Vegetable lasagna

I attempted making this dish somewhere around 1999 when Pastas and  pizza  were not  so popular in india. I was also unaware of it. In one cookbook I saw these recipes. Being an amateur cook and completely ignorant I tried out somehow and as expected failed very badly. Then in 2000 my husband took me to a restaurant in Delhi where I tasted pasta for the first time. After the birth of my daughter it was a regular dish in my menu.

Staying abroad, vegetarian version of  lasagna was not available in the restaurants and I had to be satisfied with my own version of it and I had no idea how the actual lasagna tastes. Only after returning to Bangalore I got to eat lasagna @Eurasia I was very happy that what I was making all these days was quite close to it.

Usually I use store-bought lasagna sheets but lockdown has taught us to make everything from scratch.

 

For the lasagna sheets:

1 cup refined flour (maida
½ tsp salt
1 tsp oil

Method:

1. Knead all the above ingredients using some water and make a tight dough.

2. Cover the dough and rest for ten minutes.

3. Roll out thin rectangular sheets out of the dough using plain flour for dusting. I have made slightly broad sheets but would recommend making little narrow to avoid tearing while boiling.

4. Boil enough water in a large pan.
Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp oil to it.
The water should be bubbling hot and drop the sheets carefully one at a time.
Immediately remove it and place on a plate. Repeat the process with remaining sheets.

For the white sauce:

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp maida
1 cup milk
Salt as per taste
1 tsp chilly flakes
½ tsp crushed pepper
1 tsp dried herbs
1 cup finely chopped mixed vegetables (beans, carrot, onions, capsicum)

Method:

1. Heat butter in a thick bottomed pan.

2. Add the veggies and saute for 2-3 minutes.

3. Whisk the flour in the milk until there are no lumps.

4. Add milk mixture to the veggies stirring continuously. Cook until it becomes thick.

5. Add the seasonings and keep aside.

For the Tomato sauce:

4 Tomatoes
6-7 garlic cloves
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp chilly flakes
2 tsp dried herbs (or pasta seasonings)
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Grind the tomatoes and garlic into a chunky puree

2. Heat oil and saute the onions until translucent.

3. Add the puree and cook for about 5 minutes

4. Add the seasonings.

Assembling and baking:

1. Preheat the oven at 180° celcius

2. Take an oven proof shallow dish and pour in a little tomato sauce at the bottom

3. Place 2 lasagna sheets.

4. Spread the white sauce filling over it.

5. Place two more sheets on top

6. Top it with the Tomato sauce

7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 if you have more sheets.

8. Cover generously with grated cheese. And dot with some butter.

9. Bake the lasagna until cheese melts and changes color ( approx 20 min).

Choco-chip banana muffins

                                                                                                                                                            

An easy method to convert all those extra ripe bananas, which no one wants to eat into a yummy, tasty and energetic desert for your kids.

Chocolate chips can be substituted by walnuts or any other dry fruits.

You can also some cocoa powder in the batter for a chocolaty taste.

makes 24 muffins

2 cups ripe mashed bananas

2 cups refined flour/maida

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup oil

4 tbsp curd

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 cup chocolate chips

to serve:
Whipped cream(optional)

1. Whisk sugar, oil and curd until the sugar dissolves.
2. Sieve flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
3. Now gently fold this flour mix into the sugar mix.
4. Add chocolate chips and vanilla essence to it.
5. Pour this batter in greased moulds or paper cups. (if using microwave then use microwave safe moulds )

microwave:
 Microwave on high for 2 min.
Allow to stand for one minute and remove from the microwave,

OTG:
Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius.
Bake for about 20 min.

my entry for:
http://ammajirecipes.blogspot.in/2013/12/event-holiday-baking-cakes-cupcakes.html

Vegetable stuffed Puff Pastry

Finally, I got the perfect recipe!

