Paneer-yarams with Creamy Fennel dip

Just when I thought I'd exhausted all my ideas for leftover idli atta, of course, kuzhi paniyarams struck me. When I posted on Facebook for ideas with Fennel greens, I had a wonderful list of things I could do with it from a bunch of friends, each one of them gems which i plan to make-
But the easy and delicious one which was immediately executable was Priya's suggestion of a dip - Then I decided I would also chop the greens and the bulb and use for the kuzhi paniyarams - had a block of paneer sitting around and decided to grate that into the kuzhi paniyarams making for delicious paneeryarams :)) Nothing like a little twist to tradition, what say?

I used
1/2 a bulb of fennel,
2 stalks of fennel greens,
1/4 red onion, 1 green chili,
1/2 tsp of turmeric
3/4 cup of grated paneer,
1/4 cup of grated cheddar.
I lightly sauteed the fennel, greens, onions. turmeric and chili in 1 tsp of olive oil.

Batch 1

First batch I made, I tried to do a sandwich with the cheeses. It tasted great but made for messy pouring - so I simply incorporated the paneer & cheddar into the batter and poured the second batch like that - result = awesomeness!

Batch 2

Fennel Dip
3 short stems of fennel greens chopped fine
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1tbsp low fat yogurt
1tsp of Tzatziki herb mix
1tsp salad spice mix (this is like paprika)
mix in and serve with hot Paneeryarams.

Showcasing dip and my peeling nail polish :)

Idli Manchurian

This part 2 of the leftover idli saga :) So those of you who read my post on Idli Bajjis, I saved some of those Idli Bajjis and made an Indian- Chinese dish out of it - Please do try - I assure you that you will LOVE it.

I added 1 tbsp each of  Spricy Szechwan stir-fry sauce and Asian hot sauce;
2tbsp each of garlic chives and spring onions
3 spicy red chilies
1 tsp of sesame oil

Prepare
Saute the above ingredients (except the sauces) in hot oil and add the idli bajjis and stir.
Add the sauces last and mix it in well -
Hear the sizzle of the sauces evaporating  - its time to switch off the stove. Serve piping hot :)

There you have it - the new and exotic avatars of a rather seeda sada and chammathu idlis :)

Idli Bajjis A.K.A Seetha aur Geetha Idlis :)

Car update - Dealing with the insurance was LOT less scary than I anticipated. But sometimes expecting the worst could actually be beneficial (this comes from the most optimistic person I know - me :) because when then anything lesser seems to be a huge relief - Saw my sweet van being towed away an hour ago and then started to of lunch - there were my idlis from yesterday and I was feeling bad as in I wanted to be bad, as in taking a perfectly healthy thing and turning into something wicked-good?  so I cut the idlis up into cubes and mixed up a handful of besan/ chickpea flour (kadalamavu) threw in some sambar powder, added water and made the batter  (I want to say 2 tsp), fired up the oil and before I knew it was on my way to eating one of THE most delicious dishes  - Idli bajjis :) I KID YOU NOT!
A simple twist to make a delicious Geetha evil-twin of the healthy idlis :) Seetha Bangayi Geetha- (For those who not have watched Seetha aur Geetha, Seetha is an utterly boring twin sister of the rather spunky Geetha in a Hinid movie from the 70s, which got remade in Tamil as Vani-Rani with Vanishree in the lead) The western connotation would be Dr. Jekyl & Mr Hyde :)

I have not fried anything in my home for over a month now so I quell the guilt - besides when I was out this morning after the insurance was dealt with, met up with my sweet prego friend and enjoyed a wonderful session of girl-chat.
Here is a 4 step pictorial of the process :) Please do try it and let me know how you liked it!

Not wanting to stop at the evil twin, I created another avatar with them which I will blog about next - You can hold your breath - I am not planning to take long to post this next one lol!

