Life has been very busy these days, I never relax during holidays it's because  I visit India during our summer vacation.  I would loads of errands to complete during my visit and I usually running around doing things.  The only thing I don't do is cooking and baking.  Most of the time it's my Mum, sisters, or my relatives and friends who do it for me as I visit them.  I miss Britain during summer as I love it there! It's because  for a lot of reasons  like the Sun, Flowers, Greenery, and the best of everything is my Garden.  I  love gardening and growing my own veggies, fruits, herbs, and flowers are my favourite hobby.

I will share you some of my Garden plants in my next post, hubby was telling me that there is a heat wave next two weeks and it's going to be very very hot, hope my plants survive the blazing sun rays.

When it's hot or even warm I love to eat more fruits especially fruits with a lot of water content as its going to keep me hydrated.  My kitchen gets too hot during summer because of the conservatory and I don't like spending too much time standing there!! Nothing wrong right?

Every summer reminds me of Indian summer, I go through my memory lane thinking about what I used to relish during those hot summer months, what my parents used to give me to eat ? what were my food habits ? (monitored by my parents, even today they keep advising me what to eat and what not to eat!) Most Indian food habits are usually blended with Ayurveda an alternative to our regular Medicine.  Even doctors here tend to introduce you to Ayurvedic way of food habits!  Ayurveda is an age old way of treating ailments with herbs, roots, and other natural resources available. Ayurvedic way of treating depends on the doshas (Vata, pitta, Kapha) the three elements which balance in good health and any imbalance leads to diseases!  Most Indian houses adapt to simple home remedies and treat common diseases with minimal ingredients found in our masala

Ayurveda is an age old way of treating ailments with herbs, roots, and other natural resources available. Ayurvedic way of treating depends on the doshas (Vata, pitta, Kapha) the three elements which balance in good health and any imbalance leads to diseases!  Most Indian houses adapt to simple home remedies and treat common diseases with minimal ingredients found in our masala dabbas and these shops (Grandhige Angadi) which sell the roots and seeds used in ayurvedic treatments.

I am used to and still use lot of things from my kitchen pantry as my medicines to deal with common cold, cough, headaches and tend to understand the way my body feels and adapt it in my food habits.  As I wouldn't drink lot of water, my mom always made sure I ate lot of fruits and vegetables which had lot of water content in it,  she always made loads of salads for us to enjoy when we came back from school and still today I enjoy these salads which have minimal ingredients and still tastes awesome.

Watermelon and Tomato salad ( Juicy Tomatoes and sweet Watermelon in a mild spice and sweet dressing)
Cuisine : Indian
Recipe Type : Salad
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cook time : None
Serves : 4
Shelf time : Best served fresh or chill can chill and serve
Recipe Author: Jayasri

Ingredients:

3 Cups of chopped Watermelon
1 to 2 cups of Tomatoes
2 tbsp of Sugar / honey / maple syrup depending on sweetness*
1/2 tsp salt as required*
1 to 2 tsp Black Pepper crushed coarsely as required
1 or 2 tbsp of Mint leaves (optional)

*Check Notes

Method:

Chop Watermelon into cubes using just the red portion of it, try and deseed as much as possible too much into it will give out a lot of juice and makes the fruit crumbled or mushy!
I have used assorted Tomatoes as I get it here, But you can just fresh juicy tomatoes which you can find in Indian markets.
I have used sugar here  with  salt and pepper (check my notes)
Take the fruits in a bowl toss them with the spices listed, serve it fresh or serve it chilled.
You can add mint if desired.

Notes:

You can serve it as an Accompaniment or just as a salad
You can use only sugar or only salt and pepper
It was important to use salt and pepper during summer as watermelon sometimes would cause cold to some people, Black Pepper has heat in it ( In ayurveda black pepper wards of cold) helps in warding off cold.

You can even add Yogurt/ Curds and enjoy it.

Enjoy this really delicious summer salad, It not only keeps you hydrated and makes you feel fresh.

The post watermelon and Tomato salad appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Tomato Juice! Some things are very simple in life, but these are not just simple but rich in Vitamins A & C, minerals and rich in Fiber!
Some simple things you don't even think that it ever existed until you miss it.  It may be anything in our life.  Do you know what I am talking about? It's always food.  In this episode, it's a drink!  I have never missed this simple drink at all.  Every summer reminds me of this drink,  which mum used to make it for us when we were little.

My Mom was a working woman, she used to be very busy as she was a teacher, she always had lots of school things to do and had to take care the three of us.  My Dad always helped amma in her housework, it was a really beautiful home set up, feels like I want to go back to those good old days. We had our breakfast time, school time, lunch time, Hometime, snack time and the best was our Dinner time!  All of us would sit together and share each other's stories about the whole day.  I really miss those days so much.

