Corn spinach cheese sandwich

   

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME

30 mins

  

Makes about 10 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 20 - Bread slices
• 6 cups - Spinach
• 3 cups - Corn kernels
• Amul cheese - per your preference 
• 1 - Finely chopped onion
• 4 - Garlic cloves
• 2 tsp - Wheat flour
• 1tsp - Black pepper
• 2-3 - Green chillies (if you need spicy)
• 1 Tbsp - Butter for the stuffing
• Butter to grill the sandwich

Preparation:

1. Wash the spinach leaves and chop them
2. Boil the corn kernels
3. Heat oil in a pan
4. Add grated garlic and sauté
5. Now add finely chopped onion, chopped green chillies and sauté 
6. Add wheat flour and sauté till the raw flavor is gone
7. Now add the chopped spinach and allow to cook
8. Add corn kernels and mix well. Cover the pan and allow to cook for 4min
9. Add salt and pepper. Mix well. Turn off the heat and let it cooled
10. Once cooled, take a bread slice and apply the filling
11. Grate cheese and cover with another bread slice
12. Heat a griddle and cook till golden brown on both sides

Korean vegetable pancake

  

PREP TIME

20 mins

COOK TIME

40 mins

TOTAL TIME

60 mins

  

Makes about 30 small sized pieces

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup - Rice flour 
• 1/2 cup - All purpose flour or use Besan/Chickpea flour for healthier version 
• 1/4 cup - water to make the vegetable mix and stick well
• 2 medium sized - Finely lengthwise sliced Onion
• 2 green chillies - Finely chopped
• 2 cups - Finely lengthwise sliced cabbage
• 2 cup - Finely lengthwise sliced carrot
• 2 cup - Finely lengthwise sliced bell peppers
• 2 cup - Finely lengthwise sliced potato
• 1 cup - Chopped spring onions
• 1 tsp - crushed black pepper
• Cilantro
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp or more to cook - Oil 

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine all the lengthwise sliced vegetables. Make them as thin as possible (pic for example)
   
   
   
2. Add salt, rice flour and chickpea flour and mix well with a very little water. The flour should be just the right quantity to bind all veggies together (see video for example)
   
   
3. Heat a pan and add little oil
4. Make small pancakes and cook on both sides.
5. Serve with chili oil or ketchup

Suspicious sandwich/Veggie wraps

This recipe has an interesting story behind its name. My son started calling it the "suspicious sandwich" because every time I made it for him, he was surprised by what was inside. The sandwich always had a burst of different flavors that he enjoyed every single time, making it one of his favorites. It's also my go-to recipe when I'm short on time but still need a healthy, filling meal. I've experimented with several variations of this recipe, and I'll share one in detail in this post, along with other variations in the notes section until I can create a separate post for them.

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

10 mins

TOTAL TIME

25 mins

  

Makes 5-6 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 packet ready to make roti's or tortilla
• 1 cup - Shredded Cabbage 
• 1 cup - Sliced onion 
• 1 cup - Sliced Tomato
• 1 cup - Spinach leaves
• 1 cup - Cucumber
•  Bitchin' sauce
• Salt to taste
•       Crushed black pepper
•       3 cubes - Amul cheese (Any other cheese can be used as well)
•       Olive oil to grill the sandwich 

 Preparation:

1. Heat a griddle on medium flame till hot
2. Half cook the roti/tortilla and let it cool
3. Now fold the roti/torilla twice to make a quarter/triangular shape
4. Open it back and make a slit half way through (see the video for details)
5. On one of the quarter of the roti apply the bitchin' sauce (I used pesto), you can use any other of your choice. Also this can be replaced with Mayo, Indian mint Chutney, traditional pesto, hummus etc
6. In the remaining 2 quarters add the veggies. The veggies can be placed in layers. I love it loaded with veggies
7. In the last quarter, add grated cheese
8. Now, starting with the quarter with the sauce - Start placing the quarters on the next quarter and continue to do that until we have the sandwich in the shape of a quarter(triangle)
9. Apply some oil or butter to a heated griddle
10. Place the sandwich on the griddle and cook till crispy and brown
11. Flip around and cook the other side as well
12. The sandwich is ready to be served with ketchup, Indian mint chutney or can be just eaten as is. All have its own flavor burst

NOTE:

• This is just one variation of the sandwich. We can use different sauces, different veggies and make it with your own preferences
• For added protein content, we can also roast and add a slice of paneer, Tofu along with vegetables

Cucumber thalipeeth

PREP TIME

20 mins

COOK TIME

40 mins

TOTAL TIME

60 mins

  

Makes about 10 medium sized thalipeeth

Ingredients:

• 1 cup - Wheat flour (Skip if you want to make gluten free version)
• 1/4 cup - Ragi flour
• 1/4 cup - Bajra flour
• 1/2 cup - Besan flour
• 1 cup - Jowar flour
• 1/2 cup - Rice flour
• 1 tsp jeera
• 4-5 tsp sesame
• 8-10 chopped leaves kadipatta
• Chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp oil
• Additional oil to cook thalipeeth
• 6-8 garlic cloves
• 1 inch grated ginger
• 2 tsp Asafetida
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (or more if you like spicy)
• 1/2 tsp powdered jaggery
• 2 tsp dhaniya -jeera powder
• 1-2 Chopped green chillies
• 1 big Grated cucumber
• 1 small chopped onion
• Additional chopped onion to apply while making individual thalipeeth
• Water in a bowl while making thalipeeth

