Vegetarian Lasagne with Zucchini, Eggplant and Pumpkin

Serves 6

•           400g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into small cubes and par boiled

•           1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

•           1 medium brown onion, finely chopped

•           2 garlic cloves, crushed

•           2 medium zucchini, halved, sliced

•           2 medium eggplant, chopped

•           Marinara sauce Ingredients and procedure (See Below)

•           For White sauce Ingredients and procedure (See Below)

Method

Homemade tomato sauce: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan. Add 2 onions, finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves, sliced and 1 carrot, roughly chopped. Cook for 5-7 mins over a medium heat until softened. Turn up the heat a little and stir in 2 tbsp tomato purée. Cook for 1 min, pour in 200ml white wine, then cook for 5 mins until this has reduced by two-thirds. Pour over 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes and add 1 handful basil leaves. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 mins. Leave to cool, whizz in a food processor add the par-boiled butternut pumpkin to the sauce to make it chunky.

White sauce: Melt 85g butter in a saucepan, stir in 2¼ tablespoon of plain flour, then cook for 2 mins. Slowly whisk in 2 full cups of milk, then bring to the boil, stirring. Turn down heat, then cook until the sauce starts to thicken and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Sauce can now be cooled.

• Heat oven to 200 or 180 degree. Trim ends off egg plant and zucchini, then cut into slices about ½cm thick. Lightly grease 2 large baking trays, then place egg plant and zucchini on top. Toss with the olive oil, season well, then roast for 15-20mins until lightly browned.

• Reduce oven to 200degree 4. Lightly oil an ovenproof serving dish (30 x 20cm). Arrange a layer of the vegetables on the bottom, then pour over a third of the tomato sauce. Top with a layer of lasagne, then drizzle over a quarter of the white sauce. Repeat until you have 3 layers of pasta.

• To finish, spoon remaining white sauce over the pasta, making sure the whole surface is covered. Scatter mozzarella over the top, use a silver foil sheet to cover the lasagne to retain its moisture. Bake for 30-35 mins until bubbling and golden on the last 10mins remove the silver foil so crisp up the cheese layer

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1. 4 Large Russet Potatoes, washed, scrubbed and dried
2. ½ cup of Sour Cream
3. 3 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter
4. About 1/2 cup of Whole Milk
5. Salt and Pepper to taste
6. 1 ½ cups of Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar
7. ¼ cup of Sliced Green Onions

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; bake the potatoes for 1 hour or until tender and cooked through.
• Allow the potatoes to cool slightly, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh, place in a bowl.
• In a small pot, warm together the milk and butter until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling. 
• Pour mixture over the potatoes along with the sour cream, salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy, fold in the green onions & half a cup of the cheese.
• Scoop the potato mixture inside each half of potatoes. Top with the remaining cheese and bake them for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted. 
• Enjoy immediately! 

Crispy Thattais

Ingredients 

1. Rice flour - 1 cup 
2. Fried gram flour/Dalia flour (pottukadalai mavu) -2 1/2 tbsp or urad dal flour (roasted, powdered and sieved)- 1 tsp (see notes below)
3. Bengal gram dal/ kadalai paruppu - 1 1/2 tsp or fried gram -1 1/2 tsp
4. Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp flat
5. Unsalted butter -1 1/2 tsp
6. Hing - 1/4 tsp
7. Salt as needed
8. Oil for deep frying

Method

1. In a bowl, mix together rice flour, fried gram flour, chilli powder and butter using your finger tips.
2. Add dalia or soaked bengal gram dal, salt + hing mix, needed water and make a slightly stiff dough.
3. Now the dough for the thattai is ready. (you can taste the dough to check for salt)
4. Make equal sized balls out of it.
5. Grease a zip lock bag or plastic sheet, place a ball of dough and flatten it as thinly as possible with your finger tips. This will give you crispy thattais.
6. Prick few holes with a fork to prevent it from puffing while frying. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
7. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadai.  Check the oil temperature by dropping a small piece of dough into the oil, if it rises to the surface immediately, then the oil is ready for frying. 
8. Now reduce the temperature to medium, gently transfer the flattened dough on to your hands and slide it into the oil. Deep fry 3-4 thattais both sides until golden brown.
9. Remove and drain the excess oil on a paper towel.
10. Repeat the same process for the rest of the dough.
11. After it cools, store it in an air tight container.