Mixed Veggies in Cashew Gravy

For blog hop wednesday, I was paired with Divya of Divya Z EasyRecipes. I picked a mixed veggie with Cashew gravy among her many wonderful recipes.  The dish looked tempting and delicious.  But yesterday turned out to be a most bizarre day with not just the horrible accident where a deer ran on to my car literally from nowhere and crushed the front hood verily leaving me shaken and distraught at the insurance claims to be dealt with!! I also forgot to serve this dish to my sweetest friend who had come over for lunch - I had made idli sambar and chutney and I guess this did not go with any of those and my brain froze! Well whatever! I don't have much time to edit my pictures, but I used the veggies I had to make it and beets kinda took over the color :) - I used some sambar powder, bay leaves and garlic for flavors. And I used my cashew butter (2 tbsp) instead of crushing cashews etc... here is my dish and I am so sorry about this haphazard post! It is almost 8 am and I have a busy day ahead of me!!! Wish me luck and think only good thoughts of me please :) Love you all!

This is part of Radhika's humungous-ly successful Blog Hop Wednesday Event -

Baked Pakodas

Want every flavor of hot onion pakodas without the hassle of frying or the fat an guilt that go with it? Here is an admirable way of literally having your pakodas and eating them too. A few months ago, Uma had blogged something which caught my eye. It however had egg and made them muffins.
Taking off on that concept, I decided to make my baked pakodas without eggs and it was a big hit with all who tasted them.

Ingredients
3/4 cup each of all purpose and whole wheat flour sifted
1 large green onion finely chopped
1 cup of chopped spinach or 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
2 hot green chilies finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup of milk (I used 1 percent)
1/2 cup of cheese of choice (optional)
2tbsp of olive oil
A pinch of asafetida

Preheat oven to 400 F
Prepare your muffin pan by greasing with olive oil

Preparation
In a pan, heat oil and lightly fry the onions to remove the raw smells
In your mixer bowl or regular bowl, sift the flours
Add the baking powder and the salt to the dry flours and mix
Now add the spinach, onions, chilies and cheese
Mix these for a minute before add the the milk
Mix with milk for a minute or two
If you are kneading with hands, make it pakoda consistency
Scoop with table spoon or ice cream scoop into muffin pans. I used the mini muffin pan to yield more as an appetizer.
Bake for 25-30 minutes ( Check after the 25th minute) or until you see the slight browning on the top.
Enjoy hot with some sauce or just by itself.

NOTE: my next attempt will be with besan the original pakoda flour.. will post pictures if they turn out well.
Until Blog Hop Wednesday, Adios & Alvida

Sweet Potato Parathas - Thanksgiving Special :)

This is one of the most delicious parathas I've ever tasted - Of all the veggie kinds we make, this certainly appeals to me most, probably because I love sweet potatoes and know how much goodness the veggie contains! I always have a willing helper whenever I make chappatis or parathas and it always becomes a super fun experience (forget about the cleaning up part - blessed to have a son and a hubby who help out in that department)

Here is the recipe
Ingredients
2 cups of whole wheat atta (chakki) bought from indian store
3 boiled and mashed sweet potatoes
2-3 green chilies finely diced
1 red onion diced (optional)
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp baking powder
1tbsp cliantro finely chopped
salt 1tsp
1tbsp of warm milk or water - if necessary!

Preparation
First heat the oil and lightly fry the onions to get rid of the rawness.
If you have a mixer, add the atta and the baking powder and salt and spin to mix. Or dry mix the 3 ingredients.
Add the peeled, boiled and mashed sweet potatoes, onions, cilantro and chilies and knead into the dough either with hand or in the mixer for about 4-5 minutes on medium speed until it forms into a nice ball.
Let the mix rest for about 10 minutes (not required to let it rest for too long, although it does no harm)
*if you find the mix too thick and dry, add 1 tbsp of warm milk or water to it.
NOTE: the dough should be soft and pliable without being sticky.
Dust the rolling surface with flour
Make plum sized balls with the mix and roll out.
If you use a non stick, there is absolutely no need to add more oil, since often as Indians we have these with pickles :)
This is a wholesome dish that does not require sides since we've already flavored it with some yummy stuff,  but enjoying these with some dahi or yogurt takes them to the next level of bliss :)

A PERFECT INDIAN DISH FOR THANKSGIVING, Hot Delicious parathas in 30 minutes flat :)

Simple Shortbread Cookies

Imagine these on your TG table :)

