Santa Bread using Tangzhong Method

Christmas is a time of celebration and what better way to treat kids than to make this beautiful Santa Bread with some soup! Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, it is a wonderful project to do with kids! If there is one thing I have learned, involving kids in the cooking process makes them more interested in eating the food. And you get to have loads of holiday fun.. So what are you waiting for? Ready, Set, Bake!

Snowball Cookies - Russian Tea Cookies - Mexican Wedding Cookies - Eggless Cookie

Snowball Cookies also called as the Mexican Wedding Cookies or the Russian Tea Cookies are the simplest cookies you will ever bake. They are quite an interesting cookie to eat, very different from your Chocolate chip cookies or Oatmeal raisin cookies. (I have the recipes for those too, if are looking for them).

We had loads of fun baking these today. Just in time for Santa. Am sure our Santa will be superpleased with the treat we are offering him. The weather is windy and rainy today.  So Santa is sure to appreciate these wonderful snowball cookies that we are going to leave for him under the tree. 

Hershey's Ultimate Chocolate Brownies

Brownie Baking is becoming a routine in our household. All of us love brownies. I have already posted a couple of brownie recipe in my blog.

Triple Chocolate and Coffee Brownie (easy to make and a family favourite)
Peanut Butter and Jelly Brownie (for the love of PBJ)

They have all been baked quite a few times and shared too! Has been a bit hit every time.

Ginger Bread Man Sugar Cookies (Ice Box Cookies)

Gingerbread cookies are just every kids love. I made a version of gingerbread cookies (with the ginger bread flavours) last year. See recipe here. This year my son wanted to make some sugar cookies. The key for him was to decorate the cookies with chocolates. Well, no surprise there, is there? I made a big batch and froze the dough in portions. Have made cookies of many shapes with these. Just pop the dough in the fridge overnight and you are ready to bake. Cookies will be ready in 20 min (5 min to roll and cut, 10 min to bake and well another 5 to cool)

Hershey's 'Perfectly Chocolate' Chocolate Cake

Looking for a foolproof recipe for Chocolate Cake? Want to make a butter cream frosting that will make you weak in your leg? Want to surprise your loved ones with the Best cake ever made? Look no further. This chocolate cake is the answer. It is a one bowl recipe and even beginners can make it. So what are you waiting for? Get, Set, Bake!

Chocolate Chunk Cookies with White Chocolate

I think it is safe to say that Chocolate Chip cookies are by far the most popular variety of cookies. Who doesn't like Chocolate, right? I decided to make these cookies with big chunks of chocolate. Very easy to put together. Make the dough in bulk and you can freeze it after shaping. Whenever you want to make a dozen cookies, just take it from the freezer and pop it straight to a preheated oven.

Masala Oats Toast

Eating oats for breakfast may be a thing that you enjoy. But I know quite a few people who like something spicy and savoury for their breakfast. This is one interesting way of incorporating oats in your breakfast without eating the porridge. You will fall in love with this!

Poodu Kozhambu - Garlic Gravy for Rice

Garlic is one of those ingredients used in all parts of the world. Sometimes it is just used in little portions to add flavour, while some other cases it forms the key ingredient of the dish. Kozhambu is a south indian gravy usually served with rice and a vegetable side dish. This Kozhambu has loads of Garlic and is full of flavour. It kind of reminds of delicious Non Veg gravy. You can serve this as a side dish for Dosa or Idli as well.

Chocolate Crinkles - Crinkle Cookies

Holiday season is definitely a great time for Baking. The fun of baking and sharing takes away the gloom of winter and just adds joy to our lives. And when you think of something festive, what better than some cookies? Well, wait it gets better. These are chocolate cookies! If that is not good enough, it gets even better. These are fudgy chocolate cookies covered with Sugar. It is super easy to make, great to bake with little ones. They will love rolling chocolate balls in sugar and being your 'helper'. 

