Bean Toast

This makes for a quick and healthy breakfast. The idea is from a Lentil Toast recipe in one of my collection of cookbooks. That recipe used puy lentils. I did not have those on hand, also I wanted to make it a quicker version, hence replaced it with a can of cannelini beans.

Here's how I made these bean toasts:

1 can cannelini (white) beans or any other per your taste - drained & rinsed

1 tsp oil

1 clove garlic - minced

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 tomato - finely chopped

handful of frozen chopped spinach

salt & pepper to taste

Bread slices - I use multi-grain bread

Heat the oil. Saute the onions for 5 mins until lightly brown. Add the garlic, tomato, frozen spinach, beans, salt & pepper. Saute another 5 - 10 mins. Use this mix on toasted bread as I did above to make an open faced toast. Or fill between 2 slices of bread and toast in a sandwich toaster. The mix is also dry enough to use as a filling in parathas.

This Bean Toast is off to the MLLA-18 event at Cooking 4 All Seasons.

This event was started by Susan The Well-Seasoned Cook.

Puff Pastry Mini Samosas

These samosas are always crowd pleasers. Here's how I make them:

1 sheet of Puff Pastry (I use Pepperridge Farm) - thawed for 40 mins on the counter top

For the samosa stuffing:

2 big russet potatoes - boiled, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces
Handful of frozen peas
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger paste
Seasoning to taste - red chilli pwd, garam masala, salt

Heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds. Fry a few seconds, then add the ginger paste, potatoes, peas and seasonings. Mix well. Cover & cook on low heat 5 - 10 mins. Samosa stuffing is ready. Cool this to room temperature.

To make the samosas:

Divide the thawed puff pastry sheet into 3 parts along its folds. Divide each part into 4 and roll into a ball. You should have 12 puff pastry ball in all - this will make 24 mini samosas.

Roll each ball into a thin circle. You can use some all purpose flour to help with the rolling. Cut each circle into half.

Working with each semi-circle, roll it into a cone shape. Use a little water to seal the edges. Put about 1 - 2 tsp of the samosa stuffing into the cone and seal the mouth with some water.

Place the prepared samosas on an ungreased baking sheet. Keep them covered with a damp towel while working with the rest of the samosas.

Preheat oven to 400F. Bake the samosas for 15 mins., turning over mid-way.

Serve hot or warm with ketchup and/or chutneys.

These mini puff pastry samosas are off to the WYF: Tea time snacks event at Simple Indian Food.

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is a popular street food in Mumbai, my hometown. To me, it represents the quintessential nature of the city - a mishmash of different veggies (u can literally throw in any) with an end product that has something for every kind of palate.

Here's how I make it:

1 tbsp Amul butter or vegetable oil

1 big onion - chopped

1 big green bell pepper - chopped

4 juicy tomatoes - chopped (u can substitute with tomato puree too)

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

3 - 4 big potatoes - peeled and chopped

1 cup cauliflower flowerets

1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix

Salt & sugar to taste

1 - 2 tsp red chilli pwd

2 - 3 tbsp pav bhaji masala (I use Everest brand)

Heat the butter/oil in a pressure pan. Add chopped onions and fry till lightly browned. Add the bell pepper and fry another 3 - 4 mins. Add the ginger and garlic pastes, fry 1 min. Add the tomatoes. Fry well for 5 mins. Add the potaotes, cauliflower, peas and carrots along with the masalas and seasonings. I usually add about half the given quantities at this stage. Add about 2 cups of water, close the pressure pan and cook for 2 - 3 whistles. When the lid can be opened and the bhaji has slightly cooled, reheat it gently while mashing all the veggies together with a potato masher. This bhaji is typically eaten well - mashed. Check & adjust the seasonings at this stage.

Serve hot garnished with chopped onions and cilantro, with a lemon wedge on the side. And ofcourse with well butterred and roasted pav.

(All the veggies mentioned above can be rough chopped. I just throw them in my food processor one after another.)

(Though this bhaji is easiest made in a pressure pan, u can make it in a regular pot too. Just use boiled potatoes, cauliflower, peas and carrots in this case.)

(This will serve 4 - 5 adults.)

