A couple of weeks ago, I tried out Jamie Oliver's almost instant pizza for lunch. With no yeast or time to poof, it was super easy to prepare and was done in 15 minutes. I really loved how simple this recipe was because, it totally removed all the fuss around making a pizza. All you need is an oven with a broiler setting and an iron griddle which creates the most beautiful crust. I have made it so often that it is my go to pizza recipe these days. Next time, if you are in the mood for a great slice of pizza, try this recipe from Jamie Oliver, which you will not be disappointed with it.

Gadgets:

Measuring Cups and Spoons
Bowls
Spatula
Iron Skillet
Rolling Pin
Cutting Board

Ingredients:

Makes two 12  inch pizza  Adapted From Jamie Oliver's Pizza Recipe

All Purposed Flour - 1 1/2 cups ( Instead of Self raising flour)
Baking Powder - 1 1/2 tsp or 1/2 tsp baking soda
Salt -  1/3 tsp salt
Warm Water - 1/2 cup
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp plus extra for spreading
Tomato Sauce - 1/2 cup
Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 cup
Toppings - Onions, Bell Peppers, olives, Garlic Powder

Preparation:

1. Add all the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the wet ingredients and make a dough. Roll it out on a cutting board to fit your iron griddle.

3. Turn on the stove to get the iron griddle hot. Spread some oil. Place the rolled base gently on the iron griddle. Pork with a fork (something I tried). Spread the sauce and add the topping and cheese. This helps the base to start baking.

4. Turn on the oven to broil setting. Place the pizza inside and bake it for 10 to 12 minutes or until you see the cheese melted and the base browned. Remove, cut into slices and enjoy.

Yesterday, was an awesome day for my daughter. She had a play date with her best friend who has moved into town. I am so happy for both the girls. Since her friends birthday was yesterday, my daughter wanted to make her something special for snack. Ever since we had decided on this play date, she has been on my back to bake a cake or some kind of cookie. Since we did not have sufficient eggs at home, we went with a eggless recipe that I had pinned. It was super easy to make and everyone enjoyed it.

Gadgets:

Food Processor

Spatula

Measuring Cups and Spoons
Baking Pan 11x9
Parchment Paper
Knife
Saucepan

Ingredients:

Recipe Source: Roxana's Home Baking

1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups (135 grams) rolled oats ( I used quick oats as I was out of rolled oats)

1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup (226 grams) diced cold butter

1 can (380 grams) dulce de leche, room temperature

Preparation:

1. Line a 11x9 pan with parchment paper and set the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a food processor add all the ingredients other than the dulce de leche. Pulse until the dough crumbles and come together. Remove 1/2 cup of the dough, place on a cling wrap, flatten to make a oval disc, cover and place it in the freezer.

3. Take the remaining dough and press it evenly in the prepared baking pan. Use the back of a flat bowl or cup and even it out. Bake it for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, open the dulce de leche into a saucepan and cook it on low heat while stirring constantly. The sauce will start to melt.

5. Remove the baked cookie dough out of the oven. Pour the sauce and spread evenly. Remove the dough on the freezer and grate and spread evenly oven the pan. Bake it for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

6. Remove and allow to cool completely before cutting them into bars. 

Texture of the Bar: The bars tasted awesome. They had a hard crunch in the base, chewy in the center and cookie like on the top.

A very common paratha that most households make is the triangle pratha. To me it was the most comforting and nostalgic of all rotis, parathas or chapathis. In our family we refer to it as "Anna Chapathi. We called our grandfather Anna, who was always served these paratha's everyday. I still remember the image of Anna, reading his paper and eating his delicious chapathis near the little window. The aroma that drafted from my grandmother's kitchen filled the whole house. The smell of ghee combined with cooked wheat bread is very nostalgic. It is so special for all the grandchildren who lived in that household even today. Nothing to beat the taste of this paratha fresh off the grill sprinkled with sugar. It transports me back to childhood instantly. To make it fun, here are the three ways  you can make the triangular paratha.

Gadgets:

Food Processor

Measuring Cup

Rolling Pin

Cutting Board

Cling Wrap

Spatula

Tava

Ingredients:

Makes 10 Triangular Paratha's

Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups plus 1/3 cup 

Salt 

Oil -  2 tbsp

Water - Enough to make soft dough

Ghee - 1/2 cup

Preparation:

Prepping the Dough:

1. Add flour salt and oil to a food processor. Give it a few buzzes to get the oil and salt integrated in the flour. Slowly start adding water a little at a time until you get to the soft dough stage. Remove place in a cling wrap and place in the fridge or leave it covered on the kitchen counter for 20 minutes.

2. Remove the dough from the wrap. Roll into a log and divide into 10 equal portions. Take one portion of the dough and roll into a ball.

