Paneer-Mixed Vegetables

Ingredients

Paneer…………….……………….100 gm (diced in cubes)   

Bhindi (ladyfingers/okra)….8-10 (washed, chopped)
Carrot……………………………..1 (large, chopped in circles)
Pea………………………………….1/3 cup
Onion…………………………..….1 (medium, finely chopped)
Tomato…..………………….…...1 (large, finely chopped) 
Garlic…..…………………….…...1 clove (large, finely chopped) 
Ginger paste………………...….½ tea spoon 
Coriander powder………..…..½ tea spoon 
Red chilli powder……….…….½ tea spoon 
Garam masala powder…..….½ tea spoon
Water…………………………...…2/3 cup 
Salt to taste
Oil to cook

Method

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add the onions and cook until transparent.
• Now add the tomatoes, garlic and garlic paste. Cook for 2 min.
• Mix in the garam masala, red chilli, coriander powder and salt. Mix well and cook for 5 min.
• Add water and mix well.
• Now mix in the ladyfingers, carrots and peas. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 min or until the vegetables are cooked and gravy starts to thicken.
• Lastly add the paneer and cook for 2 min.  
• Serve hot. 

Serves: 2

Thin Crust Pizza (with Baking Powder)

Ingredients

For the pizza base:

White flour………..……..….….1 cup
Sugar…..……...…………...…....½   tea spoon
Salt………………………….…...…½ tea spoon
Baking powder….……......….1 heaped tea spoon
Water……………..………….…..¼ cup
Oil………..……………….…….….2 table spoon

For the toppings:

Tomato ketchup………….…..4 ½ table spoon
Grated mozzarella cheese….2 cup
Garlic……………………………...1 (large, finely chopped)
Italian seasoning………….…..1 ½ tea spoon
Onion……..………..………….….1 (medium, cut in juliennes)
Bell pepper…......………...……1 (cut in juliennes)
Or any other topping/s as required.

Method

For the pizza base:

• Mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
• Add the water and start making dough.
• Then add the oil and finish making a dough ball.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Keep the dough aside for 15 min in a well-oiled bowl in a warm place. Cover with a cloth.
• Divide it into 3 equal parts.
• Dust the balls with flour and roll each ball into the required pizza base shape (circle/square) with a rolling pin or by hand. Place on a baking paper.
• Pierce each pizza base with a fork at random place to keep it from puffing up while it cooks.

For the toppings:

• Apply 1 ½ table spoon of tomato ketchup on each base.
• Sprinkle the garlic and Italian seasoning on the pizza base.
• Add the onion and capsicum toppings or any other topping/s required.
• Lastly top the pizza with the cheese.

To cook the pizza:

• Pre heat the oven on grill mode at 200° C along with a baking tray. 
• Once the oven is hot enough remove the hot baking tray and place the pizza on the tray along with the baking paper it is placed on and put the tray back in the oven.
• Cook for 10 min or until pizza base is cooked and cheese has melted. 

Cut the pizza as required with a pizza cutter and serve hot.

Makes: 3

Vegetable Korma

Ingredients

Cauliflower flowerets……../.1 cup

Peas……..……………………..….½ cup
Carrots……..……………………..1 cup (1 inch cubes)
Onion…………………………..….1 (medium, finely chopped) 
Tomato…..………………….…...1 (large, finely chopped) 
Garlic…………….………………..1 large pod
Ginger paste…………………….¾ tea spoon
Red chilli powder….....………¾ tea spoon
Cumin powder……………..….½ tea spoon
Coriander powder……..….....½ tea spoon
Turmeric powder….………….½ tea spoon
Garam masala…………..….….½ tea spoon
Cinnamon stick…………….….1 inch
Cardamom pod………….….…1
Water………………………….…..1 cup
Plain yogurt……………….…….2 cup
Fresh grated coconut…….….1 cup
Oil to cook
Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add the onions, cinnamon stick and cardamom pod to the oil and cook until onions are transparent.
• Now add the tomato, garlic and ginger paste. Cook for about 2 min.
• Mix in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, red chilli and garam masala powder and salt and cook for 10 min on medium heat. Stir every few min to make sure it does not stick at the bottom of the pan.
• Now add the coconut and cook for another half a min.
• Add water and mix in the peas, carrot and cauliflower. Cook until the gravy thickens and the vegetables are cooked.
• Finally mix in the yogurt and cook for half a min. Remove from heat.
• Serve hot with naan or rice.