Baked Glazed Donut

Donuts or Doughnuts are quite popular in America (and now the rest of the world). There are 2 kinds of donuts - cake donuts and yeasted donuts. I have posted the yeasted donuts once before (cinnamon sugar donuts). That time it was the fried version. This time I am presenting to you the baked version of the donuts

These tasted really good. Personally I liked these better than the fried donuts that I made. But some people in our group felt they will stick to fried version.

Cabbage Sambharo - Warm Salad with Cabbage and Carrot - Gujarati recipe

Sambharo is a quick stir fry made of cabbage and carrots. It is flavoured mildly with chillies and spices. It works as a side dish as well. As with most Gujarati recipes, this also has a little sugar to add sweetness. You can skip it if you don't like it.

Kanel Snegle and Kanelbullar - Swedish Cinnamon Snails and Rolls

Let me start my Christmas recipes with the awesome Cinnamon Rolls! This month’s bread for our group We Knead to Bake is the Kanel Snegle (Cinnamon Snails) or Kanelbullar (Cinnamon Buns) which is the Swedish version (and probably the original version) of the popular American Cinnamon Rolls. The Swedish version are and not sticky like their American counterparts and are also less sweet. They’re are delightfully aromatic, soft and moist, and perfect with a cup of tea/ coffee whether for breakfast or in the evening. Recipe from here. 

Original Pav Bhaji - Mumbai Juhu Beach Style - Authentic Recipe

Mumbai (Bombay) is famous for its Chaat Recipes. I guess it is safe to say that Chaat has spread its wings all over the country and even abroad. Most of us love eating an evening Chaat as a snack. These days even when you are shopping in a mall, getting a plate of Chaat is becoming a tradition.

So where did all this begin. Chaat is quite famous in the beaches of Bombay. The other day I was talking to some of my English friends about Beach! Here as you know people go to beach during the day and mainly to lounge in the sand and picnic.

Soft Dinner Rolls - Laadi Pav

Dinner rolls are just perfect for soups or just to pass around the table, to eat with butter or just to dip in some olive oil as a pre dinner snack. And here is the perfect recipe for a super soft fluffy dinner roll.

As an Indian, the dinner roll ofcourse takes a whole new meaning. Yes, Pav. Pav Bread is used for the famous chaats of Mumbai like Pav Bhaji, Misal Pav, Vada Pav etc. Check out the recipes for all the chaats in my site. Hope you try some of them

If you are looking for a hard rolls (no they are not hard inside, harder shell and soft inside) for sandwiches, check out here.

Recipe from here

Ingredients

Bread Flour (Or All Purpose Flour) 420 gms to 480 gms (3.5 - 4 cups)
Instant Yeast 1.5 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Sugar 1 tbsp
Milk 1.5 cups
Butter 1.5 tbsp
Butter for Brushing 1 tbsp

Method of Preparation

1. Take the flour (420 gms - 3.5 cups), yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl. Mix well.

2. Warm the milk and butter together till it is warm and the butter melted. Mix well.

3. Add the milk to the bowl and knead well till it starts to come together. I use my stand mixer to do this. You can do by hand as well.

4. When it starts to pull together, add the extra flour as needed till you get a soft dough, just short of being sticky. I needed 3 tbsp of flour.

5. Shape into a neat round and place it in a well oiled bowl. Cover and let it rest till it is doubled in size (about an hour or 2).

6. Punch out the air and divide the dough into 15 equal portions. I find it easier just to weigh the dough and divide the weight by the number of pieces I want. Then divide each portion to that weight. I know it kind of sounds obsessive. But once you do 3-4 pieces you get an idea and you do not need to weigh and you get really uniform bake on the rolls.

7. Grease a 9*13 baking tray with some oil.

8. Shape each portion into a perfect round. Place it on the baking tray in a 5*3 rows and columns, fairly close to each other, but leaving a little space



9. Cover and let it rise till doubled. It will take another 30-45 min.



10. Preheat the oven to 220 C.

11. Bake the rolls for 10 min. The top would start to brown by now.

12. Take it out. Brush with the melted butter.

13. Bake for another 5 min till it is nicely browned on the top.



14. Let it cool on the tray for a few min and the cool on a wire rack.

Serving Suggestion - Check out the recipe for Bhaji here (coming soon). Its a popular Mumbai street food using this bread!

