Eggplant Bruschetta

Eggplant or Brinjal or Aubergine, is one of those versatile veggies that you are either love or just don't like. It's no surprise that I'm a huge fan and I always try to bring Eggplant into simple dishes. Very few flavours match that of a nicely grilled Eggplant, with perfect roasted skin and soft flesh. So why not just enjoy this simplicity!

Taking the idea of Bruschetta, an Italian entree or side dish, typically made with roasted bread and topped with fresh tomato, basil, onions etc I tried creating the same with Eggplant instead of bread - the result was YUM! Those who love anything Eggplant will definitely love this one!

Here it is, my version of EGGPLANT BRUSCHETTA:

Ingredients: One medium sized Eggplant (firm), 1 tomato chopped, one red onion chopped, 1 spoon olive oil, salt to taste, herbs of your choice such as parsley, basil etc.

Make: Chop the Eggplant into thick circles (don't make it too thin as it will flop once grilled). On a griddle pan, grill/roast the circles nicely on each side with a bit of olive oil. Should take about 5 to 8 minutes each side. In a bowl, mix the chopped tomato, onion and all herbs with olive oil. Add chill powder if you like some spice. 

Once the Eggplant circles are well grilled, spoon some mixtures on each slice and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Mango Cake - Eggless & Dairy free

The onset of sweet Summer means it's time to bask in the sweetness of the king of fruits, Mangoes! It's no surprise that there aren't many folks out there whose eye don't light up when they see any Mango dish or simply the fruit itself. 

So when life gives you Mangoes, make everything with them :) I tried creating a healthy sweet treat using fresh Mangoes and it definitely will become a regular.  With no added sugar or colour and completely dairy free, here is my MANGO CAKE!

Ingredients: Pulp from 2 fresh ripe mangoes, 1 cup wholemeal self raising flour (can also use plain flour with baking soda), 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence.

Make: Take the fresh mango pulp and grind into a smooth puree. Mix the flour, oil and mango puree well until you have a smooth batter. Add vanilla essence and mix. If the batter is too thick you can add a spoon of water as required. If the mangoes are ripe and sweet, you will not need any extra sugar for sweetness. 

Pour the cake batter into a greased and lined baking tray and bake in a fan forced oven at 160 deg for about 25 minutes. 

Once cooled, your soft, dense Mango cake will be ready to serve along with a cup of tea.

Enjoy!

Rasmalai - Sweet Cottage Cheese Dumplings

It's no secret that Indian festivities go hand in hand with sweet treats (overload)! While there is not much you can do to avoid sugar at these times, you can opt for the healthier options. One such option is the very loved, very well known Rasmalai. A sweet dish originally from Bangladesh, I don't know of many folks from the sub-continent that would say no to Rasmalai.

With the soft and juicy textures that crumbles in your mouth, accompanied with sweet almond milk, cardamom and saffron flavours, this one is a celebrity in the world of sweets! Whenever I make this star in our home, it doesn't last long in the fridge at all!

Here it is my version of the RASMALAI:

Ingredients: 

For the dumplings - 2 cups of full cream milk, juice of 1 fresh lemon. 

For the sugar syrup - 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water.

For the sweet almond milk - 1 cup milk, few tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon almond milk powder, few strands of saffron, handful of flaked almonds, 1 teaspoon cardamom powder.

Method in pictures:

Make: First make the dumplings by heating the 2 cups of milk, then without boiling, add lemon juice bit by bit while stirring continuously. When the milk curdles completely, remove from heat and drain the paneer (cottage cheese) in a muslin cloth. Press to drain excess liquid and hang for 30 minutes.  

While waiting, make the sugar syrup by bringing to boil the 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water.  

Once the paneer is well drained, it should feel like a soft dough. Kneed gently with your fingers then make small dumplings as desired. Place these into the sugar syrup, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. 

You can prepare the almond milk while the dumplings are cooking. Just bring to boil the 1 cup of milk with sugar, almond powder, saffron, cardamom powder, flaked almonds. Let it cool before placing the cooked dumplings into it.

After putting the dumplings into the sweet almond milk, rest it in the fridge for a few hours and serve chilled :)

Dhokla - Steamed Savoury Cake

Snacking does not always have to be unhealthy - infact, with a little bit of effort snacking can be so healthy it becomes part of your daily healthy food intake! 

Traditionally from the Gujurat region of India, Dhokla is just that, a healthy snack that is made from steaming chickpea flour making it both high in protein and low in calories.

