Vegetarian Lasagna

       Lasagna are a wide flat pasta shape considered as one of the oldest pasta type originated from Italy. This preparation generally prepared using minced meat (mutton/ lamb or beef) in tomato based gravy/sauces layered with pasta and cheese(Mozzarella/ Parmesan).

       Sometimes white sauce is also added to make it more creamy and rich. As i am preparing a vegetarian version i have added white sauce in this recipe. I made this dish as healthy as i can by adding assorted veggies, mushroom, soya granules and green leafy vegetables. As Italians use brinjal in their cooking i have added that as well.

      About the taste, at home we all loved the taste. We felt this vegetarian version was more tasty than the non-veg lasagna. The taste of assorted veggies gets different flavor in each bite. Soft egg plant, mildly crunchy bell peppers, meaty mushrooms and soya  with the creamy white sauce and cheese, I have to say a great texture and taste combo Lasagna.

INGREDIENTS:

Lasagna Sheets- 6
Onion, chopped-1
Garlic, chopped- 2 cloves
Purple Brinjal/ Eggplant- 1 big
Soya granules/ Soya chunks- 100 grams
All purpose flour/ Maida- 1½ teaspoons
Button Mushroom, chopped- 5
Spinach, chopped- 1 bunch
Capsicum, chopped- 1
Vegetable stock- 250 ml (I have dissolved maggi stock cube half tablet in 250 ml hot water)
Dried basil leaves- 1/4 teaspoon
Pasta sauce/ Tomato Puree- 5 tablespoons
Pepper- ½ teaspoon
Salt- to taste
White Sauce/ Bechamel- 1 ½ cups
Mozzarella Cheese- 150 grams
Oil- 2 teaspoons

PROCEDURE:

• Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions till translucent; then add the garlic and cook till the flavour arises.
• Now add the egg plant and salt. Saute for a minute. 

• Then add soya granules in hot water and squeeze to remove water from the granules; add and mix well; cook for a minute and add all purpose flour and allow to coat the veggies well.
• Then add the mushroom and mix well. Now add the spinach with capsicum and mix well.(Do not cook the veggies lot at this stage, allow to cook in the stock till the stock reduces around 75 percent cooked stage then rest of the cooking will happen inside the oven)

• Add vegetable stock and allow to cook till the the stock is reduced to slightly thick but pouring stage.
• Add dried basil leaves and season with pepper and salt.

• Now mix the pasta sauce/ tomato puree with this veggie mixture; Set Aside.

• Prepare the White Sauce/ Bechamel Sauce. Set aside.
• Heat  lots of water in a pot and add a teaspoon of oil and salt.
• When the water starts to boil add the lasagna pasta sheets. Cook till soft around 5 minutes.(Follow packet Instructions)
• Rinse the pasta with cool water to stop the cooking process.

• In a baking tray arrange the pasta sheets then spread the prepared vegetable mixture.
• Then add the White sauce and spread well. Then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top.

• Cover with pasta sheet and repeat the process till you finish the mixture.
• I have prepared double layer using this quantity in 20x20 cm square baking tray.
• Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.

• Cover  the baking tray with aluminium foil and bake for 30 - 40 minutes.
• Unwrap the tray and allow to cool 10 minutes before serving. If you serve hot the layers may tear while lifting.
• Note: Cook pasta sheets prior to layering. Otherwise it may tend to stick together. So be careful.
• If you are using soya chunks after rinsing in hot water mince them slightly.
• Pasta sauce can be replaced by pureed tomato of equal quantity in this recipe.
• White sauce and Pasta sauce can be made earlier and used.
• Parmesan cheese also can be used with mozzerella cheese 1:1 ratio or 1:2 ratio.(I have added Parmesan in the White sauce so i am avoiding while layering)
• If you want golden crust on top, add cheese on top of last layer of pasta sheet. Cook for 15 minutes covered then leave the tray uncovered for about 15 to 20 minutes while cooking.

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Tandoori Chicken/ Tandoori Murghi

        Tandoori Chicken is called ‘Indian Roast Chicken’. ‘Tandoor’ is a cylindrical clay oven used to prepare dishes in North India. The traditional dishes like Tandoori Chicken, Tikkas, Kebabs,Nan, Kulcha, otis..etc are prepared using this Tandoor. Tandoori Chicken is a world popular dish.

