Almond Rosemary Cracker, gluten free

Blanched Almond Flour – 1¾  cup ( I used Bobs Red Mill)
Salt – ½ tsp (Preferably use Himalayan Pink Salt or Rock Salt)
Fresh rosemary – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Olive Oil / Melted Butter – 1 tbsp
Egg – 1

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix almond flour, salt and chopped rosemary together.

In a separate bowl whisk egg and butter/olive oil together.

Stir the egg mixture to almond flour and mix well to form a soft dough. If the mixture is dry, required add a little more olive oil.

Press the dough between two parchment papers and roll it into a thin square about a quarter inch quickness. Remove the top parchment paper. Transfer the bottom parchment paper with rolled out dough onto a baking sheet.

Cut the dough into 2 inch squares with a knife or pizza cutter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven immediately and allow to cool.  Do not overbake as the crackers can turn brown quickly and get bitter. Make around 25 to 30  crackers.

Serve with cheese and/or fruit compote.

Bread Upma

Bread Slices – 4 (Use 100% whole grain bread)
Olive Oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Green Chili – 3, finely chopped
Red Onion – 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Ginger – 1 inch, grated
Red Potato – 1 small, cut into thin small cubes
Carrot – 1, thinly sliced into roundels
Capsicum – 1 small, cut into small pieces
Green Beans – a handful, thinly chopped (optional)
Frozen Green Peas – a handful (optional)
Tomato – 1 small, chopped
Salt
Tomato Ketchup – 1 tbsp

Cilantro - a handful, chopped

Cut the bread slices into small cubes. Heat a cast iron pan. Once it is hot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and immediately add the bread cubes. Gently toss the bread cubes in the oil for around 5 minutes till they start to get slightly crisp and brown. Remove and keep aside.

Add remaining tbsp of oil in the same skillet. Immediately add the cumin seeds and green chili. Once the cumin seeds begin to sizzle, add the chopped onion.

Cook on medium high till the onion begins to caramelize. Add grated ginger, chopped potato and some salt. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the remaining veggies. Cook on medium low heat till the vegetables are cooked but still crisp. Add the chopped tomato and cook for a minute more.

Increase the heat and add the bread pieces. Add 2 tbsp of tomato ketchup and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes more. Remove from heat, cover the pan and let it cool down slightly. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve.

 

 

Sending this post to the following event http://www.sizzlingtastebuds.com/2012/08/desi-videsi-food-fest-new-event.html

Spinach Frittata

Large Eggs – 4
Whole Milk – 1 tbsp
Grated Cheese – ¼ cup (I used raw milk pepper jack cheese)
Salt
Pepper

Olive Oil – 1 tbsp
Baby Spinach – 2 cups
Onion – ½ cup, finely chopped
Garlic – 2 cloves, minced (optional)
Green Chili – 2, finely chopped
Mushrooms – ½ cup, chopped
Capsicum – 1, chopped
Tomato – 1, chopped

Beat the eggs with a little salt and pepper. Add eggs and half the grated cheese and beat again. Keep the mixture aside.

Heat a cast iron pan. Add a tsp of olive oil and the baby spinach. Cook on high heat till the spinach has wilted and the liquid had dried up. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Add chopped onion, green chilies and minced garlic, if using. Then add the capsicum and mushroom. Cook on high heat till the vegetables are just cooked. Add chopped tomato and wilted spinach and mix well. Then add the egg mixture on top. Cook on low heat till the eggs are slightly set. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top

Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes till the top begins to get brown. Remove, cut into triangles and serve immediately.

Black and White Wednesday - Blueberries, freshly plucked from my garden

This is my entry for Black and White Wednesdays Week#37 hosted by Aparna of http://www.mydiversekitchen.com/2012/06/announcing-black-white-wednesdays-week.html started by Susan of http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.in/2012/04/black-and-white-wednesday-host-line-up.html

Mini Pineapple Upside down Cakes, with almond flour

Blanched Almond Flour - 11/2 cups (I used Honeyville Farms Almond Flour)
Baking Powder - 11/2 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Organic Eggs - 2
Raw Honey - 1/2 cup
Pure Almond Extract - 1 tsp
Butter / Coconut Oil - 4 tbsp
Pineapple Juice - 1/2 cup (squeeze a few fresh pineapple pieces to extract the juice)
Milk - 1/2 cup (if required)

All the above ingredients should be at room temperature

For the upside down part:
Fresh Pineapple - about 2 cups, chopped & slightly mashed (try to get extra sweet golden pineapple)
Butter / Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
Coconut Sugar / Raw Brown Sugar - 1/4 cup

Makes around 12 small muffin sized cakes

Take a standard muffin pan and grease with a little butter or coconut oil. Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small pan, heat the butter and sugar together on low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Pour 2 tsp of the mixture at the bottom of each muffin slot. Layer the pineapple at the top of the sugar/butter mix.

While you are making the upside down part, mix almond flour, baking powder, salt together. Whisk eggs. Add honey, butter, almond extract, pineapple juice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. If the mixture is dry, add the milk.

Pour a little of the batter into each muffin slot taking care to fill only till half.

