Showing posts with label Capsicum. Show all posts

Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart

I promised, and here it is - Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart...

How to make eggless vegetarian beetroot and blue cheese quiche at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

But first, how was Diwali? I hope you all had a safe and fun Diwali. Belated Diwali wishes for all those who missed my wishes on Facebook.

Did you eat sweets till your tummy hurt? I'm so used to doing that on Diwali. The whole month's diet goes for a toss on a single day, and yet, it is totally worth it. But this year, I'm missing that. Did you forget, I'm on my super-duper-awesome trip to Cambodia? Read all about my plans here and get my latest updates on Twitter.

Back to my recipe of Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart.

When I made Caramelized Onion Mushroom Tart for myself and Gee, I made this Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart for Raj. The whole idea of making either of these tarts actually started when I went ahead and finally bought "Blue Cheese". I like blue cheese, but I've never bought any. I've had it in restaurants or cheese platters elsewhere, but never at home. I'd been toying with the idea of buying it for a long time. I knew I liked it, but I definitely cannot eat the entire slab, and I wasn't sure Raj would like it, he really isn't into funky foods. He finally got fed up of seeing me standing at the cheese counter eyeing blue cheese and forced me to buy some. Yay!!

Tangy salty blue cheese and sweet beets work wonderfully well together. For this tart, the beetroot was first cooked until almost done. Then peeled and sliced into bite sized pieces. After that I fried it with little oil in a frying pan along with some sugar, pepper and balsamic vinegar, just to caramelize it. Hey, I was having caramelized onions, he deserved caramelized beets. Just the beets and the blue cheese taste great together so skip everything else if you want. I added sauteed capsicum and strips of fresh basil just to oomph up the tart.

You may notice I haven't added a lot of the blue cheese. I wanted to, but it was his first time having blue cheese and I definitely did not want to overwhelm him, so I kept it to a minimum, where there is a hint of the tang and the salt, but it is subtle. If you love blue cheese, go on and replace the regular cheese with more blue and it should be your little mouthful of cheese heaven.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Caramelized Onion Mushroom Tart - Tart made with sweet caramelized onions, pepper sauteed mushrooms, an easy vegan pastry and creamy rich cheesy white sauce.
Beetroot Burger - Spiced beetroot, cauliflower and beans patty combined with some eggless mayo to make a Veggie Burger.
Stuffed Potato Skins - Baked potato skins stuffed with an instant tomato sauce, fried green Capsicum and Mozzarella cheese.

Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart

Beetroot Capsicum and Blue Cheese Tart is an eggless tart made with caramelized beetroot, sauteed capsicum, basil and a creamy rich blue cheese sauce held together in a crispy pastry.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast / Snacks
Cuisine:   International
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield:   6 Tarts (3.5" each)

Ingredients:

For the Pastry:

1 cup All Purpose Flour
0.25 cup Olive Oil
0.5 cup cold Water
0.25 tsp Salt

For the Sauce:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1.5 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
1.25 cups Milk
25gms Cheese or 2 Cheese Cubes
2 Tbsp Blue Cheese
3-4 cloves Garlic
0.25 tsp Nutmeg
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Filling:

1 small Beetroot
0.5 Capsicum
8-10 Basil Leaves (Optional)
0.5 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Jaggery Powder or Sugar
5-6 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Water as required

Method:

To make the Pastry:

Whisk together 0.25 cups of water and the oil to form an emulsion.
Take the flour in a large bowl, add salt.
Add the emulsion to the flour and mix with a spatula or hands until combined.
Fold the dough 4-5 times, do not knead.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
Grease the tart tins.
Divide the pastry into 6 equal parts. This recipe uses 6 individual tart tins of 3.5" diameter. If you plan on making one large tart, do not divide the dough.
Dust the counter with flour and roll out the pastry until it is big enough to cover the tart tin.
Place the rolled out pastry in the tin and gently press the pastry in tin. Remove any excess pastry from the sides.
Put in baking beans and bake the pastry for 12-15 minutes or until done.
Allow them to cool a little and then remove the pastry shells from the tins and keep aside.

To make the Sauce:

Heat oil in a pan.
Once the oil is hot, add in the flour and fry for 45-60 seconds.
Add the milk and allow it to come to a boil.
Lower the heat and add the salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Continue to simmer for 1-2 mins until the sauce thickens.
Grate the cheese into the sauce and mix well.
Simmer for another 2-3 mins and remove from heat. If the sauce has become very thick, add 1-2Tbsp milk to loosen it.