This Pav Bhaji is off to the RCI - Mumbai event at Kitchen Chronicles.

This event was started by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine.

Chickpea Salad

These kinds of salads rule my lunch box these days. They are a snap to put together in the mornings and the flavors are well blended by lunch time. The original recipe, from Vegetarian Times, was for Tacos stuffed with this salad, but I just omit the tacos.

Here's how I put it together:

1 can of chickpeas - drained, rinsed and microwaved for 2 mins

1 cup of salsa per your choice

1 avocado - sliced

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

Other seasonings as desired like Mrs. Dash, hot sauce etc.

Toss all these together. Carry the lettuce separately. Just before eating, toss the lettuce with the salad.

This Chickpea Salad goes to the Show Me Your Lunchbox Event at Divya's Dil Se.

Chickpea Croquettes

This recipe is from a recent issue of Vegetarian Times. I have recently started subscribing to this magazine, so hopefully will be posting more of their wonderful recipes.

Here's how I made them:

1 15 oz. can chickpeas - rinsed & drained

1/2 cup gram flour (besan)

2 tsp cumin pwd

1 tsp chilli pwd

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

1/2 cup onions

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic - minced

Microwave the chickpeas for a couple of minutes to slightly soften them. Add all of the other ingredients along with upto 1/2 cup hot water to the chickpeas. (In response to Sra's comment, I am adding here that at this stage the chickpeas, due to being microwaved and also due to addition of the hot water, do get ever so slightly mashed, but do retain their shape). Combine well. Shape into croquettes/tikkis. Shallow fry on a non-stick griddle with a drop or two of oil until golden brown on both sides.

I served these with a Greek Salad topping as in the magazine. To make the topping, combine chopped cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, feta cheese, salt & pepper.

These Chickpea Croquettes are off to the Legume Love Affair being hosted by Sra of When my soup came alive. This event was started by Susan The Well Seasoned Cook.

Sabudanyachi khichadi

This is a popular Maharashtrian "fasting" dish. We had it for breakast this morning. Here's how I make Sabudanyachi khichadi:

2 cups sabudana - wash it well in 2 - 3 changes of water, then put the washed sabudana in a broad vessel and add enough water to just cover it. Leave this for about 4 hrs or overnight. Just before proceeding to make the khichadi, first separate out the sabudana by running your fingers thru it.

1 potato - boiled, peeled and cubed

1 tbsp ghee (or oil if you are not "fasting")

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 green chilli chopped

2 tsp salt or to taste

2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp lightly crushed roasted peanuts

1/2 tsp red chilli pwd (optional - some people avoid this while "fasting")

2 tsp Lemon juice

Heat the ghee in a non stick kadai. Drop the cumin seeds, then the chopped green chilli. Saute 2 mins, add the potatoes, saute another 4 - 5 mins. In the meanwhile, mix the salt, sugar, red chilli pwd and crushed peanuts with the sabudana. Add this to the kadai. Cover and cook on low or medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 mins. The sabudana should become a bit transparent by then. Add the lemon juice. Mix well and turn off the heat. Serve hot/warm.

Bharli Bhendi - stuffed okra

This is a good dry side dish for rotis. Here's how I make it:

Tender okra - about 40 - 45 nos.
Oil
2 heaped tbsp gram flour (besan)
2 tbsp dry shredded coconut
1 tbsp peanut pwd.
Salt 1 tsp or to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp amchur pwd.
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd
pinch of asafotida
1 tsp coriander pwd
1 tsp cumin pwd
1 tsp fennel pwd.
1 tsp goda masala
Few tsp water

Wipe the okra with a wet cloth, cut the tops and tails off and half slit open each okra.

To make the stuffing - heat 2 tsp oil on medium low and lightly fry the gram flour until aromatic. Add all the other ingredients listed above from the dry shredded coconut to the goda masala. Saute on low heat for 2 mins. Take off heat. Add a few tsp of water to bind the stuffing.

Bharli bhendi masala stuffing

When the masala stuffing has cooled slightly, fill about 1/4 tsp in each okra. Cook the okra in about 2 tsp oil in a non-stick wok, with cover, on medium low heat for about 15 mins till they soften. Serve hot with rotis.