BAKED PASTA WITH ROASTED VEGGIES

Baked pasta with garlic bread and roasted brussel sprouts

This is an easy to make pasta dish and loved by everyone. This is for my dear friend who had asked for this recipe from so long. I fell in love for Italian food through a couple of Italian restaurants and one of the shows on food network : "Everyday Italian". I learned making many of the Italian dishes through this show. I sometimes had to make changes to the recipe to make it 100 % vegetarian, but it worked fine.  Also I learned a lot about the Italian culture and places over there. If I get a chance, I will surely love to visit this beautiful country.  Here's one of my favourite recipes which I love to make and love to eat.  According to me, this is a perfect example of 'comfort food'.  Join me in experiencing Italy through this delicious recipe!!!


Ingredients :-

1 large red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch
   cubes
1 large red onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup baby portabello mushrooms, cut into fourths
3 cups roasted red pepper and garlic sauce (if you can't find
   this, use marinara sauce)
1 pound large shells pasta
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt (acc. to taste)
1 tsp black pepper powder divided
1 tbsp dried italian herb mix divided
3-4 tbsp extravirgin olive oil, little extra for greasing the pan


Directions :-

1.  Pre-heat oven to 450 F

2.  On a baking sheet, toss red bell peppers, zucchini, summer
     squash, red onion, salt, black pepper pwd., italian herbs
     and olive oil. Roast for about 15 mins. until veggies turn
     tender.

3.  On a separate baking sheet, toss mushrooms with salt,
     pepper pwd., italian herbs and olive oil. Roast them for 15
     mins. til tender and all the water gets evaporated.
     (We are roasting them in a separate sheet because
     mushrooms have a tendency to leave lots of water when
     they cook, so we don't want them with other veggies).

4.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil on high
     heat. Once the water starts bubbling, add a handful of salt
     and then add the pasta. Stir it and let it cook for about 6-7
     mins. When you bite into the pasta, it should be still hard.
     (They will complete the rest of the cooking in the oven).
     Drain the pasta in a colander.

5.  In a large pan, combine pasta with roasted vegetables,
     grape tomatoes, sauce, 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup
    Parmesan cheeses (mix the rest of the cheeses and keep
    them for later). 

Pasta coated nicely with sauce, roasted veggies and cheese

6.  Mix everything gently till all the ingredients are combined
    and all the pasta is coated with sauce. At this point you can
    taste your pasta and add salt and pepper if you want.

Pasta ready to go into the oven

7.  Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan with oil and pour all the pasta in
    it. Top with the remaining cheeses and bake it in the oven
    for 20-25 mins. until all the cheese is melted and top is
   golden. Enjoy it with garlic bread and roasted brussel
   sprouts (recipe follows) on the side.

The cheese has melted and pasta is ready to eat!

Buon appetito!

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Ingredients :-

1 pound brussel sprouts
Salt (acc. to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
3 tbsp extravirgin olive oil

Directions :-

1.  Pre-heat oven to 400 F

2. Cut of the brown ends of the brussel sprouts and pull of   
     any yellow leaves on the outside. Cut the sprouts into 
     halves.

3. On a baking sheet, toss brussel sprouts with olive oil, salt
     and pepper till they are coated evenly with the seasoning.
     Bake them for 30-35 mins. till they are crunchy and
     golden on the outside and soft on the inside. (Shake the
     pan from time to time to bake the sprouts evenly).

Dig in and enjoy!!!

GARLIC BREAD

Mouth-watering Garlic bread

This is a very simple and mouth-watering recipe, easy to make at home. This bread can be eaten just by itself as a snack or as a side dish with pasta or pizza. I posted this recipe on a special demand by my dear friend :) Enjoy!!!

