Spicy Vegan Enchiladas (Mexican)

This recipe is adapted from Chandra athai(She is one of my aunties and I really liked her delicious Enchiladas). I have learnt from her and I experimented today. I am happy that it has come out well

Ingredients:

Onion – 1/2

Tomatillos – 2 (medium sized)

Ginger – about an inch

Cilantro – 1 small bunch

Green chillies – 3

Peas – as required

Carrots – 2

Corn – as required

Beans – 5 or 6

Lima Beans – as required

Cauliflower – optional

Salt – as required

Flour Tortillas – 6

Monterey Jack cheese – as required (shredded)

Method:

1. Chop the onions and tomatillos. Grind onions, tomatillos, cilantro, ginger,green chillies and required salt in a blender.

2. It is important while grinding that no water is added. Otherwise, the ground sauce becomes watery.

3. Transfer the sauce into a container and set it aside.

4. Boil the vegetables peas, carrots, corn, beans, lima beans and cauliflower.

5. Heat the skillet and warm the tortillas back and forth.

6. Place a scoop of boiled vegetables, a spoon of sauce and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the tortillas and fold them in your way.

7. Grease a microwave bowl and place the stuffed tortillas.

8. Ladle the sauce and cheese over the tortillos.

9. Preheat the oven to 350 degree and place the bowl and let it cook for 20 minutes. And the enchiladas are ready!

I have not used Monterey Jack cheese, instead I used shredded Parmesan cheese. But Montrey Jack cheese will be the apt one.

Paneer sandwiches

Ingredients:

Onion – 1 small (finely chopped)

Tomato – 1 (finely chopped)

Capsicum – 1/2 (finely chopped)

Ginger – about an inch (minced)

Cilantro – a small bunch (finely chopped)

Green chillies – 2 (finely chopped)

Lime – 1/2

Oil – 2 tbsp

Turmeric – 1 tsp

Salt – as required

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Paneer – 3 tbsp(shredded)

Method:

1. In a pan, add oil and fry capsicum, ginger and green chillies.

2. After a minute, add chopped onions and fry for a while.

3. Then add finely chopped tomatoes and fry until all the ingredients are cooked.

4. Add turmeric,salt,coriander powder and pepper powder.

5. Add small quantity of water to form gravy.

6. Add paneer, squeeze lime and stir well.

7. While serving, spread ’sandwich spread’ over the bread and place a part of gravy over it. Shredded cheese can be sprinkled over the gravy. Place another bread over and microwave it for 2 to 3 minutes.

Moroccan Vegetable Tajin and Atar Allecha with Flat bread (Ethiopian)

We had been to an Ethiopian restaurant last weekend. Initially, I was not much inclined to try African dishes. But as my hubby wanted to try new cuisines, I had no other go but to experiment them. To my surprise, it was delicious and now I have experimented it at home succesfully

Moroccan Vegetable Tajin:

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 2 chopped

Chick peas(soaked for about 8 hours) – 1/2 cup

Carrots – 2 chopped

Onion – 1/2 chopped

Garlic – 1 pod

Cumin seeds – 2 tbsp

Tumeric – 1 tsp

Pepper – 2 tsp

Tomato paste – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Lightly sautee the garlic and the onion in oil.

2. Add cumin seeds and turmeric.

3. Add the potatoes, carrots and chick peas.

4. After frying for few minutes, add water as required to boil the vegetables.

5. Stir until vegetables are cooked.

6. Add Tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste.

7. Stir for a while until the gravy is done.

Atar Allecha:

Ingredients:

Onion – 1/2 chopped

Garlic – 1 pod finely chopped

Oil – 1 tbsp

Split green peas – 1 cup soaked, cooked and drained

Tumeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Salt – As required

Green chillies – 2 finely chopped

Method:

1. Mash the cooked green peas and set aside.

2. Fry the onion and garlic in the oil until the onions turn transparent.

3. Add the mashed peas, tumeric, salt, and chillies and fry for few minutes.

4. Add the water and cook 3-4 mins longer to reduce the mixture to a thick, green, well spiced puree.

Flat bread:

Ingredients:

All purpose flour – 1 cup

Whole wheat flour – 1/4 cup

Cornmeal – 1/4 cup

Active dry yeast – 2 tbsp (one package)

Warm water – 3 1/2 cups

 Method:

1. Mix all the above ingredients and let it set covered for about 3 hours or longer, until batter rises and becomes stretchy.

