PASTA, has become a part of our life these days, I prefer them than the ready made noodles, As I can cook it with loads of Ingredients and lots of vegetables.  You also get whole wheat Pasta which is really good, My kids have started liking them, Pasta is a staple food in Italy, which has become so popular all over the world, kids just love them.  When you are living abroad and if you are a vegetarian eating food in restaurants in limited and we always have pasta in our menu!,  My friends and family living here say that their children eat pasta more in nurseries / child minders, My sister's  daughter loves Indian food , but when you ask her what you want to eat she says can you make pasta ?,  My kids were not born here but they still like pasta, especially  twin daughter, I always have stock of them at home, they are made with whole wheat but you can also get whole meal brown pasta as well, which still is not her cup of tea.., I am still trying on that side... but I have not yet succeeded !!.
Pasta is basically eaten using sauces and pestos, It is so versatile you can change with whatever you prefer to eat.  This is one such pesto which is quite tasty .
I make different kind of pasta sauces and different types of pesto as well , I had to make this pesto again especially for this bread I baked.
Bread was so delicious and kids loved it.

SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Sun dried  chopped Tomatoes in oil ( minus the oil )
1/4 cup fresh Basil leaves
1 Fresh Red chilli
3 to 4 cloves of Garlic
7 to 8 Cashew nuts lightly toasted
1 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano ( optional )*
1/2 tsp Salt
4 tbsp of Olive oil

METHOD:
Take out Sun dried Tomatoes from oil, chop them into pieces for easy grinding and drain them on a paper for few minutes, until the time you get your other ingredients ready.
I have said 1/4 cup that is around 20 to 25 leaves Basil leaves
Remove the skin from the Garlic
Toast cashew lightly on a dry skillet for a few minutes this helps in releasing its oil and also helps for staying longer when stored.
Toast Chopped fresh Red chilli in a tsp of oil for a few seconds, this helps in removing the moisture in it.
Take all the above said Ingredients in a food processor / Mixer and blend them with Olive oil adjust salt and puree them together.
Now our Sun dried Tomato Pesto is ready to rock...

VARIATION:
* I have used just one tbsp of Parmigiano Reggiano as my kids are not very fond of this cheese you can add an other 2 tbsp of this cheese.
You can use Pine nuts which is authentic, Almonds, Brazil nuts, Macadamia nuts too..
You can use Green chilli than the Red chilli
You can omit Fresh chillies and use 1 tsp of Pepper corns.

USES:
You can use it in making pasta, breads, Noodles, Bruschetta, Bread Toast, Frittata, Tarts etc..,

The post Sun Dried Tomato Pesto - Home made appeared first on My Veg Fare.

KOLLAPURI CHUTNEY/MASALA

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Red Chilli Powder (I used whole chillies 7-7 Badgi and Guntur)
1 Cup Coriander seeds
1 tbsp Cumin seeds
1/2 Copra (dry coconut)
1 tbsp Sesame seeds (white til seeds)
1/2 tbsp Black pepper corns
1/2 '' Cinnamon stick
1/2 tbsp Cloves
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1/2 Cup Onion
8 - 10 Garlic
1 Cup Cilantro
2 tbsp Oil

WHAT IT I DO ?
I made half of the recipe, I substituted Red chilli powder with 7-7 whole red chillies (Guntur-Badgi), and halved the recipe where ever possible, I used 6 Cloves, 4 Garlic, so that's it and proceeded as indicated in her blog.

METHOD:
A very simple recipe, Toast all the spices on a dry pan or skillet, except for Red chilli powder if you are using powder, as I used whole red chillies I roasted them as well with oil and keep them aside, when I was frying I used 1/2 tbsp with all the dry spices, and with the other half oil I fried Onions until well browned (do not fry it to dark) and cilantro and few minutes with Garlic.
When all is well done, leave it aside to cool and then grind them into a nice powder and store it in a airtight container for future use.

That's it well done, look for more recipe Ideas with these powders check her blog.
c u soon with an other recipe........

sending this to Flavours of Maharashtra strated by Naina, hosted by PJ

The post Kolhaphuri Chutney / Masala Powder appeared first on My Veg Fare.

