Foodie Workz

I am very happy to announce the first event that I am doing as a guest host for  Sanjeetha of litebite .  It is part of her Wholesome Wholegrain Cooking monthly event for which the chosen theme for Jan 2012 is Bulgur wheat or broken wheat for dinner. Benefits of Cracked Wheat... Cracked wheat is made by cutting or crushing whole raw wheat berries into small pieces.  Even though bulgur wheat is interchangeably used with cracked wheat, it is processed slightly different from cracked wheat.  Also a whole grain, it is partially cooked prior to crushing.  Both bulgur and cracked wheat are excellent sources of fiber, minerals and vitamins.  Cracked wheat has all the benefits of wheat flour and since it contains the outer bran and germ of the wheat, it is a good source of fiber.  It fits well into a low fat diet as a quarter cup contains just 1 percent of  daily value for total fat and has no trans fat or cholesterol.  It is also a good sou...

A very simple and a healthy lunch box dish for the kids which can be prepared even in the busy morning rush.... 4 slices of bread 2 ounces of frozen chopped spinach 2 ounces of grated cheese(used four cheese mexican) salt and pepper to taste 1/4 tsp paprika powder 1 table spoon of chopped spring onions Cook the spinach in the microwave and squeeze out the water.  Combine this, the cheese and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.  Spread this mixture between two slices of bread.  Apply butter on the outer side and toast on a medium hot tawa until golden brown on both sides. Sending this to  Breakfast Club  event hosted at  Krithi's Kitchen  and to  HLI - Spinach  event of  Kalyani  running at  Sin-a-Mon . Tip:  Add a spoon of flax seeds to the filling mixture for added nutrition

A snack cannot get any better if it is just steam cooked with lot of vegetables and these Muthias are all about this.  Muthias is one of the most popular Gujarati recipes which is traditionally made with vegetables like lauki or methi leaves and gramflour. They are  just steam cooked with very little oil added for binding the dough.  Ever since I came upon this recipe on Manjula's Kitchen , I have been a fan of this simple and healthy delicacy.  Having tried these using cabbage and methi leaves, today I experimented with some radishes.  As always, the taste was just awesome!!!    5 oz red radish( I used 6 oz but felt could have used less - hence 5 oz) 1/2 cup besan 1 tblsp wheat flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 green chili chopped 1 tbsp crushed kasoori methi 1/2 tsp jeera 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp oil Seasoning 1 tbsp oil 1/4 tsp mustard 1 tsp sesame seeds chopped coriander leaves 1 long red ch...

Ragda Patties, a very popular Indian street food, is typically made with dried white peas.  But I have made these using some dried green peas.  This makes a wholesome and a healthy snack for the kids coming home hungry from school.  This dish goes to CWS - Peas event of Priya  and  HLI  event hosted @  Veg Junction  originally started by  Kalyani . For the ragda: 1 cup green peas 1 small tomato 1 small piece ginger 1 green chili 1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander powder 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp black salt(I did not have any) 1/2 tsp garam masala 1/8 to 1/4 black pepper powder salt few sprigs of coriander leaves chopped finely chopped onions green chutney and sweet chutney if preferred Sev For the patties: 2 medium to large size potatoes 4-5 green chilies grated 1 tsp grated ginger 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves some lemon  juice salt to taste Oil for frying Preparation of the Ragda: ...

Many a times I have used the pumpkin that is available in the Indian grocery store to make soups, gravy dishes,  sambars and even in mixed vegetable curry .  But recently, I picked up this huge butternut squash from a local grocery to prepare soup for a potluck get together.  The appearance of the inside and the texture of the squash looked very similar to the pumpkin that is available in the Indian store.  To get things clarified, I went on the net to see if they both were the same but found out that they were obviously not the same but the names are frequently used interchangeably and they can be easily substituted in recipes.     Butternut Squash also known as butternut pumpkin in Australia is a type of winter squash and has a sweet nutty taste similar to that of pumpkin especially the sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin.  It is a good source of fibre and Vitamin C apart from being an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin E .  I made this pa...

