Thalipeeth waffles

 The 'Bhajanee' is another Maharashtrian name for a multigrain flour . Where various grains are slow roasted( Roasting in Marathi means bhajane ) and mixed together and ground to a fine powder. This simple recipe is absolutely lip smacking yet power packed with nutrients. This is a quick snack and can be prepared instantly as most Maharashtrian homes usually stock up on the bhajanee flour. It is traditionally made as a flat bread on a girdle or a pan. Here I have creatively twisted it to make waffles using the savory dough. These savory waffles can be served Hot with a blob of white butter some spicy chutney and/or pickles.

INGREDIENTS :

Bhajanee flour(Thalipeeth Bhajanee)– 1 bowl

finely chopped onion half  bowl 

Coriander – finely chopped, half a bowl

Red chilli powder – half tsp

Water – a little water for the dough

Oil – for shallow frying 

Salt – to taste

preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time 15 mins

METHOD :

1. Mix all the ingredients together (except the oil of course). (Some of the ready or store-bought Bhajanee flours have added salt and chilly powder in them, so add only if you require to.)

Keep aside for 5 mins .

2. Add water in very small quantities and keep mixing to form a dough. Take care not to add too much of water.

3. Set aside for 2 to 3 mins .

4. Heat a waffle maker.

5. Brush a little oil on both the sides of your waffle maker. Take a portion from the dough and using your palms flatten it on the waffle maker. Leave a little space on the sides as the dough will spread when you shut the waffle maker.

6. Keep checking occasionally and When the waffles turn brown, you can switch off the waffle maker

9. Remove gently from the waffle maker when crisp and brown on both the sides .

10. Serve Hot with fresh curds or a blob of white butter and or some spicy chutney/pickle on the side

Pizza

Pizza' is one of the most popular dish from the Italian cuisine.  It is essentially a flatbread made using various types or combinations of flours. Topped with meat or vegetarian toppings of one's choice and cheese and then baked in an oven. It is a very filling dish and can often be an entire meal by itself. Very popular among children and youngsters as it has a lot of variety can be made bland or spicy and lists as a fast food. 

INGREDIENTS : 

FOR THE BASE : (Will yield around 2 med size pizzas 10 inch)

250 GMS Maida (refined flour) or All purpose flour

1tsp salt

Fresh yeast 50 gms

If you are using instant yeast/dry yeast then 25 gms

sugar 1 Tbsp

Milk 150 ml

water 50 ml

butter 100 gms

Oil 1 Tbsp

METHOD :

FOR THE BASE :

1. In a large bowl, take the refined flour add the salt and mix.

2. If using dry yeast, then in another small bowl, take around 3 Tbsp of warm water and add sugar and dissolve. Then add the yeast and keep it aside to froth . If it froths well then it means that the yeast has activated well and is ready to use.

3. In a saucepan, Boil together Milk, butter and Fresh yeast (If you are using it)

4. Add this to the flour . Add the activated yeast (If using it) and mix well to form a soft dough .

5. Add oil in the end so the dough does not become sticky.

6. We need to 'Prove' this dough ..which means let the dough ferment and rise.

7. Tuck the dough, keep covered and keep aside for a good 4 to 6 hrs.

8. After 4 to 6 hrs. the dough would have risen and almost doubled in size.

9. Gently mix it again to a soft dough .. It is now ready for use.

10 This can also be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two but remember to bring it to room temperature before using again.

INGREDIENTS : For the toppings

Here I am sharing a simple vegetarian recipe with vegetarian pizza toppings but you can use any meat , seafood , cold cuts etc. as per your liking to make a Non- vegetarian version.

2 Med sized green bell peppers (You can add or edit veggies of your choice)

2 Med sized onions 

both finely chopped 

Cheddar cheese or Processed cheese Grated around 400 gms

Traditionally Mozerella Cheese is used on the Italian Pizzas, but we prefer Cheddar or Processed as it turns nice and crispy.

