Penny in white sauce

I LOVE PASTA!
I mean who does'nt? It can be made into so many different recepies- from salads to main course, and is always  delicious!! This Creamy garlic pasta is quick, easy and so delicious, perfect for garlic and pasta lovers and kids approved  & great on its own but could be even heartier if you add more veggies to it. This is a big ol' pot of creamy, garlicy goodness. If you are looking for a quick dinner or snack that will satsify the whole family and those picky eaters, this recepie is for you. A perfect family  recepie because everyone loves to stretch the melting cheese when having their pasta and there is always fun around the table. You never beg kids so that they eat some more, they themselves wants to eat a large portion when you make this. This is super easy recepie and you can't have an excuse for not making it. Make it whenever you feel you are stuck and can't find anything. This pasta was already so creamy and so scrumptious! The creminess is coming from milk and mozarella .Oh, that melting mozarella is so cruel, isn't it? Cheesy penny pasta with homemade white sauce. who can resist it? Besides cheese i added rosemarry, thyme, oregano, parsley, mixed herbs and chilly flakes and loads of veggies. Trust me it turned out wonderful.

INGREDIENTS;

1 1/2 cups- cooked pasta
2 tbsp- butter
1/2 cup- cubed capsicum
1/2 cup- cubed red bell pepper
1/2 cup- cubed yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup- blanched brocolli florets
1/2 cup- boiled sweet corn kernels
1 tsp or little more than that - garlic powder

1 tsp- white pepper powder
1 tsp- black pepper powder
1 tbsp- plain flour ( maida)
2 cups- milk
1 tsp- dried oregano
1 tsp- thyme
1 tsp- rosemary
1 tsp- mixed herbs
1 tsp- paprika/ chilli flakes
salt to taste
2 tbsp- grated mozarella  cheese

METHOD:

1. Heat the butter in a non stick pan, add the bellpepper, brocolli, onions, and sweet corn kernels And saute on a medium flame for 1-2 mins and keep it aside.

2. Heat the butter in another pan, add the flour and cook on a slow flame for few seconds, while stirring continuosly.

3. Add the milk gradually and cook on  medium flame for 3-4 min or till the sauce is thick. Add all the herbs, salt, black pepper, white pepper, cheese and garlic powder.

4. Mix well and cook on medium flame for a min or two.

5. Now add this sauce to the sauted veggies.

6. Add pasta  and mix well and cook for 2 mins.

7. Serve immediately and garnished with cheese.

 ENJOYYYYYYYY.....

Instant OatsVeggie Idlis

A sneaky way to get your children to eat more greens and fibre is to give them nutritious Idlis pepped up with veggies. Low on carbs and healthy idlis made with oats, ideal for those who are calorie concious. Idlis are a breakfast favourite even outside south india. Fibre rich oats and rava combine to make delicious instant idlis that you can enjoy fresh off the steamer with sambhar & chutney. Oats is one of the great choice for breakfast to kick start your day in a healthy way. The oats idli can be prepared in a jiffy for the busy weekday mornings. It is so soft that it does not require rice flour at all and when you are short of idli batter you know what to do now:) Some love their rav idlis plain but here i gave a twist with loads of veggies and nuts because i somehow find the colourful version  better. Apart from the usual tempering of chana dal, urad dal and mustard seeds the choice one can add to this batter is endless. you can make this rava idlis colourful & nutritious by adding seasonal veggiesto the batter, it will be colourfull and attractive too and favourite among toddlers.

INGREDIENTS:

1cup - white oats
1/2 cup- rava/sooji
1/2 cup- thick curd
1 tsp- chana dal
few curry leaves
1 tbsp- chopped red bell peppers
1 tbsp- chopped capsicum
1 tbsp- chopped yellow bell pepper
2 tsp- mustard seeds
1 tsp- green chilli finely chopped
1 tbsp- chopped cashews ( optional)
2 tsp- chopped cilantro
oil to grease idli plates
1/2 tsp- baking soda/ 1 sachet eno
salt to taste
1/2 tsp asofotedia/hing

water  to make a smooth batter.

METHOD:

1. Dry roast the oats and set it aside.
2. Cool it & then grind it to a fine powder.
3. Dry roast rava till it aroma releases.
4. Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds, chana dal & let it splutter.
5. Add chopped bell pepper, cashews,green chillies and coriander leaves & saute for  min or two on high flame.
6. In the mixing bowl add oats and rava. add curd  and enough water to make a smooth batter.
7. Now add eno or baking soda.
8. Do not over mix the batter.
9. Now sprinkle some bell pepper over the idli batter.
10. Steam it for 10-12 mins or until its done.
11. Serve hot with any chutney of ur choice.

ENJOYYYYYY....

Haldiram Style Chole Bhature

Garma Garam Chole Bhature Straight From My Kitchen. Chole bhature is one of the mouth watering , spicy, exotic dish from punjabi cuisine. The chole recepie is adapted from  Meenu's Meenu.com  but here i made few changes to it. The crispy puffed up bhaturas makes an excellent combo when served with hot & spicy chole. This recepie of bhatura is one that uses mashed paneer to soften up the bhatura. Moroever these bhaturas do not turn rubbery when they are eaten cold. It was very easy for me to make chole but i have never tried making bhatura with stuffing before and it was really an adventure for me to cook themm properly. It ttook me some time to find out how to make it properly and the main secret was to keep every ingredient balanced and let the dough settle for few hours or you can keep it overnight. Me and my hubby loves to eat spicy food  hence i made my chole little spicy. If u don't like spicy  food then u may reduce masla's as per your need. I must say this is one of the most tried and tested recepie of mine. It has been tried not only by me innumerable times, but also by many friends.