Gobi Musallam - Cauliflower Roast - A Vegan Thanksgiving Roast

Thanksgiving is celebrated in the US on the 4th Thursday of the month of November. The origins can be traced to celebration of harvest or even some religious aspects brought by the English to New England. In the present day, it marks an occasion of family reunion. It is a major holiday in America. Usually most establishments offer day off on Friday as well making it a 4 day weekend end! It together with Christmas and New Year marks the holiday season.



When it comes to celebration and family reunion, food plays a major role. That is irrespective of which country you are from. Don't you agree? In US, Thanksgiving dinner has a huge significance. I have felt people take it even more seriously than Christmas dinner. Christmas Dinner is mostly low key with immediate family.

Now coming to the Thanksgiving dinner, I just love all the food served in the meal. The most important part is the Turkey Roast. Then whole bunch of sides like Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Beans, Roasted Vegetables, Casseroles, Cranberry Sauce are served. Not to forget the stuffing, gravy and the dinner rolls. The perfect dessert for a Thanksgiving meal would be a pie made with the things that are in season - a Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie or Pecan Pie. My fav is Pecan Pie!



I always believe in adopting different aspects of the country you live in to my own life. So Thanksgiving holds a place in our hearts! But being Vegetarians we can't of course make a Turkey Roast. I wanted to do something that would make a great Thanksgiving centrepiece and I really liked it when my friend Anu made this version of the Cauliflower Roast. I adapted it from there and made it and we totally loved it.

Does this not look like a roast? Oh common, a Vegan/Vegetarian also needs the honour of Carving the Roast. Don't you agree? You can change the sauce to suit your family's preference and send it to the Thanksgiving table.



Ingredients

Cauliflower 1
Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Onions 2
Tomato 3
Cashews 2 tbsp (Omit to make it Nut free)
Milk 1 cup (Use soy milk or almond milk to make it Vegan or just use water or stock)
Chilli Powder 1 tsp
Garam Masala 1 tsp
Cumin 1 tsp
Ginger 1 inch piece
Garlic 4 pods

Oil and salt to taste

Method of Preparation



1. Clean the Cauliflower of the thick stems and leaves.

2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add turmeric powder and salt to it. Place the cauliflower in it so that it is immersed.

3. Blanch for about 8 min turning once in between. Take it out and keep aside.

4. In a pan, heat a little oil. Add the cumin, chopped onions, ginger and garlic. Saute till it starts to brown.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes and cashews. Saute till the tomatoes are cooked.

6. Add the chilli powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well.

7. Let it cool and puree into a paste without adding any water.

8. Preheat the oven to 200C.

9. Place the Cauliflower on a bakng sheet. Pour the gravy (about 1/2 of it) on the cauliflower. Brush it around so that the whole cauliflower is coated. Try and avoid anything on the base of the roasting pan as it will burn and stick while roasting. You can line with foil if you choose.

10. Roast in the oven for 30-45 min turning in between. Keep checking after 30 min cause the time taken depends on the size of your cauliflower.

To Serve - Pour the rest of the gravy on a serving dish. Gently place the Roasted Cauliflower on the gravy

Parippu Vada - Masala Vadai - Paruppu Vadai - With tips to making crunchy vadas

Parippu Vada (as it is known in Kerala) or Masala Vadai or Paruppu Vadai (as it is known in Tamil Nadu) is a very popular snack in Southern India. Nothing can beat the taste of a good Parippu Vada with some tea (or coffee may be) on a cloudy/rainy day.



When munching on Vada or any savoury fried items for that matter with some tea, I always wonder about the cultural difference. To start closer to home, in Kerala most people prefer to have tea with Vada where as in Tamil Nadu (especially in my husbands place) it is always coffee. I like my vada and tea at the same time (one in each hand), where as I find most tamilians prefer to finish their snacks and then drink their coffee.

