These biscuits are easy to make and a wonderful way to use up the extra cheese. I bake a whole batch in the course of a morning.
Ingredients
All purpose flour 2 cups
Salted butter 1/2 cup
Grated cheddar cheese 3 cups
Salt 1 tsp
Dried Oregano 2 tsps
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Method
In a bowl mix the butter and cheese.
Add the flour, salt, oregano and red chilli powder.
Mix well to form a loose dough.
Form into small balls and flatten against the palm of your hand. Arrange on a buttered plate or tray. Press a fork against each biscuit to form the lines.
Bake in a 210 degree C oven for 15-20 minutes. Check after 15 minutes and taken out when the biscuits turn golden brown.
It is good to incorporate more soyabean into our dishes as it is a healthy option. And tasty too. But I got bored with the usual way I cooked it and tried this one using raw mango. It came out delicious with a slightly tangy taste.
Ingredients
Soya chunks 1 cup
Onions 2 small, one sliced and one chopped
Sprig of curry leaves
Green chillies 2 medium, chopped
Ginger 1” piece, crushed
Raw mango 1, chopped with skin
Coconut milk 100 ml
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 2 tbsps
Coriander powder 2 tsps
Coconut oil 3 tbsps
Salt to taste
Method
Soak the soya chunks in hot water for 30 minutes.
Squeeze out all the water and transfer to a bowl.
Add 2 tbsps of coconut oil, sliced onions, curry leaves and chopped green chillies to a wok. Add the crushed ginger and mix them well using your fingers.
Add the chopped mango and the spices and mix well.
Add two cups of water and 3 tbsps of coconut milk and put it to boil.
Add the soaked soya chunks and simmer till the mango pieces are completely cooked. It does not take long. If you want the soy chunks less chewy, add them only after the mango pieces are cooked.
Once the mango pieces are cooked, add the rest of the coconut milk. When it starts to boil, switch off the heat.
Heat the remaining coconut oil in a frying pan and add the mustard and fenugreek seeds. Add the chopped onions and fry till they turn brown.
Cooking can sometimes feel like a chore at the end of a busy day. It’s often tempting to throw a ready meal in the oven or call for take out. And now with doctors and nutritionists asking us to incorporate healthy alternatives such as millets into our meals, it can seem even more daunting. But preparing a simple and healthy family meal doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming. Here’s how to make millet dosa using bajra or pearl millets.
Ingredients
Bajra or pearl millet 1 1/2 cups
Mung dal whole 1/2 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Idli rice 1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil to apply on griddle
Method
Soak the bajra or pearl millets for 8-10 hours. I usually soak this around 11 am and then soak the other ingredients at the end of the day around 10 pm.
The next morning, grind all the ingredients. Start with the bajra or pearl millets first.then add the dals. Lastly add the rice. Grind to a smooth batter, adding as much water as needed. Add salt according to taste.
Leave to ferment till the evening.
Heat an iron griddle and oil it. Make thin and round dosas.
This is a light but filling soup, just right for winter. The cream and the puréed broccoli stems makes this ideal for a one-dish meal.
Ingredients
Broccoli florets 3 cups, blanched
Broccoli stems 2 cups, peeled, steamed and puréed
Onion 1, chopped
Fresh cream 200 ml
Milk 1 cup
All-purpose flour 2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Pepper powder 2 tsps
Garlic 12 cloves, minced
Olive oil 2 tbsps
Butter 30 g
Water 2 cups
Coriander leaves for garnish
Method
Add the olive oil and butter in that order to a heated pan. I use a wide and deep pan in which I can reheat the soup if needed. In this case, I used a pressure cooker as I was making this at a friend’s holiday home in the mountains and it tends to hold temperatures better.
Add the chopped onion and garlic and fry till they turn a light brown.
Add the broccoli florets and fry for a minute.
Add the flour and fry to a few seconds till the raw smell goes away. Add milk, stirring all the time. Add the puréed broccoli stems and water. Boil for four minutes.
Add the cream and let the bubbles appear. Keep stirring. Switch off the heat.
Serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves.
This curry made of soy chunks and puréed tomatoes is not only extremely tasty, it is also a dish increasingly relevant in the current pandemic. One of the food groups that has become more important among the global population is protein. It is what you should have more of if you want to lose weight, of course. It will also help you regain your energy and strength if you have been unfortunate to contract Covid-19. And soy is a huge source of protein. Most important, it is delicious.
