Tofu Penne Pasta

My hubby & i love to have pasta for dinner & this is one of our family favourite recipe!  Hence i thought i'll share it with you all so that you can prepare a recipe with a variety & have a delicious lunch/dinner too :) My next post will be my Valentine's day delicacy! Keep visiting to see the yummy treat!!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Whole grain Penne Pasta 
• 1/4 cup Sun-dried tomatoes 
• 4 tbsp Tomato Sauce 
• 2 tbsp Soya sauce 
• 1/2 cup sliced Tofu 
•  1/2 tsp Parsley
•  1/2 tsp Basil
•  1/2 cup Onion
•  2 tsp Black pepper
•  Salt as required
•  Any Pasta sauce
•  1/2 cup chopped Green Bell Pepper(Capsicum) 

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to the instructions & allow it to drain.
2. Stir fry sliced tofu in soya sauce and keep aside.
3. Saute onion & capsicum. Then add sun-dried tomatoes, sauces, herbs, black pepper & salt.
4. Mix in sauteed tofu & drained pasta. Saute for few more minutes.
5. Serve hot with any pasta sauce! 

 



 

Vegetable Crepes

When i was in India, i used to eat crepes with coconut, ghee & sugar stuffing which was commonly called as pancakes in some areas. Recently i started loving crepes with veggie filling, meat filling & ofcourse the sweet crepes with fresh fruits & nutella filling. Got inspired to make this when i once had it from 'Yummy Crepes'. This is tummy filling, yummilicious & also time consuming. I'm sure both adults and kids will love it. I've not mentioned the measurements for the stuffing b'coz you can measure yourself according to which veggies you love the most :) You should definitely try this out & tell me how much you loved it :) I'll be up with more crepes recipes soon!

Ingredients for the crepe filling

• Onion 
• Lettuce 
• Tomato 
• Sweet Corn 
• Ranch dressing 
• Jalapeno Pepper 
• Black Pepper  powder 

Directions

1. Chop all the veggies in small size & mix with the ranch dressing & little black pepper.
2. Keep aside & prepare the crepes as explained below.

 Ingredients for the crepes

• 1 cup All purpose flour (Maida) 
• 1 Egg 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/2 cup Milk 
• 1/4 cup or more Water

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
2. Take a flat pan, spray oil & pour the batter in round shape.
3. Cook both sides till you obtain a light brown colour.
4. Spread the filling, roll it or fold & its ready to eat !

Matar Paneer

Matar Paneer is a tasty & very famous dish of North India. Those who don't know what 'Matar' is, it is the Hindi name for 'Green Peas'. This is a creamy dish with 'Green peas' & 'Paneer' (cottage cheese) as the main ingredients.  I've prepared this recipe using store bought Paneer. It can be made at home also. Boil milk, add lime juice  & stir. When the milk curdles, strain through muslin cloth & flatten the paneer. Cut into squares & its ready to be used in curries.This curry goes well with rotis, naan, paratha, poori etc. So, here goes the recipe:

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Paneer 
• 1/2 cup Peas 
• 1/4 cup curd
• 1/2 cup diced Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped Onion
• 1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
• 1tsp Coriander Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala 
  
• 1 tsp Chilly Powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
•  2 tbsp Oil
•  Salt as required
•  Coriander leaves

Directions

1. Stir fry paneer in little oil till you obtain a light brown colour and keep aside.
2. Saute onion & ginger-garlic paste till golden brown.
3. Add tomatoes & the masala powders. Saute for some time.
4. Add peas, curd, some water & salt. Cook till the peas is soft.
5. Now add paneer, mix carefully & garnish with coriander leaves.

Sweet & Sour Tofu

This tofu dish was prepared for submitting to a contest hosted by Manjula's Kitchen. It goes perfect with plain rice! The rule is to prepare any number of her recipes & post the snaps on Facebook page (Manjula's Kitchen - Indian Vegetarian Recipes) or Google Plus. The contest is open till Jan 31st. Check out her lovely site for delicious ''Indian Vegetarian Recipes''  and rush in to submit your entries too!   For the recipe click here. 