Asparagus is quite a commonly used vegetable in our household when in season.  My typical Indian preparations have been dry sauteed curry to go along with rice or rotis.  My mother, however, has tried making kootu or poricha kootu with it while she visited us many years back.  Today, I came up with this chutney recipe using the leftover asparagus sitting in my fridge. Asparagus is low in calories, low in sodium apart from being a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.  I have always thought of it to have a nutty flavor similar to that of peanuts.  Even though the chutney had the distinct smell of the asparagus, to me it tasted like a coconut or peanut chutney.  To bring about more flavor I added some onions and used tomatoes to keep off the tamarind. Chutney is one of the dishes where you can try to play with the ingredients according to your taste buds..... including what you add on with the main ingredient and the kind of spices or seas...

Peas and paneer combination in these parathas make it really enjoyable than the plain peas parathas.  I usually add potatoes but today used these low fat paneer for a change. 1.5 cups wheat flour 1.5 cup green peas thawed 4 oz paneer few coriander leaves 1-2 green chilies 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp ajwain 1 tsp garam masala salt to taste small handful of spring onion leaves(great flavor because of these) Process the peas along with spring onions and all the spices and salt.  Saute this in little oil for a few minutes.  Add the finely crumbled paneer to this mixture. Let it cool. Divide the filling into equal sized balls and make the same number with the dough as well. Roll out the dough into a small circle, place the filling, cover and roll out into a bigger circle making sure not to tear.  Cook the paratha on a hot tawa both sides and then with some oil again till brown spots appear. Served this parathas with some Mooli Muthia Kadhi f...

I came upon this simple recipe on the net, while I was just looking for some recipes with dates.  They turned out to be really wonderful and I could never tell that there were dates in them.  It is one good way to get the kids to eat dates which are known for its essential nutrient, mineral and vitamin contents.  I just felt I should have gone with my intuition of toasting the chopped walnuts before adding them.  That would have really brought out the nutty flavor in the cookies. 1.5 cups flour(combined all purpose and whole wheat pastry flour equally) 100 gms softened butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg(substituted with a tbsp of milk and 3 tbsp oil combined) 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon powder(i used 1/2 tsp) 1/2 cup tightly packed chopped dates 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips(optional) pinch of salt Cream the butter and the sugar in a bowl.  Add the egg to it and beat it further.  In another bowl mix the flour, ...

This is one of my favorite ways to eat cabbages with rotis.  The addition of bell peppers give a nice flavor to it, the green one being the best. 12 oz cabbage chopped 2 medium size potatoes chopped 1 orange capsicum chopped 1 small onion chopped(optional) 2 garlic cloves ginger piece 1-2 green chili 1/2 tsp each of cumin and dhaniya powder 1/4 tsp chili powder salt to taste 1/2 tsp garam masala Take a table spoon of oil and splutter 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds.  Add the onions and saute for about 2 minutes and add the ginger, green chili and garlic all finely chopped.  Saute further for a minute and add the potatoes.  Saute these for about 2-3 minutes before adding the cabbage and the orange peppers.  Add salt, dhaniya jeera powders and the chili powder and stir together well.  Lower the heat and cook the vegetables covered until soft.  Add the garam masala in the end and stir everything well. Enjoy these with some nice hot chapathis!!...

This is a very easy preparation which I usually come up with whenever I have some squash at home like the chayote or lauki or yellow crooked neck.  I prepare this in combination with potatoes or sometimes with more vegetables like carrots, peas and beans.  I usually add some milk in the end but instead used some leftover cream which I had in the fridge. This cannot typically come under the category of kurma as I am not grinding any coconuts or cashews.  However, since I am using some cream to enrich this dish I would like to think of this as a kurma. 1 chayote squash 1 potato 1 carrot small handful of frozen peas 2 tbsp cream 1/4 tsp turmeric salt to taste 1 onion chopped 2 tomatoes blanched and pureed few sprigs of coriander leaves 2 green chili( instead used some chopped green bell peppers about 2 tblsp) small piece ginger 2 cloves of garlic 1 tsp paprika powder 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp garam masala powder 2-3 pinch...

