Easy peasy Beetroot rice

Blessed are the morning people! Folks who can wake up early and bright, who can kick start the day and get things done. For the rest of us, who have to peel themselves out of bed reluctantly - long past the desired/decided/resolved wake up time, (ME!) some shortcuts like this beetroot rice are a life saver. You can have this nutritional and tasty meal ready for your lunch box with as little effort as washing rice and switching on the rice cooker in the morning. Of course, some prep work the previous night - just chop veggies and you can snooze that alarm for an extra 15 mins in the morning. :D
I served it with some protein like boiled egg and some curd for a complete meal. Simple, healthy, delicious!

What you need:
1 cup cubed beets (about 2 medium beets)
1/2 cup cubed green capsicum
1/2 small tomato cubed
1 1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder to taste - optional
2 tsp or more Masala powder of choice - I used Vangi bhat powder. You could use Pulav masala/ garam masala/ sambar powder or any spice blend of choice. Adjust the amount based on the masala.
Lime juice to taste
Boiled egg whites or other protein to go with it.

Method:
1. Mix the cut beet, bell peppers and tomato in the rice cooker container. Add the masala powder, oil, salt, red chilly powder. Mix it well. I kept this ready the previous night.
2. Wash the rice 2-3 times till water runs clear. Add the washed rice to the veggie/spice mixture.
3. Add about 3 cups of water. The quantity of water depends on the rice you use.
4. Check seasoning and switch on the rice cooker. Wait for the rice cooker to do its job! :D
5. Towards the end, when rice is almost cooked, add in the lime juice and mix well. Serve hot with some protein like boiled egg.

Alu Raita

I wrote and hit delete on several lines trying to best describe this raita! Simple, flavorful, delicious, versatile! Just like its main ingredient, potato, you can eat this raita with anything to add a special touch to your meal. It is one of my preferred accompaniments for Bisi bele bhaat, paratha, thepla, pulav, you name it. Let's get straight to the recipe. Try it to believe how tasty it is! :)

What you need :
Equal amounts of -- 
Boiled potato - cut into small cubes or mashed into chunks
Finely chopped onion
Finely chopped tomato

Plain yogurt/curds
Finely chopped cilantro/dhaniya patta
Salt to taste
sugar - a pinch (Optional)

Tempering:
Oil
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Whole red chilly or Green chilly slit
Hing

Method:
1. Make tadka with ingredients under "tempering". Fry till the chilly (green or red) is slightly fried- about a minute.
2.  Mix the potato, onion, cilantro and tomato with salt and a pinch of sugar if desired. Add desired amount of beaten curd. Add a few spoons of water if your curd is very thick to get raita like consistency.
3. Finally mix in the tadka and serve!! :)

Gobi Paratha (Cauliflower stuffed flatbread)

Stuffed Parathas = YUM!
Gobi paratha is one of my all time favorites. My mom made the yummiest parathas and gobi was undoubtedly one of my faves. My lunch box would have a large stack of stuffed parathas as I'd need enough to share with all my friends(who were equally in awe of the yummy parathas!)

I know there are several different ways of making gobi paratha. Some stuff in raw cauliflower, some pan fry it and so on. My mom would use the microwave to pre cook the cauliflower, and so do I. I find that this method saves a lot of time and the stuffing comes out dry and perfect to easily stuff and make the parathas. The key to easy paratha making is to have a stuffing that is dry and sans moisture. Moisture would cause the stuffing to leak out/parathas to break.

Gobi paratha fresh on the griddle

Note: The thing with parathas is I can never go by a set quantity of ingredients. Just mix some amount of basic ingredient (vegetables, cauliflower in this case) adjust seasonings as per taste. Ended up making more stuffing, great! Reuse it to make grilled sandwiches with cheese. :) Less stuffing = plain chapatis. :) So, there are estimates specified in the ingredient list.
Other stuffed paratha ideas : Broccoli tofu stuffed paratha

What you need:
Cauliflower(I used one small head)
Ginger(About 1/2 an inch)
Green chilles - 4-5
Finely chopped cilantro - 3 tbsp or more. I love to add lots of fresh cilantro.

Seasonings used:
Red chilly powder - adjust as per taste
Coriander cumin powder (Dhaniya jeera powder) - 1 to 2 tsp
Dry mango powder(Amchur powder) - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Kasoori methi - 1 tsp

Dough:
Whole wheat flour
Water
Oil

Method:
1. Make a soft dough by mixing flour and water. Almost double the amount of water to flour. You could add other ingredients to the flour like salt, oil, seasoning. But I just used flour and water.

2. Knead the dough well. Apply about a teaspoon of oil to the dough and keep it covered for about 15-30 mins. Knead again and your dough is ready.

To make stuffing:

Cauliflower stuffing ready!

1. Pulse the cauliflower florets with ginger and green chillies in a food processor. I use my Ninja food processor and it takes me less than a minute ;) Alternatively, you could grate the cauliflower and mix in green chilly+ginger paste.
2. Add the seasonings to cauliflower mince and mix well. Reserve the cilantro for the end.
3. Microwave this mixture for 6-8 minutes, mixing well once every 2 minutes.
4. The stuffing is done when : There is no raw smell and the mixture is dry. If you squeeze a pinch between your fingers it should not release any water. Slight moisture is ok.