There are many variants to the traditional recipe but sharing my version which is easy and quick as well tastes great! Here it is: DHOKLA - Steamed Savoury Cake.

Ingredients: 1 cup of chickpea flour (besan/gram flour), 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 and 1/2 cup of water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil. For seasoning, 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon shredded coconut, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, handful of chopped coriander, chopped chillies if desired.

Make: In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, olive oil and water together to form a smooth batter with out any lumps. Leave aside covered for about 15 minutes. Grease your steaming dish with a bit of oil then pour in the batter to steam for about 20 minutes. When steamed, sprinkle the shredded coconut and chopped coriander on top. Let it cool for a little while then add the seasoning - in a pan, heat mustard seeds and chillies in oil and pour all over the Dhokla. Cut into pieces and enjoy with a hot cuppa!

Spicy Murmura/Spicy Puffed Rice

Snacking healthy seems to the word everywhere you see - from reduced fat to oil free to no salt to low calories. Sometimes reducing the "bad stuff" reduces the taste factor. Here's a super easy snack that you can whip at home in less than 10 minutes, keeps for about a week in an airtight container and tastes sooo good it's hard to believe that it is healthy!

Always a regular in our pantry, this healthy snack ticks all the boxes and satisfies the taste buds too. Here it is, my version of the SPICY MURMURA/SPICY PUFFED RICE. This exact same recipe can also be made with FLAT RICE.

Ingredients: 2 cups of plain puffed rice (or plain rice bubbles cereal, flat rice), handful of peanuts, cashews, handful of curry leaves, handful of dry coconut flakes, 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Make: Ensure there is no water/moisture near this preparation. In a wide non stick pan, add into the oil, all the above dry ingredients except for puffed rice and fry on low flame until roasted. Now add curry leaves and puffed rice and continue frying on low flame. Add salt/sugar as needed. The aroma will be just right when the puffed rice is roasted nicely.  Remove from the flame and let it cool completely.
Enjoy once cooled and can be kept in an air tight container for snacking!

Wholemeal Veggie Pizza

Pizza...the name itself is enough to get the taste buds tingling! However, this humble Italian treat is often referred to as junk food - and sometimes rightly so with the large amounts of calories and traditional plain flour base. 

We love a good Veggie Pizza and I thought how can I make it healthier and more nutritious for my family..? The first obvious trick is to replace the plain flour with a more wholesome base, so I tried wholemeal wheat flour. Just like a soft wholemeal bread, it was absolutely delicious! To stick to the healthy twist on Pizza, I reduced the amount of cheese and increased the veggies :)

Here it is, my healthy nutritious version of the good old PIZZA!

Ingredients for one pizza base: 1 full cup wholemeal wheat flour with a pinch of baking soda (or use wholemeal self raising wheat flour instead), 1/4 cup natural yogurt, pinch of salt, water. 

Ingredients for pizza toppings: any veggies you like (if using eggplant, pre-roast chopped eggplant), tomato paste, olive oil, chilli flakes, spinach leaves, your choice of grated cheese.

Make: To make the base dough, combine all of the ingredients and mix with your hands into a firm dough. Cover and leave to raise for a few hours.

When ready, flour the work bench and roll out the dough to desired size. Use wheat flour to avoid any sticky dough. Transfer the base to your pizza baking tray. Brush the rolled out dough with olive oil. Spread tomato paste evenly on the base then sprinkle the chopped veggies, chilli flakes, cheese. 

Bake in a pre-heated fan forced oven at 160 degrees for about 25 minutes. 

Enjoy your healthy, delicious Veggie Pizza nice and hot!

Eggplant Coconut Curry

There's something so comforting about a hot, hearty curry on a cool evening. The feeling is even better when it involves favourite veggies, in our case, Eggplant! 

Eggplant/Brinjal/Aubergine whatever you may call it, is one those vegetables that is either absolutely loved by those that are fans. As I belong to the group of Eggplant lovers, I often experiment with different combinations and this curry I tried, with it's smooth, silky texture, became an instant hit at our house!

Here it is, my Eggplant Coconut Curry:

Ingredients: 1 large eggplant chopped into semi circles (not too thin), 1 can light coconut milk, 1 onion chopped, 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic, chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon garam masala, curry leaves, corainder for garnish.

