*Celebrating my 50th post with Bread Pizza

Yeeeeee!!!!!! My 50th post

(Image source:Google images)

Hi friends, sorry I couldn't post any recipes since last week.There was some problem with my laptop. I am so happy and excited,this is my 50th post. This is just a beginning for me , hope to get your love and support in the future also. I want to share many more recipes and food tips with you all.

Celebrating my 50th post with a wonderful, yummy recipe my mom makes. It is a favorite at my place. This recipe is a different version of a pizza,you can say a low fat version as it does not have any cheese.Weight conscious people,you can eat this dish without any guilt. You will love this sweet and spicy combination.

Bread Pizza

I have seen and heard about many bread pizza recipes, this is a bit different from those.So lets give this recipe a try.

Ingredients:

• Bread (of your choice) - 4 slices
• Onion- 1 medium ,finely chopped
• Capsicum- 1 medium, finely chopped
• Tomato (optional) - 1 medium, finely chopped
• Tomato Ketchup
• Butter ( low-fat)/Ghee (for toasting bread)

For Chutney:

• Cilantro(Coriander) - 1 bunch (use the stems also)
• Mint leaves - 8-10 no.
• Ginger - 1 small piece
• Green chillies - 2, small
• Lime juice- 2 tsp
• Salt to taste

To garnish:

• Fine sev

Method:

For chutney:

• Clean the coriander.Peel ginger and remove stems from green chillies .Wash all these ingredients thoroughly.
• 
  
• Grind these along with the remaining ingredients into a smooth paste in a food processor.
• 
  
• Store in a bowl.

For pizza:

• Apply a tbsp. of chutney,then a tbsp. of ketchup on a slice of bread. (The amount of chutney and ketchup can vary as per your taste.)
• 
  
• Heat a girdle or tawa and toast the bread slice,chutney side up with little butter till the downside becomes brownish and little crispy.
• 
  
• Top the toasted bread slice with little chopped onion,capsicum and tomato.
• 
  
• Garnish it with sev and serve hot.

Serves 2

Note: Start making the pizza when you are about to serve or else it will become soft and soggy.

I am sending this recipe to the WYF: Party Food event hosted by easycrafts of Simple Indian food blog.

*Chinese Tortilla Samosa

Today I present you yet another quick and tasty recipe which you can make for parties or dinner and surely impress your family and guests. Moreover its very easy to make and it saves your time also. You must be wondering what is this dish??? So I wont make you wait any longer and tell you what are we going to make here today.

Chinese Tortilla Samosa

This recipe is called Chinese Tortilla Samosa. Samosa......well, who doesn't like them? It serves as a good accompaniment with tea or you can just eat it like that. Unlike our regular samosas with the potato filling, these samosas have a Chinese style filling...... and it tastes awesome!! It makes a wonderful appetizer and so easy to make that it saves you a lot of time.

Wait.....there's one more twist in the recipe. In these, I have used tortilla's as a cover or crust of the samosa rather than making them with all purpose flour(maida) which is again a tidious process. So you can avoid the all purpose flour (maida) and use ready made tortilla's which you get easily in the grocery stores. Nowadays you get so many different varieties of tortilla's...you can choose according to your liking. I used the regular tortilla's and believe me you cannot find any difference between the regular all purpose flour cover and tortilla cover.

So friends, what do you think about the idea of using a tortilla for the samosa cover? I love it ,it saves so much of my time and tastes awesome. I have used them in regular samosas also. Just give it a try and you will surely love idea. So let's start...

Ingredients:
For cover:

• Large Tortilla's (regular) - 3 no.s
  All purpose flour+ water paste (to seal)

For filling:

• Cabbage, shredded - 3/4th cup
• Carrot, shredded - 1/2th cup
• Capsicum, finely chopped - 1/2th cup
• Green/regular onion, finely chopped - 1/2 cup
• Boiled noodles- 1 cup
• Cilantro - 2 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Soy sauce - 2-3 tsp
• Tomato ketchup - 2 tsp
• Vinegar - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Oil - For frying

Method:

• Put all the filling ingredients in a bowl, except noodles and salt and mix well.

