Mediterranean Vegan Sandwich - Ciabatta, Chickpea Spread, Sundried Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts and Aragula Sandwich

When you are going on a hike/walk, a picnic lunch is just awesome. Packing something when you leave house means, you can just walk miles and then when you get to a nice scenic spot, you can sit down and munch your heart away. I have tried quite a few Sandwiches. Though they come off ok, it always left me with a wish to do something better.

That was until I made this simple, yet amazing sandwich. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it is the 'Best Veggie Sandwich' that I have ever eaten. So what are you waiting for. Go ahead. Make yourself one.



Ingredients (Makes 7-8 rolls)

Ciabatta Rolls 8
Chickpea Spread (see recipe below) or use Hummus
Artichoke Hearts about 8-10
Sun Dried Tomatoes 8
Aragula/Rocket 2-3 cups (enough to top all the rolls)

For spread
Chickpeas 1 can
Mint 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method of Preparation

1. Prepare the spread by adding chickpeas, mint and salt to the mixie. Add a few tbsp of olive oil to make a smooth paste. I used to oil from the sundried tomatoes.

2. Slice the Ciabatta rolls into 2.

3. Roughly chop the artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes.

4. Apply a generous portion of the spread on both sides of the roll.

5. Top with some artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes.

6. Add the aragula/rocket leaves.

7. Cover with the top of the roll

Enjoy the best sandwich you will ever eat in your life!!

This one is part of Palooza in a Pan. This month we are cooking with Legumes. Other recipes cooked so far this month

Mathanga Erissery - with Van Payar (Tatta payar, Red Chori, Cow Peas)

Triple Chocolate and Coffee Brownie - Father's Day Special - Eggless, Butterless Recipe

Father's day is round the corner and if you are looking for a recipe to work with your little one to make for his/her dad this is the recipe for you. The kids and the dad will love you for this. It is very simple to make. Just mix all the ingredients together, pour into a pan, Bake! How simple can it get... My son and I had a lot of fun making it and eating with his dad and my dad! Fun Family Day!



Just cause it is simple does not mean it is not tasty. Its just the opposite. It is 'Triple Chocolate' guys. Did you not read the title!!! Cocoa, White Chocolate and Milk Chocolate. Yumm! And why coffee? Well, coffee just brings out the best in chocolate. The slight bitter taste and the sweetness of chocolate make an awesome combo.



Brownies are kind of a middle ground between cakes and cookies, usually baked in square pans and cut into smaller squares (usually 16 of them). It tastes awesome just as is. You can pair it with a glass of cold milk when serving for kids. Or if you feel indulgent, warm brownies with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream makes a perfect dessert! Don't you agree?



I had bookmarked a few recipes. And I wanted to try them all, they are all sooo good. But this one caught my eye cause it looked so chocolaty and dark and good. My friends Kavitha and Anu tried this and claimed this to be the best Brownie recipe ever. Now I had to try. I had been lately baking with eggs (recipes coming along, do wait). Which means I cannot enjoy a lot of them (intollerance, won't bother you with details). So I loved the fact that 'The Best Brownie Ever' was eggless! So here you go...



Ingredients
(I used measurements in gms, but have given measurements in cups as well for your convenience)

Dry Ingredients
All Purpose Flour 130 gms (1 cup)
Cocoa Powder 23 gms (1/4 cup)
Castor Sugar 90 gms (1/3 c + 2 tbsp)
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Baking Soda 1/4 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
White Chocolate 90 gms (chopped)
Milk (or Dark) Chocolate 90 gms (chopped)

Wet Ingredients
Warm Milk 1/3 cup + 2 tsp of coffee
Yogurt 1/2 cup
Oil 1/4 cup
Vanilla Extract 1 tsp

Method of Preparation

1. Brush a 8 * 8 square baking pan with a little oil and line it with Parchment Paper (such that a bit of paper hangs out on two sides of the pan). This will help in easily taking the brownie out. Dust it with some flour.

2. Preheat oven to 150C.

3. Take 2 tsp of flour from the 1 cup of flour and dust the chocolates with it. This will prevent the chocolates from sinking to the bottom.

4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt) other than chocolate.

5. In another bowl, mix the milk + coffee, yogurt, oil and vanilla.

6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Give it a mix till combined well.

7. Pour half the batter to the prepared pan. Spread it gently with a spatula.

8. Add the white chocolates all over the top evenly.

9. Mix the milk (or dark) chocolate with the rest of the batter.

10. Pour the batter into the pan. Give the pan a tap on the counter to let any air bubbles escape.

11. Transfer to the over and bake for 30-40 min till a  toothpick comes out clean. I baked for 37 min.

(When I first checked at 30 min, the pick came out all gooy and I was a little worried. But then I realized that I had hit a chocolate. The other sections were quite dry. So do check at a couple of spots).