Make: In a thick wide based pan, add a spoon of oil and heat chilliflakes and cumin seeds. Add turmeric powder, chopped onion and garlic to saute. Then add the chopped eggplant semi circles, curry leaves and garam masala. Roast nicely on both sides, this may take around 10 minutes. Lastly add the can of coconut milk, salt to taste and bring to boil. Garnish with coriander and serve steaming hot with rice or roti. Enjoy!

Split Pea Fritters (Ambode)

Those from the southern part of India will be very familiar with the very delicious "Ambode" which promptly takes its place in almost all festival menus! This little treat is also great for the healthy conscious as it is made with yellow split peas (lentil) making it a high protein food.

However there's no short cut to achieving the authentic taste of Ambode, as deep frying is the way to go. Go on, it's ok to indulge in a deep fried treat atleast as it made from healthy ingredients!

So here it is, my version of the famous Ambode/SPLIT PEA FRITTERS: 

Ingredients: 1 cup yellow split peas soaked for 2 to 3 hours, few green chillies, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger, 1 onion chopped (if desired), handful of dill leaves chopped (if desired), handful of chopped fresh coriander and curry leaves, salt to taste, oil for deep frying.

Make: Take the soaked split peas and chopped ginger and grind in a mixer roughly. Ensure it is not a smooth paste (should still have some split peas visible). In a bowl, combine the split peas mixture with chillies, onion if using, salt and green leaves. It should form a firm moist dough which you can shape into small balls then pat into oval shapes. Heat oil and deep fry the fritters until golden brown on each side. 

Serve hot with your favourite chutney or sauce!

Carrot Cake

Carrots in sweet treats are one of the best combinations to add that bit of healthy touch to sweets. The good old Carrot Cake is one that is best enjoyed with a hot cuppa! Best part is that kids will love it without even knowing all the goodness of carrots hidden inside.

Given my love for eggless baking, including carrots in my recipe makes it even easier to achieve a soft, juicy cake without the use of eggs. 

Here it is, my version of Carrot Cake:

Ingredients: 1 carrot grated, 1 cup self raising flour, half cup brown sugar, half cup full cream milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, dry fruits if desired. For topping, 1 tablespoon icing sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, dry coconut shreds.

Make: In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, butter, olive oil. Mix well and add milk. Once the consistency is smooth, add in the grated carrot, dried fruits and combine well. Pour the batter into a bread baking tray (greased with baking paper is recommended) and bake in a pre-heated fan forced oven 160 degrees for 30 minutes. You will know it is baked if it bounces back when touched slightly in the middle. 

Let the cake cool. Prepare the topping by mixing the icing sugar and milk and pour over the cake. Sprinkle the coconut shreds on top immediately so it sticks.

Enjoy with your favourite cuppa! 

Hara Bhara Kabab (Green Veg Cutlet)

As the cold weather approaches, so do cravings for those hearty warm dishes. It's probably true that a lot of people throw that healthy diet out the window as warm weather disappears, but it doesn't has to be that way! A lot of hearty hot foods also means things like deep frying and overdoses of fatty ingredients...not this little gem that we love :)

The very popular Hara Bhara Kabab or green veg cutlet is usually made by deep frying, not the best if you are conscious of keeping calories low. At our place, this little goodie is preferred not deep fried but pan fried instead - the same crunchy texture with softness inside, only a whole lot healthier!

Here it is, my version of HARA BHARA KABAB:

Ingredients: 1 cup peas, 1 cup blanched spinach, 1 onion chopped, 1 chilli chopped, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon crushed ginger, a small plate of corn flour, a small plate of bread crumbs, a little oil for pan frying. 

Make: In a pan, add in a spoon of oil and saute the chilli, onion, garlic and ginger. Add the peas and spinach with salt to taste. Cook together for a few minutes. Let it cool then transfer to a blender. Pulse a few times and ensure it does not become a smooth paste. 

Make small cutlet shapes, dip into the plate of corn flour then bread crumbs. Now to pan fry these cutlets, add some oil (the less the better) and fry on each side until golden brown. 

Serve hot with side salad, chutney or anything you choose! 

Mung Bean Sprouts Salad

The word "salad" can often bring up images that are not very exciting and for the diet conscious. However, healthy does not mean boring! Infact, you can combine many different healthy ingredients together to create exciting delicious dishes, that are high in taste and low in calories. 