I tried several recipes to make puff pastry dough but nothing worked for a perfect pastry. While surfing the internet I came across a recipe for puff pastry. I found that its actually the method which you use plays an important role in making perfect puffs .This method seemed quite easy compared to other recipes where you have to brush the dough with fat several times. Here you only need to roll & fold, no brushing again & again. One very important thing I learnt is that while making pastry the temperature of the dough should be always maintained cold & the butter or margarine which ever you use should not be allowed to melt in the process. So here's my tried & tested recipe for puff pastry. Its actually very easy to make the pastry dough only thing scary about it is that its time consuming. So make the dough ahead when you have enough time & store it in Freezer for instant snacks.

makes: 20 medium puffs

for the pastry dough

2 cups plain flour

250 gms margarine (you can also use butter)

1/2 tsp vinegar

1 tsp salt

extra flour for dusting

for vegetable stuffing:

2 potatoes, boiled & mashed

1 1/2 cup boiled mix veg(chopped carrots, beans or peas)

3 green chillies finely chopped

2 onions chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric powder(optional)

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp lime juice

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

for vegetable stuffing:

Heat oil & saute onions until light brown.

Add the spices, mix veg, potatoes & salt. Mix well & cook for 3 min.

Remove from fire & add lemon juice.

For the pastry dough:

1. Cut a small strip from the margarine about 40gms & mix it to the flour along with salt & vinegar. Knead the flour into a soft dough using some water.
2. Cut another thin strip from the margarine about 20 gms & keep aside. This we can use for brushing purpose.
3. Now crush the margarine lightly & assemble again like a dough & roughly form into a square shape. Remember, the margarine should not melt while you are handling it.
4. Flatten the dough & place the assembled margarine block on it & wrap the dough around it.



5. Sprinkle some flour & roll the dough into an oblong shape. Don't press at once else the margarine will pop out of the dough. So gently roll it.
6. Now fold it into three parts as shown in the picture.
7. Keep it in the Freezer for about 10 min. (If the quantity of the dough is more you will have to increase the Freezing time also.)
8. Take ou the dough & roll again into an oblong shape & agin fold it into 3 parts.
9. Put it back in the Freezer. Repeat this process for 5 to 6 times.
10. Finally take out the dough from Freezer & roll it into oblong shape to a thickness of 1/4 inch & cut into small squares depending on the size required by you for your pastry.
11. Fill the stuffing in the squares & fold it either into a triangle or rectangle shape by pressing the edges together.
12. Arrange the puffs on a greased baking tray . Brush the top with the melted margarine we kept aside in the begining.
13. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees for first 15 min.
14. Reduce the temperature to 180 degrees & bake for another 10 min.

Variations: You can make any stuffing of your choice for these puffs like cheesy puffs, sweet puffs etc.

Easy to make Buns

A big thanks to my friend Nilu who introduced me to the basics of baking. Until then baking was a strict "no- no" for me.

One very important thing for perfect baking is that the measurements should be accurate. If you follow every step properly you can never go wrong with baking. Its the easiest thing once you learn it.

What you need:

1 cups tepid water

1 tbsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups flour

little milk for brushing

seasame seeds for topping(optional)

1. Mix water, sugar & yeast in a bowl until frothy. Mix salt & half the quantity of oil.
2. Add the flour slowly & knead into a soft dough.grease a working surface & place the dough on it. Using the remaing oil knead using your palms for atleast 10-15 min or until the dough becomes lighter. This step is very important to incorpulate air in the dough.
3. Divide the dought into 14 equal parts & shape each into a ball (make smooth with no cracks). Place them on a greased baking tray leaving enough space in between for them to expand.
4. Cover the tray with a plastic wrap & place it in a warm place for about an hour or until the buns are doubled in size.
5. Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees C. Remove the plastic wrap & brush the top of the buns with milk. You can also put seasame seeds on top.
6. Bake at 180 degrees C for the first 15 min. at 220 degrees C for another 15 min. Remove the buns with the help of spatula.

My entry for

Mini Pizzas

1 Pizza Base
1 cup grated cheese
Sauce:
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp ajwain (caraway seeds) or oregano

Toppings: ( you can choose any combination of vegetables, I have used sweet corn & capsicums in this recipe)
Sweet corn, Capsicum slices, tomato slices, olives, baby corn slices, etc.

Method:
1. Cut rounds out of a pizza base using a round pastry cutter. In one pizza base you can cut 7 to 8 rounds. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.


2. Mix in all the ingrdients of the sauce and spread evenly on all pizza rounds.(If you are using home-made fresh puree then cook it for a few min. until it thickens then add all other ingredients of the sauce.)

3. sprinkle grated cheese liberally on the pizza bases. Arrange toppings and bake in a preheated oven at 200 degree C (for 10-12 min) until the cheese has melted & the pizza is slightly crisp.