Ways of Folding the Dough into Triangular Shape:

I. Quarter Fold Method:

1 Dab the dough in some flour. Roll into a 4 inch circle. Spread 1/2 tsp of ghee. Spread and fold the dough to form 1/2 moon. Fold again to form a quarter of a circle. Roll to form a triangle shape.

2. Heat the tava to medium high. Place the triangle paratha and cook on both sides, until brown toasted spots appear. Spread some ghee and serve them hot with a side dish of your choice or sprinkle some sugar and enjoy it. 

Here are some alternative methods in shaping the triangle paratha.

 II. Four Triangle Pieces layered Method :

1. Take one ball of the dough and roll the dough into a 5 inches circle. Cut the circle in to two half and further cut the semi circle into half to get 4 triangular pieces.

2. Spread some ghee on top of 3 pieces and stack them to form one triangle.Seal the 4 triangles on the edges. Dab some flour and form a triangular shaped paratha.


III. Two Pieces Fold and  Fuse Method:

1. Roll one ball of dough into a 5 inch circle. Cut the circle into half. Spread ghee in each of the semi circles and fold each circle by half.

2. Spread ghee on one piece and place the other on top of it. Seal and roll into a triangle paratha.









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The more I cook with Avil, I see that it is a few minute wonder ingredient. It cooks fast and is highly versatile. Using avil, I have been trying out different things. One of my favorites is the thair avil or poha in yogurt sauce. With all the heat we have been experiencing, it is apt to make this simple recipe and enjoy with some pickle or veggies. It can be prepared under 10 minutes, which is a blessing if you are out of cooked rice. This can act as a perfect substitute for curd/ yogurt rice. Blessing in disguise for last minute entertaining.

Gadgets:

Colander
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Seasoning Wok

Ingredients:

Thick Avil / Poha - 3/4 cup
Yogurt - 1 1/2 cups
Green Chillies - 1/2
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch grated
Curry Leaves - a few
Salt
Onions ( optional) - 1diced

Preparation:

1. Transfer the Avil to a colander. Give it a wash under running water. Allow to drain.

2. Whisk some yogurt and salt in a bowl. Grate ginger and set aside.

3. Heat a seasoning Spoon add oil and ghee. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds, green chillies and curry leaves ( if onions are added cook them well) Add to the yogurt.

4. Add 1/2 of the yogurt mixture to the avil and allow it to soak up. Add the rest when you are ready to serve. 

I like watching cooking channel shows as they have experts from a variety of cuisines and countries showing us their skills. I find it very relaxing and sometimes, I do try out some of the recipes that I find interesting. One such show is Bill's Food which transports you to a beach town in Australia and the  ocean clippings makes me think of the lovely beaches of San Diego. Anyways, I found the fruit and nut bread very interesting and made notes of the recipe. Yesterday, I baked the dry fruit and nut loaf as he calls it. I kind of manipulated with some ingredients to suit what I could find in my pantry. I must acknowledge that it is the best bread that I have baked so far. I am super elated because, I have baked some breads in the past, but this is my best so far in the adventures of baking bread. 

Gadgets:

Bowls
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Spatula
Whisk
Parchment Paper
Cutting Board
Knife

Adapted from Bill Granger's Apple, Dried Cherry and Almond loaf

Ingredients:

Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Baking Powder - 1 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1 tsp
Cardamom - seeds from 4 pods powdered ( liked this addition)
Dried Apple - 3 chopped
Dried Pear - 1 chopped
Dried Cherries - 1/4 cup
Figs - 4 roughly chopped
Dates - 6 chopped
Raisins - a handful
Walnuts - 1 handful
Almonds - 8
Pecans - 1/4 cup
Brown Sugar - 1/3 cup
Rolled Oats -  1/2 cup ( I used 2 packets of quick oats roughly 1/2 cup)
Milk - 1 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup in the place of honey
Egg - 1

Preparation:

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F.

2 . Soak the oats in 1 cup of milk for 10 minutes.

3. Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well.

4. Add egg to the oat mixture and whisk.

5. Add wet mix to the dry ingredients and mix well.

6. Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

I happened to buy an extra bag of mini peppers at Costco and I had to use it up this week before they start to shrivel and spoil. So, for dinner I made a thogayal out of it. Thogayal is mostly served with rice, but I serve it with roti, idli, dosai or toast. I personally enjoy them with curd rice or on toast. I must confess that I have never used peppers in preparing the thogayal before. We usually eat these mini peppers raw because they are very sweet. I was kind of nervous if I would get the thumbs down signal from my family because it turned out sweet. Luckily for me, it was spicy from the green and dry red chillies and therefore it turned into a like button. 