To make the Filling:

Boil the whole beetroot without peeling it.
Once the beetroot is almost cooked, remove it from water and allow it to cool.
Once it is cool enough to handle, peel it and cut it into small chunks.
Heat 2-3 tsp oil in a pan.
Once it is hot, add the beetroot. Add a pinch of salt and mix well,
Fry the beetroot on low heat until cooked.
Add the balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar or jaggery and mix well.
Cook for 2-3 mins and remove from heat.
Cut the capsicum into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and when it is hot, add the capsicum.
Add salt and pepper.
Saute the capsicum for 2-3 mins and remove from heat.
Julienne the basil leaves into thin strips.

Assembling the Tart:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
Place the beetroot, capsicum and basil in the tart.
Spoon in the sauce.
Sprinkle another layer of beetroot and capsicum on top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top browns.

Healthy Millet Salad

This Healthy Millet Salad is made from Foxtail Millet, kidney beans, sprouts and mix vegetables. It is very healthy, very tasty and very filling.

foxtail millet navane sprouts carrot capsicum cucumber beans healthy proteins thinai tabouleh

You go to the supermarket and are immediately drawn to the shelf that holds these exotic ingredients that you've only heard of but never eaten. It looks nice in it's classy looking packaging. You start remembering that recipe you saw on TV or that food photo that featured in the Magazine, wondering which of them should you cook. You glance at the price, and that wonderful dream of cooking with something exotic just evaporates. Smile replaced by shock. Deja vu, anyone?

I replay this scene everytime I go to stores like FoodHall or Godrej Nature's Basket. And sometimes I do it knowing that it will be an anti-climax. By now I know I will never buy Quinoa because of it's insane cost. Quinoa is being touted as THE superfood. High in protein, not high in calories, it's kind of a win-win for those who can access it easily.

Quinoa is not Indian. Although, recently, some farmers are toying with the idea of growing Quinoa, it is still not popular enough to replace any of our ancient grains and seeds.

I use Millet instead. India has been the home of millet for centuries. Millets are just as rich as Quinoa. It is rich in fibre and magnesium. It has a low glycemic index and is a rich source of protein. And it is very light on your pocket. In short, millet is affordable super food that are easily available anywhere.

There are various types of Millet:

Pearl Millet or Bajra
Foxtail Millet or Navane
Finger Millet or Ragi
Sorghum Millet or Jowar

There are so many more, but these are the famous ones.

Let's get back to this super tasty and healthy Foxtail Millet Salad. I've had it two days in a row and I just cannot have enough of it !!!

This is a super simple salad. The dressing is made with just Olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper. Everything you already have at home, so there is no excuse to skip making it. Use any oil you like if you have run out of Olive Oil.

Now, usually, I say that there are things that are optional in a recipe. But in this one, the beans are definitely not optional. They are one the major building blocks of this salad. I really don't believe this salad will taste as good if you skip them. Also really needed are the fresh ingredients - tomatoes, cucumbers and mint. Everything else in the salad can either be skipped or replaced. You can substitute the coriander with parsley. Skip the sprouts if you don't have any. I personally like the light sweetness of the carrots in the salad and would recommend keeping it in there.

This salad was pretty filling due to all the protein in it and the slowly digesting millet. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Kabuli Chana Chaat or Chickpea Salad - Street side style salad made with chickpeas, tomatoes, onions and spices. Hot and Tangy - explosive on your taste buds.
Radish Salad - Fresh salad made from finely chopped radish or daikon (mooli) and it's leaves.

Healthy Millet Salad

Healthy salad made with mixed vegetables, beans, sprouts and Foxtail Millet.

Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Foxtail Millet or Navane
1 cup cooked Red Kidney Beans or Rajma
1/4 cup Sprouts
2 ripe Tomatoes
1 small Cucumber
1/2 Carrot
1/2 Capsicum
Handful Coriander leaves
Handful Mint leaves
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Honey
2-3 tsp Lime Juice
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Water

Method:

Wash and soak the millet for 30 minutes.
Drain the millet and pressure cook it with 1/2 cup water until done. In a pressure cooker it takes around 1 whistle or 4-5 minutes after the pressure builds up.
If not using a pressure cooker, cook it the same way you would cook rice.
Allow the millet to cool to room temperature.
Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumber, carrot and capsicum and add to the millet.
Add the red kidney beans and the sprouts to the millet.
Roughly chop the coriander and mint leaves and add to the millet.
In a small bowl, mix olive oil, honey, lime juice, salt and pepper until completely blended.
Pour the dressing over the millet and vegetable mixture and mix well.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Instant Paneer Tikka (Vegan Option Available)

I absolutely LOVE these Instant Paneer Tikkas. Just what I needed to brighten up a really boring week.

instant quick paneer tikka masala grilled capsicum pepper tomato spices

I've been bored to death this week. A continuing bus strike meant me not going to office. I had to work from home. Alone!! So boring. I miss talking to people. All alone at home means I talk to myself or my TV talks to me. Not so entertaining, really.

I love meeting up my friends at work in the morning over an extended tea break and chatting away. We talk about everything, from real serious technical stuff to light hearted sitcoms. I miss these "Tea Sessions", as we call it, the most. It's my best part of the day in office. There are times I go to office early just so as to reach in time for Tea.

So as I prepared myself for yet another ALONE Tea Session (Sigh), I decided to add some spice into it with something so tasty that I forget I am alone.

When I am dull or bored, I cook. Cooking wakes me up like nothing else can. And especially trying something new is always so much more exciting. I looked through my fridge and I had - Capsicum and Paneer and some Cherry Tomatoes. An idea formed. Voila - Instant Paneer Tikkas.

These Paneer Tikkas need no overnight marination or complicated setup. They took hardly 30 minutes from start to finish. Now that's INSTANT in my dictionary.

I used what I had in my fridge - Capsicum, Tomato and Paneer. You can use anything with the Paneer. The usual combinations are Capsicum, Onion or Tomato. But you can get creative and may be pop in a mushroom or a thick slice of Zucchini.

I liked the idea of individual sized portions, hence I used toothpicks. You can use real skewers to pile on all your favorite things on it. For it to be as Instant as mine, use quick cooking ingredients only, If you want to skewer on Potato or Corn, you may probably want to parboil them first. that makes it a little less instant-ty, but definitely not any less tasty.

For the marination, use thick yogurt or curd, I tend to always have at least a bowl of homemade yogurt in the fridge, so no worries there for me. If the curd or yogurt you have is thin, then place it in a tea strainer or a muslin cloth for around half hour to let the whey drain off and you will have nice thick curd. I've used a bunch of spice powders to made the marinade. If you want it to be even more instant, use store bought Tandoori Masala and it will taste just as good.

Paneer Tikka is always grilled. I grilled mine in the oven. But if you do not have any means of grilling it, then you can shallow fry them. Just don't cook it for very long, they will lose that silky smooth texture of the paneer.

If you are a Vegan, you can replace the Paneer with Tofu and the yogurt with some Lime juice.

Instant Paneer Tikkas

Paneer, Capsicum and Tomato coated in an instant marinade of spices and grilled.

Recipe Type: Snacks / Appetizer
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 9 Tikkas

Ingredients:

For the Tikka:

100 gms Paneer (use Tofu for a vegan option)
1 small Capsicum or Bell Pepper
1 Cherry Tomato per Tikka (Optional)
3/4-1 tsp Oil per Paneer Tikka

For the Marinade:

2 Tbsp thick Yogurt or Curd (use 1-2 tsp lime juice for a vegan option)
1.5 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1.5 Tbsp Besan or Gram Flour
1/4 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1/4 tsp Amchur or Dried Mango Powder (Skip if using lime juice or if the yogurt is very sour)
1/4 tsp Chaat Masala (Optional)
A pinch of Hing or Asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:

Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade.
Cut the Paneer into individual bite sized cubes. Cut the Capsicum to the same size as the Paneer.
Add the paneer and capsicum to the marinade and mix well.
Skewer the capsicum, paneer and the cherry tomato onto the toothpick.
Place them in a greased grilling sheet or pan.
Spoon a little oil over each of the Paneer Tikkas.
Grill them for 10-15 minutes, turning them every 3-4 minutes.
They are ready when they char slightly.
Serve hot with some mint chutney.

Gobi Manchurian Pizza

You heard that right! Gobi Manchurian Pizza!!!

Your favorite starter "Gobi Manchurian" as a Pizza topping. Dinner does not get better than this!!!