Vegetable Soup

This is a refreshing soup especially perfect for winter season. Its healthy as its prepared using just the veggies. The more time you cook, the more tasty it will be :) I'm planning to prepare a chicken soup sometime next week. Will be uploading that soon. Try this vegetable soup & keep your body warm in this chill climate !!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Tomato
• 1/2 cup chopped Carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped Cabbage
• 1/4 cup chopped Celery
• 1/4 cup Peas
• 1/1/4 cup Milk
• 1/2 tbsp Butter
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp All purpose flour (Maida)
• Salt as required

Directions

1. Cook all the vegetables in 2 1/2 cups water for 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Saute flour in butter and then mix in milk. Sieve the solution to avoid the lumps.
3. Pour the solution  with the boiling vegetables. Add pepper & salt.
4. Boil for some more time & serve the soup hot !

Healthy Sandwich for Kids

To make your little kids have healthy food, the only thing which will work out is to try out making food with different shapes & garnish in such a way that they'll grab the food ! As you can see, this is a star shaped healthy sandwich, spread with fat free mayonnaise and topped with Lettuce, Onion, Tomato and Carrot. It wont even take more than 5 minutes to prepare. Make use of your cookie cutters for preparing sandwiches too ;) Give it a try. Your kids will love it !

 
Appliance useful for this recipe:

Veggie Burger

Ingredients for the veggie patties:

• 1/4 cup cooked Chick peas or Garbanzo beans 
• 3 tbsp All purpose Flour (Maida)  
• 1/4 cup Cilantro (Coriander leaves) 
• 1/2 cup chopped Onion  
• 1/2 cup mashed Potato 
• 2 tbsp Spinach   
• 1/2 cup grated Carrot  
• 1/2 tsp Cumin powder  
• 2 tbsp Tomato sauce
•  1/2 tsp Chilly powder  
• 2 tsp Pepper  
• 1 tsp Salt  
• 1 Egg

Ingredients for the filling in between the patties:

• 2 Tomatoes finely chopped 
• 1 Jalapeno pepper chopped 
• 1 tsp Lime juice  
• 1/2 tsp Salt  
• Few Cilantro (Coriander leaves)

Other ingredients :

• 4 Burger Buns 
• Tomato sauce 
• Low fat Mayonnaise  
• Tomato  
• Onion  
• Lettuce 
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Mash Chick peas & mix with the 'ingredients for the veggie patties'. Mix thoroughly & make round patties to fit in the burger bun.
2. Take a pan & spray olive oil. Cook both sides  of the veggie patties  until brown colour is obtained.
3. Make a mix with the 'ingredients for the filling in between the patties'.
4. Spread low fat mayonnaise & tomato sauce on both sides of the burger bun.
5. First layer the lettuce,then place one patty topped with the tomato filling(3)
6. Now place the second patty topped with onion & tomato cut in round shapes.
7. Enjoy with homemade French fries & Tomato sauce.  

***Sharing this recipe with Healthy Cooking Challenge - Lunch hosted by Kavi @ Edible Entertainment.

Vegetable Noodles

The taste of home made noodles is really different when compared to the shop bought ones. It was really exciting to prepare wheat noodles for the first time. Usually maida is used but for more healthier noodles wheat flour is the best.  Friends, try this out…its so simple & delicious. Yipeee…No need to shop for noodles anymore  :)

Ingredients for the noodles

• 1 cup Wheat flour 
• 1/2 cup warm Water 
• 1 tsp Salt 
• All purpose flour/Maida for dusting

Directions

1. Prepare dough with wheat flour, water & salt.
2. Make sure that the dough should not be too soft but hard enough so that u can flatten it.
3. Roll out the dough wth rolling pin in round shape & with the least thickness(like chapati). Dust with maida on both sides.
4. Fold in the flattened dough from one end & keep on dusting maida in each fold so that it wont stick together.
5. Very thinly slice and then separate using your fingers carefully so that finally you'll get the shape of noodles.
6. Boil water with little salt and cook the noodles for 15 to 20 min. Allow it to drain.

