The ‘cartwheel’ that won me the first prize!- Ruote pasta and eggplant gratin

Ruote pasta is popularly known as Cartwheel pasta or Wagon wheel pasta owing to its shape. This Ruote pasta & Eggplant gratin is a scrumptious one pot meal which is sure to please everyone.

Vegetable Kung Pao

I wanted to make Kung Pao ever since I saw it on Deeba’s blog here. Being a vegetarian I skipped the chicken and used the available vegetables for this quick and easy vegetable Kung Pao.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients: 

8-10 button mushrooms sliced

1 large carrot diced

1 small Red cabbage diced

4 spring onions, white bulbs and green tops cut separately into 1/2″ pieces

1 red/yellow bell pepper, chopped

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

1Tablespoons sherry

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons sugar

2 Tablespoons white-wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

1/3 cup water

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

3/4 cup cashews

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

3-4 garlic cloves, sliced

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, water, soy sauce, sherry and cornstarch.

In a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately high heat.

Add the cashews and stirring until light brown, about 30 seconds. Remove from the pan.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the garlic & chili flakes. Stir for 2 minutes till fragrant & light pink.

Add the white part of the spring onions, carrot & cabbage and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes.

Add the bell pepper and mushroom and cook for a 1-2 minutes more.

Add the soy sauce mixture and the onion greens and simmer for 1-2 minutes Stir in the cashews.

Serve hot over steamed rice.

Quick Roti Quesadilla

 A very simple way to use leftover Rotis and curries: This is a hit with my little one and he doesn’t even know he is eating beans, cauliflower, carrots!  

Left over Rotis are stuffed with vegetable mixed with soya sauce, tomato ketchup, sprinkled with cheese, drizzled with oil, toasted and cut into triangle like Quesadillas.

 The Idea for sealing the Roti edges comes from Nupur’s Aayis samosa. Thanks Nupur and your Aai for this brilliant idea.

  

Roti Quesadilla Recipe:

 Leftover Chapatis (you need them in pairs)

Butter as required

Grated Cheese

Chickpea Flour paste in water (for sealing the edges)

Oil

For the Filling:

Cooked mixed Vegetables of your choice (I have added carrots,   cabbage, capsicum, Green beans, onion and tomatoes)

Tomato Ketchup 2 tbsp

Soya Sauce 2 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste-1tsp

•  Heat 1 tsp oil/butter in a pan.
• Add ginger garlic paste.
• Add the cooked mixed vegetables. Fry for 1-2 minutes.
• Add salt if not already added, tomato ketchup , soya sauce and mix well. Keep Aside.
• Spread butter on one side of the Roti.
• Add the vegetable filling and spread, leaving ½ inch space from the sides.
• Sprinkle cheese.
• Apply the Chickpea flour paste on the edge of the Roti.
• Cover with another Roti (you can apply the Chickpea paste to the edges of the 2^nd Roti too)
• Press edges using a spoon or fork.
• Heat a flat pan and drizzle some oil.
• Cook the Rotis on both sides till golden brown.
• Cut quarters of the Roti-Quesadilla using a pizza cutter.
• Serve Hot.

   Thank you for visiting My FoodCourt ..Cheers

Thai style vegetables in Red curry and Saffron Rice

In contrast to week days, Weekends I cook some elaborate meals. This weekend I made this Thai style vegetables in Red curry and Saffron Rice.

For the curryI made everything from scratch right from coconut milk.

I used the recipe for the Red Curry paste from Sanjeevkapoor. This spicy Thai style vegetables in Red Curry we had with Saffron Rice. I used lime leaves from our garden to flavour the curry .

I followed this recipe for Saffron Rice, Except that I made it in the Rice cooker and with our regular long grained white rice-no jasmine rice.

