Pita bread Pizza

My sister in law had shown me how to make chips out of pita bread, its a simple and easy snack to make. I tried adding some toppings...bliss. Its a simple enough recipe, and toppings could be varied. So I have given recipes of both,the pizza and the chips. It can be made in the oven or on gas.

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Vegan Pita Pizza

Pita Pizza
Prep Time :15 mins

2 Pita bread cut into pizza slices, and mildly toasted

1 big / 2 small brinjals

1 tomato chopped fine

3 leaves of spinach shredded

Salt to taste

Dry herbs like sage, oregano thyme etc

Olive oil

*Optional Tabasco sauce

*Optional cashew cream cheese/ Hummus

Pre heat Oven to 110, or if cooking on gas, pre heat a non stick flat pan

Make thin slices and roast brinjals with a sprinkling of herbs and salt.

Cut the roasted brinjal into halves

On the toasted slices, *add a layer of hummus/cashew cheese, which is optional.

Add a 1/2 slice of brinjal, tomatoes and spinach

Sprinkle herbs, salt and *Tabasco

Spray the baking try/pan with some oil

Place the slices on the baking tray or on the pan 

Bake for around 10 minutes, if cooking on a flame around 15 minutes on slow flame.

Serve hot!

Vegan Pita Pizza

Pita bread chips
Prep time : 15 mins

2 pita breads cut into pizza slices
Dry herbs like sage, oregano etc
Olive oil 

Preheat oven or pan
Spray or add oil to the baking dish or pan
Add the pita bread slices and spread out in one layer
Sprinkle herbs and a pinch of salt over it and keep it in the oven or over a low flame.
Take it out in about 5 minutes, flip pita slices over, sprinkle some herbs, salt and some oil and replace in oven/flame
With the temperature set on 110, it takes approximately 10 - 15 minutes.
Check to see that to doesn't get burnt and is evenly crisp.

This works very well with hummus, cashew dips and sauces.

Coconut Chutney Red

Red Chutney is so simple to make and goes well with vada's and most kinds of dosa's. Works great using it as a spread in masala dosa's, add a layer of chutney and spread over the roasting dosa before adding the potato masala, it's like the mysore masala dosa available at eateries. Stars (*) are for optional ingredients

Red chilli chutney 

Prep Time :10 minutes

1. 1/2 coconut grated
2. 3 dry red chillies (spicy)
3. 2 dry red chilli (kashmiri)
4. 1/4" ginger
5. 2 cloves of garlic
6. 3 - 4 small pieces of tamarind (or more as per taste)
7. *2 leaves curry leaves
8. * 1/2 tsp roasted gram dal
9. Salt to taste
10. 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
11. 3-4 Curry leaves
12. 1 red chilli
13. 1/2 tsp urad dal
14. 1/2 tsp coconut oil

Grind ingredients 1- 8 together with a bit of water.
Avoid making it too pasty or grinding it too fine. Its needs to have some amount of the coconut texture
Transfer the chutney to a bowl
Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds.
When it splutters add the other ingredients and fry for a minute or less.
Pour the seasoning on the chutney and serve

This chutney is a great with dosas, idlis, vadas, upma and other south Indian fares

Cabbage salad Indian style

Cabbage salad may not be the right name for it.. Its actually a mix of dudhi (white bottle gourd) and cucumber in a super fresh and crunchy mix. But for some reason white bottle gourd is not a very popular vegetable, specially with my hubby. And I just cant think of a nice fancy name for this dish.. So...cabbage salad it is.
I made it on a day when I barely had the time to cook but had loads of fresh vegetables at home. So I tried mixing some veggies for a really fast meal. It turned out so good that my hubby wanted me to make it again for dinner! By then he knew it had bottle gourd and he still wanted more...now that is a victorious moment! I made it in small quantities and have given the ingredients accordingly. Thing with this dish is the vegetables need to be really fresh and tender. I don't peel the bottle gourd if its a small one.