Other ingredients

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced Onion 
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced Carrot 
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced Cabbage 
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced Capsicum 
• 1 tbsp Soya sauce 
• 2 tbsp Tomato Sauce 
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder 
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes 
• Olive oil 
• Salt

Directions

1. Heat oil & sauté onion. 
2. Add capsicum, carrot & sauté for 5 min.
3. Stir in the sauces, black pepper & salt
4. Add the drained noodles and sauté carefully so that the noodles wont break.
5. Take off from heat & mix in 2 tbsp olive oil. Serve hot with ketchup.

***Sharing this recipe with Healthy Cooking Challenge - Lunch hosted by Kavi @ Edible Entertainment.

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AWARDS

Really honored to receive awards from Julie @ Erivum Puliyum. She has a wonderful space with really delicious & creative recipes. She is a sincere & hardworking person in terms of cooking. Do visit her blog & leave your valuable comments. Thanking Julie for the following awards !

I would like to pass it to my following blogger buddies:

Anzz @ Anzz Cafe

Cay @  Tickle My Senses

Faseela @  Good Food Ends With Good Talk

Ganga @ My Favourite Foods

Nalini @ Nalini's Kitchen

Prabha @ Cookwell

Sanhita @ Taste Buds

Sheema @ Life Scoops

 

Cauliflower-Carrot Manchurian

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup Cauliflower florets 
• 1/2 cup grated Onion 
• 1/4 cup grated Carrot 
• 1 1/2 tbsp  Soya sauce 
• 2 1/2 tbsp Green chilly sauce 
• 2 1/2 tbsp Tomato sauce 
• 1 cup Cornflour/Maida/All purpose flour 
• 1 tsp Black Pepper powder 
• Celery for garnish 
• 1 1/2 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste 
• 3 tsp chilly powder 
• Salt as required 
• Oil

Directions

1. Cook the cauliflowers, drain & keep aside.
2. Make a batter with cornflour/maida/allpurpose flour, salt, 1tbp ginger garlic paste, 1 1/2 tsp chilly powder, 1/2 tbsp each (soya sauce, tomato sauce & green chilly sauce)
3. Dip the cauliflowers in the batter & fry in vegetable oil till golden brown. Keep aside.
4. Saute onion & carrot for 5 min.  Add 1/2 tbsp. ginger garlic paste & saute .
5. Add 1 tbsp soya sauce, 2 tbsp green chilly sauce, 2 tbsp tomato sauce.
6. Add 1/2 cup water in the remaining batter. Mix well & pour to the above.
7. Add salt, 1/2 tsp chilly powder & 1/2  tsp pepper.
8. When you obtain a thick gravy, add the fried cauliflower .
9. Garnish with celery & serve hot with chapati/naan.       

 Sharing this recipe with Winter Carnival event hosted by Radhika.

Paneer Tikka Masala

Ingredients for the marinade

• 3/4 cup sliced  Paneer  
• 2 tbsp Yogurt(Curd)  
• 1/2 tsp chilly powder 
• 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste 
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder 
• 1/2 tsp garam masala 
• 1/4 tsp corrander powder 
• Salt as required 
• Oil for frying

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients except paneer.  Marinate paneer  slices for 1 hour in refrigerator. 
2. Take a pan. Spread oil & fry the paneer on both sides till golden brown. 

Ingredients for the masala

• 1 cup finely chopped Onion 
• 2 tomatoes 
• 1 tbsp Yogurt(Curd) 
• 1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste 
• 1 tsp Chilly powder 
• 1/4 tsp Coriander powder 
• 1/2  tsp Cumin seeds 
• 1/2  tsp Garam masala 
• 1 tbsp Butter 
• 3 tbsp cashew paste 
• 2 small Bay leaves 
• 3/4 tsp fenugreek leaves 
• 2 Elachai 
• Few Corriander leaves 
• Salt as required

Directions

1. Cook the tomatoes, peel of the skin & blend. Keep aside.
2. Take a pan. Melt butter and add cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste. Saute.
3. Add finely chopped onion & sauté till golden brown. Add chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala. Saute for some more time & then add bay leaves, fenugreek leaves, elachi & cashew paste.
4. Pour the tomato puree, salt & mix for some more time. Add remaining marinade & curd. Cook till the gravy thickens. 
5. Add the fried paneer & let it remain on the heat for 2 minutes.
6. Transfer to a bowl & garnish with coriander leaves & serve with naan or chapatti. 