ASSEMBLING THE PIZZA :

1. Take an oven proof dish, Brush a little butter on it.

2. Take the required amount of dough and spread it on the dish beating with your palms. I prefer this method although you can roll it out with a rolling pin also .

3. Using a fork prick holes the the base as shown below.

4. Spread some Pizza sauce on this base (I use store bought as it gives exact flavors but you can simply mix tomato ketchup, green chilly sauce, Oregano, Basil and use it.That also works)

5. Spread the toppings as shown in the pic below.

6. Cover generously with Grated cheese.

7. Preheat oven to 180 Deg celcius. (This can be baked in a traditional oven or using the convection mode of your microwave oven)

9. Bake the pizza in the oven for 20 to 25 mins at 180 deg celcius or till done.

10. You can additionally grill it for 4 to 5 mins for extra browning of the top.

11. Alternatively heat it on a hot Tawa or girdle for a couple of minutes to get extra crispy base.

12. Serve HOT and Enjoy !!!

Green Thai Curry (Served with steamed rice)

 

Thai Curry also known as 'Kaeng' is a simple yet flavorful and popular curry in Thailand. Typically prepared using a mix of veggies, meat of your choice, and Coconut milk. Vegetarians can simply skip the meat. I am sharing here my way of preparing this curry in my kitchen which may differ slightly from the traditional method. This curry is typically served with Steamed rice and is a One-Dish meal by itself.

INGREDIENTS:

Coloured bell peppers Thinly sliced

Coconut milk 200 ml 

Chicken Boiled and shredded 250 gms (You can replace it with beef/pork or fish or veggies of your choice)

Thai curry paste (Red or green ) as per choice I used the store bought ones and at our home we prefer the green one over the red  

Oil 2 to 3 Tbsp

Salt to taste .

1 or 2 Basil leaves for Garnish

METHOD:

1. In a pan take around a tsp of Oil and slightly pan fry the bell peppers for a minute or so.

2. Make a thin paste using the green paste and water.

3. Add this paste to the bell peppers.

4. Mix well.

5. Add your preferred meat and/or some extra veggies (Baby corn, brocolli, carrots etc go well with this dish)

6. Add the Coconut milk and mix well.

7. Add salt if required. Usually the store ought pastes have enough salt so not required. 

8. Bring this to a Boil but ensure the veggies still remain crisp and not soggy  .

9. Garnish with Basil leaves.

10. Serve Hot with plain steamed rice.

Chicken Au-gratin

'Au-Gratin' is a French word which when loosely translated means baked with a golden brown upper crust of scrapings (Courtesy Google) .. To achieve this result, bread crumbs or grated cheese can be used. I prefer grated cheese as it has a flavor of its own and goes well with the other ingredients of this dish. This dish needs a little bit of preparation, but once you have everything ready it is easy to cook/bake. I am sure you will enjoy making this as much as I have loved sharing it here with you. This goes very well when served with garlic bread or toasts and forms a complete meal by itself. You can even skip the bread if you wish to. 

P.S You can add as many veggies as you wish like baby corn, cauliflower, Broccoli, carrots etc.

To make a vegetarian version of this dish replace chicken with tofu or cottage cheese or use just the veggies.

                               

INGREDIENTS :

200 GMS Boneless chicken, boiled and shredded to small pieces

1 Med size red bell pepper

1 Med size green bell pepper

1 Med size yellow bell pepper

100 gms sweet corn kernels (Boiled or steamed)

Grated cheese (Processed or Cheddar) as much as you like 

For the sauce :

1 Tbsp salted butter

2 tsp maida or refined flour

Milk around 300 ml

salt to taste 

black pepper powder 1/2 tsp

red chilly flakes 1/2 tsp

Method :

1. Finely chop the bell peppers ,

2. In a pan heat 1 tsp butter and slightly fry the bell peppers , till they are half cooked. 

Keep it aside

3. Now prepare the sauce using the following recipe:

WHITE SAUCE:

