Mexican Pizza

Two cuisines that my daughter is fond of, Italian and Mexican. Combine these two and she says she experiences a tsunami of flavors in her mouth :) . So here is recipe of the dish that she can have any time of the day. Whenever you have left over rajma you can use it to make a yummy mexican dish.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup All purpose flour (Maida)
1/4 tsp Baking powder
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 Cup grated mozeralla cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato finely chopped
1 small jalapeno, sliced
1/4 cup, green and red bell pepper, finely chopped
3-4 black olives, slices
1/2 cup left over Rajma or canned black beans
1 tsp Taco seasoning
pinch of black pepper
salt to taste
Oil for frying

Procedure

In a bowl take the wheat flour and maida, add 1 tbsp oil, salt and baking powder. Kneed it into a soft dough using water. Cover it with a wet cloth and keep aside for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the veggies and put salt and black pepper. In a separate bowl mix taco seasoning in the cooked rajma(black beans).
Make equal sized balls from the dough, roll them into thin tortillas. Using a knife put a soft check on the tortilla, using a fork make holes it, so it doesn't puff up while frying. Heat oil in a frying pan, on low heat fry the tortillas.( Instead of frying you can bake
+++++++them as well). Now take one tortilla, spread black beans, sprinkle grated cheese, cover it with second tortilla. spread the veggies evenly on the top and air fry it for 2-3 minutes, for the cheesed to melt. Oven can also be used for this purpose. preheat on 200 degree and bake for about a minute or so till the cheese melts. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Dal ka Masala

This special dal ka masala can enhance the taste of any kind of dal. Prepare and save it in a tight container and this can be used for about 6 months.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Black salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds
1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Dry ginger powder
1 Tbsp Dry Mango Powder
10 cloves
4” Cinnamon Stick
1/2 Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Asfoetida
1 Bay leaf


Procedure

Put all the ingredients in a big plate in sunlight for about 5-6 hours. Dry roast cumin seeds. Coarsely ground dry ginger and mix black salt and keep aside. Add all the jngrefients to the grinder and ground it into a fine powder. If the masala looks thick, sieve and grind the residue again. Let it cool amd store into a tight container. 

Eggplant Radish Curry

Eggplant Radish Curry is easy to prepare and tastes great. This recipe is on special demand by my South Indian friend.

Ingredients

1 medium sized Eggplant ( brinjal)
2 medium sized Radish
1/2 cup green peas
1 medium sized Onion ( finely chopped)
2 medium sized Tomato ( finely chopped)
1 inch piece of ginger ( finely chopped)
Pinch of Asfoetida (hing)
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp Oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp Raw mango powder(amchur powder)
Salt to taste
Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)


Procedure

Heat a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds and asfoetida, now add chopped giner fry and add onion, fry till golden brown, add turmeric powder, coriander powder and chilli powder, fry and add chopped tomatoes. Leave it on low flames. Cook till oil separates. Peel the eggplant and radish and cut into small pieces. Add it into the pressure cooker along with peas. Add salt and water. Mix well and put the lid. Give 2-3 whistles and turn off the flame. Check if the peas have become soft. If it’s too watery put kn high flame without the lid and let the water evaporate, keep stirring. Once it reaches the desured consitency, add raw mango powder, garam masala. Mix well. Garnish with fresh coriander and ginger juliennes.

Veg Manchow Soup

Most of us love pan asian cuisine. One of my daughter’s favorite dish is Machow soup. Here is a simple recipe for restaurant style Manchow Soup.

Ingredients 

2 Cups Vegetable Stock

2 Cups water

1 small onion finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 tbsp finely chopped green chillies

1/2 cup finely copped cabbage

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1/4 tsp MSG( optional )

1tsp white vinegar

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp red chilly sauce

Salt to taste 

1 Cup boiled noodles

3 tbsp oil

3 tbsp cornflour

Finely chopped fresh coriander for garnishing

Procedure 

(For fried noodles)

Take 3/4 cup fried noodles in a bowl and mix 1 tbsp cornflour. Sprinkle 1 tbsp oil and mix well. Put in air fryer for 5 minutes approximately, keep checking and tossing in between till they turn light brown. Keep aside.

( For vegetable stock)

Take 2 cups water in a pan, add chopped vegetables( onion, coriander, cabbage, carrots etc) , put this to boil with a covered lid for 5 minutes or until it reduces to 1.5 cups approx. strain and keep aside.

