Meze Mazaa with Bean Sprouts and Egg Plant/ Aubergine

  Ingredients

  1 medium sized eggplant/aubergine
  1 tomato sliced
  100 gmsbean sprouts
  
  Topping
Any soft cheese of your choice( Ricotta, crem cheese, cottage cheese)
           or
  200 gms of thick yoghurt( this may be a little time conuming but the results are excellent)
 
  Spices
  1//2 t sp coriander powder
  1/4 tsp cilli flakes or powder
  a pinch of rasted cumin powder
  salt to taste

  Garnish
  1 finely chopped spring onion
  1 tb sp chopped parsley or coriander leaves
  1 small green chilli optonal
  1/2 t sp finely chopped garlic
  julliens of raw mango ( sliced olives or gherkins could be an option)
  roasted p nuts coarsely pounded
  Olive oil for frying

  Method

•   If using yoghurt topping, put the yoghurt into a muslin cloth, secure with a rubber band  and hang it over the sink for 4-5 hours so that the liquid drains out and you are left with a cream cheese consistency. Add salt and minced garlic  and mix well. Your topping is ready.
• Cut the egg plant into3/4 " thick slices and soak for 15 minutes.
•   Pat dry on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
• Heat 1tb sp oil in a flat fry pan or tawa and lay the egg plant slices on it. Flip the side when golden brown and do the same on the other side. Add a little more oil all around if needed. Cover with a lid for 4-5 minutes to cook through).
• Drain on a paper towel, arrange on a platter and sprinkle with spices.
• Place  a slice of tomato on each piece.
• Put a dollop of your topping over it and spread it thickly.
• Mix bean sprouts with the chopped spring onion, parsley/coriander leaves, chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and lime/lemon juice.
• Put a tb sp full of the mixture over each slice.
• Garnish with raw mango Julienes and the pea nuts.
• Tastes as good as it looks.

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Paneer/Tofu bhurji

     Ingredients
     200 gms paneer/ tofu cumbled up
     100 gms coarsely chopped onions
     2 large tomaotoes skinned and chopped roughly
     2-3 green chillies
     freshly chopped coriander/cilantro leaves 3/4 t sp cumin seeds
     11/2 tb sp cooking oil
     salt and red chilli powder to taste


      Method

• Heat oil in a kadai/ fry pan.
• Add cumin but do not let it brown.
• Add chopped onions and fry on high flame till golden brown.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cookon medium flame till soft.
• Add salt and chilli powder to taste.
• Add the crumbled paneer/tofu and mix well.
• Add green chillies broken into two.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes and switch off the flame.
• Do not over cook or the paneer will become hard.
• Transfer to a dish and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve with hot roties or on toasted bread.
• Enjoy with lime pickle.

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Chatpatti Gajar( carrot)

 
  Ingredients
  2 long red or orange carrots
  1 t sp. finely chopped ginger
  1 tb sp. finely chopped coriander leaves
  juice of 1/2 alime or lemon
  3/4th t sp. roasted ground jeera(cumin powder)
  chilli flakes to taste
  salt to taste
  cayene pepper to taste
  olive oil


  Method

• Scrape, wash and cut the carrots  into 1/2" thick slices.
• Put carrots into boiling water for 1 minute and turn off the heat.Let them be in the water for another minute or so. It should be crunchy.
• Drain and add all the ingredients and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Mix well and chill in the fridge.
• Serve as short eats with cocktails or enjoy it as a side dish with an omelette, or grilled fish.
• Takes not more than ten minutes for the entire process. an excellent healthy snack when you are short of time annd hungry.

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Tomato Magic

  Ingredients

  4 large tomatoes chopped thick
  1 medium onion chopped thick
  1 green chilli chopped (optional) or 1/2 green bell  pepper cut into small squares
  2 tb sps chopped coriander/cilantro
  salt to taste
  chilli powder to taste
  sprinkling of coarsely ground black pepper
  1tb sp sugar
  1 tb sp olive oil or any other cookin oil



    Method

• Heat oil in a fry pan, add onions and cook till transparent.
• Add chopped tomatoes, mix well and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
• Add salt and chilli powder, mix and cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes or till the tomatoes are tender.
• Add the bell peppers and cook till its soft.
• Mix in the sugar and cook till it dissolves and thickens to the consistency you want.
• Turn the heat off and sprinkle with coriander, green chillies and black pepper.