1. Melt he butter in a pan and roast the Maida/refined flour till light brown in colour.

2. Now add the milk and mix in really well and fast, taking care to not let any lumps to be formed.

3. Quickly add the salt, black pepper powder, chilly flakes and mix well.

4. Turn of heat as soon as it thickens .

5. Sauce is now ready for use

               

                                   

ASSEMBLY AND BAKING:

                                 

1. In a glass baking dish, mix the bell peppers, corn and shredded chicken in the sauce. Mix well.

2. Add the grated cheese on top to cover the mixture well.

3. Preheat oven to 180 deg celcius .

4. Since all the ingredients are already cooked, the baking time is really not much

5. Bake at 180 deg Celcius for 10 mins.

6. Grill in the oven (Microwave ovens usually will have the grill option) for another 5 to 7 mins to get the golden brown upper crust.

7. Your 'Au-gratin' is ready. 

8. Serve hot with garlic bread or simple sliced bread or have as it is.

 

Fish Tikka (Spicy Indian grilled fish)

 

A simple grilled fish recipe using some Indian spices, healthy and tasty at the same time.You can use a /filet of any boneless fish you like and is easily available to you. I prefer using the 'Basa' or the 'Rawas', which are easily available here in India but a 'Salmon' or 'Tilapia' would work too as long as it is boneless. Fish is marinated in hung yogurt and some select spices and is usually cooked in a round grill over charcoal (The Tandoor). However this can be also prepared at home in a convection oven or in a grill pan . It is a very popular appetizer or a party snack. Fish cooks  easily and hence this dish does not take long to prepare/cook.

Preparation time : 20 mins
for hung curd (2 to 3 hrs)

Marination time : 30 mins

Cooking time  : 20 to 25 mins
Serves : 2

INGREDIENTS :

Fish Filet around 400 gms cut in small cubes around 3 inch * 3 inch size

For the marination :

Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Red chilly powder 1 Tsp
Tandoori masala 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 4 tsp
Lemon juice 1 Tbsp
Gram flour roasted 3 to 4 Tbsp
Hung curd 1/2 cup
Cooking Oil 2 tsp
Butter for basting

Small pinch of Ajwain 
Salt to taste 
Chat masala as per taste
Onion rings and lemon slices for garnish

METHOD :

1. Clean, wash the fish pieces. Keep aside.

2. In a muslin cloth hang some plain yogurt or curds to dry out its moisture, for around 4 to 5 hrs. Most recipes say 30 mins is enough but my experience is it needs 4 to 5 hrs, else fish tikka can be watery.

3. In a bowl mix together Oil, hung curd, lemon juice, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, salt and the tandoori masala and roasted gram flour, Ajwain and make a paste. Check the taste. Adjust spice levels to suit your palate.

4. Mix well to form a very thick and homogenous paste.

5. Apply this smooth and thick paste all over the Fish pieces. Ensure to completely coat the pieces on all sides, so marinate seeps in well ,

6. Keep covered and refrigerate it for 30 mins to marinate well .

7. Remove from refrigerator, You can either cook in a convection oven for 20 to 25 mins on 200 deg Celcius or Heat a grill pan and once it is very hot grill the fish pieces on slow flame on the pan.

8. Keep turning occasionally and basting it with little butter to get flavor.

9. The fish will cook really quickly and once it is cooked and got the typical tandoori brown grilled colour, it is ready.

10. Sprinkle some chat masala on top of the fish pieces.

11. Garnish with onion rings and a slice of lemon. Maybe some mint leaves.

12. Serve HOT . Enjoy as is or serve some mint yogurt chutney as an accompaniment.

Tandoori chicken chaat

 

'Tandoori chicken chaat' is the simplest of recipes one can find.. It is my own creation as a 'Best out of waste' recipe. Try this when you have some leftover Tandoori chicken. Tastes even better . It is a matter of minutes to put this absolutely lip-smacking recipe together.Best part is it can be served cold and so can be prepared before hand.. Always a 'Hit' at parties. Hope you all enjoy making it too.

