Dates & Nuts roll

This is very healthy dessert and easy to make also.  Dates provide essential vitamins and minerals - such as B-complex vitamins, Potassium, Magnesium and Iron.    Some kids are fussy eaters; for them this is a very good healthy snack.

 

 

Ingredients:

• 5 cups pitted and chopped Dates

• 1 cup finely chopped Almonds

• 1 cup finely chopped Walnuts

• ½ cup finely chopped Cashew nuts

• ½ cup finely chopped Pistachios

• 1 cup milk

• 8 tbsp. Condensed milk

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 tbsp. butter

• 2 tbsp. dry coconut powder

 

Procedure:

• Slightly fry all chopped nuts one variety at a time in a wide skillet for avoiding raw smell.

• Cook chopped Dates with ½ cup of milk in a Microwave/stovetop till the Dates become soft.  It will take approximately 12 minutes to cook.

• Once the Dates mixture completely cools down, then blend the mixture with the remaining ½ cup of milk in a blender.

• Now melt the butter in non-stick skillet and then pour the ground Dates mixture in it.   Stir the mixture continuously to avoid burning.

• Now add the condensed milk and sugar; cook the mixture until it becomes thick.  (The mixture should not stick to the hands. Please view the below picture)

 

• At this stage add the fried chopped nuts one variety at a time to the mixture and stir it well at the low heat.  (The final mixture looks shown in the below picture)

•         Switch of the heat and leave the Dates & Nuts mixture to cool down.
• Once the mixture completely cools down then follow the below procedure to roll them.
• Sprinkle some dry coconut powder on a plastic wrap and then put some Dates & Nuts mixture on it; fold the wrap and then slowly roll it like a log.  This way the dry coconut will equally spread on the roll.  (Please see the below picture)

 

 

• Keep these rolls in a refrigerator for at least 6 hours. 
• After that unwrap the plastic wrap and slice the rolls.
• Store them in an air tight container. 

 

 

Chayote Squash/Cho-Cho (Bengaluru Vankaya) Gravy Curry

                                                  
Chayote squash/Cho-Cho (Bengaluru Vankaya) is an edible vegetable and belongs to gourd family.  This vegetable is widely used in South American cuisines.  This vegetable is available in American produce stores and Asian produce stores as well.  Using this vegetable you can make very easy delicious dishes.  This curry gravy is white in color and it has coconut. You can eat this curry with boiled Rice or Roti.

 Ingredients:

• 2 medium size Chayote Squash
• 1 small onion
• Few curry leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp.  Cooking oil

      Masala ingredients:

•  1 tbsp. Kus-Kus/poppy seeds
•  Few cashew nuts
• 1 tbsp. Soump/Fennel seeds
•  2 green Chillies
•  2 tbsp. Fresh coconut

Masala Ingredients

Procedure:

• Wash and peel the Chayote/Cho-Cho’s.  Remove the seed and chop the Chayote into small pieces.

 

• Cook these Chayote squash pieces in a pressure cooker till 3-4 pressures.
• Dice the onions; keep it aside.
• Ground all masala ingredients with little bit water; like a fine paste.
• Warm the oil in a non-stick skillet.
• Then add cumin seeds, curry leaves, bay leaf and diced onions.
• Once everything is fried then add ground masala; stir it thoroughly.
• Once oil separates from masala then add cooked Chayote/Cho-Cho pieces in it.
• Add some salt and mix it well.  Cook this mixture for a while by covering the pan.
• Now add 1 cup of water and boil the mixture for a while.
• Once it reaches the required consistency then garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve this curry with hot boiled rice or Chapathi or Roti.

Note:  For extra flavour you could add coconut milk while boiling the curry.

Creamy Thotakura (Amaranth) curry

 

Thotakura is a green leaf vegetable. The English name for Thotakura is Amaranth. You can mix Thotakura leaves in Dal and also you can make stir fry dishes using Thotakura leaves. But this creamy curry is little bit different and very easy to make. I learnt this recipe from my mom. This dish can be served with hot rice, Roti or Chapathi.

Ingredients:

• 1 big bunch of Thotakura/Amaranth leaves
• ¾^th cup warm milk
• 1 tbsp. Rice flour
• 2 small red chilies
• Few garlic cloves
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 ½ tsp. Urad dal
• One pinch of Hing
• 1 tbsp. Cooking oil or Ghee

Preparation:

 

• Wash and separate the Thotakura leaves from the stem and chop them finely.
• Peal the garlic cloves skin and chop them.
• Heat the non-stick skillet and warm the 1 tbsp. of cooking oil/Ghee.
• Gradually fry mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Urad dal, Hing and red chilies in the oil.
• Then add diced garlic cloves and fry them as well.
• Now add chopped Thotakura leaves fry them for a while.
• After that; add the required amount of salt and cook the curry for a while by covering skillet with lid.

Note: Don’t add more salt; normally this recipe takes less salt and spice.

• Don’t add water; cook the Thotakura leaves until completely cooked.
• Now add the milk and cook it for a while without the lid.
• Once the curry starts boiling then add rice flour and stir it quickly.
• When the curry becomes little bit thick; then switch off the flame.
• Take this dish in a serving bowl and serve it.

Veggie Classic Tacos

 

Taco is a traditional Mexican dish. Tacos can be made in different styles with different variety of fillings. This can be served at any time. You can prepare tacos with soft tortillas or hard Taco shells (corn/wheat).

In this Taco recipe I have filled each Taco shells with Bell pepper filling, Black bean filling, Guacamole, Yellow corn kernels filling, Tomato salad, Tomato salsa, Lettuce, Sour cream and cheese. Here is the procedure to make Veggie Tacos and its fillings. All the below mentioned ingredients are for making approximately 10 Tacos.