Bake in preheated oven for around 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let it cool for around 15 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges and turn the mini cakes upside down into a serving platter.

They taste divine as it is or you can serve them with some whipped fresh cream and a piece of pineapple on top.

 

Kancheepuram Dosa / Savory Lentil Crepes

Green Mung Beans / Yellow Split Moong Dal - 1 cup
Urad Dal / Black Gram - 1 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fresh Ground Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 5, finely chopped (optional)
Cilantro - a handful, finely chopped
Turmeric - a pinch
Green Chillies - 4, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch piece, grated
Onion - 1/2 cup, very finely chopped
Salt - To Taste
Water

Soak the Moong Beans and Urad Dal together for at least 6 hrs or overnight.

Drain the dals, wash with clean water and grind it into a smooth batter with very little water till it is fluffy. Add salt to taste and mix well with hand and keep the batter, loosely covered, inside a cool oven to ferment for 6 to 8 hours.

After the batter has fermented, add black pepper, cumin seeds, cumin powder, turmeric, asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger, green chillies, chopped cilantro, chopped onion, a little water to make a pancake like batter.

Heat an iron skillet. Brush with oil and pour a ladle full of the batter. Spread with the back of the ladle. Add a few drops of oil to the edges of the dosa.

Cook till the bottom browns. Flip and cook on the other side till brown and crisp. Serve with your favourite chutney.

Paneer Bhurji / Spicy Scrambled Fresh Cottage Cheese

Grated Fresh Paneer - 6 oz, (around 1 cup lightly packed)
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green Chili - 3, finely chopped
Ginger - 1/2 inch grated
Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Capsicum - 1/2, finely chopped
Carrot - 1 small, grated
Tomato - 1, chopped
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Cilantro - a handful, chopped

Heat a skillet on medium high. Add the olive oil and immediately add cumin seeds.

Add green chili, ginger and chopped onion and saute till the onion gets caramelised.

Add chopped capsicum and grated carrot. Saute for a few minutes more till the capsicum is cooked.

Add chopped tomato and saute for a minute more.

Now add the grated paneer, salt and garam masala. Mix everything well. Cook for a couple of minutes more. Remove from heat, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Beetroot Raita

Greek Yogurt - 1 cup
Rock Salt
Raw Sugar - 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Beetroot - 1 (very small beetroot)
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 5
Dried Red Chili -2
Salt

Mix yogurt, rock salt, sugar, cumin powder, cayenne pepper together and whisk well. Keep aside.

Peel the beetroot and grate coarsely using a hand held grater.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the mustard seeds. Once they begin to pop, add the dried red chili and curry leaves.

Add the grated beetroot, a little salt and saute for around five minutes till the beetroot is cooked but still crunchy. Remove and cool slightly.

Add the sauteed beetroot to the yogurt mixture. Set aside for at least half an hour before serving.

Falafel with fresh Fava Beans

Fresh Fava Beans - 3/4 cup (around 20 pods)
Dry chickpeas - 3/4 cup
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic Cloves - 5, grated
Cilantro and Parsley - a handful, chopped
Red Onion 1 small, chopped
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Baking Powder - a pinch
Arrowroot Powder - 2 heaped tsp
Salt
Peanut Oil for deep frying

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Wash and leave them in a colander to drain excess moisture.

Remove the fava beans from the pod. Then using your fingers, remove the thin cover on each beans. Alternatively the beans can be immersed in boiling water for a minute and blanched to remove the skin.

Mix garlic, cilantro, parsley, red onion together in a food processor to make a paste. Add soaked chickpeas, fava beans, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, salt, lemon juice, baking powder, arrowroot powder and pulse to get a coarse mixture. The mixture should be coarse and not very smooth.

Shape into small balls and deep fry on medium low heat until dark brown on both sides.

Baba Ghanoush

Eggplant - 1, big
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Tahini - 2 tbsp
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 4 cloves, minced
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Paprika for garnishing
Wash the eggplant and dry well. Prick it allover with a fork and roast on open gas flame, rotating frequently, till soft and charred completely. The skin of the eggplant should be completely black and the center of the eggplants thoroughly cooked. This gives a wonderful smoky flavor to the eggplant.

Cool, remove the skin, mash with a fork. Add tahini, olive oil, cayenne pepper, garlic, lemon juice, roasted cumin powder, salt and blend in a blender till smooth.

Pour into a serving bowl, drizzle more olive oil on top, sprinkle paprika and serve. We had ours with chickpea flatbread / besan roti and falafel.

Sending this recipe to the following event hosted by http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/06/kitchen-chronicles-only-vegan-event-announcement.html started by http://www.sizzlingtastebuds.com/2011/12/updated-host-list-for-hli-mmk-some.html

Pithla

Chickpea Flour / Besan - 1/2 cup
Water - 3 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 5
Green Chili - 3, finely chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
Shallots - 2, finely chopped
Kokum / Tamarind - 1 tsp (mix with a little water to take out the extract and throw away the pulp)
Salt
Cilantro - a handful, chopped, for garnishing

Mix the besan with water and whisk well to form a smooth lump free mixture.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. Once they begin to pop, add cumin seeds, hing, curry leaves, green chilies and garlic. Saute for a few seconds.

