Cheesy Saffron Cake

Who doesn't like cheese? Saffron emits a lovely colour to this  cake and gives it a distinct taste as well.

Ingredients:

2 cups cottage cheese/Paneer (Low fat) 

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp of Semolina/Suji

A pinch of Sodium Bicarbonate

A pinch of salt

A few strands of saffron

Method:

Take a bowl and add all the above ingredients and knead well and give the dough a quick pulse in the blender. It all comes together and looks smooth.

Grease a baking dish and pour the smooth dough on it.

 Set the dish  in the oven at 175deg C for 15 to 20 minutes. After 15 minutes check with a knife, piercing the cake at the centre. If it comes out clean  you can remove and cool it on a rack or else let it bake for five more minutes.

Once it is cooled to the room temperature,  cut it into slices and serve  it immediately or  it can be kept in the fridge and served chilled. This stays good in the fridge for two to three days.

Oatilicious Wheat Cookies

  Homemade cookies are any day a better option to the market ones. Been    contemplating to bake these healthy cookies for sometime and finally took time off  for these this noon.

Ingredients:
One cup of Oats
One cup of wholewheat flour
3 tbsp of milk
Half a cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
Half a cup of castor sugar
1 tbsp of baking soda
1 tsp of Vanilla essence
1 tbsp of cinnamon powder

Method:
Take a bowl and mix all the dry ingredients
Take another bowl and add all the wet ingredients and mix nicely
Now  add the mixture of the dry ingredients into the second bowl and mix well  n see that no lumps are there.
Place a parchment paper on a baking tray and divide the mixture into roughly 15 equal parts and shape them into round balls. Press them slightly between your palms.
Set to bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 180 deg C. Check once after 15 minutes. Once done remove and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight glass jar.
Enjoy the crunchy wholesome cookies with a hot cuppa!!

Oaty Banana Muffins

Oats is a healthy grain which has been proven to lower Cholestrol levels and prevent heart disease. I try n incorporate oats in my daily cooking. So these cute lill' muffins came up!

Ingredients:
One cup of quick cooking Oats
3/4 cup of Whole wheat flour
3/4 cup of All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup of butter milk
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of extra virgin cocconut oil or Olvie oil
One n half cups of pureed banana
One tbsp of flax seed powder ( You can replace it with One egg)
2 tsp of Baking powder
3/4 tsp of Baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/10 tsp of Cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp of Vanilla essence

Method:
Take a big bowl and add all the dry ingredients and mix well.
If you are using Flax seed powder....take a cup and add three tbsp of water n mix the flax powder and set it aside for five minutes. It will become thick n sticky.
Now add the pureed banana, oil,  vanilla essence,buttermilk and the egg/flax seed water and mix well. Pour the batter into a greased muffin tray(do not fill the muffin mould till the top...just fill a little more than half) and set it in a preheated oven at 200deg C and bake for 20 minutes. Check once after 15 minutes.
Once done remove from the oven and cool the muffins on a rack. They come out fluffy on the inner side...the pic says it all!!
Once these are baked your kitchen would be smelling so good...hmm cinnamon smell is so heavenly!!
U can have them for breakfast or tea time. I like my muffins warm with a cup of green tea.

Mustardy Green Chillies

Mustard seeds have been around for almost 5,000 years. It is a known fact that they are low in calories and high in nutritional value. I don't miss a chance of adding mustard to my cooking whenever it is possible. The sharp taste it gives to the food is really amazing. Mustard goes very well with green chillies!

Ingredients:
Two cups of chopped long fresh green chillies(washed and dried well)
Two n  a half tbsp of Lemon juice
Two tbsp of Mustard oil

Grind the following into a coarse powder
Two tbsp of Coriander seeds
A tbsp of Fennel/saunf seeds
A tsp of Fenugreek/methi seeds
A tsp of Mustard seeds
A tsp of Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
A pinch of Asafoetida/Hing

Method:
Take a glass bowl and add the chopped green chillies
Take another bowl and add the coarsely ground powder
Heat the mustard oil to smoking hot and pour it over the coarse powder.
Add the lemon juice and mix well and lastly add the required salt.
Now add the above spice mix to the chopped chillies and mix well.Transfer the entire contents into a dry glassbottle. Set aside for two days and it is ready.
If kept in the fridge after two days, it will remain fresh for a week to ten days.
This can be had either with rice, bread  or roties.

