Savoury French Toast with Spinach… Corn and Cheese…

A perfect breakfast or snack with a cup of tea… in monsoon… best for lunch box too… a jhat - pat recipe with easily available ingredients in our pantry.. 

Ingredients 

4 Eggs 

1 small Onion chopped 

2 to 3 Garlic Cloves 

1 small piece of Ginger 

2 to 3 Green Chillies or more as per taste 

Few Coriander Stems 

2 to 3 Spinach Leaves chopped 

1/2 cup Corn

6 White / Brown Breads 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

2 cubes of Cheese

2 to 3 tbsp Butter 

1/2 cup Oil 

Method 

Take a pan, brush the pan with butter, add the spinach leaves, sauté the leaves for a minute or 2 until the water from the spinach evaporates. Boil the corns and drain the water out. Grind the corns into a coarse paste. Remove the corn paste into a bowl, cut the cheese cubes into small pieces, mix the cut cheese pieces into the corn paste. 

Take a grinder / blender / chopper, add the onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, coriander stems and spinach. Make a coarse paste, add the eggs and blend. Add salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together. Remove the eggs batter in a flat bowl. 

Savoury French Toast with Spinach… Corn and Cheese… 

A perfect breakfast or snack with a cup of tea… in monsoon… best for lunch box too… a jhat - pat recipe with easily available ingredients in our pantry.. 

Ingredients 

4 Eggs 

1 small Onion chopped 

2 to 3 Garlic Cloves 

1 small piece of Ginger 

2 to 3 Green Chillies or more as per taste 

Few Coriander Stems 

2 to 3 Spinach Leaves chopped 

1/2 cup Corn

6 White / Brown Breads 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

2 cubes of Cheese

2 to 3 tbsp Butter 

1/2 cup Oil 

Method 

Take a pan, brush the pan with butter, add the spinach leaves, sauté the leaves for a minute or 2 until the water from the spinach evaporates. Boil the corns and drain the water out. Grind the corns into a coarse paste. Remove the corn paste into a bowl, cut the cheese cubes into small pieces, mix the cut cheese pieces into the corn paste. 

Take a grinder / blender / chopper, add the onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, coriander stems and spinach. Make a coarse paste, add the eggs and blend. Add salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together.  Remove the eggs batter in a flat bowl. 

Take a pan, add the butter and oil, heat the oil moderately, take a bread piece, dip the bread paste into the egg batter and coat the bread well. Place the bread piece into the oil, keep the flame medium to low. Spread the corn - cheese spread over the bread piece. Now take another bread piece. Dip and coat the bread piece well in the egg batter. Place the bread piece over the corn paste. Now shallow fry the bread on both the sides until golden brown in colour. Once done, remove the French toast on a paper towel. Repeat the same process with the remaining ingredients. Cut the French toast into half. Serve the French toast with sauce of your choice.

Vateli Dal na Khaman Dhokla

This is a very popular snacks from the state of Gujarat.. I have grown up enjoying this with fafda and Jalebi from my childhood days, this was my father’s favourite combo… very often this was our breakfast in the morning specially on weekends as I have grown up in Gujarati neighbourhood… 

Lots of Chana dal was there in my pantry, so had to make this recipe.. Here the Chana dal has to be fermented overnight.

 

Here is the recipe - 

Ingredients 

1 cup Chana 

1 tsp Ginger - Green Chilli paste

1 Green chilli cut into half and slit

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

Few Curry leaves 

2 tbsp Fresh grated Coconut 

2 tbsp Nylon Sev (optional)

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 Mustard seeds

Pinch of Asafoetida 

1/2 tsp Eno 

2 tbsp Curd

1 tbsp Sugar 

1/4 cup Water

1 tsp + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Oil

Method 

Soak the Chana dal for 5 to 6 hours. Grind the Chana dal into smooth paste, the batter should be of thick consistency. Let the batter ferment overnight. Take the batter, add ginger- green chilli paste, salt, turmeric powder, curd and 1 tsp oil. Beat the batter well. Add eno, mix the batter once. Take a steamer, grease the dhokla vessel, pour in the batter, fill 3/4 of the vessel. Steam the dhokla for 20 minutes,  insert a toothpick to check. Once done, remove the dhokla vessel and keep it aside to cool, meanwhile take a small pan, add 1 tbsp oil, let the oil heat, add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chilli, once the mustard seeds splatter, switch off the flame. Take 1/4 cup of water and add sugar. Once the sugar dissolves add the sugar water into the seasoning. Cut the dhoklas into diamond shape, drizzle the seasoning over the dhokla, garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut. Serve with green chutney and nylon Sev. 

