Curry Leaves Biscuits/Cookies

I like Salty Crackers a lot- But this time I wanted to make these crackers with some new flavor, so I thought I must try using curry leaves. And I was so happy and thrilled with the taste and result that I wanted to share and blog this new flavorful recipe quickly. So the videsi salty crackers got the new twist of desi curry leaves. All must try this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup Wheat Flour
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour (or Maida)
1/4 cup Sooji or Rava
1 tbsp Ajwain Seeds
1 tsp Black Pepper
Salt as per taste
1/2 cup chopped curry leaves
2 tbsp Oil

Method:

Mix all the dry ingredients and keep aside.

In a small pan, heat oil and then add to the dry mixture. Mix well.

Knead the dough using lukewarm water. Cover it and keep aside.

Later, divide the dough into 2-3 balls. Roll each ball and using fork poke the rolled dough. This will help the Mathris to stay flat.

Using cookie cutter cut the rolled dough into shapes you like. If you dont have cookie cutter, you can use any small bottle lid and cut the shapes.

Preheat the oven at 350 degree F (180 degree C). Arrange all the  mathris on baking tray and Bake for 13-15 mins. 

Remove the cookie sheet when crackers turn golden brown. 

Enjoy this healthy snack with Tea / Coffee or with pickle.

Eggless Banana Brownies

I bought bananas and I almost forgot that they were in the fridge. They were ripe and were smelling great. Ripe bananas bring great taste and very pleasant aroma to this dessert. Eggless Banana Brownies are perfect dessert for picnics, after school snack or just with tea or coffee.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cups  all purpose flour
3/4 C  brown sugar/castor sugar
2 Tbsp  unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 Cup/ 1 ½   mashed banana
1/2 Cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup oil
1/2 Cup chopped almonds
1 tsp salt

Method:
Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
Preheat oven @ 180C and grease pan.
Combine milk, oil, salt and banana in a small bowl.
Now add the above wet ingredients to the flour mixture, stir to combine.
Mix in the chopped almonds and vanilla extract, pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, transfer onto rack to cool.
Cut into squares to serve.

Notes:- If you are using sweetened coco powder then reduce the amount of sugar.

-The amount of sugar also depends on the sweetness of bananas; so adjust sugar according to your taste.

-This can also be served as cake and not just brownies.

Mumbai Tava Pulav/ Mumbai Rice

Street food in Mumbai is very famous. Not just vada pav and pav bhaji... there is one more dish that has gained lot of popularity in Mumbai- TAVA PULAO This is one dish that I still cherish & recreate at home. What makes this dish unique from other is the taste of Pav Bhaji. Now for all those who wants to have authentic taste of Mumbai Tava Pulav then have it on streets of Mumbai and not at any fancy retuarent. Those vendors are very good in fusion food.

Anyways! This is how I made it at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice cooked
• 1 big onion
• 2 big tomatoes
• ½ cup tomato ketchup 
• 1 Medium potato, peeled, cubed and boiled 
• 1 ½ tbsp pav bhaji masala 
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ cup boiled peas
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp Oil
• Salt

Method:
Heat a tsp of oil. Add cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, onions and cook till the onions become translucent. 
Add the tomatoes and peas. Stir for a minute and cook until tomatoes become soft. 
Add the potato and stir for a minute or so. 
Add the ketchup, Pav bhaji masala, turmeric, and chilli powder. 
Add the rice and salt and combine it such that there are no lumps. The tomato mixture/gravy should be evenly distributed. 
Garnish with coriander leaves .
Serve hot with raita chutneys or dips.

Missal Pav / Mixed Sprouted Pulses Curry

Maharashtra's most most popular breakfast dish! This is very tasty, zesty, spicy, lip smacking, mouth-watering. It is cooked with mixed sprouted pulses and is very healthy dish. It's a must try recipe!