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
Soy chunks 1 cup
Tomatoes 3 large, puréed
Onion 1 large, sliced
Ginger 1” piece
Garlic 4 cloves
Yoghurt 1 cup, whipped lightly with a fork
Cream 2 tbsps
Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder 2 tsps
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Biryani masala 1/2 tsp
Vegetable oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Method
Soak the soy chunks in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed wok and fry the onions till they become translucent.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a pestle and add to the wok.
Fry till the raw smell of garlic disappears. It will take about 2 minutes.
Add the puréed tomatoes to the wok. Fry till oil leaves the sides of the wok.
Add the spice powders and salt. Add the yoghurt.
Add the soy chunks.
Add 1 cup of water and cook till the gravy thickens. Cover and cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.
Banana Tutti-frutti Cake was a favourite dessert in my family, especially as I used to get really good candied fruit for the tutti-frutti mix in Singapore. This is a healthy version with light vegetable oil instead of butter and no eggs. I used yoghurt and baking soda instead with a little sour cream to keep the cake soft.
Ingredients
Candied fruit 1/2 cup
Flour 1 1/2 cup + 2 tbsps
Milk 1 1/4 cup
Vinegar 1 1/2 tbsp
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Baking powder 2 tbsps
Sugar 3/4 cup
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Vegetable oil 1/2 cup
Yoghurt 1/2 cup, whipped
Bananas 2, mashed
Sour cream 1/4 cup
Method
Add the 2 tablespoons of flour to the tutti-frutti in a bowl and mix well to cover all the candied fruit with flour. This will prevent the fruit from sinking to the bottom.
Pour the milk into a bowl. Add the vinegar, sugar and oil. Mix well.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the milk. Mix well but do not overdo it.
Add the sugar, vanilla essence, mashed bananas and sour cream. Mix well. Add the yoghurt and tutti-frutti mix. Mix well with a gentle hand.
Pour into a greased cake pan and bake in preheated oven at 170 degrees C for 40-45 minutes.
This dish with garlicky cream sauce with peperoncino flakes and aged cheddar cheese is delicious and healthy. You can use any pasta though I have used macaroni. The broccoli and capsicum give it a lovely fresh green colour.
Ingredients
Macaroni pasta 2 cups, cooked al dente
Broccoli florets 1 cup
Capsicum 1 medium, sliced
Mushrooms 200 g, sliced
Garlic 10 cloves, minced
All-purpose flour 1 tbsp
Milk 1 cup
Fresh cream 1 cup
Salt to taste
Pepper powder 1 tsp
Peperoncino flakes 1 tbsp
Cheddar cheese 1 cup, grated
Olive oil 2 tbsps
Butter 30 g
Method
Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy bottomed frying pan.
Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Take care not to burn the garlic.
Add the mushrooms and fry till all the moisture evaporates. When the mushrooms turn brown, add the broccoli and capsicum. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the flour and fry for a minute. Add the milk and stir till it thickens. Add the salt and pepper powder.
Add the cream and mix well.
Add the pasta and fold it into the sauce. See that the pasta is completely covered by the sauce.
Garnish with cheese, peperoncino flakes and coriander sprigs.
The combination of mushrooms and peas in a delicately flavoured tomato gravy is delicious. This is a dish that I fell in love with when I was a young girl. I loved the version of this curry sold at a restaurant called Chic Fish near my home. I have experimented till I have managed to get the same taste and texture.
Mutter-mushroom Curry
Ingredients
Peas 1 cup, fresh or frozen Button mushroom 250 g, sliced Onion 1 large, roughly chopped Tomatoes 2 large, roughly chopped Garlic 4 cloves Ginger 1” piece Green chillies 2, sliced on a slant Red chilli powder 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Oil 1 tbsp Salt to taste Coriander leaves for garnish Cream 1 tbsp for garnish
Method
Grind the onion, tomato, garlic and ginger to a fine paste.
Pour oil into a hot wok and add the cumin seeds. When they stop sputtering, add the ground paste. Sauté till oil begins to leave the sides of wok.
Saute till oil leaves the sides of the pan
Add the red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Fry for 1 minute on medium heat.
Add the mushroomsAdd the peas
Add the peas and mushrooms. Add salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes till the peas and mushrooms are cooked. The gravy would have thickened as well.
Take the curry into a serving dish and garnish with the cream, coriander leaves and sliced green chillies.
Chills & Chillies 