Add the noodles and salt (as per taste) and again mix well.

Keep the filling aside.

For samosas:

• If you have taken the tortilla's from the refrigerator,they tend to be hard. Heat them for a minute in the microwave with a wet cloth or tissue over it. This makes them softer.
• Fold the tortilla into half and cut it from the center. Now you get 2 halves.
• Again fold these two parts into half and cut them.In total now you get 4 pieces from a single large tortilla.
  
• Now you are ready to make the samosas.
• Take care to remove the water from the filling before filling it in the tortilla.


• Take one tortilla piece and make a cone as shown in the picture below.


• 




• Put the filling in it. (Don't put too much filling...see that it doesn't come out of the cone.)
  
• Apply the all purpose flour paste on the top flap and seal the samosa cover.


• Repeat it with all the tortilla covers.
  
• Deep fry them in oil and serve the crispy samosas hot with ketchup.


• 

*I tried to bake them but they did not turn so well,may be there's some problem with my oven. I think the baked one's will also taste good and they will be a much healthier option.

*I advice you to make the samosas when you are about to eat or serve them. If you make them many hours before,they tend to get soft,lose their crispiness.

Serves 4-6

This recipe is rushing to the WYF: Party Food event hosted by easycrafts of Simple Indian food blog.

*Leftover magic...........

Amiri Khaman

There is leftover Khaman dhokla in your kitchen and you are wondering what to do with it,dont worry!!!! Just do what I usually do when I am in a similar situation.......turn those tasty khaman dhoklas into much tastier 'AMIRI KHAMAN'.

Whattttt...... you don't know this recipe,you have never tasted it ? Then make it fast.Once you make this dish I am sure you will love it and never forget it. Its a Gujarati delicacy.The actual process of making Amiri khaman is different. You have to soak the dals,its a bit tidious process. What I am going to show is an easier way of making it.

The taste is a little better when you follow the long process.But in this method you will save your time and you can make the best use of leftovers. So are you ready....?

Ingredients:

• Leftover khaman Dhoklas - 6-8 no.s
• Juice of half lemon
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Green chillies - 2 (cut lengthwise)
• Curry leaves - 3-4
• Ginger(grated or paste) - 2 tsp
• Garlic (grated or finely chopped) - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds -1 tsp
• Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
• Sugar to taste
• Salt to taste

For garnishing:

• Cilantro,finely chopped - 1/2 tbsp
• Nylon sev - 1 tbsp
• Grated coconut (fresh) - 1 tbsp

*You can also add Pomegranate

Method:

• First crumble the dhoklas by hand and keep them aside.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, sesame seeds, curry leaves ,green chillies, ginger and garlic.
• 
  Then add the dhokla crumbles,sugar and salt.Mix well.
• 
  Cook for about 5 mins covered.Once again mix well and put off the flame.
• 
  Garnish with chopped cilantro, sev and grated coconut and serve.

Serves - 2

*College Chaat

Hey friends I am back from my vacation.Last week I had been to my aunt's place.It was so much fun,felt like I was in India.But I really missed blogging. I was not in touch with the blogging world,I know I have so many wonderful recipes from my fellow bloggers to catch up with.

College Chaat

MBP-Street Food event hosted by Sia of Monsoon Spice and started by Coffee of The spice cafe is a wonderful event which helps us to explore other wonderful food blogs.

For MBP-Street Food event,I chose this delicious chaat recipe from my friend Shubha's blog. This is a yummy chaat which I frequently make and love it!!! I made a few changes in the original recipe,you can check out the original recipe here.


Ingredients

• Peanuts,roasted and dehusked - 1 big cup (I used the roasted and salted peanuts we get in market.)
• Tomato,finely chopped - 1 medium
• Onion,finely chopped 1 medium
• Green chillies (finely chopped)/Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp
• Raw Mango pieces - 1/3 cup (optional)
• Cilantro,finely chopped 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Take all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Keep some cilantro for garnishing.
• 
  
• Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Serves 2



** Beware of the recent Salmonella outbreak in raw tomatoes. You can read more about it here

* Momos

Since I read about RCI: North-East Indian cuisine hosted by Bhags of Crazy Curry,I was so excited to participate in the event but could not find any great vegetarian recipe to make for the event.Thank God....I finally found a wonderful and yummy recipe from North east India before the event end date he..he.

