Guacamole Sandwich

Looking for a delicious lunch idea - Try this ever so simple Guacamole Sandwich!

Ingredients:

Guacamole ingredients:
1 avocado, pitted and diced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 green chilli, cut into small pieces
A little cilantro, cut finely
Dash of fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp crushed garlic (optional)
Salt and Black Pepper

Alfalfa sprouts (store bought)
Amul cheese (or any other cheese of your choice)
Bombay sandwich chutney (store bought)
Italian bread, pan toasted with butter on both sides
Sunflower seeds (optional)


1. Combine all the ingredients under Guacamole ingredients and gently toss together in a bowl.
2. Assemble the sandwich now - Toasted bread, add the chutney, the cheese, guacamole mixture, sprouts, and sunflower seeds (for that extra crunch)

Enjoy!
 

Grilled Chicken Wrap in Spinach Chapati/Wrap

Interested in killing two birds with one stone - Make a Palak Chapati or Spinach Tortilla.  A great option especially for little kids who are not veggie fans. You can use this palak chapati in various ways - Plain with pickle, as a base for pizza, or as a wrap or even as a flatbread depending on your choice. Here I stuffed the Spinach Chapati with grilled chicken and roasted vegetables - onions and yellow peppers; top it off with feta cheese or shredded four cheese; avocado and mayonnaise. I marinated the chicken in olive oil, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and chipotle seasoning.

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup whole wheat flour
3 handfuls of spinach leaves
1/4 to 1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/4 tsp ginger paste
1 small green chilli
Lime juice

Tempering:
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
Dash of hing or asofoetida
1/4 tsp of coriander powder
1/4 tso of cumin powder

1. Blanche the spinach. I pressure cooked it. Let cool completely. Squeeze out all the water from the spinach. Reserve the water - you can use this for cooking.
2. In a blender, make a paste of the cooked spinach, green chilli, garlic, and ginger paste.  Add a a few drops of lime juice.  Do not add any water. It should be a thick paste. Add a pinch of salt.
3. Take flour in a pan. Pour the paste on the top. 
4. To this we will add the tempering - heat oil, when hot add the cumin seeds, when they sputter add the hing and pinch of coriander and cumin powder and turmeric powder. Pour over the flour and spinach.
5. Now knead the dough using a little water at a time and oil towards the end to work it all together in a pliable dough. Set aside for a few minutes.

Make parathas (folded with oil in layers) or chapati.

Chapaticha Chura - Hand Crushed Indian Tortilla Snack

This is a common recipe found in most Indian kitchens that utilizes leftover chapatis. Chapatis or Indian tortillas are made of wheat flour and they are best when consumed right after making them. When they are left over, they tend to get dry and even reheating them in a microwave does not produce the exact hot and flaky melt in your mouth taste as they are when they are freshly made. So most of the times, when we leftover chapatis, we make this relatively simple dish that serves as a breakfast item or even a quick healthy snack.


Method and Ingredients:


1. Heat oil.  Add 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp mustard seeds. Let sputter.  Add a dash of asofoetida.
2. Add one green chilli (slit lengthwise)
3. Add 6 to 8 curry leaves.
4. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and about 10 peanuts
5. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion.
6. Take about 4 medium size chapatis and crush them well with your hands (about 3 cups).  Add salt and sugar to taste and mix well.
7. Add the chapati mixture and toss well. Let cook while stirring constantly on low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. If the chapatis are quite dry, you can sprinkle a little water to get the mixture rehydrated.
8. Garnish with cilantro, lime juice, and shredded coconut. Serve hot and serve right away.

Mediterranean Pizza

The first time I had Za'atar bread in Dubai, I fell in love with it. Za'atar spice is a blend of some dried herbs (oregano, thyme, savory), salt, sesame seeds and sumac (another key ingredient to Middle Eastern cuisine).  I was cursing myself for not bringing back some of the spice to the US until my recent trip to a Middle Eastern grocery store - where I found the Za'atar spice.  My happiness knew no bounds. So it was certainly the right time to make some Za'atar pizza. Ofcourse, credit goes to my husband for making this uber delicious homemade veggie loaded delight! Enjoy!

Method and Ingredients: 

Stone baked pizza crust (I used the Culinary Circle brand)

1/2 cucumber, cubed

1 medium tomato, cubed

1/2 cup feta cheese

3/4 cup eggplant, diced

1/4 to 1/2 cup red onions, cut lengthwise

Fresh basil

Zaatar powder

Dash of Italian seasonings

Dash of paprika

1 tsp honey

1 tsp vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil

1. Place a pizza stone in the oven in the lower rack. Preheat the grill to 450F. And let the pizza stone heat up for a atleast 1/2 hour.

2. Heat oil in a flat bottom skillet. Add the eggplant and let sautee on medium heat for 3 minutes.  Add the onions and continue sauteeing for 3 minutes. (this is just to cook the eggplant slightly before adding to pizza) Add salt, black pepper, italian seasonigs, paprika, and a little harissa sauce (optional). Toss well.

3. Using a fork, gently rake the pizza base.  Drizzle olive oil over the base.  Now, sprinkle some zaatar powder all over.

4.  Once the pizza stone is hot, start assembling the pizza. Spread the eggplant and onion mixture over the pizza.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. 

