Multi-grain Burger Bun and Black Bean Tofu Patty

 

As a child, I would have never thought in my dreams that I would grow up and do any kind of baking. It was that science which would be better left untouched. I remember my mother used to bake simple no-frill cakes on special occasions and she used to literally force me to help her. I cant tell you how much I hated being helper to my mom in the kitchen especially while baking.Those days we didn’t have any hand mixer or blender at our house to mix the batter and we had to mix it with a simple spatula. That was a very hard job to do as my mom use to make cake with malai(If interested in malai you can read more here wiki) and mixing it in a smooth mixture was a tedious thing to do. I use to run away as soon as mom would start baking. Such was the fright!  And now I am here trying to bake my own breads and buns. I am surprised with the transformation since now I am trying to bake so many different things. There is always something to learn and I am certainly proud that I am ready to experiment or try new things. The fresh smell of baked goodies motivates me to try various things.

Coming back to the recipe I wanted to bake a burger bun since long. This multi grain burger bun and tofu patty makes a complete hearty and healthy meal. These buns are fresh and many  times better than the store bought buns as it is healthier due to use of multi grain flour and less sweeter. They taste so delicious that you can eat as-is without any patty or other toppings. Once you bake at home you will never look back to the store bought ‘unhealthy’ buns. The patty I made contains black bean and tofu which is not only healthy but also very yummy. You can enjoy the buns with any patty of your choice

Ingredients :-

For Whole Wheat/Multigrain  Buns :-

Whole Wheat/Multigrain Flour	1.5 Cups
All purpose flour	1.5 cups
Baking Soda	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	1 teaspoon
Active yeast	1 1/2 teaspoon
Warm water	1.5 cups
Sugar	2 teaspoon
Olive/Vegetable Oil	3 tablespoon

For Black Bean and Tofu Patties :-

Black Beans, boiled and drained	1 Cup
Extra Firm Tofu	1 block
Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum, finely chopped	1/4 Cup
Onion, finely chopped	1/4 cup
Garlic Powder	1 teaspoon
Black Pepper Powder	1/2 teaspoon
Garam Masala Powder	1 teaspoon
Bread Crumbs	1/4 Cup
Salt	to Taste
Oil, For frying	As needed

For Assembling the Burger :-

Multigrain Buns	8
Onion, Cut into roumdels	1 medium
Tomatoes, Cut into roundel	2 medium
Tomato Ketchup	As required
Mayonnaise	As required
Cheese Slices	As required
Avocado Slices	As required

 

Method :-

For Whole Wheat/Multigrain  Buns :-

• Warm the water in microwave. It should be lukewarm.
• Take half cup of water in a bowl and add sugar and yeast to it. Mix it well and keep it aside until it starts frothing. It will take about 10 minutes.
• In another big bowl take wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking soda and salt and mix it until well combined.
• Add olive oil, yeast mixture to it and knead it well. In between you can add some warm water if the mixture seems dry.Make a smooth and soft dough.
• Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover it with dampen tissue paper or kitchen towel in a warm place for about 1 and half hour. By that time dough should have risen to double size. If not keep it for half an hour more.
• Punch the risen dough with your hands and knead it for 2 minutes. Divide the dough into 6-8 equal parts depending on how big you want.Shape them into smooth balls. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and brush it with olive oil.
• Place the balls into greased tray  equal distance and keep them in warm place so that they can rise again in double size. This method is proofing. Don’t forget to cover the dough balls with dampen towel.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degree fahrenhite/ 180 degree Celsius  and bake the buns for about 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
• Take it out and keep the tray on wire rack. At first the buns will seem hard but they will turn soft as soon as they cool down. Enjoy it with your favorite patties or just like that.They taste so good on own.