With some soaked mung bean sprouts, I went on a healthy ingredient hunt in my pantry and pretty much used whatever I felt like to make a hearty, protein packed salad which was loved. Gluten free, vegan and loaded with goodness - all the elements of freshness, crunch, crispness made for one yummy meal :) 

Here it is, my MUNG BEAN SPROUTS SALAD:

Ingredients: 1 cup mung bean sprouts (soaked and sprouted), 1 tomato chopped, 1 carrot grated, 1 small red onion, handful of almond flakes, peanuts and coconut flakes, chilli flakes, lemon juice, salt.

Make: In a pan, mildly saute the sprouts with a bit of oil and chilli flakes, add salt to taste. Let it cool completely. In a serving bowl, add the chopped tomato, chopped onion, grated carrot to the cooled sprouts toss together (do not mix vigorously). Dry roast almond flakes, peanuts and coconut flakes. Let cool and sprinkle over the salad, along with lemon juice. Your healthy Mung Bean Sprout Salad is ready to enjoy!

VERMICELLI PAYASA / KHEER

One of the simplest yet loved sweets for most folks of Indian descent is Payasa/Payasam/Kheer. We're no different and every time I ask my little one which sweet treat I should make for any celebration or festivity the answer is usually this - Shavige Payasa = Vermicelli Payasa! 

The best part about cooking and creating is how easily you can turn even a simple dish into a fancy one just by presentation. I love to do just that with most dishes which take little time to create but look extensive :) 

Here it is, my VERMICELLI PAYASA/SEVIYAN KHEER Shots:

Ingredients: 1 cup of thin vermicelli broken into small pieces (I use pre-roasted wheat vermcelli), 1 tablespoon ghee, 1.5 cups full cream milk, 1 quarter cup warm water, raw sugar as per sweetness required, 1 teaspoon cardamom powder, a few teaspoon saffron strands. If wanting to use nuts for garnish, choose any nuts and roast in ghee.

Make: In a thick bottom pan, lightly fry the broken vermicelli in ghee. Within a few minutes, add the warm water and mix. Then add the milk and let it heat up while stirring. Add the sugar, cardamom powder and saffron strands. Mix well and remove from heat. 

For presenting the payasa as shots, pour into glass shotglasses and garnish with roasted nuts. Serve warm or cold and enjoy!

Vegan French Toast

Good Morning! A good morning is always made better with a sweet start. It is said that your daily intake of calories should be roughly evenly split between breakfast, lunch and dinner, so all the better reason to indulge and enjoy breakfast time rather than skip it! 

French Toast is a popular breakfast choice for the sweet tooth as well being easy and quick to whip up. Being vegetarian shouldn't stop you from enjoying this yummy treat either! 

Here it is, my eggless version, VEGAN FRENCH TOAST:

Ingredients for one serve: Two slices of brown bread, 1/2 cup light coconut milk, 1 tablespoon corn flour, 1/2 cup sugar syrup, maple syrup, fruits of your choice.

Make: In a plate, mix the light coconut milk with corn flour to make a smooth liquid with no lumps. In another plate make a quick sugar syrup with sugar and water with all sugar completely dissolved. Heat your frypan and spray with olive oil. Dip each slice of bread first into the sugar syrup then into the coconut milk mixture. The corn flour with the coconut milk mixture will bind similar to using egg. Place the soaked slice of bread on the pan and toast until crisp and golden brown on each side.

Top with maple syrup and your favourite fruits. Enjoy!

Valentine's Vanilla PannaCotta Shots

A perfect day to be back to my blog for the year..Happy Valentine's Day! While it's been a crazy busy start to 2019, it's also been a fun filled and memorable one. Just the way we like it!

Valentine's is always a fun day, there's so much love and colour around everywhere..so while we celebrate and cherish LOVE every single day, it's just so much fun to get into the celebrations on this day. This also means a sweet ending to the day is a must, without having to spend much time in the kitchen. I've shared this one before, but I still do get asked for the recipe of my vegetarian version of the popular PannaCotta :) 

Here it is, VALENTINE'S VANILLA PANNA COTTA SHOTS.

Ingredients (for two shotglasses): 1/2 cup full cream milk, 1.5 tablespoons caster sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 1 tablespoon cornflour, fruit of your choice of decoration.

Make: Heat milk and caster sugar with vanilla essence (do not boil). In a separate small bowl, add the cornflour with some of this hot milk and stir until smooth. Add this mixture back into the pan, stirring continuously to ensure lumps don't form. Keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken to a custard kind of texture - it should take around 8 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into cups or moulds. Place in fridge immediately and allow to set for an hour. It is set if it is jelly like in texture. Decorate fresh fruits and enjoy!