Ingredients :-

4 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature - this is important)
2 tbsp extravirgin olive oil
6 big cloves of garlic grated
salt (acc. to taste)
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
2-3 pinches red chilli flakes
1 loaf of ciabatta bread

Bread ready to go in the oven

Directions :-
 
1.  Pre heat oven to 425° F.
 
2.  Mix all the above ingredients (except bread) properly in a bowl. 
 
3.  Cut the bread in half, horizontally and spread the above mixture evenly on both the halves. 

Bread lathered with garlic spread

 
4.  Arrange the loaves butter side up and bake at 425° F for 7-10 mins. until golden on top and crunchy on the sides.

5.  Cut them into 1-inch thick slices using a serrated knife and serve warm.

Variations :-

1.  For a nice cheesy touch, spread grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese mixture on top and let it sit in the oven for 2-3 mins. till cheese is melted.

2.  Try making this bread using french or italian baguette or any multigrain loaf. To make the bottom crunchy, you can let it sit in the oven for a couple more mins. (just keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn). I tried making this with multigrain loaf and it tasted awesome! and of course it is healthy.

3.  To make herb-garlic bread, omit the italian seasoning and chilli flakes. Instead, add 1 tsp each of fresh cut rosemary and thyme to the above mixture and bake it. It tastes wonderful!

Garlic bread

CHIVDA/CHEVDO

The chana dalia, peanuts and curry leaves add a fried crunchy taste to this chivda

 This is a special snack made specially during Diwali but you can also make it any other time. As this is spicy in taste, it goes well with ladoo. So chivda and ladoo is a famous combination. This is a healthy snack as it contains less oil. It goes perfectly well with tea/coffee and so will make a great afternoon snack. You can make it any time of the year and can store it outside for around 10 days. This can make a tasty and healthy snack even if you are travelling as it stays fresh outside. This is also a good snack for kids to take at school or even eat at home.
 

Chivda/Chevdo

 

 

Ingredients :-

2 cups poha (flattened rice) thin (it comes in thick and thin varieties)
2 handfuls of raw peanuts
2 handfuls of chana dalia (you can increase/decrease the amount of peanuts and chana dalia acc. to your taste)
10-15 curry leaves/sweet neem leaves
2 tsp white sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp red chilli pwd. (or less if you want the chivda to be less spicy)
salt - acc. to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd./haldi pwd.
2 pinches asafoetida/hing

The peanuts, dalia and curry leaves add a fine color and texture to the chivda

Directions :-

1.  Heat oil in a non-stick vessel on medium heat.
2.  Once the oil heats, add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Now add turmeric pwd. followed by asafoetida. Add sesame seeds, stir them and add curry leaves.
3.  Add peanuts and saute them continuously for about 2-3 minutes till they are lightly fried.
4.  Add chana dalia, lower the flame and stir them for couple more mins. Be careful in this step  as dalia can burn quickly.
5.  Now add poha, red chilli pwd.,salt and sugar. 
6.  Stir it lightly with spatula or just toss it lightly (if you keep stirring continuously, poha might break) for about 8-10 mins till the poha become crunchy.
7.  Let it cool and store it in an airtight container. It stays fresh outside for about 10 days.

Variations :-

1.  You can also add a handful of golden or black raisins for the chewy texture.
2.  You can also add 1/2 tsp of whole coriander seeds with the curry leaves. Saute them and they will get crunchy and give a nice smoky taste to the chivda.
3.  Instead of red chilli pwd. try adding chopped green chillies for heat. Add them once you add the curry leaves and saute them for a minute till they get fried. When you eat the chivda, the fried chilli bites give a nice hot taste. Also they will help preserving the natural color of chivda.   

PEANUTS AND DATES LADOO / PEANUTS AND DATES BALLS

Roasted peanut-date ladoos

This is a sweet but healthy dish surely loved by kids and adults as well. It's an very easy dish to prepare. This is healthy as it contains all the good things - peanuts, dates, ghee and jaggery. You can easily find ghee and jaggery in any Indian grocery store. From what i have learned since childhood is that jaggery is healthier than sugar. Also it goes very well with peanuts. As kids, we used to eat roasted peanuts and jaggery  together, that combination tasted awesome! It is also very filling and ofcourse healthy. When you are looking for jaggery, try to find the "Kohlapuri jaggery" - it is yellowish white in color and has a nice sweet taste. Ghee is a very common ingredient used in India for all kinds of sweet and savoury dishes. You can even make ghee at home. This dish can also be eaten when you are on "upvas" or "fasting".