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Cabbage salad and cashew cream cheese in pau

Cabbage salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

1/4 piece of a medium sized fresh cabbage
Approx 6" lengthwise piece of fresh *young bottle gourd
1 cucumber
1 green chilli minced
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 lemon
Optional: dash of any spice of your preference
Few drops of oil (olive, peanut,coconut go well with it)

Grate all the vegetables, keep them separately.
Heat oil in a shallow pan, and add the mustard seeds.
Once they start popping add the curry leaves and green chili
Add the bottle gourd and cabbage and mix well.
Let it heat through and let it cook for a minute till the vegetables look tender but still retain their color.. ( its important not to over cook)
Remove from the flame and transfer to a bowl
Add the cucumber, salt to taste, optional spice powder and lemon juice.
Mix well and serve

This goes well with dal and rice and as salad, as a sandwich filling, topping over toasted bread,  as a filling with  cashew cream cheese in pau its yum!

Bolognese sauce

This is Bolognese sauce made my style, Indian or Italian Im not sure.. :) The rich flavorful sauce has often surprised non vegetarians, they say they would not be able to make out the difference. I think the oregano and sage gives it a meaty flavor. Soya granules can be used for it, but I prefer soya chunks. Post boiling and draining water from the chunks, I grind it for a minute or so. It should not be ground too fine, because it loses its texture.
Apart from spaghetti I use this sauce for pies, as filing for toasted sandwiches or as toppings for pizza, toasted bread or toasted pita bread. Have no photos of this one yet, but will add it soon! Hope you enjoy making it...

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Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 3 large Onions chopped
• 6 -7 large Tomatoes (5 skinned and all finely chopped pieces)
• Optional : Minced 1 brinjal/aubergine or 3-4 button mushrooms
• 8 cloves Garlic sliced
• 2 Red chillies (seeded if preferred)
• 1-2 tsp dried Oregano & Sage herbs
• 1½ cups soy chunks/granules boiled and drained
• Tomato puree* (optional)

Preparation

Heat Oil in a thick bottomed pan on a medium flame.

Add the garlic and fry till it turns slightly brown

Add the onions and chillies and fry till it turns pink

Add the tomatoes and stir fry for 2 minutes

Add the soy granules and optional vegetables and mix well.

Add 1 cup of water, salt and puree*.

Cover and let it cook on a low flame for 15-20 minutes.

Add the oregano and sage, mix well. Taste and adjust spices as required

Serve with spaghetti.

Serves 2

Spicy vegetable/soya chunks curry recipe

One thing my mother made all the time were coconut based curries. She made them so well, I have rarely tasted better curries. Somehow she got the perfect balance of spices, tangyness and depth.

Following is a staple Mangalorean chicken curry recipe, can be used for soya chunks, potatoes or mixed vegetable curries.  Grinding the masala paste till its really fine plays a big role, so if you have the time and patience, try this one. Remember, using ready made powders for the spices (except turmeric) is not going to work. You could try getting some ready made Mangalore curry powder to add in the end, to enhance the taste as an option..  

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Soya/vegetable Curry

Prep Time : 30 - 45 Mins

 Prepare 

1)   1 cup soya chunks, boiled and squeeze dry thouroghly.

2)    Optional: assorted veggies likes potatoes, french beans, cauliflower, cabbage cut in       large chunks

To grind

     3)    6- 10 dry red chilies (depends on how spicy you want it)

     4)     2 tbsp heaped coriander seeds

5)    ½ tsp jeera seeds

6)     ¼ tsps methi seeds

7)     8-10 peppercorns

8)     ½ coconut grated

9)     4 cloves garlic

10)   4-5 pieces tamarind

11)   Pinch of turmeric

12)   Salt to taste

Seasoning

13) 1 large onion

14) 2 red chillies

15) 1 cinnamon, 1 star aniseed, 3 cloves (lavang) crushed 

16) 2 tsp coconut oil

Roast ingredients 3 - 8, (tastes best if it’s done separately on a slow flame)

Fry the coconut on a medium flame till it becomes reddish. Make sure it doesn't get burnt

Grind all the ingredients with the garlic, with tamarind and turmeric till very fine (add water to make it pasty but not watery)

In a large vessel, heat water and add veggies and salt when it boils.

Parboil vegetables and add the soya chunks.

Add the ground masala and mix well and bring to boil.

Reduce the flame and cook till all the veggies are tender.

Taste and check for salt

*If it's too spicy, some coconut milk could be added at this point

For the seasoning heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan, add onions and fry

Add the red chilies when the onions turn pink, and the crushed spices (*add a tsp of the Mangalore curry powder) and fry till the powders separate from oil.

Add to the curry, mix well and let it simmer for a 5 minutes.