Gadgets:

Food Processor
Cutting Board
Knife
Frying Pan
Spatula

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Ingredients:

Mini Peppers - 15 seeded and cut into chunks
Tomato - 2
Green Chillies - 1
Cilantro - 1/4 of the bunch
Ginger - 1 inch
Kashmir Dry Chillies - 2
Channa Dal - 1/4 cup
Udad Dal - 1/2 cup
White Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp
Tamarind - small marble size
Salt to taste
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Hot Water - 1/4 cup
Brown Sugar - 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add asafetida, dry chillies and the dal and roast until the dal turns golden
brown. Remove from heat and add the sesame seeds. Mix well and allow it to cool. Add the mix to the food processor, add water and tamarind.

2. Heat the pan again and add 1 tbsp of oil. Toss in the chillies, ginger and peppers and roast with a dash of salt. When roasted, remove and add to the food processor. Throw in the cilantro and blend into a thick coarse paste.

Looks like summer is fast approaching. The days are getting very hot and all I want is to keep myself hydrated and away from spending too much time in the blistering heat. A few days ago, I accidentally picked up a can of dulce de leche instead of the condensed milk and in a hurry opened it. So, now I had to use it up. Enjoying a can of dulce de leche as is would be a great option, but I decided to experiment with it. I wanted something cold to drink one afternoon and out of that, dulce de leche milk was born. You can either microwave or use the stove top to prepare this drink. Kind of reminded me of enjoying the flavored Aavin milk on my visits to Chennai. Adding nuts or saffron can totally change the taste of the drink. For now, I want to post the drink with cardamom.

Gadgets:

Sauce Pan

Measuring Cup and Spoon

Glass

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 cup ( 100 - 160 calories)

Dulce De Leche - 1 tbsp ( 60 calories)

Cardamom - 1 pod powdered

Preparation:

1. Heat the milk in the sauce pan. Allow it to come to a boil. Add dulce de leche and mix until they  dissolve in the milk. Add cardamom powder. Cool and store in the fridge, chill and then drink it. It makes all the difference. Whole milk tastes very rich, 1% - 2% milk tastes awesome, nonfat makes it a little guilt free. 

Microwave Method:

If you are like me and want to have a cold drink instantly, microwave can you very useful. I tried it 2 days ago and it was great for instant fix. 

Preparation:

1. Take 1/4 cup of milk and 1 tbsp of duclce de leche. Mix and place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and milk well. Place it back in the microwave if you see some dulce de leche in the milk. Cook it for 20 seconds. At this point it must have melted. Please note each microwave varies and so you need to have the dulce de leche dissolved in milk. 

2. Mix this to the cold milk. Add cardamom power. Note: If you want it colder, adding a few cubes of ice helps.

A few days ago I came across a bread soup recipe on the cooking show " French Food At Home". I wanted to try the recipe because it appeared to be simple and appetizing. The original recipe used duck fat and garlic only. Since I am a vegetarian, I used ghee and olive oil to prepare the soup. I also added some onions because, I love the taste of onions in soups. The soup was very light, delicious and I love the crunch from the bread soaked in the soup. A very simple soup to make for sure.

Gadgets:

Toaster Oven
Cutting Board
Knife
Stock Pot
Ladle

Ingredients:

Garlic - 6 pods minced
Onions - 2 medium size sliced
Crushed Peppers - 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Basil - 1 tbsp
Bay Leaf - 1
Salt to taste
Vegetable Broth - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 tsp
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Day Old Baguette - a few slices
Cheese - your choice grated 1 tsp

Preparation:

1. Heat a stock pot with some oil and ghee.

2. Add garlic and onions to the pot and give it a good mix. Turn the heat to medium and give it a mix.

3. Cook until the onion start to get transparent. Add water and broth and allow it to simmer.

4. Add  salt, peppers, bay leaf and bring to cook for 10 minutes. Add basil and give it a mix.

5. Cut the baguette into slices and toast it in the bread toaster.

6. Ladle the soup into a bowl. Place 2 slices of bread over it and serve it hot with some grated cheese ( I skipped this part , but the rest of the family had it). The bread will soak in all the liquid and taste delicious.

This post is to document  the mint rice that I made yesterday for dinner.  We liked it a lot and I wanted to make sure I had the recipe in hand to recreate it the next time. It was so perfect in texture and taste which was very important. Sometimes, when we make some regular food, we don't pay much attention as we have done it so often. But this one I needed to document because, I did something different and I liked the out come. I think adding the milk and cooking it slow made all the difference.

Gadgets:

Cutting Board
Knife
Frying Pan
Measuring Cup and Spoon
Spatula

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Water - 2 1/2 cups plus extra for soaking
2 % Milk - 2 1/2 cups
Onions - 1 roughly chopped
Ginger - 2 inches minced
Garlic - 5 pods sliced
Mint Leaves - 1 hand full
Tomato - 2 cut into chunks
Mint Paste - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Shah Jeera - 1 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Cloves - 4
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 tsp ( add more for more spice)
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Kosher Salt to taste
Toasted Wheat Bread - 4 slices cut into small squares (optional, I like it a lot)

Preparation:

1. Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour.

