Veggie Omelette - Eggless/Vegetarian

Veggie Omelette a very healthy and tasty alternative to the traditional omelette for those who follow vegetarian diet or do not like eggs. This can be served as a good breakfast option and goes very well with bread. Bread or Pav Omelette is a very famous and favorite combination across India and across the Globe as well. When you add veggies (you can add veggies of your choice) and some cheese this transforms into the most delicious meal option. 

Veg Omelette with Pav and a Granny Smith Apple - A Wholesome and Nutritious Breakfast

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Besan(Gram Flour) 
• 2 Tbsp Maida (All- purpose Flour) 
• 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
• Salt to Taste 
• 1/4 Tsp Black/White Pepper (Crushed)  
• 1/2 Cup Onion (Chopped) 
• 1/4 Cup Bell Pepper (Green/Red/Yellow/Orange) 
• 2 Tbsp Cilantro (Chopped) 
• 1 Green chilli (Finely Chopped) 
• 1 Tsp Butter

Procedure

• In a mixing bowl add Besan and Maida mix well 

Add Besan and Maida to the Mixing Bowl and mix well

• Add water and whisk to make a smooth paste with slightly runny consistency 

Pour Water to the flour mixture to make a smooth batter

Whisk well for 3-4 minutes and make a smooth runny consistent batter

• Add baking powder and salt and whisk again, set the mixing bowl aside for a few minutes 

Add Salt and Baking Powder to the batter and whisk again

• Now add the chopped Onion, Green Chilly, Cilantro, Bell Peppers to the mixing bowl (You can add more veggies of  your choice like carrot, spinach, peas, spring onions etc.) 

Chop your veggies and keep them ready

• Whisk well and blend all the veggies with the batter

Add the chopped veggies to the mixing bowl and whisk once again to blend well

Make an even well blended batter for the veggie omelette

• Heat a nonstick pan and add butter and coat the pan well 

Add butter to the pan and heat it until it melts (do not over heat the butter or else it will turn brown)

• Pour the batter into center of the pan and tilt/swirl the pan to carefully spread the batter evenly 

Pour the batter in the center of the pan and swirl the pan to spread the batter evenly

• Add Black/White Pepper to the mixture while it is still runny 

Add black/white pepper powder (as per your choice and spice level)

• Cover the pan with a lid for 2 minutes and cook on a medium flame

Cover the pan with a lid to allow the omelette to cook evenly

• Flip the Omelette over once you get an even seer, cook the other side well 

Carefully lift the omelette and flip it over, make sure you get a light golden brown seer on the bottom

• Once done, serve hot with Bread or Pav (you can add some Tomato Sauce on the side) 

A well made Veggie Omelette is a delicious meal option  

Akki Roti - A Karnataka Special

This one is a Karnataka special, a traditional rice flour based roti which is made in two variants: The plain akki roti and the masala akki roti. The plain variant is a very simple and smooth crepe and requires a nice chutney to go along with it, while the masala variant is more flavorful and stands by itself. You can have it as-is or use a red (tomato and onion) chutney or coconut chutney as a dip. Try this flavorful and filling roti as a breakfast or a meal option

Masala Akki Roti is best served with a chutney and some spicy podi

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Rice Flour (Use fine rice flour and not coarse rice flour as you will find it hard to shape while tapping with hand)
• 1 Cup Red Onion (Chopped)
• 1/2 Cup Cilantro (Chopped) 
• 2 Strands Curry Leaves (Chopped) 
• 1 Inch Ginger (Grated)
• 2 Chilli (Chopped) 
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1 Cup Oil 

Procedure

• Add fine rice flour in a mixing bowl 
• Add onion, cilantro, green chillies, curry leaves, grated ginger, cumin seeds and salt per your taste 
• Mix all the ingredients well with the rice flour 
• Add water and knead all the ingredients to a smooth and soft dough (the dough must be soft, check with your finger without putting much pressure) 

Make a smooth and soft dough for the Akki Roti, you should be able to tap it gently with your fingers to spread it evenly

• Set the dough aside for 10-15 mins 
• Now take a banana leaf and coat it with oil (You can also use the back of a smooth tawa instead of the banana leaf) 
• Make a ball sized dough and place it on the oiled banana leaf

