Tomato Omelet.... Yummy !!!

This one is again a Mama's recipe and one of my favorites. Thing I like about such recipes is that they require very little preparation time. Once the batter is done we are free to do other work and then we can make omelets when we want to eat. Also don't forget to make nariyal chutney with this. Omelets just taste perfect when accompanied with this chutney.

Other thing which I would like to share is about tomatoes. Whatever we eat is divided into 3 kinds of substances. Alkaline, Acidic and Neutral. Alkaline are good for body and help to maintain the required balance so that all the functioning in the body is going on properly. Most of the green veggies are alkaline. That's why green juices are recommended :). Well I had read some of the book and found out that tomatoes are mentioned in first 7 most alkaline foods. Here is a site that lists the alkaline foods and I found this quote by Dr. Young as well:

'Your health depends on the balance of an alkaline environment, created by eating foods such as tomatoes, avocados and green vegetables...striking the optimum 80/20 balance and regulating your body's acid/alkaline chemistry through simple changes in diet can result in weight loss, increased stamina and strength,a stronger immune system and a greater sense of wellbeing.'

I really feel such little changes make a huge difference in ones lifestyle, health and behavior. Tomato is the ingredient always present in every one's fridge and liked by all. Just eating it raw is always good. But if one gets bored we always have tons of recipes were we can use it and this one is one of them :)

Ingredients:

Serves 4

2 1/2 bowl Besan Flour
1/2 bowl Rice Flour
2 Medium size finely chopped Tomatoes
1 small finely chopped Onion
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp Green chili paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp chopped Coriander
Salt as per taste
Oil

Method:

• With the help of water, mix all the above ingredients,except oil, in a bowl, adjust the chili paste and salt and make a batter not too much thick and not too much watery, medium consistency. 
• Heat a non-stick pan and spread above batter into thin omelets (the way we do it for crepes or dosas).
• Put some oil from the sides. Turn the omelet when it can be easily done (also check if its not sticking to the pan). Cook other side and serve with tomato ketchup or coconut chutney (nariyal ki chutey).

Tips:

• Some people add little amount of thick Semolina (sooji/rava) into the batter.
• One can eat this omelet along with bread.
• Rice flour makes them a little crisp.
• Chop the tomatoes and onions real fine, this will make it easy to spread omelet and have them real thin and crisp.
• Don't forget to make nariyal ki chutney. This as per my opinion is a must have besides tomato ketchup with these omelet :). I will post my version of nariyal chutney sometime :)

Quick and Easy Masala Pav

Last week while doing the grocery I bought the Bun pack and planned to make Pav Bhaji in some days. But on the day when I wanted to make it, I found out that the peas in my freezer were out of stock :( and now I had to figure out how can I use these pav. I remembered the other thing which I can make is Kacchi Dabeli but we just had Aloo paratha last night and didn't want to eat aloo again. Then I remembered this Masala Pav. I used to eat this in India. Very spicy and mouthwatering food. Different restaurants and people have different recipes. The main ingredients in here are the onion, tomatoes and Pav Bhaji masala. I googled few recipes  and then made some variations and came up with this one. It was very easy to make this one. Everybody at home liked this recipe and I am happy to have one more entry in my recipe book :)

Ingredients:

Makes 10 - 12

12 bread Buns (Pavs)
1 cup chopped Tomato
1 cup chopped Onion
3/4 cup chopped Capsicum (Green Pepper)
1-2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp Cumin + Coriander powder (dhaniyajeera)
1 tsp red chili powder
1 1/2 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala 1 tsp butter
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
Chopped Coriander for garnishing

For Puree:

1/2 cup Tomato puree
2-3 Garlic cloves

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and then add chopped Onion. Saute for a while and add chopped garlic and capsicum. Saute till onion turns soft.

2. Now add chopped tomato, mix and saute again. Add tomato + garlic puree, turmeric powder, red chili powder, dhaniyajeera powder and pav bhaji masala. Mix well and let it cook for a while. Keep sauteing.

3. Now add salt to taste, adjust the masalas as per your taste, mix and the masala is ready. (You can also add aamchoor (dried mango) powder).

4. Heat another pan. Slice a pav into 2 horizontally and apply little butter on outer faces of each side. Take some masala in this heated pan, saute a little and immediately put this masala on the lower piece of the bun. Cover this with the upper piece and then cook this pav on both the sides till it turns little brown. While doing this lid the pan.

5. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot. (just put the pav on the chopped coriander and it will stick to the pav)

Tips:

You can prepare and set aside the masala ahead of the time and use it whenever you want to actually serve.

Bottle gourd - Bengal Gram Daal Mix (Lauki-chana daal Mix)

I am not going to write much about this recipe. Everyone makes this and I tried this combo after marriage. Never ate at my home just knew that this combination exists :). Such options are always good for tiffins.