Momos

Momos are steamed dumplings that come from the North east Indian state of Sikkim .Sikkim has its own unique dietary culture with specific cuisine and food recipes.It is a delicious recipe and is just like the pot stickers. The best part is its easy on your conscience too!!! Traditionally they are steamed but you can also pan fry them after steaming.

Ingredients
*For cover

• Wheat flour 1/2 cup
• All-purpose flour (Maida) 1/2 cup
• Salt 1/4th tsp

*For filling

• Oil 2 tsp
• Onion,finely chopped 1/2 cup
• Cabbage,finely chopped 1/2 cup
• Brocolli,finely chopped 1/4th cup
• Green ball pepper(Capsicum),finely chopped 1/4th cup
• Garlic.finely chopped 2 tsp
• Ginger,finely chopped 1 tsp
• Black pepper powder 1tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a pan.
  
• 
  
• Add ginger, garlic and onion and saute the onions till they become transparent.
• 
  
• Then add all the remaining chopped vegetables,salt and pepper and saute them for some time till they are semi cooked. (Take care not to overcook them,the vegetables should be slight crispy.)
• 
  
• Remove from heat,drain off excess liquid and let it cool.
  
• 
  
• Mix all the cover ingredients and knead into a smooth dough using enough water.
• 
  
• Keep it aside for some time.
  
• 
  
• Knead the dough for a few minutes on a well-floured surface.
• 
  
• Divide the dough into equal-sized balls and roll into very thin circles of roughly 4" diameter.
• 
  
• Brush the edges of the circle with water.
• 
  
• Put a tablespoon-full of the filling in the centre of each circle. Fold the edges over and pinch and twist to seal or fold the Momo in half (into a semi-circular shape) and then pinch to seal it.
• 
  
• You can try different shapes but make sure to seal the edges well.
• 
  
• Place the Momos in a steaming dish and steam for 10-15 minutes(be sure to keep proper space between the momos as they tend to increase in size after steaming.)
  

• After steaming I pan fried the momos with very little oil in a nonstick pan.
• Serve with tomato chutney or ketchup.

• Momos are usually served with a fiery Sikkimese tomato chutney and a clear soup called Thukpa.

Serves 8-10

This recipe is my entry to RCI: North-East Indian cuisine event hosted by Bhags.This event was started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine .

I am also sending this recipe Fat Chefs or Skinny Gourmets? hosted by Ben and Ivy.

*Veggie Hearts

Are you are looking out for an appetizer or a snack recipe.....here is the recipe which everybody will love and it will help you win everyone's heart,he...he :)

Veggie Hearts

This recipe is similar to Aloo tikki but with a healthy twist.Everybody loves potato.....so along with potatoes I thought why not add other vegetables and make a more nutritious and tasty recipe. When I started making,I did not think that this recipe will turn out so yummy. I truly enjoyed Veggie hearts with onion slices and tamarind chutney.......they tasted awesome!!!

Ingredients

• Potato 3 medium
• Mixed vegetables,fresh/frozen 1cup (carrots, beans, corn, green peas, lima beans.You can add vegetables of your choice.)
• Onion 1 small,finely chopped
• Ginger-garlic paste 1tbsp
• Mint 7-8 leaves, finely chopped
• Cilantro (Corainder) 1tbsp,finely chopped
• Lime juice 2 tsp
• Garam masala 3-4 tsp
• Cumin-corainder seeds powder (Jeera-dhania powder) 2-3 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil for pan frying
• Poppy seeds to coat
• Bread crumbs 1/2 cup (for binding)

Method

• Boil and peel the potatoes. If you are using fresh vegetables,boil them also along with potatoes and if you are using frozen vegetables then thaw them before mashing.
  
