Three Bean Chilli for a fiery Lunchbox Fiesta

Three bean Chilli – fiery Lunchbox fiesta for The Urban Spice Sweet September Giveaway

Desi Health Bites – Mini Thalipeeth Tostadas

I love experimenting with different grains and flours. Jowar, Nagli/Ragi,Amaranth, Corn etc.. are pantry staples in my house. Most of the times,I use a blend of these grains for our day-to-day food in the form of khichdis, upmas,dosas.

One such multipurpose, wholesome flour mix is the ‘Thalipeeth Bhajani. This is a pantry staple in every Maharashtrian household.

Bhajani Thalipeeth basically is a quick flat bread made using this multigrain Bhajani mix along with chopped onions,sometimes some chopped fresh or leftover vegetables, fresh coriander, sesame seeds and spices.It is usually served for breakfast with fresh homemade Curd/Yogurt, homemade white butter and/or sweet lime pickle.

My Mom makes her own Thalipeeth Bhajani by roasting – Jowar, Bajra, wheat, Nagli,Rice,Gram dal,Urad dal and cumene , coriander seeds and then milling them together. Needless to say I get my Thalipeeth Bhajani mix  readymade from her as and when I am out of stock :). Most supermarkets, grocery stores, health food shops now stock Thalipeeth flour, so it is easily available or see the Quick Mix version given below.

Another favourite item from the Maharashtrian cuisine is ‘Khamang Kakdi’ – cucumber salad tempered with spices and topped with crushed peanuts. I love to add Tomatoes and onion to my Khamang Kakdi.

Both these Classic Maharashtrian favourites, I have combined in a quick modern Appetizer Avatar- Mini Thalipeeth Tostadas, akin to the Mexican Tostadas.

It seems to be a long winded recipe but it uses simple day-to-day ingredients found in most Indian kitchens.With some advance preparation it can be easily put together in under 30 minutes.

I have used Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil for making my  Mini Thalipeeth Tostadas.

“Fortune rice bran health oil has a key micronutrient called “oryzanol”, an antioxidant found only in the bran of rice. It helps reduce bad cholesterol,increase good cholesterol and keeps your heart healthy, making it a healthier choice.

Squalene is an organic compound naturally produced by human skin cells and is a natural moisturizer. Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil contains good amounts of it which prevent the ageing of skin.

Antioxidants improve health by fighting free radicals that harm the immune system. Fortune Rice Bran Health oil has natural antioxidants that help build strong immunity”.

“It is a myth that colourless or transparent oils are healthier than dark oils. FRBH is refined optimally to keep all the essential micronutrients intact. It has a darker appearance primarily due to Oryzanol.

It is enriched with a gamut of nutrients and is good for heart, immunity, skin and hormones. It is appropriate for people of all ages”

Here’s the recipe for my Mini Thalipeeth Tostadas

Mini Thalipeeth Tostadas

Makes about 18-19, 3” round Tostadas

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: ~30 mins including baking time

Ingredients

For the Tostados

2 Cups Thalipeeth flour/Multigrain flour *

1 tsp Ajwain/Carom seeds

2 tsp Sesame seeds

½ tsp Dry red chilli powder (or to taste)

2 tsp Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil

2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

¼ tsp garlic paste

½ tsp Asafoetida/hing

Warm water as required (~ ¾-1 cup)

For the topping

1 large cucumber peeled finely chopped

1 large Tomato ,seeds removed & finely chopped

½ onion finely chopped

3 tsp roasted peanuts crushed

2 tsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

½ tsp brown sugar

Salt to taste

For tempering

2 tsp Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp Cumene seeds

5-6 Curry leaves

½ tsp powdered Asafoetida

1-2 green chillies chopped

For the herbed Yogurt/Curd

¾  cup thick Yogurt/curd

2 tsp chopped mint leaves

2 tsp chopped coriander leaves

Rock salt to taste

Method

For the Tostados

Preheat the oven to 170 deg C.

Line a baking sheet with Parchment paper.

Add the flour or flours to a mixing bowl.

Add all the other ingredients except the water.Mix well.

Slowly add the warm water and knead the flours into a stiff but pliable dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.

Roll out into a thin layer. The layer should be as thin as possible while still workable.

Cut rounds using a 3” cookie cutter/ sharp edge of a small steel Dabba.

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake till they turn golden around the edges – ~15-20 minutes. (Keep an eye on them after about 12 minutes as they burn easily.)

Cool completely on a wire rack.

Note: These can be made well in advance. Can be stored in an air tight container for about 2 weeks.

For the topping-Koshimbir

Mix the cucumber, tomatoes, onions in a bowl.

Add the crushed peanuts, salt,sugar and mix

In a small Kadhai/pan add the oil.

Once hot, add the mustard seeds.

Once the mustard seeds crackle, add the cumene seeds, Asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies.

Pour this over the Cucumber-tomato-onion mixture in the bowl.

Add the chopped coriander and mix again.