To make stuffed parathas:
1. Take a small ball of the dough, roll it out a bit. Place stuffing into the dough, seal the edges and roll it out gently without applying much pressure.
I could not take step by step pictures, wikihow has some good pics on the procedure here
 2. Roast on a hot griddle with a few drops of oil or ghee.

Paratha rolled out and ready to be cooked

Serve hot with some curd or pickle! :)

Veggie "meatballs" and spaghetti with tomato cilantro sauce

Being a vegetarian, I'm always fascinated by the vast variety of interesting sounding meat dishes! Spaghetti and Meatballs, Chicken wings, Shepherd's pie, hot dogs etc. Thanks to the new vegan and vegetarian awareness, a lot of these dishes have been recreated with vegetarian options and I get to experience the different flavors while I stick to my no meat policy. :)
Thanks to the veggie protein options, I now know what buffalo chicken wings and shepherd's pie tastes like with veggie options. :)

One such attempt of mine was to create veggie meatballs and spaghetti at home. It came out pretty tasty but the meatballs were not firm enough and they were falling apart. The second trial was much better and here is the recipe. I have tried to make it nutritious and incorporate different veggies and added some protein.

I also made my own pasta sauce and made it with tons of cilantro(add any herb of your choice).

Veggie meatballs

Veggie meatballs ready!

What you need : (I ended up with 15 meatballs)

Veggies for meatballs

Baby bella mushrooms - 8-10 (I really like their flavor, but you could use a mix of different mushrooms or any other mushrooms)
Onion 1/4th medium
Summer Squash - 1/2
Green bell peppers - 1/2 from a medium sized
Spinach - a handful

Quick cooking oatmeal ground up : 1 cup
green chillies - cos I'm an Indian who stuffs green chillies even into an Italian classic :P (optional)
Garlic - 2 cloves
Salt to taste.
Herbs/seasoning of choice : i used some dried parsley. Other options : basil/Italian seasoning/oregano
Extra firm tofu (drained and crumbled) - about 1/2 a cup.(Optional)
Note:I used tofu to add some protein. It is going to make the meatballs soft, and u might need extra oat flour/corn flour/bread crumbs for binding depending on how much water your tofu retains. I drained the tofu till it was fairly dry and 1 cup of ground oatmeal was good enough for binding.


Method :

1. Chop all the veggies into chunks.
2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add the garlic and wait till it browns. Add the onion and fry for 2 mins. 
3. Add green chillies, if using.
4. Add the mushrooms, squash and peppers. Cook for 5-8 mins till the veggies cook.
5. Then add in the spinach and cook for 2 mins. Let the veggie mixture dry up.
6. We want the veggie mixture to be as dry as possible. Once it cools, pulse it through a food processor.
7. Mix well : powdered oats, crumbled tofu and veggie mixture with salt, seasoning. Check taste.
8. Make balls as shown. Try to pack them tightly.
9. Refrigerate the meatballs for a couple of hours or more. This helps them firm up and for the flavors to blend in well. 
10. Next you could either pan fry them with a tsp of oil till they are brown/crisped or cook it in the oven. I pan fried them on medium to low heat and move them gently around the pan.

    

    Stir fried veggies in the food processor

    

    Ground oatmeal,veggie mixture, crumbled tofu

Spaghetti with Meatballs

What you need:

Veggie meatballs

Pasta sauce/marinara sauce of choice - I used this

Spaghetti noodles/angel hair pasta- boiled as per packet instructions

Grated Cheese - I used fat free mozzarella cheese
Olive oil 1-2 tsp
Garlic - optional

Method:
1. Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic and fry till its fragrant.
2. Add the pasta sauce and spaghetti and toss well to coat the noodles.
3. Add the veggie meatballs and sprinkle cheese on top.
4. Cook covered till cheese melts.
Serve hot.

Alternatively, you could assemble the pasta, sauce and meatballs together in an oven proof dish, add cheese and then bake it till cheese melts. 

Tomato cilantro pasta sauce

Dried chilli pepper

On our trip to Costa Rica last year I acquired some kind of dried chilli pepper. We ate at a small restaurant and the pasta sauce had a brilliant smoky spicy flavor, I totally fell in love with! The chef there was really nice and when I asked him about it, he handed me a small plastic bag with a bunch of these dried chilli peppers. Too excited about my acquisition, i did not have the presence of mind to ask about the details of these peppers. :-|

Occasionally I make pasta sauce with these smoky hot little bombs of flavor! I hope that I find out what these peppers are called, so that when I run out of my stash, I could actually identify them and buy some ;) I'm posting a pic of the chilli pepper, anyone knows what it is?
Add any dry red chilly pepper per your taste or add any other form of heat you'd like : red chilly flakes, green chillies, jalapeno etc etc. 

