An absolutely delicious option which is ideal for summers, this mayonnaise and vegetables sandwich is not just filling but enjoyed by young and old alike. Serve it at parties, get togethers or as a quick snack as they are extremely easy to make.
Ingredients:
One loaf of bread
Butter
Equal quantities of the following vegetables finely chopped:
Cucumber
Tomato
Onion
Capsicum/ Bell pepper
Grated carrot
Pepper powder
Eggless mayonnaise
Salt
Method:
Trim the edges of the slices of bread. Use the discarded edges to make bread crumbs. Butter the slices and keep aside. Tip in the chopped vegetables and grated carrot into a bowl. Refrigerate for an hour. Drop in mayonnaise, and pepper as per preference. Mix thoroughly. Add salt, mix and apply the mixture on the buttered side of the slice. Cover it with another slice of buttered bread, cut into triangles and serve immediately.
The last four decades have seen a change in Indian eating habits. Dal, roti, rice, sabji though soul food, cuisine from all over the world is accepted but tweaked to suit the Indian palate. The Chinese cuisine is one such where the Indian chefs have experimented and churned out a number of delectable dishes. Posting a Paneer, pepper,chilly fry today which is served as a starter before a main course.
Ingredients:
400 gms malai paneer
1 large capsicum/ bell pepper chopped into large cubes.
2 large onions sliced into petals
Salt
Pepper
Cornflour
2 tbsps ginger, garlic, green chilly paste
Oil for frying the paneer
1 tbsp oil for seasoning
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
Method:
Cut the paneer into bite sized pieces. Malai paneer is extremely soft so needs gentle handling. Sprinkle salt, pepper and corn flour and toss gently to avoid breaking. Keep aside for ten minutes to marinate. Meanwhile slice the onion and bell pepper. Heat the oil in a pan. Divide the paneer into three batches and fry them on a gentle flame to a crisp golden brown, taking care to see that it’s turned over only after one side is thoroughly done. This is to prevent the paneer from breaking. Drain on absorbent kitchen towel. Heat one tbsp oil and drop in the chilly, ginger, garlic paste. Saute for a minute and then add the onion and bell pepper. Add salt and a generous amount of pepper. Toss. The bell pepper should retain its crunch, yet be semi cooked. Add the sauces and give a quick stir. Add the paneer pieces, toss well and serve hot.
A healthy, delicious and filling preparation, the spinach, cheese and corn grilled sandwich is a hit with young and old alike. I usually prepare the filling beforehand when I am expecting guests as all it requires is for it to be grilled.
Ingredients:
Brown bread or any Sandwich bread
250 gms or one bunch Palak/ spinach washed and finely chopped( please discard the stems)
250 gms corn kernels par boiled
1 tbsp each of Chilly flakes, mixed herbs and pepper powder
Salt as required
2 tbsps APF/ maida
250 ml or one large glass milk
Mozzarella cheese grated / 3 cubes of processed cheese. I used Amul cheese cubes.
2 tbsps of butter
12 garlic cloves finely chopped
Cheese singles/ slices of cheese
Method:
Heat the butter in a pan. Add the minced garlic and roast to a golden yellow. Drop in the chopped spinach, par boiled corn and saute till the spinach wilts. Add the maida and roast for a couple of minutes. Drop in the salt, chilly flakes, mixed herbs and pepper powder. Toss for a few seconds and then pour in the milk. Bring to a boil and add the cheese. Cook till it comes to a semi solid consistency. Keep aside. Butter the slices of bread only on one side. Place them in the grill or on a tava, buttered side down. Place a cheese single/ slice and two or three tbsps filling over the slice and cover it with another slice of bread, buttered side up. Grill till done. The same goes for those using the tava/ skillet as I did. The bread should be toasted to a crisp. Cut and serve with tomato ketchup or a Thousand Island dressing.
An extremely easy to make and delicious option which can be served as a starter or with drinks are these microwave savoury peanuts. You can also add them to roasted puffed rice and garnish it with finely chopped onions, coriander leaves and a dash of lime.
Ingredients:
500 gms raw peanuts washed and drained.
2 tbsps Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
2sprigs curry leaves finely chopped
2tsps oil of choice
Salt as per taste
3tbsps Besan/ chickpea flour
3 tbsps rava/ semolina/ sooji.
Method:
Sprinkle all the above mentioned powders on the drained peanuts. Add the Besan and Rava and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle a little water while mixing if you find the mixture too dry and the besan and Rava fail to stick to the peanuts. Add the finely chopped curry leaves and oil. Give a final mix and tip the peanuts into a microwave safe tray. Microwave for two and a half minutes. Mix and keep microwaving it for a minute each time till the peanuts are crisp. The whole procedure takes around eight to ten minutes. Allow to cool and bottle.
Note: Take care to see that the peanuts are microwaved for a minute each time and then tossed so that they are turn crisp evenly.
When one wants to make a quick healthy snack for children the easiest, quickest and an extremely delicious option is making some breadizza. A close cousin of the Pizza, but much easier to prepare.
Ingredients:
All the below mentioned ingredients can be used as per requirement.
Bread slices. Tomatoes, red, green and yellow Bell pepper and onions sliced Black olives. Tomato ketchup, oregano, chilly flakes, pepper and salt. Grated cheese.
Method: Butter the slices of bread on both the sides. Heat a griddle. Roast them on one side. Apply ketchup on the roasted side and pile it with the veggies, olives, herbs, salt pepper and cheese. Roast the other side till crisp and then microwave for half a minute for the cheese to melt. Serve with tomato ketchup.