Preparation time : 10 mins (Assuming you have tandoori chicken with you)

cooking time : 5 mins 

Serves : 4 

P.S Click on this link if you wish to prepare the Tandoori chicken yourself..

INGREDIENTS :

Tandoori chicken 500 gms

Thinly sliced onions 1 Big or 2 small

Thinly sliced tomatoes 1 Big or 2 small

Chopped coriander  1 Tbsp

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Chaat masala 1/2 tsp

Mint and coriander chutney ..Click here Mint Chutney for its recipe 

Salt if required 

METHOD:

1. Separate the chicken from its bones and make fine shreds. Keep aside.

2. In a bowl mix the shredded chicken, onion, tomatoes, mint chutney, salt (if reqd), red chilly powder and chaat masala. Mix well.

3. Garnish with chopped coriander before serving.

4. Tastes best when served cold. 

Chicken Manchow Soup

 

'Chicken Manchow' soup is one of the most popular of 'Indo chinese'  recipes. A rich mix of plenty of vegetables and chicken mince makes it a very healthy, filling and actually can be had as a 'One dish meal" as well. Great as a comfort food and a remedy for coughs and colds.. A perfect winter delicacy.

Needs a little preparation before hand, but ready in a jiffy once you have the preparations ready. Here I present to you my way of making this simple yet wholesome soup. Hope you enjoy it.

P.S.:: Vegetarians can replace the chicken mince with crumbled Cottage cheese/Tofu or simply skip the chicken.

Preparation time : 30 mins

Cooking time       : 10 mins

Serves :  4

INGREDIENTS:

Finely shredded cabbage 100 gms

finely chopped carrots 100 gm

Finely chopped French beans 100 gms

Small bunch of spring onions finely chopped.

finely chopped green peppers

finely chopped ginger 1 Tbsp (Adjust to taste but I prefer lots of ginger in my soup)

Finely chopped garlic 1 Tbsp

Chicken mince around 100 gms

Salt to taste

Vinegar 1 tsp

Dark Soy sauce 1 to 2Tbsp

sugar 2 tsp

Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp

Red chilly sauce 1 tsp

finely chopped green chillies 2 nos

Vegetable/Chicken stock 500 ml

Corn flour 1 tbsp

water 

just a little Oil 

Fried noodles About a fistful for garnish. (These are a must for this soup) 

METHOD :

To make fried noodles:

Boil some noodles in salt water till just cooked (Al dente) remove and rinse them is cold water to remove the starch. Toss these fried noodles in a little corn flour so they do not stick to one another.. Deep fry these noodles in hot oil and keep aside for later use.

TO MAKE THE SOUP:

1. In a wok , take just a little oil about 1 tsp.

2.  Start adding all the finely chopped veggies one by one and keep stirring.

3. Add the spring onion and stir but keep aside some greens for garnishing.

4. Add the chicken mince and stir well to avoid burning of veggies..

5. Add the vegetable or chicken stock (You can add water if you do not have stock)

6. Add the Vinegar, Soy sauce, red chilly sauce, salt, sugar, black pepper powder and mix well.

7. Bring to boil. 

8. Just before serving add the corn flour paste to this soup to thicken it.

9. Garnish with fried noodles and spring onion greens

10. Serve piping hot. 

Honey Pepper roast chicken with burnt garlic rice and grilled veggies

 

Honey pepper roasted chicken, with burnt garlic rice and grilled veggies...as is very obvious from the name, this dish is a complete meal by itself. Well balanced in all aspects viz. taste, flavours, textures and most importantly in nutrition. With Indo-chinese food gaining huge popularity due to its ease in cooking, this dish was on my 'To-do' list for a very very looooong time. I have tried to prepare it my way . Hope you enjoy making and relishing this dish as much as I did.

