Bread Dhokla

Learnt this dish from my mother-in-law. It is a simple and quick recipe with a nice flavor. It can be served  for breakfast or as an appetizer. I use white bread but wheat will taste as good. My husband likes it with grated cheddar cheese on top but it is totally up to your taste.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
6 slice white bread cut in small sqaures
2 tbsp butter
1 green chilli split in half
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ginger grated
1/4 cup yogurt
1 tbsp water
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cheddar cheese grated (optional)
1/4 cup coriander leaves chopped
Salt to taste

Directions:
Heat butter, add black mustard seeds and green chilli. Wait till the seeds start spluttering then add ginger, saute it for a seconds, then add bread. Saute bread on medium flame until it is crisp and brown in color. Mix yogurt, water, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, and garam masala powder together and make a smooth paste. Lower the flame and add the mixture to the bread, keep stirring so the spices are mixed properly. Turn off the heat, add lemon juice, coriander leaves and some grated cheese. Mix it well. Serve with any kind of sauce you like or coriander chutney.

Poha

Poha is made from flattened rice. I learnt this dish originally from my maternal grandmother. She was a great cook. She usually made this dish during the winter season in India. You get most of the fresh vegetables during this season, especially the green peas, tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower etc. She always made huge quantity and served it for breakfast. There is also a touch of the style from my mother-in-law. She uses lemon juice, green beans, and potato in Poha.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 cups of  flattened rice (thick ones)
1 large onion chopped
2 green chillies chopped
1 medium potato chopped
1/2 cup green beans chopped
1/2 cup carrots chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower cut in very small florets
1/2 cup green peas
1 and 1/2 cup tomato chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 green cardamoms
2 black cloves
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 juice of lemon
2 tbsp of Maggi Hot and Sweet sauce (this is optional)
5 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Directions:
Heat oil, add cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, cardamom, cloves, and green chillies. When it starts to splutter, add onions. Saute the onions until golden brown, add cauliflower, potato, green beans, carrots, and green peas. Cover and cook until the vegetables are slightly cooked. Then add tomatoes, cover and cook until tomato is soft. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder, and mix it well. Put the rice in a strainer and wash it with cold water 2 times, then add it to the pan. Note: do not leave it to soak or else the rice will be too soft. Add salt, then mix the flattened rice properly on medium flame. Add the Maggi hot and sweet sauce if you like but if you don't have it you can also use ketchup. Add garam masala powder and lemon juice, and mix well. Turn off the heat and add coriander leaves. Serve it hot.

Vegetable Cutlet

Vegetable Cutlet is my favorite appetizer. Whenever I have served it in parties, everyone has just loved it. I generally refrigerate the cutlets after rolling out in bread crumbs. Right before the party I fry it so it can be served hot.

Quantity about 15-16 pieces

Ingredients:
5 large boiled potatoes mashed
1/2 cup french beans chopped
1/2 cup carrots finely chopped
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 large onion finely chopped (preferably red onion)
3-4 green chillies chopped
1 tbsp ginger grated
3 tsp Corainder powder
1 and 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 and 1/2 tsp dried Mango powder
2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
2 tsp Dried Kasuri Methi
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup fresh corainder leaves
3 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
2 cups Bread Crumbs

Fresh Garam Masala (to be ground)
2 cloves
2 green cardamoms
4 black pepper

Mix the ingredients below to make batter:
1/2 cup white flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt


Directions:
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, green chilli, ginger, cashews, and raisins. Saute it for a few seconds, then add onions. Saute onions until golden brown. Add french beans and carrots, cover and cook until soft. Now add the coriander powder, red chilli powder, and mango powder, then mix it well. Add mashed potatoes, salt, sugar, kasuri methi, garam masala powder, and roasted cumin powder. Mix all the spices with the potatoes, then add coriander leaves. Turm off the heat. Wait till the mixture cools down. Divide the mixture equally in small balls and flatten it to give it a shape of cutlet. Dip it in the batter, then roll it out in the bread crumbs. Heat oil on high heat and fry the cutlet. Make sure to turn the heat to medium while the cutlets are frying. Before frying the next batch, make sure the oil is really hot otherwise the cutlets may break. Serve with coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.

Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji

Pav bhaji is a very popular dish from Mumbai. You can find it almost everywhere in Mumbai. This dish is easy to make and both kids and adults love it. I find it healthy since it is a combination of all the green and red vegetables. It can be also packed for school lunch.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
Cauliflower 1 cup chopped 
1/2 medium size Capsicum diced
2 Carrots diced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup french beans cut
2 medium sized potato cut in halves
2 Green chillies chopped
1 large onion chopped
1 tbsp ginger grated
4 cloves garlic grated
2 medium sized tomato
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 stick butter
5 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala (Badshah brand, you can find it at any indian grocery store)
Salt to taste
1/2 Lemon Juice

Directions:
Boil the vegetables - cauliflower, capsicum, carrots, green peas, french beans, and potato in a pressure cooker with 1 and 1/2 cups of water for 5 minutes. Release the pressure, then strain the water out of the vegetables, and keep it aside. Peel the potatoes and mash it, then mash the vegetables separately. Heat butter, add green chillies, add onions. Saute onions until brown, then add ginger and garlic. Add tomatoes, cover and cook until the tomato is soft. Add pav bhaji masala, coriander powder, and red chilli powder. Saute until it leaves oil, then add the mashed potatoes and stir for 2 minutes. Add the mashed vegetables and mix it well and leave it to cook for 2 minutes on medium flame. Add salt, and about 1/2 cup of water to the bhaji and leave it to boil for another 2-3 minutes on medium flame, while constantly stirring it.  Turn off the heat and add lemon juice and garnish it with corianger leaves if you like. Serve the bhaji with fresh pav which you can find in indian grocery stores.