GOAT CHEESE, CARAMALISED ONION QUESADILLAS

Ingredients

4-8 inches whole wheat flour tortilla

4 ounces semisoft goat cheese

2 medium tomatoes , thinly sliced

2 cups baby spinach

2 cups thinly sliced onions

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil or butter

• Method

• Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. 
• Add the onion, sugar and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is dark golden brown. Remove from pan. 
• Add the spinach and 1 tablespoon water to thepan  cook 2 minutes, or until spinach is just wilted. Remove from skillet and turn off heat. 
• Spread a quarter of the goat cheese on each tortilla and top with spinach, tomato and onion,fold closed and press lightly.
• Heat the skillet and place two folded quesadillas in it, cook two minutes per side, or until golden brown and lightly crisp. Repeat it .

TUNA FISH CUTLET

Ingredients

1 onion finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1-2 green chilli finely chopped

1 can tuna drained (or canned salmon)

1-2 small potato boiled and mashed

Pepper as per taste

1-2 tsp garam masala powder

Few coriander leaves

1 egg 

1 cup bread crumbs

 Oil for frying

Method

 Heat oil in a pan, add onions , ginger garlic paste, chilli , fry. 

Now add drained can tuna, fry. 

Now add mashed potatoes, mix well . Add pepper , salt , garam masala . 

Add chopped coriander leaves. 

Cool the above mixture completely. 

Male small balls and shape into cutlet. 

Dip this in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs,

 Fry till brown.
Have it with ketchup.

VADA PAV

Vada Pav is a popular Indian fast-food snack that originated in Maharashtra, had for breakfast, lunch, evening tea and any other time you please! In the same fashion that North-Indians consume bread pakoras and samosas!

For the Vadas:

10 small potatoes, boiled and peeled 

2  cloves garlic

1-1/2 inch piece  ginger

4 green chillies (adjust according to spice 

1/2 cup besan/ gram flour

1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp haldi for the batter

1 tsp mustard seeds

4 stalks curry leaves

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Pinch asafoetida

1 tsp salt

Water to make batter

1 tbsp vegetable oil for tempering

Vegetable oil for frying

For the dry chilli garlic chutney:

1/3 cup garlic cloves

1/4 cup dry grated coconut (also called dessicated coconut) 

4 whole dried red chillies (adjust according to spice 

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vegetable oil

method

First roast the Chutney ingredients because they had to cool before you could grind them. 

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok on high heat. We just need a little bit of oil to prevent initial burning and sticking. In a few minutes, the coconut starts releasing it’s own oil.  Add the garlic to the hot oil .Then the coconut , then the red chillies, each broken into half to let the seeds out .Mixed it up and dry roasted these on medium-high heat for a few minutes, roasted these until they were golden-brown and then placed them in the grinder to allow them to cool

Mash the potatoes  roughly with a fork.Chop the chillies. 
And the garlic, grate the ginger .
Heat oil in the kadhai. add the mustard seeds to it till they sputter.
Add the asafoetida and curry leaves.

Add turmeric powder and  the chillies, ginger and garlic.After frying for about a minute, add the potatoes. and salt and mix well.
Cook it for about 2 minutes on medium heat and then took it off to cool slightly. It needs to be handle-able because we’re going to shape and fry them in a few minutes! 

Next make the batter. First, measure  the besan , add salt and turmeric powder.
Mix it up and add enough water to make a thick paste like batter. This is slightly easier to handle because we need to shape the potatoes, coat them in this batter and fry. If the batter is too runny, then it won’t stick to the potato balls.
Put the oil for frying in the kadhai and placed it on high high. While it was heating, I divided the potatoes into 6 equal portions and proceed to shape them into balls.Then I dipped each in the besan batter and place them  in the hot oil.
Using a slotted spoon, I flipped them over and kept an eye on them till they turned golden.
Lift them out with the slotted spoon, drain as much oil and place them on paper towels to drain more oil.
Assemble your vada in between the pavs , spread the coriander chutney and red chutney and njoy .

BATATA NU SHAAK

Ingredients

2 cups Peeled potato cubes

1 tomato chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp green chilli-Ginger paste

1 pinch asafoetida

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp olive oil

few coriander leaves

salt as per taste

Method

Heat oil in kadai. Add mustard seeds , when they begin to crackle, add cumin seeds and asaofoetida followed by green chilli-ginger paste. Stir and mix well

Add cubed potatoes and saute for 5 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes, salt and saute for 3-5 minutes.

Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, saute a minute.

Add 1 1/4  cups water and let mixture boil over low flame. 

Cook covered on low flame until potatoes are cooked, stir every 5 minutes.

Add cumin powder and coriander powder, mix well. Turn off the heat, 

Garnish with coriander leaves .

Batata nu shaak can be served with chapatis, or roti, or rice , papad and curd.

FIVE SPICE CRISPY TOFU

Ingredients

1 block of plain firm tofu (not silken)
1- 2 tbsp soy sauce
A thumb of ginger, grated
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1-2 tbsp sesame seeds (regular or black or a mix)
2 tbsp corn flour
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper
oil for frying

Method

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl-slice the tofu into thick chunks and place in the marinade for at least an hour but up to 3 days- it will taste stronger over time.
 Remove the tofu from its marinade, drain on kitchen paper and gently squeeze, covered in kitchen paper.

Mix together the cornflour, sesame and spices and press the tofu in the spice mix.
Heat  sunflower oil in the wok and heat until hot-test by dropping in a small piece of tofu ,it is hot enough when the tofu floats to the top straight away and becomes crispy and golden.
Fry the tofu in 2 batches until golden and crispy, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining tofu. Set aside.
Crispy Tofu is ready ...

BEANS SUBZI

Ingredients

1/2 kg French beans cut  into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Onion finely chopped
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Tomato chopped
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
Pepper powder as per taste
1 no. Green chilly chopped
Salt as per taste

1 tbs Olive oil

Method

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a pan or Kadai in medium to high heat.
Add the cumin seeds and let it crackle. Once cumin seeds starts crackling, add the onions and green chilly.
Saute onion until they are translucent.
Add the french beans  with salt. Toss for a while then cover and cook until both beans are half cooked. Stir in between to avoid burning of the vegetables.
Add the masala's and tomato, fry until tomato is done.
Add little  water , Cover and let this simmer for 5 minutes in low heat.
Serve hot with Rice, chapati,or puri . It is a perfect side dish.

SPINACH ALU PARATHA

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour/atta

200- 250 grams spinach/palak

2 green chilies, finely chopped

2 tsp oil or ghee

a pinch of asafoetida/hing (optional)

salt as required

oil or ghee for frying the parathas

Method

Rinse the spinach leaves very well in water, drain them.

Heat water and boil the spinach leaves in hot water for 5 to 7 minutes.Strain and keep some of the stock in which we have boiled the spinach leaves.Puree the spinach in a blender.

In a large bowl mix the whole wheat flour with salt, green chili and asafoetida.

add the spinach puree and 2 tsp oil, mix well.

Add required amount of stock or water and make a smooth dough.

Take a medium size ball from the dough, roll the dough ball into a small circle. 

Spread some oil or ghee on the top of the rolled dough. Fold one side, apply the oil or ghee on the folded side, again bring the edges together and fold.

You will get a triangular shape,roll into a medium sized parathas.

On a hot tava, cook the palak paratha with some oil or ghee till they are crisp and brown from both side.

Serve the palak paratha hot with yogurt or pickle.