Green Tea(Matcha) Oats Flaxseed pull apart rolls (Vegan)

So we've been trying to add more matcha green tea to our daily diet. It is supposed to have calming effect.. we'll know if it works ;)

Here are some funky green, soft, fluffy and yummy pull apart buns!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1.5 teaspoons quick rising yeast
• 3 teaspoons raw sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
• 2 teaspoons butter(vegan or regular)
• about a cup of warm water
• oil for greasing

Directions:

1. Add yeast to half cup of water and sugar and mix well. Let sit for 10 minutes or until frothy.
2. Grind/blend the oats and flax seeds into coarse flour and add to the yeast mixture.
3. Add in the softened butter, flour, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and green tea and start mixing vigorously.
4. Once the dough seems to come together, knead for 5-6 minutes to make into a smooth and soft dough, use some more water if needed.
5. Place dough in well greased container(atleast double the size of the dough). Spritz top with oil spray and cover with heavy towel.
6. Let dough rise for an hour or until it doubles.
7. Take dough out and using a little flour make it into an long baguette shape. Cut small portions and shape them into a ball.
8. Place balls an inch apart on a baking tray or a baking pan. Spritz top with water and sprinkle with some poppy seeds (optional).
9. Spritz some oil and cover with heavy towel.
10. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
11. Remove towel and bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are all golden.
12. Remove from container and let cool for atleast half an hour!
13. Enjoy warm with butter or tea! This one is headed to Susan's Yeastspotting and Champa's weekly Bake off !

Achari Baingan(pickled eggplant curry) with Marwari Red Chili Pickle

Achari Baingan(pickled eggplant curry) made with Marwari Stuffed Red Chili Pickle. This is my mom-in-laws idea. She uses this pickle to make stuffed Okra and stuffed Bittergourd. The pickle, fennel and coriander make a nice masala for the baby eggplants and an amazing recipe.

First picture is the eggplants all arranged and ready to cook for at least 45 minutes. This picture is eggplant all done and ready to hit the serving plate. The masala usually gets all dark brown and has already been licked off this one.

I am not an eggplant fan, esp if it is not cooked well. So this is another one of my go-to eggplant recipes. The eggplant and masala can be just about cooked well or cooked to brown and both taste really good.

I will get the Pickle recipe from my Mom in Law and put it up soon

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon Marwari chili pickle (more or less by taste for spice and pickleyness)
• 5-6 baby indian eggplants
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:

1. In a medium pan heat oil at medium low.
2. Add in the onions, fennel, coriander and cumin seeds and cook on medium low till the onions turn golden.
3. Cool the onion mixture a bit and blend with the chili pickle and little water if needed into a nice paste.
4. Make 2 cross slits in the eggplants with the stalk attached.
5. Fill the paste in the slits as much as possible and put the eggplants to cook on the same pan with a little oil.
6. Cover the eggplants with the leftover paste and cook for 10 minutes on low heat covered.
7. Turn the eggplants and add in some water in the pan around the eggplants(not over the eggplants), to keep the masala paste from burning. (my mom in law adds oil :) which does work better for gooey veggies like okra and bittergourd)
8. Cook for 30-40 minutes, turning the eggplants every 10 minutes. We cook the 40-45 minutes until things start to just about char. The masala and eggplants are usually well done around 30 minutes. For a quicker version, cut the eggpants into big chunks and cook with masala and you will be done in 20.
9. Serve hot with rotis, puris or Naan!

Sanjeev Kapoors red chili pickle

Saunf aur Kalonji Waale Aloo Shimla Mirch(Potatoes and bell peppers flavored with Fennel and Nigella)

I make the usual dry Potatoes and green Bell pepper stir fry type of main dish often. This one has red bell pepper as well and is flavored a bit differently, with some Fennel(Saunf) and Nigella(Kalonji). Fennel and Nigella seeds give the dish a slight pickley effect. Most indian pickles have a good amount of fennel and nigella seeds in them. If you've tried indian mango pickles and other pickles and have liked them, then do give this simple dish a try!

Fennel and Nigella seeds are excellent for digestion the nigella seeds oil is also great for reducing allergy symptoms.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• pinch of asofetida(hing)
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds(saunf)
• 1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds(kalonji)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (more or less to taste)
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium pan, heat oil on medium low heat until hot.
2. Add in the asofetida, cumin powder and give it a quick mix.
3. Add in the fennel seeds and nigella seeds and turmeric and give it a mix.
4. Add in the garlic and chili flakes and let the garlic turn golden.
5. Add in the potatoes, peppers and salt and mix well.
6. Cook on low heat covered with occasional stirring for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoed are cooked.
7. Serve hot garnished with cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of black pepper! Enjoy with Rotis or Naans!