Another of my Joy of Baking recipes. Let me tell you right off the bat, that there ain't nothing simple about these babies. This whole procedure is a temperature thing and the dough has to be just so, sos to not crumble or stick - Very interesting experience - As Indians we so casually make chappatis, pooris and naans, and yet a cookie dough can lead you a dance! I followed every one of steps and advise Stephanie gives and she did say that the dough can crack - I saw hers did, but CERTAINLY not as much as mine did. But I am a quick learner and keep refrigerating the dough after each batch until they went in the oven. They turned out to be beauties, but surely they were a labor of love. While I am happy to say I made 4 dozens at least, I ate only 1 and send the rest to the school for the Election Day Bake Sale :) For the process explanation, click here and listen to Stepahnie;s reassuring voice... And enjoy my pictures :)

Just for variety :)

Pass on the goodness!

Rose Cupcakes

ROSE CUPCAKE

Who has watched Stephanie Jaworski of Joy of Baking and baked with her... if you have you'll know how patiently she explains each process and makes them look like not a big deal. That's what I love about her and that's why I've adopted her as my baking guru. She leaves no room for fluster or panic. Watch her video fully once. Get all your baking needs ready, replay her video and you take the same time she does to make them. Pretty awesome, yes. You may recall a few posts ago I'd mentioned making cupcakes and cookies for my daughter's school. These were made then and I am finally getting a chance to blog them. Enjoy and do try to make them -I improvised by using pure rose water instead of vanilla -

Ingredients

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I subbed with Pure rose water)

Zest of 1 large lemon(outer yellow skin)

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

Confectioners (Buttercream)Frosting:

2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (substituted with 1 tsp of rose syrup) (for the yellow ones, I added pure lemon extract)

2 tablespoons milk or light cream

Assorted food colors(if desired)

I have a few collages that can be a good guide, but, please see the video for the method - easy to understand and follow along.

Sending this to Krithi Kitchen and Zesty Palette and their respective bake events :)

This also goes to Midweek Fiesta an event from Amy's Blog, Food Corner

Spring onion Subzi For Blog Hop Wednesday

This week I was paired with Pinks Recipe Diary She has some really wonderful recipes and the funny things is when Radhika of Tickling Palates had drawn up the schedule, I had been picking spring onions from my garden and had a ton of them sitting on the counter in my laundry room! So when I browsed through Pink's recipes, I was at once drawn to the recipe and was amazed at the coincidence :) This is a very simple, super straightforward dish and can be made in a matter of minutes, if you have peanuts & spring onions handy!

Here goes
You need the following ingredients

• 2 Bunches of Spring Onion
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 2 tbsp Moong Dal
• 2 tsp of Curry powder
• 2 Tbsp of Roasted Peanut Powder
• Salt To taste
• 1/4 Cup water

Preparation

Heat the spoon of oil 

splutter the mustard seeds

Add the moong dal; roast until golden

Add the green onions

Follow it up with the curry powder

Powder roasted peanuts and add and stir in

Add the salt to the water and pour in allowing the sabji to cook in all the ingredients

Enjoy with rice or chappatis ( I made Pongal with it along with green tomato chutney)

Peasy Paneer in Plum Sauce (Gravy)

I am always excited when I get a new idea or brainwave - During the blogging marathon, I deliberately chose cooking with fruits after devouring pictures from Verge's cooking with fruits book. When I saw big juicy plums, I knew I had to buy them and was determined to come up with a unique way of cooking them When we came home, found puneer in the fridge and we had company that weekend - So decided I would try a novel way of making Mutter Puneer, since I know that to be a fav dish of my friend who was visiting.
I find that color of veggies and fruits are a BIG turn on for me - the luscious greens, purples, oranges and reds - And what they are constantly telling me - I am healthy, eat me :)
I also put colors together and think - WOW! I would love a silk sari in that combo -making notes for my next visit to India, he he :)

One Mantra to remember is if you like the individual tastes of fruits and veggies and the aromas of certain herbs and spices, chances are that you are going to (more often than not) like them together - So bear this in mind as you club things together...

