Savoury Mini Cake Loaf

This is a healthy vegetarian dish which can be served as snacks.

Here I have used Amaranth Flour and Semolina for the base along with vegetables. I have used chickpea leaves as it's available in the market in this season but we can use spinach leaves instead of chickpea leaves. 

Amaranth Flour contains high source of Protein, Calcium and Fiber. It is ideal for gluten intolerent. It has high levels of the amino acid lysine which help your body to properly absorb calcium from the digestive tract. Here I have used Amaranth flour from Original Indian Table which I had received it as a prize in  a contest. 

Ingredients

1 cup Amaranth Flour

1 cup Fine Semolina

1 small Onion chopped

1 medium size Carrot chopped 

1 medium size Capsicum chopped 

1/2 cup Chickpea Leaves or Spinach chopped 

2 Fresh Green / Red Chillies chopped

1 tsp Garlic chopped

1/2 tsp Ginger chopped

2 1/2 tbsp Walnut chopped

Salt to taste

1 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Soda Bicarbonate

1/4 cup Melted Ghee

500 ml Butter Milk

Method

Mix together amaranth flour, semolina, salt, turmeric powder, sugar and baking powder. Mix it. Add the ghee. Now add the butter milk little at a time into the flour and whisk it. Whisk it properly so that no lumps remain and it forms into a thick batter. Add all the vegetables. Mix the batter well. Add the soda bicarbonate and mix it again. Here I have taken 3 mini loaf tin and greased it with ghee. Pour the batter into the pan until 3/4 of the pan is filled. Sprinkle the chopped walnut on top.

Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. After 45 minutes, insert a tooth pick and check. If it comes out clean then it’s done. Remove it from the oven and let it cool a bit. Remove it from the tin, cool it further before slicing. Enjoy it with a cup of tea. 

Chingri Macher Matha diye Kochu Saag Batta..

Prawn head and Colocasia leaves Paste....

 I love traditional dishes. Many of the authentic dishes or traditional home recipes are not available in any restaurants. It’s when some one personally shares them, we get to know. These recipes are not showy but one must taste them to experience it. Recently my love for these kind of traditional simple home cooked recipes have got more rooted in me.. 

This is one such recipe I am going to share with you which is my recipe connecting to my roots. 

 I had some prawn heads left with me after making  the prawn pickle for order. I didn’t feel like throwing them as I personally love to chew the prawn heads and I feel it’s more tastier than the prawn. I also had a bunch of Colocasia leaves in the fridge. So taking these two ingredients, put together... this recipe was created... 

Ingredients 

500 grams Prawn head after cleaning the prawns.. 

(Cleaned, marinated with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. And fried in Mustard oil.) 

1 bunch of Colocasia leaves chopped without stems

1 medium size Onion chopped 

2 to 3 or more Green chills chopped 

1 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Tamarind paste

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds / Kalonji 

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp Mustard Oil

1 roasted dry whole chilli for garnishing.. 

Method 

Take 2 cups of water in a wok and add 1/2 tsp salt and colocasia leaves and let it cook till the water begins to bubble. Switch off the flame and drain the water out from the leaves. Keep it aside. Traditionally the Prawn heads and the Colocasia leaves should have been ground on a shil batta, but I have used a chopper. So first grind the prawn head and then add the leaves and grind them together again. As we don’t want fine paste, it’s better to use a chopper or a food processor. Add 2 tbsp oil in a wok. Let it heat up. Add the kalonji. As the kalonji begins to crackle, add the green chillies, ginger paste and garlic paste. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the onions and let it cook for 2 minutes or till the onions become light pink in colour. Add the prawn head and colocasia leaves paste. On a low flame, stir and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the cumin powder, stir for few seconds. Add the tamarind paste and stir for few seconds more. Now add the salt. Stir and continue to cook for another 2 minutes or till the paste starts to leave the sides of the wok. Remove the paste in a bowl, garnish with roasted whole red chilli and drizzle 1/2 tsp Mustard oil. Later you can crush the red chilli and sprinkle on top. This paste taste even better the next day. Server it with hot steaming rice... 

 P. S. You can add 2 tbsp fresh coconut paste at the end after you add salt and mix it. The coconut flavour will enhance the taste of the fish. 

Vegetable Gateau

The vegetable gateau is layered with vegetables, savoury custard and cheese which after baking becomes soft, fluffy and creamy in texture. 

This dish can be served for breakfast or dinner with bread...

It is made with vegetables, cheese, egg and sour cream. 

For the Sautéed Vegetables 

Ingredients 

2 small size Potatoes cut into cubes 

4 tsp of Garlic finely minced 

1 Carrot cut into cubes

1 medium size Egg plant cut into small cubes

1 medium Broccoli cut into small florets  

1 medium bunch of Spinach chopped 

1/2 cup of Green peas 

1 of each colour ( yellow, red and green ) medium size Capsicum cut into cubes 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Pepper powder

2 cubes / 2 tbsp of Butter

Method

Take a pan, add a cube of butter, let it melt, add 2 tsp of garlic, sauté it for few seconds. Add the 1/2 of the onion chopped, potato, carrot, broccoli, egg plant and green peas. Stir and sauté it for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water, stir and cover the pan with a lid. Let it cook for 5 minute on low flame. After 5 minuets, open the lid. Season the vegetables with salt and 1/2 tsp pepper powder and stir it. Add the capsicum and stir it again. Remove it in a bowl and keep it aside. 

In the same pan, add the remaining butter and melt it. Add the remaining garlic and onions, sauté it till the onions are light pink in colour. Add the spinach and stir it for a minute. Sprinkle salt and remaining pepper powder. Stir and cook it till the water from the spinach evaporates. Remove and keep it in a bowl. 

P. S. You can also  add cauliflower, mushrooms, French beans too... 

For the Savoury Custard

Ingredients 

1 packet of Sour Cream

4 Egg Whites

4 Egg yolks

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Black Pepper powder

Method 

Beat the egg whites till stiff. Separately beat the cream cheese till fluffy. Add salt, pepper and egg yolks. Beat it well. Fold in the egg white and that goes with the vegetables for baking. 

To Assemble 

Ingredients 

Savoury Custard 

Sautéed Vegetables 

1 cup Cheddar cheese grated

Method 

Take a greased baking pan,  pour in 3 to 4 ladles of the custard and spread it. Now add 1/2 of the sautéed mix vegetables and spread it. Pour 2 to 3 ladles of custard over the vegetables and spread it. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese on the vegetables. Bake it in a preheated oven for 10 minutes at 180 degree celsius. Remove the baking pan from the oven. Add the sautéed spinach and spread it. Pour 2 ladles of the custard over the spinach. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese. Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degree celsius. Remove the baking pan from the oven. Now add the remaining vegetables and spread it. Pour the remaining custard over the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining cheese. Now bake it for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degree celsius. Serve and enjoy this dish with garlic bread...