        I am using a whole chicken for this recipe. You can use thigh, breast and drumsticks also. You can grill the pieces of chicken in barbeque grill or shallow fry or roast in oven.

        In this recipe chicken is marinated in a yogurt masala mixture. This recipe I had planned to prepare and share for Christmas and was not able to do that since we had other plans. I am excited that I could prepare this chicken for Valentine’s Day.

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken, skinless - 1.2 Kg

Yogurt/ curd- ½ cup

Ginger garlic paste- 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder- ½ teaspoon

Cumin powder- ¼ teaspoon

Garam masala- ½ teaspoon

Kasoori Methi, crushed- ½ teaspoon (optional)

Lemon juice, small size – 1

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Using a sharp knife cut slashes in the flesh of the chicken to allow the marinade to penetrate inside the flesh.
• Place the chicken in an oven proof shallow tray.
• In a bowl mix yogurt, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, kasoori methi, lime juice, salt together and mix well.

• Apply this marinade over the chicken and rub on both the sides by turning the chicken. Rest the chicken to soak in this masala for minimum for an hour or two.
• Tie the legs together using a rubber band or thread. And fold the wings to the back as it may burn while cooking.

• Pre heat the oven 180^oC for 15 minutes. Keep the tray inside the oven.
• Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes. If you are using pieces of chicken like thigh or drumsticks, after 45 minutes turn the side and cook until the juices run clear when pierced near the bone with a knife.
• Serve with lemon wedges and onion.

Note: If you use chicken heavier than this increase the cooking time. Increase 10 minutes extra for each 100 gram of chicken. Likewise for smaller chicken reduce the cooking time 10 minutes for each 100 gram.
 

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Chicken Pizza/ Pizza

       Pizza is a baked pie of Italian origin consisting of a shallow bread-like crust covered with seasoned tomato sauce (Pizza sauce), cheese, and often other toppings such as sausage or olive. The word pizza is believed to be from an Old Italian word meaning "a point".

       Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, round bread typically topped with a tomato sauce (Pizza sauce), cheese and various toppings. The modern pizza was invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish has since become popular in many parts of the world. 

 

      An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria". Many varieties of pizza exist worldwide, along with several dish variants based upon pizza.

INGREDIENTS:

For Pizza Bread Base:

All-purpose flour/ Maida-3 ½ cups

Dry yeast-2 teaspoons

Lukewarm water-1cup

Milk-1cup

Salt-1 teaspoons

Sugar-2 teaspoons

Olive oil-3 tablespoons

For Chicken Topping: (For 3 Pizzas)

Pizza Sauce - 6 tablespoons

Marinated chicken- 3/4 cup

Capsicum, chopped- 1

Onions, chopped- 1(optional)

Jalapenos- ¼ cup

Olives-  ¼  cup

Mozerella cheese (grated)- 200 grams/ approximately 1cup

PROCEDURE:

Pizza Bread Base:

• In a bowl take the lukewarm water and add the sugar. Then sprinkle the yeast and allow fermenting for 8-10minutes.
• Meanwhile in a large bowl mix flour, salt and 1tablespoon of olive oil with hand.
• Then add the yeast and milk little by little and make sticky dough.

•  Then transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead and massage the dough for 5mts and make like chapatti dough.
• Transfer the dough to the greased bowl cover and keep for 2 hrs to ferment and rise in a warm place.

• After 2hrs the dough would have doubled its size. Knock down the dough by punching the dough.
• Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.
• Punch the dough and cut the dough using knife into equal 3parts.

 

Chicken Pizza:

• Cut the chicken into small pieces/ strips.
• Marinate chicken with chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, salt, lime juice and allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the dough into a floured surface and stretch the dough using hand into a circle or rectangle shape as you wish with little raised edges.
• Prick the base with skewer/fork. Now brush the base with olive oil.
• In pizza base apply a two tablespoons full of pizza sauce and spread evenly around the pizza leaving a centimeter at the edge of the pizza.

• Keep the grated cheese around the pizza and arrange the marinated chicken evenly on top of that.
• Keep capsicum, jalapenos and olives in between the chicken evenly.