 INGREDIENTS :

FOR THE CHICKEN :

Chicken Boneless breast piece about 400 gms

Honey 2 Tbsp

Salt to taste

Black pepper sauce (It is readily available in the market) around 4 tbsp Adjust if you need more.

Soy sauce  1 tsp

Red chilly sauce 2 to 3 tsp

Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp

METHOD FOR ROAST CHICKEN:

1.  Wash and clean the chicken breast and pat dry with a clean towel.

2. Make diagonal slits on the chicken piece for it to marinate well.

3. Mix the rest of the above ingredients to make a thick paste.

4. Apply this paste over the chicken breast, including the slits and cover and keep in the refrigerator to marinate for around 30 to 45 mins.

5. Heat a grill pan. Once it is very hot, lower the heat and grill the marinated chicken over low flame, turning it upside occasionally. 

6. The Honey in the marination will caramalise and give it a nice glaze and brown colour.

7. Keep this aside.

INGREDIENTS FOR BURNT GARLIC RICE :

Cooked Long grain rice around 1 Bowl (You can even use leftover rice)

10 to 12 Cloves of Garlic (Big cloves)

Oil 2 Tbsp

Spring onion chopped around 2 Tbsp

Capsicum chopped around 2 Tbsp

Carrots chopped around 2 Tbsp

1/2 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp Soy sauce

1 green chilly chopped

Salt to taste

METHOD FOR BURNT GARLIC RICE :

1. Heat the oil in a Wok or Kadhai.

2. Chop the garlic into small pieces and fry it till it is brown in colour. Keep aside.

3. In the same Oil add capsicum, carrot, spring onions, chilly and stir fry for about 2 mins on medium flame.

4. Add white vinegar and soy sauce and mix well.

5. Now mix the cooked rice and fried garlic, add salt to taste and mix well again.

6. Your Burnt garlic rice is ready .

INGREDIENTS FOR GRILLED VEGGIES :

Any veggies o your choice,,,

I have taken coloured bell peppers and carrots and sliced them vertically,

You could add Brocolli or Zuccini or anything else of your choice,

2 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce..

METHOD :

1 Simply heat a pan, add a little oil or butter in it. Toss the veggies and add the Teriyaki sauce and salt to taste.

2. Just stir for a minute.. The vegetables should remain crunchy and not get fully cooked.

3. Veggies are ready for use.

ASSEMBLY OF THE DISH :

1. Simply Plate the Veggies, Rice and the Chicken on a plate of your choice.

2. The Best part of this dish is that you can enjoy each element as in, the rice or chicken or veggies as individual dishes also or pair them with something else.

3. Enjoy making this and the endless possibilities of pairing this dish with other dishes.

4. Serve piping hot ,

Sweet Corn Dhirade (Sweet corn pancake)

This is a little twist by adding sweet corn to the  typical dish prepared in the state of  Maharashtra in India. 'Dhirade' is the marathi name for these pancakes. We used to love these with a blob of fresh homemade white butter or 'Loni' as our mother used to serve us these hot 'dhirade' after a tiring day at school or office. Mix of gram flour and rice flour , mildly spiced , made into a thin batter. Crisp golden brown pancakes are made out of these. A great healthy, easy breakfast recipe. Easily made from ingredients readily available in your kitchen. Great for those sudden hunger pangs . 

INGREDIENTS:

Sweet corn kernels (1 Big bowl) or 200 gms 

Gram flour/Besan    2 Bowls 

Rice flour      1/2 Bowl

Pinch of hing powder

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

green chillies chopped  2 nos

Ajwain (owa)     1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder 1 tsp (adjust as per taste)

1 Medium sized onion grated (Makes the pancakes nice and crisp)

Coriander leaves finely chopped 1/2 bowl.

