Vegetable Lasagna

When I had lasagna for the first time in India, I thought it was something exotic and really complex to prepare. Well exotic it is but I was wrong about the complexity. The recipe is really simple with a lot of scope for experiments (and a lot of cheese). So here goes!

Ingredients:
8-10Lasagna noodles (oven ready)
spaghetti sauce 3cups
mozzarella cheese shredded 2cups
Parmesan  cheese grated 1cup
Part-skim ricotta cheese 15oz
1 large green bell pepper finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper finely chopped
1 large onion finely chopped
3 jalapeños seeded and chopped
1 medium sized broccoli broken into small florets and steamed
1 tsp butter/olive oil
3 cloves garlic crushed/finely chopped
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp oregano
11/2 tsp salt
1 egg

Preparation:
In a pan heat butter/olive oil and add crushed/chopped garlic. Stir and add chopped onion. Saute for a minute and add chopped bell peppers and jalapeños. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 2-3 minutes then add steamed broccoli. Mix well, remove from flame and keep aside.

In a large bowl, take ricotta cheese, break the egg in the bowl and beat till properly mixed. Then add 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano and 1 tsp salt. Mix well and keep aside.

In a greased 9"x13" baking dish, spread 2-3tbsp spaghetti sauce at the bottom and then make a layer of lasagna noodles over it in such a way that the noodles don't overlap. Make a layer of  half of each: ricotta cheese mix, vegetables and spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle half of the grated Parmesan. Now layer the remaining lasagna noodles and repeat the above process with the remaining ingredients. Top it with grated mozzarella cheese. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Cover the baking dish with silver foil. Put it in the oven to bake for 40 minutes, After 40 mins remove the foil and bake again for 15 minutes or till the cheese on top gets golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes after removing from the oven. Cut with a metal spatula. Serve as is or with any salad.

Using oven ready lasagna noodles saves time and effort as they don't need to be boiled or cooked. However one can use regular lasagna noodles and follow the instructions on the pack.
Spaghetti sauce may be replaced with pasta sauce.
Grated Paneer/Indian cottage cheese  may be used instead of ricotta cheese.
Blending blanched spinach into ricotta cheese mix gives a different flavour to the dish.

Bon Appetit!

Fried Samosas

The credit to this recipe goes to my husband. He is a foodie and enjoys to cook equally. Most of my recipes are inspired by him. I remember once when I was travelling, I called my husband from the airport and he told me that something special would be waiting for me when i reached home. My imagination ran wild and by the time I reached home, I had imagined everything from life-sized teddy bears to bouquets of roses to diamond pendants. I reached home filled with anticipation and my husband greeted me with these samosas. They were nothing like the things I had imagined but honestly, that was one of the sweetest things he has ever done for me. I was so touched that for a while I didn't even notice the mess my kitchen was in (trust me that means a great deal). It may seem very complicated and time consuming but it takes about an hour from preparations to wolfing down the samosas. Enjoy!

Ingredients for stuffing:

3-4 medium sized potatoes boiled

1 cup green peas boiled

1 medium sized onion chopped

5-6 green chillies chopped

1" piece of ginger grated or 1tsp ginger paste

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp oil to saute onions

Oil to fry samosas

Salt to taste

Ingredients for dough:

1 cup plain flour/all purpose flour/maida

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

water as required

Preparation:

First mix all ingredients for dough except water. Now add only as much water as needed to make a soft dough. Knead well then cover and keep aside.

For the stuffing, mash potatoes in a bowl and mix boiled peas. Add salt, green chillies and lemon juice, mix well and keep aside. In a pan heat 1tbsp oil, add fennel seeds, turmeric powder, grated ginger/ paste  and chopped onion. Saute for a few minutes. Add the previous mixture into the pan, mix well and remove from heat.

Now take small portions of dough, make balls by rolling them between your palms. Now flatten the dough ball with a rolling pin (approx. 6"-8" round). Cut it into half so that you'll have two semicircles. Take one half and make a cone out of it by overlapping the two ends one on the other. Press the ends so that they don't come off while frying. Now stuff this cone with the above mixture and seal the opening. This way make more cones, fill them and seal. Heat oil in a wok, fry these samosas on medium heat till golden brown. Drain on an absorbent paper. Serve hot with mint dip or ketchup.

Veggie Lover's Delight

This one is dedicated to those who love to eat but worry about calories. This salad is quite filling and incredibly yummy. This low calorie salad is ready in a jiffy.

Ingredients:
Iceberg lettuce - leaves washed, dried and torn into bite sized pieces
Red grapes - halved
Cucumber - diced
Paneer - diced
Sour cream (low fat) - 2 tbsp
Dried basil leaves - 1/4 tsp
Oregano - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Ground black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Olive oil / low fat butter - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 clove crushed
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Heat olive oil/butter in a pan and add crushed garlic. Add paneer and saute till golden brown. In a bowl, mix sour cream, salt, basil leaves, ground black pepper, oregano and mix well. Now add paneer, half of the lettuce, grapes, cucumber and mix all these together. In a salad bowl, lay the remaining lettuce leaves and spread the mixed ingredients on top of it. refrigerate for some time. This salad can be eaten as a side dish or main meal.

It is as appealing to the eyes as it is good to taste. For those who love non-vegetarian food, paneer can be substituted with grilled chicken/turkey.
 Enjoy!

Bhutte ka kees (Indore style)

This recipe comes straight from Indore, which is the commercial capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh. People of Indore are known for their hospitality and their love for food. Anyone who has been to Indore would know that the day of Indoris starts with "poha and jalebi" and it ends in the eateries along the streets of "sarafa".

This particular recipe is one of my many favourites. Born and brought up in Indore, I have had the pleasure of savoring "bhutte ka kees" every winter. I am glad to share this recipe with anyone who loves food.

Ingredients:
5-6 medium sized corncobs
1/4 cup cream of wheat (rava/suji)
1/2 cup milk
4-5 green chillies finely chopped
1/2" piece of ginger grated
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp oil
1tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation:
First, grate the corn kernels on a grater or remove the kernels from the cob and grind them in a mixer grinder.
Heat the oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, asafoetida powder, chopped green chillies grated ginger and turmeric powder. Stir for a few seconds then add the grated/ground corn kernels and cream of wheat (rava). Mix well then add milk.Cover and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Now add salt and mix well. This mixture will stick to the pan if not stirred frequently. Let it cook on medium flame for about 20 minutes stirring every minute or so. It might get look sticky initially, but once the milk has dried up, the mixture starts separating. When its almost done add the lemon juice and mix well. Transfer in a bowl, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Yes, it takes some time and effort to prepare this Indori delicacy. But after all the grating and stirring, the end result will be your reward. One of the good things about cooking is that there always is a scope for experiments. So, go ahead. Try this recipe, experiment with it and post any comments/suggestions that you may have. Happy cooking!