Add caption

Here were my ingredients for my plum gravy

4 big juicy plums
1green capsicum (bell pepper)
1medium sized red onion
2-3 dry red chilies (up it or reduce according to your preference)
2 tsp grated ginger
2tbsp slivered almonds
1 tsp curry powder or garam masala powder (optional)
1 tsp of olive oil (optional)
1 Tomato (If your plums are too sweet)

Preparation
Taste your plums :)
Cut your veggies (see photos) and allow them all to simmer; add the badam/almonds at the very end
Cool and grind into a fine medium thick paste
Do NOT add any water unless you think the plums are too sour - If they are too sweet, add 1 tomato to the veggies and cook well before pureeing

Paneer & peas

1 used 2 bags of frozen peas - you can use 4 cups of fresh peas
1 block of puneer as sold in the Indian stores (for India -  1pound)

Preparation
Cook the peas in the MW
Cut Puneer into small cubes
Saute with curry powder in 1 tsp of olive oil in a non stick pan, until the puneer is slightly golden - I normally cook them individually and then mix since the cooking time varies, but they can be cooked together for about 2-4 minutes
Now throw them into the Plum gravy and allow them to simmer and come together for 1 minute or 2 on high heat
Switch off and transfer into your serving dish - garnish with cilantro before serving.

Broiled Fingerling Zucchini

Another healthy Thanksgiving Giving veggie idea :)

These are small, intensely delicious baby Zucchinis we've been enjoying since the summer! This post has been in my files for long enough and I thought I'd share another really easy and healthy recipe with y'all

1 pack of Baby or Fingerling Zukes (about 24)
Wash and just cut the small ridged top off
DO not cut the bottom stems
Make an x cut on the top of the zucchini and slit down to half way or a little less

You need a marinade to stuff the slits with - this depends entirely your creativity - you could do a bunch of things and give it an Italian, Asian, Middle Easter or Indian flavor - I went Asian with this one -

For this you will need -
2tbsp roasted peanuts - ground fine
1 tbsp Sczhewan Sauce
1 tbsp Sirarcha Sauce
1/2 tsp crush thai basil
 whip it all together gently ensuring a thickish sauce
Pour generously into the slits and press together

Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and spray
Spray with Pam olive oil over the zucchinis before putting in the oven
Broil for 15 minutes (or bake for 10 minutes at 425 F)

Enjoy with noodles, pasta or as a starter :)

Stuffed Braided Bread for Blog Hop Wednesday

Spinach-Mozzarella stuffing

This week has been a scramble - Loved the blogging marathon I did for the past two weeks, esp because of the themes I'd chosen - Cooking with fruits; salad & soups the second week. But after posting just a recipe or 2 for weeks now, it was a challenge to get my butt in gear to blog everyday - I am SO hard pressed for time that I feel guilty that I am not blog hopping to see the wonderful things my colleagues have prepared -I keep thinking, today I will sit and do nothing but blog hop, but with a very active and demanding 3 yr old, i peek into my computer every half hour, FB usually to check comments or share a post! I am loving every minute of hanging out with my little girl and would regret seeing her all grown up soon enough and not having spent the quality time I spent with my older two children - So please excuse me if I am not coming around to your blogs as often as I used to - This weeks agenda - cupcakes & cookies for my daughter's drama club, Mad Hatter's Tea Party - taking my toddler to it, but have to work hard for it :) this evening is a concert for the same daughter - she is the busy one! My son pursues activities too but not everyday like my daughter does! So for the most part, it is my toddler and me in the house and she tells me every once in a while - Ma, shut off your computer
But today besides playing bingo with my little one, i was also baking from Sangee Vijay's blog, Spicy Treats for the wonderfully, synchronized and tabulated blog hop wednesday event initiated by Radhika of Tickling Palates. When I first commented on this Stuffed Braided bread on Sangee's blog, I thought to myself that I should make it - and this seemed the perfect opportunity to do it -

I followed her recipe to the last detail and it turned out beautifully- Thank you Sangee - you have a wonderful blog and many wonderful recipes :)

FIngredients 

1. 1.5 cups All Purpose flour  
2. 1 cup whole wheat flour
3. 1/2tsp Instant   yeast   
4. 2tbsp Olive Oil    
5. 1/2 tsp Salt  
6. 1/2 Warm Milk  +1tbsp for basting before baking
7. 1/2 cup +1-2 tbsp of water