Saag Paneer (Spinach Mustard Greens Cheese Curry)

Green gravy and some paneer(cottage cheese). Usually eaten with Makkai ki roti(Corn bread). We eat it with Naan or Roti and some Salad and Papad on the side!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup spinach (frozen or fresh)
• 1/2 cup mustard greens
• 1 tablespoon Fenugreek seeds
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 inch ginger
• 4 cloves or garlic
• 1 Serrano chili pepper
• 2 tablespoon oil
• pinch of asofetida
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri garam masala (contains Black cumin, nutmeg, Casssia, Coriander, Cardamom, Clove and Tellicherry Black Pepper)
• 1 cup cubed paneer(packed cottage cheese cubed)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon raw sugar

Directions:

1. Thaw and blend the spinach, mustard greens and fenugreek seeds into a puree with little water and keep aside.
2. Blend the tomatoes, ginger, garlic and chili into a puree and keep aside.
3. In a large pan, add in the oil and heat on medium low.
4. When the oil is hot, add in the cumin powder, asofetida(hing), kashmiri garam masala and turmeric. Give it a quick mix for a few seconds.
5. Add in the tomato puree and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add in the greens puree and mix well. Cook for another 10-15 minutes partially covered, until the mix begins to thicken and leaves oil on the sides.
7. Add in some water salt and sugar and the cottage cheese cubes.
8. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes covered. You can add half cup cream or cashew paste at this point to make it creamy and cook for another 2 minutes.
9. Serve hot with Naan or roti!

Pictures taken right before we finished off all of it!

Daal Series: Green Mung Daal with burnt garlic Tadka!

Another simple lentil soup side dish. This one is whole green mung beans(green gream) tempered with slightly burnt garlic and spices! The slightly burnt garlic goes really well with the whole mung bean! Serve hot with a side of dry vegetable preparation, indian flat bread and pickle!

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup green mung beans soaked 2 hours to a day
• 2 cups water

Tempering:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• pinch of asofetida
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 5 curry leaves
• 5-6 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 dry red chili pepper
• 1/4 cup onions chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse the soaked mung beans and pressure cook with 2 cups of water for 2 whistles. Wait for the pressure to go down by itself before opening the pressure cooker.
2. For the tempering, heat the oil in a medium pan on medium low heat until hot.
3. Add the mustard seeds. Once they start to sputter, add in the asofetida and curry leaves.
4. Add in broken dry red chili, garlic, coriander powder and turmeric and mix well.
5. Cook on medium low heat until the garlic starts to turn golden brown.
6. Add in the onions and cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Add the cooked beans to the tempering or the tempering to the beans pan and mix well.
8. Add salt and black pepper to taste and cook the beans soup for 3-4 minutes so that the soup can pick up the flavor of the tempering.
9. Serve hot with rotis or rice, garnished with fresh cilantro leaves!

Strawberry Icecream Loaf!

Its still a bit cold here, so the icecreams in the freezer have been sitting since the past months looking at me and saying "Use me, before I end up in compost"..

So I picked out the Dreyers Strawberry Icecream and used up a nice chunk of it in the bread. I love strawberries in bread and have made quite a few last year, but fresh strawberries are kinda out of season right now.. so as well use some ice creamy goodness.! The bread turned out nice and fluffy and the strawberry taste comes out when toasted!.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2.5 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1 teaspoon raw sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons active yeast
• about 3/4 cup of water
• 7-8 Tablespoons Strawberry icecream (more for a sweeter bread)
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Add the yeast and sugar to 1/4 cup warm water and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes or until frothy.
2. In a blender, dry blend the flax seeds and oats . You can use flaxseed meal as well.
3. In the mixer bowl add the flours, salt and the oats and flaxseed and mix.
4. Add in the yeast mixture, softened butter, strawberry icecream and half cup warm water.
5. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, scraping sides every 2-3 minutes. add more flour or water in little quantities if needed.
6. Spritz the top of dough with some oil spray. Place dough in a covered container in a warm place for 1.5 hours.
7. Punch it lightly and shape into a loaf by pulling on all sides, or by rolling it out into a rectangle and rolling the rectangle from one side and tucking the other edge under.
8. Place loaf in greased bread pan. Spritz the top with a little oil spray and cover with damp towel.
9. Place it in a warm place or warm oven for about an hour.
10. Remove towel, spritz top with some water and bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes.
11. Remove bread from pan and let cool for atleast an hour.
12. I usually refrigerate it for another hour before slicing. The breads are usually quite fluffy and soft and refrigeration makes them a bit firm for nice and clean slices!
13. Enjoy! This one is headed to Susan's Yeastspotting and Champa's weekly Bake off ! And to Priya's Cooking with Seeds event

Analysis by fitwatch.com . Slices 16. Amount per slice.