12. Take out of the oven and leave it in the pan for an hour. Well, this is the toughest part when baking with kids! :-)

13. Once cooled, take out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into 16 squares.

Eat away!!!

Mint and Potato Parata - Flaky Flatbread Flavoured with Mint, Green Chilli and Potatoes

I set out to make a Mint Parata. And my husband tagged behind me and said, do add Aloo, won't you? Now you cannot deny a man (especially your loving husband) his wish, can you? But I did not want to make Aloo Parata. So I made this Mint Aloo Parata (Not Aloo Mint Parata). It has a dominant taste of mint and green chillies and potato is used as a binder.



Hope you will try it and enjoy this flavourful flaky paratas.



Ingredients (Makes 12 Paratas)

Wheat Flour 3 cups
Salt
Oil 1 tsp
Water as needed

Stuffing
Mint 2 cups
Potato 1
Green Chilli 2 (add more for a spicy parata)
Salt a little

Method of Preparation

1. Prepare the dough first. Add Wheat Flour to a bowl. Add salt and mix well. Add oil and mix. Add enough water and knead into an elastic dough. Cover and let it sit for an hour (atleast 1/2 an hour).

2. In a mixie make a paste of mint, green chilli and salt.

3. Boil, peal and mash the potato.

4. Mix the mint mix and potato. Divide into 12 portions. It will be very small marble size portions.



5. Divide the dough also into 12 portions.

6. Spread one and Apply a little oil on it.

7. In the centre spread one portion of the stuffing diagonally.

8. Roll like a cigar so that the stuffing is inside the cigar along its length.

9. Now roll the cigar like a rope.

10. Flatten and roll again into a circle.



11. Put in a tawa and cook by applying ghee on both sides.

This is not the soft kind of parata. It is more a flaky parata like the malabar parata. We ate it with the Sprouts Raita (recipe here)

Raita with Sprouts

You do get bored making the same Onion-Tomato Raita every day, don't you? Well, nothing wrong with it. It is just awesome and I have to agree nothing can beat the taste of that.

But every so often we do need a change. When one of those waves struck, I made this Masala Raita a long time ago. It was loved by one and all.

Now it was time to experiment with some sprouts. And I have to say, it was way too good. No one would believe something as healthy as this could be this tasty. Perfect accompaniment to some Parata or Biriyani.



Ingredients

Onions 1
Sprouts 1 cup
Yogurt 1.5 cups
Water 1/4 cup (or as needed)
Salt to taste
Oil

Red Chilli powder a few pinches while serving
Chaat Masala a few pinches while serving

Method of Preparation

1. Heat a little oil in a pan. Add the onions and saute for a minute.

2. Add the sprouts and saute for a couple more minutes.

3. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool.

4. Whisk the yogurt well. Add a little water if needed. Add some salt as well.

5. Add the yogurt to the sprout mix. Stir well.

6. Serve topped with some chilli powder and chaat masala.

Avant Garde Cookies are making a dish starting with the first letter of their name. So with R it is Raita!

Check out the other AGC thoughout this week 
Anusha, Jayanthi, Kavitha, Priya M, Radhika, Priya S

Chaat Pulao

Do you love Bhel Puri? Then this is a recipe for you. I had plans of making Bhel Puri and then ofcource, that cannot be dinner. So I thought I will make some Vegetable Rice as well. Then it occured to me, Why not combine both these and make a dinner out it? I usually am a person who finds recipes and follows it. I do not get such brain waves often. I am just glad I got this idea. It was loved by one and all in our house.

It kind of gives the feel of eating bhel puri without it being predominantly all the oily fried stuff. The rice and vegetables up the health quotient of the Chaat without affecting the taste. Try it to believe it.



Ingredients

Rice 1.5 cups
Mixed Veg 3 cups

Oil
Peanuts 1/4 cup
Channa Dal 2 tbsp
Urad 1 tbsp
Cumin 1 tbsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Hing 1/4 tsp

Mint handful
Green chilli 2-3
Water 1/4 cup

Tamarind chutney 2 tbsp

To serve

Onions
Mamra
Sev

Method of Preparation

1. Pressure cook the rice adding enough water. Make sure the rice is not sticky. Transfer to a big bowl and let it cool. Do not use a spatula as it will become mushy.

2. Heat a little oil in a pan. Add Peanuts, Channa Dal, Urad dal.

3. When they start to colour, add Cumin, Turmeric and Hing.

4. Add mixed vegetables. Saute till they are cooked. Mine was frozen. I thawed it in microwave for a 10 minutes before adding. Add some salt as well. 