 

Vegetable Patties with Spicy French Fries

Ingredients for the veggie patties

1/2 cup mashed Potato

1/2 cup chopped Onion 
1/2 cup grated Carrot

2 tbsp chopped Spinach 

1/2 tsp Chilly powder 

2 tsp Pepper 

1 tsp Salt 

1 Egg
Olive oil
1 tbsp all purpose Flour(Maida)
1/4 cup Cilantro(Coriander leaves)

Directions

1. Saute onion & carrot slightly. Mix with all ingredients & make round patties. If the patty is not thick enough to make rounds, you can add more all purpose flour.
2. Take a pan & spray olive oil. Cook both sides of the veggie patties until brown colour is obtained. Serve hot with French fries.   

Ingredients for the spicy french fries

Potato

Black pepper

Salt

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes in strips. Wash in ice cold water 2 or 3 times & then wipe of the excess water using a paper towel so that it is perfectly dry before frying.
2. Marinate potatoes with pepper & salt
3. Heat oil in a pan & fry. Serve hot & crispy !

Veggie balls in tomato gravy

For the veggie balls :

Ingredients

1/2 Onion 
1 Carrot 
1 Potato 
1/2 cup Cauliflower florets 
1/2 Green bell pepper (Capsicum) 
1 tsp Black pepper 
Egg white of 1 egg 
Bread crumbs 
Salt as required 
Vegetable Oil

Directions

1. Cook & mash potato.
2. Boil cauliflower florets.
3. Chop carrot, onion, capsicum & cauliflower.
4. In a bowl mix mashed potato, chopped  veggies (carrot, onion, capsicum & cauliflower), black pepper, Green bell pepper &  salt.  
5.  Make small balls. Dip in egg white & coat with bread crumbs. 
6. Fry in any vegetable oil and keep aside         

For the gravy :

Ingredients

1 Tomato 
1 Onion 
1 Jalapeno pepper 
2 tbsp Green chilly sauce 
2 tbsp Tomato sauce 
1/4 cup Grated coconut 
1/2 tsp Paprika 
Salt as required

Directions

1. Blend boiled tomato, onion, jalapeno pepper, grated coconut & salt in a food processor. 4 or 5 pulse will do (It should not become a paste)
2. Saute the contents in a pan. Add Paprika (you can use chilly powder  instead of paprika), green chilly sauce & tomato sauce.
   
3.       If its not spicy enough add little black pepper. Saute for 5 more min.
4. Transfer the gravy on a serving plate & arrange veggie balls on top & garnish.   

Vegetable Cutlet

Vegetable patties dipped in egg white, coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried.

Total Time.....30 min (Prep - 15 min, Cook-15 min)    
Yield..............8 to 10 cutlets
Level.............Easy

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped Onion 
• 1 cup chopped Carrot 
• 1 cup chopped Beans 
• 2 large Potatoes
• 1/4 tsp Chilly powder 
• 1 tsp  Pepper powder 
• 3 slices Bread or 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste  
• 1 tsp Garam masala 
• 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro (Coriander leaves) 
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds  
• Egg white of 1 egg
• Salt 
• Oil

Directions:

1. Cook potato, mash well & keep aside.
2. Powder bread slices in a food processor or use ready made bread crumbs.
3. Take a pan and pour oil. When oil is hot, splutter mustard seeds.
4. Saute onion with salt. Add ginger garlic paste and saute well.
5. Add carrot & beans. Cook well
6. Add garam masala, pepper powder & chilly powder. Saute for few minutes.
7. Turn off the flame. Add mashed potatoes, cilantro & mix thoroughly.
8. Make into round or oval shaped patties and keep aside.
9. Beat egg white thoroughly. Dip the patties in egg white & then coat with bread crumbs.
10. Fry vegetable cutlet when oil is hot.
11. Cover in a paper towel so that excess oil will be absorbed. Eat hot & crispy.