Paneer Pizza

This is one of my favorite pizzas, I had it first at Pizza Hut in India and fell in love with it. Once I came back to US, I just had to have to so this is my take on it. You can make as spicy or mild as you like by adjusting the level of spice. Every time I make it, its a hit.

If you know how to make your own pizza dough it will taste better.

Hope you like it as much as I do.

Ingredients:

• Store bought pizza dough
• 1 large onion
• 2 bell peppers ( i used red and green)
• 75 to 100 gram Paneer (12 to 15 medium pieces)
• 1 tsp Tandoori masala
• 1 tsp Jeera powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 tsp Chillie powder
• ½ to ¾ cup shredded mozzarella Cheese
• 1/2 cup of store bought basil pesto
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

• Pre heat the oven at at 400 degrees.
• Cut the paneer into cubes and toss it with the tandoori masala and let it sit for half and hour.
• Cut the onions and bell pepper into long strips and toss it with olive oil along with the jeera powder, garam masala, chillie powder and salt.
• Once the oven in ready put the vegetables and the paneer in an oven safe tray and put in for about 10 to 15 mins.
• While the vegetables are in the oven, roll out the pizza dough and spread it with the pesto. Make sure the pizza is completely covered with the pesto. When the vegetables are done add the vegetables on the pizza.
• Cover the vegetables with the cheese and bake for another 10 mins.
• Sprinkle the top with chillie flakes.
• Serve hot.

Chocolate marshmallow pizza

This is a recipe I came up with yesterday just before going to an all chocolate party, where we had to make everything with chocolate. It was amazing as to what all they come up with. This was my contribution and everyone loved it.

Ingredients:

• Store bought pizza dough
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup small marshmallows
• 1/2 cup white or milk chocolate chips

Directions:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll out the pizza dough to the desired size and poke with a fork all over the pizza so that it does not puff up
• Melt butter and coat the pizza evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg over the pizza evenly.
• Bake the pizza for 10 mins or until golden brown. Once done put the marshmallows all over it.
• Turn the oven to the Broiler and bake for another 3 mins. As soon as it out put the melted chocolate all over. ( to melt the chocolate, put chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 15 sec and mix the chocolate well repeat this till it is melted.)

Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:

• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 large Carrot
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 green bell pepper, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• salt to taste
• 4 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)...optional
• 1 tbsp pav bhaji masala (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp Jeera
• 1 tbsp. butter
• A dash of Lime juice
• 1/4 cup of chopped corriender
• 12 pull out buns or rolls

Method

• Boil the Carrot, cauliflower and potatoes in the cooker for one whistle, till tender and set aside.
• Heat oil in a deep saucepan add jeera and saute the onion and pepper. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute some more.
• Add chili powder to taste and salt to taste. Saute for a few seconds.
• Add tomato paste, peas, boiled potatoes, carrots and cauliflower, pav bhaji masala and butter.
• Keep sauteeing and mashing it with a potato till it is a smooth mixture, adding water as required. Be aware that the mixture can spurt up as it boils, so keep a lid on it while you are not actively stirring it. Simmer for 20-25 minutes to really get the flavors to meld together.
• You have to keep tasting and adjusting salt, masala till you like the balance between the tomato and the heat of the masala
• Add a dash of lime and some corriender leaves.
• Serve with pull out bread or rolls

Vegetable Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 zucchini sliced into strips
• 1/2 cup store bought salsa
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

• In a 10 inch iron skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions, red and green peppers, and garlic; stir to coat with oil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir squash into vegetables. Stir in salsa, cumin, and salt. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Cook the vegetables until tender.
• Wrap the tortillas in a wet napkin and microwave it for about 20 sec
• Spoon vegetable mixture evenly down the centers of warm tortillas, and sprinkle with cheese, sour cream and cilantro. Roll up tortillas, and serve.

Vangi Bhath / Brinjal Rice

This is one of the dishes that I didn't enjoy until recently, I don't like eggplants at all. But this time when my mom visited me she made this for us and I realized how much I was missing.

I still don't enjoy eggplants that much, but considering all the benefits of eggplants I think I can at least eat it now and enjoy it.

Hope you guys like it too..