After making those yummy vadas, I was still left with some more sprouts that I decided to use it up for my dinner preparation.  Just made this simple pulao using these and some bell peppers.... 1 cup basmati rice 1 cup sprouted matki or moth beans 1 medium ripe tomato 1 small onion 1 small yellow capsicum 1 tsp paprika powder 3 garlic cloves small piece of ginger pinch of turmeric powder 1/2-1 tsp pav bhaji powder(this gives a different flavor to the dish...I have added this to some of my quick subzis using pumpkin or zucchini) Cook the basmati rice and let it cool. Heat up a tablespoon of oil and splutter the cumin seeds.  Add the onions along with the garlic and ginger and saute till they are translucent.  Add the capsicum and do a quick saute before adding the tomatoes.  Add   all the powders and little bit of salt and cook the tomatoes for a minute or two before adding the sprouts.  After this cook for further five minutes.  Ad...

I had these sprouted moth beans sitting in my fridge for a few days now.....hence decided to make some vadas in combination with green gram.  And they turned out to be the perfect snack for a cold day!!! 1 cup sprouted moth beans 1/2 split green gram with skin 1/4 cup of chopped spring onions(white part) handful of small broccoli florets processed 4 green chilies(about3/4 inch in length) few corinader leaves small ginger piece salt to taste Soak the green gram for 2 hrs.  Drain the water completely and grind into a coarse paste along with moth beans, chilies and ginger.  Towards the end add the coriander leaves and process it further.  To this paste add the onions, broccoli and salt and mix well. Take a small portion of the mix, flatten it in your palm and deep fry in hot oil till a nice golden color. Enjoy these crispies with some chutney or ketchup!! This one is off to CWS-Mung Beans event  at Priya's blog.

I found this lovely bunch of collard greens last week at the farmers market and brought them home(for the first time) thinking I will make a simple south indian type of dal with this.  Whenever I buy some bok choy I like to combine them with moong dal which is to be cooked directly on the stove top after soaking them for half hour to one hour.  I decided I was going to prepare these greens  in the same manner. However, I changed my mind later on and decided to go ahead with a dry preparation.  Along the way,  I decided to add some onions and garlic. Some facts on Collard greens.....widely used in Southern US cuisine it is widely eaten in the Kashmir region of India and Pakistan.  A common dish of that region is haak-rus a soup of whole leaves cooked in water, salt and oil and consumed with rice.  They are a good source of Vitamin C and soluble fiber with potent anti cancer properties. 1 bunch collard greens trimmed and chopped as fine as pos...

I was suddenly tempted to try this paruppu usili dish out using spinach as I was bored of cooking the same old spinach preparations in South Indian style.  I cannot recall having eaten the spinach in this manner, but when we have spinach in dals, adais and vadas,  I thought why not in Usili.  And here I was giving a pat on my back for this little innovation after the dish was made as I could not get enough of it. 3/4 cup toor dal and chana dal together combined  equally or in 2:1 ratio 5 ounces of spinach leaves(trimmed) 3-4 chillies long variety salt to taste pinch of turmeric powder oil pinch of hing powder 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp urad dal Soak the dals along with the red chilies for at least two hours.  Drain the water completely and grind into a coarse paste with salt, turmeric, red chilies and hing.  I also added about a table spoon of oil while grinding.  Grease a container in which you are going to cook the paste.  Spr...