When I started my own family I wanted to it be the same way eating together as a family but it never happened. When my kids were very small it was only the kids and me, we lived in a joint family so in batches everybody used to have food.  After coming here we started having food as a family again.  But,  this has changed again now as my kids live elsewhere for their education, I eagerly wait when they are back for their holidays.

 A simple drink as this brings me lots of memories.  Summer means hot weather and cool drinks, and of course travelling to Mysore to my Aunt's place almost every vacation.  Uncle used to buy loads of fruits especially Mangoes and my favourite

Isn't it funny? a simple drink as this brings me lots of memories.  Summer means hot weather and cool drinks, and of course travelling to Mysore to my Aunt's place almost every vacation.  Uncle used to buy loads of fruits especially Mangoes and my favourite was Jackfruit.  Oh! such a nostalgic feeling thinking of all those days.  Wish they all come back once again in my life. Only if wishes were horses....

So, Back to Tomatoes yes! they were one such fruit which would turn into a drink when summer knocked on the door, mum always used to whizz it up quickly for us, when she didn't have time,  as they are a staple fruit (veggie) in any Indian home.

Here is the simple recipe for this juice.. drop in some Ice cubes and have a cool summer!!

Recipe Author: Jayasri
Recipe Type: Juices/Drinks/Mocktails
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
3 Medium sized tomatoes
1 Orange
1/2  Lemon/Lime
5 to 6 tbsp of demerara Sugar
1 to 2 cups of water

Method:

Chop the Tomatoes
slice and squeeze the juice of 1 Orange
slice and use one-half of a small lemon/Lime juice
Put the tomatoes, juices of lemon/lime and orange and then the sugar in a blender and blend it well using a sieve strain out all the juice from it throw away the residue.
Serve them in nice tall glasses with Ice cubes and garnish it with mint.
Enjoy your summer with this delicious simple drink.

Notes:  You can skip the sugar and drink just like that or add Honey/Agave syrup and make it more healthier.  You can add a dash of salt and pepper to it.  Otherwise, go the other way round and add a dash of salt and pepper.

Print

Tomato Juice - A simple Juice

A simple delicious healthy drink, which makes your summer much cooler and keeps you hydrated

Course Juices/Drinks/Mocktails

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• 3 Medium sized tomatoes
• 1 Orange
• 1/2 Lemon/Lime
• 5 to 6 tbsp of demerara Sugar
• 1 to 2 cups of water

Instructions

• Chop the Tomatoes
• slice and squeeze the juice of 1 Orange
• slice and use one-half of a small lemon/Lime juice
• Put the tomatoes, juices of lemon/lime and orange and then the sugar in a blender and blend it well using a sieve strain out all the juice from it throw away the residue.
• Serve them in nice tall glasses with Ice cubes and garnish it with mint.
• Enjoy your summer with this delicious simple drink.

Notes

You can skip the sugar and drink just like that or add Honey/Agave syrup and make it more healthier. You can add a dash of salt and pepper to it. Otherwise, go the other way round and add a dash of salt and pepper.

Tomato Juice - A simple Juice

Recipe Type: Juices/Drinks/Mocktails
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Jayasri
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 2
A simple delicious healthy drink, which makes your summer much cooler and keeps you hydrated
Ingredients
3 Medium sized tomatoes
1 Orange
1/2 Lemon/Lime
5 to 6 tbsp of demerara Sugar
1 to 2 cups of water
Instructions
Chop the Tomatoes
slice and squeeze the juice of 1 Orange
slice and use one-half of a small lemon/Lime juice
Put the tomatoes, juices of lemon/lime and orange and then the sugar in a blender and blend it well using a sieve strain out all the juice from it throw away the residue.
Serve them in nice tall glasses with Ice cubes and garnish it with mint.
Enjoy your summer with this delicious simple drink.

The post Tomato Juice - A simple Drink appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Did you all enjoy eating Pancakes yesterday, I made a special pancake for my daughter will post it soon, photos are still in my camera, need to download and sort it out.  I thought of doing it today, but it’s been a long and tiring day.  I never thought I would be so busy, joining college has taken most of my time.  It’s been a long back I did any studying so, coming back to terms with it is a big deal for me.   Cooking has become an ordeal for me these days, just  for two has become a strenuous job.  I miss my kids so much who came home  always hungry, checking out what I have in store! Cooking and baking had a purpose and  fun then.

