D's Special Dosa

D made an interestingly shaped dosa ! I thought this needed a special mention here ! A few pictures below..

Black Bean and Brown Rice Veg Burger

I love the black bean burger but when I came across this recipe that included brown rice and pepper, I have been sticking to it. Its healthy and not that difficult to make since all the ingredients required are usually present in a kitchen.

Inactive Prep Time - 8-9 hours

Active Prep Time - 15 mins

Cooking Time - 20 mins

Ingredients :

For the patty :

Black beans - 6 ounces / 3/4th cup, 

Cooked brown rice - 1/2 cup

Green bell pepper - 1/2 medium, chopped finely

Onions - 1 medium, chopped finely

Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped finely

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Ground pepper - as per taste

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 1 tsp + for drizzling ( if shallow frying )

For assembling the burger :

Burger Buns

Lettuce

Tomatoes - cut into slices

Cucumber - cut into slices

Onions - cut into slices

Cheddar cheese 

Tomato Ketchup

Any other ketchup/sauce of your choice

If  you are using dried beans (not canned), soak them overnight and pressure cook till they become soft.

Procedure :

In a small wok, heat oil. Once hot, add onions and garlic, fry till the raw smell goes off. Keep this aside.

Coarsely ground kidney beans and brown rice. Transfer this coarse mixture into a big bowl , add the onion and garlic and other remaining ingredients from the " for the patty section ". Mix properly till all the ingredients get incorporated properly. Form into firm patties and shallow fry with little oil on both sides till they turn golden brown. ( you can even grill/bake /fry as per your convenience). I have tried grilling the patties but I feel they turn out dry sometimes.

  

Toast the burger buns and assemble by placing lettuce on them followed by the patty, cheese ( I melted my cheese in a double boiler), ketchup, tomato, cucumber, onions. You can also choose your own veggies and place them in any order your choice. Make sure the ketchup is not exactly at the top, lest after your first bite you end up with an evil red grin!

I served my burgers with baked sweet potato fries.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ah...Here I am, back after 7 months of hibernation from blogging with a dish which I remembered having in a place called Crane Alley (in downtown Urbana).

    

Prep Time - 15 mins

Baking Time - 20 - 30 mins

Ingredients :

Sweet potatoes - 4, medium sized , peeled

Seasoning :

Olive Oil - 1 - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 2-3 flakes, minced ( optional )
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp ( or as per taste )
Salt as per taste

15 mins prior to baking :

Soak the sweet potatos in water as soon as you peel them as they tend to get black when exposed to air. Cut the sweet potato into half, cut it into large slices about 3/4th inch thick . Now cut these slices into finger sized fries ( 1/2 inch thick approx ).

Pre heat the oven at 300 F / 150 C.

Procedure :

In a small bowl mix all the ingredients under the seasoning section and keep it aside.
Drain all the water and transfer the sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Pour the seasoning and toss till the sweet potatoes are covered with the seasoning evenly.

Line the baking tray with parchment paper and spread the sweet potatoes in a single layer. Bake until the sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown. ( Ten minutes into baking take out your baking tray from the oven and turn the fries ).

Serve warm with your favourite sauce!

Cranberry and Granny Smith Apple Pickle / Thokku

This is my first venture into pickles and thanks to M ( read Meena ) for this recipe which by the way is her creation. This pickle turned out to be a hit and vanished in no time! Infact we tasted this pickle during one of our get togethers at M's place and I immediately asked her for the recipe. She mailed me the step by step procedure for the same. I followed them as specified and it turned out perfect - spicy, tangy and with a tinge of sweetness. I plan to make some more before the end of cranberry season!

Prep time : 20 - 30 mins
Cooking Time : 20 - 25 mins

Ingredients :

Fresh cranberry - 12 oz ( one packet ), cut into 4 - 6 pieces

Granny Smith apples - 3 nos, medium sized, grated

Red chilli powder - 6 - 7 tsp or as per taste ( the chilli powder that I  was using was not very hot, ideally 3-4 tsp should work )

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp + 1 tsp ( to grind )

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp

Salt to taste
Oil - 1 - 2 tbsp

Ten mins prior to cooking :

Roast 1 tsp of mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds on medium to low heat till the fenugreek seeds turn golden brown in color. Cool and grind into a fine powder.