( For Soup)

Heat a wok on high  flame, add ginger garlic and chopped green chilli, fry for few seconds and add onion, fry again for couple of seconds and add finely chopped veggies( you can use veggies of your own choice) keep frying if it gets sticky add 1 tbsp vegetable stock. Add soy sauce, red chilli sauce, black pepper powder, MSG and regular salt. Add the remaining vegetable stock and water, put this to boil. Take 2 tbsp cornflour in a bowl add 1/4 cup water and mix well. Now add this to the soup slowly while u keep stirring with other hand. Boil for about 3-4 minutes or until the taste of raw corn flour goes away. Add vinegar, stir nicely. Garnish will fresh coriander and fried noodles. Serve hot! 

7 Layer Dip for Tortilla chips/Nachos

This 7 layer ip is a super easy American appetizer. It’s healthy and yummy, kids would live it.

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Kashmiri Rajma( Soaked overnight)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream (Fresh Cream & curd)
1/2 Cup Salsa (Onion, Tomato, Cilantro, Kosher Salt, Green chili, pepper)
1/2 Cup finely chopped Tomatoes
1 Cup chopped Lettuce
1/2 Cup Guacamole (Chopped Avocado with salt to taste)
1/4 Cup Black Olives( chopped)
1/4 Cup Jalapeños
1 Tbsp green onion( chopped)
1 Tbsp Taco seasoning (optional)
1/2 Cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper

PROCEDURE

( Sour Cream)
Take 1/2 cup Fresh cream, add 2 Tbsp thick curd, whisk properly.

(Salsa)
Put 1small onion, 2 medium sized tomatoes, 2 green chillies, small bunch of colantro(fresh coriander), kosher salt and black pepper to taste, in a mixer grinder and churn to make a chunky paste.

( Dip)

Cook rajma with salt, if needed add baking soda. Once cooked add taco seasoning and mix well, let is cool. Spread in the bowl, put second layer of sour cream, third of Guacamole, forth Salsa and chopped tomatoes, fifth Cheese, Sixth Lettuce, Seventh Olives n Jalapeños, garnish with chopped green onion.
PS: Top 2-3 layer sequence can be as per choice.

Vada Pav

Vada pav is Mumbai’s comin man food, it’s an indian style burger, hailing from the streets of Mumbai. It’s basically a fried potato dumpling stuffed inside bread bun. Very simple to make and if you love spicy street food you are definitely going to enjoy this recipe.

INGREDIENTS
( For Dumplings)
1-2 inch piece of ginger
3-4 green chillies
4-5 cloves of garlic
5-6 medim sized potatoes ( Boiled and mashed)
4-5 curryleaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Finely chopped coriander
1 Cup Gram Flour( Besan)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Baking powder
One packet of Pav
6-7 Green chillies
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

( For Coconut Garlic powder )
1/2 Cup desiccated coconut
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 tsp Red chilli powder
2Tbsp Boondi
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste

( For Green Chutney)

1 Cup coriander
3 cloves garlic
2 green chilly
1 Tbsp roasted peanuts
1 Tbsp thick curd
1/4 tsp black salt
Salt to taste


PROCEDURE

( For Chutney)
Put all the ingredients in the mixer and grind to a thick paste.

( For Coconut Garlic Powder)
 Put desiccated coconut, garlic, red chilly powder and salt in mixer and grind it coarsely. Heat oil in a pan and add the coarsely ground powder. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Take it out in a bowl and let it cool. Once cool add crushed boondi and mix well.

( For fried Green Chilly)

Half slit the green chillies, sprinkle salt and deep fry for few seconds in hot oil.


( For Dumpling)
Take garlic, green chilly and ginger in a small mixer jar and grind it into a rough paste. Heat 1 tbsp oilin a pan add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add turmeric, mashed potatoes and salt. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add finely chopped coriander and mix properly. Keep it aside for cooling. To prepare the batter, mix besan, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt in a bowl, add baking powder. Mix well to avoid lumps. Take the dumpling mix and make medium sized round balls. Heat oil for frying, dip the dumplings in the batter, covering it from all sides and deep fry them to golden brown.

Half Slit the pav from middle. Apply chutney put the dumpling in between. On top put the coconut garlic powder and fried green chilly. Serve hot or at room temperature.