The Day before yesterday I was talking to my sister I was telling her it’s not been a good winter this year, I felt that the weather hasn’t been that cold.  Maybe I jinxed it, already past week it’s been horrible with stormy gale force howling winds creeping  through the chimney  walls was scary and horrible to listen to.  Couldn’t even walk on the road, it was raining and so windy I thought I might fly away.   When you are out the house you know how numb your hands and feet feel the comfort of a home onto my couch with a warm shawl around me is all that I long for. And of course, I love warm and comfort food and when you are too lethargic to cook steaming Soups are the best option with lovely crusty bread is all I wish for.

I love peppers and usually have it in my pantry, I use it every possible way! I get these in abundance in summer and I grow them in my little garden, the fresh pepper from the plant is so delicious, I just love it.  My favourite is the green pepper I think I like it because of the spiciness it gives rather than the others.  All the other coloured peppers are mildly sweet to my liking.

Soups always remind me of my home, I wouldn’t have so much soup as I have it here, and Soup was something I used to have when I visited a restaurant with my North Indian meals.  After coming here, it has become a staple food for me with a crusty loaf.

Author: Jayasri
Recipe type: Appetiser
Cuisine: Fusion
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 Large Red Peppers
1 small Green Pepper
1 small Yellow Pepper
1 Tomatoes
1 Onion
2 cloves garlic
1’’ Ginger
1 or 2 Bay leaf
3 to 4 cloves
½ tsp Black Pepper corns
½ tsp Cumin
2 tbsp of Crème Fraiche (optional)

Method:

On a stove top place a metallic frame and place all the veggies said above to roast turning them now and then which helps in charring them Or you can place these on a baking sheet and cut the peppers and place the cut side down in between place the garlic cloves and onion and tomatoes in a preheated oven gas mark 5 or 6 for 20 to 25 minutes until they are charred.
Remove them from the oven or from the stove top once they are cool remove the charred skin from the peppers and tomatoes, I don’t throw them away but keep it and use it in my curries.  Gives a smoky flavour to my dish.  Remove the skin from onions and garlic as well and keep aside.
In a skillet add a tsp of olive oil once it is warm enough add cloves, pepper corns, Bay leaves and cumin roast them to this add skinned bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and garlic and sauté for a one or two minutes.
In the mean time take 500ml of vegetable stock in a pot and allow it to boil with the bay leaves removed from the sautéed veggies above.
Once they are cool take the rest of the sautéed ingredients into a blender or mixie Blend them all into a smooth paste
Add this smooth blended paste into the vegetable stock mix well add Himalayan salt, taste and adjust.
You can also taste and add finely freshly crushed black pepper corns to suit your taste, and allow it to boil further 5 minutes.  Don’t boil for too long you will lose the colour.

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Roasted Tri-coloured Bell Pepper Soup

Hearty Healthy a Winter warmer with lots of nutrition significant amount of vitamin C, beta carotene, B complex, vitamins, calcium, phosphorous and Iron.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Fusion

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• 2 Red Peppers
• 1 Green Pepper
• 1 Yellow Pepper
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1 Onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 ’’ Ginger
• 1 or 2 Bay leaf
• 3 to 4 cloves
• ½ tsp Black Pepper corns
• ½ tsp Cumin
• 2 tbsp of Crème Fraiche optional

Instructions

• On a stove top place a metallic frame and place all the veggies said above to roast turning them now and then which helps in charring them Or you can place these on a baking sheet and cut the peppers and place the cut side down in between place the garlic cloves and onion and tomatoes in a preheated oven gas mark 5 or 6 for 20 to 25 minutes until they are charred.
• Remove them from the oven or from the stove top once they are cool remove the charred skin from the peppers and tomatoes, I don’t throw them away but keep it and use it in my curries. Gives a smoky flavour to my dish. Remove the skin from onions and garlic as well and keep aside.
• In a skillet add a tsp of olive oil once it is warm enough add cloves, pepper corns, Bay leaves and cumin roast them to this add skinned bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and garlic and sauté for a one or two minutes.
• Meanwhile take 500ml of vegetable stock in a pot and allow it to boil with the bay leaves removed from the sautéed veggies above.
• Once they are cool take the rest of the sautéed ingredients into a blender or mixie Blend them all into a smooth paste
• Add this smooth blended paste into the vegetable stock mix well add Himalayan salt, taste and adjust.
• You can also taste and add finely freshly crushed black pepper corns to suit your taste, and allow it to boil further 5 minutes. Don’t boil for too long you will lose the colour

Notes

If you find the soup is thin to your liking mix 1 or 2 tsp cornflour or arrowroot powder in 2 or 3 tbsp of water before adding it to the soup, this makes the soup to thicken up and looks creamier. You can top with crème fraiche and serve it steaming hot with a country bread.