Ingredients :-

1 cup plain roasted peanut powder (recipe follows)
1/2 cup dates finely chopped
1/2 cup kohlapuri jaggery (If you don't find jaggery, you can add sugar)
1/4 - 1/2 cup ghee melted

Directions :-  

1.  Mix all of the above ingredients except ghee.

2.  Taste and see if you need more jaggery (the level of sweetness changes from person to person, also it depends on how sweet the dates are), add accordingly.

3.  Now add 1/4 cup of melted ghee, mix and try to make ladoos (the size you wish to eat :)). If the mixture is falling apart, add more ghee and form them into ladoos.

Roasted peanut-date ladoos

4.  You can store ladoos in an airtight container for about a week on the shelf. If the weather is too hot, then their shelflife will be less.

Variations :-

1.  You can omit the dates and just make the PEANUT LADOOS for a change. They taste equally nice.

2.  If you are making these ladoos in winter, you can add 1/2 tsp of dry ginger powder to it for a little warmth.

Directions for "Roasted peanut powder" :-

Buy raw unshelled peanuts from a grocery store. Roast them in a non-stick pan on medium heat for about 10-15 mins. or till the peanuts turn light brown in color and its skin starts to come off. It is important to toss them continuously or they will burn. Let them cool completely. Now grind them fine in a grinder or food processor. You can save some roasted peanuts and eat them with jaggery as i told you before. You can store these roasted peanuts or peanut powder in a glass jar on the shelf for about 15-20 days. Peanut powder can be used in many different vegetables/curries and salads.

DIWALI SPECIAL - CHAKLI/CHAKRI (makes 20-25 pieces)

Chaklis/Chakris

"Happy Diwali and a prosperous New Year!" to all my readers. Diwali or Deepavali popularly known as the "festival of lights", is an important festival in Hinduism, celebrated to signify the triumph of good over evil. The name "Diwali" is a contraction of "Deepavali" (Sanskrit : Dipavali), which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas or dipas) filled with oil, wearing new clothes, lighting firecrackers and sharing sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Diwali falls on the one new moon night between mid-October and mid-November. Deepavali is celebrated for five days according to the lunisolar Hindu Calendar and each day has its own significance. People start making snacks and sweets before a week from Diwali.

Here's a snack which is my personal favourite and prepared by everyone during Diwali - it is called "chakli/chakri". It is a spicy spiral deep fried snack. It goes well with tea/coffee or just as it is. Each state in India has its own version of  "chakli". The one i am showing is from western part of India.

Chakli/Chakri

For preparing chakli, you will need couple more things than usual, they are as follows  :-

a)  For preparing the spiral shape of chakri you will need a special instrument (called "chakli sacha"). 

Chakli sacha (Instrument used for preparing chaklis)

b)  You will also need a steamer to steam the flour. If you don't have a steamer, you will need a steel plate which fits into a big vessel. You can fill that vessel halfway with water and then fit the plate over it (make sure plate doesn't touch the water).

c)  A clean muslin cloth for steaming the flour.

Ingredients :-

1 1/2 cup fine whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter (room temp.)

1/2 tbsp white sesame seeds

1 1/2 tsp salt (or acc. to taste)

4 green chillies (or acc. to the heat you like)

1 inch piece of ginger (grind green chillies and ginger to form a fine paste)

1 tbsp plain yogurt/curd

1/4 tsp sugar

3/4 cup water (plus little more to form a pliable dough)

oil for frying

Directions :-

1.  Fill the steamer/vessel with water, turn on the gas and cover it. Take the muslin cloth, dump all the wheat flour on it in form of a heap, collect all the ends of the cloth and tie it tight to form a knot. Place it on the steamer plate, cover and steam it for exactly 15 mins. In this step, we are cooking the wheat flour.