•  Preheat the oven to 180^oC. Transfer the pizza to baking tray or pizza pan and bake till the cheese is melted and the base becomes crisp.
• Note: If you feel the dough is too dry add little more milk. If it becomes watery dough add some more flour and knead well.
• Keep the filling as you wish. You can add chopped onions as well.
• Cut the chicken into small pieces which will allow to cook well when when the pizza base is cooking.

Makes 3 small sized pizzas.

  

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Roast Chicken/ Spicy Pan Roasted Chicken/ Pan Roast Chicken

      Roast chicken can be prepared very easily on lazy days. Perfect for the Christmas party. In Original Roast chicken they did not score the skin and apply any spices or masalas. Roast chicken is very bland in taste for the Indian palatte. So I gave a twist to this recipe with Indian masalas and spices and this came out really well.

      Actual Roast Chicken is prepared in a similar way but chicken is not scored. Herbs like thyme or rosemary are added for flavor, seasoned with lime juice, salt and roasted. I have given an Indian twist to this recipe by scoring and applying masala paste. You can say this chicken as Indian version of Roast chicken. Spicy flavorful chicken.

INGREDIENTS:

Whole chicken, with skin or without -1.3kg

Lemon, halved-1

Garlic, halved -2 heads

Onion-1

For Masala Paste:

Green chillies- 2-3

Red chilli powder- 1 teaspoon

Ginger, chopped- 1 inch

Garlic cloves, chopped - 4 big cloves

Garam masala- 1 teaspoon

Olive oil- 2 tablespoons

Butter- 1 teaspoon (optional)

Salt - to taste 

PROCEDURE:

• Wash and pat the chicken dry.
• Place half lemon in the cavity of the chicken and tie the legs with kitchen strings or a rubber band to secure.
• Grind all ingredients mentioned to grind as a fine paste.
• Score the chicken using a sharp knife so that the masalas penetrates the chicken.
• Apply the masala paste all over the chicken and keep for 30 minutes aside.

•  Place the garlic, onion in a baking dish and top with the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lime juice over chicken, onion and garlic.
• Twist and fold the chicken wings to back, otherwise it may burn.
• Preheat oven to 200°C. Roast for 1 hour. Then take the tray and brush the chicken with butter.
• Decrease the temperature to 180°C and roast for a further 5-15 minutes or until the skin is golden and the juices run clear when tested with a skewer.
• Note: I have added Onion and Garlic on the tray with the chicken. You can use any veggies roughly chopped like carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes…etc before roasting.
• If you use chicken heavier than this increase the cooking time. Increase 10 minutes extra for each 100 gram of chicken. Likewise for smaller chicken reduce the cooking time 10 minutes for each 100 gram.
• The pan juices can be deglazed and used as to make gravy.

    

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Aloo Bonda/ Potato Bonda/ Bombay Aloo Bonda/ Urulaikizangu Bonda/ Batata Vada

     Aloo Bonda is a tasty irresistible snack most popular in Mumbai, other parts of Maharashtra and as well western India. It is one of the popular chats served in parties. Aloo Bonda is a yummy potato spicy ball wrapped in gram flour batter. This can be easily made, by dipping the potato balls in dosa batter and deep fried.

INGREDIENTS:

Potatoes- 2-3
mustard seeds- ¼ teaspoon (optional)
jeera/ cumin seeds- ¼ teaspoon

Onion, chopped- ½ cup

Green chilli, chopped-1-2

Ginger, chopped- ½ teaspoon

Asafetida/ hing- pinch

Curry leaves- few

Chilli powder- ¼ teaspoon

Coriander leaves, chopped- 2 teaspoons

Lime juice- few drops

Oil-3teaspoons
 
For Batter:

Gram flour- 1 cup
Rice flour- 1 tablespoon (optional)

Red chilli powder- 1 teaspoon

Turmeric- ½ teaspoon

Salt- to taste

Baking soda- pinch

Oil- to deep fry

PROCEDURE:

• Pressure cook the potatoes till soft around 4 whistles on medium flame.
• Peel and mash the potatoes.
• In a hot pan add oil and jeera and onions, when the onions are soft, add green chilli, ginger, asafetida and curry leaves.
• Cook till the raw ginger smell leaves. Then add red chilli powder, mashed potatoes, salt and coriander leaves.