The post Roasted Tri-coloured Bell Pepper Soup appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, It's been a long time I came here, I would really like to thank all my readers who have been in constant touch with my blog even though I haven't been able to update for such a long time.  To start with,  I was not blogging for a reason,  I am in the process of changing my blog hopefully I will be able to do it by next month.  I would also like to thank few of my blogger friends whom I have been associated with in some events which I love so much,  have patiently been waiting for me to post my recipes.  Once such event is Baking partners by Swathi of Zesty south Indian Kitchen.

Who doesn't like Pizza, I think that's everybody's favourite, especially kids, I don't eat cheese for 40+ reasons, I mean as I am 40+ and... I have reasons!! , but I love cheese in my pizza, I am no way better than a kid when it comes to pizza I just love it with the gooey cheese on it Just love it..., I have tried and still trying  different kind of pizza dough to get the perfection, one more which I have to still try is the OO' grade flour to make pizza and see the difference.
Coming back from my disastrous holiday which was only for 2 weeks which later part of the 2 week  got ended up with one week of food poisoning, ended up with a migraine. That was when I remembered I had to do the Baking Partner Challenge and decided to make the dough and thought will make it the next day when I come back from work, funnily..,  God knows what happened,  even though my mind was ready to accept as always my body wasn't ready to accept that I was Jet lagged and poorly,  coming back from work, cooked something for my kids and hit the bed It's been such a long time and I have never slept like that for almost 7 hrs till 10 O' clock in the night and kids woke me up  and telling me that they were hungry!!, I cooked up something and went back to bed again!!  I had an overdose of sleep I think, through all this I had completely forgotten about my resting dough in the fridge, so decided to make it the next day, without my knowledge I had rested my dough for 72 hours and the result was really amazing, that was an awesome pizza, Three of our friends from our group asked us to bake Pizzas, I chose Pam's recipe which she had adapted from 2 blogs one for Pizza crust and one for Pizza Sauce.

PIZZA TOPPING:
1 Small Green Pepper (Capsicum)
10 Olives
1 Small Yellow Pepper
1 Small Pink Onion
7 to 8 Vine Tomatoes
3 to 4 sprigs of Basil leaves
1 tsp Chilli flakes
1 tsp Italian Herbs
Salt to taste
Grated Mozzarella cheese
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading through many blogs and books,  when I first started baking pizza at home I used to bake with plain flour , then I started using Bread flour and mixture of flours for healthy baking, I have yet to use OO' grade flour, will surely do once I get hold on it and want to see the difference.  I have come to know that the Italians use this grade flour to make their pizza's!.
Coming back to this recipe, I too make the same kind of sauce changed it our family taste a bit, I made it a bit spicy so increased the chilli flakes,

NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA SAUCE
Recipe Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/new-york-style-pizza-sauce.html

INGREDIENTS:
28oz / 3 Cups Peeled Tomatoes
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Butter
2 Cloves Garlic
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Red Pepper flakes
1 tsp Red chili flakes
Salt as required ( If using tinned, there will be salt already so check before you use)
2 sprigs of Basil leaves
1 medium yellow Onion peeled
1 tsp Sugar

METHOD:

In a large bowl of water cook Tomatoes with their skin, after few minutes drain the water and keep aside, peel the skin of the tomatoes, chop and blend them in a food processor in a coarse consistency, It should not be very smooth,

Chop Onion and Garlic blend them to a coarse consistency, heat oil and butter in a deep pan add Red Pepper flakes, chilli flakes and dried oregano to this add coarsely blended Onion and garlic fry for few minutes stirring frequently keep an eye not to brown it but the raw smell disappears then add the coarsely blended Tomatoes stir well, to this blend add chopped Basil leaves and sugar, bring the flame to low and cook until it reduces to half for about an hour, season it with salt.

Once done store it in an airtight container stays well for 2 weeks.

THE BEST NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA
Recipe source: http://feelingfoodish.com/the-best-new-york-style-pizza-dough/

INGREDIENTS:
6 Cups ( 28 oz or 780 grms bread flour) All purpose Flour / Bread flour / OO' Grade Flour
2 and 1/4 cup (17.4 oz) water
1 tsp Instant dry yeast
2.5 tsp salt
3 tsp olive Oil

