Bean & Vegetable Chili

This is  a great one pot meal.The warm chili with a side of toasted bread or tortilla chips is so good on the tummy.

Ingredients:

Vegetable stock – 1/4 cup

Onion- 1, coarsely chopped

Green bell pepper- 1, seeded and finely chopped

Red bell pepper- 1, seeded and finely chopped

Garlic – 1 tsp, finely chopped

Ginger- 1 st, finely chopped

Ground cumin – 2 tsp

Chili powder- 1/2 tsp

Tomato paste- 2 tbs

Diced tomatoes- 1 cup

Kidney beans- 3/4 cup- pressure cooked, without being mushy

Black eyed peas – 3/4 cup, pressure cooked without being mushy

Salt & Pepper

Oil- 2 tbs

Tortilla chips- to serve ( optional)

 

Method:

1.Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, saute for a couple of minutes. Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper and continue to saute for a 3-4 minutes.

2.Add chopped garlic and ginger, cumin, chili powder, tomato paste and tomatoes.Pour the stock and simmer for a good 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and simmer again for 5 minutes.

3.Stir in all the beans and simmer for additional 5 minutes or until heated through.Serve immediately with tortilla chips or toasted bread-which is what I did.

 

Serves: 4

Black Bean Burger

This is a great tasting home-made burger that satisfies the appetite and will taste far better than the ones we buy.

Ingredients:

Oil- 1 tbs plus extra for brushing ( I used avocado oil)

Onion-1, finely chopped

Garlic clove-1, finely chopped

Ground coriander- 1 tsp

Ground cumin-1 tsp

White button mushrooms- 2 cups, finely chopped

Black beans-15 oz

Flat leaf parsley-2 tbs, chopped

All purpose flour- for dusting

Salt

Pepper

Ham burger buns- to serve

 

Method:

1.Soak the black beans for couple of hours, pressure cook it giving 4 whistles, set aside.Once, cool, mash it.

2.Preheat broiler to medium high. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until softened.

3.Add the garlic, coriander,cumin and cook, stirring for an additional minute.Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes, until all the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl.

4.Stir the mashed beans into the mushroom mixture with the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

5.Divide the mixture equally into four portions, dust slightly with flour,and shape into flat, round patties.

6.Brush with oil and cook under the preheated broiler for 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve in ham burger buns topped with onion and tomato slices and lettuce

Ps: These will freeze well, so make a double batch. Open freeze on a sheet, then transfer to a plastic container for upto 3 months, Cook from frozen.

Serves:4

 

 

Satay Noodles

This is a filling meal and there is only one pan to clean 🙂

Ingredients:

Dried medium egg noodles-4 1/2 ounces

Coconut milk- 2/3 cup

Vegetable oil- 2 tsp

Red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced-1

Plump garlic clove, thinly sliced-1

Bean sprouts-1 1/4 cups

Dark soy sauce- 2 tbs

Roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped- 1/3 cup

Scallions, diagonally sliced- 3

Cilantro- a large handful, chopped

Salt

Lime halves -2 to serve ( optional)

 

Method:

1.Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.Add the noodles, bring back to a boil.Cook according to package directions, until tender but still firm to the bite.Drain.

2.Heat oil in a wok or a large heavy skillet.Add the bell pepper and stir fry over high heat for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and stir- fry for an additional 40-60 seconds; donot let it burn.

3.Add the bean sprouts, followed by the noodles, coconut milk,soy sauce and peanuts. Reduce the heat and stir for an additional 2-3 minutes, until piping hot. Add the scallions and cilantro and toss together.

4.Divide between two warm bowls and serve immediately with the lime haves for squeezing over.

Ps: I was too busy tasting the food, I forgot to click the picture with lime halves.

Serves: 2

 

Kulfi

I know its not the season of kulfi..but hey, why would I miss out on a chilled dessert just cos its cold outside?So I made it

Ingredients:

Whole milk- 4cups

Cardamom- 2 seeds, punded

Sugar-2 table spoon

Corn flour-2 tea  spoon

Water-2 tea spoon

Almonds- 15 nos, blanched and chopped

Kesar/pista/almond/rose essence- a few drops

Method:

1.Bring the milk to a boil on fire.Stir in cardamom and continue to reduce the milk to one third of its quantity by cooking on a low flame.

2.Be sure to stir it often and scrape the sides

3.Mix cornflour with water and make it into a paste.

4.Once the milk is reduced to the desired quantity, add sugar and the corn flour paste and almonds.