LASANIYA BATATA

INGREDIENTS:
8 small Potatoes
4 to 5 Garlic cloves
1 tbsp of chilli powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 and 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp Garam masala
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
few sprigs of coriander leaves
1/2 cup of Bengal Gram flour
1 and 1/2 cup of water
2 to 3 cups of yogurt
salt as required

METHOD:
Cook the potatoes peel the skin, (as I had already told you, I used the potatoes in a different way, as they were left over).
Take a wok heat 3 to 4 tbsp of oil and fry the potatoes into golden brown.
Meanwhile In a bowl take bengal gram flour using water make a paste to this add the other powders and keep it ready.
To this itself I added cumin seeds when it crackled  I added chopped garlic, do not fry it too much just a little bit.
Then to this add the flour paste, do not make it too thick, let it be in thin consistency boil this, until the raw smell disappears, do not leave it unattended as it will start thickening and might get stuck to the bottom !!, stir it continuously for further 10 to 15 minutes then add the roasted potatoes and chopped coriander leaves, required quantity of salt and yogurt, mix well and keep stirring continuously  for further 10 minutes, do not stop stirring otherwise yogurt and water split apart! It's just like making Morkuzhambu, If you are scared it is better to mix them well and leave it for 2 or 3 minutes and watch the edge of the curry you can see small bubbles popping up, then it's time to put off the stove, otherwise they split apart.
I simply gave an other tadka/seasoning with a tsp of mustard seeds, 1 Red chilli and a sprig of curry leaves.

I wanted to make Jagruti's Bajri Na Rotla to go with my Barwa Baingan, I couldn't locate my flour, I was quite disappointed, check out her blog on that, she has some lovely Gujrati recipes from her kitchen, and she calls them Kem cho series.
I am sending this to Flavours of Gujarat by simply food sensations.

The post Lasaniya Batata (Garlic Flavoured potatoes in Yogurt gravy) appeared first on My Veg Fare.

MUSHROOM MANCHURIAN

MIngredients:

• 350 gms Button Mushrooms
• 1 big Onion
• 5 to 6 Garlic pods
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 5 to 6 green chillies
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1'' ginger
• 1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
• salt to taste
• 3 to 4 tbsp oil
• 5 to 6 sprig of coriander leaves (optional)
• 4 to 5 tbsp corn flour
• 2 to 3 tbsp besan flour (chickpea flour) or All purpose flour
• Sufficient oil for deep frying

METHOD:

1. Chop onion, garlic, green chilles & ginger into fine pieces and keep aside.
2. In a vessel make a paste of corn and Besan flour using little water and  a little salt, it must be of a consistency where in you can dip the mushrooms and put it in the oil, it shouldn't be too watery or too thick, make it into a dosa consistency or just they way when you make Aaloo Bondas.
3. Take sufficient quantity of oil in a wok and deep fry all the Button Mushrooms into golden colour and keep aside on a kitchen paper.
4. Now take a wok, heat oil add the chopped onions, garlic, green chillies and ginger. Fry them nicely.
5. Then add all the sauce, vinegar and  ketchup and required quantity of salt, but just remember you have already added little salt to the flour when deep frying the mushrooms so balance the salt properly!!
6. Give them all a good toss add chopped spring onions and coriander leaves (optional), Now add the fried mushrooms and mix well and leave it in the wok for a  minute or two  frying them so the ingredients in the wok get coated to the mushrooms.
7. Now it is ready to serve.
8. Serve it with your favourite Ketchup or sauce.

Note :
If you want you can add chopped peppers, Roast them with the onions,  I cook Gobi Manchurian in the same way .

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Peanut Spice powder

With a nutty and spicy taste, this powder can be used as a side dish, This also can be used for mixing and eating with rice.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine South Indian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 Cup split roasted skin peeled Groundnuts Peanuts
• 10-12 pods of garlic
• 1/4 bunch or 6-7 sprigs of fresh coriander leaves
• 5-5 Red chillies guntur- badgi
• 1 tbsp or salt as desired
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4 cup dry copra or dessicated coconut
• 3-4 flakes or small gooseberry sized tamarind
• 1 sprig curry leaves optional

Instructions

• First of all take a pan or wok dry roast Ground nuts until nice aroma starts coming out of them or when the skin starts peeling off.
• Take out them from the wok and keep it aside to cool
• Next in the same pan or wok take a tsp of oil, heat then add the garlic pods & fry them until they start changing colour to it add the coriander leaves and fry them till they look like withering away.
• With that fry the Red chillies too and fry Tamarind too in it.
• Once all of them are nicely fried take them out and allow it cool
• Meanwhile take the roasted peanuts and remove the husk from them and remove the small node like portion from the top of the nuts when you split open them.
• Take one tumbler of peanuts in measure & mix with all the other ingredients and dry powder in the mixie coarsely.
• put them in a jar & it may last up to 10-15 days.
• It is now ready to be served with plain rice and a dollop of ghee in it!

Notes

These kinds of powders are made in south Indian homes to mix it with rice and eat in their first course of meal

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