METHOD:
1.    I used only half of the Ingredients and made half the dough, I halved the recipe on everything even yeast.
I used 390 grms of flour, In a large bowl take yeast add couple of tbsp of warm water to activate it, within a few minutes you can see the bubbles, this is to make sure your yeast is active.
2.    Now to this add all the dry Ingredients mix well, Now add water enough to make it a dough consistency**  (see notes), then add oil and bring it to pliable dough, The dough actually will be a bit on the stickier side,  knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes hand kneading if the dough is kept for 72 hours But, if you are using it the next day that is for 48 hours knead the dough 8 to 10 minutes.
3.    Add oil at the end and bring the dough together, I halved the dough into two then place it in a large bowl and cover it with cling film and leave it in the refrigerator for 48 hrs or 72 hours, I left mine for 72 hours.
4.    The day you are baking take it out of the fridge and leave it for 1 or 2 hours for it to come back to room temperature.
5.    Meanwhile preheat your oven with your pizza stone for an hour, at the highest temperature, she asks to preheat at 550 degree. I just kept my oven at Gas Mark 4 for almost 1 hour (I was a bit worried about my pizza stone as I did not how good it was).
6.     Once the dough comes to room temperature, take one part of the dough with help of flour flatten it on to a parchment paper by pressing it around flatten it out thinly using more flour.
7.     Take another piece of parchment paper sprinkle semolina*(see notes) on to it, then place the flattened dough on to the surface
8.    Apply pizza sauce on to the surface, get all your chopped veggies top them on the sauce then grate Mozzarella cheese on to it, spread evenly  on the topped vegetables.
9.    Slide prepared pizza spread on to the preheated pizza stone and bake pizza for 6 to 7 minutes, cheese starts melting, just keep an eye that it doesn't get burnt.
10.   what else to say, take it out, slice them out take a bite and Enjoyyyy...., !!!

NOTES:
Important thing always weigh your flour, as each brand is different from each other.
As I said earlier I had halved the recipe the water was a bit extra for my dough so had to discard a bit, but the dough was a bit stickier in consistency.
The author of this recipe says we had to heat the oven to 550 degree but my oven only Gas Mark 9.
I was watching a TV show in which Chef was saying sprinkling semolina on to the surface of the pizza base ensures nice crispy bottom

VERDICT: Pizza was totally awesome, the first one I made was only with Tomato sauce, I mean the pizza sauce with cheese, my kids really relished it, next day I made with veggies topped with cheese, kids were totally bowled out, they loved it very much..,
I have planed to try out the base with OO' grade flour and will update here soon enough.
Thanks to swathi and Pam for this wonderful recipe.

The post Thin Crust Best New York Style Pizza with Veg and Best Pizza Sauce appeared first on My Veg Fare.

SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO PULL-APART BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE DOUGH
2 tbsp of warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp Yeast
3 cups of Whole wheat White Bread flour ( nearly 425 gms)
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 cup milk (soya milk )
3/4 cup of water

FOR THE FILLING
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto as needed
( I used Home made Recipe here)
Cheddar Cheese

METHOD:
In a large bowl take yeast and 2 tbsp of warm water with tsp of sugar and leave it in a warm place for few minutes, you can notice bubbles forming up this shows that the yeast is active.
To this add all the other Ingredients said above under the Dough, mix them well, use a food processor or your hand and make it into a pliable dough, make it into a chappati dough consistency.
Once the dough is ready Knead the dough  for at least 10 minutes until it very pliable, smooth and soft, this helps in the gluten formation. Lightly oil the bowl and leave the dough covered for at least 1 and 1/2 hours or leave it until it is doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas Mark 5*
Oil a loaf tin 9 x 5 sprinkle some flour and tap it down so there is no extra flour on it or place a parchment paper in the tin
Once the dough is proven deflate the dough dust the kitchen work surface with flour, flatten the dough into a square as shown, which you can do in two ways
1. Apply the Sun dried Tomato pesto on to the flattened dough and some grated cheese on top of it and cut it into 6 lengthwise strips and lay them one on top of the other and cut them again into 6 pieces with a sharp knife or a scrapper. stack the pieces starting with the seam side and in the middle you can have both the ends of the strip put together will make it look nicer.
2. Or as I did once you have made it into a square, cut them into 6 equal parts, start with the first layer apply the sun dried Tomato pesto filling and cheese on top of it, place the next one do the filling and continue with the rest of the strips then cut them into 6 pieces and continue as said above for stacking and continue with the rest of the process.
Once stacked cover it again with a tea towel or with a cling film for an hour or until it rises, do not allow it to rise too much as the first time round.
Brush the top of the bread with milk and bake it in the middle rack for 35 to 45** minutes or until the top is golden brown in colour or check it with a skewer when it comes out clean.
Take it out of the oven and leave it on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, release the bread from the loaf tin immediately after 10 minutes*** and leave it directly on the wiring rack to cool down completely.
Pull apart the bread and enjoy with a cuppa
or slice the bread as I did topped them with some salad leaves, cucumbers and tomatoes grill them or just make a sandwich and send it for Lunch box.