Of late, we are seeing a growing need to switch to more healthier options in our diet especially the breakfast that being the first meal of the day.  However, it is treat to have sumptuous dishes once in a while for breakfast like the traditional aloo parathas .  This becomes a winner with the addition of some mint leaves especially the ones that come from your very own garden.  We harvested two grocery bag full of mint leaves that were  waiting to be used.  I first tried this mint and coriander rice using double the amount of mint to coriander.  Unfotunately, I do not have a click of the rice.   I will have to post this if I get to make it again.  Next thing I made were these parathas which turned out to be tasty and flavorful.  I decided to add the leaves raw without sauteing.  But you can saute them if you wish to after processing it.  As the mint was not sauteed there was a nice freshness and a little crunch inside  the...

This is a very simple easy breezy pasta preparation with a slight twist.  Instead of the regular tomato or basil pesto sauces, I have used a spinach based sauce.  I made this for my husband's lunch box one day and hence this small quantity.  I am surely going to make this again for all of us to enjoy!!  This is such a fulfilling meal with the all the goodness that you can have. 1/2 cup orzo pasta cooked according to packet instructions 2 handfuls of spinach 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 long zucchini quartered and sliced 1 tbsp walnuts 2 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove salt to taste pepper to taste Grind the spinach, walnuts and garlic in a food processor with a tbsp of olive oil.  Take the rest of the oil in a pan and saute the onion lightly.  Add the zucchini pieces and saute until they are translucent with little salt and pepper.  Add the spinach pesto sauce and saute it for not more than a minute before adding the orzo pasta. Stir everyt...

I came across the recipe for this dish when I was in India this summer in a local magazine.  The recipe called for 200 gms of cashews for 3 ridge gourds and curry leaf sprigs but did not have any tomatoes.  I correspondingly adjusted the recipe for 1 ridge gourd but  significantly reduced(used only half of what I should have used for 1 ridge gourd) the amount of cashews.  Nevertheless, the dish turned out to be very tasty and flavorful thanks to the addition of kasoori methi.   Try it out and you will like it too!! 1 long ridge gourd 1/2 of a medium size onion finely chopped 25 gms cashews soaked in water for half hour 1 small tomato 1 green chili 1 garlic clove 1 small piece ginger 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp chili powder(non spicy one) 2 pinches of kasoori methi First peel and cut the ridge gourd into cubes.  Saute the garlic, ginger and chili slightly in very little oil and grind this with the cashews into...

Diwali is a time for joy and celebration and it is never complete without sweets and snacks.  Snacks being a favorite in my household, I usually end up preparing more snacks than sweets.  Kai Murukku is a very popular South Indian snack and is also well enjoyed by all of us at home.   Not many people prepare this at home as making them as it is a time consuming effort which requires patience and practice. 2 cups Rice Flour 2 tsp Urad Flour 2 to 2.5 tbsp butter brought to room temperature 1 to 1.25 tsp salt 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp sesame seeds two pinches of hing powder Begin my making the urad dal flour. Roast some split urad dal on medium heat till it becomes light reddish brown in color.  Cool this down and ground to a fine powder.  Seive out the coarse parts.  Any extra can always be used the next time or added in kootu.  If using store bought flour,  roast the flour till it slight changes color.  Combine both the flou...

With Diwali around the corner,  preparations must be going on for making some sweets and savories.   My first attempt is the Besan Ladoo.   This is a traditional and a very popular dish in Indian households during Diwali time.  Besan burfi or Mysore Pakku as it is known in the South is what I have tried in the past.  As I wanted to go easy on the ghee I decided to try out the ladoo for the first time.  Not only for that but I have also oflate become hooked on these type of ladoos which I never even used to taste in my childhood days. I followed a couple of recipes one being Manjulas Kitchen and the other being Tarla Dalal.   I like the former as you get to visually see the making process.  I also refer Vahrehwah.com for sweets and desserts.  I started off following Manjula's recipe without the rawa.  As my flour started cooking, mine was no way near the consistency of hers so switched to Tarla Dalals and just used my d...