Note: I have used the green chillies shown in the above pic..they do not have too              many seeds and are not very hot. So be careful in selecting the chillies!!!

Crunchy Steamed Capsicums

Who does not like a 'One Pot Meal"? I just dote on them! Coloured Capsicums are really attractive apart from being very healthy, they are rich in beta carotene, capsaicin, Vit A n C and also prevent a host of other diseases..the list is never ending.
So why not have these vibrant veggies as a one pot meal?

Ingredients:
Three coloured capsicums
Five tbsp of cracked wheat/dalia
Two tbsp of finely chopped mixed veggies
A tbsp of sesame seeds
A tbsp of Cumin seeds/Jeera
A tsp of Cayenne pepper
A tbsp of grated Cheese (i used parmesan)
Salt to taste
A tbsp of olive oil
A tbsp of Cilantro/hara dhaniya
Three cups of boiling water

Method:
Wash and dry the capsicums and carefully slice the heads and keep them intact.
Scoop out the seeds and set aside.
Pour boiling water over the broken wheat and set aside for 15 minutes.
Take a pan and add the olive oil and once it is hot add the Cumin seeds. Once they crackle add the chopped veggies and saute for a minute or so. Now drain the cracked wheat and add them to the veggies. Add salt, cayenne pepper and sesame seeds. Let the mixture cook on medium heat for four to five minutes. Lastly add the chopped cilantro.
Take an electric rice cooker (you can use your steamer) and add water to the pot and set to 'Cook'.
Take the capsicums and fill each of them with the cooked mixture and fill in just a little more than half because the cracked wheat swells up once it is cooked, Now carefully place the capsicums on the steamer dish and put it in the cooker. Steam for 35 minutes and check if the cracked wheat is cooked. Once done remove from the steamer and let them cool down for a while. Don't overcook the capsicums because you don't want a limp capsicum on your plate. It should be firm and a bit 'Crunchy'.  Garnish with grated Cheese and cover the capsicums with their heads and serve warm with seasoned yoghurt.
Your healthy meal is ready and if you have noticed, I have just used a tbsp of oil!!!

Pol Sambol

Please don't raise your eyebrows at the name of this recipe! Way back in 2009 when I had been to Gaya, this dish was served in the guest house. It is a Sri Lankan dish and I still remember how I had asked for a second serving(not bothering that my hubby was giving me dirty looks) and came back home and  made it myself. The only change I made to it was adding Cilantro/Hara Dhaniya.This requires no cooking and yes is made in a jiffy. Told ya I hate to spend long hours in the kitchen!!!

Ingredients:
Five tbsp of freshly grated cocconut
One medium sized onion finely chopped
A cup of finely chopped Cilantro/Hara dhaniya
A tbsp of Cayenne Pepper/or normal red  chilly powder
Salt to taste
One n a half tbsp of fresh lime juice

Method:
Take a big bowl and add all the ingredients (excepting for the lemon juice) and mix well.Lastly add the lemon juice n give it a nice mix again.
That is it...Pol Sambol is ready!! You can serve it with chips or top it on a slice of bread. This is so irresistible, if you have a spoon of it, you will go back to the bowl for more!!!

Eggless Mango Cake

It is said that 'Mango' is the king of fruits and it is so true. It is an excellent source of Vitamin A and Potassium. So I thought of using this healthy fruit in baking a cake and trust me the cake turned out so tasty.