NOTES
* As I have always said my oven temperature is very high so I bake them at Gas mark 3
** My bread got baked by 40 minutes
*** I remove my bread immediately after 10 minutes the bread will be still very warm because of this the bottom side becomes soggy if left in tin for a long time this is my experience so I always take it out and leave it on the the wiring rack this helps the bread cooling down without a soggy bottom, sometimes I turn out  the bread place it in the loaf pan again and bake it for 5 more minutes this makes my bread has a crusty bottom as well :)).
You can add Honey, Maple syrup, Jaggery instead of sugar too..

VEGAN VARIATION: 
1. You can use Vegan butter, Vegan cheese in place of the Vegetarian Cheeses.
2. You can otherwise omit the cheese itself
3. In place of milk you can use Oats milk, Almond milk, soya milk or Just plain water

If you ever try these variations leave a note here so I would be delighted to know how it turned out.

Stay tuned for more stuffing to come in a bread baking spree with Knead to bake, thanks a ton Aparna and all my foodie friends who are on this venture...

This bread is also yeast spotted.

The post Sun dried Tomato Pesto Pull apart Bread - We knead to bake # 1 appeared first on My Veg Fare.

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.

Well anyway, let me not get you bored with my problems, and talk about this lovely chutney I made.  When Kalyani announced, this month's Magic Mingle, which is hosted by Vaishali this month, announced two ingredients which we need to come up with in our cooking they are Fenugreek (Methi) and Coconut.
These are two are my favourite ingredients, but joining these two in a dish is a bit of a problem. So, wearing my thinking cap I have been wondering,  when I was making Dosa, Mum was asking me what chutney should she make for it, I was telling her I will make the chutney, and started looking around and my eyes fell on the Plums, I had bought some plums to eat, and they all got ripened very quickly, so I planned to make chutney out of it.  Here is how I made it...

PLUM AND TOMATO CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS:
8 Plums
2 Tomatoes
2 flakes of Tamarind
First full of Channa Dal
3 tbsp Fresh coconut
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
7 to 8 twigs of Coriander leaves
6 to 7 dry Red chillies
1 twig Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp salt ( or as required )
1 tsp Oil + 1 tsp Oil

SEASONING:
1 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds

METHOD:
In a pan heat a tsp of oil, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, when the mustard seeds splutter and fenugreek seeds change colour to golden brown,
Add coriander seeds saute them with channa dal and chillies  once they change colour,
Add Tamarind flakes and coriander leaves and saute,
Add chopped coconut pieces and saute for an other 2 minutes Remove them on to a plate and allow it to cool.
Cut open the plums remove the seeds and chop them into pieces and also chop 2 Tomatoes.
In the same pan heat a tsp of oil,  add chopped plums and chopped Tomatoes and saute them for 2 minutes, close a lid on to the pan and allow it to cook.
Once they are well cooked, keep sauting until water in it drains out, it will not drain out completely though.
Grind the Dry Ingredients that is kept in the plate for cooling, into a coarse powder with salt first then to this add the sauted and cooled cooked plum into it and grind them into a smooth paste.
Adjust salt, In a pan heat oil and mustard seeds when they splutter add it to the prepared chutney.
Serve and Enjoy with your choice.

It had a wonderful colour and was very delicious to eat, especially my kids loved it. you try it and let me know. This goes to Magic Mingle #10

The post Plum & Tomato Chutney appeared first on My Veg Fare.

My kids love Subway Sandwich so much.... Just because, as they can add any thing they like in it likes olives, onions, Jalepenos, corn, tomatoes etc..., and can choose the bread they like, I was planning to bake some Khara bun that day, and the bread was in its processing state.., as my kids were talking about Sandwiches I decided to change this recipe into subway rolls and made Indianised subway sandwich !! for a change.
My memory always goes back to those days I would love to eat a Khara Bun on a rainy day with a hot cup of tea/coffee. My mind always revolves around those flavours which I so love... so why not give this a go ?.
I exactly made 4 big ones don't laugh looking at those rolls as they were too big, that was one hearty meal of the day for my kids and they so enjoyed it.  One wonderful Sandwich and also they had a fantastic smoothie which was the next thing they had a go at which I will post soon,  That was one complete brunch . They relished it so much and I was a very happy mum.

Their is no step wise photos for making these rolls, as I was planning not to take any photos, as I keep making these Khara (spicy) buns and I already have drafts of them which haven't seen the day yet!!. well, anyways this is how the recipe goes..

