Author: Guest Author

by Bhavisha Talati

Here I used zucchini instead of lasagna sheets to make lasagna and make this dish more healthy. Gluten free yummy vegetarian lasagna.

Ingredients

For sauce:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 orange or yellow bell pepper
• 2 finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp garlic
• 1 small size chopped onion
• 1 tbsp chopped basil and parsley
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tbsp red chilly powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp chilly flakes

For stuffing:

• 1/2 cup color bell peppers
• 1 small onion
• 1 carrot
• 1/4 cup corn (You can take your choice of vegetables)
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper powder
• 1 tsp chilly flakes
• 1 tbsp olive oil.
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

For lasagna:

• 2 zucchini vertically sliced.

Method:

For sauce:

1. Spray little olive oil on both the bell peppers and broil it in the oven until skin gets dark and it cooked well.
2. Let it cool down. Remove the skin and chop it.
3. In a pan take olive oil and add chopped onion and garlic.
4. Let it cook until onion cooks well. Then add chopped bell peppers and tomatoes.
5. Add all the seasonings.
6. Add tomato purée and fresh basil and parsley.
7. Let it cook for 4-5 mins.

For stuffing:

1. In a pan heat olive oil.
2. Add chopped garlic and saute for few seconds.
3. Add all chopped vegetables and corn and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add salt, pepper, chilly flakes and Italian seasoning and mix it well.
5. Transfer it in a bowl and let it cool down.

For lasagna:

1. First slice zucchini vertically as shown in the picture.
2. Sprinkle some salt and pepper and microwave it for a minute. So it will soften little bit and easy to roll it.
3. Now take a piece of plastic wrap and put it on the cutting board or plate.
4. Put zucchini slices (around 8 ) overlapping each other.
5. Put vegetable stuffing on it.
6. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning on it.
7. Now roll it slowly using the plastic wrap. (Just like we roll sushi)
8. Make all the rolls out of zucchini like this.
9. Now in baking tray layer some sauce at the bottom.
10. Put zucchini rolls on it.
11. You can add some more sauce and cheese on top. (I didn’t do it)
12. Cover it and bake it at 400° F for 15-20 mins. Serve it hot.

by Anuja Nevagi

Ingredients:

• 500 gms prawns cleaned & deveined,
• 1 medium onion chopped fine
• 3 slit green chillies
• 4 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Masala to grind:

• 1 heaped cup grated coconut
• 3 tbsp corriander seeds
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• half lemon sized tamarind
• 3 garlic cloves.

Method:

1. Grind the masala to a smooth paste.
2. Heat a pan,add oil.
3. Add chopped onion and saute till translucent.
4. Add green chillies.
5. Add prawns, saute till half done.
6. Add masala paste and add 2 cups hot water.
7. Keep stirring on slow gas.
8. Add salt as per choice, bring it to a boil and put the flame off.
9. Enjoy hot with steamed rice or bhakri.

Notes

• Do not over boil the curry to avoid the prawns turning rubbery.

by Shweta Gulati

A wholesome and flavoursome nutritious meal with goodness of mushrooms.Easy to cook,Good to eat.

Ingredients:

• 1 big onion sliced finely
• 1/2 cup fresh button mushrooms diced finely
• 1/2 cup Brown Rice
• 1/4 tsp of soya sauce
• 1/4 tsp of black pepper powder
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tablespoon of Oil (I’ve used olive oil)
• Onion greens.

Method:

1. Soak rice for at least 2 hours
2. Cook rice with little salt aldante.
3. Strain water and run through cold water.
4. In a nonstick / thick bottom pan add oil.
5. At low flame saute onions till brown. Keep aside
6. To the same oil add mushrooms, cook till they loose moisture and turn little brown (at high to medium flame). Keep them aside.
7. In the remaining oil add black pepper powder.
8. Add Rice and soy sauce.
9. As per taste sprinkle salt.
10. At low flame mix up well.
11. Add sauteed mushrooms and onions.
12. Garnish with onion greens and sprinkle freshly grounded black pepper.
13. Serve Hot.

by Shweta Gulati

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Rajma (I’ve taken the small red Jammu Rajma also called sharmilli Rajma)
• 2 Big/3 medium Tomatoes (Pureed)
• 1 tsp ginger minced
• 4 cloves of Garlic crushed/finely chopped .
• 1 Onion medium size ,chopped finely
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp of Kashmiri Red chilli powder
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing
• 1/4 tsp garam masala (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Coriander to Garnish.