Ingredients:
One cup of fresh mango puree
One cup of All Purpose Flour
A dash of salt
1/4 cup of Olive oil
1/2 cup of sugar
One n a half tbsp of Baking Powder
A tsp of mango essence (optional)
A tbsp of castor sugar for dusting the cake once it is baked

Method:
Peel the mangoes (i used two mangoes for one cup of mango puree) and puree the pulp to a smooth consistency.
Take a bowl and add the flour, baking powder, salt and mix well.
Add the mango puree, sugar and oil to the flour and mix gently. Do not over beat the batter.
Now pour the batter into a well greased cake dish and bake it in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted at the centre comes out clean.
Once it is done, cool it for sometime and dust the top with castor sugar.
You can serve the cake with a slice of fresh mango.

Healthy Ragi Muffins

Earlier it was said that millets were 'poor man's food'. But now the scenario has  changed and people are gradually including millets in their daily cooking due it's  health benefits.
Ragi or Finger millet is widely used in the state of Karnataka.
I thought of making healthy muffins using Ragi /finger millets

Ingredients:
One cup of whole wheat flour
Half a cup of Ragi/finger millet flour
One n half tbsp of Cocoa powder
3/4 th cups of Brown sugar/normal white sugar (i use brown sugar)
1 tbsp of coarsely ground walnuts
1/2 tsp of Baking Soda
1 tsp of Baking Powder
1 cup of hot water (not boiling)
1/4th cup of Oil (i always use Olive oil)
1/4 th cup of milk at room temperature
1/2 cup of yoghurt
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp of castor sugar

Method:
Add all the dry ingredients (excepting the castor sugar) in a large bowl and mix well.
In another bowl add the yoghurt, milk, water and sugar and mix till the sugar dissolves.
Now gradually add the above liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well and see that there are no lumps.
Pour the batter into muffin moulds and set the same into a preheated oven at 180 deg C and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven once done and cool the muffins on a rack.
Sprinkle the castor sugar on the muffins and serve with a hot cup of tea/coffee
I love the darkish lavender color of these ragi muffins.

Red Chilly Chutney

Looks can be deceptive....yes, this chutney/dip looks fiery, but it is not so. These fresh red chillies are not so hot. These are longish and do not have too many seeds in them. Red chillies contain a substance called 'Capsaicin', which gives the peppers the pungence. Capsaicin is being studied for effective treatment for nerve disorders.
My sister Ganges made this at my place at Qatar and it was an instant hit!

Ingredients:
15 red chillies
One n a half tbsp of Tamarind paste/Imli paste
Salt to taste
A tsp of mustard oil

Method:
Wash the red chillies and dry them nicely.
Chop the heads and cut them roughly and keep aside.
Take a blender jar and add the chopped red chilly pieces, the tamarind paste and salt to taste. Make it into a slightly coarse paste. Empty the chuntey into a glass jar and add the mustard oil and mix well. It stays good when kept in the fridge for about a week to ten days.
The mustard oil gives it a nice sharp flavour.
You can use this as a dip, a spread on a slice of bread or just have it with hot steamed rice.

Basilico Pasta

Who does not love Italian cuisine? I prefer Pasta to Pizza anyday. I had a very good Italian friend in Nigeria, who taught me the basics of the Pasta sauce. Later I started experimenting on my own and  always tried making a hassle free and healthy Pasta. I prefer making the sauce than the readymade one.
Pesto is my all time favourite. It is  full of flavour and refreshing.

One and half cups of boiled wheat Penne Pasta
15 to 20  fresh Basil leaves
Two tbsp of grated Parmesan Cheese
A tbsp of Walnuts
Three tbsp of Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Take a pestle and throw in the Basil leaves, Walnuts and grated Parmesan Cheese and grind well. Gradually add in two tbsp of Olive oil while grinding.
Take a pan and add the remaining olive oil and throw in the boiled pasta along with the Pesto paste. Saute for  two minutes or so and add salt to taste.
Garnish with little grated parmesan cheese and a shredded leaf of Basil and serve hot.