Here are the few things that I need to note down for those making this
1. I made a spinach & Mozzarella Stuffing
2. I used 3/4 cup of water along with the half cup of warm milk for the proportions called for (this is a measurement that Sangee has omitted -I do often not mention things I think are understood by all
3. In my Oven, it took me about 25-27 minutes at 375 degrees -

Stuffing -Used frozen chopped spinach, cooked with some red chillies - added pine nuts and chopped up fresh mozzarella cubes. See pictures

Enjoy this bread with your family - A good dish on your TG table :)

WINNERS of Blog Anniversary Giveaways

Lucky winners were picked by Random.org - The problem was I picked about 20 numbers before I could get 5 from the US & Canada and 2 from the rest of the world - Thank all my wonderful friends who participated and gave their whole hearted support to my event - left to me, I would happily dole out these gifts to all who commented - but restrictions being what they are I had to pick the first 5 US/ Canada Residents and first 2 out of US/ Canada residents

Here are the winners from OUTSIDE of America
Premalatha Aravindan of Prema's Thaligai -Singapore 
Swathi Sapna of The Weekend Epicurean Mumbai
As to which book will go to who will be a surprise - because it too will be very randomly picked

The Winners in the US/ Canada are
Prabha Mani of Prabha's Samayal - 3 different kinds of Pastas
Gopika Ram of the Kitchen Affaire - 3 different kinds of Pastas
Mary of Inside a British Mom's Kitchen - Pasta Bowl
Priya Yallapantula of Mharo Rajasthan - Pasta Bowl
Madhavi of Vegetarian Medley - Pasta Bowl

For the US winners, please make sure you have fulfilled the event rules before sending me your addresses via email - Check event rules here please and make sure you've complied in all respects :)

Prabha Mani and Gopika Ram will receive the Pastas from Pasta Prima
Mary, Priya & Madhavi will receive the bowl courtesy again of Pasta Prima

Here is another IMPORTANT CAVEAT - If I don't here from you all within a week, I will be picking other winners ( I already have a bunch of numbers), so please email me directly after you read this announcement, of course making sure you've followed ALL the event rules.

Fast Food NOT Fat Food, #7

We are on to the next segment of Fast Food Not Fat Food, my blog event created Jan this year - The rules remain the same and I think over the past year, many entires have been posted and each time, I see that my blogger friends are getting healthier and healthier with their contributions - Let's keep it that way and get off to a running start this time as well

Event Dates - NOV 1 - DEC 15
Event Rules

• Only vegetarian entries - baked, oil-free, smaller amounts of oil, sugar subs, these are a few examples...
• A healthy version does NOT mean a less appealing version
• Up to 5 entries – all blogged during this period
• Recipe can be your new innovative concoction or
• It could be a recipe that you have been meaning to try out or have bookmarked One sentence at least to explain how your recipe is healthier is a MUST
• Sign-up via google connect not required but appreciated J
• Use the Logo on your blog and link back to my blog
• Please use Linky tool below to submit entry

– Please forward to your other blogger friends who may be interested in participating – Non bloggers welcome ….
Looking forward to a FAT Volume of participation :-))))))

Steamed Green Beans Salad

Here is the back story - a true record of a conversation I had with myself :)
Fresh, tender beans stacked beautifully, so much so allz you need do is clip the pointed ends and steam them for about 3-4 minutes in your microwave - I say keep talking - in a flat large pan, saute in 1/2 tsp of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, cut like thin & flat along with 1/2 tsp of crushed red peppers- Getting more interesting, keep going, I encouraged myself - Well,  add the steamed beans to this and sprinkle salt and turn in the pan, keeping them whole & in shape. Okay and .... Well now you take about 20 pieces of almonds, cut flat with their skins on and sprinkle and serve HOT ...My alter ego says, Okay lemme taste this first (a chewing pause before) OMG, that is SOOOO delicious - Can I try some more, I say reaching out to grab a few when splat came my other hand clamping over the stealing one saying in a semi-stern tone - Ah ah ah... wait till its on the dining table along with the rest of the food, or you'll get nothing then...

There you have it. Now for the pictures and remember if you see these beans in the store, snap them up -this can be made in 10 minutes flat :)

My late and last entry for the Blogging Marathon -

Cheers and wishing you a healthy week and extreme enjoyment and joy in the simpler recipes of life :)

Check out the other Bloggers in this Marathon