Veg Frankie

My kid loves rotis.I am constantly tensed up thinking about her tiffin box- she must eat nutritious food & she abstains from eating upma, lemon rice,dahi rice etal.She suggested frankie one day & I said that I must try this.

I googled & realised that rotis can be made of atta ,maida or a mixture of both.I took the easy way out.I made use of left over rotis.Her school is very early for me to prepare rotis as also the frankie filling in the morning.Of course ,those of you who are very enthusiasitic may do this & more .I am lazy & often opt for such solutuons !

Ingredients for the frankie roll: 3 or 4 Leftover chappatis,or rotis or plain parathas,3-4 tsps butter ( I used Amul butter - you can use any butter or even ghee )

Ingredients for frankie filling : 2-3 medium sized boiled potatoes,1 medium sized onion -finely chopped,1 small capsicum -finely chopped,1/4 inch ginger - grated,1/4 tsp haldi,a pinch of hing,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/4 tsp dhana jeera powder,a dash of lemon juice, 1tbsp oil & salt to taste.

Method : In a kadhai, saute chopped onion in oil.Add grated ginger & saute again.Add chopped capsicum & mix nicely.Cook for 2-3 minutes by covering with a lid.Add haldi & hing.Mix nicely.Break the boiled potataoes into chunks & add to the kadhai.Mix all nicely.Add dhana jeera powder & red chilli powder.Mix nicely.Cook for 1-2 minutes by covering with a lid.Now put off the gas.After a minute or two add a dash of lemon juice & mix to give the filling a tangy taste.

Take a roti & warm it on the tawa.Take a tsp of butter & spread the butter on the whole of the roti.After the warming for 1 minute ,take a generous amount of the tangy filling & put it in the middle of the roti .Now roll both the ends of roti one over the other so that the filling is covered.The roll must look like masala dosa roll.Remove this from the tawa .The roll can be turned upside down on the tawa to make it crisp on both the sides.

Repeat similarly for the remaining rotis.I cut the frankie in the middle, so that my kid can just shove each frankie piece into her mouth.

One can use amchur powder or tomatoes instead of lemon juice.Chat powder can be sprinkled on the filling to give more tangy taste.

Mango Ice cream.

I love ice creams except chocolate ice cream.I amke it apoint to eat an ice cream whenever I go out to the market.I am especially fond of Amul Ice creams.Gelato is a new favourite.

I always felt that ice creams will never turn out the way they are in the Ice cream parlours as the freezers are very important & we do not have access to those types of freezers.Our refrigerators are opened every now & then.This affects the freezing & obviously the ice cream.

I was inspired to try this ice cream by Kavi @(http://myedibles.blogspot.in/2012/06/mango-ice-cream.html & Veg Inspirations who shared the 2 ingredient ice cream recipe @http://www.veginspirations.com/2012/06/simple-2-ingredient-nutella-icecream.html

I would like to clarify that I used all approximate measurements as I was very skeptical of the results.So if you want to try ,please be careful.All measurements are approximate except the jaggery sugar & cream.

Ingredients : 200-225 ml milk,1/2 cup jaggery sugar, Mango pulp of 1 medium sized mango ( I used Kesar ).Happus ,Dussehari or any other sweet variety can be used,1 tbsp cream,any dry fruit for garnishing ( I used almonds ).

Method : I boiled milk for 20-25 minutes.I beat the mango pulp & cream in a mixie along with the sugar.Now added this pulp-cream sugar mix to boiled milk & mixed nicely.Allow it to cool.Now take an airtight container  & put the milk-cream-pulp sugar mixture into it.The mixture must come upto three fourths level in the container & not more.It can be less than that.This is because after cooling ,there will be expansion & there must be room for that.Keep the container in the freezer.

I did this in the night.I took the container from the freezer in the morning.The ice cream had set.I mixed the contents of the container with the spoon  after it had warmed up a little bit as it had been kept out of the freezer.Then I kept it in the freezer again.After every hour ,the container has to be taken out from thr freezer & mixed again & set in the freezer.This prevents to some extent the ice crystals which get formed.I repeated this in & out of the freezer some 5 -6 times.

You may notice from the snap below that my ice cream is not that creamy as it has more water content than it should have.I am posting this  as my first attempt has turned out better than my expectations ! Next time around,I plan to use more cream & boil the milk for a longer time.

I scooped out 3scoops with a ladle & put it into a bowl.I garnished it with chopped almonds.