Ingredients:
2 Big Onions sliced
2 Cloves of Garlic

8 dried red chillies soaked in oil overnight
6 Cloves/Laung
6 Black Peppercorns/ Kali Mirch
1 inch Cinnamon stick/ Dalchini
1 Tomato chopped
4 tsp Grated Coconut/ Nariyal
1 tsp Red Chilli powder

2 Cups Mixed sprouted pulses (moong, rajma, chola, kala channa)
Farsan /Mixed Namkeen/Sev
1Onion finely chopped (For garnishing)
Coriander/ Cilantro/ Dhaniya leaves chopped

Method :

1. Grind garlic, cloves, black pepper and soaked red chillies together in a blender.
2. Roast grated coconut till it gets light golden colour.
3. In a pressure cooker add lots of water with sprouts and salt and cook for 5-6 whistles. Drain the water and keep aside
4. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add blended masala paste. Saute till nice aroma from the spices come out. Then add sliced onion and fry till it gets brown color.
5. Now mix fried onion, tomato, roasted coconut, red chilli powder in a blender. Grind till it becomes smooth paste.
6. Heat 6 tsp oil in a pan. Add the above masala paste and fry till it losses oil. Cover it with lid and cook for 7 minutes.
7. Add water and salt and bring it to boil. When it starts boiling add mixes sprouts and coriander leaves.
8. Garnish it with farsan and chopped onions

Curry is ready now. Serve hot with bread or rice. 

Notes: - You can add or omit pulses as per your needs.

-The specialty of this dish is the dark red color, thus one must use kashmiri red chilli powder.

-If you do not like sprouted pulses, then you can cook this dish with un-sprouted pulses also.

Eggless Banana Pancakes

2 bananas were lying in my fridge from many days. I kept thinking what to make with it for breakfast, I realized that I live in Britain and I have never tried making Pancake; So I collected all the ingredients and commenced the preparations. Result?? It was tasty, quick and very filling.

Ingredients: 

1 cup all purpose flour/maida

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp cinnamon powder/ Dalchini
3 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
1 tbsp olive oil
2 small bananas, chopped

Chocolate syrup to garnish (optional) 

Method:

Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar and salt.

Add in oil and slowly pour the milk (avoid lumps). Beat very slowly for 2 minutes.

Lastly add 1 ½ chopped bananas in the mixture and mix.

Heat pan/tawa (on high medium heat) and pour a cup full of batter on it.

Cook both the sides for 1-2 minutes each, or till it is golden in colour.

Lastly top it up with half chopped banana and chocolate syrup.

Notes: - Fruits like mango, strawberry, blueberry etc can be used.

-If you don't like chocolate syrup as part of the toppings then add some whip cream, honey, jam etc...

- 1 cup of maida can be divided into half cup of wheat flour/ gehu atta and other half of maida as well.

Baked Mathri / Baked Salt Crackers

All of us like Mathri/ Salty Crackers a lot- the only problem is that its fried and thus unhealthy. I made baked Mathris so that I can relish the crackers without worrying about health problems. So the desi/ old fried mathris get the new twist of fusion (baked). All must try this healthy version of mathris. 

Ingredients:
1 cup Wheat Flour
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour (or Maida)
1/4 cup Sooji or Rava
1 tbsp Ajwain Seeds
1 tsp Black Pepper
Salt as per taste
3 tsp sesame seeds/ Til
2 tbsp Oil

Method:

Mix all the dry ingredients and keep aside.

In a small pan, heat oil and then add to the dry mixture. Mix well.

Knead the dough using lukewarm water. Cover it and keep aside.

Later, divide the dough into 2-3 balls. Roll each ball and using fork poke the rolled dough. This will help the Mathris to stay flat.

Using cookie cutter cut the rolled dough into shapes you like. If you dont have cookie cutter, you can use any small bottle lid and cut the shapes.

Preheat the oven at 350 degree F (180 degree C). Arrange all the  mathris on baking tray and Bake for 13-15 mins. 

Remove the cookie sheet when Mathris turn golden brown. 

Enjoy this healthy snack with Tea / Coffee or with pickle.