2. Heat the frying pan with oil and ghee. Add shah jeer and when it starts to toast, add onion, ginger and garlic and cook. Add some salt, turmeric and chilli powder when they are half cooked and allow it to cook until they look transparent. Add the mint leaves and paste and cook well.

3. Drain the water and add the rice to the pan. Mix well and then add milk, water, cinnamon and cloves and bring it to a boil on medium heat (make sure to check if there is enough salt). Cover and cook  on low when the liquid starts to disappear. Using a fork fluff the rice when its done.

4. Toss in 2 chopped tomatoes and the bread pieces. Give it a mix and cover it with the lid and serve it hot with a raita of your choice.

This version of roasted potatoes is a favorite in my household. It is highly relished because, potatoes are cut into small cubes and roasted so that each mini box gets toasted well. It is awesome with some rice and any gravy like sambar, thogayal, vathal kozhambu, any subzi or any other kind of food . I always make it for dinner, because thats what my Amma used to do. It is easier to prepare because I do not have to boil the potatoes before roasting it. I opt for using a vegetable chopper to get uniform cubes,  which helps in cooking and roasting evenly. For dinner, I made the roasted box potatoes and they were all consumed.

Gadgets:

Vegetable chopper with small cube setting 

Measuring spoon

Frying Pan With Lid

Colander

Spatula

Ingredients:

Potato - 2 pounds cut into mini cubes

Oil - 4 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 4 

Salt

Cilantro- 2 tbsp chopped for garnish

Preparation:

1. Rinse the chopped potatoes under running cold water. Drain well and add 2 tbsp of oil and coast it well. 

2. Heat the frying pan with the remaining oil. Add asafetida, mustard seeds, dry chillies and allow for the mustard seeds to pop. Add turmeric powder and then toss in the potatoes. Mix well and cover with a lid and cook on medium high. 

3. Every few minutes, give the potatoes a toss and then add salt when they are half cooked. Cover and roast them. Make sure to scrape the pan to collect all the roasted potatoes. When you feel that it has toasted enough, garnish with cilantro and serve it hot from the stove.

Avil payasam is simple and easy to make. It gets cooked fast and is one of my favorite payasam to prepare. It is commonly prepared as prasadham on Krishna Jayanthi day, as Krishna loves poha as everyone is often reminded of the story of Krishna and Sudama. Yesterday, I had invited family to dinner and I thought aval payasam would be easy to make as a dessert. Here is how I prepared the kheer.

Gadgets:

Frying Pans
Measuring Cups and spoons
Spatula

Ingredients:

Milk - 4 cups

Sugar - 1 cup ( add more according to taste)

Thick Avil/ Poha - 1/2 cup

Cashew Nuts - 1/4 cup

Cardamom - 4 pods powdered

Ghee - 2 tbsps

Preparation:

1. Add the avil to a colander and give it a good rinse and allow it to drain well. Set it aside. 

2. Heat the milk in a wide mouth pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Add 2 tbsp of ghee to a frying pan. Add cashew nuts and allow it to get lightly toasted. Add the drained poha and mix well. Until they poha gets well coated in ghee. 

4. Add it to the milk and cook it for 5 minutes. Add sugar and cook for another 10 minutes. Garnish with cardamom powder and mix well. Serve hot ot chilled.

A few weeks ago, I was out of tomatoes so I opened a bottle of Tukas tomato paste and after transferring most of it into a freezable container, I had some left over  paste in the bottle. Thinking that I can make a chutney with it. I added some water to the bottle, covered and gave it a good shake. I got a thick soup like tomato juice in the bottle. I cooked it down and made a chutney with it. It turned out much better than I had expected. Was super easy and my husband asked me to write it all down before I forget all the details. So using that recipe, I made it again for breakfast this morning and I was happy to taste chutney again. Delighted to share this with all of you.

Gadgets:

Frying Pan

Blender

Spatula

Measuring Cup and Spoon

Cutting Board

Knife

Ingredients:

Tukas Tomato Paste - 1/4 cup

Water - 1 1/2 cups

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Asafotida Powder - 1/4 tsp

Red Chillies - 2 

Curry Leaves - a few

Coconut - 1/4 cup

Oil - 2 tbsp

Garlic - 2 pods minced

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat the frying pan with some oil. Add the asafoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves and methi seeds in it. Add garlic bits. Once the rawness disappears, mix the tomato paste with water and add to the frying pan.

2. Allow the liquid to cook until it starts to thicken and the raw smell goes away. Then add the salt. 

Remove from heat and cool.

3. Add grated fresh coconut to it and blend into a smooth chutney and serve with hot idli's or dosai's, bread etc.