Procedure :

Take a big wok and heat oil on medium. Once it is hot add in the mustard seeds, and as they crackle add in the turmeric powder, chilli powder, fenugreek powder and mustard powder ( Turn the heat to low, just in case, you feel you might burn them ). Give a quick stir and add in the cranberries and grated apple along with salt ( increase the heat to medium again ) . Keep stirring in between and cook till the cranberries and apple become real mushy ( approx 20 -25 mins on medium heat ). Check for salt and tartness. If you feel its still very tart add some more chilli powder. For more sweetness you can even add jaggery ( Since the sweetness from apples was enough, I didn't add jaggery ).

When you get a homogenous mix and feel the taste is perfect ( spicy, little tangy with a tinge of sweetness), turn off the heat. Serve with curd rice!

Semiya Payasam / Seviya Kheer

New year a new decade and a new sweet post ! Semiya payasam / Seviya kheer comes real handy on those days when you want to make a rich flavourful sweet dish ( with lots of dry fruits) and yet is very easy to prepare. D's mom shared this delicious sweet dish in detail. This dish can be had on many festive occasions and would definetly be a sure shot success.

Prep time : 5 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients :

Semiya / Vermicilli - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 and 1/4 cup

Water - 1 cup + 1/4 cup ( if required )

Milk - 2 cups

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp ( broken )

Raisins - 1 tbsp

Elaichi - 2 nos, roughly powdered

Saffron - 3-4 strands (optional )

Yellow color - 1/8 tsp

Procedure :

Soak the saffron ( if using) in a tbsp of milk 20 mins prior to cooking. If you forget soaking it, just microwave the saffron with a tbsp of milk for 30 seconds ( this also works! )

Take a small pan on medium heat, heat a tbsp of ghee and fry the raisins and cashews respectively ( fry them seperately, else the raisins might get burnt as they get cooked faster ). In the same pan heat the remaining ghee and add the semiya / vermicilli and roast on medium - low heat till it gets a nice golden brown color ( This should approx take 8 - 10 mins ).

Once the vermicilli turns golden brown add one cup of water. Stirring in between , wait till the water comes to a boil ( the vermicilli / semiya would be half cooked ) . Pour the 2 cups of milk and again wait till it comes to a boil, stirring in between ( approx 5 mins on low- medium heat ). Buy this time the semiya/ vermicilli would have plumped up. Now add the sugar and stir in between till the sugar melts completely. At first, after adding the sugar, the payasam / kheer might look watery. Let it boil for 5 mins till you get a homogenous consistency. Again if the kheer looks very thick add some water and let it boil. At this stage add the dry fruits, yellow color, saffron ( if using ) and elaichi. Allow it to boil.

Can be served hot / chilled.

Oven Baked Vegetables

D and me wanted to eat something healthy, also a one-meal dish that is easy to make. We thought about making baked vegetables and we came up with a recipe including our own seasonings. The result was extremely tasty and we have been making it two days in a row. The good thing is it can be custom made with your vegetables of choice and you can even add or remove items from our recommended seasoning!

Prep time - less than 5 mins
Baking time - 45 mins

Ingredients :

Vegetables:

Red Potatoes - 4 medium, cut into cubes
Cauliflower - 6-7 , medium size florest
Green bell pepper - 1 medium, cut into 1/2 inch piece
Red onion - 1 medium, cut into thick strips
Sweet corn - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 large, cut into big cubes

Seasoning:

Garlic - 3 medium pods, minced
Paprika - 1 tsp [ or as per taste ]
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Basil (dried) -1 tsp [ or as per taste]
Lime juice - 1/2 tsp
Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp [ or as per taste]
Salt as per tatse

Procedure :

Whisk together all the ingredients under the "Seasoning" section homogenously.

Wash and cut all the vegetables and keep the vegetables in a colander till all the water drains. Take a big mixing bowl and place all the vegetables in the bowl. Pour the seasoning evenly over the vegetables and mix properly with the help of a wooden spoon. [ we want the vegetables to be properly coated with the seasoning, at the same time vigorous mixing with the spoon might break the cauliflower florets ].

Pre heat the oven at 400 F. Line a baking tray with an aluminium foil and place the vegetables over the foil and bake for 45 mins [ or till the vegetables are fully cooked, I checked this by piercing with a toothpick ]. Once they are cooked, turn on the broil option in your oven for 5 mins to make your veggies crispy and brown.

Stuffed Indian Eggplant / Bhareli Vaangi

Here's another Maharastrian delicacy which R shared with me recently. One of the main ingredients of this recipe is goda masala ( a Maharashtrian spice blend ), I got the masala from R. This masala can also be made at home, the link for the same is here ( I haven't tried to make it). Also in case you don't have small eggplants (Indian eggplants) you can also use regular eggplants cut into cubes, and can also add potatoes to the same.