For Black Bean and Tofu Patties :-

• If using raw black beans soak them for about 2-3 hour and blanch them or cook in pressure cooker for 10 minutes.
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan. When hot add chopped onion and green bell pepper. Saute it for about 2 minutes and take it out in a bowl and let it cool.
• Add half of the tofu and boiled beans in food processor and process it for a coarse mixture.
• In the bowl which you put sauteed vegetables add the tofu and black bean mixture. Also crumble the remaining tofu and add it in this mixture.
• Add the garlic powder, garam masala powder, black pepper powder and salt to the mixture and combine it well. Refrigerate it for about half an hour.
• Take out the mixture from freeze when you are ready to make patties. Add bread crumbs to the mixture. Divide the mixture in equal parts and shape them into patties
• In a griddle add about 1 tablespoon of oil and place the patties into it when oil is hot.
• Cook evenly on both sides and keep it aside

For Arranging the Burger :-

• In the same pan in which you made patties add the onion roundels with some dash of salt and drizzle of oil and cook for 1 minute.
• Cut the burger buns horizontally into half and toast them on the griddle.
• In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise and tomato ketchup to form homogeneous mixture.
• Put mayonnaise ketchup mixture in both part of toasted buns. Add tomato roundels and put a pinch of salt and peppercorns.
• Place the patty on top of it and then add avocado slices. On top add the sauteed onion roundels and place the other half of toasted bun on top.
• If you want to add cheese slices place it on top of patties. I didn’t want the cheese so I skipped it.

Notes :-

• Proofing is very important for the buns. Proofing means the final rise of dough before baking. So don’t skip it.
• You can even brush the buns with melted butter to get shiny crust.
• You can use canned beans instead of fresh if you are running out of time.
• If patty doesn’t hold the shape you can roll them in bread crumbs before grilling.

 

 

Grilled Veggie Sandwich and Roasted Baby Potatoes with Basil Pesto

Ah! It’s been such a long time, since my last post was published 7 months ago. I have been consistently inconsistent in publishing recipes in 2015 (its typical me). We traveled a lot in 2015 and it was very difficult to keep up with posting recipes(Again one lame excuse). Last year I striked-off one item from my bucket list of visiting Switzerland. It was my dream since I was 10. The mesmerizing beauty and yummy food (especially cheese and milk) made this trip very awesome. Now coming back to my post, this is a very easy-peasy recipe. Once you make the pesto its very easy to assemble the sandwich.  I personally like basic pesto a lot since you can make endless dishes out of it. I hope and wish to write more dishes this year :). For basil pesto you can find here https://love2experiment.wordpress.com/2015/05/28/baked-pesto-pasta-muffins/

Ingredients :-
For Sandwich :-

Basil Pesto	1/2 cup
Bread Slices	8
Tomato, cut in roundels	1 small
Onion, cut in rings	1 small
Zucchini, cut in roundels	1 small
Eggplant, cut in roundels	1 small
Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded	1/4 cup
Salt	to taste
Black Pepper Powder	to taste
Garlic Powder	1/4 teaspoon
Olive Oil	as required

For Roasted Baby Potatoes :-

Baby Potatoes	8-10
Cherry Tomatoes	4-5
Crushed black Peppercorns	1 teaspoon
Sea Salt	to taste
Olive oil	2 tablespoon
Basil Pesto	1/2 cup

Method :-

For Sandwich :-

• Marinate the zucchini and eggplant with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and garlic powder.
• Heat the grill pan and spread one teaspoon of oil uniformly.
• Grill the zucchini and eggplant on both sides till they are 3/4th done.
• Spread the pesto on each bread slices uniformly
• Now arrange the grilled eggplant, zucchini, onion rings and tomato roundels uniformly on 4 bread slices.
• Spread mozzarella cheese equally on the four bread slices
• Cover it with rest of the four slices.
• Spray oil on panini press/Sandwich maker and grill the sandwiched till well toasted and golden in color.
• Enjoy it hot with ketchup.

For Roasted Baby Potatoes :-

• Preheat oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit.
• Marinate potatoes with sea salt, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, crushed peppercorns in a cake pan and mix well
• Put the pan in preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.
• Remove the cake pan from oven.
• Add the basil pesto and cherry tomatoes to it and bake it again for 5 minutes
• Transfer the mixture into serving platter and serve immediately

Note :-

• You can add red chili flakes for roasted potatoes if you want to make it spicy.
• You can use any grilled vegetables as you like.
• You can even parboil the potatoes and then give it a quick stir fry before adding pesto.
• You can use potato instead of baby potatoes. Take four of them and cut it into wedges.
• You can use any pesto other than basil. It can be homemade or ready made. But I guarantee once you try it on your own you will never turn towards the ready made ones.