I try to cook healthy an eat healthy most of the times. My regular lunch or dinner is chapati with some vegetables. But then, there are some days (or nights) that all I want to do is indulge. Friday night was just that - Indulgence Night.

This Pizza was a product of circumstances. Seriously, I had no choice. Na ah.

I had (still have) lots of cauliflower. I had Mozzarella left over from my UBER-ly delicious Stuffed Potato Skins. Remember those? And I had a small little Capsicum growing in my pot. TA-DA - Gobi Manchurian Pizza.

I love LOVE Gobi Manchurian. The chef that invented it was pure Genius. What a perfect starter to any meal! At any given time, in a restaurant, I believe at least 50% of the people order Gobi Manchurian as a starter. Except in those fancy fine-dines. I wonder what people order there.

I've been told this dish - the Gobi Manchurian Pizza is not my invention (Darn those eye-opener friends!!). To my credit, this Gobi Manchurian Pizza recipe is totally mine. I made Gobi Manchurian the way I always make it, the only difference being I did not simmer the cauliflower with the sauce, instead I just layered them on the Pizza base.

The Pizza was a super hit. This Gobi Manchurian Pizza brings together the best of 2 cuisines (or is it 3) - Indo-Chinese and Italian.

I'm sure everyone knows about Italian Cuisine and Pizzas. No intro needed there.

Now, the Gobi Manchurian is a purely Indian take on Chinese cuisine. It consists of batter coated cauliflower florets that are deep fried until they are crispy golden brown (I suggest you make extra, they taste awesome just like that). If that wasn't enough of BANG, there is the sauce. The sauce is soy-based and is full of flavors of soy sauce, chilli, ginger and garlic. Getting an idea?

To make the Gobi Manchurian Pizza, I made a whole wheat and honey pizza base. That is 100% whole wheat, nothing else. I have not followed the traditional way of making a pizza base - 2 rises, then either rolling or stretching. I have done it more like - rise, roll, rise. This gave me a nice thick base. If you plan on making a thin crust, then you may need to adjust the dough quantities to match that and your pan size. My directions below are for a 10" thick base Pizza. You can also freeze part of the dough for a later day.

After making the base, I then layered with that delicious spicy sauce and dropped the cauliflower all around. Grated some cheese and VOILA! the Gobi Manchurian Pizza is already ready to be devoured.

I know this does not sound like a weekday kinda meal, when you come back from office battling all that traffic and the rains. The number of ingredients and the number of steps sound daunting. When you start making it you will see that the number of unique ingredients isn't really much. And I've written a very detailed recipe to make your cooking easier. I assure you, there is a time and a place to make this Pizza. I actually made it in like 2 hrs on a Friday night. And the 2 hrs was all rising of the base. The actual cooking took way less.

This Gobi Manchurian Pizza is perfect for you:

If you like quirky fusion food that is delicious.

If you love Asian or Indo-Chinese flavors

If you love Pizza

Gobi Manchurian Pizza

Fusion pizza topped with fried cauliflower and Manchurian sauce.

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Fusion
Prep Time: 2 Hours
Cook time: 50 minutes
Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Pizza Base:

2 cups Whole wheat flour or Atta
1 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp Olive Oil
2-3 cups warm Water
1 tsp Salt

For the Gobi / Cauliflower:

2.5 cups Cauliflower florets
4-5 Tbsp Cornflour
1.5 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tsp Chilli Sauce
1/2 tsp Tomato Ketchup
1/2-1 cup Water
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

For the Manchurian Sauce:

Leftover batter from the Gobi / Cauliflower
1 Onion
1/2 Capsicum
1 Tbsp finely chopped Garlic
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Chilli sauce
2 tsp Oil
1 cup Water
Salt to taste

For assembling:

Pizza Base
Fried Gobi / Cauliflower
Manchurian Sauce
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp chopped Coriander
Mozzarella or Pizza cheese

Method:

To make the Pizza Base:

Add the active dry yeast to 1 cup of warm water along with the honey. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Once it is foamy, add it to the whole wheat flour along with 1 Tbsp olive oil and salt and knead into a smooth dough. Knead for around 5-10 minutes.
Now coat the dough with the remaining olive oil and place in a clean bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with a plate of a towel and keep in a warm place to rise. It should double up in size. Mine took around 1 hour.
Once it is doubled in size, punch it down, and roll it into a pizza base. Roll according to if you want a thick base or a thin base. I made a thick 10" base.
Oil the pan in which you will cook the base, and place the rolled out base, prick it with a fork. Cover and keep it in a warm place for its 2nd rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius and bake the base for 12-15 minutes.