Schezwan Vegetable Noodles/ Indo Chinese Vegetable Noodles

Schezwan Noodles are spicy, tasty and very popular indo-chinese recipe. Usage of the home made schezwan sauce in the recipe makes it tastier and more colourful. My mom always added lots of vegetables to make it healthy and attractive.This recipe is very special to me. My mom made them when I was low or upset. A twist to Chinese noodles with desi Indian tadka. Ummm...that was some real tasty and spicy yummy noodles...:)

Ingredients :
Noodles - 150 grams.
Olive oil - 4 tbsp

Spring onions - 2 tbsp( White portion finely chopped)
Cabbage - 3 Tbsp (thinly sliced)
Onion - 1 (sliced)

Garlic 4 cloves (grated)
Capsicum - 3 Tbsp (thinly sliced)
Carrots - 2 Tbsp (thinly sliced) 
Soy Sauce - 1 Tsp
Tomato Sauce - 1 Tbsp.
Schezwan sauce - 4 Tbsp
Salt - As per taste.

Method :

1. Boil water in a pan with a teaspoon of oil and salt. Add noodles in to it and cook until firm and soft (make sure that you don't over cook the noodles). Now drain the noodles and wash them with cold running water this help noodles not to stick together.
2. Now heat pan with oil, add onions, garlic , and saute in medium flame, then add all the veggies, and saute in high flame with enough salt, for 2 to 3 minutes or till veggies are cooked to soft to crunchy consistency.
3. Now add schezwan sauce, tomato sauce, soy sauce- give it a quick stir, add the cooked noodles and toss it well.

Notes:-Any kind of noodles- egg, rice, multigrain etc can be used.

-You can omit or add any vegetable of your choice.

-Schezwan sauce is very spicy sauce, thus adjust according to your taste.

Schezwan Sauce/ Indo- Chinese Chutney

Schezwan Sauce is used in all the Indo Chinese food. It gives unique taste and beautiful colour to the Chinese rice, noodles and other dishes. I enjoy having it with nachos, chips, papad...almost everything.

Ingredients :
10 dried red chillies
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp Sesame seeds (optional)
Salt to taste
4 tsp onion chopped
Tomato puree of 1/2 tomato
1 tsp Vinegar

½ tsp soya sauce

Method:
Soak dried red chillies in water overnight. Drain the water, add salt and blend coarsely the next day.
Heat oil in a pan. Once oil is smoky hot add chopped garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and onion. Saute onions till it gets translucent.
Add tomato puree and fry untill oil separates.
Add red chilli paste and fry for 2 minutes
Lastly add soya sauce (it brings nice dark red color to the sauce).

Schezwan Sauce is ready now. Find more chutney recipes HERE

Notes: -You can use tomatoes ketchup instead of tomatoes pure also

-Oil must be very hot for any Chinese recipe you make.

-Adding 1 more tsp oil will make the sauce last longer. Store it in ait tight container for 1 week in the fridge.

Paneer Tikka Masala

Paneer Tikka Masala is a simple and aromatic dish. Marinated barbeque paneer with tasty tomatoes gravy is the best combination. It can be served as a side dish and also main course. A must try variety!

Ingredients

For Marinating

1 block of paneer/cottage cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red chili powder

1 tbsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1 tbsp yogurt

1 tbsp oil

For Gravy

3 medium size tomatoes

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera

Pinch of asafoetida/hing

2 bay leaves/tej patta

1 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder/lal mirch powder

1/4 tsp turmeric/haldi

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp corn flour

2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/coriander/dhaniya

1/4 tsp garam masala

Method:

1. Slice the paneer in about 1/8 inch thick and about in one inch squares.
2. Mix ginger, salt, pepper, coriander, and yogurt with sliced paneer in a bowl, cover it and let the mixture marinate for at least an hour or upto 12 hours.
3. Blend tomatoes and keep it aside.
4. Dissolve the corn flour in 2 tablespoons of water and keep aside.
5. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in flat frying pan on medium heat, next put the marinated paneer in frying pan and gently stir-fry for about 3 to 4 minutes until paneer becomes light brown.
6. For gravy, add 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, when oil is ready add cumin seeds and asafoetida.
7. Add blended tomato, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, sugar, and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat.
8. Add the corn flour mixture and stir for few minutes till the sauce thickens.
9. Then add in it paneer and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes
10. Finally add cilantro and garam masala stir slowly and cover the pan for few minutes.

Serve hot with bread or rice.