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Thai style vegetables in Red Curry recipe

For about 4-5 servings

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For the Red curry paste

8 Red chillies whole

2-3 Lemon grass stalk (I have used dried sticks)

1 tsp Coriander seeds/powder

1 tsp Cumin seeds

8-9 Peppercorns

2 medium sized Onions (chopped)

4-5 cloves Garlic (chopped)

Salt to taste  

For the Vegetables in gravy

200 gms tofu cubed

7-8 button mushrooms, thoroughly washed and sliced

6-7 Babycorns slit lengthwise

1 large Yellow capsicum julienned

~ 2 cups cabbage diced

3/4 cup thin coconut milk

~ ½ cup Mung sprouts

A handful of roasted peanuts (crushed)

1 tsp Lemon juice

4-5 lime leaves torn with hand

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste 

To make Coconut milk

Take about ½ cup fresh , grated coconut in a blender along with ~ ½ cup lukewarm water. Blend till the coconut becomes creamy. Sieve through a fine mesh (like a cheesecloth)to get the coconut milk. Repeat this procedure with the coconut ‘flesh’ and less water one or two times more till most of the milk comes out.  

To make the Red curry

Blend all the ingredients of the Red curry paste together to a smooth paste. 

To make the Vegetables in gravy

Heat oil in a pan.

Add the mushrooms and sauté till all the water dries up.

Add the babycorns and the Mung sprouts. Add about ½ cup water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the cabbage. Cook for few minutes more.

Then add the tofu and capsicum. Cook for few more minutes.

Add the red curry paste. Mix nicely and heat on high flame for few minutes.

Stir in lime juice and salt and mix nicely.

Add the coconut milk , simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the lime leaves and crushed peanuts.

Serve hot with Saffron Rice.

Oat Patties

This has been quite an ‘Oaty’ month in my house. I could lay my hands on some Quick cooking oats and Oat Bran and I have tried to utilize their goodness to the fullest. I have been adding Oats to many dishes including some Bhel!

I wish we would get some more varieties of Oats here- old fashioned, steel cut etc. The search is on….

In addition to their health benefits Oats have also introduced that ‘Feel Good’ factor in our daily lives. Just the thought that we are eating something so nutritious is making us feel nice.

Oat Patties, I can say, is one of my most successful experiments with this ‘wonder-grain’. If you are a person like me ,who cannot start her day with a sweet breakfast this is something you are gonna truly like.

Its spicy, its delicious, it masks the nutty flavour of Oats very well (if you don’t like it) and its quite simple to make.

I have thrown in the ingredients I had in my fridge to cook up this wholesome breakfast.

Nutritious Oat Patties for WBB#13 –Oats

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Oat Patties recipe

Makes~ 7-8 patties

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½ cup Quick cooking Oats

½ cup Oat Bran

½ cup button mushrooms chopped

½ cup grated/mashed tofu

½ cup French beans boiled and finely chopped (or veggie of your choice)

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 small onion finely chopped (you can add spring onion with the greens)

4-5 sprigs fresh coriander leaves

3 tsp Red chilli flakes (or green chilli paste)

½ tsp cumene seeds

2 tsp Soy Sauce

Salt to taste

Olive Oil for shallow frying 

Toast the Quick cooking Oats in a pan till they turn to a light brown colour. (You will get the smell similar to when you are roasting Rava or Poha) Keep them aside.

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in the same pan.

Add the cumene seeds and the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a second and then add the chopped onions and fry till they turn translucent.

Add the chopped mushrooms and fry for 1-2 minutes. The mushrooms will ooze out some water. Cook till the water evaporates. Remove from heat and cool in a bowl in which you can mix the other ingredients.

Mix together the toasted Quick cooking Oats, sautéed mushroom, grated tofu, beans, chopped coriander leaves, Red chili flakes, Soy sauce and salt.

Knead the mixture to mix all the ingredients nicely.

The moisture from the veggies and tofu is enough to hold together the mixture. If you feel it is a a bit dry and difficult to hold together dip your hand in water and knead the mixture with the same hand.

Make lemon sized balls of this mixture and press to make them into round discs.

Brush a non stick pan with little olive oil and fry the patties on both sides till brown and crisp. Alternatively grill the patties.

Serve immediately with some ketchup or chutney of your choice. (They tend to get a little soggy/ sticky if kept for a very long time) 

To serve: For a wholesome filling breakfast- slice a whole wheat Bun or burger bun. Add a slice of cucumber, tomato. Spread some tomato ketchup and keep an Oat Patty and grill in the oven for 2-3 minutes.Serve immediately.

