Veggie Grilled French Fries Sandwich

Whenever my sister and I meet at home, we have something we call a Sandwich Tradition. We devote one evening to indulge in sandwiches, even the greasiest ones, without any guilt! Today was one of such evenings and and I am sharing the recipe of the sandwich we made.
Hope you enjoy it like we did.

Veggie Grilled French Fries Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 sandwich bread slices

1/2 carrot grated

1/4 capsicum thinly sliced

1/4 cup shredded cabbage 

2 medium onions caramalized

2 tbsp grated cheese

Few french fries

1/2 tsp tomato ketchup

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Butter

Recipe:

Prepare the filling by mixing grated carrot, capsicum, cabbage, cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

To prepare the sandwich, take a slice of bread and spread a layer of caramalized onions. 

Then spread a layer of the filling.

Place the french fries on top of the filling layer. 

Top the layer of fries with ketchup (or any other sauce of your liking).

Place the second slice of bread and grill on both sides using butter.

Enjoy your sandwich! 

Tamatar Mirch ki Kadhi

Sometimes the simplest combination of ingredients bring out flavors that you can't resist. This is one of such recipes. Just the thought of this curry makes me drool. I made this for my roommates once and they were all over it. However, I must give a you a heads up that this kadhi is HOT! So if you are not up for too much spice, cut down the no. of chillies to what suits you. But do give this recipe a chance. It won't disappoint you.

Tamatar Mirch ki Kadhi

Ingredients:

4-5 medium tomatoes

8-10 green chillies

1 cup curd

3 tbsp gram flour (besan)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

3 tbsp oil

2 cups water

Recipe:

Wash tomatoes and chop roughly.

Slit chillies lengthwise.

Heat oil in a pan. 

When heated enough add mustard seeds and let them crackle.

Add chopped tomatoes and chillies in the pan and mix to coat with oil.

Cover and cook on simmer until tomatoes become soft and mushy, about 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile take a bowl and mix curd, gram flour, salt and water. Avoid forming lumps.

When tomatoes are cooked, add turmeric and coriander powder and cook for a minute.

Now add curd mixture in the pan slowly with continuous stirring.

Check for consistency and adjust with water as required.

Cover and cook and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes to make sure the the flour doesn't taste raw.

Your kadhi is ready. Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

Aaloo Matar Curry

This is one of my go-to recipes when I am in a hurry yet don't want to compromise on the taste. There could be a number of ways to make aaloo matar but this is probably one of the easiest ones with the simplest ingredients and cooks in almost no time and effort.

Aaloo Matar Curry

Ingredients:
4 boiled potatoes medium size
1 cup peas
2 big ripe tomatoes pureed
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
3/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Oil
Salt
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Recipe:
Peel the potatoes and break into pieces. Do not mash. Keep aside.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan.

Add the cumin and mustard seeds and let them splutter.

Put in the pureed tomatoes and stir. Cook on simmer until the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan, about 3-4 minutes.

Add all the powdered spices and cook for another minute.

Add the peas and potatoes in the pan and mix well.

Add 2 cups water and stir well. Add salt and stir.

Cook covered for about 6-8 minutes.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with puris or chapatis. I love it with jeera rice.

Tips:
1. Cook longer to thicken the curry.
2. Add a pinch of kasuri methi for a variation.

Yummy Veggie Stack

I wanted to do something colorful today but not the traditional tossed salad. So I decided upon a veggie stack. The grilled vegetables tasted absolutely gorgeous flavored with a honey-lemon twist tahini and orange-honey sauce. A great starter for any occasion.

Veggie Stack

Ingredients:

For the stack:
1 big tomato
1 big onion
1 brinjal (eggplant)
1 cucumber

For marination:
3 tsp virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful of fresh basil leaves
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
Salt
Pepper

For Honey-lemon Tahini:
3 tbsp tahini
juice of half a lemon
2 tsp honey
1 clove garlic minced
Salt
Pepper

For Orange-Honey sauce:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp orange peel zest
1 orange quartered and cut into 1 inch pieces

Recipe:

Slice tomato, onion, cucumber, brinjal into 1/2 inch thick rounds.

Finely chop the basil leaves.

Take a mixing bowl and add to it olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, minced garlic, chopped basil leaves and whisk together.

Add sliced veggies into the bowl and toss gently to coat well with the marinade mix.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Once marination is complete, grill vegetable slices on both sides until slightly charred.

Remove veggies from grill and keep aside.

To prepare honey-lemon twist tahini:

Take tahini, lemon juice, honey and garlic in a mixing bowl and blend together until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper.

To prepare Orange-Honey sauce:

Take orange juice and honey in a saucepan and bring to boil.

When the juice starts to boil, add the cornstarch and stir well.

Add the orange peel zest.

Add the orange pieces.