Calories:

171.1 kcal

Water 33.14 g

Carbohydrate* (74%) 32.08 g

Protein (13%) 5.94 g

Total Fat (13%) 2.55 g

Monounsaturated 0.25 g

Polyunsaturated 0.81 g

Saturated 0.82 g

Cholesterol 3.59 mg

Dietary Fibre 3.36 g

Alcohol (0%) 0 g

Vitamins

Vitamin A 41.38 IU

Thiamin 0.28 mg

Riboflavin 0.21 mg

Niacin 2.93 mg

Pantothenic acid 0.45 mg

Vitamin B6 0.1 mg

Folate 71.36 mcg

Vitamin B12 0.04 mcg

Vitamin C 0.98 mg

Vitamin E 0.22 mg ATE

Minerals

Calcium 29.4 mg

Iron 1.87 mg

Magnesium 38.7 mg

Phosphorus 111.58 mg

Potassium 141.25 mg

Sodium 94.59 mg

Zinc 0.84 mg

Copper 0.12 mg

Daal Series: Daal Tadka! (Tempered Lentil soup)

Another one of the Daal series. One of the simplest recipes! This method of cooking makes the khadi daal that my dad likes.. The lentils are not mushy but retain their shape (depends on cooking time. They can still get mushy and pasty if cooked too long).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup split yellow mung daal
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 medium tomato (optional)

Tempering:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• pinch of asofetida (hing)
• 5 curry leaves
• 1 dry red chili
• 4-5 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 teaspoon butter

Directions:

1. Soak the daal in warm water for half an hour
2. In a pan, heat the oil on medium heat until its nice an hot.
3. Add mustard seeds and after a few seconds of sputtering, add cumin and coriander seeds.
4. Add in the asofetida(hing) and curry leaves and mix.
5. Add in the red chili and garlic and cook till garlic is golden brown.
6. Add in tomatoes and cook for a minute.
7. Rinse the soaked daal and add it to the pan with the water, salt and turmeric.
8. Mix well. Cook covered for 10-15 minutes.
9. Add in the butter and take off heat!
10. Serve hot garnished with cilantro and lime wedges !. The Daal goes well with basmati rice or as a side dish with Roti and and any dry vegetable stir fry.
11. Enjoy!
12. Variations: can use other split daals like toor, masoor(pink), individually or in combination. Add in onions and or tomatoes to the tempering. Add in spices like fennel seeds or bay leaves to the tempering.

Khara biscuit on top is puff pastry sprinkled with sea salt and carom seeds(ajwain) and baked!

Enjoy!

Everyday Quick Chole/ chana masala! (garbanzo beans curry)

Another variation of the chole recipe! I need to make some Rajma (red kidney beans curry) too again someday.. but hubbs is not a fan.. till then its going to garbanzo beans(chickpeas), black chickpeas, and black eyes peas curries ! Other chole recipes. palak chole, kadhai chole and another everyday chole !

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• pinch of asofetida(hing)
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 inch ginger chopped (can be substituted with ginger paste)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped (can be substituted with garlic paste)
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon (fenugreek)methi seeds
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 can garbanzo beans washed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon rock salt/black salt
• 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar

Directions:

1. In a blender, add 3 medium chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, fenugreek seeds, lemon juice, 1/4 can garbanzo beans. Blend into a paste and keep aside.
2. In a pressure cooker, add oil and onions.
3. Cook until onions are translucent. Add in the spices, asofetida, chili flakes and mix well.
4. Add in the blended tomato and cook on medium low, partially covered with occasional stirring until the paste thickens and starts to leave oil (15 minutes)
5. Add in the salt and remaining garbanzo beans and a cup or 2 of water according to how you want the curry.
6. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
7. Serve hot topped with chopped onions, lemon wedges, cilantro and Rotis or Naans!

Quick Methi Malai Paneer Mutter!

This is a quickie, not necessarily authentic, but super tasty 4 sure!

Methi(Fenugreek) Malai(Cream) Paneer(Cottage cheese) Mutter(Green Peas)!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (or cumin, coriander, cinnamon, clove powders)
• 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
• 1 cup cream or whole milk
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1/2 cup grated paneer(packed cottage cheese)
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
• salt to taste (1/4 teaspoon)
• sugar to taste (1-2 teaspoons)

Direction:

• In a pan on medium heat, add butter and onions and garam masala and cook till onions are golden.
• Add in the ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute.
• Blend cashews with a little milk into a coarse paste. Add paste to the pan.
• Add in the salt, sugar and fenugreek leaves and mix well. Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium-low until the paste starts to thicken.
• Add in the peas, cream or whole milk, grated paneer and mix well. Taste for salt and sugar and adjust. Cook covered for another 2-3 minutes to bring the milk to a boil. Cook without cover if you like a thicker curry. Sprinkle chili flakes or black pepper for some spice!
• The recipe is very flexible, you can adjust the quantities of cashews, paneer, cream and other things depending on your preferences for creamier, cheesier, richer, spicier versions.
• Serve hot with Buttered Garlic Naan or Rotis!

Chocolate Multigrain Pancakes with Chocolate Chips!

Recipe of pancake is the same as the Dulce de leche Multigrain pancakes with regular yogurt or milk and 1 teaspoon organic cocoa powder!

One of the fave breakfasts these days..

Enjoy!