Other than the chilli pepper, this sauce is very simple, like an Indian marinara sauce. Lots of cilantro, garlic, onions and tomatoes are all cooked together. Add different veggies like celery, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms to make a veggie rich sauce - minus the extra sodium and preservatives in store bought sauces. You could make a chunky version by chopping the vegetables or a smooth version by pulsing the veggies thru a food processor.
Try using fresh vegetables and fresh tomatoes. The fresh taste is really great!

What you need :
Tomatoes 3 medium ripe
Onion 1/2 medium
Garlic 5-8 cloves
Mixed veggies -optional
Water or vegetable stock : 1-2 cups
Cilantro - I added about a large handful. Add as per your taste OR use other herbs of choice
Hot peppers or chilli powder - coarsely powdered in a mortar and pestle
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Haldi/turmeric powder - optional. I used it for color.
Salt
Sugar 1/2 tsp (optional)

Method :
Finely chop the onion and garlic.
Pulse the veggies and tomatoes(including cilantro) in a food processor to yield a slightly chunky puree.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add the garlic and fry till its fragrant.
Add in the onions and cook till raw smell goes away.
Add the red chilli pepper powder/flakes.
Next, add the tomato and veggie puree. Fry for about 5-6 mins stirring.
Add in the water/vegetable stock, seasoning, salt and sugar. Bring it to a boil.
Simmer on low heat for about 30-40 mins till all the flavors are well blended.
Blend it for a smooth sauce if desired.

Serve with any pasta. :)

Simple mushroom fry with garlic and curry leaves

I love mushrooms!! My friend Bhavana thought of me when she made this delightfully simple and tasty recipe and shared it with me. ;) and I'm so so glad she did. It has very few ingredients, is very fast to make and the result is YUMMY! I tried it and fell in love with the flavors! My only regret? I should have made more! :D

We ate it with a simple curd rice. Serve as a dry side to go with dal rice and make a simple meal worth remembering!

Served with curd rice

What you need :

Simple ingredients!

Baby Bella mushrooms - quartered about 1 cup
Garlic - 3 to 4 cloves sliced
Curry leaves- about 15 of them thinly sliced
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Fennel seeds(saunf) 1/4 tsp
Oil 1/2 tsp

Haldi/turmeric powder: a pinch
Salt
Red chilly powder to taste
Fresh lime/lemon juice 1/2 tsp


Method:
Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic, mustard and fennel seeds. Wait for mustard to splutter.
Then add the curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds.
Add mushrooms. Saute the mushroom for a minute.
Add the haldi, salt and red chilly powder. Mix well.
Cook for about 5 mins or more till mushrooms are done. The water released by mushrooms is absorbed by the spices and it gives a nice coating.
Take off heat and add the lime juice.

Ready to gobble up!!! :)

Root-y Roti. (Beetroot-sweet potato-carrot paratha)

Colorful, flavorful root vegetables come together to yield this delightful and health-ful roti/paratha. It is recommended to have 5 servings of veggies per day(Wow!). How many do we actually do? How well do we mix our veggies to get most if not all the nutrients we need?
This is not really a "recipe" or some great preparation. Just an idea to sneak those veggies into your diet in an easy and tasty way.
I have used beetroot, carrots, sweet potato and flavored it with ginger to make a puree. You can use this puree in many different ways :

1. Mix it in your roti dough to make colorful rotis and include them in your regular meal. The rotis will be soft and flavored and go well with any side.
2. Make paratha dough with it - use spices and extra seasoning and they can be eaten with just curd/pickle.
3. Add some puree in your rice- a colorful fun rice to go with your usual dal/sambar side :)
4. Make a pulav with rice/qunioa/other mix grains for a healthy one pot meal.
5. Sneak some puree into your curry/gravy dish to add that extra dose of health

..the possibilities are endless! If you try this, or have any new ideas of using it, please write a comment and I'd love to try it as well. :)

The recipe here is for paratha and I'm going to freeze some puree as "health cubes" and see how that goes ;)

Mixed root vegetables ready to be boiled

Basic root puree:

1 large beetroot
2 carrots
1 sweet potato
1 inch piece of ginger -more if u like a strong ginger flavor.
Salt- optional

Method :
1.  Scrub and peel the beet and sweet potato. Chop it into big chunks. We're going to boil it, so don't waste your energy in chopping these hard veggies :P
2. Chop carrots.
3. Boil all the veggies and ginger with minimal amount of water till they are cooked thru. You want the puree to be as thick and concentrated as possible.
4. After it cools down, make a puree and get thinking on what you'd like to do with it! :)

Rooty puree

Paratha:

Beetroot sweet potato and carrot paratha

What you need:

Basic root puree 1 cup
Wheat flour 2 cups
Salt
Crushed garlic 
Finely chopped cilantro
Red chilly powder- per taste
Dhaniya jeera powder
Garam masala - optional
Chaat masala -optional
Kasoori methi (dried methi leaves)
Plain yogurt/curd
Oil

Method:
Mix the whole wheat flour with all the dry ingredients. Mix in the puree and some curd. Try to mix the dough with the moisture from curd and veggie puree only and avoid adding water. This will make the parathas really soft.
Roll out parathas as you'd like -folded, laccha, plain and roast them with a little ghee/oil if desired.
Serve hot! :)