 Chutneys complement well with our Indian breakfast dishes.   Eventhough the coconut chutneys have their own flavor and is commonly liked by everybody, I like to prepare chutneys using vegetables.  I had these bell peppers lying in my fridge for more than a week that I decided to use it up for making this chutney.  The results was some reallly nice spicy chutney.  The tomatoes and the red peppers gave a nice stunning color to the chutney.  Enjoyed this chutney with the Masoor dal idlis. 1/2 cup chopped onions 1 medium to big tomato 1 bell pepper(I combined red and green peppers) 3-4 red chillies 2 tsp urad dal 3 tsp chana dal pinch of hing powder few coriander leaves salt to taste 1/4 tsp of tamarind paste Begin by roasting the chana dal and urad dal in some hot oil,  add the red chillies and the hing powder.  Immediately add the onion and saute it for a minute.  Add the peppers and saute it for a minute or two.  Add th...

This is one of the traditional recipes of the Tamil households.  Usually it is prepared in little large quantities that will last for a week.  I really love having this during cold wintery days to get the heat from the pepper.  This time I prepared this based on the recipe given by my aunt. 12-15 medium size sprigs of curry leaves big lemon sized tamarind ball 2 tsp black pepper 4 long red chillies 2 tsp urad dal tiny ginger piece Take two spoons of oil and roast the urad dal and the red chillies without burning them.  Lower the heat and add the black pepper, curry leaves and the tamarind pieces and saute it lightly.   Add the ginger as well.   Take all this and grind everything to a smooth paste with salt and 1/2 tsp of brown sugar.  Use about 4 cups of water. Take a pan with 3-4 tbsp of oil, season mustard and add the paste.  Let all this cook nicely till the kuzhambu reduces in quantity by one cup by which time you will also get...

This is a very nutritious and refreshing salad which will surely be enjoyed by kids....mine love it so much that they are ready to eat this given anytime of the day.  I usually have this salad ready for them as an after school snack.  It has all the goodness of the proteins and vitamins and keeps them satisfied for some time:)   2 handfuls spinach(salad spinach which come in packages) 3 medium size potatoes boiled, peeled and cut into big cubes 2 small tomatoes 3 inch cucumber piece 1/4 of a small onion 1/2 cup of boiled channa handful of toasted peanuts(optional) Dressing: 3 tbsp olive oil salt, lemon juice and pepper to taste Chop  the spinach coarsely and cut the tomatoes in half and each half into eighths.  Peel and cube the cucumber as well.  Cut the onions into 1 inch length slices.  Combine all these along with the chana and toasted peanuts. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them together.  Add ...

This is one good way to use up the yellow squash which works as a good side. 2 cups chopped yellow squash 2 tsp chana dal 1/2 tsp urad dal 1/4 tsp cumin seeds(optional) 1/4 tsp mustard seed(optional) 1 to 2 red chili long variety salt to taste tamarind small piece Saute the squash on medium flame stirring all the time with salt until it becomes soft.  Roast the chana dal, urad dal, red chili and splutter the mustard and cumin seeds all separately with a spoon of oil.  Grind these first to a coarse powder with salt.  Add the vegetable and the tamarind and grind it to a paste.  Check for salt and tamarind, add more if needed and pulse it again.  This can be had with idlis and dosa or used as a dip.  If used as a dip you can omit the seasoning.  You can add some chopped coriander leaves while grinding dalong with the vegetable.

As I was left with some beets after making the pulao, I wanted to try something different.  The result was these lovely Beet root polis. Filling  1 medium size beet root peeled and processed 1/4 cup of slivered almond powdered or almond meal 1/4 cup of brown sugar(can add little more if needed) 1 cup of milk(used low fat) 1/4 tsp elaichi powder ghee Outer covering 1/2 cup wheat flour 1/4 cup all purpose flour pinch of salt 1 table spoon oil for kneading Combine all these ingredients to form a soft pliable dough and set it aside for an hour. In the meanwhile, chop the beet root into rough pieces and process in a food processor.  Transfer this to a vessel along with the ground almonds and a cup of milk and pressure cook for 10 minutes.  Once you are ready to open, take this to a pan and cook on the stove top till all the mixture is absorbed completely and add some brown sugar and about a couple of spoons of ghee.   Turn off the st...

