Baked Vegetables

The lovely coloures and different types of vegetables available in market always mesmerise me. When I look at them, I always think of a lovely colourful salad or stir fry or baked vegetables.
       Baked vegetables is one of those comfort foods which you can have once in a while to treat yourself. Butter, cheese and flour is not actually a very healthy combination for the people who are watching their diet, but there is no harm in pampering ourselves once in a while, isn't it?? Besides, it's a big hit with children. So when you make it, you can be sure that there are not going to be any meal time tantrums!!
        Baked vegetables, garlic bread and some soup makes a wonderful dinner!!
Ingredients and recipe-
For white sauce-
Plain flour 2tsp
Butter 1tsp
Oil 1tsp
Milk 2 cups
Salt,pepper and dried mixed herbs as per taste
Grated Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese
Vegetables-
Green beans, red,yellow and red pepper,sweet corn kernels,cauliflower and/or broccoli florets,mushrooms, asparagus, sweet potato
   You can use any of these vegetables in any quantity you prefer. There is no hard and fast rule about the quantity and types of vegetables used in this recipe.

1) First we will start with the White sauce. Heat butter and oil in a non-stick pan and add flour to it.
2) Once the flour is golden in colour, it leaves a lovely aroma. Add milk to it at this stage while comtinuously stirring with a whisk. This is an important step because if not stirred properly, there will be lumps in the white  sauce.
3) Once flour and milk are fully incorporated, add grated cheese, salt and pepper. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes. White sauce is ready.
4)Now wash all the vegetables and except peppers and mushrooms, pressure cook them for one whistle. Finely chop the peppers and mushrooms.
This can be done while you are making the White sauce. Saves a lot of time.
5)Now take a casserole dish and grease it with little oil or butter. Add a little white sauce at the bottom. Arrange the vegetables on top. Sprinkle salt, pepper and mixed herbs. Add another layer of white sauce and sprinkle some grated cheese on it.
6) Arrange all the White sauce and vegetables similarly and make sure that the top layer is of the white sauce. Sprinkle generous amount of cheese on the top.
7) Keep it in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
8) Once the cheese is melted and looks golden brown, baked vegetables are ready.
      Serve it piping hot with garlic bread and soup of your choice.

     

Sweet Potato Kheer

           Chaitra Navratris are going on these days. Many people observe fasting during these days. So I thought of giving a recipe which can be enjoyed during the fasting.
             Sweet potato Kheer- Easy to make and ideal to keep one going through the fasting. Sweet potato is originated from Central America and then quickly became popular through out the world. Being one of the 'Super Foods' it's importance is even more increased in last few years.
    Along with starch and complex carbohydrates, it also has high amounts of beta carotene, vitamin B and Potassium. Because of the complex carbs in it, it makes one feel fuller for longer, hence it is ideal during the fasting.
      There are many different ways of making this Kheer. Some people grate and fry the sweet potato in ghee. But the recipe that I am giving here is comparatively low calorie because we are steaming the sweet potato here and not using any ghee/butter at all.

Ingredients and Recipe-
Sweet potatoes 2 medium sized
Sugar 1/4 cup
Milk 1/2 litre
Rose water 1tsp
Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
Almond and pistachio flakes for garnishing

1) Wash the sweet potatoes well.
2) Pressure cook them on high heat till 3-4 whistles and them simmer for further5-7 minutes. I steamed them in electric steamer for 20 minutes.
3) when the steam of the pressure cooker is released, take them out, peel and mash them to a soft pulp.
4) Take this pulp in a pan and add milk. Let the milk boil completely.
5) Add sugar and cook for further 5-6 minutes.
6) Turn the heat off and rose water and ground cardamom.
7) Kheer is ready to serve. It can be served hot or chilled in tall glasses garnished with almond and pistachio flakes.
        Try it out then and let me know the outcome!!!