SUBWAY SANDWICH - INDIANISED

INGREDIENTS:
450 (50 gms etc.., for kneading ) grms All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 tsp Fast action yeast
1and 1/2 tsp sugar
1and 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp of Oil
2 tbsp of fresh Herbs ( coriander, dill )
1 and 1/4 Cup water

METHOD:
In a large bowl add yeast with 1 or 2 tbsp of luke warm water with sugar and leave it in a warm place for few minutes, within few minutes you will start noticing bubbles in it, add oil freshly chopped herbs and salt then add the flour mix well.
Now start adding water until a nice soft dough is formed, knead the dough for 10 minutes with the help of extra flour just for dusting your hands, do not keep adding too much flour, when you are kneading the gluten in the flour stretches and even if the dough is a bit sticky it totally disappears, yeast is such a lovely product, it is not a problem at all to work with it.

Oil the bowl place the dough in it and cover it with a cling film and leave it in a warm place until the dough is double in size it might take 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours depending on the outside temperature.
Once raised punch it down and release the gas then knead it softly handle it like a flower!!, then shape them into desired shapes, as I was planning to make subway rolls I rolled into 4 long rolls and placed them each between grease proof papers in a large tray then covered them with a tea towel.
Leave the shaped rolls for a second rising for an other half an hour
Meanwhile preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6  spray some water inside the oven carefully not to touch the bulb or on the gas ( even if you don't do this the bread will still bake not to worry).
Place a oven proof bowl with warm water underneath, after 1/2 an hour decrease  the oven temperature to Gas Mark 4 and place the tray inside the oven giving it a milk wash ( or you can use egg wash ) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes depending upon the way your oven works or after 25 minutes insert a skewer and check if it is baked, if not leave it for an other 5 to 10 minutes assessing the baking of the bread roll.
Once done, immediately remove them from the oven and place them on a wiring rack after 5 minutes or so remove them from the tray and place them directly on the wiring rack so that that they cool down , otherwise they become soggy underneath.
That's it your rolls are ready now.

Now to Assemble the sandwich you need to keep some ingredients ready.
Make Coriander and Mint Chutney:
1/2 Cucumber ( thinly sliced )
2 carrots grated
1 small Mango ( thinly sliced )
2 small Red onions
2 Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Fresh Roasted sweet corn kernels
Cheese as needed

Slice the rolls in half, apply  chutney on both the sides then start placing the veggies one by one of your choice, I placed Mango then cucumber, onions, tomatoes and sweet corn kernels then cheese on top of it close the other half on it and grill them on a panini grill or a sandwich maker for 3 to 4 minutes according to your gadget , Ooohh..., that's it job done, cut them in half place them on a plate and serve it.

Do you like my subway treat if so do tell me.....
Checkout my other sandwich recipe which was amazing here
Make it vegan, using vegan cheese or just omit it :))
Sorry friends was not able to respond to your comments immediately as I was down with Migraine,
Sending this to
1.  Kalyani's Healthy Sanwich Diet : Sandwiches, started by priya's Healthy diet event
2. Priya's Celebrate Olympic games started by Jagruthi of cooking odyssey
3. Kalyani's WTML event started by Gayatri of Gayatri's cook spot
4. Sayantani of Home maker's Dairy hosting JCO's - Monsoon of India
5. This Sandwich is also yeastspotted
6. Let's cook breads # 17 of Radhika's
7. Kid's delight evening snacks of co-hosted by vardhini initially started by srivalli
8. Sandwich recipes of Dr.Sameena

The post Subway Sandwich - Indianised !! appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Paneer is made with milk, it is easy to make your own paneer it is like cottage cheese, you can get it in shops in blocks or cubes.., I love paneer only in sweet dishes like Rasgulla, sandesh and many more Bengali sweets which are my all time favourite,  rather than the curries and Gravies.

My kids don't like Paneer at all even if you use them in spicy gravies or Curries, That is why you don't see lot of paneer recipes in my blog, especially my son, doesn't like it at all, Like me they also love to eat paneer only in Sweets :), Just like Momma.....
When Kalyani announced this month's Magic Mingle # 5 challenge it was Paneer and mint, the first thought was let me dish out some pulav, Once I made pulav which is still in my draft and my son kept mumbling over it, My H loves paneer, that is why now and then I make it.  But then I made some parathas which I will post soon, Before the parathas I made this curry, and to my astonishment, my twin girl loved it very much and even my son the curry was so tasty, totally it was only Kadai full, I made little so I don't have to eat it lunch, brunch and dinner if my kids don't like it.., But, to my surprise, it was all gone.., by the end of the day I can say I am going to make this again...
Hope you all like it and tell me how it turned out...., if you make it 🙂