Thalassery Biriyani

 

Thalassery biryani is a popular dish from Thalassery that is situated in the Malabar cost of Kannur district in the state of Kerala. 

The history says that this dish dates to the 18th century, during the reign of the British East India Company.  The biriyani along with other local dishes were introduced to the The British officers by the local Muslim Mappila Community, who have settled in Kerala coming from the Middle Eastern — Arab or Persian. The British officers were very impressed with the unique aroma of the dish. This dish not only become famous amongst the officers but also amongst the other local communities of Kerala. 

- Net source 

The biriyani is made using spice blend that consists of fennel seeds along with other spices that is not used in other biriyani masala. Cashew and Raisins are fried and used in the dish. Aromatic short grain Kaima/Jeerakasala rice that is locally grown is used for this dish. Chicken or Mutton is cooked separately with the spices, curd, onions, ginger - garlic paste and tomato. The rice is cooked separately with whole spices.The rice and meat are then layered and cooked together on dum / sealed pot. 

There are many versions of this dish… Inspired from Swasthi's Recipes blog, here is the recipe from my kitchen.. 

To make the Biriyani Masala - Ingredients 

2 tsp Fennel seeds 

1 tsp Pepper corn

1 tsp Shah Jeera / Caraway seeds

6 Cloves 

4 Green Cardamom 

1 medium piece of Cinnamon 

1 Star Anise 

2 Mace / Javitri 

1/2 tsp Nutmeg powder 

2 Dried Red chillies 

Method

Grind all the above ingredients into a powder. 

To make the Rice - Ingredients 

2 cups Kaima/Jeerakasala 

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds 

2 Cloves 

2 Green Cardamom 

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

2 Bay leaves  

2 Red dried Chillies broken into  pieces 

Salt to taste 

1 tbsp Ghee

Method 

Wash the rice and keep aside. Take a pot, add the ghee, add the spices mentioned above, sauté for few seconds. Add the washed drained rice and salt, stir for few seconds, add 4 cups of water, let the rice cook until the water has evaporated completely and the rice has cooked well. Leave the rice open and stir the rice occasionally so that the rice doesn’t form any lumps.. 

To make the Chicken - Ingredients 

1 kg Chicken cut into pieces 

2  + 1 large Onions sliced 

1 large Tomato sliced 

1 tbsp Ginger paste 

1 tbsp Garlic paste 

2 tbsp Green Chilli paste 

1/2 cup Curd beaten 

1/4 cup broken Cashews 

1/4 cup Raisins 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 cup Ghee 

Method 

Take a pot, add ghee, let it melt, add 1 onion sliced and fry the onions until golden brown in colour for the birista, remove the onions and keep it aside, in the same ghee fry the cashews and raisins, once golden brown remove and keep them aside. Add 2 sliced onions, fry until light brown in colour, add the ginger- garlic and chilli paste, stir occasionally and sauté the masala for a minute. Add the curd, tomato sliced, turmeric powder, 2 tbsp spice powder and salt, stir and continue to cook for another minute. Add the chicken, stir, cover and continue to cook on medium low flame stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked. 

To Assemble the Biriyani - Ingredients 

Chicken 

Rice

1 tsp Spice Masala 

Fried Cashews and Raisins 

Brista 

1/4 cup Coriander and Mint leaves chopped 

2 tbsp Ghee melted 

2 tbsp Rose water

6 Boiled Eggs (optional)

Banana Leaves (optional)

Method 

Take a heavy bottom pot, place the banana leaves (optional), add some rice, add the chicken gravy uniformly over the rice, add the boiled eggs, sprinkle some spice masala, some fried onions, some fried cashews - raisins, chopped coriander- mint leaves, drizzle some ghee and rose water, add another layer of remaining rice over the chicken gravy, repeat the process - add the remaining spice masala, fried onions, fried cashews - raisins, chopped coriander- mint leaves, drizzle the remaining  ghee and rose water. Cover the pot with a lid, seal the pot or cover the pot with a tight lid. Place the pot over a hot tawa and cook on low flame for 20 minutes. Let the pot be covered for another 20 minutes before serving the biriyani. Serve the biriyani hot with raita and Papadam . 