Now add the chopped onion and cook till the onion begins to caramelise.

Add the besan water mixture and whisk continuously so that it doesn't form into lumps. Add salt and kokum / tamarind extract and cook for a few minutes more till the besan is completely cooked and the desired consistency is reached. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately with nachni bhakri.

Crispy Potato Pakoda

Boiled Potato - 2
Cheese - 2 tbsp (grated), I used pepper jack
Besan / Chickpea Flour - 1/2 cup
Red Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Green Chili - 3, finely chopped
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Chaat Masala - 1 tsp (optional)
Poppy Seeds - 2 tsp
Salt
Water
Peanut Oil for deep frying

Mash the potatoes coarsely with a fork along with the skin, Add grated cheese, besan, chopped red onion, green chili, cilantro, chaat masala, poppy seeds, salt and mix well. Sprinkle a little water so that the mixture is a little wet and can be formed into small balls.

Heat peanut oil over medium heat. Make small balls of the mixture and fry in batches till golden brown.

Serve hot as an appetizer with your favourite sauce.

Gun Powder / Idli Podi

Dried Red Chilies - 1/4 cup, break the chilies into 1 inch pieces and measure in the cup
Urad Dal / Split Black Grams - 1/4 cup
Chana Dal / Split Bengal Gram - 1/4 cup
Brown Sesame Seeds - 1/4 cup (optional, can be substituted with equal quantity of urad and chana dal)
Asafoetida / Hing - 1/2 tsp
Rock Salt - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 10
Aamchur / Dry Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil - 1 tsp

Dry roast urad dal, chana dal, sesame seeds one by one separately over low flame in an iron wok till they are dark brown. The roasting should be done over low heat till the lentils become DARK brown.

Heat oil in the wok and over slow fire, roast the red chilies and curry leaves till they are crisp. Add salt , aamchur, turmeric and asafoetida.

Cool everything and grind together to a coarse or smooth powder. I like the powder to be a little coarse. Store in an airtight container. Can be served with idli or dosa.

Sending this recipe to the following event hosted by http://www.jagrutidhanecha.com/2012/07/announcing-event-grind-your-cooking.html

Watermelon Granita

Seedless Watermelon - 1/2 of a medium sized melon, cut into small cubes
Agave / Maple Syrup - 2 to 3 tbsp depending on how sweet the melon is
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Mint Leaves for garnishing

Mix the watermelon, agave and lemon juice together and blend in a blender till smooth.

Pour the mixture in a flat metal / glass baking pan and freeze, uncovered in the freezer for an hour.

Remove and using a fork scrape the granita mixture to break all the frozen bits.

Freeze and repeat the process twice, after every hour till the mixture becomes like snow. Cover tightly and store. Before serving, scrape again with a fork and serve garnished with mint leaves on top.

Savory Finger Millet Crepe / Instant Ragi Dosa

Finger Millet / Ragi Flour - 1 cup
Brown Rice Flour - 1/2 cup
Greek Yogurt - 3 tbsp
Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Green Chili - 3, finely chopped
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt
Water
Oil

Mix the greek yogurt with a cup of water and whisk well so that it becomes smooth buttermilk without any lumps.

Mix finger millet flour, brown rice flour, buttermilk, onion, green chili, cilantro, salt together and add required water to make a batter thinner than pancake.

Heat an iron skillet. Brush with oil and pour a ladle full of the batter. Spread with the back of the ladle. Add a few drops of oil to the edges of the dosa.

Cook till the bottom browns. Flip and cook on the other side till brown and crisp.

Serve with Spicy Sesame Powder. I even like having mine sometimes with raw honey.

Bengali Fish & Potato Curry

 

Small fish steaks - 6, I used Fresh Bronzini
Yukon Gold Potato - 1, cut into thin slices lengthwise
Mustard oil - 1 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic Clove - 1 small clove, minced
Red Onion - 1 small, grated
Tomato - 1 big, grated
Yogurt - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Raw Sugar - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Salt

Apply turmeric and salt to the fish pieces and marinate for a couple of minutes. Heat mustard oil in a small wok and shallow fry the fish pieces in batches till they are light brown on both sides. Keep aside

Heat a skillet and add olive oil. Add the potato slices, sprinkle some turmeric and cook till they are light brown and half done. Remove the potato and keep aside.

In the same pan, add a mix of mustard oil and olive oil, if required. Add the minced garlic and then the grated onion. Sprinkle some salt and a little sugar. Cook till the onion starts to caramelize.

Then add the turmeric, red chili powder, cumin and coriander powder to the yogurt and mix well. Add chopped tomato and the spice mix to the skillet. Cook till the tomato is well done.

Now add 2 cups of warm water, salt and the half cooked potato slices. Cover and cook till the gravy thickens slightly and the potato is almost cooked. Add the fried fish steaks and cover and cook for a minute or so till the gravy reaches desired consistency.

Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve hot with steamed rice.