Soy Beans & Tofu Cutlet

This is healthy, high in fiber, very light Tofu dish. It’s not the type of cutlet, which makes you stuffed after eating one or two pieces. This can served at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Texture-wise it’s very soft and delicate so it melts in mouth right away. I only used bread crumbs for binding rather than using potato, flour, or eggs, which helped keeping the dish light. It doesn't have any fancy spices, only our regular Indian spices.

Alternatively, the soy bean and tofu mixture can be used as filling for parathas or as burger patties. This can be made in advance and refrigerated for around 1 week time.



This is the recipe I am submitting for WBB#20 - Balanced Breakfast contest hosted by Mansi.

Ingredients:-

• 2 cup Soy Beans
  
• 1/4 cup Corn Kernels
  
• 2 Scallions, chopped
  
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
  
• 1 tsp Dhania-Jeera Powder
  
• 1 Carrot, grated
  
• 1 cup super-firm Tofu
  
• 1 tsp Ginger, grated
  
• 1 tbsp Green Chili, chopped
  
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
  
• 1 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
  
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
  
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Pepper to taste
  
• Oil
  

Method:-

1. Thaw and peel soy beans and cook in microwave for 10 minutes.

2. In a blender, process tofu until it’s smoothly blended. Take out in bowl and keep aside.

3. In a blender, add soy beans, corn, garlic, ginger, green chili, garam masala, scallions, salt, pepper, dhania-jeera powder, and cilantro. Mix until it’s coarsely blended.

4. Mix soy bean mixture with tofu. Add bread crumbs, carrot and lemon juice. Mix well.

5. Make cutlets. Wrap them with plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

6. Heat oil in pan and cook cutlet on both side on medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until its golden brown.

Enjoy...

Dhekra

This is south Gujarat specialty. The taste of dhekra is sweet and spicy. Dhekra's most important ingredients are two kinds of flour and pigeon peas. I have never seen any street vendors or restaurant selling this. I think it’s more of a Gharelu-type recipe. I think every Gujarat region has something like this if not the exact same recipe. Many of my Gujju friends haven't heard about this recipe. This dish is perfect tea time snacks, for picnic, or even in small parties.

Ingredients:-

• 2 cups Rice Flour
  
• 1/2 cup Juwar Flour (Jowar Flour)
  
• 1 cup Pigeon Peas
  
• 1-1/2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp Ajwain
  
• 1/4 tsp Asafetida
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  
• 2 tbsp Green Chili
  
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric
  
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
  
• 1 tbsp Dhania-Jeera Powder
  
• 1-1/2 tbsp Jaggery
  
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
  
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
  
• 3 Garlic cloves, chopped
  
• 1 tsp Ginger, grated
  
• 1 tbsp Green Garlic
  
• 2 tbsp Oil, plus extra for frying
  
• 2-1/2 cups water
  
• 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil in deep vessel, add cumin seeds and ajwain. Add ginger and garlic, sauté for 1 minute.

2. Pour water in to vessel, add pigeon peas thawed and cook in microwave for 10 minutes, green chili, turmeric, asafetida, dhania-jeera powder, garam masala, green garlic, cilantro, sesame seeds and red bell pepper. Bring water to boil.

3. When water is boiling, add jaggery leave it for 2 minutes.

4. Add flours and lemon juice and mix well. Cook this mixture for 15 minutes on medium-low heat. Until water is completely soaked.

5. Take little mixture in your palm, roll, and press very gently. If it’s rolled out easily, it's ready. Make sure not to pound it or make it very flat.

6. If the mixture is ready, turn down heat on very low. Put little oil in palm and roll down more Dhekras.

7. Deep fry Dhekra until light golden brown.

8. Serve hot with chutney, sauce, or ranch.

Enjoy...

This is my entry to Priti and Purva's Rakhi – Thread of Love event.