2.  Once it is out of the steamer, let it cool completely. Then open the knot and take out the flour, it will be in form of a hard ball of dough.

Cooked ball of wheat flour

3.  Now here are 2 ways to transform it back into the flour form :-

   a)  Either pound it, break it into pieces and grind it fine.

   b)  Other is grate it through a fine grater.

   In both the cases, make sure there are no lumps left. You can break the lumps with your fingers.

4.  Add all the above ingredients to this flour except water, mix nicely with hands and taste it. At this point you can adjust the seasoning.

5.  Add water little by little and mix the flour. You have to form it into a pliable dough - not too soft. Cover the dough and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 15 mins., just to let the flavors unite.

6.  Apply Oil to the chakli instrument (sacha) from inside so nothing sticks to it. Place half or little more of the dough into it, close it tight and start making the chaklis on a newspaper or any other paper. This will prevent the chakli sticking to it. Also it will be easier to pick up the chakli and put into the fryer.

Pre-cooked chaklis on a newspaper

Pre-cooked chaklis

7.  Heat the oil over medium high heat, when the oil is hot, pick up the chakli carefully and drop it in the hot oil. Turn the heat on medium and fry the chakli in batches (2-3 at a time), turning occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried chaklis to paper towels to drain.

Mouth-watering! golden brown chaklis

8.  Once the chaklis have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They stay fresh for a week on the shelf. Enjoy chaklis with tea/coffee, they even taste delicious just by themselves.  Happy Diwali :)

GREEN CHUTNEY/CORIANDER CHUTNEY/CILANTRO CHUTNEY

Green chutney/Coriander chutney

From what i understand is, "Chutney" to Indians is something like "Pesto" to Italians. It can be used with appetizers as a perfect dipping sauce, slathered on bread to make sandwiches or  applied on chappatis to make chuntey-rolls for snacks - this reminds me of my childhood days :) Chutneys come in different varieties -  dry or wet, thick or thin, spicy or sweet etc. In fact, in India each region has their own version of chutney. Some of the chutneys which i know of are tamarind chutney, garlic chutney, coriander chutney, coconut chutney, coriander-mint chuntey, garlic-peanut chutney, garlic-peanut-coconut chutney and lot many versions. Well, today i am going to tell you about a very common chutney - the coriander chutney. Now coriander (this is what we call it in India, elsewhere it is called "cilantro") is an Old World herb with aromatic leaves and seeds resembling parsley. Dried coriander seeds can also be used whole or ground as spice in Indian food. This chuntey has a spreadable consistency. Store it in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator. Stays fresh for about a week.

Ingredients :-

1 bunch coriander/cilantro leaves chopped (also use the tender stems)
4-5 small green chillies (If you are not a big fan of spicy food, reduce the amount of chillies)
1/4 tsp salt (or acc. to taste)
handful of (approx. 15) plain roasted peanuts
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1 clove garlic
water (for thinning out the chutney)

Directions :-

Take all the above ingredients in a grinder, start grinding, add water to form a semi-liquid consistency. Grind everything to a fine paste. Taste and adjust accordingly, chutney should be spicy from the chillies and it will have a tangy-sweet taste from the lemon and sugar. 

Variations :-
 

1. You can add a sprig (8-10 leaves) of curry leaves (also called "sweet neem leaves") for a change in taste.

2. You can add 15-20 mint leaves to make the coriander-mint chutney. When you are making this chutney, skip the peanuts, lemon and cumin  from the above recipe. Adjust the quantity of salt.

POTATO-CABBAGE SABZI (feeds 3-4 approx.)