Now moving on to place where I am now, yes you got it in UK. On a daily basis biscuits are enjoyed with tea (by dunking). Well, that is one thing Indians have learned from British. The taste of dunked biscuits is just awesome. On special days or when a few ladies meet (what could be more special than friends getting together), it is cakes with tea/coffee. In India we almost always associate cake with dessert. So for me it is quite hard to get my head around cake with tea. Does something sweet not affect the taste of the drink? Well, to each their own.

What is your tea time story? Do share with me!



The Key to a good Parippu Vada is the crunchiness. Though quite simple to make, getting the texture right can be quite daunting if you do not know the trick. If you add too much water, the batter will be too soft resulting in a vada that does not have that crunch and texture to it. If you add little and you do not shape it right, it will disintegrate the moment you drop it in oil. Read below for tricks of how to get that perfect crunch!

Ingredients

Channa Dal  1 cup
Rice Flour 2 tbsp
Onion 1 finely chopped
Coriander Leaves finely chopped
Salt little less than 1 tsp (or to taste)
Oil for Deep frying

Make a paste
Curry Leaves 2 sprigs
Ginger 1 inch piece
Fennel seeds 1 tsp
Green Chilli 1 (more for spicier vada)

Method of Preparation

1. Soak the channa dal for 3 hours. Drain the water.

2. Make a rough paste of curry leaves, ginger, fennel seeds and green chilli without adding any water.

3. Pulse the channa dal without any water in a food processor till it is broken dal kind of stage. Take 1/3 of this and add to a blender with 1-2 tbsp of water and make a fine paste. If you do not have food processor, take 2/3 of dal and pulse in a blender/mixie. Then take the rest 1/3 and make a paste.

4. Take all of the dal in a bowl. Add the curry leaf paste to it. Add rice flour, salt, finely chopped onions and finely chopped coriander leaves to this. Mix everything well.

5. Heat oil in pan for frying. Keep a big bowl of water for dipping your hand.

6. When the oil is ready, keep it in low flame. Dip your fingers in the bowl of water. Take a small walnut size portion of the vada mix. Roll into a ball. Wet your fingers again and gently flatten the ball making sure that it does not crack on the top or sides.

7. Gently slide it into the oil.

8. Repeat for 2 or 3 more balls.

9. Increase the flame to medium. Do not touch it till the bottom side is cooked.

10. Once done, flip them over and cook the other side.

11. Drain on to a paper towel.

12. Repeat from step 6 for the rest of the mix.

Enjoy with a piping cup of tea (or coffee). 

Potato Stew - Vegan Recipe - Potatoes and Onions cooked with coconut milk and spices

Last week I presented to you the Recipe for Aappam. The lacy, spongy crepe from my native place, Kerala. What good is a dish without its perfect accompaniment. So here you go! Hope you enjoy it.

Check out other Stew recipes in my blog
Soya Stew
Vegetable Stew



Ingredients

Potato 8 medium (about 500gms)
Coconut Milk 1 can

Cinnamon 2 inch piece
Cardamom 4
Clove 4
Star Anise 1
Bay Leaf 1

Onions 2 sliced
Garlic 5 pods sliced
Green Chillies 4 sliced
Ginger 1 inch piece sliced
Curry Leaves 2-3 sprigs

Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala 1 tsp

To fry
Onions 1 sliced
Cashews 10-15

Oil and salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1. In a pan, heat some oil. Add cashews. Fry little till it browns a little. Remove to a bowl.

2. In the same oil, add 1 sliced onion. Saute till it is nicely browned. Keep it along with the cashews.

3. In the same pan, add the Cinnamon, cardamom, Clove, Star Anise and bay leaf.

4. When it sizzles, add sliced onions. Saute till it starts to brown.

5. Add sliced garlic, ginger, green chilli and curry leaves. Saute till the onions brown a little.

6. Peal and cube the potatoes. Add to the pan. Saute till it is almost cooked.

7. Also add the pepper powder, garam masala and salt.

8. Take part of the coconut milk (about 1/2 to 1 cup). Mix with 1 cup of water and add to the pan.

9. Close and cook in low-medium heat till the potatoes are cooked and everything comes together.

10. Finally add the rest of the coconut milk and cook in low flame for 5 more minutes. Adjust seasoning as required at this stage.