Serve hot with dosa's, rice, idli's and rice rotti (dry crisp rice dosa's available in  Mangalore shops)

* Please note: This is not the Magalore rotti gasi (curry) recipe. That shall follow soon.. :)

Channa (chickpeas) curry with coconut base

My mother was a fabulous cook... it was from both her and my father, a hotelier who loved his food and who was a hobby cook that I inherited the love of cooking and spices.  Mom made fabulous curries, traditional vegetables, idli's, dosa's and chutneys. We were spoilt as far as food goes, because even the day to day food she cooked was awesome..

Channa Curry

The two ingredient's mom was most generous with were time and love. Spices were always freshly ground, where roasting spices was required...she would roast each spice separately till our whole house would be permeated with the aromas of it. Most of our food was coconut curry based, which already requires time for grating and grinding, yet, for some dishes she would grind ingredients separately or add ingredients in phases. There were times I used to tease her about it, since everything is going to be mixed anyway, why do this at all? Her logic was that the flavors come out better, and it did.

I really miss our childhood Sundays, with steaming hot fresh soft idlis and chutney for breakfast, right on time for Mahabharat, a super popular TV series of the time.
Or hot channa curry with brun pau (a type of bread that is round, crisp on the outside and soft inside much like french bread).

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Brun pav

Mom Loved brun pav...
So, I would carry 4 loaves of pav for her when I would visit her in Bangalore while she would prepare channa curry for us.
I am not sure where mom got this channa curry recipe from, but its one of my favorites of all time...




Channa Curry
Prep Time : 30/45 minutes 

1.5 small cups channa (chickpeas) soaked overnight

Mix of whole spices like 1 cinnamon, 1 star shaped aniseed, 3 cloves and 1/2 bay leaf

3-4 tomatoes
1 onion

Salt to taste

Boil all the ingredients above in a cooker till a couple of whistles go off

1) 2  heaped tbsp grated coconut 

2) 4-5 red chilies

3) 1 tbsp coriander seeds

4) ½ tbsp jeera seeds 

5) ½ tbsp mustard seeds

6) 1 onion chopped

7) 8-10 Curry leaves 

8)1 tbsp khus khus 

9) Pinch of saunf 

For seasoning

10) 1 onion chopped

11) few curry leaves

12) 2 red chillies

13) 1 tsp coconut or oil of your choice

Roast ingredients 1- 5 on a slow flame till the coconut turns reddish

Add ingredients 7-10 and one chopped onion, fry till the onion goes a dark pinkish brown.

Put the fried mixture into a mixer and grind well. Add a little water and grind till very fine. The consistency can be pasty but avoid making it watery.

Remove the cooker lid and mash a little chole. Add the masala and let it boil for a couple of minutes (add water if too thick)

Check for salt and spices, add more if required.

Heat oil in thick bottomed pan, add onion, red chilies and curry leaves for seasoning. If you prefer it spicier add a tsp of red chilly powder and 1/2 tsp garam masala (powder) to the seasoning. Fry for a minute and add to the curry. Mix well and cook on a medium flame for about 5-10 minutes.

Remove from flame and serve hot with brun pav, toasted bread or rice 

Vegan milk options

So you wonder what vegans do for milk? Or think we miss our cuppa milky chai? Doesnt happen. There are so many options in healthy vegan milk.. apart from the soya one. Milk is also easily made with nuts, seeds, coconut and even rice! Similarly, there are many easy to make options in cheese, curd and even chaas.. :) Whats more, these options are so much healthier than cows/goats or any other animals milk.. ;)

Nut milks

4/5 cashews/almonds

1 cup warm water

Soak 4-5 cashews/almonds for at least half an hour (preferably 3 hours or more)

Drain the nuts and add to blender with enough water to cover it.

Grind till very smooth

Take it out and add the warm water. Strain only if required.

This milk can be heated and can be used as normal milk for cereals, chai coffee or for cooking etc. Please note Almond milk is sweeter than cashew milk,  so avoid using it for spicy dishes

Sesame Seeds Milk

1 cup sesame seeds soaked overnight

2-3 dates/1 tsp jaggery/agave syrup or sweetner of your choice

2-3 cups warm water

Drain the sesame and add in the blender with sweetner. Add water till it covers the seeds

Grind till smooth. Take the mixture out and strain.

Heat till mildly warm or have it chilled as required.