 

• Cook for two minutes and put off the gas and add lime juice and allow the mixture to cool.
• From this mixture take a  scoop of the mixture and roll into big lemon sized balls.
• In a deep bowl mix gram flour, rice flour, turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well the dry ingredients and add water to form a semi thick slurry.
• Dip the potato balls in to the slurry and allow to coat well.
• Heat the oil in a pan till smoking hot and reduce the flame to medium and deep fry  bonda's till golden brown.

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Keerai Vadai/ Masala Keerai Vadai/ Spinach Vadai/ Spinach Fritters

     It’s a variation of Masala Vadai. More healthy and tasty evening snack. Spinach adds the extra nutrition. As mentioned in my earlier posts, spinach comes out at the top of the ranking list for nutrient richness. Rich in vitamins and minerals, it is also concentrated in health-promoting phytonutrients such as carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) and flavonoids to provide you with powerful antioxidant protection.

INGREDIENTS:

Channa dhal- 1 cup

Spinach/ Palak, finely chopped- 5-6 leaves

Onion, chopped- ½

Green chilli, chopped-3

Ginger, finely chopped- 1 teaspoon

Fennel seeds- 1 teaspoon
Asafetida/ Kayam- big pinch

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 teaspoon+ to fry

PROCEDURE:

• Soak the channa dhal in water for about one to two hours.
• Drain the water well and add this in to a blender jar and coarsely grind it and  transfer this ground dhal on to a bowl.

• With this mixture add chopped spinach, onion, green chillies, ginger, fennel seeds, asafetida, a teaspoon of oil and salt. Mix well  by squeezing the spinach with hand.
• Take a big gooseberry sized ball and pat into vadas  by shaping using your left hand palm and right hand fingers.
• Heat the oil and deep fry this in medium low flame till crispy and golden on outside. 

• Note: You could add a pinch of baking powder to the mixture for the lasting crispiness.

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Falafel/ Falafil/ Falafeel

       'Falafel' is a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. Falafel is a traditional Arab food, usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flat bread known as lafa; "falafel" also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze (a selection of small dishes/snacks).

      Generally accepted to have first been made in Egypt, falafel has become a dish eaten throughout the Middle East. The Copts of Egypt (native Christians of Egypt) claim to have first made the dish as a replacement for meat during Lent. The fritters are now found around the world as a replacement for meat and as a form of street food.

INGREDIENTS

White Channa/ Chick peas-1cup

Parsley/coriander leaves, roughly chopped- 1small bunch

Onion, chopped-1

Garlic, chopped-2cloves

Green chilli, chopped-1(optional)

Jeera-1teaspoon

Coriander powder-1teaspoon

Salt- to taste

Baking soda- ½ teaspoon

Oil- for frying

PROCEDURE

•  Soak the channa 6-7 hours or over night.  
• In a blender add the above ingredients and grind coarsely. (don't make as paste)
• Take the falafel mould/ using a small bottle cap, or using hand shape the falafel into small flat patties.
• Heat the oil on medium flame and deep fry the falafel till crispy and golden brown on outside.
• Note: Can be eaten with hummus or made as a sandwich using Arabic Pita bread (khubz)
  
  

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Masala Groundnuts/ Masala Peanuts/ Masala Kadalai

    These are simple deep fried groundnuts dipped in a spicy gram flour batter. It is a rainy day or evening time snack. I am pretty sure that this snack must have been your childhood favorite too.

 

INGREDIENTS

Groundnut-1cup

Gramflour-1cup

Rice flour- 5 tablespoons

Fennel -1tsp

Jeera/cumin -1tsp

Red chillies-8-10

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Asafetida-pinch

Salt- to taste

Oil- for frying

PROCEDURE

• In a blender add fennel, jeera, red chillies, curry leaves, asafetida and grind as fine powder.
• In a broad bowl add gram flour, rice flour, salt and the ground masala powder. Mix all dry ingredients well with  a spoon.
• Add the groundnuts with this and mix well. Then sprinkle water little by little and make it wet.
• Sprinkle a teaspoon of rice flour and mix well to coat the batter (to avoid nuts sticking together with the masala dough)
• Mix well. I like the crunchy outer layer so I make batter in thick consistency.
• Heat oil well and drop this one by one and deep fry till crispy.

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