From China Town

    A couple of years back I visited Sydney, Australia. Just after 2-3 days of having sandwiches and fruits for lunch/dinner I craved for Indian food. We discovered a place called China Town during one of our expeditions for food! I was all excited to have Chinese food -something to remind me of food at home! The menu boasted of a range of Chinese dishes. We ordered for some Rice and some Noodles. To my utter disappointment the rice and noodles were nothing like the ones we have at home…here in India.The Chinese food served in India is more of a Indo-Chinese fusion.Basic Chinese recipes altered to suit the Indian palette,with lots of garlic and chillies and sauces!I am not complaining, I prefer it that way.I am a great fan of this Indo-Chinese food.Here’s my favourite Veg Fried Rice and Veg Hot and Sour …Indi style..my style

      

For the Veg Fried Rice you need:

1 cup rice, cooked

2 cups finely chopped vegetables (Carrots, French Beans, Green Capsicums, fresh button Mushrooms, fresh green spring onions)

3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped

½ tsp ginger grated

2 tsp green chilly sauce

2 tsp Soya Sauce

¼  tsp white/black pepper powder

A pinch of Ajinomoto (Mono Sodium Glutamate) -optional

2 tsp oil for cooking

Salt as per required  Heat oil in a wok. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 min.Add the ginger and then add the spring onion whites. Sauté for a few minutes on high flame. Then add the carrots and French beans and cook for a few minutes till the carrots and beans become a little soft.Add the green capsicum, Mushrooms and spring onion greens.Cook for a few minutes.Now add some Chinese green chilly sauce, soy sauce, ajinomoto and some salt .Adjust the salt depending on the soy sauce and ajinomoto added. Add the cooked rice mix and cook for few minutes more on high flame.Serve hot.

 

For Veg Hot and sour you need:

1 small cabbage diced. 2 Carrots sliced (in thin rounds)

1 medium sized green Capsicum cut into thin strips

2-3 sprigs green onions (bulbs as well as greens)

½ tsp ginger grated

2 tsp green chilly sauce

2 tsp Soya Sauce

1 tbsp hot and sweet tomato sauce (or just add some red chilli powder to tomato ketchup)

2 tsp cornflour

½ cup water

¼ tsp white/black pepper powder

¼ tsp sugar

Salt as per taste.

2 tsp oil

     

Heat oil in a wok. Add the ginger and chopped onions (white part).Sauté for few minutes.Add the carrots and then add the cabbage.Cook for a few minutes then add the capsicum.When the veggies are just cooked add the sauces, salt and sugar.Add some water to the veggies.In a small bowl mix the cornflour with little water.Add it to the veggies and mix nicely.Cook till the gravy becomes little thick and saucy.Sprinkle pepper powder. Serve hot with Veg Fried Rice.

Quick n Easy Methi (Fenugreek)Parathas

Fresh leafy veggies are my weakness and I can’t resist the temptation of buying them whenever I am in the Bhaji Bazaar (Vegetable Market). I couldn’t resist buying a bunch of Methi (Fenugreek) leaves this time I visited the bazaar.

 

The best thing one can make with a bunch of Methi leaves is quick and easy Parathas (…says me). So here’s what I carried for lunch today…

Ingredients:

1 bunch Methi leaves cleaned, washed and chopped       

3 cups whole wheat flour (atta)

1 tbsp split gram flour (besan)       

 1 tbsp soy flour (Optional)

1 tsp turmeric powder

Red Chilli powder- as per taste  

Salt – as required

½ tsp sugar

2 tsps lime juice

Oil/Butter/Ghee for cooking

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Knead the dough using water as required. The dough should not be too hard or too soft. Keep it aside, covered for about 10 mins.        

Make small lime size balls of the dough. 

Roll out each ball on a flat surface with a rolling pin into a circle. Dust some wheat flour if required.

On a hot griddle/tava, cook each paratha on both sides.Apply little oil/butter/ghee on both sides. (For the diet conscious parathas can be cooked without the oil or butter. It tastes equally good.)

Serve with Achaar or Chutney.

 

 Methi parathas are a favourite with my toddler too, though he prefers it less spicy!