 

 

Baked (Pesto) Pasta Muffins

Sometimes I look for recipes which are fun as well as easy to make and one of the first things which comes to my mind is ‘Pasta’. Most of of the people like Pasta and there are so many variations of Pasta dishes made across the world. Macaroni and cheese is favorite amongst kids so I thought to give it a try by baking macaroni cheese pasta made in muffin pan with pesto and lots of veggies. This can be eaten as a snack, for lunch box or as a dinner. You can put veggies of your choice. The muffin pasta contains many layers and the aroma which comes out of this dish will surely remind you of  a pleasant SPRING day with fresh scent all over. In this recipe, I have mixed the boiled macaronis with homemade pesto. You can skip making pesto but, personally, I like (any type of) pesto such as Basil, Parsley, Cilantro Lime, Sun dried tomato, etc. I have made basil pesto but you can use any type of pesto or even pizza sauce. So what are you waiting for? Just try this recipe for your kids, family or friends. I am sure no one can eat just one and they will thank for trying this recipe. 

Ingredients :-

For Basil Pesto:-

Basil Leaves, Gently packed	2 cup
Garlic cloves, Roughly chopped	2  large
Walnut, Toasted and chopped	1/2 cup
Olive oil	1/3 cup
Parmesan Cheese, Grated	1/2 cup
Salt	1/2 teaspoon
Black Pepper Powder	1/4 teaspoon
Lemon Juice	1 tablespoon

For Macaroni Muffins:-

Small Macaroni Pasta	1/2 cup
Basil Pesto	1/4 cup
Mozzarella Cheese, Grated	1/2 cup
Parmesan Cheese, Grated	2 tablespoon
Bread Crumbs	1/4 cup
Olive Oil	3 tablespoon
Chopped Vegetables	1 cup or As needed
Oregano/Italian herb	1 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Chilli Flakes, Optional	1 teaspoon

Method :-

• Place basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic and salt in blender and blend it until mix well.
• Add Parmesan cheese and blend until smooth. Keep it aside.
• Preheat the oven at 375 degree Fahrenheit/ 190 degree Celsius.
• Boil macaronis as per package instructions. I generally add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt in the water so that pasta doesn’t stick to each other.
• Drain it and keep it aside for cooling.After it cools down mix it with pesto and mozzarella cheese.
• Grease a muffin pan with olive oil and dust it generously with bread crumbs. Tap off the extra breadcrumbs if any.
• Fill the muffin pan with macaroni cheese mixture till half of the muffin holder size.
• Top it with vegetable of your choice. I used red and green bell peppers(capsicum), blanched spinach, blanched broccoli, onion and tomato
• Top again with mozzarella. Then evenly add Parmesan on each muffin holders.
• Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of cheese and drizzle some olive oil on top of it.
• Bake it for 15-18 minutes or until golden crust is formed.
• Cool down for few minutes and spoon out carefully.
• Enjoy it with side of Tomato/any soup and bread sticks or Enjoy it alone.

Notes :-

• You can blanch the vegetables in the same water in which you have boiled the pasta
• You can even use spaghetti or noodle for this dish.
• Don’t forget to dust the pan with breadcrumbs as it will help in holding the shape and crusty texture. Otherwise muffins will become soggy due to the water released from vegetables. 

Focaccia and Italian Style Roasted Potatoes

Recently, I have started to experiment making dough and baking different kinds of bread. Generally recipes for making bread requires Electric Stand Mixer which is a big investment. The good news is that the dough can be made using hands which is comparable to the one created by a machine or food processor. Baking a bread needs lot of technique, practice and attention to small details. Focaccia is a flat oven baked Italian bread, not unlike a very thick crusted Pizza, which may be topped with herbs or other ingredients. You can also top it with vegetables, meat and/or cheese. Focaccia is one of the most popular and most ancient breads of Italy and is very easy to make. Its dough is similar in style and texture to that of pizza and consists of flour, oil, water, salt and yeast. It is typically rolled out or pressed by hand into a thick layer of dough and then baked in an oven.