Potato-Cabbage sabzi

This is a very simple and easy-to-prepare dish with spicy flavors. Even a beginner can prepare this dish with ease. This is a dry vegetable (i.e. it has no gravy) and so makes a perfect lunch-box meal (it won't get messy :)). This sabzi  can be whipped up in minutes so this recipe is perfect for people who return after a long day of work and also for the ones who are not in the mood of standing in the kitchen preparing a lengthy dish :) Also it has very common ingredients available in any grocery store. This  goes very well with indian breads like chappatis, parathas or puris. This goes perfectly well with rice - you can add a spoonful of curd/plain yogurt to it and it will give this dish a new tangy sauce-like flavor to it. This dish is very common in western part of India especially Gujarat.

Ingredients :-

6 cups cabbage thinly sliced lengthwise
1 large potato (cut into fourths and then thinly sliced - looks like thin triangles. Preserve its color by keeping them in cold water)
1 tomato cubed

2 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable/canola/sunflower/peanut)

1/2 tsp. salt (or acc. to taste)
1/2 tsp. red chilli pwd.
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1-2 pinches asafoetida (or hing)
1/8 tsp. turmeric pwd.
coriander chopped  (for garnish) 

Pre-cooked sabzi

Directions :-

1. Start heating the oil in a non-stick pan.

2. Once the oil heats up, add mustard seeds to it and let them crackle. Keep the gas on   medium.
   (Note : Olive oil heats quickly than other oils so keep an eye on it, we don't want to burn the oil)

3. Now add the asafoetida and the turmeric pwd.

4. Add the potatoes and saute for 3-4 mins. till they turn golden. (This step ensures that potato slices stay whole and don't turn mushy when vegetable if fully cooked, also it looks good and gives a fried taste to the vegetable)

5. Add the cabbage, salt and red chilli pwd. Mix everything properly, cover it and let it cook on slow gas for about 10 mins.

6. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 mins.

7. Check the cabbage, it should be soft (if not, leave it for 5 more mins.), garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Variations :-

You can add a cup of green peas to this sabzi - this will add nice color to the vegetable and give the vegetable a twist of taste. Adjust the amount of salt and red chilli pwd. accordingly.

Now here's something new you can make for kids - a veggie wrap. For this, you will need  a whole wheat tortilla or a chappati (this is an indian style whole wheat bread), green chutney, tomato ketchup, potato-cabbage sabzi and grated cheese. 

On a tortilla/chappati,  apply the green chutney,  then some tomato ketchup and add a spoonful of the above sabzi. Add  cheese and roll it up. Either cut in half diagonally or eat it whole. Enjoy!!! This is a good option for moms who have a hard time feeding vegetables to their kids.

GATTE KI SABJI or SPICY BALLS WITH GRAVY (feeds 3-4 approx.)

Gatte ki sabji

I first remember eating this on my trip to Rajasthan- a state in western part of India, this is a very famous dish from rajasthan. This dish consists of spicy flour balls coated with spicy-hot gravy. I learned this from my neighbor who was from Bihar  that's when i learned that this dish is eaten there too. Talking of Rajasthan, if you have never been here, you should plan to be here atleast once. Rajasthan is the largest state of India areawise. This was considered "the land of kings". The palaces of Jaipur, Ajmer-Pushkar, lakes of Udaipur, and desert forts of Jodhpur, targarh fort (star fort) in bundi, Bikaner & Jaisalmer rank among the most preferred destinations.  


Coming back to the dish, its more on the spicier side so if you are not a big fan of spicy food, kindly reduce the quantity of red chilli powder in both - the "gatta" and the "gravy". (Don't worry, I will remind you again in the ingredients section). This dish is a good break from the monotonous routine of making vegetables everyday. Its also good when you are a bit laid back and don't want to go grocery shopping or weather does not permit you. This spicy sabji will definitely bring warmth to you on a cold winter day. You can enjoy it with roti/parathas (Indian style bread), also it goes well with rice due to the spicy gravy. You can get all the below ingredients in an Indian grocery store.