To make the fried Gobi / Cauliflower:

This can be made when the base is kept for rising.
In a large bowl, mix together the cornflour, ginger garlic paste, soy sauce, chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, salt and add water by the spoonfuls. We need a medium consistency batter that can coat the cauliflower. I did not need the full cup of Water.
Heat oil in a frying pan. I shallow fried the florets, you can deep fry them.
Once the oil is hot, dip the cauliflower in the batter and drop them in the oil.
Fry until golden brown and crispy on the outside and the cauliflower is cooked on the inside.

To make the Manchurian Sauce:

Heat oil in a pan and add sliced onions and chopped garlic. Fry until the onions are translucent.
Add the sliced capsicum and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the leftover batter from the cauliflower. If there is none leftover, mix together 1 Tbsp cornflour in 1/4 cup of water and add it. You may need to increase the quantity of the sauces accordingly.
Add the ginger garlic paste, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce, salt and 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Add more sauce if required.
Allow it to cook 3-4 minutes. You may need to add more water in as cornflour thickens on cooking.

To make the Pizza:

Spread the sauce on the base.
Place the fried cauliflower all on top of the sauce.
Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves.
Grate cheese to cover the pizza.
Drizzle over the Olive Oil.
Bake in a 200 degree Celsius preheated oven for 5-8 minutes until the cheese melts.
Serve hot.

Stuffed Potato Skins

Crispy potato, crunchy green Capsicum, punchy tomato sauce and oozy mozzarella cheese. That’s what this whole blog post it about.

I’ve never baked a potato. Or rather, until last week, I had never baked a potato. And now that I have, I feel I’ve opened a door with many many possibilities.

This recipe is a result of entering a competition that asked contestants to cook with 5 ingredients – Potato, Tomato, Capsicum, Cheese and Olive Oil. You couldn’t leave out an ingredient.

I thought of a few options but decided I really wanted to stuff something. Stuffed capsicum or stuffed tomato may be? But when I mentioned stuffed potato skins, I saw Raj’s eye light up. It’s no secret he loves Potato. That was it then – Baked Potato Skins.

Now there is a lot you can do with these Potato Skins, I myself had a dozen ideas, but then I was restricted by the competition rules. Not that I regret that, they were AWESOME just like that.

These little boats to taste-bud-heaven have some lightly stir fried capsicum and an easy-to-make awesome INSTANT super punchy tomato sauce. Apart from the 5 ingredients mentioned above, all you need is oregano or any pizza seasoning, garlic, salt and loads of pepper. This sauce goes amazingly well with pasta and pizza. So increase the quantity and freeze it for rainy days if you wish.

Step one: Crisping up the potato skins. You want them crisppyyyy:

Wash and scrub those potatoes clean. This is how you build muscles working at home. Exercise for today – DONE. Dry them and rub olive oil all over them. Watch out for those slippery ones that go bouncing all over your counter. Use a fork and prick them all over.

Bake them for 1 hour at 200 C of 400 F. In the meanwhile, move on to steps 2 & 3 and come back to one later.

Step two: Making the AWESOME Tomato sauce.

Chop those tomatoes roughly and fry along with some garlic in a pan with some olive oil. Once the tomatoes are soft, add in the oregano, salt and pepper. If you are like me, pepper == lots and lots of pepper.

Blend it into a coarse sauce. This is a thick sauce. If you plan on using it for pasta, you may want to thin it a little.

Step three: Crunchy crunchy Capsicum.

Chop the capsicum into small pieces. Stir fry in some olive oil until it is slightly cooked. Don’t let it mush up. Sprinkle some salt and keep aside.

Step one again: Crispy skin dreams come true here.

Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, slice them lengthwise into half. Using a sharp edged spoon, scoop out the potato gently. Leave around ¼ inch or 0.5 cm of potato still in the skin so it holds it’s shape. Brush generously with olive oil on the inside and outside. Rub some salt.

Now bake it skin side down for 5 mins @ 220 degree C and then flip them over and bake again for 5 mins until the skins are crispy.