Ingredients

For Focaccia :-

Whole Wheat Flour	1 cup
All purpose flour	1 1/2 cup
Warm Water	1 cup
Milk, warm	1/4 cup
Dry Yeast	1 package
Salt	2 teaspoon
Olive Oil	1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon
Onion, Thinly sliced	1 large
Tomato, cut into slices	1 medium
Mixed Italian Herbs	2 teaspoon
Sugar	1 1/2 teaspoon
Parmesan Cheese, Grated	1/3 cup

For Roasted Potatoes :-

Potatoes, Cut into cubes	1 1/2 cup
Olive Oil	2 tablespoon
Dried Sweet Basil Leaves	1/4 teaspoon
Dried Oregano Leaves	1/2 teaspoon
Dried Parsley Leaves	1/2 teaspoon
Lemon	1 tablespoon
Crushed Red Chilli Peppers	as per taste
Salt	as per taste
Garlic, crushed	1

Method :-

For Focaccia :-

• In a small bowl, stir together yeast, milk, and sugar. Let rest until yeast dissolves and bubbles form on top, about 10 minutes.
• Take a medium vessel and add flour, olive oil, salt, Italian herbs and yeast mixture into it and knead it so that mixture binds well.
• Now take the semi kneaded dough into well floured surface and knead it until dough is smooth. It will take about 5- 10 minutes.
• Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degree Fahrenheit.
• Knock back the risen dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Sprinkle some flour and roll into round discs. Arrange them on a aluminum baking sheet placed in a baking tray and press with your finger tips to make small dents.
•  Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let rest until the dough becomes puffy, about 20 minutes.
• Place the sliced onions and tomatoes equally in both of the rolled discs.
• Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes or till the breads gets cooked and turn light brown.
• Eat them warm and fresh.

For Italian Style Roasted Potatoes :-

• In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients .
• Add the potatoes to the bowl and mix it well so that all potatoes are covered.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with oil.
• Bake on 450 degree for approx 15-20 minutes or until the edges of potatoes are browned.

Note :-

• In cold days I put the dough covered with wet cloth under the sun to get the yeast activated.
• I have used peeled potatoes but it taste best with skin.
• You can also sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top of baked potatoes.

Asparagus Souffle

My love for mother nature and its colors inspired me to cook something “green”! Colors depicts different aspects of life like sadness, joy, fear, warmth, anger, etc. This dish with bright color and bold flavor is dedicated to mother nature. After hearing Souffle for the first time, I was very skeptical about it as it sounded little weird but when I came to know more about it, I was very impressed with the preparation style and end product. Traditionally, Souffle is a French dish. Its lightly baked cake with egg yolk folded in beaten and fluffy egg whites and mixed with your choice of ingredients. You can have serve it as a savory item or as a dessert. After baking is done, its fluffy look and texture is really amazing but it slumps in about 10 minutes. In this recipe, I have used Asparagus as the main ingredient and loved the texture, color, and taste of this beautiful dish. I have adapted the idea from allrecipes.com

Ingredients :-

Asparagus, trimmed and chopped	1 bunch
Unsalted Butter	2 tablespoon
All Purpose Flour/Maida	2 tablespoon
Cold Milk	1 cup
Kosher Salt	1 teaspoon
Cayenne pepper	to taste
Garlic, Minced	2 clove
Eggs, Separated	4
Mozzarella Cheese, Grated	1/2 cup

Method :-

• Cook asparagus in a saucepan of boiling water until bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer asparagus immediately to ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
• Heat a pan over medium heat and add butter to it. Whisk in flour and stir until mixture becomes paste-like and light golden brown. It will take about 2 minutes.
• Whisk milk into butter-flour mixture, bring to a simmer and cook until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
• Place milk mixture, garlic, and asparagus in a blender and puree until smooth.
• Pour asparagus mixture into a large bowl; stir in egg yolks and Cheddar cheese.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Generously butter 4 (6-ounce) ramekins,
• Beat egg whites in a large glass or metal mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites will form soft mounds rather than a sharp peak.
• Stir half of egg whites into asparagus cheese mixture until just combined. Gently fold remaining egg whites into mixture.
• Fill prepared ramekins about 3/4 full and place on a baking sheet; bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes

Note :-

• Original recipe called for white Cheddar cheese. But I had Mozzarella at home so i used it.
  
• In the original recipe only half garlic clove was used. But as I love more of garlic so I increased it.
  
• You can try this with any pureed vegetables like broccoli, spinach, artichokes etc.
• To make it bit more spicy you can increase the quantity of Cayenne pepper and can also some curry powder to enhance the taste of it.