Ingredients:

1 medium size bottle gourd diced
1/2 cup Bengal Gram Daal (chana daal)
2 tsp Black Gram Daal (udad daal)
1 tbsp Onion Chopped
1 tbsp Tomato Chopped
1tbsp  Yogurt (optional)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Red chili powder
2 tsp Green chili paste
Salt as per taste
Oil, Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida (hing)

Method:

1. Wash daal and boil it separately. You can also boil lauki and keep aside or cook it later while making the sabzi.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing. Immediately add udad daal saute for 10 seconds and add onion. Saute till they turn transparent.

3. Now add green chili paste and tomato and saute again. Add turmeric and red chili powders and then add cooked daal and lauki.

4. Add salt as per taste and around 2-3 cups of water. Let the lauki cook and masalas blend in well.

Tips:

Yogurt if not sour add more tomato or add a pinch of aamchoor powder.

Chatpata Corn-Poha Chaat (Corn and Beaten Rice Chaat recipe)

Kanda Poha or just poha is a daily breakfast in India. It's beacause this can me made in no time and is actually very fullfilling. Poha is called as beaten rice in enlish. Stores have 2 varieties of Poha: Thick and thin. For making kanda Poha or corn-poha chaat one should use thick variety. One additional thing needed for this chaat is corn poha (maka poha or simple corn flakes). I usually use the Chewda of corn poha. But if thats not available in your pantry you can just fry the flakes in no time. I will post the chewda recipes later some time.

Ingredients:

Serves 3-4

1 Cup sweet corn
1 Cup Poha (Beaten rice)
1 Cup Corn Poha or Corn Flakes (raw corn flakes fried)
1-2 tsp Chopped green chili
1 tbsp roasted Peanut crush (optional)
Tamarind water
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
Red chili powder
Salt
Lemon juice (optional)

Method:

1.Soak the poha in water. Wash and drain all the water. Microwave sweet corns untill they boil.

2. Heat some oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when they splutter add cumin seeds and green chili. Then add soaked Poha and mix well so that yellow color spreads all over. Add peanut crush. Now add sweet corn. Add salt and mix again.

3. In a bowl take flakes, crush them a little with hands, add above poha-corn mixture on it. Sprinkle some refined sugar and red chili powder on it. Add 2 tsp of tamarind water, mix again and serve immediately.

Tips:

One can also garnish with fresh chopped corriander.
Kanda Pohe is a very common breakfast in India. If they left over you can easily use them and make Corn-Poha chaat.

Back with the recipe of Gujarati Handvo / Handwa ( Lentil cake recipe )

                          I hope all my friends are doing well and posting lotsa great recipes :).
It has been a while since I posted any new recipe. Well I got some kinda work which is keeping me busy these days. I have tried many new recipes during this time but could not post them :(. Well today I got some time to post this wonderful recipe of Handvo. Handvo a.k.a Handwa is a Gujarati item and very much liked by everyone. Even my Maharashtrian friends like to eat this. Handvo can be ate as a main course item or even as a side dish. In most of the Gujarati functions and wedding parties people serve handvo as a side dish. I have referred to various sites and tried out this recipe.

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

1 Cup Rice
1/4 Cup Channa Daal (Split Bengal Gram)

1/4 Cup Toor Daal (Yellow Lentil)

1 tbsp Urad Daal (Split Black Lentil)

1/2 cup Yogurt (sour is preferred)

2–3 finely chopped Green Chilies

2 tsp Ginger Paste

2 tsp Garlic Paste

1.5 cup of Shredded Bottlegourd/Doodhi/Lauki

1/2 tsp Carom seedsAjwain

2 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Eno Fruit Salt (soda)

2 tbsp Sesame Seeds

3 tbsp Oil (divided use)

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/4 tsp Asafetida (Hing)

2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder

6-7 dried Curry Leaves

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Wash rice and all daals and soak them for 3-4 hours.

2. Drain water from the soaked rice and daal.Add yogurt and coarsely grind them (add little water; only if required).

3. In a mixing bowl, add batter from above and mix chopped ginger, chopped garlic, chopped green chilies, salt, sugar, ajwain, turmeric powder and shredded Lauki. Mix well.

4. In a small skillet, just medium heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add dried curry leaves and red chili powder. (the red chili powder may get burnt if the oil is normal hot; we have to just heat it a little) Add this to the above batter and mix well.

5. Cover and let this batter rest for 6-7 hours or overnight.

6. Add fruit salt and mix well; stir in one direction for a minute so that the batter becomes fluffy.

7. Divide batter into a greased cake pan. Sprinkle sesame Seeds over the top of the batter.

8. In a small skillet, heat remaining Oil. Add mustard seeds and let them pop. Switch off stove. Add asafetida to the oil and cumin seeds. Spread this oil seasoning over the top of the sesame seeds.

9. Bake at 350F (180C) for 30-40 minutes.Once done broil this on High for for 6-7 minutes. You can see a golden crust forming at the top. Let the handvo cool a bit before you serve it

Tips:

Handvo is usually eaten with tea. It can be tried with tomato ketchup or different chutneys.
Keep watch while broiling it. This is a fast process and may over broil the handvo.