Cheese Stuffed Potato Cutlets or Tikki and Sandwich

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

When I got married to a Sindhi, I got few Sindhi cooking books from my friends and my brother. . 

I took the book by Anita Raheja and I have tried most of the recipes from her book. And I can manage to cook many Sindhi dishes with her cooking book.

Last week was the Sindhi Food week for me, I prepared Sai bhaji, Sindhi Curry, Bhooga chavar, Seyal Dabal and yesterday I made Aloo tikki.

Still Independence month is going on :-)

But I thought to do some variation in this. Now a days, I am using more dairy products for my kids, as my younger daughter does not drink milk everyday. I keep Cheese in my fridge, whenever it is available. Today I had Mozzarella cheese. I thought of stuffing it in the tikki and try. And for sure, tikkis came out very well. I enjoyed it with green chutney, my younger daughter had mini tikkis and the elder one had it as a sandwich filler.


Now, some information about the nutrition values of Potatoes and Cheese.
The potato is the best source of Carbohydrate. And contains vitamins and minerals. And potato is very good food for kids if given every alternative day in any form such as curry, paratha, fry or baked potatoes.
And now about cheese : Cheese is valued for its portability, long life, and high content of fat, protein, calcium, and phosphorus.(Cheese) And Cheese is a very good source of calcium which is a good option for a mother of those kids who does not like to have milk.

Here goes the recipe,

Potato - 6 medium

Shelled Peas - 1/4 cup(optional)

Bread - 2 pieces

Corn flour - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tsp

For stuffing,

Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 cup, grated for stuffing

White pepper powder - 1 tsp

Salt a pinch

Mix the three ingredients slowly and keep it in a fridge till you prepare the tikki dough.

To make paste :

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp

Green chilly - 2 or more if you like it spicy

Cumin Seeds - 1tsp

Salt to taste 

Make fine paste with above ingredients. 

Oil to fry the Tikkis

1. Boil the potatoes. Peel and smash it or grate it.

2. Boil the peas and smash it.

3. Soak the bread pieces in water for a minute. Drain the water.

4. Take the grated potatoes, peas, chilly paste, corn flour, mashed bread and oil in a big bowl or plate. 

5. Mix well to make a soft dough. 

                                

6. Divide the dough into equal portions.

7. Take one portion, press in the middle and put 1 tsp cheese. 

8. Carefully close it and give a ball shape, taking care of not pressing hard. 

9. Flatten it to make round tikki.

10. Repeat with other dough.

                                        

11. Heat oil in a kadai.

12. Deep fry in hot oil till golden color.

13. Serve hot with  GREEN CHUTNEY or ketchup.

My elder daughter's sandwich with these tikkis

                                         

                                                       

My younger daughter's mini tikkis as she did not like the big ones. 

                                                       

Linking it to
http://sindhirasoi.com/link/potato/
Sending this to

Neha's (of Home Made Food) 

Kids Menu Event

Keep Smiling,

Aloo Matar Sabji (Peas & Potato masala) - Microwave method

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

Most of the times, my use of microwave is restricted to warm the food. But now a days I am trying to make new recipes in it, as it is like an extra hand for me. Morning is very busy time, cooking all the things at a time, Make coffee, boil the milk and drinking water, make breakfast, prepare the food for kid's lunch box. My two burner stove is not enough for me. Thats why, when ever I am short of time with many things to cook in short time, I take the help of microwave. There are only few dishes I always love to repeat it. One is Microwave Chocolate Cake (learnt it 2 months back, and its my daughter's favorite) which I repeat once a week. 

The second one is this, Aloo matar sabji which goes very well with Puri and hot chapatis.

Here is the way to make it 100 % in microwave

Ingredients :

Potato - 4 to 6 medium

Onion - 1 big, finely chopped

Fresh or frozen peas - 1/2 cup

Tomato - 1 big, grated

Curry leaves - few

Coconut milk - 1/4 cup(I used ready coconut powder and added it in warm water)

Oil - 1 tsp or you can skip it.