   Serving Suggestions

  Its great to have on toasted bread or use it as a filling for a sandwich.
  You could mix it with pasta, top it with grated cheese and put it under the grill till the cheese melts.
  Use it as a base for paneer/ tofu cut into cubes and mixed together.Add chilli sauce to spike it a bit.
  Serve in a flat dish with hard boiled eggs cut into halves, arranged around the dish, sprinkled with pepper, finely chopped green onions and coriander.
  Last but not the least, try it as a dip with french fries or crisps.
  A slightly thinner version is a good accompaniment with kidchri or pulao.
  So make the tomatoes do magic for you. 

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Quick Fix Dahi Kadhi ( Yoghurt kadhi)

  Ingredients

  1 cup /200gm dahi/yogurt
  1 small tomato
  1 green chilli chopped
  1 t sp chopped ginger
  1/2 t sp methi (fenugreek seeds)
  1/2 t sp rai (mustard seeds)
  1/4 t sp haldi (turmeric)
  a pinch of hing (asaphoetida)
  chilli powder to taste (optional)
  salt to taste
  3tsps cooking oil


       Method

• Heat oil in a small saucepan, add hing, methi seeds,mustard seeds and as they begin to crackle add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till soft.
• Add haldi ,salt and chilli powder.
• Add chopped ginger, green chillies,chopped coriander leaves and mix well for a minute or two.
• Lower heat, add well beaten dahi, stir well to mix all the ingredients and turn off the heat. Continue to stir for two minutes even after switching off the heat so that the dahi does not split.
• Dahi Kadi is ready. Enjoy it with boiled rice and vegetables .

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  Note: You can change the consistency to your liking by adding water to the dahi when you beat it.
            Try the thick version as a dip with nachos,crisps or french fries.

Quick Fix.......Tawa Paneer (cottage cheese)/Tofu

Just the thing when you are too tired to cook but can't look at another pre cooked meal.

  Ingredients

  10, 1" cubes of paneer/tofu

  amchur/ mango powder

  red chilli powder

  salt to taste

  3 t sps cooking oil

  Method

• Heat a tawa/ gridle or a non stick frypan.
• Add 1 tsp oil and spread it around when smoking.
• Lower heat and place the paneer/tofu on the tawa, fry till lightly browned.
• Turn the paneer and add another t spoon of oil all around.
• Keep turning the sides and adding few drops of oil till all the sides are done to your liking.
• Transfer to a plate and sprinkle, amchur, chilli powder and salt to taste.
• Magic!!Your main dish is ready in two minutes.Enjoy it plain or toast two slices of bread,spread it with your favourie chutney or pickle,top it with thin tomato and cuchmber slices, place the paneer cubes on top,close your eyes take a bite,remember Roma and feel your tiredness vanish.
•  Little more effort??? Cut an onion into half and then slice it roughly.Sprinkle amcur powder, a few drops of lemon juice.Heat a paratha or roti, spread your favourite chutney or pickle and roll it with the fried paneer and onions,sit in front of the TV and enjoy your kathi roll.

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Roma's Kadhi

 INGREDIENTS
1cup (200ml) sour yoghurt
2tb sps. besan (gram flour)
4 cups water
salt to taste
chilli powder to taste
a good pinch of haldi/ turmeric
curry leaves optional



For  Pakoras (10-12)
3tb sps besan
1 small onion chopped
1t sp chopped ginger
1 t sp chopped garlic
1-2 green chillies chopped
dhania / coriander/ cilantro chopped
salt
1/2 t sp ajwain
pinch of turmeric
chilli powder to taste
oil for frying
1 tb sp ghee /butter for tarka/tempering