Here is the recipe for Vangi Bhath

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 tbsp tamarind
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 6 small eggplant
• 1 Carrot
• 1 cup of peas

For Spice Powder:

• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1/2" stick cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 4 dry red chillies
• 3 tsp Channa dal
• 2 tsp Urad dal
• 1 tbsp grated coconut (desiccated)

For Tempering:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida
• 1 dry red chilli, torn into pieces
• 1 sprig curry leaves

Direction:

• Put the tamarind in a bowl with 1/2 cup of water with salt and turmeric.
• Cube the eggplant and carrots and add to the tamarind juice and let soak for 15 mins.
• Heat oil for spice powder in a pan and add remaining ingredients for spice powder. Fry till spices are fragrant and the dals turn golden brown. Cool and grind to a powder.
• Heat oil for tempering in the same pan and add all the ingredients for tempering. When mustard seeds start popping, add the eggplant and carrots with the tamarind extract.
• Add the peas to this mixture, also add the spice powder to this and let it cook.
• Cover pan and simmer for about 10 mins till the vegetables are tender and water is almost completely adsorbed.
• Mix in the cooked rice with some oil so that the rice grains are separated.
• This can be eaten with curd.

Ragda Patties

Ingredients:

For the Ragda:

• White Vatana (Whole Dried White Peas) – 2 cups
• Water – 6 cups
• Salt to taste
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp
• Ginger – 2 tsp, minced
• Garlic – 3 large cloves, minced
• Green Chillies – to taste, minced
• Onions – 1 cup, finely chopped
• Tomato – 1 large, chopped
• Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Lime Juice– to taste
• Cilantro – for garnish

For the Patties:

• Potatoes – approx 4 lbs (2 kg), boiled, peeled and mashed
• Ginger/Green Chili Paste – 1 Tbsp
• 4 slices of bread
• Cumin Powder – 2 tsp
• Sugar – 2 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Lemon Juice – 3 Tbsp or to taste
• Cilantro
• Corn Starch – 4 Tbsp
• Oil – for pan frying
• Makes approx 30 patties

Directions:

For the Ragda:

• Wash and soak the Vatana overnight in water.
• Drain, rinse and add Vatana plus fresh water (6 cups) and salt to taste in a pressure cooker. Allow pressure cooker to whistle once, reduce the stove to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to go down by itself.
• Heat Oil in a pan. Add in Cumin Seeds, allow them to turn a little golden. Add Turmeric Powder.
• Add Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilies and Onions. Mix. Allow Onions to become translucent.
• Add Tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes then add Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Rasam Powder and a little salt. Mix.
• Pour in cooked Vatana and bring to a boil. Additional water may be added to get desired consistency.
• Garnish with Cilantro (Coriander Leaves) and Lime Juice.

For the Patties:

• Boil, peel and mash Potatoes.
• Soak the bread slices in water and squeeze out the water
• Add the rest ingredients and mix well with hands. Add Corn Starch and mix well.
• Take a small portion (as big as you want the patty to be) and form a round and flat patty. Form all patties.
• Shallow fry patties with a little oil and brown both sides.

To assemble Ragda Patties:

• Place 1 to 2 patties in a flat bowl or dish.
• Pour Ragda over patties.
• Garnish with Coriander Chutney or Mint Chutney, Tamarind Chutney, Sev, chopped Onions and Cilantro.
• Serve immediately.

Methi/Palak Malai Mater

Ingredients:

• Fenugreek Leaves – 1/2 bunch
• Spinach- 1/2 bunch
• Paneer- 1 pound
• Frozen Peas – 16 oz (1/2 kg)
• Heavy Whipping Cream – 1 cup (or to taste)
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 1 Tbsp
• Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Whole Dry Red Chilies – to taste
• Ginger – 1 Tbsp, minced
• Onion– 1/2 medium, chopped
• Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Coriender Powder – 1 tsp
• Garam Masala – 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder – to taste

Method:

• Wash Fenugreek Leaves well, remove roots and chop finely.
• Sprinkle salt over Fenugreek and Spinach Leave, mix well and set aside 15-20 minutes
• Heat oil a medium pan on medium heat.
• Fry the paneer and put it in some salt water.
• Heat some more oil in the same pan, once it is hot
• Add Cumin Seeds and allow them to sizzle for 10-15 secs.
• Add in Dry Red Chili.
• Add Turmeric Powder and immediately, add in Onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add Ginger, mix and cook until Onions are a light golden color.
• Add Tomatoes, mix and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add Green Peas, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Red Chili Powder and Salt. Mix well, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir in between to prevent sticking.
• Squeeze out salt water from Fenugreek and spinach leaves and add it to the peas.
• Add the paneer to this mixture
• Cover and cook until it is cooked (3-6 minutes).
• Add in Heavy Whipping Cream mix well and bring it to a boil
• Serve hot with Chapati, Naan or Rice.