Paav Bhaji Style Fried Rice

Who doesn’t love paav bhaji, or fried rice for that matter? Actually, most of the street vendors of paav bhaji do sell pulav. I thought it would be wonderful to mix the two together, hence the recipe of Paav Bhaji style fried rice. This is also an Indo-Chinese combination. This dish has flavor of paav bhaji but prepared like fried rice. It combines basic ingredients from both dishes, making it fusion. Indian Chinese food is very popular, so keeping the trend alive too.Best way to use leftover rice.

Ingredients:-

• 4 cups Rice, cooked
  
• 2 Small Onion, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup Tomato Sauce, canned
  
• 1 cup Boiled vegetables
  
• 3 Garlic Clove, chopped
  
• 1 tsp Ginger, grated
  
• 2 tsp Red Chili Powder
  
• 2 tsp Paav Bhaji Masala
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Scallions, chopped
  
• 2 tsp Soy Sauce
  
• 2 Green Chili, chopped
  
• 6 tbsp Oil
  
• White Vinegar to taste
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Cilantro, chopped for garnish
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil in pan. Add chopped onions with little salt and cook until onions are tender.

2. Add garlic, ginger and sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, green chili, paav bhaji masala and red chili powder. Cook for 2 more minutes on medium-low heat.

3. Raise the heat on high. Add cooked rice, boiled vegetables, which has carrot, green peas, corn, green beans etc., with scallions, salt, and soy sauce.

4. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes on high. Stir continuously.

5. Add white vinegar, mix well.

6. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Enjoy...

Peas & Red Wine Risotto

Risotto is great Italian rice dish. Risotto is made with Italian Arborio rice, or with Vialone rice. The taste of risotto is very creamy without using any cream. The creaminess comes from the rice. Arborio is short grain rice. Risotto is very different than other rice dished. The secret of creamy and perfect risotto is slow cooking and adding little stock at a time. Let it absorb little stock till it reaches a creamy consistency, tender grains with slight chewiness. Risotto can be made with any vegetables. Butter and parmesan cheese are most important ingredients in this dish. Italians start making risotto with butter and finish with butter. You can use red wine, dry white wine, or champagne.

Giada De Laurentiis is my inspiration for Italian cooking. I saw this dish on her Everyday Italian show. I follow the recipe mostly with my own little touches.

Ingredients:-

• 3-1/2 cups Vegetable Stock
  
• 3 tbsp unsalted Butter
  
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 2 tablespoons Mascarpone cheese
  
• 1 cup Shallots, finely chopped
  
• 2 Garlic cloves, chopped
  
• 1 cup Arborio Rice
  
• 1/2 cup Dry Red Wine
  
• 1/3 cup Peas, thawed
  
• 1/4 cup Basil Leaves, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flaks
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Black Pepper, freshly ground to taste
  

Method:-

1. Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer over medium-high heat. Keep it warm over low heat.

2. Heat butter in pan. When butter start to melt, add olive oil on medium heat.

3. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté.

4. Add the rice and cook for about 2 minutes or until the rice is toasted.

5. Add the red wine and stir about 1 minute or until wine is absorbed.

6. Pour 3/4 cup of vegetable stock, salt, and pepper and simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often.

7. Keep on adding stock at a rate of 3/4 cup until all is used, stirring often. Wait till previously added stock is absorbed each time.

8. Keep the mixture warm until rice is tender and mixture is creamy.

9. Cook peas in Microwave for 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and red pepper. Add mascarpone cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.

10. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese, red pepper flacks, and basil leaves over risotto for garnish.

11. Make sure to serve hot, that's when it is at its delicious best.

Enjoy...

This is my entry to AWED :Italiano hosted by Dhivya.

Tawa Taka Tak

This is another spicy dish that makes your mouth water. Tawa is large, flat, dish- shaped skillet. They are made from aluminum, cast iron, non-stick, or steel. Tawa is very famous for making rotis, parathas, pav-bhaji, chat, several rice dishes, dosas, subzis etc.