• 
  
• Add all the ingredients to potato and mixed vegetable mixture,except oil and poppy seeds and mash thoroughly.
• 
  
• Divide the mixture into equal portions and keep aside.
• 
  
• Wash and dry you hands and apply a little oil to your palm.
• 
  
• Take each portion of the vegetable mixture and make a ball.
• 
  
• Gently flatten each ball into a round patty and give it the shape of a heart with a mould or even with hand.You can use any shape mould.
• 
  
• Repeat the procedure for the rest and then roll the hearts in a plate of poppy seeds such that they get coated on all sides.
• 
  
• Heat 1 tsp. oil in a non-stick pan over a low heat. Put 2-4 patties at a time depending on your pan size and pan-fry on both sides till crisp golden brown, adding oil if required.
• 
  
• Veggie hearts are now ready.

• 
  
• Serve hot with tamarind chutney or ketchup. I would suggest you to try with onion slices also,it tastes too good.

Serves 4

Note:

• To prevent the patties from breaking,boil the potatoes in steam,don't use water.
• 
  
• Add some cornflour to the vegetable mixture if the patties are breaking.

This recipe is rushing to the Monthly Mingle - Appetizers & Hors'Doeuvres event hosted by Mansi of Fun and Food blog.This event was started by Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey?

*Veggie Toast

Sandwich is a food item which is popular all over the globe. I love the fact that its so easy to make and can be eaten anywhere,anytime. You can make so many different varieties of a Sandwich. It is loved by people of all the age groups.

Here is one variation which me and my hubby both love to eat....Whenever I am out of options to cook,this is the first thing to come to my mind. So simple.....yet so healthy and tasty!!!

This is my one more entry for the Sandwich festival hosted by Anupama of Food-n-more blog.

This recipe is also an entry for Great Cooks Community's Kid Friendly Cooking event.I am sure kids will love this sandwich..

Veggie Toast

Ingredients

• Bread slices 8
  

For filling

• Potatoes 4 (small)
• Tomato 1 (finely chopped)
• Onion 1 (finely chopped)
• Capsicum 1 (finely chopped)
• Black olives (chopped)
• Corainder 1tbsp
• Italian blend cheese,shredded 1 tbsp (You can use the cheese you like)
• Black pepper powder 2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Note: You can use bread you like and add vegetables of your choice and vary their quantity according to your liking.

Method

• Boil,peel and mash the potatoes.

• Add rest of the filling ingredients and mix well.
• 
  
• 

• 
  
• Take a slice of bread and put 1-2 tbsp of filling on it.Spread the filling evenly.
• 
  
• Place another slice of bread on top of it.Toast it in a toaster.
• 
  
• 

• Serve with Ketchup or corainder chutney.

• 

Calories ~ 280 kcal/serving

Serves 2

*Kutchi Dabeli (Double Roti)

Today's recipe in my blog comes from the soil of Kutch (Gujarat)-the land of Garba and dandiya and also my native place and I am proud to be a part of such a great land.

Kutchi/Gujarati cuisine is said to be a vegetarian's dream come true.The famous Indian British cookbook writer Madhur Jaffrey has termed Gujarati cuisine as "the haute cuisine of vegetarianism."

I want to share with you all a small briefing on Kutchi cuisine:

The staple food is Rotlas made of Bajri (millet) which the locals relish with butter milk or `chhas`, jaggery or 'gud'. Khichhdi,made of rice and dal (pulses) is liked by everyone. It is eaten with kadhi -a savory curry made with yogurt using bay leaves, ginger, chilies and finely chopped vegetables as garnishing-onions and pickle.Using the same lentils and rice, Kutchi kitchens produce delectable items like the Khaman dhokla, a salty steamed cake made from chickpea flour; Doodh pak, sweet, thickened milk confectioned with nuts, and Srikhand, a dessert made of yogurt, flavored with saffron, cardamom, nuts and candied fruit which is eaten with hot, fluffy pooris. These three delicacies have made their way into the favorites list of the rest of India too and can be found in restaurants all over the country. (http://www.indianetzone.com/20/kutchi_receipes_beverages.htm)