Step four: Let’s get the cheese BUBBLING

Assembly is all that it left before oozy cheese. Spoon in the capsicum and the sauce. Then grate over some mozzarella or any stringy melty cheese. This is what my food dreams are made of! Back into the oven for 4-5 mins until the cheese melts and it all bubbly.

Step five: Finish them off immediately!!!

Let’s face it, step five isn’t really a cooking step, but it is the most important step in the process.

I did not use the scooped out potato in this recipe. You can stuff it back in. I used it up to make some buttery Aloo Paratha.

Stuffed Potato Skins

Baked potato skins stuffed with an instant tomato sauce, fried green Capsicum and Mozzarella cheese.

Recipe Type: Appetizers / Snacks
Cuisine: International
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Yield: 6 skins

Ingredients:

3 large Potatoes
2 Tomatoes
1 Capsicum
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
5-6 Tbsp Mozzarella Cheese
2 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp Oregano
1-2 tsp Pepper
Salt to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
Wash, scrub and dry the potatoes.
Rub with olive oil and Ppick them with a fork all over.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp of Olive oil and add crushed garlic and chopped tomato to it. Cook until the tomatoes have become soft and mushy
Add salt, pepper and oregano. Mix well.
Allow it to cool and then grind to a coarse sauce.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp of Olive oil and fry chopped capsicum in it.
Slice the potatoes lengthwise and with a spoon gently scoop out the potato. Leave at least 1/4 inch of potato with the skin.
Rub olive oil and salt on the inside of the potato and outside.
Increase the temperature of the oven to 220 degree C.
Bake the potato skins in oven for 10 minutes, turning the potatoes after 5 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and when they are cool enough to handle, stuff them with capsicum, tomato sauce and top with cheese.
Bake for 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Tawa Pulao | How to make Tava Pulao Recipe with Step by Step Instructions

Tava pilaf pav bhaji mumbai street food masala rice tomato

Street food ROCKS!!!

Don't you just agree to that? Many markets across the world are centered around the street food. Streets of Bangkok... Streets of Mexico City... Streets of Mumbai...

I think the true essence of a city lies in its Street Food. You get local food, fusion food and some even carry international favorites. But one thing is a constant in every food street, there is so much variety. After all, variety is the spice of life, isn't it?
I've found these are one of the busiest places in a city, especially after sundown. We have our own little food street in Bangalore which is packed even on weeknights.

Every city has its favorite, and so does Mumbai.

Mumbai is famous for its Vada Pav and its Pav Bhaji. Lurking in their shadows is the Tawa Pulao. Tawa Pulao literally is rice and vegetables cooked on a flat griddle along with some spices and oodles of butter.

Everything tastes better with BUTTER!!! Spoon in as much butter as you desire, it only improves the taste.

Tawa Pulao can be easily made VEGAN by skipping on the butter, or adding some yummy Almond Butter.

Tawa Pulao has now started to become a popular dish outside of Mumbai too. I've eaten it in so many places in Bangalore. It seems to be entering restaurants too. But the street version beats the restaurant version any day. On my list of favorite street food, Tawa Pulao ranks 3rd, right behind the Pani Puri and the Pav Bhaji.

I must credit this recipe to my friend at work. She got this for lunch one day and I simply had to have the recipe. I was pleasantly surprised when she told me the recipe. I couldn't believe it was so easy to make. My friend makes it with only green peas and she adds a chilli paste as well. I add any vegetables I find in my fridge. In the past I've added babycorn, sweet corn, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli etc. I guess you get the picture.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1) If using uncooked rice, wash the rice and cook it in 2 cups of water until it is done but not mushy. Allow the rice to cool and then gently fork it.
2) Dice the vegetables and keep aside.
3) Puree the tomato in a blender.

4) Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
5) Once they brown, add the onions and cabbage and fry until the onions are translucent.
6) Add all the remaining vegetables and 1/2 tsp of salt and cook until the vegetables are done but still have a bite to them. You can cover the pan to quicken the cooking.

7) Remove the vegetables into a bowl, and place the pan back on heat. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the tomato puree and cook on low heat for 5-7 mins until the water from the puree evaporates and you get a thick tomato masala.
8) Add the pav bhaji masala and salt and mix well.

9) Add the fried vegetables and mix well.
10) Add the butter and mix well.
11) Add the rice and mix well.
12) Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve.

Tawa Pulao | How to make Tava Pulao Recipe

Tawa Pulao is rice cooked with tomatoes, vegetables and Pav bhaji masala.