Note: The veggies can be chopped in advance but mix everything just before serving and use immediately

For the Herbed Yogurt/Curd

In a small bowl mix together the Yogurt and the herbs.

Season with Rock salt and mix well.

To Assemble the Mini Thalipeeth Tostadas

Keep the crispy Thalipeeth Tostadas on a large serving plate.

Add 1½- 2 spoonfuls of the Koshimbir Topping.

Top with a dollop of the herbed Yogurt

Serve immediately

Other serving suggestions:

You can use Sweet Lime pickle along with the juice, or a coriander-mint chutney or the Marathi Red/Green Chilly Thecha instead of the herbed Yogurt

*Make your own multigrain Quick Thalipeeth flour mix:  ½ cup Wheat flour+ ¼ cup Rice flour+ ¼ cup Ragi/Nagli flour+ ¼ cup Jowar flour+1/4 cup Bajra flour+ ¼ Besan/chickpea/Gram flour+ ¼ cup Urad Dal/Black lentil flour + ½ tsp roasted cumene powder+ ½ tsp coriander seed powder

This blogpost is in association with Fortune Foods as a part of their Desi Health Bites activity– The Hunt for the Best Rice Bran Oil Recipes. For more updates and healthy recipes using Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil, follow Fortune Foods on Facebook and on Twitter at @fortunefoods

Apricot Prune Tea Cake

Apricot and Prunes make a delicious combination for this light and simple Tea cake .The slight tangy taste of the dried fruits compliments the sweetness of the cake. Prunes and Apricots add a chewy texture to the cake and help to keep the cake moist. We loved the nutty walnut flavour which also added crunch to the cake.

I found the recipe here. I have followed the recipe except that I did not use the ½ tsp salt as suggested. Also I used almost ½ cup of milk instead of ¾ as recommended in the recipe and my baking time was 5-6 minutes over the specified baking time of 55 minutes.

I call it a tea cake instead of the Coffee cake as the original recipe suggests since I am sending it all the way to Goa for the High Tea Treats hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen.

Thank you Aparna and Meeta for hosting this event; Loved your choice of theme for the Monthly Mingle.

 Apricot Prune Tea Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dried prunes, pitted

3/4 cup dried apricots (or mangos, pears, apples, raisins or other dried fruits)

Boiling water

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon sifted flour, divided

2 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup brown sugar (I used Demerara Sugar)

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 pound (~1/2 Cup) butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons melted butter

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1. Cover prunes and apricots (or other dried fruit) with boiling water. Let stand 5 minutes. Drain and chop finely.

2. In small bowl, sift 2 cups flour with baking powder.

3. In another small bowl, combine brown sugar with remaining tablespoon flour and cinnamon. Set aside.

4. Cream butter until fluffy. Add 3/4 cup sugar, mixing well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until light.

5. At low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture alternating with milk and vanilla until just blended.

6. Fold in chopped fruit.

7. Pour a third of batter into greased 9-inch tube pan. Spread evenly and sprinkle with a third of brown sugar mixture. Drizzle with a third of melted butter.

8.Repeat for 2 additional layers.
9.Top with chopped Walnuts.

10.Bake in a preheated 180 degree celcius oven for 55 minutes (I took ~60 minutes) or until inserted tester comes out clean.

11.Cool on rack for 10 minutes.

12.Remove cake from pan and return to rack to cool thoroughly.

I already have request from the family to repeat the Apricot Prune Tea cake and that means it was really good! 🙂 My little one loved it and the DH, with an eternal sweet tooth was asking for more! Maybe I can glaze it the next time or maybe even top it with a Chocolate sauce! Will let you know.

                                                                       Cheers!

Spiced Walnut Ring

Spices are a way of life in India as far as food is considered! A variety of spices are skillfully blended in Indian cuisine not only for the flavor they impart to any dish but also for their health benefits.

This spicy cake is rich in energy, protein and calcium. The spices add that special Indian touch to it.Ginger, Nutmeg as well as Cinnamon all help ease digestion. Walnuts, which are a rich source of omega-3-fatty acids ( help in lowering cholesterol) add extra nutrition and crunch apart from its distinctive flavour.        

 I found this recipe in ‘Baby and Toddler Food’ by Tarla Dalal. I liked it because it uses Whole wheat flour (a very healthy alternative) to the all purpose flour (Maida), which is usually used to make cakes.

For 1 Mini Ring (8 pieces)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour(Atta)

 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ginger powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder (dalchini)

1/2 cup butter, softened 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1/4 cup condensed milk 

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped  

Method: Sieve the flour with the baking powder, ginger powder, nutmeg powder and cinnamon powder. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a bowl till light and fluffy Add the condensed milk, flour mixture, milk and walnuts and mix well. Pour this mixture into a greased 125 mm. (5″) diameter ring mould  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C (360°F) for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.

                          

My husband loved this cake and I could get only one piece for taste!

Spiced Walnut Ring – my entry for this month’s From My Rasoi hosted by Katherine of Toast Point .