Aloo Paneer Green Curry

Serving: 2-3 persons

Ingredients

1. Garlic -50gms
2. Ginger-25gms
3. Fresh coriander leaves-50gms
4. Fresh mint leaves-50gms
5. Handful of curry leaves
6. Fresh long green chilies -3 to 4
7. White onions 2
8. Tomato - 1
9. Potato cut medium size- 1
10. Paneer cubes- 250 grams
11. Coconut powder - 60ml
12. Bay leaves -3 to 4
13. Cloves- 3 to 4
14. Whole black pepper - 5 to 6
15. Turmeric powder - Half a teaspoon
16. Vegetable oil - 1tablespoon
17. Salt to taste

Method:

• Take a sauce pan add a 2 teaspoons of oil and once the pan gets hot add ginger garlic, chopped onions let it turn brown a little then add, chopped tomato, coriander, mint leaves, curry leaves and green chilies for 5 minutes until they all are cooked
• In a food processor,make the green curry paste as follows : Grind together the cooked garlic,ginger, coriander, mint leaves ,green chilies, tomato and onion with a dash of water till you get a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a pan,add bay leaves,cloves, crushed whole black pepper, stir for just half a minute. Then add the green curry paste,saute it for about 1minute.
• Mix one pint of warm water with the dessicated coconut powder in a separate bowl,stir till no lumps remain,and pour this into the pan.(Leave a tablespoon cocnut cream aside for garnishing)Stir till you get a smooth,even,green consistency for a minute
• Add boiled potato cubes and paneer cubes,stir slightly ,cover and cook on medium heat for 30minutes with occasional stirring
• Garnish with coriander leaf. Serve hot with rice or chappathis

Stuffed Capsicum Masala In Gravy

Serving: 4- 5 persons

Ingredients

For Stuffing:

1. Capsicum - ½ Kg.
2. Paneer - 100 gms.
3. Potato - 100 gms.
4. Fresh Green peas - 100 gms.
5. 2 Onions (finely chopped)
6. 2-3 green chillies 
7. Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tsp. 
8. Chilli Powder - ½ tsp.
9. Garam Masala - ½ tsp.

For Gravy :

1. Onion - 2 ( thinly sliced and fried to Golden brown.)
2. Tomato - 2
3. Ginger paste - 1 tsp.
4. Garlic paste - 2 tsp.
5. Cardamom - 3 
6. Chilli Powder - 3 tsp. ( Kashmiri)
7. Jeera - ½ tsp.
8. Cashew nuts - 1 handful
9. Garam Masala - Cinnamon and cloves ( optional.)
10. Garnish
11. 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Method:

• Wash Capsicums, remove the stem of the capsicum and cut the top portion little, remove seeds in order to fill the stuffing.
• For stuffing - Fry Onion, green chilies, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder garam masala powder, add Paneer fry well for sometime. Then add Boiled and mashed potato and green peas, salt. 
• Mix well and stuff the mixture inside capsicum and bake them in Oven or Shallow fry till Capsicum is fried and tender.
• Grind fried onion, tomato, ginger paste, garlic paste, cardamom, Kashmiri Chilli powder, Jeera, Cashew Nuts, Whole Garam Masala, to a fine paste.
• Add oil and fry the ground Masala on low fire for 10 minutes till oil leaves the side, then add salt. Add baked Capsicum boil well for 5 minutes top it up with coriander leaves

Cabbage Kofta

Serving: 4- 5 persons

Ingredients

For Koftas:

1. Cabbage(Finely Chopped)- 2 cups
2. Paneer(Scrambled)- 1 cups
3. Besan/ Kadalai Maavu- 3Tblsp
4. Red Chilli Powder- 1-2 tsp
5. Garam Masala- 2 Pinches
6. Salt as needed
7. Oil for frying

For Gravy:

1. Onion-2
2. Tomato-2
3. Red Chili Powder-1Tsp
4. Garam Masala to Taste
5. Kasoori Methi- 2 Pinches
6. Garlic- 2 cloves
7. Milk- 1cup
8. Oil- 2 Tblsp
9. Salt as needed

Method: For making Koftas

• Add the chopped cabbage and scrambled paneer in a wide bowl and add salt.
• Keep this aside for 15 minutes after mixing well.