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp (I use MTR product which is mild but gives good aroma)

Fresh coriander to garnish

Wash the potatoes. Prick all over. 

Keep in the microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes or if your M/W has the option to boil the potatoes(I have) cook it with the option on for 5 minutes. Allow it to cool. Peel the skin and cut into cubes.

Cook the peas also in M/W on HIGH for 3 minutes. Keep aside

Take oil in M/W safe bowl  (if using). Keep on HIGH  for a minute. Remove and add onions. Or if not using oil, add the onions directly.

Keep on HIGH for 3 minutes and let the onions fry and change the color. I forgot to take the snap of that.

Next add the tomato and mix it. Cook on HIGH for 3 minute, stir in between. 

Remove it. Add all the dry powders. Cook for half a minute. Now other remaining ingredients except the coriander. Cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 minutes.

Keep it in the M/W for few minutes. 

Open and transfer it into the serving bowl. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Aloo matar sabji is ready to serve.

This makes for 4 to 6 persons.

My daughter loves (me too!) to have it with puri like this :

                                  

Sending this to two events :

PJ's Microwave Easy Cooking -Event Announcement (linking it to Srivalli;s MEC announcement page.)

And 

 Srivalli's 365 days of Microwave Cooking! event 

Keep Smiling,

Puri Kurma

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

My Husband's favorite dish, which he loves to eat for his breakfast, lunch, dinner or his lunch box. Even my daughter loves to take it for her Tiffin box. 

Recipe for Puri :

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Hot oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Milk - 2 tbsp

Water to make dough

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and make in to a dough(not too soft nor too hard)

Keep it aside only for 10 minutes.

Oil to fry puri.

Keep oil in a kadai. Till it gets hot, 

there are  two ways to roll the puri,

normal method is,

take small lemon size balls and roll into small round shapes. Keep it aside. Once the oil is hot, slip all the puris one by one and fry the puris on high flame. If you try to fry it in low flame, the puris will soak more oil. 

My method is,

Take a big portion of (almost a big orange shape) dough and roll it into thick and big round cirlce(in to the size of a eating plate). Take a small bowl or katori which has sharp edge. Keep it with sharp edge on the rolled dough on a side and press it hard so that you will get the puri out when you remove the bowl. Repeat with the remained rolled dough. And at the end you will get a star shape in the middle. Or you can cut with a knife for desired shape. When ever I make it for the kids, I will try to make maximum shapes like triangle, diamond or star. Star shape is my daughter's favorite.

Recipe for Kurma :

Potato - 2 big, cleaned, peeled and cubed.

Carrot - 1 big, cleaned and  cubed

Beans - 8 to 10, cleaned and cut into long pieces

Onion - 1 big, cubed

To make into paste

Tomato - 1 big or 2 medium, chopped

Clove - 2

Cinnamon - 1/2" piece

Fresh or dry coconut - 1 tbsp

Dry coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste 

Mix all and grind into a fine paste.

Oil - 1 tbsp

Green chilly - 1 slit 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

                                  

Heat oil in a small cooker in which you are making kurma. Add chopped onion and fry till brown. Add the cut vegetables. Fry for few minutes. Add ground paste and turmeric powder. Mix properly and cook for few minutes. Add 1 cup water and green chilly. Adjust the seasoning. Cover the lid and give 1 whistle.  

                                        

When cool, the kurma is ready to eat with puri. 

If you are planning to send it for lunch box, add very little water or till the vegetables are covered.

Recipe for Cabbage poriyal :

Click here for the recipe : Cabbage poriyal  It is optional but taste good with kurma and puri.

Sending this to radhika's event, Event Announcement: Food for 7 Stages of Life 
which is connected with Sudeshna’s Cook like a bong (co-host of this event)

And 

Sending this to Pari's  THE COMBO EVENT 

Keep Smiling,

Potato Fritters or Aloo Pakoda

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All, 

(Don't you feel it looks like crane st anding on a stone and  waiting to catch a fish!!)

                                         

        

(here for details of the image.)

Last week, I posted Can any one guess what is it? when I caught this photo. When I read Nithu's post (Potato Bajji), I remembered that I also promised that I will post the recipe for it in this week. Even she got different recipe.