Serves: 2

Note:

You can replace fresh grated coconut with coconut milk for smooth textured gravy.  

Mutter Paneer

Ingredients

Paneer…………………………….250 g (diced in 1 inch cubes)

Peas……..……………………..….½  cup
Onion…………………………..….1 (medium, finely chopped) 
Tomato…..………………….…..1 (large, finely chopped) 
Garlic paste……………………..½  tea spoon
Ginger paste…………………….¾ tea spoon
Red chilli powder….....…..…½ tea spoon
Cumin powder……………..….½ tea spoon
Coriander powder……..…....½ tea spoon
Turmeric powder….…………1/6 tea spoon
Garam masala…………..….….½ tea spoon
Water………………………………¾ cup
Double cream…………………..½ cup
Oil to cook
Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add the onions to the oil and cook until transparent.
• Now add the tomato, garlic and garlic paste. Cook for about 2 min.
• Mix in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, red chilli and garam masala powder and salt and cook for 10 min on medium heat. Stir every few min to make sure it does not stick at the bottom of the pan.
• Now add the water and mix in the peas. Cook until the gravy thickens and peas are cooked.
• Finally add the paneer, cook for 2 min.
• Mix in the cream and cook for half a min. Remove from heat.
• Serve hot with naan , pitta bread or rice.

Serves: 2

Fennel Flavoured Potatoes

Ingredients

Potato……………………………..2 (medium, diced in 1 inch cubes)

Onion…………………………..….1 (medium, chopped in juliennes) 
Tomato…..………………….…...1 (large, finely chopped) 
Fennel seed……………..….……2 tea spoon
Pepper corns……………………2
Cinnamon stick…………….….1 inch
Red chilli powder….....………½ tea spoon
Garlic…………………………..….1 clove (finely chopped)
Cumin powder……………..….½ tea spoon
Coriander powder……..…....½ tea spoon
Turmeric powder….…………1/6 tea spoon
Garam masala…………..….….½ tea spoon
Butter……………………………..2 tea spoons
Oil to cook
Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a pan and add the peppercorn, cinnamon stick and fennel seeds to the oil. Sauté for ½ min.
• Add the onions to the oil and cook them for 2 min.
• Now add the tomato and garlic. Cook for about 3 min.
• Mix in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, red chilli and garam masala powder and  salt for the onions and tomatoes and cook for 5 min on low heat. Cover with a lid.
• Finally add the potatoes and salt for the potatoes and cook with the lid on, on low heat until the potatoes are cooked.
• Uncover the pot and coo for another 5 min until the gravy thickens.
• Place a dollop of butter on the hot potatoes before serving the dish.
• Serve with naan or pitta bread.

Serves: 2

Vegetable "Hearts" Patty

Ingredients

Cauliflower………………….…..1 cup (cut into small florets, boiled)

Potato……………………………..2 (medium, boiled)
Carrot…………………………..…1 (large, diced into small cubes, boiled) 
Peas…..………………….……..…1 cup (boiled) 
Green chilli powder…..……..1 (large, finely chopped)
Fresh ground pepper…….….¼ tea spoon
Oil…….…………………………….3 table spoon
Salt to taste

Method

• Mash boiled potatoes in a large bowl.
• Add the boiled carrots, peas and cauliflowers and roughly mash the mixture.
• Finally add the green chilli, ground pepper, salt and oil, mix well with hand.
• Shape the mixture into ½ inch thick heart shape patties. 
• Place the hearts on a slightly oiled baking tray.
• Pre-heat the oven on convection mode at 230°C. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10 min each side.
• Serve with your choice of condiments.

Serves: 2

Ginger Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

Closed cup mushroom…250gm (chopped vertically)

Ginger…..….....……….......1 tablespoon (finely chopped)
Garlic……….....……….......1 clove (finely chopped)
Green chilli…………………1 (cut lengthwise)
Tomato……………….........2 (quartered and each quarter cut in half)
French beans……….........75g (with ends cut out)
Onion………………….........1 (small, cut in thick juliennes)
Beef stock cube……..……1 (15g)
Water………………………..3 cups
Salt to taste
Oil to cook

Method

• Heat some oil in a pan. Add the mushrooms; sprinkle some salt and cook with the lid on until they are half cooked.
• Add the ginger, garlic and chillies, mix and cook for 2 min.
• Now adds the tomatoes and French beans, mix and cook with the lid on for 4 min.
• Crush the beef stock cube and add to the pan along with the water and more salt if required. Mix well.
• Simmer the soup for 15 min and then add in the onions. Simmer for more 5 min.
• Serve hot.