5.Cook for 2minutes and switch off stove. Let it stand by for a couple of minutes.

6.Stir in your choice of essence and transfer the mixture into the kulfi moulds and freeze.

7.Thaw for a few minutes at room temperature before serving.

 

Makes:6-8 nos

Maddur Vada

Ingredients:

Rice flour-1 cup

Sooji-1/2 cup

All purpose flour-1/4 to 1/2  cup

Salt

Oil-1 table spoon

Crushed peanuts-a handful

Curry leaves- a few

Cumin seeds-1 tea spoon

Green chillies-5-6 numbers

Chopped onion-1

Hing-a pinch

Sesame seeds-2 tea spoon

Oil- for deep frying
Method:

1.In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients except the oil for deep frying.

2.DONOT add any water as the water from chopped onion would be sufficient.

3.Make a dough out of it.

4.Heat oil in a kadai, meanwhile make little balls out of the prepared dough and flatten them like small discs.

5.Fry them in hot oil and drain excess oil in a paper towel.

6.Serve hot with chutney and tea/coffee.

 

Zucchini Soup

Ingredients:

Zucchini-4 nos

Onion-1

Cloves-2

Cream-as much as you like

Water- as much as you like

Salt

Pepper

Butter-2 table spoon

 

Method:

1.Peel the skin and dice the zucchini.Finely chop the onion.

2.Melt butter in a pan and fry the onion until pink and then add the diced zucchini.Fry for a couple of minutes.

3.Add some water and cook covered. Also, throw in 2 cloves.

4.Once cooked, switch of stove, cool and blend the zucchini .

5.Heat a pan and pour the blended puree , add water little by little, as desired.

6.Sprinkle salt, add the desired quantity of cream and give it a light boil before removing from fire.

7.Serve warm with bread/ salad

Serves:4-5

Ps:To make a vegan version, substitue butter with oil and donot cream.It tastes equally awesome.

The Little Donut

popped out on 2nd October 2010.She is charming us, mesmerising us and needless to say keeping us on our toes.We have already kissed goodbye to wholesome sleep.

Blueberry Lemon Scones-Vegan

I have always drooled at blueberry scones- basically anything made with blueberries.It was only a matter of time for me to try it out ..and try, I did and the scones came out fabulous.What made it more special was that it is vegan- thanks to this vegan bicyclinguist

Ingredients:

All purpose flour-2 1/2 cup

Sugar-1/3 cup

Baking powder- 3 tea spoon

Salt-1/4 tea spoon

Vegan margarine-1/2 cup

Blueberries-1 cup

Water-1/2 cup

Zest and juice of  1 lemon

Method:

1.Preheat oven to 425 degree F

2.Mix the dry ingredients along with lemon zest.

3.In a seperate bowl, miss water and lemon juice.

4.Cut the margarine into small pieces and roughly mix it into the dry mixture until pea sized pieces are left. He gently warns not to overwork the dough.

5.Chill the water and lemon juice mixture and the dry ingredient mix in the freezer for about 15 minutes and remove.

6.Now is the time to mix the blueberries into the mixture.

7.Adding the lemon juice and water to the mixture,keep mixing until the dough holds together-again just enough for the dough to hold together.

8.Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and  roll it into a ball.

9.Flatten the ball to the desired thickness and cut into 8 wedges.

10.Place these cut scones in a greased cooking tray, sprinkle some sugar on top of each scone.

11.Bake @ 425 degree F for 15 minutes.You get the most tastiest, warmest blueberry scones.

Makes:8 n0s

Cookery contest- pls vote for me

I am participating in a cookery contest  organised by my community and it requires me to upload a video in youtube and for people to like the video by giving a thumbs up.I have my video here and all you need to do is log in to your you tube account and give my video a thumbs up , this will help me in winning some cash prize. I will be much obliged.Pliss to do this favour for me folks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM741dgm-ew

Parippu Vada/Paruppu vadai

Ingredients:

Chana dal-2 cups, soaked for an hour

Onion-1, big

Curry leaves- a few

Fennel seeds-2 tea spoon

Finely chopped ginger-2 table spoon

Green chillies-6 nos

Salt

Oil- for deep frying

Method:

1.Finely chop the onion, and set aside.

2.Coarsely grind the soaked dal along with green chillies and ginger in a mixer adding very little or no water.The batter should stick to your hands inspite of being coarse and not watery.

3.Add chopped onion, fennel seeds, curry leaves and salt and mix well.

4.Make balls out of the ground mixture and deep fry in oil. Serve hot.

Makes:25-30 nos