Serve with some Aappam, Kerala Parota, Idiyappam. 

Kalyana Rasam

Rasam is a perfect South Indian Meal Accompaniment. Usually served after Sambar, it had a clear broth like consistency. It has so many variants that you will never be short of variety! And what's more in India, little ones are given Rasam and rice with lots of ghee and a vegetable side dish. It is probably the favourite childhood meal of every tamilian. It can also work as a great easy to digest food when you are feeling poorly.

Today's Rasam is a special one. Made on Special Occasions. It does not require any Rasam Powder, so anyone can make it. And the fresh ground masala makes it just stand out.



Ingredients

Tomato 3
Tamarind Paste 1 tsp
Toor Dal 2 tbsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Hing a little

For Grinding
Cumin 1/2 tsp
Coriander Seeds 2 tsp
Toor Dal 2 tsp
Pepper 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilli 1
Ghee 1 tsp

For Seasoning
Ghee 2 tsp
Mustard 1/2 tsp

Method of Preparation

1. Add a tsp of ghee to a pan. Add the coriander seeds, toor dal, pepper and red chilli. Roast till it starts to brown. Add the cumin at the end and switch off.

2. Make it into a powder. Keep aside

3. Pressure cook the 2 tbsp of dal and keep ready.

4. Puree 2 tomotoes. Add to the pot.

5. Chop the other tomato and add that as well along with the tamarind paste and 1 cup of water.

6. Also add the curry leaves and hing.

7. Boil till the tomatoes are cooked.

8. Add the cooked dal and some extra water as required. Add salt as well at this stage.

9. When it comes to a boil and froths up, add the powdered masala.

10. Cook for another minute and switch off.

Serve with Rice, a dollop of ghee and a vegetable side. I served with this awesome Beetroot Poriyal.

Sending this to our group Avant Garde Cookies making South Indian recipes this week.

Beetroot Thoran - Beetroot Stir Fried with Coconut and Spices

Thoran (poriyal) is a side dish that is very popular in Southern India. It is prepared with a variety of vegetables like Cabbage, Beans, Carrots or sometimes even a combination of those. No festive meal is complete without this humble Thoran.



When I signed up for VVP (Virtual Vegan Potluck) I knew I wanted to make a dish that would showcase my native place. The key ingredient of this Potluck is Beets. I have prepared a variety of dishes with Beetroot. I have a couple more that are coming soon. So you get the idea, we love this humble vegetable a lot.

Beetroot Masala (british style beetroot curry)
Beetroot Stir fry
Beetroot Kichadi (Raita)
Beetroot Kootu

Ingredients

Beetroots 4
Onion 1
Coconut 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves few
Green Chilli 1

Oil and salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Finely chop the onions and beetroot.

2. Heat a little oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds, turmeric powder and curry leaves.

3. When it sizzles, add the onions.

4. Saute till it is slightly browned.

5. Add the beetroot and saute till it is cooked. Do not add any water.

6. Pulse the coconut and green chilli in a food processor. Add to the beets along with some salt.

7. Mix well and cook for another 2-3 min.

Serve with some rice!

This Potluck is a linkup of more than a 100 recipes (Yes, All Vegan and Oh, yes All Super Tasty). I am off to check out all the recipes.. Why don't you join me? If you want to start at the beginning of the chain, click here and check out the details of the Potluck here!

               

Aappam with Yeast - Appam - Vegan recipe - Step by Step - Happy 2nd Birthday to the blog

Aappam/Appam is a Breakfast recipe from the state of Kerala. It is characterised by the spongy centre and the crispy outer rim. Apppam, Puttu, Idiyappam and Dosa represent a morning breakfast in Kerala. They are all usually served with Spicy Gravy either vegetarian or non vegetarian.

If you are looking for Appam with Baking Soda (Appam without Yeast), Click here!