PANEER BHENDI IN MINTY MASALA CURRY

INGREDIENTS:
15 Bhendi / Lady's finger Small ones
1 Large Onion
1 tsp Ginger - Garlic paste

1 Tomatoes or 2 small tomatoes
1/2 Cup Paneer Cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/4 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Chilli powder
1/4 tsp Amchur powder
1 and 1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Oil

To Marinate:

2 Fist ful ( 4 Sprigs ) Mint / Pudina Leaves
1 fist ful ( 4 sprigs) Coriander leaves
1 Green Chilli

METHOD:
First of all Cut the cubed Paneer into still smaller pieces ( like four pieces ), then wash and grind the ingredients under marinate, add a tbsp of water if it doesn't grind then add this to the cut cubes, mix well and leave it at least for 1/2 an hour, or until you need it.
Next wash and wipe or dry Bhendis or Lady's Finger with a cloth, you have to do this so when you fry them they will not have that sliminess in them. Then cut the top and bottom of the bhendi's these days I just cut the top only and use the tail end of it too.., you can try if you like it or you can cut that end too. Then cut the Bhendi's into 1/4'' pieces and keep them aside.
Chop Onions and tomatoes and keep them ready.

Take a deep pan /or wok add 2 tbsp oil, fry these bhendis until they are soft and slightly crisp around and keep aside.
Then again add an other 2 tbsp of oil fry the marinated Paneer until they turn slightly reddish in colour, to this add a bit of salt and fry them and keep aside.

In the same wok / Pan add a 2 tbsp of oil when hot add mustard seeds when they splutter add Ginger-Garlic paste then add finely chopped Onions fry them until they are transparent then add finely chopped tomatoes fry them until they become soft, do all this in a low flame, so they don't get burnt.
Once they are done add the dry masala powders fry them for a minute, then add Bhendi and Paneer and mix  them well add a cup of water or a little more if you like it a bit more in a gravy consistency.
Close the lid and keep it in a low flame for few more minutes which helps in absorbing the masala into them.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve it with Chapatis, pulkas or rice.

Tips:
Be careful if you add too much water then dissolve 1/2 tbsp of corn flour in 1 or 2 tbps of water and add it to the gravy, this helps in thickening the gravy.
Use the Dry masala ingredients to your taste, as they might be different from what I use. like my green chilli is too spicy so I have just used one, and even my chilli powder is too spicy so I have just used one tsp so, use it according to your liking.

Sending this to Magic Mingle #5

The post Paneer Bhendi in Minty Masala Curry / Mint Flavoured Curry with Lady's Finger and Cottage Cheese cubes appeared first on My Veg Fare.

BHINDI/OKRA STIR FRY

INGREDIENTS:
500 gms Bhindi/Okra
2 Tomatoes
2 Big Onions(1 cup)
2 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tsp Amchur powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Mustard seeds
3 tbsp of Oil
Salt as required

Grind to Powder:
Dry Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 clove
1/2'' Cinnamon stick
Dry fry all the above seeds and dry spices until they change colour and gives a nice aroma
2 tbsp of Anardana seeds
Dry Grind all the above Ingredients together

METHOD:
Wash and wipe the Okras clean, Remembering will not just wash away the dirt on them, it is best to use a cloth or a kitchen cloth to wipe it clean and wiping it clean also helps in stir-frying the Bhindis well, as the water content makes them gooey and will not hold them together and they might get mushed up :(.
Once they are cleaned, cut them into 2 to 2 1/2'' pieces, add the Garam masala powder, Amchur powder and leave it for kind of marinating until we need it.
Chop the tomatoes and onions, Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in  a Kadai/wok/Pan add mustard seeds, once they crackle up add chopped Onions and curry leaves and fry until they are transparent then add chopped Tomatoes Saute them until they are well cooked now add Turmeric powder and chilli powder and fry for few minutes.

Once they are well cooked add the Marinated Okras and fry them in a medium flame with another tbsp of oil in the middle of the process and saute them
Meanwhile Grind to powder all the Ingredients under that heading finely and keep aside, when the okras are still cooking.
Once the Okras are well done, add this powder and required quantity of salt, Saute for few more minutes and 5 to 10 minutes before switching of close the lid and leave the dry curry for few more minutes so the Masala powders are well absorbed in them.
Serve it with anything you prefer to eat it, I served it with my Mushroom parathas.
I am sending this to Priya's CWS event Guest hosted by me as CWS as - Pomegranate seeds.

Hope you all like my Bhindi Masala

The post Bhindi Masala or Okra Stir-fry with Anardana Seeds appeared first on My Veg Fare.