Make a small dough ball and spread it across a well oiled banana leaf

• Tap it gently in the center and allow it to expand out into a thin and round roti (tap the edges in to make a nice consistent round shape) 
• Make 3 holes in the middle of the roti as it will help the oil to seep in evenly and roast consistently across  the surface 

Spread the Akki Roti evenly to a thin thickness and round shape, make 3 holes in the middle of the roti

• Heat a nonstick tawa and pour some oil and spread it evenly across the surface
• Carefully flip over the roti along with the banana leaf onto a hot tawa press gently
• Now peel the banana leaf gently (the Akki roti will hold onto the tawa and the banana leaf will peel off easily) 

Carefully place the Akki Roti on a heated pan and gently press the banana leaf then gently peel it off

• Allow the akki roti to cook well and form a light brown base

Place the Akki Roti carefully on a heated pan and press gently on the banana leaf and then peel it off gently

• Now flip the roti over, pour some more oil in the center and along the edges and cook the other side well

Flip the Akki Roti and allow it to cook well on both sides

• When both sides are done, serve hot along with a nice chutney 

Soya Sweet Potato Kebabs - Vegan and Gluten-free

Kebabs have been an integral part of Indian cuisine both with the invasion of the Mughal influence and prior to that. Historically kebabs have been non-vegetarian and have been made from different kinds of meats, but as times evolved the vegetarian kebabs also found their way into the menus and into the hearts of many people. Today I have tried a gluten-free and vegan-friendly kebab made from soya granules and sweet potato. This high protein variant is easy to make , absolutely guilt-free, delectable and dances on your palate. 

Ingredients 

• 2 sweet potatoes
• ¼ cup soya granules
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 small onion, finely chopped 
• 1 green chilli finely chopped
• ½ tsp each - turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi
• Salt, oil
• Coriander leaves

Procedure 

• Boil, peel and mash the sweet potatoes

Boil, Peel & Mash the Sweet Potatoes

• Cook the soya granules, drain them and squeeze off all the excess water.

Boil Soya Granueks and squeeze all the water out of tjem

• In a kadai, heat 1 tbsp oil and saute the onions, ginger garlic paste, green chilli. 

Chop onions, green chillies and have your fresh ground ginger garlic paste ready

• Add all the dry spices, followed by the cooked soya granules. Saute this for a few mins.
• Add the boiled and mashed sweet potato, salt, kasuri methi and coriander leaves.

Mix everything together and make a well blended dough

• Mix everything well and shape into kebabs.

Mix everything well and shape into kebabs

• Shallow fry in oil and serve hot.

Eggless Multigrain Bread Loaf

The joys of baking can be realized only when you get you hand dirty with some flour, they say baking is a science and needs precision, I say baking is therapeutic. The aroma from a freshly baked loaf and the glistening golden top crust is a joy to the soul. Here is a very simple straightforward, no frills recipe to an Eggless Multigrain Bread, do try and get your hands dirty with this flour because the fruits of labor are joyous beyond compare  

Eggless Multigrain Bread Loaf

Ingredients 

• For 1 loaf you need 3 cups multigrain flour, US standard size
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, use 1 tbsp if you want to cut it
• 2 tbsp yogurt or dahi
• 1 tbsp Rosemary

Procedure

• Mix the salt and multigrain flow (atta) and sieve it about 2-3 times

Take 3 cups of multigrain flour

US Cup Measurements

Seieve the flour well to remove any lumps or coarse texture

Sieve 2-3 times to get a fine flour powder

• Add the Oregano or Rosemary or any herb you would like to the mixture 





Add Salt, Oregano to the flour and mix well

• Add the yogurt (dahi) to the mixture as well

Add yougurt (dahi) to the flour

• Heat water to lukewarm, you should be able to dip your finger in it 
• Dissolve the sugar and yeast, let it froth well 

Heat water to lukewarm temperature, add sugar and dissolve, then add the yeast

Allow the yeast to froth up

• Add the frothed up yeast into the atta mixture, add this a little at a time and make a soft, sticky dough
• Knead the dough well for 15 mins until it forms a soft well formed ball 

Knead the flour to a soft dough

• Add butter to the dough, lightly knead cover the dough and leave it to proof for an hour

