Sweet potato beignets

Sweet potato beignets: This is a dish that I thought of when there some leftover sweet potato shreds. It is a very easy and delicious snack. Refer to the recipe of Sweet potato shreds given earlier.


Serves: 2 to 4

Ingredients:

- 2 medium sized boiled potatoes(peeled)
- 1 cup of Sweet potato shreds (refer to the recipe posted earlier in this blog)
- 1 tbsp of corn flour
- salt
- 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
- Oil for frying

Preparation:

- Start with putting oil in a pan and heating it on the burner at medium level. The oil is to be used for deep frying.
- Take the potato shreds in a bowl and mash them with your hands.
- In a dish grate the boiled potatoes. Put salt, red chilli powder and corn flour and mix properly. Bring it all together to so that it has the consistency of dough.
- Make small balls of the potato dough.
- Take one ball of the dough and gently make a hollow cup of it (size it appropriately enough to put the stuffing).
- In the potato cup put the stuffing and gently seal it from all sides into a ball.
- Similarly stuff the other potato cups as well.
- Once the oil in the pan is hot, deep fry the potato stuffed pockets (beignets) till they are crisp and golden brown.
- Remove the beignets on a tissue paper to drain the excess oil.

- Put them in a serving dish and serve with green chutney and/or ketchup.

Masala Vermicelli

Masala Vermicelli (sevayi): This is a delicious breakfast dish from South India. The Vermicelli used here is the South Asian version (made from semolina in contrast to the Italian one which is a type of pasta).


Serves: 2


Ingredients:

- 1 cup of vermicelli
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 2 chillies finely chopped
- 4 curry leaves
- 1 tbsp of peanuts
- 1 tbsp of grated coconut
- 1 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro
- a pinch of mustard seeds
- a pinch of asefotida
- 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder(increase or decrease as per your comfort with spice)
- 1 1/2 tbsp of oil
- salt
- 1 cup of water


Preparation:

- Keep 1 cup of water to boil on a burner.
- Take oil in a pan and heat it on other burner.
- Once the oil heats up put in mustard seeds. Once the stop sputtering, put in the asafoetida, onions, chillies, curry leaves, turmeric and peanuts. Saute till the mixture is brownish (i.e. the onions are caramelized).

- Check if the water has started boiling. Keep it aside once its done.
- Put in the Vermicelli in the pan.
- Fry it till it turns slightly golden brown.
- Turn the burner heat level to low. Now put in the water, cover it with a lid immediately. Cook for a minute with the lid on or till the vermicilli gets nice and soft.

- Garnish with coconut and cilantro and serve hot.

Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice: A nice blend of rice and tomatoes seasoned with whole masala.


Serves: 2


Ingredients:

- 1 cup of cooked basmati rice
- 2 large tomatoes diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 to 8 black pepper seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tbsp of oil
- 1/2 tsp pulav masala
- Salt


Preparation:

- Take oil in a pan and heat it.
- Once the oil is heated put in the bay leaves, black pepper seeds, cinnamon, cloves (this is the masala).
- Keep the gas on medium heat and fry the masala till the aroma of the masala starts emanating.
- Now put the tomatoes. Fry on low heat till the tomatoes are nice and tender and the oil starts to separate from the tomatoes.
- Put in the pan cooked rice, salt, red chilli powder, pulav masala and mix well.
- Cook (no cover necessary) for 10 min on medium heat.
- Serve it hot with raita and pappadums.

Baked potato strips

Baked Potato strips: A very healthy and delicious option for french fries.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

- 4 large potatoes sliced as big as typical french fries
- 1 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder/red chilli flakes
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- Salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp of oil



Preparation:

- Take a bowl and put the sliced potato strips, red chilli powder/flakes, garlic powder, salt and oil.
- Toss it till all the ingredients are mixed well.
- Take a baking tray and grease it with cooking spray or oil.
- Put the strips on the tray and spread them.
- Put in the oven on 400 degrees for 20 min or till golden brown and crispy.
- Baked strips are ready to serve.

Baked Vegetables

Baked Vegetables: This famous continental dish is a mixture of vegetables with white sauce and cheese. A simple and a delicious way to get children to eat veggies.


Ingredients:

- 1 potato chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 2 cups of cauliflower florets
- 1 cup of carrots
- 1/2 cup of peas
- 1/2 cup of corn
- 1/2 cup of beans
- 1 tbsp of bread crumbs
- 1 tsp of olive oil / vegetable oil

For White sauce:

- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour (Maida flour)
- 1 cup cold milk
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese



Preparation:

- Mix all the vegetables together and steam them.
- In a non stick pan add 1 tbsp of butter. Keep it on medium heat
- Once the butter melts, add the flour and stir it till it turns light golden brown.
- Then add the milk and blend it with the flour. There should be no lumps.
- Keep on stirring the mixture till it thickens and gets a glaze.
- Once the sauce is ready take it off the heat. Now add salt & pepper and 1 tbsp of
cheese. Mix well.
- Let the sauce cool.
- In a baking bowl or pan add the steamed vegetables, add a pinch of salt to it and
mix.
- Once the sauce is cooled pour it over the vegetables in the baking pan.
- Mix the sauce with the vegetables.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese over the vegetables.
- Put the bread crumbs over the cheese. Add a tsp of olive oil over the bread
crumbs to make a nice golden brown crust.
- Keep the baking pan in the oven over 400 degrees for 25 min or till the top becomes
nice & golden brown.
- Serve it hot.

Stuffed Okra

Serves: 2



Ingredients:

- 10 to 15 washed & dried Okras
- 1/2 cup of grated dry coconut (slightly browned)
- 1/2 tsp of cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
- 1 tsp of oil
- 2 tbsp of oil to cook
- 1/tsp of mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp of asafoetida
- salt


Preparation:

- Cut the heads off the okra, then make a slit in between. Create a pocket for all the okras.
- To prepare the stuffing, place the grated coconut in a bowl and mix it with the cumin powder, chilli powder, pinch of salt and 1 tsp of oil .
- Stuff the mixture in the pocket of each okra.
- Take a wok/pan.
- Heat oil in the pan.

- Once hot put in the mustard seeds. After the seeds finish sputtering, put in the asafoetida and turmeric powder.
- Now put in the stuffed Okras individually.
- If some of stuffing is still remaining, put that in the pan as well.
- Let the Okras cook without a lid.
- Once they are tender and crispy they are ready to serve.