2. When ready,whip in blender thinning it with 1/2 – 3/4 cup water.Batter will be quite thin.

3. Use 1/2 cup batter per bread and pour in heated pan and quickly swirl pan to spread batter as thin as possible.

4. Batter should be no thicker than 1/8-inch and do not turn over. It is cooked through when bubbles appear all over the top.

5. To serve, lay one bread on a plate, and ladle moroccan vegetable tajin and atar allecha on top, another few breads rolled up or folded in quarters.

Pesarattu (from Andhra Pradesh)

Ingredients:

Whole Moong  – 1 cup

Rice – 1 tbsp

Onions – 2

Green chilies - 4

Ginger – Approx. 1 inch long

Cumin seeds – 2 tsp

Salt – As required

Oil – As required

Method:

1. Add 1 tbsp rice to 1 cup of whole Moong and soak the mixture in water for around 3 hours.

2. Drain the water and add 1 chopped onion , 4 green chilies, ginger piece, one tea spoon cumin seeds and the salt with a little water.

3. Grind the mixture to a smooth paste.

4. Chop the remaining onion into small pieces, mix the cummin seeds and keep this aside.

5. Keep the frying pan on medium heat and grease it with little oil. Pour about a ladle of paste on it and spread it into a thin round layer like a pan cake and drizzle 1 tsp of oil around the edges of Pesarattu.

6. Sprinkle small quantity of chopped onions, cummin seeds and green chilies on the Pesarattu and cook until the edges become brown.

7. Then flip the Pesarattu over and cook it for a minute, keeping a watch that it does not get charred. Remove from the pan, and your Pesarattu is ready for eating. Serve it with hot ginger chutney or sambhar

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients:

Paneer – 200 gms

Tomatoes (ripe) - 3

Onions (medium) – 2

Ginger and Garlic paste - 2 tbsp

Cashew paste – 2 tbsp

Garam masala powder – 2 tsp

Butter - 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Boil tomatoes, de-skin and puree.

2. Chop half an onion and boil the rest for 10 minutes before making a paste.

3. Cut the paneer into squares.

4. Heat 3 tbsp of butter in a pan, add chopped onions and sauté till brown.

5. Add onion paste, ginger and garlic paste. Saute for 3 minutes. Add Cashew paste.

6. Add garam masala powder and stir well.

7. Add tomato puree and salt. Stir.

8. Add cut paneer and simmer for 3 minutes.

9. Remove from fire, stir in remaining butter  leaving a little aside for garnishing.

10. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Indian style Pasta (Adapted from Italian cuisine)

Ingredients:

Pasta – 1 cup

Onions – 1

Tomatoes – 2

Green chillies – 2

Ginger&garlic paste- 2 tsp

Pasta sauce – 5 tsp

Coriander leaves – A little

Lemon juice – 2 tsp

Oil – As required

Cumin seeds(Jeera) – 1 tsp

Shredded cheese – As required

Chilly powder – As required

Salt – As required

Method:

1. Cook the pasta as per the instructions given in the pack.

2. Heat some oil in a pan.

3. Add the cumin seeds, green chillies,ginger-garlic paste and onions and fry them well.

4. Then add the tomatoes to it and continue frying.

5. Next, add the chilly powder, salt and the pasta sauce.

6. Add the pasta and continue frying for 2 minutes until everything gets mixed up.

7. Finally,switch off the flame and add the lemon juice, coriander leaves and the shredded cheese.

Sodhi (South Indian Stew)

Ingredients:

Coconut milk(canned) – 1 can

Ginger grated – 2 tbsps

Moong Dhal boiled with one pod of Garlic – 1/2 cup

Lemon Juice – 1tbsp

Drum Stick – 1

Carrots – 1 cut in long slices

Potato – 1 cut in cubes

Onion – 1 cut in cubes

Grated coconut – 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Green chillies – 2-3

Method:

1. Take the 1/2 can of coconut milk and dilute it in water to make 1 can and let the vegetables cook in the diluted coconut milk.
2. Take the juice of the grated ginger and set it aside.
3. Grind the grated coconut,cumin seeds and green chillies.
4. When the vegetables are tender add the ground mixture and 1/2 can of coconut milk and let it cook for some time.
5. Now add the cooked dhal ( mash the dhal and garlic well) and the remaining 1/2 can of coconut milk.
6. Just before you switch off the stove add the ginger juice and cook for a minute and take it off the stove.
7. When Sodhi cools down add salt and lemon juice and temper with mustard and urad dhal.