Add butter to the dough and knead again to form a soft smooth dough

Cover the dough and leave it to proof for an hour

• The dough should double in volume, now gently deflate the dough

The dough should double in size after the first proofing

• Knead the dough for 5 mins 
• Grease the loaf pan with butter 
• Shape your dough into a loaf, ensure that the top should be nice n smooth without cracks by tucking the dough nicely
• Plop the dough into the loaf pan, again cover and proof for half hour

Plop the dough into a loaf pan greased with butter and let it proof for another 30 mins under cover

• Remove the cover and brush the top of the loaf with milk
• Bake at 400 F for 25 mins
• You will see a nice golden crust form on the top
• Remove the loaf pan from the oven and brush the top with butter 
• Cover with foil and leave it to cool for 30 mins 

A nice well baked grainy texture inside ensures a tasty multigrain bread to savor

Puneri Misal Pav - Maharashtra's Magic

This much loved dish has several regional variations across the state like Khandeshi, Kolhapuri, Nashik, Puneri etc. And the beauty of it is that every single version is downright delicious! I'm slightly partial to the Puneri misal because it's low on spice. And 'spicy' and I aren't very good friends 😊        . My version of misal has kande pohe, sprouts, farsan, thick sev, katt/tarri, chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander. It should be served with pav, extra onions, lemon wedge and a bowl of sample on the side. Yes, the spicy katt or tarri is also called sample. I don't know why 😛

Some of my absolute favorite places for misal:

• Prakash, Aaswad, Mama Kane, Anand Bhuvan, Vinay health home (Mumbai)
• Shrikrishna Bhavan, Bedekar, Malhar, Katakirr (Pune)
• Sadhana misal (Nashik)
• Shree Datta snacks (Pune Mumbai expressway)

The best Misal Pav is garnished with Farsan, Onions, Coriander and Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 2 cups sprouted moth (make sure you have this soaked and sprouted before you begin making your Misal) 
• 1/2 cup potatoes (Cubes) 
• 1 Cup Onion (finely chopped) 
• 1 Cup Tomato (chopped)
• 1 Cup Coriander (chopped)
• 1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste 
• 1 Tsp Jeera (Cumin) 
• 1 Tsp Rai (mustard) 
• 1/2 Tsp Hing (Asafoetida) 
• 1 to 2 Tsp Kashmiri Red CHilli Powder (Misal is a spicy dish) 
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder 
• 1 Tsp Cumin Powder 
• 1 Tsp Coriander Powder 
• 1 Tbsp Goda Masala 
• 1 Tsp Tamarind paste 
• 3 Tbsp Oil (Misal needs extra oil than a regular sabzi, be generous with the oil) 
• Salt as per your taste 
• 1 Cup Farsan (Sev or Mixture) 
• 1 diced Lemon  
• 2 Cups Cooked Poha 

Procedure 

• Soak moth overnight and allow it to sprout for a few days, You will need to make sure you have sprouted moth ready for this recipe
• Boil moth and 1 chopped potato in a pressure cooker
• Add salt and turmeric when boiling
• Give it a good 2-3 whistles and make sure you add decent amount of water when boiling
• In a pan heat a generous amount of oil 
• Add onions ginger garlic paste and tomatoes and fry them till the oil leaves the mixture
• Add hing, salt, turmeric, misal pav masala (store bought), goda masala or garam masala, jeera powder, dhaniya powder, kashmiri mirch (add 1/2 tsp more than normal as this is a spicy dish)
• Allow the masalas cook well
• Now add the boiled moth and potatoes along with all the water from boiling
• Cook for a good 15-20 mins until it forms a deep red runny gravy
• The oil should surface on the top
• Now remove the mixture in a plate/bowl
• Make sure you serve the thick moth and aloo from the bottom and then the runny gravy on the top of that
• Garnish with chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro and farsan or some spicy mixture
• Serve hot and enjoy with toasted ladi pav

Note: If you can make poha, then make a small quantity and add it to the plate before you serve the moth and aloo, it will enhance the taste of your misal 

Make Poha and serve it on your plate before you add moth and aloo and gravy

Garnish your Misal with raw onions, tomatoes, cilantro and lemon