use the less salt ones as the salted ones are too high in sodium.
1 cup of cooked chana gives 15 gm protein and 13 gm of fibre, these chana's and other types of beans, legumes, vegetables, nuts are all excellent source of fibre.
 These can be prepared dry or with a curry, the recipe below is the Indian curry Kala chana, that is a famous dish in Northern part of India.

Ingredients
500 gm uncooked chana
2 cups water to soak chana overnight
4 cups water to pressure cook soaked chana
1/2 cup ready curry paste (recipe available in Flavors of India book) or instead use grated onion, and tomato as shown below
1 medium size red onion grated
1 medium size tomato pureed
2 to 3 cloves
1 inch stick cinnamon
1 small bay leaf
1/4 tspn cumin seeds
1 tspn turmeric
1 tspn red chilli powder
2 tspn salt or as per taste
1 tspn ginger ,garlic paste
3 to 4 green chillies
1 tspn grated ginger
Vegetable Oil

Kala Chana 

Method 1.Rinse and soak the channa  overnight. Next day pressure cook the chana's in 2 cup of water. Add 1 tspn salt, 1 tspn grated ginger. Pressure cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, later check to see if the chana are cooked properly, strain and keep aside.
2.In a pan heat oil,add cumin seeds, cloves,bay leaf,cinnamon stick and add ginger garlic paste and green chillies .
3.Add in  onions, allow to turn golden in colour, add in tomatoes and stir together allowing the tomatoes to soften and add in salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, mix to form a curry paste.
4.Next add in the strained chana  to prepared curry and after stirring for about 3 to 4 minutes, add in 1 cup water and cook covered on low to medium heat another about 10 minutes. serve hot with rice or roti.

Home made Pizza

All kids love pizza, and at my home we believe there's no pizza like home made pizza. I have previously made home made pizza sauce that my kids absolutely love to have by spoon too:))
Recipe below is for a semi home pizza made with store bought dough, it saves time . Now you can use store bought sauce or look at my blog recipe of home made sauce , making pizza at home is not only delicious but totally worth it as all can get together in the preparation fun , and get to add toppings that we love. Kids can get involved in the making , so lots of fun for them too:))

Ingredients
1 pack ready dough
 1 cup store bought or home made marinara sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2  tspn salt 
1cup thinly sliced bell peppers
1/2 cup thinly sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese
2 to 3 fresh cloves of finely minced garlic
1tspn chilly flakes
1tspn freshly chopped rosemary herb or 1 tspn store bought Italian seasoning herb mix
2 tbsp butter


                                               

     

Ingredients 

Home made pizza sauce 

Ingredients 

Making pizza  from dough

Pizza ready to bake

Pizza

Method
1 Heat butter in a sauce pan, add in crushed garlic. Cook for a minute or two, next add in fresh or store bought herbs , close burner. Keep aside.
2. Divide the dough into equal proportion and form each divided dough into medium sized ball.   Sprinkle little flour on a board, so that dough won't stick to the board. Work with each divided ball sized dough , one at a time .Place dough on board and using the palms of your hand gently pat dough,to flatten it using circular motion. , simultaneously work with your hands to kind of stretch the dough , like a rubber , as you try to make an oval or circular shape pizza  , pressing with your fingers ,note that it should be evenly uniform and  1/2 inch or less in thickness and approx 8 to 10 inches diameter. You can also use a rolling pin instead.
3.Using a baking sheet, sprinkle few drops olive oil to grease the baking sheet and place the flattened pizza onto the baking sheet. Adjust the shape, if required.
 Sprinkle each pizza with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle little salt over it.
Now comes the fun part, where kids can take turns too:) for the toppings
4.For  garlic lovers use the  prepared garlic herb butter as first topping that you can brush right onto the surface pizza , using a pastry brush. 
5.Next add a layer of marinara sauce and top with shredded cheese, sliced bell peppers and tomatoes and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes at 375 degrees and until the crust appears golden brown. Enjoy with friends and family or a treat just for your self.
Different toppings like mushrooms,pineapple little cubes,spinach,grilled  chicken pieces, mango pieces,  can be used to create a pizza of your choice.

Paani Poori Chaat

Paani  poori is a popular chaat (snack food) . Paani is a Hindi word for water and poori is the term used for little round discs of Indian dough deep fried. Also known as gol gappas, they are sure to win the interests of your friends and guests , and will have them wanting for some more:)))

Ingredients (This quantity is for good for 5 to 6 persons)

3 bunches of fresh mint leaves

2 bunches of fresh coriander leaves 

2 inch fresh ginger

2 tspn salt

2 tspn Black salt (also called Kala Namak)
1 tsp Chaat masala powder 

3 to 4 small green chillies 

2 tspn cumin seeds 
1 lemon 

4 to 5 cups  cold water

1/4 cup tamarind paste  
2 tbsp sugar 
2 pack of store bought ready pooris

                                                     

Grind in the mixer

Strain the ready paani 

Paani poori

Method (preparing paani poori water)

1.Clean the leaves of mint and coriander and wash thoroughly  to remove any  dirt from  leaves.

2.Using a blender, grind the leaves, together with cumin seeds, chopped ginger, green chillies, lemon juice, salt, tamarind paste and 3 to 4 cups of cold water. Next, add black salt and chaat powder and check for taste. Keep this mixture back in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. After that , strain the water and taste for salt, and if it is less add some black salt or chaat masala. This is the paani poor water,s tore it back in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 hours and enjoy with store bought pooris and potato mixture.

For Potato filling

2 medium size potatoes boiled and peeled

1 cup Tamarind chutney ( ready available in Indian store) or you can look up my blog for a recipe of home made tamarind chutney.

Method 
1. Boil the potatoes fully, cool them and peel the skin of the potatoes, mix them with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp chaat powder, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder and keep aside.

Assembling the dish 

1. Pooris are very delicate and crisp, using a spoon, crack the top of the poori to make a little opening. Now fill each  poori with like 1/4 tsp  potato filling. To this stir and add in paani poori water and then about 1/4 tsp tamarind chutney (for the sweetness) Continue the same way , with the other pooris and serve immediately.

Other fillings:
If you don't fancy potatoes you can alternately add sprouted moong, or boiled garbanzo beans, instead.