Prep Time : 20 mins

Cooking time - 35 mins

Ingredients :

Indian eggplants  - 7 small sized

Peanuts - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp

Sesame seeds - 3 tbsp

Coconut - 3 tbsp, grated

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Goda masala - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp [ or as per taste ]

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Jaggery - 3/4 tsp, crushed [ or as per taste ]

Cilantro - 2 tbsp [ for the gravy ] + 2 tbsp [ for garnishing], finely chopped

Salt - as per taste

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tsp [ or as per taste]

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure :

Wash the eggplants and make 2 vertical slits in each eggplant. Do not slit till the end, stop 1- 1.5 cm before the stem.

Now in a small pan on medium heat, dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut till they are golden brown. Keep stirring constantly and take care that the coconut doesnt get burnt. Another option is to dry roast each ingredient one by one to make sure of that. Once they turn golden brown , keep aside and cool. Ground into a fine powder once cool.

  

To this powdered mix, add salt and 1/2 tsp of turmeric and give it a good mix. Slowly stuff this mix into each eggplant [ there will be about half of the powdered mix left after the eggplants are stuffed ].  Keep the eggplants and the powdered mix aside.

In a large wok, heat oil on medium . Once hot add the mustard seeds, and once they splutter add asfoetida, onions and remaining turmeric powder. Stir till the onions turn golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste and stir till the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes off. Now add 2 tbsp of chopped cilantro and give a quick mix. Now turn the heat to low and slowly add the stuffed eggplants, sprinkle some water and cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 mins. Open the lid and stir again, sprinkle water if necessary. Keep doing this till the eggplants get half cooked.

Now add the remaining powdered sesame - peanut - coconut mix, red chilli powder, goda masala and sprinkle some more water. Mix properly and again cover with the lid and cook for 2-3 mins. Open the lid and stir again , sprinkle water if necessary. Keep repeating this process till the eggplants and masala is completely cooked and you will also get a nice aroma from the gravy. [ Insert a toothpick near the stem of eggplants, if it goes in easily without resistance, the eggplants are done. For the masala, when the oil floats on top of the gravy, the masala is done. Check for both these signs].

Now add in the powdered jaggery and again give a good mix. Turn off the heat and sprinkle lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.
 

Plantain Shammi kabab

This is an oil free adaptation of Sanjay Thumma's Shammi Kabab recipe done by baking instead of shallow frying. We liked its taste and specifically enjoyed the addition of pomegranates, one of our favorite fruits! 

Prep Time - 25 mins
Cooking time - 40 mins

Ingredients :

Plantain / Raw banana - 1, medium
Chana dal - 1/2 cup
Onion - half of a medium sized, finely chopped
Green chillies - 3 [ or as per taste ], finely chopped
Ginger - garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Mint leaves - 8-9 leaves, finely chopped
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp [ or as per taste ]
Cilantro - 3-4 sprigs, finely chopped
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste

For the filling :

Paneer - 1/3 cup , crumbled                                                                                          
Cilantro - 2 -3 sprigs, finely chopped
Onion - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Pomegranate - 2 -3 tbsp [ or as per taste]
Chaat masala as per taste
Red chilli powder as per taste

Procedure :

Pressure cook the chana dal and plaintain seperately .
Mash the plaintain and keep aside.

In a medium sized wok, heat oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add finely chopped onions and stir till they turn transparent. Now add green chillies, ginger garlic paste and turmenric. Stir till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes off. Now add mint leaves, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Give it a good mix and then add the chana dal. Again give a good mix and add the mashed plaintain and chopped cilantro leaves. Mix properly. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a while and mash the plaintain - chana dal mix till you get a homogenous texture ( like a dough ) [ I did this with hands, you can also use a masher ] . Set aside.

Filling :

Mix all the items under " for the filling " section and keep aside.

Assembling the kabab :

Divide the chana dal -plaintain dough into golf  ball size . Smear some water on your palms and flatten each portion into a disc. Place about 1-2 tsp of paneer filling at the center of the disc, close and seal the edges and make into a patty.
[ If the dough feels very tight or cracks develop, dip your finger into water and apply on the cracks and keep working in the same way till you get a smooth surface ]

Preheat the oven at 350 F and grease a baking sheet with oil. Place the kabab on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 mins [ or until one side turns brown on top ] and flip and bake for another 10 mins till the other side becomes brown in color.

Serve hot with your favorite chutney!