Salt to taste .

water

Oil to make pancakes. (Dhirade)

METHOD :

1. Boil the sweet corn kernels in water adding a little salt in the water. 
2. Grind together the boiled corn,  green chillies, and coriander to a rough paste.

3. In a large bowl, mix the Besan, rice flour, corn-chillies paste and mix well.

4. Add the turmeric, red chilli powder, grated onion, Ajwain, hing, turmeric, Salt to taste and mix well.
5. Adding little water as required make a thin batter of pouring consistency.

3. Break any lumps if formed.

4. Let the mixture rest for 10 mins.

5. Heat a tawa/skillet/pan or girdle . Add a little oil and spread it on the pan.

6. Once hot, pour a little batter and spread it to make thin and round pancakes.

7. Drizzle a little oil at the sides.

8. Keep covered on low flame.

9. Once it turns golden brown on one side, flip the pancake.

10. Do not cover now. 

11. Once done on both sides, its ready to serve . 

12. Serve hot with Green chutney or tomato ketchup or even a blob of white butter or curds.

Cheese Pull-apart bread

'Cheese Pull-apart Bread',  as the name suggests is a bread which is stuffed with Mozzarella cheese and is eaten by pulling apart the cheese stuffed pieces. Very simple to prepare but loved by one and all due to the amazing aromas and flavours. This makes for a great starter and is always a hit at parties esp. with kids. Like most of my recipes the ingredients are few and the method really simple. Hope you enjoy making this as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.

INGREDIENTS : 

Soft Bread or Bun 2 nos. Plain or Multigrain or whatever you like

Mozarella cheese 200 gms

Melted butter(Salted) 20 gms

Mixed herbs

Chilli flakes 

Garlic powder (Omit this if you've taken garlic bread) 

Pinch of salt 

Very Finely chopped coriander for garnish just a tsp full

METHOD :

  

1. Make Vertical and Horizontal slits (Like a chess board) on the bread but do not cut right through the bread.

2. Open up the bread cuts like a flower .

3. Melt some butter in a bowl.

4. Add Mixed herbs, chilli flakes, salt and garlic powder to it and mix well. 

5. Brush the melted butter mixture generously inside the bread florets.

6. Cut the Mozzarella cheese into small pieces (Size that can be stuffed in the bread florets)

7. Stuff the cheese pieces into the bread .

8. Again brush the butter mix over the bread 

9. Preheat oven to 180 deg celcius.

10. Grill these bread in the Preheated oven for a minute or two or till the cheese melts.

11. Garnish with very finely chopped coriander and serve HOT with tomato ketchup . Tastes great even without the ketchup !!!

Curd rice (Dahi butti)

Curd Rice which is called as 'Dahi butti' in Marathi (Dahi meaning curd or Yoghurt).

This is one of the simplest of rice dishes to prepare. Can be prepared from leftover rice as well. Needs very few ingredients, which are readily available in your home and is a great comfort food. Also it is great to have during the summers as it kind of cools the digestive system and is easy to digest. 

INGREDIENTS :

Rice (Usually made using the Ambemohur or Kolum rice variety) 1 Bowl 

Dahi (Yoghurt) 1/2 Bowl 

Salt to taste 

Buttermilk or milk  1/2 Bowl

Ghee 2 tsp

Asafoetida or Hing 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

green chillies chopped 1 or 2 depending on your taste

Coriander for garnish

Pomegranate kernels for Garnish 

METHOD :

1. Cook the rice adding water more than  double the quantity of rice. The rice should be little watery after cooking and not dry.

2. Let it cool.

3. Add the Yoghurt, salt and mix well.

4. Add Buttermilk/milk as required to make a custard like consistency.

5. In a tadka pan or a small wok, heat the ghee to make a tempering.

6. Add the cumin seeds , asafoetida and chillies to this ghee.

7. Pour the tempering over the rice mixture and mix well.

8. Garnish with some pomegranate kernels and chopped coriander .

9. Tastes best when served Chilled.