Paneer Calzone (Whole Wheat)

Sundays are generally boring and lazy for me and my hubby. Personally I don’t want to cook full fledged Indian meal. Luckily, Calzone or Pizza comes to the rescue as it is easy to make and satisfies the tummy :). That’s one of the reasons why we like Calzone. It is defined as a “half-moon shaped stuffed pizza” originated in Naples, Italy. It is made with dough similar as pizza and the fillings can include meats, vegetables or cheese. During baking, the pizza dough swells somewhat until it resembles a “stuffed stocking”, the literal translation of word Calzone. It may be baked or deep-fried. They are typically served with marinara sauce as side dip or as a topping. In this experiment, I have ‘Indianized’ this Italian recipe by stuffing it with Paneer (Cottage Cheese) mixed with Indian spices along with some Italian herbs. If you don’t want to make the pizza dough with all purpose flour for health reasons then you can try it with whole wheat flour, as I did. It was as delicious as the original pizza dough would call for it.

Ingredients :-

For the Calzone Dough

Whole Wheat flour	1 and 1/2 cup
All purpose flour	1/2 cup
Lukewarm Milk	3/4 cup
Rapid Rise Yeast	1 1/4 teaspoon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil	4 teaspoon
Salt	3/4 teaspoon
Sugar	1/2 teaspoon
Dried Parsley Leaves	1 teaspoon
Sweet Basil Leaves, dried	1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder	1 teaspoon

For the Filling :-

Cottage Cheese (Paneer), Crumbled	2 cups
All purpose flour	1/2 cup
Oil	1 tablespoon
Onion, Finely Chopped	1 medium
Tomato, Finely Chopped	1 large
Tomato Ketchup	2 tablespoon
Ginger Garlic Paste	1 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder	1/2 teaspoon
Pickled Jalapenos, Cut in pieces	to taste
Garam Masala	1/2 teaspoon
Lemon Juice	1 teaspoon
Mozzarella Cheese	1/4 cup
Salt	to taste

Method :-

For the Shell :-

• Dissolve yeast, salt and sugar in the milk and keep it aside for about 10-15  minutes until it gets frothy.
• In a medium bowl take take whole wheat and all purpose flour. Mix dried parsley leaves, basil leaves and garlic powder. Mix it well. Make a well in the middle and pour the yeast mixture and olive oil into that well. Knead the mixture to form a soft dough. If the dough is very soft add some more flour. Knead for 5-6 minutes till the dough becomes smooth.
• Pour some olive oil on the surface of the dough and coat it well so that dough does not stick. Cover it with a wet kitchen towel or wet tissue paper and keep it aside for 1 – 1.5 hrs in a warm place till it doubles in size. I generally keep it under the sun (summer) or in oven with lights on (winter).

For the Filling :-

• Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and saute it till onion turn brown in color.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute it for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook it until it becomes mushy.
• Add red chilli powder and garam masala and stir for more 2 minutes. Add the ketchup and paneer and mix for 4-5 minutes. Add in lemon juice, mix it well and keep it aside.

Assembling :-

• Preheat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit.
• Take the dough and punch out the air.
• Grease a non stick pizza pan or cookie pan. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. On a lightly floured surface roll each piece into a circle of about 6″ diameter.
• Place the paneer mixture on half of the circle making sure that the edges of semi circle are free. Top with some grated cheese and pickled jalapenos pieces. Moisten the edges and carefully fold the filling over free half so that it forms a semi circle. Seal the edges by pressing it with fork. Make slits on top to allow the steam to escape.
• Bake in oven for about 20 – 25 minutes till it turns golden brown in color. Take it out and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Cut it half and serve it with marinara sauce or tomato ketchup.Enjoy!

Note :-

• You can brush the top of  calzone with some olive oil. It will enhance the taste and look. I forgot to do that.
• Use your imagination by using any  number of ingredients for filling like spinach, mushroom, bell pepper, green peas, meat etc.
• To beat the time you can use store bought pizza dough instead of making it from scratch. 
• You can also deep fry Calzone instead of baking them. They must be fried over a medium flame till they are golden brown on both sides.

Veggie Layered Pasta

I love Italian food whenever the cravings for something cheesy sets in. Italian cuisine is one of the oldest in the world, which can be traced back to the 4th century BC. Italian cooking is wholesome and flavorful. The most essential part of Italian cooking is Olive oil. So never try to replace it with any other oil as the dish will loose its authenticity. For me Italian food never completes without flavor of garlic. Garlic works magic with this cuisine and its characteristic flavor adds dimension to just about any dish. Here is my own version of Italian style layered Pasta. This oregano-flavored, tangy, crunchy macaroni pasta uses minimum of cheese and tastes delightful. But cheese lovers can increase the amount of cheese as required.