When I started blogging a couple of years back, I made a version for the blog. I wanted to make something special for the blog's birthday :-) After all the diwali hoopla, I was not in a mood for an elaborate sweet or a bake. So I decided to revisit my first post and make a new version of it. The version I made first uses Baking Soda. This one is the more authentic version using Yeast. I will also post a recipe for Potato Stew - the classic combo for Appam in a couple of days. In the meanwhile check out the Vegetable Stew and Soya Stew recipes here.



This is typically served in Christian homes in Kerala for Christmas Breakfast

Ingredients

Raw Rice (Pacha Arisi) 1 Cup 

Par Boiled Rice (Idli Rice) 1 Cup 

Grated Coconut 2 Cups (Use Fresh or Frozen, dried ones won't work)

Cooked Rice A handful (if available)

Yeast 1 tsp

Salt 1.5 tsp

Sugar 2 tbsp

Coconut Milk (optional) 2 cups (You can use Milk or even water here)

Method of Preparation

1. Soak both the rice together for atleast 3 hours. Drain the water. 

2. Grind the soaked rice, coconut and cooked rice into a smooth paste adding enough water. I used a Grinder (used for making idli batter). A mixie can be used as well. I added around 3 cups of water, adding it in intervals. Coconut water is recommended. I did not have any, so did not use.

3. Once done, add yeast, salt and sugar. Mix well. Keep it for 12 hours to allow it to ferment.

4. Just before making add some milk (or coconut milk or even water) to bring the batter to the correct consistency. This should be watery than the normal dosa batter.

Method of preparing Aappam/Appam

1. Heat an Aappam Chatti (a small Kadai with lid will do). Use a small piece of cloth or tissue. Dip it in little bit of oil and keep. Just rub it on the Chatti each time.

2. Pour a laddle of batter into the chatti

3. Hold the sides of the chatti and rotate so that there is a layer of batter all around and the rest of the batter is the centre. Appam has thin crispy edges and soft fluffy centre.

4. Close it with a lid

5. Let it cook for a minute or so till the sides are crisp and the centre is cooked

6. Remove from pan and serve with Stew or Kadala Curry

Nimish - A Rich Creamy Dessert!

Awadhi Cuisine originates from Lucknow in the Northern India. It is the cuisine of the Nawabs and hence rich in its variety and taste. Popular dishes from this cuisine include Biriyani and Kebabs. The Nawabs brought chefs from as far as Persia to cook in the royal kitchens and so you will see a lot of Middle Eastern influence in this Cuisine.



Coming to today's recipe, I wanted to make something from Awadhi Cuisine for our group Avant garde Cookies. The first thing that came to my mind was to make Kebabs. Its been in my list for way too long. But then I happened to see Rick Stein's show on India. If you have not seen it, do check it out. It gives you a perspective of India that you would never have got before. The recipes featured, the restaurants visited, the cultural aspects - mind blowing.



Nimish is made during the cold months. It has an interesting method of preparation. Early morning dew is collected on a sheet spread outside and it is collected and mixed into cream. Well, I would one day like to see how they do that. For now, I did not bother collecting dew of any kind. Just simple Nimish. It makes an Awesome Royal Dessert!

Though I stuck to the original recipe, next time I might try some more flavouring like Chocolate or Mango to it to add more depth of flavours!

Ingredients (makes 4 generous servings)

Double Cream (Heavy Whipping Cream) 300 ml
Powdered Sugar 50gms
Rose Water 1 tsp
Saffron a generous pinch
Milk 80ml (1/3 cup)
Pistachio to garnish

Method of Preparation

1. Warm the milk and add saffron to it. Let it sit till the colour is infused into the milk. Mine was actually not a good saffron, so though I get the taste it does not impart great colour. Hence my Nimish is white instead of the pale yellow it should be :-) Let this mix cool down.

2. Whip the cold double cream till you get a whipped cream consistency.

3. Fold in the milk, sugar and rose water.

4. Transfer to serving cups. I was able to fill 4 medium size ramekins.

5. Cover and cool in the fridge for a few hours.

6. Chop some Pistachio Nuts and sprinkle on top before serving. 

Tindora Nu Shaak - Gujarati Tindora

Tindora Nu Shaak is a very simple Side dish made in Gujarat. The beauty of this dish is the minimal use of spices. My son could not stop eating it, he loved it so much. Give it a try, you will love it. I made this a long time ago as part of my Gujarati Thali.