• Now squeeze out the extra water as much as you can and keep it aside.
• Add red chilli powder, garam masala, little salt,besan and mix well.
• Now start making balls. If you still can’t bind this properly add 1-2 tblsp of besan to this cabbage paneer mixture and start making balls.
• It yielded approximately 12 balls for me.
• Take a wok add oil and deep fry the koftas
• Cook all sides by turning it around till it becomes golden brown in color.
• Koftas are ready. Keep this aside

Method: For making Gravy

• Roughly chop the onions and peel the skin of the garlic.Saute this in a tblsp of oil till the onions turn brown.
• Grind this into a smooth paste along with tomatoes,chilli powder and kasoori methi.
• In a pan add oil and add the ground masala.
• When it leaves oil on the side add the milk ( i used full cream milk) and add 1 cup of water too. Make the gravy little thin as after adding the koftas the gravy will thicken . Add garam masala to this and mix well.
• When the koftas are completely cool, add to the hot gravy and switch off the flame.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note:

1. These koftas stayed in the gravy as it as for 4- 5 hours.
2. Always ensure that  the water is completely squeezed out from the cabbage paneer mixture.

Palak Paneer

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins
Serving: 4 persons

Ingredients

1. 2 (3 1/3 ounce) bags baby spinach
2. 2/3 large onion
3. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4. 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
5. 2/3 teaspoon ground ginger
6. 1/3 teaspoon chopped garlic
7. 1/3 cup chopped tomato
8. 2/3 tablespoon coriander powder
9. 1/3 teaspoon garam masala
10. 1/3 teaspoon Chili powder
11. 1/3 teaspoon salt
12. pinch of sugar
13. 5 1/3 ounces paneer cheese, cut into cubes
14. 1/4 cup heavy cream

Method

• Cut spinach into shreds and cook in 3 tablespoons water with a pinch of sugar until tender; remove from heat drain and wash it immediately with cool water to retains its color.
• Saute onion, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger in 1-2 tablespoons ghee or oil until onion is translucent.
• Then add garlic and chopped tomatoes, and reduce heat.
• Cook this briefly and slowly.
• Add coriander, garam masala, chili powder, and salt, mixing well.
• Add cooked spinach, cover and simmer on low heat for approximately 20-30 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Take the spinach mixture and puree in food processor or blender and return it back to the sauce pan.
• Slowly stir in by adding paneer cubes and heavy cream, and heat through on low heat for 2-3minutes .
• Serve hot with roti or chappathi.

Kaima Idli

Serving- 4 persons

Ingredients 

1. Idlis – 4 Nos, cut into squares or small rectangles
2. All purpose flour / Maida – 3 tbsp
3. Chilli powder – ½ tsp + ½ tsp
4. Mustard – ½ tsp
5. Urad dhall – 1 tsp
6. Jeera – ½ tsp
7. Onion – 1 (Big)
8. Tomatoes – 2 (medium)
9. Green chilies – 2 (medium)
10. Ginger (grated) – ½ tsp
11. Garlic (sliced fine) – 2 big cloves
12. Curry leaves – 10
13. Corriander (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp
14. Oil – 1 cup + 2 tbsp
15. Salt to taste

Method

• Cut the idlis into small squares or rectangles
• Make a running batter out of maida, chilli powder and salt, adding necessary water
• Dip the idli pieces in this batter and deep fry the pieces till reddish brown
• Drain them on a kitchen towel and keep aside
• Chop tomatoes and green chillis; slice onions and garlic and grate ginger
• Take a non-stick kadai add 2 tbsp oil
• Add mustard, urad dhall, and jeera let it splatter 
• Now add, ginger, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves, onions, tomatoes and cook well.
• Add salt, chilli powder and keep stirring
• The water content from the tomatoes should dry to a great extent. Keep cooking till the onions and tomatoes should get cooked really well. Only then the dish tastes good
• Now add the fried idlis
• Mix well cook for yet another 2 minutes
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chutney of your choice