Ingredients :-

FOR GATTA :-

1 1/2 cup besan or gram flour
2 big cloves garlic grated
1 tsp red chilli powder (1/2 tsp if you don't want it hot)
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
2-3 pinches asafoetida or hing
3 tbsp oil (if shallow-frying)
water for kneading


Procedure :-

1.  Mix all the above ingredients properly. Now add water little by little to remove all the lumps and form a smooth dough (as you would for chappatis or pizza).

2.  Divide the dough in 15 equal portions and shape it into balls. 

Pre-cooked gattas/flour balls

3.  Fill a big pot with water and turn on the gas. Let it boil till big bubbles appear, now drop all the balls in this boiling water and let it cook for 5 mins. Occasionally stir them with spatula without breaking the balls. Do not reduce the flame and keep an eye on the balls. You will see that after 5 mins. they start floating on the top and have swollen.

4.  Remove them from the water and let them cool completely on a plate. Now cut them into fourths, they will cut smoothly as if cutting a boiled potato. Now either you can shallow fry them in oil until golden brown or leave them as is and put them into gravy. 

Fried gattas (also can be used as an appetizer)

5.  I like the shallow-fried version because the top becomes crunchy. For this, take 2 -3 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan and shallow fry the balls in batches until they are golden brown. Remove them on a plate. They are ready to go into the gravy.


These fried gattas as a spin-off make quite tasty appetizers. Just sprinkle it with little bit chat masala or pani-puri masala or leave them as is, they still taste good. Spear them with fancy toothpicks, serve them on a platter with green chutney or tomato ketchup. They are finger lickin' good. (Killing two birds with one stone :) )


FOR GRAVY :-

2 large onions (1/2 onion finely chopped, other 1 1/2 onion for masala)
1 large tomato diced
1/4 tsp cumin seeds or jeera
3-4 dried red chillies broken
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp asafoetida or hing
1/8 tsp turmeric pwd.
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. red chilli pwd. (1/4 tsp if you don't want it hot)
1/2 tsp salt (or acc. to taste)
1 tsp coriander and cumin pwd. or dhana-jeera pwd.
1/2 tsp. garam masala pwd. (this is a mixture of many ground spices)
1 tbsp oil
fresh coriander leaves (for garnish)
grinder/food processor (for making fine paste)
water (for thinning out the gravy)

Procedure :-

1.  In the grinder add 1 1/2 onion (chopped into cubes - just to help the grinder), garlic cloves, red chilli pwd., coriander-cumin pwd and garam masala to make a fine paste.

2.  In a non-stick pan, add oil and turn on the gas. After 1-2 mins, as the oil heats add cumin seeds, once they change color in about 30 sec., add asafoetida and turmeric pwd. Now add dried chillies and bay leaves. Add the half chopped onion and let it turn translucent.

3.  Add the diced tomato and let it cook till it gets soft (around 3-4 mins.)

4.  Pour the fine paste, salt and mix everything properly. Add 1 cup water, cover it and let it simmer for 5-7 mins. Keep an eye on it, if the gravy dries out, you can add little water.

5.  Add 3/4 ths of the fried or boiled gattas (whichever way you prefer), adjust the gravy if necessary. Gravy should have medium consistency like a sauce - nor too thick nor too thin. Let it all simmer for 5 more mins.

6.  I purposely added gattas to the gravy while boiling so that they turn a little soft and all the spicy gravy sticks to it, the remaining gattas can be used while serving - as a garnish or can be eaten just "on the side".

7.  Garnish this dish with chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy it hot with either roti, parathas or rice.

8.  If you are looking for a twist, mix this sabji with rice, add 1-2 spoons of curd/plain yogurt. The heat from the sabji and the tang from the yogurt will make it even more delicious. Whichever way you choose to eat, this dish is sure to satisfy your taste buds :) Bon appetit!