Eggless/ Vegetarian Strawberry Cheesecake With Chocolate Ganache

 We celebrated D's birthday on 10th December with friends. For his special day I decided to make Strawberry Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache, and this rich festive cake was my way of showing him that he is very special . Thank you for making my every passing day a memorable yesterday !

I had set my eyes on a cheesecake long time back, but all the recipes called for using either eggs or gelatin .
[ Cheesecakes that require baking use eggs, whereas the " no bake " cheesecakes use gelatin to firm them up ]. Us being staunch vegetarians, I decided that I would figure out a way to make my cake egg/gelatin less. Then I stumbled upon Rosemarie Emro's cheesecake recipe called  "I cannot believe it has no eggs cheesecake " [ where she replaces the eggs with condensed milk]. I followed her recipe for a basic cheesecake and then made my own minor changes to it. The resulting cake was super creamy, dense and undoubtedly rich with a slight tart of strawberries and a must try at home.

Since I was new to making cheesecakes I did some research and would like to share my notes on the same, they are as follows :

1. Springform Pan - Cheesecakes are very soft and somewhat fragile and not the type of cake you can turn out of a pan. This calls for using a springform pan, where you can lift away the sides and leave the cake on pan's base for serving!

2.Avoid overbeating the cream cheese batter as it tends to incorporate air which in turn could cause the cheesecake to crack.

3.For best results pre bake the crumb crust for 10 mins before baking the crust along with the cake.

4.Unmolding the cake - The best way for removing the cake from the springform pan , is by running a blunt knife ( dipped in hot water and wiped before use ) around the cake in an up down motion.

5. Just like baking, cooling ( at room temperature) and the chilling in a refrigerator are important steps in making a cheesecake.

6. The cheesecakes have a tendency to crack, baking the cheesecakes in double boiling method prevents it from cracking and  I followed this method. But since the recipe uses corn starch ( corn starch prevents coagulation , which in turn prevents the cake from cracking ) double boiling is not required.

I hereby present the full recipe

Prep Time : 30 mins
Baking time : 1 hr 30 mins
Inactive setting time : 12 - 18 hrs

Ingredients :

For the Crust :

Chocolate graham crackers - 20 - 25 pieces ( should yield 1.5 cups when crushed into crumbs )
Melted unsalted butter - 1/2 cup
Fine sugar - 2 tbsp

For the Cheesecake Filling :

Regular cream cheese - one 8 ounce package (226 gms)
Low fat cream cheese - two 8 ounce package (= 16 ounces )
Pureed fresh strawberries - 1 cup
Sweetened condensed milk - 1/2 cup
Fine sugar - 1/2 cup
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Cornstarch - 1/4 cups
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Grated lemon rind - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp
Light sour cream - 16 ounces

For the Chocolate Ganache :

Heavy whipping cream - 186 ml
Semi- sweetened chocolate - 8 ounces [ I used Baker's brand ]
Butter - 2 tbsp

One hour prior to preparing : Bring the cream cheese at room temperature by taking it out from refrigerator.

Procedure :

Grease the springform pan with butter. Choose a pan that has sides atleast 3 inches high.

Crust :

In a medium sized bowl break the graham crackers into small pieces using your fingers.  Powder the pieces in a blender. Mix the cracker crumbs with melted butter and sugar until all of the crumbs are uniformly moist. ( I did this with my fingers )  Turn the ingredients into the springform pan.

Use a flat surfaced bowl to pat an even layer of crumbs over the bottom of pan and halfway up the sides.
Its okay if the sides are not perfectly even.

Place the wire rack in the centre slot in the oven and preheat the oven at 350 F. Put the springform pan with the crumb layer in the freezer while you preheat the oven. After 10 mins place the springform pan in the oven and bake for 10 mins. Remove from the oven and set it aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F. Put a kettle of water on boil. Wrap the bottom and sides of the the springform pan with double layers of aluminum foil.

Cheesecake filling :


In a large bowl , with a handheld electric mixer on low speed, beat all the cream cheese and condensed milk together. Slowly add in sugar, baking soda, baking powder, corn starch , lemon juice, lemon rind and vanilla essence. Mix till you get a homogeneous mixture. Pour in the pureed strawberries and beat until you get a smooth mix.  Mixing of all the ingredients mentioned above should take approx 3 minutes. Do not over beat the mixture. At this stage add sour cream and blend at the lowest speed till you get a smooth mixture. Pour this mixture into the prepared pan. The batter will reach just below the top rim of the pan.