Note: You can use white Pasta as well
         

Yummy Bread Rolls

I used to have white bread almost thrice a week till a couple of years back. But then gave up totally and switched on to Brown bread n now since I am into baking, I bake multi grain brown bread at home.
But this recipe did not come out very well with Brown bread. I tried them out with white bread n the result was too gud. So I said to myself, once in a while white bread is good!!

Ingredients:
Four White Bread Slices
A cup of crumbled home made paneer/cheese
A tbsp of finely chopped green chillies
Two tbsp of finely chopped Cilantro or Kothmeer
Salt to taste
A tsp of coarsely ground black pepper
A tsp of fresh lemon juice
A tbsp of Olive Oil

Method:
Trim the edges of the bread slices and set aside
Mix the chopped green chillies, cilantro, salt, pepper n lemon juice to the crumbled paneer/cheese.
Take a rolling pin and carefully roll out the bread slice (on your chopping board or a table top) till you see it absolutely flat. Ensure it does not break away. Do the same with all the bread slices.
Take each slice and spread the cheese filling on one half of the slice and slowly roll it up. Slightly wet the edge of the slice and seal it carefully. Once done it should resemble a spring roll, ofcourse the sides will be open here.
Do the same for the other slices. Now your bread rolls are ready.
Take a pan and once it is heated up, set it on medium heat and spray some Oilve oil on the surface.
Place the bread rolls side by side on the pan and again spray the olive oil using an Oil spray can. After a minute or so slowly turn the roll on to the other side.
Once you see both the sides are golden brown, off the gas.
Serve them hot with sauce or a dip of your choice. I served them with fresh mint chutney.

Aubergine n Potato curry in a jiffy

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I hate to spend long hours in the kitchen. I try to cook quickly using minimum ingredients and keep my food simple n healthy. I dont overcook my veggies, cause it kills the nutrients in them.
I had one aubergine/eggplant lying in the fridge, so I decided to make a quick fix for lunch adding two small potatoes with it.
I have an immense liking to Panchporan (a mix of equal quantity of Cumin seeds, Mustard, Fenugreek seeds, Nigella seeds and Fennel seeds) So i thought, why not temper this dish with panchporan? Trust me, it tasted so good and was ready in a jiffy!

Ingredients:
One medium sized  Aubergine/Eggplant (the purple one)
Two medium sized boiled Potatoes
One tbsp of Panchporan
One n a half tbsp of olive oil
Salt to taste
One tsp of turmeric powder

Method:
Cut the Aubergine into big chunks and place them in water.
Cut the boiled potatoes also into big chunks

Take a pan and on the burner. Add the oil and once it is hot, add the panchporan.
Once it starts spluttering, drop the chunks of Potatoes and saute for three to five minutes. Now remove the aubergine pieces from the water and add them to the pan.Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and keep the pan closed, stirring inbetween. Once you see that the aubergine is almost cooked, off the gas.
Serve hot with Indian bread or rice.

Note: Make sure whenever you buy an aubergine, it should be very light when you            hold it, which means it has very few seeds inside and it is fairly fresh.
                             

Baked Spicy Dinner Rolls

Offlate my hubby n me have stopped having full fledged dinner. We have a bowl of soup and some salad or a homemade dinner roll. I could not avoid the All Purpose Flour (maida or white flour) totally but have minimised it a lot in this recipe. I made spicy veggie dinner rolls and it was fun to have a hot one straight from the oven in the comfort of my home.

For the dinner rolls:

One n half cup of wheat flour

Half a cup of All Purpose Flour (maida)

Half a cup of lukewarm milk

One tbsp sugar

One tbsp rapid rising yeast
One tbsp of sesame seeds

Two tbsp Olive oil (u can use oil of your choice)

For the filling:

A cup of  mixed veggies...carrots, zucchini, capsicum and green peas 

Two tbsp of crumbled fresh cheese/paneer

Salt to taste

A tbsp of Cayenne pepper/ or red chilli powder

A tsp of Olive Oil 

Method:

Take a bowl and add the milk and sugar and to this add the Yeast 

Let it sit for ten minutes and it will start foaming gradually.