5. In a mixie, add the mint leaves, green chilli and a little water. Make a paste. Add to the pot.

6. Add tamarind dates chutney used for chaats. If you do not have any handy, mix a little tamarind paste, sugar/jaggery and water. Add to the pot.

7. Mix it all well till the water is mostly absorbed. 

8. Switch off. Finally mix in the cooked and cooled rice.

9. For serving, add this rice to a plate. Top it it with loads of mamra and sev. Add some chopped raw onions. You can also add some coriander leaves and/or chutneys (mint/tamarind) if desired.

Enjoy!

Mathanga Erissery with Van Payar - Pumpkin Erissery - Pumpkin and Cow Peas cooked in a peppery coconut gravy

Erissery is a dish very popular in Kerala. No Sadya (festive meal) is complete without this. Though not as popular as Avial, this is a dish loved by all Malayalees.



There are a couple of variations to this dish. It can be made with a combo of Vazhakka (Plantain) and Chena (Yam) or with Pumpkin. I have already posted the Vazhakka Erissery. So today I have made the Mathanga Erissery.

The use of Cow Peas (Thatta payar, Van Payar, Red Chori) is quite optional. Some people like it and some don't. I never miss the chance to add loads of Lentils and Legumes in my dishes. So I have used 1 cup of cow peas. You can reduce it to 1/2 cup as well or skip it.

From this month on Anusha, Radhika and I are joining hands to party with our cooking pans - Palooza in a Pan. The idea is to cook 4 dishes of a theme exploring different things together. Am really excited about it. This month we are cooking with Legumes. Do check out my friends as well.



Ingredients

Pumpkin (or use Butternut Squash) 4 cups
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Cow Peas 1 cup

To grind to paste
Coconut 1/2 cup
Pepper 1/2 tsp (add 1 tsp for more spicy flavour)
Jeera/Cumin 1 tsp

To Roast
Coconut oil (or any oil) 2 tsp
Mustard 1 tsp
Coconut 1/4 cup
Dry Red Chilli 2
Curry leaves few

Method of Preparation

1. Soak the cow peas overnight and pressure cook by adding enough water for 1 whistle till it is cooked well, but retains its shape.

2. Cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Add 1-2 cups of water and boil till it is almost fully cooked.

3. In the meanwhile make a paste of coconut, pepper and jeera adding enough water.

4. In a small pan, add the coconut oil. Add mustard. When it sputters, add the red chilli and curry leaves. When it sizzles, add the coconut and saute in a medium-low flame till it is nicely browned. Keep aside.

5. When the pumpkin is ready, add the cowpeas and coconut paste. Add water if required. Bring to a boil and simmer till water is almost absorbed and everything comes together. About 5-10 min.

6. Finally add in the roasted coconut and stir well.

Serve with rice. We enjoyed it with some Roti today. It was also a good combination (unexpected)!

Baingan Bharta with green peas - Mashed Eggplant with Green Peas in an Onion Tomato Gravy

I have made Baingan Bharta before and I got an idea to add green peas from my friend Sangee. So I made it with peas today. I also changed a couple of things like adding chilli powder instead of green chillies and making a puree of tomato before adding to the pan. 

This is a big hit in our house. Even if you use a lot of eggplants, you will end up with just a little paste. So add lots of onions to make up for quantity. The addition of green peas will also help you greatly. It brings some colour, texture and flavour to the dish.



Do check out my other version of Baingan Bharta here.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

Eggplant/Baingan/Kathirikka 4 big
Green Peas 2 cups
Jeera/Cumin 2 tsp
Onion 3 big finely chopped
Garlic 10 pods
Ginger 2 inch piece
Tomato 5

Garam Masala 3 tsp
Chilli powder 2 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp

Oil and salt to taste



Method of Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 230C. Line a baking pan with aluminium foil. Place the eggplant. Make a couple of slits on it. Brush the whole eggplant with a little oil. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes till the outer surface is roasted and wrinkled. I turned the eggplant once at 20 minutes.



2. Take out the eggplant and cool a little. Peal the skin and collect the inside part. Run a knife thru it and mash it. Keep ready.

3. While the eggplant is getting roasted, you can work on the gravy. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin.

4. When it sizzles, add the onions. Saute till it starts to brown.

5. Make a paste of ginger and garlic. Add to pan. Saute.

6. Make a paste of tomato and add to the pan. Cook till it comes together. 

7. Now add the garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Mix well and cook for 2 more minutes.

8. Add the roasted eggplant. Mix well. Mash it so that there are no lumps.

9. Steam the frozen peas in microwave for a few minutes to get it cooked. Add it to the eggplant. Mix well. Do not add earlier as you will not be able to mash the tomato-onion paste and eggplant. Add only at the end. 

Serve with rotis.