Baking: 

Now place the foil wrapped springform pan on a baking sheet that is large enough to hold the pan with some space around it. Pour enough boiling water around the pan.

Place this whole set up in the centre rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hr and 30 mins .

Its difficult to gauge when a cheesecake is done as it will never appear like its done. Switch off the oven when your cheesecake appears set and the centre is wobbly.

[ The cake would first rise above the rim, then go down and the top layer would appear brown. As soon as you see the above changes in your cheesecake be alert and hit the rim of the springform pan with a big spoon, if the whole cake looks wobbly heat for some more time. Whereas if the sides look set and the centre still looks wobbly ( when you hit the rim slowly with a big spoon ) switch off the oven ]

The whole process took me about 1 hr and 30 mins. This time would vary depending upon the oven capacity.

Let the springform pan sit inside the oven for one more hout after it is switched off. After 1 hour , carefully pull out the set up from the oven. Remove the foil from the sides of springform pan and let the cheesecake come to room temperature.

Once when the cake reaches room temperature, cover it with a saran wrap ( or any plastic wrap ) and refrigerate overnight ( or 6-7 hrs minimum ).

After the cake has been chilled overnight, remove the sides of springform pan by running a blunt knife ( dipped in hot water and wiped) to separate the cake from the side walls of the pan and unlocking it.

Chill it again while you prepare chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache :

 Chop the chocolates as finely possible and place them in a stainless steel bowl.

In a strong bottomed pan, heat butter and whipping cream on medium heat till they start to boil. Switch of the heat and pour the boiling whipped cream - butter mix over the chopped chocolate. Let it rest for 2 mins. Using a whisk mix the chocolate and whipped cream mix till you get a smooth shiny mixture.

Take out your cake from the refrigerator and place it over a butter paper (the ganache might drip). The top layer of the cheesecake might not be even, so to make the top layer smooth spread 2 tbsp of the ganache on the crumbly spots with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate the cake with the crumb coat for 5 mins.
After 5 mins when you take it out , you would have a smooth surface to work on.Now pour the  remaining ganache in the centre and spread quickly with a rubber spatula over the sides of the cake evenly.

Refrigerate the cheesecake with chocolate ganache for 2-3 hrs.[ Refrigerating the cake with the ganache for more than 2-3 hrs might make it dull without glaze, so prepare it just before 2-3 hrs of serving your cake! ]

Happy Birthday again D!

Garlic Bread

I have always tried and wanted to make restaurant style garlic bread. Even though I have made it a number of times, the results were not very satisfactory. D suggested we make it the way described below, apparently he had  tasted something quite similar during a recent trip. This one turned out very much like what we had thought of and we enjoyed it a lot. 

A crispy edge and a warm soft, buttery and cheesy centre - it is this quality of garlic bread that I have been trying to make and it became a success this time. Traditionally a garlic bread is made from French bread / Italian bread, but we prefer Vienna bread which has a crispy crust on the outside and a very soft inside, which turns out to be perfect for garlic bread! Also one of the other important things while making a garlic bread is that the oven in which you plan to bake your garlic bread needs to be really hot, so its better that you preheat your oven 15- 20 mins before you plan to bake it. 

Prep time - 10 -15 mins
Cooking time - 10 - 12 mins

Ingredients :

Vienna bread  loaf- 1 medium sized loaf ( You can also use French / Italian bread loaf )
Garlic pods - 5-6 medium sized pods, minced or very finely chopped
Butter - 1/3 cup [ or more as per taste ]
Mozzarella cheese - 1/2 cup grated [ or more as per taste ]
Dried basil leaves - 1 tsp [ or as per taste ]
Salt - as per taste

For veggie Garlic bread :

Onions - finely chooped
Tomatoes - finely chopped

Procedure :

Pre heat the oven at 400 F.

Take the Vienna bread and carefully slice it into half lengthwise.

Now cut these halves into two half pieces and slit each piece as shown in the picture below , without cutting the edges below. Melt the butter and apply generously over each piece like in the pic below. Place the bread pieces on cookie sheet.

For plain garlic bread :

Spread the mozzarella cheese over the bread  and top it off with minced garlic, salt and basil leaves.

For veggie garlic bread :

Spread a little amount of mozzarella cheese over the bread. Add the chopped tomatoes and onion and sprinkle more cheese generously. Top it off with minced garlic, salt and basil leaves.

Place the cookie tray in the oven and bake till the cheese melts and the top layer turns golden brown. This would take 10-12 mins approx.

I did not add oregano and chilli flakes while baking. You can add both the seasonings before serving. Serve hot.