Tip : Dussehari has a watery pulp.Kesar &Happus  have thicker mango pulp. Hence ,I feel Happus & Kesar are good for mango ice cream.Any other variety of mango can also be used. Jaggery sugar has a brownish almost chocolate colour.My ice cream therefore has a darker colour.Ordinary white sugar can be used.I use jaggery sugar as it is healthier- I believe so as it is not as refined as ordinary white sugar.Jaggery sugar is more sweet than ordinary sugar is my opinion-so I use less than what others may have used.

The milk I used is  low fat milk.The cream I used is malai of the milk which I boiled.I have already started collecting malai in the freezer for my next ice cream !

Healthy bread pakoras.

My kid is always yearning for pakoras.. Potato & bread pakoras are her favourites .I am petrified of frying & so I avoid making pakoras.I came across this shallow frying of bread pakoras at Priya's versatile recipes.I tried it & my kid just loved it.I made some changes.

Ingredients :1 cup besan,1/2 cup dahi,4 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/2 tsp ajwain,1/4 tsp hing,1/4 tsp haldi,salt to taste,a pinch of baking soda,1 tbsp rava or sooji, 1tsp flaxseed powder ( optional ) , 4 bread slices,water to make batter consistency appropriate.

Method : I used brown bread slices.Even white bread can be used.Cut each bread slice diagonally into 4.Keep aside all  cut bread slices.

Take besan .Add sooji, flaxseed powder , red chilli powder,ajwain ,haldi,hing ,salt & mix .Now add dahi to make batter.If batter is not drop down consistency,more water or dahi can be added.Mix batter nicely till no lumps remain.

Take a shallow tawa or non stick tawa & put oil on it.Spread the oil on the tawa so that the whole surface of tawa gets coated with oil.Heat the tawa with oil in it.As the oil gets heated up ,dip bread slices in the besan mix & put them on the tawa.Fry the slice on one side.Turn it upside down after some time & fry the reverse side.Take it off from the tawa.Repeat with other bread slices.

Serve with tomato ketchup  or any chutni.

Eggless mango cake.

I have been wanting to bake a mango cake this mango season.I did try it & it did not come up that well.I tried it again today & it has turned out okay.So ,I am posting this now.The original recipe is from http://www.sharmispassions.com/2011/06/eggless-mango-cake-mango-loaf-bread.html

I have made some changes.

Ingredients : 1 cup whole wheat flour,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/2 tsp baking soda ,a pinch of salt,1/4 tsp cardamom powder.
3/4 cup mango puree ( I used Dussehari mango ),1/4 cup curd malai,1/4 cup oil,1/2 cup jaggery sugar ( this is dark brownish black sugar from jaggery -it is unrefined & available at Rajkamal Tea centre,Chembur).I use this sugar as it is healthy . Ordinary sugar can be used.My cake has got a dark colour due to this jaggery sugar.

Method : Mix all dry ingredients together - the flour,baking powder,soda & cardamom.

Mix mnago puree,curd malai ( or curd ),oil & sugar.Jaggery sugar is lumpy & if mixed in dry mix does not mix properly.Hence ,I mix jaggery sugar in liquid ingredients.

Make a well in the dry mix & pour the liquid mix.Mix nicely till no lumps remain.One can add water or curds or chaas to get drop down consistency batter.Curd,chaas should not be sour to avoid sour taste.

Line a baking dish with butter paper.Pour the batter onto the butter paper in the dish.Bake in microwave for 7-8 minutes.Leave for 5-10 minutes.Remove from microwave & insert a knife to check if it comes out clean.If knife is clean ,cake is done.Otherwise,bake for 1-2 minutes more.Leave it for 5-10 minutes.

Then cool it outside the microwave for 15-20 minutes.Then put it upside down on a plate.Cool it for 5-10 minutes.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

Naval kol sabzi

Naval kol is a cabbage like vegetable .It is shaped like any onion .Its colour is like green cabbage.It tastes like cabbage .It is a solid mass unlike cabbage which has layers.

I love this vegetable as I like variety.It is quite a tricky vegetable.It may look fresh & yet may be hard to cut as also get cooked.It has leaves like radish.I discard the leaves & only use the solid mass for sabzi.I peel the vegetable to remove small offshoots which are there on the outside & cut it like any other vegetable.If I find any part of the vegetable very hard,It has to be discarded as it will not cook .The rest can be cut & cooked.