INGREDIENTS:

White chickpeas/ white chole- 300 gms
salt to taste
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Cumin powder- 1 spoon
Pomegranate powder/ anardana powder- 1 tsp
Kasuri methi/ dried fenugreek leaves- 1 tsp
Dried rose petals- 1 tbsp
Homemade garam masala- 1 tsp
Paneer- 50 gms cut in small cubes ( optional )
Ginger- 1 inch chopped into thin long slices
Asofotedia/hing- 2 pinches
Refind oil- 3-4 tbsp
Kashmiri red chilli powder- 1 tsp
corriander powder- 1tsp
Kitchen king- 1 tsp
chicken masala- 1 tsp
bay leaves- 1-2
black cardamom- 1
cinnamon stick- 1 inch
black pepper-  6-7
cloves-  3-4
Onions- 4-5
Tomatoes- 3-4
Ginger- 1 inch
Garlic cloves- 6-7
Green chillies- 2


METHOD:

1. Soak chana for 4-5 hours in hot water or you can soak it overnight.

2. Pressure cook the choles by adding dry rose petals, black cardmom, bay leaves, black pepper, cinnamon stick and cloves.

3. Pressure cook the choles until 5 whistles on medium to low flame or more until they are cooked and tender.

4. Now make a puree of tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilli & keep it aside.

5. Now chop onions as we don't want to turn onions into paste.

6. Heat oil in a wok, now fry chopped ginger slices and green chillies & take it out.

7. Now add chopped onions and cook till it turns golden brown.

8. Add puree of tomato and cook for  5 mins on high flame. Keep stirring.

9. Make a paste of hing with water and put it into the gravy.

10. Add all the spices salt to taste, kashmiri red chilli, homemade garam masala, corriander powder, kitchen king, chicken masala, red chilli powder, anardana powder, rosted cumin powder and dried fenugreek leaves. Mix well and cook for 15- 20 mins on low flame till masala leaves its oil.

11. Now add chole & paneer cubes in the masala and stir well & cook for another 5-7 mins on high flame. your chole is ready now.

12. Your chole is ready to serve now. Garnish it with cilantro leaves, fried green chilli, ginger and onions rings.

INGREDIENTS  FOR BHATURA;

All purpose flour/ maida - 500 gms
semolina/ sooji -  100 gms
Sugar- 1 tsp
baking soda- 1 tsp
salt- 1 tsp
Thick curd- 150 gm

FOR STUFFING:

Finely grated 150 gms of paneer
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Black pepper- 1/2 tsp
Handful of fresh cilantro

METHOD:

1. Take all purpose flour, semolina, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.

2. Add thick curd and knead well for 7- 10 mins or until dough is soft and springy.

3. Put in a bowl and covered  with a damp towel at least for 2-3 hrs or you can leave it overnight aswel.

4. Make round balls from the dough.

5. Take a ball, expand it by pressing with your hand and plce 1 or 1/2 spoon of stuffing in it & close it from all sides.

6. Gently press the stuffed ball as you expand it then put it on the board and with the help of rolling pin and flatten into a round or oval shape.

7. Roll it a bit thick,

8. Put the bhatura in a hot oil & fry till bhatura turns light golden brown.

9. Keep it on the plate covered with paper napkin.

10. Enjoy garma garam bhature with chole and pickled carrots.

TIPS:

1. We are putting rose petals to make our chole black.

2. You can also apply dry  flour to the stuffed ball and then flatten it.

3. you can add mashed potatoes stuffing aswel insted of paneer.

Healthy Fruit Cookies

Crisp butter cookies made from whole wheat flour. These cookies have the buttery taste & crisp also.These go very well with a cup of Milk/Tea or Coffee. Usually in the morning, when i don't have time to make an elaborate breakfast, i serve cookies with milk or tea & Why to eat refined flour (Maida) cookies when whole wheat flour cookies are so simple to make and that too Eggless!!! Healthy cookies which can be stored for long. Check out the recipe below :

 
INGREDIENTS:


1 cup Aata ( whole wheat flour)

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup butter ( at room temp)

2 tsp vanilla essence

2 pinches of Elaichi powder ( optional)

2 tbsp chopped cashews

2 tbsp Tutty fruity

2 tbsp chopped almonds


METHOD:
 
1. In a bowl mix butter, sugar, Vanilla essence & Elaichi powder till it gets light and fluffy with the help of electric beater.
 
2. Add flour & baking soda and make a dough.
 
3. Make lemon size balls and press the on a greased baking tray,
 
4. Put the balls in some gap as it will increase in size while baking.
 
5. Bake these at 180' for 20-25 mins in a preheated oven or till you get the desired brown color.
 
6. Keep an eye after 20 mins.


Take it out and let it cool.


your cookies are ready.

Enjoyy!!!!!!!!