One Pot Basil Pasta Recipe

      I had this one pot pasta recipe sitting in my drafts for a longtime. Came across this one in a random post in FB. It looked so inviting to try, as the ingredients were so simple and most importantly, this being a single pot meal :P meaning less dishes to clean !!! The cherry tomatoes and the basil look so lovely in that video. Haven't tasted basil until I tried this one. Loved the unique flavor brought in by the addition of basil. So, one more recipe has got added to my list of easy breakfast items !!!

Prep Time: 10 mins || Cook Time: 25 mins || Serves: 1 || Category: International/Breakfast Recipe

Ingredients:
1. Pasta -  50-75 gm  (of any variety)
2. Basil leaves - handful
3. Onion - 1 small
4. Cherry tomatoes - 4 to 6
5. Oregano - 2 tsp
6. Pepper powder - 2 tsp
7. Olive oil - 1 tbsp
8. Salt - as required

Method:
1. Wash the basil, cherry tomatoes and onion. Chop onion finely. In a pan, add basil leaves, tomatoes, onion, pasta, oregano, pepper powder and some olive oil. Add required amount of water and switch on the flame. Cook covered for 15-20 mins. Check for doneness and add required amount of salt and stir well.

Suggestions:

• Basil/Chives/Parsley/Spinach or any green can be used.
• Chilli flakes can be added to enhance the hotness.
• Adding grated cheese on top of the cooked pasted while serving is optional.

Pinwheel Veggie Sandwich Recipe

     Every time we go to Walmart, we make sure to get a pack of white bread. Coz sandwiches make up for quick grab-and-go breakfast on busy mornings. Plus, the Sunbeam white bread is similar to the soft and fresh, right from the oven breads from Bangalore Iyengar's Bakery at Pondicherry. 
     When I was looking for new options to try with the same bread and same vegetables :P I came across this pinwheel sandwich. It caught my eye at once and as it seemed to be easy but still very much appealing to the eye, I tried it out immediately. Yet another reason is the new grilling pan that Mani had bought for me from Walmart. As Abhinav was very quiet and supportive, sleeping on his grandma's lap hearing to some sparrow stories and blinking at her, I could click a few snaps quickly when I made this sandwich for the second time in the same week :D 

Prep Time: 20 mins || Cook Time: 20 mins || Yields: 3 sandwiches || Category: Sandwich/Snack/Breakfast

Ingredients:
1. Carrot - 2 medium
2. Onion - 1 big
3. Tomato - 1 big
4. Capsicum - 1 small
5. Olive oil - 2 tbsp
6. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
7. Split urad dal - 2 tsp
8. Pepper powder - 2 tsp
9. Salt - as required
10. Coriander leaves - few
11. Grated cheese - as required
12. Bread - 6 slices
13. Corn flour/Maida (All purpose flour) - 2 tbsp (optional)

Method:
1. Wash all the veggies and chop them finely. Heat a pan, add olive oil and fry the cumin seeds and urad dal. 

 2. Add all the chopped vegetables except tomatoes, to the fried cumin seeds and urad dal. Saute for 2 mins and then add the tomatoes, pepper powder and salt. Stir well to ensure even mixing. Cook covered for about 5-7 mins until the vegetables are cooked.

 3. Trim the edges of the bread slices. Using a rolling pin (like the one used for making chappathi) flatten the bread slices. Make a paste with corn flour and little water. Overlap the edges of 2 bread slices, stick them with the paste and make a longer slice. Spread the cooked vegetables on it. Sprinkle some cheese and coriander leaves on top of the veggies.

 4. Carefully roll the flat breads and seal the edge and the sides using the cornflour paste. Place them on a grilling pan or normal dosa pan/tawa. Drizzle with oil flipping both the sides and cook for a min or two.

Suggestions:

• Chilli flakes can be added for hotness.
• Oregano, chat masala, garam masala, coriander powder can also be added to enhance the flavour.
• Adding cheese is optional.
• Any combination of vegetables can be used, mashed potato onion, corn-spinach, peas-grated broccoli etc.
• Need not overcook the vegetables, as they are finely chopped.
• Can also use just plain water to stick the edges, instead of cornflour or maida paste.

Serve hot and crisp with tomato sauce or any dip of your choice. Sure to be a hit among kids !!!

Vegetable Kurma Recipe

           I have taken a very long break from my blog posts. I was looking forward to make a come back soon. So, here comes a post on Vegetable Kurma. 

     Very very rarely I order for a vegetable kurma at any hotel, as I dislike its overwhelming spiciness in the aroma as well as its taste. Also, this dish has never been tried at home, till I made it all by myself a few months back, upon a demand from a friend. Though I am still not hooked to its spiciness, I find it manageably okay to have, once in a while. I love it for the colorful combination of vegetables. It involves a lot of vegetables and a little lengthy process but the outcome is worth the effort. It makes a rich side-dish for roti, chappathi, phulka, poori and so on.

Prep Time: 25 mins || Cook Time: 25 mins + pressure cooking vegetables ||  Serves: 4 || Category: Side-dish

Ingredients:

1. Cardamom - 2

2. Cinnamon - 1 small stick

3. Cloves - 3 

4. Bay leaf - 2

5. Jeera (cumin seeds) - 2 tsp

6. Oil - as required

7. Potato - 1

8. Carrot - 2 medium size

9. Beans - 10

10. Cauliflower - 10 florets

11. Green peas - 1 fistful

12. Onion -  1 big

13. Tomato - 2 small

14. Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp

15. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

16. Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp

17. Garam Masala - 1 tsp

18. Curry leaves - few

19. Corriander leaves - few

20. Salt - as required

21. Coriander powder - 2 tsp

22. Lemon juice (or) sour thick curd - 1 tbsp (optional)

23. Green chilli - 1 or 2

For grinding into a paste:

24. Grated coconut - 3 tbsp

25. Fennel seeds (perunjeeragam) - 1 tsp

26. Poppy seeds (kasakasa) - 3/4 tsp

27. Cashews - 6

28. Roasted split gram (pottukadalai) - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Cut all the vegetables (potato, carrot, beans) into small cubes, wash them. Cut the cauliflower into bite sized florets and immerse them in hot water for 5 mins, adding salt and turmeric powder. 

2. Pressure cook all the vegetables for 2 whistles adding little water. Grind all the ingredients mentioned for the paste, with sufficient water.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds and saute them for a min. To this add the chopped onions, green chilli, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and saute until the raw smell goes off.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala and saute until the tomatoes turn mushy.

5.  Add the ground paste to the onion tomato mixture and saute until the raw smell goes off.

6. Add the cooked vegetables and some water to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Add required amount of salt, green peas, curry leaves, coriander leaves and switch off after one boil.

Suggestions:

• Can either cook the vegetables in pressure pan or parboil them in a vessel separately.
• Lemon juice or curd is optional. I have not added them as I did not want tanginess.
• Using a variety of vegetables gives a very good flavour. Especially the cauliflower and peas.
• Adding more amount of poppy seeds gives a drowsy feel.
• Combination of vegetables added is entirely based on availability and one's preference.

Makes a very good combo with roti, chappathi, puri, phulka etc.