5. In a bowl, mix the cucumber and tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil, some honey, vinegar, salt and pepper.

6. Towards the very end, add the tomatoes and cucumber mixture on the pizza.

7. Sprinkle feta cheese and some basil leaves. Let bake for another 5 minutes or so to melt the cheese a bit.

Serve hot.



Sunil's Secret Dipping Sauce

It was a lucky weekend for me - well I do have many many lucky weekends so to speak - but this particular weekend was a "Tapas" style service. Tapas basically means many small appetizers or snacks in the Spanish cuisine which can be warm or cold.  So one lazy Saturday evening, my hubby took me out on a date - to our "Dining room". He brought out amazing tapas dishes and served me one by one as I relaxed myself watching some Indian shows. This was one of the curtain raisers for the night. He says its his Secret Dipping sauce -but baby your secrets are my secrets. And I know what you did in the kitchen ;)

Method and Ingredients:

Mix in a flat serving dish the following ingredients - Drizzle olive oil, mix in balsamic vinaigarette, add paprika, Italian seasoning, tiny pinch of salt, black pepper, and lots of love. Add red chilli flakes if you would like it spicy.

You ask how much in qty? Ahhh just eye ball it - but careful when add the balsamic vinaigerette - its quite strong and tangy. Use your own discretion.

Serve with toasted Italian bread.

Desi Toast

An Indianized version of French Toast!

1 Multigrain Brown Bread

1 Extra large Egg or 1 medium eggs, cracked open and beaten

1/2 to 1 tbsp finely diced onion
1/2 to 1 tbsp finely diced tomato
Some cilantro, finely chopped
Some green chilli, finely chopped (as per your spice level)
Salt and Black pepper
Cajun seasoning (optional)

1. Beat the egg or eggs in a bowl. Add salt and black pepper and mix. 

2. Add the onion, tomato, chilli, and cilantro. Mix well.

3. Pour the mixture out on a flat plate.

4. Dip the bread and let the egg soak into the bread. Flip and do the same.

5. You will have some egg mixture remaining on the plate.
6. Heat oil in a frying pan.  Add oil. When hot, add half of the remaining egg mixture that may be leftover on the plate. Quickly add the bread.  Keep the heat on low to med and let cook for few minutes.
7. Before flipping for the other side of the cook, add any remainder of egg mixture to the pan.  Flip the bread ie the uncooked side down. Let cook for a few minutes.
8. Press down on the toast with a spatula to flatten it out a bit. 
9. Add cajun seasoning on the top for a smoky flavor (Optional)
10. Serve with mint chutney on the side and avocado as a garnish.

Cheese Melt Bread

Ingredients and Method:

White or Wheat Kaiser Roll
Butter or Margarine
Paprika or Cayenne powder (very little)
Garlic powder (very little)
Krafts Three Cheese Blend - Shredded Romano, Asiago, and  Parmesan Cheese (Depends on your taste)

Cut bread into halves.  Heat butter or margarine in a pan and allow to melt. Turn the heat low.  Sprinkle garlic powder and paprika or cayenne onto the pan and stir right away to prevent the powder from burning.  Have the breads ready to go and put them face down.  Using your hands, move them around the pan so that garlic/paprika/butter is soaked in.  Turn the heat to medium.  Flip the bread and toast the other side.  Remove from pan.

Preheat the toaster oven at 350 or 400F for a few minutes. Sprinkle cheese blend onto the bread and place them face up in the toaster oven. Keep an eye until the cheese melts. Sprinkle Italian seasonings on top if you wish.

Serve with soup or enjoy as an appetizer.

Mithu's Thali - Part 3 : Methi Thepla

Methi Thepla:

Ingredients:
2 cup wheat flour
1.5 cup chopped methi (I used fresh methi)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1.5 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
Pinch of ajwain or oregano seeds
1 to 2 tbsp jaggery powder (I like my theplas sweet)
Salt 
Water to make dough

Mix all the above ingredients together.  Knead the dough with some water and oil towards the end.  Set aside for at least half hour.  Make equal sized balls and roll them out to make theplas.  Use olive oil or any other oil to drizzle on the theplas while cooking.

Note: Since my toddler loves anything chapati related, I have kept the spice level low. Increase according to your taste.

Baida Paratha - Indian Bread stuffed with Egg

My toddler loves chapati (Indian bread) but eggs not so much.  So, I thought of this idea to make a all-in-one paratha (stuffed bread). It was very easy to make and he loved it as well.

Ingredients:
2 Boiled egs, mashed
1 cup Wheat flour
1/4 tsp each of cumin powder and turmeric powder
1/8 tsp each of chilli powder and coriander powder
1tsp of Chaat masala or Tava Fry masala
Some fresh cilantro or fresh mint, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Method:
Knead the dough with some salt, water, and oil as though you were making chapatis. I used wheat flour because it is much healthier than maida or all purpose flour. Boil the eggs and mash them really well with your fingers until they turn almost powdery. Add all the remaining ingredients and mash well.

Make small balls out of the dough as though you were rolling a chapati or tortilla. Put the egg filling in and fold in the entire chapati to the center. Roll it out gently using some flour. Cook the paratha on a skillet drizziling oil or melted butter or ghee. Flip the paratha a few times so that the flour is cooked all the way.

Happy Eating!