So here is my recipe!

Potato - 3 big

Keep potatoes in water for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove clean and cut into round thick slices. If you feel potatoes are not clean, peel the skin and cut in to thick round slices.

  

Oil to fry pakodas

For batter :

Gram flour -  1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Hot oil - 1 tbsp

Eating soda ( soda-bi carb) -  a pinch

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Mix all in a bowl with little water to make the thick batter. Keep it aside for 5 minutes.

Heat oil in a thick kadai. Dip the potato slices slowly seeing that the slice is covered with full batter and slide them in to oil. Fry till golden color, in batches slowly on medium flame. 

Potato Pakodas are ready to eat with tea or kurmura(churmuri).

Linking it to

http://sindhirasoi.com/link/potato/

Keep Smiling,

Simple but simply great!! Potato Wedges!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A simple snack for every potato lover!

There is an annual sports week going on in my daughter's school. She comes early from the school. So I need to keep her lunch ready when she is back. Today I went for shopping and could not prepare anything for her.

There was bitter gourd for us, but she does not like it!

Without much thinking, I took potatoes and started peeling the skin. I did not had any idea, what will I make with the potato, but I was sure that it will be  faster and any thing you make with potato it will come out nice.

When I cut the first potato, I saw that I have cut it into the shape of wedge. So, the other potatoes followed the first potato! But I did not wanted it more spicier as my younger one also loves potato. I thought of using less masala. Here is the recipe for Potato Wedges from my side,

Potato - 10 to12, small ones so the shape looks even and nice

Salt taste

Clove - 2

Cinnamon  - 1 small

Dry ginger - 1/4 tsp

Jeera - 1/4 tsp, fry it for half a minute without oil

Oil - 2 tbsp

Apply salt to the potatoes and keep aside for 5 minutes if time allows you! I took the plate directly to microwave oven for 5 minutes on high. Till it was done, I fried the jeera. Mixed clove, cinnamon, dry ginger and jeera and crushed into a coarse powder. 

(If you do not have microwave oven, no problem!! Cut the potatoes and put them in to a very hot water for 2 minutes. Drain the water immediately Apply salt. Keep it aside for 5 minutes.) 

Then follow the next steps.

Heat oil in a kadai, add the coarse powder and immediately add the potatoes. Keep on frying till the potatoes becomes crispy. It takes around 15 to 20 minutes. The wedges were so crispy! I finished 1/4th of the plate before I served my daughter!!!!

I spread the ketchup on chapati, spread these wedges on it. Rolled the chapati and gave it to my daughter. 

She enjoyed it a lot! 

But I did not get time to decorate it for the photo! 

My  younger one was  sleeping, she missed the plate!!! When  I make for her, I will try to click a decorated photo and post it here!

10 -12 small potatoes!! it finished in 12 seconds!!!! So keep in mind about the quantity! 

I was in a hurry and I prepared it for only one person with this qty. And do you believe that, this was first time that I prepared potato wedges at home!! I always had it in Pizza outlets!!

Linking this to
http://sindhirasoi.com/link/potato/

Keep smiling,

Mini Samosas

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi all,

Samosas were never in my kitchen as I never liked the big sized samosas!! But in UAE, I started eating only those we get frozen. They were very tasty, but I used to have rarely because of the frying and frozen factor. Then these mini samosas were available in Keralite Restaurant during Ramdan Fasting. I used to wait to have in the evenings.

        

(keep the straight line on your left)                                                          

  

(Fold like how it is shown in a photo. Apply milk to bind it)

 

After coming from UAE, I totally forgot about these mini darlings.

Last week, my daughter reminded me and ordered me to make samosas. 

A very simple fast food which can be made anytime, as all the ingredients are available at home. This is first time I have made samosas at home!!!!

For filling,

Potato - 3 to 4 medium, boiled and smashed

Peas - 1/4 cup, boiled in a micro wave for a minute

Carrot - 1 small, boiled(optional)

Salt to taste

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Chat masala - 1/2 tsp

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp, roasted

Oil - 2 tbsp

Oil to fry samosas

For dough

Maida or all purpose flour - 1 cup

or you can use even wheat flour if your are weight conscious.