Ingredients :-

Green Peas	2 cup
Mushrooms	20-25
Potatoes, cut into Roundels	2 large
Macaroni	1 cup
Butter	6 tablespoon
Ginger, Chopped	1 inch piece
Onion, Cut into Rings	1 medium
Sugar	To taste
Garlic, Finely chopped	10-12
Tomato Puree	3-4 tablespoon
Black Pepper Powder	To taste
Dried Parsley leaves	1 teaspoon
Dried Oregano	1 teaspoon
Olive Oil	1 tablespoon
Salt	To taste
Parmesan Cheese	1/4 cup
Lime Juice	1 teaspoon

Method :-

• Parboil the potatoes in plenty of salted water.
• In other pan boil the macaroni as instructed till its al dente (firm but not hard).
• Drain and set aside both potatoes and macaroni.
  
• Blanch the green peas for three-four minutes. Separate the caps and stalks of mushrooms.
  
• Heat two tablespoons butter in a pan, add ginger and onions rings and saute for two-three minutes.
• Add peas, sugar, salt, a pinch of oregano and parsley leaves and cook for another two minutes.
  
• Heat two tablespoons of butter in another pan and saute garlic for a minute.
  
• Add mushroom caps and toss on a high heat for two minutes.
• Add tomato puree, salt, pepper powder and continue to cook for two-three minutes more.
• Heat the remaining butter in a third pan. Add a pinch of oregano and parsley leaves to it. Saute the parboiled potato slices along with salt for three-four minutes or until golden brown.
• In the same pan add olive oil and add rest of the oregano and parsley leaves. Add the boiled macaroni and give it a good mix. Turn off the heat.
• In a serving plate, pile up the peas, arrange macaroni and then mushrooms on top of it. Arrange the potato slices around the peas.
• On top drizzle the lime juice and sprinkle Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

Note :-

• If you are in mood of more creamy texture you can increase the amount of cheese.
  
• Instead of  butter you can use olive oil.
• You can use any kind of pasta you like.
• You can add any type of cheese like Romano, Mozzarella etc.
• If available use fresh Parsley leaves instead of dried one. Nothing can beat fresh produce.

Dahi Kebab/Yogurt Dumplings – Lip smacking Vegetarian Kebab

Kebab is thought to be originated somewhere in Middle East by some Persian Soldiers. As per some theory it was introduced in India by Moghul(Mughals) in 16th century. Since then Kebab has become integral part of Indian cusine by using its own traditional Indian spices and marinating techniques. Traditionally, kebabs are skewered meats or vegetables cooked on a grill or even under the oven broiler. But these days, kebabs can be made using paneer, chicken, seafood or even fruit. They are best enjoyed with chutneys like cilantro or mint one. My 1st recipe under Kebab section is a vegetarian one – Dahi Kebab. This is a soft, tasty, vegetarian kebab made from hung curd and cheese with crunchiness of onion and flavors of ginger and pepper.

Ingredients:-

Yogurt	500 gm
Onion, chopped	2 medium
Green chillies, chopped	4
Cheese, grated	3/4 cup
Coriander seeds and Black Pepper	2 Tablespoons
Ginger,chopped	1 Tablespoon
Red chilli flakes	1 1/2 Tablespoon
Roasted Gram flour/Besan	1/2 cup
Paneer/Cottage Cheese	3/4 cup
Cornflour	2 Tablespoon
Oil	For frying
Salt	To taste

Method :-

• Lay a muslin cloth over the bowl and pour the yogurt into it. Pick up the edges of the cloth and tie a knot. Hang it till it turns into a cheesy mixture.
• Grate the cheese. Dry roast coriander seeds & black pepper.Grind into powder.
• Mix grated cheese, a little coriander pepper powder, green chillies, onions, ginger and salt.
• Take hung yoghurt in a bowl, add red chilli flakes and the rest of the coriander pepper powder.
• Bind with besan, paneer and corn flour.
• Put in the filling and shape into kebabs. Deep fry in oil and serve hot.
• Remove and place onto an absorbent paper and serve hot with a chutney or sauce.

Note:-

• You can decrease/increase the quantity of chillies you want.
• Yogurt can be hung in advance and can be stored in freeze for 2-3 days.