There are many tawa recipes out there. Usually, tawa subzis are stuffed and cooked on tawa, but there are many other ways to cook with tawa. In this recipe, I tried to give tawa masala flavor without using store-bought tawa masala. The mixture of spices with yogurt helps sticking masalas on vegetables. This dish can be made with any vegetables, meat, or fish. One more reason to make subzi on tawa is to give smoky taste to ingredients, usually done on barbeque grill. For the finishing touch, use butter on extra-hot tawa for the wonderful smoky smell and that sizzling sound.

Ingredients:-

• 2 Big Potato, boiled and cut into medium pieces
  
• 5-6 Cauliflower Florets, cooked
  
• 1 Onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 Red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 6-8 Paneer, cubes
  
• 5 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  
• 1 tsp Ginger, grated
  
• 1 Thai Chili, chopped
  
• 1 tsp Dhania-Jeera powder
  
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp Ajwain
  
• 1 tsp Ground Pomegranate seeds
  
• 1 tbsp Red Chili Powder
  
• 1/2 tbsp Pav-Bhaji masala, plus extra for sprinkle
  
• 5 tbsp Oil
  
• 1 tbsp butter
  
• 1-1/2 tbsp Yogurt
  
• 5 tbsp Tomato Sauce
  
• 5 tbsp Water
  
• Pinch of Kasuri Methi
  
• Pinch of Hing
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
  

Method:-
1. Heat tawa on medium heat for 10 minutes.

2. Pour 4 tbsp oil on hot tawa with cumin seeds and ajwain. Turn down the heat on low.

3. Immediately add onion with little salt, mix well. Cook until onions are little soft.

4. Add red bell pepper with garlic and ginger, sauté for 5 minutes.

5. Now add potato, cauliflower, and paneer. Mix well with onion and bell pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.

6. In bowl mix yogurt, tomato sauce, turmeric, dhania-jeera powder, red chili powder, ground pomegranate seeds, pav-bhaji masala, kasuri methi, hing, remaining oil and salt with water. Mix them well.

7. Pour yogurts mix on vegetables. Coat all vegetable evenly. Cook for another 5-6 minutes.

8. Now put the heat on high and make the tawa extra hot. Splash butter at the edge of tawa and add pav bhaji masaala and chopped Thai chili once butter starts to smoke. Immediately mix this butter with subzi.

9. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Enjoy...

Visual Treat Event hosted by Sanyukta.

Orange Citrus Chocolate Cake

The origin of Cakes dates back to the ancient times. The most fundamental ingredients of cake are flour, nuts, eggs, milk, and sugar. The earliest word for cake was "plakous" which came for the Greeks. In ancient times, there were different names for the cakes in different eras, like "satura," "placenta," "Libum." Nowadays, There are thousands of cake verities available in market.

The most popular is chocolate cake. Chocolate is perfect with fruits like strawberry, pineapple, banana; but in this recipe, I combined chocolate with orange is really yummy. I used orange zest, which has natural oil and citrus. I have to confess, I am a chocoholic so I used extra-milk chocolate for the cake.

Ingredients:-

• 1-3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  
• 1-1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
  
• 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  
• 5 tbsp Milk Chocolate, melted
  
• 2 Eggs
  
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
  
• 1 cup Whole Milk
  
• 1 cup Hot Water
  
• 1/2 tsp Salt
  
• Zest of one Orange
  
• 1 tsp Freshly-Squeezed Orange Juice
  
• Powdered Sugar
  

Method:-

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease baking pan with butter-flavor non-stick cooking spray.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

3. Add milk, oil, vanilla, orange zest, orange juice, melted milk chocolate. Add one egg at a time. Beat mixture until the both eggs(one by one) is mixed properly with batter.

4. Add boiling water to it and stir properly until the batter is smooth. Pour batter into pans.

4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Insert wooden pick in center of cake. If it's comes out clean, that is the indication that cake is done. Cool it completely.

5. Dust powder sugar on top of cake and serve.

Enjoy...