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked Rice or 5 cups of cooked Rice
1 cup Tomato Puree or 2 Juicy Tomatoes
1.5 cups of assorted Vegetables (like Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrots, Green Peas, Green Beans, Capsicum) (Optional)
1 Onion
1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala (If you don't have this available, use Garam masala - 1/4 tsp, Coriander powder - 1 tsp, Amchur/ Dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp, Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp, Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp Butter
2-3 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds / Jeera
Salt
Water
2 Tbsp chopped Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

If using uncooked rice, wash the rice and cook it in 2 cups of water until it is done but not mushy. Allow the rice to cool and then gently fork it.
Dice the vegetables and keep aside.
Puree the tomato in a blender.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
Once they brown, add the onions and cabbage and fry until the onions are translucent.
Add all the remaining vegetables and 1/2 tsp of salt and cook until the vegetables are done but still have a bite to them. You can cover the pan to quicken the cooking.
Remove the vegetables into a bowl, and place the pan back on heat. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the tomato puree and cook on low heat for 5-7 mins until the water from the puree evaporates and you get a thick tomato masala.
Add the pav bhaji masala and salt and mix well.
Add the fried vegetables and mix well.
Add the butter and mix well.
Add the rice and mix well.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve.

Vegetable Jalfrezi Recipe | How to make vegetable jalfrezi | Mix vegetable curry [Video]

Vegetable Jalfrezi recipe with step by step photo and video instructions. Vegetable Jalfrezi is a mixed vegetable curry with a tomato based gravy. Vegetable Jalfrezi is gluten free and can be made to fit a vegan or plant based diet with simple replacements.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

mix vegetable gravy paneer jalfrezi indian

Guests coming over and you wanna impress them? Or are you just bored of your usual dinner fare? Jalfrezi can be your answer. Try it !

I saw this lovely photo of Jalfrezi in a magazine, it had me salivating. That one photo was my inspiration to try my hand at Jalfrezi. Jalfrezi has made its presence felt worldwide. It was voted to be UK’s most popular Indian curry a few years ago. And who would believe making it was so easy.

The only effort needed is actually in cutting the vegetables, but you can totally skip it by buying already cut veggies from the supermarket or using your food processor. And you can relax doing your crossword or watching your favorite show on TV, while it simmers slowly. All it needs is like a check around 5-10 mins. Open the pan, peek, stir, close and back to what ever you were doing. Lovely, isn't it?

The best part is, you can add any vegetables you fancy or use up all your leftover vegetables at the end of the week to make it. I would however recommend adding baby corn as I felt it gives it an added crunch. To make it vegan, replace the paneer with Tofu or totally skip it, you won't be missing out on anything.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

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Video Recipe

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Vegetable Jalfrezi

Vegetable Jalfrezi is a popular Indian mix vegetable curry with a tomato based gravy. Vegetable Jalfrezi is gluten free and vegetarian. It can be made vegan by either skipping the Paneer or swapping it out for Tofu.

Recipe Type: Curry
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 large Onion
3 Tomatoes
0.5 cup Cauliflower florets
0.5 cup Broccoli florets
1 Carrot
8-10 Green Beans
8-10 Baby corn
0.5 Capsicum (or a mix of colored Capsicums/Peppers)
2 Tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
50 gms Paneer or Tofu
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1.5 cups Water
3 Tbsp + 2 tsp Vegetable Oil
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 tsp Kitchen King Masala or Garam Masala
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Sugar or Jaggery (Optional but recommended)
1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadhai. Cut the paneer into batons and fry them lightly until golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat and keep aside.
2. Add the remaining oil to the kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
3. Add the finely chopped onions and saute until golden brown.
4. Add in the ginger garlic paste and saute until fragrant.
5. Puree the tomatoes and add in the kadhai.
6. Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the oil separates.
7. Add in the ketchup and mix well.
8. Now the vegetables like cauliflower, carrot and beans which take a little longer to cook.
9. Add water.
10. Cook on medium heat until the vegetables are almost done.
11. Now add the remaining vegetables like baby corn, broccoli, capsicum.
12. Add the turmeric powder, kitchen king masala, red chilli powder and salt.
13. Cook until the vegetables are done and the curry has the desired consistency. If it is too thin, you can cook it a little longer.
14. Add the paneer to the gravy.
15. Add sugar/jaggery to suit your taste.
16. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis or rice.