Ingredients

Tindora (Kovakka) 15-20 About 200gms
Oil 2 tsp
Hing a little
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Chili Powder 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Slice the Tindora into 4.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add the hing. Then add the tindora. Saute for a couple of minutes.

3. Add 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook in slow flame.

4. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Saute for another 2-3 min

Vegetarian Chili with Quinoa - Vegan

Chili Con Carne or Chili as it is popularly known as is made of beef and spicy peppers in a tomato sauce. Ofcourse, being a Vegetarian means that I have to adapt this recipe to fit our dietary needs. Usual substitution for any mexican style beef or chicken based dish is beans. So it is no surprise that this version has some in it. Black beans would have been great along with kidney beans. But I could not find any, so settled for just kidney beans. Now for an interesting twist. Saw this recipe and knew I would love it. She had used Quinoa in the Chili. We are big fans of Quinoa at home ever since we first ate it and I always stock it in my pantry.



Vegetarian Chili had been in my list for a long long time. A few years ago, when I was pregnant with my little one, I had to travel on business. I already have a lot of dietary restrictions and add the morning sickness to it and it was a scary trip. On the top of that, it was a meeting at a client location and we went to Philadelphia. I somehow wanted to skip lunch and not be embarrassed in front of the client. But somehow got pulled into the lunch. It was the best lunch I had ever eaten and yes, you guessed it right. I did eat a Veggie Chilli  there and it was just out of the world.

You can serve this as a meal or like a soup with some bread or eat it with some Tortilla Chips!



Can I tempt you with some??



Ingredients

Quinoa 1/2 cup cooked with 2 cups of water
Onion 1
Garlic 4 pods
Tomato 1 can
Tomato Puree 100gms
Green Pepper 1
Big Green Chilli (Jalapeño) 1
Big Red Chilli 1
Water 2 cups (or as required)
Cocoa Powder 1 tsp
Chilli Powder 1 tsp
Coriander Powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder 1 tsp
Salt 1-2 tsp (or as required)
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Frozen Sweet Corn (thawed) 1 cup
Kidney Beans 1 can
Juice of Lemon 1/2
Coriander leaved a handful

Method of preparation

1. Heat a little oil in a pot. Add onions and saute for a few minutes.

2. Add chopped garlic and saute for another minute.

3. Add peppers and chillies (finely chopped) and saute till it starts to cook.

4. Add tomato paste and canned tomatoes. Add the cocoa powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, pepper salt and sugar along with water.

5. Bring to boil and then simmer till everything is cooked and the sauce thickens.

6. Cook the quinoa in a separate pan. Add it to the simmering stew.

7. Finally add the corn, beans, coriander leaves and lime juice. Mix erevything together and simmer till it is all heated through.

This post is for the Palooza (Anu, Radhika and Me) Theme this month. We will be making some awesome soups to suit the season.

Aval Kozhakattai - Steamed Dumplings made with Beaten Rice Flakes

Kozhakattai of many forms are made in South India. I have posted many variations in my blog. This one was quite unique and I had never eaten it before. I saw the recipe here and wanted to try it.



It is a Savoury Kozhakkatai made from Aval (Beated Rice Flakes).



Ingredients (each cup makes 8 Kozhakattais)

Aval (Poha, Beaten Rice Flakes) 2 cups
Coconut 1/4 cup
Water 1.5 cups
Salt to taste

Tempering

Oil 2 tsp
Mustard 1 tsp
Urad Dal 1 tsp
Curry Leaves 2 sprigs
Green Chillies 2

Method of Preparation

1. Pulse Poha to a coarse powder.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. When it sputters, add the urad dal. Let it brown a little. Add the curry leaves and finely chopped green chillies.

3. When it sizzles, add the water and bring it to boil. Add salt and coconut.

4. Add the Poha and mix well. In a low flame cook till almost all the water is absorbed, but the dough should still be moist.

5. Roll into balls when cool enough to handle. Steam for 10 min.