Take a dish and add the flours and the olive oil n mix  to a crumbly texture.

Now gradually add the foamed up Yeast solution and knead the flour well.

Keep it in a greased dish and cover it well and let it sit for two hours or till the dough doubles in size.

While the dough is resting, take a pan and place it on the burner and add the oil. Once the oil is heated, throw in the finely cut mixed veggies and the green peas. Saute well for five minutes and add the crumbled cheese/paneer.

Add salt to taste and lastly add the Cayenne pepper/red chilli powder.

Off the gas n set aside.

By now the dough must have risen well. Punch it with light fingers and make small roundels or shape them like dinner rolls.

Fill each of them with a tbsp of the cooked veggie n cheese filling and close them.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds on the rolls.

Arrange all the stuffed dinner rolls on the parchment paper of the baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 210 deg C for fifteen minutes or till they appear light brown on the top.

Once done, remove from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool down.

Enjoy with a hot bowl of homemade soup, your light meal is ready for the night!

Baked Potato

Never thought blogging would take so much quality time, but must say that I am enjoying every second. It gives me immense satisfaction to see my work on the blog.
Had a variety of Baked Potatoes at different places, but somehow was not too happy cause they were loaded with cheese.Who doesn't love cheese,but I am into healthy eating and healthy recipes now!!!
This version of baked potato came out really great.

One big Potato
One tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
One tsp of fresh and coarsely ground pepper
One tsp coarsely ground Kosher salt or the normal salt
Wash the potato nicely and make slits with a knife almost till the bottom, but keeping the potato intact.
Place the potato on a parchment paper and drizzle the olive oil on it.
Sprinkle the salt n the pepper on the potato.
Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degC for about 35 minutes.
You can check by piercing a knife into the potato, if you feel it is still not done, u can bake it for another five minutes or so.
Once baked, serve warm with hummus or a dip of your choice.
Will be posting my version of Hummus soon.

Baked Garlic Pods

All are aware of the innumerable health benefits of Garlic.

The best part of baking garlic is, it loses it's strong smell and it tastes yummy. I had this in an Italian restaurant and couldn't wait to come home and try it out.

Three Pods of Garlic
A tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A tbsp of mixed Italian herbs
A tsp of rock salt
Preheat the oven at 180 deg C for ten minutes
Cut the heads of the garlic till the top of the cloves are exposed.
Place the garlic pods on an alluminium foil
Spray olive oil on the pods, sprinkle salt and the mixed herbs.
Fold the foil gently n once done it should resemble a chocolate with a wrapper.
Place this in the oven and bake for 35 minutes
Check if the pods have softened by pressing a tong on the foil.
If done remove and let it cool before opening the wrap, or else bake for another five minutes.
Serve warm with bread. The kitchen smells so good when the garlic is being baked.

Baked Plantain Cutlets

Ok after a gap of one year, thought I'd revive my Blog. So here i am back to some serious work. U will find healthy recipes on my blog which are easy to make n the least cumbersome.
Was thinking of trying a healthy baked alternative to Hash Browns and hit upon this idea. Trust me it  came out tasty and was made in a jiffy.

Two raw plantains boiled and grated
Coarsely ground paste of:
Three green chillies
A fistful of cilantro leaves
A tbsp of roasted Peanuts
Add the grated plantain to the above paste, salt to taste and a tbsp of fresh lemon juice. Set this aside for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven at 200 degree C for 10 minutes.
Place a parchment paper on a baking tray
Now shape the mixture into (slightly thin) cutlets/discs and place them on the parchment paper.
Spray a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil on all the cutlets.
Bake at 200 deg C for 15 minutes or till crisp. Check once after 10 minutes.
Serve the hot n crisp cutlets with a dip of your choice.
I served  them with fresh red chilli dip...will be posting the recipe soon.