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine all the flours
2. Add all the masalas and other ingredients from the list and mix well
3. Make a dough, not too hard like chapati dough and not watery. Make it enough to be able to spread with fingers on a sheet of plastic
4. Take a sheet of plastic paper and apply oil
5. Take a small ball of dough and place on the sheet. Spread the dough to make as flat as possible. Make 2-4 small holes in thalipeeth with fingers. This will help cook it better and make it crispier (watch the video for better understanding of how to make it)
6. You can add fine chopped onion and sesame seeds if you like it
7. Heat a griddle and once hot apply oil
8. Transfer the thalipeeth on the griddle, apply oil on the thalipeeth, cover it with a lid and cook it well on one side for 3 min or so
9. Once cooked, flip around and cook for another 2-3 min  

NOTE:

1. Serve with butter or yogurt
2. Cucumber can be replaced with red pumpkin, laud/dhoodi, ridge gourd/turai/dodka

Dry shenga/peanut chutney

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

0 mins

TOTAL TIME

15 mins

 

Ingredients:

• 5 cups roasted and de-skinned peanut
• 1 tsp jeera
• 1 tsp sesame
• 8-10 leaves kadipatta
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 6-8 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp Asafetida
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (or more if you like spicy)
• 1/2 tsp powdered jaggery
• 2 tsp dhaniya -jeera powder

Preparation:

1. Dry roast peanuts and de-skin them. I use store roasted ones to save time.
2. On a hot pan, add few drops of oil. Then add Jeera, sesame and kadipatta and roast well
3. In a mixer jar add, add the above ingredients except oil and pulse it coarse. 
4. Once the mix is coarsely ground, Add oil and grind till desired texture
5. Serve this chutney with idli, dosa, paratha with dahi or even with ghee chapati roll or with rice. All the combinations are my family's favorite. 

NOTE:

If I am in a hurry and need a quick chutney, I skip the first two steps and just all other ingredients and grind. That one also is tasty and super quick 

Ragi (Finger millet) drink (Ragi Ambali)

Finger millet  is considered one of the most nutritious cereals. Finger millet contains good amount of proteins, Calcium, dietary fiber, Minerals and potassium.

Being non-glutinous, finger millet is safe for people suffering from gluten allergy and celiac disease. It is non-acid forming, and hence easy to digest. 

 Finger millet  could be enjoyed in different forms and preparations. ragi roti, ragi dosa, ragi porridge, ragi upma, ragi cakes, ragi biscuits are few popular dishes of finger millet (ragi).

PREP TIME

5 mins

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME

20 mins

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

Ragi flour - 2 Tbsp

Water - 3 cups

Salt to taste

Buttermilk or milk based on the taste

Cilantro (optional)

Jeera powder (optional)

Crushed garlic (optional)

Onion - finely chopped (optional)

Procedure:

1. In a small bowl, take half cup of water and mix the ragi flour and see that there are no lumps
2. In a big deep dish pan boil remaining water and add salt to it
3. Add the ragi mix to boiling water
4. Keep continuously stirring and cook for 10min
5. The mix will thicken
6. Let the mix cool down a little
7. Now add buttermilk or milk as per your taste and have it warm or cold after refrigerating 
8. You can add cilantro, Jeera powder, crushed garlic, finely chopped onion. Mix well and serve 

Mumbai masala sandwich

Mumbai masala sandwich

PREP TIME:30 MINS

 COOK TIME:20 MINS

 TOTAL TIME:50 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

For green mint chutney

§  1 cup tightly packed Mint leaves

§  ½ cup cilantro

§  1 to 2 green chillies

§  Black salt per taste

§  1 tsp Jeera powder

§  9 cashews

§  2 Tb sp lemon juice

§  ½ inch ginger

For potato masala filling

§  3 to 4 boiled and mashed potatoes

§  ½ Tb sp oil

§  ½ tsp mustard seeds

§  ½ tsp cumin/jeera seeds

§  ½ tsp turmeric powder

§  Salt to taste

§  A pinch of asafoetida

§  Chopped cilantro

Other ingredients

§  Bread slices

§  1 medium sized onion, sliced thin

§  1 medium tomato, sliced thin

§  1 medium beetroot, sliced thin

§  Butter

§  Shredded cheese (optional)

§  Chaat masala

§  Cumin/jeera powder

§  Black salt

PROCEDURE:

For preparing chutney

1.    Put all the ingredients in ‘For green mint chutney’ session in a blender

2.    Blend with no water or very little water

3.    Keep this aside

For preparing potato stuffing

1.    Rinse and boil potatoes

2.    When potatoes are warm, peel and mash them well

3.    Heat a shallow pan

4.    Add oil and let it become hot

5.    Add mustard and jeera and allow to  crackle

6.    Add asafetida and turmeric

7.    Add mashed potatoes and salt

8.    Mix well. Add the chopped cilantro and mix again

9.    Heat it and let it dry. Keep aside

Assembling and making the sandwich

1.    Slice onions, tomatoes and beetroots and keep ready

2.    Shred cheese and keep ready

3.    Apply a layer of butter

4.    Spread mint chutney on the bread

5.    Next layer with the potato filling

6.    Place some onion, tomato and beet

7.    Sprinkle salt, jeera powder and chaat masala

8.    Put some grated/shredded  cheese

9.    Cover with another piece of bread which has a layer of butter and chutney

10.You can roast golden brown in a toaster, grill or directly on griddle.

11.Serve with ketchup or mint chutney