Kutchi dabeli (Double Roti)

Kutchi Dabeli or Double Roti as it is popularly known is a tangy,sweet and spicy delicacy from Kutch ( Gujarat) and traditionally sold on the streets of gujarat. This snack has also become very famous on the streets of Mumbai,we can say its a different version of vada pav. This is one of my most favourite food...........It gives me a kind of nostalgic feeling and takes me down the memory lane to my childhood days when I was in mumbai. When me and my mother used to go to the market,we used to eat Dabeli from one particular stall......it was soooooooo delicious, I have never eaten such a tasty Dabeli anywhere else.

Here in US we don't get Dabeli masala, so what,no problems!!! You can make it at home or use this recipe for a jhatpat dabeli,no need to make dabeli masala separately.


Ingredients

• Pav bhaji Buns 6-8

For Filling

• Potatoes 4
• Onion 1 (Medium)
• Hot(spicy ) Peanuts 1/2 cup
• Tamarind-Dates chutney 1-2 tbsp
• Cumin-Corainder (Jeera-Dhania) powder 1-1 1/2 tbsp
• Garam masala 2-3 tsp
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp
• Asafoetida (hing) a pinch
• Sugar 2 tsp
• Salt to taste

To serve

• Butter 2 tbsp
• Tamarind-Khajur chutney 4-6 tbsp
• Garlic chutney 2 tbsp
• Hot peanuts 1/2 cup
• Onion (raw) 1/2
• Nylon sev 1/2 cup
• Pomegranate cleaned (optional)

Method

• Boil ,peel and mash the potatoes.
• 
  
• Heat the oil in a pan,add asafoetida and saute the onions in it till they are light golden brown.
• 
  
• Add the mashed potatoes,hot peanuts,cumin-corainder powder ,garam masala,red chilli powder,sugar and salt.Mix well.
• 
  
• Remove from the fire, add 1-2 tbsp tamarind-date chutney and mix well.
• 
  
• The filling is now ready.

How to serve:

• Slice the bun horizontally in half.
• 
  
• Apply both the chutneys on lower part of the bun.
• 
  
• Take about 2 tbsp of filling and place it on the lower part of the bun.
• 
  
• Garnish with chopped onion, peanuts, sev, pomegranate.
• 
  
• Roast both the sides of the bun using little butter on a non stick tawa.

Ho gayi Kutchi Dabeli taiyaar.....Enjoy!!!

Serves 4

I am very happy to send this recipe for the Sandwich Festival hosted by Anupama of Food-n-more. Eagerly waiting for the round-up.

*Bajra Vada

First of all I would like to wish my mother , my mother-in-law and all the mothers out there a very ' Happy Mothers Day '.

It is said that because God cannot be with everyone he created Mother. This is so very right.

Usually Mother's Day is celebrated on different days in various parts of the world, but it is celebrated today (May 11th) in US and India. So,I dedicate this day to the most loving and caring personality on the earth - 'MOTHER' .

On this special day what can be better than a Mother's recipe. Friends,I present to you a recipe sent by my mother (mother-in-law).

Bajra Vada

Ingredients

• Bajra flour 2 cups
• Wheat flour 1 cup
• Rava 1/4 cup
• Curd 1/2 cup
• Red chilli powder 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds 1 tsp
• Til (sesame seeds) 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil 3 tsp + frying

Method

• Mix together all the ingredients and knead the dough.If needed add a little water. (Make the dough a bit harder than the chapati flour)
• 
  
• Keep it aside for about 1-2 hrs.
• 
  
• Lightly knead it once more. Make small balls and roll out like small puris. (In the traditional method of making Bajra vadas ,the dough is soft and the dough balls are patted with the hand to make a small patty. This is a bit different method)
• 
  
• Heat oil in the frying pan and fry the vadas.

• 
  
• The Bajra vadas can be served hot or cold.
• 
  
• The Bajra vadas made in this way can stay fresh without freezing for 4-5 days. (The ones with ginger and green chilly paste do not stay for so many days, hence red chilli powder is used here.)
• 
  
• Serve hot with green chutney,pickle or cold with hot tea.