This is one of the most delicious ways of serving a toasted sandwich . Easy to make and one which children and adults will simply love! You can also serve it as a hors d’oeuvres or as a snack with tea.
Ingredients:
10 slices of bread
5 tbsps of butter
5 cloves of garlic grated
1 tsp chilly flakes
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
For the filling:
100 gms sweet corn pressure cooked
5 slices of cheese
Salt, pepper to taste
Method:
Combine the butter, mixed herbs, chilly flakes and grated garlic. Season with salt and mix thoroughly. Apply it on both sides of the slice and toast one side well. Place the toasted side facing upwards and spread the corn mixture. Place a slice of cheese and cover it with another slice with the untoasted side facing upwards. Roast both sides on a gentle to medium flame till the cheese melts and the slice is brown and crisp. The aroma of the garlic getting roasted is irresistible. Remove, cut into triangles and serve with tomato ketchup.
The Indianised version of this Chinese preparation is a popular street food all over the country. It has all the sauces added and a generous drizzle of honey which leaves one asking for more! It can be served as a starter or as an accompaniment to Chowmein or Fried rice.
Ingredients:
3 large potatoes de skinned and sliced into batons as for French fries
2 tbsps Maida/ all purpose flour
2 tbsps rice flour or corn flour
Salt
A mixture of 4 tbsps of Maida and 2 tbsps of rice flour, a pinch of salt and water enough to make a thick batter.
Oil for frying
For the sauce:
1 tbsp chilly sauce
1 tbsp soya sauce
4 tbsps tomato ketchup
2 tbsps honey
2 tbsps sugar
Salt
1 tsp corn flour mixed in a quarter cup of water to make a slurry.
For the seasoning:
10 cloves of garlic minced
1 inch piece of ginger minced
3 green chillies slit and cut into thin strips
3 tbsps of thinly sliced capsicum
1 small onion sliced
2 tbsps spring onion greens
2 tbsps oil
For the garnish:
2 tbsps finely chopped spring onion greens
1 heaped tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Method:
Wash the sliced potato two or three times to get rid of the starch. Drain thoroughly. Sprinkle the maida, salt and rice flour and mix well. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Dip the potato wedges into the maida rice flour batter and deep fry on a medium flame til crisp and golden brown. Finish off similarly with all the wedges , drain and keep them aside. Heat a pan and dry roast the sesame seeds till they splutter. Keep aside. Heat the oil well and drop all the wedges into the hot oil and flash fry them to a rich brown on a high flame. Drain and keep aside.
Heat oil in a wok or a broad based pan. Add the minced garlic, ginger and green chillies. Toss till they change colour. Add the sliced onion, capsicum and spring onion greens. Toss them for a few seconds and add all the sauces and tomato ketchup one by one. Add half a cup of water and gently pour in the slurry , continuously stirring the sauce so as to avoid it from forming lumps. Add the salt, sugar and honey. Bring to a boil. Immediately add the fried potato wedges, toasted sesame seeds and spring onion greens. Give it a good stir and serve hot.
An Indian version of Quesadilla has already been posted by me earlier. Here is a healthier version by making the tortilla of wheat flour or in other words a Chapati. You may add seasoning of choice, but here I have stuck to only basic ones to keep the aroma of garlic intact.
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the finely chopped garlic and roast till it turns golden brown. Drop in the sweet corn and continue roasting till it starts popping. Add the sliced onions and roast till translucent. Drop in the capsicum and tomatoes. Toss on a high flame. Add the chilly flakes, oregano and mixed herbs as per requirement. Mix thoroughly, switch off and keep aside.
Now heat a Tava/ griddle. Place the Chapati on it. Spread the prepared vegetables on one half of the Chapati and place a folded slice of cheese on top. Cover it with the other half of the Chapati. Drop a blob of butter and roast the Quesadilla on both sides on a very slow flame till it turns golden and crisp . Serve with salsa or tomato ketchup.
This measurement of vegetables is to make five Quesadillas.
Here is an easy to make pizza recipe which the children are sure to love. You can add toppings of your choice. The sauce and cheese too can be adjusted as per preference.
I was left with four Chapatis which I had prepared for dinner last night. Rummaged through the fridge and found half each of a red, green and yellow capsicum. Chopped them up along with some onions and fresh home grown basil. Roasted the Chapatis on a tava/ skillet to a crisp, spread some Pizza sauce, topped them with the veggies and grated some Mozzarella cheese over them. Into the oven….and it’s ready in ten minutes….
Left with a bowl of chole which is too little to serve for the next meal? Just mash it well and turn it into a tikki. You may deep fry or pan fry it as I have. All that you need are a couple of slices of bread to bind the mash . Recipe links to Chole and all purpose Chutney given below.
Ingredients:
One bowl leftover Chole
Three slices of bread crumbled in the mixer
Salt
2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
Oil for roasting the tikki.
Method:
Mash the chole well. Add salt, finely chopped coriander leaves and the powdered bread slices. Bind to a smooth dough and shape into tikki. Heat the tava/ griddle. Place the tikki on it and drizzle with oil. Roast till done. Flip and roast on the other side as well. Serve hot with all purpose Chutney or tomato ketchup.
Note: No extra spices need be added as the Chole itself is very flavourful.
Recipe link to the Chole and all purpose Chutney given below.