Ingredients : 2 navalkols- chopped into half inch pieces,1 green mirchi-chopped into 2-3 pieces,1-2 sprigs of curry leaves,1/2 tsp urad dal,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4tsp hing,1/2 mustard seeds,1tbsp oil,1tbsp fresh dessicated coconut,salt to taste.

Method : Heat oil in a kadhai.Add mustard seeds.When they  pop up,add urad dal.After urad dal has turned golden ,add mirchi & kadi patta.Then add the navalkol pieces along with haldi & hing.Mix all.Cover with a lid & cook for 5 minutes.Remove lid & sprinkle some water.Mix & cook again for 5minutes.Prick the navalkol pieces to see if they have turned tender.If tender ,add coconut & salt & mix nicely & cook covered with lid for another 2-3 minutes.Put off the gas.Serve sabzi as side dish to chappatis or even as an accompaniment to rasam-rice.

If they are not tender,add some more water.Cover with lid & cook again.After the veggie pieces have turned tender,add salt & coconut.Mix nicely.Cover with lid & cook for 2-3 minutes.Put off gas.Navalkol sabzi is ready.

Ukrainian coffee cake

I came across this exotic cake in the magazine i Diva.I have made some changes.Please refer to the  original recipe here.

I made some changes.

Ingredients :
For cake :
1 cup whole wheat flour,1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/4 tsp cinnamon,a pinch of salt,1/3 cup jaggery sugar,1/4 cup honey,1/3 cup coffee ( 2 tsp Bru  instant  coffee powder dissolved in hot water ),2 tbsp oil,1/3 to 1/2  cup yoghurt.

For icing : 1/4 cup powdered sugar,1tbsp lemon juice,1tbsp honey.

Method : Sift the atta,baking powder,soda cinnamon & salt together in a bowl .Keep aside.

In another bowl ,mix the jaggery sugar with yoghurt,hot coffee & oil.Initially,add only 1/3 cup yoghurt to this mixture.The jaggery sugar cakes out ( in humid climate,it forms lumps ) & hence, it is advisable to mix in liquids before adding to cake batter.Otherwise,if it is added just like that without mixing in liquid,it may not mix properly in cake.

Pour the liquid into the dry mix bowl & mix till no lumps remain.The batter must have drop down consistency.More yoghurt can abe added to get drop down consistency.

Take a microwaveable vessel & line the bottom with butter paper.Pour the cake batter into it.Microwave for 7-8 minutes.After 5 minutes.Check with toothpik.If toothpik comes out clean,cake is ready.

Take it out from microwave & cool for 15-20 minutes.Put it on to a plate.

Mix the powdered sugar ,honey & lemon juice nicely.Take a spoon & spread this icing  mixture on the surface of the cake evenly.It can also be spread on sides & bottom as well.

Cut into desired shapes & serve.One can cut the cake & then apply icing individually to cake pieces & serve.

Bread Pizza

This is a recipe, which was shared by a friend.My daughter insists that I make this each time ,we buy the bread.My daughter calls this Bread pizza.

Ingredients : 6 slices of bread ( brown or white ),1 medium potatoes, 1 small carrot,1/2  capsicum ,1 small onion,1 tbsp semolina or rava,1 small green chilly,1tsp lemon juice,1 tsp garam masala powder, 1/4 inch grated ginger,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,2 tbsp oil ,salt to taste.

Method : Boil the potato & peel the skins.Mash the boiled potatoes.Add rava, to the mashed potato & mix.Keep aside.Grate carrot & onion.Finely chop the hari mirchi & capsicum.Add all these grated veggies along with grated ginger & capsicum &  green chilli to the potato rava mixture.Mix nicely.Add lemon juice.Add haldi,hing,garam masala & salt to the mixture & mix nicely with hands.Let no lumps remain.

Take a tawa & spead oil on it.Put on the gas.

Take a bread slice &  scoop out a spoonful of the potato-veggie rava mix & spread it on the bread slice on 1 side.Take another spoonful & spread on the same side till the side of bread is fully covered with the potato veggie rava paste.Now put the bare side bread slice on the tawa. After 1-2 minutes,turn the bread slice upside down.The bare side of the bread slice would have browned.After 2 minutes,take off the bread slice from the tawa. as the rava bata paste side would hav browned a little.Similarly make snacks with remaining bread slices.

Put one bread snack on another slice with pasted side up.Cut two slices together into four pieces each.Serve with ketchup or sauce.