Vegan Chocolate chip cookies

Any vegetarians who are missing those classic homemade chocolate chip cookies, well now you can indulge without the need for the dairy, eggs, white sugar, or even refined flour if you choose. These cookies can even be made whole wheat pastry flour. One other bonus: these are super-easy to make! I am so happy I found this recipe and tried it.

Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
1⁄4 cup unrefined sugar(powdered)
1⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄3 cup maple syrup
1 – 1 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
1⁄4 cup canola oil (a little generous)
1⁄3 cup chocolate chips
Method:

·        Preheat oven to 350°.

·        In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, and stir until well combined.

·        In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup & vanilla extract, and then stir in the oil until well combined.

·        Add the chocolate chips to the dry mixture and stir.

·        Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix well. (Do not over-mix).

·        Take 1tsp spoonfuls of the batter and make balls and flatten & place on the baking tray.

·         Bake for 11 minutes, or until just golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out). Let cool on the sheet for no more than 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes 9-12 large to average sized cookies
Note: Unbleached all-purpose flour produces a more classic cookie taste and texture, but you can use whole-wheat pastry flour and still get a delicious cookie.

Set Dosa

I first tasted set dosa in Bangalore. I never ventured to try them at home until a few months ago when I found the set dosa and sagu (vegetable kurma) recipe in the internet. My first try came out really well and I finally settled at this one. I am glad I found this recipe; this is my all time fav which I don't miss out in eating when I go to Bangalore.

Ingredients:

2 cups rice

1 cup parboiled rice (cooked rice)

3/4 cup urad dal

3/4 cup poha/rice flakes

1 tsp methi seeds

11/2 tsp salt or to taste

 Pinch sugar (optional)

Method:

1. Soak raw rice, parboiled rice, urad dal and methi seeds in enough water for 6 hours. Separately soak the poha or beaten rice for 1-2 hours.

2. Grind all the ingredients along with poha adding enough water to form a pouring consistency. Leave it overnight to ferment.

3. Add salt & a pinch of sugar just before preparing the dosa and combine well.

4. Pre-heat a non stick tawa till really hot & pour 2 laddles of batter quickly (do not spread the batter) and let it cook gradually over medium heat. It should look like a thick pancake.

5. Flip the dosa over (this is optional) and let it cook further for less than a minute or till it is slightly roasted. Serve hot with chutney and sagu.

Poha Chivda

Poha/ chivda is a great snack to be eaten during tea time or well anytime of the day. My Mother In Law makes this dish quite often & is one of my hubby's fav snack. It is easy to make & crispy, delicious to munch anytime of the day. 

Ingredients

3 cups thin beaten rice (thin poha)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped or sliced
4 to 6 curry leaves
1 tbsp unsalted peanuts
2 tbsp roasted chana dal (dalia)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
a pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp powdered sugar
a pinch of citric acid (nimbu ka sath)
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste 
Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Toss in the mustard and cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
2. Add the green chillies, chana dal & the peanuts. Fry on medium/low level for about 2 minutes or till the peanuts are golden brown in color.
3. Drop in the curry leaves, asafoetida and the turmeric powder. Fry for 1/2 a minute. Stir in the beaten rice/poha and toss on medium level for about 3 minutes or till it is well coated with the oil and spices.
4. Sprinkle salt, citric acid and sugar to taste and toss to mix on high level briefly till well heated through. Remove from heat.
5. Let cool and store in an airtight jar. It can be stored for almost a month.

Vegetable Manchurian in gravy

Vegetable Manchurian is a popular dish everywhere nowadays.In this recipe i have made the vegetable dumplings & later simmered in a soya tomato sauce based gravy. Relish this Veg Manchurian with fried rice or just as a starter.
 
Ingredients

     1 cup Grated Cabbage
     1 cup Grated Carrots
     1/2 Onion grated
     1 cup grated cauliflower(optional)
     1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste or grated ginger & garlic
     1/2 cup boiled rice
     2 tbsp all purpose flour
     1/2 tsp salt
     Oil for deep frying
Gravy Ingredients:
     1 tbsp Soya Sauce
     3 tbsp tomato sauce
     1 tsp ginger garlic paste
     1tsp Salt or to taste
     1 tsp Pepper Powder
     1 chopped green chillies
     1/2 cup chopped onions
     1 tbsp Cornflour
     2 tbsp olive oil
     1 cup water or vegetable stock
     2 tbsp spring onions for garnish

Directions

   1. Mix grated cabbage, carrots, onions & cauliflower and squeeze all the water out from them.
   2. Mix 2 tbsp all purpose flour, ginger garlic paste and little salt to it.Add the boiled rice and smash it well for a gud binding.
   3. Make small ping pong balls (like koftas) to this above mixture.Bind the koftas well, if they are not tight it will break in the oil while frying.
   Tip: if it breaks add a little more all purpose flour to bind the vegetable mixture.
   4. Heat the oil in a kadhai and deep fry the balls till golden brown, drain and keep aside.

   5. Now in a separate pan heat 2 tbsp oil.
   6. Sauté ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and onions.
   7. Add water, salt, pepper powder,tomato sauce,soya sauce and stir well.Add a tbsp water to the corn flour & mix it in the gravy for thickening.
   8. Gently add the fried balls to the gravy.
   9. Cook the vegetable manchurian for 3-4 minutes and serve hot garnished with spring onions.

Dahiwale Aloo ki Subzi

Potatoes are my all time favorites. I love them any way you present it. But when it comes to adding yoghurt to any dish it becomes more delicious than ever. This dish is very simple, delightful & mouthwatering.

Ingredients:
5 to 6 peeled baby potatoes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 bayleaf (tejpatta)
3 cloves (laung)
1’’ cinnamon (dalchini)
3 to 4 curry leaves (kari patta)
1 slit green chilli
2 tsp chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 cup yoghurt (dahi), beaten
2 tbsp ghee
salt to taste
coriander leaves for garnish (dhania)

Method
•    Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds and asafoetida. When the seeds crackle, add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves and green chilli and sauté for a few seconds.
•    Add the peeled baby potatoes, chilli powder, coriander-cumin powder, turmeric & salt & sauté till the masala coats the potatoes evenly.
•    Add ½ cup of water and bring to a boil. Prick the potatoes to see if they are cooked.
•    Add the curds and bring to a boil while stirring continuously so that the gravy does not split.
•    Garnish with the coriander & serve with roti, naan or puri’s