Eggless Semolina Cake

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups semolina
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup plain natural yogurt
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tpsn baking soda
• 1 tpsn vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt


Method:

• Mix the sugar & yogurt thoroughly so that sugar completely dissolves.
• Then add all the other ingredients to the yogurt. Now let this batter stand for an hour. Keep it covered.
• Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a baking tray with butter or oil.
• After one hour pour the batter into the prepared tray and sprinkle the sliced the almonds all over the top.
• Bake for 20 to 25 min until its golden in color.

Instant Dhokla In Microwave

Ingredients :

• 1 cup gram (chana) flour
• I tsp rava (samolina)
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to test
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 tsp citric acid
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda or Eno

Tadaka

• Mustard seeds and cumin seeds cracked in hot oil with asafetida and curry leaves
• 2-3tbsp water
• 1 tsp sugar
• Chopped coriander and grated coconut for garnishing

Method:

• Mix gram or chana flour, salt, rava & sugar in a big mixing bowl
• From measured (1 cup) water, take out 2 tbsp each in 2 small bowls.
• Add remaining water to flour mixture. Mix thoroughly with wire whisk. There should be no lumps.
• Dissolve citric acid in one small bowl and pour it in the mixture. Mix with wire whisk.
• Dissolve soda in another small bowl and pour it in the mixture. Mix with wire whisk. Mixture will become foamy.
• Transfer it in greased microwave safe plastic or glass mould (1/3 mould should be filled).
• Microwave on high power for 3 minutes.
•  Let stand for 2 minutes.
• Cool, remove Dhokla from mould, cut into pieces.
• Now make tadka with oil ,mustard seeds, hing & curry leaves. Add water & sugar to this tadka.
• Pour this tadka over the dhokla pieces.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves & grated coconut.
• Mix lightly. Dhokla is ready to serve.

 

Brownie Bites

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1/3 Cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 Cup cold water
• 1/2 Tsp vanilla
• 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tsp baking powder
• 1/2 Tbsp chopped almonds
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 Tsp powdered sugar

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In a small saucepan melt butter. Remove from heat, stir in granulated sugar, cold water and vanilla.
• Stir in flour, cocoa powder & baking powder until thoroughly combined.
• Stir in 1 tbsp of the nuts.
• Spray the bottom of an pan with nonstick spray. Pour batter into pan. 
• Sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp chopped nuts
• Bake for about 20 min. then cool completely & cut in square shape.
• Sprinkle 1 tsp powdered sugar on brownie.

Enjoy with coffee or tea.

Cucumber Dosa

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Grated cucumber
• 2 Cups Grated fresh or frozen coconut
• 4 Cups Rice flour
• 1 tbsp jaggery
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method:

• Mix grated cucumber & grated coconut. Then add jaggery, oil, salt & turmeric powder.
• Add rice flour & enough water to make it a watery mix, with similar consistency as butter milk or rava dosa batter. 
• Heat a non stick tava or fry pan on medium heat; Sprinkle a few drops of oil over it; Once hot, take a ladle full of dosa batter and spill all over the tava little by little. Tilt the tava to spread evenly. 
•  Sprinkle few more drops of oil on the dosa and cook covered until done; It might take a couple of minutes.  When the bottom side is done, turn over, spread some more oil and fry till it is done.
• Remove from stove and serve hot with any chutney or pickle.

Black Eye Bean Burritos

• Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small tomato chopped
• 1 tin black eye beans, drained
• 125ml vegetable stock
• 1 fresh green or jalapeno chilli, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp taco seasoning or Mexican chilli powder
• Cilantro finely chopped 
• Grated cheddar cheese
• 4 flour tortillas

Method:

• Rinse and drain the beans. If you are using dried beans, they must be fully cooked before you begin.  Black-eyed beans can be soaked overnight to make them more easily digestible.
•  Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat, and cook the onion until tender.
• Then add tomato and cook until soft. Mix in the black eye beans, vegetable stock, chill, garlic and lime  juice.
• Add taco seasoning, salt & pepper to taste.
• Cook over medium-high heat for about ten minutes, mashing beans slightly with back of wooden spoon. 
• Stir occasionally, adding a little water if mixture looks too dry.
• Spoon bean mixture into tortillas. Top with cheese & chopped cilantro. 
• Fold each tortilla and serve with salsa or with fried french beans.

Mixed Berry Jam

Ingredients:

• 5 cups frozen mixed berries or you can use fresh berries
• 1 cup pure honey
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 2 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves or dried oregano

Method:

• Place the berries in a medium saucepan. lightly mash the berries.
•  Add the honey, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, and thyme or dried oregano.
•  Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, 50 to 55 minutes.
•  Cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours (the jam will continue to thicken as it cools).
•  Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 1 month

Veggie Wrap

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• pinch of salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup hummus
• 4 pieces whole-wheat tortilla or flour tortilla
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 ounces baby spinach leaves (2 cups lightly packed)
• 1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup carrot cut lengthwise into slices
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Method:

• Preheat the grill or grill pan over medium heat. Brush both sides of the zucchini slices, carrot & red bell pepper with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
•  Grill until tender and slightly browned, about 4 minutes per side.
• Spread 1/4 cup of the hummus over each piece of tortilla. 
• Top with2- 3 slices of zucchini, 2 pieces of red pepper, 2-3 pieces of carrot, spinach, a few sliced onion, and chopped cilantro. 
• Roll the tortilla up as tightly as possible to enclose the filling without tearing the tortilla. 
• Cut in half crosswise and eat immediately, or wrap both halves in plastic wrap to pack into a lunch bag.

Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients:

• 1 medium. cauliflower clean and broken into big florettes.
• 1 small bunch spring onoin finely chopped
• 2 tsp. ginger finely chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic finely chopped
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 3 tbsp. cornflour
• 1/4 tsp. red chilli powder
• 2 red chillies, dry
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tbsp. milk

Method:

• Boil the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a tbsp. of milk has been added.
• Drain and pat dry on a clean cloth.
• Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tbsp.cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt to taste.
• Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside.
• In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute.
• Add the salt and spring onions.
• Stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil.
• Add 1 tbsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well.
• Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling.
• Boil till the gravy becomes transparent. Add florettes and soya sauce.
• Boil for two more minutes and remove.
• Serve hot with noodles or rice.

Variations:

Dry manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy.

Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried florettes, spring onions and soya ce at this stage.

Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stirfry for 2 minutes.

Serve piping hot with toothpicks or miniforks and chilligarlic sauce or tomato sauce.

Same procedure for veg. manchurian (with gravy or dry), but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced

vegetables and

bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make small lumps the size of a pingpong ball.

Fry as above and proceed as above.