Kids like the plain parathas as much as the stuffed parathas like aloo, cauliflower etc.  Instead of keeping it plain, I like to incorporate some vegetable as much as I can.  It is also the best way of using the leftover veggies in the refrigerator.  Here is what I did 2 cups wheat flour 2 tightly packed cups of baby spinach washed pinch of turmeric powder 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1/4 tsp chilli powder salt to taste 2 tsp oil or more if you prefer while kneading the dough Take everything in the food processor and run till the spinach is coarsely chopped.  Transfer this to a bowl and knead into a soft dough adding little water at a time.  Grease your hands in the end and knead the dough further for about 5 minutes.  Set aside the dough for an hour. Roll it out evenly and cook on a hot tawa.  Cook both sides without oil and cook further applying oil on both sides till brown spots appear.  Serve with raita ...

I prepared thsese namakparas many months ago which I had not posted in my blog. Now with the Healthy Bakes event going on it was apt for me to post it now and send it to the Healthy Cooking Challenge-Healthy Bakes an event of Smitha and guest hosted by Priya of Easy and Tasty recipes. 1/2 cup wheat flour 1/2 cup all purpose flour salt to taste chilli powder to taste 1/4 tea spoon garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic 2 handfuls of mint leaves 2 table spoon oil or softened butter Grind the mint leaves coarsely with garlic if using the fresh one or chop it fine.  Mix the flour with salt, chilli powder and garlic powder if using the powder.   Add the oil and rub it in thoroughly till all the flour is well coated with the oil.  Add the mint and very little water to knead it into a tight dough. Roll it out into a thin roti and cut them into 1 inch by 2 inch strips.  Transfer these to a greased baking sheet. Stick into a oven preheated...

Dal Makhani is a one of the traditional dish of the Punjabi cuisine packed with proteins and rich in fibre.  A generous amount of butter and cream are also added to lend a rich flavor.  However, I wanted to replicate this dish with some fat milk instead of the rich cream.  And the outcome was quite good and we all got a fulfilling meal!!   1 and a 1/4 cup of whole urad 1/2 cup rajma 1 medium onion finely chopped 3 medium ripe tomatoes pureed 2 inch piece ginger grated 4-5 big garlic cloves 2 slit green chili 1 tsp chili powder 2 tsp coriander powder 2 tsp garam masala powder oil as required 2 tsp butter 1/2 to 1 cup fat milk  Soak the dals together overnight and pressure cook in water about 5 times the quantity of the dal.  Add salt and little amount of the chili powder and some ginger while cooking.  Once the pressure is released, mash the dals with the masher while it is still hot. Take sufficient oil and when it is hot splut...

Pulao is a very favorite dish among young and old as it works as a quite fulfilling one pot meal.  Yesterday I made this Beetroot Pulao for dinner and dal makhani(without the makhan).  The pulao is quite a simple dish using chopped beetroots instead of the regular carrots and the rest being the same. Ingredients for the pulao are as follows 1 cup basmati rice soaked for about 20 minutes a handful of chopped beetroot and potatoes a handful of frozen beans and peas 1/2 a small onion chopped 2 cloves of garlic, 1 long green chili and 1 inch piece ginger all finely chopped 4 cloves, small piece of cinnamon and a pinch of elaichi powder cumin seeds for seasoning Take 3 tsp of oil and splutter the cumin seeds when it is hot.  Add all the whole masalas and immediately add the onions.  Saute them for a couple of minutes and add the chopped ginger, garlic and green chili.  Follow it with the drained rice and fry till you get the aroma.  Add all the v...