Method

• Mix or beat yoghurt and besan till no lumps are left
• Add salt, chilli powder, haldi, 1cup water and mix well
• Pour the mixture into a large saucepan and put on heat stirring constantly.Lower heat as it begins to thicken and do not stop stirring otherwise the mixture will split.
• Add the rest of the water, mix well and bring to a boil on high flame. Once boiling, lower flame and let it cook for at least 30 minutes strring off and on
• Meanwhile mix besan for the pakoras with just enough water to get a dropping consistancy, add salt  and beat it vigourously till it lightens in colour.Now add the rest of the masalas and the chopped ingredients
• Heat oil in a kadai to deep fry the pakoras till it begins to smoke, lower heat
• With a spoon gently drop small balls of the pakora batter into the hot oil and let them fry to a nice golden brown, turning once or twice with a ladle
• Take out the pakoras and drain on a kitchen towel
• Add pakoras to the kadhi and let it boil for 5-7 minutes
• Pour the kadhi into a serving bowl
• Heat the ghee in a small fry pan ,add 1/2 t sp chilli powder and curry leaves and just let it come to smoke.Pour evenly over the kadhi and stir it gently.
• Serve with boiled rice and mango pickle

Note: you can try adding methi (fenugreek)seeds and mustard seeds in the tempering.
You can adjust the amounts of yoghurt, besan anand water according to the consistency you like.

Shru's Mushrooms

Ingredients

10-12 tiny button mushrooms
11/2 cups wiltted spinach
1tb sp finely chopped onions
1 small tomato chopped fine
1/2 tsp grated  ginger
4-5 cloves of garlic smashed
salt to taste
chilli powder to taste
3t sps  oil
2 t sps butter
2 tb sps of milk

• Wash and trim mushrooms
• Wash  and drain spinach leaves,put in a pan on the heat without adding any water and cover for a minute.Open the lid reduce the heat and let it wilt for a minute or two. Take it off the heat and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a fry pan and  gently fry the onions to a light golden brown
• Add chopped tomatoes and fry a bit,
• Add ginger garlic and fry till tomatos are soft
• Add salt and chilli powder
• Roughly chop the wilted spinach and add to the masala, cook for two three minute till  most of the liquid has dried up.Add the milk  and cook till its well blended. Should not be too dry.Keep aside.
• Heat 2t sps of butter in a fry pan , add mushrooms and gently fry for three minutes.
• Add the mushrooms to the spinach mixture and cook  on low heat for a further two minutes.Remove from heat before the mushrooms shrink.
• Dig out a t spoon of the spinach, blow hard , close your eyes and taste........not good enough??Hmmmmm, add a blob of cream to the spinach.Taste the difference without adding  a single mm to your waist line.

Ranee Paneer

Ingredients
200 gms paneer
2tb sps finely chopped onions
1/2 tb sps tomato puree or 2 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 t sp whole jeera
1/4 t sp red chilli powder
salt to taste
2 green chillies slit length wise
1/2 cup milk
2 tb sps cream
3 t sps veg. oil

• Heat oil in a kadai or fry pan
• add jeera and onions together and fry till light brown.
• blanch tomatoes in hot water for five minutes, remove skin and chop roughly
• add tomatoes or tomato puree  to the pan and cook till soft and well blended
• add green chillies, salt and chilli powder and fry a little
• add 2 tb sps of milk and cook for 2-3 minutes
• add paneer and gently mix together
• add rest of the milk and cook for two minutes till paneer is well coated with the masaala
• add cream and lightly blend together
• transfer to a dish and garnish with dhania/coriander and  ginger julliens
• serve with hot chapaties

PANEER GULBAHAR

Ingredients

100 gms paneer/tofu                               
1/2 red capsicum (bell pepper)       
1/2 yellow capsicum                    
1/2 tomato                                    
2-3 shallots                                     
5-6 florets broccoli                               
8 thick slices of zuccini                                     
 4 babycorns                                

Marinade
1/2 t.sp jeera/Cumin  seeds whole          
1/4 t. sp red chili powder                     
salt to taste
chaat masala
few drops of lime juice
2-3 t. sps olive/veg. oil                             

• Switch on the grill to 250C
• Cut paneer into small cubes
• Cut red and yellow peppers into 1/2" pieces
• Remove seeds from tomato and cut into 1" pieces
• Cut shallots into half
• Put paneer into an oven proof dish, sprinkle all the maslaas,oil and lemon juice and coat well
• Add all the vegetables and mix well
• Adjust seasoning if required
• Leave for 10 minutes or till the grill is hot
• Place under the hot grill for about 12 minutes,till the vegetables are just beginning to turn soft but are still crunchy
•  Can be served as a snack with cocktail sticks or as a main dish with rotis.

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