Dhokla

A reader friend of ' Abhiruchi', Deepti Gupta had asked for the recipe of Dhokla and another friend of 'Abhiruchi' Anjali Chapalgaonkar sent the recipe of Moing dal Dhokla. I normally make Dhokla from Gram flour (besan). So today I am sharing both the recipes here.

1) Moong Dal Dhokla -
Ingredients and recipe-
Moong dal 1 cup
Ginger,garlic and green chilly paste 1tbsp
Eno 1 packet
Salt and sugar as per taste
For tempering- oil,cumin seeds,mustard seeds,asafoetida,curry leaves
Coriander for garnishing
1) wash the moong dal and soak in water for 2-3 hours and then grind to a fine paste.
2)Add salt,sugar, ginger,garlic and green chilly paste to this and make a batter similar in consistency to that of pakoda batter.
3)Meanwhile pour some water in a pressure cooker and keep it on the heat and grease one thali with oil.
4)Now add Eno to the batter and whisk briskly and pour this batter to the greased thali . Steam cook without the whistle on the pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes.
5)After 15 minutes, take out the Dhokla in a plate and cut into squares,
6)Make a tempering with Oil,cumin seeds,mustard seeds and curry leaves and pour it on the Dhokla.
7)Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with chutney of your choice.

2) Gram flour(Besan) Dhokla-
The recipe that I am sharing here is by Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor. It is available on his website as well. I have just made slight changes to the original recipe.
   I have heard from many of my friends that their Dhokla doesn't come up very nice when made at home from scratch. But I have been making it for many years now using the recipe given below;so hopefully it will benefit others as well.
Ingredients and recipe-
Besan 1 cup
Yogurt 1/2 cup
Oil 1 tsp
Turmeric1/2 tsp
Soda bi carb 1 tsp
Lemon juice 1tsp
Salt and sugar to taste
For tempering- Oil,cumin seeds,mustard seeds,asafoetida
Scraped coconut, coriander and fried green chillies for garnishing

1) Take the sieved besan in a mixing bowl. Add yogurt, salt and sugar to it. Add 1/2 a cup lukewarm water and whisk. Keep aside for 2hours.
2)After 2 hours, add turmeric to this mixture and mix well.
3) Meanwhile pour some water in the pressure cooker and turn on the heat. Grease a thali with oil and keep it ready.
4)Take oil, lemon juice and soda bi carb in a small bowl and mix well. Add this mixture to the Dhokla batter and whisk briskly.
5) Pour this batter to the greased thali and steam cook without the whistle for 10-15 minutes.
6)Once it's cooled, take out in a plate, cut into squares and garnish with chopped coriander and scraped coconut.
7) Make a tempering with oil,cumin seeds,mustard seeds and asafoetida and pour it on the Dhokla.
8)Serve it with chutney of your choice and fried green chillies.

Carrot Kheer

Think of an Indian dessert made from carrot and the first thing that comes to one's mind is 'Gajar ka Halwa'. But there are many more equally delicious desserts made from carrot. Today I am giving you the recipe of Carrot Kheer. When served with ice-cream, it goes very well as a fusion dessert.

    It's Holi tomorrow. So instead of normal Thandai, try this carrot kheer and I am pretty sure that it will be a big hit. 

Ingredients and Recipe-

4 Carrots, washed, peeled and grated

Ghee (Clarified Butter) 1tsp

Milk 1/2 litre

Sugar 1/4 cup

Cardamom powder 1/2tsp

Nuts for garnishing

1) Take the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and keep it to boil. We are reducing the milk a little. Not as much as Rabdi though.

2)In another pan, take the ghee and add grated carrot to it, saute' , cover and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.

3)Once the grated carrot is steamed, add it to the milk and let it cook.

4) The carrot should get cooked completely in the milk so that the milk absorbs all the flavours from it.

5)Now add the sugar and let it boil for further 8-10 minutes.

6) Finally add the cardamom powder.

         Serve chilled in the tall glasses with a scoop of ice -cream and garnished with lots of nuts and I am sure, it will take you to a totally different World!!!

         Happy Holi to all of you!!!!