Let the mixture thicken on medium flame for another 3-4 minutes.

Assembling the veggie stack.

Take a individual serving plates and place a slice each of tomato, onion, cucumber, brinjal and onion, in that order.

Add tahini anywhere between the stack layers.

Drizzle the stack with orange-honey sauce.

Enjoy the colorful feast.

Palak Methi ka Saag with Makki ki Roti

Greens tempt me during winters. I see fresh palak and methi in the market and I am instantly drawn towards it. And this time I decided to make this saag with makki ki roti. This dish tastes absolutely delicious during winters and is very filling too. Makki ki roti is traditionally eaten with sarso ka saag but I had palak in hand and this version tastes equally good.

Hope you enjoy it!

Palak Methi kaSaag with Makki Ki Roti

Palak Methi ka Saag

Ingredients:
1/2 kg palak leaves
50 gm methi leaves
4 big tomatoes roughly chopped
4-5 nos green chillies slit lengthwise
4-5 inch ginger grated
3/4 cup whole moong daal

1 big onion chopped
2 tsp desi ghee
1 pinch hing (asfoetida)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste

Recipe:
Wash the palak and methi leaves thoroughy and chop roughly.

Put palak, methi, tomatoes, chillies, ginger and moong daal in a pressure cooker with little water and cook on low flame for about an hour.

When cooked and cooled, put it in a mixer and give a slight whir for just about 8-10 seconds to give it a smooth texture.

Take a pan and heat ghee in it. Add hing and cumin seeds.

Add onions and fry for a minute or till onions become translucent. Add red chilly powder and garam masala and fry for another minute.

Add the palak mixture and mix well.

Add salt. Mix well, cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Top with desi ghee and serve hot.

Makki ki Roti

Ingredients:
2 cups Makki atta (corn flour)
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Oil
Luke warm Water

Recipe:
Knead a slightly tight dough using the ingredients above.

Divide the dough in medium equal size balls.

Flatten each ball using a rolling pin or using your palms and make a roti.

Cook the roti by placing it on a hot tawa (girdle.)

Apply ghee on the roti. Serve hot with the saag.

Nutty Lemon Rice

Today I bring to you a very simple and tasty version of lemon rice. It is very quick to make and a great way to use your left over rice. I love this rice because it provides a refreshing change in flavor from the usual veg. fried rice.

Nutty Lemon Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice
3/4 cup peanuts
2 green chillies chopped
3-4 stem fresh curry leaves
1 whole red chilly
>1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil
Juice of 1 big lemon

Recipe:
Heat enough oil in a pan. When heated, break red chilly in half and put in the pan. Add the curry leaves and the peanuts. Fry for 2 minutes.

Add turmeric powder and stir.

Put the rice in the pan.

Add salt and mix well.

Add the lemon juice. Mix well, cover and keep on simmer for 2 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Kamras (Star fruit) Chutney

Hi everyone!
So today my dad came home for lunch and said he was craving a nice chutney and just like that it was decided to make Kamras chutney. Kamras is also known as Star fruit and is a delicious, juicy, sweet and sour fruit. And then in a while I found myself up on the roof, reaching out, stretching my arms, using a stick to bend the branches to pluck the best of the fruits on the tree (Yes! We have a tree at home.).
After plucking enough fruits, I got down and went ahead to make this chutney. I am sharing the recipe here.
Hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients:
Star fruit - 3-4 nos medium size
4-6 Green chilllies
12-15 fresh curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp red chilly powder (optional)
1-2 tsp sugar
1 cup coriander leaves (loosely packed)
Salt to taste

Recipe:
Wash star fruit and cut in medium size pieces.

Chop chillies and coriander leaves coarsely.

Add all ingredients in a mixer with little water and grind to a paste that is not too fine.

Your Chutney is ready.

Serve with parathas, kebabs etc.

Saboodana Khichdi

This is my first blog post and I am starting with a very simple yet much liked dish, Saboodana khichdi. Saboodana Khichdi is a very popular breakfast and can be had while observing fast by replacing the table salt with rock salt (sendha namak).

Saboodana Khichdi

Ingredients:

Saboodana - 2 cups (soaked in water for 2 hours)

1 big potato boiled (cut in medium size pieces)

Peanuts- 1 cup

2-3 green chilles (chopped)

1/2 tsp red chilly powder (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil

Few fresh curry leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds 

Recipe:
Dry roast the peanuts and grind coarsely. 

Heat enough oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves and chopped green chillies.

Now add the potatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add saboodana, ground peanuts, red chilly powder and salt.

Mix well and cover for 2 minutes on simmer.

Serve hot.

Tips:

1. Do not oversoak the saboodana.

2. Dry roast few makhana (also known as foxnut/ lotus seed), grind coarsely and add to prevent the    saboodana from sticking to each other.

3. Add lemon juice for extra flavor.