Procedure:

• Wash and Soak Rajma for 8 hours.
• In the Pressure Cooker add oil,hing chopped onions. Saute till pinkish brown.Add ginger and garlic.Keep stirring.
• Add Tomato Puree and let it cook till oil seperates from masala.
• Add chilli powder,Salt turmeric powder and garam masala.
• The bright red oil will separate.Add Rajma to it.Add 3 cup water.
• Keep at high for a whistle and them on medium/low flame for 20 minutes.
• Open the lid of Pressure Cooker.
• With the help of laddle mash a table spoon of Rajma.This will thicken the gravy.
• With Open lid ,let it simmer for 5 minutes at low flame.
• Rajma is Ready ,Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with Jeera Rice/Steam Rice.

by Arpita Salvi

Ingredients

• 1 cup chole soaked overnight
• 2 medium tomatoes – pureed
• 2 large onions- thinly sliced
• 1 tsp Jeera
• 1 tbsp each Ginger garlic paste
• 2 tbsp Chole masala (any brand that mainly contain anardana as an
• ingredient)
• 1 1/2 tbsp Red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Haldi powder
• Salt-to taste
• 1 1/2 tbsp Besan
• 1 Badi elaichi
• 1 inch Cinnamon
• 2 Cloves
• Chopped coriander leaves – for garnishing

Method 

1. Pressure cook soaked chole with badi elaichi, cinnamon, cloves and 1 tsp salt on high flame for 5-6 whistles and then on a low flame for 5 mins.
2. Check if the chole are cooked well by squishing between fingers.
3. Next In a pan in 2 tbsp oil fry the onions on a medium flame till they get a nice golden brown color. Once done grind the onions into a fine paste.
4. Again in a pan add oil. Once hot add Jeera and the onion paste. Stir well for 5 mins. Next add the tomato puree and little salt. Stir well and close the lid.
5. Let this masala cook till the oil separates from the sides.
6. Now add the Besan and mix well. Now add all the dry spices(haldi,dhaniya powder, chole masala,red chill powder). Keep the flame low to avoid the masalas from burning.
7. Now add whisked curd. Stir well on low flame to avoid curd from being curdled. Once oil starts leaving the sides add the cooked chole.
8. Scoop out all the garam masalas from the chole which we had put at the time of pressure cooking. Stir well and add salt according to taste.
9. Close the lid and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes on a low flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.

by Shivangi Singh

Being mother of a 11 month old child, I keep experimenting with food that is healthy and tasty for my LO. Thus came up with these nutritious cookies. These are baking soda, baking powder and sugar free, making them a great choice for babies & infants. Banana is favourite flavor for the kids, coconut gives its own crunch and the hero of the dish, Ragi, is a wonder grain that  moms love to include in their diets.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup ragi flour
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 150 gm soft butter
• 1 banana (2 can be used too)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup dry / desiccated coconut (optional)
• 2/3 cup dates powder/ jaggery

Method 

1. Beat butter , jaggery till fluffy then add egg & beat again. Soften banana with fork & add mix till well incorporated.
2. Mix all other ingredients. It will be moist dough. Cover & refrigerate the mixture for an hour min.
3. Make balls & flatten in whatever shape you like. Bake for 15 mins at 180 C/350 F. Once cooled remove & store.*

by Avani Zaveri Makwana

There is a very small story behind this recipe.

This pickle is favourite in my house & generally it used to come from my mother in law’s place once every year. But it used to finished in few months as we mostly like to have it everyday with dal-rice. Then finally I thought to give a try it with neighbour’s help and it came out so perfect that when I asked my hubby that taste and tell me which one is made by his mom, he picked my pickle and said, “This one!?” And my mehnat was successful.