Serves: 2

Salmon Rolls

Ingredients

Salmon fillet……………….150g

Onion………………………...½ (finely chopped)
Carrots………………....…...1 (grated)
Potato……………..............1 (medium, boiled)
Green chilli…………………1 (finely chopped)
Fresh rosemary leaves…1 stems (finely chopped)
Egg………………………….…1
Dried basil……………….…1/6 tea spoon
Fresh bread crumbs…….1 cup
Watercress to garnish
Ground pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Oil to cook

Method

• Carefully slice the salmon from the top of the fillet to get thin rectangular salmon sheets (similar to the thin smoke salmon). Try and cut them as thin as possible without tearing it, to get even sheets good enough to roll. Sprinkle salt on the slice and keep aside.
• Add the onion, carrot, rosemary, chilli, boiled potato and salt to a bowl. Mash the potato and mix all the ingredients with hand.
• Whisk the egg in a separate bowl and add the ground pepper, salt and basil to it. Mix well.
• Spread the bread crumbs on a plate and baste some oil on a baking tray.
• Now take finger-full potato filling and place it at the centre of the salmon slice. Roll it neatly making sure the filling does not come out. Now dip it in the egg batter and roll it on the breadcrumbs. Place it on the baking tray. Repeat the procedure on all salmon slices. 
• Pre-heat the oven at 230°C on grill mode. Place the tray in the oven and grill for 10 min on each side.
• Garnish a serving plate with watercress and place the salmon rolls in the centre of the plate in a pile. Serve hot with your choice or condiments. 

Mushroom Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients

Eggplant……………..…1

Onion…………………….1 (small, chopped)
Tomato……………..…..1 (large, roughly chopped)
Garlic……………..........2 cloves (large, roughly chopped)
Chilli powder………….½ tea spoon
Button mushrooms…275 g (chopped in thin slices)
Fresh rosemary…..….2 stems (roughly broken with hand)
Cheese slices……….…2
Salt to taste

Method

• Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 2 pieces. Now using a spoon carefully scoop out the flesh of the eggplant from the middle of the 2 slices leaving 1 centimetre border. Rough chop the flesh and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan. Add onions and cook until transparent.
• Add the tomato and garlic cook for 1 min.
• Mix in the chilli powder and then add the eggplant flesh just chopped. Add in the salt enough for all the ingredients in the pan and mix well. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 3 min.
• Now add the mushrooms, salt for the mushrooms, mix well and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 min. Stir every 5 min to make sure it doesn’t stich to the bottom of the pan.
• Place the scooped eggplant shells on a baking tray. Sprinkle salt and drizzle about 2 tablespoons of oil on each of them.  Stuff the eggplant with the mushroom filling just prepared.
• Pre-heat the oven at 230°C. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 30 min.
• Meanwhile cut each cheese slice in the middle into 2, lengthwise. Remove the tray and place the 2 pieces of the sliced cheese in the middle of the eggplant on the stiffing. Garnish with fresh rosemary.  Place the tray back in the oven and cook for 10 min.
• Serve hot. 

Rice & Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

For the rice:

Rice……………….……….…¾ cup
Green peas…….……….….¼ cup
Water……………….………..3 cup
Oil…….……………………….1 table spoon
Salt to taste

For the chicken:

Chicken breast……….…..200 g (cut into thin 1 ½ inch juliennes)
Onion………………………...1 (small, cut in juliennes)
Tomato……………..….......1 (large, roughly chopped)
Garlic……………...............1 cloves (large, roughly chopped)
Cumin powder...............½ tea spoon
Chilli powder…………......½ tea spoon
Garam masala powder…½ tea spoon
Water……………….………..¼ cup
Oil to cook
Salt to taste

For the stuffed bell peppers:

Bell peppers…….………...4
Salt to taste

Method

For the rice:

• Boil 3 cups of water in a pan along with some salt. Meanwhile place washed rice in a bowl and drizzle 1 table spoon of oil on then and mix. Make sure all the rice grains are coated with oil so that they don’t stick to each other while boiling.
• Add the rice and peas to boiling water and cook until rice is soft. (Do not overcook the rice; the grains should still be firm). Drain the rice and peas and keep aside.