 

Bell Pepper filling Ingredients:

• 2 medium size green or mixed color Bell Pepper/Capsicums
• ½ Onion sliced them length wise
• 1 tbsp. store brought Taco seasoning
• ½ tbsp. Olive oil
• Salt to taste

Procedure for making Bell Pepper/Capsicum filling:

• Cut Bell peppers and onion Length wise.
• Heat the skillet and add oil, once oil gets warm then sauté onion and capsicum.
• Once capsicum cooks 75% then add Taco seasoning and salt; mix it well and cook it for a while.
• Once everything is 90% cooked then transfer it into a bowl.

Black Beans filling Ingredients:

• 2 cups Black beans
• 1 tbsp. Taco seasoning
• ½ tbsp. Olive oil
• Salt to taste

Procedure for making Black Been filling:

• Wash and sock Black beans at least 5 hours.
• Boil these beans with little water in a pressure cooker till 4-5 pressures.
• Heat the skillet and add oil, once oil gets warm then add boiled beans (no need to drain the leftover boiled water from the boiled beans you can add that water also).
• Add salt and Taco seasoning and cook it until the water evaporates completely.
• Once done transfer it in a separate bowl.

Guacamole Ingredients:

• 3 medium size ripe Avocados
• ¼ bunch fresh Coriander/Cilantro leaves
• 2 green chilies (Depending on your taste)
• Salt to taste
• ½ tbsp. Lemon juice

Procedure for making Guacamole:

• Cut the Avocados Length wise and discard the big seed.
• Now scoop the pulp with the spoon.
• Grind the Avocados pulp, green Chilies, Coriander/Cilantro leaves, salt and Lemon juice.
• Take this Guacamole into a separate bowl.

Yellow Corn Kernel filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup Frozen corn kernels/Fresh corn kernels
• 2 tbsps. Chopped onions
• ¼ tbsp. Taco seasoning
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped Coriander/Cilantro leaves

Procedure for making Yellow Corn filling:

• Heat the skillet and put 1 tsp. oil.
• First sauté chopped onions then add Yellow Corn kernels; and sauté both of them for a while.
• Then add Taco seasoning, coriander/cilantro leaves and salt; mix it well.
• Once done transfer this filling in a separate bowl.

Tomato salad filling Ingredients:

• 2 medium size tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. fresh chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
• ¼ tsp. Black pepper powder or green chili paste
• Salt to taste

Procedure for making Tomato Salad filling:

• Dice tomatoes and keep it aside.
• Mix diced tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves, salt, and Black pepper powder/green chili paste in a bowl.

Other Taco Ingredients:

• 10 hard Taco shells
• 1 cup Ice burg Lettuce leaves
• ½ cup Mozzarella cheese or Taco cheese
• ¼ cup tomato salsa (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)

Taco assembling procedure:

• Dice ice burg lettuce and keep it side.
• Heat the hard Tacos in a microwave up to 45 seconds.
• Fill each taco with 1 tbsp. of Black bean filling, ½ tbsp. of Guacamole filling, ½ tbsp. of Bell Pepper filling, ½ tbsp. Tomato salad, ½ tbsp. of Yellow corn Kernel filling, ½ tbsp. of Tomato salsa, and ½ tsp. of sour cream, few Lettuce leaves and spread 1 tbsp. of mozzarella/Taco cheese on top of the filling.
• Now enjoy your favorite home made Veggie classic Taco.  It is very tasty and kids love this one.

Note: You can fill the Tacos depending on your choice.

Please forward your suggestions and comments.

Gongura Pachadi

 

Gongura(Roselle) is an edible plant grown in India. These leaves are sour and tangy in taste. Now days Gongura leaves are available many parts of the world as well. These leaves are cherished in Andhra cuisines more than any of other green leafy vegetables. Gongura leaves are used for preparing pappu, pachadi and other vegetarian and non-vegetarian Andrapradesh State dishes. Gongura pachadi is one of the favorite dishes for my family.

 

Note: Sometimes Gongura leaves don’t taste tangy; in that case we can add 1 tbsp. tamarind paste at the time of grinding the Gongura Pachadi.

Also please don’t add Chana Dal or Urad Dal in this recipe, because you won’t feel the taste of Gongura.

 

Gongura Leaves

Ingredients:

• 1 big bunch of Gongura leaves
• 1 tbsp. Coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• ½ tbsp. fenugreek seeds
• 8-10 red dry chilies
• Half onion (Optional)
• 2 tbsp. oil
• Salt to taste

Tempering/Tadaka ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• One pinch Hing
• One red dry chilly

Preparation:

• Separate leaves from the stalk and wash them in water and leave them out to dry.
• Dice onion and keep it aside.
• Take a skillet and dry roast the coriander seeds, sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds and red chilies till light brown color (Please don’t add any oil while roasting them). Before switching off the flame add ½ tsp. of oil and take them in a bowl and let it cool down.
• Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in the skillet. Add the leaves and sauté them until soft. After that switch of the flame and let it cool down.
• Grind already roasted coriander seeds, sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds, salt and red chilies till coarse.
• Then add sautéed Gongura leaves to the ground mix and grind it well until everything is well mixed.
• Now add diced onions to the above ground mix. This time don’t grind it at high speed just press the pulse button once. (Adding onions is an optional procedure)
• Now heat the skillet and prepare the tempering with oil, mustard seeds, Hing and red chilly; fry it well and then add ground Gongura pachadi and sauté it for a while until the raw smell of Gongura leaves goes off.
• Now you can eat this pachadi with hot rice and ghee.
• This pachadi can be stored in refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.