Ingredients

• 1kg laadva kairi
• 2 to 3 tbsp salt
• 2 to 3 tbsp turmeric
• 100gm methi kuria
• 50gm rai kuria
• 4 to 5 big tbsp Roasted salt
• 4 to 5 big tbsp Kashmiri & Resham Patti red chilly powder mix
• 2 to 3 tbsp hing
• 3 to 4 tbsp for mixing the ingredients & some oil for pickle as per the
• requirement at the end.

Method

Step 1:-In a big vessel take 1kg Laadva Kairi
Now add 2 3tbsp Salt & Turmeric & mix well
Now keep lid on it & keep it overnight

Step 2:-Now next day remove excess water from Kairi & spread it on newspaper near sunlight

Step 3:-Now after the Kairi becomes totally dry
Take it in the vessel again

Step 4:-Now in other vessel
Take 100gm Methi Kuria
50 gm Rai Kuria
Roasted Salt as Shown in the Pic
Kashmiri & Reshampatti Red Chilly Powder
Hing

Step 5:-Now heat some oil in a tadka pan
Cool it & add it in this mixture & mix well

Step 6:-Now Add this mixture into Kairi & Mix well

Step 7:-Now fill this mixture in a air tight container or jar slowly

Step 7:-Heat Sunflower Oil(any)in Vessel as shown in the Pic

Cool it, add it in the jar filled with pickle

The oil should reach till bottom of the jar as shown in the picture.

Close the lid & give a rest of 3 to 4 days

Check in between, your spicy tangy mango pickle is ready. You can store it in the refrigerator for whole year with enough oil in it.

by Ruchita Ashish Sharma

Club sandwich is global favorite food mainly taken as snack/ brunch.
Fillings are stuffed in 3/4 layers. There are many methods used all over, here I am presenting my way of making it.

Ingredients

• 3 bread slices
• 1 to 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp green chutney
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 sliced tomato
• 1 sliced cucumber
• 1/2 cup finely cubed boiled potato
• 1 to 2 tbsp curd
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp sandwich spread
• Grated cheese, nylon sev & finely chopped coriander for garnishing.

Method

1. Take a bowl & add boiled cubed potato.
2. Now add all the dry masalas mentioned in ingredients.
3. Then add curd & mix all well together.
4. Let it marinate for 10 minutes.
5. Take one bread slice & spread green chutney.
6. Now spread marinated potato.
7. Now place another slice of bread over it.
8. Spread sandwich spread on this slice.
9. Now place cucumber slices over it, over cucumber place onion slices, over onion slices place tomato slices.
10. Now take the third slice of bread & place over tomato slices.
11. Now spread butter on both the sides of bread & roast it till crisp.
12. Lastly cut it in any shape you like.
13. Sprinkle grated cheese, nylon sev & chopped coriander.

by Puja Pillai

Pizza made at home from scratch. Dough made out of refined flour using -yeast, oil, water , salt and garlic.

Pasta /pizza sauce- delmonte/ fun foods / Veeba
Vegetables:capsicum, onion, tomatoes and corn
Mozzarella and Cheddar mixed cheese
Seasonings mixed herbs, chilli flakes

Make the dough by adding all the  ingredients mentioned. Keep it aside for it to rise. Once risen, make equal balls out of it. Roll it into your desired shape. Apply pasta sauce add the chopped veggies, grated cheese with the seasonings. Bake it at 400°F on fan mode in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes depending upon your oven.

Measurements for the pizza dough at home

Ingredients

• 500gms refined flour
• 15gms instant yeast
• 10 gms salt
• 20 gms sugar
• 5 cloves of garlic (optional) crushed
• 350ml warm water
• 35-40 gms

Method

1. Add the yeast, sugar in the water. Let the yeast get active and start foaming.
2. In the mean time add all the dry ingredients in a vessel mix well.
3. Make a well add the yeast incorporated water slowly seeing the consistency of the dough. Should be sticky but that’s quite fine. Leave it aside for 10-15 minutes after apply some oil on it by covering it with a cloth or a cling film.
4. After 15 minutes knead it and roll it out into small balls. Will make approximately 4 balls weighing 200 -230gms each.
5. To shape it into a circular/ rectangular chapati.
6. And this makes Pizza base.