  It has been quite some time since I contributed anything to my food blog that I made up my mind today to take time off from my navarathri preparations to post this from my inbox.  As you all know, my camera charger was missing and that brought to me a halt.  Around that time I made these muffins and while I was doing the Plum muffins I remembered about my daughter's camera with which I took the pictures. Subsequently, I also found my camera charger(kept very safely by me) but could not concentrate on doing anything as I was busy getting ready for Navaratri. Here are the recipies...... I had these nice ripe pears in my refrigerator for many weeks and decided to prepare some muffins with them.  I usually like to make muffins as they come as a handy snack or a filling breakfast.  My girls enjoy them with a glass of milk in the morning.  It is just so easy to grab them and enjoy it on the go.  So I went about googling for a pear muffin recipe and f...

Hi Friends, Here I am creating some dishes but unable to do anything as I have seem to misplaced my camera charger.  It has been a week since I realized it was missing.   I have been creating some dishes and getting it into my draft inbox but not sure when I will get to post them.  Hopefully it will not last long once I get my whole family to go on a hunt down this weekend.  If not the last resort is to replace the charger with a new one!!  Keeping my fingers crossed:)-

One can never forget the vegetable puffs which we have enjoyed during our childhood days.  Now the wonderful Frozen Puff Pastry sheets have made it easier to prepare these mouth watering snacks at home.  When I started using these sheets after coming to the US, all I would prepare was a potato filling.  However as times passed,  I learnt that the filling need not be restricted to just potatoes to be tasty.  My kids like these so much that they prefer them over the potato filled puffs. 1 Puff Pastry Sheet from the packet 1 1/2 cups tightly packed thawed (frozen) cut spinach leaves 3/4 cup of grated cheese tightly packed(I used 4cheese mexican) salt to taste 1/2 tsp paprika powder 1/2 of a very small onion finely chopped Take the spinach in a microwave safe bowl and heat it up for a couple of minutes.  After a while, squeeze out all the water from it.  Process the leaves till it looks like it has been finely chopped.  Add the onion,...

We all know that white pumpkin is a very widely used vegetable in the South Indian cooking with possibility of varied dishes like the Sambar, Kootu, Morkootu, Aviyal.   However to my knowledge, I have not known or hear anybody say that they have made a subzi with these pumpkins to go well with the rotis.  Today,  I got this wonderful home grown pumpkin from my friend(never seen one like this so firm yet tender and pure white in color).  Since I always like to come with some new innovations,  decided to make a dish out of these pumpkins that could be eaten with the rotis.  Hence, this kootu preparation combining the north and south flavors.   This is my typical preparation of the Kootu for rotis when I do not feel like having any gravy dishes with garam masala. 3-4 cups of chopped white pumpkin 1 small onion chopped 1 tomato chopped 1 green chili 1 tsp grated ginger 2 tbsp chana dal 1/4 cup moong dal 1 tsp sambar powder pinc...

Hi Friends, I am back after this wonderful break from the monotony and decided to do something quick for my lunch while I was jet lagged.  I found some carrots lying in my refrigerator and cooked up this rice dish. It was such a wonderful coincidence as the Healthy Lunch Box Ideas with the Carrot theme was going on as well.  This also put me back on track of food blogging which I probably would have procrastinated for another month.   It is no wonder this recipe goes to Healthy Lunchbox Ideas (HLI) event with CARROTS as the theme at  Sizzling Tastebuds . 3/4 cup sona masoori rice 2 medium size carrots 1 small potato peeled and cut into small pieces handful of frozen peas 1 medium size onion chopped fine 1.5 tbsp ground roasted peanuts 1" long cinnamon stick 3 cloves 5 tsp oil salt to taste Spice Powder 1 tsp Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 1 long red chilli 3 tsp grated coconut Roast the spice powder ingredients in little oil....