Serves 2-4


The word Mother brings this song to my mind. I love this song........

And also enjoy this video from the movie Taare Zameen Par.

10 Good Reasons to Treat Your Mom
(http://www.dayformothers.com/10-reasons-to-treat-your-mom.html)

It is your mother who brings you to see the light of this world. It is she who looks after the helpless you and serves you with all her heart and does everything to make your life comfortable. Just for a day, at least, we shall stop taking our mothers for granted.

Mother's Day is one occasion that gives you the opportunity to do something for your mother. And if you start wondering about the reasons you need to treat your mother, you would end up with nothing less than a zillion reasons. Let's just remember the most important reasons for which we need to be grateful to our mom and that would be enough to arrange a lavish treat for her on the special occasion of Mother's Day.


* Since your childhood you have watched your mom washing and ironing your clothes, keeping your school uniform sparkling and spotless, and your jumpers without a single crease.


* You have been lucky enough to be picked and dropped to and from your school every single day right form your first day at school.


* Whenever you had a fight and for the slightest reason or if you needed a reason to cry on someone's shoulders, your mom was the one giving you the comfort and patiently listening to all your heartburns and grumbling.


* Just remember the innumerable times you wanted a fresh new set of designer clothes and your mother dug out her pocket money to fulfill your wish.


* The food world in which you gorged ever since you were a child and grew up on, was cooked day in and day out by your beloved mother. Just think of the hundreds of incredible dishes she prepared for you, the tasty lunchboxes she fixed for you, the cakes she baked, the snacks, the cups of tea and delicious suppers. It surely makes your mouth water even now.


* Your mother is always there for you through every thick-and-thin of your life. She is the person you can depend upon to stand by you anytime you need her.


* Remember all those difficult undecided moments of life and you needed someone who could make you see reason and pour some worldly-wise advice in your ears. It was surely your mother who lent you patient ears and then pulled you out of the mess in your life.


* Think about the tons of love she professes for you everyday through all her acts, big and small. It can't even be measured. It can only be felt.


What your mother does for you is absolutely beyond assessment but when the enormity of her love and sacrifice is felt you realize that surely your mom deserves a special treat this Mother's Day. It would only be a small way to show your gratefulness to her.

*Besan Chilla (Crepes)

Besan Chilla

Hi everybody,its time for yet another jhatpat recipe.

The recipe is Besan chilla,again one of my favourites. It can be prepared in no time and at the same time its tasty as well as nutritious.Chick pea is said to be a good source of fiber and many other nutrients and low in fat.

In chilla in addition to chick pea flour,vegetables are also added.I have added only tomato and onion,you can always add vegetable of your choice for example carrot which makes it more nutrient rich.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Besan (chick pea flour)
• 1 Onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tomato (finely chopped)
• 2-3 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
• Cilantro 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Ginger a small piece (finely chopped)
• Red Chilli Powder 2tsp
• Turmeric powder 1tsp
• Asafoetida (hing) a pinch
• Salt to taste
• Oil

If you like crispy chilla,you can add 1 tbsp rice flour to the batter.

Method

• Take a large mixing bowl,add besan (chick pea flour),salt,red chili powder,turmeric powder and asafoetida.Mix well.
• 
  
• Make a smooth and thick batter by adding appropriate amount of water.
• 
  
• Mix well with a spatula and take care that no lumps are formed.
• 
  
• Add rest of the ingredients,mix well and leave for 10 minutes.
• 
  
• Heat a nonstick pan or tawa.Grease it with oil on a medium flame and pour a big spoonful of batter when it becomes hot.
• 
  
• Spread the batter to a round shape just like a dosa ,but don't make it too thin.

• Pour little oil around its edges.when the lower side turns golden brown turnover the chilla.
• 
  
• Remove from the tawa when both the sides are done.
• 
  
• Serve hot chilla with cilantro chutney or ketchup or pickle.

Serves 2-3