For the chicken:

• Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the onions until transparent.
• Add the tomato and garlic. Cook for 1 min.
• Now add the salt, cumin, chilli and garam masala powder. Mix well and cook for another 1 min with the lid on.
• Add in the chicken and ¼ cup of water. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 7 min or until chicken is cooked.  

For the stuffed bell peppers:

• Cut the head of the bell pepper and deseed them to make them hollow.
• Sprinkle some salt on the peppers.
• Now using table spoon stuff the bell pepper with 1 tablespoon of rice followed by chicken filling just created. Repeat the stuffing process by topping the chicken just filled with rice followed by chicken again until the bell pepper is fully stuffed. Remember the top layer should be chicken.
• Place the bell peppers on a non-stick tray along with the bell pepper caps.
• Pre-heat the oven on grill mode at 230°C. Place the tray in the oven and grill for 5 min.
• Remove tray and rotate the peppers and grill for 5 min. Make sure they are not over cooked or else they can become too soft and soggy.

Serve hot.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks………3

Potatoes………………………3 (peeled & cut in wedges)
Cherry tomatoes…………..150g
Lemon juice…………………3 table spoon
Garlic………………………….4 cloves (crushed)
Fresh basil leaves…………from 3 stems
Fresh ground pepper……1/6 tea spoon
Salt to taste

Method

• Place the drumsticks, potatoes and tomatoes in a non-stick oven tray.
• Drizzle lemon juice on the chicken and vegetables. Make sure the juice is applied on all sides.
• Sprinkle the salt and ground pepper on them and mix with hand to make sure it is evenly seasoned.
• Place the crushed garlic and basil leaves on the tray at even intervals between the chicken and vegetables.
• Pre-heat the oven on grill mode at 250°C. Place the tray in the oven and grill for 15 min.
• Remove tray and flip the chicken and vegetables and grill the flip side for 10 min.
• Pour the juices collected in the bottom of the tray, on the chicken while serving, for more flavour.

Simple Ginger Rice

Ingredients

Rice…………….……………..1cup

Vegetable stock cube……1
Garlic………………………...1 clove (large, chopped)
Ginger……………………….2 tablespoon (finely chopped)
Green chilli……..…………1 (finely chopped)
Red capsicum……………..1 (cut in juliennes)
Green peas…………………½ cup
Water……………………..…3½ cup
Oil to cook
Salt to taste

Method

• Heat the water in a pan. Once the water is near the boiling point add the rice.
• Boil rice until tender; however do not overcook it as the grains will start breaking.
• Drain the cooked rice and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add ginger, garlic and chilli. Sauté for 1 min.
• Add the green peas and capsicum to the pan. Mix and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 2 min.
• Crush the vegetable stock cube into a powder and add it to the pan. Add salt to taste, if require (remember, vegetable stock cubes already has a good amount of salt in it). Mix well and cook for 1 min with the lid on.
• Now add the rice and mix well. Make sure all the rice is coated with the flavours and seasoning.
• Cover the pan with the lid and cook for 2 min.
• Serve hot.

Serves: 2

Ratatouille (Traditional)

Ingredients

Eggplant……..……………........1 (large, cut into 1”chunks)
Courgette………………....…....1 (cut into 1”chunks)
Red or yellow bell pepper…1 (large, cut into 1”chunks)
Onion…………………….…....…1 (large, cut into 1”chunks)
Tomato…………………...….....1(large, chopped)
Garlic………………………..…...2 cloves (chopped)
Basil………………………….......1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Oil to cook

Method

• Heat oil to a pan and add the cut eggplant pieces. Sprinkle with salt and cook with the lid on. Stir now and again to make sure the eggplant pieces cook evenly.
• When the eggplants are 75% cooked add the courgette pieces. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir to cook evenly.
• Now add the bell pepper, onion, tomato, garlic, basil and salt to taste and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir well to mix the flavours evenly.
• Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve hot.

Serves: 2

Note:

Make sure that the vegetable are not overcooked and do not lose their shape.