Chicken & Vegetable Gravy served with Mashed Potato and Butter Tossed Noodles

 

When it comes to cooking just for your own self, it’s very boring… to make it interesting, here is a simple continental dish with Maggi masala and other ingredients that was available in my kitchen. Any vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, coloured bell pepper, baby corn can be added. For Vegetarians please omit the chicken.. 

Ingredients 

1 pack of Noodles 

1 Boiled Potato 

1/2 cup Boneless Chicken pieces 

1 cup Mix Vegetables like Mushrooms, Capsicum, Carrots, Onions etc. cut into medium size cubes or sliced 

Few Coriander leaves 

1/2 tbsp crushed Garlic

1 cube of Maggi Chicken or Vegetable stock

1 Maggi Masala that comes with Maggi Noodles 

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Fresh Cream

1/4 cup Milk 

1 tbsp Wheat Flour 

Salt and Pepper powder to taste 

1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp Butter 

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil 

Method 

Add 1 1/4 cups of water in a pot, let the water simmer, add the vegetable stock cube and let it dissolve, add the noddles, let the noodles cook, once done, separate the water from the noodles and keep both aside. 

Now take a pan, add oil and 1/2 tbsp butter, let the butter melt, add the garlic, sauté for few seconds, add the vegetables and stir fry for a minute. Remove the vegetables and keep them aside, in the same pan, add the chicken pieces and sauté them until they are cooked. Remove the chicken and keep them aside. In the same pan now add one cup of vegetable stock water used for boiling the noodles. Let the water simmer, take 1/4 cup fresh cream, Milk and wheat flour and make a slurry. Add the slurry into the simmering water and keep stirring until the gravy begins to thickens, no lump should form. Now add the the chicken, cooked vegetables, and a packet of Maggi masala that comes with the noodles. Taste and then add extra salt accordingly if required. Let the gravy simmer for a minute, switch off the flame. Take the boiled potato, grate the boiled potato with the help of a grater, add 2 tbsp cream, 1/2 tsp butter, some salt and pepper powder, mix all the ingredients very well. Take the noodles and simply toss them in the remaining butter and salt to taste 

Take a plate and assemble all the dishes together, sprinkle some coriander leaves on the gravy and serve them hot. 

Enjoy the dish with some beverage of your choice. After all Self love is the first love 💕

Gima Saag / Dime Saag e Bora / India Chickweed/ Bitter Cumin fritter

 Gima Saag / Dime Saag (Indian Chickweed / Bitter Cumin grows wild mostly near small water bodies like lakes, ponds, streams etc.. and also grows wild on land.. it grows round the year, but grows more during monsoon. Many of us must have seen this weed growing in our pots and garden, but generally we pluck them out. Next time grow them and enjoy as a side dish. It belongs to carpet weed family. It has medical properties and is bitter in taste. It has healing properties to cure constipation, indigestion, skin problems etc. It’s used as vegetable in rural Bengal. The leaves are used for cooking. Mostly it’s not very popular in urban cities.. sometimes sold by villagers in the market but commonly consumed in the rural areas where there are open lands and water bodies.

 I was fortunate to source this weed from a nearby field that’s situated near the banks of river Ulhas that is few minutes away from my place.. my Didi (house helper) was very sweet enough to get it for me. God bless her. 

We make stir fry, flitters, mashed or sabji out of this weeds. 

Today I made Flitters / Bora with Gima Saag 

Ingredients 

1/2 bowl of Gima saag leaves 

3 Garlic cloves chopped 

2 Green Chillies chopped 

4 tbsp Besan / Chickpeas flour 

2 to 3 tbsp Rice flour 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Oil to fry 

Method 

Take only the leaves of the Gima Saag, wash it well, add salt, turmeric powder, chopped green chillies and garlic, rice flour and chickpea flour into the bowl, add very little water if required, mix all the ingredients together until all the ingredients binds together into a very soft sticky dough.. Heat oil in a pan, take small portions of the dough, flatten it and place the portions in the hot oil, fry the flitters until golden brown in colour from both the sides. Enjoy it hot with steamed rice.