Salt - 1 tsp

Hot oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Water to prepare dough
Prepare the soft dough with above ingredients and keep aside for at least 15 minutes.

Keep the potatoes and peas in a oven to boil for 5 minutes.  Till it is boiled, prepare the dough and keep it aside and start making filling masala ready.

Heat oil in kadai, Add cumin seeds and all other dry masalas. You should be quick as it will get burnt. Add the vegetables. Salt and lime juice. Mix properly. The masala is ready.

Make small balls(Garlic bulb size) out of dough. Take one ball, roll in to small puri size. Cut in to half. Then comes the trick. Always keep the straight line on your left. It will be easy to make cone. (follow the photos.)

Take smaller size ball to make mini samosas.

Fill the masala. Cover the cone by applying milk. Make other samosas also ready. Fry all the samosas  in a hot oil.

It takes long time to make mini samosas, but tastes great.
Serve with green chutney, sauce or ketchup.
Want to have plain? No problems. 
AND WITH A TWIST, THIS PLATE OF DANCING SAMOSAS ARE GOING TO 

RADHIKA'S 

Event Announcement: Food for 7 Stages of Life - Healthy Fast FoodAs per the rule I am linking it to Sudeshna’s Cook like a bong page also.

The twist is, as there is a time limit in her event, you can prepare this healthy fast food, if and only if you have boiled potatoes  in the fridge.And if you are making it only for one or two persons( as it takes long time to prepare for many)
I hope I am not violating any rule of the event.


Keep Smiling,

Aloo Pattice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My father used to love this! He was a great cook, and always tried new recipes in the kitchen. This was one of his favourite, he used to prepare for guests. This is from my mother. It tastes more delicious when she prepares it. A good snack for kids. They will love to eat with sauce or ketchup.

Main ingredient for this is, a green leafy vegetable called Kiraksali in Kannada. It is very common in North Karnataka. We usually just stir fry it with lot of onion and garlic. It tastes great with Jowar rotti.

Please help me to get the English name for this. I did lot of searching, but I could not get the name for this in English.

In Harsha Bennur's blog (http://girmitt.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/roasted-kirkasaali-tandulsa/), he has given the name as Tandulsa, I do not know which language it is.

You can substitute with Rajgiri leaves or methi leaves, but I am not sure about the taste.

Here is the recipe,

Potato -4 big

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Kiraksali - 3 bunch(Washed, cleaned and finely chopped)

Green Pea(fresh or frozen) - 1/2 cup

Green chilly - 3 small chopped

Curry leaves - few chopped

Raisins - 8 to 10

Cashew nuts - 8 to 10 cut into pieces (optional)

Khus khus(poppy seeds) - 2 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Dalda or Vanaspati - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Rice flour to dust the pattice

Oil to fry the pattice

Boil the potatoes. When cool, mash it. Add little salt (1 tsp) and haldi, mix it properly and keep it aside.

Heat oil and vanaspati in kadai, add curry leaves, peas (if frozen, keep it out of the fridge for 10 minutes before using it), green chilly. Saute it for a minute, now add raisins, cashew nuts and poppy seeds. After a minute add kiraksali. Add salt and haldi. Mix it and let it cook till the green leaves are cooked. Now add lime juice and mix it and keep it aside.

Next step is to make pattice and fry them in oil.

Make equal size(Big lemon size) of mashed potato. Take one, and press it on your palm to make it flat. Stuff it with ready leafy vegetable. Take care to cover full vegetable with potato. Otherwise all the masala will come out while frying. Do for all the potato balls. Dust the ready balls with rice flour.

Now, heat the oil in kadai. When hot, fry the pattice one by one till golden color.

4 to 6 pattice can be prepared with this quantity.

Aloo Pattice is ready to serve with Ketchup or Sauce.
Linking it to
http://sindhirasoi.com/link/potato/

Keep smiling,